Chapter 8: Potential
After a round of emergency treatment, Grand Commander Kane slowly opened his eyes on the bed. As soon as he regained consciousness, he grabbed his wife's hand and said with lingering fear, "I just had a nightmare..."
"It wasn't actually a dream."
Baha, crouching on the bedside table at the other end, spoke up. Hearing Baha's voice, Grand Commander Kane closed his eyes with a pained expression and let out a long, sighing breath.
Seeing this, Lady Kane walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her, and dismissed the servants and guards waiting outside. Clearly, the old lady guessed what was about to happen.
Inside the bedroom, Grand Commander Kane, after drinking half a cup of hot tea, regained some color in his face. The reason for his reaction was that the Beast race had once been plagued by an Original Sin object, and it was only thanks to the Demon race later taking that Original Sin object away that they were saved.
The Demon race did this to use that Original Sin object to suppress the Abyssal Jar. As the saying goes, only a wild father can defeat a wild father. The result, however, was that the two "fathers" never fought; instead, they exploited the Demon race together.
It wasn't until later, when the Abyssal Jar realized the Demon race was getting poorer and poorer, that it cooperated with them to seal the later-arriving "Daddy-level" artifact. Speaking of which, that Original Sin object is still sealed to this day, and the Abyssal Jar has left the Demon race, much to their relief.
Having been dominated by an Original Sin object before, Grand Commander Kane had such a strong reaction. But as the saying goes, old people are cunning, and old horses are slippery. After the initial spike in blood pressure subsided, Kane sighed and said, "Bai Ye, this can't be helped. No matter what, you're an outsider. Making you a lord is fine, but a fief... ah~"
Grand Commander Kane sighed again. In truth, from the very beginning, he had received instructions from the Beast King: the position of lord could be given, but never a fief. Granting a fief to someone from the Paradise faction would be a liability, a handle that the seven great families could latch onto.
In other words, even if Su Xiao's reputation value turned positive, the Beast King and Grand Commander Kane would only verbally promise to give Su Xiao a fief, but would actually stall. Since people from the Paradise faction wouldn't stay long, if relations became strained, they would offer some benefits to smooth things over. Kane had even prepared a candidate for a honey trap, saying, "Just don't mention the fief, and I'd even marry my precious granddaughter to you."
Su Xiao had anticipated from the start that the Beast King and Grand Commander Kane wouldn't give him a fief. In fact, Grand Commander Kane's approach was perfectly reasonable. An outsider rising to a high position in a short time was only due to cooperation; getting a fief was simply impossible.
If Su Xiao only had the title of lord, he would be a lord without real power. The Beast King and Grand Commander Kane could accept that, and the seven great families couldn't find fault with it.
But once he had a fief, Su Xiao's position as lord would come with real authority. He would have the right to control the Beast race's legions, participate in the chaos of the main battlefield, and use the power granted by the fief to directly influence important decisions within the Beast race's power structure.
In other words, even if Su Xiao carved out his own territory and used the fief as a base camp for contractors, the Beast race would have no good way to deal with it. No one could predict what contractors would do, what their missions were, or ever understand their code of conduct.
Add to that a Paradise faction called Reincarnation Paradise, where even if you knew a contractor's mission, you could never guess their behavior.
Grand Commander Kane had never heard of the Hunter Bai Ye, but he had heard of the Law Destroyer Bai Ye and that he was from Reincarnation Paradise. Just imagine giving a fief to a madman from Reincarnation Paradise—it would be the death of the Beast race.
But now, the Beast race had no choice. Two Original Sin objects had already been sent to the Jackal Family and the Serpent Witch Family.
What infuriated Grand Commander Kane even more was that he couldn't find any fault in the matter. It was the Jackal Family and the Serpent Witch Family who first colluded with the Sea race to ambush Su Xiao. Now that Su Xiao survived and retaliated, even if this went to the Beast King, the Jackal Family and the Serpent Witch Family were in the wrong.
"Bai Ye, no matter what, the Jackals and Serpent Witches are still Beast race. Dealing with them should require more covert methods."
Grand Commander Kane's implication was clear: since Su Xiao could send the Original Sin objects, he could surely take them back.
"When dealing with enemies, any available means should be used. Baha, send the Necronomicon to the Iron Pattern Family later. They were also involved in this."
Su Xiao spoke with a serious expression, and Baha made a move to fly out the window.
"Wait, wait! The Iron Pattern Family has nothing to do with this. Their space technology was stolen."
Grand Commander Kane tried to stop him. Seeing that Baha had slowed down but not stopped, he let out a long sigh and said, "Giving you the fief directly wouldn't convince anyone. However..."
The moment he said "however," Baha landed on the windowsill, waiting for Grand Commander Kane to continue. The old man took a slow sip of hot tea before speaking:
"Having an outsider lord take over a fief won't pass the seven great families' scrutiny, and over a hundred lords, most of them, will interfere. But having two lords manage the same fief is a different story. Among the over a hundred lords, there's a young girl who recently inherited a fief. She's only ten years old, her parents were killed, and she's left with only a 'loyal' steward to assist her. She urgently needs a lord without a fief to help her manage it. I think neither the seven great families nor the other lords can veto this."
Grand Commander Kane was indeed a cunning old fox. He had already thought of a compromise. As one of the Beast King's right-hand men, he was skilled in the art of balance. This way, Su Xiao could control a fief while silencing the seven great families and the other lords, avoiding any liabilities.
"About the Original Sin objects..."
Grand Commander Kane didn't finish, but Su Xiao understood his meaning. "I'll retrieve those two Original Sin objects later."
"Bai Ye, why not send all three of your Original Sin objects to the Sea race..."
"Are you sure?"
Su Xiao looked at Grand Commander Kane with a smile, a strange glint in his eyes. Kane pondered for a few seconds before finally shaking his head, abandoning the idea. Having Original Sin objects was terrifying, but the power they unleashed during use was enough to make enemies witness hell itself.
Su Xiao checked his faction mission and found that the previous fief mission hadn't changed. This confirmed his earlier suspicion: faction missions, though notarized, weren't absolute. He had known this for a long time, having done similar manipulations with Kaiser before.
As night fell, Su Xiao, Baha, and Bubu Wang took Grand Commander Kane's vehicle to the Sixth District. When they arrived at the White Wolf Manor, they found guards lining both sides of the main gate. After confirming whose car it was, the gates were immediately opened.
The vehicle drove along a gravel road through the woods for several minutes before arriving at a castle. The place was brightly lit, with servants and maids lined up to welcome them. As Su Xiao got out, an old wolfman, whose fur had lost its color due to age, approached. This was the former head of the Jackal Family, Jueba.
Old Wolf Jueba's attitude was extremely warm. He personally led Su Xiao to the study. When Su Xiao sat down, he saw a charcoal box on the table, with faint green smoke seeping through the gaps. Su Xiao said nothing, leaning back in his seat.
Old Wolf Jueba sat across from him and took out an exquisite wooden box from under the desk. "Mr. White Night, we've had some misunderstandings before, but I believe you're a reasonable person. Our grudge is with that old bastard Kane, and with you, it's just a matter of opposing stances. My subordinates acted without thinking. Consider this an apology."
With that, Old Wolf Jueba patted the wooden box and pushed it next to the charcoal box. As if accidentally triggering the latch, the box popped open, revealing two [Soul Crystal Cores].
"Old age, you see. My hands aren't steady anymore. How rude, how rude."
Old Wolf Jueba smiled as he closed the lid of the wooden box and pushed it slightly forward.
Su Xiao looked at the wolfman across from him and then at the box on the table. This seemed like a reward for taking back the Original Sin object, but accepting it would inevitably create a rift with Grand Commander Kane. That was precisely why Old Wolf Jueba was willing to pay such a high price.
But on second thought, what did it matter if he and Grand Commander Kane had a rift? Before this, the other side had been all talk about the fief. Now that Su Xiao had shown he could produce three Original Sin objects, they immediately changed their tune and were willing to actually grant a fief.
In the end, whether it was Grand Commander Kane, the Beast King behind him, or the opposing seven great families, building friendships with these people was meaningless. Only interests mattered. Their attitudes of closeness and goodwill depended entirely on interests and the strength of their partners.
Moreover, this was a golden opportunity. Su Xiao had never thought of helping the Beast King against the seven great families. That was the Beast race's internal affair. What he should do wasn't to side with one against the other, but to stand in the middle and brutally attack the enemy Sea race. That way, both the Beast King and the seven great families, unless they had water in their brains, would fully support him.
With this in mind, Su Xiao picked up the wooden box and the charcoal box. Seeing this, Old Wolf Jueba's smile narrowed his eyes slightly. But the next second, Su Xiao placed the wooden box on top of the charcoal box, causing Old Wolf Jueba's smile to freeze before he quickly recovered.
"My sealing skills are limited. I can't guarantee when I might fail to seal this Original Sin object."
Su Xiao's implication was clear: tell Old Wolf Jueba to keep his family in line. If they came looking for trouble again, it wouldn't just be a sealed Original Sin object they'd receive.
Leaving the White Wolf Manor, Su Xiao had the driver sent by Grand Commander Kane take them to the Tenth District. By the time they arrived, it was nearly midnight. The vehicle entered the Silver Flower Manor and didn't leave until after two in the morning.
In the back seat, Su Xiao held a [Soul Crystal Core] in his hand. He suspected that one of the resources produced deep within the ancient ruins near Iron Fort City was [Soul Crystal Cores] and [Soul Crystal Cores]. Otherwise, how could these Beast race families have such abundant soul stone resources?
The "negotiation" with the Serpent Witch Family had gone smoothly. They were even more generous than the Jackal Family, offering not only two [Soul Crystal Cores] but also three ordinary Origin Stones.
Su Xiao had been thinking about one thing: what benefits could holding three Original Sin objects bring him?
As a Shadow of Law Destruction and Hunter, with the "Fearless Shadow" to resist the "Will Invasion" of Original Sin objects, he was mutually repulsed by them and could barely use them.
In other words, holding these three Original Sin objects cost Su Xiao more than it benefited him. This loss-making situation had completely reversed since he advanced to the Ninth Rank.
Before the Ninth Rank, even major factions in the worlds generally didn't know about Original Sin objects. Ignorance was bliss. Even if Su Xiao used various means to send Original Sin objects to them, the recipients would just scoff and say, "Is that all?"
This meant that Original Sin objects had no deterrent effect before the Ninth Rank. As for actually letting an Original Sin object wreak havoc on an enemy faction until it collapsed, unless there was no other choice, it wasn't advisable. Once the enemy faction collapsed, the Original Sin object would give birth to an even stronger, more terrifying force.
For example, when dealing with the Sand King before, if the timing had been slightly off, the Sand King could have used the Soul Crown to corrupt wills, gather a massive army, defeat the Alliance and the North, become the king of that world, and drive all its life to extinction within months. The world would have been left with only mountains of bones and the Sand King sitting on his throne.
In the Wind Sea Continent, it was a different situation. The high-ranking members of major factions here generally recognized Original Sin objects. So, sending a sealed Original Sin object was enough to scare them out of their wits and immediately seek peace.
Su Xiao felt this was the correct way to use Original Sin objects. Of course, this method couldn't be abused. His sealing skills weren't strong enough, and any negligence could lead to accidents.
Su Xiao didn't stay long in the main city. He took Bubu Wang, Amu, and Baha back to Iron Fort City via the space tower.
In the dead of night, Iron Fort City was still lively, with many pedestrians on the streets. When Su Xiao returned to the hotel, he found the door to his room open and a smell of blood wafting out.
Following the bloodstains, he pushed open the bathroom door and found several bodies either piled in the bathtub or hanging upside down, blood still dripping from their fingertips. These were the people Su Xiao had planned to recruit yesterday in the main city.
Closing the bathroom door, Su Xiao went to the living room and found two well-dressed individuals, a Half-Human and a Soul Wolf, sitting on the semicircular sofa. Their clothes and hands were stained with blood, and both held wine glasses.
The Half-Human was named Viper. With half human blood and a quarter snake bloodline, his skin had snake-scale patterns, giving him a sinister look. Beside him was a Soul Wolf named Evil Fang, clearly a fierce desperado.
Evil Fang drained his glass, crunching on the ice cubes, one hand resting on the sofa back. His demeanor showed he was an unruly brute, which explained why, despite his skills, no lord had recruited him.
"Sir, you're late."
Viper tossed a crystal card he held between his fingers onto the coffee table.
"..."
Su Xiao said nothing. He sat across from Viper and Evil Fang, picked up the wine bottle, and poured each of them a glass.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Evil Fang grabbed the glass and downed it in one gulp. Su Xiao got an initial read on this man: fierce enough, capable, but not cunning or steady.
Viper, on the other hand, sniffed the wine before drinking it. After confirming it was safe, he downed it. Su Xiao judged Viper's style: a bit clever, overly confident in his abilities, fierce and cunning, but not steadfast, with a tendency to be a fence-sitter.
"I'm actually a lord, though one without a fief for now. I'm recruiting you to launch a surprise attack on the Sea race's supply depot at White Hoof Port."
Hearing this, Viper and Evil Fang were both stunned. They exchanged glances, and Evil Fang couldn't help but laugh, showing his sharp teeth.
"Sir, I mean no offense, but just the three of us attacking the Sea race's supply depot at White Hoof Port? There are three Sea race legions stationed there. We'd be walking to our deaths."
Evil Fang shook his head as he spoke, his eyes filled with undisguised disappointment. He had thought this was an opportunity, so he and Viper had killed all the other applicants. But this was the result.
Viper's reaction was different. He thought for a moment and said, "Lord, is it because you have no territory that you can't recruit better subordinates, so you lowered your standards to recruit scum like us? But gathering a bunch of rabble like us to attack White Hoof Port is still very difficult."
"Even if it's a death sentence, it's better than rotting in the main city. But my price is high."
Evil Fang stated his terms, meaning he was willing to join but would demand a sky-high price.
"Name it."
Su Xiao wasn't afraid of Evil Fang asking for a high price.
"Monthly salary, 5,000... 8,000 Soul Coins!"
"Look at your pathetic ambition."
Viper sneered at Evil Fang and set his own price: "Monthly salary, 300 Soul Stones, each at least this big."
Viper clenched his fist, meaning 300 Soul Crystal Cores per month.
"8,000 Soul Coins, 300 Soul Stones."
Su Xiao looked thoughtful. Seeing this, Evil Fang wanted to slap himself. He had set his price too low, mainly because he hadn't expected the lord to actually consider it.
"The price is higher than expected, but you two are outstanding talents. Joining me is an understatement. Consider this compensation for your loss of face."
As Su Xiao spoke, he took out a scroll. The scroll was as thick as an arm and, when unrolled, could accommodate over a hundred signatures.
"Sign here. This is an employment contract."
Su Xiao tossed a quill onto the unrolled scroll. Viper and Evil Fang exchanged glances, both hesitating.
"It seems you have reservations. Why not go back and think it over?"
Hearing this, Viper and Evil Fang smiled and stood up. "That's best. We'll go back and think it over, and we'll definitely..."
Viper stopped mid-sentence and suddenly sat down. Evil Fang had a similar reaction.
"You tricked... recruited a few people and then killed them all! And you think you can leave?! Dream on!"
Baha landed on Evil Fang's shoulder, one talon gripping his head, ready to pierce his skull and deliver a fatal blow.
"The wine... is poisoned."
Viper struggled to speak, his whole body numb as he slumped on the sofa.
"What nonsense. You didn't drink any wine. There's not a drop of wine in the poison."
Baha 'comforted' him, making Viper's eyes bulge with rage. Evil Fang's eyes were filled with unwillingness and anger, then he slid to the floor between the sofa and coffee table with a thud.
Su Xiao hadn't planned to use such methods when recruiting subordinates. But these two had killed all the other applicants, creating a situation where it was either them or no one. So, he had to use unconventional means to deal with these unruly characters.
"Lord, we... were out of line."
Viper struggled to throw himself onto the coffee table, grabbed the quill in a clumsy manner, and scribbled his name on the contract scroll. As soon as he signed, he was surprised to find that the numbness in his body began to recede, starting from the hand holding the quill.
Seeing this, a strange light flickered in Viper's eyes. He sat down, twirling the quill in his hand, and looked at Evil Fang, who was lying on the floor, with a half-smile.
"Quick, give... it to me."
Evil Fang raised his trembling hand.
"Beg me. Beg me, and I'll give you the antidote."
"Brother Snake, I beg you. Thank you for your great kindness."
Evil Fang was clearly a shameless brute. In the face of severe poison, begging Viper or even calling him father on the spot was a small matter.
"No, no. You should thank the lord."
"I..."
Evil Fang wanted to curse. He had learned today what it meant to be a lightning-fast fence-sitter.
Finally, after Evil Fang tremblingly signed the contract, his poison was neutralized. He lay by the coffee table, gasping for breath. But then he remembered something and sat up abruptly, asking, "Lord, about the salary."
Hearing this, Baha replied, "I'm not in a hurry. You two can save up slowly."
"?"
Both Viper and Evil Fang were dumbfounded. Only then did they realize they were paying, not earning.
"You two bastards! We spent all afternoon yesterday recruiting talents, and you killed them all! If we weren't short-handed, we'd have killed you on the spot. But your actions are normal. No wonder no one wanted to recruit you."
Baha grew angrier as he spoke. Yesterday, when negotiating with other Beast race elites, it had nearly come to blows several times. After great effort, they had secured the remaining targets. And now, in a moment of carelessness, Viper and Evil Fang had killed them all.
"If it weren't for the fact that the Spotted Fox Clan's Piro didn't die, I'd kill you two today."
Baha was panting with rage. Viper and Evil Fang sat silently on the sofa. Viper somehow produced a bottle of wine, poured a glass, dipped one of his venomous fangs into it, and hissed as he injected some snake venom. Seeing no reaction, he started drinking.
Su Xiao switched his title to Sun Lord and selected Viper and Evil Fang as targets for the title's bonus. However, there was no effect. With only two elite units under his command, it wasn't enough to trigger the Sun Lord title's effect. As for their salaries, Su Xiao thought that as long as they didn't cause trouble and performed well, he would pay them generously.
Su Xiao began checking Viper and Evil Fang's attributes. Their main attributes averaged over 270 to 280 points. As leader-level units in the Wind Sea World, Viper had many passive abilities, seven in total. But when Su Xiao saw the last ability, he was slightly surprised. It was:
[Leadership Potential (Passive · A-Rank): Can inherit the auras, war-type abilities, etc., of the commanding unit, applying 75% of these effects to subordinate soldier units. This ability remains effective even at extremely long distances from the commanding unit (Ability rank: E~S).]
Seeing this ability, Su Xiao had an idea: could this "Leadership Potential" ability inherit the effects of the War Lord title?
If it worked, it meant that once he had a Beast race legion, he could have Viper lead it to the main battlefield. Even if Su Xiao wasn't present, Viper could still provide the legion with 75% of the War Lord title's effects.
If this was feasible, the operational possibilities were vast. Su Xiao switched his title to War Lord and checked Viper's "Leadership Potential" ability again. Sure enough, below the ability appeared the War Lord title's emblem and bonuses, but all these bonuses were only 75% of the War Lord title's effects, totaling: