Chapter 360: Friendship as Indifferent as a Phantom (End)
Many believe the Blood Alliance's Kings are a collective, a group of lingering elders who take turns wielding the scepter to rule this ancient order. The King is the common messenger of the Kings, and his presence signifies their collective will. The highest levels of this secretive organization are the pinnacle of secrecy; members need not know the King's identity, only comprehend his will.
The truth, however, was simple: there had been no king for at least ten years. He or she had once existed, but met their end at the hands of the strongest assassin they had trained. No one could know the truth, for even those closest to the former king could not see through the veneer of royal authority, let alone the heads of the various families who followed his orders.
The truth is, as it was said back then, that the king himself is meaningless; what matters is the power he wields. He becomes whatever he wants to be. For over a decade, he has stepped on and off the stage, donning different masks and issuing his own orders, using the pretext of purging the dissidents to gradually drive everyone toward his goals.
Old Velus's thinking was correct. He suspected a traitor within the Blood Alliance, plotting solely with the King. However, he hadn't anticipated the greatest traitor had already slain the King and taken his place. Upon reaching his destination, he was met not with news of victory, but with the sword that followed him. The King had easily slain him and his snake, and had orchestrated everything.
Old Velus's greedy brother would murder his only daughter, annex his fortune, and renounce the blood pact. The Velus family, closest to the truth, would fall, and no one could prevent the royal power from gaining access to the secrets of the aliens. The world's most powerful people were manipulated by a mere killer, reveling in the perfect one-man show he staged.
But it hadn't anticipated that an officious delivery driver would happen to pass by that day, and that the only daughter it rescued would be another genius even greater than the old patriarch. It tried to cover up, issued countless warnings, sent assassins and warned personally, attempting once again to use its unstoppable tricks to destroy the family's last bloodline.
But this time the monologue could not continue, and Vilus' only daughter revealed the truth.
Thus, the secret that had been hidden for ten years came to light, and there was no room for reconciliation between the two sides.
At noon the day after Chu Hengkong was seriously injured, the Blood Alliance declared the Velus family to be traitors who defected to the alien race, and the two sides officially went to war.
4:44 PM, NO.6 posthumous death
At 7:59 that night, No.7 Double Butterfly died
At 8:30 that night, No. 5 Black Death Soldier died
At 9:05 that night, the headquarters of the Velus family was destroyed.
At 9:13 that night, No. 4 died in blood and smoke.
…
At 11:40 that night, No.1 Dark King died
In the early morning of that night, Velvet Velus died
Friendship, as faint as an illusion, is completely severed with life and death.
·
Chu Hengkong tapped his temple gently, years of accumulated memories flashing through his mind in a flash. After his transformation to Seismic Point 4, his memory was different than before. All his experiences were woven into his blood, and a single thought brought the past back to life.
He no longer recalled the bloodshed after the war. He carefully thought about every word of Wang Quan and wondered what the killer would say at that moment. This simulation was unexpectedly simple. Wang Quan was unable to imitate him successfully in the end, but he already knew Wang Quan very well.
"Kingdom is a psychopath," he said. "It longs for unwavering, unrequited love, but that doesn't exist. So it seeks substitutes for love, and what it loves most is those who are willing to give to others."
"...Sounds like it's a nice guy?" Vander said.
"But Wang Quan's 'love' is a kind of paranoid protection. It believes ignorance is bliss and incompetence is a gift. It does everything it can to keep its beloved alive in the cradle it has created, away from reality, away from disputes, and away from suffering, so that they can live an eternally happy life." Chu Hengkong said, "It will stop at nothing to achieve its own fantasy. Anyone who threatens the cradle, even its friends, will die."
Li Ke's face turned pale. "Are there any Parmanists in your hometown?"
"I'm afraid it's even more radical than Perriman. According to the royal power's standards, the city-state of Thorns, which celebrates love, is the best place in the world of Shendong. It loves the city-state so much that it will definitely help Perriman achieve independence, protecting Thorns in a carefree cradle, regardless of the fate of the other Dust Islands."
The bookstore fell silent for a moment, and everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Such thoughts might sound like those of a doting parent, but when the cradle expands to billions of people, it's no longer the love of one person, but rather the love of some evil deity whose obsession distorts the world.
"In short, he's just a fallen man!" Ji Huaisu slapped the sofa. "Under the banner of family love and universal love, he's turning the world into a pile of shit. I'm all too familiar with this style. There's no point in trying to understand the thoughts of this psychopath. The best solution is to blast him into pieces!"
"I agree with Miss Ji." Velvet nodded. "The king cannot adopt a gentle approach. If both parties are not on the same page, it will be a fight to the death."
Finder questioned, "What about the other killers? Are all those Earthlings willing to obey Wang Quan?"
"The King's power once used some method to make them obey his orders on Earth..." Chu Hengkong pondered. "At that time, I thought it was some new drug, but now it seems it was the blood of the Fallen. The mark of the Black Moon was planted on them before they became Ascended. I don't think they can resist the King's orders until now."
"Hey, is your hometown really alright?" Trick frowned. "In my experience, whenever a Moon Beast appears, it means that Dust Island has become a lair of the Fallen."
"I killed it before I left. I've been observing it for over a year and haven't seen any movement. It must be dead."
Everyone rejoiced and praised Chu's meritorious deeds. They voted again and discussed for a while, and then the boss announced that she would redesign the battle plan and officially start the action tomorrow morning.
So everyone dispersed and returned to their beds, hoping to end this terrifying day. Many people went to bed and secretly prayed that everything would be normal when they woke up, and that the bill was a nightmare that had lasted too long.
Chu Hengkong couldn't fall asleep. Memories of the night his family was annihilated lingered in his mind, overlapping with memories of his carefree past. Then, a long-lost thought emerged. It had been constantly on his mind during the time he had been eliminating the remnants of Wang Quan.
Your best friend and your boss have a feud over your father's murder. They both died, and your entire family was wiped out, and you killed so many people but couldn't do anything about it.
——Your life is a terrible joke.
He sat up, walked out of the bedroom, and opened the boss's door. Velvet had just checked in tonight. The room was empty except for some mushroom cushions. She was writing and drawing at the desk she had made.
He hugged Velvet from behind and buried his face in her hair.
"Akong?"
"Nothing," he said. "Just thought it was nice to see you again."
Chu Hengkong closed his eyes, but he knew that Velvet was smiling. She patted his hand gently.
"Let's all go to bed early."
·
On this frenzied night of legislation, only a few houses remained calm: the exhausted bookshop, and another, far away in Mansa Star Fort, the heavily guarded Speaker's residence.
Perriman walked wearily into the mansion, throwing off his white military uniform. After reporting to Jingsha, he spoke with Benintic for a while, then had a subtle exchange with his confidants and adjusted the next plan.
These actions didn't require much physical effort, but they were quite demanding, because in this city-state, everything left traces, and even the slightest clue could give the Procuratorate an opportunity to attack. If one wanted to secure the Speaker's seat, one had to be extremely careful and leave no trace.
When he turned on the light, he felt a lightness on his face, a slight tingling sensation on his skin, which had not been in contact with the outside world for a long time. The white-haired young man sat on the sofa, playing with his iron mask.
"Thank you for your hard work, Chancellor Parriman." Wang Quan looked at the mask as he spoke. "I think it would be more polite to greet it. After all, it is the real 'Chancellor'."
"That's the truth, so please give it back to me. People like me have nothing without the mask."
King Quan tossed the Iron Mask back to him, and Perriman sat down across from it, cradling it. He studied the invisible monster deeply. This time, it appeared as a white-haired youth, dressed simply, but with a valuable watch on its wrist. King Quan's disguises were always impeccable; the purpose of such an out-of-place ornament was unclear.
He gave up trying to fathom his thoughts. A politician's profession meant he could discern the heart, but even after meeting Wang Quan several times, he still couldn't fathom his thoughts. Wang Quan was like a black mirror; no matter how you looked at him, you only saw yourself.
"Relax and tell me what you want to say. How's the situation?"
"Compared to the worst assumption, it's still much better." Pariman put on his mask again and shared the information he had obtained.
"The Empire has only sent one lord, and the other warlords haven't made any large-scale troop movements recently. This means the Emperor has decided to wait and see for now.
The Spiral Tower is not moving. Considering that the Supreme Sorcerer has lost interest in the world for a long time, I think the one who will move in 30 days will most likely be the 'Our Lady of the Courtyard'.
The divine kingdom, buried in the mist, is beyond observation, but the ancient dragons have prophesied that a deacon will lead the army. I hope the Undertaker God hasn't gifted it with a blade, otherwise the situation will become much more complicated.
As for the Sea of Illusions... the Chaos Demons are already in the city, and the kings will probably not personally take action."
Perriman concluded, "Aside from the Eternal, who waited and watched until the end, at least three gods awaited the opportunity to seize the Thornshade."
"Are there any actions in the Second Abyss? Those paranoid skeletons want to get involved in everything they see." Wang Quan smiled, "Then it's still in the plan."
"The defense system is basically complete. Public opinion is always in my hands. If we can maintain our advantage within 30 days, we will be able to handle it. If we fail at the last moment, you can do whatever you want."
In a few words, the future plan was finalized. This man, the Speaker, had colluded with heretics, yet he cared nothing for karma or retribution. Success would lead to divine ascension, failure to nothing more than a pile of dry bones. Given this, there was no need for further hesitation; focusing on one's own goal was sufficient.
"Without the Son of God's help, I'm afraid I wouldn't have made it this far. However, please allow me to ask a question that may be rude." Parriman paused. "I still don't understand why you're helping me. Someone as perceptive as you should have noticed long ago that I have no love for the sacred tree."
"It's very simple!" Wang Quan said with a smile. "Although your plan from beginning to end has only considered 'yourself', once independence is successful, the city-state of Jingsha will effectively become a paradise. Since the city-state I love can be protected, why should I care about your motives?"
He jumped off the sofa and patted Perriman on the shoulder. "This is unrequited love. I like the people of this city very much. As long as they can stay away from the war, I will be satisfied."
"So please, Speaker. Be as nice as you can... and don't make me do it myself."
It vanished from the room like moonlight withdrawn from a window. Parriman gazed at the empty hall with a cold smile.
(End of this chapter)
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