Chapter 167 Holding the Tai'a Axe Upside Down (4)
She recognized him the moment he spoke; few people could pronounce words with such elegance and refinement, with a leisurely and unhurried air.
At the same time, she realized that she had been tricked by Lucico.
The transfer order was for only one person, and Zhao's presence here indicates that the person being recalled was not Shu Changyan, but Zhao.
She loosened her fist, which she had been clenching tightly without realizing it, leaving a deep red nail mark on her palm.
She didn't trust Lucicolet, just as Lucicolet didn't trust her.
He recalled Zhao, clearly to deal with her.
Lucico was guarding her the whole time.
With the main force of the Envoys dispatched to Intori, she is now undoubtedly the strongest person in all of Pinne.
She didn't know how Lucico had figured it out, but his judgment was certainly correct.
She wanted to kill him; there were a million ways, and no one around him could stop her.
Even if she agrees to the deal, the threat won't lessen—she's free, and freedom means being uncontrollable.
Moreover, although she accepted his hints, she did not express any inclination to continue serving him.
Making a deal with her, agreeing to transfer Shu Changyan back and keep her by his side, was all just a temporary measure.
Lucico was merely stalling for time, stalling until she had enough power to suppress her enforcers and return to Pinne, stalling until the situation was back under her control.
Why was he so certain that she would become his biggest threat?
—Shu Ningmiao suspected that even after she agreed to the deal, he still understood her mind.
His special abilities are impossible to guard against, and she cannot maintain a high state of vigilance at all times.
Or perhaps he had already figured out her thoughts when they first met, which is why he took the initiative to make a deal with her.
Everything was done to temporarily quell her murderous intent towards him.
The ability to 'read minds' is an unpredictable variable, and she could only accept her fate and truly suffer this loss.
He sensed trouble today and orchestrated a scheme to act before others could, disrupting the plans of those in the shadows, but his ultimate target was her.
Because Lucico despised everyone else; they were all a rabble, even the supposedly dead Achini was just a figurehead. Only with her, only by eliminating the real threat, would he be safe.
He killed two birds with one stone: he could both gain a lot of public support through the assassination and completely eliminate her as a potential threat.
Shu Ningmiao turned her face to the side, her slightly clenched hand slowly sliding down the elevator screen.
She belatedly felt excruciating pain coming from her arm. She had completely lost control of her right hand and couldn't lift it. The entire arm, from her fingertips to her right shoulder, was broken and rendered useless.
“Lucico seems a little afraid of you. In any case, he wants you to stay home from now on, just in case.” Zhao’s cane moved slowly across her back as he said in a deep voice, “Crush.”
One of his strengths is that he never underestimates anyone, regardless of whether he is confident of victory or not.
The elevator was completely locked in place due to its "limited" nature. The button for the seventh basement level remained unresponsive for a long time, then automatically canceled with a soft beep.
The height of the several-story building completely separated her from Lucico.
The elevator doors slowly opened, and the group of people who had just stepped out stood at the doorway, numerous gun barrels pointed at her, gleaming with a bluish hue in the sunlight.
One of them shouted sternly, "Put down your weapons and move forward."
Shu Ningmiao removed her left hand from the sword hilt and took a step forward. These ordinary people, even with the added stone weapons, posed no threat to her. All her senses were focused on the back that was being pressed against her; the real danger was right behind her.
This was the first time she had faced Zhao's murderous intent.
It was rare for him to speak so little, yet she could feel the silent pressure behind him. No matter how casual he had acted in front of her before, all the goodwill he once showed had vanished along with his superficial elegance and arrogance.
Upon first meeting, Zhao used his "nature" ability to shatter the bones in her entire arm, and since she had lost her immunity to "arrogance," she had no way to deal with it for the time being.
To bestow new 'properties' upon anything is to be almost like a creator; in the realm of supernatural abilities, Zhao is a god.
This is currently the strongest ability user in Pinne, an ability user who shares the same number as the former Wei Sheng Qian Heng, and perhaps he is no less powerful than the living Wei Sheng Qian Heng.
The Pandora within her body was enhanced by the Crimson Palace Stone, while Zhao was born with a powerful Pandora. His talent almost reflected the world's favoritism towards him. She knew he was strong, yet she couldn't muster the slightest fear to back down.
A violent surge of emotion welled up in her chest, hissing and crackling within her bones.
Even in this situation, she still instinctively felt a fighting spirit.
With countless gun barrels pointed at her face, she was forced to leave the elevator step by step and return to the circle. All the guests and staff had already returned to the Union Building for refuge; this was the arena built for her.
Xiao Jiang stood on the other side of the corridor. She didn't know if Xiao Jiang knew about it, but the woman's expression was indeed full of shock and confusion, and she stood there motionless.
Zhao approached her step by step, his voice calm: "Xiao Jiang, guard the other side."
Xiao Jiang silently planted the knife in his hand into the floor, subconsciously obeying the command, as if the fierce winter wind was howling through his heart, the wind being the king that reigns supreme in the sky.
She had nowhere to escape, whether she was on the ground or in the sky.
Blood kept spilling from the corner of her mouth due to the shattered bones in her chest.
Shu Ningmiao's eyes were bloodshot, and despite being trapped in the middle, she actually smiled slightly.
The terminal on the desk glowed dimly, casting a shadow on Lucico's somber face.
On the screen, Shu Ningmiao's calm and indifferent gaze seemed to penetrate the surveillance camera, and the smile on her lips slowly faded.
Sisi slowly pushed the injection into his arm, his gaze snapping away from the screen and cutting off the signal: "It's alright, it's stopped."
Sisi sat next to him, her head slightly raised, her eyes sparkling: "Why don't we call the doctor in?"
Lucico paused in mid-air, gently placed his hand on her head, ruffled her hair, shook his head, and offered no explanation.
He picked up a cigar, placed it to his lips but didn't light it, and leaned back in his chair.
The blood-stained suit jacket was taken off and placed aside, and the wound on the back of his white shirt was healing; it wasn't a serious wound to begin with.
After the terminal was shut down, the room became even darker. Three large doors, cast in gold, separated the room, turning it into a cage, or rather, a fortress, where even the air seemed to stagnate.
All the accompanying personnel were waiting on the second floor, the innermost floor. The room contained only a long table and a chair, and was so simple and empty that there was nowhere to hide.
Aside from Sisi, he doesn't want to see or trust anyone right now.
The underground space was stuffy and damp, and he could feel it, he could sense that this day would be different from usual.
Premonitions always arise without reason, yet they are undeniably present and impossible to grasp.
The speech has ended.
He won back his real support with two well-timed shots and achieved great success.
The protesting rats were suppressed before they could cause too much of a disturbance, and Shu Ningmiao was dealt with by Zhao—if even Zhao couldn't handle her, then there would be no one left in Pigne who could stop her.
If we really can't resolve things with her, that's okay. We can negotiate with her later.
From the first moment he met her, he saw through the girl's true nature; Shu Ningmiao was a negotiator.
Her background dictates that her principle in doing things is to weigh the pros and cons. Unlike some people who have unreasonable hatred and anger, she doesn't have the same kind of anger that can sometimes overwhelm the desire for profit and lead to unexpected choices.
Rational people are easy to predict.
Lucico closed his eyes and placed the unlit cigar on the table. Lux had handed it to him, saying it was a good one he had stolen from his father.
He doesn't smoke, but he doesn't mind giving others the illusion that he's approachable.
Lux is a good pawn; the only son of a wealthy family, he can bring not only real money but also the support of his father, Principal Cornunos.
He orchestrated the appointment of Lux as the operative, and once the Intoli War ended, the old operatives were gradually purged, leaving only his own people.
He preferred to support Lux rather than continue supporting Zhao, who was more intelligent and had a better reputation. He could use Zhao for a short period of cooperation, but he did not intend to invest more in him.
...He had already figured out how to allocate the Pandora's Spring in Tuoli, which would greatly reduce the government's financial burden, allowing the abundant funds to be injected into healthcare and focused on research into the Manla disease.
After occupying Intori and obtaining "Peo," those natural-human councilors who hadn't awakened their superpowers and were constantly opposing it could finally shut up. If they had superpowers, why would they oppose the preferential treatment for those with superpowers?
Lucico chuckled softly.
He could sense that the chaos was just a small hurdle, and the end of the journey was not far off.
All problems will be solved, and Pinheis will achieve unprecedented peace, stability, and security through his efforts. Pinheis's strength will support his great cause.
His mind relaxed slightly, but his face remained gloomy. He picked up the cold cigar from the table again: "Do you have a light?"
When Sisi heard the word "fire," a hint of resistance appeared on her face. The person who had been assassinated last time had inexplicably breached the defenses using fire. Since then, they had learned their lesson and made sure no source of fire was allowed near Lucico.
Lucico didn't really want to smoke it. He held the cigar between two fingers and flicked it casually, sending a speck of black powder flying onto the table.
A soft, almost muffled popping sound came from inside the cigar.
Lucico suddenly released his grip, his pupils contracting sharply.
If it were Shu Ningmiao here, or any professionally trained user, they would not have ignored this strange sound.
But beside him was just a child. No matter what kind of superpowers he possessed, Sisisi was still a child who lacked experience in combat and judgment.
This is why he trusts Sisi, but it also instantly puts him at a disadvantage.
A black particle, almost invisible to the naked eye, shot out from the cigar powder, expanding and stretching rapidly in the air at a speed defying physics, instantly outlining a human figure.
The moment the person reverted to their true form, their movements didn't falter at all. Their hand gripped Sisi's slender, fragile neck with the precision of an iron clamp, pulling the child's body sharply towards themselves and shielding her in front of them.
Sisi trembled slightly as she felt the hand, as thin as withered tree bark, pull her pistol from her waist.
He held the sidearm, which gleamed with a deep blue light, firmly in his hand, and in a flash, the muzzle was turned back to point at her.
There was no flash, only a muffled thud. The bullet didn't hit a vital spot, but Sisi's small face instantly lost all color.
"Thank you for the information." The large hood of his cloak slipped back with the movement, revealing most of his face, a mixture of charred black and dark red. His features were ferocious, and a small part of his lips was missing, but his voice was gentle—to the child: "The bullets from this gun can temporarily disable your powers, right?"
Sisi's face was covered in cold sweat, and her breathing became rapid.
Once she was sure she could no longer use her powers, You An let go of her hand, watched her fall to the ground, and then shakily ran towards Lucicolai, who was sitting in a chair.
Lucicolai half-embraced her, silently watching everything that had just happened, his face expressionless.
He was thinking.
Who is this red-haired, disfigured man?
Was it Achini who crawled out of hell... or someone else?
How did he manage to sneak in without triggering any fluctuations in the Heart Stone?
Without thinking, he used "mind reading" on the person in front of him, only to hear the person's inner thoughts and the sounds of their lips moving gradually merge into one voice.
Ah… Lucico chuckled self-deprecatingly. Who would lie to a dead man?
"Who are you?"
"Don't you remember me?" You An asked like a good student who always answered questions: "You searched for me for a long time on the beach in Gabor."
Lucico realized that he was Gaber's missing local student, but still couldn't remember his name.
Since the other party didn't shoot him twice at the beginning, it means he still has a chance to negotiate.
“We can talk this out,” Lucico suggested, “whatever the conditions.”
You An stared at him, slowly circling the long table, occasionally glancing around, before finally stopping opposite him, her gaze falling on his hand under the desk: "Even if you stall for time, no one outside will come to rescue you."
At that moment, he realized that Lux had handed him the cigar.
The boy shrank his size and hid inside the cigar, evading multiple checks under Lux's cover, while Lux was now in charge of security outside.
A crack appeared on his mask, and he wanted to laugh again. He didn't know what had provoked this smooth-sailing young master. The unintelligent always do things that are unpredictable, while the intelligent one, his father, obviously wanted to put his eggs in two baskets, so he let his son do as he pleased.
Yu An stood in front of him and raised his gun again.
Lucico quickly retrieved the Gab incident from his mind, which he had long forgotten. He placed his hand on Sissi's head, his knuckles turning increasingly pale from the pressure, and his speech quickened: "I don't know what you went through in this matter, but I understand that you were hurt. You can tell me your needs now, and we can talk on equal terms and clear up the misunderstanding between us. Even if you are arrested later, I will do my best to reduce your sentence."
Lucico received no response; the boy stared at him intently, unmoving.
Then he realized that he was looking at Sissi in his arm.
His arms tensed instantly as he tried to hug Sisi tightly.
But he couldn't outrun You An.
The gun in the boy's hand trembled slightly; it was less like firing a shot and more like a throbbing pulse.
The trigger snapped back to its original position instantly.
The hand holding the pistol was covered in mottled skin, yet its grip was terrifyingly steady.
Lucico lowered his head and saw Sissi staring blankly with her eyes wide open and her mouth slightly agape, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't make a sound.
The bullet struck her in the neck and lodged in her throat.
He couldn't even fully raise his arm to protect her; he only felt that small, warm body being slammed by some invisible force, and then collapsing to the ground. He fumbled for the styptic needle on the table, but it was empty.
You An stood there quietly, the shadow of his cloak once again shrouding most of his disfigured face.
He walked towards his direction step by step: "My brother didn't say a word to me before he left."
Lucico didn't look up at him; the only sound in the closed room was his heavy breathing.
“You said you wanted to talk to me as equals, but I don’t think that’s equal.” You An’s face showed no vengeful pleasure, but rather a sluggish numbness: “Now, that’s fine.”
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