Chapter 7: Temple (10) (Midnight)
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In a lavishly decorated reception room, Lin Nan and Li Hanbo sat across from each other at a jade tabletop, soon served two steaming cups of fragrant tea by a servant.
Looking out at the snow swirling outside, while feeling the warmth of spring inside, Lin Nan couldn’t help but feel that everything in front of her was like a dream.
Ah, if only everything she had experienced was truly just a dream!
But reality was far less perfect. As she watched Li Hanbo speak directly to her, she couldn’t help but notice his subtle struggle to suppress the urge to slurp up his tea like a vacuum cleaner. It hit her—this man was no longer human.
How ridiculous! Here she was chatting away with a Fallen Species, who probably had sucked the bl**d and munched on the flesh of countless humans, as if they were just two civilized individuals! It was only because Li Hanbo hadn’t revealed his true nature or shown any ill intentions towards her or her companions that she felt no animosity towards him.
Humans—a bundle of irritating emotions and a lack of empathy when it wasn’t their business—were probably the reason the Divine Clan created such pure, slaughter-loving beings solely meant to wipe out their own kind.
Li Hanbo seemed to be trying his best to cling to his human habits, at least not showing his brutal Fallen side in front of Lin Nan.
“Guild Leader Li,” Lin Nan began, “changing the guild battle format to a free-for-all doesn’t seem like a bad thing for the grand Heavenly Sword Sect.”
She picked up her teacup and gently blew on the steam, the warm liquid rolling around in her mouth like a cozy winter sunbeam.
Li Hanbo grimaced, “While that’s true, it’s just…”
“I get it. Since the Heavenly Sword Sect stands at the top of Sky Sword City, it’s become a prime target. The other guilds will team up just to snuff out the biggest threat first. If they can get rid of us, they’d just go back to battling each other without the fear of being wiped out in one go.”
“Impressive as always, Miss Lin. My worry is precisely that. After all, you’ve already taken down two major guilds; your reputation precedes you. If they don’t band together and take us out, how could they possibly rest easy?” Li Hanbo sighed.
Lin Nan scoffed, “So, you’re saying I’m the one who brought disaster upon the guild?”
“No, no, no, definitely not what I meant!” Li Hanbo waved his hands madly, “Let’s not dwell on the past; the crucial thing is the guild battle starting at six tomorrow. Do you have any suggestions, Miss Lin?”
Lin Nan set her teacup down, crossing her arms.
“When troops come, we fight, and when floods come, we cover. Even if the remaining five guilds team up to attack the City Lord’s Mansion, I believe with your leadership, we can defend it and turn the tide.”
Li Hanbo wiped the sweat from his forehead, “Defending isn’t the problem. What I fear is if the leaders of those five guilds throw caution to the wind and join the fray themselves. Then we’ll definitely need your help to hold the castle. According to the System, if there’s no decision made within three days, he’ll take matters into his own hands and cut off everyone’s chances.”
“So he’s forcing us to come up with a resolution within a deadline?”
“Exactly.”
“If we combine our strengths to fight back, what are our odds?” Lin Nan suddenly murmured.
Hearing this, Li Hanbo’s face changed as if struck by lightning. He glanced around to confirm they were alone before responding.
“Miss Lin, be careful—very careful! Do not speak so recklessly.
In fact, I did try to avoid this final collective annihilation. But the entire Sky Sword City feels like it’s shrouded in a transparent glass cover; we just can’t escape!”
Lin Nan furrowed her brow slightly, “I initially thought you’d been lured by power, so under the Man in Black Robe’s supervision, you felt half-pressured to compete with others just to gain the so-called divine protection…”
Li Hanbo sighed deeply, “Even a Fallen Species wants to live. Mutual slaughter only leads to casualties, and only the lucky ones can survive in this slaughter game.
Who wouldn’t want to be that lucky one?
Unfortunately, that Man in Black Robe has cut off all our escape routes. We’re like crickets in someone’s grasp, forced to fight each other endlessly for a glimmer of life.”
Perhaps for the Man in Black Robe, the battles among Fallen Species were akin to raising a pet; he wanted the strongest of the bunch.
Meanwhile, the guild players became the biggest sacrifices, or perhaps their value lay in providing sustenance for the Fallen Species.
Not killing them outright meant he could enjoy fresh bl**d and flesh daily—almost no different from farming livestock.
With over three hundred million people in Sky Sword City, if the major guilds continued their free-for-all, there would likely be fewer than a thousand survivors by the end.
To prevent things from deteriorating to that extent, she had to force the Man in Black Robe to show himself soon.
With that thought in mind, Lin Nan had a plan.
“This tea is great; thank you, Guild Leader. Tomorrow during the guild battle, the three of us will give it our all to ensure the castle remains safe.”
Li Hanbo had been playing the sympathy card for a while, and that’s exactly what he wanted—this promise.
Before it’s spoken, a person can change their opinions at any time, but once it’s out there, it means you have to take responsibility for your word. Even without it written in black and white, a sort of trust mechanism seemed to spring up between them right away.
“Much obliged,” Li Hanbo expressed his thanks shortly. Though having such a strong ally like Lin Nan was uplifting, he still had many worries.
Outside the reception room, several other guild high-ups were waiting for the Guild Leader’s summons, so Lin Nan didn’t linger and abruptly got up to leave.
Back in her guest room, Lin Nan gazed once more at the relentless snow falling outside.
At this rate, by tomorrow morning, the whole of Sky Sword City would likely be buried under a thick layer of snow—a massive challenge for both attackers and defenders.
But before the guild battle began, there was one place she had to visit.
Yes, she needed to go to the place where the Fallen Species underwent their “baptism” – the Sighs Temple.
This was where the guild leaders transformed from humans into Fallen Species—truly a place that inspired a profound sense of disgust.
There were still two or three hours until dark.
Lin Nan pulled out an item that the Firefly had secretly given her before meeting her demise from her card box.
A small wooden carving about five centimeters long, beautifully crafted.
Under the soft glow of the lamp, for some reason, Lin Nan felt that the little wooden figure was giving her a gentle smile.
……
P.S.: Midnight update! Please support the liver emperor!
