It was empty and desolate.
In the apartment, Li Chen stared at the ceiling, seemingly lost in thought.
You can take a good rest for a while now.
The muddy waters have now been stirred up.
All we need to do is wait for the moment it erupts.
Uncle Mu also went off to enjoy himself with the drugs he had just sold. The City of Sin seemed calm on the surface, but in reality, undercurrents were surging, and the test between the Seven Sins was bound to erupt sooner or later.
This time, having been robbed of his Lust, he certainly wouldn't let it go easily; he just knew who stole them and didn't dare to make a move.
As for Li Chen, he remains largely unknown, with few people knowing his identity.
Beep beep~
Just then, the phone on the table rang.
Li Chen glanced at it; it was Qin Jiao calling. It seemed she already knew about the current situation in the City of Sin and was probably calling to ask about the situation.
As soon as she answered the phone, that familiar female voice came through. Qin Jiao and said, "Not bad, you took action so quickly."
"I thought you would wait several months to prepare; I underestimated you."
Li Chen chose to remain silent. He also wanted to wait a few months before taking action, but time waits for no one.
Seeing that he didn't respond, but knowing he was definitely listening to her, Qin Jiao didn't feel embarrassed and continued, "That Lust guy is going to make a big move soon."
"The Pride forces have also begun preparing for war; they want to start War of Kings."
"When Greed still existed, it could restrain all those in Authority Holder, but now Lust can no longer be suppressed. This is your chance to act."
"This is also our opportunity; I hope you can seize it."
Li Chen remained silent for a few seconds, his mind racing with thoughts. It was indeed his chance.
Lust is about to start War of Kings with Pride, it seems to be for the sake of power, it is indeed his opportunity. Now Sloth and Gluttony can help him, but as for Wrath and Envy, Li Chen still doesn't know what they are thinking.
The City of Sin now in turmoil, and those in Authority Holder have already received the news; a power struggle is inevitable.
If Lust were to swallow up the power of Pride, the balance of the city would be broken. But now, through the Gluttony, Sloth, and Lust Authority Holder I've met these past few days, they want to see this war. Every Authority Holder wants to take this opportunity to seize even greater power and sit firmly at the top, looking down on everyone.
Li Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly, "Send over the information: location, number of people, and forces."
"I need every single one of them; I need accurate information."
"When the War of Kings begins, will the Executor refrain from taking action?"
"Okay," Qin Jiao replied, "Once the War of Kings begins, I will order the executors not to interfere. The entire City of Sin will be your battlefield."
"Whether you live or die is up to you."
"..."
Wait for the call to end.
Li Chen lay back on the sofa, seemingly lost in thought.
In reality, he was thinking about the war for War of Kings.
As the name suggests, War of Kings is a war for the struggle for power.
Since Qin Jiao has relinquished the entire City of Sin, it means that the Executive Officer will not interfere on the surface. She also wants to see a major reshuffle within the Seven Sins, and he is just a pawn. He needs to take the head and sit on the throne for the mission to be considered a success.
This war will affect at least four Authority Holder.
Aside from Wrath and Envy, which have yet to express their opinions, Sloth and Gluttony have already shown signs of taking action.
Lust and Pride have begun a silent war.
Just waiting for the moment to erupt.
In fact, Li Chen had been pondering why the Greed Throne was right before his eyes, yet no one dared to touch it. It was just a title, representing power, and power represented strength. Only with strength could one have influence, and having influence meant Greed.
That's why nobody dares to touch it.
Until he came into contact with Gluttony yesterday, he finally understood that the dictatorship of those in Authority Holder is too terrifying. It's not that people without ambition are not ambitious, but rather that those with power and ambition are firmly suppressed and repeatedly kneaded in the palm of these people's hands.
This is the true City of Sin. Ambition requires many things to support it; to think you can make a name for yourself in this city based solely on strength is wishful thinking.
He was simply lucky to have quick access to the high-end combat forces of the current City of Sin, but that doesn't mean he can be on equal footing. He needs time and experience to mature.
Now, he is as helpless as he was in the Magic City. Uncle Mu only saw his value, and Qin Jiao used him as a pawn. All the help he received was only because of his own status and the benefits he gained from his value, but it did not mean that he was qualified to receive those benefits.
Li Chen stared at the pristine white ceiling, slowly raising his right arm. Looking at the black wings unfolding on the back of his hand, he murmured, "A chess piece?"
"I've been a pawn so many times, a plaything moved around at will by others. Will it be the same this time?"
"Last time, I lost a year, and even almost died. What will I lose this time? My life?"
Li Chen chuckled twice; all he had left to gamble with was his worthless life.
The old man initially claimed to be the player, but through repeated experiences, he gradually lost his way.
The world is so big, you only know it once you've seen it.
What you think is unpalatable, countless people in this city will fight over; what you think is an easy way to earn Merit, is considered life itself by the locals.
You can only know whether something is good or bad by witnessing its darkness firsthand.
It's just a difference in perspective.
The sense of anticipation and hope for the future that I once had has long been replaced and broken by the difficulties I face now. The promise I made to visit all the checkpoints is now almost fulfilled.
But it was precisely because of this that Li Chen finally understood the true nature of this world: everyone's goal was the same—"freedom."
Humans are driven by desires, and the strong are no exception. Even Gods are merely slightly more powerful beings; they too possess desires, and as long as they have desires, they will be controlled by them.
What a living being wants to satisfy its desires is freedom, and breaking free from the shackles of its own body to gain "freedom" is the most fundamental desire.
Li Chen's eyes grew increasingly cold, his expression devoid of joy or sorrow as he murmured, "If everyone in this world were free, would there still be wars and power struggles?"
"And what will happen to the Black Mist from the outside world?"
"Erase? Erase everything?"
"To recreate a new world? A world without power, without conflict, without Eerie Monsters, without humanity?"
"Erase everything, start from scratch?"
At that moment, a whisper echoed in his mind.
"Forbidden can satisfy all your needs."