Chapter 19: The Register
The three-choice reward, [Register], had no specific explanation, but Su Xiao had a rough guess. World Source was a relatively safe reward, while Monarch Harold’s Gift was more of a gamble.
What kind of person was Monarch Harold? He was a ruler capable of slaughtering his own wife’s entire family. Don’t harbor illusions about those who sit on the throne. One moment, such a person might heap praise on someone, but the moment that individual posed a threat to the empire, they would vanish without a trace.
Moreover, Su Xiao’s purge this time was an unauthorized operation. Even though his identity as the Deputy Commander of the Execution Agency provided some cover, if investigated thoroughly, the likelihood of receiving any commendation was slim.
After weighing the options, Su Xiao set aside the relatively safe World Source reward and chose [Register]. If this item matched his expectations, it could help him gain more World Source—provided his combat strength was sufficient.
[You have obtained: Register.]
[Register (No Rank): Records the officials and key members bribed by the Ghost Ring organization.]
A spatial fluctuation emerged, and a notebook with a slightly worn cover materialized out of thin air. Su Xiao caught it in his hand. The black cover bore traces of grease stains, indicating the carelessness of its previous keeper.
Flipping through the register, Su Xiao found that only the first half was a list of names, recording many individuals and their residential addresses. None of them were high-ranking imperial officials; most were mid-to-low-level bureaucrats. Furthermore, these officials were largely unaware of the Ghost Ring’s existence. They had been bribed with money or women and subsequently had leverage held over them.
Skimming through the first half, three names stood out as valuable—all key members of the Ghost Ring. As for the latter half, it read more like a diary, or perhaps an outlet for the writer’s inner fears. An unnamed author, judging by the fragmented sentences, seemed to be a middle-aged imperial official suffering from a severe illness.
The content was as follows:
‘September 29, Harvest Festival. Not much of a harvest. Drought claimed 40% of the grain yield. Thankfully, our agricultural technology is advanced enough to save the rest. Even more fortunate, Monarch Harold had already allocated funds in July. He is an enlightened monarch, but not my monarch. As long as those vermin in the parliament exist, the empire will have no hope. On the same day, Lord Sin sent word that the eye of the Abomination Beast, Spar, had finally been collected. We lost a pioneer. This brings us closer to successfully setting up the Sixteen-Eye Chamber. May that pioneer’s soul rest in peace. Hard to imagine that man-eating pioneer was a gentleman—a true gentleman, even if he was hideous. Perhaps only in my eyes was he ugly. Survive. As long as I live to see that day, there is hope. Sickness cannot defeat me. The Undying King is with me.’
‘December 5, Winter. Progress is slower than expected. That greedy clerk actually covets Lady Joanna’s beauty. If Lady Joanna revealed her true form, he might wet his pants in fear. Fortunately, Jinler can satisfy his greed.’
‘December 27, Wheat Festival. Bullshit. Why does the empire have so many festivals? Those ape-like councilors. Too many festivals. Besides, there’s no wheat this season. When little Lisa learned it was Wheat Festival today, that lively child just said, “Oh.” Understandable, given the sheer number of festivals. But no amount of festivals can solve the fear people feel when specters coexist with humans. Soon, as Lord Sin once proposed, as long as we solve the problem of specters needing to eat humans to survive, the conflict between humans and specters will be at most a racial issue, not a war. As he said, we are pioneers. History will remember us. Killing will never stop the pain. We must solve the problem at its root, not eliminate those who raise the issue. Damn those ape-like councilors.’
‘January 17. Forgot what festival it is today. Doesn’t matter. I might not make it to that day. The doctor’s suggestion is a craniotomy. What a joke. Those quacks use axes and hammers when amputating limbs. As a gentleman, I will never lie on a hospital bed and let someone split my skull with an axe. Never!’
‘April 22. The surgery was a success. Aside from some trembling in my hands, no other issues. When did technology advance this far? I take back my earlier words. Those doctors are decent people. A disease that even Lord Sin couldn’t cure was healed by the doctors. They even said that if I had come a few months earlier, they would only need to open a hole the size of an egg in my head, instead of cracking it open like a coconut. Though the analogy is rude, I sincerely thank that doctor.’
‘July 30. Discharge went smoothly. Back home, Lord Sin looked at me strangely. Is the Sixteen-Eye Chamber really correct? It looks more like a cult ritual. If I hadn’t held back, I might have vomited. There was a stench that seemed to corrode the soul. Is the Undying King truly a deity?’
‘August 12. I was wrong. I plan to confess everything I know to Monarch Harold tomorrow morning. He will surely execute me, but that doesn’t matter. As a gentleman, I must take responsibility for what I’ve done.’
…
The record ended there. As for the writer’s fate, it was obvious—he was killed by Sin. Traitors rarely end well, especially those used as pawns.
Su Xiao sat in the dirt pit of the courtyard, casually tossing aside the empty crystal vial in his hand. The sharp pain from several wounds on his body eased.
Sin needed to flee, but Su Xiao didn’t. This was the imperial capital, and as the Deputy Commander of the Execution Agency, this was his home turf.
Sixteen-Eye Chamber, pioneer, coexistence of specters and humans, Undying King.
Su Xiao pieced together these intel in his mind. ‘Coexistence of specters and humans’ was ruled out first. Specters gained extended lifespans by eating humans, meaning they would never stop.
In fact, the relationship between specters and humans was peculiar. Humans who consumed specter flesh had a chance to gain power—becoming Awakened. Specters, on the other hand, extended their lives by eating humans. Those who frequently ate humans could live at least 150 years, while those who only ate to survive lasted only 30 to 50 years. That was the gap. How could specters, as intelligent beings, ever stop eating humans?
The writer of the register was clearly no expert on specters, unaware of how tenacious and brutal they truly were.
As for “pioneer,” Su Xiao knew with certainty that Sin was just polishing his own image. Ghost Ring members were Ghost Ring members—calling them pioneers was pretentious nonsense. Since coexistence between specters and humans was impossible, there were no pioneers to speak of.
After summarizing, Su Xiao obtained two crucial pieces of intel: the Sixteen-Eye Chamber and the Undying King. These were the Ghost Ring’s ultimate goals. What exactly they were remained uncertain for now.
Su Xiao took a deep breath. The cool night air entered his windpipe, clearing his dizzy mind a little.
He was injured, but the gains were substantial. The 33 specters he had killed earlier netted him 8.7% World Source. Killing enemies was the fastest way to gain World Source. Moreover, he had obtained six Arcane Cards of varying grades. None were of high quality, and none suited him, so he exchanged them all for Arcane Merit.
[You have gained 147 Arcane Merit points.]
Su Xiao glanced at the Arcane Merit required for [Ghost’s Treasure]—450 points. He was close. That item was worth at least five Soul Crystals (Complete). Sin had managed to escape entirely due to the Spear Technique Grandmaster Lv.20 derivative ability, Undying. This made Su Xiao even more eager to upgrade his Blade Technique Grandmaster.