"I have to say, our leader is as smart as ever. You're right. The young lady in front of you is the one who tried to bribe our organization."
Hearing this, Fan Zhen was stunned for a long time before he was sure that the man wasn't joking with him.
"She doesn't seem like the type of person who would try to bribe a killer organization like ours, does she?"
He asked tentatively. Shi Muyuan could no longer hold back. She didn't want to waste any more time on this man. She still had to help Cui Qizhou find the treasure map.
"Your organization seems to value money more than tokens, right?"
Fan Zhen raised an eyebrow. It seemed that the other party was well-prepared, as she had accurately stated the rules of their organization.
"Did you get the token of our organization?"
He remembered that he had given the token to that woman before. Why was it in someone else's hands now?
While he was deep in thought, Shi Muyuan took out the token.
"Take a look. Is this it?"
Seeing the maple-leaf-shaped token appear in front of him, the man was taken aback. It took him a long time to react. "Where did you get this?"
His expression turned cold. Had that woman betrayed him?
Seeing his reaction, Shi Muyuan's mind started to spin with all sorts of scenarios.
She wondered if there was some unknown secret behind this. Could there have been a romantic drama between the two of them?
What about the relationship between the Imperial Concubine Rui and Qin Feng? Could it be that the three of them were in a love triangle?
Just thinking about it made her excited. It seemed that she was about to uncover some juicy gossip.
Noticing Shi Muyuan's excited gaze, Fan Zhen was covered in a cold sweat. "Miss, you haven't answered my question yet. If you can't explain it clearly today, don't blame me. Do you think the people behind you can protect you?"
Xiao Xiao's face darkened. She had been a killer for a long time, and it had been a while since someone had looked down on her like this. It seemed that if she didn't show her claws, they would think she was a sick cat.
Just as Xiao Xiao was about to make a move, Shi Muyuan suddenly stopped her.
"Actually, it's a long story. Sister Concubine Rui and I were both in the harem. I never thought that things would turn out like this."
Seeing her sorrowful expression, Fan Zhen's tone became urgent. He wanted to know what had happened.
"What exactly happened? Tell me quickly."
"Never mind. I'm afraid it will hurt you, Brother Fan."
She deliberately used the affectionate address to get closer to him. This was a trick she had learned in psychology. She had used it to make friends with many people.
Just thinking about her past achievements made her feel happy.
Although Fan Zhen had been a killer for a long time, he was still just an ancient person. How could he know about psychology?
He was too eager to know the answer to think too much. He simply agreed.
"It's okay. Brother won't blame you."
As soon as he said this, everyone around fell silent. Uncle Wu had a strange expression on his face. He had no idea what was going on. He had never seen his leader talk to someone so nicely before.
While they were still in a daze, Shi Muyuan started to make up a story. She wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, as if she really felt sorry for Fan Zhen.
"Concubine Rui was completely infatuated with the enemy general Qin Feng. For that man, she not only sacrificed herself but also used this token to make a deal with me. She said that as long as I could help protect Qin Feng, I would have an extra bargaining chip. When I first heard this, I was shocked by Concubine Rui's idea. I never thought that a person could do so much for the one they loved."
Hearing this, Fan Zhen's face turned completely black, but he still continued to confirm.
"Are you telling the truth? Do you have any evidence?"
"Isn't the token in my hand evidence enough? Or does Brother not believe me? If so, I'll just leave."
With that, Shi Muyuan stood up and turned to leave. However, Fan Zhen now regarded her as half of his own people and was willing to believe some of her words.
So, when she turned around, the man quickly walked over to explain.
"It's not that Brother doesn't believe you. Brother just never thought that that woman had been using me all along."
Xiao Xiao watched as the leader of this rising organization was being led around by their master. She couldn't help but find it a bit ridiculous.
She didn't know how to describe it. Logically speaking, their master's words were full of holes, but he seemed not to notice.
However, this was a good thing for their master. Such a person would be easier to control in the end.
She curled her lips. Receiving a signal from her master, she stepped forward to add fuel to the fire.
"Actually, our master came here today just to make a deal with you. If you don't mind, you can follow our master. If you're tired of this kind of life and want to start your own organization, our master will also support you. It's just like doing a good deed and making a friend."
Hearing this, everyone fell silent. They had been fighting in the jianghu for several years since they founded this organization. No one had ever said such things to them before, and no one had ever cared about their thoughts. This was the first time someone had offered them freedom.
Fan Zhen suddenly didn't know what to say. A sad smile appeared on his lips, as if he was pitying his former self.
"I believe what you said. Actually, I've always suspected that there was something fishy about Qin Feng's safe return. I just never knew the reason. Now that you've said this, I've finally figured it out. I just don't know which concubine you are in the palace?"
Shi Muyuan's expression hesitated. If the person in front of her found out her true identity, wouldn't all her previous words be in vain?
She bit her lip. Before she could say anything, someone beside her exposed her.
"In the palace, there's probably only one person who has the ability to promise Concubine Rui something like this, right?"
There was an unremarkable old woman in the corner. Shi Muyuan hadn't noticed this woman hiding in the dark when she first entered. If she hadn't suddenly spoken, Shi Muyuan would have thought that there were only these people in the hall.
She followed the sound and looked over. The old woman leaned on a walking stick and slowly walked out of the corner. She coughed as she walked, as if a gust of wind could blow her down.
However, Shi Muyuan knew very well that from the strong voice of this old woman just now, she could tell that she was not as weak as she seemed on the surface.