I Have Infinite Skill Points-Chapter 655: The Truth Turns Out to Be So

"Director Wu, long time no see," Wen Xiaorou, evidently an old acquaintance of Wu Yao’s, nodded in acknowledgment.

"Wu Yao, what on earth happened?"

"She is Director Wen’s niece, Wen Xiaorou. When Director Wen went missing, Wen Xiaorou and her boyfriend disappeared as well. We always assumed Wen Xiaorou and Director Wen vanished together. Wen Xiaorou, what exactly transpired? Where is Director Wen?"

"I can only report to a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Defense. Telling you now would only endanger you."

"That’s perfect," Wu Yao said, pointing at Wang Lan. "Greedy Wolf Crown, the youngest general in Jade Country, one of our nation’s top powerhouses. Is he important enough for you?"

"You are Wang Lan?" Wen Xiaorou stared at Wang Lan, her face a mask of shock. After a long moment, she gave a bitter laugh. "To think I was personally apprehended by the Greedy Wolf Crown! If word of this got out, I could boast about it for a lifetime."

"Can you report now? How exactly did Wen Xianghua disappear? And why are you being hunted?"

"Wen Xianghua died in a Star Martial Warrior’s self-detonation, blown to smithereens. As for why I’m being hunted... I don’t know. That person was indeed after me that day, but I have no idea who they are."

Wang Lan frowned. Wen Xiaorou’s tone when speaking of Wen Xianghua was remarkably casual, even laced with a hint of disgust. Didn’t Wu Yao say Wen Xiaorou was Wen Xianghua’s niece? It seemed the truth was far more complex than he had imagined.

"A Star Martial Warrior’s self-detonation? What self-detonation?"

"Wen Xianghua had been searching for clues about the Star Origin Flow for years. A month ago, he ordered the twelve zodiac positions to abduct an old man, and then he had us bring the old man to the quarry.

"While Wen Xianghua was interrogating him about the Star Origin Flow, the old man suddenly attacked. He sent me flying with a single palm strike before grabbing Wen Xianghua and self-detonating. My head struck a rock at the quarry, causing temporary amnesia. I only began to recover my memory a week ago."

"The Star Origin Flow? Isn’t that just a legend?" Wu Yao asked, his brows furrowed.

"No one truly doubts the reality of Zhang Lingxian’s ascension. If Zhang Lingxian’s ascension is real, then the Star Origin Flow must also be real. Faced with the allure of immortality, people will desperately pursue even the slightest possibility, no matter how unlikely. What if it’s real?"

"So, you’re saying Wen Xianghua wasn’t murdered in a setup, but brought this upon himself?" Wu Yao asked doubtfully.

"Persistent wrongdoing leads to self-destruction."

"I’m very curious. Aren’t you Wen Xianghua’s niece? Why do I sense such deep resentment towards your uncle in your voice?"

"I was never his niece. I was merely a tool for him to use as he pleased. The ’niece’ identity was just a role he assigned me.

"I am originally from Vine Country. I came to Jade Country with my father when I was very young. Without legal status, surviving in Jade Country was incredibly difficult for us. My father carried me on his back, crossing treacherous mountains and perilous waters to reach Huzhou Province.

"Since we were stowaways, using legitimate channels would have led to our discovery and deportation by Jade Country. So, my father resorted to unorthodox means of livelihood.

"Is there any easy way to make a living in this world? Although my father was a Star Cloud Stage Star Martial Warrior and could have lived well in Vine Country, his strength was only average in the Heavenly Dynasty.

"My father was daring and fought ruthlessly, quickly carving out a small territory to give me a place to live. His wish was simple: for me to obtain legal status in Jade Country and eventually become a true citizen.

"But those who are fearless and reckless often meet an early end. A year later, my father was killed in a violent clash. The person in charge of that case was Wen Xianghua. My father’s death was horrific; the trauma stimulated the awakening of my Star Martial Art talent.

"Wen Xianghua coveted my talent, so he took me in under the guise of being my uncle. From that moment, Wen Xianghua personally trained me, treating me like a tool.

"At first, I genuinely believed he considered me his niece, and I truly saw him as my uncle. But gradually, I realized I was just his tool, existing only to execute his will and complete the tasks he assigned. I was forbidden from having independent thoughts, let alone human emotions.

"On my fourteenth birthday, his ’gift’ to me was to make me a ’real woman’—his woman.

"Since then, I’ve had two identities: one, his niece; the other, Spy Shadow, one of his Twelve Shadows."

"The Twelve Shadows?"

"Yes, twelve secret assets completely under Wen Xianghua’s control, specializing in intelligence gathering, assassination, and seizing treasures for him. Wen Xianghua held significant leverage over each of us."

Hearing this, Wang Lan’s frown deepened. The direction this was taking wasn’t just beyond his expectations; it was veering off into completely unforeseen territory, so far off course that it was impossible to rein back in.

"Wen Xiaorou, correct? I’m a bit confused. You and your father are from Vine Country? Did your father commit any offenses in Vine Country?"

Wen Xiaorou shook her head. "No. My father was once a battalion commander in the Vine Country Star Martial Army."

"Then why did you flee to Jade Country? Wouldn’t it have been more comfortable to stay in Vine Country?"

"In Vine Country," Wen Xiaorou said without hesitation, words that left Wang Lan utterly stunned, "anyone with a shred of ambition dreams of becoming a citizen of Jade Country."

"General Wang, you may not know this, but Jade Country has been the Heavenly Dynasty for millennia, its culture influencing neighboring nations for thousands of years. In the hearts of the common folk in neighboring countries, Jade Country is like a Holy Land.

"Most illegal immigrants actually hope to integrate into Jade Country; if not themselves, then they wish for their children to do so. As you know, Jade Country’s citizenship requirements are extremely strict."

"What kind of outlandish thinking is that? I’ve been to Vine Country. Their policies are very favorable to Star Martial Warriors. Was it really necessary to betray your country?"

"Joining the Heavenly Dynasty is a dream; how can that be called betrayal? Besides, Vine Country has historically been a tributary state of Jade Country. How is that betrayal? If it weren’t for those accursed nobles, Vine Country had several opportunities in the past to become part of Jade Country, but they squandered them all." Wen Xiaorou’s matter-of-fact tone made Wang Lan’s head spin.

"Alright, let’s set aside why you’re so determined to join Jade Country for now. Wen Xianghua manipulated the Shadow Guard for his nefarious purposes. Do you know the extent of his deeds?"

"The Twelve Shadows are all independent operatives. We have no lateral contact and don’t even know each other. Because I was always by Wen Xianghua’s side, I learned some of his secrets, but not all of them.

"I’m only aware of three matters I was personally involved in. The first was assassinating a Tomb-Robbing Family to obtain an S-rank Star Martial Skill, the Taiyin Sword Qi. The second was to monitor Zhou Shen, the Chief of the Chang Le City Tianjian Bureau, for dereliction of duty and illegal activities. And the third... was to trace the Star Origin Flow.

"I was only six when I came to be with Wen Xianghua, and I only started undertaking missions three years ago. The others served him for at least eight years; they must have done far more. Zhou Shen was taken down for providing protection to tomb raiders, but from what I know, Wen Xianghua’s crimes were at least ten times worse than Zhou Shen’s."

"How much evidence of Wen Xianghua’s crimes do you possess?"

"Wen Xianghua is extremely cunning. Apart from the incidents I was personally involved in, I have no other proof of his crimes."

A chill wind gusted, lightly ruffling the bangs on Wang Lan’s forehead.

"Logically, your public identity is Wen Xianghua’s niece. Only Wen Xianghua knew your true identity, and he’s dead. There was no need for you to confess to me so readily, was there?"

"If Liu Yuxin had captured me, he would undoubtedly have used Spirit Engraving on me. My choices were to live in hiding indefinitely, or, now that I’ve been found, this is my only path to survival."

"And you think I won’t use Spirit Engraving on you, now that you’re in my hands?" Wang Lan uttered softly. Instantly, Wen Xiaorou’s face turned deathly pale.

"While Spirit Engraving doesn’t guarantee absolute truth, information obtained through it is generally far more reliable than what you might tell me."

Wen Xiaorou’s eyes dimmed. "I understand. I should have realized it the moment you subdued me. For me, this is the best possible outcome."

"Rest assured, my Spirit Engraving technique is quite refined. If you cooperate, it won’t damage your mind."

"Really?"

Wang Lan wasted no more words, placing his palm on Wen Xiaorou’s head. A stream of spiritual power flowed into Wen Xiaorou’s mind.

Do not resist. Allow your spirit to connect and merge with my spiritual power.

Wen Xiaorou did as instructed. Soon, the gates to her memories opened to Wang Lan. Her memories also unfolded before him like a series of projected slides.

Wen Xiaorou’s father had been a fervent admirer of Jade Country. In Vine Country, there were many such fervent admirers, mostly from impoverished backgrounds. Even if they only constituted ten percent of Vine Country’s population, it was still a considerable number.

Such people dreamed of obtaining Jade Country citizenship, but Jade Country was not a nation one could join merely by wishing. The requirements for Jade Country citizenship are extremely high. It’s not a place where one can obtain residency or citizenship simply by living there or having children born there—there’s no equivalent of a ’green card’ system. Once discovered as an illegal immigrant, you’re unceremoniously deported.

At six years old, Wen Xiaorou witnessed her father being killed by three Star Martial Warriors. Then, Wen Xianghua entered her world like a radiant sun. Despite the grueling training, she gritted her teeth and endured.

Gradually, however, Wen Xiaorou realized Wen Xianghua wasn’t tormenting her for poor performance, but because she was developing thoughts a mere tool shouldn’t possess. Once she understood this, she quickly corrected her mindset.

Three years ago, Wen Xiaorou officially ’graduated.’ Her first mission was to annihilate an entire Tomb-Robbing Family. That battle was, in essence, her graduation test. Covered in wounds, Wen Xiaorou delivered the Soul Bead containing the Taiyin Sword Qi to Wen Xianghua.

Subsequently, through Wen Xianghua’s machinations, Wen Xiaorou quickly caught the attention of Zhou Shen, Chief of the Chang Le City Tianjian Bureau, and joined the Tianjian Bureau while still in high school. Combat skills were but a small part of her training; her true expertise lay in leveraging her feminine wiles to infiltrate enemy ranks and procure intelligence.

Zhou Shen probably never heard the saying: women are born deceivers, and the more beautiful the woman, the more adept at deception she is. Thus, the confidante he trusted so deeply ultimately became the poisoned chalice that led to his demise.