Daughter of an Old Acquaintance

Bai Wei opened his eyes in a dilapidated room, then stretched his slightly stiff body, followed by a series of bone-grinding sounds, like an old machine on the verge of breaking down but still functioning.

Tsk, it seems this body is really at its limit. As things stand, it's unlikely to even support me through one more high-level battle. I can only barely maintain basic mobility.

But fortunately, the first phase of the plan is complete. All developments are currently within my plan.

Actually, what Bai Wei needed to do has always been very clear: to exert pressure from both sides by exploiting information asymmetry.

The pressure and allure that multiple Corpse Pieces hold over a holder of a single Corpse Piece are self-evident. What Bai Wei needed to do was to amplify this, amplify it, and amplify it further. And when Isaiah obtained that finger, the pressure reached its peak.

For Isaiah, the price of obtaining the finger was the exposure of his identity, and he didn't possess the other pieces. Furthermore, he was "isolated" by Bai Wei, forcing him to step up and be the sacrificial lamb.

For Diana and Luo Qi, Isaiah, this sacrificial lamb, was far too powerful, compelling them to band together by any means necessary to bring him down.

And those "any means necessary" were Bai Wei's true objective.

This is why Bai Wei seized the opportunity to propose using the Abyss Prison. If things hadn't escalated to this point, they would never have touched the Abyss Prison, as it was too sensitive, too dangerous.

So much so that no matter who brought it up, it would make others vigilant and wary.

Even now, Bai Wei's reasoning is more than sufficient, but he also knows that he must have already aroused Diana's suspicion. Otherwise, Diana wouldn't have refused immediately.

But that doesn't matter. Bai Wei's goal was never for Diana to agree on the spot, but rather to let Diana know that this method was feasible. If she were truly at her wit's end, she would eventually consider it.

And this is what Bai Wei will do next – continue to apply pressure.

Yes, the pressure is still not enough. He needs to raise the stakes, and this increase is bidirectional. It's not just for Diana, but also for Isaiah.

The reason Bai Wei threw the finger to Isaiah wasn't just to make him a scapegoat.

Don't forget, that finger contained Bai Wei's soul. Every time he snapped his fingers, a part of his body would be "devoured" by Bai Wei.

Of course, Bai Wei didn't intend to seize Isaiah's body with this. After all, this guy isn't Ulu. His soul's strength determined that it would be almost impossible for Bai Wei to complete the erosion silently without him noticing. Once the erosion reached a certain level, Isaiah would definitely discover it, and that would introduce too many variables.

But this doesn't mean Bai Wei can't do anything. A goose feather is light, so light you can't feel its weight in your palm. But when placed on one side of a balanced scale, it's a different story.

Bai Wei smiled.

Just then, footsteps could be heard from outside the house.

Not long after, a young woman pushed open the door. Outside was a sky full of yellow sand.

This was the No Man's Land.

The woman looked around, ensuring no one was paying attention to this place before quickly walking in.

"You don't need to be so nervous," Bai Wei said leisurely. "No one knows who I am."

"The 'no one' you're referring to includes me," the woman whispered.

"But I know you," Bai Wei said with a smile. "Good evening, Ina."

Yes, the woman before him was named Ina, one of the high-ranking members of the Lyra Church today.

Of course, for Bai Wei, her other identity was more important – Jie La Er's daughter.

After the events in Nameless Town, Bai Wei's next destination was naturally the gathering point in the No Man's Land. The matters here were important, and he couldn't just operate remotely as before; he had to come in person.

So he entered the No Man's Land, intending to find any church delegation and sneak in using his [Domination] ability. However, upon entering, he immediately found the Lyra delegation, which had been waiting for nearly half a month in the No Man's Land.

Isn't that a coincidence? It even saved me the trouble of using [Domination].

So Bai Wei found Ina and, in a relaxed tone, asked her to take him in.

But for Ina, this was not a relaxed matter.

Ina looked into Bai Wei's eyes. She was very sure she didn't know the person before her, yet he gave her a very familiar feeling.

Of course, her willingness to "take him in" wasn't based on feeling. It was because Bai Wei had revealed his identity, claiming to be a good friend of her father and the mastermind who sent He Wei Ni Ya to Lyra.

Very few people knew about He Wei Ni Ya's origins, so he couldn't be a fake. Thus, Ina immediately accommodated Bai Wei without attracting anyone's attention. After she sent away the Contract Land Envoy present, she returned.

And perhaps Ina didn't realize that her actions already showed trust towards this suspicious person she had just met.

"Why are you here?" Ina asked.

"I need to go to the gathering point to handle some matters."

"You know about the gathering?"

Bai Wei smiled: "Otherwise, why would I be here?"

Ina realized she had asked a redundant question, and her brow furrowed slightly. "If you don't tell me your true intentions, why should I help you? You can't expect me to trust someone I know nothing about. What if you have some malicious intent, I..."

"You need to be responsible for Lyra, I know that," Bai Wei said with a smile. "Your father was just as wary of me back then."

Upon hearing the word "father," Ina's serious expression suddenly changed. She stared blankly at Bai Wei, and a preposterous thought that had been lurking in her heart resurfaced.

So Ina asked, "Have we met before?"

"Of course," Bai Wei said. "I'm a friend of your father."

"But I have no impression of you at all," Ina said. "Don't tell me it was when I was little. Not to mention your age is similar to mine, even if it was when I was little, I..."

"'You don't need to know who I am, you just need to know under what circumstances your father met me.'"

Ina's expression completely froze.

She was far too familiar with that sentence, so much so that she had had many nightmares about it afterward. In her nightmares, her father stood in a burning oil refinery, wearing a playfully mocking smile that was utterly unfamiliar to her.

"You were the one from back then…"

"Yes, that was me." Bai Wei admitted with a smile. "That's why I said we've met before."

Ina's breathing grew heavier, and she whispered, "As expected, Father's mind wasn't troubled."

"Yes, his mental state has always been very good." Bai Wei said leisurely. "It's just that he was under a lot of pressure back then. After all, he had to deal with you all while also guarding against me, but he was generally normal."

Ina pursed her lips. Upon learning that her father's mind had been fine all along, an indescribable emotion surged within her.

A touch of sadness, a sense of loss, and also… relief.

But she quickly suppressed these emotions and looked back at Bai Wei, then said word by word, "Then… who exactly are you?"

The atmosphere turned solemn once more.

After a long pause, Bai Wei asked, "Who I am, don't you have any guesses in your heart?"

Ina remained silent, simply gazing at Bai Wei.

"Although I'd love to tell you the answer, I promised your father back then." Bai Wei said with a smile. "That I wouldn't drag you into this."

Hearing this, Ina instinctively clenched her fists.

"It's like this again." she murmured. "My brother was like this, my father was like this, everyone said they didn't want to drag me into it, and in the end, I was left alone."

Bai Wei looked at the daughter of his old friend and asked, "Do you think they wronged you?"

"Of course not. Those who survive can never blame those who sacrificed for them." Ina shook her head and said softly. "But I don't want to be the one left behind forever either."

After speaking, Ina realized she had spoken out of turn and immediately stood up, resuming her usual crisp and capable demeanor. "I misspoke just now, please don't take it to heart. Since you were Father's friend, then I…"

"What if I told you your father hasn't left yet?"

Ina's composure, which had just returned, froze again. She stared intently at Bai Wei. "What did you say?"

"Oh? You really didn't notice?" Bai Wei propped his face with his hand, looking at Ina with a half-smile. "Or has his presence become that insignificant?"

Ina's mouth opened, and the Sword of Order, standing tall amidst the ruins, flashed through her mind.

Although she had had a premonition and had her suspicions, she hadn't dared to be certain until now…

Ina took several deep breaths, finally steadying her slightly trembling body. When she looked at Bai Wei again, there was something new in her eyes.

"I understand." Ina nodded slightly. "Thank you for telling me."

"Just the ramblings of a stranger." Bai Wei shrugged. "I'm not responsible for what I say, you know."

Ina smiled. It was only now that she truly let down her guard towards Bai Wei. At the same time, she became even more certain of her suspicions about Bai Wei's identity.

Besides the one from legend, Ina couldn't think of anyone else who could achieve such a feat.

"Besides helping you conceal your identity, is there anything else I can do for you?" Since that was the case, Ina could convince herself to do more.

"Just take me to the gathering point." Bai Wei could sense Ina's shift in mood, but he didn't want to implicate Lyra. After all, he still had to be cautious before he could reclaim his body. "I'll handle the rest myself."

"But we've been here for almost two weeks, and there's been no news from Contract Land." Ina said. "We're not sure when the gathering will start."

They've really been waiting here for two weeks? As expected of Lyra's team, even though God was no longer present, they still placed such importance on order and rules.

Was this the influence of Jie La Er?

Bai Wei mused inwardly but didn't say it aloud, only smiling. "Don't worry, they'll be here soon."

Soon? How soon? They hadn't received any whispers…

"Lady Ina." At that moment, a guard's voice called from outside. "The Envoy from Contract Land has instructed us to depart now. The gathering is about to begin."

…So soon?

Ina's face was filled with surprise, but she didn't ask Bai Wei how he knew. After a brief reply to the guard outside, she said to Bai Wei, "In that case, I'll go and make preparations for you now. I'll arrange a formal identity for you so that the Envoy from Contract Land won't notice anything."

"Actually, it doesn't have to be that troublesome."

"Hm?"

Bai Wei smiled. "The focus of Contract Land isn't on us right now."

Isaiah walked out of the inn, and Mina immediately rushed up to him, her expression anxious. "Teacher…"

"No need to say more." Isaiah interrupted Mina. "I know."

Then, Isaiah's gaze passed through Mina and looked behind her.

Overnight, Nameless Town, which had been destroyed, had become "lively" again. Hundreds of Contract Land Guardians, dressed in uniform, had completely surrounded the inn, exuding an indescribable pressure. The Star Relic Delegation Sorcerers, trapped in the middle, felt like lambs awaiting slaughter, their breathing involuntarily becoming lighter.

Only Isaiah's expression remained largely unchanged. He scanned the Guardians present, finally settling his gaze on an Envoy who walked up to him.

"Mr. Isaiah." The Envoy spoke first, his tone slightly stiff. "We have been ordered to inform you that the gathering is about to begin."

"Is that so? Just a notification?" Isaiah said calmly. "With this display, I thought you were here to declare war on me."

"What are you saying." The Envoy said with a forced smile. "You are not an enemy of Contract Land, so why would we declare war on you? We are here to ensure your safety. After all, you know that Wanted Criminal with four Corpse Pieces is still at large."

Isaiah understood the underlying meaning in the Envoy's words but didn't point it out, merely nodding slightly. "Alright, then lead the way."

"Yes, please follow me." The Envoy turned and left, his attitude not that of a distinguished guest, but rather of someone dealing with a prisoner.

Mina walked up and whispered to Isaiah, "They came overnight, and they were very stealthy. By the time we discovered them, we were already surrounded."

"The elites of Contract Land, it's normal," Isaiah said calmly.

"But their movements were too fast?"

Isaiah chuckled, "Perhaps my Corpse Friends couldn't wait any longer."

Then he turned his head to look at the other side. If he remembered correctly, Rhine's troops were stationed not far from them.

However, that place was now deserted.

"Teacher, I've already inquired," Mina said. "Bishop Luo Qi of Rhine fled overnight."