Chapter 67. I’ve Seen Through Everything About You

Chapter 67. I’ve Seen Through Everything About You

Qin Shili’s heart was once again struck with intense shock, repeatedly questioning her own confidence.

Lin Nuo had just written something that resembled the characters of “Know your fate, don’t succumb to it,” which meant he was highly likely the one.

Of course, this wasn’t the reason for Qin Shili’s shock; after all, she had suspected Lin Nuo from the beginning. Lin Nuo was the only one who could interact with Dao Yuan’s spirit cat in the Xuanyun Sect. Even Elder Zhou, who guarded the Zhi Shu Ge year-round, couldn’t access it. Plus, there had been few visitors to the library lately, narrowing down the possibilities considerably. Now, it was evident that Lin Nuo matched her expectations.

What left her shaken was the phrase he wrote: “When you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”

This phrase felt like a mockery of her, undermining the confidence of someone who had always been proud and aloof.

At first, she thought Lin Nuo didn’t know that the words on the note were written by her, and that he was unaware she had been watching him all along. She even followed him to Wang Duofei’s place to purchase the black-scaled stone, trailing him to the small storeroom in the outskirts, witnessing the explosion that unfolded. From Lin Nuo’s behavior, she inferred that he had no idea she was there, not even during this moment sitting across from him could he fathom her intentions.

She had believed all along that Lin Nuo was merely an observer; she thought she held the initiative.

But now…

Lin Nuo wrote that phrase without a care in front of her, seemingly innocently, but it was intentional.

“When you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”

Translated, this meant that while she was trying to examine him, she was also under his scrutiny.

In other words, everything she thought he wouldn’t know was actually within his grasp.

Whether it was the words she wrote on the note, her purchasing forbidden books from the Black Market, or her following him and witnessing the explosion, he knew it all.

So when he deliberately bought the black-scaled stone to create an explosion, it was to fabricate an illusion of mutual destruction, making her perceive him as a reckless fool. In the end, he lived but intentionally delayed his return by two days, leading her to think he had perished, only to appear suddenly as if nothing had happened, leaving her in turmoil, pondering how he managed to survive.

Of course, she could never figure it out, as his capabilities surpassed hers. This was likely all part of his plan.

If she had been unaware of his schemes, it might have been tolerable. However, Lin Nuo took it a step further, casually writing down that phrase in front of her, truly a heart-stabbing move, laying everything bare as if to say, “I’ve seen through everything about you, and all your actions are in vain.”

All these moments served to deliver a crushing blow to her overconfident self, shattering her confidence just like a stronger being oppressing a weaker one.

Experiencing such a painful defeat for the first time, she had thought the other was her prey, not realizing she had long become the prey herself.

Like a chess game, she kept attacking fiercely, oblivious to the fact that she had already fallen into the enemy’s trap.

A disastrous defeat, completely annihilated.

She had always sailed smoothly on her path, admired by many for her stunning beauty, living without the worries of the common folk; she was indeed a child of destiny, and the word “defeat” had no place in her world.

However, this strike shattered her perfect, easy-going scenario.

This was supposed to be quite painful, but for Qin Shili, it turned out to be a good thing.

Because her journey had been too smooth, leaving her in bewilderment, this defeat served as a wake-up call, reminding her that beyond her was a greater realm, and those who once seemed insignificant had already grasped the larger picture.

Qin Shili had an epiphany and realized Lin Nuo truly deserved to be her guide.

He could navigate the Black Market with ease, saving princesses through methods avoided by upright Taoist priests—it was like dancing in the abyss, yet what he accomplished was the mission of righteous Taoists, holding firm to integrity. Wasn’t this his initial promotion of sticking to the righteous path, seeking a balance between the abyss and nobility?

“I understand now.”

Qin Shili returned the book to the shelf, finally clarifying this series of events during her visit to the library; Lin Nuo was the mastermind, the one who had defeated her.

“He has seen through me, while I know nothing about him, but I still have a chance to turn the tables.”

Qin Shili murmured softly, suddenly filled with determination. In this contest, she had not lost; she merely needed to delve deeper into understanding Lin Nuo as a person.

She left the Zhi Shu Ge.

At that moment, Su Kexin walked in.

“Yuedong! I just heard that senior brother came to the library; is he inside?”

Su Kexin approached Zhao Yuedong’s desk with a light laugh.

Zhao Yuedong quickly pulled Su Kexin aside, glancing around as if something scandalous were afoot, whispering,

“Kexin, you’re in trouble, smiling like that.”

“Ah? What trouble?”

Su Kexin sounded alarmed; there had been a lot of troublesome matters lately, and she detested hearing bad news.

Zhao Yuedong leaned into Su Kexin’s ear, speaking solemnly, “Sister Shili just came by too; she sat at the same table as senior brother Lin Nuo.”

“Ah?!”

Su Kexin couldn’t help but exclaim loudly.

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