The smile on Li Yao's lips froze. A drop of cold sweat flowed out of the tip of his nose.
"Sand Scorpion, I don't know what to do now. Just announce that you are an Iron Plateau native on the Truth Cabinet!"
Shi Meng roared. "As long as you prove your innocence, the Furious Bears Tribe will support you to the end, even if we have to fight to the last man!"
"Yes. As long as you pass the test of the Truth Cabinet and prove that you are an Iron Plateau native, the Giant Axe Tribe will believe everything you say, too!"
"Same for the Silver Moon Tribe!"
"Same for the Heaven Wolves Tribe!"
The elite warriors of the six tribes all began to murmur.
Two priests of the Feathered Snakes Tribe, who were wearing colorful clothes, jumped onto the Truth Cabinet and started manipulating the magical equipment. They gestured at Li Yao and said, "Please!"
Li Yao raised his head and looked at the yellow sky. He took a deep, deep breath, while thousands of ideas popped up in his head.
Should I take the risk of using homophones? After all, 'Heaven's Origin Sector' and 'Iron Plateau' sound similar. If I say 'I am a native of the Heaven's Origin Sector', I might be able to get away with it!
Li Yao dropped the idea immediately.
What a joke. The core of the Truth Cabinet was a military lie detector from the Star Ocean Imperium. It was aimed at the deepest part of one's soul. How could it be fooled by such a trick?
Li Yao thought quickly. Finally, he clenched his fists and said hesitantly, "I — I can't say it!"
"What!"
Shi Meng gasped. "You still don't dare? You are not an Iron Plateau native! "
The chief of the Feathered Snakes Tribe raised her eyebrows and shrieked like a crow, "You are not an Iron Plateau native!"
Yan Chifeng tried to hold back the delight in his eyes and said coldly, "Of course he is not an Iron Plateau native. I told you that he was a spy from space!"
"That's not true!"
Veins were bulging on Li Yao's forehead. The grievance deep inside his eyes was almost spurting out like spring water. He waved his hands and shouted desperately, "I — I don't know if I am a real Iron Plateau native. It is also my biggest secret!
"But I am very sure that I am. I am definitely not a space resident! "
The chief of the Feathered Snakes Tribe was surprised. "They are either space residents or Iron Plateau natives! What do you mean by you are not sure if you are a 'real Iron Plateau native'?
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Li Yao showed an incomparable struggle and pain. Within his grief and indignation, there was resentment, and within his resentment, there was a trace of loneliness and sadness.
It was as if he was out of tune with the entire world. He smiled bitterly. He murmured, "Everyone, especially the brothers of the Furious Bear Tribe. I'm really sorry! "
"There are many things that I have never confessed to everyone. There is indeed a great secret hidden within me that I don't even know what kind of person I am!"
"I thought that as long as I fought side by side with everybody like a real warrior of Iron Plateau, I would be able to resist the apocalypse. Then, I will be recognized as a real Iron Plateau native! "
"Hehe, I was wrong, very wrong!"
"No matter what I do, no matter how many apocalyptic beasts I slay, no matter how much blood I shed … I'm afraid that I will never be a real Iron Plateau native! Forever! "
"But. I swear to the heavens that I am not a space resident. Definitely not! "
Shi Meng was completely confused. He stepped forward and shouted in a hurry, "Sand Scorpion, what are you talking about? I don't understand it at all. What is your secret? Tell us now! "
Li Yao smiled miserably. He was shaking so hard that he almost fell off the Truth Cabinet that he could barely support himself anymore.
What he said just now seemed to have drained all his strength. While shaking his head, he mumbled, "It's useless. Whatever I say right now, nobody will believe me. They will only consider me a liar!
"Hehe. It's not everybody's fault. I asked for it. There are so many suspicious points about me. How can I be cleared by the tiny bit of blood I shed in the battle of the apocalypse?"
Everybody looked at each other in bewilderment. Many qi-trainers recalled Li Yao's valiant performance in the battle of the apocalypse. They lowered their heads and thought to themselves, Have we been wrong about him? Is there really anything that is too embarrassing for him?
The chief of the Feathered Snakes Tribe said solemnly, "Sand Scorpion, stop stalling. After all, you are either a space resident or an Iron Plateau native! Now that you claim that you have your reasons and that you are not sure whether or not you are a real Iron Plateau native, you can just sit on the Truth Cabinet and say 'I am not a space resident'. The result will be the same!
"If the Truth Cabinet proves that you are not lying, you can reveal your identity and your background. Everybody will believe you, won't they?"
Hearing that, many qi-trainers nodded their heads.
"Exactly. You are either a space resident or an Iron Plateau native. Prove that you are not a space resident first, and then you can tell us your background slowly. Even the most complicated story will be sorted out sooner or later!"
"Yes. Prove that you are not a space resident first. Everything else can be discussed later!"
Frowning, Yan Chifeng was silent. He vaguely felt that something was not right, but he could not figure out where the loophole was.
Li Yao sniffed and said with tears in his eyes, "Alright. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. After I prove that I am not a space resident, I will certainly tell you my background and my secrets as they are! Then, you will be able to judge whether or not I am a real Iron Plateau native! "
After that, Li Yao sat on the black iron chair confidently and allowed the two priests of the Feathered Snakes Tribe to cover his head with the hat that was embedded with dozens of crystals and carved with countless rune arrays. Then, they fixed it with a belt.
The chief of the Feathered Snakes Tribe said solemnly, "Activate … the Truth Cabinet!"
After humming noises, the four thick soft tubes that had been connected to other heavy tanks were dancing up and down as if they were alive.
Tremendous spiritual energy was transmitted into the Truth Cabinet incessantly. The gears and ropes that had been stationary before were all revolving rapidly. Hot air was popping up from the exhaust tubes, making the entire Truth Cabinet seem to be in the middle of clouds. Even Li Yao, who was sitting high above the Truth Cabinet, looked like an immortal!
Shua! Shua! Shua!
Shua! Shua! The rune arrays on the hat on Li Yao's head were illuminated one after another in a dazzling way, as if half of the sun had been turned upside down!
All kinds of illusions were popping up in front of Li Yao's eyes. The whole world turned into chaos. The wilderness and the qi-trainers were all gone. The only thing that was floating in the sky was a gargantuan eyeball, staring at him without blinking!
Sharpness beamed out of the giant eyeball. It pierced through his flesh and his brain and pierced into the deepest part of his soul!
Li Yao shuddered. Her eyes seemed to have turned into a cold, weird hand that rubbed the depths of his soul, leaving cold sensations on his skin.
He vaguely heard the chief of the Feathered Snakes Tribe shouting, "Sand Scorpion, you can speak now!"
Holding back the discomfort deep inside his soul, Li Yao clenched his fists. He stood straight, and his voice echoed like thunder. He declared resolutely, "I am not a space resident!"
BOOM! Rumble!
Complicated mechanical noises were echoing inside the Truth Cabinet. The core component of the lie detector at the deepest part of the cabinet was rotating rapidly, emitting spiritual waves nonstop.
There was nothing but silence. Everybody was staring at the 'True' and 'False' in front of the Truth Cabinet.
Although Yan Chifeng was confident, he could not help but bulge his eyes, and his hands were slightly shivering.
A moment later …
"Shua!"
The left side of the Truth Cabinet glowed in green. The 'True' word was glittering. The flames of light even spurted out to more than ten meters away, condensing into a giant 'True' word in midair!
"It's true!"
The chief of the Feathered Snakes Tribe exclaimed softly. "He is telling the truth. He is not a space resident!"
"Excellent!"
Shi Meng, Xiong Zhenzhen, and the other qi-trainers of the Furious Bears Tribe were dazed at first. Then, they were so overjoyed that they almost jumped to their feet. "Sand Scorpion is not a space resident!"
"Not a space resident?"
"Sand Scorpion is really not a space resident?"
"What's going on? Is Yan Chifeng lying? He can't be. What reason does he have to lie? "
The qi-trainers of the other tribes whispered to each other. There was confusion in everybody's eyes. The qi-trainers of the Burning Sun Tribe were all scratching their cheeks in bewilderment.
Yan Chifeng felt that his nose had been kicked to the back of his head by Li Yao. He was dumbfounded. He almost wanted to dig his eyes out. He was completely lost. "How is it possible?"
Li Yao took off his hat and rose to his feet. Staring at Yan Chifeng from high above, he slapped his chest and roared, "Yan Chifeng, I proved that I am not a space resident on the Truth Cabinet. What else do you have to say for yourself? "
"Impossible. It's absolutely impossible!"
Yan Chifeng was completely confused. He took a few steps back and rolled his eyes again and again, while he shrieked, "You must've fooled the Truth Cabinet with a piece of magical equipment. Otherwise, nothing can be explained! Where — where are you from exactly? Why did you say that you are not a real Iron Plateau native? And where did you learn such advanced warframe crafting techniques? "
Li Yao stared at him coldly, as if he were looking at a pig that was nailed to a chopping board and waiting to be butchered. He said casually, "The chief of the Feathered Snakes Tribe has examined me just now. I do not carry any special magical equipment with me. If you are not convinced, you can examine me in person. I'll test you again!"
"That will be unnecessary!"
The chief of the Feathered Snakes Tribe's face was awful. She glared at Yan Chifeng and said, one word after another, "For thousands of years, the Truth Cabinet has been managed and manipulated by the Feathered Snakes Tribe. It is both our greatest glory and our most important responsibility!
"Since I've examined you in advance, there must be no problem. If anyone thinks that there is a problem, it means that they do not trust the Feathered Snakes Tribe."
His face pale, Yan Chifeng stammered, "Chief of the Feathered Snakes Tribe, that is not what I meant. However, Sand Scorpion's background is too mysterious. We have to get to the bottom of it!"
Li Yao sighed and gnashed his teeth. "This is truly the greatest secret of my life. I wouldn't have talked about it even if I were killed. But today, I've been cornered into such a situation, and it's related to a great scheme. I have no choice but to tell you the truth now!"
"But I wonder, are you willing to believe me now?"
"Of course!"
Shi Meng was the first to jump to his feet. He roared, "Now that you have passed the test of the Truth Cabinet and proved that you are not a space resident, what else can we say? The Furious Bears Tribe absolutely trusts you! "
"Yes," the chief of the Feathered Snakes Tribe said.
The chief of the Feathered Snakes Tribe said, "As the guardians of the Truth Cabinet, the Feathered Snakes Tribe will definitely respect the test result of the Truth Cabinet. Our promise just now stands. Sand Scorpion, you are the most honorable guest of the Feathered Snakes Tribe. We trust you!"
The qi-trainers of other tribes nodded. Many of them knew that they had misunderstood Li Yao and lowered their heads in shame.
"Alright!"
Li Yao was greatly moved. "Then, please listen to my story. You will be the judge whether or not I am a real Iron Plateau native!
"Brother Shi Meng, I'm sorry. In fact, I've lied to you about many things!
"More than a month ago, when I came to the Furious Bears Tribe, I was stung by the Emperor Sand Scorpion and temporarily lost my memories. It was true!
"However, I was too thick-skinned for the venom of the Emperor Sand Scorpion to paralyze my brain for long. Several days later, the fragments of my life in the past kept flashing in my head!
"Like a blind man touching an elephant, I sorted out the fragments bit by bit. Together with the common sense that I learned from the Furious Bears Tribe, I analyzed them and finally found my past!
"As it turns out, I — I —"
Li Yao's chest was heaving up and down. He took more than ten deep breaths and gritted his teeth. "As it turns out, I was probably raised by a space resident!"
Fourth update today! November came to a perfect end!
After calculating for a moment, Li Yao realized that he had updated 103 chapters in total, about 320,000 words, in November. It might not be a big deal for other people, but for Li Yao, it was the most diligent month of his writing career! Haha!
However, speaking of which, the ranking of the monthly votes seemed to have been overtaken by someone … There were still six hours to the end of December. Everybody still had a surplus of monthly votes. They might not be able to get them back if they were given more. But it was hard to say.
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