Fate Has Its Own Plans

Igola's blood-soaked coat and shirt had both been stripped off by Gwen. Because there weren't enough hemostatic bandages, Gwen tore pieces from her own skirt and sleeves to dress his wounds. His injuries were simply too grave; a Water Therapy sorcery spirit could not tend to all of them at once, and his bleeding had to be stopped to prevent hypovolemic shock. As this foolish woman bandaged him, she offered tearful comfort, saying, "It won't hurt, it'll stop hurting soon." What a joke. Naturally the deceiver wasn't in any pain—he was a mind sorcerer and had severed his pain feedback long before the attack struck. Still, her noisy chatter beside him wasn't entirely useless. At least it kept Igola from dozing off. The mental sluggishness brought on by massive blood loss and depleted sorcery power made wave after wave of drowsiness wash over him... Even so, Igola retained a crystal-clear understanding of the current situation. It had to be said: that mercury bullet fired by Mercury Trojan was a masterstroke, snatching a chance at survival from the jaws of death. Could a mercury bullet truly turn someone into a vessel? Were no other rituals required? Could Mercury Trojan truly reincarnate at will? Could she reincarnate into anyone carrying her bone marrow? Neither of them knew the answers. These ambiguous possibilities weren't because Mercury Trojan had failed to weave a flawless excuse, but because she had deliberately left a window open. Just as the deceiver had once said, the pinnacle of deception was telling a story that the listener was already willing to believe. Humans were simple creatures. If they wanted to believe, they would deceive themselves. Mercury Trojan had provided the essential elements of the story; as for the remaining details, the more they pondered them, the more they would believe it. For example, why had Mercury Trojan shot the mercury bullet at Igola? Because she wanted to claim Igola for her own use. Perhaps she couldn't reincarnate freely, but faced with a life-or-death crisis, she would certainly risk massive side effects to escape alive. Mercury Trojan's marrow was no longer ordinary marrow, but a virus capable of invading cerebral marrow cells... Just by thinking briefly, Igola had already filled in countless details for Mercury Trojan's story. The fundamental reason was that he had to believe it—because he couldn't afford to lose. Refusing to believe this story and insisting on killing Mercury Trojan meant he might die or might live. Believing it and sparing Mercury Trojan meant he would most likely remain safe and sound. When faced with losses, people invariably adopted a conservative strategy to cut their losses in time, just as no one wanted to hold onto a constantly crashing stock hoping it would bounce back. Igola was no exception. However, the choice did not rest in his hands. He opened his eyes and looked toward the pitch-black silhouette in the hall. No one understood Black Crow's feelings toward Mercury Trojan better than he did, not even Yaxiu. In fact, not even Black Crow himself understood his own heart as deeply as Igola did. Black Crow had always believed he hated Mercury Trojan. But no one hated another person while constantly reminiscing about their goodness and kindness. When you hated someone, you remembered only their loathsomeness, their flaws, their ugliness. When you hated someone, every memory involving them reeked of rot. When you hated someone, you felt only how foolish you were for ever liking them in the past. If Black Crow truly hated Mercury Trojan, he would remember only her wicked deeds. Only when you loved someone would you remember every beautiful memory shared with them. Yes, Black Crow still deeply loved Mercury Trojan. He deeply loved the kind White Crow in his memories, and that was precisely why he had to execute the Mercury Trojan before him. However much he cherished the White Crow Tanomu was however much he detested Mercury Trojan. Slaying Mercury Trojan was his way of protecting Tanomu. Without even realizing it, he instinctively severed Tanomu and Mercury Trojan into two separate entities. If the disciples of the Kill-All-Crows Cult fueled their killing intent with fury when hunting down other villains, Black Crow fueled his killing intent with love—something far more enduring than rage, far deeper than hatred. When love and hatred intertwined to brew this intoxicating killing intent, it was potent enough to blind anyone. Yaxiu had previously managed to persuade Black Crow to abandon his vengeance because Black Crow himself saw no hope for it then. But now, Mercury Trojan was right before his eyes. This was perhaps the only opportunity he would ever have in this lifetime, and not even Yaxiu could stop him. Not to mention, this was the Kill-All-Crows trial. If Black Crow chose to spare Mercury Trojan, the colossal weight of guilt would shatter his mental defenses. Only the blood of Mercury Trojan could wash that guilt away! Igola had many reasons he could use to dissuade Black Crow. For instance, other Four Pillar cultists might already be in the Silent Spiral; even if both he and Mercury Trojan were killed, she might reincarnate into another vessel and escape. Or that even if they spared her, the Four Pillar Cult was on the verge of ruin, making it child's play to capture her later on. And... Yet the deceiver said nothing, merely closing his eyes in silence. Only Gwen could not stop herself from shouting toward Black Crow, "Mr. Tamashi! Please, I beg you..." Black Crow remained pressed over Mercury Trojan, his wrist gripping the Grey Fox blade trembling faintly. Mercury Trojan spoke no more. She closed her eyes and waited quietly, as if waiting for Black Crow to embrace her to sleep. *What should I do?* *What am I supposed to do!?* *Must I really let her go? As long as I can kill her once and for all, I would gladly breathe my last without a single regret. Now that I have finally cornered her, how could I... how could I...* "Cough! Cough!" Igola violently coughed up two mouthfuls of tainted blood speckled with shredded viscera, his head slumping sideways as he fainted on the spot. Black Crow turned his head to look and saw that the deceiver's injuries had far outstripped Gwen's capabilities. A Water Therapy sorcery spirit was undeniably potent, but faced with such massive bleeding across multiple wounds, multiple healing sorcerers were needed to coordinate an emergency resuscitation. Right now, there was only Gwen, a star sorcerer acting as a makeshift healer. In other words, Igola might very well be beyond saving. If, for the sake of a dying man, he were to spare an evildoer who deserved to die ten thousand deaths... How many people had Tanomu harmed? How many had she killed? She had ignited a war that engulfed the entire continent. She was the root of all evil. If he spared her here, how many lives would suffer because of her? How many villains would he have to slay to atone for that sin? Why had he stayed alive until now? Why hadn't he taken his own life when the Kill-All-Crows Cult was annihilated? How could he let this chance slip by? All it took... was sacrificing Igola... *I won't let him die alone. As soon as I confirm Tanomu is dead, I will kill myself immediately to pay for his life. It wouldn't matter if I had to serve him in Hell for a hundred years, a thousand years. Besides, Tanomu might be lying. Maybe... I won't let him die alone. As soon as I confirm Tanomu is dead, I will kill myself immediately to pay for his life. It wouldn't matter if I had to serve him in Hell for a hundred years, a thousand years. Besides, Tanomu might be lying. Maybe...* Gradually, the hand with which Black Crow gripped the Grey Fox blade grew steady. His other hand, which had been pinning Mercury Trojan's shoulder blade, shifted to choke her throat. Sensing this minute change, the corners of Mercury Trojan's lips curved into a faint smile, causing Black Crow to momentarily lose his composure—in the past, Tanomu had embraced him to sleep with that very same faint smile. *Chexiu, Kalan, Anoyi, Yelu, Mentor, and... Tanomu...* *Please... hold tightly to my hands...* *I'm sorry, Igola. Truly... I am so sorry...* "Kill! All! Crows!" Black Crow wept and screamed each word with all his might, thrusting the Grey Fox blade down with ferocious resolve! * * "If a criminal takes a hostage and demands a getaway vehicle, what would you do?" Inside the mud cafe "Apocalypse of Gambling and Lust," Amy, who was gambling one-on-one with Igola, suddenly posed an odd question. At that time, Igola already knew Amy was a Bloodmad Hunter, so he gave an answer suited to Blood Moon political correctness: "Naturally, ensure the hostage's safety first and satisfy the criminal's demands as much as possible." "And what if the criminal escapes and later kills even more people?" "That is the responsibility of the Hall of Sin Hunting, and has nothing to do with the hostage." "Reality isn't ever so idealized, you know. The Hall of Sin Hunting isn't a god." Amy tossed out a few chips. "There are always moments when you have to weigh the value of different lives. The life of a single hostage versus the lives of those who might be harmed in the future—whose value is truly higher?" "If anyone could truly judge the value of different lives," Igola smiled, "it would certainly be a god. But I'm not a Bloodmad Hunter, so I won't face such dilemmas. What about you, Amy? What would you do in that situation?" Amy shaped her hand into a pistol, aiming it at Igola. "I would fire a shot at them." "Don't go saying that outside." Igola glanced around. "If a reporter overheard you, you'd be headline news." "Relax, relax." Amy waved her hand. "Do you know why I'd do that?" Igola replied, "Surely because you have confidence in your marksmanship to accurately hit the criminal." "While that's part of the reason, who can guarantee it? If I accidentally kill the hostage, that's not impossible either." Amy shrugged. "Yet even if I killed the hostage, my conscience would be clear." "Oh?" Igola was somewhat surprised. Although Amy was a Bloodmad Hunter, she was first and foremost a member of the Moon Shadow clan. The temperament of the Moon Shadow clan was uniformly twisted into kindness and hot-blooded passion. If they did something wicked, they could feel so awful that they wouldn't eat for months—a stark contrast to the merciless, cold-blooded Blood Saint clan. "My bullet might hit the criminal, or it might hit the hostage. If it hits the hostage, I will naturally continue shooting the criminal, signifying that fate deemed the hostage's life of lesser value. If it hits the criminal, then all is well, signifying that fate deemed the hostage's life of greater value." "Therefore, this is the 'Bullet of Fate.'" Amy raised her bet with more chips. "I have done everything in my power. As for judging the value of lives, leave that to fate." "Very much your style, Miss Amy." Igola chuckled. "I call. Show your hand—straight flush." "Pfft, I had four Aces!" Amy was so shocked her tail stood straight up, an incredulous look on her face. "Did you really not cheat?" "As an establishment trading in entertainment and charm, there is no need for me to cheat. If you have any doubts, you can check the surveillance footage." Igola spread his hands. "Fine, fine, it's not like I'm a sore loser," Amy muttered. As Igola shuffled the cards, she added, "However, the 'Bullet of Fate' has a third possibility." "Oh?" "And that is... it misses." The werewolf lady shrugged. "Hitting neither the criminal nor the hostage." Igola smiled and asked, "Doesn't that simply mean Miss Amy's marksmanship is lacking?" "Of course not!" Amy said in mock huff. "If an accident prevents my bullet from hitting, it simply means—" "—fate has its own plans." * * "Ah..." Igola felt himself resting in a soft embrace. Straining to open his eyes, he found his lips parched as if on fire. Gwen hurried to offer him water, but running short on supply, she had to quickly condense moisture from the air using a sorcery spirit. The deceiver lowered his head and noticed that most of his wounds had stopped bleeding, though hideous, ugly burn scars had formed over them, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Later, a Water Therapy sorcery spirit can remove the scars," Gwen whispered softly. "Don't worry." Naturally, Igola had no worries about his looks. He was already a Sanctuary sorcerer; even if he turned as hideous as Chikala, he possessed the power to run rampant as he pleased. He raised his head and saw Black Crow sitting with his back turned, his shoulders trembling faintly. Within the hall, there was no longer any sign of Mercury Trojan. "Black Crow..." he called out weakly. Black Crow did not reply immediately. He lowered his head, as if donning his crow mask once more, before turning around to look at him. "You're awake? Do you feel anything strange in your body? Has Tanomu taken control of you?" Igola gently shook his head. Looking at the blood-stained crow mask, he asked, "You let her go?" "Mm." "You know she won't let matters rest." "Mm." "You know Harvey and the others are still above. Perhaps Mercury Trojan will be killed by them." "Mm." "You know she is very likely lying, and that if she survives, she will lead the Four Pillar Cult to continue ravaging the Senluo wasteland." "Mm." "Yet you still let her go." Igola looked toward Black Crow's chest. "And in your heart, no Blood Crow born of guilt has appeared." Black Crow remained wordless, merely looking down at the Grey Fox blade resting on his lap, looking as though he were repenting, yet also as though he were praying. Igola gazed at him quietly, then suddenly asked, "How did you manage to treat my injuries so quickly?" Gwen brought out a bronze wine flask, which Igola faintly recognized: "Isn't that Mercury Trojan's flask?" "This is crow-blood wine, brewed from the corpse of a Sanctuary sorcerer," Black Crow said, a lingering trace of tears still audible beneath his distorted voice. "Pouring it onto a wound and setting it alight quickly stops the bleeding. Before she left, she told me how to use this wine." *Afraid that if I died, Black Crow would go back on his word, was she...* Igola offered a faint smile and asked, "Is there still wine left inside?" "A little less than half," Gwen replied. Igola said, "Tamashi, bring three cups over. Let's drink it." Black Crow said, "You drink. You're the wounded one." "No, all three of us must toast together," Igola insisted. "To celebrate." "Celebrate what?" Black Crow brought three cups over, asking in confusion, "We let Mercury Trojan escape. We've already failed..." Igola struggled to raise his cup and said, "Let's treat it as... celebrating that fate has its own plans." Though both Gwen and Black Crow were somewhat perplexed, neither refused the suggestion. Gwen raised her cup: "To our safety and survival." Igola smiled wryly. "Looking at us now... we're slightly off the mark from 'safe and sound.'" Leaving Igola aside, Black Crow was covered in wounds as well. Only Gwen was somewhat better off, though still counted among the lightly wounded. Black Crow looked down at the clear crow-blood wine in his cup and raised it. "Then I shall... toast to a new beginning." On the fifteenth floor of the Silent Spiral, three cups clinked softly together. *** On the eighteenth floor of the Silent Spiral. When Yaxiu stepped through the mist gate, he found that the gate behind him had vanished. Though his path of retreat was gone, Yaxiu felt little panic. Looking around, he discovered this was actually a tropical forest—lush and overgrown, filled with the hum of cicadas and fluttering birds. From the distance came the rhythmic crashing of ocean waves. Following the sound, he came upon a beautiful beach. A figure in a dress was strolling barefoot along the shore. Yaxiu initially thought to walk straight over, but upon reflection, he took off his steel-soled boots and stepped barefoot onto the sand as well. The fine texture of the sand felt like a massage against every inch of his soles. It had been so long since Yaxiu experienced such comfort that a shiver ran through him before he caught up to the figure ahead. The beach held only their two sets of footprints, like two straight lines on the verge of intersecting. Suddenly a wave rolled in, its trailing froth submerging their ankles. The cool, delightful sensation made Yaxiu wish he could call the others down to enjoy it. "Silver Lantern," he called out proactively when only five paces remained between them. "You arrived right on time." Weise pointed toward the sky. "A heavy downpour just passed, leaving behind this sky-blue clear after rain. Isn't it lovely?" Yaxiu glanced at the sky, then back at her—she was indeed drenched from head to toe, as if she had just been caught in the rain. Yet her words reminded Yaxiu of a lyric: *The sky-blue waits for misty rain, and I am waiting for you.* "What did you come here for?" Weise asked. "I don't believe I sent you an invitation." "I heard you were constructing a world-destroying spell down here, so I came to take a look," Yaxiu said. "A world-destroying spell?" Weise burst out laughing. "Where would such a thing exist? Even an angel wouldn't possess the power to destroy a world, would they?" "Still, my coming here is indeed related to the end of the world." She cast a glance at Yaxiu. "You know that Senluo is the dream of the Senluo Azure Lord, right?" "Mm." "Then ending the world is actually a very simple matter," Weise said briskly. "This is the lowest floor of the entire realm of Senluo, and the place closest to reality. I have no world-destroying spell; the reason I went through so much hardship to reach this place is because—" "This is the place where it is easiest to awaken the Senluo Azure Lord." Another wave rolled up, soaking their ankles and washing away a bit of sand. The sunlight beat down fiercely, the calls of distant seagulls sounded hollow and clear, and a tiny hermit crab crawled from the sand, bumping into Yaxiu's foot. "Did you succeed, then?" "Half-succeeded, you could say." Yaxiu couldn't help but chuckle. "Did the Senluo Azure Lord fall back asleep for a second snooze?" Instead of answering, Weise countered with a question: "Don't you find that the first seventeen floors of trials in the Silent Spiral look very much like the stages of an inheritance?" "Mm." "An ordinary person could never collect seventeen grand laws, and even if they did, they might not overcome the seventeen floors of trials. But if someone accomplished both and successfully reached the eighteenth floor, what do you think that signifies?" Yaxiu pondered for a moment. "It means she would gain the attention of the Senluo Azure Lord?" "Or rather," Weise said, "this is how the Senluo Azure Lord selects a successor." "The Silent Spiral is, in truth, the Senluo inheritance." "The Senluo Azure Lord is awakening, bit by bit. While I am about to fall into slumber, bit by bit." "I will take the Senluo Azure Lord's place and become the dream master of the realm of Senluo." Weise looked at Yaxiu and said, "I am the world-destroying spell."