All is Exposed Under the Silver Orb
I honestly didn’t have the foggiest idea what Jiang Chen was thinking. As a matter of fact, the new base didn’t make sense to me. To put it plainly, it was a giant jail, yet the only captive besides me was Uncle Huang. It was overkill to have a prison this large for just the two of us, not to mention the amount of effort and resources invested to select the guards. Moreover, detaining me at the base was an idea Jiang Chen came up with in the spur of the moment.
As Jiang Chen didn’t expect to capture me or know how to deal with me, he just dumped me here. If that wasn’t the case, then the tools to confine me wouldn’t have been so simplistic. In the imperial prison for goners, they had restraints designed to restrain martial artists. All Jiang Chen restricted me with was two iron rods. As if that was enough to hold me down.
If I wasted anymore time, Boss would go crazy searching for me. If she notified Mount Daluo, even Young Shiyi would find out. Jiang Chen owed me three days’ worth of beatings just for worrying them. Well, I could’ve pretended to be bed ridden once I escaped so that Boss would feed me food, Young Shiyi would feed me soup, and I could have them keep me company.
“What is it?”
I came back to my senses to see Gu Xianxian and Ning Zhuoru staring at me.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Gu Xianxian replied, “Nothing. You just looked angry one moment and happy the next. I couldn’t tell what you were thinking.”
Ning Zhuoru teased, “His wife, obviously.”
Why do you care what I’m thinking about?!
“Tsk, tsk, look at him act shy.”
“Big Bro, it’s normal to miss your wife. I think about my wife daily, right?”
Don’t compare me to you! I chase greatness! I don’t have time to flirt and think about romance, big busts and b-, you two are a bad influence!
“You two still don’t seem to understand the situation you’re in. I suggest you be more alert.”
Tian Xiaogua suddenly knocked on the door from outside. “May I ask if Doctor Wu is in?”
I had Tian Xiaogua prepare me wine and snacks, but I told him not to come near the door without my permission. Hence, I coldly stressed, “I told you not to disturb me unless it was something urgent.”
“It is urgent.”
“Don’t care! You prefer to die?”
“The kitchen has run out of chicken.”
Okay, that is urgent.
“Duck or lamb are fine substitutes.”
“Understood. Still ten?”
“More lamb.”
“Understood.” With that, Tian Xiaogua jogged off.
I was wondering why Su Qi would carelessly let someone near. Sounds like he still gets me.
“Uh, where were we?”
Gu Xianxian and Ning Zhuoru: “What happened to being more alert?!”
“Given the status quo, I’ll tell you the truth: I am not Wu Ping.”
Their eyes doubled in size.
Ning Zhuoru was first to recover. “Then, who are you?”
“I’m the person who was held captive in the dungeon who also then went missing.”
Gu Xianxian barely caught himself from falling when his knees buckled, while Ning Zhuoru instinctively protected her stomach. Their reactions were understandable considering they believed the captive was someone dangerous enough to threaten the entire base.
“Your reactions prove you understand. Let me start with the ending. Wu Ping is dead. Although I didn’t kill Yan Jibei, you can assume I pretty much did. I was also the one who killed Kuanggu Sheng and set up Tiangou.”
Quaking in their boots was no longer just an expression to the couple.
“Don’t worry. I harbour no ill will towards either of you.”
“… Ru’er, listen to me. If Brother Wu wanted to kill me, he’s had hundreds of chances already. I don’t believe he wants to harm us.”
Ning Zhuoru remained vigilant. “Then, who are you?”
I paused before answering, “I’m an employee. An employee of Liu Shan Men.”
They looked to each other as if to jibe, “Yeah, sure, buddy.” I knew they wouldn’t believe me.
I set my token down on the table. “This is my badge.”
They stared at the token in silence for a good while. Then, Ning Zhuoru whacked my token away and exclaimed, “Didn’t you just draw it up?!”
I flipped my hands over to supinated positions. “You expect me to be able to continue carrying my real one on me? Even if I could, it would’ve been confiscated when I was brought in.”
The two of them nodded in unison, seemingly agreeing with my logic.
“I didn’t tell you two this to silence you but to be honest with you.”
I summarised everything I went through since arriving at the compound. The two of them appeared to not be convinced so many twists and turns had happened.
“I’m sharing the truth because I know we’re in similar situations. Someone wants to harm you two, and someone is trying to harm me, as well. We have no quarrels between us and are in similar predicaments. Brother Gu and I hit it off in our first interaction. I hope we can work together.”
“Why did Jiang Chen capture you?”
“He has a grudge with my sect. Luckily, I managed to survive, but I ran into him while on duty in the capital. Were it not for his arrogant nature and desire to humiliate my shifu and grandmaster, I’d probably be dead already.”
“Aren’t you afraid this important information…”
I patted Gu Xianxian on the shoulder. “Of course not, brother.”
With misty eyes, Gu Xianxian conveyed, “Say no more, Brother!”
Don’t get emotional! I’m genuinely not concerned!
It was only a matter of time before they told the fake Zero who I was. If I really wanted to, I could’ve ordered Su Qi to silence them.
“I… did not know you’re such an honest man. Please forgive my earlier rudeness,” expressed Ning Zhuoru.
Stop. This is making me feel bad because I considered silencing you guys just a while ago.
Gu Xianxian took a hold of my hand. “Big Bro, what’s your real name? Can you tell us?”
“My usual surname is ‘Ming’. Most of the time, I’m ‘Ming Feizhen’. Perhaps you’ve heard of Liu Shan Men’s top constable’s…”
Gu Xianxian and Ning Zhuoru: “Don’t worry. We’ve never heard of you.”
“…”
I forgot the two of them had a knack for pissing people off.
“But, Big Bro, among the three of us, one of us is pregnant, and the two of us are too injured to fight. Meanwhile, we don’t know where the enemy is hiding, so we’re far from safe.”
I wagged my hand. “Relax. The safest people in the compound are now my people.”
Since they didn’t look as they believed me, I elaborated with a smile, “As long as Jiang Chen doesn’t come back, I can guarantee you’re safe. Also, that guy who tried to attack Sister-in-Law hasn’t completely covered his tracks.”
“You have leads?” Ning Zhuoru effused.
“You can say that. I have reasonable intelligence and surmise he’s not part of Fiends’ Genesis, which means he’s one of us outsiders. Fortunately, there aren’t many suspects then, are there?”
I suddenly heard footsteps belonging to a man I wasn’t too familiar with. He was the person I suspected the most, as well.
Knock, knock.
“… Mr. Zero has summoned you.” He showed up just as sudden as a ghost and even oozed the same eerie vibe.
I looked in his direction, and the couple covered their mouths as if they realised what I was thinking.
“I will be there right away.”
The man standing on the other side of the door was the only person I hadn’t fought before – Musician Assassin, Teng.
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