No matter how overbearing and imperious the woman in red behaved and no matter how powerful the Skyspan Trading Company supporting her was, Ye Zichen didn’t care. His eyes glittered with inexplicable amus.e.m.e.nt.
“You think I’m the scoundrel who stole your Skyspan Trading Company’s resources?” In an instant, his whole demeanor changed dramatically. He now seemed righteous and n.o.ble.
His sudden transformation startled the woman in red, but she nevertheless nodded noncommittally. “That’s right.”
“Alright, then I’d like you to ask you a few questions. So long as you can answer them, I’ll tell you everything I know without reservation, no matter what you ask me!”
“Go ahead and ask!” she smiled confidently. Ye Zichen’s sudden change had only affected her briefly. The way she saw it, he was definitely affiliated with those black-robed scoundrels, but she was actually rather curious to see how he’d talk his way out of this.
“When was your Skyspan Trading Company robbed?”
“A week ago!”
“Have they stolen from you before?”
“They have!”
“Have you ever captured any of them before?”
“We have!”
“Did you take them alive?”
“No!”
“Is everything you said just now true?”
“It is!”
Their conversation was simple and to the point. After asking these questions, Ye Zichen nodded in satisfaction and ceased questioning her. A faint smile flashed across his face.
“Great. If everything you said is true, this should be easy to resolve.”
“Please explain in detail.” She gestured for him to continue, then sat on the beast-leather seats and quietly waited for Ye Zichen to start his performance.
“I have three ways of proving my ident.i.ty.
FIrst, my apprentice and I both have clean records. My name is Ye Zichen, and my apprentice is Wu Di of Raging Flame City’s Wu. We’re traveling to Raging Flame City from Black Ox Town and we left four days ago. Prior to our departure, we were in Black Ox Town for quite some time. That doesn’t match the time of the robbery. If you don’t believe me, you can go to Black Ox Town to investigate. I trust that, given the methods at your disposal, you’ll be able to get to the bottom of this.
Second, you said that they’ve robbed you in the past, but you’ve never captured any of them alive. Obviously, their organization is highly disciplined. In order to prevent you from discovering any leads, they kill themselves as soon as they’re captured. Alternatively, it’s even more likely that someone is controlling them from behind the scenes, and that they use some method to eliminate anyone who gets captured. Don’t tell me that’s not possible.I trust you know about soul chains as well. So, here’s the problem: if I belong to their organization, why haven’t I killed myself? Why am I still alive even now?”
Third, if I were from that organization and succeeded in obtaining that ring you’ve got in your hands, would I really be stupid enough to just stand there and wait for you to find me? Would I really just give the ring back without any resistance whatsoever? Do you think there’s something wrong with my brain? Alternatively, do you think I suddenly rediscovered my conscience and want to turn myself in and start afresh?
Everything I just said is intended to prove our innocence. Now it’s your turn. Please start your performance!”
This red-clad woman really fit the “busty yet brainless” stereotype. Just about anyone ought to be able to figure this out, yet she shockingly hadn’t managed it. She even needed Ye Zichen to lead the way and explain it to her.
If she had a working brain, she ought to be able to follow his logic.
As expected, once Ye Zichen finished his explanation, the woman in red sat there dazedly for a time, replaying and a.n.a.lyzing Ye Zichen’s words.
If she were truly impervious to reason, she naturally could come up with some excuse to refute Ye Zichen’s words, but she wasn’t that kind of person.
Even if she didn"t want to admit it, she had no choice: Ye Zichen’s explanation made sense.
She would naturally send people to verify what Ye Zichen had said about Black Ox Town, but after hearing everything he had to say, she was somewhat convinced that he wasn’t affiliated with the men in black.
They’d gone to such great lengths to make a breakthrough in the case, only for it to end up like this…...
It was really quite a pity!
Wu Di and Xue Beibei looked at Ye Zichen, strange looks on their faces. Wu Di felt that this master of his was amazing! He’d completely resolved the issue in just a few sentences. As for Xue Beibei, she felt as if this lecher had transformed into a completely different person.
“Then can you explain something else? You said you picked the ring off the ground, but I still find that hard to believe…..”
It was clear that Ye Zichen’s words had already affected her. The woman’s tone was nowhere near as sharp as before.
Ye Zichen pressed his lips into a smile and instantly reverted to his former lecherous persona. “That’s why I said I’m your benefactor!”
Without waiting for her to speak, Ye Zichen crossed his legs and leaned into the carriage with obvious relish.
“In truth, I held some things back for fear that you’d fall in love with me. However, since you keep asking about it, I’ve got no choice but to tell you. In truth, as my apprentice and I were resting, we had a chance encounter with some unusual looking black-robed figures. My sharp instincts told me they were absolutely up to no good.
As they pa.s.sed us by, I….. It will take some time to explain, but it happened in the blink of an eye…. I did a roundhouse kick and knocked one of them to the ground, then with a single ‘dragon’s claw……’”
He had perhaps gotten too lost in his performance. In order to make it more lifelike, he accompanied his narration with movements. In particular, as he called out that last attack move, his hand broke free from the immoral binding rope and landed on...
A certain important part…. Of the woman in red’s body.
It was as if the entire world came to sudden stop.
Wu Di stared at him in open-mouthed astonishment and Xue Beibei’s eyes were wide as saucers. As for the woman in red….. It was as if someone had used the ‘body freezing art’ on her; she immediately froze in place.
“Cough!”
Ye Zichen realized his performance had gone a little overboard and hurriedly removed his hand. He scratched his head and coughed drily, “in short, I defeated that person and took the ring. Then I ran… into…. you…. and I…. Gave it…. Back…..”
The more Ye Zichen spoke, the less confidence he had. From the look in her eyes, it seemed the woman in red wanted to tear him to bits.
He gulped, then stuck his hands in front of him and waved frantically. ‘Hey….. miss, please stay calm,” he said with a bitter smile. “I swear on my personal integrity that what happened just now was an accident. Let’s just pretend this never happened….. Please calm down. Miss, what are you doing with that knife? I’m your benefactor! …...hey, what’s going on? What are planning to do with that axe? Miss, don’t you know that this is a harmonious society? We can’t act like this. Killing people is against the law. You’re still young; you absolutely mustn’t do anything stupid. Hey! What are you doing? I’m your benefactor. Why are you walking towards me with a knife and axe…. I’m your benefactor, miss! You have to stay calm! I’m your benefactor!”
“Help! She’s going to kill me!”