Chapter 262: Zhuge Yi

After the story finished, the woman with double pupils sat dazed on the spot, unable to recover for a long time.

Just now, after she touched that safety lock, this memory emerged out of thin air in her mind.

Was this story in her memory... true? Was she actually the daughter of Zhuge Qianyang, and were those elders who had been incomparably kind to her since she was a child actually the enemies who killed her father and mother?

This sudden memory dealt a massive blow to the woman with double pupils' worldview.

It was like suddenly finding out that the cute girlfriend you had been dating for three years, who was obedient and let you do whatever you wanted, didn't actually like you and was just coveting your handsome face; who could handle that?

"So, you are the Zhuge Yi from the story?" Ye Lin asked tentatively.

Zhuge Qianyang and Zhuge Qianxing were biological brothers; by that logic, shouldn't Zhuge Yi and Zhuge Ni be considered cousins?

Zhuge Yi nodded upon hearing this.

"My story is finished, so who are you?"

Zhuge Yi narrowed her eyes slightly, and Ye Lin instantly felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, as if he were being locked onto tightly by something.

Although Zhuge Yi made no move at the moment, Ye Lin was certain that if his answer did not satisfy her, what would follow would definitely be a thunderous strike from her!

Thinking of this, Ye Lin sighed gloomily and looked up, his face filled with an inseparable sorrow.

"My name is Ye Lin. You might not have heard my name, but I am the only disciple of Zhuge Qianxing! As the saying goes, a teacher for a day is a father for life."

"Zhuge Qianxing is your uncle, so... strictly speaking, you should call me cousin!"

Zhuge Yi's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and she exclaimed.

"You are Ye Lin?"

"You know me?" It was Ye Lin's turn to be surprised.

"I do. The elders gave me a mission to capture you alive in the Mountain and Sea Secret Realm and bring you back to the Zhuge family!"

Zhuge Yi nodded calmly, then her pair of blue double pupils looked Ye Lin up and down, seemingly contemplating where to land a fatal blow on him.

"Are you that Spirit Eye Master of the Zhuge family?"

Ye Lin felt his skin crawl under her gaze; his intuition told him that this woman was definitely hard to deal with.

No wonder Professor Shen always wanted to dig out her eyes; these eyes were truly terrifying!

"Yi, don't be impulsive! I am your cousin! Do you want to kill your own kin?"

"Not for now."

Zhuge Yi gently stroked the safety lock with her fair, jade-like fingers.

"I must first figure out... whether that memory is actually true! I must know the truth!"

Speaking of this, Zhuge Yi became somewhat agitated; she clutched the safety lock and prepared to leave.

She desperately wanted to tell herself that this was fake; before she was sixteen, she had actually been in secret contact with Zhuge Qianxing all along.

Zhuge Qianxing was learned and profound; no matter what questions she had, he would answer them with great patience. He was the best mentor in Zhuge Yi's heart.

She had always felt that there must be some unspeakable reason for her uncle to break ties with the Zhuge family.

But whenever she asked about her own background, Zhuge Qianxing would avoid the topic or change the subject directly.

One day, Zhuge Yi was so curious that she ran to ask the Zhuge family elders, and they told her that her parents had been killed by her uncle right after she was born.

She went to confront Zhuge Qianxing, but he only remained silent. From then on, Zhuge Yi cut off contact with him; even when Zhuge Qianxing died, she did not go to take a look at his funeral.

She could not imagine how she would face the many uncles and elders of the Zhuge family if that memory were true! How could she face the spirits of Zhuge Qianxing and her own parents in heaven!

At this moment, Ye Lin hurriedly blocked her path.

"Stop! Stop for a second! The 'figuring out the truth' you mentioned—you aren't planning to run back and confront the Zhuge family head and elders, are you?"

"Otherwise?" Zhuge Yi asked back.

"6."

Ye Lin directly gestured a '6' with his hand.

"Big sister, what is your strength? Why are you so reckless? Even if you find out the truth and they really are the enemies who killed your parents, what can you do to them? You running back to confront them now—besides alerting the enemy, what is the point?"

After hearing Ye Lin's words, Zhuge Yi calmed down from her agitation. She wasn't stupid; she had just lost some rationality under the impact of this memory.

"Then what do you mean? You want me to act as if nothing happened and wait until my strength is enough to contend with the Zhuge family before investigating this matter?" Zhuge Yi asked.

"Exactly! Not stupid, after all! As expected, one shouldn't judge a book by its cover!"

Ye Lin glanced at the Mariana Trench and continued.

"Just act as if nothing happened. Do whatever the Zhuge family tells you to do. Until your strength is enough to contend with the entire Zhuge family, regardless of whether those memories are true or false, isn't the initiative in your hands?"

Zhuge Yi raised her eyes and looked at Ye Lin upon hearing this.

"Do whatever the Zhuge family tells me to do? Then the first thing I should do now is take you down and go back to the Zhuge family to claim credit."

"Hey, hey, hey! If the Zhuge family really is your enemy, then I am your closest relative in this world! Your cousin! Blood is thicker than water!" Ye Lin explained while calmly placing his hand on his Great Sumeru Ring.

Inside was the powerful itching powder he had just scavenged from Qiu Xingyuan's shop; if Zhuge Yi were to make a move, he wouldn't mind hitting her with it first.

Zhuge Yi's gaze flickered over Ye Lin's hand intentionally or otherwise, then she said softly.

"Of the five people the Zhuge family sent this time, besides me, the weakest of the other four is at level 55. Even if I don't make a move against you, it doesn't mean you can escape the Zhuge family's pursuit."

"And... the Xie family will also make a move against you."

Zhuge Yi looked at Ye Lin with curiosity.

"I am actually a bit curious about what kind of background you have that allows you to still be alive and kicking after attracting the joint attention of two great families."

"Just luck. Don't worry, your cousin still has some ability to protect himself."

Ye Lin didn't say much more; hearing these words from Zhuge Yi, he completely set his mind at ease.

Clearly, Zhuge Yi was not planning to make a move against him; otherwise, she wouldn't have needed to tell him this information.

It seemed he had already solved half of the biggest crisis in the Mountain and Sea Secret Realm: first finding Qiu Xingyuan's little shop to enhance his strength, and then successfully turning the strongest member of the Zhuge team, Zhuge Yi, through the safety lock. This fourth silk pouch had helped him immensely.

Products from Zhuge are indeed high-quality!

"You're on your own. Not making a move against you doesn't mean I will help you."

Zhuge Yi raised her hand and tossed the safety lock to Ye Lin.

"Keep this for me. I'm afraid carrying it will arouse others' suspicion. If it's lost, you don't need to exist anymore. Also, help me tell Uncle Qiu that Zhuge Yi will come to visit him again when she has time."

"Don't worry, as long as I'm alive, the lock is safe!"

Ye Lin put the safety lock into his Great Sumeru Ring.

After Zhuge Yi left, Ye Lin bid farewell to Qiu Xingyuan, gently closed the moss-covered wooden door, and muttered in a low voice.

"What a brilliant 'deceiving the heavens to cross the sea' strategy. Teacher, oh teacher, you are even more ruthless than I imagined..."