Chapter 47: Snake's Tail
Nighttime, inside the Execution Agency headquarters, in the Legion Commander's office.
"What progress have you made on your end?"
Su Xiao sat cross-legged on the sofa. Only he and Lady Nancy were in the office—at least, that was what Lady Nancy believed. In reality, Bubu Wang was also present.
"Not much progress. His Majesty has given me five days to find the thief who vandalized the mausoleum. Otherwise, I'll have to serve as a secretary."
Lady Nancy removed her black gloves and tossed them aside with a hint of frustration.
"If you need help, I can transfer some Awakened over to you."
Su Xiao sheathed his freshly maintained Dragon-Slaying Flash, speaking as if casually.
"Really? I want Reinhardt to assist me temporarily."
"Do you think that's possible?"
"Then Hank will do."
Lady Nancy settled for a lesser option. She had witnessed the capabilities of the No-Eye Squad over the past few days. Searching for an Eye Chamber in a city of over six million like Zuer City seemed like looking for a needle in a haystack, yet the No-Eye Squad had managed it.
"I can transfer up to one hundred and fifty Awakened to you."
"Oh? What's your motive for helping me?"
Lady Nancy grew wary. Her painful experiences over the past few days had taught her that she had never truly understood Kukulin Bai Ye. Only after the Ghost Incident erupted did she witness the true capabilities of this Vice Legion Commander—no, now he was the Legion Commander, and she had become the deputy.
"That matter at the cemetery is likely connected to the Ghost Ring. If they're all rooted out, I won't be able to escape blame. Dereliction of duty is inevitable. Harrod sent you to handle this for that very reason. Find the thief who vandalized the mausoleum within five days, and past transgressions will be forgiven. He wants results, not causes or processes."
Su Xiao leaned back on the sofa, letting out a long breath. The special medicine Harrod provided was quite effective, allowing his injuries to recover by seventy percent.
"Harrod? You dare say that? I wouldn't dare utter His Majesty's name directly."
Lady Nancy looked at Su Xiao with seductive eyes, but beneath that allure, this venomous snake was more interested in something else.
"What's there to fear? If I die, the one who'll have the biggest headache is Harrod. Conversely, if he dies, I'll have to purge all threats within Zuer City to lay the foundation for the next king's ascension."
"Stop, stop, stop. Do you want to get me killed? I wouldn't dare address His Majesty like that. I'm leaving now. I don't want any rumors spreading tomorrow. That would be fatal—I mean, I'd be the one dead."
Lady Nancy stood to leave. Su Xiao placed Dragon-Slashing Flash flat across his lap.
"Nancy, thank you for that matter at the asylum."
"..."
Lady Nancy, who had her back to Su Xiao, paused mid-step and grabbed her right hand. It was trembling. A trace of blood qi brushed against her back.
"Such a good opportunity won't come again. Don't you want to consider it? Kill me right here, just like you killed Jones and Leopold. Don't bother arguing with me. Once I've made up my mind about this, you won't leave this room alive. Politician tricks won't work on me. Dead people can't defend themselves—just like Joshua Eddy."
A smile gradually spread across Su Xiao's face. Lady Nancy slowly turned around. She was trembling, her entire body shaking. This beautiful woman was losing her composure for the first time.
"Does... Harrod know about this?"
Lady Nancy took a slow breath, gradually overcoming that sense of fear. Her trembling wasn't from inner terror but from a physiological dread—fear of the blood-soaked aura emanating from Su Xiao. As for stubbornly denying it, she wasn't foolish enough for that. The memory of how Joshua Eddy died was still fresh. The man before her might blow her head off at the slightest disagreement. If she dared to deny it, her fate would be to be carried out—carried out covered in blood. That was something Lady Nancy absolutely could not accept.
"Of course... he doesn't."
"?"
Lady Nancy froze, her eyes flickering.
"Impossible. You..." She only hesitated for a moment before grasping the hidden implication. She spoke, "It seems you're not completely loyal to Harrod either."
"Of course. Jones was loyal to him to the death, and now his corpse is still refrigerated in the backyard of the Parliament Hall. The most heartless are the royal families. I think you understand that principle."
"..."
Lady Nancy said nothing. She simply sat on the sofa opposite Su Xiao and began unbuttoning the clasps on her back. Soon, her gown was half-off.
"Let me leave Zuer City in two hours. Within those two hours, you can do whatever you want with me."
Lady Nancy revealed her true nature as a venomous snake. She was trying to survive by any means necessary.
"Are you dreaming?"
"Then what do you want? To hand me over to Harrod and claim credit?"
As she spoke, Lady Nancy moved to unbutton her corset.
"Continue investigating the cemetery matter. Report any findings to me immediately."
Hearing this, Lady Nancy's hand paused. She looked at Su Xiao in disbelief. This was leverage.
In truth, Su Xiao had deliberately given Lady Nancy a taste of sweetness. He wanted to know one thing: why had this venomous snake betrayed the empire?
Su Xiao's discovery of Lady Nancy's wrongdoing was no coincidence. Right after entering this world, he had Bubu Wang monitor her. Initially, nothing was found, but out of caution, Su Xiao had Bubu Wang install miniature listening devices in Lady Nancy's home and on all her clothing.
That afternoon, while contemplating matters related to the Ghost Ring, Su Xiao quickly reviewed the video and audio recordings of several suspicious targets from the past few days. In the end, he obtained a crucial piece of audio.
Earlier, Su Xiao had been puzzled by one thing: the deaths of the two councilors had been too simple. The assassination clearly indicated someone who knew them well.
"Someone as clever as you—what did the Ghosts use to bribe you? Or did they catch you with a weakness?"
"Neither."
Lady Nancy slumped weakly onto the sofa, then began to chuckle softly, as if mocking herself.
"It's because... I'm getting old. Before I knew it, I was thirty-seven. My beauty is fading. Perhaps it's because I saw my mother with a man when I was a child, which gave me a severe aversion to the male species. But I care deeply about my appearance. I can die, but I can't become an old woman. Power is just a byproduct of my enjoyment of life. It once helped me preserve my beauty, but unfortunately, after thirty-five, it could no longer do that. Coincidentally, those Ghosts had a way, so I gave it a try. That's perfectly reasonable. Everyone has their pursuits, just like your craving for strength, Kukulin."
Lady Nancy cupped her face in her hands. Her long nails made her appear both alluring and morbid.
"..."
Su Xiao was stunned. Yes, stunned. It took a lot to elicit such an expression from him. He had racked his brains but never imagined that Lady Nancy's alliance with the Ghosts was for the sake of preserving her beauty.
"Surprised? I know I'm not quite normal. I just hide it well..."
Before Lady Nancy could finish, Su Xiao leaned forward.
"I can make you so beautiful that even you won't believe it. In exchange, help me root out those who assassinated the councilors."
Su Xiao stared intently at Lady Nancy. He hadn't expected the big fish to be right beside him all along. He wasn't deceiving her. He could concoct recovery potions. What Lady Nancy desired to preserve her beauty was simply a way to appear younger.
By diluting Hashirama cells to a concentration below 0.071%, mixing them with materials containing life force and a mild solution, and roughly blending them, he could create what Lady Nancy craved.
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