Chapter 91: Chapter 79: Not a Single True Sentence, Yet No Lies

「Inside the principal’s office.」

Fang Xiu’s eyes were slightly closed.

But he could sense everything around him.

Yue Tianrui sat before him, behind the office desk. The initial smile on his face had shifted.

Now that Fang Xiu appeared to be hypnotized, Yue Tianrui stared at him, his expression turning grave.

The Level 42 Psychologist before him had already activated his skill.

It was a Hypnosis Skill.

Its primary function was to hypnotize the Awakened.

After all, an ordinary person could no longer hypnotize an Awakened.

That was because an Awakened’s Spiritual Power was enhanced during their Awakening.

An ordinary person simply couldn’t hypnotize an Awakened with powerful Spiritual Power.

And now, the person this Psychologist named Ji Shi was hypnotizing was none other than Fang Xiu.

However, the instant the Hypnosis began, Fang Xiu’s Passive Skill, [Nether King’s True Eye], had already opened.

Fang Xiu saw through all the illusions around him.

In other words, the Hypnosis was completely useless against Fang Xiu.

"Alright, Principal. Fang Xiu has entered a hypnotic state. If you have any questions, you can ask him directly. If he lies, I’ll be able to sense it!"

Ji Shi said, turning to look at Yue Tianrui.

"Mm."

Yue Tianrui nodded helplessly.

He looked at Fang Xiu, started to speak, then hesitated. "Is doing this... really okay?"

"We have no other choice. Those two are completely adamant about this Lu Yu’Er, even though we can’t find any girl with that name!"

Ji Shi added, also sounding helpless, "But after I used my Hypnosis on them, I confirmed they weren’t lying. So..."

Ji Shi didn’t finish, but both Yue Tianrui and Fang Xiu knew what he meant.

’So, their only option is to hypnotize me and see if a person named Lu Yu’Er really exists?’

It was all clear to Fang Xiu now.

Both Yu Boyuan and Nie Tai remembered Lu Yu’Er, and they had even passed Ji Shi’s hypnotic questioning.

This proved they weren’t lying.

This must have given Yue Tianrui and the others ideas.

’If those two weren’t lying, does that mean the girl named Lu Yu’Er really exists?’

’And they just... can’t find her? Have no way of finding her?’

’So they decided to use me. If I also know Lu Yu’Er, then they can confirm she exists.’

’It would also prove that those two entered the Gate World specifically to cause trouble for me.’

’And that I was the one who beat them into this state.’

’And that the little girl Lu Yu’Er, whom no one else remembers, was killed by me.’

’It would prove that everything Yu Boyuan and Nie Tai said was true.’

’And I would become a person of interest, someone to be watched closely.’

"Sigh... alright, you ask him. I don’t think this kid is a killer. Especially not of someone we can’t even find any record of. Those two brats must have been beaten stupid!"

Yue Tianrui sighed helplessly.

’From the sound of it, he wasn’t really in favor of this hypnosis session.’

’Maybe it’s because I’m a student at his school.’

’Or maybe there’s some other reason.’

’But... it seems someone else is pushing for this, and even a principal like Yue Tianrui can’t stop them.’

’Then again, it makes sense. An incident like this happened at school; of course there would be an investigation.’

’Especially with Yu Boyuan and Nie Tai acting like they aren’t all there.’

That would naturally draw more attention.

’Right now, I kind of regret not killing them.’

’If I had, I wouldn’t be in this mess.’

’Looks like being merciful really doesn’t pay.’

’If there’s a next time, I definitely won’t leave behind loose ends like this.’

"Alright, then I’ll do the questioning."

Ji Shi nodded slightly.

He then turned to Fang Xiu.

Fang Xiu was still in his "hypnotized" state.

But with his Passive Skill [Nether King’s True Eye] active, Fang Xiu could see everything clearly.

"Fang Xiu, can you hear me?"

Ji Shi asked, looking at Fang Xiu.

’Should I be speaking right now?’

’If I’m not supposed to be able to talk in this state, won’t I expose myself by answering?’

"Fang Xiu, if you can hear me, answer me!"

Seeing that Fang Xiu didn’t answer, Ji Shi asked again.

Fang Xiu still didn’t react.

"Strange..."

Ji Shi frowned.

’Okay, I should probably react now.’

He opened his mouth and managed a difficult, "Mmm..."

"Whew... you truly are an Awakened with an SSS Level Talent. For a moment there, I thought my Hypnosis Skill had failed!"

Ji Shi let out a sigh of relief.

A higher-level Awakened Talent meant stronger Spiritual Power.

Ji Shi had never had the chance to try hypnotizing an Awakened with an SSS Level Talent before.

Fang Xiu was probably the only SSS Level in the entire country... no, the entire world.

If he had Awakened as a Mage, a Warrior, or even a Life System Profession like a Blacksmith, instead of a Sacrificial Master...

Any of those would have drawn national, even global, attention.

But unfortunately, he had Awakened the most useless and dangerous Profession of all: Sacrificial Master.

That was why he hadn’t drawn much attention.

"What is your name?"

Ji Shi decided to start with the simplest question.

"Fang Xiu."

Fang Xiu answered.

"Do you know Yue Tianrui?"

Ji Shi asked again.

Fang Xiu replied, "I do. He’s the principal of my school. He even gave me a Demon Crystal to use for a Sacrifice."

’I’m answering in such detail to establish a pattern for Ji Shi.’

’It’ll make it easier to deceive him later.’

"And do you know Yu Boyuan?"

After a few more questions, Ji Shi finally got to the point.

"I know the name. One of the two guys from the Gate World."

Fang Xiu wasn’t lying.

After those two were caught, Xia Yunmeng had mentioned their names to Fang Xiu.

So Fang Xiu couldn’t claim he didn’t know them.

"And what about Lu Yu’Er? Do you know her?"

Ji Shi finally mentioned Lu Yu’Er.

"I’ve heard the name. I think Teacher Xia mentioned it."

Fang Xiu’s answer was perfectly calculated.

He had heard the name, but he didn’t know the person.

This way, Fang Xiu wasn’t technically lying.

"Well?"

Yue Tianrui asked curiously.

"My Perception tells me he isn’t lying."

Ji Shi answered.

Yue Tianrui breathed a sigh of relief, "See? I told you my student wouldn’t lie!"

"Yes, but there are still a few more questions."

Ji Shi nodded slightly.

Turning back to Fang Xiu, he asked, "Then what was your interaction with Lu Yu’Er?"

"Mm... Lu Yu’Er... Teacher Xia said she was fictional."

This statement from Fang Xiu wasn’t a lie, either.

He was only stating what Teacher Xia had said—that Lu Yu’Er was fictional. It wasn’t his own statement or belief.

He paused before adding, "How could I interact with someone who’s fictional?"

This time, Fang Xiu didn’t mention Lu Yu’Er.

That wasn’t a lie either, because he had never, in fact, interacted with a fictional person.

"Mm, one last question then. What happened inside the school’s Gate World?"

Ji Shi wasn’t so easily convinced that Fang Xiu had nothing to do with this matter.

Since he had gone to the trouble of hypnotizing him, he had to be thorough with his questions.

That way, he’d have a proper report to give when he returned.

"Gate World... I was being chased by a Demon Beast. What can a Sacrificial Master do? Then Teacher Xia kept calling me, I hung up several times..."

Fang Xiu spoke slowly, his words disjointed. "Then... I ran into two people... it was Yu Boyuan and the other guy... I met them in the Gate World..."

Fang Xiu didn’t pause, continuing, "They seemed to be targeting someone... I overheard them... they said a teacher was helping them... a senior year teacher... Yes, the teacher from Senior Year, Class Five."

"Senior Year, Class Five?"

Hearing Fang Xiu’s words, Yue Tianrui was lost in thought.

He then looked at Ji Shi.

Ji Shi shook his head.

The gesture meant that Fang Xiu wasn’t lying.

"Hmph! To think they’d take the school’s money and dare to do something like this!"

Yue Tianrui snorted coldly.

He slammed his hand on the desk.

BANG!

Fang Xiu’s body trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"What... just happened?"

Fang Xiu asked, looking with feigned innocence at the furious Yue Tianrui and the resigned-looking Ji Shi.

"You truly are an Awakened with an SSS Level Talent. Your Spiritual Power is exceptional. To think a sudden shock was enough to break you out of my Hypnosis Skill!"

Ji Shi didn’t overthink it.

He just assumed Fang Xiu’s Spiritual Power was simply that strong.

He assumed the shock from Yue Tianrui slamming the desk was enough to jolt him awake.

He didn’t know, however, that Fang Xiu had been conscious the entire time.

He had been answering however he pleased.

And he had managed to answer every question without technically telling a single lie.

That was why Ji Shi’s lie detection had registered nothing.

"Since he’s awake, there’s no need to ask anymore. You can confirm that my student wasn’t lying, right?"

Yue Tianrui’s expression was grim.

he said, looking at Ji Shi.

"Heh, of course. Everything Fang Xiu said just now was the truth. He didn’t lie."

Ji Shi nodded slightly.

This matter was likely concluded.

Fang Xiu hadn’t lied. And while Yu Boyuan and Nie Tai hadn’t been lying either, there was still no trace of anyone named Lu Yu’Er.

The only remaining possibilities were that Yu Boyuan and Nie Tai had told a lie so often they’d come to believe it themselves, or... their memories had been altered.

Altering everyone’s memories, plus all the associated data, would be incredibly difficult.

But altering the memories of just two people? That wasn’t so hard.

"Let’s go see Yu Boyuan and Nie Tai now."

Yue Tianrui said, then turned to Fang Xiu. "This was also part of the reason I called you here. They seem to know you and have been shouting your name."

"And it’s because of what they’ve been saying—blurting out my name without anyone telling them—that you came to suspect me, isn’t it?"

Fang Xiu wasn’t stupid. He could piece things together.

"Yes. But now, I imagine those people will have to shut their mouths."

Yue Tianrui nodded slightly.

Then he said to Fang Xiu, "Let’s go. I’d like to see what else those two can possibly say."

"Yes, sir! I’ll leave it all to you, Principal."

Fang Xiu nodded slightly.

He said nothing more.

’I don’t know if Yue Tianrui is genuinely concerned about me, or if this whole thing was orchestrated by him, the principal, from the very beginning!’

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