Free Web NovelChapter 1636: Chapter 953: A Ghost Knows the Poison in People’s Hearts
In the elevator, Yang Xiao withdrew the hand he had placed on Wu Qingcang’s shoulder, and with an embarrassed smile, he brushed off the non-existent dust on Wu Qingcang’s shoulder, "Captain Witch, your uniform looks really good on you."
"I’m not surprised you survived, but I didn’t expect you to have no injuries at all." Wu Qingcang maintained his distant attitude.
Yang Xiao clasped his fist and smiled at Wu Qingcang, "It’s all thanks to Captain Witch for watching over me, without any worries behind my back, I dared to give it my all."
Upon hearing this, Wu Qingcang’s gaze instantly turned sharp, "How did you know I was beside you?"
Yang Xiao smiled awkwardly and gestured for Wu Qingcang to look at his shoes. Wu Qingcang looked down, and after seeing the mud stain on the edge of his own shoes, he instantly understood.
Similar mud stains were also on the edges of Yang Xiao’s shoes, because he had just stepped into a damp underground area, where many places could be described as muddy.
And Wu Qingcang was someone who paid great attention to his appearance. When Yang Xiao saw him today, his shoes were polished clean. It was only in the short half-hour after they parted that his shoes suddenly became like this.
Yang Xiao guessed correctly; Wu Qingcang never really left. The idea of leaving him alone to train was just for Yang Xiao to see, meant to force him into a desperate fight, testing his resilience under pressure.
Wu Qingcang was very careful with it. He believed Yang Xiao had no reason to discover him. And indeed, Yang Xiao and the Evil Cultivators captured by the Patrol Defense Office didn’t notice his presence. Yang Xiao realized he’d been there through the mud on his shoe edges.
Step back a bit, regardless of whether today’s test was passed or not, Wu Qingcang wouldn’t let Yang Xiao die at the hands of these Evil Cultivators. Firstly, he was a brother of the Patrol Defense Office, and Wu Qingcang wouldn’t stand by and watch him die.
Secondly, Yang Xiao wasn’t a nobody; he was a key member recently promoted at the Jiangbei Province Office, with the rank of Second-level Full-time Director. He was closely connected with figures at the Provincial Office like Professor Cui and Elder Yang Lao, and he was also a top disciple of Nalan Shuo from Rongcheng, treated as a half-son by the latter. If he just died inexplicably, there would be no explanation.
But most crucially, Yang Xiao’s performance exceeded his expectations. His strength, courage, strategy, and resolute judgments were all beyond what Wu Qingcang anticipated.
To say the least, even many renowned Great Heretic Cultivators might not do as well as Yang Xiao has. He’s truly a talented individual. freewebnovёl.ƈom
Originally, Wu Qingcang was worried that Yang Xiao would be seen through, that those scheming individuals would uncover his identity with the Patrol Defense Office. But the moment Yang Xiao took action, Wu Qingcang knew today was steady.
He had no doubt, if among these people there were those who dared betray Yang Xiao, the latter would ruthlessly eliminate that person to establish his authority.
"You have more potential being an Evil Cultivator than mixing with the Patrol Defense Office," Wu Qingcang suddenly remarked.
Hearing this, Yang Xiao, who was still smiling, immediately stopped, nervously explaining, "Captain Witch, that’s not a joke to be made. From a young age, my family taught me to be a good person, uphold justice, for the country and the people. I... I Yang Xiao, share an unending enmity with Evil Cultivators!"
Wu Qingcang didn’t mind either; he roughly already understood what kind of person this kid was. He wasn’t a bad person, but also not a good person in the absolute sense.
This was a man with great strength, strange ways, slick and adaptable, capable of being both humble and proud. Such a person, whether mixing with Evil Cultivators or among the three major forces, as long as he survives, he will eventually have his day of prominence.
Along the way, Yang Xiao kept explaining to Wu Qingcang that he was someone with a strong sense of justice, unable to sleep at night when hearing about Evil Cultivators committing atrocities and harming innocent people. When leaving Rongcheng, he collected several plaques proclaiming him an "Evil Cultivator Nemesis," including one made of gold-threaded nanmu wood, which he planned to hang on the office wall to admonish himself daily.
"Captain Yang, what do you think of these people?" Wu Qingcang didn’t want to listen to his explanations anymore and moved to the main topic.
Yang Xiao thought for a moment and gave an answer, "There’s nothing to say about their strength, especially that Ku Daoist and One-eyed Monk. These two could almost secure an outer elder position within major forces, but these guys aren’t really one of us, harboring ulterior motives. If we let them go out and do things, I’m worried..."
"Worried about what?" fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
"I’m worried that without you pressing them down, they might cause a mutiny," Yang Xiao voiced his concern.
"We’ve prepared for that; we have leverage over some of them. If they dare betray us during the mission, they will undoubtedly face our retaliation." Wu Qingcang’s words were firm and unyielding.
But even as Wu Qingcang spoke with determination, Yang Xiao still had doubts, "Captain Witch, I’m not doubting your or the Provincial Office’s intentions, but... does someone like them really have so-called weaknesses and vulnerabilities?"
Although Yang Xiao didn’t really understand the background of these guys, being treated this way, they must be heinous individuals. In Yang Xiao’s impression, such people rarely have anything that can truly threaten them.
"They are Evil Cultivators, yes, but they are also human. As long as they’re human, they have weaknesses. If they themselves don’t have any, then we target the people around them, or dig deep into their past to find those they fear, those they have grudges with, or forces they provoke."
Pausing for a moment, Wu Qingcang continued, "We’ve controlled some of their family members, and also uncovered a lot of their past crimes. Over the years, they’ve also offended many people, including many Evil Cultivators more powerful and terrifying than they are."
