Chapter 43: Counterarguments

A small black head was protruding from a bush behind a tree. A little black mole was trying his best to perceive what this Like-humans were scheming. How could anyone trust them, the great Emperor surely was planning something.

Still, he couldn't hear anything. Feeling dejected the animal cleaned his large ears with one of his long claws.

Normal moles are deprived of good hearing, but he wasn't a normal mole, though often pretended to be, (gladly his bunny-like ears could be retreated and hidden). No, he was a proud Heavenly Divine Mole; that how he named his kind. Actually, he was a simple mutant. All kinds of beasts were producing one time to time. Sometimes they were strong, like the great Silver-Flame Lion from the north, and sometimes they were very strong, like He!

Of course, no one believed when he was talking about that. In their eyes, he was a dead branch on their family tree. But what eyes, eyes are inferior. He will show them all, and that mission from the lord Guang himself was his way to do it. So what if he still hasn't produced any offspring in his venerate age? He will, pushing seventies isn't pushing beyond them, just let the glory grant him.

"Come on, you whippersnappers, Gh, talk!"

He whispering as loud as he could.

…

…

…

"Do you understand?"

"Yes." Xin nodded. There wasn't much to understand, his role was secondary as it gets. He pointed his finger toward the tree nearby.

"What about…"

"Nothing, spies does not matter. Pretend we don't know about him."

Then she severed the connection. Xin was still staring at the source of the strange squeaking while Maha walked toward the man still lying on the ground.

"Look at me."

He was still as shocked but didn't dare to disobey that order. Then a yellow shine blinked several times. Xin knew what she was telling him, but couldn't "see" it himself. Maha said that that way of communication works only with two people at most.

Then he heard a rustle coming from the trees and a tall grey wolf with several short daggers on his belt.

"Here they are." Said Mo Guang dropping them on the ground.

"Good." Said Maha not even looking at the weapon.

"Sadly, it isn't needed anymore."

"Really?" The wolf became surprised.

"Yes, it turned out we can not do anything with this evidence."

"I see… that happens." He shrugged.

"However, now we know the truth."

Her voice was slightly faster than usual and sounded more resolute because of that.

"Yes? And what it is?"

"Simple. First, the intentions of the assassins. It would have been unreasonable to attack a simple squad of your army; they had a grander purpose. For example, there." She pointed her finger to the left. Was it still the instincts after their talk? Shouldn't' she explain it more clearly? However, suddenly Mo Guang's expression changed.

"The Emperor's tent…"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Your Emperor was their target. As for the massacre that happened here, it is probably the result of his subjects defending their ruler. All of them perished."

Xin sighed, trying his best to express admiration. The being behind the tree also sighed. Then coughed.

"Admirable." Maha nodded as well.

"Yes, they will be remembered and praised!. However, it doesn't prove much."

"No. It certainly doesn't." She shook her head.

"Now I will state several things and then explain why they are the truth; that person," she looked at the man who has slightly calmed down but still was lying with his face in his hands, "is a double agent."

"A double-agent?" Now the wolf's face showed real surprise.

"Yes; there are several facts to support this theory: the battle was still going on when all beasts were slain. Otherwise, them being trained assassins, - I doubt amateurs would have been sent on this kind of mission – would either retreated immediately or continued with their plan."

"Because of that, it is safe to say that something was holding them back. Another battle, against their own."

"I see…" Mo Guang seemed thoughtful.

"It can be possible, I can't say I would have been able to distinguish who they were fighting against during the last night. It was dark."

"But it changes nothing, being against them doesn't mean being on our side. How can you say he wasn't participating in the killing?"

"I can say it because there was no reason for that."

"No reason?"

"Yes. I see no reason why would he betray them after the fight; it is inefficient. However, during the battle, it might have been critical. He also would have gained allies."

Mo Guang turned his eyes toward the man and then closed them as if thinking. After's Maha's explanation, Xin knew for sure he was not doing that, instead, he was communicating with the Mo Emperor. Still, they could not break that illusion and expose him. Live is hard when your hands are tied.

"Your points may be right. I see them right, to be honest. However, that is just a theory, a plausible one, but no more. Without solid evidence, the sentence could not be canceled."

Xin clenched his fists; their plan was simple, to make a cause strong enough so the Mo Emperor will stop pushing his version and prioritize the friendship with them to the bloody satisfaction of his troops. Of course, there were also other problems. For example, Mo Pu could turn out to be clever enough to push it just to see whether he and Maha really don't know the whole truth. In that case, they will have no chance of saving the man without exposing themselves. And that should be avoided at all costs.

In a normal case, them winning would have been impossible. That what she said, however, sometimes just one little bit of luck was enough to turn the tide.

"Yes, it is just a theory. I knew it, therefore, I gained a decisive evidence."

Xin felt a slight excitement rising in him. Now the time.

"Can you remember when he was dressing into his armor?"

"I remember, I remember, you said it fitted him perfectly, Gh!" Rang a thing but a somehow elderly voice from behind the tree.

"…Yes, I do." Slowly said the wolf.

"The moment he tried to wear the bracers he was not sure how to put them on. If he really is a trained elite, he would not have such problems. The armor is indeed his; however, he is not proficient with it."

"That is the first evidence. As for the second..." She glanced at the man.

"I... I..." As expected, he started to waver.

Slowly her gaze turned toward Xin. The boy immediately ran toward the poor idiot and, using his Qi, lifted his head, then separated his hands from the face. What appeared behind was a slimy mass of skin melting and dripping down. A picture like from a nightmare, the boy's hands almost get loose.

"What? I can't see!" Sounded from behind the tree.

"That is the second evidence." Her voice gained a declaring tone.

"He's wearing a mask."

"Wait, no, stop, I said but…" While the "man" was protesting Xin started wiping his face, exposing clean white skin.