As he raised the knife, the dwarf's gaze shifted from casual indifference to outright terror.
Duan Chen toyed with the blade in his hand, a more mysterious smile gracing his lips.
Yet, in the dwarf's eyes, his smile became akin to that of a devil.
But he was unable to speak.
"Do you want to know why I could discern the lies in your words?"
He inquired nonchalantly.
"Of course, it's because your acting is too poor, otherwise how could I have known that this knife beneath your bed is the very thing that could deal you a fatal blow?"
Impossible, how could he possibly know?
The dwarf's heart was filled with immense terror.
But he could not utter a single word.
He could only watch as Duan Chen approached him, knife in hand.
His heart pounded with fear, and he let out muffled groans, but his mouth was gagged, rendering him incapable of forming any sound.
Witnessing the dwarf's suffering, Duan Chen's feelings grew even more complex.
He held the knife and pressed it against the dwarf's throat, a slight exertion seeming as if it could pierce through.
Despair flickered in the dwarf's eyes.
However, at this moment, Duan Chen suddenly dropped the knife and said with a touch of boredom,
"Alright, stop pretending. I told you, your acting is really bad."
"Neither this knife, nor us here, can possibly cause you even the slightest harm, can they?"
When these words were spoken, everyone else was stunned.
They couldn't understand why Duan Chen would say such a thing.
But the dwarf, who had been struggling under Duan Chen's grasp, suddenly stopped struggling upon hearing these words and became like a puppet.
He suddenly raised his face.
A perfectly beautiful smile appeared on the dwarf's rather ugly face.
"How did you know about this?"
"Was my acting really that bad?"
"How did you discover it?"
Duan Chen calmly untied the ropes binding the dwarf and then sat down on the bed, unconcerned about any potential negative effects. He propped his chin on his hands and yawned boredly.
"Of course, I discovered it as I did."
"Did you really think your acting was that good?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
He patted the dwarf with mild exasperation, but upon receiving the pat, the dwarf's body suddenly deflated as if all its internal liquid had drained away.
Watching this somewhat horrifying scene, Duan Chen didn't even flinch, letting the foul liquid from the dwarf's body flow onto his leg. He indifferently shook his leg.
Duan Chen's tone was one of utter helplessness.
"I should have mentioned that my eyes possess the ability to see through all falsehood, so there's no need for you to put on a show in front of me."
As he uttered these words, everything in the room suddenly vanished, including the strange objects they had unearthed. Only the original bed, some bookshelves and books, and the potted plants in the corner remained.
A scholar, who appeared somewhat refined, stood before them.
The scholar wore a monocle and stared curiously at Duan Chen, who was sitting on the bed.
"Interesting, extremely interesting. Curious, I am very curious about you."
"How did you discover it?"
"Are you truly human?"
"Can humans possess such power as yours?"
Duan Chen shrugged with a hint of boredom.
"I also wonder if I am human, but according to my genetic tests, I should be a genuine human. After all, I've never met my parents, so I don't know my origins."
"Oh?"
The scholar raised an eyebrow slightly.
"You don't know your parents... If you are willing to pay a price, perhaps I can help you look. Do you have any memories you wish to see?"
Duan Chen, facing a question that held some allure, calmly shook his head and refused.
Duan Chen's tone was almost cold and unfeeling.
"Everything has a price. What I wish to see might come with a cost I cannot afford, so you don't need to tempt me."
He looked up at the scholar.
"You are the true owner of this Rubik's Cube House, aren't you? What's the point of putting on such a show to deceive us?"
The scholar slowly sat down on the room's only sofa, appearing very refined and gentle.
A coffee cup materialized in his hand.
The cup contained steaming hot coffee.
He took a sip.
A smile played on the scholar's lips.
"I do what I do for my own reasons. You can consider it an assessment, or an entry ticket."
"However, what I find regrettable is that only the three of you have passed my assessment. This means only the three of you can trade for one item with me."
"Of course, you likely already know the rules of trading. It is this: one human life can be exchanged for one item."
"It doesn't matter whose life it is, nor what kind of person they are. Isn't that fair?"
"It is indeed fair."
Even Duan Chen, upon hearing such a rule, couldn't help but nod, though his expression grew more serious.
"Fairness is one thing, but your actions are another."
"If I don't intend to exchange any item with you, does that mean I cannot leave?"
The scholar's eyes lit up. He even set down his coffee cup.
"Yes, precisely. You truly managed to see through everything on your own."
"My liking for you grows. I wonder if you would be willing to stay and be a tenant here."
"Tenant?"
This was a realm he had never encountered before.
When Duan Chen asked this question, the scholar smiled faintly.
"Indeed, a tenant. You can reside here without paying any price. All you need to do is help me entertain guests when they arrive."
This implied remaining in this secret realm forever.
The scholar's tone was like a demon's temptation.
"Furthermore, I can provide you with a series of benefits, including the resources needed for your cultivation and various other things you desire. Anything I possess, I can give you."
"Doesn't that sound enticing?"