Chapter 1835: Chapter 426: The Farmer and the Snake - Pleasant Cooperation (Part 2)

The tent was airtight, and the camping light overhead emitted a dim glow. The boy’s face was shrouded in darkness, but his presence couldn’t be underestimated.

"Are you Colonel Cilin?" The boy’s voice was pleasant, elegant, and slow, like that of a pampered prince. Yet, the chill in his tone was enough to make one’s heart race.

From his accent, it was clear that he wasn’t accustomed to speaking English; his accent was stiff.

Cilin met his gaze unhurriedly; in the darkness, he could only make out the boy’s eyes, which shone brightly like the most dazzling star in the night sky.

"Who are you?"

"It doesn’t matter who I am," the boy replied with a smile, slowly putting away his dagger.

Cilin’s eyes slightly narrowed, not daring to act rashly.

Since the boy dared to easily sheath his knife, he must be confident.

Cilin squinted at him.

The boy had his back to Cilin. Cilin’s hand at his side clenched tightly, his eyes brewing a storm...

Suddenly, the boy turned around, his eyes seemingly seeing through everything, with a faint mocking smile at the corner of his mouth. Cilin’s heart suddenly tightened, and his fingers slowly relaxed.

"If there’s wealth, we all make it together, if there’s difficulty, we all bear it together. What do you think?"

Cilin let out a sneer, disdainfully saying, "Boy, do you know who I am? You are indeed too naive."

"Of course I know. You’re Colonel Cilin, the boss of the Shadow Legion. Rumor has it that you don’t get along with the Q-Side Government, but that’s just a cover. You’re one of Sangque’s people, aren’t you? Can you really just stand by and watch this oil field fall into his hands without feeling tempted?"

Cilin’s eyes narrowed, his voice extremely dangerous: "Who exactly are you?"

The boy crossed his arms, his lean figure barely standing there, yet exuding an undeniable forcefulness. In the not-so-spacious tent, even breathing felt insufficient.

"Sangque is a successful ambitious man, and such a person never leaves any evidence against himself. After knowing so many of his secrets, how can you make a clean break?"

The boy’s indifferent words caused Cilin’s heart to contract slightly, his gaze warily locking onto him: "You’re too arrogant. Do you think you can change anything with just a few words?"

Unrelenting sarcasm.

The boy didn’t get angry, and with a light smile said, "Either die, or obey."

The smile was like a spring breeze, as if he were casually discussing today’s weather. Yet the ruthlessness and dominance in his tone pierced the heart like a sharp arrow. At that moment, the boy’s lofty demeanor was like an emperor reigning over the world, exuding an overwhelming presence that even the battle-hardened Cilin found momentarily startling.

The boy was confident. His confidence made the usually cautious Cilin start to waver. In that instant, he considered many things: this place was remote, so how did the boy find it? Had he been following him all along? The fact he wasn’t detected proved the boy’s hidden skills. At least, Cilin was certain of one thing: behind this boy was a mysterious, powerful force. He was even more curious about the boy’s identity, with that air of long-held authority that couldn’t be faked, particularly at such a young age.

More importantly, he knew about Cilin’s relationship with Sangque. To outsiders, they were adversaries, locked in a bitter struggle. In reality, it was all a façade; Cilin had done countless things for Sangque, staining his hands with so much blood he lost count.

Additionally, the boy was right; Sangque was a particularly suspicious person. Knowing too many of his secrets, Sangque had already developed a desire to kill Cilin. Hasn’t Sangque frequently dismantled bridges after crossing them?

He had never dared to think about it before, but the discovery of this oil field stirred unease within him. If Sangque wanted full control of the oil field, he, as the only insider, would surely be silenced...

He wasn’t afraid of death, but he feared a suffocating death. His dreams of sacrificing his life in battle for his country and people were dashed by those who played power games, forcing him onto Sangque’s pirate ship. Boarding that ship was easy, disembarking wasn’t; it had been years, and breaking free was no simple task. With his current power, he couldn’t stand against Sangque, nor could he risk his men’s lives.

Moreover... Through his years of secret investigations, he discovered hidden secrets about past events, pointing directly to Sangque. What did it mean?

The one who truly ruined him was Sangque, yet he pretended to be a savior. How despicable that he had been loyal to a traitor for so long.

Looking at the boy in front of him, although he was unaware of which force backed him, it was clear that the boy was an enemy of Sangque. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend; he...

No... it’s not okay. This man’s intentions are unclear, and the consequences of such actions may end in jumping from one firepit into another. The result wouldn’t differ... Besides, he knew very well the means Sangque employed. Those who betrayed him met with no good end.

The boy appeared patient, as if he’d guessed what was on Cilin’s mind. He spoke leisurely, "Is there a worse situation than where you are now? Before you are two roads: one is a dead end, the other holds infinite possibilities...."

Indeed, although the boy’s identity and intentions were unknown, the possibilities were evidently greater. But if he remained bound to Sangque’s pirate ship, his fate... only led to a dead end. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

To gamble or not to gamble?

Cilin had never been so tormented. He faced the greatest dilemma of his life. Looking up at the boy again, he asked, "How can I trust you?"

How can I trust you to have the strength to stand against Sangque?

The boy gave a faint smile, exuding an aura of confidence amidst his noble presence, enveloping him with a holy radiance, urging immediate worship before him.

At that moment, Cilin thought of the statue of God in the church, inspiring instinctive pious worship. From this man, he felt a strong calling.

He seemed godlike.

"Time will prove everything."

A simple phrase, yet it became Cilin’s lifelong belief.

Cilin had considered subduing the boy, but after assessing his skills, he abandoned the idea. He had only a thirty percent chance of success, and failure meant losing any opportunity. Besides, what about his many brothers?

Always cautious and meticulous, weighing countless thoughts sped through his mind once again, as he made his final decision.

"Hmph, quite the boast," Cilin sneered, gradually letting his guard down.

Yun Miao remained expressionless, but inside, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been gambling all along, and now, he had won the gamble.

While he could subdue Cilin temporarily, if those outside rushed in and with Cilin being so ruthless, he would be as good as caught. Dylan had told him that Cilin was extremely cautious; the more cautious someone was, the more thoughts they had. This ploy of sowing discord indeed worked.

If Cilin resisted, Yun Miao had no guarantee of victory.

Retreat to advance, appearing wide open yet tightly closed, misleading Cilin, and Cilin indeed fell for it.

If Cilin knew the thoughts running through the man’s mind at this moment, he’d feel like coughing up blood.