Reon followed Yang Mi to her abode, where she offered him a seat and served light snacks. He accepted them without much thought, eating in silence.
Once the brief moment of hospitality passed, he placed the empty plate aside and leaned back slightly.
"Now, shall we return to our discussion?" Reon asked, his voice calm yet expectant.
"Yes, let's begin," Yang Mi nodded.
Reon's gaze sharpened. "Alright. But first, I have three questions for you. Answer them truthfully."
Yang Mi's eyes lit up with intrigue.
"Of course. I'll do my best to answer whatever you ask. But after that, you answer mine."
Reon smirked slightly. "Fair enough."
He leaned forward, his tone turning slightly curious.
"First—why are you going to such lengths to help your brother? He recently awakened something truly extraordinary. He's strong now—more than capable of protecting himself."
A thought flickered through his mind.
Why is she so desperate? In the novel, the protagonist eventually dealt with that person... and I wasn't alive at that point.
Is all of this happening because of my presence?
Yang Mi's expression softened, a nostalgic glint in her eyes.
"It's simple," she began.
"I was adopted into the Yang Family from an orphanage when I was just a child. Back then, the other children of the family used to mock me—some even went so far as to hurt me severely—calling me filthy and unwanted."
Her fingers tightened around the cup in her hands.
"But my brother... he was always there." A small, proud smile touched her lips.
"He would stand up for me, protect me. He was kind, strong, talented—someone I looked up to."
She took a deep breath.
"But as we grew older, something changed. I flourished in cultivation, yet for some reason, he began to fall behind. He who had once been ahead of everyone... was suddenly left struggling in the shadows."
Her gaze turned resolute.
"So, I decided—if he could no longer protect me, then I would protect him."
She exhaled softly.
"But a few months ago... everything changed again. His talent resurfaced, and he began growing stronger at an incredible pace. If he continues like this, I fear I'll no longer be able to stand beside him—to be of any use to him."
A wry chuckle escaped her lips. "So I did the only thing I could—I helped him from the shadows, as much as I could."
Reon observed her for a moment before muttering, "I see. I see..."
'The novel never mentioned this,' he thought inwardly.
Then, with blunt curiosity, he asked, "Do you have a crush on him or something?"
Silence.
Then—
FWOOSH!
Yang Mi nearly choked.
"W-W-What are you saying all of a sudden?!" She stammered, a faint blush creeping up her ears.
"H-How could a sister have such feelings for her brother?!"
She fell silent for a moment, as if recalling something buried deep within her—something only she knew.
Then, she simply said, "It's just... sibling love!"
Reon's expression remained unreadable.
"I see," he said simply.
'Liar,' he mused. 'She's been in love with him since the beginning of the novel.'
If not that, then why would she go to such great lengths to protect him?
But what about Yang Lie?
That bastard was a dense, oblivious fool—a true simp of the worst kind.
The 210 Chapters of the novel that I read... I've lost count of how many times she tried, in her own way, to make him realize her feelings.
And yet, that idiot never noticed a thing.
Not even once.
Not just with her, but with all the other heroines too. Despite being surrounded by Heavenly Beauties, he never did anything.
He would chase after women, but when the moment came to reciprocate their feelings, he'd turn utterly clueless—like it was all just a game to him.
And worst of all?
Like a mindless horny dog, he would become hard for bitches who belong to streets.
That's just the kind of person he is.
It wasn't that I hated him because everyone loved him.
I hated him because he didn't know how to value them.
Well... whatever.
That's not my problem.
All I want is to live peacefully in this world—without getting involved with the protagonist or standing in his way.
Reon refocused on the matter at hand.
"Okay, second question—why do you believe I have the information you're seeking? And what about Niu Ling's other lackey?"
Yang Mi's expression remained steady. "As I mentioned before, I've tried every method. But within the Outer Sect, none of Niu Ling's lackeys know the true identity of the mastermind behind all of this."
She paused, then added with certainty, "But I have a gut feeling that you know exactly who it is."
Reon gave a slow, measured nod. "You're right. I know everything you need."
He exhaled, his eyes sharpening with intent.
"Alright, one last question. You want me to reveal secret information about the one pulling the strings...
But how can I be sure that once you get what you want, you and your brother won't turn against me?"
Yang Mi's expression remained firm.
"I don't consider you an enemy anymore," she said. "I ran a background check on you. You don't seem like that bad of a person."
Reon raised a brow. "Oh?"