After glancing at Gallo, who was half-regretful and half-relieved with his neck stiff, Xi Yi remarked indifferently, “Are you sure you’re not just making this up to deceive us?”
Gallo was instantly provoked into a rage: “When have I ever lied to you?”
“Ahem… you’ve actually lied quite a bit!” Sha Yi coughed dryly, bluntly reminding him, “For example, at the very beginning, you were full of schemes. Even this time, when you came proposing so-called ‘merging,’ weren’t you dead set on gaining the upper hand? And let’s not forget—dare you say you haven’t hidden anything from us about that woman-led group this time?”
Exposed, Gallo was momentarily embarrassed, but soon reverted to his usual shamelessness: “That was just when we didn’t know each other yet. Like with Yeli’s group—given the situation, could you honestly say you’d be completely transparent with them?”
“Fine, you win.” Not wanting to argue further, Sha Yi dismissed the thought of continuing the debate. “Just get to the point. It’s the middle of the night—if you don’t want to sleep, I do!”
“Where was I again?”
“You disposed of the grass stems Manlun used to lure the giant-toothed eagles. But I have a question.” Xi Yi offered a brief reminder without hiding his skepticism. “You said you couldn’t kill Manlun. Knowing you, you likely never had a chance to see him alone after being captured or leaving. If you had, you wouldn’t have just destroyed the grass stems—you’d have gone straight for him.”
“You really do know me well, you stumbling block.” Gallo shot Xi Yi a glare, his eyes narrowing slightly, his expression dark and his tone downright hostile. “As you guessed, there were other circumstances.”
“Flattery noted, no thanks needed.” Satisfied with the answer, Xi Yi motioned for Gallo to continue and fell silent, refusing to interrupt further.
Gallo, however, glared at Xi Yi with undisguised hatred, remaining silent for a long while.
Sha Yi was baffled.
This was probably the first time Xi Yi had ever said something so infuriating. It was also the first time she realized he had a sly, cunning side to his personality—quite the rarity.
But seeing Gallo so thoroughly provoked was something she could appreciate.
After all this time and so many twists and turns, she had come to understand that while Gallo was indeed cunning and deceitful, he still had principles. At the very least, he wasn’t as ruthless as Yeli and Yelai.
Deep down, no matter how cold-blooded he seemed, there was still an emotional component to how he treated people and situations. He wasn’t irredeemably bad. His occasional trickery and pettiness could be managed, and as a potential ally, he wasn’t a terrible choice.
Before she could dwell further, Gallo—still glaring daggers at Xi Yi—resumed his earlier topic: “When you met Yeli this afternoon, did you catch what he said about the ‘Witch’?”
“Kasan?”
“Right. She and Yeli-Yelai don’t get along.” Gallo nodded. “When I was captured, those two were already arguing over how to deal with me. And before that, they’d been clashing over other things.”
“There’s definitely tension between them.” Recalling the afternoon’s events, Sha Yi agreed. “And it seems like long-standing resentment, not just a show to mislead us. What’s more, neither seems able to overpower the other—not just in influence, but likely because they each have their own factions backing them.”
“Exactly!” Gallo readily accepted her analysis, his tone far more straightforward now. “And the person who let me go? She’s connected to Kasan.”
“Who?”
“Kapa. She’s Kasan’s daughter. Like her mother, she has strong objections to Yeli and Yelai’s leadership. When I was captured, Manlun suggested Yeli just kill me outright, force Tuge’s group to submit, and then come after you to take over these waterside lands.”
“So it was Kapa who convinced Yeli not to kill you?”
“Impossible. Kasan is the ‘Witch’—Kapa isn’t. Only Kasan could make a suggestion and have it stick. Of course, Kapa played a role, but the real reason was their conflict with Yeli and Yelai.”
“Just tell us Kapa’s motive. She wouldn’t have let you go for no reason!”
“She…” Gallo hesitated before reluctantly admitting, “She wants to join us.”
“What?” Sha Yi couldn’t hide her surprise. “Just like that? Did you ask why? Did you agree?”
“Too many questions!” Gallo scowled, clearly disliking the barrage.
But whether it was the interrogation or something he didn’t want to say, she noticed a faint flush on his face—and a hint of unease.
Sha Yi’s curiosity spiked: “Does Kapa… like you?”
Gallo jolted: “How did you know?”
“…” After a beat of speechlessness, Sha Yi sighed. Of course. Gallo was like this—sharp as a tack when it came to things he didn’t care about, but the moment it involved someone or something he valued, he turned into an absolute idiot. This situation was no exception.
Studying Gallo, Sha Yi nodded thoughtfully, signaling her understanding.
Panicked, Gallo scrambled to his feet, waving his hands wildly: “Don’t get the wrong idea! There’s nothing between us! It’s all her! I’m telling you this so we can figure out what to do, not to brag—definitely not!”
Staring at Gallo’s frantic explanation, Sha Yi felt a headache coming on. Even Xi Yi looked stunned.
But Xi Yi, ever the outsider, saw right through Gallo’s latter half. Calmly, he interjected: “No need to panic or explain. It doesn’t matter. If what you say is true, Kapa’s situation mirrors yours—both of you like someone who doesn’t reciprocate. Maybe the outcome will be the same. If you empathize with her feelings, why not respect her? We wouldn’t mind seeing you two together.”
Xi Yi’s expression was dead serious. Gallo, however, looked utterly dumbfounded.
Sha Yi burst out laughing.
The old Xi Yi would never have said something like this. Never. What had gotten into him? And not just any mischief—this was master-level trolling!
In her mind, Xi Yi had always been a reserved man, often silent. Meeting her had lightened him up somewhat, but he was still quieter than most. Yet now, he seemed like a completely different person.
Even if his expression suggested he was being sincere—no jokes, no ulterior motives—to an observer, this was pure teasing. She almost wondered if Xi Yi held a grudge over Gallo’s past attempts to manhandle her or his schemes to take her away.
Maybe this was Xi Yi’s way of getting even.
At the very least, his words had subtly insulted Gallo while reminding him that, like Kapa, he was guilty of unrequited pursuits. And if Gallo kept chasing her? Well, he’d deserve whatever came his way. After all, she’d been kind to Gallo before, just as Kapa had helped him now. If Gallo dared to ignore Kapa’s feelings, then her ignoring him would be perfectly justified—karma at its finest.
Plus, if Gallo and Kapa ended up together, it wouldn’t be a bad outcome.
Compared to Yeli, having Kasan’s faction join forces with her, Xi Yi, and Gallo would be a huge advantage. Not only would it tip the scales in their conflicts, but Kapa’s presence would also keep Gallo from pestering her as much.
She really didn’t want to deal with Gallo’s antics while pregnant.
Moreover, Gallo had admitted it was Kapa who freed him. Kapa likely only had sway over Kasan, and with Kasan’s protection, she’d probably be safe. But Kasan would have to answer for Kapa’s actions—and Yeli, as their half-enemy, wouldn’t let it slide.
After all, Gallo had been Yeli’s captive, yet Kasan’s side had released him. For any leader vying for territory, this was a disastrous turn of events—especially when bad blood already existed.
Cutting through the tension between the two men, Sha Yi interjected: “Kapa might have let you go because she likes you, but it couldn’t have been that simple. If she really liked you, why not keep you there, where men are scarce? Letting you go had to involve Kasan. So—aside wanting to join us, what else did you promise them?”
“What could they have done if they didn’t let me go? Kapa said she liked me! With so few men there, she wouldn’t have killed me even if I refused!” Gallo grumbled under his breath, looking thoroughly aggrieved. After a long pause, he finally turned to her, sulking. “I promised Kapa that if she let me go, I’d be with her.”
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