Chapter 525: Little Moves
"You..." The thoughts in Qi Xia's mind instantly reached Wei Yang's ears.
Wei Yang's "mind-reading" didn't require eye contact at all. So that meant, back then, before Qi Xia kicked him out, Wei Yang had already known Qi Xia's plan.
"Wei Yang..." Qi Xia smiled. "Trying to lie to me—don't you think that's a bit far-fetched?"
"You can even guess that..." Wei Yang gritted his teeth, his expression growing deeper. "Qi Xia, I advise you to leave quickly... or things are really going to get troublesome..."
Hearing this, Qi Xia frowned. An idea involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
Could it be that there was some hidden reason behind kicking Wei Yang out back then...?
"That's right." Wei Yang nodded in agreement. "Heh heh, get the hell out of here..."
Seeing Wei Yang nod in agreement, Qi Xia felt things were getting even more interesting. Had Wei Yang's departure been arranged by himself?
He had arranged for a mind-reader to leave... and that person had persisted for ten years?
"Hold on..." Qi Xia paused slightly. Two key words echoed in his mind: "Mind-reading"... "Natives"?"
"Stop guessing..." Wei Yang softly interrupted Qi Xia's train of thought. "It's dangerous."
Dangerous...?
Qi Xia slowly narrowed his eyes, knowing he was probably right.
"Wei Yang, I have just one question," Qi Xia said.
"What?"
"Why do you 'persevere'?" Qi Xia asked. "You should know that I'll lose my memory and forget many things. But even so, you still choose to persevere?"
Hearing Qi Xia's question, the manic look on Wei Yang's face visibly faded.
"It's this feeling..." He grinned, baring his teeth. "This feeling of being able to see through people's hearts without even needing 'mind-reading'... that's exactly the reason I 'persevere,' Qi Xia. The path you've paved is mesmerizing... and your 'trickery' fascinates me just as much."
"My... trickery?"
"I took on a few apprentices after you..." Wei Yang said with a bitter smile. "Aside from my most beloved disciple, Qin Dingdong... none of them could grasp the essence..."
"You're saying I was an apprentice?" Qi Xia was taken aback. "I... studied... trickery with you?"
"I keep forgetting... I keep forgetting!" Wei Yang cackled, making Qi Xia feel a chill down his spine. "You clearly have no memories, but every time I open my mouth, I think we're still ten years ago. Some words just slip out without me realizing it..."
Chen Junnan, overhearing their conversation, wore an uneasy expression.
"Hey... When did Sister Dong study lying with you? Don't talk nonsense, dammit!"
"Oh...?" Wei Yang glanced at Chen Junnan, then shook his head and said, "So Chen Junnan's here too? My beloved disciple told me not to tell you... Too bad—I let it slip."
Qi Xia realized that the middle-aged man before him was deeply shrewd. He couldn't even determine the truth of every word the man spoke. "You'd better really have let it slip."
"Heh heh..." Wei Yang turned around, looking at Qi Xia with great delight. "Just like before! We guess at each other! You guess what I'm thinking, I guess what you're thinking! How fun is that? Which one of us is the real 'mind-reader'?"
"I don't want to guess." Qi Xia shook his head. "Wei Yang, are you really a scammer?"
"Of course..." Wei Yang nodded. "I've committed fraud on a massive scale... with countless lives on my hands. That's the kind of skill I, Old Wei, have."
Qi Xia looked into Wei Yang's eyes and felt that this time, he wasn't lying.
He really was a con artist. And he had even killed people.
He was a typical villain of the "Land of the End," fitting all the criteria for joining this place. And yet, he had studied trickery under such a man?
Had he lost all sense of right and wrong as well?
"What are you talking about..." Wei Yang continued to mutter to himself. "You did study under me, and I didn't lie. It's just that you're far better than me... You're a born swindler. Besides, this matter has nothing to do with 'right or wrong.' As long as someone is more skilled than you, they can be your teacher."
Qi Xia still wasn't used to having someone who could directly hear his inner voice. He hadn't even looked into the man's eyes—how was he doing it?
"I don't need to look into your eyes," Wei Yang replied. "But I do admire you... The way you can juggle so many thoughts in your mind at once—it's even more spectacular than a symphony."
"Since you can hear everything, how about considering returning to my team?"
"Oh...?" Wei Yang slowly reached out a hand and stroked his own chin, then asked, "Qi Xia, does this gesture look familiar to you?"
Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin both looked at Wei Yang, noticing that he was rubbing his chin, his eyes unusually sharp and cold. He actually resembled Qi Xia a little.
"What are you trying to say?" Qi Xia asked.
"When I'm thinking, I rub my chin," Wei Yang said. "Do you understand?"
Wei Yang's words seemed almost disjointed, leaving Qi Xia completely unable to find a direction to think in.
"You rub your chin, and I rub my chin," Qi Xia said. "Are you trying to tell me this isn't a coincidence from birth?"
Just as he expected Wei Yang to give an answer as before, this time, he said nothing.
"It's getting late..." Wei Yang murmured. "I suggest you go back early and prepare for the 'Heavenly Horse Moment.' Qi Xia, if you can figure out the meaning behind that question I just asked... you might understand your entire plan."
Qi Xia knew that what Wei Yang was saying must be important, but he couldn't say it directly. After all, every word they spoke could be monitored.
But how was he supposed to grasp the true meaning of such an obscure clue?
Rubbing his chin?
Both he and Wei Yang rubbed their chins—what did that mean?
"Yeah, what does it mean?" Wei Yang shook his head mysteriously. "If you figure it out, you can come find me anytime. Whether it's after the 'Heavenly Horse Moment'... or in the next cycle, I'll be here with the 'Farm Choir,' waiting for you to hear the most beautiful singing."
"Spare me the singing." Qi Xia shook his head. "If I can solve this puzzle, will you help me?"
"If you can understand the truth behind this matter... I'm afraid I won't have a choice but to help you." Wei Yang took a step forward, standing face to face with Qi Xia. Their eyes held nearly identical expressions. "Qi Xia, believe it or not, I carry a mission you once entrusted to me. But now, I've become lost. If you can figure out your entire past plan based on just this one clue... it means your thinking is already on par with a god's. Joining you would be my only way out."
To thank everyone for their active participation, from now until 23:59:59 on September 4th, when the event ends, leave a book review or paragraph review under 《Ten Days of the End》. Fanqie will randomly select another 500 registered event readers to receive 3 days of Fanqie VIP. At the same time, I will randomly draw 3 of them to receive my handwritten "Extreme Dao Long Live" certificate (the list will be announced in the book circle after the event ends). Finally, for all readers who receive signed physical books and handwritten postcards during the event, I will handwrite unique content for each of you. Once again, thank you for your support, and thank you for loving 《Ten Days of the End》.