Wen Shangyin and Song Lian inspected the scene and confirmed that Xu Yan had indeed completed her mission.
Looking at the loaded trucks, Wen Shangyin and Song Lian were filled with joy.
After their elation, Song Lian lit a cigarette and looked at Wen Shangyin, "Are you really taking Xu Yan back to the imperial capital?"
To Song Lian, now that Xu Yan's mission was complete, there was no need to keep her around.
Here, Xu Yan served a purpose.
However, if they returned to the imperial capital, Xu Yan's abilities would become quite useless.
Song Lian's question hit Wen Shangyin. He took a drag of his cigarette and remained silent, deep in thought.
After a long pause, Wen Shangyin removed the cigarette from his lips and looked at Song Lian, "She's not entirely useless. She can also transform into Su Ling's appearance. For this reason alone, I believe she needs to be taken back to the imperial capital. Even if we can't rely on her, she can still entertain you and me."
Upon hearing Wen Shangyin's words, Song Lian smiled, "I'll listen to Brother Shangyin."
Wen Shangyin grunted, patted Song Lian's shoulder, and said, "Let's go. We can't delay any further. If we keep procrastinating, the situation will become unfavorable for us. We need to return to the imperial capital quickly; only then can my heart feel at ease."
Song Lian nodded, and he and Wen Shangyin retraced their steps.
Xu Yan watched them both, her expressionless face radiating an extreme coldness, eerily similar to Su Ling.
Seeing Xu Yan like this, Wen Shangyin and Song Lian felt a pang of unease. Xu Yan's imitation of Su Ling was so uncanny, it was as if they were looking at the same person. If they hadn't known it wasn't Su Ling, they would have been terrified.
Wen Shangyin and Song Lian stopped in front of Xu Yan. Wen Shangyin spoke, "Your mission is complete. There's no need to maintain Su Ling's face. Your imitation is too perfect; seeing you is like seeing Su Ling standing before us, and it makes us uneasy."
Hearing Wen Shangyin's words, Xu Yan smiled, "What's there to be uneasy about?"
Before they could speak, Xu Yan continued, "However, this indirectly proves that my imitation of Su Ling is exceptionally skillful."
"As for reverting to my own appearance, there's no rush. The dangers along our journey have not been fully resolved. Maintaining Su Ling's face is beneficial, not harmful, to us. Even if I were to revert to my original appearance, it would be after my powers are depleted."
Wen Shangyin, about to say something, saw Xu Yan's demeanor and had no choice but to stop.
It was Song Lian who narrowed his eyes, looking at Xu Yan, "You—"
Xu Yan, seeing Song Lian's hesitating words, curled her lips into a cold smile, "What about me?"
Song Lian suddenly shivered. His pupils constricted as he pointed at Xu Yan, his lips trembling, "You're not Xu Yan!"
"What!"
Wen Shangyin exclaimed in shock, startling him into pulling Song Lian back a few steps, creating distance between them and Xu Yan.
Xu Yan looked at Wen Shangyin and Song Lian, her hands behind her back, and asked with confusion, "You two are really strange. Why am I not Xu Yan? Are you planning to discard me after using me?"
Song Lian and Wen Shangyin, who had been suspicious of Xu Yan, dropped their guard upon hearing her words.
Xu Yan continued, "A man of honor, just say if you don't want to take me back to the imperial capital. There's no need for such tricks. If you had been sincere and explained clearly, I wouldn't have been so persistent. I would have left willingly."
"You also don't need to worry about me going back to complain to Su Ling and them to sell you out. I wouldn't do such a thing. If I have any blame, it's on myself for encountering untrustworthy people, for being used and then discarded like trash."
After saying this, Xu Yan looked at Wen Shangyin and Song Lian and let out a cold laugh.