Chapter 206: The Double!

“You injured Uncle Wang, which really angered me, but you’re wrong about one thing. Though Uncle Wang is hurt, he isn’t dead,” Wan Shixuan said, spreading his hands, his expression calm, his tone lofty. “For someone of my stature, Uncle Wang’s injuries are easily healable, so there’s no deep grudge between us. As long as you accept my offer, I swear on my family’s honor, I will not seek revenge.”

Wan Shixuan, true to his heritage as a scion of a wealthy family, spoke persuasively, subtly emphasizing his status to make Lin Xiao wary.

Someone with lesser resolve might have been swayed by Wan Shixuan’s eloquence and agreed to his terms.

Unfortunately for Wan Shixuan, he was dealing with Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao’s will was ironclad. Once he set a goal, nothing could sway him.

“What about the others?” Lin Xiao asked, his voice even.

“The others? Are you referring to Blood Shadow and his group or the mercenaries?” Wan Shixuan believed he had influenced Lin Xiao and felt a surge of relief. “They aren’t truly my people. To me, they’re merely pawns. Besides, you’ve already killed Blood Shadow and destroyed the Night Order. Why worry about retaliation from an organization that no longer exists?”

He ended his plea with a challenge, trying to provoke Lin Xiao into a rash decision.

Wan Shixuan hoped that his lengthy explanation, even if not immediately convincing Lin Xiao, would at least make him ponder and buy himself more time.

During the skirmish between Lin Xiao and Wang Qi, Wan Shixuan had pressed a hidden alarm in his pocket. Once the alert was received, the mercenaries who had gone after Wan Caixuan would return in a few minutes.

By that time, even if Lin Xiao were exceedingly capable, escaping from Wan Shixuan’s clutches would be wishful thinking.

With malicious thoughts swirling in his mind, Wan Shixuan maintained a gentle smile on his face, his eyes eagerly awaiting Lin Xiao’s response.

However, Lin Xiao’s next words caused Wan Shixuan’s heart to sink.

“Sorry, no matter what you say, I can’t trust you. Please lend me your phone.”

Lin Xiao extended his hand toward Wan Shixuan, palm open, maintaining direct eye contact.

Wan Shixuan’s body trembled slightly, a sense of indescribable defeat rising in his heart. He said, frustrated, “You should think carefully about the consequences of offending me. What benefit is there for you in handing me over to Wan Caixuan?”

“A man’s promise is worth its weight in gold, that’s all.” Lin Xiao’s face remained expressionless, his voice deep and resonant, “I know someone like you will never understand. Now, give me the phone. Don’t make me ask a second time.”

Wan Shixuan’s eyes flickered, but eventually, he gave up resisting. He grudgingly took out his phone from his pocket and tossed it to Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao caught Wan Shixuan’s phone and crushed it with a forceful grip, creating a cracking sound.

Wan Shixuan’s eyelid twitched, but he did not speak to stop it.

Then, Lin Xiao took out his own phone and dialed Wan Caixuan’s number.

Just a few seconds after the call was made, it was quickly answered, and Wan Caixuan’s cool, pleasant voice came through, “Lin Xiao, are you alright?”

Even through the phone, the concern in Wan Caixuan’s tone was evident.

“I’m fine, and I’ve also achieved the goal of this trip. I’ve captured Wan Shixuan,” Lin Xiao said calmly.

“You’ve captured Wan Shixuan?” Wan Caixuan’s voice suddenly rose, her tone revealing immense shock.

It was a rare loss of composure.

No wonder Wan Caixuan was astonished. She had never expected Lin Xiao to truly accomplish such a feat.

Wan Shixuan, one of the heirs to the Wan family, was extremely afraid of death and was always surrounded by a large group of protectors. Lin Xiao, despite his capabilities, was just one person. How could he possibly break through such heavy protection and capture Wan Shixuan?

Thus, from the beginning, Wan Caixuan hadn’t held much hope for this endeavor. She was more concerned about Lin Xiao’s safety than capturing Wan Shixuan.

But now, Lin Xiao had managed to do something that seemed completely impossible. How could Wan Caixuan not be surprised?

After the initial shock came immense joy.

Wan Caixuan had no doubt about the truth of Lin Xiao’s words. She understood his character well enough to know he was above lying.

However…

“Are you sure it’s really Wan Shixuan?” Wan Caixuan bit her delicate lip, pondering, “Could it be Wan Shixuan’s body double?”

“A body double?”

“Yes, because the position of heir is so crucial, each heir has a body double for safety reasons. Wan Shixuan is extremely afraid of death. He rarely uses his real body when going out.”

Lin Xiao’s expression grew contemplative, recalling the cryptic words Xuan Yue had uttered before she disappeared. He raised his eyes, scrutinizing Wan Shixuan’s handsome face carefully. When he noticed something off about the skin near Wan Shixuan’s ear, his gaze sharpened.

“Hold on, I need to check something.”

After ending the call, Lin Xiao ignored Wan Shixuan’s struggles and searched him, quickly finding a tiny earpiece near his ear. Upon examining the skin near the ear, Lin Xiao felt a seam and yanked.

A crisp tearing sound followed. Lin Xiao held in his hand an extremely thin, transparent mask, revealing the ‘Wan Shixuan’ on the ground now had a face that was somewhat similar, but not identical to the original.

“Who are you?”

“Haha, haven’t you guessed who I am already?” ‘Wan Shixuan’ laughed heartily. “Do you think the young master would risk his own safety? Let me tell you, the young master has never even been to Jinghai City.”

Lin Xiao frowned slightly as he looked at the laughing face of ‘Wan Shixuan’ and at Wang Qi, who lay unconscious on the ground. He was frustrated to realize that he had wasted half a day capturing a body double.

This encounter also deepened Lin Xiao’s understanding of Wan Shixuan’s cunning and caution.

Previously, Lin Xiao had known of Wan Shixuan only as someone who had hired assassins to target Wan Caixuan, without ever having direct contact with him. He had only known him to be ruthless.

Today was Lin Xiao’s first direct encounter with Wan Shixuan, revealing not just his ruthlessness but also his extreme caution.

He had carefully set up an ambush, including Dark Force masters and mercenaries under the protection of the Dark Night organization, all to avoid personal risk. From Wang Qi’s behavior, it seemed he hadn’t even known that ‘Wan Shixuan’ was a body double.

Lin Xiao didn’t know the exact relationship between Wang Qi and Wan Shixuan, but given Wang Qi’s abilities as a Dark Force master and his prior form of address, he must have been important to Wan Shixuan.

Yet, even Wang Qi had been unaware that he was dealing with a body double.

At that moment, the tiny earpiece Lin Xiao had found near ‘Wan Shixuan’s’ ear suddenly activated.

“Lin Xiao’s identity is unknown, suspected to be a former soldier, service unit number unknown. He joined Brilliant Aya Limited half a month ago and became the personal bodyguard of Brilliant Aya CEO Wan Caixuan. He has twice thwarted assassination attempts against Wan Caixuan and is highly trusted by her.”