CHAPTER 71: CHAPTER 70: DECEPTION! HIDDEN AGENDAS

"So, can you tell me if there’s a man named Chen Pingchuan around here?"

"Uh..."

Hearing Wang Xing’s question, Chen Pingchuan was momentarily stunned. He had been ceaselessly chatting with the man to learn about the underground forces. After all, it wasn’t every day you met a bad guy whose lack of intelligence was so obvious at a glance.

As for why he called him a bad guy, well, that’s obvious. People who operate in the open are the good guys, and those who crawl around in the shadows are the bad guys. It’s been that way throughout history. The victor takes all and writes the history books.

"Alright, go play elsewhere," Wang Xing grumbled, wanting to get rid of the kid as soon as possible. He was in a foul mood. After being extorted out of a hefty sum by that damned fat woman, he barely had any Federation Coins left in his pocket. He’d scouted the local eateries earlier and discovered that what little money he had would only last him a week, and only if he stuck to two meals a day.

Just when Wang Xing thought the boy would back off, he said something astonishing.

"I am Chen Pingchuan. Are you looking for me?"

Chen Pingchuan feigned the look of a naive high school student, oblivious to the dangers of society, but inwardly he was thrilled. Even now, I still think this big oaf came looking specifically for me. He’s from an underground organization, after all, so it’s normal for him not to know my exact address... right? The organization sent him to find me, so there must be an important mission I have to carry out. Should I report my amnesia? Would the organization have a way to fix it? A series of such questions raced through his mind, playing out like eight hundred different short films in his head in just a few moments.

After sizing up Chen Pingchuan, Wang Xing’s expression shifted from surprise to hesitation, finally landing on helplessness. "Stop kidding. I don’t have time to play with you."

"But I really am Chen Pingchuan."

"Even if you are, it doesn’t matter. You’re not the one I’m looking for. Now get lost, or I won’t be so polite."

Wang Xing made a threatening gesture, but instead of scaring him off, it only fueled Chen Pingchuan’s competitive spirit. "How do you know I’m not the one? What if I am? First, tell me the characteristics of the person you’re looking for."

The confident look on Chen Pingchuan’s face, which screamed, ’I am the one you’re looking for,’ left Wang Xing dumbfounded. Should I kill him? No, we have no grudge, and he’s just a kid. Most importantly, killing him would not end well for me. What about just beating him up? He’d definitely call his parents, who would report it to the authorities. Once the official agencies started investigating, I’d be exposed for sure. But I can’t just ignore him either; he clearly has no intention of backing down.

Wang Xing realized with a sense of helplessness that, short of bluffing the boy into leaving, he was completely out of options. Having come to this conclusion, his mood surprisingly improved. He struck a thoughtful pose and said, "Kid, have you heard of the Holy Spirit Sect?"

"Nope!"

Chen Pingchuan’s reply stopped Wang Xing in his tracks. This wasn’t a great start. He tried again, explaining in the simplest terms he could manage. "Just think of it as a really, really powerful organization."

Chen Pingchuan feigned a look of naive curiosity—though in truth, he genuinely knew nothing. "How powerful?"

"Powerful enough to dwarf a hundred Spring Cities combined."

Chen Pingchuan seemed to be pressing him. "If they’re so powerful, why are they acting all secretive instead of operating in the open?"

Wang Xing was stumped. I know the Holy Spirit Sect is more powerful than this little city, but how am I supposed to describe it? I’m just a small fry; how would I know about the games the big shots play? Flustered by the question, he awkwardly changed the subject. "Anyway, just know that it’s a super powerful organization, that’s all you need to know. Now, the Holy Spirit Sect has issued a bounty: find this man named Chen Pingchuan, and you’ll be rewarded with riches, fame, and a life of luxury."

To Chen Pingchuan’s surprise, Wang Xing proceeded to tell him all the details of the Holy Spirit Sect’s mission. After listening to Wang Xing, Chen Pingchuan realized he had been completely wrong. This man wasn’t his contact after all.

My real contact definitely wouldn’t be this pathetic. he thought, then said aloud, "Well, what you just said only proves even more that I’m the man you’re looking for."

Wang Xing chuckled. He’d had some initial doubts, but now he was certain they weren’t the same person—they just shared a name. If it were this simple, the target wouldn’t have remained hidden for so long. Unless I’m some kind of Child of Destiny... but what kind of Child of Destiny has such a miserable life?

Now certain of the boy’s identity, he dropped all courtesy. "You call yourself a man? You’re a boy, at best. Ever even been with a woman? I bet you’re still a virgin, aren’t you?"

The man before him suddenly seemed utterly detestable. Just as I thought, people with dull minds have no vision. Chen Pingchuan sighed, losing the will to argue any further.

But his retreat only seemed to embolden Wang Xing. "Think about it! Would someone the great Holy Spirit Sect is looking for be some simple person? There are a few possibilities. One, he’s a super-powerful master who stole something from them. Two, he’s a researcher who knows their core secrets. Or three, he’s the leader of some spy organization. Why else would they have so much trouble finding him? Not only have they failed to find him, they’ve passed the opportunity on to people like us. There’s definitely some kind of conspiracy going on here."

Seeing the confident light in Wang Xing’s eyes and listening to his logical-sounding analysis, Chen Pingchuan actually started to doubt himself. Maybe it isn’t me after all? Just someone with the same name?

"Do you understand what I’m saying?" Wang Xing pressed.

"No."

Wang Xing, realizing the high schooler was full of tricks himself, launched a verbal counterattack. "My point is, the person they’re looking for must be incredibly powerful. His hiding place must be extremely well-concealed. He probably rarely goes outside and has no contact with the outside world. Now look at you. Do you fit any of those descriptions?"

Chen Pingchuan made one last attempt. "But what if he’s hiding his identity? A high school student on the surface, but secretly a top assassin for an organization like the Holy Spirit Sect?"

"Kid, you’ve read too many novels," Wang Xing scoffed. "Alright, I’ve explained enough. And let me warn you, don’t mention any of this at home. After all, the families living around here..." Wang Xing let his words trail off, but Chen Pingchuan understood the implication. "Don’t cause trouble for your family. Just go home, it’s getting late."

"Wait, big brother, let’s look at this differently. There’s money to be made together, good things to be shared!" Chen Pingchuan said, shifting tactics. "From the looks of it, you’re new here and don’t know the area. Why don’t you let me help you gather information? In return, you can recommend me to the Life Spirit Sect. Once I make it big, I promise I won’t forget you."

"Life Spirit Sect? It’s the Holy Spirit Sect! ’Holy,’ as in sacred. Not ’life.’ Don’t be illiterate when you’re so young."

Wang Xing seriously considered the boy’s words and, to his own surprise, thought it might actually be feasible. The main reason was that he’d previously asked his contact if there were any other tasks besides finding the mysterious Chen Pingchuan. As a wanderer of the wastelands, he never passed up an opportunity. The contact had told him, "You can recruit a local native as a downline. We can give them a chance to test their talent and tame a beast. Whether or not they can join the Holy Spirit Sect after that is all up to them."

Looking at the high school student before him, Wang Xing felt like his opportunity had just arrived.

Across from him, Chen Pingchuan saw Wang Xing’s dopey expression and knew he couldn’t let this man go. I’ll never find a scout dumber than him. And that Holy Spirit Sect he mentioned can’t be much, or they wouldn’t recruit a waste like him. He resolved to use Wang Xing as a stepping stone to learn about the outside world.

Both men now harbored their own secret plans. They shared a knowing glance before quickly looking away, hiding the smiles creeping onto their faces.

「At the same time, in Chen Pingchuan’s new home...」