章節 40: The man who lingers in the shadows where light fails to reach
Cold, dark, selfish, wicked, and depraved…
This is Xiao Mu Yu's own chilling self-assessment, imbued with the scent of treachery and malevolence, instantly shattering Freya's fleeting fondness for the man who would risk offending the Sacred Realm to rescue a girl.
"So, this is all a misunderstanding," Xiao Mu Yu stated coldly. "Yaya is my daughter, my granddaughter, and she carries my blood; that is why I intervened to save her. I am not as noble as you imagine."
"Do you understand? If you do, please step aside; I am leaving." His indifferent tone accompanied his figure as he brushed past Freya, departing with an air of detachment.
Behind him, the blue-haired songstress stood, dazed and bewildered.
As the man's silhouette faded into the distance, the demon's raucous laughter echoed once more within the confines of her mind.
(Hahahahaha... you truly are a master of fabrication, human boy! To extricate yourself from this little songstress, you expended such effort crafting lies to undermine her feelings. You are quite impressive, indeed! Hahaha...)
(However, I am curious; you are not a patient individual. Under normal circumstances, you would have swiftly dispatched this charming little songstress to prevent her from clinging to you. Yet this time, you refrained from doing so and instead crafted such a sharp jest to deceive her. Hee hee... could it be that her beauty has awakened a sense of compassion in you?)
"Ah, indeed, slaying her outright would have been the simplest solution," Xiao Mu Yu replied coldly. "But what then? I would face the wrath of a generation's Sacred Realm, and attempting to resist would lead to a most tragic end for me."
(Hee hee... are you truly so afraid of the Sacred Realm? It certainly does not appear so! Hahahaha... If you fear the Sacred Realm so much, why did you risk offending them by kidnapping this little songstress? Should anything happen to her, wouldn't you also face dire consequences?)
"I will not die, nor am I in any danger."
Xiao Mu Yu stated coldly, "Freya possesses only fifth-tier abilities and lacks any formidable hidden talents. Aside from her connection to a master of the Sacred Realm, her only asset is the network she has formed over the years with the continent's powerful figures, which warrants a major force to deploy ninth-tier warriors and an eighth-tier assassin."
"The fact that this unknown major force expended such vast resources to control a large city and abduct her indicates that their true intent is not to possess Freya herself, but to use her as leverage to acquire some precious items of which I am unaware."
"Furthermore, a force with such intentions would not harm Freya; they would ensure her well-being. Otherwise, should Freya suffer any harm, their chances of obtaining the items they seek would be severely jeopardized."
Xiao Mu Yu continued coldly, "Thus, while my act of abducting Freya may seem to provoke the ire of the Sacred Realm, in reality, as long as Freya remains unharmed, I will not truly invoke their wrath, and my life will be spared."
(Hee hee... but all of this is merely your speculation. What if that so-called major force actually intends to abduct this little songstress for some nefarious purpose, such as their leader falling in love with her and wishing to bear children with her? Or perhaps this charming little songstress possesses an ancient bloodline, and they require her for a blood ritual or some form of magic?)
"Impossible. What you suggest is utterly unfathomable," Xiao Mu Yu replied coldly.
(Oh? So certain? Hee hee... human boy, then enlighten me as to why you are so confident that my hypotheses are impossible? Hee hee... I am quite curious, indeed! Hahahaha...)
"..." Glancing down at the little fox perched on his shoulder, it was evident that the conversation between the two wicked beings had left the creature somewhat bewildered.
Raising his head with indifference, Xiao Mu Yu coldly responded, "Firstly, we can be certain that the major force behind the abduction of Freya is seeking to absolve themselves of responsibility once the truth comes to light. This is beyond doubt."
(Yes, yes, you have mentioned this before. So what comes next?)
"The crux lies within the term 'absolve.'"
Xiao Mu Yu stated coldly, "They wish to evade the wrath of the Sacred Realm, yet the only way to do so requires Freya to remain unscathed. If Freya is unharmed, their role in this incident will merely classify them as accomplices, while I, the abductor, will bear the brunt of the blame."
"Once the dust settles and the Sacred Realm is enraged, their culpability as accomplices will be minimal, and with the backing of a major force, the Sacred Realm would not engage in war over trivial matters. Thus, all the ire would be directed at me, the primary perpetrator."
"In this entire affair, should Freya sustain serious injuries, the roles of perpetrator and accomplice would reverse. They would become the true culprits, while I would merely be a coerced accomplice."
"When the Sacred Realm unleashes its fury, I could easily retreat into the Winterhold Forest, where I would be surrounded by countless beasts. I could leverage the safety of the people of Debang as a bargaining chip, and given that I am not the main perpetrator, the Sacred Realm would hesitate to act against me. Meanwhile, they, as the main culprits, would become the targets of the Sacred Realm's wrath."
Xiao Mu Yu stated coldly, "Thus, while entrusting Freya to them appears perilous, it is, in fact, the opposite; they will be far more anxious about Freya's safety than anyone else."
(And as long as Freya remains entirely unharmed, the severity of this entire incident diminishes, does it not, human boy? Hee hee... even if the Sacred Realm truly seeks to punish you as the abductor, as long as you retreat into the Winterhold Forest, surrounded by countless beasts, you could threaten to unleash a tide of monsters upon the city. The Sacred Realm, whose disciple has not suffered significant harm, would surely consider the potential loss of innocent lives in the chaos, would they not?)
(Then you would be safe... hee hee... what a clever plan! How astute, human boy! Hahahaha... I am quite moved! Hahaha... but tell me, have you considered one crucial point?)
(That is, hee hee... what if the true objective of that major force is to harm this charming little songstress, and they are unafraid of offending the Sacred Realm? For even if the Sacred Realm were to become enraged, their power might be so formidable that they could completely disregard its wrath, or perhaps they are strong enough to render the Sacred Realm helpless?)
"Impossible." Xiao Mu Yu unhesitatingly countered the demon's conjecture.
"There is no force on this continent powerful enough to ignore the wrath of a Sacred Realm. If such a force existed, the Valoran continent would not be as chaotic and disordered as it is now; it would have been unified long ago. Thus, your deduction is logically unsound."
(Hee hee... but what if—I'm saying what if—there truly exists such a hidden major force? Don't tales of hidden powers often appear in human ranger novels? Perhaps Valoran indeed harbors such a superpower lurking in the shadows; it is not entirely impossible.)
"If such a super hidden force exists, one that is fearless of the Sacred Realm's wrath, then the situation would spiral into an inextricable paradox."
Xiao Mu Yu stated coldly, "If they are unafraid of the Sacred Realm's anger, why would they expend so much manpower and resources to control Tianxin City and orchestrate such a grand scheme? Why recruit powerful individuals above the seventh tier to abduct Freya? They could act themselves; why go to such lengths to set a trap?"
(Uh... cough cough... well, perhaps their leader collectively lost their wits? Hahahaha... that possibility cannot be ruled out! Hahaha...)
Within the confines of the consciousness space, the demon's raucous laughter reverberated ominously.
However, this time, the demon's laughter was abruptly interrupted.
The blue-haired woman, undeterred, interjected resolutely.
Gazing coldly at the stunning beauty who had caught up and steadfastly blocked his path, Xiao Mu Yu's eyes glinted with an icy chill. "Miss Freya, do you have further business?"
"I need your assistance!"
Fixing her determined gaze on Xiao Mu Yu's expression, which was as cold and rigid as ice, the blue-haired girl declared, "Do you know why Warwick and his associates sought to abduct me? Their intention is to exchange me for a map belonging to the renowned explorer Ezreal—a treasure map of an ancient relic!"
"Since you are the type who only acts when there is no personal gain involved, if you agree to help us resolve the calamity afflicting this city, I will ensure that Ezreal provides you with a copy of that map!"
"A treasure map of an ancient relic?" Xiao Mu Yu inquired, his tone still frigid.
"Indeed! Moreover, it is a site that has never been discovered!" Freya replied. "It is believed to contain immense treasures from the era of ancient magic—items such as the Crown of the Ancient Golem and the Night Demon Crystal are rumored to be found within! What do you say? Will you lend your aid?"
"..." In response to Freya's inquiry, Xiao Mu Yu did not immediately reply; he merely raised his head, his gaze coldly fixed on the distant horizon.
There, concealed behind the howling winds and swirling snow, lay a vast expanse of beast-infested forest, where he seemed to glimpse the slumbering maiden at the foot of the mountain. Xiao Mu Yu coldly inquired, "Does it contain the Soul Locking Jade?"
每周推薦票狀態
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