novelraw Chapter 306: You Know It
Chapter 306: You Know It
Ye Hongyu gently patted Wang Mingyuan's shoulder, her tone softening.
"Mingyuan, it's not that I don't believe your speculation. On the contrary, precisely because your speculation has a high probability of being true, I must remind you of the dangers within... Su Zhan's intrusion into the Mist World is known to the highest echelons of Daxia. They have also tacitly acknowledged that he most likely perished within it. However, both you and I know that in the eyes of those truly holding the reins of power, until they see Su Zhan's corpse with their own eyes or obtain irrefutable evidence of his death, they will never completely conclude he is dead."
"Su Zhan's life or death has long ceased to be merely his personal affair. It concerns the future trajectory of Daxia's national fortune. They would never dare to make such a hasty conclusion. They will definitely be on guard. This means that as long as Su Zhan isn't dead and exposes himself to their sight once more, what awaits him will be... elimination at any cost! The higher-ups would never allow such an uncertain variable to roam free, especially one who might... be carrying secrets from his return from the Mist World."
"And the higher-ups would never fully trust the two of us. If Su Zhan truly is still alive, then in all of Daxia, the ones who could provide him the greatest help and are most likely to be trusted by him are our master and disciple pair. Therefore, I am certain that from the moment Su Zhan disappeared, the two of us have been under some form of surveillance."
Wang Mingyuan nodded deeply. Everything Ye Hongyu said aligned perfectly with his own deductions.
"This point, your student had also considered long ago," Wang Mingyuan said in a low, pained voice. "Su Zhan... not attempting to contact me for so long is probably precisely because he is equally clearly aware of this point. Otherwise, with that child's temperament, upon returning from the Mist World, at his most isolated and helpless moment, he would definitely try every means to contact me, to seek help..."
"A single person, hiding the secret of being an Aberrant, struggling to survive under everyone's watchful eyes... That's not all. He actually, by some unknown method, forcibly pried the Mist summoning technique, which they treat as their exclusive preserve, from the hands of those Transcendence Society lunatics..."
"Every single step of this has been walking on the edge of a bottomless abyss, a single misstep leading to eternal damnation! And now, he is wanted nationwide. The Aberrant Purge Division sees him as a target that must be eliminated. The Transcendence Society hates this secret-stealer to the bone, wanting nothing more than to eliminate him... He has already fallen into a desperate situation where the entire world is his enemy. Yet even so... he hasn't sent a single word. There's only one reason. He knows the higher-ups are monitoring us. He doesn't dare take that risk. He would rather shoulder everything alone, trudging alone in the darkness, than bring even a sliver of risk towards us."
As he spoke, a wave of sorrow welled up in Wang Mingyuan's heart. Time had flown; over two and a half years had passed since Su Zhan's disappearance. There had been no contact between them, no news at all. But deep down, he always believed Su Zhan trusted him. This trust had never changed due to time or distance; it was merely blocked by cruel reality.
"Ah..." Wang Mingyuan let out a long sigh. "I can already... imagine how difficult, how dangerous this child's life has been all this time... Each step like walking on thin ice... It's been too hard... From the moment the dual identity was imposed upon him, it was destined that this child... would never get a moment's peace in this life, destined to hack his way through thorns..."Seeing the heartache on Wang Mingyuan's face, Ye Hongyu didn't spout grand principles or offer overly sentimental comfort. She patted his shoulder again, her movements crisp and efficient, just like her usual style.
"Su Zhan is your student, and you are my student. So, technically, he's my disciple's disciple. Naturally, I won't just stand by and do nothing."
These few words alone were more reassuring than any comfort. Hearing this, warmth filled Wang Mingyuan's heart. He didn't say anything overly sentimental either, just nodded heavily.
"So, in this matter, the two of us absolutely cannot take action personally. Any unusual move would immediately alert the higher-ups. And you, you've done right, and very cleverly."
Ye Hongyu's smile was meaningful. "You guided Feng Jue, Liu Ziming, and Xu Hao to take on this mission. Nominally, it's for experience. In reality, it's to have them act as our eyes. Having them make contact with Chen Qing is the most reasonable course of action. Regardless of the outcome, we can remain detached and watch the situation unfold."
"Teacher sees clearly. That was precisely your student's idea," Wang Mingyuan admitted frankly. "Sending the three of them, whether the probing yields results or not, we have nothing to lose. Everything can be explained as normal student training. If they truly determine that Chen Qing is Su Zhan... then we can seize the initiative before the higher-ups become aware."
Looking at her meticulous student, a truly gratified smile appeared on Ye Hongyu's face, and she nodded gently. "Mingyuan, you are very clever."
Wang Mingyuan lowered his head humbly. "It's due to Teacher's excellent guidance."
Ye Hongyu chuckled lightly, raising a hand to point at him in the air. "You, you... It's good that you know."
...
Su Zhan sped through the mountain forests. Only after confirming temporary safety did he stop by a secluded mountain stream pool. He looked down at his own ragged, filthy outfit. The pungent, sour stench was so strong even he felt suffocated.
"This skin can't be used anymore."
Since the beggar identity was already exposed, this disguise had turned from the best cover into the most conspicuous target. Moreover, he had long been fed up with this persistent foul odor.
Su Zhan took off the tattered clothes, buried them along with the woven plastic bag deep into a freshly dug pit. Afterwards, he immersed his entire body into the icy pool water. The grime was washed away by the flowing water, revealing the well-defined muscular physique beneath.
After washing, Su Zhan circulated the power within his body, evaporating the moisture on his skin. He needed a new outfit. His gaze swept the surroundings, finally locking onto a small village at the foot of a distant mountain.
Taking advantage of the night, he infiltrated the village. From a clothesline at one household, he 'borrowed' a set of somewhat worn dark blue work clothes and a gray jacket. Though not a perfect fit, a bit loose, they were at least clean, ordinary, and wouldn't attract attention.
Changing into the clean clothes, he casually tidied his long hair. His entire demeanor was already different. No longer the stinking, wandering madman, but an ordinary-looking young man who seemed somewhat quiet.
Hmm... a somewhat handsome ordinary young man.
He couldn't walk as slowly as before anymore. Having killed Aberrant Purge Division personnel, Qin Bai would definitely not let the matter rest. The final stretch of the road to Black City would inevitably be heavily guarded and fraught with danger.