Chapter 318: I Am Willing, in My Own Name, to Offer You Discounted Services—That's All

"What does it mean?" Huo La's brows instantly knit together, his tone full of doubt, "If it's yes, it's yes; if it's no, it's no. What exactly does 'yes and also no' mean?"

Beside them, Ming Yao, Xiao Zhao and Mu Xia wore puzzled expressions, all turning to look at Ginjin, while Mu Chun remained composed, though a hint of wariness flickered in his eyes as he silently watched Ginjin without speaking.

Ginjin flicked the ash from his dry pipe, the Smoke Screen thinning a bit, and his gaze grew distant as if recalling a far‑off past, his tone deepening: "I call him 'yes' because his appearance and aura are identical to the Wang Luo I knew back then, down to the last detail."

He paused, then took a deep drag from the dry pipe, his tone suddenly shifting, gaining a weighty, eerie quality: "But to say he's 'no' is because he has changed— the Wang Luo of those days, though reclusive, never meddled in Hisui's disputes; the Wang Luo now moves mysteriously, his aura tinged with a chilling cold that even I cannot decipher, as if... he has swapped souls."

Ginjin's remark "swapped souls" made Ming Yao, Xiao Zhao and Mu Xia instantly glance at each other, their faces full of bewilderment and disbelief.

But Huo La did not speak right away; he took a deep breath, his chest rising slightly, then exhaled slowly, the doubt in his brows easing a bit, replaced by understanding and gravity, and he said softly, "It seems my guess was correct."

His words left Ginjin stunned.

His hand gripping the dry pipe froze, the swirling Smoke Screen drifting away slowly as he stared straight at Huo La, his tone tinged with doubt: "What do you mean? Did you already guess that he's 'not' the Wang Luo of those days?"

Huo La lifted his eyes, his gaze meeting Ginjin's calmly, with no hint of concealment, his tone steady and solemn as he said word by word, "I come from the future."

Ginjin heard this and merely narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingertips rubbing the dry pipe, his expression growing ever more profound, though he showed little surprise.

Huo La was not surprised by this.

Given the Ginkgo Guild's strength, its extensive channels and intelligence network throughout Hisui, it would be odd if even his origins could not be traced.

Ginjin gave a slow, low chuckle, his voice bearing a merchant's shrewdness and insight; he flicked the ash and asked, "So you mean—this Wang Luo now, like you, also comes from the future?"

"I can't be certain yet, only suspect," Huo La shook his head lightly, his tone sincere. "That's why I asked Captain Majamu to locate you promptly. If you think he's changed, then my conjecture is the closest to the truth."

Ginjin fell silent, taking a deep drag from the dry pipe, the Smoke Screen further obscuring his brows and eyes.

The cafeteria fell silent again, only the suppressed breaths of Ming Yao and the others and the faint crackle of the burning dry pipe could be heard.

After a while, Ginjin finally lifted his eyes slowly; the inquisitiveness in them faded, leaving only an impenetrable heaviness. He stared at Huo La and asked word for word, "You suspect he comes from the future, and that it's related to the Space-time Rift?"

Huo La felt a sudden jolt in his chest; he hadn't expected Ginjin to hit the core so quickly. He nodded heavily, his tone even more solemn: "Exactly."

The current situation in Hisui must be driven by an unseen hand stirring the storm, controlling everything. I've crossed paths with Wang Luo a few times in Zhujing Village, and given my own peculiar origin from the future, I know certain things about Wang Luo, so I suspect that the hand stirring the storm is Wang Luo himself.

"But not the Wang Luo that exists in this Time and Space, rather a Wang Luo who came back from a parallel timeline."

"A Wang Luo who traveled back from another timeline..." Ginjin repeated softly, his fingertip forcefully striking the dry pipe against the Stone Tablet at his feet, a light "click" sounding as ash fell from the pipe.

He lifted his gaze to Huo La, his eyes sharp as knives, bearing the typical merchant's caution: "Why are you so certain? Your mere conjecture cannot prove such a bizarre matter."

Huo La slowly lowered his eyes, a complex expression flashing across his face, letting out a light sigh, his tone tinged with fatigue and weight: "Because in my future Time and Space, there are also people from other worlds and other timelines. My appearing here is not a coincidence."

As the words faded, Huo La involuntarily recalled Sakaki's face and that ultimate exotic beast Nekrozma.

Ginjin took in Huo La's shift in demeanor, already forming a partial judgment in his mind.

He tucked away the dry pipe, slipped it into his satchel, his expression growing heavier: "So you think the one stirring the storm behind Hisui is that 'Wang Luo'?"

Huo La lifted his eyes, meeting Ginjin's gaze, his tone firm: "I can't be 100% certain, but this is the most reasonable conjecture for now."

The cafeteria fell silent again.

Ginjin remained silent for a long while, then finally spoke: "Then what do you need me to do? Or rather, what does the Ginkgo Guild need to do?"

"Find Wang Luo," Huo La said succinctly.

He paused, then continued: "Since we already suspect him, locating him is the best proof. If he truly is the mastermind, we can eliminate everything at once; if not, it will clear his suspicion."

Huo La's words were clear and logical on both ends.

Ginjin, however, stared at him, scrutinizing for a long time, then slowly uttered a sentence that surprised everyone: "I refuse."

Ginjin's words fell like a stone into a calm lake, instantly shattering the cafeteria's stillness.

Huo La's brows knit sharply, a flash of surprise in his eyes—he had anticipated Ginjin's hesitation, but never imagined such a decisive refusal.

Ming Yao, Xiao Zhao and Mu Xia, standing nearby, wore even more puzzled expressions, all turning to Ginjin, their faces full of doubt, not understanding why he would reject this request concerning Hisui's safety.

Ginjin rose slowly, his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze sweeping the assembled crowd, his tone firm and unyielding: "Your suspicion of Wang Luo is your matter. As for the Ginkgo Guild, we will never doubt our own comrades."

"If he truly is the mastermind you speak of, stirring the storm over Hisui, then you must find him yourselves, defeat him, and save Hisui."

He paused, his tone softening slightly yet still firm, a hint of merchant's shrewdness flashing in his eyes, and added: "As for anything else, if you wish to purchase anything here to boost your strength, the Ginkgo Guild will still provide it as usual."

"Because we all belong under this Hisui sky, and because of everything you've done, I am willing, in my personal capacity, to offer you discounted services—nothing more."