The Masked Man looked at Qin Jishi, whose mouth was full of blood. Yet Qin Jishi lay on the ground, grinning. The Masked Man stopped moving, his voice hoarse.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Cough, cough!" At his words, Qin Jishi coughed up a mouthful of bloody froth.
"What am I laughing at?"
"Heh heh!"
"Cough, cough!"
Qin Jishi's voice came in fits and starts. "I'm... I'm laughing at that flustered, exasperated look on your face... heh heh... The feeling of things slipping... slipping beyond your control... doesn't feel good, does it?"
"Heh heh!"
"Cough, cough!"
"Cough, cough!"
Qin Jishi was having some difficulty breathing, but after pausing, he still continued.
"I know... I know what you're after... Don't you just want... want to use everything here... to make me... make me despair?"
"Now!"
"Now that you haven't seen the scene... the scene you wanted to see... aren't you... aren't you feeling... feeling disappointed?"
Perhaps Qin Jishi had guessed his thoughts, or perhaps he had struck the mark. The Masked Man said in a hoarse, low voice, "How did you guess?"
The Masked Man's words confirmed every suspicion in Qin Jishi's heart.
"How did I guess?"
"Hmph!"
"I have to admit... you... you're very clever... Unfortunately... you miscalculated one step... You never should have fabricated Shiqing and Baihe out of thin air."
"From the moment you had... had Shiqing lead me here... then devour other people's blood... eat... eat their hearts raw... all the way to... to someone offering you... offering you everything."
Having said that, Qin Jishi paused and began gulping down great breaths of air.
The Masked Man did not interrupt him. He merely stood to one side and watched him quietly.
He was waiting... waiting for Qin Jishi to give him an answer.
A moment later!
Qin