Chapter 279: The Counter-Bargaining Deal

Zheng Tian’s words took Li Yan by surprise because Nian Yufei’s attitude and what Zheng Tian had mentioned suggested that she hadn’t told them about the events of the past.

Reflecting on it, it seemed normal. As Zheng Tian said, Nian Yufei was as calm as ever, with no joy or sorrow, and yet she approached him in a particularly proactive way, which was unusual. If it was just because he had saved her twice, surely there would have been bodyguards who also saved her over the years, without this effect.

He chuckled: "What do you mean? What do you mean by saying I was there back then?"

Zheng Tian quickly said: "Don’t misunderstand, I’m not trying to investigate what happened. It’s just that based on my understanding of Fei’Er, saving her twice isn’t enough for her to have such a strong interest in you. It’s more than interest; it’s an attachment, stronger than her attachment to me or to Old Mu."

"..."

"Seven years ago—now it should be eight years ago. When we arrived, the house was full of dead bodies, including Ah Yu. Fei’Er was in shock, the security system had been tampered with, and the surveillance footage was gone. We couldn’t figure out the exact process, but we could imagine the horror. How did a group of bloodthirsty professional assassins fall in such an environment? Even Ah Yu... How did Fei’Er, who wasn’t hiding in a very concealed place, survive?"

Zheng Tian continued talking to himself: "We have no definitive answers for these questions. At the time, neither Old Mu nor I were in the mood to delve into it. There were only two strong messages for us: Ah Yu was dead! Fei’Er was alive, but her condition was concerning! We were afraid of triggering Fei’Er’s most terrifying memories, so we didn’t dare to ask her what exactly happened, how she survived, or who saved her.

Later, a psychologist mentioned that making her recall and confront that incident would be unbearable for someone Fei’Er’s age; however, using hypnosis to help her remember the event would reveal more information, which would allow for better treatment planning.

We agreed to try that, but her psychological trauma was too severe for hypnosis to work. Any inquiry about that day nearly drove her to collapse, and we couldn’t watch her suffer, so we avoided the subject altogether. So up until now, we don’t know what actually occurred that day.

But one thing is certain, there had to be someone, a formidable person, who saved her there, protected her, and remained with her until we arrived. Under such circumstances, it’s inevitable that a girl not yet ten years old would develop an almost spiritual attachment to the person who saved her from the brink of death and continually protected her.

Over the years, Fei’Er has become increasingly quiet, only showing a noticeable change after meeting you. You are someone who can evoke normal human emotions in her, make her happy, make her care. And this outcome is not something that happens from merely saving her twice in passing. Because now she’s no longer the child she once was; she has seen numerous assassinations and is accustomed to being protected."

After speaking, Zheng Tian looked at Li Yan: "So, after discussing with Old Mu, we boldly speculated that you might be the embodiment of the faith that has always existed in her heart, the guardian deity on whom her soul relies! Considering your skills, you’re likely a top-tier assassin. This solidifies the notion that you must have been one of the assassins initially going for the task back then. But when you saw Ah Yu’s tragic death and Fei’Er’s helplessness, you abandoned your assassin mission and chose to protect her, even at the cost of opposing the other assassins! That’s what I really want to thank you for!"

Saying this, Zheng Tian stood up once again and bowed deeply to Li Yan!

Seeing how these two veterans had analyzed everything to this extent and had already concluded on this, Li Yan had no further reason to deny. "You’re right, I used to be an assassin. At that time, I was taking on a lot of assignments. When I arrived on site, your wife was already dead, and someone else who arrived first was about to kill Nian Yufei... I couldn’t bring myself to harm a child, and in front of me, I couldn’t just watch him kill a child, so I killed him and saved your daughter."

His voice was calm. Such actions blurred the lines between right and wrong. Saving a little girl had her and her family eternally grateful, yet in doing so, he killed other assassins—did they deserve to die? It was simply about following his own convictions and feelings.

Thus, Li Yan never felt like it was a glorious, righteous, or thankful deed, so he eventually forgot about it.

He then regained his stern demeanor: "The incident on Cloud Island was also a coincidence; I saved her on a whim. The subsequent time was because it involved a friend of mine and was not directly related to Nian Yufei. You don’t expect me to provide after-sales service, do you?"

Zheng Tian felt a bit awkward, "You saved her several times; that’s already an incredibly rare opportunity, so of course, I wouldn’t dare ask for more. It’s just that... you’ve been quite fateful with each other, and now you’re also friends with Fei’Er, right? So saving her one last time, to completely eliminate her troubles..."

Seeing no change in Li Yan’s expression, he quickly amended his words: "Of course, Fei’Er and you are friends, and I haven’t earned the right to be your friend yet. It’s not Fei’Er asking you, it’s me asking for your help, and it certainly can’t be just pure help. I wonder if Brother Li Yan is interested in a deal? This amount!"