The problem with constantly lying is that you become the boy who cried wolf; even when you tell the truth, it's hard to make people believe you.
But someone who truly excels at weaponizing lies, no matter how many they've told, still has the ability to make people believe their next one. One of the keys is knowing when to tell the truth.
Fu Tailan was telling the truth right now.
"It's almost as if someone delivered the target Illusions to me, hoping I'd win." He shrugged. "Who knows, maybe the Nest just really likes me? Hmm, you probably wouldn't understand what it feels like to be liked."
If Chaisi had half a brain, he would have realized that the method of acquisition wasn't the point. The same trick wouldn't work a second time—the target Illusions wouldn't all be gathered in one place, waiting to be picked up trip after trip. It wasn't a bank vault.
Chaisi tilted his head, thinking for a few seconds.
"I believe you,"
he said suddenly, catching Fu Tailan by surprise.
