Acting

Xu Mu reclined the driver’s seat and lay back, closing his eyes.

“Weren’t you going to tell me something?” Li Chenshuang asked from the passenger seat.

“I’m studying. I learned another new idiom today.”

Xu Mu turned his head toward Li Chenshuang. “I originally thought you were very clever, but it turns out you’re nothing special.”

“What do you mean? Why are you suddenly criticizing me?”

“I’ve already figured out who the traitor is, but I’m still considering whether I should tell you. You’re far too lacking in caution, and I’m worried your acting won’t fool them.”

Xu Mu’s expression remained calm.

Li Chenshuang’s expression grew increasingly solemn. “You mean the traitor isn’t Miao Wentian?”

“No. He’s actually the most loyal of them all.”

“I don’t believe you. You didn’t even know him before this. How could you determine that he isn’t the traitor based on just a few words?”

Li Chenshuang’s suspicion was well-founded.

However, Xu Mu couldn’t tell her that he could see everyone’s filial piety value.

He already knew the answer in advance, so by working backward from it, it was easy for him to uncover the truth.

“That depends on what you’re willing to risk. I only have one thing to say: if you trust me, do everything exactly as I say. If you don’t, get out of the car. I’m going home right now.”

As he spoke, Xu Mu raised the driver’s seat back into place.

Li Chenshuang pursed her lips slightly. “What kind of thing is that to say? If I didn’t trust you, why would I have asked you to come?”

That much was obvious to her. She and Xu Mu had no conflict of interest.

If they had, Xu Mu wouldn’t have helped her again and again.

As for the tribe, any one of its members could have interests opposed to hers. She knew very well whom she should trust.

“Good. Then this will be easy. If I’m not mistaken, once we go back, Zhou Su and Li Peijun will do everything they can to trick you into revealing the location of the ancient ruin in Miao Wentian’s possession.”

Xu Mu glanced at Li Chenshuang. “Just go along with them.”

“How do you know about the ancient ruin? Did Miao Wentian tell you?” Li Chenshuang asked doubtfully.

“Don’t ask. In any case, this will be fairly easy for me to deal with.”

As he spoke, Xu Mu took Li Chenshuang’s hand. “I’m going to inscribe a voice-transmission formation on you. Just follow my instructions.”

With that, he opened the car door and continued walking deeper into the factory.

Li Chenshuang hurriedly opened the passenger door and followed him. She looked at Xu Mu’s profile, still half-convinced.

Xu Mu had determined the traitor’s identity based on only a few words?

That was simply too shocking.

However, as long as she knew Xu Mu wouldn’t harm her, that was enough.

This obnoxious man probably only wanted to do that sort of thing with her at worst.

When they returned to the courtyard in the depths and entered the living room, the laptop that had originally been on Zhou Su’s person had already been placed back where it had been before.

Li Peijun smiled. “Brother Xu Mu, you’re back!”

“I’m probably not older than you.”

Xu Mu waved his hand and sat down on the sofa.

“But I’m younger, since our race has a longer lifespan.”

Li Peijun took the initiative to stand up and sit on the sofa beside Xu Mu.

“Let’s get to the point. What did you two come up with just now? Do you have any ideas?”

Xu Mu looked at Li Peijun.

Li Chenshuang sat on the sofa beside Zhou Su with her arms folded, quietly listening.

“We thought about how to make Miao Wentian reveal his true colors for a long time, but we couldn’t come up with a way. However, we did think of another approach.”

Zhou Su paused, then looked at Li Chenshuang beside her. “Chief, when your father passed away, he left behind ancient ruins, didn’t he?”

Li Chenshuang’s eyes widened in shock.

She couldn’t help looking at Xu Mu. He had even managed to guess something like this?

After calming herself, Li Chenshuang explained slowly, “That’s right. Back then, he gave one to each of the three great commanders of our tribe. He said that once I reached the fourth rank, they were to tell me the locations.”

“It requires reaching the fourth rank?” Xu Mu asked, pretending to be surprised.

“That’s right. Even if someone at the third rank barged in without permission, they would most likely die. My father said that if I could never reach the fourth rank in my lifetime, then I should simply consider those ruins nonexistent.”

Li Chenshuang nodded lightly.

“Chief, that’s our idea,” Li Peijun added. “Although your cultivation hasn’t reached the fourth rank, you currently possess two corpses that surpass the fourth rank.”

“Regardless of whether Miao Wentian is loyal, we can make him hand over the ancient ruin first. You can then go there, find the treasures, and improve your strength.”

“That sounds good. I agree with this proposal.”

Xu Mu smiled at Li Peijun. “A so-called traitor is ultimately only a result of insufficient strength. If you’re strong enough, even a dragon has to lie low.”

“Brother Xu Mu, you really are clever. You understood what I meant right away.”

Li Peijun flashed Xu Mu a toothy smile, but inwardly she sighed.

What a complete idiot.

Before Li Chenshuang could say anything, she sensed Xu Mu’s voice transmission telling her to cooperate.

Thus, she nodded. “That makes sense. Let’s go there now.”

Li Peijun and Zhou Su stood up together, preparing to follow.

However, Xu Mu stopped Zhou Su. “You’d better stay here. If Miao Wentian realizes that his scheme has been exposed and flies into a rage, you’ll probably be the first person he kills.”

Zhou Su considered this briefly before nodding. It did make sense.

She was only a half-breed, while Li Chenshuang and Li Peijun were different. Both of them had powerful backgrounds.

If Miao Wentian tried to wipe them all out, their ancestor definitely wouldn’t let him off.

Xu Mu had prevented Zhou Su from coming along because it would be easier to keep watch over Li Peijun with only one person accompanying them.

He put on his black robe again, concealing himself.

The three of them once more headed toward the magnificent palace deep within the area.

“I’ll go call him over.”

After saying this, Xu Mu turned and left for the mountain peak to the side.

Miao Wentian had been waiting there all along. When he saw Xu Mu, he rose to his feet and asked, “How did it go?”

“We need to put on a show, but I need you to name a ruin that only you know about—one that no one else knows exists.”

Xu Mu gave him a general account of everything that had happened.

“Understood. We’ll use a fake ruin I mention to lure them out.”

Miao Wentian shook his head slightly. “You really are terrifying. Even now, I still can’t figure out why you trust me so much.”

“Instinct.”

After saying this, Xu Mu inscribed a voice-transmission formation on the back of Miao Wentian’s hand. “Listen to my instructions later. Only you will be able to hear them.”

The two then went together to the palace where Li Chenshuang was waiting.

The palace was cool and dim.

Miao Wentian raised his head and looked at Li Chenshuang, who was seated on the elevated platform. He cupped his hands slightly. “Chief, you summoned me?”

Li Chenshuang’s expression was impassive. “A great deal has happened in the Second Tribe recently. Ultimately, it’s because my strength is insufficient to keep everything under control. Back then, my father told you about an ancient ruin. Give me its location now.”

“No! Your father said you had to reach the fourth rank before you could go there. Chief, it’s too dangerous inside.”

Miao Wentian refused on the spot.

“You know perfectly well what kind of corpses I have at my disposal!”

“Corpses are corpses, but your own cultivation is still insufficient. What will you do if the ruin contains an area-of-effect attack?”

“Miao Wentian! I think you simply don’t want to tell me, do you? You want to keep it for yourself, don’t you?”

Li Chenshuang abruptly rose to her feet, and it seemed as though savage beasts were about to surge forth alongside her.

Beside her, Li Peijun bit her lip hard, afraid she might burst out laughing.

“Chief! My loyalty to you, Miao Wentian’s loyalty, can be witnessed by Heaven and Earth!”

Miao Wentian declared loudly.

Rumble!

Just then, two dark figures emerged from behind the palace. They were the corpses controlled by Li Chenshuang.

The corpses stood one in front of the other, blocking Miao Wentian in place.

“If you refuse to tell me, that means you’re disloyal! Tell me, or I’ll kill you!”

Li Chenshuang clenched her fists.