Volume 5
276 Cang Ming"s Pursuit
"Yes. I"m happy to hear that you think we should be thinking of a way to leave too. Does this mean that you"ve finally decided to go back?"
"I don"t know, actually." I shook my head.
"But didn"t you say that your goal was to leave together with Si Luo?" I glanced at Si Luo before turning back to Jiao S.
Jiao S"s eyes seemed to darken slightly. "If I"m not able to change the natural law of things, if I"m fated to leave him someday, then I"ll not force it. I"ve realized that Si Luo loves this place. It has nothing to do with love, it"s just that he has been here for way too long."
"How long are you two planning to chat for?" Nie Zun shot the question at me with that indifferent tone of his.
I shut my mouth immediately. Nie Zun wasn"t someone who would spout nonsense in public areas like these. If he did that, it meant he wanted me to stop talking, and he would definitely have his reasons for doing so.
Seeing me silent, Jiao S kept quiet too.
A gust of wind blew from out of nowhere. Though I wasn"t very good in sensing air currents, I knew if danger was looming. There was an invisible pressure that seemed to be closing in on us.
I wanted to ask "Is Cang Ming here?" to break this eerie silence, but I just could not do so.
My mind was in a complete mess as it wondered what to do next if it really was Cang Ming, and I didn"t even realize it was him until a blood-red robe appeared in front of me.
I flinched slightly when I heard Cang Ming call out from somewhere outside the cage.
As I turned back to look, I was met with Cang Ming"s wild face. His dark hair seemed messier than before, but he still had that powerful aura around him. He had this expression which looked like he was angry but smiling at the same time. It looked saddening but beautiful.
I was wondering if I should ask how he had been doing, but red-robed Cang Ming did not have much patience this time. He spoke at me, "You, come over."
I was actually about to go over when Jiao S stopped me.
Those slightly upturned eyes of his looked even more devious as he raised a brow. He looked like someone who should never be offended.
"What"s this game you"re playing at?" Cang Ming asked as he looked at the huge cage.
Game? It"s a game where we act as bait to lure you over.
This time, he finally spotted the two individuals lying in the corner.
He spotted Nie Zun first and he didn"t even bother looking at Si Luo because his eyes ended up being glued to Nie Zun. He stared at Nie Zun for a good ten seconds or so, and he continued staring even when Nie Zun stood up.
I was slightly nervous, but I didn"t know why I felt nervous.
Though Nie Zun had Guan Nie"s face, he still looked demonic. "Do I need to go over so you can have a better look?" He then began walking towards Cang Ming.
Cang Ming was still standing outside the cage. I wonder if this cage is nothing but sc.r.a.p metal to him.
Cang Ming laughed out loud. "Who"s the one behind this? The technique is not bad and it might fool others, but since I"ve helped the both of you before, it"s impossible for this to slip past me."
Si Luo stood up at this.
"I did it," he answered with a smile.
Cang Ming looked slightly surprised as he turned to Si Luo.
I would never have imagined Cang Ming being surprised about anything.
Cang Ming asked, "You"ve been revived? You were half-dead the last time I saw you. I couldn"t even talk to you since you were in such a deep sleep in that coma of yours. What now? You"ve finally realized that your body is the best tool for a revolution?"
Si Luo blinked mischievously. "How rare it is for the G.o.dly Cang Ming to remember me and recognize me."
Cang Ming laughed again. "When have you become so dishonest, Si Luo? Is there anyone who doesn"t know Si Luo"s name in the Split Zone? Let"s not talk about those from the Gate of Ghost, even those from the Gate of Exit would probably know that a person named Si Luo exists. How can I not know you then? Furthermore, I"m rather familiar with Gaoqin Jiuye as well."
For some reason, I felt relieved as I heard this exchange. This meant that the both of them might have some sort of a good impression of each other. If that was the case, Si Luo would definitely have us stand on Cang Ming"s side. Even though my gut told me that Cang Ming was extremely dangerous, I stubbornly believed that it was a better choice to work with Cang Ming than to go against him.
I couldn"t tell what Si Luo could be planning with that friendly exchange as he continued. "I don"t know about you and Gaoqin Jiuye, but I know that you"re not someone who does things on a whim. You"re appearing here alone in the Gate of Heaven at this juncture. I know you have guts and you don"t care, but I wonder if you"re really that confident in your abilities or if you have some other pressing reason to do so."
Cang Ming was a cunning opponent. He glanced at all of us and smiled deviously before he answered. "How about you tell me what"s going on with the group of you before you ask the questions? Firstly, this grouping is weird. And you"ve even changed Nie Zun"s appearance. Also, you"re locked up in this lousy cage right smack in the middle. Even if I was extremely confident in my abilities, I wouldn"t dare step into this seeming trap."
Stop pretending. You don"t sound the least bit scared. Don"t you have nothing but mere guts?
"Also, I"m curious. Where"s Gaoqin Jiuye? From what I know about him, he"ll be wherever you are. He won"t leave you that easily. Judging from the timing, you should"ve just woken up not too long ago. What is it that could have made Gaoqin Jiuye leave you at this juncture?"
Judging from this targeted question, Cang Ming definitely understood the dynamics between Gaoqin Jiuye and Si Luo well.
Gaoqin Jiuye disappeared after he gave me that slap. I knew why he did that now, and I could understand his anger and frustration. But I didn"t know why he didn"t come back for Si Luo.
Is there something else I"m not aware of?
Du Yue mentioned that my second personality can save Si Luo since it resonated with his. Was Gaoqin Jiuye looking into this?
I didn"t have the luxury of time to think about all the possibilities as Si Luo answered Cang Ming quickly.
"He"s only human. There are also times when he throws a tantrum. I don"t know where he is now. As for being in this cage, I"m here to wait for you."
Cang Ming laughed again. "You haven"t changed, but that frankness is just what I like about you. Go on, who made you do this?"
"Why do you have to ask if you"ve already guessed it," Si Luo said calmly.
Cang Ming smirked. "I guess Du Yue isn"t giving up on Bian Ying anytime soon. Interesting. She"s always trying to hara.s.s my woman when she can"t even look after her own man, and she"s eyeing me now?
"But what"s up with this plan of hers? Getting the four of you to wait for me here? This doesn"t really make sense." Cang Ming looked extremely relaxed with his folded arms even when what he said sounded rather serious.
Si Luo brushed his silvery-white hair lightly. "If you"re going against her, according to her perception of you - that you don"t follow the usual rules - it"s pretty understandable that she would use such an extreme method."
"What? I don"t follow the usual rules? My motive for coming here is clear as day. Does she need to resort to such petty tricks? I"m not even targeting her."
Si Luo raised a brow in response. "Oh, this makes things interesting. What could have made you rush here and cross the border between the Gate of Ghost and the Gate of Heaven if you aren"t here for Bian Ying? What are you here for then?"
Cang Ming shrugged. "Yes, it"s for my woman, but that doesn"t really have much to do with Du Yue, does it? The Gate of Heaven doesn"t belong to her. Does she really think that she can take the top spot with her petty tricks?
"As for the rest of you." Cang Ming pointed at us as he spoke. "You are nothing but her mercenaries. So, Si Luo, are you planning to go back to being a loyal dog for Feng Zhu in the Gate of Heaven?"
A glint of anger shone in Jiao S"s eyes upon hearing this seemingly rude comment. She cared a lot about Si Luo, and Cang Ming would probably be in her blacklist now that he had said something like this.
However, Si Luo did not mind it at all. "It doesn"t matter who"s the one I"m helping here. If you"re here for Bian Ying, it means you"re targeting Du Yue. I"m quite surprised by this casual and relaxed att.i.tude of yours, in fact."
Cang Ming frowned slightly. "I"m definitely here for Bian Ying, but who said I was targeting Du Yue?"
Si Luo"s gaze darkened. "What"s the meaning of this?"
Cang Ming laughed emptily as he slowly pointed a finger at me. "She"s my target."