Let's Make a Deal

This face, revealed when he took off his mask, was certainly handsome, but Zhao Mou had no impression of it whatsoever.

It was precisely because the face was so unforgettable that he was certain he had never seen this man, who called himself Yu Xing, before.

Zhao Mou was twelve times as wary as usual of uninvited guests.

It was obvious that this was the teammate his younger brother had encountered during last night's assessment. Zhao Mou had thought he was just a promising newcomer, but it seemed things had gone somewhat beyond his expectations.

To find their home... no, his younger brother's home, the other man must have had something to rely on.

"Come in." With that in mind, Zhao Mou put on a particularly formal smile, shook Yu Xing's hand, and ushered him inside.

Yu Xing surveyed the exquisitely furnished living room, which clearly looked very expensive, then quite naturally sat down obediently on the sofa.

"Xiao Jiu, go pour our guest some water." Zhao Mou sat down across from Yu Xing, elegantly assuming the full air of a host.

His gaze held a faint hint of scrutiny, silently putting pressure on Yu Xing.

He wanted to see what purpose and what ability this bold visitor had.

However, things didn't go in a direction he could control.

Zhao Yijiu sat down beside Zhao Mou, crossed one leg over the other, and gave him a cold look. "Pour it yourself. I'm not one of those subordinates you have."

Yu Xing smiled too, completely unaffected. "Heh~ Looks like Mr. Zhao Mou can't really order Brother Jiu around."

Zhao Mou: "..." This atmosphere makes it clear Xiao Jiu has a pretty good impression of Yu Xing, and at least neither of them has any ill will toward the other. So why am I inexplicably annoyed?!

It was true that he had spent less time with Zhao Yijiu over the years and no longer understood the younger brother he used to know.

But he hadn't expected Zhao Yijiu to be so disrespectful to him in front of an outsider...

Since the show of force wouldn't work, Zhao Mou shifted gears and smoothly changed tactics. "Yu Xing? It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. I've heard a lot about you," Yu Xing said with a smile.

"You came today because you have something to discuss with Xiao Jiu, right? Why don't you two talk first?" Zhao Mou retreated in order to advance, a glint flashing across his glasses.

"You didn't go out of your way to look into my family just because I agreed to do you a favor, did you?" Zhao Yijiu looked at Yu Xing with an expression that seemed to say he didn't know what to make of him.

Wouldn't it have been easier to exchange contact information last night? Showing up unannounced could easily make Zhao Mou think he was picking a fight.

"Not at all. How could I be that impressive, finding out about the famous Zhao family among the diviners in a single night?" Yu Xing shook his head. To Zhao Yijiu's surprise, he directly denied the guess. "Actually..."

"I came here for Mr. Zhao Mou—or rather, I came for the power of the entire Zhao family."

"..." Zhao Yijiu stared at him coolly.

"Oh? Now I'm curious. How much do you know about us?" Seeing how blunt Yu Xing was, Zhao Mou narrowed his eyes. His smile was sly as a fox's, and his voice rose at the end.

"The Zhao family is a major family among the diviners, well known in northern China. What you're most famous for is your knowledge of intelligence and records about all kinds of deduction worlds. If I had to compare you to something, you're like an encyclopedia—or an intelligence chief. Diviners in the north probably know at least a little about you." Yu Xing's tone hovered between serious and casual, making it hard to tell how he really felt about the family. "At first, I didn't realize Brother Jiu belonged to the Zhao family. But when I looked for Brother Jiu's contact information today, I noticed something odd."

"Brother Jiu clearly isn't a newcomer. He must have a teacher or some other support behind him. As it happens, I found out that the recently famous 'Mutation Path diviner Zhao Mou' is Brother Jiu's older brother. Brother Jiu was injured last night, and wounds inflicted by supernatural beings are difficult to treat with normal medical methods. So I guessed that Mr. Zhao Mou, who has a healing offering, was the one who treated him."

"Since I had such a good chance to meet Mr. Zhao Mou, of course I couldn't pass it up. Please forgive me for troubling you today."

It was a long speech, and it contained plenty of information.

By the time Yu Xing finished, Zhao Mou had gradually relaxed. None of what Yu Xing said was secret; any domestic diviner who had advanced from the higher tier to Differentiation Tier could learn it with ease.

After all, the Zhao family was special. Most other diviner factions were groups of diviners who had gathered from different places. Only a handful of families could ensure that someone would enter [Absurd] generation after generation, keeping the diviners' legacy alive.

Families like that had been famous for a long time.

"So you're with another faction." Zhao Mou pushed up his glasses. "You must need the Zhao family's intelligence network, if you came all this way to corner me. So I hope you'll be frank: which faction do you represent?"

A newcomer who had only recently entered the deduction game wasn't yet someone whose information the Zhao family needed to collect. So even though Zhao Mou was involved in handling intelligence, he knew nothing about Yu Xing.

Which faction? Yu Xing sighed inwardly.

He didn't belong to any faction. He was a lone wolf in the truest sense.

But... he knew quite a few people. It was time to bring up the one whose connection to him would be hardest to verify and use her as a shield.

He was kind, honest, and absolutely never lied. If he didn't have a reason, he would never deceive the Zhao family... probably.

Yu Xing glanced at Zhao Yijiu, who sat beside him in silence, radiating gloom. After a moment's thought, he said, "Mr. Zhao Mou, have you heard of Qu Xuanqing?"

"Qu Xuanqing?" Zhao Mou's pupils contracted. Then, looking a little surprised, he smiled. "Of course. She's much more famous than I am—the vicious lone wolf, the female fiend of the Mutation Path... Don't tell me you're one of her people?"

"That wouldn't be entirely wrong. I'm her friend." Yu Xing promptly planted that shield firmly in front of himself.

Zhao Mou looked perfectly at ease. "Can you prove that?"

He'd never heard of that woman, who always kept to herself, having any friends.

"Sure~" Yu Xing pulled out his phone. "Want me to have her add you on WeChat?"

Zhao Mou: Well... I didn't see that coming.

Now that Yu Xing had brought out his phone, Zhao Mou had all sorts of ways to check if he was telling the truth. He waved him off. "No need. If I add her out of the blue, I'm afraid she'll kill me the next time she takes a dislike to me."

After that little joke, the atmosphere in the living room had eased considerably.

Everything seemed perfectly harmonious, except that the human air conditioner, Zhao Yijiu, was looking increasingly unhappy.

Zhao Yijiu, who rarely had anything to do with his family: I'm the only one here who has no idea what's going on.????????????

"Then what's your reason for coming to our family?" Noticing his younger brother's mood, Zhao Mou cleared his throat and continued.

Yu Xing looked up. "I'm not looking to involve the whole Zhao family for now. I'd like to ask you personally to keep an eye out for a few things, on my own behalf."

Zhao Mou grew interested. "Oh? What things?"

"A Fallen Path diviner who calls herself Lingren, never reveals her real name or appearance, and the organization behind her: Single Prism."

"That's your...?"

"My enemy." Yu Xing didn't look like he was talking about an enemy at all. His smile grew brighter, yet somehow sent a chill through those who saw it. "The kind of enemy where one of us has to die~"

Zhao Mou: That really is a serious grudge.

He knew of Lingren. She rarely appeared, and was said to be one of the highest-level diviners. He had no way of getting information about her at all right now.

The only reason he'd heard of her was because of rumors that Qu Xuanqing was on bad terms with the organization Single Prism, and that the two sides had a serious conflict. Lingren was one of Single Prism's members and might even have founded the organization.

"This job isn't big, but it isn't small either." Zhao Mou smiled at Yu Xing. After all, Yu Xing was only asking him to keep an eye out, not making an absolute demand, and he was asking Zhao Mou personally, without involving the whole family. "I can keep an eye out for you, but what are you planning to offer in return?"

"The Zhao family's headquarters are in Tianjin, and you've been gradually expanding into the surrounding areas over the years. I didn't expect your influence to have already spread into Jiangnan." Yu Xing sounded quite confident. "You still spend most of your time around Tianjin, and Brother Jiu probably lives alone in Mijin City, right? You can't always be there to help him. If you agree, I can guarantee his safety until he advances to the higher tier~"

Zhao Yijiu frowned at being suddenly brought into it.

Had he become a bargaining chip?

His older brother, Zhao Mou, had a carefree personality, but he was genuinely powerful. But Yu Xing... they'd only just completed an assessment together. What made him so confident that he could "protect" him?

Hmph. He thinks that because he's a little clever and good at fighting, he can...

Yu Xing turned and looked at him with a smiling face. "Of course, Brother Jiu has to agree to this himself. Hehe, just do me a favor, Brother Jiu. I really need your brother's intelligence network!"

Can...? So he still respects my opinion?

Zhao Yijiu's gloomy expression softened a little after Yu Xing had soothed him.

He said coldly, "You'd protect me through the beginner and intermediate stages?"

"You could protect me instead!" Yu Xing readily went along with it, wearing the same expression that reminded Zhao Yijiu of how he'd been played the night before. "But I mean what I say. If Mr. Zhao Mou agrees, I guarantee you won't die. You'll be able to advance steadily, without anything to worry about."

"Is that Qu Xuanqing's idea too?" Zhao Mou remained impassive on the surface, but he was genuinely tempted.

Zhao Yijiu was young and withdrawn. Even though he'd been trained in fighting and logic since childhood, he still lacked experience with deduction.

Knowing someone would look out for him would put Zhao Mou more at ease.

"Mm. Qu Xuanqing can help if needed, too. Hey, why don't you just add her on WeChat?" Yu Xing said, opening his phone and leaning toward Zhao Mou.

Zhao Mou: "..." Still no.

"I'll give you my answer after I've verified this. If you really are on the same side as Qu Xuanqing, I can offer you help in my personal capacity." He nudged Zhao Yijiu with his elbow. "What do you think, Xiao Jiu?"

"Whatever." Zhao Yijiu dodged Zhao Mou's elbow.

He wasn't so proud or foolish that he couldn't weigh the pros and cons. There was no reason to refuse.

If everything Yu Xing said was true, then this "deal" would benefit him, Yu Xing would get the information he wanted, and Zhao Mou... could take the opportunity to get in touch with Qu Xuanqing.

Well, although he had no idea who this Qu Xuanqing they were talking about was...

"Then it's settled. Mr. Zhao Mou, you can give me your answer whenever you've confirmed it." Yu Xing stood up. "I won't bother you any longer. Goodbye."

Zhao Mou had the feeling Yu Xing was the kind of person who showed up whenever he pleased, then left as soon as he got what he wanted. Completely heartless.

"WeChat." Just as Yu Xing was about to turn and leave, Zhao Yijiu suddenly spoke.

"Hm?" Yu Xing blinked at him in confusion.

"Give me your WeChat. You planning to ambush my home again next time?" Zhao Yijiu held out his phone, his expression cold, and showed Yu Xing his QR code.

After leaving Bishui Garden, Yu Xing watched the sun sink lower and bought a six-yuan scallion pancake from a street stall.

He found the contact saved as "Qu Xuanqing" on WeChat. Taking a bite of his pancake, he typed:

"Oh, innocent maiden! I just used your name to get something done. If someone starts looking into you soon, try not to be too ruthless."

A long while later, when Yu Xing had already reached his front door, Qu Xuanqing finally sent him a question mark.

"?"

The ruthless, unsociable female fiend Zhao Mou had described sent him a bewildered cat meme, then asked in a voice message, "When did you become a diviner?"

"Last night," Yu Xing typed.

"Is your revenge about to begin?" Her voice message carried a note of understanding. Clearly, she knew more than Zhu Yan did.

Yu Xing smiled and typed, one character at a time: "It already began."