Chapter 2411: Numbness of the Soul
A group of people simply sat down and inexplicably ate and drank tea together.
The atmosphere on the Holy Sword Society's side was harmonious. Besides the four people already in the hall, the Super Evolver and the player who had brought the fat player also came in. Of course, not all of their people came in to eat; some were still outside.
The white-haired old man was not a talkative person. He held his bowl and didn't speak again. However, the few people who were cleaning and cooking weren't so particular. They chatted with Xu Huo and the others while eating.
It was certain that they were ordinary people. They weren't as wary of Xu Huo and his group as the Super Evolver and his companions were.
The fat player felt he had been tricked and had little interest in conversation. He was only worried that he wouldn't be able to leave this place, so he kept humoring them.
On Xu Huo's side, Wu Xing was also not in the mood. Besides the rift with the Holy Sword Society, it was more likely that she was caught in the turmoil of her own convictions. The Painting Woman was the most cooperative, but communicating was inconvenient and affected her performance, so most of the time, Xu Huo did the talking.
When the topic of the hall came up, the older sister who did the cooking was very enthusiastic. She first praised the white-haired old man, then talked about her own employment experience—after losing several children in a row, her mental state had become somewhat unstable. The white-haired old man had saved her. Later, she found a purpose in life and simply settled down in the hall, responsible for cooking on a daily basis.
"Eat, eat up, all of you eat more." The older sister smiled and urged everyone. "No matter what you're doing, you have to fill your stomachs."
"If my children hadn't died, they'd probably be about your age now. I wasn't smart when I was young, but their father could study. If he hadn't died young, our family's life would have been much better. If the children had grown up, they would definitely have been as good at studying as their father. Studying can earn money, life would get better and better, and we would never go hungry again..."
The player who was dispensing medicine ladled her a bowl of soup. "Sister Zhao, eat first."
Sister Zhao paused, then looked apologetically at Xu Huo and the others. "Did I scare you? I'm not mentally unstable. I'm just afraid I'll forget my husband and children, so I tell everyone I meet. Unfortunately, they didn't even leave a single photo behind. I'm already forgetting what they looked like."
The people living with her quickly changed the subject, and Sister Zhao finally let the topic drop.
"Are you into religious beliefs?" the fat player asked the Super Evolver. "What religion do you follow?"
"We don't follow any religion, nor do we have any religious beliefs," the Super Evolver said flatly. "If you want to talk about faith, there is one: that our relatives and friends can live a good life."
"Is that considered faith? If that's faith, then most people in the world probably share the same faith." The fat player only realized after speaking that his words sounded a bit off. He looked at the expressions of the others at the table and couldn't help but ask, "You didn't come looking for me just to recruit members, did you?"
"Having like-minded friends is certainly better, but not just anyone can become our friend." The Super Evolver's attitude was somewhat ambiguous.
The fat player didn't see a problem with that and instead breathed a sigh of relief. "Right, right, right. You're all people doing great things. I'm not worthy of being your friend."
Hitting a cotton ball with a punch, the Super Evolver's face darkened, but he couldn't lose his temper on the spot. Instead, he turned to look at Xu Huo and the other two, who were drinking tea nearby. "And what are you here for?"
Since most of the people here were from the Holy Sword Society, and Xu Huo and his group were already in the know, Wu Xing didn't hesitate much and explained the whole story. She then released the few ordinary people she had taken in. "I'm truly at my wit's end. They can't stay here any longer, but leaving Chunyi City, other places in Zone 001 aren't necessarily much better... I still have some savings, and I'd like to ask you to settle them."
Xu Huo also released the remaining people from his container item.
These ordinary people, with their striking appearances, instinctively lowered their heads and crouched down as soon as they came out, not daring to look at the white-haired old man and the others.
"This is too pitiful," the fat player said first. "I knew the Fish Feast was so prosperous because they were up to no good behind the scenes. I should have stolen more of their stuff. Going there once was such a loss!"
"Do you have any connections?" Xu Huo asked him.
The fat player waved his hands repeatedly. "I don't have that kind of influence. I can't even take care of myself..."
"No, brother," he changed the subject, "I can see you're not short on money or people. You must have more connections than these poor... these people. Why go far when you want to do a good deed?"
Xu Huo pointed his chin at Wu Xing. "The good deed is right here."
It was Wu Xing who had proposed this. The reason she insisted on finding the Holy Sword Society people was, first, that she was powerless, and second, that she couldn't fully trust Xu Huo. Rather than gamble on a stranger's long-term reliability, it was better to find someone she could believe in.
Beauty is a disaster for those without power.
Wu Xing's gaze was fixed on the white-haired old man. He was the one who made the decisions here.
By this time, the white-haired old man had also finished eating. After carefully wiping the corners of his mouth, he looked at her with a smile. "You don't know these people at all. Helping them might not earn you gratitude. If someone finds them, your information will soon be leaked. And if they don't live well elsewhere, they might even resent you for meddling today."
Wu Xing was stunned for a moment, then her tense shoulders relaxed slightly. "Whatever. No matter what choice I make, I'll regret it in the future. At least for now, I'm following my heart."
She placed a bag of ore on the table. "I exchanged all my money for stones."
With that, she stood up, bowed deeply to the white-haired old man, and strode out of the hall.
She didn't look back at the crouching people, and not a single one of them lifted their head to look at her.
"Numbness of the soul is more regrettable than numbness of the body." The white-haired old man handed the ore to the player who was dispensing medicine. "Xiao Ji, go make the arrangements. Send them to a suitable place."
Xiao Ji nodded and led these people to the back room.
"Everyone's gone. Should I be going too?" The fat player had one foot out the door. The Holy Sword Society people didn't stop him, but Xu Huo held him back. "Wait for me. We'll leave together."
"Well, we're not that familiar..." Before the fat player could finish his refusal, he met Xu Huo's gaze. He swallowed the rest of his words and changed his tune. "Although we haven't known each other long, calling you brother makes us brothers for life. Don't worry, I'll wait for you!"
The people at the table quickly dispersed, leaving only Xu Huo and his two companions, along with the white-haired old man and the Super Evolver named Gao Feng.
"Do you have something else to discuss with me?" the white-haired old man asked first, then added, "Let me make it clear first. I can help with small matters, but I can't help with anything bigger."
Xu Huo's gaze had been fixed on the water glass on the table. Only when the water inside began to ripple from the vibrations did he speak. "Is Zone 001 a foothold for the Old Holy Sword Society?"