"I have to admit, your disguise was flawless. Even I almost believed you. Fortunately, though, I'm not one of these Kara royals you've brainwashed.
"Dialectical materialism taught me to view everything in terms of connections, development, and contradictions. A sage from my homeland surnamed Lu once said, 'Assume the worst possible malice in others. If you guess wrong, no harm done. Apologize, share a drink, and you're still good brothers!'
"I imagine you acted like an innocent, clueless newbie from the moment we met because you wanted me to lower my guard, right?
"Honestly, with all your scheming, you certainly deserve to be called a veteran manipulative bitch. I really wasn't worthy of being called your big brother!
"But your biggest giveaway was how innocent you tried to appear. So pure, so unsullied, so above it all. All I can say is, brother, you overdid it..."
Nie Yun shook his head regretfully, while the Long-Lived One no longer bothered to hide the killing intent in his eyes.
His fully opened eyes were filled with wood grain and fine, red, fibrous nerve tissue. They actually appeared to closely mimic the visual system of a humanoid creature, right down to the remarkably lifelike expression in his gaze.
Nie Yun studied the terrifying giant face before him with interest. It would have made any ordinary person's hair stand on end.
He had assumed it was just some kind of "decoration" commemorating a friend, like the giant stone heads in a certain ninja village, or perhaps a tattoo. He hadn't expected there to be something real beneath the surface!
Apparently, this fellow's mode of evolution was even more interesting than he had imagined...
Meanwhile, Rose felt her knees go weak. She sank helplessly onto the root platform, staring blankly at the terrifying eyes that