Free Web NovelChapter 390: Chapter 7: Confronting Cain
After Bai Wu left, the captains of the Investigation Corps held their heads noticeably higher, exuding pride with chests puffed out and brimming faces.
Just a few months ago, when the Guardians arrived here, the strongest few captains were beaten by Liu Hu to the point where they couldn’t lift their heads.
External tower forces.
These few words were very clear to all the Guardian families in what they implied, and they were well aware that their rulers had connections to these external tower forces.
The meeting ended quickly, with Qin Xuan’s face ashen. The position of the deputy commander of the Investigation Corps, or rather, the person Gu Qingyu, clearly held more importance than he had anticipated.
However, all these scenes were just for show.
When the meeting concluded and everyone had returned to their posts, a slight smile actually appeared on Qin Xuan’s lips:
"I thought someone as meticulous and straightforward as you would be too blunt in handling matters, but who would have thought that an honest man lying would be flawless."
Qin Xuan didn’t need to worry about how to report back, as Qin Chu, who held a higher position in the family than him, was there. Some matters were not his to overreach.
His eyes held a sense of gratification as he now sat in his office, apparently in very good spirits.
Although... he felt quite embarrassed to be threatened by someone from the Investigation Corps while they held him by the neck.
...
...
High Tower, third level.
Mingyu Estate was hosting another high society couples mingling event for the upper tiers of the tower.
Ming Che always enjoyed such events, feeling the warmth of other families every time.
After all, he wasn’t tearing other families apart, just temporarily experiencing them. Is there anything more wonderful in the world than this?
If there was, it would probably be doing such things with Bai Wu.
Bai Wu was busy now, and Ming Che had a feeling that this man was genuinely involved in major affairs, with his strength increasing more and more impressively.
Previously, Ming Che treated Bai Wu more like a promising team member, but now he realized... Bai Wu had begun to exude the aura of Wu Jiu.
Bai Wu coming to see him this time made Ming Che very happy.
Although there was friction between the two armies, he indeed had good intentions towards Bai Wu, and Bai Wu reciprocating this friendship made him feel his judgement was not misplaced.
Mingyu Estate was bustling at the moment, busy with preparations for the large family integration event that evening.
Bai Wu was right there in Ming Che’s office.
His purpose was actually to tell Ming Che about something concerning Jiang Xuan.
"But I had just contacted him the day before yesterday... How could he suddenly be dead? I’ll make a call to ask."
Ming Che was shocked; the news Bai Wu brought was regarding Jiang Xuan’s death.
"No need. He is indeed dead. Perhaps in a few days, with some luck, I will be able to bring his body to you. As for the person you spoke with, that was not Jiang Xuan."
Ming Che didn’t understand the implication of Bai Wu’s words. If that person was unmistakably Jiang Xuan, how could he not be Jiang Xuan?
Bai Wu didn’t explain much further:
"I just don’t want our relationship to be affected by this. Think about it carefully, the Jiang Xuan you remember, would he give up his current position on a whim, and go to the Investigation Corps to become a field operative?"
Ming Che shook his head; indeed, he couldn’t fathom such a thing, but could this alone prove that Jiang Xuan was not Jiang Xuan?
"Jiang Xuan came to see me, I remember the case he was working on before was about the disappearance of an art teacher and several students, do you remember it?" Bai Wu asked.
Ming Che nodded.
"There’s actually another case, which your Garrison Corps was in charge of investigating, about a large amount of stolen emotional stabilizer reagents before the two armies’ martial exercises. I presume that case hasn’t been closed yet, has it?"
There really is, Ming Che was shocked, how could Bai Wu know all this.
This case wasn’t under Ming Che’s responsibility, but he was aware of it. Currently, the suspicion was locked on the Tower God Society.
But the Tower God Society had already disappeared without a trace for a long time.
Bai Wu said:
"Liu Mu was injected with the serum during the military exercise between the two armies and became an Evil Fallen. Those serums came from the batch that was stolen, and the person who injected the serum is currently believed to be the missing teacher from Noble Academy. That is the case you assigned to Jiang Xuan."
Ming Che couldn’t believe that these cases had such connections. He didn’t know what to say.
He was also very aware of Bai Wu’s skills; Bai Wu had no reason to lie to him.
Bai Wu continued:
"This person holds the power to steal someone else’s body, you might find it exaggerated, but that is the truth."
"Are you trying to say that Jiang Xuan’s body was taken by him? How is that possible... Such a thing is unheard of!"
"Like I said, the truth is the truth."
Bai Wu seriously added:
"I regard Captain Ming as a friend. I had to endure for some reasons before, but recently, due to some good luck, I made some insignificant progress, so I don’t need to endure anymore."
Ming Che thought to himself, please just speak plainly, why suddenly become so philosophical.
Although Ming Che did not like combat, he was not weak in strength; his fourth-tier Innate Force allowed him to sense that Bai Wu was very different from before.
"Between him and me, there are some grievances, which involve very important matters, so... ’Jiang Xuan,’ I hope Captain Ming will just consider him dead. He won’t show up again, in the investigation report, I will state that Jiang Xuan died in battle while investigating outside the Tower."
Ming Che understood what Bai Wu meant:
"So, what’s going to happen to him? You surely won’t hand him over to our Garrison Corps, right?"
By this point, Ming Che had actually believed Bai Wu’s words; although what Bai Wu said was extremely absurd, Ming Che was very clear that Bai Wu was a trustworthy person.
"He can’t be handed over to the Garrison Corps because they can’t keep him contained. Frankly, I’m not clear about the specifics of how he will be handled, as he has never shown his true face in this world. Although I believe I’m prepared, it’s very possible that he still might give me some... unexpected surprises, neither too big nor too small."
Bai Wu looked at Ming Che and after a brief pause, said:
"In any case, this person cannot be handed over to you, because he is—extremely dangerous."
Ming Che got the message and said:
"It seems I’ve underestimated the dangers within the High Tower. I never thought I’d be so close to such a dangerous person in everyday life. I understand about this matter. Regarding the subsequent procedures about Jiang Xuan’s death, I will cooperate all the way through."
"Aren’t you afraid that I’m deceiving you? This is a matter of someone’s life," Bai Wu said.
Ming Che chuckled:
"I’m a businessman, I rely on judging people in my line of business, not just any rotten fish and shrimp are worthy of the likes of Wu Jiu, who is a big trouble for the Garrison Corps, but there’s no one in the Garrison Corps who doesn’t respect him. And you, are someone even he respects. Even if you didn’t tell me all this today, I would still trust you."
Bai Wu said:
"I quite like businessmen like you, although there is no business without cunning, you also have your principles and value integrity, you’re better than some businessman I know. Captain Ming, maybe one day in the future, your business will become very big." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
"Hahaha, not to hide it from you, I’m already a top-tier businessman on the third layer, I’ve basically reached the peak. To go higher, I would have to climb to the fourth layer, which I dislike. I just like money and other people’s wives, I’m not interested in becoming an official."
Bai Wu laughed, this man really doesn’t treat me as an outsider:
"Your vision is too narrow. As for the future, who can say for sure? What if suddenly a new channel for commerce appears? However, I must leave now, I have to deal with ’Jiang Xuan’s’ affairs."
Ming Che didn’t understand the first part of Bai Wu’s sentence, but he got the second part:
"Alright, be careful with everything."
...
...
The second floor of High Tower, Investigation Corps branch, office of the captain of the seventh team.
After Jiang Xuan arrived at the office, he was greatly surprised.
Bai Wu had changed a lot.
Even though Bai Wu had cut his long hair, and seemed no different from their last meeting, Jiang Xuan could clearly sense that Bai Wu’s aura had changed.
"You’ve arrived, take a seat."
"What did the captain want to see me for?"
Jiang Xuan frowned because Bai Wu had closed the door.
Bai Wu smiled:
"Nothing much, just catching up."
"Catching up?"
"Yes, catching up. There aren’t many people who can catch up with you, and even fewer who are worth catching up with. Since we’re both coincidentally here, why not open up and have a good talk?"
Bai Wu intended to lay things out directly, be it a covert or overt conspiracy, or any sort of scheme, it was very necessary.
But at the moment, the fastest way for him to clarify some things was to be direct, especially now that the other party posed no threat at all.
"I don’t understand what the captain means," Jiang Xuan’s heart had already guessed a possibility.
A normal conversation would never start this way, but his acting skills were not inferior to Bai Wu’s, not giving away any flaws.
However, Bai Wu wasn’t there to play a counterpart in Jiang Xuan’s act; he cut to chase and said:
"You’ve deceived me, and I’ve deceived you, we’re even now. Last time you went to Baichuan Middle School, you received a very interesting commission, so intriguing that you couldn’t distinguish the truth from the falsehood but would definitely accept it anyway. If you don’t want to continue this topic, we can certainly stop here. You can go on pretending to be Jiang Xuan."
The atmosphere changed in an instant.
Jiang Xuan, who was even better at acting than Bai Wu, finally showed a flaw at that moment, and Bai Wu could clearly see the astonishment surging in Jiang Xuan’s eyes.
"You’ve probably also wondered where the principal and his group have gone. If you insist on playing Jiang Xuan, these questions have no answers. Mr. Jiang, are you enjoying your time in the Investigation Corps?"
Bai Wu’s eyes were playful, and his tone was mocking as he looked at Cain.
Once upon a time, "Jiang Xuan" also treated Bai Wu and Wu Jiu this way.
But at this moment, "Jiang Xuan’s" emotional fluctuations were abnormally large.
For seven hundred years, he had reveled in the sensation of lies being unveiled.
But the scene should be one where the other party either has nothing left, or has finally lost their human identity, or thinks they have finally been through trials and tribulations before reflecting on the past with horror, only to find they have been deceived, ultimately falling into despair upon meeting the person who had been toying with them all along.
But at this moment, it was also a lie being uncovered, and "Jiang Xuan" felt no pleasure whatsoever.
When he joined the Investigation Corps, he thought he would soon steal one of the two containers—either Wu Jiu or Bai Wu.
But Bai Wu’s departure from the tower was completely impromptu, the kind where one second he was talking about something completely unrelated to leaving the tower, and the next second, he decided to leave and hurried out.
What’s even more outrageous is that Wu Jiu did the same thing. Once Bai Wu called for leaving the tower, this workaholic didn’t say a word and just left his work to depart immediately.
Many times, "Jiang Xuan" found himself completely unable to keep up with their pace. This deputy squad leader was elusive.
Until now, the only time they had gone out of the tower together was after the establishment of the monitoring group. Finally, he got the opportunity to leave the tower with them.
But that time, it was incredibly dangerous. If not for the Lake God being finally defeated by Yan Zizai and a monster-like girl, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
After coming back, he realized he was completely being led by them.
Bai Wu was different from all the others he had deceived before because of his deception.
The pleasure couldn’t be found on Bai Wu at all.
At this moment, "Jiang Xuan" finally understood why and quickly calmed down, still showing that unflustered expression of past days:
"When did you find out? Although I haven’t tried to hide it much, you shouldn’t have suspected me."
Bai Wu thought to himself Prayle’s Eye is the best in the world, would I tell you that?
"From the first day you joined, I found your motive unreasonable, so I’ve been investigating you. Plus, you should have realized, Nie Chongshan, Liu Mu, they are my people. Thus, discovering your true identity—Cain—was not difficult for me."
The moment this name came out of Bai Wu’s mouth, Cain suddenly felt a sense of defeat.
It was a strange and foreign feeling.
"Then you should know that this is not my real body. Don’t you think you’ve struck the grass and startled the snake?" Cain retorted.
"Don’t you think that if you don’t deploy your true body, many messages would be inaccessible to you?" Bai Wu disdained Cain’s concealment.
"You have lost your opportunity, and I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. My growth rate is indeed a bit fast; if I were you, I would hardly think you lost unjustly."
Cain nodded. Although these words seemed comforting but were actually mocking, he had, as Bai Wu said, completely underestimated Bai Wu’s growth speed.
"Actually, continuing to consume time with you wouldn’t have been bad for me, after all. I could use you to help me kill Yan Zhao, and I could use you to kill other rulers. I must say, your strength is quite formidable. But now, I am not afraid of you.
However, I have more important things to do, things that force me to lay my cards on the table with you."
Bai Wu didn’t show off his power, and Cain didn’t need Bai Wu to demonstrate it. Even if his current body couldn’t leverage all his strength, he could still sense—
This person had undergone a complete transformation.
Considering that Wu Jiu had been missing for ten days... Cain guessed that the next time he saw Wu Jiu, that person would have also transformed.
"So, my biggest mistake was to regard the hunter as the prey, hahaha... What a fatal error."
The temperament of "Jiang Xuan" changed drastically at that moment.
It was as if he was still the same person, but in an instant, everything from his gaze to his breathing transformed into someone else.
Cain sized up Bai Wu. In seven hundred years, he had deceived too many people. He had been deceived as well but being purely suppressed by information to the point of being used by someone else seldom happened.
"I don’t know whether to say it’s interesting or dull. Ah, I really wanted to continue pretending to be someone you trust, but why was I exposed so quickly? Tsk tsk tsk, it seems you must’ve encountered something you really wanted to know about."
Bai Wu said: freewebnøvel.com
"Exposing your lies is actually not significant for you, after all, you just can’t continue under Jiang Xuan’s identity. But you have many other identities, and your Sequence is quite tricky. As long as we can’t find your real body, you can keep deceiving, again and again."
This was right, and also the reason why Cain, despite being exposed, was not flustered at all.
But this time, Bai Wu clearly came prepared:
"However, the last gamble let me know what truly interests you. Back at Violet Manor, you deceived Violet into escaping from her family’s game."
Cain was taken aback; how did the conversation turn to Violet? That unfortunate mad girl, offspring of some hedonist.
"You left me a letter in Violet’s manor. You thought that the boat ticket was useless, I still remember you mocking the people on the boat, living in a lie."
Cain remembered now, he had indeed left such a letter.
The purpose was to make Bai Wu or Wu Jiu realize the atrocities committed by the rulers, to make them hate the Zhong Family even more.
But what was wrong with that boat ticket?
Looking at the somewhat puzzled Cain, Bai Wu dropped a bombshell:
"That ship can sail out of the Hei Wu. And I have been to the world beyond the Hei Wu."
(Let’s move the day off to tomorrow; today, I’ll update first and talk about it. It’s really a writer’s block, as there’s a long plot ahead that I haven’t figured out how to arrange yet, so I’m updating today. I may still take a day off tomorrow. Of course, there’s also the chance that I won’t, but it’s not very likely.)
