Let them offer their loyalty!

Chapter 228 Larilo's Clone Turns Out to Be Her! (10k Words to Ask for Subscription!)

Of course, this "poison" is not the same "poison" as the other.

Qiu Tu hadn't suspected that Larilo would poison the bodies of those women so that once he had relations with them, he would be poisoned himself.

He guessed that Larilo's abilities were likely related to having relations.

Those women were probably implanted with something like a "gu": as long as he had deep interactions with them, there was a high probability that he would be "infected" by those things or be "marked". From then on, he would become a follower of Larilo.

Otherwise, he really couldn't explain why Larilo was so persistent in sending women to his side, or in using women to lure him.

She can't simply enjoy being a pimp, right?

Following this thought, Qiu Tu grew more and more convinced it was the case.

Even... he thought of more.

With this in mind, he couldn't help but glance at Qin Shuman, who was getting dressed beside the bed.

At that moment, seemingly sensing Qiu Tu's gaze, Qin Shuman finished dressing and lifted her eyes to look at Qiu Tu.

She brushed her hair and then joked with a smile, "What's the matter? Minister Qiu, have you really fallen for a beauty trap these days?"

Hearing Qin Shuman's words, Qiu Tu got up with a smile, drew her into his arms, and said, "Of course not."

"I just think you're right."

"Since Larilo keeps sending women my way, she's most likely plotting something against me."

Qiu Tu said, "So... I feel that her Cataclysmic ability is highly likely to be related to matters between men and women."

"Following that, I've thought of more."

Qiu Tu lifted Qin Shuman onto his lap and then began counting on his fingers as he analyzed for her, "You see."

"Larilo's ability has something to do with men and women."

"That's why Old Master Qin would use one of his personas to go around seducing and womanizing."

"So, through Jia Wei's actions, Larilo secretly brought Madame Kong to my side."

"Therefore, Zheng Tao's wife, Tan Huimin, is highly likely to have issues as well, which is why Zheng Tao was ensnared by Larilo."

"Calculating this way, have you noticed a problem?"

Qin Shuman clearly didn't understand Qiu Tu's implications. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she gazed at Qiu Tu with a puzzled expression.

Qiu Tu hinted, "All the women... who have come into contact with Larilo's followers seem to have some issues."

Qin Shuman remained somewhat perplexed at first, but the next second, she suddenly grasped the meaning behind Qiu Tu's words.

She stood up abruptly, then pointed at herself with a look of surprise and exclaimed, "Are you saying... this body?!"

Qiu Tu nodded solemnly.

This was an issue that had just occurred to Qiu Tu.

If Larilo's Cataclysm Path was "Reproduction", and her Cataclysmic ability was related to "matters between men and women", and she could plant "Dark Thunder" within women,

then... why hadn't she left Dark Thunder inside "Qin Shuman"?

Why hadn't Yan Chen, associated with "Qin Shuman", fallen under Larilo's control?

Keep in mind, the body of "Qin Shuman" was painstakingly created by Larilo's follower, Old Master Qin, over many years.

If Larilo could lay down Dark Thunder in Tan Huimin years ago or lure Zheng Tao, it proves she could have done the same with the body of "Qin Shuman".

Yet to this day, Yan Chen has been fine.

There are only three possibilities.

One, Yan Chen's Cataclysmic ability level is too high, making Larilo's ability ineffective on him.

Two, actually, Larilo's ability has already taken effect. Except... the person affected isn't Yan Chen, but Qiu Tu's predecessor.

Three, Yan Chen's identity is too sensitive, and Larilo has other plans for him.

These three possibilities are not entirely independent or singular, they're likely a combination of factors at play.

For example, Yan Chen's Cataclysmic ability level is too high, Larilo's ability doesn't affect him, so she simply settles for the next best thing, targeting Qiu Tu's predecessor.

Listening to Qiu Tu's analysis, Qin Shuman appeared to have her thoughts unlocked as well.

She stood up from Qiu Tu's lap and, with a look of excitement, started pacing the room while lost in thought.

After a moment, she stopped with her back to Qiu Tu, then suddenly turned around to face him and said, "So... this explains why both 'Qin Shuman' and 'Qiu Tu' suddenly had their souls wiped clean!"

"It also explains why Larilo is so familiar with you and has been targeting you."

Qiu Tu nodded and speculated, "I have a feeling Larilo does have something special for me. She seems to indeed have a particular interest in me."

"And as for Yan Chen... though I'm not sure what level of Cataclysmic he actually is."

"But I would guess he is no less than Director Tang."

Qiu Tu said, "I've had a discussion with Director Tang about Yan Chen's strength."

"Although she says that Yan Chen's strength is not as great as hers."

"But I think that alone indicates that Yan Chen's strength is noteworthy in her eyes."

"Meaning... he has likely advanced to a Third Order Cataclysmic."

"In that case, Larilo's ability probably really can't affect him, or it doesn't have as strong an effect on him."

"So, it's reasonable that she would instead target 'you' and 'me' as the next best thing..."

"This is probably also one of the reasons you and I possessed this body..."

Qin Shuman nodded slightly, her eyes revealing deep contemplation.

Then she asked, "What about the third point you mentioned? What do you think Larilo's plot is with Yan Chen?"

At this, Qiu Tu explained, "I don't know what the specific plot is."

"But I believe... Old Master Qin didn't choose his targets randomly."

While saying this, Qiu Tu got up and walked to the window, then pulled the curtain aside.

Xinjie City seemed exceptionally peaceful tonight, without wind or rain.

Moreover, there seemed to be many more lights in the nighttime city, like countless eyes lighting up in the darkness.

This represented Xinjie City's ever-increasing stability and prosperity.

Though Commissioner Jiang's presence in Xinjie City wasn't as prominent as the other two giants, nor was his personality as dominant.

His ability to facilitate infrastructure construction and economic development was nevertheless commendable.

This could be observed from the day-to-day transformative changes in Xinjie City.

While pondering this, Qiu Tu opened the window and took out a cigarette to light.

The night breeze caressed him as he squinted and took a deep drag, then said, "From my contact with Old Master Qin, it's apparent he's been completely brainwashed into a devout believer."

"Xinjie City has been designated as a Planning Area, and with the Qin Family's influence in Xinjie City, they could have received substantial rewards from any faction, without the need to take sides so early on."

"So, don't you find it strange that he reached out to Yan Chen so early and revived Yan Chen's wife."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Qin Shuman was startled and then pointed at her own body in surprise, saying, "What did you say? Do you mean this body uses the genes of Yan Chen's wife?"

Qiu Tu was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Did I not mention that piece of information just now?"

Qin Shuman shook her head.

Qiu Tu nonchalantly let out an "Oh" and then, with his hands on the bed's edge, continued to gaze into the night and said, "Well, now you know."

"'Qin Shuman's' body is genetically derived from Yan Chen. It's a clone of his wife, specially crafted by Old Master Qin to please Yan Chen."

Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire

After explaining this, Qiu Tu said indifferently, "But don't you think it's odd?"

"The Qin Family spent so many years 'reviving' Yan Chen's wife, yet after the establishment of Xinjie City, they didn't side with Yan Chen."

A hint of thoughtfulness flashed in Qin Shuman's eyes.

Following Qiu Tu's analysis, she continued to reason and extrapolate, "It is indeed unusual."

"The Qin Family only fully sided with Yan Chen after you set the trap."

"Before that, they had not allied with any of the three major forces. It seems they were holding out for a better deal."

"This indicates they knew their own worth and realized that at this stage, they didn't need to please Yan Chen."

Qin Shuman approached Qiu Tu, snatching the cigarette from his mouth.

As she snuffed it out, she continued her assessment, "As a result, the Qin Family did so much for Yan Chen, only to receive a Deputy Division Chief position in return. It does seem somewhat unreasonable."

She said, "Previously, this matter didn't attract much attention because most people were actually unaware of this transaction. And even if they knew, they would assume: The death of Old Master Qin led to the Qin Family losing contact with Yan Chen. That's why the two sides weren't close."

"But… later we found out that Old Master Qin wasn't dead. He stole the bodies of Qin Heng and Qin Cheng and continues to live in this world."

"This makes the matter truly worthy of contemplation."

Qiu Tu nodded with a smile, "Yes. The fact that Old Master Qin isn't dead brings an interesting twist to the entire event."

"One, the Qin Family hasn't broken contact with Yan Chen. Given the high price they paid, they theoretically shouldn't just let go."

"Two... and this is most important. To Old Master Qin, Qin Zhengguang, also known as Second Master Qin, is actually not important at all!"

"He even killed his own elder son, crafted a clone body for himself, and achieved immortality. Why... would he scheme so much and pay such a price for a second son?"

Qin Shuman nodded at his words and then agreed, "Yes. The fact that Old Master Qin is still alive makes the whole matter unreasonable."

"So, the most reasonable hypothesis is that: Old Master Qin acquiring a position for Qin Zhengguang was a sham, and the truth was to get close to Yan Chen to help him revive his wife."

At this point, Qin Shuman couldn't help but look towards Qiu Tu.

In the night, Qiu Tu was only wearing the black jacket of the Political Department, his chest exposed, and without the usual oppressive aura of a Political Department Investigator, he had an added air of a carefree wanderer.

Looking at Qiu Tu's handsome profile, Qin Shuman was also reminiscing about Qiu Tu's entire deduction.

The entire deduction seemed simple, yet it required a revolutionary way of thinking to overturn all previous impressions and conclusions, and to gather all the fragmented clues together for a new deduction.

And this demanded an exceptionally strong logical acumen and the ability to deduce from the details and clues.

She had already noticed that Qiu Tu was very different. Now, she found her impression of Qiu Tu refreshed once again...

'Perhaps... he really could become a great man to be looked up to.'

Thinking this, Qin Shuman involuntarily thought of her own family, her hand tightening slightly.

Possibly because he was looking at the night scenery, Qiu Tu hadn't noticed Qin Shuman's unusual expression. He was still reveling in the thrill of uncovering the whole truth of the event.

He whispered, "Shuman, do you know what conclusion I came to after deducing this result?"

Qin Shuman revived her attentiveness at his words.

She looked at Qiu Tu and asked, "What conclusion?"

Qiu Tu turned to her and said, "The conclusion is... I might have guessed who Larilo's possession has descended into."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Qin Shuman, who had been somewhat distracted, was startled, her body trembling involuntarily.

She quickly raised her head to look at Qiu Tu, "Who is it?"

Qiu Tu's lips curved into a smile, then he said with a chuckle, "Yanyan."

Having never previously included that name in her list of suspects, Qin Shuman frowned slightly, her mind racing back in recollection.

"Yanyan... Yanyan..."

After a moment, Qin Shuman had a sudden realization, "You mean Yan Chen's daughter Yanyan?"

She blurted out a wealth of information, "Yanyan, real name Yan Yan. 17 years old. The only daughter of Yan Chen. Grew up in the Sanctuary, loves flowers and plants."

"Has a soft and kind disposition. She once attended the Third Sanctuary [Agricultural University] for further studies. Specializes in plant cultivation and hybridization."

Having recalled the information, Qin Shuman couldn't help but ask curiously, "But... how did you deduce that she is Larilo's possession?"

-------

A 10,000-word chapter for you. I'm asking for your Monthly Tickets!

Continuing with a 10k daily word count tomorrow!