Chapter 795: An Answer That Cannot Be Determined
Although Lin Qin didn't want to analyze this issue with biased glasses, convenience store cashiers really didn't seem like a career choice for intelligent people.
If Wen Qiaoyun truly possessed both intelligence and cunning, and even had considerable leadership skills as the rumors claimed, to the point that even Qi Xia was willing to be led by her at the time, then she was undoubtedly among that small group at the top of the pyramid.
She could find over a hundred jobs more profitable or more respectable than being a convenience store cashier.
This so-called "stereotype" had nothing to do with education; it was simply because her abilities were strong enough that she should have had development beyond ordinary people.
Yet through these two successive questions, the situation kept being steered in a strange direction.
An odd thought involuntarily arose in the minds of the three girls present—
This person really did seem to be Wen Qiaoyun, but Wen Qiaoyun wasn't as formidable as they had imagined.
Which link had gone wrong?
Lin Qin knew that the Wen Qiaoyun before her was one hundred percent the same person as the "native" she had met, and that female shop assistant was also the Wen Qiaoyun that "White Tiger" had personally acknowledged.
According to that old man "White Tiger," this woman had not only led "participants" but had even once been an Earth-level "Zodiac."
Lin Qin knew that she couldn't accomplish either of those achievements herself, yet Wen Qiaoyun had done both.
Countless questions arose in her heart, and she also began to doubt whether the plan she, Yun Yao, and the others had devised to "create Wen Qiaoyun" was really reasonable.
"I say..." Wen Qiaoyun interrupted everyone's train of thought, her expression grave as she asked, "Are you trying to kill me? Are you all together?"
Lin Qin and Jiang Ruoxue exchanged glances but couldn't say a word. Although four people stood in the room, aside from Wen Qiaoyun, the other three were all "Extreme Path." In a sense, they really were together.
At this moment, everyone's gaze gathered on Yan Zhichun. There was only one bead left above her head, so it was all up to her now.
If they wanted to extract the secrets from Wen Qiaoyun, this might be the best—and only—opportunity.
But judging by Yan Zhichun's expression, she seemed completely uninterested in Wen Qiaoyun. She had been staring at Lin Qin the entire time.
Lin Qin sensed something acutely and turned her head to look at Yan Zhichun. "Wait a moment... are you sure you want to waste this chance? There are more important matters right in front of us. Can you set aside the grudge between you and me for now?"
But Yan Zhichun seemed fixated, her gaze toward Lin Qin growing increasingly cold as she firmly asked, "I told you, the 'Extreme Path' is my faith, so I must clarify this issue. Lin Qin, are you really part of the 'Extreme Path'?"
The black bead flew in front of Lin Qin and finally stopped.
Lin Qin shook her head helplessly. She knew that if she couldn't resolve Yan Zhichun's doubts here, there would be even more problems to face later.
So she sighed, stared at the bead in front of her brow, and said, "I really am part of the 'Extreme Path.'"
Yan Zhichun and Jiang Ruoxue both stared at the bead. If Lin Qin were lying, the bead would have pierced through her brow.
But what happened next made everyone feel that the situation had become strange.
The bead neither disappeared nor pierced Lin Qin's brow. Instead, it trembled slightly in the air.
It shifted left for a moment, then right, then swayed back and forth a few times, as if it had heard a very troublesome answer.
"What's going on...?" Jiang Ruoxue muttered in confusion, turning her head to look at Yan Zhichun.
Yan Zhichun also felt curious. The two of them stepped forward to look at the bead wavering uncertainly in front of Lin Qin's brow, both wearing baffled expressions.
Lin Qin thought the bead hadn't heard her answer, so she cleared her throat and raised her voice: "I, Lin Qin, am an 'Extreme Path disciple.'"
Seeing her answer with such conviction, even Yan Zhichun was inclined to believe her. Unfortunately, the bead still swayed uncertainly in midair, neither advancing nor disappearing.
It just trembled violently in the air, looking very conflicted.
Lin Qin watched the bead nervously, then looked at Jiang Ruoxue and asked, "I wasn't killed, so that should mean I told the truth, right?"
"I... can't say for sure." Jiang Ruoxue shook her head. "In theory, if you tell the truth, the bead disappears; if you lie, the bead attacks... but I've never heard of this kind of wavering situation..."
Lin Qin's mind raced. Even she didn't know what the problem was. She knew she was definitely telling the truth, so why wasn't the bead disappearing?
Yan Zhichun opened her mouth, but before she could say another word, the bead seemed to give up. After trembling violently a few times, it left Lin Qin's brow and returned to the top of Yan Zhichun's head.
Except for Jiang Ruoxue, everyone present was experiencing the "Heavenly Serpent Moment" for the first time. They didn't fully understand the underlying principles of this deadly question-and-answer game. They only knew that something unusual had definitely happened. The previous question had clearly been nullified, and Yan Zhichun had received another chance to ask.
But why?
Was "Are you an Extreme Path disciple?" a question that couldn't be answered?
This strange phenomenon only made Yan Zhichun even more curious about Lin Qin's identity.
This woman hadn't lied, but the bead hadn't disappeared either.
After half a second of thought, Lin Qin quickly spoke up: "I suggest you stop trying... these 'Heavenly Level Moments' can't possibly be as stable as precision machinery. There's bound to be some problems here and there..."
Yan Zhichun still couldn't determine Lin Qin's stance. After pondering for another half second, she said, "Lin Qin, do you want to protect this place?"
The bead flew toward Lin Qin's brow for the second time and finally stopped.
Seeing that her persuasion was futile, Lin Qin could only furrow her brow and brush the scattered strands of hair from her cheek.
This question might be fatal.
When she first revealed her identity to Qi Xia at "Heaven's Gate" and proposed cooperation, she had confidently declared:
"The 'Extreme Path' has always been protecting this place, but I think they're wrong."
She had said: "I'll lend you my power. Let's destroy this place together."
She had also said: "My 'Activation' can greatly increase a person's chance of 'Echo.' Let's form an 'Echo Army,' tear this place apart, and finally return to the real world."
Although she was part of the "Extreme Path," she had been doing things completely different from other "Extreme Path" members all along.
She wanted to get out, and she wanted to help Qi Xia get out.
After a long silence, Lin Qin said, "I don't want to protect this place."
*Bang.*
This strange bead finally shattered under everyone's watchful eyes.