For some reason, the surrounding temperatures dropped quite a bit.
Ye Zichen stood by the stone pillar, explaining everything that piqued his suspicion with an air of assurance.
Gu Luolin just stared, eyes wide and hands over her mouth. Shed heard about the murderous fiend, too, and shed even wondered who it was, but she never would have guessed it was Gou Monan.
No wonder she thought, from the moment she first laid eyes on him, that Gou Monans smile seemed awfully fake.
But he and Ye Zichen had seemed to get along so well. On the surface, they were friends, but in secret, Ye Zichen warned her to watch out for Gou Monan.
Well spoken. Gou Monan nodded and didnt deny it. Thats indeed how it was. But I still dont quite understand how it is that Dahai made you suspect me.
I already said it: it was because of how dry his blood was. Ye Zichens eyes narrowed into slits, and he laughed, Yao Monarch, if thats not enough of an explanation, I dont know what else to say. Those are the two reasons I suspected you in the outer palace. As for after we made it into the inner palace
There were things that made you suspect me there, too? Surely youre not going to tell that its because I showed up inexplicably after saying Id remain at the foot of the mountains, and that my words contradicted each other? Surely thats not enough to make you suspect me!
Of course not. Your explanation for why you were here made perfect sense. Ye Zichen shook his head, then pointed at the tunnel next to Gou Monan. I suppose this wasnt suspicious so much as just a bit too much of a coincidence. You could say that about our chance encounter here too. After we met up and started going through the rooms, you opened all the doors. Then, suddenly, you wanted me to do it. You said it was because you were relatively unlucky.
But the true room was pre-set, not random. So long as we went in order, wed find it eventually! That has nothing to do with luck, yet you used that far-fetched excuse to have me open the door for you.
I already suspected you, so the only explanation I could think of was that you already knew this was the real door, and thats why you insisted I go in, not you.
But even in your dreams, you wouldnt have guessed that Gu Luolin would open the door instead. Then, we found out it was the God-Smiting Bow. From that moment on, I knew that youd wanted me to open the door and die. Your goal was actually my imperial celestial fate, right?
Gou Monan fell silent for a while. Everything Ye Zichen had just said
Was right!
Although he was pressed for time and hadnt set up as carefully as he might have otherwise, he hadnt thought hed let so many hints slip.
As Gou Monan fell silent, Ye Zichen kept on grinning. Even then, I only thought you were the murderous fiend. It was Yuchi Kong and Huangfu Youming who told me you were the Thousand-Faced Yao Monarch. After hearing your title, all my scattered suspicions finally fell into place.
You entered the mountains after us, yet you got here faster than anyone else! Thats because youve been here before, and you remembered the way!
Thats also why, despite having multiple chances to kill me, you chose not to. You didnt kill me because you knew we needed the Grand Dao of the Five Elements to open the secret passage, and that of everyone in the palace, only I am proficient in it! You had to leave me alive! And you even acted friendly and stuck by my side, all the while waiting. Once I was no longer useful, you planned to kill me. You might even have taken on my appearance!
Well, Yao Monarch? Am I right?
Gu Luolin was long since so shocked, she couldnt close her mouth. Just listening to Ye Zichen was already practically on par with watching a suspense flick.
She blinked as she struggled to absorb everything they were saying. Inwardly, she couldnt help but mutter
I really am too young! The world of adults is so scary!
Right, I almost forgot! Ye Zichen suddenly stopped and smacked his forehead. Then, he pointed to Gu Luolin and said, I actually have Gu Luolin to thank for confirming my suspicions that you were the murderous fiend. Yao Monarch, you might not remember this, but when we first met, I introduced myself as Gu Zichen. Only one family has that surname, and all rulers know about the Gu Family. Knowing about the Gu Family means knowing about their power, yet you, an imperial king, had no reaction when I told you my surname was Gu. You didnt seem the least bit surprised. Then, its obvious that you. already know who I was. You knew I was Ye Zichen from the moment you first laid eyes on me!
But theres still one thing I dont quite understand. Yao Monarch, might I trouble you to explain it to me?
Go right ahead! The monarch laughed.
You presumably didnt want to kill me until I opened the secret passage, so why did you leave the God-Smiting Bow inside that room? If you tried to kill me, that contradicts my earlier logic, but I dont think I was wrong. Thats Thats what I cant quite understand, said Ye Zichen.
Thats simple. You wouldnt have died. The Yao Monarch pressed his lips into a maniacal grin. On Gou Monans honest, simple face, it looked utterly strange. Even if the arrow had hit you, I could have saved you. As for why Id do that, its because the arrowtip had a poison of my own creation. Had it hit, the poison would have entered your body. Then, once you were no longer useful, I could take control of the poison to have you die silently and painlessly. Think of it as my thanks for opening the secret passage.
The Yao Monarch paused. Since you brought it up, I have a question too.
Go right ahead! said Ye Zichen.
Although the poisoned arrow didnt hit you, it did hit Gu Luolin. So why is it that now, when I try to activate the poison inside her, it has no effect at all?
Simple! The one you hit wasnt her!
After a brief, stunned pause, the Thousand-Faced Yao Monarch glanced at the puppet lying within the barrier. He couldnt help but laugh in enlightenment. Thank you, Brother Ye, for clearing up my confusion.
The Yao Monarch stretched his shoulders and twisted his neck. Now then, surrender quietly, and Ill give you a painless death. Or, if you prefer, fight back, and Ill rip you to pieces. To tell the truth, Id really rather not. Whatever else I might say, no other living thing has ever accompanied me for so long.
Yao Monarch.
Brother Ye, is there anything else you have to say? The Yao Monarchs eyes glinted with confident humor. Of course he was confident! Even if Ye Zichen and Gu Luolin joined forces against him, they couldnt possibly win.
So long as he wanted, he could send these two pipsqueaks to the Yellow Springs in a flash.
Hed only held back because he really did want to hear where hed slipped up, but he wouldnt have guessed hed slipped up in so many different places!
But then, it didnt matter. They were already here. Even if hed slipped up more, so what? The end result was still exactly what he wanted!