Slaughtering the Hounds?

Red King had been in high spirits lately. Ever since returning from Huaxia with the Human Dao supreme treasure, his status had skyrocketed. Professor had even rewarded him with a top-tier strengthening agent, bolstering his superpower, "Red Yang," and subtly positioning him to claim the leading chair among the Seven Kings. Once Professor unlocked the secrets of the Human Dao supreme treasure, he might well be among the first batch of people to enjoy its benefits. When his superpower was boosted then, he would truly become head of the Seven Kings. Granted, plenty of people disputed Red King's achievements. After all, according to the report, he hadn't crossed paths with Zhenyue Ghost King from start to finish—he had merely fished the Human Dao supreme treasure out of a lake. Anyone could have done that. Red King sneered at such envious chatter. Anyone could have done it? That lake was where Natural Disaster was! He had watched her every move with his heart in his throat, each passing day feeling like an eternity. Who could compare to that? "Professor summoned me and said it was about the Human Dao supreme treasure. Could there be new progress in the research, and he wants to test it on me?" The internal corridor of the Organization was lined with pure white tiles, as white as snow. Soft light fell across the tiles, diffusing to make the entire hallway dazzlingly bright. In Red King's eyes, this wasn't just a corridor—it was his radiant future. "Professor, I'm here." Red King knocked, and the door slid open automatically. "Ah, Red King. Have a seat." Professor wore an amiable smile. He was grinding coffee with graceful, practiced motions. Seeing Red King arrive, Professor brought over two freshly brewed cups. "Authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. Try my handiwork." Red King hadn't expected to have the honor of drinking coffee ground by Professor's own hands. Rumor had it that the previous head of the Seven Kings had earned such recognition after performing an immense service; Professor had personally hand-ground coffee for him and groomed him into the foremost of the Seven Kings. In the current generation of Seven Kings, no one—not even Red King—had ever received such treatment. Red King took a sip, closing his eyes and shaking his head slightly as if savoring every nuance, pretending to be a connoisseur while forcibly tamping down the excitement in his chest. "It's like this: I see you've been working quite hard lately." "Not hard at all—everything is for the Organization," Red King hurried to pledge his loyalty. Professor smiled and nodded, acknowledging Red King's devotion, before coming to the point. "You rendered an extraordinary service to the Organization, and it's time you were rewarded. By the way, have you ever considered taking a vacation in Chang'an?" Red King froze. For the first time in his life, he couldn't comprehend Professor's words. What did taking a vacation in Chang'an even mean? Since when could the words "Chang'an" and "vacation" be linked together? Cast aside the bows once the birds are gone, slaughter the hounds once the hares are caught—was he being silenced this quickly?! He hadn't even enjoyed two good days before being slated for execution! Even in history books, nobody moved this fast! At the very least, shouldn't Professor offer him a cup of wine to relieve him of his command and let him retire from the Organization? Professor stood behind Red King, resting a hand on his shoulder, and explained with a smile, "The main issue is that research into the Human Dao supreme treasure hasn't made any progress. I was thinking you might make another trip to Chang'an No. 2 High School to see if you can uncover any clues—Zhenyue Ghost King, for instance. After all, you were the one who brought the Human Dao supreme treasure back. You're familiar with the entire situation, making you the most suitable candidate." Feigning blindness to the despair in Red King's eyes, Professor continued on his own, "It doesn't matter if you can't find anything. Just treat it as sightseeing. Chang'an is a lovely place—a coastal city with a booming economy and scenic surroundings, well-suited for vacations and retirement." Red King looked up at the benevolent-looking Professor and swallowed hard. "Professor... Natural Disaster is at No. 2 High." Of course I know Natural Disaster is there, Professor thought. I deliberately didn't mention it to avoid rattling you. But look at you, failing to appreciate my consideration and bringing it up yourself. How tactless. "Still, Natural Disaster didn't notice you, did she? That proves you are remarkably adept at covert surveillance." Professor coaxed him patiently, dangling the bait. "Do a good job. Your potential hasn't been fully tapped yet, and your superpower has tremendous room for growth. Soul King can't compare to you at all. The new generation of the Seven Kings is brash and hot-headed, strutting around insolently just because they possess a bit of ability. Only a veteran like you acts with steady composure. If this succeeds, I will pour all my resources into grooming you into the head of the Seven Kings." Head of the Seven Kings, the Organization's second-in-command, first beneath Professor himself. Seeing that Red King was wavering, Professor raised the stakes further. "You're a veteran. You know that my desire for the Human Dao supreme treasure isn't to hoard it and become Number One Under Heaven. Once the secrets of the Human Dao supreme treasure are unlocked, you will be its sole user, transcending Natural Disaster herself." Sole user of the Human Dao supreme treasure—such a title was enough to drive anyone mad. According to historical records, Red King could leap ahead of Professor and Natural Disaster alike, becoming the world's strongest superpowered person! "Professor, those ghost-seeing lenses got lost..." "I'll give you another pair." "My vacation..." "Take as much time off as you want once you're back." "Soul King..." "I'll eliminate him for you." Red King: "...No, I mean, why not send Soul King?" Come to think of it, after the ancient text regarding the Human Dao supreme treasure had first been deciphered, hadn't the original plan been to send Soul King? It had only been swapped to him because an accident befell Soul King. Shouldn't they switch back to Soul King now? "Soul King got beaten up again by Wenchang True Lord and Dong Yunzi." "Beaten up again?!" Red King's eyes went wide. That was obviously a deliberate ploy to dodge the mission! What a bastard Soul King was! Red King gritted his teeth, locked in a fierce internal struggle. Professor had recognized his worth and nurtured him, and on top of that had made a whole string of promises. Screw it, I'll do it! If he really got caught, he'd just treat Natural Disaster and Zhou You to Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles! "All right, I'll go!" Red King made up his mind to take the gamble. Whether he soared to new heights or perished on the spot depended entirely on this single roll of the dice! Professor beamed with delight upon hearing this, the wrinkles on his face smoothing considerably. Red King truly was someone who could shoulder heavy responsibilities. "I'll need two more assistants." "Fine. As many as you want. Name them." "Nianshi and Lishi. Working with them was very smooth, and they have good heads on their shoulders." Back at Chang'an No. 2 High School, things wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly without those two assisting him and analyzing problems. Professor was surprised by Red King's choice, having assumed he would pick other members of the Seven Kings or candidates for the title, rather than two peripheral members. Oh, wait—the two had rendered great service, and as Red King's status rose, they were already considered inner members now. "Done." After Red King left, Professor poured himself a cup of coffee and sat before his computer, tenting his fingers into a triangle and resting his chin against them, lost in thought. Even after the coffee went cold, Professor didn't take a single sip. In truth, he didn't like coffee; it was merely a public persona he maintained. His actual hobby was doing math problems, but such a pastime hardly served to win people's hearts. He could hardly summon a promising talent to his office and say warmly, "Come, do some math problems with me for a bit." No matter how you looked at it, the other person would never think they were being favored. Professor pressed a hidden button beneath the desk. The wall behind him slid open slowly, revealing a private laboratory belonging solely to him. Standing inside the lab were two rows of transparent glass vats, forged from reinforced glass and imbued with superpowers—impermeable even to nuclear strikes. Submerged within the vats were test subjects of varying descriptions, some ferocious, others serene. He walked straight to a solitary glass vat standing at the far end of the lab and stroked it gently, an affectionate warmth in his eyes that was completely genuine. From its position alone, one could tell this vat held an extraordinary place in Professor's heart. Submerged within was a petite figure: his daughter, dead for many years. He hadn't lied to Red King. He didn't care whether the Human Dao supreme treasure could make anyone Number One Under Heaven. All he wanted was to use it to resurrect his daughter.