Audience

"The Wolf's Maw's lock-on is absolute. I wasn't able to dodge it, and for now I have no way to alter or counter it." Ji Jue sighed in regret and shrugged. "So, I had to settle for the next best thing. As the Encircled Realm collapsed, I used my own Encircled Realm to pry open a seam from the inside out..." *What the hell?* Inayat's expression grew increasingly dumbfounded: *Big bro, are you kidding me?* It was simply too bizarre. Then, right before his eyes, Ji Jue raised both hands and brought them together—dual Encircled Realms overlapped and intertwined, triggering an exponential qualitative leap. The instant those palms opened once more, the two invisible Encircled Realms collided, intensified, and erupted in a single flash, inflicting trauma on the Wolf's Maw at the cost of his own Encircled Realm's destruction! If he couldn't evade the lock-on, then he would evade the Encircled Realm itself. Exerting every ounce of Ji Jue's strength and draining his remaining spiritus, he had finally seized a sliver of negligible probability in his hands. Before the wolf's jaws snapped shut, he had finally pried open a minute crevice between its teeth. A gap was a gap, no matter how tiny or insignificant. The moment that gap appeared, the probability of escape was no longer in doubt. Like a gecko shedding its tail, he had sacrificed only the hand that propped open the fissure. The sure-kill strike that should have been inescapable lost its bearing before Ji Jue. This was a method anyone else would never have adopted. They wouldn't even think of it. After all, setting aside whether it could succeed, doing so would severely compromise the integrity and internal stability of one's own Encircled Realm, or even inflict irremediable damage upon oneself. Yet... Non-Offensive had no such worries at all! To put Ji Jue's Encircled Realm politely, it sought supreme complexity through extreme minimalism; to put it bluntly, it was practically a blank slate. Setting aside its narrow range and non-permanent nature, there was nothing inside it anyway—so what was there to lose? It existed only between Ji Jue's hands, fleeting and ephemeral. Every opening and closing of his hands, every flex and curl of his ten fingers, was a complete reshaping. Expending it could not have been easier. "..." After listening, Inayat fell silent as well. Several times, he started to speak but stopped. He truly had never seen anyone play so shamelessly. In the end, he could only sigh in marvel: "As expected of the Wolf Lord—effortlessly doing what we could never do." "I just had no choice. My own Encircled Realm has its shortcomings, so I had to find an unorthodox way." Ji Jue shrugged, feeling no shame about it. His only regret and helplessness was that his proficiency was still too low. After pondering it for so long, his grasp of Mohist Defense remained half-baked, hardly something he could claim to have mastered. He still needed more practice. It was just that walking down this path, his feet always felt pinched, aching faintly from time to time. What was going on? *Oh, right—that old dog was deliberately making things difficult for me!* Just thinking about it made Ji Jue grit his teeth. *Tianlu, you old dog, don't you fucking let me catch you! Otherwise, in the next episode, the Holy Sovereign of Dissociation is going to rid the world of this great pest!* This was no longer a problem an ordinary Federation civil servant could resolve. One of these days, he'd secretly don an alias and earn another certification from the Empire! The Crown of Glory Master made up his mind with grim resolve! *** Meanwhile, on the other side of the oasis, amid the dusk of night, a faint commotion stirred. Long before now, when Inayat revealed his true form, the wolf's aura had already drifted into the distance; and the moment the Encircled Realm unfurled, most people in the oasis had been alerted. In the gleaming lake and the shadows of the trees, four or five indistinct silhouettes manifested in an instant, rapidly converging, only to stop dead in their tracks outside the perimeter. A hunched, aged figure blocked their path. The old priest who had always guarded the dungeon and lived in seclusion. "Nothing's going on." He yawned, smacked his lips, and waved a hand slowly. "Everyone go back. Don't make a fuss over nothing." "Dabit, what are you meddling in?" The figures amidst the water's reflection and tree shadows grew agitated at once, glaring fixedly at the old priest in restless anxiety. "What happened to Inayat?! Who's attacking?!" "There's no enemy. Inayat just wanted to stretch his limbs a bit," Dabit said slowly. "He is already the chieftain. Does he have to report every little thing to us old fossils?" The silhouettes in the shadows fell silent, seemingly easing, yet their suspicion remained palpable as they glanced toward the turbulent area, pondering and speculating. "Dabit, tell me..." a raspy woman's voice spoke up, asking hesitantly, "does this have anything to do with that lord?" "And what does that have to do with any of you?" Dabit's expression turned frigid in an instant, a ghostly gleam flashing in his cloudy pupils. "Do you wish to spy upon the heritage and overstep into matters of the crown?!" For a time, the oasis fell silent; no one spoke another word. Only the old priest waved his hand. "Alright, go on back. What does standing around here look like? "Even though that lord is unwilling to see you, he is willing to support Inayat. Hasn't his stance already been made clear? Entangling yourselves in vain will only earn his annoyance. "We've waited all these years. Can't you wait a few more days?" No one replied. Amid the wind that sounded like a sigh, silhouette after silhouette vanished. Under the brightening moonlight, Dabit remained standing in place, gazing out at the oasis before him, seemingly lost in thought. Until footsteps gradually sounded in the distance. Inayat returned. "Elder Dabit?" He was puzzled for a moment. "Are you out for a walk? How rare." "...Something like that." Looking at Inayat's eyes, clearer than those of any college student, Dabit couldn't help but shake his head. "Your Excellency, don't forget, no one with a pulse could ignore the commotion you stirred up." "Ah, well..." Inayat was startled for a second before realization dawned. "The others came?" "They were curious, but I turned them back." "Thank you for your trouble, Elder." "..." Dabit stayed silent for a moment, then finally sighed. After hesitating for so long, he asked directly, "Your Excellency, I have a humble request." "Hm? Please go ahead." Dabit hesitated briefly, then asked solemnly, "Might I have the honor of an audience with that lord?" "Huh?" Inayat looked over in confusion, as if unable to comprehend why this had to be treated with such gravitas, then nodded. "Sure. I'll go ask for instructions shortly. Please wait a moment." Now it was Dabit's turn to be bewildered. "Huh?" He asked hesitantly, "Is that alright?" "What wouldn't be alright? The Wolf Lord is very easygoing and never puts on airs. No need to be so nervous, right?" "..." In the momentary silence, Dabit felt a wave of dizziness. "I thought... that lord didn't care for..." "Well, you never asked!" And just like that, Inayat murdered the conversation. Dabit couldn't say another word. Half an hour later, Dabit met Ji Jue in the living room of Inayat's home. Ji Jue was sitting on the floor like a local, eating boiled beans and flatbread. He chewed with loud crunches, sauce covering both his hands. A sticky mess. When he saw Dabit enter behind Inayat, he waved a hand, gesturing for him to take a seat. Seeing how the old geezer trembled as though he might breathe his last at any moment, Ji Jue couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern for the future of the oasis... Just as Dabit was pondering how to begin his greeting, his opening routine was directly cut off by Ji Jue's voice: "Have you eaten?" "...Thank you for your concern, I have already eaten." "Then please wait a moment. I'll finish up shortly. Yan Fei, go brew some tea." Ji Jue rolled up the flatbread, wolfed it down in three or four bites, and finished it off. Yan Fei brought out the brewed tea from the kitchen, poured it, and took his leave. In an instant, only the old man and the youth were left in the living room. The silence was terrifying. Steam curled gently from the teacup. Across the flames rising from the central hearth, Ji Jue openly scrutinized the old codger sitting across from him. An old priest who had once followed the previous White King. Though he hadn't defected to the Wolf Sin, he had nonetheless been tainted by corruption to some degree. In the past, with the White King's death, they had vanished into the wind and sand of the White Nation. Now, answering Inayat's call, they had returned from the wasteland and scattered settlements. Presently, Dabit kept his head bowed, submitting to Ji Jue's careful scrutiny. After a long while, he heard Ji Jue speak. "Haven't you been watching from the sidelines for a long time? I thought you wanted to keep your distance. Why ask for a meeting all of a sudden?" Dabit replied with head lowered, "It was only that we felt you might not care to see us. We old fossils who cannot see the light of day are used to hiding, and hardly dared show our faces." "Alright, if you have something to ask, just ask. Don't bottle it up—it's bad for your health," Ji Jue said casually. "Though don't get your hopes too high. There are some questions even I might not be able to answer." For a moment, Dabit opened his mouth to speak, but caught himself. Perhaps he was unaccustomed to such open and candid communication; or perhaps he had too many questions, yet just as many things he dreaded knowing. So much so that he couldn't bring himself to speak. The words failed him. After a long time, at the end of this protracted silence, he let out a sigh, placed his hands on the ground, and bowed respectfully in a kowtow, paying homage to the Wolf Lord who carried the White King's covenant. "Honored Lord..." Summoning his courage, he implored and asked, "May I ask what desires you hold for us—no, for the White Nation?" To this, Ji Jue replied without a second thought. "I don't care," he said. "..." Prostrate in his kowtow, Dabit froze. Subconsciously, he lifted his head to look at Ji Jue's face, but Ji Jue remained placid, showing no hint of a jest or mockery. And likewise, complete indifference. From the bottom of his heart. "The White King has already walked his path to the very end—for your sake," Ji Jue said. "I am not the White King, and the White Nation's future was never mine to bear. "Success or failure—that is your affair. "If you want to revive the White Nation, go do it yourselves. Don't count on some god or hero descending from the heavens to solve your problems and troubles. "What kind of future you want to create, what kind of shape you want the White Nation to take—choose for yourselves. "Other than that, why bother worrying about anything else?" Ji Jue paused, then asked, "Is my answer clear enough, Elder Dabit?" "Your meaning is clear and direct." In brief shock and silence, Dabit lowered his head deeply, as though finally liberated from some invisible shackle, thoroughly relieved. Ji Jue then asked, "Do you have any other questions?" "No, none." Dabit smiled openly, pushed himself up solemnly, and facing Ji Jue, kowtowed once more with utmost reverence. "We remnants are endlessly grateful for Your Reverence's mercy and magnanimity. Should you have any commands, we will not shy away though death claims us ten thousand times!" "You're well on in years, so stop bringing up death all the time. It sounds like bad luck," Ji Jue said, raising his teacup with breezy nonchalance. "I don't have any spare job openings here to house senior citizens, and freeloading food and drink isn't meant to work like this." "Then this humble one takes his leave." Leaning on his cane, Dabit straightened up, backed away until he reached outside the door, and his footsteps receded into the distance. Heavy-footed when he arrived, light on his feet when he departed. Even his hunched spine seemed to have straightened considerably. On his way here, he had imagined many scenarios: stern, sharp interrogations and reprimands, or gentle, amiable conversation. Yet the only thing he hadn't anticipated was such cold indifference and slight. Likewise, he could never have imagined such mercy and magnanimity. Perhaps that youthful countenance was merely a disguise; perhaps that approachable demeanor was merely an act; perhaps even his identity was fabricated and false. Yet there was one thing Dabit was certain of—not a single word he had heard tonight contained any deceit. Starting a century ago, he had borne the duties conferred by the late king: guarding the prison, interrogating convicts, and punishing sinners. Even if he was not of the Aether lineage, his perception of all falsehoods had long since sharpened to a degree surpassing instinct. It was precisely because of this that he could believe with such absolute certainty. That lord... truly held no desires for the White Nation, nor for these forgotten people! He disdained to weave conspiracies to turn them into his lackeys, nor had he ever thought of driving the chaotic White Nation into total oblivion; instead, he had sacrificed much for it. He had even cast aside the mantle of the Priest-King—a position that could dominate the White Nation—truly entrusting this dying wish from the late king into their hands. He returned once more to his icy dungeon and sat in his reclining chair, yet in the darkness beyond the lamplight on the table, figures stirred. One silhouette after another, having waited for ages, crowded forward—some old, some young, weathered by the elements or youthful and bewildered, every face filled with gravity and curiosity. They had waited far too long! "Dabit, how did it go?" "Did you really see him?" "How did the meeting turn out?" "Don't play dead, speak!" Among the crowd of old men, a youth who had squeezed to the front couldn't contain himself either. "Teacher, what kind of person is that lord?" "I don't know either," Dabit said after a long silence, then suddenly chuckled softly. "How could someone like me possibly fathom His Reverence's grand vision and magnificent presence?" "..." Silence descended abruptly. The figures huddled together looked at one another in utter incomprehension, yet saw the peaceful, placid expression on his face. *Wait, are you serious?* *His brain doesn't look like it's been washed by a Heart Pivot either!* The old woman couldn't help but ask, "Have you been possessed by evil?" "Ah, something like that." That aged, somber face twitched slightly, the corners of his mouth curving faintly in what seemed like a smile. "Take it that way, if you like." "Go rest, everyone." He said nothing more, merely waving a hand. "There's still work to do tomorrow." Watching everyone leave, he leaned back into the reclining chair once more, closed his eyes, and gradually fell asleep. Only, before drifting off, he once again pondered the questions he had completely forgotten somewhere along the way... Questions about the future. Questions about tomorrow.