In Sigma District, a plain stone house stood partway up a mountain.
Lu Daoxing and a man in black whose face was obscured sat resting on stone stools beside a fire.
"Lu Daoxing, that clone item of yours is pretty interesting."
Lu Daoxing stared listlessly at the fire. "Want it?"
"Can I have it?"
"Help me kill Jiang Hao, and it's yours."
"...Didn't I already help you kill Jiang Yuanxiu?"
"Your payment for killing Jiang Yuanxiu was that Crimson Crystal. I already gave it to you."
"What a cheapskate. You've been staying here every day, and I haven't even charged you for room and board."
Lu Daoxing tossed him a Gold Coin. "Keep the change."
"..."
"Help me kill Jiang Hao, and I'll tell you everything I know about item research."
"Forget it. There's absolutely no way I'm going with you to kill Jiang Hao. He's the Tiger Cards Ace of Hearts! Who in the entire Safe Zone can claim they're definitively stronger than him? Even if you asked Zhu Haifeng, the Ace of Spades, he'd never agree to help you kill Jiang Hao!"
"I understand."
Lu Daoxing still looked haggard, and even the firelight couldn't brighten his eyes.
"When you went to Area No. 7 to kill Jiang Hao this time, I really thought you were going to die. But by a twist of fate, he and his brother Jiang Yuanrui had swapped identities, and you actually succeeded. Honestly, if Jiang Yuanrui hadn't left his home, with all those layers of protection, I'd have put your chances of killing him at no more than five percent."
"Yeah, about that."
The man in black asked another question. "Lu Daoxing, you still haven't asked who I am. Aren't you even a little curious?"
"Oh. Who are you?"
"..."
"You won't tell