Jiang Chen smiled, but didn't rush to respond.
"What are you laughing at? Look at that sly grin — clearly you've got no sincerity. Forget it. Worst case, you expose my sect. But even if you do, I won't let you attend the Sovereign Kings Assembly."
Jiang Chen smiled easily. "Attending the Sovereign Kings Assembly — even without the Evil Star Sect, I can find other ways to manage. But if you're plotting to get into the Crimson Water Heavenly Pool and I report you, you'll lose your chance entirely."
Jiang Chen genuinely had other options. If he was willing, he could seek out a weaker Sovereign King, curry favor, and pledge allegiance — that would likely work too.
However, doing so carried relatively greater risk and would easily invite suspicion. It was also rather low in sophistication and made one look foolish.
But for Han Shuang, this was a legitimate concern.
She had to admit there was some truth to what he said. When it came down to it, she was the one at a disadvantage. If he wanted to attend the Sovereign Kings Assembly, there were indeed other paths available.
She, on the other hand, absolutely could not carry out her plan without the Crimson Water Heavenly Pool. It was the critical link in the chain — without it, nothing that followed was even worth discussing.
For a moment, the situation ground to a stalemate.
"Sect Master Han, I have a proposal. Just hear me out — whether you agree or not, we can leave that for later." Jiang Chen suddenly broke the heavy silence.
"Go ahead." Han Shuang tossed her lustrous hair back and fixed her gaze on Jiang Chen.
"I genuinely want to help you, Sect Master. And my only motive in doing so is to ensure you don't make a move on the Sovereign King's Manor and disrupt my plans. In other words, I have no selfish interest. But you need to tell me — how exactly can I help you?" Jiang Chen said slowly.
"So you're still trying to get me to reveal my secret, aren't you? No matter how you dress it up, you're still fishing for information!"
Jiang Chen smiled. "I swear by the heavens of all realms — no matter what your scheme may be, I will absolutely not encroach on your interests, and I will keep your secret to the very end. If I break this oath, may the Heavenly Dao judge me on the spot. How about that?"
A Heavenly Dao oath was no small matter.
Han Shuang's expression softened visibly. She studied Jiang Chen with careful, appraising eyes, clearly still wondering at the depths of this man.
He was willing to help her selflessly, even swearing a binding oath. He was willing to bend over backward to assist her, time and again. And what did that imply? It meant his own plans must be equally ambitious.
Otherwise, why would he keep making concession after concession?
At that thought, Han Shuang smiled. "Elder Zhen, I underestimated your determination. You're willing to yield at every turn just to help me — which means whatever you're after must be no less significant than my own objectives. Fair deduction on my part, wouldn't you say?"
Jiang Chen's expression didn't waver. "Not at all. Your deduction is quite sound. What I'm after is just as important to me."
"Then why don't we cut to the chase and lay our plans on the table? We can bounce them off each other, and maybe we'll find a perfect solution." Han Shuang seemed far more relaxed now.
She knew he bore her no ill will, and her tension had eased considerably.
Jiang Chen gave a faint smile. "My plan is rather... extravagant. If I told you, I'm afraid it might frighten you, Sect Master."
"Oh, really?" Han Shuang let out a bright laugh. "What a coincidence — my plan is equally extravagant, and would frighten plenty of people as well. So we each have a terrifying scheme on our hands, is that it?"