Then I Can Only Ask You to Come with Me

"Is this the last wagon?"

"It's the last one tonight."

"That's what I meant." A black merchant patted the locked carriage compartment, then shot Ha Luo a sidelong glance. "It's almost two hours later than scheduled. What were you doing? And why is your face covered in injuries?"

"Some idiot held me up." Ha Luo replied irritably. "He didn't know his own strength. He nearly broke my bones."

The black merchant raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"He's probably dead by now," Ha Luo said flatly.

"Heh, that does sound like something you'd do."

The black merchant smiled and prepared to climb aboard, but Ha Luo called out to him in time.

"How much thought have you given to Wildfire?"

The black merchant turned back to look at Ha Luo. "You really want to go there?"

"Why not give it a try?" Ha Luo said. "It's a wide-open market. No churches, and none of the other Gold Merchants have carved it up yet. Wouldn't that let us operate much more freely?"

"And how freely are you talking?" the black merchant asked. "Why don't you make yourself clear?"

"How much clearer do I need to be?" Ha Luo said. "I've already looked into it. Over the past century, Wildfire's villages have been spread far apart to deal with the night, and the new order hasn't been established yet. So... even if you made an entire village disappear overnight, no one would know."

"Making an entire village disappear sounds just like No Man's Land."

"The business in No Man's Land doesn't come around whenever you want, and it's all in the hands of those Gold Merchants." Ha Luo said. "If we want to make it big, we can only seize opportunities like this."

The black merchant was clearly tempted, but he quickly thought of something and became hesitant. "But is this really the right time? You got the notice too, didn't you?"

Ha Luo knew what he meant—the black merchants going legitimate.

The black merchants at headquarters all knew that Contract Land was no longer content to remain trapped in No Man's Land. It wanted to enter the world and become a true church.

The black merchants closest to Contract Land also wanted to come ashore with it, upgrading from Contract Land's Black Gloves to White Gloves. If they successfully came ashore with Contract Land at their backs, they would become one of the most powerful forces in the world. Their status would be nothing like it was now.

But before that, they still needed the approval of the other major churches.

Though that was basically just a formality. No church would dare refuse Contract Land's request.

Still, just in case, the upper ranks of the black merchants had ordered their subordinates to keep a low profile during this period. That was why, despite Wildfire being so enticing, none of the major Gold Merchants had moved in.

"That's exactly why it's our opportunity, isn't it?" Ha Luo patted the black merchant's shoulder. "If it weren't for this timing, how could we possibly get in before those Gold Merchants?"

"But..."

"Enough with the buts." Ha Luo stressed his words. "Think about it. Once we successfully come ashore and become an open force, what we can do and what we can't do—who can say for sure? Do you think we'll still have a chance to rise again then? Do you want to spend your whole life being crushed beneath those people?"

Ha Luo eventually persuaded the black merchant. He nodded. "Fine. Once I deliver this batch of goods, I'll go take a look."

"Smart. But remember, you have to be efficient." Ha Luo warned. "Don't let anyone get hold of evidence."

"Don't worry. Other than the goods, there won't be any survivors."

"That'll do."

Ha Luo nodded in satisfaction. As he watched the black merchant drive away in the carriage, he was already imagining him returning with a wagon full of gold.

The fantasy put Ha Luo in a wonderful mood, easing much of the gloom and irritation caused by Lai Er's "betrayal" tonight.

He hummed as he walked back.

"Once black merchants come ashore, they become white merchants." He muttered to himself. "After making this fortune, I can start thinking about retirement... Hm?"

Ha Luo suddenly stopped and frowned.

He had caught a faint scent of blood in the air.

Normally, smelling blood around the warehouses was nothing unusual. Few of the little brats locked inside were intact, and the Butchers would cut up whatever goods they needed.

But this scent of blood was far too fresh, as if it had only just been spilled.

At this hour, however, no Butcher should have been working.

Had one of the experimental subjects gone wrong?

Was it Rhine's limb growth project, or the brain separation project involving the people of Eternal Nightmare?

Though he knew it had nothing to do with him, Ha Luo still decided to take a look. As a black merchant, he couldn't afford to miss any piece of information.

But when Ha Luo returned to the warehouse and saw the blood covering the floor, along with countless shattered black merchant limbs and organs, he realized just how foolish he had been.

He immediately prepared to run, but the moment he turned around, he saw an incredibly familiar figure standing before him. His body instantly stiffened.

"Ah, Ha Luo." Lai Er slowly stepped out of the shadows, the sound of dripping echoing around him. "I thought you weren't here."

Ha Luo stared fixedly at Lai Er, his eyes full of terror.

Lai Er was completely crimson at that moment, as though the blood throughout his body was about to burst from his veins. He looked like a blazing inferno.

"Good thing you are." Lai Er spoke softly.

Ha Luo's gaze gradually lowered until he found the source of the dripping sound.

It was Tuo Lei's head, dripping blood.

Ha Luo's body began to tremble.

Why was this happening? Hadn't this guy looked like he was about to die just now? Why had he suddenly...

Ha Luo couldn't understand it, but he knew what he needed to do now.

With a thud, he dropped to his knees.

"Lai Er, for the sake of me bringing you out of No Man's Land..."

Ha Luo spoke as he kowtowed.

But before his body could lower, his head had already fallen to the ground.

Ha Luo felt the world spin, and then his head rolled to Lai Er's feet.

...Huh?

He stared blankly at the headless male corpse in the distance. Before he could understand what had happened, his vision rapidly faded into darkness.

Before he died completely, he heard Lai Er speak.

"Sorry, I don't have time to listen to that."

Lai Er spoke softly.

"I need to hurry. Before I die... I need to take all of you with me."

"How long has he been in there?"

Carter heard Diana's voice ring out in his mind and immediately answered respectfully, "Half a day."

"Nothing happened?"

"So far, that's right." Carter stood guard outside the warehouse. "After he took that black merchant named Ha Luo hostage and entered the warehouse, there was no movement. Later, I saw Ha Luo come out, but he wasn't with him."

Diana clicked her tongue. "Sounds like something happened."

"With only himself, trying to take revenge on the entire black merchant organization is nothing but wishful thinking," Carter said.

"He isn't alone. The one standing behind him is 'Tongue.'" Diana said coolly. "I thought Tongue would tell him something so important, and that he wouldn't be such a simple person. I was even looking forward to seeing what he could do, but now it seems... Hm?"

Through Carter's body, Diana sensed something first.

The next second, a building not far from the warehouse erupted in a violent explosion. The sudden flames lit up half the night sky.

"That is... the black merchants' headquarters?"

"Yes, Master." Carter was also surprised. "What... happened?"

Diana sensed it carefully, then suddenly said, "Get over there, now. That's the power of Visas's corpse pieces! Tongue... has made a move!"

Carter was startled as well and immediately got up and rushed over.

Outside Nameless Town, He Wei Ni Ya and Ai De Wen naturally saw the flames shooting into the sky as well.

"Wh-what is going on?" Ai De Wen had been jolted awake from sleep and was still groggy. He asked in surprise, "Are they coming after us again?"

"Not us."

"Huh? There are Wanted Criminals besides us?"

He Wei Ni Ya couldn't be bothered to respond to Ai De Wen. Her brows were tightly furrowed, her expression grave.

Ai De Wen couldn't sense it, but she could.

Corpse piece holders always had some degree of awareness of one another, especially when Visas's power was being used so recklessly.

That was why He Wei Ni Ya could clearly sense the undisguised power of Visas within Nameless Town.

Her first thought was naturally Bai Wei.

But this power felt somewhat... unfamiliar. Familiar, yet unfamiliar.

For a moment, she couldn't be sure. But whether she could be sure or not, she had to go take a look.

"Let's go." He Wei Ni Ya immediately set off.

"Hey, hey, hey, we're leaving already?"

Let's figure out what's going on first.

He Wei Ni Ya thought.

If it was Bai Wei, she would go help him.

If it wasn't... she would take it!

"Oh? They actually started fighting?!"

Naturally, this scene also fell into the eyes of the three from the Star Relic Church. Luo Qi was the happiest of them all, because in his view, once Isaiah made a move, Tongue's fate was sealed.

The only issue was how he would maneuver things after Tongue died, so that Rhine could at least receive one corpse piece.

That way, he would have rendered great merit as well.

Thinking carefully, Tongue had three corpse pieces. Rhine, Eternal Nightmare, and Star Relic could each receive one... No, why should Eternal Nightmare get one? They hadn't done a damn thing.

Could he possibly take two for himself instead?

Probably not. At the very least, it wouldn't get past Star Relic.

The results had not even been decided yet, but Luo Qi was already celebrating in his heart. When he thought of the Star Relic Church, he subconsciously glanced at Mina, only to find her smiling at him too.

"What is it?" Luo Qi immediately frowned and adopted a stern posture.

"We should get moving, Bishop Luo Qi." Mina said with a smile. "Though I don't think that Seven Sound Player could possibly be a match for Teacher, just to be safe..."

"Of course. This was part of the plan all along." Luo Qi nodded solemnly. "Naturally, I will take action."

If he didn't act, he would really become an outsider. What if he ended up without a single corpse piece?

After all, none of the three corpse pieces Tongue possessed originally belonged to Rhine. By rights, Rhine had no claim to any of them.

So he needed to hurry over and claim some credit.

Naturally, Mina saw through Luo Qi's thoughts completely.

This brainless, greedy fool was far too easy to understand.

Then everything was proceeding according to Teacher Isaiah's plan. All she needed to do next was lead Luo Qi before her teacher, and her teacher would have ten thousand ways to deal with him.

No one could escape Teacher Isaiah's grasp.

With that thought, she smiled and set off.

But one second before moving, something suddenly flashed through her mind, and an intense sense of unease surged into her heart.

It seemed... something was wrong.

Mina was a little lost.

What was it?

What exactly was going on?

Isaiah's face darkened as he looked at the Black Merchant Boss who had come to beg for help.

"P-please save us, Mr. Isaiah!" The Black Merchant Boss's face was filled with terror. "That man is a lunatic. He's slaughtering our people like mad. Our men can't stop him at all, so we had no choice but to ask for your help... Please save us, Mr. Isaiah!"

Isaiah said nothing and merely strode out of the inn.

Naturally, he could sense that undisguised power.

But who was that person?

Tongue was in Dela Town, while Hand Eye was on the other side. Theoretically, neither of them could be here.

Then who was that person?

And according to the Black Merchant Boss behind him, that person had charged directly into the black merchants' headquarters and gone on a killing spree. In almost an instant, he had killed more than a hundred black merchants on duty, forcing the Black Merchant Boss to seek Isaiah out.

But why would that person attack the black merchants? Wasn't his target Isaiah?

Isaiah felt the situation gradually slipping out of his control, and he couldn't find the reason for it. Naturally, that put him in a terrible mood.

Still, he reached the black merchants' headquarters as quickly as possible.

The place had already fallen utterly silent. Corpses and wreckage lay everywhere, with only the crackling of burning flames remaining.

Isaiah gave the area a rough glance.

Everything had been destroyed.

Those Gold Merchants renowned elsewhere, those seasoned veterans who had spent who knew how many years navigating the underworld, were all burning fiercely in the flames like slaughtered pigs.

Isaiah narrowed his eyes slightly, then looked toward the culprit behind it all—the figure standing amid the wreckage, as though feeding the fire with his own body.

"Then..." Isaiah slowly spoke. "Who exactly are you?"

The other person heard him and turned to look at Isaiah.

"You..." He spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse like firewood crackling in a blaze. "Are you a black merchant?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"If you aren't, please leave." The other person spoke very politely.

"Oh?" Isaiah asked. "And if I am?"

The instant he finished speaking, Isaiah felt a chill run through his body, as though Death itself had fixed its gaze upon him.

"Then I can only..." Lai Er said softly, "ask you to come with me."

Thanks to Lord Li Taotie for becoming a patron! Many thanks!

Sigh, I suddenly came down with a fever at noon. I wanted to take the day off, but then I remembered I had already taken two days off this month, and someone had even given me a patron reward, so I really felt too embarrassed to take another day off. I forced myself to finish writing it.

I'm seriously so dedicated.jpg