"It was you!"
A murderous glint flashed in Zhu Jie's eyes. Standing before her was a woman around forty, with slightly dark skin and gentle features that gave her a pleasant air.
The woman's name was Zhang Ting. She claimed to be a music teacher and had done a good job hiding her true nature during the mission. She had even brought hot water to a frightened companion.
By now, Tang Qisheng knew he'd been tricked. This second-generation Deep Red member had been waiting here for the two of them to come and scout ahead for her.
"All right, you can go now." Zhang Ting looked at them both, speaking as casually as if she were in her own home.
Tang Qisheng stared at her, braced for trouble at any moment. "Go? Where?"
"Of course, leave here and go back—back to your own world. The door outside is real. You should be able to sense that, too." Zhang Ting sighed, and for once her tone held a trace of sincerity. "I don't want to hurt you. You're not bad at heart; you were just deceived into joining the wrong side. You don't deserve to die."
Tang Qisheng, standing in front of Zhu Jie, froze. He nearly laughed. What was this supposed to mean? A second-generation Deep Red member was saying he wasn't bad at heart, and from the sound of it, she was prepared to show mercy and let him go.
"Are you all right? You're the villain here, aren't you?" Zhu Jie couldn't figure out what the other woman was playing at. "I'll say the same to you: I think you're not bad at heart. Just leave now, and we won't make an enemy of you."
At that, Zhang Ting's eyes dimmed, and her manner turned colder. "You fools!