I'll Give You a Chance

Bai Wei's sudden voice startled Lai Er, causing him to drop his cigarette, which he had just taken a puff of, onto his crotch, burning him and making him shudder.

"Oh my... Your Excellency Visas-sama!" A strong will to survive made Lai Er swallow back the curse that almost escaped his lips. "You, you're awake."

Bai Wei gave a faint "hmm".

Lai Er awkwardly patted his smoking crotch, then cautiously asked, "When did you wake up?"

"While you are looking at those goods."

"Well."

Lai Er scratched his head and suddenly realized a serious problem: he still didn't know Visas-sama's preferences. What if Visas-sama was a "god" who was more inclined to be righteous? Wouldn't his current actions be like dancing on the edge of a cliff?

So he cautiously asked again, "Visas-sama, if you don't like these..."

"Don't worry, I don't have any particular preferences," Bai Wei said slowly. "As long as you don't interfere with my business, you can do whatever you want. I can even lend you my power, it just depends on what you want to do."

Visas-sama's power?!

Upon hearing this, Lai Er instinctively became excited, but this excitement did not last long, as he couldn't help but think of the time a few days ago when Visas-sama lent him his power.

It was called a loan, but in reality, it was taking control of his body, and he didn't feel anything at all, as if he had just taken a nap.

That wouldn't have been bad, but after waking up, he started vomiting large amounts of blood, as if he were about to die. This still terrifies him, so he awkwardly said, "Uh, well, well..."

"It's different from last time," Bai Wei said calmly. "Last time I used your body to do my own things. Next time I can lend you all my power so you can do what you want, but it can only happen once."

"Only once?"

"Yes," Bai Wei said with a smile, "Because that time it will cost you your life."

Lai Er, who had initially been somewhat hopeful, immediately withdrew his head upon hearing that it would cost him his life, and chuckled awkwardly, "Uh, I thank you for your kindness, but I probably... maybe... I still won't need it. Hehehe, I don't have anything I want to do myself, no, no, absolutely nothing."

"Don't be nervous, I didn't force you to use it," Bai Wei said with a smile. "I'm just giving you this opportunity; how you choose is up to you."

"Okay, okay!"

Lai Er nodded repeatedly, praying that they could quickly move on from this topic. He felt that Visas-sama was about to force him to his death, which frightened him. So he quickly changed the subject. "Visas-sama, did you wake up this time so that I would go to find that person?"

Bai Wei hummed in agreement. "Get ready. Tomorrow, as the envoy of the Contract Land, take him into the No Man's Land."

"Okay, okay, no problem, I'll get right away... uh?" Lai Er suddenly froze halfway through his sentence, "No... No Man's Land?"

"Yes," Bai Wei said, feigning ignorance, "Is there a problem?"

"No, it's not really a problem," Lai Er stammered. "I... I'm just curious, are you planning to take action against him in the No Man's Land?"

"Yes."

Lai Er opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Is he really going to have to go back to the No Man's Land? He wasn't mentally prepared at all.

Five years ago, when he abandoned his wife and children and left his hometown, he made up his mind that he would never go back until he made a name for himself. But now... has he made a name for himself?

Lai Er looked down at himself.

He was still dressed in tattered clothes, had hardly any money in his pocket, and hadn't yet become Gold Merchant. Apart from being Visas-sama's lackey, he had achieved nothing and couldn't be considered a decent person at all. Although Visas-sama's name was indeed very prestigious, no one in their wretched place knew who he was, and he really didn't know how to boast about himself.

More importantly, he is still not ready to face his hometown.

"Is there a problem?" Bai Wei asked.

Although Bai Wei's tone wasn't particularly impatient, it still startled Lai Er, who then shook his head repeatedly, saying, "No, no, no, I'm fine, I'm okay."

He didn't dare to talk to Bai Wei about his wife and children, and he didn't dare to do anything about it, so he could only grit his teeth and pretend to be strong.

"You can ask him to go into the No Man's Land with you, but he will probably refuse," Bai Wei said slowly. "If he refuses, don't force him. Just confirm his identity as the envoy of the Contract Land."

Upon hearing that the other party might refuse, Lai Er immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Without asking why, he simply nodded repeatedly, "I understand. Don't worry, Visas-sama, I will definitely handle things well for you. Just watch."

"I will really only watch," Bai Wei said. "I won't speak or teach you how to do it during that time; you'll just have to rely on your reactions."

"Uh." Bai Wei's words made Lai Er feel uneasy. "Could that person sense your presence?"

"Not quite," Bai Wei said calmly. "But that eye allows him to capture details that ordinary people can't. When you talk to me, even in your mind, your expression changes, and he can capture those changes. Do you understand?"

"Understood, understood!" Lai Er nodded so hard his head almost fell off, repeatedly making promises. "Just leave it to me, you can rest assured I'll handle things!"

Bai Wei hummed in agreement again, then fell silent, as if he had fallen asleep again.

Lai Er was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, only to realize that his clothes had been completely soaked with sweat.

Lai Er was also a little puzzled. Tonight's conversation with Visas-sama had put him under unprecedented pressure, even more so than when he first heard Visas-sama's voice.

He didn't know why either.

Was it the "opportunity" that Visas-sama gave him, or those matters involving his wife and children?

Lai Er didn't know that he was trembling all over after the cold sweat, so much so that he couldn't even light another cigarette.

He stood there all night before finally recalling the task Visas had given him at the crack of dawn. After tidying himself up a bit, he headed towards the hotel where the Star Relic Church was staying.

During this time, he consciously covered his face so that his colleagues who knew him wouldn't recognize him; otherwise, he would have pretended to be an envoy from the Contract Land.

Fortunately, few black market merchants in the entire Nameless Town recognized him, so he arrived at the inn safely and identified himself to the guards of the Star Remnant, handing over the symbol of the Contract Land —that golden seed.

Although Lai Er's identity is fake, the seed is real. Visas-sama killed it on the spot, so he doesn't need to worry too much about being recognized by the guards.

After waiting at the door for a while, Lai Er received a response and was then led by the guards to the largest room in the hotel.

When the guard knocked on the door, a gentle voice came from inside the room saying, "Come in."

Upon hearing this voice, Lai Er's initial tension eased considerably.

He knew who was in the house, and that the other person was also a possessor of the body parts, so Lai Er felt a bit of pressure when he came over. But the other person's voice really sounded like that of a harmless old man, the kind of person who was most easily fooled by black market dealers with just a few words, and the kind of person Lai Er liked to deal with the most—at least if he failed, he wouldn't have to worry about the other person beating him up.

Lai Er walked into the room with this thought in mind.

But the moment Lai Er's eyes met the other person's, he realized he had been overthinking things.

Looking at that right eye, he felt as if he had returned to five years ago when he had just left the No Man's Land with Ha Luo, emerged from the fog he thought would never dissipate, and then looked up to see the bright starry sky, experiencing that shock and fear.

He involuntarily knelt down and buried his head in the dust; he would never forget that feeling.

And now that feeling is back, even though he's clearly just making eye contact with one eye.

... Are those Visas-sama's eyes?

Lai Er struggled to force himself to look away from that eye and pretend nothing was wrong, but he knew he wasn't doing a good job, because his face was completely frozen.

"I am the representative of the Contract Land, Lyle..." Lai Er threw out the name he had just made up. "Good morning, Mr. Isaiah."

"Hehe, Mr. Lai Si, it's only nighttime for the Star Remnants," Isaiah said with a smile. "The Star Remnants never sleep at night; we need to look up at the stars."

Judging from the conversation alone, Isaiah did seem like a kind and harmless old man, but Lai Er couldn't muster the courage to look him in the eye again, and could only lower his head and say, "I hope the starry sky here will satisfy you. Once you reach the No Man's Land, you won't be able to look at the night sky anymore."

While Lai Er was observing Isaiah was also observing him, trying to see if he was "The Tongue." After all, "The Tongue" was in the Nameless Town, Isaiah felt that the other party would most likely come looking for him.

When Lai Er entered the house, Isaiah genuinely believed that he was "the tongue," because Lai Er's first glance upon entering the house fell on Isaiah's eyes. Apart from "the tongue," Isaiah did not think that anyone in the Nameless Town would know his eyes.

That's why Isaiah released a little of the power of his eyes, hoping to intimidate Lai Er.

But Lai Er's subsequent behavior surprised Isaiah. He clearly saw Lai Er's fear; he was practically kneeling down on the spot, and even now he didn't dare to look him in the eye.

Could this courage really be just a "tongue"?

Even Isaiah was a little unsure.

Is it just a coincidence? After all, judging by the timing, the Contract Land should indeed have come looking for him.

So Isaiah decided to take another look.

"Mr. Lai Si, are you here to guide us to the meeting point?" Isaiah asked with a faint smile.

"Yes." Lai Er nodded and said as Bai Wei had instructed, "The rendezvous point has been set up. I will lead your team there."

Where is it?

" In the No Man's Land."

"Can't you tell me the exact location?"

"Yes, but I will guide you there," Lai Er said. "The No Man's Land is shrouded in fog all year round. Outsiders will lose their way if they enter. Only we can find the right location."

Isaiah tapped his fingers lightly on the table, as if he were pondering something.

This naturally made Lai Er even more nervous. He just wanted to wait for Isaiah to refuse, and then leave his contact information as Visas-sama had instructed before leaving.

After all, if Isaiah really asked him to lead the way, he wouldn't know where to take these people, and if they encountered the people from the Contract Land, wouldn't that be even more disastrous?

Refuse it now! Refuse it now!

Lai Er kept praying in his heart. He felt immense pressure in front of Isaiah, just like he did when he faced Visas-sama last night.

Fortunately, after pondering for nearly a minute, Isaiah slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Lai Si, I can't go in with you for the time being."

Seeing that Isaiah had finally refused, Lai Er breathed a sigh of relief, but he couldn't leave just like that. He had to go through the proper procedures, so he asked, "Can you tell me the reason, Mr. Isaiah?"

"The reason is what you just said," Isaiah said with a smile. "After entering the No Man's Land, we will be unable to look up at the stars for a long time, which is not a good thing for Star Relic Warlock."

"So, according to you, Xingyi has no intention of ever entering the No Man's Land?"

"Of course not," Isaiah said. "It's just a delay of a few days."

What's the point of this?

"Of course, because five days from now is the 'Spotless Night'," Isaiah said with a smile. "On the 'Spotless Night', the Star Remnants can look up at the stars without any hindrance and draw the most power from them. This power can last for at least a week, allowing us to still use our power when there are no stars. Although I know the Contract Land will provide us with security, I don't think the Contract Land would want to see a group of Star Relic Warlock with no power participating in the gathering, would it?"

Well-reasoned and supported by evidence.

At least that's what Lai Er thought. That way he could get by, so after a moment's thought, he nodded. "I understand, but I can't make a decision yet. I need to report to my superiors..."

Lai Er was interrupted halfway through his polite pre-departure remarks when there was another knock on the door, abruptly cutting him off.

Isaiah gave Lai Er a reassuring look, then asked the person outside, "What is it?"

The door opened, Lai Er saw the Star Relic Warlock who had led him upstairs looking at him with suspicion. He then said to Isaiah, "Teacher Isaiah, the representatives of the Contract Land have arrived."

The representative of the Contract Land?

Isn't that me?

Before Lai Er could react, he saw a man with the same golden seed walk in.

Lai Er's expression froze.

The true messenger of the Contract Land... has arrived.