One really couldn't blame Yellowbeard for lacking composure and failing to keep a straight face; Ji Jue was simply being generous to an absurd degree.
Yellowbeard almost suspected this scoundrel had been possessed by the Profound—otherwise, he wouldn't be overacting to such an extent!
After all, the memory of how Ji Jue had worked over Pacquiao was still vivid in his mind: scraping the marrow straight from the bone, not letting a single scrap of lard go to waste.
Now, with such unbelievably favorable terms laid out right before him, Yellowbeard found himself unable to believe it.
No, what's your scheme?
What the hell are you playing at?
"Thinking about it carefully, ever since I got to know you, Grand Artificer, even though we operate on mutual benefit, you've taken great care of me.
"We've collaborated for so long. Setting everything else aside, there's bound to be a bit of sentiment between us, isn't there? The King of Heroes' relic is useless in my hands, and using it would be a waste. Returning it to its rightful owner is much better.
"I genuinely mean this; there's no need for pretense."
Ji Jue offered an indifferent smile, picked up the ring from the table, and tossed it straight over. "It just depends on whether you're willing to do me the honor, Grand Artificer, and stoop to befriend me."
The ring traced a brilliant arc through the air and landed in Yellowbeard's instinctively outstretched hand. As if sensing something, it vibrated violently, humming with resonance.
Gone was the haughty, aloof coldness it had shown in Ji Jue's grip; it was brimming with fervent enthusiasm.
Its dormant spirituality reawakened. A hazy face could faintly be seen emerging before Yellowbeard as the phantom remnant of the King of Heroes rose once more.
It glanced at the craftsman before it, nodded slightly, and seemed to turn back to look at Ji Jue. Its lips moved, speaking a few words to Yellowbeard.
Soon, it vanished without a trace.
"Looks like extraordinary treasures truly belong to the worthy," Ji Jue chuckled softly, looking away.
Yellowbeard remained silent for a long time. Several times he parted his lips to speak, but in the end he merely let out a soft sigh and tucked the ring into his breast pocket with immense care. "You don't intend to hear the second option?"
"No need."
Ji Jue waved his hand. "Making friends is all about how you feel; there's no need to constantly drag calculations of profit and loss into it... To be frank, just watching you fret over gains and losses like this has already paid me back in full."
That single cheeky quip immediately choked off whatever words Yellowbeard had spent ages formulating.
Yellowbeard honestly couldn't tell whether this little bastard had said that on purpose to ease the awkwardness, or simply seized the opportunity to bark out a snide remark just to watch him rendered speechless.
The Grand Artificer was a man of few words after all, ill-suited for this kind of hot-blooded, sentimental bond. He merely sighed softly.
"Then let it be so," he said. "I owe you."
The Grand Artificer had his pride. He couldn't simply treat it as Ji Jue's voluntary gesture and act like nothing had happened, nor did he ask whether Ji Jue had some suicidal task lined up that required him to walk through fire and water.
On the spot, he drew a dagger from his pocket, sliced his palm open, and reversed his grip on the bloodstained dagger, handing it to Ji Jue hilt-first.
This was the highest honor in the Northern Realm—the Blood Oath.
The recipient of a Blood Oath was the giver's most treasured friend and most distinguished guest.
If the bearer suffered humiliation, it was equivalent to humiliating Yellowbeard. If the bearer lost the means to sustain his life, Yellowbeard would support him unconditionally.
And if Ji Jue were killed, Yellowbeard would smear his own face with blood and cast aside all his titles. From that day forth, he would not be allowed to grow his beard, nor bathe, nor change his clothes; he would seek vengeance by any means necessary and at any cost.
Not until he drove this very dagger through the enemy's heart and throat, cremating the corpse and the dagger together into ash.
Ji Jue accepted it with a smile and said nothing more.
Then, he watched as Yellowbeard fished a roll of parchment from his pocket. Dipping his finger into his own blood, he wrote swiftly and performed an on-the-spot transmutation, turning the parchment into an alchemical creation.
Upon the parchment were twenty-four runes inscribed in blood. Each rune clearly displayed sixty-one layers of inner and outer structures, with numerous variants and combinatorial applications laid bare without reservation.
Solemnly, he placed it into Ji Jue's hands.
This was the second core legacy within the workshops of the Northern Realm, one on par with the Hero's Seed—the Rune Formula!
Unlike the ever-shifting mutations of the Haze legacy, there were only twenty-four Rune Formulas. Yet, through generations of craftsmen advancing and evolving them, they had been honed to the utmost limit of development. Their versatility allowed them to be applied to almost any domain. Furthermore, when it came to the combination and transmutation of Embers and the Swarm, they were virtually unrivaled under the heavens.
Placing these twenty-four Runes in Ji Jue's hands was practically handing over half of North Wind's heritage!
"Even if this is repayment, there's no need to be in such a hurry, is there?"
Ji Jue was slightly taken aback. He genuinely hadn't been trying to collect a friendship fee!
"This was the command of the King of Heroes; it has nothing to do with repayment."
Yellowbeard had found peace. Having reclaimed the Masterwork, his heart was fully satisfied. Since it was the King of Heroes' order, as a follower, he naturally had no objections.
A crisp chime rang out, signaling that visiting hours were over.
"Get some rest."
After a brief hesitation, he rose to bid farewell, this time without his usual scowl. "If you ever get the chance, you're welcome to visit the Northern Realm and North Wind."
"Next time for sure," Ji Jue waved goodbye.
After watching Yellowbeard leave, Ji Jue lay back on the bed and began leafing through the Rune Formula in his hands. Before long, however, another knock sounded at the door.
This time, it was Jiang Tongguang.
"Yo, Master Ji, busy?" He beamed with his usual playful grin and invited, "It's a rare, lovely moon tonight. I've prepared a bit of wine. Would you do me the honor of taking a walk and having a chat?"
"Huh? Aren't I an injured patient? Is that appropriate?"
Ji Jue was stunned. Then he caught the knowing smirk on Jiang Tongguang's face, along with an appreciative acknowledgement of Ji Jue's acting: All right, little brother, drop the act. You've already done remarkably well to keep it up this far.
As the bearer of three Crowns of Glory, a director of the Association, and a veteran Master, how could Jiang Tongguang fail to see through Ji Jue's present condition?
What kind of patient could kill three oxen and two Profound colleagues with a single punch?
Stop dawdling and get moving!
At his enthusiastic beckoning, Ji Jue had no choice but to change into fresh clothes and follow.
The two chatted idly as they walked, passing through empty halls and corridors. It was like touring Tianshu, with Jiang Tongguang personally serving as guide, explaining what had happened where and when, in which year and month Ji Jue's teacher had gotten into a fistfight right here, and pointing out the tiles shattered by someone kowtowing, where the indentations were still visible...
As the path wound on, Tianshu seemed to shift as well.
Passing through layers of shadows, they came upon an elegantly appointed, remarkably quiet parlor. Unlike the resplendent gold and jade of the Hall of Radiance, everything here was kept simple, yet every corner exuded an entirely distinct aesthetic.
"Where is this?"
"The reverse side of the Hall of Radiance: the Hall of Serenity."
Jiang Tongguang closed the door behind them. Amidst crisp scraping sounds, lock after lock engaged, cutting off the room from the outside world. In the dead silence, not a single sound remained.
"The Hall of Radiance is used to discuss matters fit for daylight. Matters that cannot see the light of day are usually decided here. Drafting an Absolute Sentence Decree is voted on and decided at this very table. You could consider this the headquarters of the Absolute Sentence squad.
"Though year-round, I'm the only bare-bones commander here."
Jiang Tongguang casually picked a bottle from his liquor cabinet, pulled up a chair, sat down, and gestured for Ji Jue to make himself comfortable. "Don't worry. Tremendous effort was poured into building this place back in the day. Anything discussed inside doesn't exist to the world outside."
"Is that so?"
Ji Jue looked around and tentatively asked, "Lock?"
Silence. Not a single response. Only Jiang Tongguang's expression remained a faint smile, his narrowed eyes gleaming with mischievous amusement.
"Why does this look like a secret interrogation?"
Ji Jue took the glass Jiang Tongguang handed him and asked nonchalantly, "What does the Association mean by this?"
It wasn't as if his messy entanglements with Great Sins had been exposed, could it? Surely after sharing a drink from a golden cup, they wouldn't fast-forward straight to showing no mercy with bare blades?
"Two matters, but both are up to you."
Jiang Tongguang didn't indulge his mischievous streak any further, speaking slowly: "First, for the remainder of the Duel of Embers and Stagnant Rot, how about you sit it out?
"If you step onto the field, those old ghosts in the Profound will definitely make trouble at all costs. You've just achieved fame and success, so why not enjoy yourself for a couple of days first? We can talk about the rest later. How does that sound?"
"Ah, this..."
Ji Jue was dumbfounded, staring blankly. "I was still hoping to render more meritorious service for Embers and shed more blood for the Association. Surely I'm not precious to that extent, am I?"
"Hahaha, don't worry, there will be opportunities."
Jiang Tongguang tipped his head back, downed his whiskey in one gulp, and set the glass down. His smile faded, replaced by solemnity. "As it happens, the Association has an assignment to entrust to you.
"Though it's a requisition, we wouldn't force you. Whether you answer the call is entirely up to you."
Ji Jue immediately set down the glass he had just picked up. He scrutinized Jiang Tongguang's expression, but no matter how hard he looked, he could glean nothing, which only deepened his confusion.
"Do what?"
"Classified," Jiang Tongguang replied decisively.
"When?"
"Also classified."
Jiang Tongguang shook his head again. "Everything related to the assignment is strictly confidential until you agree. You only need to answer yes or no."
"..."
For a moment, Ji Jue fell silent as well, quietly swirling the liquor in his glass. He let out a soft sigh. "Just one question."
"Go ahead." A faint smile appeared on Jiang Tongguang's face.
Ji Jue raised a finger and pointed it at his own perplexed face:
"Why me?"
This time, Jiang Tongguang didn't claim it was classified. Instead, he held up four fingers.
"First, your knack for this sort of thing is obvious to everyone.
"Second, your capabilities have been thoroughly proven.
"Third, you have a fair amount of experience with similar errands."
He paused slightly, his smile turning increasingly mischievous. "Finally, and most importantly... someone recommended you, saying you're absolutely the right fit, and without you, it definitely won't work.
"As for who, I don't think I need to say."
"..."
Ji Jue was struck speechless. His vision went black, and the distant sound of barking echoed in his ears.
Who?
Who the hell else could it be?
Tianlu, you old dog, you just can't stand seeing anyone idle, can you?!
"...I agree."
Ji Jue sighed, slumped into his chair, and looked at Jiang Tongguang. "What exactly is the mission? Can you tell me now?"
Jiang Tongguang's smile did not waver. "Led by me, we infiltrate the Profound.
"—To assassinate Beigong!"
Chapter 807