282 Fate is a Two-Edged Sword (2/2)
Having hardened himself to say all of that, Zu Ning felt disturbed not knowing if his adversary would kill him in anger. Seeing that he seemed to be thinking about something, Zu Ning was overjoyed to see a little hope.
”If you need some, sir, I have another idea,” he hurried to say.
”Tell.” That hoarse and icy voice gave Zu Ning a chill.
Just from the voice, he felt the guy in front of him wearing the mask was certainly shady and shrewd. He still more carefully considered what he said.
”Our Federation Comprehensive Academy belongs to the Big Six, and we have all kinds of rare, strange treasures beyond counting. Our president, Mr. Pavchek, has always sought out an ace such as yourself, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind such a trifle as the gold-mottled liquid-soft fungus. The esteemed sir needn't worry about his treatment. No one in the federation would treat you better than the Federation Comprehensive Academy. If there is anywhere the esteemed sir would require the assistance of our power, I believe the president would have sufficient power to fulfill your heart's desire. Moreover, only the Big Six would have the gold-mottled liquid-soft fungus. Among those, I don't believe anyone would be more generous in their proposed treatment of you than would the Federation Comprehensive Academy.”
Zu Ning was speaking carefully while examining his counterpart's reaction. He certainly didn't want to annoy his adversary with his miserable fate still held in those hands. He responded astutely, realizing an opportunity in his counterpart's desire for the fungus. If he could recruit such an ace, it would be to his great credit. He could atone for certain mistakes he had made in that battle.
The wavy blade that had just been brought out suddenly appeared at his neck. ”If that's all you're proposing, I think you have no further value.”
The grave voice was emotionless. Chen Mu was feeling irritable, not having thought Zu Ning wouldn't actually have the fungus on hand. That damned gossip from the media!
His mood plunged. The gold-mottled liquid-soft fungus doubtlessly represented hope for him. He hadn't expected his hope to be burst so quickly. He was a youth, after all, and his original extreme expectations had suddenly come up empty. Such frustration messed with his feelings.
What he said in that agitated state became weightier, along with the stinging aura.
Join the Federation Comprehensive Academy? He didn't consider that at all. To tell the truth, the Big Six had made a lousy impression on him. Wasn't he just then struggling against the Big Six and Faya?
Apart from the Desert Camp, Moon Frost Island and the Bitter Solitude Temple—the three he'd had no dealings with—the other three were not good in his eyes.
Zu Ning was stunned. ”Take it easy!”
His counterpart stopped what he had been doing. His ruthless and violent gaze made him feel as though he were being stared at by a wolf at the end of the road.
”I have another idea.” Seeing Chen Mu's displeased gaze, he spoke as though he were spilling all his beans. ”Since the esteemed sir isn't interested in entering the Federation Comprehensive Academy—although that is to my regret—why don't we change the way we cooperate? If the esteemed gentleman could assassinate Qiao Yuan, the conditions of the exchange would be that we would enjoy providing the gentleman with the gold-mottled liquid-soft fungus along with some other conditions. What do you think?”
This guy is really nuts! Chen Mu looked at Zu Ning without saying anything. Did he really look like such an idiot? Hadn't he just seen Qiao Yuan that day with his magisterial power? No matter what, Chen Mu didn't want to have the slightest additional conflict with Qiao Yuan. That would be no different than looking to die.
Chen Mu didn't give Zu Ning any further opportunity to open his mouth. The wavy blade in his hand lightly sputtered, and a line of blood appeared on Zu Ning's neck. After a while, the bloody foam was spurting like a fountain.
Although Zu Ning had said straight out that he didn't have the fungus, Chen Mu kept holding onto the slightest hope as he searched desperately through the house and on Zu Ning's body.
He went through all that was there. Afterward, there were too many things, and he simply picked up a backpack to load it all.
There were indeed a lot of nice things on Zu Ning. Chen Mu took the dozens of cards from his body, all of which were four-star and above. Chen Mu couldn't help but marvel that the people from the Big Six were so flowing with riches, after all. The thick stack of money cards dazzled Chen Mu. There were also some rare and strange things Chen Mu didn't recognize, but he packed them up anyway.
The defenses there were too lax. Having just cleaned him out, Chen Mu suddenly felt it was almost not worthwhile since it was so easy to leave. The action of killing Zu Ning was so trivial it hadn't alarmed anyone. No one would ever believe such a large team had no strategic reserves.
Sure enough, Chen Mu and Wei-ah quickly found the storehouse of the encampment. Inside was piled a large quantity of materials. What most attracted Chen Mu's gaze were the power cards piled in the corners.
Oh boy!
The power cards, all of which were four-star, were stacked neatly in three cabinets. Two other cabinets were stacked with some other cards, which were all three-star and above. Even the illumination cards were three-star. Chen Mu marveled at how fabulously wealthy the Federation Comprehensive Academy was. At the same time, he felt ecstatic.
With no hesitation, Chen Mu found two suitcases, each half as tall as a person, and swept all the cards into them. Chen Mu didn't move the materials. While the cards were small enough that one suitcase could hold 700 or 800 of them, if it were packed with materials, it wouldn't hold much.
Each with a suitcase on their back, Chen Mu and Wei-ah thereupon quietly left the Federation Comprehensive Academy encampment.
Blending into the night, they went running at high speed among the ruins of the city. Chen Mu felt as carefree as could be. He had put any regret about the gold-mottled liquid-soft fungus far from his mind. He had no idea what so many cards would really be worth, but he knew it would be a lot.
The day had gone so smoothly he couldn't quite believe it. He felt he was in some kind of a dream. He and Wei-ah not only snuck up on Qiao Yuan and Mi Xiaqing, but they also got away safely and succeeded in luring them to where Faya was, forcing Faya into the limelight. They then infiltrated the Federation Comprehensive Academy encampment and killed Zu Ning, wantonly plundering an astonishing harvest. The world had suddenly become unreal.
Qiao Yuan, Mi Xiaqing, Faya, Zu Ning… Who among them hadn't been some lofty creature in his eyes previously? He had never thought he would someday have the ability to turn them into enemies. Moreover, he had never thought he would one day be able to kill Zu Ning.
The blood of youth would rage in the night, and a kind of overconfident temperament would start to gradually appear on their bodies.
* * *
”This girl is gorgeous. Really f**king ripe!”
”You know what? She is Sue Lochiro, a really grand, high-grade medical card artisan. How would such poor card artisans as ourselves bump into her?”
”Yeah, so what kind of high class? Hasn't she fallen into our hands now, brothers? She's so gorgeous my mouth waters just looking at her. It's been a while since I've bumped into a woman!”
”Ha ha, it would be a real bother if she hadn't used up all her perception. For this stupid girl to have wasted her perception on these ordinary people's bodies, tsk tsk, it's really reckless.
”Ha ha, such a high-class girl getting petted by men every day, how could she know the woes of people? Why don't we just give her a lesson?”
”We are so f**king great!”
* * *
The lewd conversation was blown into Chen Mu's ears by the wind, and he suddenly stopped.
Sue Lochiro…
A murderous look flashed through Chen Mu's eyes as he changed the direction of the jet stream beneath his feet. He stuck his whole body to the ground and cut an arc of nearly 30 degrees. Giving Chen Mu a look, Wei-ah followed him without seeming to make any movement.
The two bearded card artisans had just put the girl in their hands on the ground as they laughed wantonly.
It was Sue Lochiro, after all. With a flash in his eyes, Chen Mu now saw more clearly.
Without the slightest hesitation, two tailless shuttles took shape in the blink of any eye and went off from his hand.
”Who?” The two card artisans went cold and suddenly looked up.
Two gorgeous blossoms of blood bloomed in their brows. Their expressions froze on their faces as they fell face-up, never having reacted to incurring the calamity of death.
Sue Lochiro's eyes were tightly closed, and there was a pained look on her face. She had just fallen unconscious.
How could she have gotten into such straits? Chen Mu couldn't quite understand. Reasonably, no one would make a move against a neutral medical card artisan. That was a huge taboo.
Thinking it over, Chen Mu didn't wake her. He instead put her onto his shoulder.
Sue Lochiro was limp, as though she had no bones. Carrying her on his shoulder, the peculiar wafting fragrance of the small girl stimulated Chen Mu, and a kind of feeling he'd never experienced quietly arose from his heart.
Without knowing it, Chen Mu's movements become softer and lighter.
Wei-ah unexpectedly gave Chen Mu a look as though he were strange, but he quickly retracted his gaze.
The two of them were like ghosts in the night as they quietly floated toward their base on the outskirts of the city.