Chapter 27: The Meeting
In the Saint Lan Kingdom, an unnamed town at the edge of the Bal Great Forest.
The reason it was called an unnamed town was that it had only been established a few years. Given the constant beast disasters in this region, no one could determine how long this town would survive. Perhaps tomorrow, it would be destroyed by the Beast Clan.
Although the town had only a few hundred residents, the wooden walls surrounding it were exceptionally sturdy. This concerned their ability to continue living here, so naturally, there was no room for negligence.
Judging by the mottled marks on the wooden walls, the town's defensive forces were still tenacious. Yet, for some reason, the few guards on duty behind the walls today all showed signs of anxiety and worry.
The clouds in the night sky obscured the moonlight. Just then, a gust of wind swept through, causing the guards on the wall to instinctively raise their hands to shield their faces.
When everything calmed down, the clouds no longer blocked the moonlight. By its light, the guards saw a dragon-like beast land on the wooden wall. Its vertical pupils gazed down at them, so close that they could feel its scorching breath on their faces, making their pores sting.
Before the guards could shout a warning, they fell asleep due to a fluctuation of light attribute energy.
The one who arrived was the Storm Flame Dragon Dis. On its back were four people: Su Xiao, the High Priest, Kaisa, and the Ghost Clan Prophet.
As for how they encountered the Ghost Clan Prophet, it was an interesting story. The other party had arrived early in the Saint Lan Kingdom and, as a distinguished guest, was invited to Duke Gula's manor to divine his fortune.
The divination result was that Duke Gula would soon encounter a great opportunity that would elevate his status.
This divination was both accurate and inaccurate. The so-called great opportunity was the High Priest bringing the trapped Su Xiao to discuss matters with Duke Gula. If this were true, it would indeed be a great opportunity. The problem was, it was a trap.
Being able to divine to this extent showed that the Ghost Clan Prophet had actually foreseen the trap. He deliberately misled Duke Gula into believing that a great opportunity was coming soon.
With this groundwork laid, the High Priest's backstab went smoothly. Throughout the entire process, Duke Gula had little suspicion. After all, in his view, he had already glimpsed the future.
Now, the four on the dragon's back were either a goblin con artist, a divine con artist, or a divination con artist. Besides these three con artists, there was also a Law Destroyer.
With such a lineup arriving at this unnamed town, one couldn't help but feel a bit nervous for the town. The good news was that the divination con artist among the four had divined that a Divine Child was in this town, so they came here.
Finding someone qualified to inherit the Radiant Divine Soul had become urgent. If this wasn't accomplished before tonight, by tomorrow morning, the Dawn Believers across the Saint Lan Kingdom would gradually notice that the deity they prayed to no longer responded as before. Once this happened, the Dawn God Cult's collapse would be inevitable.
That afternoon, the High Priest had been as steady as an old dog, confident in the Divine Child cultivated within the Dawn God Cult. He believed the Divine Child's inheritance of the Radiant Divine Soul was certain. Yet, the result was that the Divine Child's compatibility with the Radiant God was even lower than that of ordinary believers.
This made the High Priest's blood pressure spike from disappointment. However, after careful questioning and the Divine Child realizing that continuing to act was useless, he finally came clean. Over the years, he had no reverence for the Radiant God but instead deeply admired the High Priest.
In the end, no inheritor of the Divine Soul was found, but the High Priest found a successor. After both sides came clean, the more he looked at the Divine Child, the more he liked him, feeling that this kid would surely become the next great con artist.
The High Priest was in a good mood after finding a successor, but the current problem remained unsolved. Without a suitable inheritor for the Radiant Divine Soul, tomorrow morning's plan couldn't proceed.
At this critical moment, the Ghost Clan Prophet, whose braided beard nearly reached his waist and who was somewhat hunched, spoke up. He euphemistically indicated that this divination would cost him life source, meaning it would shorten his lifespan. Therefore, he needed sufficient compensation to divine again. It wasn't that he was greedy, but not accepting payment would go against cause and effect and fate.
From Su Xiao's observation, aside from his poor eyesight, this old man's life force was more vibrant than most middle-aged people. As for cause and effect, Kaisa took one look and saw no such thing.
Moreover, the Ghost Clan Prophet's eyes were practically reflecting gold coins, indicating he was talking nonsense.
Thus, after Su Xiao, the High Priest, and the Platinum Bishop's "patient guidance" and "friendly persuasion," the Ghost Clan Prophet had a "great awakening" and decided that their "friendship" was more important, so he wouldn't charge a fee.
However, killing the Sand King was Su Xiao's promise to the Ghost Clan Prophet, and he made it clear that even if the other party didn't assist him, he would still deal with the Sand King.
When cooperating with a diviner, it's better to be straightforward about some things. Otherwise, once the diviner divines the truth, both sides would harbor hidden intentions, greatly hindering the plan's progress.
Interestingly, Su Xiao's team, which had set off earlier by train to the Saint Lan Kingdom—including Dragon God, Amu, Drey, Silver Mask, Veronica, Red-Eyed Girl, and Beast Knight—was still on the way. By the time they arrived, the final outcome in the Saint Lan Kingdom might already be decided.
The reason was that the chartered train had been attacked dozens of times along the way. Fortunately, Veronica's mechanical skills were decent, allowing her to repeatedly repair the train.
The current situation was that Black Rose had sent elite assassins who were locked in a deadly struggle with the escort team. This was actually due to a misunderstanding.
Dean, Amu, Silver Mask, and the others were tasked with attracting the enemy's attention and taking the train to the Saint Lan Kingdom. They kept riding this train not because it was special, but to travel at a moderately slow pace.
However, Dean, Amu, and Silver Mask's persistent train-riding behavior seemed significant to the enemy's assassination team. The team leader speculated that either the enemy was brain-dead, or the train was guarding some weapon that the enemy planned to use against their leader, Black Rose.
Additionally, Silver Mask's ability to block perception prevented the assassins from sensing the train's interior, further convincing the team leader of his theory.
After multiple attacks on the train were thwarted, the team leader became even more certain and ordered the train's destruction to prevent the enemy from transporting the unknown weapon to the Saint Lan Kingdom.
Veronica was so angry she couldn't eat. Every time the train was damaged, she had to repair it. She had already reduced the dozen-car train to just three cars, yet the enemy still targeted it.
Su Xiao didn't intend to interfere with that situation. It was the result he wanted. To deal with Black Rose, they needed to use unconventional tactics. Otherwise, matching wits with someone like Black Rose might not guarantee victory.
Under the night's cover, the town was silent. Su Xiao and the other three stopped in front of a small church at the town's center.
Through the stained glass, candlelight was visible inside. Su Xiao pushed open the door and found only a thin, poorly dressed boy sitting before a deity statue. Though emaciated, his eyes were bright.
"Do you believe in him?"
The High Priest pointed to the Radiant God statue. The thin boy looked skeptical. "Why should I believe in a dead god?"
Hearing this, the High Priest was inwardly shocked. He sensed no supernatural power in the boy, yet the boy had gathered unimaginable suffering. It felt as if he had absorbed all the suffering in the area and was slowly evaporating it in a mysterious way.
The High Priest looked at the Ghost Clan Prophet at the door, who nodded, indicating that this thin boy was the one he had divined.
"Boy, do you want to become a god?"
The High Priest sat down beside him.
"No. Our gods only bring suffering."
"Oh? How do you know?"
"I can see suffering."
"Is that so? Then if you become a god and don't bring suffering, wouldn't that solve the problem?"
The High Priest was ready to start his persuasion.
"I'd rather not."
The thin boy smiled. Though his words were a bit irritating, his smile was remarkably pure.
"Sigh, I really am getting old. Bai Ye, you try to persuade him."
The High Priest's voice carried outside the church. Hearing this, Su Xiao, who had been sitting on a bench studying the Mysterious Eye, stood up and entered the church.
Su Xiao looked around. The church had a faint sense of calamity, as if it had gathered negative energy attracted here.
When the thin boy saw Su Xiao enter, his gaze grew serious. He sincerely said to the High Priest beside him, "I think it's better if we two talk. I was just politely refusing earlier."
"So, you're willing to become a god?"
"A bit excited, but more uncertain about the unknown."
The thin boy smiled, his calmness far beyond his age.
"Oh? So uncertain? Do you need some time to think?"
"No, I'm more uncertain seeing that person at the door."
"Haha, you misunderstand. Bai Ye just looks a bit cold. He's actually quite friendly."
"Then... may I ask how the Supreme Radiance fell?"
"Ahem, let's change the subject."
The High Priest smiled awkwardly. He took out the Radiant Divine Soul, which immediately turned into golden light, arcing into the boy's body.
With a dull thud, the boy vanished, drawn to the divine realm by resonance. Seeing this, the High Priest's eyes gleamed, and he grew more wary of the Ghost Clan Prophet's divination abilities.
After concealing the ascension traces, the High Priest was about to leave the church when he found Su Xiao, Kaisa, and Baha, who had just flown there, blocking the door.
"What's this?"
The High Priest sensed trouble, especially seeing Kaisa's sly smile.
"We'll talk after we return. Let's go to your Dawn God Cult's base camp. Do you have any teleportation means to send us all there?"
Baha spoke. The High Priest took out a cracked gem and smashed it on the ground, forming a teleportation array.
The High Priest stepped onto it first. Seeing it was safe, Su Xiao, Kaisa, and Baha followed. The Ghost Clan Prophet remained outside the church. He not only had divination abilities but also spatial abilities, though they were highly limited, only teleporting himself.
This spatial ability was obtained through a pact with a covenant item, with many limitations but also great practicality.
The one-time spatial array activated, and after a soft teleportation, Su Xiao arrived in a storage room. It was about a thousand square meters, with shelves filled with various eerie items collected by Dawn God Cult members during supernatural incidents.
The Dawn God Cult's existence had both pros and cons for the Saint Lan Kingdom. Its judgment teams hunted cultists, Dark God Cult members, and other monsters, maintaining supernatural stability while also eliminating rivals.
Led by the High Priest, Su Xiao arrived at a quiet study on the fifth floor of the main church. Soon, two of the High Priest's trusted aides arrived. One was Hubert, who managed the cult's finances. He was plump, always smiling, and exuded a friendly aura.
The other was the previously seen vertical-pupiled girl, Hill. She was a rising combat powerhouse, promoted to trusted aide after her performance in the divine realm.
When Hill entered the study and saw Su Xiao, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, but she quickly acted as if she had never seen him, standing behind the High Priest with her hands behind her back.
"You, yes, you. Have you seen us before?"
Baha squinted his eagle eyes, his gaze sharp.
"No."
Hill met Baha's gaze without flinching.
"Boss, she's lying. Her eyes were off before, and even more so now. She might be one of Black Rose's people."
Blue light flickered at Baha's talons. Seeing this, Su Xiao stood up.
"Evidence? What evidence do you have that I'm Black Rose's subordinate?"
Hill's tone was serious. Though she knew the situation was bad, she couldn't show weakness, which would only invite more suspicion.
"Sorry, we don't need evidence."
Baha was ready to strike, waiting for Su Xiao's command.
"You're the director of the Twilight Madhouse. Veronica is your subordinate. I have a grudge against her."
Hill spoke solemnly. Su Xiao studied her for a moment and then sat back down.
"Haha, so that's it. Misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding. If you have a grudge against Veronica, we can arrange a meeting to clear things up."
Baha returned to his goofy state, shedding his earlier sharpness.
"She killed my friend."
"Oh, that's a big grudge. Handle it yourselves."
Baha changed the subject, lightening the mood in the study. The High Priest had remained silent, having noticed something off about his newly promoted aide. Now that things were clear, it was actually what he wanted.
"Bai Ye, there are no eavesdroppers here. Tell me, what kind of deal do you want to make?"
Su Xiao didn't speak, indicating that Baha and Kaisa would handle it. In the team channel, he offered Kaisa a 20% cut of the deal's profits. He had considered 30% but decided against being too harsh, given future cooperation.
Seeing the 20% cut, Kaisa only took out his POS machine, not his ancient coin pouch.
Baha cleared his throat and said, "Here's the deal. We've completed the first transaction—the Radiant Divine Soul. You've received it. So, I'm guessing you'll need this."
Baha took out the Radiant Spear (Origin Rank: Divine Weapon) from the team storage space and continued, "Since the Dawn God Cult has ascended a new god, you'll definitely need this. It's made of precious, rare, and unusual metals. In other words, it's a weapon tailor-made for the Radiant God."
Hearing this, the fox-like High Priest maintained his smile, but Hubert and Hill behind him were shaken, as they were sure this was the Radiant God's original weapon.
"Name your price."
The High Priest smiled warmly.
"Hold on, we have other treasures. Look at this, the Radiant Core, a secret treasure left by the previous Radiant God, existing for a thousand years."
The High Priest's expression remained unchanged.
"We'll buy both treasures."
"Wait, there's more. These two scrolls record two of the Radiant God's abilities. We're selling all four items to you, but the price isn't up to me."
Baha flew to the top of the chair's backrest. Kaisa cleared his throat, drawing the High Priest's attention to negotiate.
Half an hour later, a dazed Hubert left the study, staring at the bill in his hand. As the cult's financial manager, he couldn't understand why 2+2=8. Individually, it was nonsense, but after carefully reviewing Kaisa's bill, it somehow seemed correct.
After a while, Hubert returned with two people, setting down several wooden boxes before leaving with a troubled expression, still questioning life over the 2+2=8 issue.
Inside the study, Su Xiao collected the large wooden boxes. He chose to sell the divine weapon to the High Priest because both sides had needs. The Dawn God Cult would pay a greater price to forge a new divine weapon, while selling it at the Great Gathering Place wouldn't fetch a high price due to the weapon's strict usage requirements.
[You obtained Soul Crystal Core ×132.]
[You obtained valuables worth a total of 89,503 Soul Coins.]
[You obtained Inscription Master (Origin Rank: Blade Weapon).]
[You obtained Deep Blue (Origin Rank: Blade Weapon).]
Su Xiao hadn't expected the Dawn God Cult to have two Origin Rank long blades. He had planned to get an Origin Rank armor piece to upgrade Wild Hunt Night to Origin Rank, but Origin Rank armor was too sought-after, and the cult couldn't stockpile it.
After the transaction, the High Priest's gloomy expression lifted. His earlier demeanor was just to prevent Su Xiao from overcharging. A fallout was impossible.
After all, their joint assassination of Duke Gula meant they could only continue cooperating. They were already in the same boat. If they didn't deal with Black Rose and some of the royal family, the High Priest would surely die.
When the first rays of dawn appeared, the royal capital gradually returned to its usual bustle. Pedestrians began appearing on the streets. The recent rumors were dispelled that morning. The Dawn God Cult's believers felt the same connection during prayer as before, though slightly different.
At 8 a.m., in front of the grand palace, guards stood in two rows as ministers and nobles entered, heading to the kingdom's council hall on the first floor.
The council hall was over a thousand square meters, solemn yet luxurious. Its layout featured a central four-person table, surrounded by circular seating, with a several-meter-wide aisle leading to the entrance, covered in a red carpet.
On the surrounding seats, many nobles and ministers had already taken their places.
At the central table, Black Rose had already sat down. She had short purple hair reaching her ears, black eyeshadow giving her a mysterious, aloof aura. Even in her formal black gauze dress, her alluring figure was hard to hide. She appeared no older than thirty, and her powerful yet seductive charm was irresistible.
Black Rose rested her right elbow on the armrest, gently rubbing her forehead. Over the past two days, she had been both worried and shocked. Worried because the Law Destroyer had come for revenge, and shocked because he hadn't attacked directly, which was unlike the Law Destroyers she remembered. In her memory, those Law Destroyers would infiltrate openly, kill all guards, and then assassinate their target face-to-face.
Open infiltration plus face-to-face assassination was the most common revenge method of powerful Law Destroyers.
Now, after waiting several days, Black Rose only knew that the enemy team was still traveling. The Law Destroyer had vanished without a trace.
As she pondered, Duke Gula arrived and sat at the table, causing Black Rose to frown. Today's Duke Gula seemed slightly different.
Just as Black Rose was about to speak, the High Priest and the young king arrived. The High Priest sat down, but the young king opposite Black Rose remained standing beside his chair, locking eyes with her across the table.
"Sit down. The council is about to begin."
Black Rose spoke calmly. To her surprise, the young king not only remained standing but also raised his chin. This puzzled Black Rose. She knew the brat had absorbed his father's soul, but even with mature thinking, he was just a young king.
Before Black Rose could speak, the closed council hall doors burst open. A figure walked in alone—Su Xiao.
Seeing Su Xiao approach, Black Rose froze for a moment. She squinted, took out Su Xiao's photo from a file beside her, looked at it, then at the approaching Su Xiao. She was stunned.
"As expected of a Law Destroyer... I imagined many ways we might meet, but never this one."
Black Rose's mood was a mix of confusion and relief. The Law Destroyer who had kept her restless for days appeared before her in the most desirable scenario. She couldn't suppress her smile and didn't bother to try.
Su Xiao didn't speak. He sat down in the young king's chair. Seeing this, the High Priest and Duke Gula on either side stood up and moved behind Su Xiao's chair.
Snap~
Su Xiao lit a cigarette with Fate Dominator. Duke Gula behind him leaned over, picked up an ashtray from a nearby table, placed it before Su Xiao, and then resumed his position.
Across the table, Black Rose looked at the seated Su Xiao, the young king standing beside him, and Duke Gula and the High Priest behind him. Her smile froze and gradually faded.