NOVEL WEB chapter 67
67. I See Through You
Qin Shili’s heart was once again profoundly shaken, causing her to doubt her own confidence.
The handwriting of the sentence Lin Nuo had just written resembled that of “Fate Unyielding,” and it was very likely his.
Of course, that wasn’t the reason for Qin Shili’s shock. After all, she had suspected Lin Nuo from the beginning. He was the only one who could interact with the Dao Yuan Spirit Cat at Xuan Yun Sect. Not even Elder Zhou, who guarded the library year-round, could approach it. Moreover, there hadn’t been many visitors to the library recently, narrowing down the suspects considerably. Now, the fact that it was Lin Nuo aligned with her expectations.
What shocked her was the sentence he wrote: “When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”
The sentence seemed to mock her, dealing a blow to her usually lofty and proud confidence.
Initially, she thought Lin Nuo was unaware that the words on the note were hers, and that he didn’t realize she had been paying attention to him. She even knew about his purchase of the Black Scale Stone from Wang Duofei, followed him to the suburban warehouse, and witnessed the explosion. From Lin Nuo’s actions, she felt he hadn’t noticed her, not even guessing her intentions as she sat opposite him.
She believed that from start to finish, Lin Nuo was merely an observer, and she always held the initiative.
But now…
Lin Nuo wrote that sentence in front of her, nonchalantly, seemingly unintentional but actually deliberate.
“When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”
In other words, everything she thought he was unaware of was actually within his control.
Whether it was the words she wrote on the note, the purchase of forbidden books from the black market, or her tracking him and witnessing the explosion, he knew it all.
His intentional purchase of the Black Scale Stone to trigger an explosion was to create an illusion of mutual destruction, making her believe he was a reckless brute. He survived, but deliberately delayed his return for two days, leading her to think he was dead. Then he reappeared suddenly, acting as if nothing had happened, plunging her into deep thought, wondering how he could have survived.
Of course, she couldn’t figure it out, as his abilities were beyond hers, and this was likely part of his plan.
If she hadn’t known about his scheme, it might have been bearable. However, Lin Nuo had delivered a masterstroke, writing that sentence in front of her as if it was nothing. It was a heart-piercing move, laying his cards on the table, as if to say, “I have seen through everything about you, and all your efforts have been in vain.”
All these points were to deliver a crushing blow to her self-righteousness, to shatter her confidence, as if a stronger force was oppressing a weaker one.
For the first time, she experienced such a painful sense of defeat. She thought she was the hunter, not realizing she had long become the prey.
It was like a game of chess, where she relentlessly attacked, not knowing she had already fallen into the enemy’s trap.
A crushing defeat, utterly routed.
She had always sailed smoothly on her path, admired by all for her stunning beauty, free from the worries of ordinary people, truly the pride of the heavens. In her world, the word “defeat” did not exist.
And this blow shattered her smooth sailing, perfect situation.
It was supposed to be a heartbreaking event, but for Qin Shili, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Her path had been too smooth, leading to her own bewilderment. This setback served as an alarm, reminding her that there are always higher skies to reach, and those who once seemed insignificant may have already taken control of the grand scheme.
Qin Shili had an epiphany, realizing that Lin Nuo indeed qualified to be her guide.
He could navigate the black market with ease, saving the princess in ways a righteous Taoist would avoid. Wasn’t that like being in the abyss? Yet, all his deeds were those of a righteous Taoist, his integrity unyielding. Wasn’t this the balance he preached about, maintaining righteousness while venturing into the abyss?
“I understand now.”
Qin Shili returned the book to the shelf, having clarified the series of events during her visit to the Zi Book Pavilion. Lin Nuo was the mastermind, the one who thwarted her.
“He has seen through me, yet I know nothing of him. But I still have a chance to turn things around.”
Qin Shili murmured to herself, suddenly having a goal. She hadn’t lost in this game; she just needed to delve deeper into understanding Lin Nuo.
She left the Zi Book Pavilion.
At that moment, Su Kexin walked in.
“Yueqing, hello~ I heard senior brother came to the pavilion, is he inside?”
Su Kexin approached Zhao Yueqing’s desk with a light step and a chuckle.
Zhao Yueqing quickly pulled Su Kexin aside, glancing around as if hiding something, and whispered, “Kexin, you’re in trouble, yet you’re still smiling.”
“Ah? What trouble?”
Su Kexin listened, panicked. She hated hearing bad news, especially with recent troubles piling up.
Zhao Yueqing leaned in close to Su Kexin’s ear, speaking seriously, “Senior sister Shili was here too, she and senior brother Lin Nuo shared a table.”
“Ah?!”
Su Kexin couldn’t help but exclaim aloud.
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