Volume One: Intrigue in the Imperial Capital - Huang Huo (Part Two)
"So, now that you know I inherited the power of the Blood Fiend, and that the Rakshasa True Word you seek is with me, then... are you going to kill me? Or take me away?"
After a moment of silence, I said these words in a somewhat self-deprecating tone.
The meaning is clear: I'm no match for you anyway, kill me or chop me up as you please!
No, you're wrong.
To my surprise, Huang Huo shook his head without hesitation.
"As a high-ranking member of the organization, I should indeed take you away, but personally... I want you to live and remain free."
"... What exactly do you mean?"
"What do you mean?" Huang Huo smiled slightly. "Don't you have fragments of Blood Fiend's memories? Why don't you ask yourself that?"
Ask yourself?
Speaking of which...
The Huang Huo sound was a strange noise, like that of a broken radio.
I think I've heard that before...
That was a short dream I had during my brief unconsciousness while fighting Haoyue.
"Good evening, Blood Fiend. I'm so glad you accepted my invitation."
"Oppose? Heh, is that really the case? If you truly objected to me, you should have reported it to the 'Leader' immediately after reading my message, but you didn't."
"You agree with me to some extent, don't you?"
I remember now.
It must have happened not long ago.
"I" —Blood Fiend —was lured out by Huang Huo because of some "too dangerous" ideas.
"Looks like you've remembered. That's right, I'm keeping you around because you're useful to me."
"..." It's coming.
This guy is definitely up to something.
Next, he's going to confront me about it.
As soon as I hear it, it's like I'm on his pirate ship, with no way to get out.
However, I had no choice.
"Don't look so tragic. Our interests are intertwined. I have a favor to ask of you. It won't do you any harm, nor will it harm your homeland. Why not listen?"
"... Then you tell me."
"Actually," Huang Huo revealed a slightly serious expression—
"I want to kill the Leader!"
"!?"
"Doesn't it seem both unexpected and yet perfectly logical? Hehe, you must be wondering why I wanted to do this, right? Actually, it's not because I hate the Leader, nor because I hate the organization, I'm just simply—tired of it."
"Tired of it?"
"That's right, I'm tired of it, fed up, and have lost my passion for this kind of thing—being subservient to someone or an organization for a long time."
"May I ask why?"
"Because..." Huang Huo frowned slightly, as if organizing his thoughts.
"These things don't need a reason, do they? If I had to find one, it would be—I want to break free of these shackles."
"Remove... the shackles?"
"To be honest, I actually have a considerable amount of personal freedom within the organization, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm just someone's tool. Even with enough freedom, the collar around your neck won't disappear; it will constantly remind you that you're just a slave who has to give everything to others... Eventually, servility will be deeply ingrained in your soul, and at that point, for me, everything... will be over."
"Is that so..."
Well, how should I put it?
Huang Huo, I felt a subtle sense of resonance with Huang Huo's words.
"Alright... but to be honest, I don't care what your reasons are. Just tell me what you want; I can't possibly disobey you anyway."
"Ha, what a sensible little girl. As I just mentioned, I have some things I need your help with."
"You're saying you'd have a hard time doing it yourself? How could I possibly do it?--"
"It seems you still don't know your advantages," Huang Huo interrupted me, waving his finger. "First, the organization doesn't know you exist, so naturally they won't pay attention to you; second, you inherited the power of Blood Fiend, although it's incomplete, but if you continue to grow, there's a high chance you'll become as powerful as Blood Fiend was back then; third, your trump card— the Rakshasa True Word— has also gone undetected by the organization, because at the same time the Rakshasa True Word manifested, Si Nan from the Si Nan Family Si Nan Zheng unleashing the Gleaming Gold South-Pointing Compass, and its fluctuations masked your berserk state; fourth, I am still a member of the organization, and I can't act completely freely. There are many things I can't do myself, and these are things you can do."
"... It's really hard to argue with that, but what exactly am I supposed to do?"
"What do I need you for?" Huang Huo chuckled, giving me goosebumps.
"Of course, you'll be the one to help me collect the materials for the World Crossing Gate!"
It took me a few seconds to understand what he meant.
"Eh, eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh!?"
Wait, wait, wait... Well, my initial goal was indeed to collect materials, but after learning that such a powerful organization was doing the same thing, I started to have second thoughts. Now they're asking me to do this again?
"You asked me to collect these things for you... so you intend to use them to fight against the Leader? If your Leader doesn't see these things for a long time, won't he become suspicious?"
"Of course I'm not that stupid, look at this."
As he spoke, he pulled a compass from his pocket.
This compass emitted a hazy golden light, with beautiful, ever-changing golden patterns on it... Wait, wait, wait, could this be!?
"This is what I've gained from this trip: the Si Nan Family's prized possession, the Gleaming Gold South-Pointing Compass. To lure this thing out, my junior I. B. and I lay low for quite some time."
"The turmoil in the capital, the annihilation of two major families—it was all your doing!"
"Why bring this up now? I'm just doing my job... Look closely."
With Huang Huo of his hand, Gleaming Gold South-Pointing Compass. The paper appeared to be parchment, covered with unreadable writing and stamped with a red seal.
"Among the organization's higher-ups, I also have like-minded collaborators. That guy's special ability is 'Absolute Contract' —through a contract, absolute binding force is generated, turning the impossible into possible. By 'forcibly contracting' with it, we can gain control over the Divine Artifact to a certain extent, and the existence of this contract can only be detected by us, not even by the Leader!"
"I see. After obtaining the materials, you first draw up a contract, and then hand over the contracted materials to the Leader. In reality, control is still in your hands..."
"Smart. I'll give you the contract paper next. Once you find the materials, you just need to paste it on to complete the task. When we've collected all the materials, that's when we'll overthrow the Leader. That way, my goal will be achieved, and you can use the World Crossing Gate to go home. It's a win-win situation."
"... But how do I know if you have ulterior motives? What if your purpose is something else? How can I trust you?"
"Heh... Whether I'm trustworthy or not, wouldn't it be clear by asking Blood Fiend's memories?"
"..." Speechless.
"Even if you're trustworthy... how am I supposed to know where to find the materials?"
"We've already pinpointed the approximate location of the materials, thanks in no small part to Blood Fiend. Our next target is—this!"
He pulled out a large piece of plastic sheet, which was colorful and looked like a poster.
Upon unfolding it, a line of large characters caught my eye.
Gray Starling Cup, Northern Realm Rally.
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I didn't pass the interview for the top class, /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~