Chapter 7: Clues
Su Xiao picked up the Hunt List: Blood Pact from the table. This list had an antique style, resembling animal hide or fabric in texture, with bloodstains along the edges and a tattered, uneven lower edge. The entire list exuded an inexplicable sense of intimidation.
At this moment, a line of text had already appeared on the first row of the list, reading:
「Deceiver · Biswo (This is the name used by the Deceiver in this reincarnation): Reincarnator, past-life memories not yet awakened (Bounty: 200 ounces of Space-Time Force or equivalent resources).」
This line contained a significant amount of information. The title "Deceiver" needed no further explanation. Among the six traitors, this one represented deception. His name was Biswo—more precisely, this was the name he bore in this life.
Su Xiao naturally knew what a reincarnator was. This was an extremely rare bloodline in the Void, originally belonging to a Void race called the Spirit Clan. They possessed souls so resilient it was hard to imagine, which was why they could activate the reincarnation ability.
So-called reincarnation was actually a form of immortality. When a Spirit Clan member "died," their soul would drift away due to the reincarnation ability and be drawn into a new life about to be born.
Once the new life was born, it meant the reincarnator had gained a new existence. Because the moment their soul merged into the new life, it was like a cuckoo taking over a nest—a powerful soul fusing with the new life's soul.
After that, the reincarnator's soul would enter a dormant period lasting decades due to the fusion with the new life's soul. During this time, the reincarnator wouldn't remember their past life but would grow normally until, at some point decades later, their memories suddenly awakened—this was the awakening of past-life memories.
Because of this, the Spirit Clan's birth rate was extremely low. A reincarnator might go through over a dozen lifetimes without having a single offspring. But once a reincarnator did have a child, that child would also be a reincarnator.
This nearly immortal ability had once attracted much covetous attention. However, since reincarnators were hard to detect during their reincarnation period and could quickly grow strong after awakening their past-life memories, they could handle such threats with ease.
That was until this reincarnator faction provoked the Spellcasters, making them pay a price and forcing them, due to the situation, to refrain from direct retaliation.
Would the Spellcasters let it go? Of course not. A few years later, Mage Sage Seraphilia announced something: she had discovered the secret of reincarnation. So-called reincarnation was an ability sustained by a resilient soul. The reason reincarnators had such resilient souls was that their original soul blood nourished them. By extracting this soul blood and absorbing it oneself, one could seize the power of reincarnation.
Before long, the secret techniques for extracting and absorbing reincarnation soul blood began to circulate in the Void. Within a few years, the reincarnator faction was wiped out—this was the strategy of using a tiger to drive away a wolf.
Now, the appearance of a reincarnator in this world made Su Xiao think of a possibility. Back then, the Deceiver · Biswo had defected to Arcane Eternal Star's side, and what he gained from betraying the Law Destruction faction was reincarnation soul blood, allowing him to become a reincarnator.
After Arcane Eternal Star's victory, this Deceiver, fearing that the Law Destruction faction hadn't been completely eliminated and would come for revenge, teamed up with the other five traitors to come to this world—the Shadow World.
It made sense. In the Void, where big shots gathered, they were already dishonorable as traitors. Plus, some remnants of Law Destroyers' souls still lingered. As the saying goes, better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. So these six all came to the Shadow World.
Whether the other five were also reincarnators, Su Xiao didn't know, but the likelihood was low. Before awakening their past-life memories, reincarnators were too vulnerable to enemies. The other five likely had their own trump cards, making them much harder to deal with than the Deceiver · Biswo.
This was evident from the bounties on the Hunt List. The Deceiver · Biswo's bounty was 200 ounces of Space-Time Force or equivalent resources—the lowest amount.
Su Xiao stared intently at the list's text. The bounty amounts for all six traitors were listed.
Deceiver: Bounty 200 ounces of Space-Time Force.
Informer: Bounty 400 ounces of Space-Time Force.
Usurper: Bounty 500 ounces of Space-Time Force.
Mysterious One: Bounty 600 ounces of Space-Time Force.
Turncoat: Bounty 800 ounces of Space-Time Force.
Betrayer: Bounty 1500 ounces of Space-Time Force.
...
Su Xiao had previously paid Reincarnation Paradise 800 ounces of Space-Time Force to construct the 「Hunt List: Blood Pact」. The current situation was that if he successfully hunted the first three on the list—the Deceiver, Informer, and Usurper—he would gain 1100 ounces of Space-Time Force or equivalent resources. Not only would he recoup his investment, but he'd also turn a profit.
If he hunted all six traitors, the total reward would be 4000 ounces of Space-Time Force—a massive sum that would keep Su Xiao, a Triple Grandmaster, wealthy for a while.
To claim the bounty for a traitor was simple: kill the target, then smear their blood or soul fragments with your thumb over the corresponding name on the Hunt List, signifying the hunt was complete.
Su Xiao looked at the names on the Hunt List and began to consider the current situation. From the known information, Biswo, as a reincarnator, hadn't yet awakened his past-life memories.
This meant that Biswo didn't yet know he was the "Deceiver" and didn't remember betraying the Law Destruction faction. Moreover, he likely hadn't gained supernatural powers yet. For a reincarnator, this was normal. All reincarnators were soul-system users, and they feared that during their memory-less reincarnation period, they might accidentally master basic core abilities from other systems, turning their ability system into a messy hodgepodge.
What reincarnators feared least was death. Even if they were killed before awakening their past-life memories, their souls would continue to reincarnate. To be precise, reincarnators were nearly immortal unless their souls were destroyed.
Conversely, reincarnators were terrified of mastering basic core abilities from other systems before awakening their past-life memories. If they mastered energy release or physical enhancement systems, it would be manageable. But if they picked up a basic core ability from the mental system, the joke would be on them.
This also meant that before awakening their past-life memories, reincarnators weren't much different from ordinary people. But once they awakened, the first thing released was soul power, followed by recalling knowledge, etc. In such a situation, it became easy for reincarnators to acquire other abilities.
Years later, when this body aged, a new reincarnation would begin. Another point: the more times a reincarnator reincarnated, the stronger their soul became, making them harder to kill.
For Su Xiao, a reincarnator's soul immortality was as good as useless. He had even slain the God of Eternal Life, let alone a reincarnator.
Su Xiao felt that the Deceiver, who hadn't yet awakened his past-life memories, was more crucial than imagined. This was likely the only clue the Hunt List provided.
Moreover, the identity he had obtained through the title "Sky-Plundering Surge" and the advantages derived from it were probably tied to this matter.
Once the Blade Demon Spirit digested the original power of the 「Indestructible Trait: Abyss Spawn」, Su Xiao could personally find the Deceiver · Biswo and kill him with one slash. But if he did that, where would he find the remaining five traitors? Would he just wait for the Hunt List to provide clues?
Don't forget, this was a Hunt List constructed by Reincarnation Paradise. It was generous enough to give a clue at the initial stage. Expecting it to provide clues for every traitor was wishful thinking.
This meant that the Deceiver · Biswo had to be the starting point for clues. Before eliminating him, Su Xiao needed to extract information about the other traitors from this guy.
There was a prerequisite: he had to make the Deceiver · Biswo awaken his past-life memories. Su Xiao estimated that if he confronted him directly, the life-threatening stimulus might cause the Deceiver · Biswo to awaken on the spot. If that happened, things would get troublesome.
No one could be sure whether the Deceiver · Biswo had one of the other five traitors nearby.
After weighing his options, Su Xiao picked up the phone on the table and dialed the leader of the Hunter Force, Tessa. The phone rang for a while before being answered, and a voice full of sleepiness came through:
"Talk!"
Tessa hadn't slept much in over half a month. Recently, she had been tracking the twisted mutants summoned by the Dark God Cult. That morning, she had finally eliminated that group of Dark God Cult members and their summoned twisted mutants. Afterward, she went to the Asylum to hand over matters regarding the Abyss Spawn.
After all this busy work, Tessa finally had time to go home. After greeting her sister, who was ten years younger and in her rebellious phase, she lay down on her long-missed bed and fell asleep.
But just over an hour into her sleep, the phone on the nightstand rang like a death knell. The specially set emergency ringtone only sounded for two people: the director of the Twilight Asylum and Mayor Perkins. Calls from these two were usually extremely important, possibly concerning the entire Alliance. Tessa had to ensure she could answer immediately.
Su Xiao listened to Tessa's "gentle and kind" tone on the phone, along with the fragrant curses muttered under her breath. He didn't need to guess—she had just fallen asleep and been woken up. He felt apologetic but prepared to keep her awake until the business was done.
"If you can tell me you're just calling to say hello and will hang up immediately, I'll thank you, thank all your ancestors."
Clearly, Tessa was so sleepy she was about to spew profanities.
"Help me investigate someone."
"No time."
"One of the three tasks."
"I... fine, fine, got it. I'll get up and go out right now."
Though Tessa's attitude wasn't great, she didn't intend to delegate this to her subordinates. She would go herself. The Hunter Force's intelligence network was like a pyramid, and at the top, Tessa naturally had the highest intelligence authority.
Half an hour later, Tessa called back and said directly, "I'm at headquarters now. Give me the information on the person you want to investigate."
"Biswo."
"Okay, and then?"
"This person is cunning, silver-tongued, and good at reading people."
"That's it?"
"Yes."
"Wait."
Both were people of few words, and they hung up one after the other.
"Boss, the Sun God Cult is pressing harder and harder. Those bishops really want to see you. I'm having trouble holding them off."
Baha spoke with a complicated expression.
"..."
Su Xiao said nothing. Seeing this, Baha knew he was to stall them further. Without the Vice Director making a move, they couldn't act first.
"Woof."
Bubu Wang suddenly appeared, and on Su Xiao's desk, no less, with his dog face less than five centimeters from Su Xiao's, tilting his head.
"..."
Su Xiao made a move to open the drawer, which contained nothing but a large slipper specifically for hitting Bubu Wang. Seeing this, Bubu Wang quickly got down.
"Is the surveillance device near Tessa's place set up?"
"Woof."
"Good, that's right. Don't set up surveillance in private spaces. Just set it up at the main entrance of the Hunter Headquarters and around her home. We only need to confirm if anyone is trying to assassinate her, not spy on her."
"Woof, woof, woof."
"Right."
"Woof, woof woof woof, woof, woof woof."
"Yes, that's it."
"Woof woof."
Bubu Wang took out a terminal and started playing games on his velvet mat.
The Hunter Force didn't keep Su Xiao waiting long. Just over ten minutes later, Tessa called back.
"I used a lot of connections and subordinates to get this information for you. I've already completed one of the three tasks."
Hearing Tessa say this on the phone, Su Xiao had a vague sense of foreboding. It seemed he had lost out this time.
"The person you're looking for lives in Sotos City, not far from us. His name is Biswo, from a wealthy merchant family. When he was in his teens, his father was swindled out of all their wealth by a business partner, causing his parents to flee to the Saint Lan Kingdom and leave him with his uncle. Perhaps because of this, Biswo became a con artist. At 19, he was arrested for fraud. Released four years later. Now he's 46, with a wife and six mistresses. And, forget it, I won't read anymore. Check this morning's Saint Capital Morning Post yourself. Whatever's not in there, the supplementary file my subordinate is sending you will have. Also, don't call me for 12 hours."
With that, Tessa hung up. When she said "check this morning's Saint Capital Morning Post yourself," Su Xiao knew why he had a bad feeling.
"Baha."
"Got it."
Baha flew out the window and quickly bought a copy of the Saint Capital Morning Post. Su Xiao flipped through it and saw on the back, in a fairly prominent spot, 「Financial Fraudster Biswo Arrested」, with a photo below of a somewhat disheveled Biswo being escorted into a Tribunal vehicle.
The Deceiver · Biswo was indeed the clue. Upon learning this, Su Xiao felt that the simplicity of the main mission's information was understandable. Given Biswo's current situation, if the main mission had a lot of information, it would be unsettling.
Su Xiao also wondered why Tessa had kept emphasizing that this should count as one of the three tasks. Turns out it was in the newspaper. No wonder her tone had been a bit guilty at first.
He could imagine Tessa mobilizing a large number of intelligence personnel, the entire Hunter Force's intelligence department on high alert, ready to investigate this matter. Then Tessa's assistant handed her a copy of the Saint Capital Morning Post. The look of shock on her face, and the intelligence officers all geared up to show off in front of their boss, only to all pull their backs out.
Named Biswo, skilled in deception, cunning, silver-tongued, good at reading people—all matched.
Su Xiao dialed Tessa's number again. It took a while to connect, and her first words were, "There's no backing out of this."
"Do I look like someone who would back out?"
"You are. We both are. I'm especially sure of that."
"..."
Su Xiao was silent, but then he said, "This isn't over yet. I need to know Biswo's current situation."
"I've checked on that. He's being held in the local Tribunal's detention department, awaiting trial. The only people who can see him now, besides the Tribunal staff, are his lawyer."
"Lawyer?"
"Yes. He hired the best lawyer. The amount he defrauded is over 70 million Gulang, enough to rot in prison for life."
"Tessa, I need his lawyer's information. Also, which judge is handling this case?"
"No problem. These materials will be in your hands within five minutes."
"Lastly, help me contact that lawyer and judge."
"Alright. Anything else? If you give me more tasks, I'll feel uneasy about this counting as one promise."
"No."
With that, Su Xiao hung up. A few minutes later, a knock came at the door. Baha opened it to find no one outside, only a file bag floating in midair.
"Lord White Night, this is what you requested."
A man's voice came. This was a completely transparent man who could even evade perception. Tessa's subordinates were indeed talented.
After Baha saw off the Hunter Force member, Su Xiao opened the file bag. Inside was all the information about Biswo. The most important point was that Biswo would be sentenced by the local Tribunal tomorrow morning.
"Silver Mask, Veronica, go and invite this lawyer here. Say the Asylum has some cases to entrust to him, offering three times the market rate."
"Understood."
"Yes, sir."
Silver Mask and Veronica quickly left. Of the three-person team brought in, only the "Gold Medal Bodyguard" Dray remained. Unshaven and looking dejected, he said:
"Mr. White Night, I should go too. What if there's danger on the way? As a bodyguard, I could protect that lawyer..."
"If you don't go, he'll be safer."
"But..."
Dray looked like he wanted to say more but ultimately said nothing.
Su Xiao left the office and headed straight to the third level of the underground prison. He came to the cell holding the female demon. Through the gravity crystal layer, the female demon inside was mimicking a black panther, her fur glossy black, hanging upside down from a lamp post by her long tail.
"Director White Night, are you here for me?"
"Do something for me."
"Of course, but you have to promise to transfer me to the second level above after it's done."
"..."
Su Xiao frowned at the female demon, not understanding why she would say such a thing.
"After it's done, I'll improve your meals. You can have one hour of free movement in the courtyard per month."
"At least twice a month."
The female demon spoke in her panther form, letting go of her tail and landing lightly.
"Forget it."
With that, Su Xiao turned and walked out.
"I agree. I was just joking earlier."
As the female demon spoke, she returned to her normal form. But for some reason, the gravity crystal layer in front of her suddenly rose.
Boom!
A gust of wind swept through. When the female demon's vision cleared, she found herself being lifted by the neck with one hand by Su Xiao. His grip was tightening, and she could hear the cracking of her cervical vertebrae. It wasn't just about being snapped—her entire neck would be crushed.
"Don't. Joke. With. Me."
Su Xiao looked calmly at the female demon, his grip growing stronger. When dealing with these criminals, he couldn't afford any hesitation or concession.
"Got... it."
The female demon's vision was already darkening. The next second, she felt the hand around her neck release. She collapsed to the ground, her vision pitch black. This feeling of her soul suffocating was unforgettable. The escape ideas that had been brewing in her mind had to be temporarily suppressed.
Half an hour later, in the Asylum's first-floor cafeteria, Su Xiao sat by a table, lighting a cigarette. The table was covered with delicious food. Across from him was the female demon, wolfing it down. Don't think the prisoners on the third level had decent meals. For these heinous criminals, keeping them from starving was the baseline. Once they regained their strength, they would come up with unimaginable escape methods—extracting iron from their own bodies to make keys was standard procedure.
After a frenzy of eating, the female demon picked up a bottle of red wine, pulled out the cork, and chugged it down. After downing half the bottle, she slammed it on the table with a bang and started laughing. After laughing for a full half minute, she let out a long sigh and asked:
"Director White Night, you want me to do something for you, but you're not sending anyone to watch me?"
"No need."
"Oh? Aren't you afraid I'll run?"
The female demon looked at Su Xiao with a half-smile. She didn't believe his words at all.
"This is actually an opportunity for you. Kus City isn't far from the Saint Lan Kingdom, just two cities away. If you can make it there, you'll be free. But as a risk, if you're caught this time, you won't be sent to the Asylum. You'll be sent to the Monastery for 24-hour correction and reformation."
When Su Xiao finished, the female demon's scalp tingled.
"Go here. Someone will tell you what to do."
Su Xiao placed a file bag on the table. The female demon picked it up, tentatively stood, and walked out, as if she couldn't believe she could leave like this.
After the female demon left, Bubu Wang appeared beside Su Xiao.
"Bubu, keep an eye on her. If she makes any suspicious moves, use the catalytic mist to trigger the potent poison in her."
Su Xiao picked up the remaining half-bottle of red wine, examined it for a moment, and nodded with satisfaction. His technique for making red wine-flavored potent poison had improved.
"Woof."
Bubu Wang barked and blended into the environment.
Su Xiao picked up the newspaper, looking at the photo of the Deceiver · Biswo. By noon tomorrow, he would have this Deceiver thoroughly sorted out.