After saying those words, Yaxiu felt entirely relieved.
He knew how rude and arrogant his declaration had been.
Unlike an idle drifter like him who wandered wherever the wind took him without ties or attachments, Black Crow bore the blood feud of his slaughtered cult, the glory of reviving Kill-All-Crows, and a deep devotion to this land.
Revenge against Mercury Trojan in particular was not only the inevitable path to fulfilling Black Crow's ideals, but also the greatest driving force keeping him alive. Before meeting Yaxiu and the others, Black Crow had been completely consumed by hatred for Mercury Trojan; if he could slay Mercury Trojan with his own hands, he would gladly draw his last breath the very next second.
Giving up revenge and leaving Senluo was practically denying the entire purpose of Black Crow's life.
The last time Yaxiu had asked Black Crow if he wanted to leave with them, Black Crow said he needed to think about it, but Yaxiu had never held much hope.
Short lifespans and fierce faiths gave every native of Senluo a self-destructive urge to burn bright without delay. Black Crow would never abandon his vengeance out of a cowardly fear of death.
There was still over a dozen days' journey ahead. Yaxiu could have easily discussed it with Black Crow slowly, or teamed up with Igola to soften him with psychological suggestions, rather than making such a blunt, almost commanding declaration. Yet in the bizarre circumstance of being chased across the rooftops, an inexplicable impulse had driven him to voice his deepest request to this friend who had faced life and death with him so many times.
Black Crow stared at him quietly. He remained silent for so long that Yaxiu began to fear he was about to get punched. Only then did Black Crow speak softly: "I—"
*Boom!*
The roof suddenly exploded. Whoever was inside had detonated something, blowing the entire roof clean off!
Yaxiu and Black Crow happened to be on opposite sides of the eaves. When the roof blew open, they instinctively kicked off to evade, scattering along two separate escape routes. By the time Yaxiu came to his senses, Black Crow had vanished to the other side, while Yaxiu practically tumbled to the ground, shouts and death threats ringing out behind him.
"Stop right there!"
"Keep running and I'll fire!"
"Damn thieves!"
Yaxiu hastily fled toward alleys and other spots where escape was easier. Remembering something, he pulled open the treasure pouch and tossed it behind him without a second thought. "Here, take it back!"
Not even bothering to check what was inside, the moment he ducked into an alley, he rolled up his sleeves, slipped off the black silk stockings, undid the red ponytail, and turned his coat inside out. By the time he emerged from the alley, he had completely transformed his appearance. The pursuers gave him a passing glance and rushed right past.
Fortunately, the Kaleidoscope had turned him into Sword Princess, and he happened to have witnessed Sword Princess's miraculous quick-changes several times; otherwise, he never would have managed to replicate it.
Yaxiu strolled through the crowd with feigned nonchalance, heading back toward the Fox Lamp Icehouse, though an inescapable wave of regret washed over him.
He really should have said that since there was a way to leave, there was a way to return—that once his sorcery reached mastery and he could fight as an army of one, he would come back to help Black Crow slay Mercury Trojan. Or he could have avoided the topic altogether and merely invited Black Crow to visit Gospel for a few days of sightseeing.
Escapism was far easier to swallow than outright abandonment. No matter how slim the chance of returning, at least the possibility remained.
Now, there wasn't even an excuse for self-deception. Black Crow was forced to choose between vengeance and departure. Compared to living under someone else's roof in an unknown land—a feeling inevitable in any foreign nation—persisting in vengeance aligned far better with Black Crow's interests and emotional needs.
Perhaps Black Crow had already quietly slipped away. With different destinations, there was no reason to travel together: Black Crow had to continue his assassination of Mercury Trojan, while Yaxiu and the others were embarking on their journey home.
Yaxiu sighed, gazing up at the boundless night sky. As his gaze drifted downward, he suddenly spotted a terrifying yet familiar figure standing at the entrance of the icehouse.
Because Yaxiu and the others had just fled in the other direction, the crowd had been drawn away, leaving the entrance of the icehouse sparse and making that figure appear all the more solitary and frail.
When Yaxiu walked over, Black Crow tossed him a pouch—the exact treasure pouch from before. Yaxiu opened it and saw that it was filled to the brim with gold coins.
"You actually managed to keep it?" Yaxiu asked in surprise.
"They couldn't beat me anyway," Black Crow said.
Yaxiu froze, only then remembering that in Black Robe Town, where sorcery was prohibited, Black Crow—fighting as an ordinary mortal—was practically invincible. Yaxiu shouldn't have run in the first place; Black Crow could take on all of them single-handedly.
"Then..."
"But this is a crime," Black Crow said. "This is not the property of the Four Pillar Cult or villains; it belongs legitimately to the auction house. Even if unintended, we still plundered another's property."
"I have committed a crime. Do you know what that means?"
Yaxiu blinked, tentatively asking, "It means you're no longer pure?"
"In the Kill-All-Crows Cult, if a Judgment Retainer commits a crime, he must enter secluded contemplation and temporarily suspend his duties. Crime must be punished—this is not only what Kill-All-Crows expects of all living beings, but also our requirement for ourselves."
"During secluded contemplation, the Retainer requires an Inquisitor to oversee his progress and state of mind. Whenever the Inquisitor deems the contemplation complete, the Retainer may resume his duties. In the meantime, the Retainer is subject to the Inquisitor's authority." Black Crow asked, "Who do you think is fit to be my Inquisitor?"
Yaxiu answered without missing a beat, "Igola."
Black Crow simply stared at him in silence. Yaxiu glanced at the money pouch in his hand and quietly tucked it into his robes. "Ahem... Actually, I think the title 'Inquisitor Yaxiu' has a nice ring to it."
Black Crow nodded, turned around, and walked into the icehouse.
*I will try my best.*
Try his best at what? Trying to reflect? Or trying to give up his revenge?
Yaxiu's chest swelled with a storm of emotions, partly touched and partly ashamed. Returning to the icehouse, Chikala looked at him curiously and asked, "What happened outside? Why all the commotion?"
"Oh, someone robbed the auction house."
With that, Yaxiu handed the pouch to Igola. Igola glanced at the gold-filled pouch, looking at Yaxiu as if about to speak, then stopping, then looking ready to speak again.
"All right, everyone!" Yaxiu clapped his hands. "Tomorrow, we leave Black Robe Town and embark on our journey home! If there's anything you want to buy or eat, now's your last chance—tonight, Young Master Bogin is footing the bill for everything!"
"Really? Waiter, we want to add to our order!" Chikala shouted instantly.
Igola shot the orc a venomous glare, but didn't object.
Harvey glanced at Black Crow and suddenly asked, "Tamashi, what pattern do you prefer for your livor mortis?"
"By the way," Yaxiu turned to Igola and Harvey. "You two shouldn't slack off on your Void Realm exploration. Strive to condense your Rainbow Wings as soon as possible—I might be able to help you out a bit."
Yaxiu knew they had guessed a few of his secrets. Igola might even already know that he was one of the four black-robed sorcerers; after all, Yaxiu had returned from the Void Realm an entire day late, which was far too glaring a flaw to miss.
Still, Igola hadn't asked anything, and Yaxiu hadn't said anything. Yet Yaxiu always kept in mind that both Igola and Harvey had reached the Distant Sky Realm through external aids, the price being that they could never independently summon Four-Wing sorcery spirits, naturally cutting them off from Ruby Mountain.
Now Yaxiu possessed the God of Waking Dreams. Though he couldn't bring it into reality for the time being, he would resolve that problem sooner or later. When the time came, using it on Igola and Harvey would allow them to walk the Path of Origin to Ruby Mountain.
"Since tonight is our last night, there's no need to enter the Void Realm, right?" Chikala chimed in. "From tomorrow on, we'll be sleeping rough in the wilderness. Tonight is most likely our last night in an inn—let's play cards all night!"
Yaxiu's eyes lit up. "Great idea!"
"I'll play too."
Everyone looked at Black Crow in astonishment, disbelief gleaming in their eyes, as if the mask had spoken of its own accord. Chikala blinked in surprise and asked, "Do you even know how to play?"
"I've watched you play. I know the rules."
"Heh heh, then are you ready to get crushed?" Chikala chuckled mischievously. "Standing before you are Deck-burst King Yaxiu, Card-counting King Chikala, and King of Underhanded Moves Harvey!"
Yaxiu complained, "Why is my title so lame?"
"Even you dare call yourself the Card-counting King?" Igola sneered. "Tonight, I'll see what you're made of."
"Ah, Mr. Bogin, you're joining too?" Chikala looked toward Gwen. "How about you? You're the only one left for the War of the Gods."
Gwen glanced at Igola. "Okay."
"Whoa-ho!" Chikala pumped his fist. "My blood is starting to boil!"
*Why get so fired up over a card game?*
Black Crow suddenly asked, "By the way, where exactly are we going?"
Igola replied, "Didn't Yaxiu tell you? We're heading to the lowest layer of Senluo. That's the only way to ensure the Empty Door passage is stable enough."
"The lowest layer of Senluo..." Black Crow recalled something. "The underground beneath the Gemini Cult?"
"There is a level even deeper than that," Chikala said. "You've probably never been there, Black Crow, but Gwen and I both have. It is the trial grounds shared by all cults, the origin of Senluo, the underbelly scales of the earth—"
"The Silent Spiral."
Chapter 696