Chapter 1006: Ancient Wise General

Chen Jun Nan furrowed his brow and extended his fist, then opened his palm to reveal only a single chain inside, with not even half a "zi" to be seen.

The people behind him witnessed this and instantly burst into discussion, with even Zhao Yisheng starting to complain.

"That Chen Jun Nan is so arrogant," he grumbled. "How could he possibly have that many 'zi'? I know his hand is empty. How could you guess it's 'pao'?"

Not only Zhao Yisheng, but also Zhang Shan, Xu Liu Nian, and Jin Yuan Xun felt certain that his hand held nothing.

Only Yan Zhi Chun stood aside with his arms crossed, saying nothing, as if deep in thought.

"Ah, it really was my mistake," Wen Qiao Yun said, frowning. "What a shame, our team lost a chain for nothing."

Chen Jun Nan had a strange feeling about the situation, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what was off. Was Wen Qiao Yun's ability really this limited?

Could it be that her past successes were due to having preserved enough memories, and when those memories were insufficient, her powers declined significantly?

Chen Jun Nan felt like he had uncovered something major. If the enemy's "zhi jiang" was short one person, that would be good news for his team.

But even so, Chen Jun Nan still sensed a deep sense of unease.

This round of "cai zi" was clearly his win, yet he couldn't bring himself to feel happy, as if something was missing.

A few seconds later, Wen Qiao Yun's regretful expression faded, replaced by a dangerous smile.

"So I guessed wrong, huh..."

In that moment, Chen Jun Nan's eyes widened as a flash of insight hit him, realizing he had been thoroughly outmaneuvered by Wen Qiao Yun.

"Oh no!"

Wen Qiao Yun turned to Jin Yuan Xun and said, "Go tell Tian Qiu that Chen Jun Nan isn't 'pao'."

"Wait... just a second..."

The situation turned on a dime, and Chen Jun Nan hurriedly tried to interrupt, but he didn't know what to say.

Wen Qiao Yun ignored him and continued, "The skinny woman and child walking with the enemy, along with that short writer, couldn't possibly be carrying such a dangerous 'zuo you jie gou' 'zi'. So, among Qi Xia, the tattooed man, and the lawyer, one of them is 'pao'."

Chen Jun Nan slowly furrowed his brows, feeling things were slipping out of his control.

At that point, Wen Qiao Yun turned to him and said, "Chen Jun Nan, I asked you earlier if 'nothing at all' was the best answer right now. You could have tried to bluff about the 'zi' on me, but you didn't."

"Good one," Chen Jun Nan reached up to tousle the hair on his forehead, smiling as he said, "I have to say, Wen Qiao Yun lives up to her reputation. I've racked my brain, and still ended up falling into your trap."

But how could he turn the tables now?

Chen Jun Nan took a deep breath, and an idea suddenly sparked in his mind.

Although Wen Qiao Yun could narrow down many people's 'zi' through a single detail, she hadn't confirmed it with her own eyes. Since it was a "guess," there had to be a way to counter a guess.

Besides, with his "reputation," turning the tables on her was the best choice.

"So, do you have anything else to say?" Wen Qiao Yun asked.

"Nothing. I'm out. This is pointless, not playing anymore."

Chen Jun Nan waved his hand, gave Zhao Yisheng a meaningful glance once more, and shut the door firmly.

This unusual behavior left Wen Qiao Yun stunned for a moment.

Xu Liu Nian and Zhao Yisheng quickly moved to her side and whispered, "He left so decisively. Be careful, there might be a trick."

"A trick?"

Yan Zhi Chun nodded beside them. "I've played 'Di She' with Chen Jun Nan before. He can be reckless, but he also hides a lot of schemes. It's better to be cautious."

Wen Qiao Yun thought for a few seconds. In that situation, anyone would have stepped forward to explain—either to prove he was 'pao' or to argue that Qi Xia and the others weren't 'pao'. But Chen Jun Nan had walked away like his goal was accomplished.

He was Chen Jun Nan, after all. Why had he suddenly become so reticent?

"Sis..." Jin Yuan Xun asked hesitantly, "Should I still go tell Chu Ge?"

"You... go ahead," Wen Qiao Yun said after thinking it over, though her expression was no longer as confident as before.

"Got it." Jin Yuan Xun nodded and headed toward his "bei zhan qu."

"Zhao Yisheng," Yan Zhi Chun called out, "You and Zhang Shan go back to our 'zhan chang qu' to protect Chu Tian Qiu. Xu Liu Nian, Wen Qiao Yun, and I will infiltrate the enemy's area."

"Infiltrate?" Xu Liu Nian was taken aback.

"Sitting around isn't going to help," Yan Zhi Chun said. "Chen Jun Nan has already made his move, so we should at least check what they're up to."

Xu Liu Nian felt like she was getting pulled into another monster's conflict. Infiltrate with Wen Qiao Yun and Yan Zhi Chun?

Was this even the same level of infiltration?

"We... the three of us..." She paused. "Are you saying we'll each enter the enemy's rooms separately?"

"What's the problem?" Yan Zhi Chun asked.

"You... you two are making me out to be stronger than I am," Xu Liu Nian said. "You can rely on your 'hui xiang', but I can't..."

"My 'hui xiang' won't work either," Wen Qiao Yun said. "Tian Qiu told me that mine can't guarantee my safety or subdue the enemy, so I don't need to worry about what you call 'hui xiang'. I just have to rely on myself."

"But I..." Xu Liu Nian trailed off, feeling they still didn't get her point. Even without 'hui xiang', she wasn't that capable.

"I've always had a question," Yan Zhi Chun said.

"What...?"

"I heard you're 'hua xing'," Yan Zhi Chun said flatly. "Can't you transform into Chen Jun Nan?"

"Transform into Chen Jun Nan...?"

"He seems to be their 'xian feng bu dui'," Yan Zhi Chun explained. "We could try to stop him, then have you take his form to disrupt their strategy."

"Theoretically, yes, but it's too risky," Xu Liu Nian said. "First, I'd have to fully believe I'm Chen Jun Nan, and second, I'd need to avoid giving myself away... But I'm very different from Chen Jun Nan in every way."

"There won't be too many smart people on their side," Yan Zhi Chun said. "They rely too much on Qi Xia's brain, so as long as you avoid Qi Xia, their ten rooms will be your playground."

Xu Liu Nian thought it over for a long time and finally nodded. "Okay... but give me some time to observe the enemy."

"No problem. Wen Qiao Yun and I will be nearby your room," Yan Zhi Chun said. "We can coordinate with you then."