Ten Days

Ten days! It was a ringing pledge, struck like a military writ. A grand enterprise achievable in the near future, destiny entirely within their grasp—backed by Xiuyan's vow, the matter was settled then and there. And then the Abyssal Lord kicked them straight out of his domain. Without even offering them a meal. By the end, let alone food, Xiuyan had talked until his throat was parched, yet hadn't received so much as a single mouthful of water. Even after being dumped outside the oceanic abyss, neither of them had quite processed what happened. They stared at each other, mouths agape, words failing them. Was this Tyrant seriously this stingy? Forgetting offering them a place to stay the night, after making off with such an enormous haul, couldn't he have at least shown a token gesture of hospitality? Sorry, not a chance. Finished talking? Then get the hell out. The gates of the oceanic abyss sealed shut once more. Utterly devoid of manners. Ji Jue had no time to waste on social pleasantries with them. Maintaining the high-and-mighty airs of a Tyrant had already left him thoroughly exhausted... Well, actually, no. He had taken to it like a fish to water, reveling in the role so thoroughly that he had nearly lost all sense of self. If not for the risk of slipping up by saying too much, he would have loved to keep acting a little longer! Impersonating a Tyrant wasn't actually that difficult. The main trouble lay in remembering to hold back. The Abyssal Lord's persona—simultaneously cowardly, cautious, yet stubborn and sharp-tongued—was truly tricky to balance. Several times, Ji Jue had nearly let the imperious swagger of the Evil Transmutation Cult's Sacrificial Lord leak out... One was an old relic from Wulou Temple, and the other a fellow craftsman from the Profound. Combined, their calculating schemes outnumbered the loans issued by the Federation and the Empire combined. God only knew which misplaced inflection might give him away. Several times, Ji Jue had barely suppressed the urge to strike! Unfortunately, there were still too few fish in the net. Besides, one had arrived as an astral projection from Wulou Temple, while the other had merely arrived by inhabiting a construct. Without adequate advance preparation, he might not have been able to take them down cleanly. Learning from past lessons: endure, hold back, absolutely hold back! If you don't risk the child, you won't catch the wolf—and in this case, the bait wasn't even his, so he could afford to wait! Back aboard the Doomsday Express, Ji Jue weighed the tiger tally in his hand and sank into contemplation once again. Ten days? Where had that fellow Xiuyan gotten such confidence? What would happen after ten days? And... gathering so many hands, sinking such staggering costs, and going through such lengths to assemble a force more than capable of bringing all Seven Cities under their thumb overnight—what was he after? If it were anyone else, ambition or old grudges might suffice as an explanation. But Xiuyan was different—or rather, Dragon Poison was different. He was a peer. Peers always understood each other best. For any artisan, regardless of methods, words, or outward conduct, everything was merely a facade. The ultimate objective was always results! Results were all that mattered. Yet what could he possibly stand to gain? Going through so much trouble and scheming for so long just to seat everyone at the same table for a hearty banquet and a happy New Year? Could he genuinely be some selfless, noble soul devoted to the Great Sin? Don't make your brother Stagnant Rot laugh. Either he had orchestrated all this to compete for Vortex's Person of the Year, or he had far deeper, hidden motives! "Dragon Poison?" On the other end of the line, Master Hu Jian, who had been woken from sleep, fell into stunned silence. After a long pause, he murmured, "It's been a long time since I heard that name." "Is he that old?" "Let me think..." Rustling sounds came through the receiver, like the flipping of book pages. After a long while, Hu Jian sighed with emotion. "Indeed, it's been many years. "Back when I had just become an apprentice, he was already a master of the Association. But later, for reasons unknown, he vanished without a trace. When news of him surfaced again, he had already thrown his lot in with the Profound... Word was that he had lost the contest for the Crown of Glory against Cast Plowman, who was also a master at the time. Discontented with the Association's evaluation, he defected. "After that, there was no news of him for years. Everyone assumed he had died in some godforsaken ditch." Ji Jue pressed on, "What about his specialties, domain, and original school?" "No idea," Hu Jian replied flatly, shaking his head. "The Association should have wiped those as well." "Wiped them?" Ji Jue was astonished, nearly laughing in disbelief. "They can even erase that?" "Some records are a hazard to keep." Hu Jian sighed softly. "Knowing nothing is better than being utterly convinced of something false. "After receiving the blessing of Stagnant Rot, he discarded his original name, along with his entire life and history within the Association. He handed them over to Truth Publishing House to plant a cognitive poison, distorting and corrupting all records concerning him. Left unchecked, the Association's entire database would have been contaminated." "I see." Ji Jue nodded, pressing no further. Hu Jian fell silent for a long time, then sighed helplessly and asked, "Do you need help?" "Thank you for the kind offer." Ji Jue chuckled. "If it becomes necessary, I will ask." After thanking Master Hu for his goodwill, Ji Jue slipped back into deep thought. Only after a long while did he finally come back to his senses. He casually tossed the tiger tally in his hand into the Chixiao Tally-Standard—without the slightest resistance, ripple, or clash, the two vastly different decrees and authorities fused into one, as though they were meant to be whole from the beginning. In his grasp, another ferocious beast pattern carved its way onto the banner, prowling ceaselessly and exuding a chilling, savage aura. His foundation and reserves expanded once more. The original authority of execution surged dramatically, even showing subtle accommodation and expansion toward Swarm and Frenzied Slaughter, as if catalyzing an entirely new evolution. It was free loot anyway. Who cared which Great Sin corporation it had belonged to? Whatever gibberish you spoke before, now that you've arrived at my shell company and been laundered by a sin fiend, you're mine! "Isis?" "Present." "Prepare to mobilize all available reserves." Ji Jue made up his mind. "I'm starting a new project—" "By your will." The workshop spirit bowed obediently. The Doomsday Express roared to life once more. Ten days? Ever since learning the timeframe, Ji Jue hadn't ceased his preparations for a second. Long before this, he had scattered his eyes and ears throughout the Seven Cities. The secret spread of the Lord of the Flies and countless appliances and equipment blessed by Deus Ex Machina had quietly slipped into the market before Ji Jue had even set foot in the Seven Cities, establishing a formidable presence everywhere. The infiltration initiative had begun the moment Ji Jue intended to hunt down the wolf in Mid-Continent. It was just a convenient, routine measure. Even if the various factions maintained strict vigilance now, how could the makeshift organizational apparatus of the Seven Cities manage to trace back several months? If Xiuyan made any move during these ten days, it would never escape Ji Jue's eyes. Regrettably, Ji Jue's observations yielded nothing. A complete blank. Not a single trace of Xiuyan could be found. Across the Seven Cities, no anomalies arose, and nothing unexpected occurred. Or rather, the parasites carried on exactly as they always had. Under pervasive exploitation and plunder, the putrid stench continued to drift unabated. People marched merrily along the path of incurable terminal illness, everyone lost in delirious laughter amid the rotting carnival... Draining the pond to fish, they savored every drop of sweetness, heedless of whether the grease on their lips came from blood and death. Until they finally awoke from the dream. *** "Hello? Hello! Lei Wang?" A hoarse, frantic voice crackled through the receiver: "It's Ridwan. Can you hear me? Hello? Hello!" Inside a seaside apartment, the man holding the phone frowned slightly. His wife, busy with chores nearby, looked up curiously, wondering who was calling. The man waved his hand, prompting her to fall silent immediately. Through the speaker came a wretched, desperate voice: "Can you lend me some money?" "Money?" Lei Wang was dumbfounded. "Didn't you call me a few days ago saying you'd made a fortune, enough to buy an apartment? How did things suddenly..." "Swindlers!" A weary sigh gave way to suppressed fury and despair, breaking into choked sobs and roars. "They're all fucking swindlers! It's all a lie! There isn't any fucking money! They took it all!" None of the high-spirited swagger from his earlier boasting remained. It was hard to imagine what he had gone through. Amidst the calamity beast craze sweeping the Seven Cities, overnight fortunes had indeed been minted, but once the night passed, who cared about the aftermath? Moreover, the vast majority who joined the hunt were never that lucky. Leaving aside those who lost everything, most could only scrape together scraps. Even if one managed to rake in a sum once unimaginable, money was meant to be spent! The easier it came, the quicker it vanished. Furthermore, after each life-or-death voyage, having witnessed countless horrors, returning crew members required heavy indulgence and retaliatory spending to vent their terror. After the initial days of extravagant squandering, those who sobered up had to face reality. Money, money, money. Everything cost money, and at more than double the old rates! And every expense was major. Potions to repel deviant species, weapons to fend off lesser calamity beasts, hull repairs, phlogiston replenishment... every item was a bottomless pit. Not to mention essential medicines and alchemical creations. By comparison, compensations for deceased crewmen, or even decadent binges and wild revelry, amounted to nothing. When cash was desperately needed, even the bounties were delayed indefinitely—unless one put up the bounties as collateral and took out specified loans from their lenders... Just like that, thirty percent vanished into thin air! And that was considered fortunate; some lost fifty percent after brutal price-gouging. Even with large bounties theoretically credited to their names, when practical expenses came due, ship captains had to grit their teeth and sign loan contracts with the factions, pouring fortunes into bribes to join fleet operations and hire escorts. Consequently, before they knew it, their debts had piled into an insurmountable mountain. "That doesn't make sense," Lei Wang said blankly, glancing at his phone. "A few days ago, didn't they say they were regulating the prices of medicine and phlogiston? Along with pensions and subsidies..." "Bullshit!" Ridwan's voice grew more grief-stricken, nearly weeping. "It's completely useless! They're all in on it together, every single one of them... What little trickled down was snatched and resold by the captain. "I can't even afford a single purification pill now. Lei Wang, please help me out. Not much, just a little... I... I..." "..." Lei Wang remained silent for a long time before letting out a helpless sigh. "You left too early, Ridwan. Haian stopped paying wages in cash recently." "Exchange coupons will do!" Ridwan's voice turned frantic. "Haian's coupons are in huge demand on the black market right now! Just one is enough! Just one..." "A new regulation came down yesterday: all factory-issued coupons are now strictly tied to real identities." Lei Wang shook his head helplessly. "I really can't help you. Try finding another way..." "Hello? Hello! Lei Wang, Lei—" Ridwan grew frantic, trying to plead further, but all that met his ear was a dead dial tone. The call had ended. He erupted into blind rage, roaring and spewing a barrage of curses. Only after exhausting his fury and regaining his senses did he slump onto his bunk, panting with exhaustion. The cabin perpetually reeked of sweat and foul foot odor—nauseating, yet now tainted by a pungent fishy stench. It was coming from his own body. He raised a hand to scratch an itch on his cheek, peeling away a patch of scaly skin covered in blood and mucus. His face instantly went blank. He sat up and looked at the adjacent bunk. It was empty. Hesitating briefly, he leaned down to rifle through the space beneath the mattress, freezing when the cabin door swung open. "I—I'm sorry, I... I was just... looking for some medicine..." "I know." An equally emaciated crewman nodded numbly, faint remnants of scales visible on his face, holding a blister pack of pills in his hand. "I'm out too. None left... Go see the captain. The captain still has some..." Ridwan swallowed hard, watching him pop the sole remaining pill from the pack and swallow it. For a split second, he had an overwhelming urge to snatch it. In the end, he didn't dare. The last person who had dared to resort to violence on the ship had been strung up on the bow to roast to death under the sun. "If you go now, the interest rate is still relatively low. Don't waste time," the crewmate advised. "Let me think. Let me think it over..." Ridwan gnawed on his knuckles, coughing violently, feeling the hallucinatory fishy stench grow heavier. Scale disease was all too common, nothing unusual. Anyone who dealt extensively with calamity beasts at sea caught it to some degree. In the Thousand Islands, this chronic contagion didn't even rank high on the danger scale, since effective medicine had existed for years. A single pill could halt its progression for an extended period, and a full course of treatment could cure it completely. The only side effect was an impaired immune system leading to a severe illness, but it worked. Yet now, even buying a single pill required borrowing money from the captain. The captain himself had acquired the stock on credit, so how could he possibly hand it out for free... Ridwan hesitated, wondering if he should endure it until they returned from tomorrow's voyage; perhaps his condition would improve on its own. Before long, however, clamorous shouts erupted from the harbor and deck. Looking out the porthole, people were dancing with ecstatic frenzy, rushing toward their respective vessels. Alarms signaling emergency assembly sounded aboard the ship. They were setting sail in half an hour. "Good news! Unprecedented good news!" The second mate sprinted aboard, shouting in jubilation: "Right to the south, Charybdis got into a fight with another calamity beast! Remains are scattered everywhere! Everywhere!" The entire port seemed to boil over. Everyone sprinted madly toward their posts. Scrambling over one another. Faster! Faster! If we're too slow this time, we won't even get leftover broth! Even crewmen buried under crushing debt and driven to the brink gritted their teeth, taking out loans for one final, desperate gamble. In under two hours, vast fleets of ships poured out of the harbor. A thousand sails competed across the sea. Everyone was rushing headlong toward death... *** Between the gloomy sea and sky, distant thunder rumbled, signs of a tempest gathering at the edge of the horizon. Yet compared to the impending storm, in Ji Jue's eyes, the entire Seven Cities seemed to have been cast into a boiling cauldron, left to roast over invisible flames. Faced with the frenzy sweeping the Seven Cities, all he could do was erect walls, seal off maritime waters, and enforce a ruthless, sweeping embargo. Complete isolation. Perhaps it seemed heartless, perhaps overly severe, but it was the most effective method. There were too many temptations and too much turmoil; compared to the raging tide already sweeping through, what he had established was simply too small. Even Tianyuan had its limits, to say nothing of the newly completed Chixiao's Foundation. Order was both stable and fragile; before striking deep roots, the slightest gust of wind could distort it beyond recognition. Haian hadn't been here long; even with the changes introduced, any slackening would immediately drag everything back to square one. Only the day-after-day resilience of water wearing through stone could remain truly immovable as a mountain. At this juncture, even yielding an inch would invite unpredictable chain reactions. Just look at Xiangzhou. Minkler had already sent repeated requests for reinforcements to purge black markets and conduct internal investigations. Even without issuing any bounties, the resulting chaos had permeated every sector. The illicit resale of phlogiston continued unchecked, while warehouse supplies and distribution chains suffered constant disruptions. And that was with their House God forcefully suppressing dissent. At this point, even if Ji Jue threw caution to the wind, stood before the masses, and warned them that this path led straight to ruin, they would merely view him as a stumbling block on their road to riches. He had no choice but to stay out of it. In fact, he had already begun to suspect: perhaps this was precisely the development that old ape Xiuyan had hoped for... Xiuyan didn't need to do a thing; the entire Seven Cities would naturally slide into the abyss, exactly as he desired. Two days later, just as Ji Jue anticipated, grim news arrived. The fleet that had reached the target waters first was entirely wiped out. Charybdis, the Extinction-class calamity beast perpetually cloaked in storms, had gone completely mad with hunger. Battered by continuous battles, its wounds had grown increasingly severe, driving it into madness. Not only had it devoured all other calamity beasts, but it hadn't spared the ships served right to its jaws either! The remaining vessels dared not advance further, unwilling to gamble on what a crazed calamity beast might do. In the end, they returned empty-handed. Before the crews docking at port could even drown their grief and indignation in alcohol, what awaited them were the loan contracts they had signed, squads of loan sharks demanding payment, and recovery teams organized by the major factions! At gunpoint, they could only watch helplessly as their last possessions were stripped away. Some might even spend the rest of their lives slaving away in dark, suffocating mines... Events spiraled downward at breakneck speed, chaos steadily spreading. At the very same time, Ji Jue, who had just completed his preparations, received word from the oceanic abyss. Just as agreed, the token left behind by Xiuyan pulsed violently, radiating brilliant light! Everything was in place; the time had come! Barely half of the agreed ten days had elapsed! After a mere five days, the operation was commencing. The plan had moved ahead of schedule!