“Heh heh! It seems you haven't figured it out at all!”
“After staying by my side for so long, you still haven't discovered anything. I wonder if you're the foolish one, or if my acting is that good.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian chuckled.
He didn't have time to engage in a lengthy exchange with Gui Wu. He prepared to reveal everything to Gui Wu, making one last gamble to see if he could sway her.
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
Gui Wu’s brows furrowed even deeper at his words.
However, in the next moment, she saw Ye Cangtian holding a gleaming golden mask in his hand. The patterns on it looked extraordinarily familiar to her.
It was none other than Po Xiao’s mask!
In an instant, Gui Wu’s face turned incredibly grim, waves of hatred flashing in her eyes.
“Ye Cangtian, what have you done to Po Xiao!”
“Why is his mask in your hands!”
Gui Wu knew that the masks of the Dark Association symbolized identity. Some could lose their lives but never their masks.
Thus, seeing Ye Cangtian holding Po Xiao's mask, she believed that Po Xiao had likely been killed by Ye Cangtian.
And Ye Cangtian keeping Po Xiao's mask meant he knew of Po Xiao's kindness towards her and wanted to buy her favor, which all seemed logical.
“Seeing you angered for Po Xiao, I am gratified. At least my efforts were not in vain.”
On the other side, Ye Cangtian was not angry. Instead, a gratified smile appeared on his face.
After speaking, Ye Cangtian slowly put on the mask and, with a tightened voice, switched to Po Xiao’s voice, saying, “Silly girl, do you still have any doubts?”
Pausing, Ye Cangtian continued, “You should know that the masks of the Dark Association are specially made. They cannot be activated on anyone else’s face…”
This! This! This…
Seeing Ye Cangtian activate the mask and emit Po Xiao’s voice, Gui Wu’s small mouth fell open in disbelief.
Voice could be faked, but the mask could not, at least not with the modern science she knew. It was impossible to forge.
Moreover, the gaze in the mask’s pupils at this moment was identical to Po Xiao’s.
How could this be a coincidence?
However, Gui Wu still found it hard to believe that Ye Cangtian and Po Xiao were the same person, given their vastly different styles of action! Besides, how could this have been kept from the Dark Association?
She glanced at Ye Cangtian and said, “I still don’t believe you. Tell me, what has happened between us?”
“Isn’t this enough to prove it?”
“I think it’s best not to talk about those trivial matters. After all, they might not be good things in your eyes,” Ye Cangtian said slowly.
He knew Gui Wu held considerable resentment towards him. If mentioning these things angered her and led to his failure in winning her over, it would be a great loss.
“No, you must say it!”
Gui Wu was very insistent. If he didn’t say it, she would never believe it was true, which left Ye Cangtian very helpless.
“Alright, let’s talk. On Wan Snake Island, I captured you and carried you onto Miller’s large ship, making you my maid for more than half a day to give me massages…”
“During the operation in Kyoto, I saved you and locked you up in cell number one for over two months, making you wail…”
“Then I brought you back to the Dark Association. In Jieying City, you were kidnapped, and it was I, as Ye Cangtian, who rescued you from the Anti-Dark Alliance. Afterward, I designed it so that I switched identities to Po Xiao, exchanging places once…”
This…
Listening to Ye Cangtian speak with such helplessness, Gui Wu’s body trembled slightly. She finally believed him.
If the other party were not Po Xiao, he would not have known these details so comprehensively even if he knew about them.
Thinking about it, she glanced at him again and gritted her teeth, “One more question, how did you infiltrate the Dark Association, or the Yin Group? Whose side are you truly on?”
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian slowly replied, “I am Chinese, so naturally I belong to the Yin Group! As for how I infiltrated the Dark Association, none of that matters. What matters is what it means that I’m telling you this!”
“What does it mean?” Gui Wu asked subconsciously, without thinking.
“Trust.”
Hearing Ye Cangtian’s answer, Gui Wu’s body suddenly trembled.
She was not foolish and immediately understood everything.
Regardless of which faction Ye Cangtian belonged to, whether he infiltrated the Chinese forces or the Dark Association, once his true identity was discovered, he would face endless pursuit.
And at this moment, Ye Cangtian was not a mere subordinate in either faction.
If the higher-ups were enraged, the pursuers sent after him would certainly be formidable opponents.
In that situation, even if Ye Cangtian was an Earth-level expert, he might not be able to fully withstand them.
Under these circumstances, Ye Cangtian keeping his identity a secret was the safest option.
Yet, he had revealed this secret to her, essentially placing his life in her hands.
What immense trust this was!
Thinking this, Gui Wu was genuinely moved, but based on this alone, she still could not convince herself to pledge her loyalty to the person before her.
She still couldn’t accept the fact that Ye Cangtian and Po Xiao were the same person.
She also didn’t know how she should face him, whether to continue her hostile attitude towards Ye Cangtian, or to gradually mend their relationship due to Po Xiao’s kindness.
Her mind was in a turmoil, unable to make a decision.
So, she said, “I thank you for your trust, but I cannot pledge my loyalty to you yet. I need time to consider…”
“My dear aunt, there’s no time! The fire is already burning at our eyebrows!”
Ye Cangtian directly interrupted Gui Wu. Everything was urgent now, and he had no time to wait for Gui Wu to figure things out!
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t help you this time. What’s your rush!”
Gui Wu glared at him fiercely, then continued, “I can help you this time, but after everything is over, if I still decide to leave, you are not allowed to stop me for any reason!”
After all, he had requested a Nine-Cycle Golden Elixir for her, giving her a chance to turn her fortunes around. Gui Wu would repay this favor, even if she didn’t pledge her loyalty.
“Alright! It’s a deal.”
Ye Cangtian agreed without a second thought.
When he left the Dark Ruins, he had already felt that his hope of winning Gui Wu over was slim. If it hadn't been for this sudden turn of events, he would have even abandoned the idea.
He would have simply considered it a good deed.
But now that Gui Wu had agreed, it brought him not only relief but also renewed hope.
It seemed his efforts over the past days were not in vain. If he continued to work hard, he might truly succeed, and the upcoming operation was precisely the best opportunity.
…
After dealing with Gui Wu, Ye Cangtian and Gui Wu first escorted Nan Xi and Feng Ze to cell number one.
It was worth mentioning that the prison cell where Nan Xi was held was the very same cell where Gui Wu had been imprisoned before.
When Gui Wu saw the familiar surroundings, it once again confirmed everything. While filled with emotion, she also understood Ye Cangtian’s intentions.
Ye Cangtian was likely already setting his sights on Nan Xi.
Moreover, Nan Xi of the Bright Hall was far more valuable than she was.
After all, the Ninja Division was basically destroyed, making her value insignificant.
The Bright Hall, however, was different. It was still very powerful and specialized in schemes and tricks.
If Nan Xi could be used by Ye Cangtian, even a slight hint from her could cause the Bright Hall’s operations to fail completely.
Thinking this, she glanced at Ye Cangtian and said exasperatedly, “You’re still as devious as ever. Are you planning to repeat the same trick? Actually, there’s no need. You might as well make a deal with her. You’re in urgent need of people right now.”
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian understood what Gui Wu meant. It was nothing more than demanding Nan Xi’s participation in this operation as a condition for her release.
But Ye Cangtian still shook his head and said, “She isn’t you. I don’t trust her.”
With that single sentence, Gui Wu pouted and said nothing more, but felt inexplicably comforted.
…