Chapter 19: Flipping the Table
Inside the bedroom on the third floor of the castle, a massive rectangular fish tank occupied most of the space. The water inside was clear, and near the top floated a mermaid. Her upper body was wrapped in cloth strips, with faint traces of blood seeping out, diluted by the clear water.
Thump, thump, thump.
Su Xiao tapped on the massive fish tank. The mermaid inside showed no reaction, as if she had been completely broken.
"She's lost a part of her brain."
The old divine stick tapped his chest, tracing an inverted triangle.
"Did Blumer do this?"
Su Xiao had long anticipated that Blumer wouldn't hand over the Moon Queen so easily. Removing a piece of her brain wasn't out of the question.
"Unlikely. His Majesty... has done something similar before."
The old divine stick let out a low sigh. He had previously planned to help the Moon Queen find release, but Su Xiao had stopped him. Blumer had gone to great lengths to hide the Moon Queen, and Su Xiao refused to believe there wasn't a secret behind it.
"Has she shown any abnormal reactions?"
"No. She hasn't eaten anything, but there are no signs of weakness."
"Is that so? Then stay here and observe her."
Su Xiao walked out of the room. As soon as he reached the corridor, he heard a banging sound.
"Commander, I can't hold out much longer."
Zos, covered in black smoke, was bracing his back against a door. The banging was coming from inside.
"Move aside."
Su Xiao waved his hand at Zos, and a crystalline layer formed over his hands.
The moment Zos dodged away, the black smoke on the door dissipated. With a sharp crack, a figure burst out from inside.
"ROAR!!"
A beast-like roar erupted. The little girl who had been assimilated had drastically changed. Her height had grown to about one meter seventy, her skin was shriveled and covered in black spots.
Su Xiao stepped forward. The Realm Severing Thread shot out, wrapping around the humanoid monster.
Moments later, the humanoid monster was tightly bound. Compared to the Prisoner Chira, this one was more active and had a much stronger urge to attack.
Just as Su Xiao was about to study the monster's characteristics, the old divine stick pushed open the door from the room behind him and walked out.
"The Moon Queen has stood up."
"Huh? Stood up?"
Su Xiao didn't immediately understand what the old divine stick meant. He gestured for Amu to freeze the humanoid monster, then quickly returned to the previous bedroom.
By now, the Moon Queen had transformed from a dead fish into a "vengeful spirit." She stood rigidly upright inside the fish tank, her fish tail stretched straight, the scales on her lower body raised like sharp little knives.
Blumer had studied the Moon Queen for a long time. The fact that he was willing to hand her over indicated that he had gained nothing from her.
Su Xiao didn't consider himself a chosen one. He didn't expect the Moon Queen to offer any revelations or benefits upon contact. The current situation was more likely a danger—a sign that he was simply used to bad luck.
Around four o'clock the previous afternoon, someone had secretly abandoned the Moon Queen under the outer wall of the estate. From then until now, she had remained in a dead-fish state.
"Amu, bring that lump in here."
As soon as Su Xiao spoke, Amu carried a large block of ice into the room. Frozen inside the ice was the new resident of Dead Silence City.
Inside the fish tank, the Moon Queen slowly raised her arms, black bubbles emerging from her mouth.
Crack, crack...
Cracks appeared on the fish tank. Seeing this, Amu pressed his large hand against the tank, freezing the water inside.
"Moon Queen, resident of Dead Silence City..."
Su Xiao rubbed his chin, considering what would happen if he put the two together.
As if guessing Su Xiao's thoughts, the old divine stick shook his head, indicating he didn't know what would happen either. Experimenting came with risks.
After a moment's hesitation, Su Xiao approached the fish tank and lightly tapped it with his fist. The glass and ice shattered simultaneously.
Seeing this, Amu released the ice on the humanoid monster and tossed it toward the Moon Queen.
With a splash, the humanoid monster and the Moon Queen landed together. Their eyes locked onto each other, and they both reached out their arms.
The Moon Queen's lips moved, as if she were singing something, but Su Xiao only heard a jumble of strange noises.
The humanoid monster deflated like a balloon, rapidly shrinking. Brown ash drifted from its body. When the ash completely dissipated, a naked little girl curled up on the ground.
"Thank you."
The little girl's voice was soft. The next moment, her body began to disintegrate, turning into a puddle of clear water.
"I see."
Su Xiao glanced at the puddle of water, then back at the Moon Queen, who had returned to her dead-fish state.
The Moon Queen wasn't hiding the Black King's secrets. In fact, she should hate the Black King, because she was likely the result of his research into a method to reverse assimilation. Judging by the little girl's transformation, the Black King had failed.
Su Xiao had been puzzled about one thing: why did the Sea Race offer mermaids to the Black King? Mermaids and humans had different reproductive structures—one was viviparous, the other oviparous.
Don't think mermaids were as beautiful as the legends said. Their physiology was closer to fish; they had mucus and a fishy smell. At least, that was the case for mermaids in the Black King World.
The Moon Princess's scales had noticeably dimmed. This showed she wasn't a perfect weapon against the residents of Dead Silence City. "Purifying" a single newborn resident had worn her out to this state. If she encountered a tough opponent like the Prisoner Chira, the Moon Queen would turn into dried fish in no time.
The clues about Dead Silence City were piling up, but Su Xiao couldn't enter yet—at least not until he completed the second ring of his main quest and dealt with the violator.
If Su Xiao wasn't mistaken, the danger level of Dead Silence City was definitely at Sixth Rank. He couldn't even handle a single Prisoner Chira, let alone the more powerful beings inside.
The mess in the room was left for the old divine stick to handle. Su Xiao sat by the window, preparing to implement his second plan: eliminating Blumer.
This time, Su Xiao wasn't going to engage in a battle of wits with Blumer. He would go straight for an assassination.
It might seem reckless, but Blumer would never expect Su Xiao to personally assassinate him. When dealing with the Silver Feather Duke, Su Xiao had displayed the tactics of a cunning old schemer, which would inevitably lead Blumer to believe Su Xiao would use the same approach against him.
But Su Xiao had no intention of doing that. The Silver Feather Duke was the easiest target, so Su Xiao had arranged his downfall in a clear and straightforward manner.
Blumer, the old fox, was different. Trying to outmaneuver and scheme against him until he was dead would take at least half a month, if not longer.
So Su Xiao flipped the table. He would stab straight across it, clean and efficient.
...
Night fell. At two in the morning, Su Xiao stood atop the castle. A hunting falcon landed on his shoulder, its eyes scanning the surroundings.
Su Xiao shrugged his shoulder, and the falcon took flight. His long blade slid from its sheath. As a few feathers fell, Su Xiao vanished from his spot.
The Senate, Fourth Floor. The bedroom was pitch black, with only the faint sound of snoring.
The blade cut through the darkness. Silently, the long sword pierced a heart. The person in bed suddenly opened his eyes, but before he could scream, his throat was crushed.
Bubu Wang, who had been waiting, pressed the recording device. The snoring in the bedroom continued.
[You have killed Blumer.]
[Blumer is an Imperial Elder. You have gained 7.6% World Source. Current total World Source: 11.3%.]
...
Su Xiao withdrew the Dragon-Slaying Flash. This was his advantage: he wasn't dependent on power and authority. Those were just tools. In the Reincarnation Paradise, personal strength was more reliable.
Take Blumer, for example. He wielded immense power in the empire and could command strong warriors to fight for him. But now, with one strike, Blumer had lost everything. Power was useful, but it could be lost just as quickly.
Blumer's death wasn't unjust. Bubu Wang's main tracking target had been him, monitoring his every move, waiting for this opportunity. Using the Wolf Clan heirloom, Bubu Wang teleported Su Xiao over, and one strike eliminated the enemy without a sound.
Bubu Wang could never have done this alone. Poisoning had been considered, but Blumer was more cautious than expected. If it failed, all of Bubu Wang's previous efforts would have been wasted.
In the dark bedroom, Su Xiao gestured to Bubu Wang. Bubu Wang tilted his head in acknowledgment, then used the [Sacred Traveler] to phase through the wall.
Five minutes and twelve seconds later, Su Xiao pushed open the door. The window was not an option. At night, the Senate was heavily guarded by many sentries. Even Su Xiao couldn't force his way in.
Moonlight streamed through the window beside the corridor. Su Xiao completely suppressed his aura. When he reached the corner ahead, he leaned against the wall and waited.
Three minutes and six seconds later, Su Xiao passed the corner, reached the stairs, and headed straight for the first floor.
Half an hour later, Su Xiao sat on the chandelier in the first-floor lobby. He waited for two full hours.
Boom!
An explosion spread at the main entrance. Flames filled the entire lobby. It was a Type-C explosive bomb, a product of the Void.
A crystalline layer covered Su Xiao's entire body, leaving only the joints of his legs exposed. He leaped directly into the flames and walked out through the main entrance of the Senate.
The Dragon Shadow Flash ability activated. Su Xiao suddenly vanished, reappearing on the rooftop across the street. Compared to schemes and tricks, Su Xiao preferred to eliminate enemies through force.
"Bubu, let's go."
"Woof~"
Bubu Wang yawned, looking tired. He had been busy for two days and two nights.
Next target: after Bubu Wang rested, they would go directly to the royal palace to find the Black Throne and steal the World Core.
Fight wits with the violator? A fair duel? That didn't exist. As long as he got the World Core, Su Xiao could definitely lead the violator on a wild goose chase until they doubted their own existence. Besides, he had never planned to fight them one-on-one.