Chapter 45: Take It All

Chapter 45: Take It All

The 'surprise' came so suddenly and unexpectedly that Su Xiao, looking at the notification from opening the [Greedy Coin Purse], gradually furrowed his brows.

Opening the [Greedy Coin Purse] not only brought no surprise but also cost him 1 Soul Coin. Although the purse was obtained for free, the current situation perfectly embodied the phrase "the damage is minimal, but the insult is extreme."

Su Xiao decided to pretend this never happened, lest it ruin his mood for the entire day. He checked the time—it was already nine in the morning. Going to the old street in Ghost Soul City was still too early, so he might as well check if Alisa had made any progress.

Descending to the common area on the first floor, Su Xiao took a seat. Veronica, who had been watching a comedy show on Bubu Wang's terminal, suddenly stifled her laughter and sat obediently at the dining table, eating breakfast that had gone cold over an hour ago. Nearby, Dray, who had been reading a newspaper and smoking a cigar, put his feet down from the coffee table and extinguished his cigar. Both of them could tell that their Dean was in a bad mood today.

Su Xiao sat on a single sofa and asked Baha, "Where's Alisa?"

"She drank too many enhancement potions and hasn't woken up yet."

"Call her over."

"Got it."

A few minutes later, a groggy Alisa, still in her pajamas and carrying a blade bag, stood in front of the sofa, yawning.

"I heard that last night, you sneaked out and chopped down a priest of the Dark God Cult?"

Su Xiao picked up the hot tea Amu had set down and took a light sip to refresh himself. Brewing Black Maple Tea with boiling Eternal Spring Water—saying it was incredibly delicious would be an exaggeration, but it was truly unforgettable. After one sip, every subsequent sip was something to look forward to.

"Yeah, I have some personal grudges with the Dark God Cult. But I was very careful last night. I acted right next door. I'm not stupid—I know this is Ghost Soul City. The place I struck was only a few dozen meters from our apartment. After I succeeded, I burned the scene and sneaked back. No one found out."

By the end, Alisa, standing with her hands behind her back, gave a slightly guilty smile.

"Oh, so you know this is Ghost Soul City, and you know Sylvis won't easily attack this apartment, breaking the temporary peace between him and me. Hmm, very good."

"Mr. White Night, are you... approving of my actions?"

Alisa asked tentatively. Judging by her eyes, which no longer darted around nervously, this girl's style was clear: she had an excellent attitude when admitting fault but would definitely do it again.

"Of course I approve. Seeking revenge—being a bit reckless isn't shameful."

Hearing this, Alisa, standing with her hands behind her back, completely relaxed. She had indeed been a bit panicked earlier.

Seeing this, Veronica, who was eating breakfast, gave Dray a look near the staircase and pointed upstairs, meaning: "Go invite Lady Sacred Hymn. Someone here is about to need treatment."

"Alisa, I very much approve of your actions, and I hope you approve of my decision."

Su Xiao spoke with a kind smile. Seeing him smile while saying this, Alisa replied lightly, "Yeah, of course."

"Amu, beat her up."

"Moo."

Amu rolled up his sleeves. Standing three meters tall, he walked toward Alisa, exuding a strong sense of oppression.

"Wait! Mr. White Night, I have to participate in that so-called Contest at noon. I need to enter the legendary Yogg family mansion. If I get seriously injured and can't fight, you'll lose more. You've invested so much in me. I truly feel sorry about last night. I was immature and impulsive. I won't make this mistake again!"

Amid Alisa's sincere apologies, Amu slapped her out the window. After taking that hit, Alisa, still holding her blade bag, began issuing verbal warnings, saying things like if she was hit again, she would fight back, and her blade was very sharp. However, Amu ignored her.

To be precise, Su Xiao wanted to see Alisa's current combat capabilities and also to knock some sense into this girl, who had suddenly grown stronger and was feeling a bit inflated.

But in Su Xiao's view, this kind of inflation was a good thing—it showed the girl had no ulterior motives.

On the empty ground outside the apartment, after multiple warnings proved ineffective, Alisa drew her long blade from the bag. As the blade left its sheath, her gaze and aura sharpened. However, this was the highlight of Alisa's performance in this fight.

Ten minutes later, Alisa lay in a shattered flowerbed, muttering something under her breath. Amu, covered in slash marks, pulled the long blade from his forearm, flicked it, and pinned it beside Alisa.

"It hurts, doesn't it, you minotaur."

Alisa laughed bitterly. She could feel that this minotaur was really trying to kill her when it hit her—no mercy at all.

"Moo?"

Amu looked at Alisa in confusion. The next moment, the wounds on its body healed rapidly. The healing was so fast that faint white vapor rose from the wounds. Seeing this, Alisa, who had just been inflated by her sudden power boost, was immediately brought back to reality. Her set of scraping blade techniques hadn't caused any real damage to the minotaur.

Baha flew over, grabbed the severely injured and immobile Alisa, and carried her back into the apartment. Sacred Hymn, who had been waiting by the flatbed, activated a slow healing ability. Although this ability healed slowly, it was more effective for recovery.

"You still have a long way to go. Getting beaten up by your own people is better than being killed by the enemy, right?"

Baha spoke. Hearing this, Alisa, who had regained some strength from the treatment, first felt frustrated, then nodded and muttered, "Got it."

After a moment, Alisa seemed to fully understand. She said with some emotion, "You're right. Getting beaten up by your own people is much better than being killed by the enemy after getting inflated."

"Huh?"

Baha looked at Alisa suspiciously, which confused her. She asked, "Didn't you say that to make me understand this?"

"Huh? Oh, right, right, that's it. I'm glad you figured it out."

Baha spoke, first showing a look of realization, then smoothly going along with it. This made Alisa clench her fists. In terms of messing with people's minds, Baha had always been a master. Soon, Alisa was completely disoriented by Baha's words.

...

Even at noon, the sky over Ghost Soul City was still covered in dark clouds, giving a low, oppressive, and dim feeling. Combined with the iron-black tones of the city's architecture, the entire Ghost Soul City exuded an inexplicable sense of oppression and darkness.

The old street in the southern part of the city was even more desolate. However, if viewed from above, this long-abandoned area actually had an excellent geographical location, as if the entire Ghost Soul City was built around this old district.

In fact, this was true. When people mentioned Ghost Soul City, they would instinctively think it was built by the Ghost Clan. While this was correct, it wasn't entirely accurate. The original Ghost Soul City was indeed built by the Ghost Clan. As a race that came from another world, they initially intended to dominate this world, reducing or even eliminating other races.

Such ruthless ambition and arrogant attitude shocked both the Alliance and the Northern Empire, who were locked in a chaotic war. After fighting for over a thousand years, these two behemoths were not only war monsters but also extremely cautious due to the pain of prolonged warfare. Thus, both sides were forced to cease hostilities and, with cautious attitudes, gathered all their forces to march on Ghost Soul City.

Before the battle against the Ghost Clan army, the generals of both the Alliance and the Northern Empire felt that the world was about to change. Some pessimists even considered how to resist under Ghost Clan rule.

But when the battle began, both the Ghost Clan and the Alliance/Northern Empire were stunned. The Ghost Clan was stunned because they were almost wiped out on the spot. The Alliance and Northern Empire were stunned because the enemy was too weak.

Despite this, the Ghost Clan refused to submit. However, when the Northern Empire breached Ghost Soul City and carried out a massacre, the Ghost Clan finally gave in.

At that time, Ghost Soul City was essentially destroyed. Neither the Alliance nor the Northern Empire planned to rebuild it. If things continued like this, Ghost Soul City would become history.

The turning point came then. The head of the Yogg family at that time was deeply obsessed with the occult. The more ancient and eerie, the more it satisfied his desires. He even bribed a fence-sitter from the Ancient God faction to take him to Doom Star.

The Yogg family head's desire for mystery and the occult was satisfied like never before. But a few years after returning, he couldn't suppress his craving again. He wanted to explore something more profound, darker, and more mysterious—until he obtained a secret treasure in Ghost Soul City: a hand-bound family history.

After that, the Yogg family head used astonishing financial, human, and material resources to go to Ghost Soul City. Given the prosperity of the Yogg family at the time, both the Alliance and the Northern Empire had to show respect. Both sides withdrew from the drained Ghost Soul City.

A family mansion was built in the rear district of Ghost Soul City. The Yogg family head spent most of the family's wealth on it. While insiders speculated that there was something like an Abyss Hole beneath the Yogg mansion, the truth, revealed by the rapid decline of the Yogg family, seeped through layers of concealment. What emerged was darker, deeper, heavier, and more despairing than Abyss energy—it was Abyssal Sediment, something even Abyss Spawn avoided.

The dilapidated Ghost Soul City, revitalized by the Yogg family's arrival, became prosperous. This dark, prosperous place attracted tourists every year. But due to the Yogg family head's mad pursuit, it fell into despair-laden sediment.

The Yogg family declined rapidly, leaving no specific reason. All secrets and darkness were swallowed by the mist. No one dared to probe, and no one wanted to probe.

After that, the most prosperous area of Ghost Soul City was abandoned, surrounded by high walls. If someone sneaked inside, they might still find remnants of that night of darkness and invasion—a night filled with blood, madness, and aberration, with dark worms crawling through every street and alley.

The Alliance legion stationed near Ghost Soul City arrived quickly but ultimately dared not enter. Even those veterans who had experienced brutal battlefields felt a rare chill and horror when they witnessed the scene inside Ghost Soul City that night.

The Yogg family head ordered continuous excavation underground, eventually causing the "Abyssal Sediment" to erupt. This "Abyssal Sediment" came quickly and receded just as fast. But since it had arrived, there were always remnants. Items contaminated by the "Abyssal Sediment," undergoing extreme and bizarre changes, were called "Ancestral Secret Treasures."

Unfortunately, before people could explore further, the Yogg family mansion and underground palace were shrouded in gray mist and eventually dragged away. Now, in the center of the old district, there is a bottomless pit.

Now, the Yogg family mansion, a symbol of doom, curses, and darkness, is about to reappear here.

On the high walls surrounding the old district, many dignitaries of Ghost Soul City stood, including the Trade Alliance President, Venif, the Ghost Clan Elder, Croway, and the current head of the Yogg family, Yogg Code. The others present were also from these three factions. However, neither the Alliance nor the Dark God Cult sent anyone.

This time, whether it was the Trade Alliance, the Ghost Clan, or the Yogg family, they were all after two things: 1. Ancestral Secret Treasures, 2. Primordial Fragments. The latter, in particular, held unimaginable allure for the old immortals of these three factions. Of course, Su Xiao and the Abyss Lord, Sylvis, also wanted this item.

"The Trade Alliance team is really a group of promising young people."

The pale-skinned, bald Ghost Clan Elder, Croway, spoke, a smile appearing on his wrinkled old face.

Hearing this, the Trade Alliance President, Venif, gave a forced smile. The conflict between the two sides was nothing new, and this time, old grudges and new hatreds would come together.

"Unfortunately, these promising young people are about to die. What a pity."

The Ghost Clan Elder, Croway, shook his head with a hint of regret. In terms of messing with people's minds, this old man had always been skilled.

"Now the Ghost Clan's younger generation has declined to the point of sending necromancers?"

The Trade Alliance President, Venif, was also a master of mind games. Years ago, the Ghost Clan strongly rejected necromancers, considering their abilities heretical.

The representatives of both sides exchanged "pleasantries," while the members of their teams glared at each other with murderous intent.

Compared to these two factions, the Yogg family was much more low-key. However, the leader of their team, Yogg Dia, left a deep impression. Her entire body was wrapped in white bandages, and her exposed eyes had fluorescent blue radial pupils—a sign of pure Yogg bloodline. After years of silence, the Yogg family clearly intended to seize this opportunity to regain some of their former glory.

Just as the Ghost Clan, Trade Alliance, and Yogg family were testing each other verbally, a dark, profound ripple emerged from the pit in the center of the old district. Gray mist surged out, covering the entire old district with an eerie aura, as if the dilapidated buildings had come to life again.

Soon, the gray mist enveloped the entire old district, spreading until it reached about 80% of the height of the surrounding walls before stopping. Looking down from the high walls, it was like gazing at an endless sea of fog.

Black plant roots spread, extending from the gray mist and climbing over the edge of the high walls, forming a sloping path that allowed people to descend into the mist.

Peering into the gray mist below, one could see the outline of a tall mansion and a courtyard area faintly tinged with blood-red. Something seemed to be flying within the courtyard.

Shortly after the mansion appeared, the people on the high walls saw black hands emerge from the void, followed by a dense, hair-raising number of arms. These black hands tore open a spatial archway, connecting to the underground palace beneath the Gloomy Cathedral.

Looking through the spatial archway, the crowd saw the Abyss Lord, Sylvis, coiled on a bed. This caused everyone present to instinctively avert their gaze, not daring to meet his eyes.

Several figures walked out of the spatial archway. Leading them was the Black Worm Archbishop, Enod, dressed in ancient noble attire. His flesh was riddled with holes, with black sticky worms writhing inside. Walking beside him was the Blood Demon, also an archbishop. Her appearance attracted the attention of all members of the opposite sex present. Even the old men couldn't resist her perfect, noblewoman-like charm.

A figure in a black robe overtook the two, displaying such arrogance that it could only be Black A.

Following behind Black A, Weiwei quickly apologized to the two archbishops, which eased their expressions somewhat. At least they had a way to save face. Although Black A had rescued Weiwei from the arena, Weiwei had been of great help to Black A afterward.

The Dark God Cult's dark team consisted of only two people: Black A and Weiwei. That left only the Alliance team, which hadn't arrived yet.

A dragon's roar came from the horizon. With a gust of wind, the Storm Flame Dragon, Dies, landed on the high wall. One of its claws pierced the top of the wall, while the other gripped the front. Its vertical pupils looked down at the people on the wall, as if ready to unleash a blast of dragonflame to clear them all out.

Alisa, carrying her blade bag, jumped down from the dragon's back. However, no one on the wall paid her any attention because someone seemed to be sitting on the dragon's back, far above their line of sight. A blood-chilling aura lay dormant on the dragon's back, as if it might erupt at any moment.

"Sylvis didn't come?"

Su Xiao's eyes flickered with red light as he looked at the Black Worm Archbishop, Enod, on the wall. This caused Enod's expression to stiffen. He felt as if blood energy was rushing toward him, pressing down on his shoulders like a thousand pounds, making the flow of energy within his body sluggish or even temporarily stagnant. This left his body somewhat stiff. Facing the Dean of the Twilight Madhouse face-to-face was an overwhelming experience—like confronting the ultimate final boss.

"The Pope sent us two to represent the Dark God Cult. As for the specifics, I, as a subordinate, dare not ask too much."

The Black Worm Archbishop, Enod, forced himself to speak. Although the two sides were hostile, he didn't show it. In fact, anyone with a brain would choose to be polite now, because being arrogant at this moment would mean death. No one would risk their life to show off, especially someone who had climbed to the position of archbishop in the Dark God Cult.

"I heard you captured the Red-Eyed Woman?"

"It's... not really capturing."

The Black Worm Archbishop, Enod, looked even more strained. But his mind raced, and he immediately realized that this Dean must have brought the Alliance's Hunter Force intelligence department. Otherwise, there was no way he could have learned about this in such a short time.

"How is she doing?"

"Hmm~, very well. As for the specifics... it's not convenient for me to say. Mr. White Night, I hope you understand."

The Black Worm Archbishop, Enod, spoke with a pained expression. He was in a terrible spot—he couldn't afford to offend the person in front of him, or he would die immediately, but he also couldn't reveal the faction's secret intelligence.

This bizarre conversation left the Trade Alliance President, Venif, the Ghost Clan Elder, Croway, and the Yogg family head, Yogg Code, looking bewildered. They almost wanted to laugh. The feeling of being interrogated like a subordinate was too strong. Even more bizarrely, the two sides were enemies.

After Alisa arrived, the five teams from the five factions were assembled. Her team didn't need much explanation—Alisa alone was a team. The Dark team consisted of Black A and Weiwei.

Compared to the single-person team on Su Xiao's side and the two-person team of the Dark faction, the other three factions had full five-person teams.

The Ghost Clan team was led by a young Ghost Clan member named Vorn. The other members included a Wraith (assassin), a Wandering Soul (perception type), a necromancer, and finally, a half-demon.

The Yogg family team was led by Yogg Dia, with her fluorescent blue pupils and bandaged body. The other four were servants numbered 1 to 4. These four servants had different auras but all exuded a cold, emotionless feeling.

The last team, the Trade Alliance team, also had five members but looked the most disorganized. The leader was a young man named Lu Tis, who maintained a friendly smile. His squinting eyes, as if never fully open, gave him an approachable yet dangerously mysterious vibe.

Besides Lu Tis, the Trade Alliance team included a shield bearer, a thief, a battlefield medic, and a fallen knight. The five of them together had a completely mismatched aura.

When Su Xiao's gaze fell on Lu Tis, although his expression remained unchanged, he was slightly surprised internally. Upon closer inspection, wasn't this a Sun Apostle? How had he infiltrated the Trade Alliance team?

Realizing that the Trade Alliance team's leader was a Sun Apostle, Su Xiao knew that this team was already doomed. The four team members would likely be used by the Sun Apostle until they were dead without even knowing how.

Su Xiao, who had been casually sitting cross-legged on the dragon's back, shifted his gaze to the other two teams. When his eyes landed on the Yogg family team's leader, Yogg Dia, he noticed that her aura didn't show any signs of tension. Instead, she was calm and confident.

Su Xiao directed the Storm Flame Dragon to stare at Yogg Dia. After more than ten seconds, Yogg Dia's heartbeat began to accelerate, and her body's functions started to alert her to danger. At that moment, the Yogg family head, Yogg Code, stepped in front of Yogg Dia.

"Dean White Night, your dragon mount seems very dangerous."

The family head, Yogg Code, spoke. Hearing this, Su Xiao said with a hint of doubt, "It seems to be attracted by the aura of some artifact."

"Is that so?"

The family head, Yogg Code, maintained a calm expression and said nothing more.

Was Su Xiao provoking the Yogg family for no reason? Of course not. He had no interest in doing something so meaningless. He had the Storm Flame Dragon stare at Yogg Dia for one reason: her aura was too calm. Everyone else about to enter the "Family Mansion," even Black A, showed some tension and vigilance in their auras. Only Yogg Dia showed no nervousness at all.

This could only mean two things: 1. Yogg Dia had extraordinary courage, and this situation was nothing to her. 2. Yogg Dia had some kind of reliance that would give her team a significant advantage once inside the "Family Mansion."

Su Xiao had the Storm Flame Dragon stare at Yogg Dia to see if she would back down. The answer was that Yogg Dia was indeed an excellent young member of the Yogg family. Her heart didn't waver, but her body's instincts triggered a warning reaction. If she couldn't even withstand this stare, how could she be completely unafraid of entering the "Family Mansion"?

Through this process of elimination, Su Xiao concluded that Yogg Dia had some method that would give her a great advantage inside the "Family Mansion." Considering that this mansion once belonged to the Yogg family, could it be that Yogg Dia had a way to make the monsters inside ignore her or even treat her as invisible? Her four teammates were likely just fillers to avoid arousing suspicion from the other four factions.

Given Black A and Alisa's strength, no one would question them entering the "Family Mansion" alone. Although Yogg Dia was an excellent young talent, she wasn't a cheat—just a promising youth. She didn't have the strength to enter the "Family Mansion" alone.

Thus, to avoid suspicion, giving Yogg Dia four teammates was the safest option. However, assigning Yogg family members would cause dissatisfaction within the clan, as it would essentially be selecting cannon fodder. Therefore, choosing four capable servants was the best choice.

Su Xiao glanced at the servants numbered 1 to 4 behind Yogg Dia. He was sure now: Yogg Dia had a way to avoid monsters inside the "Family Mansion." While others were held up by monsters or mini-bosses, she could advance unimpeded, gaining a huge advantage. That was why she wasn't nervous at all.

As for how to deal with this enemy with such an initial advantage, Su Xiao didn't plan to have Alisa handle it. Considering that the Trade Alliance team's leader was a Sun Apostle, a plan began to take shape in Su Xiao's mind.

The plan's starting point was Black A. Su Xiao naturally wouldn't directly command this rebellious son. First, Black A wouldn't listen. Second, it would arouse suspicion from the Dark God Cult, leading them to replace him at the last minute.

This wasn't a problem. Su Xiao had a way to make Black A follow his plan without giving him any direct orders, all while keeping Black A completely unaware, thinking it was his own idea.

"It seems the Yogg family has great confidence in returning to their ancestral home."

Su Xiao looked at the Yogg family head, Yogg Code, and spoke. Hearing this, Yogg Code's heart skipped a beat. This was exactly what he feared.

"Dean White Night, you say that, but everyone starts from the same point. There's no advantage to speak of."

"Oh? I heard that one of your Ancestral Secret Treasures can conceal traces inside the family mansion. It seems that wasn't just a rumor."

Su Xiao made up a random excuse. After all, someone had previously discovered an "Ancestral Secret Treasure" in the mist, and its whereabouts were unknown.

Hearing this, Yogg Code almost lost his composure. He immediately suspected that there must be a traitor within the family. How else could such a secret be known to outsiders?

As Wood had said, it was a waste that Su Xiao didn't pursue divination—he clearly had a "talent" for it. Obviously, Su Xiao's random accusation had hit the truth. However, he had only guessed that Yogg Dia wouldn't be actively attacked by monsters inside the "Family Mansion" before making this statement. It wasn't baseless speculation.

"Lady Yogg Dia, so you really are carrying that item."

The Trade Alliance team leader, Lu Tis, also known as the Sun Apostle, spoke. This made the Trade Alliance President beside him look suspicious, but at this critical moment, he said nothing.

Hearing the Sun Apostle's words, Su Xiao understood one thing: this filial son was showing his stance. He was clearly trying to curry favor with Su Xiao, indicating that this deep incursion into the "Family Mansion" was ostensibly on behalf of the Trade Alliance but actually on behalf of Su Xiao.

This meant that Su Xiao had effectively sent two teams into the family mansion.

The atmosphere fell silent. Black A, who had been listening the whole time, turned his gaze to Yogg Dia. This guy had clearly set his sights on the Yogg family team, planning to strike them as soon as they entered the mist-covered courtyard area.

This was also why Su Xiao never bothered to deal with this rebellious son. A obedient Black A couldn't accomplish many things, but in his current state, he could do a lot.

Su Xiao signaled Alisa to come closer. He whispered some instructions, and after hearing them, Alisa nodded in agreement.

"Since everyone is here, let's begin. No one can be sure how long this mist and the old mansion will last."

The Yogg family head, Yogg Code, spoke. He was eager because he was worried that before the contest even started, they might be dealt with on this high wall.

The representatives of the other factions also agreed to descend into the gray mist immediately. Seeing this, Black A was the first to leap off the high wall, disappearing into the mist. Alisa also flickered a few times, following the root slope into the mist.

When all the teams had entered the mist, Su Xiao gave the Storm Flame Dragon, Dies, the order to return to the temporary base camp. All he had to do now was wait. He wasn't too worried about the contest for the "Ancient Emblem." Instead, he was more concerned about whether the few people entering the dangerous area could actually defeat the Countess and the Family Ancestor.

The wind whistled past Su Xiao's ears as the Storm Flame Dragon flew through the clouds. On its back, Su Xiao began to meditate. He was very confident that he would be the ultimate winner in this contest.

The reason was that, at first glance, the current situation seemed to involve five factions competing for the "Ancient Emblem" in the "Underground Palace." Whoever obtained the "Ancient Emblem" would be the final winner, thereby obtaining the "Primordial Fragment." Not only that, but the courtyard, mansion, and underground palace were also filled with various "Ancestral Secret Treasures," which contained "Abyssal Sediment."

But was the current situation really a five-way competition? The answer was no. First, the Trade Alliance team was doomed from the start. Their leader was a Sun Apostle, and the Sun Apostle had clearly indicated that he was willing to temporarily work for Su Xiao.

This wasn't surprising. Given the Sun Apostle's cunning nature, the choice between the Ghost Soul City Trade Alliance and the Dean of the Twilight Madhouse was obvious.

Black A would deal with the Yogg family team, and Alisa would handle the Ghost Clan team. In the end, only three teams would likely remain—more precisely, three Devourers.

Alisa was already on Su Xiao's side, so she didn't need to be dealt with. The Sun Apostle would be easy to handle. As for Black A, even if he obtained the "Ancient Emblem," Su Xiao had a way to make him hand it over willingly.

In other words, if the plan went smoothly, Su Xiao could truly choose to take everything—the "Ancestral Secret Treasures," the "Ancient Emblem," and the "Primordial Fragment."

As for what Su Xiao planned to do next, it was to deal with the Abyss Lord, Sylvis. No one would expect him to choose this moment to confront the Abyss Lord. During the contest, the Void Tree had rules stating that faction leaders could not attack participants entering the "Family Mansion." However, the Void Tree had no rules preventing faction leaders from attacking faction leaders of other sides.

Even if doing so caused his Void Tree reputation to drop, so what? Su Xiao's current reputation was -???, and he was no longer afraid of losing Void Tree reputation. The notification from opening the Abyss Shop earlier clearly indicated that this -??? reputation was beyond saving, much like his Charm Attribute in the past.