Turning the Tables

Amarun could recognize the Santalite Order's emblem; its unique craftsmanship and the marks of years of use were unmistakable.

These spoils prove that the man before them was not lying.

Amarun knew very well what a terrifying organization the Zantarins were; their influence spanned the entire continent, and they had spies everywhere, even within her own family.

If Ye Wei'an really raided their camps multiple times and seized tons of smuggled goods... then he couldn't possibly be the smuggler she hated.

On the contrary, he was an enemy of the Santalite Order, a hunter of venomous snakes, and the kind of person she admired and even respected...

This is how it should be.

I misunderstood him.

A wave of intense shame washed over Amarun as she thought about her earlier accusations and misunderstandings.

She abruptly lowered her head, burying half her face in the rough fabric of her robe, no longer daring to look Ye Wei'an in the eye.

After a long pause, her muffled voice came from behind her robe: "Heh... collecting these bloody spoils, your fetish is really... peculiar."

She paused, her voice lower, "Or do you have some personal grudge against them?"

Although her words were still barbed, Ye Wei'an could see from the minimap that the light representing Amarune quickly changed from light red to dark green.

This represents immense goodwill.

It seems this girl is the stubborn, argumentative type.

Ignoring her awkwardness, Ye Wei'an cut to the chase: "So, you admit you misunderstood me, right?"

"Yes...so what if it is, but I'm talking about your fetish..."

Amalune tried to change the subject, but Yevian stuck to the same thing:

"So, you admit you misunderstood me, right?"

Seeing that she couldn't avoid it, Amarun simply gave up and went all out.

"Yes! I misread it! Okay? I misunderstood you, my 'partner of justice'!" She practically shouted these words.

"Are you satisfied now? So, Your Excellency Ye Wei'an, the esteemed and righteous one, what exactly is the purpose of going to such lengths to prove this to me? It can't really be something as trivial as correcting my mistaken impression of you, can it?"

Judging from her aggressive demeanor, Ye Wei'an had a general understanding of her personality.

This girl must have lived alone in the slums for a long time, turning herself into a little hedgehog.

Such people find it difficult to trust strangers, and they always pretend to be tough, rarely revealing their weakness.

To win over this kind of person requires a long period of getting to know them.

But if you want to make a breakthrough in a short period of time, you have to create some opportunities to get straight to the point.

Ye Wei'an had already figured out how to deal with her.

"I want you," he suddenly said.

"What...?!" Amarun's face flushed red instantly. "What nonsense are you talking about?!"

"I want you to be my companion," Ye Wei'an added slowly. "You are so young, yet you are already such an excellent sorcerer, managing to outwit a group of nobles. I greatly admire your talent, your keenness, and your courage."

He looked at Amarune intently: "A talent like yours shouldn't be wasted in Susar's shadow, merely as... an urban legend in the world of thieves."

"Companion...?" Amarun repeated the word.

Although she was reluctant to admit it, hearing Ye Wei'an's approval made her so excited that she almost agreed on the spot.

But the composure she had developed from years of independent living, and her fear of the unknown, made her endure it.

"Thank you for the invitation, but... I think things are fine as they are. I'm free, I can steal from whomever I want, and I can live however I want. Right now... I don't want to change anything."

"free?"

Ye Wei'an pointed out incisively, "Are you referring to this kind of precarious freedom, or the freedom where you could be seized by guards or executed by nobles at any moment? Or the freedom, like tonight, where you're forced to become a masked dancer because of an accident?"

Amalune was speechless, but immediately retorted defiantly, "Mind your own business! I know what I'm doing!"

"If you walk by the river long enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet." Ye Wei'an shook his head. "Amarun, you are strong enough, smart enough, and lucky enough. That's why you were able to earn the title of 'Shadow of Silence'."

"But luck won't always be on your side. One mistake, one accident, could ruin you forever. Are you willing to entrust your future to the favor of Tamora?"

That hits the nail on the head.

Amalune had always harbored this worry deep in her heart.

She fell silent, her body, wrapped in a robe, curling up slightly.

"...Then what can I do if I follow you?" After a while, she asked in a low voice, "Continue to be...a more skillful thief? Steal the lord's scepter for you, or the king's crown?"

"No, what I need is for you to come with me to the West Frontier, to the Thun Plains."

"The Plains of Thun?" Amarun had heard of it too. "Go with you to that cursed bandit's lair? Go there... to expand your territory?"

"That's right, actually, I am a pioneering lord." Ye Weian introduced the pioneering territory to her, "There is no fixed aristocratic order there, no entrenched network of interests, only desolation, danger, and endless possibilities. We need to establish order amidst chaos, building the territory from scratch. This is difficult, much more difficult and dangerous than any treasury you face in Susar..."

Amarun listened attentively and was not frightened by his words.

Yevian continued, "But precisely because of this, there, all the gains—a safe home, a secure power, a respected position, and even more in the future—will be created by ourselves. You no longer need to steal others' wealth; you can create your own. Isn't that more meaningful than living in constant fear in Susar?"

Amarun fell into deep thought.

She recalled Ye Weian's witty conversation at the club that evening, and the deals that had been made...

"So," she murmured, "everything you did at the club tonight... all those deals you made, all those connections you established, all those relationships you cultivated, and all that 'snatching' you mentioned... was it all for this? To expand into that godforsaken place?"

"Of course." Ye Wei'an nodded without hesitation. "Expansion requires resources, funds, manpower, and dealing with all sorts of expected and unexpected 'troubles.' Therefore, I need to accumulate all the strength I can."

"And talents like you," he said, looking at Amarune, "are exactly what the frontier needs most, and what is hardest to find."

Amalune asked curiously: So all of this tonight is preparation for the expansion?

Ye Wei'an: Of course.

Amalune looked at him and remained silent for a long while before sighing softly, her tone complex: "...As expected of a scion of a great family, even when going to the border to explore, they still have to prepare so many supplies."

Ye Wei'an denied her guess: "You misunderstand. I am not from any prominent family. My father is just a border baron, and I am not even the heir, but just an illegitimate child."

"You're actually... a bastard? And your army and supplies..." Amarun didn't know how many times he had surprised her today.

"Everything I have now—my power, my resources, and even the right to sit in the 'Dragon Knights' club tonight to do business—is something I earned myself, bit by bit."

Amarun was completely stunned.

A bastard...starting from scratch...wiping out the Zantallius camp...chatting and laughing with the great nobles...

A series of pieces of information pieced together a completely different image in her mind.

The man in front of me is the same kind of person as me.

They are all people who operate outside the so-called "right path," relying on their own abilities to seize the capital for survival and development in the cracks and even in enemy territory.

But the difference is that he did it better than I did.

This thought filled her with mixed feelings: a sense of resentment, admiration, and an indescribable sense of closeness.

In the dim light, that handsome, otherworldly face seemed to be shrouded in a holy light.

But Amarun habitually refused to back down verbally.

"...Hmph, you make it sound so easy. In the end, she's just a darling of Tamora (the goddess of fortune)."

"Whether it's luck or not is a matter of opinion," Ye Wei'an said dismissively, then asked, "So, what's your answer? Are you prepared to decline my invitation, the 'darling of Tamora'?"

"...I agree."

This time, Ye Wei'an was a little surprised.

"So decisive? I thought you needed more time to consider, or to negotiate."

"Who told you I have something on you?" Amalun turned her head, her voice sounding defiant. "You know I'm the 'Shadow of Silence,' and you witnessed my crime scene and the evidence. What if you report me if I don't agree?"

Ye Wei'an saw right through her "saying one thing but doing another".

Ye Wei'an didn't expose her, and said directly, "A wise choice. Well then, welcome to the team, Amarune."

"...Hmm." Amalune groaned reluctantly. "The deal's done. Are you satisfied?"

She waved her hand impatiently, "Now you can go, right? I need to rest."

Seemingly relieved by the deal, Amalune forgot her current state.

With a wave of her hand, the only robe she used to cover her body suddenly slipped off her shoulders.

Suddenly, large expanses of smooth, wheat-colored skin were exposed to Ye Wei'an's eyes, gradually revealing herself from her rounded shoulders to the hollows of her collarbones, and then to the breathtaking curves of her waist.

No longer needing to consider how to persuade the other party, Ye Wei'an inevitably relaxed, and the scenery before him gently touched a chord in his heart.

"What if you run away after I leave?" He suddenly changed his tone. "After all, this is a slum. If you really want to hide, I'm afraid it won't be easy for me to find you."

"You!" Amalune hadn't expected him to be so "petty." "I said I wouldn't run away, and I mean it! I, Amalune Whitewave, may not be a big shot, but I always keep my promises!"

"Words are no proof," Ye Wei'an shook his head, looking worried. "People's hearts are unpredictable, especially... you're a highly skilled sorcerer. What if you change your mind? The slums are so big, I might not be able to find you."

"Then what do you want?!" Amarun was annoyed by his distrust.

Seeing her puffed-up face, Ye Wei'an suddenly changed the subject: "You seem to have forgotten that besides the agreement we just reached, you still owe me a favor."

Amalune was taken aback: "What? Didn't I already agree to go with you? Isn't that enough?"

"Inviting you to be my companion is based on my appreciation of your abilities," Ye Wei'an explained calmly. "But the favor you owe me is another matter entirely. Let's keep things separate."

Amalune was even more confused: "So, what do you want?"

"Using this method to gain favor was an option you yourself suggested."

Before he finished speaking, he had already lifted that thin barrier, his warm body temperature and irresistible aura covering her.

Amalune's body tensed instantly. She pressed her hand against his chest, saying in embarrassment and anger, "You...! You clearly said you weren't here for this!"

"I did say that," Ye Wei'an lowered his head and covered her small earlobe, the sudden touch making her tremble. "But that doesn't mean I'd be stupid enough to refuse a kind offer."

"Who, who delivered themselves to my door!" Amarun twisted her body, trying to break free from Ye Weian's grip.

Unfortunately, this Lv.6 trickster was actually outmaneuvered by Ye Wei'an, a sorcerer.

Ye Wei'an didn't answer, but instead lowered his head and touched her stubborn lips.

As the exploration deepened, Amarun let out a muffled whimper, her tense body gradually softening, and the hand that had been pressing against his chest loosened its grip and instead grabbed his shoulder.

Her response went from unfamiliar to bold, and she even began to take the initiative.

Ye Wei'an released his grip on her wrist, and Amarun's freed hand immediately climbed up his back.

The atmosphere heated up amidst silence and increasingly heavy breathing.

At some point, Amarun loosened the man's belt, and the two finally became naked before each other.

Then Ye Wei'an realized how vulnerable he was as a sorcerer in front of a trickster.

Taking advantage of Ye Weian's momentary lapse in concentration, Amarun exerted her strength in her waist and legs, and with a clean and swift flip, she pinned him down, straddling his waist like a purple dragon knight. Her black hair was disheveled and her wheat-colored dice trembled and rose and fell with her panting.

"What," she gasped, her hoarse voice tinged with triumphant excitement, "you're allowed to launch surprise attacks, but not to retaliate?"

After saying that, she bent down and, mimicking his earlier actions, bit his earlobe, leaving a trail of fine, slightly vengeful marks along his jawline...

In the ensuing battle, she completely took control.

这是力量10、敏捷18、体质12，对力量10、敏捷11、体质11的碾压。

Unwilling to admit defeat, Ye Weian had no choice but to mobilize his cursed fire magic and cast the [Acceleration] spell on himself at the crucial moment, launching a surprise attack that crushed his opponent who had the upper hand and successfully turned the tables.

That wasn't all. He then cast [Vibrant Aura] on himself, determined to win another round in the battle of endurance.

……