Chapter 185 Untrustworthy
The punch was so powerful that Qingxia fell sideways into the sand. Her pretty face was stained with white sand like ashes, and blood dripped from her lips.
Chu Hengkong retracted his fist, his anger still lingering. Qingxia stood up, waited for a moment, and said with a smile, "Want to hit me a few more times?"
"That's enough." The killer said irritably.
"It's fine if you want to use a knife, but I hope you won't be too harsh." Qing Xia continued, "A fight could break out here at any time, and I must stay in shape—"
"I've said enough!" Chu Hengkong roared, so loud that even he was surprised.
Qingxia opened her eyes wide, as if frightened.
"Why do you think I'm mad?" he demanded, even though he hadn't meant to be so excited.
"I put you in danger—"
"Who gives a damn about danger?" Vander screamed. Even it got angry, flailing like a little monster. "You don't think about anyone else!"
"If your settlement was in such a mess, you should have told us from the beginning!" the killer roared. "Then ask me for help! Ask us to avenge you! But you didn't even consider this possibility. You concealed everything until the dust settled and there was no turning back. You could have solved the problem in a better way, but you chose to take advantage!"
"I don't care how dangerous this place is, but I care about other people! Your exploitation has caused my companions to be dragged into the wilderness!
Now you've got what you wanted, and we're on the same page. But how can I trust someone who's going to take advantage of us from the first sight?" He demanded, "How can I trust you with my back?!"
Chu Hengkong paused, forcing himself to calm down. He hadn't wanted to say so much; such lengthy speeches weren't his style. But in front of Qingxia, he couldn't control his emotions, just like the panic before and the anger now.
Qingxia was stunned. Her eyes held anger, panic, and bewilderment. She looked like a ferocious beast about to roar after being offended, or a child being scolded. Chu Hengkong suddenly realized that she wasn't as mature as she appeared. Perhaps no one had ever scolded her so harshly before, leaving her unsure how to respond.
Finally, she lowered her head, suppressed her smile, and whispered, "I'm sorry."
What are you sorry for? Me? You saved my life twice. What right do I have to accept your apology?
"Go tell Ji Huaisu," he said. "Go apologize to Qingye. Gulbo, Shizhong, even Shax. Don't tell me."
He wanted to say that Qingxia should have confessed the truth sooner, but annoyance was like a stone stuck in his throat, blocking all words. No one had the right to assume "should have." When people met by chance in a foreign land, ignoring them was only natural, and extending a helping hand was a great favor.
This topic is over and there is nothing more to say.
Chu Hengkong changed the subject abruptly: "What did you want me to do originally?"
"Ah..." Qing Xia finally reacted, "That...is not important. Let's talk about it when we have a chance."
The killer turned and walked towards the settlement. Qingxia remained motionless for a long time, sitting alone on the beach.
"How am I supposed to apologize to so many people?" she muttered to herself. "I haven't learned it before..."
The wind that should have gone away came back, whistling over the wordless tombstones, reminding her of the soldiers' former laughter.
·
When she returned to the small building, Qingye was doing her warm-up exercises before bed. She hung upside down from the beam like a bat, her hands behind her head, and used only her waist strength to push herself up and down, her body extremely flexible.
Ji Huaisu fiddled with a jade pendant, a relic of Wu He. Among the settlement warriors, there were skilled hands who could decipher spatial relics. While Chu Hengkong was out, she had deciphered this relic. She flipped through a notebook, her expression grim.
"This guy is simply a beast." Ji Huaisu threw the notes on the table.
Chu Hengkong picked up the notes and glanced at them. His already unhappy mood became even worse.
"...Damn it! After escaping the front lines and entering the fog, I knew I couldn't trust Black Moon's guidance! These heretics are nothing but a pile of stinking shit. Once you get involved with them, you can never get away from them. They were obsessed with studying black blood back then. They were truly possessed.
I just made up a random excuse to fool these idiots and calm them down... Finding power above the Second Abyss and escaping is not that easy! I might as well just treat this logbook as a suicide note, damn it!
The next few pages were filled with Wu He's scribbled complaints. Turning the page again, the notes suddenly became neat, and one could see his joy.
The initial exploration yielded the following:
Honey Cage Fruit: Level 3, replenishes vitality and prolongs life.
Blind Feather Bird Egg: Level 2, strengthens muscles and bones, and promotes strength absorption.
Marsila vine: Level 4, accelerates growth when hit, excellent armor material.
Void Sand: Level 6, solidified 'silent void', the remnant of the passing Void Angel.
…
Just for once, I'll allow the idiots to celebrate. After all, I can't stop laughing myself. This place has an insane amount of resources! Even a general would be tempted by these!
Misfortunes often lead to blessings, and the ancients were right. Idiots saw the light tree. If that is truly the remnant of the so-called 'Allied Forces', perhaps there is a chance..."
Then, he gathered intelligence. He confirmed their combat capabilities. His plan was to let the pirates plunder while he stormed in person. From the subsequent records, it seemed Wu He had somehow determined the Light Tree's true strength and was extremely confident he could escape the Despair Wilderness after seizing its core. On the next page, the notes were so scribbled that the tip of the pen pierced the page.
“…You’re crazy.
What on earth is that?
Why is it still chasing me even after being burned? Is it a guardian program? If you're sane, just stay in your own territory. You have all the treasures in the fog, why are you only focused on the one I took?! I've never heard of a beast so fanatically pursuing something that would harm itself!
Damn it. Damn it. It never ends! I have to find a way to kill him.”
Chu Hengkong threw the journal aside before finishing it, his expression no better than his partner's. Ji Huaisu counted the sundries in the jade pendant.
"There are a few level 3 talismans left that might be useful. There are also some materials mentioned in the log that could be used to make medicine if Jie An is here. We can have them as snacks..." Ji Huaisu curled his lips, "There's also half a blueprint for the 'World-Splitting Wheel,' and that's it. He's poorer than we thought."
"Do you have any clothes?" Qingye asked expectantly.
"Use this." Chu Hengkong threw over a piece of coarse cloth, which he had asked for from the settlement warriors when he returned. Qingye raised his hand and grabbed it, observing his expression: "Did the date go badly?"
Chu Hengkong shook his head and said nothing. Fander said angrily, "We are not the same kind of people as her!"
The Eye Demon sat at the wooden table and recounted his experiences, adding more details to the story. Ji Huaisu shrugged after listening.
"It's not surprising. I don't think she's a decent person... and it's understandable."
"Can you fight hand in hand with such a person?" Chu Hengkong smiled bitterly.
His partner's response exceeded his expectations: "That's no problem. With such a large settlement here, Qingxia will definitely cooperate with us. After arriving in the wilderness, she won't have the initiative anymore. Instead, she'll be asking for our help."
"...You are more open-minded than a killer like me."
"How long do you think I've been in this business? Sister Huaisu, the only thing I've heard the most since I was a child is compromise." Ji Huaisu said lazily, "On the contrary, aren't you asking too much of your 'fighting partner'? Cooperation doesn't require loyalty; having a common enemy is enough."
"Even when I was in the underworld, I was surrounded by trustworthy brothers." Chu Hengkong emphasized.
"So extravagant? Are all your team members carefully selected die-hards?" Ji Huaisu smacked his lips. "Then you've really been spoiled by your boss."
"That might be true," Chu Hengkong said. He put away Fan De and went upstairs to find a room to rest. Qing Ye was still hanging on the beam, thinking, her headstand causing the blood to concentrate in her head.
"What's your brilliant idea?" Ji Huaisu glanced at her. "Are you thinking about how to make that centaur apologize?"
"Ah, I'll let it go." Qingye said, "I didn't realize what others were planning, so I deserved to be used. According to our rules, I should thank Qingxia, after all, she indirectly saved my life."
"I've been wanting to say this for a while now. You Canxin people are so barbaric."
"Xura Island is a place where power is supreme. If you are strong, you are right." Qingye stuck out his tongue. "Sister Huaisu, what about you?"
"That idiot Akong thinks personal grudges are personal. But he definitely wouldn't settle things that way, right? What would Chu Hengkong think if a jerk saved me from danger time and time again?"
"He'll feel like he owes that person a huge favor." Qing Ye thought without hesitation, "The kind of person who would go through fire and water at a single command. He won't be able to sleep at night if he doesn't repay the favor."
"Yeah, so I have no right to say anything." Ji Huaisu said lazily, "Xiaoye, you have to know that getting along in society is all about relationships and social skills. These relationships cannot be separated by you and me. It is a tangled mess. Unless you cut off all ties with everyone around you, you will never be able to sort it out."
"Then why does Mr. Chu always have to make it clear?"
Ji Huaisu shook his head repeatedly. "I'm telling you, this is probably because a very astute person once helped him sort out and sort out all the favors between them. Chu Hengkong only had to deal with his own grudges before, so he must have a clear understanding of them."
"Wow, so happy..."
Qingye was gossiping haphazardly, still deep in thought. Ji Huaisu glanced at her: "Anything else?"
"Yeah. I think it didn't matter whether Qingxia said it or not."
"?"
"Look, Vansalar and Orlek were both in Golden Leaf City at the time," Qing Ye counted on his fingers. "With these two high-quality bosses controlling the situation, it made no difference whether we knew the truth or not. We still couldn't ask for help, and we still couldn't make further preparations.
And if that great demon had known about the existence of the Despair Wilderness in advance, it wouldn't have let us escape...or rather, it would have taken even more drastic measures."
"That makes sense..." Ji Huaisu pondered for a while, "It's better to say that when Vansalar arrived in Jinye City, the outcome was already determined. It's obvious that it has its eyes on us."
"Is that so? From this perspective, Qingxia's choice to keep it secret is actually safer for us." Qingye was still in deep thought, "I think Mr. Chu must understand all this, but he still seems quite angry... Is there some reason I haven't considered..."
"Ah, no, no, it's totally fine." Ji Huaisu waved his hands repeatedly, "That guy is just simply unhappy."
"?"
"He actually likes Qingxia quite a bit. She's clever, powerful, and someone he can talk to. So he's been hoping Qingxia has some unspeakable secrets, like maybe she's keeping it a secret to save us. That way, we can all stand together and fight the outsiders, all grudges forgotten." Ji Huaisu stretched. "And then she said she was just trying to use you. That beautiful fantasy was shattered, and an important companion was put in danger. Of course, he's very upset."
Qingye lost his balance and fell from the beam, rolling several times.
"No way! What you said makes Mr. Chu look so childish..."
"Do you really think he's a mature and reserved man? Xiaoye, you're mistaken. He's just a typical little boy. He always has a sour face, and I don't know how many thoughts are brewing in his mind. He always uses his wishful thinking to collide with the world."
Ji Huaisu lay on the wooden chair, thinking of the man's stubborn eyes after drinking.
"So I can't tolerate even a little bit of injustice, and I always hope that others are as good as me."
(End of this chapter)
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