Face

Tyrants. What the hell was a Tyrant anyway? It wasn't that Ji Jue had played in too many high-stakes games and grown so arrogant that he looked down on Tyrants. It was because in high-tier circles, everyone generally looked down on Tyrants. To put it plainly, among all the thralls of the Great Sins, Tyrants were the most pathetic bunch. So pathetic that when the Vortex called everyone for a meeting, they had to sit at the same table as the White Pavilion... worse off even than the Evil Transmutation Cult without Lu Changsheng! At least the cultists were genuine cockroaches, everywhere you looked. And what about Tyrants? Every last one of them was an insular shut-in playing in their own little sandbox. Within their tiny three-acre fiefdoms, they seemed peerlessly domineering and imperious, but reaching out to make an ally was like cockroaches waving their antennae at each other for half a day—and aside from scaring people, it yielded nothing good. Even among Tyrants themselves, they thoroughly despised one another. There was zero possibility of coalition; what they loved most was tearing each other to pieces. Internally, they couldn't unite, and were doomed never to do so—how could a Tyrant ever submit beneath another? And externally, what impact could they possibly have? What else could they do? Bro, the Federation and the Empire were still watching! It could only be said: they rose with Tianyuan, and they fell with Tianyuan. In the waking world, they didn't dare snatch food from the bowls of the Federation and the Empire. Beneath the Vortex, they had nowhere left to go. Other factions under the Vortex at least had big shots and venerated figures. Not to mention Wulou Temple with its tightly linked upper and lower monasteries, the Profound clustering together in dense enclaves, or the Tianxin Society, which had nothing better to do than randomly chuck dungeon instances up to the surface. Even the Wolves had two Wolf Lords—the Mountain Wolf and the Wolf of the Heart—and now they even had Ji Jue. The Tower? Sorry, nothing at all! There was only a single Tower, coldly and impassively devouring everything. On this path, from the very beginning, there had been, was, and could only be one sovereign: the Tower itself! A Tyrant of the mortal realm was at best an agent, or even a thief. Whether they lived or died, the Tower couldn't care less. The Incomplete Tower lay ever-buried in shadow, existing alongside the world's Tianyuan. That bond was tighter even than the White Stag and the Wolves. The root of the Tower's corruption lay in the very souls of all Tianyuan Celestial Chosen. From the moment they received Heaven's Choice, the seed had been planted. That was why Tianyuan needed to join the establishment most of all. They needed the collective, needed the protection of the Heavenly Overseer and Earthly Warden. Otherwise, the higher one climbed, the closer and more grotesque the shadow of the Tower became. With worse luck, a single misstep meant total erosion and assimilation, dying without a whole corpse, degenerating into chaotic, mangled disorder objects. With slightly better luck, one might hover at the edge without taking the plunge, but that was only temporary—play with fire and you'll wet the bed sooner or later, waiting for retribution. Better yet, with still more luck, one could borrow this authority from the Tower to sustain their dominion and control over their subordinates... That was what a Tyrant of the Tower was. The Tower didn't need Tyrants; it was the Tyrants who needed the Tower to exist. The Abyssal Lord? Wasn't he just the king of the gutter? Did they have any idea how valuable the Flame of Feiming was? Back at the Sacrificial Temple of the Ancient Beginning, he had fought both Anguo and Changle, and Wuyou had been killed. Was he supposed to fear the Abyssal Lord? Ultimately, what others saw as monumental matters were utterly trivial to Ji Jue. He could even use himself as bait again. Rats in the gutter grew so used to wallowing in the mud that they couldn't fathom how people lived under the sun. If the Abyssal Lord dared to show his face, Ji Jue wouldn't even need the Flame of Feiming. He would dare summon a Celestial-Human from the Federation, without owing a shred of favor—in fact, he might even get kickbacks in return. With this kind of performance credit delivered to their doorstep, the Security Bureau would probably be thrilled out of their minds! What was there to fear? He should fear the guy not showing his head! At this moment, upon hearing this, the kindly, benevolent expression on the old woman's face froze for a fraction of a second, though she quickly regained her calm, her smile intact. "As expected of the Lord of Xinquan, what extraordinary presence. Does Mr. Ji come representing the Federation?" "Am I not qualified to set foot in the Seven Cities unless I represent the Federation? If I were here on behalf of the Federation, would an old hag like you even have the standing to speak in front of me?" Ji Jue glanced at the crowd before him, feeling the gazes fixed upon him—who knew how many were scouts, spies, or representatives of various factions—yet he remained completely unapologetic. Polite? Was politeness something reserved for them?! "I don't like beating around the bush. If you have something to say, spit it out. No need to keep testing the waters. Whatever wicked schemes you're brewing inside, let them all out. It'll be better for everyone and save us some time." The old woman's eyes flickered, remaining impassive. Evidently, she didn't believe a single punctuation mark of what Ji Jue said. Ji Jue claiming he didn't represent the Federation was just like Ji Jue claiming he wasn't a Mohist—it was nothing more than paperwork. He could claim not to represent the Federation, but at any moment, anywhere, he could! The star arms dealer of Haichao Military Industry, the premier partner artisan of the Haizhou Security Bureau, the founder of Haian Industry and Haian Tech, the King of the Wasteland Scavengers, the Lord of Xinquan... With so many identities, every single one inextricably tangled with the Federation, if you claimed you didn't represent them, who did? Me? I fucking wish I did! She merely smiled and asked, "Coming from so far away, Mr. Ji, what is it that you truly desire?" "What else could an artisan want?" Ji Jue smiled, staring directly at her as if sizing her up. "Fine materials and precious jade, of course." That look in his eyes... So serene. Neither fierce nor chilling, just a simple gaze, yet it caused the corner of the old woman's eye to twitch faintly. It was as if he were looking at raw materials laid out on a workbench. Pondering where to make the first cut for optimal results. Just as she sighed softly and was about to speak again, she heard a scoff. "Cut the act. Pretentious posturing, endless chattering—there ought to be a limit to flaunting your seniority." Ji Jue withdrew his gaze, losing all interest. For scraps like this, he couldn't even be bothered to take a second look. Utterly insolent. And in the crowd within the courtyard, seeing the old woman fall silent, someone's expression shifted. Unable to hold back any longer, he abruptly rose and challenged him: "Aren't you the one putting on an act?! This is the Seven Cities, this is Xiangzhou! The Chopra family isn't a place for you to throw your weight around! Others might fear you, but I don't!" The dignified man, draped in jewels and finery, puffed out his chest. Glancing left and right, he scolded with righteous indignation, "At the end of the day, aren't you just trying to make everyone dogs of the Federation?!" At that, Ji Jue finally raised his head. Gone was his prior coldness and indifference; he stated with utmost solemnity: "Rest assured. As long as I'm here, I won't let you become dogs of the Federation." The man who had picked the fight froze. Immediately afterward, he saw Ji Jue's smile. And even heard his resounding pledge: "—Everyone only needs to be my dog!" In an instant, amidst the abrupt silence, countless people rose in fury. Shouts and curses rang out continuously. Ji Jue turned a deaf ear to them, unbothered by how foul the language was, merely casting his eyes down at the ripples in his tea. A gentle voice resonated in everyone's ears. "Once you get used to being a scavenger, you see everything as treasure put in the wrong place; you can't bear to waste even a single grain of rice. The Federation looks down on scraps like you, but I don't mind." Ji Jue glanced at the pairs of sullen eyes in the crowd and grinned. "After all, no matter what, it's still better than being dogs of Wulou Temple or the Tianxin Society, isn't it?" "Insolent fool!" Among the crowd, the gaunt man who had been resting with eyes closed while waited on by numerous attendants snapped his eyes open. A soul-shaking blaze burst from his gaze, his voice booming like thunder: "Heretical fiend, how dare you slander our orthodox teaching!" The old woman who had just been putting on airs grinned faintly. "The Tianxin Society doesn't mind harsh words, but with Mr. Ji talking so big, I'm afraid this won't end peacefully today." Meanwhile, several burly, muscular members of the Swarm silently radiated blood-red flames, their malice grotesque. "Mr. Ji, I advise you to think carefully." A smug, cold sneer curved at the corner of the man's mouth who had initiated the challenge. "This isn't a place where you can run wild. The Chopra family isn't something you can manipulate at will just by relying on that bastard Minkler." "Is that so?" Ji Jue's smile turned increasingly derisive, utterly unbothered. "Do you think that if this weren't the Chopra household, if I weren't giving face to Minkler, a bunch of filth like you, in cahoots with the Evil Transmutation Cult, would even be standing here talking to me?" In that instant, spiritus turned turbulent. Crackling ruptures echoed through the air as countless Celestial Chosen and corrupted ones released their auras, glaring fixedly at Ji Jue. In the dead silence, nobody spoke anymore. It was like sparks raining down on a mountain of powder kegs, poised to erupt completely at any second. Blades drawn, poised on a hair-trigger! Yet Ji Jue suddenly chuckled. "Don't be nervous, everyone." He said, "I was just joking." It was as if, intimidated by everyone's imposing might, he had proactively backed down. But before anyone could even sneer in mockery, they heard his voice again. Filled with such regret. He said, "Because I'm not giving face to Minkler either." Boom! A horrifying surge, far greater than ever before, rose out of thin air, sweeping through in a majestic torrent. Tides of silver light and mist became a tempest, erupting from beneath Ji Jue's feet, running rampant as the curtain unfolded. Immediately following, it was as if tens of thousands of invisible hands reached out abruptly, seizing control of everything! Giving face to Minkler? What kind of Imperial joke was that? Minkler's face was given to him by Ji Jue in the first place; why would Ji Jue ever need to care about his mood? Across the vast courtyard, dull thuds and echoing rumbles rang out relentlessly. It was like an invisible scythe sweeping past, crisply severing the weeds and pruning the overgrowth. Under the sudden explosion of invisible heavy pressure, figures who had just been swaggering, heads held high and shouting in fury, slammed to the ground in an instant, struggling and unable to get up. In the dizzying upheaval, their eyes widened in bewilderment, completely unable to comprehend what was happening. Struggling in vain. They could hardly even breathe! They only heard a cold voice that seemed to drift down from the clouds: "Since you're unwilling to be dogs, then speak on your knees!" Ji Jue flicked his finger. Crackling fractures sounded continuously like torrential rain. Countless alchemical creations shattered in an instant, their spiritual radiance dimming as they were completely ruined. Invisible spiritus swords whistled through the thin mist, slashing mercilessly into their souls. The instant the crisp sound registered in their ears, it was already too late. Half the Celestial Chosen blacked out, vomiting blood from severe trauma; those even less capable had already fainted, having had no time to grasp what occurred! In just an instant, within the courtyard previously packed with people, those who could still remain standing were few and far between. In their horror and confusion, they couldn't even believe it. Facing opponents outnumbering him by dozens of times, an artisan had actually struck first?!