Chapter 823: Hesitation
Bai Kou didn’t covet what He Pu had left for Xu Huo—at most, she was a little curious. It just so happened that she passed by District 001 on business and went to check it out using the method He Pu had taught her. But the moment she touched the item, she knew it was a fake.
The facts were right in front of her. He Pu had used this trick specifically to guard against her.
Nothing could be more heartbreaking than that.
Xu Huo could understand her mindset. He Pu, who was like a father and a friend, hadn’t even informed her when he died of illness. Most of the belongings he left behind went to a complete outsider, and he’d also left behind a special puzzle that completely excluded her. It was only natural for her to feel unbalanced.
As if he could see through his thoughts, Bai Kou let out a cold laugh. “Do you really think I care whether he lived or died?”
“That’s for you to decide,” Xu Huo said flatly.
Bai Kou paused for a second, then said, “Kill you, and no matter what he wanted to do, it’ll all be for nothing.”
“Not necessarily,” Xu Huo replied, as if he weren’t discussing his own life or death. “The reason secrets are secrets is that the fewer people who know them, the better. If the key to 001 is just about me and He Pu, it’s normal not to tell you.”
He looked at her. “What does it have to do with you? Why do you have to know?”
Bai Kou couldn’t answer. No matter what she said, Xu Huo would have the upper hand. After a moment, she sneered, “People with sharp tongues usually don’t live long.”
“He Pu is the only connection between us. The reason we’re sitting here having this conversation is also because of him,” Xu Huo added. In other words, if not for that, what else could they talk about?
“That’s true enough.” Ripples spread beneath Bai Kou’s feet, churning like black water, quickly rising to submerge Xu Huo’s feet. “But now I hate hearing words of defense for him.”
“I’m just stating the facts.” Xu Huo made no attempt to leave this spiritual realm, calmly watching her. “Being fond of prying into others’ secrets isn’t a good habit.”
Bai Kou stood up. “You should become a teacher in your next life.”
As she spoke, her entire body melted into black water, merging into the surging waves on the ground and vanishing.
At the same time, a spiral staircase rose beneath Xu Huo’s feet, lifting him out of the black water’s reach. On the staircase, he opened three doors in succession, but each time he saw only massive metal chains. The third time, the zipper in front of him had already reached the scale of a mountain.
With this level of mental intensity, it would be extremely difficult for him to “open the door” at his own pace. So he turned around, picked up the energy cannon Bai Kou had given him, and said with a smile, “This thing should be able to blast out of your mental range, right?”
Footsteps sounded behind him, but before he could turn around, black water climbed up his legs, covering them, and wherever it covered, he lost all mobility. Xu Huo stood still, hearing the footsteps approach from behind, then felt the weight in his hand lighten—she had taken the energy cannon from him.
Ordinary items were useless against Bai Kou, who was now intent on killing him. Just as the black water was about to cover his raised arm, Xu Huo pulled out the “Door of Idealism,” pushed it open, and reached inside.
A strange force rapidly peeled the black water off his body, allowing him to pass through the “Door of Idealism.” However, he didn’t return to the castle from Bai Kou’s spiritual realm. Instead, he entered a massive gear workshop.
In front of infinitely enlarged gears, he wasn’t even as big as the corner of a single gear. Countless gears interlocked, forming a giant timepiece, and within this world, he was as small as a speck of dust.
This was Xu Huo’s first time using the “Door of Idealism.” According to its description, it was a special item capable of crossing space. But how it crossed, and whether the space it crossed was real or a special existence like a spiritual realm, was unclear. He used it to test its effect.
Seeing Bai Kou appear in the distance, he felt the item worked quite well.
But she wasn’t in as good a mood as he was. She laughed in anger and said, “You’re something else, using my spiritual realm to test your item!”
Xu Huo chuckled lightly. “If I didn’t do this, I might have been killed. Cut me some slack.”
“But killing me now won’t do you any good. How about rescheduling?”
Bai Kou’s expression turned serious, and she said with utmost sincerity, “I really want to kill you.”
“To be so highly regarded by the little princess of the Platinum Eye, I’m honored.” Xu Huo took another look at this separate space hidden within her spiritual world and said, “When you’ve calmed down, let’s go out. It’s almost time for dinner.”
Bai Kou closed her spiritual realm with a look of disgust. “I don’t have the good fortune to be the little princess of the Platinum Eye.”
Xu Huo nodded in understanding. “At least you’re closely connected to the Platinum Eye.”
Bai Kou couldn’t be bothered to respond to him anymore. She said to Mr. Dong, who was approaching, “Send the meal to my room.”
Mr. Dong also wore a look of disgust.
Xu Huo was about to go upstairs when he saw Painting Woman and the other two looking down from the second floor. He smiled and said, “I’ll wash my face and come down.”
Without Bai Kou at the table, the meal was very harmonious. After eating, Painting Woman dragged Yan Jiayu off to show off her shopping skills, while Xiao Yuan followed Xu Huo to the study.
The little girl bustled around as soon as she entered, pouring him water and wiping the table.
“You don’t need to do these things. Mr. Dong will handle them,” Xu Huo said. “District 011 has a school. Tomorrow I’ll take you to enroll.”
Xiao Yuan said nervously, “But I want to follow you, Teacher…”
“Study first,” Xu Huo said. “Don’t call me teacher anymore. From now on, you’re my nominal niece. Use your own name.”
Xiao Yuan understood the difference clearly. She nodded with some disappointment and left the room without saying more.
Later, when Mr. Dong came, Xu Huo had him activate the special space within the castle. Only after ensuring no outsiders could spy on him did he take out the potion he had found in the puppet’s arm.
The pale green liquid looked very soothing, but holding it, he couldn’t inject it with confidence.
High reward meant high risk. He wasn’t worried about poison in the potion, or that it wasn’t an S-grade potion, because even if those possibilities were true, the risk was low. On the contrary, if this was an S-grade potion tampered with by Dr. Wu, the risk would be much greater.
Dr. Wu wasn’t just a simple pharmacology expert. Placing the S-grade potion had ulterior motives, and it was hard to say whether he had used the potion to set up a hidden trap.
However, verifying the potion was also difficult. First, when, where, and how to take the potion out—even a single drop carried considerable risk. Second, given Dr. Wu’s knowledge, ordinary pharmacology experts might not be able to crack it. Dr. Deng, who was still living in the spider pavilion behind, was not trustworthy. And now, the Game Government had no news of the Perfect Potion. If the Game Government were to produce it, there would definitely be clues.
Placing the injection on the table, Xu Huo began to think about possible consequences and countermeasures.
“Sir, a guest has arrived,” Mr. Dong appeared behind him.
(End of chapter)