Chapter 129 Negotiations to be held after dinner

About an hour later, Xiao Mo turned off the stove. The air was thick with the scent of butter and chili peppers. The remaining red broth was covered in foam, and not a scrap of the ingredients piled up like a mountain remained.

Gulibo lay on the table with his round belly, looking like a plush miniature airship. "Looking back, I realized there was plenty of food. There was no need to fight for it..."

Fander's eyes turned green on the small cushion: "I feel like vomiting after eating too much."

"Stay away from me!"

Vander extended several tentacles, imitating the ghosts dragging the shipwrecked sailors into the water. Gulibo rolled across the table and fled. Chu Hengkong expertly ignored the pranksters and cracked a whip to attract everyone's attention.

"Dinner's over, let's get down to business." He scanned everyone's faces one by one. "Everyone must have come to this Dust Island for their own reasons. I think we should first clarify our respective demands and resolve any difficulties we can. This will make things easier for us in the future. What do you think?"

[Agree]

"Hehehehe!" "Hehehe!" Miss Qingye, who was facing the greatest difficulty, raised her hand first, and Ji Huaisu beside her trembled together.

Chu Hengkong stared at them for two seconds, then looked away: "Anyway, let's talk about you two last."

"Giggle, giggle?!"

"Our problem... hehe... is the most important one! Hehe!" Ji Huaisu expressed strong protest.

"Idiots are always alive and kicking, so there's no problem." Vander shook his tentacles, "Let's start with the person who needs help the most, that..."

It stared at Sethron for a long moment. "Mr. Frozen Bald."

Sai Silun couldn't hold it in: "Is this the first sentence you said to me seriously?!"

"Sorry, sorry. You're the only one here who hasn't introduced yourself. So, what's your name?"

"...Iceman?" Chu Hengkong said.

"Mr. Bald Monster..." Ji Huaisu scratched his head.

"You guys, you came to help me without even knowing my name... I want to cry in every way..."

The middle-aged man sighed and managed to give a brief self-introduction. His life was as simple as everyone expected: an unfortunate childhood, a dust explosion at work, and after surviving, he switched to working as a porter, where he remains today.

"Then why did you say you were a mercenary before?" Gulibo asked.

"It's... the mayor's job... After moving the goods, cooperate with some experiments and you'll get a bonus..." Saislun looked dejected. "When I came to my senses, I was back to my old self... with extra memories that didn't exist... and I didn't get the bonus..."

"That stone monster is so despicable."

Chu Hengkong winked at Fander and secretly communicated with him using the communication relic: (Sounds like he's been brainwashed.)

(There's a slight difference. It's a forced initiation of memory fragments. The foundation of elemental power is emotion. Jin Ye probably stuffed a large fragment of memory, representing longing, directly into this person's brain. Successful digestion will result in a rapid formation of Sephiroth 3.) Vander said, (But this method is too crude. Logically speaking, Bald Brother would definitely not survive, but he's still alive and well.)

Chu Hengkong thought of another question: (When we first met Jin Ye, it was a statue, and even you didn't recognize it.)

(This is indeed strange...) Vander waved his tentacles at the Iceman. "Big guy, do you remember what happened? You don't have to force yourself to remember, just a rough impression will do."

Sethlun racked his brains for a long time, and his fingers unconsciously scratched his face.

"It seems... I went to a very deep place... The mayor is laughing...

Then there was fog... gray fog... but... and then... ! ! "

His breathing became rapid and his nails dug deep into his flesh. Without saying a word, Vander cast a hypnotic spell over him, stopping the tears that were about to burst out again.

He leaned against the wall, feeling deeply guilty: "I'm sorry... I..."

"It's not your fault, Bo." Gulibo ran to comfort him. Saislun was as sad as a child.

"Other than that... I remember everything... I hurt so many innocent people... I started rioting on the streets... Even now, when I'm emotionally aroused, I feel my power surge... I still remember my frozen face... I..."

He sobbed, and big tears rolled down his rough face. After picking up his memories, the past that he didn't want to be remembered also came back to his mind.

"Should I turn myself in? Or... leave here... and be sentenced to death... I have caused so much misfortune, what should I do?"

The large man was at a loss, completely unsure of what to do. He looked at everyone, hoping to be told what he should do. To make amends, to make amends, or to do what should be done in a recognized way. But no one gave him any guidance. Those who followed their own way behaved as usual.

"Mr. Seslun, how old are you this year?" Chu Hengkong asked casually.

Sethron was confused: "41..."

Chu Hengkong smiled at him, "Your luck is truly bad. You've been tortured by something that has nothing to do with you, and forced to shoulder responsibilities that don't belong to you. Everything you do in this matter is justified, and everything you do is correct. But no matter how you handle it, there will always be people who criticize you, and you'll have no reason to refute."

Sai Silun was anxious: "Then, what should I do?"

"Meeting is fate, and we don't mind helping you. But this is your own life, so please make your own decision," Chu Hengkong said. "I just want you to remember one thing. You've hurt some people, but you've saved even more lives. That's why everyone here would risk their lives to save you, someone they've never met before."

He patted Sethron's shoulder with his tentacle: "You are middle-aged, not a child anymore. Think about it yourself first."

"Hehehe." Qingye agreed.

Sethron remained silent for a long time, his eyes filled with grievance and guilt, as well as anger and panic. But those emotions eventually subsided with the sound of his breathing, turning into a steady, cement-like gray.

"Thank you, thank you everyone." He thanked everyone sincerely. "I want to learn to control my power first... then atone for my sins... and help everyone as much as possible... I can't help being resented. I'll consider everything carefully before making a decision... You all saved my life, and I don't want to let your kindness go to waste."

"After you're done, you can come to our city-state and sell ice cream." Gulibo encouraged him, "A lot of people work in the food industry, Bo!"

Sai Si Lun smiled happily and fed it a piece of dried fish. After thanking it again, he left and found a room to rest. Gulibo swallowed the dried fish with mixed feelings.

"Master Shenshu, the human race is very strange. Some humans become adults in their teens, while others don't mature until they are in their forties."

[Growth or failure lies in the heart, and this applies to all races.] Shizhong wrote, [Now he is no longer controlled by power, and we can temporarily rest assured. However, dark malice still lurks beneath the earth.]

"Hehehe." Qingye tried hard to express his concern.

Initially, everyone believed that the underground of Jinye City contained some kind of ruins related to the secrets of the Shadow Knights. However, after Jinye's appearance, even the most optimistic of minds changed their minds. Jinye, once the Bitter Staff, became a stone demon after a trip underground. Not only did his primordial energy increase, but his path also changed. This was not the effect of ordinary external contamination.

Chu Hengkong had witnessed the high-ranking Demon Biao firsthand during the chaotic battle in Huilong City. Its instantaneous creation of three demons was a unique ability of a Sephiroth-4 natural disaster. Even at the most conservative estimate, the creature beneath Jinye City was at least Sephiroth-4, and very likely even higher.

"Could there be a spiral tower laboratory beneath our feet?" Ji Huaisu speculated, "My ancestors stationed here to seal away the demons..."

Fander offered a groundbreaking insight: "It's also possible that a large number of your ancestors were killed by that thing, and what we saw were the ghosts of the wronged. Ah, stop it, stop it!"

Ji Huaisu held down the Eye Demon with both hands and began to perform the Squid Folding Technique. The bloody and brutal methods he used made the nose of Gulibo, who was watching, turn pale.

"Fander has a point. This matter is beyond our capabilities." Chu Hengkong said calmly, "Make all preparations, but don't go underground or take the initiative to explore. We will return to Huilong City first, and leave the rest to the city lord to decide."

"Agree." "I agree." "Chuckles."

We are not fools. If you go to the mountain knowing there is a tiger there, you are a hero. If you charge into the mountain knowing there is a demon or a rainbow there, you are courting death.

Chu Hengkong looked at Fander: "When can we resume communication?"

Before setting off, Youyou specially brought them a communication relic. This communicator is composed of several level 2 relics. It is driven by the tide and can realize cross-Dust Island communication in special environments.

Fander waved his tentacles and spoke weakly, "Don't even think about it. Jin Ye's death has disturbed the magic power throughout the city. We'll have to wait until the dust settles before we can get a signal. I estimate it will take at least two days."

Without communication, they couldn't contact the City Lord's Mansion. They could only wait for the dragon boat cruiser, which arrived in two weeks. On the first day, they'd just disembarked when the knights sealed off the city, and today, there were disturbances following the death of the stone monster. They couldn't find any way to contact him. The circumstances were so coincidental that it was hard to explain anything other than bad luck.

"Bad luck..." Chu Hengkong thought thoughtfully.

"Don't look at me, I don't know." Fander lay down in Ji Huaisu's palm and began to play dirty. "When I came to my senses, my memory was completely deleted. It means that the insurance set by the owner of the museum has been activated."

Ji Huaisu suddenly felt that this was unnecessary: ​​"The name of the mastermind has already been called out, and you still want to delete it!"

"That's why it has to be deleted!" Vander argued confidently, "What will happen to you if you hear that name? It won't have any impact, because you don't know the meaning behind the name. To you, the name of a big shot is no different from hearing a few identical syllables randomly put together.

But I'm different! The moment I hear that name, I can recall all the records of it, its origin, its source, and its power characteristics. Understanding this is no different from standing next to a big shot. It can grab me, smash me, and spit me out with just a thought!

"But you called out its name before!" Gulibo was horrified. "Doesn't that mean it has already seen us?"

Fander looked at the tentacle and stammered, "Well... the owner's insurance should also have anti-information detection... You see, we are still safe and sound, which means that it should be effective..."

Chu Hengkong nodded: "When the next disaster comes, we will throw Fander out first."

"I agree." [That's a solution] "Hehehe."

"What a stupid idea! Please don't throw the only intelligence officer in the team out like a grenade!" Vander protested fiercely.

Joking aside, Chu Hengkong had no intention of getting serious. Fander was a worthless university student, but his teachers were no pushovers. Now that the "master's" back-up plan had been launched, it shouldn't be their turn to worry. And if the mastermind really showed up...

I guess there isn't much chance of survival against something that can't even be named. It's almost the same whether you know it or not.

Shizhong tapped the floor with his spiritual whip: "Future plans are not urgent. For now, I'd like to ask everyone to listen to our predicament..."

"Bobobo!" After receiving the order, Gulibo used gestures and described vividly his miserable experiences in the past ten days, from the shipwreck when he was delivering a courier to being rescued by pirates, from picking up stone seeds to drifting to Jinye City. It was so moving that it could be called a fantasy version of Robinson Crusoe.

The three people from Huilongcheng looked strange, and Fander spoke for them: "So you are also one of the worst..."

"Stop talking, Boo!"

"Jingsha City-State is the headquarters of the Seven Sephiroth Trees and one of the pillars of the Senluo Secret Realm." Ji Huaisu said, "How did you get here from the Senluo Secret Realm?"

"I originally went to Quletu to ask for Bo's book delivery. The cross-border rafts running on this route have not had any accidents for hundreds of years. Who knew that I would meet Bo..." Gulibo was in tears.

"Do you remember the specific process?" Chu Hengkong asked.

"It happened all of a sudden. Fifteen days ago at noon, a strong light rose from the distance, and the raft collapsed..."

Vander muttered: (Damn it, isn't this the day we defeated the Immortal Machine?)

(Can a particle-2 machine I make cause a city-state shipwreck? That's not how the butterfly effect works.)

At this time, Qingye raised his hand tremblingly and took a lot of effort to speak.

"I... giggle... know the reason..."

"Fifteen days ago... the Toadlight Fortress in the middle of the Desperate Front fell, and three high-quality warriors were killed... This must be the aftermath of their deaths..."

Gulibo panicked: "Why would three high-quality experts die on the same day?!"

"The war report says... the Empire's Warmaster..."

"Please don't say it anymore, I'm scared!!"

Gulibo covered his ears and huddled in the corner, and Chu Hengkong's expression became even weirder.

(This matter and we...)

(How could it possibly be related? Don't let your imagination run wild!) Fander said firmly, (What kind of person is the Imperial Warmaster? In his eyes, we are nothing! Would you pay attention to the fight between ants in the corner? Would you find the microorganisms in the corner offensive?!)

He really shouldn't scare himself. He was only a 2-point particle, and a high-point expert wouldn't need to pay attention to such a small character. Chu Hengkong nodded secretly, waving away his worries.

But he still felt it was odd. Gulbo wasn't a Transcendant, nor did he carry any deep blood feud. According to the tides of fate, it shouldn't be the one to encounter a shipwreck. Unless...

"What goods were you delivering?"

"The little picture albums I ordered from Paradise," Gulbo said listlessly, "were all lost in the shipwreck... I can't find a single one, and I still have to argue with the insurance shrub for leaves..."

"There's probably something wrong with that little album. You're just unlucky this time." Vander said in amazement. "So, back to the stone species... Do you recognize this thing?"

Chu Hengkong took out the letter asking for help, and Gulibo's eyes lit up: "Sirelle really sent the letter?! Are you here to save our Bo?!"

"The ancient dragons and the sacred trees have been allies since ancient times. This is part of our responsibility." Chu Hengkong looked at Shi Zhong. "Current conditions are limited. We can only send you to Huilong City first and make plans later. Shi Zhong, where do you want to go?"

[Seeds are meant to wander, so there's no rush to establish roots and sprout. However, we're currently being held hostage by the villains, so please help us out.]

“……?”

All three of them thought of the four-meter-tall giant egg. Ji Huaisu's mouth twitched, "You're talking about the Flying General Lü Bu..."

"Please don't say that name, spare me."

[Exactly.] Shi Zhong's words were filled with sorrow. [You all may not know, but it caught us the first day we landed. Lü Bu is extremely cruel and his methods are particularly ruthless. He insisted on taking me to its base. If I refused, I would be eaten alive!]

Ji Huaisu spent a long time imagining the scene of the big egg gnawing on the tree: "What will become of the egg after it eats the stone seed?"

"Scrambled eggs with Chinese toon?"

"Please show some respect to the Lord of the Divine Tree!"

Chu Hengkong thought the scene was funny, but he also felt that the depth of the egg was unknown, and it was hard to say what would happen if he started to fight. Thinking of this, he had an idea.

I haven't seen it all day. The stone monster made such a big noise, what was the egg doing?

(End of this chapter)