Chapter 9: The First Principle of Deception

The sheep Yadan lay flat on the floor.

Selena stood at his side, her hands spread flat in front of her, her palms gradually emitting a faint yellow light that gathered like water.

This light fell on Yadan like a spring drizzle, quickly seeping into his body, gradually stabilizing the transformation effect on the sheep.

About ten minutes later, Selena slowly withdrew her hands, exhaled a long breath, her face showing obvious fatigue, her body somewhat unsteady.

Luosen immediately stepped forward to support her: 'Madam, you've worked hard.'

He knew that casting high-level Stabilizing Technique was extremely difficult, requiring immense concentration and consuming vast amounts of mana.

In the state of bare-handed casting, a high-ranking mage can usually release it at most three times a day.

Precisely for this reason, whether buying Stabilizing Technique scrolls from the Mage Guild or asking a mage to cast it, the price is very high.

Thus he promised: 'Once we get the money, we'll immediately go buy a staff.'

Selena gave a slight nod: 'Okay.'

After resting a few more minutes in Luosen's embrace, her eyes regained their luster.

"I wonder how much this pretty sheep could sell for?"

Luosen gave a faint smile: 'That depends on how we sell it.'

"You seem to have an idea already—spill it."

"Madam, there's a saying in business circles: a merchant coming to you is nothing compared to a buyer seeking you out. So we need to get Dalete to beg us to sell."

Selena, also extremely bright, her eyes lit up: 'So we're going to put on a play?'

"Exactly, a tragic play."

If Selena hadn't joined, Luosen would certainly still go swindle Dalete, and his chances of success would be even higher.

But now that Selena is involved, he feels a bit uneasy inside.

Because Selena's acting isn't professional either, if she messes up on her end, it would all be for nothing.

To minimize the chance of failure as much as possible, Luosen improvised a 'bed scene' for Selena that doesn't require much acting.

Selena grew more interested: 'That sounds fun—exactly how do we do it?'

Luosen had already thought it through and immediately began explaining.

"Madam, you're already tired—lie down on the bed and pretend to be ill, the more convincing the better, as if you had a fatal disease."

"I like this, hehe."

She immediately ran to the bed and lay down.

Luosen walked over to inspect carefully: 'The outer skirt is too high-quality; it must be taken off, leaving only the inner skirt. Yes, just like that.'

He took the expensive outer skirt into the wardrobe and hid it carefully, then returned to the bedside and neatly tucked in Selena's blankets.

"Now I need to cast another Transformation Technique on your face to disguise you as a pale, weak, dying middle-aged woman—okay?"

Selena nodded: 'Of course, but won't Dalete see through it?'

Luosen gave a faint smile: 'Madam, don't you trust my transformation skills?'

Selena shrugged: 'All right, I actually forgot my little husband is a Transformation Master.'

Luosen repeated his trick, having Laifu continuously create twenty faces, picking the most typical one, and carefully applying it to Selena.

Soon Selena became a tormented, dying woman, about thirty-four or thirty-five, a middle-aged beauty who seemed to breathe her last any moment.

The key point is that this face resembles Yadan by eighty or ninety percent, making it obvious at a glance that they are mother and son.

Then Luosen transformed himself into a twenty-eight or twenty-nine-year-old man with a simple, honest look and a sorrowful expression.

Another key point is that this face bears no resemblance to Yadan at all.

Selena blinked: 'Luosen, after the transformation you're still younger than me?'

Luosen winked back: 'Madam, that's just how the script is written.'

Having said that, without further explanation he took out the herbs he'd prepared earlier, put them to boil on the room's brazier, and gave instructions.

"Madam, this is herbal juice for treating pulmonary edema, so you should cough every now and then—it's both part of the disguise and can be used to interrupt questions that might give us away."

Speaking, he handed her a white handkerchief stained with some red juice fruit.

"Keep it hidden well; if you cough hard, let them see the "bloodstain" on the handkerchief."

Selena did as told, though she wasn't entirely convinced.

"Luosen, are you sure Dalete will really observe this closely?"

Luosen's eyes narrowed, his expression instantly turning serious and stern.

"Madam, the first principle of deception is to get as close to the truth as possible."

"Because only the truth can withstand all‑around, no‑blind‑spot scrutiny."

"And for that very reason, any effort to approach the truth is never wasted; it may quietly save the situation from some unexpected angle or moment."

While speaking, he kept arranging various details back and forth in the room, and a full half hour passed before he declared everything ready.

Selena evaluated it thus: 'I almost thought I really was sick.'

Luosen, however, was still not satisfied: 'Now perform for me so I can see if there's anything unreasonable.'

"All right."

Selena began her performance, coughing forcefully.

Luosen listened to a few coughs, shook his head, and gave detailed pointers.

"You're putting too much force into it—you're practically dying, where do you get that strength? Lighten up."

"No, no, you're acting too relaxed."

"It's not simply a matter of less force; it's about wanting to exert yourself but being too weak to do so, ultimately showing only a weak appearance."

"Oh, the force is about right now, but pulmonary edema doesn't cause coughing like this."

"You can't just cough in your throat—you have to cough from the lungs!"

A cough, his whole body trembling, as if he were coughing with all his strength, even feeling like he might cough up his lungs.

"Oh~ right!" Luosen snapped his fingers, not sparing praise.

"Madam, you learned it in an instant, truly rare wisdom~"

Selena was happy, but after being happy she felt strange: "How come I seem like a little girl who got candy?"

She then glared at Luosen, dissatisfied: "Luosen, don't praise me like a little girl!"

Luosen laughed heartily, then continued: "Now, I'll carefully explain our three-person relationship; you must remember it well."

"You say."

Luosen then carefully recounted the story he had fabricated, had Selena repeat it once, confirmed it was correct, then pulled out a pocket watch from his pocket and glanced at it.

"Mm~ the time is about right."

"Every day at this time, Dalete goes to the first-floor lounge for afternoon tea; I'll now bring our 'child' to bump into him."

Selena felt this phrasing was a bit off, but after thinking it over, it seemed fine.

While she was still pondering, Luosen had already taken Yadan's hand, looking worried, left the room, and headed toward the inn's first-floor lounge.

They soon arrived at the destination.

At two or three in the afternoon, the lounge wasn't crowded; people sat in twos and threes, conversing politely in low voices.

Luosen's gaze quickly swept the room, and indeed he saw Kao merchant Dalete Knight in the corner.

He glanced, then quickly averted his eyes, leading the "lovely silent" little boy with a face full of worry, and sat at a table five or six meters from Dalete.

Before even sitting, he felt many gazes sweeping over, all of which eventually landed on Yadan.

There's no way around it—this "child" is so handsome he naturally draws eyes.

Normal folks glance and look away quickly, but one gaze lingered, persistently following Yadan's silhouette.

It was Dalete! Luosen felt a faint joy: "The fish noticed the bait."

As Yadan's father, Luosen naturally noticed Dalete's unusual attention to his child.

He turned his head, politely nodded at him, then, like a father, instinctively pulled the "child" behind him, using his body to block Dalete's line of sight.

After being seated, after a short wait, the inn attendant came over to inquire.

"Sir, what would you like?"

Luosen shook his head: "Nothing, we just came out for some fresh air."

"All right, sir, feel free to order anything you need."

The attendant left with a slight contempt, instantly seeing that this guest was financially strained.

Luosen shrank his body, showing a humble demeanor of wounded pride that he had to restrain his anger.

He sat silently, brows furrowed, lips pressed tight, as if facing an insurmountable obstacle.

He sat like that in silence for about three minutes, sighing a third time with a worried frown, when footsteps sounded behind him.

Soon after, a middle-aged man's voice came from behind: "Sir, have you run into a problem?"

It was Dalete.

One could hear he was trying to make his voice gentle, but still a frivolous tone showed through.

Luosen secretly rejoiced: "Hey~ I set three traps and you came, can't you hold back?"

He turned his head to look at him, eyes showing vigilance: "Sir, what do you want?"

"Nothing."

Dalete gave a gentle smile, sat in the empty seat beside Luosen, his gaze flicked over Luosen's face, then, as if drawn by a magnet, locked firmly onto Yadan's face.

"Is this your son?"

"That's right."

"But he looks nothing like you."

"He's my stepson."

"Why doesn't he speak?"

"He's mute."

"Oh~ what a pity. You just said he's your stepson—where's his mother?"

"What's that to you?"

"I'm just curious, can you tell me?"

Luosen let out a long sigh, his face heavy with sorrow like gathering storm clouds.

"Her mother fell ill with a serious disease; to treat her I spent nearly all my money, yet her condition showed no improvement at all."

"I love her; I can't just watch her die before my eyes, I can't——"

Saying that, Luosen raised his hand and gently wiped the tears spilling from his eyes.

Dalete also sighed, his face full of sympathy, but his eyes remained fixed on Yadan's face.

"Oh~ it's so tragic, could you take me to see your wife?"

"What do you intend to do?"

Luosen wore a wary expression.

"I am a compassionate gentleman; I want to see that poor woman, perhaps I could be of some help."

Luosen's heart leapt even more: "You smirking fellow, you took the hook so fast!"

He hesitated a moment, then finally nodded.

"Sir, you look like a good person; I'll take you to have a look."

"Two chapters today."

"(End of chapter)"