Dark Light Chaser.

Chapter 221 The Woven Excuse
Janus casually patted the sofa: "Since you are the Hermit's subordinate, just call me Mr. Janus."

I'm not his subordinate!

We're just collaborating! Nothing more!

With the feeling of visiting a grave, Mus swallowed hard and slowly walked toward Janus.

He sat down on the sofa in a horse stance, his thighs taut and his buttocks pressed against the edge.

If the sofa were suddenly pulled out at that moment, Mus probably wouldn't have fallen.

This scene is very similar to a subordinate who has committed a crime being called into the boss's office.

Looking at the leader with a pleasant expression, you can't even sit still.

"Don't be so nervous. You're not my subordinate after all. I won't just kill you like that."

Janus put his hand on Mus's shoulder, startling him so much that he almost jumped up.

'So being your subordinate is this dangerous?!'

Mus deeply understood what it meant to serve a ruler as if serving a tiger.

Even though Janus seemed approachable and easy to talk to, he didn't dare to be the slightest bit presumptuous.

To understand this feeling of fear, you can use a very simple example.

A wild adult tiger licks your scalp with great curiosity. Wouldn't you be moved?
Anyway, Mus was almost moved to tears.

Then the problem is coming.

Song Jie was clearly this guy's subordinate, and I was Song Jie's subordinate.

Self ∈ Song Jie, Song Jie ∈ Janus.

and so.

Self ∈ Janus = Self is Janus’s subordinate.

Mus felt utterly dejected.

'Hermit, from today onwards you are my boss!'

In this critical moment, Mus couldn't care less about independence.

That's right, the Hermit is my boss!

I've actually been providing logistical support for the Hermit all along!
"First it was the messenger, and now it's you. Has the Hermit come to Thousand Flower City?" Janus asked.

How would I know, brother!
Mus dared not admit that he knew nothing.

If he were to say that he had no connection with the hermit, he would probably be torn apart from his body the next moment.

How can I subtly express that I am unaware of this without arousing Janus's suspicion?

This is where the art of language comes into play.

In a moment of inspiration, Mus came up with a perfect explanation.

"The communication between the hermit and me is usually one-way; he can contact me, but I can't contact him."

We met for the last time after the exposure in Nevada not long ago.

Then I came to Qianhua City for temporary refuge, and I don't know his whereabouts for the time being.

Every single sentence is true, but when put together, they can mislead people in a different direction.

It gives people the illusion that "Muslims and hermits are very familiar with each other".

The point of a perfect lie is not that you fabricate things to deceive others.

Instead, it exploits human weaknesses, guiding others to deceive themselves and willingly believe every word you say.

Anyone who can't do that is just a third-rate liar.

Why was Mus's collection of hermit stories so popular?

It all comes down to restraint and imagination.

After he finished writing it, he not only did not sell it on a large scale, but hid it very carefully.

Until one day, a rumor that "Muss knows the hermit's past" "suddenly" spread.

Mus initially denied it vehemently, but he couldn't withstand the overwhelming force of the buyers.

Ultimately, under pressure from the bigwigs on the kill list, he made the information public.

And while announcing it, he repeatedly stated that it was just a story he made up on the spot and had nothing to do with reality.

Everyone expressed their understanding.

It's about avoiding suspicion; those who know, know.

As for whether unrelated individuals might have purchased the hermit's information.

If you weren't guilty of something, why would you spend an exorbitant amount of money to buy information from a hermit?

The price of that intelligence was quite steep, even for a powerful figure like himself.

Ordinary people simply can't afford it.

Those ruthless lone wolves, who only had a fearsome reputation but no savings, were almost in tears.

But with a powerful figure vouching for him, no one dared to openly rob him.

The dangers of selling information about hermits are self-evident, and everyone understands why it's expensive.

We can't just starve people without letting them eat their fill, can we?

Otherwise, who would do such a thankless and arduous task in the future?

Lone wolves can't afford to pay, but in order to protect themselves, they pool their money in groups of a dozen or so to buy intelligence.

Then they planned to resell the intelligence to recoup their losses.

However, they never had the opportunity to resell them.

Those who had purchased intelligence were soon killed by the hermit.

Whether the intelligence was true or false, no one will ever know.

Mus didn't have the guts to offend underworld bigwigs or ruthless lone wolves.

But his ability to deceive bigwigs and make money by selling overpriced false information is remarkable.

He not only has it, but he has a lot of it!

Muslim did not pocket the money he earned from selling false information; instead, he took the initiative to befriend the hermit and split the profits 30/70.

It's important to understand that ten years ago, Nevada had a much higher proportion of heinous criminals.

That's more air than Lay's potato chips.

Even if it's only 30%, it's enough for him to squander.

"So, you don't know the hermit's whereabouts?"

Janus's slightly disgruntled tone roused Mus from his memories of past glories.

"Yes, it is."

"Mus said, his voice trembling."

"This is going to be difficult. He's not here, and you're working for me instead of him. It won't be easy to explain when we meet again."

Janus stroked his chin and muttered to himself, "To avoid any misunderstandings, why don't we just kill this guy and pretend he was never here?"

"I'm right here beside you! Couldn't you consider my feelings when you said that?"

Mus was so frightened by these words that he trembled and cried out in despair.

"Haha, just kidding. I never expected that guy who always has a stern face would have such a lively subordinate like you."

Janus patted Mus's head with a smile, as if petting a dog.

The latter managed a weak smile, his hands trembling.

Because he always felt that Janus might just casually twist his head off...

"but."

Janus, who was all smiles just a moment ago, said in a chilling tone, "You and the messenger just wandered into my territory without warning, which is very troubling to me."

A large, prominent red "危" (danger) character shines above Mus's head.

Janus's hand slid down from the top of Mus's head to his neck.

Squeezed it gently.

"It doesn't matter if a messenger crashes into the layout, and it doesn't matter if you're added too. At worst, we can just add another player slot later and adjust the layout."

But you're telling me you don't know the hermit's whereabouts?

Janus pinched Mus's neck and gently shook his head: "Without his orders, you just casually run into my territory and interfere in my game. Do you have the right to do that?"

Or is it that the hermit has been too lenient with you, causing you to lose sight of yourselves?

Even a fool could sense Janus's murderous intent at this moment.

However, Mus had no idea what he had done wrong.

We were just fine a moment ago, how come you suddenly turned on me like that?!

What on earth did that messenger do?!
Mus felt he had been wronged and died.

He didn't do anything; he just came to Qianhua City to seek refuge.

However, because of his identity as "the hermit's subordinate," he was implicated in the divine scheme.

It's like escaping from a tiger's den only to fall into a dragon's lair.

But now is not the time to worry about those trivial matters.

If Janus is not given a satisfactory answer.

The other party would definitely pull their head, along with their cervical vertebrae, out of their neck and hang it on a stick like a lantern, just like pulling a radish out of a field!

Feeling the increasingly tight grip on his neck, Mus shouted, "The Hermit should also be in Thousand Flower City!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his tightly clenched hand stopped moving.

"Oh? What do you mean?" Janus asked with interest.

“When we last met a few months ago, he told me that he planned to leave Nevada and retire!”

Although he didn't say where he planned to go, based on my understanding of him, he's very likely to come to Qianhua City!

That's why I'm here, continuing my work as an information broker. If he ever wants to come back, I can continue to assist him!

I apologize to the hermit.

Please forgive me, considering how many years we've known each other.

I promise!
This is absolutely the last time I'll act in your name!
Mus kept apologizing to the hermit in his heart.

Of course, the above content was all made up by Mus himself.

He had no idea where the hermit was going; he was only saying this to highlight his "loyalty" to the hermit.

"Oh, I see."

Janus seemed to believe it.

Before Mus could even catch his breath, Janus's words dragged him back into the abyss.

"However, the hermit always keeps to himself, and I have never heard of him having such loyal subordinates."

Janus released his grip on Mus's neck: "Apart from my confidants, I have as many men as I need. I can just beckon and a whole bunch of people will come to me."

"Even if I kill his men, I don't think he'll care."

"Then how do I know whether you are the hermit's trusted subordinate or not?"

Do you see your subordinates as disposable chopsticks?

Mus roared inwardly.

But Janus didn't care about any of that.

He snapped his fingers, and an orange door appeared inside.

"Since you're a trusted confidant, you must know things related to us, right? I'll give you three minutes to explain."

Janus pointed to the door and said, "The other side of the door is the stratosphere. If you're just making this up, I can let you experience parachute jumping for free."

So, who exactly was this hermit before?!
Looking at that eerie orange-red door.

Mus's legs were trembling.

He had no doubt about Janus's words.

Since the other party could use a different threatening method, there's no need to deceive him with such an easily debunked lie.

Most people go blank in life-or-death situations.

Only a small number of people remain calm, especially during times of crisis.

Mus was clearly the latter; he racked his brains to recall every word the hermit had said to him.

As Janus and others grew somewhat impatient.

Mus decided to try anything, even if it seemed hopeless: "The reason the Hermit and I went into seclusion was to avoid the investigation by the Asian Union Countermeasures Bureau. Mr. Janus, are you... a member of the Apostles' Society that the Hermit mentioned?"

All of this information was given by the hermit himself during his last meeting with him.

Although Mus didn't know what the Countermeasures Bureau was or what the Apostles were, he was still unsure of what kind of organization it was.

But that doesn't stop him from using it.

The reason for speculating that Janus was a member of the Apostles...

Is there even a need to speculate?

The masks they wore were the same style as those worn by the group searching for the hermit.

It's just a different expression.

“Interesting, very interesting. You clearly don’t have any strange aura on you, yet the hermit is willing to tell you all this? I’m starting to believe that you are one of his trusted subordinates.”

Janus closed the portal and sat back down on the sofa.

So you just took everything I said before as bullshit?

Mus was utterly speechless; it felt like he'd been flirting with a blind man.

It's a shame he has to think so hard about every single word he says.

Janus did not kill Mus, but Mus remained tense and dared not relax for a moment.

This guy in front of me is clearly a lunatic.

The other party didn't care about their own life at all.

Whether to kill or not is just a whim.

Even the Hermit, that serial killer, described the Apostles as antisocial and inhumane perverts.

What good could they possibly be?

"Hmm... If the hermit is coming, then let's prepare another spot for him... By the way! Would he be happy to see that guy?"

Janus began to talk to himself nervously again.

Mus tried to curl up as much as possible to minimize his presence and avoid disturbing the madman.

Just because he didn't approach Janus doesn't mean Janus wouldn't approach him.

"Mus...right? Do you think the Hermit would be happy to see his old toys?"

Janus once again seized Mus's fate by the scruff of his neck.

He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Mr. Janus, what kind of toy are you referring to?"

"Ah, I'm sorry, I should put it another way in front of you."

Janus patted Mus's neck: "Do you think the hermit would be surprised to see someone he used to know?"

Looking at Mu Si's puzzled yet aggrieved eyes, he didn't dare to ask any more questions.

Janus sighed helplessly, "Fine, I'll take you to meet your old acquaintance myself!"

As he spoke, he opened the red door.

Janus raised his head: "Keep up."

Does the Muslim have a choice?

He steeled himself and walked toward the eerie door in Janus's mouth that led directly to the stratosphere.

When he reached the door, Mus gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, closed his eyes, and plunged inside.

"Ugh...it hurts..."

Musk staggered forward for a long distance, but finally lost his balance and fell face-first into the mud.

When he opened his eyes, he found that his surroundings had changed.

Just moments ago they were in a VIP reception room, but now they find themselves in a place that resembles an underground factory.

Judging from the faded paint on the walls and the dust on the floor.

This place must have been abandoned for a long time.

Damn it? !
Can this red door really be used for spatial teleportation?!

Mus was horrified.

Knowing something is one thing, experiencing it firsthand is another.

He felt that his experience today was worthy of being made into a science fiction movie.

"Follow."

Janus closed the red gate and walked straight ahead.

Mus immediately caught up with Janus, fearing that a monster might jump out from the corner and devour him whole.

Even surreal things like teleportation portals have appeared.

Having a monster as a watchdog is perfectly normal, isn't it?

(End of this chapter)