806 Lifes a Stage, and Were All Actors! (1/2)

Xie Haiyang gave Wang Baole what seemed like a smile before coughing softly and speaking with a mild tone.

”Since we're old pals, you should get the best deals. How about… a 20% discount?”

Wang Baole's eyes brightened when he heard what Xie Haiyang had said. He abandoned the idea of leaving and, instead, burst out laughing and approached Xie Haiyang. He stopped ten feet away from the latter, then spoke loudly, his eyes shining with the joy of meeting an old friend in a foreign land.

”Xie Haiyang, Fellow Daoist Xie, haha, it's been a long while since we last saw each other. I didn't expect to see you here. I was afraid of speaking to you earlier, but after looking closely for a long while, I could finally confirm… that you're indeed Xie Haiyang, my old friend.”

Wang Baole sighed, a distant look entering his eyes as he reminisced about the past. Happiness shone visibly on his face. So obvious was his pleasure that it almost seemed like an act…

”Fellow Daoist Haiyang, I never would've imagined bumping into you here. Destiny is such a strange and mysterious thing, I feel. But that's also why life is so beautiful and amazing,” Wang Baole said as he took a seat.

After a round of hearty sighs, he blinked and said, seemingly nonchalantly, ”Since this is your store and I'm getting a 20% discount on account of us being friends, I'll have to show my support and buy more stuff.”

Xie Haiyang was stunned by Wang Baole's sudden friendliness, and hesitation flickered in his eyes. He eyed Wang Baole carefully, then asked suddenly, ”What's your name, Fellow Daoist?”

”Eh?” Wang Baole froze momentarily. He remained smiling as he replied in the next instant, ”I'm Baole. Fellow Daoist Haiyang, have you forgotten my name?”

A strange look settled on Xie Haiyang's face when he heard that, and the hesitation in his eyes deepened. He appeared to be doubting his judgment. He had felt a faint mark on Long Nanzi that he had left on some of Wang Baole's items in the latter's storage bag when he had been in the Federation.

It was a mysterious mark. Even powerful cultivators wouldn't have noticed it without taking a deliberate, careful look. It had been passed down from his clan's patriarch. Members of his clan used the unique mark on clients they planned to invest heavily in. The mark allowed other members of the clan to recognize these clients easily. In addition, it also allowed them to appear whenever their clients were in need of their services. There were no ill intentions behind the setting of the mark. In fact, to a certain extent, it was a sign of blessing.

The aura and vibes that Long Nanzi was giving off were drastically different from the client on whom he had remembered imprinting the mark.

That had been the reason for his earlier test. He hadn't gotten a conclusive outcome from the first test. So, after picking up his cup of tea, he attempted a second test. Long Nanzi's reaction made him more certain of his guesses.

After all… despite his travels across numerous civilizations, the Federation was the only one that had a custom of ending a conversation and having a guest take his leave simply by one's picking up his teacup.

However… Long Nanzi's next reaction raised further suspicions. Long Nanzi's admission… had come too easily. It was clear that he had done so intentionally and had done so in order to get a discount.

After some time, Xie Haiyang decided to give up guessing. He stared at Wang Baole and asked openly, ”Senior Brother Baole, what's your last name?”

”Ah?” Wang Baole pretended to look stunned and confused. He seemed unable to understand how his old acquaintance could have forgotten his family name. He was secretly pleased, though.

He had no idea how Xie Haiyang had seen through his guise. Regardless, he had no intention of revealing his true identity and hadn't wanted to admit to knowing Xie Haiyang in the first place. The man had picked up his teacup and lured him into taking his leave unwittingly, which ultimately exposed his guise. Someone else might not have made a connection, but Wang Baole knew Xie Haiyang to be an extraordinary character. He knew that Xie Haiyang would notice something.

That had been why Wang Baole had improvised and switched from being on the defensive to being on the offensive. He put on an act of pretending to be an acquaintance for the purposes of getting a discount. He knew that his plan worked when Xie Haiyang asked that question. After the moment of surprise and incomprehension, Wang Baole allowed a dark look to settle on his face as he stood up in anger.