Chapter 221: The Hidden Motive

The Hidden Motive

[A Few Minutes Earlier]

Seana sat cross-legged on her bed, quietly regulating her Qi. Only after confirming that her circulation had returned to normal did she rise and walk toward the bathtub.

Steam drifted above the warm water, filling the room with a light mist.

She removed her crimson outer robe and folded it over her arm. As she prepared to place it on the table beside the bathtub, a faint purple glow caught her attention.

The Qi signature was familiar. ’Lothe.’

Seana unfolded the robe.

Three words had been written inside: Zhao Meiyun. Tonight.

She stared at the message.

What had Lothe discovered about Zhao Meiyun?

She couldn’t be certain, but she knew Lothe well enough to understand that he wouldn’t leave a message like this without reason. Judging by its brief wording, he clearly didn’t want to waste time explaining.

Seana abandoned her bath plans, quickly put her robe back on, and left her chamber.

By the time she arrived, Lothe was already fighting the intruder.

[Present]

Lothe glanced toward Seana.

She wore only her crimson robe, leaving part of her neck exposed. His expression remained unchanged, but he cursed inwardly.

’Thank goodness no one else is here.’

With a thought, he summoned a purple fur cloak from his Soul Manor and walked toward her. He gently draped it over her shoulders.

"It’s cold outside. Why didn’t you wear something warmer?"

"I was in a hurry," Seana replied, adjusting the cloak. "I thought you were in danger."

"All right. But next time, dress properly before rushing out." Lothe secured the cloak around her shoulders before turning back toward their captive.

The familiar face was still bound by purple chains.

Zhao Meiyun.

"So," Seana began, looking at him, "when did you start suspecting him?"

Lothe glanced at her.

"To be honest, I didn’t suspect him immediately. But after we met him outside the Nine-Lock Prison, I began to have doubts."

"Oh?" Zhao said, smiling despite his restraints. "I didn’t realize I had given myself away so early."

Lothe chuckled.

"Don’t assume you’ll be leaving those chains anytime soon. You should already be feeling the pressure around your Soul."

A faint twitch appeared at the corner of Zhao’s eye.

"Remember when we first met after leaving the prison?" Lothe continued. "He admitted that he had planted the Ghost Orchid. He claimed he only wanted to stop the Four Great Sects from interfering with his investigation."

"That explanation sounded reasonable at the time," Seana said.

"Exactly. Considering the circumstances, it didn’t immediately raise suspicion." Lothe’s eyes narrowed. "But afterward, I thought about what the Ghost Orchid had actually done. It didn’t merely delay us. It consumed our strength and wasted valuable time."

He looked at Zhao.

"Why would an ordinary cultivator go to such lengths to delay an investigation involving one of the Four Great Sects?"

"You suspected him based on that alone?" Seana asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Calm down, love. I’m not finished."

A faint smile touched Lothe’s lips.

"Later, we entered the underground facility and were drawn into another illusion. This one was far more dangerous. It made us believe we were fighting for our lives while draining our vitality."

He paused.

"After we escaped, Zhao casually named the illusion."

Seana’s expression changed. "The Compassion Devouring Illusion."

"Right." Lothe nodded. "How did he know its name?"

Seana looked toward Zhao.

"At the time, we had just discovered the Zombie City. We were exhausted, trying to rescue the children and survive the zombies. It was easy to overlook a small detail."

Lothe’s gaze hardened.

"But I don’t usually overlook things that don’t add up."

Seana’s expression grew serious. "Do you think he was working for the Zombie Lord?"

"I considered it." Lothe glanced at Zhao. "Think about it. After escaping the illusion, we all lost consciousness. When we woke up, we were inside the Nine-Lock Prison. Clearly, the Zombie Lord had been prepared for us."

His eyes narrowed.

"But Zhao was different. When we encountered him, he was standing through the prison corridors, surrounded by dead zombies."

"How did he enter the underground city?" Seana asked.

"Exactly. And why did he seem to be moving through it so comfortably? His robes were remarkably clean, especially compared with ours."

Seana fell silent.

"Then he claimed that we were pursuing the same goal—rescuing the children." Lothe’s expression became thoughtful. "That was another thing I couldn’t understand. Why would he suddenly care about the children?"

He shook his head.

"If he genuinely wanted to save them, why plant the Ghost Orchid and delay us? He could have asked for our help. Instead, he did the opposite."

Zhao remained silent.

Lothe continued, "Even when we met, he redirected our attention by acting as though he was only interested in you and me."

The purple chains tightened slightly around Zhao. Pain crossed his face, and several notifications flashed within his system.

"Don’t look at me like that." Lothe sighed. "I’ve always been too intelligent. Sometimes, I even surprise myself."

"Can you be serious for once?" Seana scolded.

She glanced at Zhao before turning back to Lothe.

"Do you really want him to die?"

"Why would I? He’s still useful." Lothe snapped his fingers.

A strand of Soul Power entered the formation. The purple light around Zhao dimmed, loosening enough to stop the pressure from crushing his Soul.

"This should be sufficient for now."

Lothe withdrew his hand.

"After that, Zhao continued accompanying us. He fought beside us against the zombies, followed us to rescue the children, and even fought the demonic beasts."

He looked at Seana.

"That was when I began ruling out the possibility that he was working directly for the Zombie Lord."

Zhao suddenly raised his head.

"Why are you so certain? You could still be wrong."

His hair had fallen loose, and blood ran from the sides of his head and the corner of his mouth. His handsome face looked disheveled, but his eyes remained sharp.

"What if the Zombie Lord sent me?" he continued. "He hates humans more than anything. To obtain what he wants, he could have planted me among you to monitor your movements."

Zhao laughed.

"Hahahaha! Prepare yourselves. The Zombie Lord will return and slaughter every human in this city!"

Lothe and Seana watched him rant.

Seana eventually stepped forward.

Before Zhao could continue, she raised two fingers and struck beneath his chin, hitting the Lianquan acupoint.

A thread of Crimson Blood Qi entered his body.

Zhao’s mouth opened, but no sound came out.

Seana withdrew her hand. "Don’t bother. I sealed your voice."

Lothe glanced at their silent captive.

"See that?"

He pointed toward Zhao.

"That confirms it. He isn’t working for the Zombie Lord."

Seana looked at him. "How does that prove anything?"

"If he truly worked for the Zombie Lord, why would he reveal that so easily?" Lothe asked. "Why would he be so desperate to convince us that the Zombie Lord intends to slaughter every human?"

He shrugged.

"It doesn’t prove everything. But it tells me that his words may be meant to frighten us or distract us."

Lothe’s expression grew more serious.

"Then there’s the matter of the children. Zhao helped us rescue them and assisted with their treatment. That only made me more suspicious."

"Why?" Seana asked.

"Because his actions didn’t match his earlier behavior. If he wanted to use the children against us, helping save them was an unnecessary risk."

Seana looked toward Zhao.

"You’re right. His actions don’t make sense."

"Exactly."

Lothe’s gaze settled on Zhao.

"The Ghost Orchid. His knowledge of the illusion. His unexplained presence in the underground city. His sudden interest in the children."

Lothe paused.

"None of those details proved anything on their own. Together, they made me question his intentions."

Seana studied him.

"So you suspected that he wasn’t involved in the case because he wanted to save the children?"

"Not exactly."

Lothe shook his head.

"At first, I thought he was using the case to approach us. But a few hours ago, something made me certain his interest went beyond the children."

He turned toward Seana.

"Normally, Zhao shouldn’t have been allowed to remain here with us. He could have been kept outside while we dealt with the matter."

Seana blinked.

"Wait. You allowed him to stay because...?"

Lothe’s expression changed. He looked toward Zhao, who was watching him despite being unable to speak.

"Because I wanted to see what he would do."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"After everything that happened, I wanted to know whether he would continue pretending to care about the children—or reveal something else."

He paused.

"And he did." Lothe’s expression turned cold. "His interest was never really in the children."

Zhao’s eyes widened.

Even Seana turned toward Lothe, sensing the weight behind his words.

Lothe looked directly at their captive. "You were after us all along."

His gaze shifted briefly toward Seana. "Specifically, you and me, love."?