Chapter 20: The Danger of Conversing with a Monarch
The security department arrived belatedly, or rather, they had been there long ago, but after seeing the corpses of those Nether Ghosts in the courtyard, they did not show themselves immediately. These fellows were quite clever, clearly waiting for the battle within the Wild Boar Estate to conclude. If Su Xiao won, they would step forward; if the Nether Ghosts won, they would retreat, waiting for others from the Execution Agency to arrive.
One by one, security officers in black uniforms with white stripes on their collars and cuffs sealed off the various exits of the estate. They were only responsible for disputes among commoners and would not directly interfere with anything related to Nether Ghosts.
A square, old-fashioned car stopped outside the estate. Several people hurriedly got out—Madam Nancy had arrived.
Madam Nancy walked past the security officers. Seeing the courtyard, which looked as if a typhoon had swept through it, she paused mid-step. Although she was honored as the Legion Commander of the Execution Agency, she had little combat capability. The pale-faced man behind her and the high-collared priest exchanged glances. They both knew that Madam Nancy, this wealthy patron, could not come to harm; otherwise, their wages would drop by at least 30%.
"They're all dead. Lord Kukulin is over there."
The high-collared priest spoke. Because he had no lips, his voice sounded somewhat strange, giving a feeling of air leaking through.
Hearing his words, Madam Nancy pulled out a handkerchief to cover her nose and mouth and quickly walked into the courtyard.
"Are you alright?"
Madam Nancy had originally intended to question Su Xiao about why he had acted on his own, but seeing the injuries on Su Xiao's body, she set aside the words she had prepared earlier.
"I won't die for now."
Su Xiao had a cigarette dangling from his mouth. Due to the recovery effects of Polar Blood + Ancient Secret Medicine, the wounds on his body were already beginning to feel painful and itchy—a good sign. The influence of the Blood Spear Grandmaster on him was rapidly fading.
"Are all these people from the Ghost Ring?"
Madam Nancy pressed her handkerchief tighter, clearly disliking the smell of blood.
"That's right. The credit for this goes to you. Help me get 20,000 Gold Le, and make sure the source is clean."
"..."
Madam Nancy stared at Su Xiao in astonishment. His words were far too direct, almost equivalent to saying, "You're really beautiful; how about a round tonight?"
After a moment of shock, Madam Nancy snorted coldly: "Do you think the Empire's oversight departments are fish?"
"In other words, you're refusing?"
"Don't be so blunt. Let me think of a way. I'll give you an answer by tomorrow morning at the latest."
Madam Nancy's voice was very low. The pale-faced man and the high-collared priest beside her looked up at the sky, as if there was something rare up there.
"Then it's settled. I need to go see His Majesty."
"This..."
Madam Nancy was puzzled, unsure of Su Xiao's sincerity.
"Don't worry. This matter is specially authorized by His Majesty, and... it cannot see the light."
"I hope it's as you say."
Madam Nancy said no more. Su Xiao stood up and brushed past her. He had found the correct way to use Madam Nancy—no, the correct way to cooperate.
Su Xiao had no need for Imperial merits at all. Promotion was certainly a good thing, but his current position was very special, almost impossible to advance. Both Madam Nancy and Monarch Harold knew that the current situation was abnormal. The Execution Agency could do without Madam Nancy, but it needed Su Xiao to hold the line.
It was precisely for this reason that Madam Nancy had come to show goodwill this morning. This woman was very clever. Sensing that the situation in Zuer City was not right, she immediately stopped internal strife. She was indeed the Execution Agency's financier, but now the Execution Agency needed strong martial force even more.
Since Su Xiao had no possibility of promotion, Imperial merits were meaningless. Converting these merits into Gold Le was very profitable, and Madam Nancy, having gained benefits, would actively help Su Xiao take the blame and clean up afterward.
For example, regarding tonight's events, Madam Nancy would definitely mobilize her connections to handle this matter properly. This way, Su Xiao could purge the Ghost Ring's strongholds and members without any scruples, while Madam Nancy would reap the merits and clean up the mess from behind—provided she paid the Gold Le.
Su Xiao hoisted Amu onto his shoulder and walked out of the courtyard. Amu, who had no fear of confronting evil head-on, now showed a "look of terror" in his eyes.
Not only Amu, but Bubu Wang also looked utterly resigned to his fate. He was injured, and not lightly.
"It's fine. Once we return to the residence, I'll treat you."
At these words.
"Moo~"
"Arrooo!"
Bubu Wang turned to run, but his hindquarters hurt too much.
...
Execution Agency Headquarters, Back Courtyard.
Inside a three-story low building, this structure was built in the shadow of the headquarters, with only a few windows, making it feel cramped and gloomy. Rats as big as house cats occasionally scurried through the corridors.
A bald-headed old man with mismatched eyes walked through the corridor. He held a table knife, polished to a bright shine. The solid wood handle had clearly seen many years, and long-term use had given it a layer of dark red patina.
This bald-headed old man with mismatched eyes was named Hank. Even among Awakened, he was an anomaly. His Awakening degree was as high as 75%, yet he had not transformed toward the demonic direction, instead maintaining his sanity. No one knew how he managed this.
The reason he was called an anomaly was his hobby: eating Nether Ghosts. Hank's philosophy was simple: why should only Nether Ghosts eat humans? He would eat Nether Ghosts too, letting those scum know that they were not at the top of the food chain. It could be said that this was an old man standing at the pinnacle of the food chain.
Hank stopped in front of an iron door. He pulled out his key and opened the door, only to find that the metal rack inside the room held only a few strips of flesh and a bone. The Nether Ghost named Venom Stinger was nowhere to be seen.
Hank looked up. A blood-filled maw full of sharp teeth came into view. He... grinned.
...
The next morning, inside the Vice Legion Commander's Villa.
Su Xiao, his upper body wrapped in bandages, sat on the bed, summarizing last night's operation. This was his habit.
It could be said that last night's purge was relatively successful, but the arrangements were not thorough enough. The S+ comprehensive evaluation gave him a headache. The ideal approach last night would have been to dispatch 3 to 7 relatively strong Awakened as support. These people needed to be trustworthy and know how to assess the situation. If Su Xiao didn't need them, they could stand guard at the edge of the battlefield; if the situation turned critical, they would join the fight.
Obviously, such people were hard to find, but Su Xiao already had three candidates in mind. First was Ges, the Awakened injured in the Nether Ghost street attack incident. He was not the strongest, but he was clever enough and knew how to read the situation.
Second was the high-collared priest beside Madam Nancy. The third was the bald-headed old man, Hank. These three were the best choices at present, but these matters would have to wait until after meeting Monarch Harold.
"Bubu, come with me to see Harold."
Su Xiao pushed Bubu Wang, who was at the foot of the bed. Bubu Wang grunted, clearly wanting to sleep in. As for Amu, his injuries were quite severe. Considering Amu's fragile psyche, Su Xiao did not perform surgery on him but instead applied medicine and bandaged him, leaving him in the villa to rest.
Leading Bubu Wang, Su Xiao walked out of the villa.
Bang.
"Oof~"
Bubu Wang slammed his head into the doorframe. Overall, he looked... much more alert.
...
Parliament Palace, Fourth Floor, a small study.
"Eye Chamber, Immortal King..."
Monarch Harold sat behind his desk, fingers gently rubbing his forehead. His injuries had recovered somewhat, but he was still very weak.
"About last night's events..." Harold looked up at Su Xiao. "Well done."
There was no need for explicit words. Su Xiao naturally understood that Harold knew about his unauthorized siege of the Ghost Ring last night. Harold not calling him out on it basically meant tacit approval. As for the reward... only verbal commendation.
"Madam Nancy is quite good, isn't she?"
Harold showed a smile that all men understood.
"20,000 Gold Le."
Su Xiao cut straight to the point. This involved political issues.
"You really dare to ask. The Royal Descendants have too many Gold Le in their hands, but there's no helping it."
Harold chuckled. He seemed not to care much about this matter, but in reality, that was not the case. If Su Xiao truly had a physical relationship with Madam Nancy, then Harold, even under pressure from the Ghost Ring, would have to eliminate both Su Xiao and Madam Nancy.
The reason was simple: the Execution Agency was a violent institution on the mystical side. It was a starving wolf. If the positive and negative Legion Commanders slept together, it would mean a closer relationship, also representing that the Execution Agency might be completely controlled by Su Xiao and Madam Nancy, potentially no longer subject to external orders.
This was a dangerous signal. If the Execution Agency was out of control, its management must be replaced. From the Empire's perspective, compared to this matter, the threat of the Ghost Ring was one level lower. Once the Execution Agency launched a coup, whether it was Monarch Harold or those councilors, they might be hanged in front of the Parliament Palace tomorrow. The entire Empire's system could be overturned, leading to a pandemonium of demons and monsters.
Su Xiao was directly shifting the blame. The Imperial merits he earned by killing enemies were not so easily obtained. Madam Nancy might not necessarily suffer, but other Royal Descendants would definitely be caught in the crossfire. Harold's seemingly light words actually meant that after dealing with the Ghost Ring, he would deal with those Royal Descendants.
"I'm leaving this matter entirely in your hands. Officials below this line, handle them as you see fit."
Harold dipped his finger in the black tea from his cup and drew a short line at the center of the table.
.。m.