Chapter 27: The Choice
The plan to capture Shangyue fell through due to the effects of the [Sakura Wind Wine]. In truth, Su Xiao wouldn't have gone too far anyway.
The two old-timers from the Demon Race and the Feather Race had already shown him considerable respect. Although the Death House was located within the Void, the risk of sending over the [Sakura Wind Wine] was likely not low.
However, if the opportunity arose in the future, he could consider capturing Shangyue. The Feather Race was far too wealthy.
A small piece of white fat wax burned slowly. Because it was inside the wooden hut, this small piece burned very slowly.
After resting for a few hours, Su Xiao's tipsy feeling faded. He lit an oversized white fat wax candle and walked out of the wooden hut to continue exploring within the black mist.
As for killing Nita, it was merely to prevent certain situations from occurring. If the escaped Shangyue wasn't too stupid, she would realize something was wrong with Nita.
The clues Shangyue had were quite chaotic. For example, Nita had betrayed her before, then saved her afterward. With such a stark contrast, it wouldn't take long for her to figure out that Nita was actually using her.
As for what happened next, given Miss Shangyue's deductive abilities, it was best not to trouble her. Due to Su Xiao's interference, the information she possessed was so chaotic that she was already baffled and beginning to doubt her life.
Shangyue wasn't facing just one old schemer. There was one from the Feather Race, one from the Demon Race, and now, inside the Death House, there was another.
The transaction between Su Xiao and the Feather Race seemed to be: "This is my cub, a Law Destroyer. Do me a favor and don't kill him."
Compared to that 'chess game,' Shangyue's life experience was practically adorable.
The white fat wax dispelled the candlelight as Su Xiao, accompanied by Bubu Wang and Baha, moved forward.
After walking for about twenty minutes, Su Xiao felt a change in the surrounding black mist, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what was different.
A wooden hut appeared ahead within the black mist. Following his usual routine, Su Xiao pushed the door to test it.
Creak~
The door opened a crack, revealing pitch darkness inside.
"Leave. I have nothing here to trade with you."
A booming voice came from inside. Su Xiao pushed the wooden door fully open, and the candlelight illuminated the room.
The room was dilapidated. In the center sat a very sturdy old man wearing a priest's robe. The robe looked awkward and strange on him.
"Are you here to kill me?"
The sturdy old man looked up. Su Xiao noticed that the old man was blind in one eye.
"I'm here for the Forgotten Bone Tablet."
"Oh, right, the bone tablet."
The sturdy old man reached behind his neck and grabbed a chain as thick as an arm.
Crack!!
The sturdy old man snapped the chain. Seeing this, Bubu Wang's dog eyes went wide. Even the Saintess, whose information was a string of question marks, had been bound by chains, yet this old man simply tore them apart.
"Since you're not here to kill me, I'll take you to find it. Coincidentally, I need to go there myself to settle accounts with the Mist Keeper."
Just as the sturdy old man reached the door, the invisible light membrane twisted. He stepped out of the wooden hut, casually closed the door, took out a key, and inserted it into the lock.
After locking his own door, the sturdy old man pulled a nautical compass from his bosom and began to determine their direction.
"That way."
The sturdy old man tilted his chin toward the southeast and started walking. However, just as he was about to touch the black mist, he stopped. Clearly, he wasn't strong enough to be reckless; at least, he didn't dare touch the black mist.
Seeing this, Su Xiao also began to walk. Although he didn't know the sturdy old man's background, the white fat wax in his hand was his bargaining chip. In the worst-case scenario, he could destroy the white fat wax in his hand and take them both down.
Moreover, he sensed that encountering this sturdy old man was no coincidence. The black mist seemed to have undergone some kind of change earlier.
"Young man, you need faith."
The sturdy old man suddenly spoke.
"..."
"For example, me. I had no faith at first, but a long time ago, I began worshipping a deity. Every year, it shares its divine power with me."
Speaking of his hardcore faith, this old man, as strong as a brown bear, smiled kindly. As for the deity he worshipped, it was incredibly unlucky. It was extorted every year, and even if it tried to escape, it would be caught and brought back. How miserable.
When the sturdy old man was imprisoned in the Death House, that deity smiled with relief. If not for its status, it might have wept tears of joy.
"Ah, I really miss the deity I worship."
The sturdy old man walked ahead. Suddenly, he stopped.
"Young man, are you listening to me?"
"..."
Su Xiao didn't respond. He simply pointed ahead. Within the black mist, a two-story wooden building was faintly visible.
"We're here already. You want... a Shadow Stone?"
"It's the bone tablet."
Su Xiao had noticed earlier that this old man wasn't normal. Although he was exceptionally strong, he was somewhat mentally unstable. Therefore, Su Xiao tried to avoid interacting with him.
"Oh, right, the bone tablet. A deal is a deal. You clear the way, and I'll help you get the bone tablet."
The sturdy old man arrived at the two-story wooden building and pushed the door open. At most, ten seconds later, a rumbling sound came from inside.
The door on the first floor was pushed open, and a bloodied figure was thrown out. It was the sturdy old man.
"No, I haven't locked my door yet. That won't... do."
The sturdy old man tried to get up, but a dark red hand pressed down on his head.
"Mopi, I told you, don't, casually, leave, that, wooden hut."
A figure draped in a black robe crouched beside the sturdy old man, Mopi. His voice was hoarse as he pressed one hand on Mopi's head.
"Why! I have no objection to others running the Death House, but not you."
Mopi glared, clearly unconvinced.
"Idiot..."
The black-robed figure exerted force, crushing Mopi's head with a crack.
"Because I've let you live until now. Now, you can die."
The black-robed figure looked at Su Xiao.
"It's a good thing you didn't answer Mopi. Otherwise, he would have treated you as a deity and worshipped you. That would have been troublesome. I am the Mist Keeper."
The Mist Keeper pulled the nautical compass from Mopi's bosom, then tossed Mopi's corpse into the black mist before turning back into the wooden building.
Clearly, this wooden building was a special structure within the black mist. The front door on the first floor was wide open.
Su Xiao entered through the front door. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw a familiar face.
"Bai Ye, you're here too. There's still an empty spot over here."
This familiar face was Monde. He was hanging upside down from a beam and even pointed to the beam above, indicating that there was still room for Su Xiao to hang up there too.
"Do you know this idiot?"
The Mist Keeper, sitting behind a desk inside the building, spoke.
"Not well."
"Good."
The Mist Keeper abandoned the idea of hanging Su Xiao up as well.
"Bai Ye, we're allies."
Monde wailed, struggling fiercely.
"It seems you do know each other. Then..."
The Mist Keeper's eyes gleamed with amusement.
Bang!
Su Xiao slammed a short blade onto the wooden table. The amusement in the Mist Keeper's eyes vanished.
"You met 'her'?"
The Mist Keeper's expression turned much more serious, with a hint of fear.
"..."
"Let's get straight to the point. One Shadow Stone, one Forgotten Bone Tablet. If you don't have a Shadow Stone, go find one. There are many deep wells in the black mist. As for forcefully taking the bone tablet, you can try."
The Mist Keeper glanced at the hanging Monde. Monde spat at him, showing his defiance.
"One Shadow Stone, two Forgotten Bone Tablets."
Su Xiao placed his last Shadow Stone on the blade of the short knife. He had only obtained three of these in total.
"The rules..."
The Mist Keeper's words were cut off by Su Xiao.
"Having me lure Mopi here was for that nautical compass?"
"Hehehehe."
The Mist Keeper let out a sinister laugh. After locking eyes with Su Xiao for a few seconds, he said, "I like dealing with villains. It saves a lot of trouble. So, deal."
Su Xiao pushed the Shadow Stone on the table toward the Mist Keeper. The Mist Keeper pulled open a drawer beside him and took out two bone tablets.
Su Xiao put one bone tablet away and tossed the other to Monde.
[Tip: You have obtained the Forgotten Bone Tablet.]
[The Hunter has completed the second phase of the Strongest Warrior Battle. After selecting the Death Game reward, you will return to the Strongest Warrior Battle rest area.]
A wooden door opened on the wall behind the Mist Keeper. Su Xiao walked through the door.
As soon as he entered, the scene before him opened up. The layout here was the same as the banquet hall, except there was no golden door. Instead, there was a tall corridor, its destination unknown.
The Pain Queen, Anna, stood by the corridor, her hands clasped over her abdomen as she watched Su Xiao in silence.
Su Xiao, holding the short blade, stopped in front of the Pain Queen, Anna. This short blade was meant to kill Anna.
There is no such thing as a free lunch, nor kindness without reason. Su Xiao had obtained this short blade through the guidance of the hunchbacked old woman. Interestingly, this short blade was meant to kill Anna.