Nan Gengchen didn't recognize him, but Qing Chen actually knew a core member of the Li Family!
It seemed that he could go back and ask the young girl when the opportunity arose; even if she didn't know now, she might pay attention during her next trip.
Of course, the premise was that he couldn't expose the young girl's identity as a Time Traveler.
Qing Chen put this thought on hold in his mind and asked, "How are you faring in Taboo Land? Are you safe?"
Nan Gengchen recalled the somewhat exhausting interrogation and answered, "The rules we know now include not urinating or defecating anywhere, not singing along with others, not killing, not swearing... Qing, you must know many rules, can you share them with me?"
Qing Chen shook his head, "I can't. If it were any other Taboo Land, I would have told you, but I swear to Uncle Li Dong that I must keep the rules of Taboo Land 002 a secret. However, Uncle Li once said that as long as you stick with Li Yinuo, nothing will happen to you."
Nan Gengchen thought for a moment and said, "Qing, a lot happened in Taboo Land. They say there's a youth who killed an entire field army unit by himself. But I think those people don't deserve sympathy; after all, they experiment with the rules using living people."
"Hmm," Qing Chen responded calmly.
"Also, they say a C-Class Expert went after the youth and hasn't come back."
"And there's more, that youth forced Qing Huai to flee. Li Yinuo once said that Qing Huai was one of the most powerful contenders in the Shadow conflict, highly regarded with a limitless future. Yet, he was still played by that youth."
Qing Chen smiled and asked, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"Qing," Nan Gengchen suddenly looked at Qing Chen and asked, "That youth they're talking about is you, isn't it? You are Uncle Li Dong's student, right?"
Qing Chen smiled, "Why do you say that?"
"Ever since I knew Li Yinuo, she always said her dream was to become a Knight, and the person she admired most was her Uncle Seven, Uncle Li Dong," Nan Gengchen said, "She rarely respects anyone, but she referred to your master as 'you'. The only person I can think of who held her as a child, whom she respects so much, and is so powerful, can only be Uncle Li Dong."
"That's not enough to support your guess. I think Li Yinuo must respect more than just Uncle Li Dong," Qing Chen said.
Nan Gengchen scratched his head, "That night on Laojun Mountain, Liu Dezhu said his men were nearby, and then you, Qing, appeared and killed all the thugs. It's beyond me why such a greedy coward like Liu Dezhu could be one of Uncle Li Dong's favorites, even commanding you. But then I thought, if your identities were switched, everything seemed to make sense.
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I don't have much logic or evidence; it's just a gut feeling."
Qing Chen laughed, thinking Nan Gengchen would overlook the events of Laojun Mountain night, but the other party remembered it well.
"Am I right, Qing? Is your master Uncle Li Dong?" Nan Gengchen asked, "Don't worry, you exposed yourself because you were saving me. I, Nan Gengchen, would not betray you, even if it cost me my life!"
On the rooftop, the roaring autumn wind suddenly stopped, and the world fell silent as if waiting for an answer.
"Yes, my master is Uncle Li Dong."
On the school rooftop at night.
A secret was suddenly revealed.
Nan Gengchen burst into excitement, "I knew it! Why would Liu Dezhu command you? You're so smart; how could you work under someone like him! Plus, someone like you would definitely be extraordinary in the Inner World, not just a normal Wilderness Hunter!"
Qing Chen turned to look at his deskmate, who was waving his hands and feet with excitement.
And Nan Gengchen was so elated simply because, in the Inner World, he too had managed a life of unlimited prospects.
The friendships of our student days are the purest. Many people don't understand this until after leaving school and entering a treacherous society, when they finally realize that they once possessed the precious treasure of friendship.
A friend who's happy for you, who fights for you—in those fearless years, you chase the wind together, you dream together.
Nothing could be more beautiful than that.
"Qing, you've become a Knight, haven't you?"
"Qing, to think you could control that soldier named Wang Qiang, forcing Qing Huai to trigger a rule, that's so cool! How did you control him? Never mind, never mind, it's your trump card, I won't ask!"
Qing Chen sat on the edge of the rooftop, propping himself up with one hand as he turned back to his deskmate. The night wind picked up again but it wasn't so cold anymore.
At that moment, Nan Gengchen said, "Qing, there's one more thing. We later encountered the Federal Group army, and during their interrogation of Qing Huai's soldiers, Li Yinuo shifted the blame to Fire Pit. Now I reckon everyone thinks Fire Pit is hunting Qing Huai and it has nothing to do with you."
Qing Chen's eyes lit up; he had been worried about this before but didn't expect Li Yinuo to have cleared it up for him.
He had purposefully left an Autumn Leaf Knife near the pit, indeed wanting Li Yinuo to be an Insider.
But he had only thought about preventing Wang Bingxu from coming after him.
He hadn't expected that Li Yinuo would give him such a pleasant surprise. What a great sister!