A cold, sinister wind howled through the ruins.
The figure standing with his back to him said nothing. Only when he slowly turned his head, pale hair spilling from beneath his hood, did Lin En finally see the man's face.
It was already nothing like the photograph in the dossier. Time had etched its hardships onto his face, and his eyes were no longer as they had been back then. They were filled with gloom and brooding depth, like a sharp sword rusted fast inside its sheath.
His first glance fell not on Lin En, but on the face of Hana Ye, whom Lin En carried on his back.
His voice was calm and distant.
"It seems you've made quite a few preparations. Even the Hana Ye you've brought along is a fake. You've certainly gone to great lengths for this operation."
At those words, Lin En removed his hood, revealing a smiling face.
"Oh? You spotted that too? As expected, the closer people are, the easier it is for them to see through a disguise."
With that much said, there was no point in pretending anymore.
He no longer needed to keep hiding it.
The Hana Ye on his back immediately turned into scarlet flesh like melting sludge, then gradually seeped into his body, becoming one with him.
"Where is she?"
Yuzhi Liu Si asked calmly.
Lin En gently rolled his wrists and said:
"Obviously, I can't tell you that. This operation was dangerous enough to begin with. If I slipped up and fell into your trap, wouldn't all my efforts go to waste, with Hana Ye handed right over to you?"
Yuzhi Liu Si's gaze remained unchanged as he said:
"What I don't understand is why you insist on wading into these muddy waters. None of this had