Chapter 124: Mutually Testing Each Other

The previously courteous Huang Gou suddenly pointed his gun at Xiao Zhiang and Gu Feng. If it were an ordinary person, they would definitely be a little flustered.
However, Xiao Zhiang and Gu Feng showed no sign of anything unusual. "What is my ideal? What do I really think in my heart? Even if I tell you now, you can't discern whether my words are true or false. Therefore, there is no need for you to threaten me with a gun."
Xiao Zhiang said these words, took a step forward slowly, and placed his finger on the front end of Yellow Dog's gun barrel, gently moving it away. "Your guns are meant to protect yourselves and the nearby civilians, not be pointed at them."
Maybe Xiao Zhiang's reaction was too unusual, and Huang Gou and the others hesitated for a moment.
"Alright, lead the way ahead, let's go see Liu Hai together." Xiao Zhiang walked ahead confidently, ignoring the stunned looks of the others behind him.
"By the way, don't perform this play anymore. Move quickly, so that you won't be trapped in the mountains when it gets dark later." After walking a few steps, Xiao Zhiang suddenly turned around and said to Huang Gou and the five soldiers.
闻言，所有人脸色大变，尴尬！
是的，刚开始萧志昂还真的以为这是两拨不同势力的人。但很快他就发现了一个问题，这明显就是一场戏。
Regardless of whether it is the yellow dog or the five people who have been following him, they are all in the same group.
They deliberately staged such a play to find out which side Xiao Zhiang is on.
"How did you see through it?" Yellow Dog was completely puzzled.
"It's simple. Since you belong to two different factions, why did you only take away his gun instead of killing him?" Yellow Dog suddenly realized what had happened.
It is indeed a loophole, because such a rebellion must not be leaked. How could the cunning yellow dog who knows this kind of interest relationship leave those five alive?
"Now it's my turn to ask you a question, are you anti-Wendao or in favor of Wendao?" Xiao Zhiang has not expressed his willingness clearly because he doesn't know how many words of this group of people, including Liu Hai, are true and how many are false.
This group of people did indeed set up a scheme and staged a play to test whether Xiaozhiaoang was loyal to Wendao, but Xiaozhiaoang could not, through this play, discern the true intentions of these people.
万一萧志昂表露出自己有反心，而对面那群人却是假装自己要谋反，实际上却对文刀一片赤诚，那他肯定会被关起来扭送回第四区。
If Xiaozhiaong expressed his loyalty to Wendao, but this group of people really wanted to rebel, he would just be walking into a trap and would surely be silenced.
Therefore, Xiaozhiaong decided to say nothing, because he couldn't trust anyone easily.
When Xiao Zhiang and Huang Gou were talking, Huang Gou didn't give a direct answer. "You should talk to our Liu Hai officer about this."
……
Returning to the Shihu Mountain area once again, Xiao Zhiang and Liu Hai sat facing each other in silence.
This is a game.
Because neither side can determine the true thoughts of the other.
After a long time, Liu Hai spoke first.
"I know what you're worried about, and I understand your concerns. Likewise, I have my own concerns and worries, we're the same."
"Do you know where I'm from? There's a town nearby called Yushui Town. It's always surrounded by tiny black bugs. The people inside can't get out and the people outside can't get in. We always thought that these bugs would cause people to die inexplicably after attacking them. It wasn't until we came to the mine that we found out that people who were attacked by these bugs would be sent to work in the mountain as miners."
"The sudden appearance of the little black bugs, I think it must be related to Wen Dao and his group. Maybe it was caused by their indiscriminate logging. And in our neighboring towns, everyone used to live peacefully. But ever since the appearance of Wen Dao and some soldiers, the whole mountain village has become eerily quiet and everyone lives in fear every day."
"So I'm not afraid to tell you straight out that I intend to drive Wen Dao and his army out of this mine. And give back the peace that Yugui Town once had."
Finally, Xiao Zhiang decided to trust the tray. Because he knew very well that if Liu Hai and his gang had any intentions of turning on him, and he didn't stand with them, they would kill him to keep him quiet. And if Liu Hai and his gang had no such intentions, even if he trusted the tray, he would only be exchanging one bullet for another. But the one thing in this world that Xiao Zhiang wasn't afraid of was death.
大不了死了以后重生，然后假意改变一下自己的立场。
And most importantly, he must take this step. Because Liu Hai and they have time to spend with him, and if he doesn't speak up first, they will persist forever.
During the conversation, Xiao Zhiang kept looking at Liu Hai's expression, trying to catch some hints from his eyes.
Sure enough, after hearing Xiao Zhiang's words, Liu Hai fell silent for a moment before revealing a smile.
"How can I be sure you're telling the truth?"
"I've already laid out my cards in front of you. If you're truly loyal to Wendao, you could easily pull the trigger and end my life. Do you think I would joke about something like this?"
Just like Xiao Zhiang worried, Liu Hai dare not assure them that Xiao Zhiang is not fooling them.
So both sides are gambling.
Gambling like risking their lives.
Liu Hai calmly looked at Xiao Zhiang, and a minute later, he finally reached out his hand: "I have over a hundred brothers behind me."
With just one sentence, Liu Hai showed his faith.
Xiao Zhiang smiled and held Liu Hai's hand. "I have thousands of villagers behind me."
Their cooperation has been achieved, and they both placed their hopes for hundreds and thousands of people behind them in this handshake.
"We already knew about the situation with the giant white moth that you mentioned. If it wasn't for you discovering it, we wouldn't have intervened and tested you," Liu Hai's words confirmed Xiao Zhiang's suspicions.
He has never figured out why Liu Hai suddenly arranged such a play to test him.
He could have simply killed himself or pretended to know nothing and put himself back in the fourth district.
However, since he chose to test himself, he must have discovered some undisclosed secrets.
Now it seems that the big white moth is the key.
"The big white moth is located 20 miles away in the mountains. Usually, it does not move, but we have found a particularly strange phenomenon. Whenever it rains in the mountains and the water level of the Shihu River rises, the big white moth will give Hong Tongzi seeds of red root grass."
"What is the reason behind it? Did you investigate it?"
"Through our observation for over a year, we found that whenever those red pandas eat the red roots, they would migrate in groups to a cliff near the upper stream of the Shihu River. They gather there, as if guarding something."
Xiao Zhiang fell into deep thought after hearing these words. "As long as the water level rises, those red flying fish will go upstream to guard. Does that not suggest one thing? As long as the water level rises, a certain location upstream will be revealed, and that location is precisely where the White Moth does not want others to see."
"What you said is correct. There is a cave there and we suspect that it is the entrance to the tomb,"
Liu Hai said.