Chapter 517: Sheep?
"Now that you mention it..." Qian Wu's gaze grew deeper, as if he was recalling something. "I think I do remember that 'Mind Reader.'"
"You remember?" Qi Xia was taken aback. He had always felt that someone with such an ability would at least be a notable figure in the Land of the End, yet he had been active here for so long and never heard of him.
Chen Junnan, who had been digging earwax on the side, couldn't help but sigh when he heard this. "Old Qi, forget about the 'Mind Reader.' That guy can't be handled."
"Handled?"
"Yes." Qian Wu nodded. "It seems Big Chen remembers too, but the situation now is a bit different from what you recall... He's even more of a lone wolf now."
"What?" Chen Junnan curled his lip impatiently. "Is that old bastard refusing to play by the rules again?"
"I haven't seen him for many years," Qian Wu said in a low voice. "I heard he runs a farm on the outskirts of the city... But I can't figure out what other living creatures are here besides all kinds of humans."
"So who is he?" Qi Xia asked. "Running a farm... With such a powerful ability, would he really be willing to live here forever?"
Chen Junnan shook his head and said to Qi Xia, "Old Qi, you're a lot smarter than me. Can you imagine what kind of situation a person would face if their ability truly was 'mind reading'?"
Qi Xia put himself in that scenario. Now there were five people sitting in the room, each with their own hidden secrets. If a real "mind reader" were here, he would inadvertently capture the voices in everyone's minds—the pain no one wanted anyone else to know, the filthy memories too shameful to recount—all pouring relentlessly into his ears.
"He... goes crazy easier than us," Qi Xia said. "The desire to pry into others' inner secrets is human instinct. He can't control his own 'conviction.'"
"So he chose to hide himself," Qian Wu said. "When you've heard too much of the filth in people's hearts... you get disgusted with it yourself."
"I want to go find him," Qi Xia said. "I want to talk to this 'Mind Reader.'"
"Are you sure...?" Qian Wu frowned. "The moment you meet, he'll see through all your thoughts. Can you really 'talk' with someone like that?"
"Heh..." Qi Xia stood up and said to Qian Wu, "Even the 'Heavenly Snake' couldn't read me... How could he see through me? There's still time. I'll go see him before dark."
"I don't mean to discourage you," Qian Wu said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, looking very serious. "That man's ability is even stronger than the 'Heavenly Snake.' He has perfected mind reading to a level of mastery. What the 'Heavenly Snake' can't hear, he might be able to."
"It doesn't matter," Qi Xia said with a smile. "Even I want to know what I'm thinking. I have too many things to consider every day now; I can let him help me sort them out."
Hearing this, the others exchanged glances. To go see someone who could pry into their secrets... how much psychological resistance would that take?
"I'm afraid I can only give you a general direction," Qian Wu said. "Every member of the 'Cat' has traumas they don't want to bring up. We can't go with you."
"I can go." Qiao Jiajin looked up at Qi Xia. "Lying bastard, my life has been open and aboveboard. I'm not afraid of anyone peeping into my heart. I can protect you."
Qi Xia then looked at Officer Li and Chen Junnan. Both showed hesitant expressions.
"I... can't..." Officer Li shook his head. "I've committed unforgivable mistakes. I don't want too many people to know."
Qi Xia nodded, understanding, and then turned to Chen Junnan. "Chen Junnan, what about you? Are you afraid of having your secrets exposed too?"
"The hell I'm afraid." Chen Junnan's face was full of reluctance, but with a hotheaded impulse, he stood up. "My life may not be 'open and aboveboard,' but it's got all the vices, right? I've embarrassed myself enough times already; one more won't matter. Besides, I had quite a bit of contact with that old bastard before. Let's see what he's become now."
Seeing that the three had decided to seek out the "Mind Reader," Qian Wu could not dissuade them. He just roughly drew a map, pointing to the eastern part of the prison.
After all, the prison was already near the edge of the city; walking to the even more remote farm would only take two or three hours.
"If my memory is correct, it should be here," Qian Wu said. "This is information from about a year ago. If the place is already abandoned, it means he's moved or lost his memory. You should come back early."
Qi Xia nodded and took the map from Qian Wu. "What's his name?"
"His name..." Qian Wu thought for a moment, as if the memory was distant. "I think... Wei Yang?"
"Wei Yang...?" Qi Xia frowned, feeling an imperceptible flash of insight pass through his mind.
"Un-yang [sheep]?" he muttered.
"That's right, Wei Yang." Qian Wu nodded. "I need to warn you first: this man is very difficult to deal with. If things don't go well, don't tangle with him, and definitely don't fight him."
"Fight...?" Qiao Jiajin was startled. "Transformation man, would we even have the chance to fight?"
"Knowing Wei Yang's temper... it's quite possible," Qian Wu said. "In any case, be careful. No one can fight a person with 'mind reading.' Even I can't beat him."
Qi Xia glanced at Qiao Jiajin. Without another word, they called Chen Junnan and walked out of the prison.
Yun Shijiu was about to withdraw the "Silence" when Qi Xia, at the last moment, turned back and looked cautiously at Qian Wu.
"What?" Qian Wu asked.
"They say the 'Cat' is very united," Qi Xia said softly. "I want to know... is it possible that someone from the 'Extreme Path' has infiltrated your team?"
"What...?" Qian Wu and Yun Shijiu, who was in a corner of the room, were both taken aback by this question.
"What the hell is the 'Extreme Path'?" Chen Junnan asked.
Qian Wu ignored Chen Junnan and thought for a moment. He knew Qi Xia wouldn't bring up something without reason, but he couldn't think of any suspicious points. So he asked back, "Do you think there's someone from the 'Extreme Path' in our team?"
"I don't know," Qi Xia said. "But this plan of ours is critical... The only possible variable is the 'Extreme Path.' If there are no Extreme Path members in the 'Cat,' that's best. If there are... I'm not sure what those lunatics might do."
Having said that, Qi Xia led the two men out, leaving Qian Wu pondering in the room.
"'Extreme Path'..." Qian Wu knew that although there was no one from the "Extreme Path" in the "Cat," there was one person who had a very close relationship with them.