53: Chapter 53 The Prophet's Oppressive Force

"I wonder what Brother Meng requires in exchange for telling me the information?"

Meng Li stated frankly: "I want the Legacy of the Troublemaker Master regarding mechanism arts, which is the Qiao Duo Tian Gong Secret Manual."

Xiao Yuer's eyes immediately narrowed, then he smiled: "To even know about the Qiao Duo Tian Gong Secret Manual, it seems Brother Meng's understanding of the Troublemaker Master is more than just ordinary."

Meng Li smiled: "I have loved reading storybooks since I was young, especially those about extraordinary people and events. I even write storybooks myself. So, in this regard, I know more than the average person and have a stronger curiosity. Does Brother Yu agree to this transaction?"

Xiao Yuer shook his head: "Although I want to know what happened to the great hero Yan Nantian, I will not exchange it for the Qiao Duo Tian Gong Secret Manual."

"What if I add your origins to the deal?" Meng Li directly raised the stakes.

Xiao Yuer paused, then looked at Meng Li meaningfully: "It seems Brother Meng has had designs on this for a long time."

Meng Li shook his head: "You misunderstand. This is merely a sudden impulse on my part. After all, even though I have learned a lot of secrets from various strange tales and anecdotes, I still cannot predict the future, nor could I have known beforehand that I would meet you, or that your purpose for this trip was to investigate your background."

Xiao Yuer thought about it and felt that was true.

He had only recently left Demon Island, and he had only just met Meng Li. The purpose of this trip was also something he had just mentioned.

No matter how many secrets the other party knew, it was impossible for him to have calculated all of this.

Then, Xiao Yuer became tempted.

He desperately wanted to know his own origins!

As for the Qiao Duo Tian Gong Secret Manual, he had already mastered it completely, and the Troublemaker Master had not given any instruction forbidding him from passing it on to others.

Thus, Xiao Yuer relented: "Adding my origins, it's not impossible. But how do I know that what Brother Meng says is true, and not just something you fabricated on the spot?"

Meng Li smiled: "We can establish a contract. I will tell you your origins, and then you can use your own methods to verify it."

"After confirming the facts, you give me the Secret Manual then."

"That simple?" Xiao Yuer was a bit surprised, then probed: "A contract holds little binding power for people in the Jianghu; whether to honor it depends entirely on character. I came from Demon Island, and I am the disciple of the Troublemaker Master..."

He suddenly stopped halfway through his sentence, turning to ask in surprise: "I never said I obtained the Legacy of the Troublemaker Master."

"How did you know I have the Qiao Duo Tian Gong Secret Manual?"

Upon hearing this, Hua Wuchuan, E Tongtian, Tie Xinlan, Jiang Yuyan, and even Xiao Xiao, who had been listening quietly, drawn in by the hidden tales, also found it strange.

Meng Li explained: "I mentioned earlier that Demon Island is a prison. The Troublemaker Master trapped many villains on the island because he wanted to stop them from continuing their evil deeds and make them repent, not to trap them to death. Therefore, he must have left behind a way to leave the island."

"But to prevent the villains on the island from escaping easily, the method of leaving must be hidden in a secret place, most likely near where the Troublemaker Master is."

"Since you were able to leave the island, you must have met the Troublemaker Master."

"Most importantly, your performance earlier in the Gathering Hall was exactly like the Troublemaker Master's style."

"Putting it all together, it's not difficult to guess that you obtained the true teachings of the Troublemaker Master."

Hua Wuchuan, E Tongtian, Tie Xinlan, and the others finally understood.

Xiao Yuer still had a doubt: "While that may be so, the Troublemaker Master's prowess isn't limited to mechanism arts; he's also famous for his tricks and pranks. I haven't displayed any mechanism arts either, so how can you be sure I received the Qiao Duo Tian Gong Secret Manual and not the Troublemaker Manual?"

Meng Li smiled: "I truly couldn't be certain, but your behavior confirmed it for me."

Xiao Yuer was startled internally, realizing he had just been manipulated, then clapped his hands and exclaimed: "Impressive!"

"I thought I, Xiao Yuer, was quite clever, but I didn't expect to fall for your trap just now. Knowing only a few rumors, and combining that with my performance, you were able to determine so much and propose terms that are hard for me to refuse. I concede defeat to your wisdom."

"Seriously, I'm a little afraid to be friends with you."

Meng Li smiled without speaking.

He merely possessed the advantage of foresight. If they truly compared intelligence, he might not surpass Xiao Yuer.

But there was no need to explain this.

"So, Brother Yu, are you still making this deal?" Meng Li asked.

Xiao Yuer countered instead of answering: "Aren't you afraid I'll break my word and refuse to give you the Secret Manual after learning my origins?"

Meng Li replied calmly: "I'm not afraid. Because my desire for the Qiao Duo Tian Gong Secret Manual is just to satisfy some curiosity, to see what kind of mechanism arts the Troublemaker Master possessed that he could turn an island into a prison, trapping so many villains for years without escape."

"Even if I don't obtain it, there is no loss to me."

"If Brother Yu doesn't wish to give the Secret Manual, you don't have to make this deal. You can investigate your origins yourself; I won't force you."

"But if Brother Yu wants to save some effort and make this deal with me, it's best not to break your word. Because breaking your word is equivalent to deception, and I don't think many people enjoy being deceived—I'm the same. If Brother Yu deceives me, there will definitely be a price to pay."

"And I am a person who likes to settle things once and for all."

"So, if Brother Yu still has any attachment to this world, it's best for you to keep your word."

"Otherwise..."

"I consider my Martial Arts to be average, but when it comes to sending Brother Yu off to reincarnation, I am quite confident, even if you have the protection of this Young Hero Hua."

"Hiss~~" Seeing Meng Li speak of killing him so lightly, Xiao Yuer gasped in 'terror' and turned to look at Hua Wuchuan.

Hua Wuchuan understood and thought for a moment: "Judging by that palm strike just now, his Martial Arts are no weaker than mine. He might not be able to kill me, but if he wants to kill you, I won't be able to protect you."

Xiao Yuer was genuinely startled this time.

But after a moment's thought, he asked Meng Li again: "Don't you dislike killing people?"

Meng Li's smile didn't change: "Not liking to kill people doesn't mean I won't kill people."

Xiao Yuer was still unwilling to give up, or perhaps he wanted to test Meng Li.

He said: "Even if your Martial Arts are formidable, the world is vast. I can hide anywhere—say, flee back to Demon Island—and you won't be able to do anything to me."

Meng Li smiled: "That is indeed a viable method. But just because I can't find it doesn't mean others can't. While Demon Island is certainly hard to locate, Brother Yu doesn't truly believe that besides you, absolutely no one else knows where it is, do you?"

"If that were the case, how did the Ghost Doctor Chang Bai Cao and Yan Nantian find it?"

Xiao Yuer's heart skipped a beat.

Meng Li continued: "The reason Demon Island hasn't been found by outsiders for so many years is partly due to its remote location and environmental constraints, but more importantly, there is nothing on Demon Island valuable enough to covet—at least nothing that would make everyone rush there."

"Otherwise, no matter how powerful the Troublemaker Master was, he couldn't prevent that prison from being breached."

Xiao Yuer's eyes flickered, appearing thoughtful.

Meng Li glanced at him, hinting meaningfully: "Being smart is a good thing, but if you think you are so smart that you lose all reverence and underestimate the people of the world, that is merely petty cleverness, or even self-deception. Even an extraordinary figure like the Troublemaker Master only managed to trap 'a group' of villains."

"Moreover, some of those villains might not have been truly heinous."

"If it weren't so, you wouldn't have lived until now."

Xiao Yuer's eyelids twitched, looking surprised and uncertain: "Brother Meng, I feel like... you seem to know everything."