Chapter 829: He Must Like You

A green military uniform wrapped around Si Wenyi's slender figure; she stood before the window, gazing into the distance.

A teardrop hung at the corner of her eye, ready to fall, when she suddenly turned her head at a call, the moisture in her eyes shattering the faint light on the window lattice.

When she saw the man in red, surprise first appeared in her eyes, followed immediately by immense disappointment, until now, as she looked at Li Zhiyi with vigilance.

Li Zhiyi's gaze was gentle as he looked at Si Wenyi:

"Back then, when I killed Secretary Ye, I was nothing more than a high school student. As a member of the Logistics Department, Sister Siwen, you always provided me cover, which put my heart at ease."

Li Zhiyi watched the color in Si Wenyi's eyes gradually change:

"Right up until I killed Chu Feiyuan, Sister Siwen, you had already done things that went beyond your official duties."

He came to the side of the now-stunned Si Wenyi and looked out the window:

"On this journey of mine, I have met all sorts of people; many have harmed me, and many have helped me.

A long time has passed."

Li Zhiyi sighed aloud.

If there were no one in his heart to care for, he would have completely devolved into an existence that would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

He might be even colder than the Lord of Xia.

Looking at Li Zhiyi beside her, Si Wenyi's tense body gradually relaxed.

"Fake."

She spoke abruptly, the aloofness that had previously gathered between her brows gradually melting away; her eye sockets suddenly turned red, and as the crystalline teardrops rolled down, only a look of relieved tenderness remained in her eyes.

"You are not him."

Li Zhiyi frowned, looking at Si Wenyi in surprise.

He was indeed not the original Chen Yan, but his behavioral logic and thoughts were those of Chen Yan.

But how could Si Wenyi tell the difference?

"Where is he?" A reserved smile appeared on the corners of Si Wenyi's mouth, and she wept with joy.

Only now did she truly believe that Chen Yan was not yet dead.

"In a very distant place," Li Zhiyi began:

"I am only a part of him."

Si Wenyi turned her head away:

"When will he return?"

Li Zhiyi paused:

"I don't know."

Si Wenyi looked over again:

"It was I who sent you into the military."

Li Zhiyi smiled:

"If Sister Siwen treated others this way, I would be angry.

But since it is me you treated this way, I... cannot be angry."

Sunlight streamed in, shining upon Si Wenyi and Li Zhiyi; the two stood quietly, unable to say anything for a while.

It seemed as if something had dissolved into the stillness.

"I will wait forever."

A gentle voice sounded, and the tears at the corners of Si Wenyi's eyes had already dried.

"If he dislikes me, I will stay far away from him; if he does not dislike me, I will stay close to him."

Si Wenyi's voice fell.

Li Zhiyi's expression suddenly stiffened, as if the scenery of yesterday had surfaced in his mind.

It seemed that in some place, at some moment, some woman.

Had also said this to him.

Who was it?

He could not remember clearly.

That was when he was in high spirits after having undergone tempering.

He seemed not to have noticed the light full of longing and adoration in that woman's eyes.

At that time, he had only slowly turned away without answering.

Who was it?

It seemed he really could not remember clearly.

Only, at this moment, Li Zhiyi did not turn away as Chen Yan had.

"He likes you," Li Zhiyi smiled:

"You are the only outsider he ever invited into his home for a meal."

Si Wenyi paused and looked at Li Zhiyi.

"Since he cannot say it, I will say it for him."

Li Zhiyi's pupils were as clear and translucent as glaze under the illumination of the sun.

"I have always thought that if he only had one minute left in his life, he would finally stop hesitating.

He hides too much loathing, hatred, dissatisfaction, and even jealousy in his heart—and of course, affection.

He is about to forget that he is actually just a human; he thinks he is a god, and a god should not have such emotions.

He is wrong; he is human.

He..."

Li Zhiyi's figure flickered and vanished inside the room.

Leaving behind a stunned Si Wenyi.

"They must like you."

………

"Bastard!"

"If I don't avenge this humiliation, I am no man!"

"I, Zhang Huizhi... what a crushing disgrace!"

Inside the magma, a spatial array disk flashed with light, and Zhang Huizhi appeared, his face full of gloom.

He had designed a detailed escape route for himself, all to avoid eighth-rank perception.

Only after confirming no one was pursuing him did he return to the Magnetic Storm Thunder Prison.

Walking into the Magnetic Storm Thunder Prison, one by one, the thunder-ball creatures stood respectfully on both sides, trembling.

"Damn it!"

Zhang Huizhi kicked a thunder-ball creature flying:

"Where is the prepared spider-type mechanical body? Why didn't you launch it? You bunch of brats, just watching your boss get beaten, right?!"

Zhang Huizhi was furious, kicking one thunder-ball creature after another.

"I see it clearly now, you are all just a bunch of useless trash who can't accomplish anything!"

Boom!

He kicked away another row of thunder-ball creatures who were trembling all over but dared not speak.

"What use are you to me?!"

Zhang Huizhi shoved open the door to his room and glared angrily at the thunder-ball creatures on the other side:

"Every single one of you, go write a one-hundred-thousand-word self-criticism!"

The next moment.

Hum!

Zhang Huizhi's figure suddenly turned illusory, 【Boundary Instant】 activated abruptly, and he was about to flee.

Hum!

A terrifying force instantly suppressed Zhang Huizhi, rendering him unable to move.

The next instant, with a clatter.

Zhang Huizhi was pulled into the room, leaving behind only the terrified thunder-ball creatures.

Inside the room, a figure draped in a black robe, standing a full three meters tall, with two red lights beneath their hood, sat cross-legged in the corner.

"Do not blame them."

The black-robed person emitted a hoarse, mechanical voice:

"It was I who ordered them not to execute your commands."

Zhang Huizhi's expression turned gloomy to the extreme; suppressed by this force, he 'thumped' into a chair.

"Who are you?" Zhang Huizhi asked coldly.

"Yu Wei." The black-robed person spoke.

"I don't know you!" Zhang Huizhi barked: "Must I know you? Are you very famous?"

The black-robed person paused:

"Are you doing this style now?"

The next moment.

Click, click, click!

A sound like countless gears turning simultaneously rang out, and the black-robed person slowly raised their head, revealing a silver-white face crafted entirely of pure metal:

"Let's reintroduce ourselves; I am the Lord of Yu Province."

Zhang Huizhi furrowed his brows and stopped speaking.

The Lord of Yu, however, continued on their own:

"Not letting the spider-type mechanical body attack was out of concern that you would expose your identity; I could not be certain if the other clans would discover that you possess the Magnetic Storm Thunder Prison."

Click, click, click!

The Lord of Yu stood up:

"Previously, my Yu Province sensed the pulse intensity and frequency signal of the Ten Thousand Prison Nether Thunder appearing in Yixian City.

At that time, I came alone to find your location."

"Your surprise attack on Ji Province, in my view, was absolutely a deliberate act of seeking death by you, Chen Yan; since that is the case, you must have a backup plan.

After discovering the traces of the Ten Thousand Prison Nether Thunder, I became even more certain."

The Lord of Yu approached Zhang Huizhi, making a clicking sound of wonder:

"Your methods are truly beyond my comprehension; I can sense that this person is not you, yet they have some sort of connection to you."

Zhang Huizhi narrowed his eyes:

"What are you talking about? Can you damn well speak something I can understand?"

The Lord of Yu paused, silent for a long time.

"Chen Yan, can you hear my words?"

They spoke to themselves:

"Or is it, Lord of Will."

The Lord of Yu walked alone in the room with their hands behind their back:

"When I reached this conclusion, I also felt that I had gone mad.

But I met with Xia Hanzhou many times and probed him repeatedly; although he would never reveal anything, I was able to analyze his micro-expressions."

The Universe Master gave a faint laugh:

"Afterward, I began a long period of information gathering.

1. When you defeated Chi Xue, Yu Ming saw your Willpower surge; it was precisely at that moment that over ten thousand Willpower martial artists suddenly appeared throughout the Great Xia within a single day.

The other provinces knew nothing of this, but Yu Ming experienced it the entire time.

He told me that before Chi Xue died, he seemed to have seen an endless, great terror and completely lost the will to fight.

2. The moment the Five Clans saw the appearance of Willpower martial artists coincided exactly with when you stepped onto Ten Thousand Aspects Island.

I surmise that because the Five Clans and the Great Xia each needed to suppress a different Ancient God, a barrier of rules existed; thus, only when you crossed that barrier could the Five Clans produce Willpower martial artists.

3. You, Chen Yan, were killed by the Chen Master, yet the Master of Will did not appear; I have always wondered why the Master of Will would abandon you.

Perhaps he does not care about you, or perhaps he is you!

4. Whether it is Xia Hanzhou or Xia Qi, the importance they place on you is far too exaggerated; I can admire Xia Qi for his boldness.

But this man Xia Hanzhou is extremely cautious and extremely prudent, even possessing a sort of stinginess that only women have; if there were no necessary reason, he would not have valued Chen Yan, who was only a General Star at the time, to such a degree."

The Universe Master's voice was extremely calm, carrying a smile:

"Thus, I became sixty percent convinced of my guess that you are the Master of Will.

Until Yixian appeared in the Magnetic Storm Thunder Prison, which increased that belief by ten percent.

Li Zhiyi suddenly appeared and devoured the Blood Brand, his Willpower even surpassing that of Chen Yan himself.

After Li Zhiyi appeared, I thought I had guessed wrong.

I thought Li Zhiyi was the agent chosen by the Master of Will after abandoning Chen Yan.

However..."