The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 94: Spy

She joined the Twelve Zodiac Signs through Officer Huang, and she didn’t belong to other organizations before that. She didn’t even know about the Twelve Zodiac Signs before.

Besides, she had been training with War Tiger since joining. There was no chance for her to be tempted by another organization and become a traitor.

Moreover, she had no reason to betray them based on what Gao Yang knew about her.

Then why did she stand up?

Before Gao Yang could overthink the matter, other members stood up one by one as well.

What’s going on? Why are they all standing up like they’ve agreed to do this beforehand?

How about me?

Should I do the same so that I’d fit in?

Gao Yang’s silent struggle was interrupted by a gentle yet irresistible will. It spoke to him directly like an actual voice, Stay in your seat.

His rational mind dictated that he should find it ridiculous and even terrifying, yet emotionally and instinctually, he was more than willing to obey the ‘voice’. It was strange to say the least.

The next thirty seconds, he stayed seated without a word and watched other members file out of the meeting room calmly and orderly.

Soon, there were only four people left: Dragon, War Tiger, Gao Yang, and Ghost Horse.

The soundless voice disappeared, and Gao Yang’s rational mind regained control over his body. His breathing quickened without him noticing, and his palms were covered in sweat.

Surprised, he looked sideways at the man in the main seat, Dragon. It was him!

Dragon must have used a Talent on him. He was certain of it!

And the others had left together because of his ‘instructions’ as well.

Dragon seemed to have read his mind, and he responded to Gao Yang’s shock with a smile, “You have Lie Detection, Gao Yang. You should stay and help with the interrogation.”

Gao Yang nodded, his mouth dry. “Okay.”

The man was an unknowable entity! He needed to be feared!

Thankfully...he wasn’t an enemy.

“I appreciate it.” Dragon nodded softly before shifting his gaze to the other end of the long table—Ghost Horse.

He sounded regretful as he said, “I gave you a chance.”

So it is Ghost Horse!

Gao Yang did his best to keep his calm.

He didn’t know much about Ghost Horse. Ghost Horse seemed like a regular middle-aged man who played the part of a lawyer working at a law firm in his everyday life. His physique was best described as average. He was neither fat nor thin, and nothing about his looks stood out. The only thing that set him a little apart was the shadows under his eyes, which gave him the air of exhaustion and depression that was common for corporate slaves.

He was usually quiet and kept to himself. He simply didn’t stand out.

His Talent was Telepathy, serial number 51, Psyche-type. As the name suggested, it allowed him to communicate with other humans through telepathy.

Not only did the Talent enable long-distance communication, it could also be used to differentiate humans from monsters. Gao Yang was told that monsters couldn’t detect the signals sent by Ghost Horse.

“You can’t make the judgment based solely on my Talent, Captain,” Ghost Horse said in a hoarse voice, his expression still impassive.

“Are you sure about this, Dragon?” War Tiger was surprised as well. “Ghost Horse has been with us for a long time. I know him pretty well. There’s no reason for him to betray us.”

“Captain.” Under the dim light, the shadows under Ghost Horse’s eyes seemed even darker. His gaze shifted around as he continued, “Please present the evidence if you suspect me a traitor.”

“There is evidence.” Dragons narrowed his eyes, his heterochromatic eyes glowing like beautiful gems under the light.

“Firstly, you had been with two different organizations before joining us, and you worked as an intelligence agent for the Qilin Guild. You have a complicated history.”

“Yes, but War Tiger said I would join with a clean slate, and I’ve kept nothing from the Twelve Zodiac Signs.” Ghost Horse sounded a little disappointed. “I thought being honest would win me the organization’s trust.”

Dragon didn’t deem that a response. “Secondly, after the ambush by the man called Mad Red, White Rabbit wiretapped every member’s mobile devices and kept track of all of your movements. Then Gao Yang was attacked again. Through the process of elimination, your Telepathy is the only Talent that would make the leak of information possible.”

“That’s pure speculation, Captain.” Ghost Horse didn’t budge. “A real spy will always find a way to leak information.”

“And I do not question that,” Dragon said with a smile.

“Those two points are nothing but your subjective guesses,” Ghost Horse insisted. “I reject them.”

“Thirdly.”

Dragon steepled his hands and rested them on the table. His expression was a mixture of seriousness and regret. “You have been keeping things from us for the past nine years since your joining.”

Ghost Horse’s eyes twitched. While his face still looked impassive, the air around him was thick with killing intent.

“Why did you never tell us about your second Talent?” asked Dragon.

“How did you know?” Ghost Horse’s voice turned chilling.

“Answer me,” Dragon said in a tone that was composed, but demanded obedience. “You are strong, yet you keep it a secret. What are you after?”

The meeting room fell silent.

Gao Yang was sweating from his palms, and he felt like he was sitting on thorns.

He was sitting right between Dragon and Ghost Horse.

While the conversation remained civil, there was a very real undercurrent of tension under the table. Gao Yang was terrified that they would make their killing moves suddenly, and he would be caught in the crossfire.

Should I stand up and hide behind Dragon and War Tiger?

This is a battle between whales. There’s nothing wrong for a shrimp like me to act a little cowardly, right?

While Gao Yang was debating with himself, he heard Dragon talk to him.

“Gao Yang.”

“Here.” Gao Yang immediately looked up like a student getting singled out by their teacher.

“Use Lie Detection.”

“Understood.”

Gao Yang took a deep breath and turned to look at Ghost Horse.

“Give me a straight answer, Ghost Horse. That night, when the Twelve Zodiac Signs traded with the Hundred Rivers Union, did you leak the whereabouts of White Rabbit and the others beforehand, or did you not?” Dragon was detailed and concrete with his question.

“I did not,” Ghost Horse said without even a crack in his poker face.

He’s lying.

Gao Yang’s heart sank, and a shudder ran down his spine. Ghost Horse was the spy!

No one talked in the meeting room. They were all waiting for the result of Gao Yang’s Lie Detection.

Gao Yang opened his mouth, but he couldn’t say a word.

He realized suddenly that the gentle but irresistible will was whispering to him in the ear again, patiently repeating, Stay quiet. Stay quiet.

Gao Yang decided to listen. In fact, his intuition and experience were telling him that giving the answer straight away would put him in danger.

The intangible will then instructed him softly, Blink if he lied.

Gao Yang didn’t even dare to shift his gaze to Dragon. With his eyes fixed straight ahead, he quickly blinked.

However minute, the blink didn’t escape the notice of the three men.

Swish!

Gao Yang heard a soft rustle. Then there was a clang by his ear.

When his eyes focused, Ghost Horse and War Tiger were both crouching on the meeting room table before Gao Yang.

Ghost Horse was holding a black karambit in his right hand. The short, sharp blade curled inward like a scorpion’s stinger. If he had been even half a second faster, Gao Yang’s throat would’ve been slit.

Thankfully, War Tiger had blocked the blade with his shortsword precisely. The two men were stuck in a battle of strength.

They had been about four meters away from Gao Yang, yet they were suddenly right in front of him in the blink of an eye.

It wasn’t the first time Gao Yang stared death in the eyes, but the heavy, volatile pressure still weighed on him, and his heart started pounding crazily after a one-second delay.

Thud.

Thud, thud, thud.

Stuck in a room with two assassins, his survival wouldn’t be a guarantee even if he had nine lives!

Gao Yang remained in his seat. He didn’t dare to even move a muscle.

“Talent: Teleportation, serial number 19, Time-Space-type.” Dragon spoke at a deliberate pace. “As an outstanding assassin, Ghost Horse, why have you been laying low in our organization for nine years?”

“Why?” Ghost Horse smiled coldly. It was the first time Gao Yang had ever seen the man smile, but somehow, he saw a broken sadness in that expression.

“Of course...it’s to kill you.”