Chapter 0 106. Ren Ci’s Answer
“Fellow Daoist Jia Ren, you jest. When have I ever doubted your methods? Your current actions only make me more convinced that you will be an excellent partner.”
The Bi Fang Clan’s Lord, wearing a veiled hat that obscured his expression, spoke with a hint of a smile in his tone. “It’s just that I don’t understand why you’ve chosen to conceal this person’s appearance. Wouldn’t it be better for us to join forces now and eliminate this scoundrel together?”
“Naturally, it’s to prevent Fellow Daoist Yan from becoming enraged and going directly after him, which would only startle them,” Ren Ci replied calmly. “As I said earlier, before we are fully prepared, if this person is pushed to desperation and decides to flee, it will be as difficult as reaching the heavens for anyone to stop them! I come from the Lingbo Boat Master’s Clan, and Fellow Daoist Yan must understand the weight of my assessment!”
As she spoke, a flicker of cleverness crossed Ren Ci’s eyes, and she smiled faintly. “Just as Fellow Daoist Yan himself is now, isn’t it only because you find my evasion techniques so troublesome and lack complete confidence in capturing me for interrogation that you’ve grudgingly entered into this transaction with me?!”
The Bi Fang Clan’s Lord shook his head, seemingly filtering out Ren Ci’s latter points. His voice deepened. “Does this person’s skill truly make you, Fellow Daoist Jia Ren, so wary?”
“As a metaphor, when I clashed with him last time, I deeply experienced the powerlessness of a young child facing an adult!” Ren Ci took a deep breath, then her eyes playfully shifted elsewhere. “Besides, I believe Fellow Daoist Yan must have quietly set up some lie detector spirit materials within this hall. You can now accurately judge if I’ve uttered a single falsehood from beginning to end, can you not?”
Back then, in the Illusory World Cloud Marsh, hadn’t Ren Ci experienced a return to youth, revealing a most vulnerable and tender side of herself, and spending a considerable time with Qin Gou, whose appearance remained unchanged?
Furthermore, another tactic in Ren Ci’s words was that her true body, left in the main hall, had been deliberately speaking ambiguously, unafraid of lie detector spirit arts, and subtly intending to make the Bi Fang Clan’s Lord overlook… the other her in the painting’s light screen, who could arbitrarily fabricate lies and deceive heavens and earth.
“You speak humorously again. When would I engage in such a foolish game?” The Bi Fang Clan’s Lord’s smile remained unchanged.
“Regardless, I absolutely cannot allow this excellent opportunity to slip through my fingers. Moreover…” Ren Ci observed the Bi Fang Clan’s Lord with interest. “Fellow Daoist Yan, shouldn’t you also have a good chat with me about what promises your Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan is willing to make to me for this? Let’s be clear: as one of the Ten Pillars of the Abyss and a Demon Lord, I am not so easily moved.”
The Bi Fang Clan’s Lord nodded slightly, deliberated for a moment, and then said, “I am confident I can absolutely help Fellow Daoist Jia Ren successfully ascend to the Realm Lord position again!”
“You…”
For a moment, Ren Ci’s eyes widened in astonishment, and she asked, disbelievingly, “Fellow Daoist Yan, how do you know about this?! My current situation… who revealed it to you?”
“Why does Fellow Daoist Jia Ren concern herself with such trivial matters?” The Bi Fang Clan’s Lord laughed heartily, his tone carrying a hint of smugness. “You only need to know that every word I speak is true! However, I wonder if this condition will satisfy you? After all, it is said that you have been working tirelessly for this in recent years!”
Upon hearing this, Ren Ci opened her mouth but ultimately fell into a long silence. A barely concealed fervor flashed in her clear eyes.
Meanwhile.
The exchange between Qin Gou and Ren Ci’s clone, created by the Thousand Soul Body, naturally continued.
“Fellow Daoist Jia Ren, just say it directly! You’re not my wife, so why do you always make me guess your thoughts?” Qin Gou waved his hand irritably.
Ren Ci gritted her teeth instantly, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed. However, she knew that Qin Gou was cooperating with her, and he wasn’t usually so unreasonable.
“Hand over that Fatal Relic to me,” Ren Ci’s voice was cold.
“Are you referring to this item?” As he spoke, Qin Gou produced the ‘Eternal Seal Gloves’ from Mo Qingyang on the spot, asking tentatively.
Because Ren Ci and Xiao Su could actually communicate in some way, and Xiao Su had always been completely honest with her, she should now know that Qin Gou indeed possessed two Fatal Relics. Since Ren Ci hadn’t directly specified the ‘Thread Puppet’ that had left a deep impression on her, it could only be referring to these Eternal Seal Gloves.
“Precisely.”
Ren Ci nodded without hesitation, a playful, shallow smile curving the corners of her mouth. “This item will eventually fall into my hands, won’t it? You must be very unwilling right now?”
“Naturally. I wouldn’t deceive Fellow Daoist Jia Ren. It’s just that I currently need your help, so how can I not offer some chips?” Qin Gou glanced at the Eternal Seal Gloves in his hand with genuine affection, deliberately revealing a hint of deep reluctance.
“Enough. The sky is getting late. Now that I’ve obtained what I wanted, there’s no need for me to dally here any longer,” Ren Ci said abruptly, reaching out her small hand towards Qin Gou. After taking the Eternal Seal Gloves, she turned to leave.
“Wait!”
Qin Gou called out, his brow furrowed. “Can I truly… trust Fellow Daoist Jia Ren?”
At the same time, a questioning look flashed rapidly in his eyes, actually hinting at Ren Ci, ‘Xiao Ci, what do you plan to do?’ After all, this wench hadn’t given him the slightest clear clue throughout the whole affair.
Ren Ci couldn’t help but smile playfully. “Does Fellow Daoist have any other choice but to trust me now? Besides, I still need to properly compare which of your offering and Fellow Daoist Yan’s is more satisfactory to me. Of course, you can continue to try harder!”
“You…”
“Stop talking nonsense!”
“Qin, from now on, at least in my presence, you’d best behave yourself and don’t think about retaliating against me later. You should understand that this time, all the initiative is in my hands alone! Furthermore, don’t I know you? No matter what I promise, you’ll still maintain some suspicion, so now I’ll let you guess all you want about whose side I’ll ultimately choose!”
As she spoke, Ren Ci’s beautiful eyes showed disdain. She directly extended her fair little hand and, without bias, lightly patted Qin Gou’s ‘left cheek’ several times.
“Jia Ren… the humiliation today, and everything you’ve done, Qin will never forget!”
A furious roar was heard, Qin Gou’s eyes full of rage and unwillingness, portrayed with remarkable realism.
Such a provocative and insulting act was entirely fitting for their confrontational personas at this moment.
Only the two of them knew that Ren Ci had already given her answer on the spot.
The left side of his face, where her fingertips had brushed, was precisely the place she had once kissed him passionately in the Illusory World Cloud Marsh.
