A thousand chess games, a thousand utilizations… What did that mean? Duan Chen's pupils constricted.
Chu Yue frowned.
They had rules, so Wu Suowei couldn't kill Apostle Number 01. But even so, her killing intent was almost uncontrollable.
Taking a deep breath, she gently took Duan Chen's hand.
"Just trust your own judgment. I'll always be by your side, no matter what choice you make, I'll support you."
Duan Chen shook his head.
"I'll just take this as him trying to confuse me. But if one day I discover the truth, you two must give me a perfect explanation!"
Duan Chen was a mentally sound adult who knew right from wrong. Sea monsters and apostles wreaking havoc and treating human lives like grass were undoubtedly wrong. As for Wu Suowei and Chu Yue, these two clearly knew each other before. Whether they were right or wrong, Duan Chen had his own standards for judgment.
Wu Suowei breathed a sigh of relief, secretly thinking it was the right decision to bring Chu Yue along. If he were alone, he might not have been able to respond to Number 01's words at this moment.
"Don't worry, even if you choose the evil god, I will stay by your side until death."
This statement undoubtedly gave Duan Chen a powerful jolt.
"This woman…"
Apostle Number 01 endured the spiritual pressure, frowning inwardly.
On the surface, Chu Yue was unconditionally supporting Duan Chen. In reality, both of her sentences carried hidden meanings, subtly influencing Duan Chen to side with the divine. Compared to the overt recruitment from him and Wu Suowei earlier, Chu Yue's words seemed less deliberate.
As expected, Duan Chen's brow relaxed.
"Then answer me a few questions first."
"Ask away."
Chu Yue's gaze was tender and alluring; no man could withstand it. Bai Ye and the others silently turned their heads away, not looking at the two of them. Mi Xue'er's eyes were also covered by Qin Ze.
"I'm not dead yet!"
"I feel like your heart is dead," Qin Ze said with a twitch of his mouth.
Duan Chen ignored the others and directly asked, "Have we known each other before?"
"We've known each other for a long time. Before we first met a few days ago, we had already met nine hundred and ninety-nine times."
"Are there important things that you two haven't told me?"
"Yes."
"Then…"
"I'm sorry, we can't tell you yet. I said this earlier. Trust your own judgment. Have you forgotten what you said before?"
Duan Chen felt as if he had been enlightened, his mind becoming clearer.
"What you see is the truth!"
A sly smile appeared on Chu Yue's pretty face.
"Not good, I can't let her keep talking!"
Number 01 felt a sense of dread. Chu Yue's difficulty was far beyond his imagination.
"You'd better behave yourself."
Wu Suowei suddenly appeared in front of him and said indifferently.
On the other side.
"You see sea monsters wreaking havoc, that's the truth. The apostles trying to recruit you are also the truth. And we've been helping you, that's even more the truth. These are truths you've seen with both your eyes and your heart."
"Don't forget, the original intention of you becoming a Spirit Hunter Agent."
Duan Chen's breathing gradually stabilized.
To eradicate all evil, strange occurrences, and heresies in the world, and to maintain peace in the human world.
Yes, that was the truth.
These few words had stabilized Duan Chen's heart, making him no longer filled with doubt and confusion.
He absolutely could not be deceived by the evil gods!
"I have one last question."
Duan Chen's old face blushed as he leaned closer to Chu Yue's ear.
Chu Yue smiled sweetly and nodded gently under his slightly expectant gaze.
"You didn't lie to me?"
"No."
Chu Yue shot him a reproachful glance.
"I understand. Then you…"
"I'm going back. But you can look forward to our next meeting."
Duan Chen reached out to grab her, but his hand found nothing.
In an instant, she was gone. His expression was a little dejected.
"Now… can you let me go?"
Number 01's expression was as ugly as it could get.
He never expected Chu Yue to appear. Logically, Number 07 shouldn't be no match for her, and she hadn't used any of Duan Chen's abilities.
Could it be that she not only possessed memories from other timelines but also peak strength from other timelines?
Thinking of this, he shivered.
The thought of the role this woman played across ninety-two timelines made Number 01 tremble with fear.
Wu Suowei finally let go, dispersing the spiritual pressure.
"The task is almost complete. Let's head back too."
Seeing Duan Chen still dazed, Wu Suowei's mouth twitched.
"Don't look anymore, they're already gone."
Duan Chen smiled awkwardly and scratched his head.
"Wait! Let me get dressed!" Qi Qing said sheepishly.
Jia Yunlian held Nia by the collar, her eyes unfriendly.
He feared his mother naturally. Seeing Jia Yunlian's expression, his body trembled slightly, and he even felt a faint pain in his buttocks.
"We're leaving."
Wu Suowei waved his hand, directly dispersing the turbulent flow.
Duan Chen had expected to return to Peach Blossom Pool and was looking forward to it a little. Unexpectedly, Wu Suowei brought them directly to the alley where they had entered Peach Blossom Pool. Qu Yan was also here.
"Yo, you're back, and you brought an extra one?"
Seeing that they were safe, Qu Yan's face showed a faint smile.
"We have to thank you for opening the door for us."
"Oh, don't thank me, it was all the young lady's instructions."
It was Chu Yue, as expected.
"Master, control your smile."
"Of course, I know," Duan Chen coughed dryly and cleared his throat.
"The mission is considered complete now. Shall we return to the Spirit Hunter Guild?"
Jia Yunlian looked at Nia in her hand, her expression troubled.
The restriction that Number 01 had imposed on Gallot was still in place, preventing him from making any sound or interfering with Nia's judgment. The child was now looking bewildered, as if contemplating what to do next.
Duan Chen lowered his head and pondered for a moment.
"For now, let's keep Nia's existence a secret. How about we house him at my place?"
"Master, aren't there still those three at your home?"
Duan Chen looked at Yan Qiuren and patted her shoulder.
"I'll leave it to you."
Yan Qiuren: ???
"Huh?"
Duan Chen said as if it were natural, "Yes, you are my female assistant now. I'll hand over the responsibility of housing those three to you, how about it?"
"You're not letting them live at your place anymore? Didn't you say it was to save money?"
Yan Qiuren's face twitched, her expression on the verge of collapsing.
Duan Chen feigned ignorance, "Ah? Was it me who said that? No, no, men and women should not touch. It's inconvenient to live together."
"Master… you…"
"Coincidentally, Xiao Duan, do you still have space at your home? Can you accommodate us? My disciple and I, as professional altar builders, can definitely help you. Most importantly, we are not women!"
Duan Chen readily agreed.
"No problem."