The night wind was bleak.
Perhaps it was because of the late hour that the temperature in the cave also dropped lower. Whether it was the guards patrolling outside or inside the City Lord's mansion, they all tightened their collars, their breaths emitting white mist.
Little did they know, Roni's heart had grown colder to the extreme.
She gazed into Chen Yu's eyes,
watching his face devoid of any smile. Those eyes seemed to pierce her like sharp swords, uttering the very question that had caused her countless internal struggles.
Roni's heart gave a jolt, and for a long time, she didn't know how to respond.
Unexpectedly—
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, look at how scared you are. I was just kidding," Chen Yu bumped Roni's shoulder and said, "I believe you're not that kind of person. Otherwise, I wouldn't have risked my life to save you."
At this moment, Chen Yu's smile was no different from usual.
Just as Roni remembered Chen Yu.
She was momentarily lost. Had Chen Yu been testing her, or did he truly know the inside story? Regardless, the moment Chen Yu's smile had faded, the oppressive feeling of being seen through had been genuinely etched into Roni's heart.
This feeling was something she had only ever experienced from Fuhua Aierton.
Not even the elders within her clan.
Roni, biting her lips, remained silent. Chen Yu had already retracted his gaze, observing the movements of the guards in the mansion, and whispered softly.
"You didn't really sell me out, did you?"
His voice carried no discernible emotion, sounding like a murmur yet also like a question. Roni, clenching her fists, felt her heart pounding wildly, completely unable to grasp Chen Yu's thoughts.
She had no idea when he was being genuine.
She suddenly realized,
that she had been terribly mistaken in the past.
Chen Yu was definitely someone she couldn't figure out. His heart was not as sunny and cheerful as he outwardly displayed, nor was he a simpleton with a foolish grin.
He was a mystery!
Fuhua Aierton had once told her not to underestimate Chen Yu.
She hadn't paid much attention to it then.
Now, she truly felt Fuhua Aierton's warning. As she looked at Chen Yu's retreating back, it was as if he were shrouded in a thick mist.
"Chen... Batian."
After a long silence, Roni whispered, biting her lip.
"What if I really did sell you out?"
"Huh?!" Chen Yu, who had been squatting in the corner,'s eyes widened instantly. His expression of disbelief seemed completely genuine. "Roni, you actually sold me out? No way."
"I... I was just posing a hypothetical situation."
Despite having made up her mind, Roni, faced with Chen Yu's question, quietly swallowed back the words she was about to confess.
"You scared me to death." Chen Yu patted his chest, glanced at the special ability's remaining duration, "Time's almost up. Remember to change your cloak. Don't just stand there in a daze and forget to change your outfit. Although our method might be like covering our ears while stealing a bell, we still have to do what we should."
"Got it."
"As for your hypothetical situation just now, I haven't really thought about it. I don't think you're the type to betray a friend. Although we haven't known each other for long, but..." Chen Yu trailed off. "Even if you really sold me out, I would still take you out. That's my promise to your father."
"You would still save me?" Roni asked in surprise.
"Of course."
Chen Yu shrugged with an inscrutable smile.
"Your betraying me and me saving you aren't mutually exclusive. I'm saving you because I don't want my conscience to be burdened. How you act is your business. At most, I'll just consider myself unlucky in meeting people. After we get out, we'll go our separate ways, and everything will be peaceful and fine."
Listening to Chen Yu's heartfelt murmurs, Roni clenched her fists tighter.
Seeing Roni's actions, Chen Yu had actually anticipated a certain possibility before coming. Looking at Roni's current dejected state, it was likely that his guess was mostly correct.
He reached out and patted Roni's shoulder, whispering.
"So, did you really sell me out?"
"I... I don't actually know if it counts as selling you out." To Chen Yu's surprise, Roni showed a hesitant expression. "I was indeed asked some things by the people from the City Lord's mansion. They threatened me with my family, and I really had no choice."
"What did you tell them?" Chen Yu asked.
"Rose asked about the person who provided my father with equipment." Roni bit her lips and said, "The first person I thought of was you, and then I..."
"You told them?"
Seeing Chen Yu's suspicious face, Roni shook her head like a rattle drum.
"I didn't say your name, I said..."
In the dimly lit palace, an old man with skeletal hands gazed at the projection before him. In the image was Rose, who had just extracted information from Roni.
"Su Zhan?"
"Are you sure Roni was telling the truth?"
"Reporting to His Highness, I am sure!" Roni in the projection nodded earnestly. "Roni was so scared she lost her wits. Faced with the choice between her family and the truth, she couldn't possibly weave a lie to deceive me. Moreover, her name even matches what we have."
"This is indeed interesting."
The skeletal old man smiled and shook his head.
"What is the Batu Kingdom planning? Providing equipment to Fuhua Aierton to sell to themselves, a bluff?"
"It's not impossible."
In the projection, Rose stood ramrod straight.
"Your Highness, perhaps you should consider. What has the Batu Kingdom been doing recently? They released news about declaring war on our kingdom, followed by the news of Fuhua Aierton's rebellion and departure. Then came the decapitation operation. All of this feels like they want to use the situation to cause internal strife within our kingdom before the war."
"At the very least, it would weaken our forces!"
"Millions of sets of equipment! This sounds fabricated. Let alone the impoverished Orc Empire, even the Mermaid Kingdom could not produce a million sets."
The skeletal old man remained silent, his eyes narrowed. Rose, not daring to speak further, stood silently.
"You are so certain, what do you think of the decapitation operation released by the Batu Kingdom?" the skeletal old man whispered after a long silence.
"It will happen!"
Rose stated resolutely, and the skeletal old man nodded slightly.
"Good, you will be credited for this. I will report this matter to the Royal Ancestor later. Work hard for the royal family, and this City Lord position will be yours."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Rose in the projection bowed her head deeply with excitement. The skeletal old man ended the video without a second glance.
"Su Zhan, the person behind this is actually Su Zhan. This means Fuhua Aierton doesn't have the sets of equipment. Then he should no longer be of use." At this moment, a person concealing their face, standing beside the skeletal old man, spoke. "Your Highness, should we...?"
"Do you really believe a little girl's words?"
The skeletal old man chuckled. "Observe from the shadows. Let's not put too much pressure on the Aierton family. We have plenty of time, no need to rush!"