Chapter 37: The Mark
The Moon Witch’s words were not false. From an essential perspective, the ability systems of Huishenshi and Haojiu truly might share the same origin but diverged into different branches, like distinct main trunks growing from a single great tree.
However, Su Xiao was certain that the Moon Witch was still hiding something. Furthermore, her motivation for participating in this World War, as well as her desire to win, were far too obvious. In the past, the Moon Witch had a gentle and graceful temperament, her words and actions unconsciously exuding an allure that softened one’s bones. The first glance at her would inevitably stir a slight fondness.
No one would guard against their own heart, and the “subtle fondness” felt upon first meeting the Moon Witch was like an invisible seed, taking root and sprouting within the heart, slowly transforming into a feeling of, well, that this gentle beauty must surely harbor the same fondness for me.
Desire entangled the mind until it suffocated the soul, growing from fondness into admiration, then from admiration into infatuation, until the heart was utterly captivated. At that point, one would become the Moon Witch’s rabid devotee, obeying her every word without question.
Unfortunately, the Moon Witch had met her ultimate nemesis—a Blade Grandmaster immune to “True Mental Penetration.” Against a normal Blade Grandmaster, the Moon Witch, though unable to charm them, could still inflict heavy damage with “True Mental Penetration.” While she still couldn’t control them, she could at least fight.
But if that Blade Grandmaster possessed high Soul Strength and Willpower, the Moon Witch would be wise to avoid a fight altogether, lest she hasten her own death.
“I’m listening. Continue.”
Su Xiao spoke. Hearing this, the Moon Witch sighed helplessly and said, “That’s all I know.”
“Is that so.”
With that, a layer of crystal spread beneath Su Xiao’s feet, forming a dining table and crystal chairs. He gestured for the Moon Witch to make herself at ease and take a seat across from him.
The Moon Witch was now in a position where she was at his mercy, with no choice but to sit. Seeing this, Su Xiao had Amu retrieve various foods from the team storage space. All were cooked by Xia, sealed in fresh-keeping containers. Opening the boxes, though not as good as freshly cooked, they were still passably delicious.
“Don’t be shy.”
Hearing Su Xiao’s words, the Moon Witch hesitated for a moment. But then she thought about it and couldn’t help but laugh at herself. At this point, she could lose her life at any moment; her enemy wouldn’t waste resources poisoning her.
The Moon Witch was indeed a bit hungry, and Xia’s cooking lifted her spirits somewhat. Just as she was finishing her meal, a communicator beside Su Xiao rang. He glanced at it, then pressed a bone-conduction earpiece to his cheek and said:
“It’s me. Yes, she’s here. About 168 centimeters tall, under 60 kilograms. Her resistance might not be high, but her willpower should be decent. Mm, good. You can mix the formula on the way. I trust your expertise, as always.”
With that, Su Xiao hung up. Across from him, the dessert in the Moon Witch’s mouth suddenly lost its sweetness. Her expression darkened as she asked, “What was that?”
“Telemarketing. Don’t mind it.”
Su Xiao’s tone was calm, and his gaze even softened a bit. He even had Amu pour the Moon Witch a cup of Maple Tea after the meal. Again, it was just a matter of opposing factions; there was no need to treat the Moon Witch this harshly. But this time, the danger was too great, and Su Xiao saw little chance of victory.
“Bai Ye, we’re only enemies by faction. You don’t need to waste money on the Sea Clan’s Dark Division. I’ve told you everything I know.”
“Mm, I believe you. I’ll let you go soon.”
Su Xiao’s tone remained gentle, and he even raised his teacup, signaling the Moon Witch not to waste the Maple Tea. Amu had brewed it with care. Though the Black Maple Tree was their own, and picking young leaves cost little, it shouldn’t be wasted.
During this time, Su Xiao received two more calls. Then, a knock came at the door of the hay shed. Amu opened it, and an elderly Sea Clan member, slightly hunched with a meek smile, entered. He glanced at Su Xiao for permission, and after receiving a silent nod, he allowed his three subordinates to enter as well.
These three Sea Clan members wore brown leather butcher’s aprons and long gloves. One had a face full of scars, another had half his face burned, and the third wore a bone mask full of holes.
The one with the bone mask was tall and seemed somewhat fat, but this was actually a physique of strength wrapped in fat—the most powerful and durable body type. The other two were short and lanky, respectively. The scarred short one wore a constant smile but had a cruel look in his eyes, while the tall, thin fish-man had a fierce expression, with various long, oddly shaped knives hanging from his waist.
Just looking at these three sent a chill down one’s spine. They weren’t particularly vicious, but they exuded an indifference and coldness toward life, as if everything was just a job.
“Mr. White Night, we’re not late, are we?”
The elderly Sea Clan member stepped forward warmly, pulling out a fee list. With a smile in his eyes, he said, “Here are the costs. Please check them.”
“No need.”
“Thank you for your trust, Mr. White Night. May I ask, is this beautiful lady our client for today?”
“Yes.”
“Hello, madam. It’s a pleasure to provide this service for you.”
As the elderly Sea Clan member spoke, the Moon Witch suddenly felt a weakness in her soul. It wasn’t poison, but some ability of the old Sea Clan member.
“Mr. White Night, shall we provide our premium package here, or…?”
As the old Sea Clan member spoke, the Moon Witch, feeling herself being consumed by drowsiness, struggled to say, “The mark… their power comes from… the mark.”
“…”
Su Xiao said nothing. Seeing this, the Moon Witch continued drowsily, “I can… tell you, but… make these freaks… get the hell… away from me.”
“…”
Su Xiao still remained silent. He took out a Soul Coin savings card worth 6,000 and handed it to the elderly Sea Clan member. The latter accepted it with a meek smile and said, “Then we’ll take our leave. Thank you for your generosity, Mr. White Night.”
“Much obliged.”
“You’re too kind. You’re one of our long-time benefactors. If you ever need our services again, please contact us. Our prices are a bit high, but our professionalism—you’re a connoisseur.”
“Mm.”
Su Xiao gestured for Amu to see them out. After the dozen or so Sea Clan members left, the Moon Witch shook off her drowsiness and placed her trembling right hand under the table to hide her embarrassment.
“You… monsters.”
“…”
Su Xiao still said nothing, no longer wearing that gentle smile. But strangely, facing the cold Su Xiao now, the Moon Witch felt a bit more at ease. The more gently that guy smiled, the more terrifying his actions were.
“This tea… it’s wonderful to drink. It’s not just about taste. Could I have another cup?”
“…”
Su Xiao signaled Amu to pour the Moon Witch another cup. She held the thick porcelain cup with both hands, took a sip to warm the chill in her heart, sighed, and said:
“Have you heard of the Forbidden Mark?”
“No.”
“There are five Forbidden Marks in total. Not everyone is qualified to obtain and fuse with them; you must have the right. Otherwise, the moment you choose to fuse a Forbidden Mark, it’s your death sentence…”
The Moon Witch began to explain what the “Forbidden Mark” was. It had once been a “Sealed Object” sealed by the Dawn Paradise. In fact, according to the initial regulations, this was one of the Dawn Paradise’s functions—to seal away terrifying things that could “pollute the commandments.”
And the “Forbidden Mark” was the top-tier “Sealed Object” sealed by the Dawn Paradise, bar none. Until after the Paradise War, when the Dawn Paradise fell into silence, this sealing could no longer continue.
The five “Forbidden Marks” were: the Puppet Mark, the Devouring Mark, the Fate Mark, the Mind Mark, and the Soul Mark.
Yes, Huishenshi was the holder and fuser of the “Puppet Mark.” Past judgments about the source of his abilities were based on insufficient intelligence, and Huishenshi was never the type to reveal the true nature of his trump card before a decisive battle. He took that secret to his grave.
The “Devouring Mark” was with Haojiu. The Platinum Apostle held the “Fate Mark.” The “Mind Mark” was lost. The “Soul Mark” was said to be with an extremely powerful Supreme-level Violator.
The Moon Witch’s purpose in coming here was to find the “Mind Mark” in the Dawn Ruins and fuse with it. This would allow her nearly exhausted path of growth to extend to an astonishing degree.
No one becomes powerful for no reason. Huishenshi, the Platinum Apostle, and Haojiu were all like this. Of course, it can’t be said that these people achieved their current heights solely because of the “Forbidden Marks.” They were already top-tier strong. With the “Forbidden Marks,” they became like tigers with wings, reaching absurd levels of strength. Don’t forget one thing: this was the strongest “Sealed Object” sealed by the Dawn Paradise. Even split into five, each piece was still in a league of its own.
Another crucial secret was that these five “Forbidden Marks” could be fused. Originally, the “Forbidden Mark” was a single whole, shattered into five pieces. If one obtained two “Forbidden Marks” and fused them, they could use one mark to enhance the other. For example, using the “Mind Mark” to boost the “Fate Mark” to several times its current strength.
But that wasn’t the most tempting part. When one held three “Forbidden Marks” and fused them, they would obtain the “Dominion Mark.” The strength of this mark was in a league of its own.
When all five “Forbidden Marks” were gathered and restored to their complete state, the result was the “True Forbidden Mark.” Once marked by such a terrifying existence, one would be completely dominated and controlled in body, soul, mind, and fate.
This information answered Su Xiao’s previous doubts. He had wondered why the cooperation between Haojiu and the Platinum Apostle seemed stable on the surface but lacked synergy in actual combat. Now it was clear: each had a “Forbidden Mark,” and both wanted to obtain the “Dominion Mark.”
Having figured out why the Platinum Apostle and Haojiu were wading into this muddy water, the purpose of Shenfu’s presence here seemed puzzling. But considering the world they were in, and the Dawn Paradise’s arbitration of exiling unkillable Violators, Su Xiao had a vague guess.
“If I asked you to sign a contract, would you?”
“I would never sign your contract…”
“Contract, signed.”
Su Xiao pressed one hand on the table, and the Contract Parchment hidden within the crystal surface emerged. The surface of this contract was coated with a layer of trap contract, triggered by the condition: ‘Directly stating refusal to sign a contract with Su Xiao.’
This transparent layer of trap contract would automatically imprint the Moon Witch’s true name, in the “signature position,” onto the formal contract below.
Su Xiao grasped the Contract Parchment with both hands and, pulling it apart, split it into 80 copies. Each of these 80 copies was linked to 30 sub-contracts, meaning the Moon Witch had simultaneously signed 2,400 contracts.
As everyone knew, if a contract’s content set strict “restrictions” and “penalties,” the signing conditions would be very complex, requiring the signer’s personal signature, fingerprint, soul wave imprint, and consciousness synchronization—a total of seven or eight signing procedures.
But if the contract’s “restriction” was merely that the signer couldn’t eat breakfast for a day, then the signing conditions would be quite relaxed, even just a touch would suffice.
The problem was that once such lightly “restrictive” contracts were signed in large numbers, their power became terrifying. The Moon Witch was now experiencing this firsthand. Her most direct experience was that her contract list was instantly full, with a bright red display indicating a temporary overflow.
The Moon Witch stared gloomily at the Hunter across from her. As a Violator, she suddenly felt wronged. Even as a Violator, she had never pulled off such an outrageous move. Being a Violator was too frustrating.
Su Xiao put away the Contract Parchment and said, “Drink this potion.”
He tossed out a bottle of continuous recovery potion. The Moon Witch was puzzled, but seeing Su Xiao’s unfriendly gaze, she reluctantly drank it. The next second, the crystal chair beneath her and the crystal table in front of her shattered.
Clang~
The long blade was drawn. The Moon Witch felt a numbness in her left arm, and specks of blood splattered onto her face. As a Charm-type, there was no way she could match Su Xiao in close combat. The second strike cut through her collarbone and shoulder.
Pfft!
The long blade pierced through the Moon Witch’s abdomen, pinning her to the ground. Almost simultaneously, the Moon Witch crushed the brilliant pocket watch in her hand.
With a bang, time dust scattered, and the Moon Witch vanished from the spot. Su Xiao, of course, hadn’t intended to kill her. If he had truly wanted her dead, she wouldn’t have been able to escape.
If the Moon Witch returned unscathed, anyone could guess what had happened. Instead, with a broken arm, wounds on her collarbone and abdomen slowly corroded by Cyan Steel Shadow Energy, and the lingering time aura from her life-saving item, the two teams from the Watchful Paradise camp wouldn’t easily suspect her experience.
Su Xiao soloing the Eternal Life Society—in such a chaotic situation, the Moon Witch escaping with severe injuries using a life-saving item was perfectly plausible. Even if Shenfu was sure to suspect and even partially see through it, he couldn’t say anything, or it would cause internal strife, especially since Haojiu and the Platinum Apostle were both hiding their fangs.
This solo raid on the Eternal Life Society headquarters had yielded enormous gains for Su Xiao. He discovered that the dual bonuses from the “Violator” + “Old Hunter” titles allowed him to instantly kill unkillable Violators, stacking a total of 55% damage bonus.
Beyond that, he had also obtained a large number of Hunter Gold Coins. He opened the Title Shop:
[You currently have: 130,452 Hunter Gold Coins.]
[You can use Hunter Gold Coins to purchase the following items.]