Free Web NovelChapter 311: Chapter 115: The Doctor and the Judge
Such a domineering statement, it didn’t quite sound like Bai Wu’s style. Initially concerning the Yan Family, Yan Zizai felt somewhat uncomfortable hearing it, yet he believed this to be the correct response.
"Your character is not too despicable either."
"Every Evil Fallen I’ve encountered outside the tower knows that I am one of the High Tower’s five exemplary citizens."
Yan Zizai did not comment on this statement.
Bai Wu asked,
"You should also tell me what exactly is going on, right?"
"Yan Jiu is getting married; it was the Patriarch’s wish. He is someone with more power than the Yan Family Head, to be precise, the true ruler of the Yan Family. He’s also a person I respect."
Indeed, Yan Zizai greatly admired Yan Zhao.
Bai Wu, however, felt something was off here, especially after meeting Zhong Xu; he didn’t have the slightest fondness for rulers at all.
The desires of these Eternal Beings, after accumulating without end for seven hundred years, had already become twisted. Zhong Xu’s manifested in lust and gluttony, and it was likely that other rulers had their own desires as well.
Even including Xie Xingzhi.
"Who is Yan Jiu going to marry?"
"It is an inheritor of the Qin Family ruler who will marry into the family."
"Marry into the family? That’s true, but if he’s also the progeny of a ruler, how could he... wait, are you talking about the Captain?"
Bai Wu was shocked.
Why would the Qin Family need to marry into the Yan Family, unless that particular member of the Qin Family was not favored? There indeed was such a person in the Qin Family—Captain Qin Zong had once admitted that his status within the Qin Family was very low.
He was on bad terms with his brothers and sisters and did not get along well with the family. Because he acted too uprightly, he had been demoted to the fourth level.
Although, due to his outstanding personal ability and not having emotional deficits like Yan Jiu, Qin Zong’s situation was not as pitiable as Yan Jiu’s in the Yan Family, his status was still far lower than that of other rulers’ offspring.
Even Bai Wu had wondered if Qin Zong had done something to infuriate the Patriarch of the Qin Family.
Of course, he currently could not ponder Captain Qin’s issues; he just felt the reality was somewhat chaotic.
"What exactly is the relationship between your eight major families?"
"We hate each other, scheme against each other, and yet because the enemy of my enemy can become my temporary friend, we also make use of each other. To be exact, there are no fixed relations; even the most low-key Xie Family has cooperated with the other seven throughout the long history, differing only in cooperation duration."
"I see, so this time, the Yan Family has decided to cooperate with the Qin Family? Wasn’t the Qin Family expelled from the Investigation Corps?"
Bai Wu had hit the nail on the head with his remark. Yan Jiu’s marriage was undoubtedly a political one, but why the Qin Family?
Yan Zizai shook his head and said,
"I can’t fathom the Patriarch’s thoughts, nor do I understand why he is so ruthless towards Yan Jiu."
Bai Wu felt it was inappropriate to say this, but still, adhering to objectivity and fairness, he said,
"Captain Qin is a decent person. In a sense, the Patriarch of the Yan Family is giving Yan Jiu a good future. You should feel lucky he’s not making you marry Zhong Family’s daughter."
"What’s wrong with Zhong Family’s daughter?" Yan Zizai asked casually.
Bai Wu smiled. Anyone who married someone like Zhong Xue would indeed be wearing a green hat from his father-in-law, wouldn’t he?
He did not continue, as Yan Zizai quickly said,
"Never mind, no matter what kind of person Qin Zong is, but you know how Jiu feels."
The favor of a beauty is the hardest to accept.
Bai Wu raised his head, his brows furrowed. If it were any other woman, even the Angel Liu Chengzi, Bai Wu would feel that Captain Qin was being wronged.
But this woman was Yan Jiu; Bai Wu felt that if Yan Jiu did not love this man, regardless of how outstanding he was, it would still be torture and harm to Yan Jiu.
"Now that I know about this, I will go and ask about Captain Qin’s side of the story. Yan Zizai, you had better watch your behavior closely in the coming days."
"What do you mean? I always act with integrity."
"It’s nothing much, just try to act more favorably towards the Yan Family. Think from the Yan Family’s perspective more, or at the very least, speak from their perspective."
This remark was a bit strange, and Yan Zizai had yet to fully ponder through it. Bai Wu said:
"You should leave now."
"When you’re free, come to the Yan Family for a visit, and see Jiu. The eight great families should all be extending olive branches to you, Gu Qingyu, and Bai Xiaoyu." freewёbnoνel.com
"Understood."
Bai Wu had no interest in saying more. Yan Zizai didn’t linger either, and left quickly.
In the office of the seventh team, Bai Wu was left alone again. He looked at the surveillance screen that no longer showed Yan Jiu’s figure and his expression became pensive.
"If I were the Patriarch of the Yan Family, Yan Jiu’s value couldn’t possibly compare with Yan Zizai’s. Being such a straightforward man, there’s no way the old patriarch couldn’t see this. Shouldn’t he be appeasing Yan Zizai?"
The actions of the Patriarch of the Yan Family made Bai Wu feel as if he was pushing Yan Zizai away. Anyone truly skilled in wielding power would act with more subtlety. Persecuting Yan Jiu would obviously make Yan Zizai too tense, and it might provoke a backlash.
If the Patriarch of the Yan Family was putting Yan Zizai’s loyalty to some kind of test, Bai Wu thought this was foolish.
He felt something was off, but couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly.
...
...
Outside the tower, Shudu Prison, one day earlier.
Beneath the melodious flute music, an Evil Fallen ripped open its own heart, and outside the huge prison walls, those Evil Fallen who had managed to leave the prison area "released upon completion of their sentence" died one after another in bliss.
The person dressed like the Grim Reaper, who had been playing the horizontal flute, put it away.
"Your flute music is still so beautiful, carrying the sorrow of life’s passing. Every time, it brings me such bodily and mental pleasure."
Wearing a white lab coat, the "doctor" stood at the entrance at the base of the high wall, it was unclear whether he was coming out of the prison or about to enter.
He looked just like an ordinary doctor, tall in stature but wearing a strange mask that concealed his true face.
A few seconds after the doctor finished speaking, the iron door at the base of the high walls suddenly opened. From inside the Shudu Prison, which held countless souls, a handsome man emerged.
The man was none other than the Patriarch of the Yan Family, Yan Zhao.
"It seems this prison cannot hold you. Did you enjoy the view inside?" the doctor said.
"Very interesting. Fortunately for us, in this prison, we are innocent parties." Yan Zhao smiled.
The existence of Shudu Prison, filled with many intriguing things, was in his view, the embodiment of a world truth.
"Judge, you are not someone this prison can detain. Suddenly showing up here, it seems you have found the location of the one we seek?" the doctor said.
The Judge, the black-robed oddity who had played the flute, causing the Evil Fallen outside the prison to die one by one, spoke in a hoarse tone:
"Found it. But I need power. To defeat the mummy, or to deal with other forces. My current power alone is not enough."
Yan Zhao and the doctor exchanged a glance, both smiling.
Yan Zhao said:
"It seems the timing is just about what I calculated, perfectly opportune. The people from Black Gold Island seem to have suffered a heavy blow not long ago. At this moment, we have one less formidable foe, and lately, the ’patient’ has not been very cooperative. It’s a good time to hand him over to you."
"Then I’ll stay in this prison for a few days. You had better make arrangements quickly; my time is very pressing." This was said by the doctor to Yan Zhao.
Yan Zhao said:
"I will bring the patient to this area. After many years of careful teaching, he will certainly be trapped by the prison, unable to leave for quite some time. He’s not easy to handle, but with your two’s strength, it probably won’t be difficult to deal with him. However, such a patient was not easy to cultivate. The understanding we reached seven hundred years ago, does it still hold?"
"Of course, your effort on that flight was meritorious. Nothing that belongs to you will be lacking. We just have to wait until the one in charge awakens, until we have it in our hands."
Seven hundred years ago, a particularly terrifying entity had gathered nearly three hundred suffering individuals, all aboard a huge airplane, preparing to head for High Tower. No one knew the purpose behind this action.
Yan Zhao, the doctor, and the Judge, had all contributed to that plan.
However, a series of unexpected events afterward led to the failure of the airplane master’s plan.
High Tower disappeared without a trace, seemingly moving instantly to some other place. Although people retained memories of High Tower’s location, there was no longer any sign of High Tower where it once stood.
The airplane master, having sustained heavy injuries, had no choice but to lie in a coffin, starting a cycle of reincarnation and waiting. The mummy, through reincarnation, protected the powerful being inside the coffin like a loyal guard.
But it’s worth mentioning that although Yan Zhao, the doctor, and the Judge, all belonged to that evil entity’s force seven hundred years ago, seven hundred years later, their positions have shifted slightly from that of the mummy’s.
They were no longer content to merely submit to that powerful force, but desired to harness it.
As Yan Zhao recalled the events from seven hundred years ago, he said,
"Time has passed so quickly, and humanity’s exploration beyond the world of the High Tower has increased. But compared to those ephemeral dreams and the long-awaited transformation people yearn for, I trust the High Tower that has protected humanity for seven hundred years even more. I hope my rule can last forever."
The doctor’s smile was enigmatic,
"Of course, as long as you make the right choices."
"Then I shall take my leave, may everything go smoothly," Yan Zhao said.
"May everything go smoothly."
The robed judge and the white-coated doctor also said at the same time.
...
...
The High Tower, fourth level, headquarters of the Investigation Corps.
When Bai Wu went to the Legion headquarters in search of Qin Zong, Qin Zong was dealing with the affairs of the Investigation Corps as usual, seemingly without anything out of the ordinary. When Bai Wu appeared, Qin Zong, not aware that Bai Wu was there because of Yan Jiu, began by saying,
"Your timing is perfect. I’ve reviewed the report from your last exploration in the black zone, but there are some details I want to understand better. I didn’t expect there to be such a high degree of civilization beyond the tower. This is the first time I’ve seen such a large-scale external ecosystem of the tower."
Bai Wu nodded and did not immediately bring up the matter of Yan Jiu, but followed up on Qin Zong’s remarks.
He had probably guessed Qin Zong’s intention already.
Indeed, Qin Zong quickly revealed his thoughts,
"The black zone is even more dangerous and twisted than the red zone. Coming back from there is an achievement I’m proud of. After this exploration, you’ve become legendary figures of the High Tower. Even the top figures of the highest level are deeply interested in you. Bai Wu, you and Qingyu, have you ever thought about becoming managers and serving the rulers?"
Bai Wu could imagine that in the following days, the Zheng Family, Pang Family, Liu Family, Yan Family, and Wang Family would all send their emissaries to win him over.
He shook his head and said,
"I don’t have that kind of vision. I just want to explore beyond the tower."
Qin Zong did not hide the admiration in his eyes,
"Indeed, I haven’t misjudged you. However, serving the ruler does not interfere with your tower expeditions. I think you should seriously consider it."
Bai Wu did not want to continue the topic and said bluntly,
"Captain Qin, I have a question that may be a bit abrupt, but I have to ask."
"You’re not an outsider, so speak freely."
"Through contact with the members of the supervisory group, I also learned about the Qin Family’s power, controlling both the Investigation Corps and the Garrison Corps. I’ve only known that you are the captain of the Investigation Corps, but who is in charge of the Garrison Corps?"
"My elder brother," Qin Zong answered without hesitation.
Bai Wu pretended to be surprised.
"No wonder the discipline and style of the two units are so different. It seems that your brother’s abilities are not as good as yours."
"When you’re playing the game at the ruler’s level, ability is secondary," Qin Zong said.
Bai Wu understood Qin Zong’s point; it was quite similar to many workplace rules from his previous life.
"I heard that the Yan Family wants to form a close relationship with the Qin Family through marriage, and that you are going to marry into the Yan Family."
"Where did you hear that?" asked Qin Zong in surprise.
"I have recently become quite close with the Guardian of the Yan Family. Captain Qin, what are your thoughts about this marriage?" Bai Wu responded truthfully.
"Of course, I am resistant to it, but it is indeed beneficial for the Qin Family. Moreover, my father’s stance is very firm, and I cannot refuse unless I give up my position in the Investigation Corps and renounce my identity as a member of the Qin Family."
Qin Zong pressed on,
"Why would you suddenly ask about this?"
"Because the person I’m supposed to marry is especially important to me. I can’t let her marry you."
Bai Wu was actually just expressing the literal meaning, but Qin Zong’s thoughts were complex nonetheless, and he quickly considered certain possibilities, his face changing drastically.
"So that’s how it is, I understand now. I will discuss this matter with my father again. I apologize, I didn’t know beforehand. It was abrupt of me."
To take away a subordinate’s love was something Qin Zong could not accept in himself. Even though Bai Wu and Yan Family’s daughter had a good relationship, in Qin Zong’s view, it was the start of a tragedy.
But he didn’t want the daughter of the Yan Family to cause a rift between him and his excellent subordinate.
Bai Wu knew Qin Zong had misunderstood, but he didn’t correct him, because he would never allow Yan Jiu to marry Qin Zong.
"Captain, I have another question, actually, I’ve wanted to ask it for quite a while."
"I’ve said it before, speak frankly between us."
Bai Wu nodded:
"If I’m not mistaken, it’s because your ideals conflict with the rest of the Qin family that you were demoted to the fourth layer, right?"
Qin Zong did not deny it.
From childhood to adulthood, the tactics he showed were no worse than his brothers and sisters, but unfortunately, because of his too upright style and because he showed too much concern for the lower classes, Qin Zong has always been unaware of the true situation of the Qin Family.
He became the head of the Investigation Corps, which in the eyes of the lower levels of the High Tower is not a low position. Indeed, it is one of high status and power.
But that’s all it is, for the Qin Family, Qin Zong’s integrity was just right for the role of a reporter for outside tower investigations.
Bai Wu’s real question wasn’t asked. He had intended to ask—if one day you find out that the biggest obstacle to the Investigation Corps, even to the High Tower, is actually the Qin Family, what would you do?
The question was clearly a bit offensive to Qin Zong.
Just as Yan Jiu does not understand the Yan Family, and even Yan Zizai does not truly understand the Patriarch of the Yan Family, so Bai Wu also knew that Qin Zong must be completely unaware of the things the Qin Family has done.
In the end, after some deliberation, Bai Wu said:
"I have a friend who is very confused lately. He wholeheartedly helps those around him, hoping to change his surroundings for the better, but he eventually discovers... that the greatest evil comes from his grandfather. His grandfather has done many wicked things, and he doesn’t know what to do. I want to ask, Captain, how should my friend handle this?"
Bai Wu truly wasn’t inventing an imaginary friend this time, and Qin Zong didn’t catch the hidden meaning in Bai Wu’s question. This was not a difficult question for him:
"If everyone favors their kin, disregarding good and evil, right and wrong, and the law, wouldn’t this world become a complete mess? I remember the former Captain speaking of such times, so I hope your friend can stop his grandfather."
A very righteous answer, Bai Wu should have been pleased with this response.
But he suddenly felt a tinge of regret. The forces behind the Qin Family had already officially waged war against him. How far could being enemies of the Qin Family be?
When that day comes... how will the Captain conduct himself?
Bai Wu bid farewell to Qin Zong. Although Bai Wu saw that Qin Zong was unlikely to get out of the marriage, Bai Wu was not particularly worried about it.
Because of recent events, what seemed targeted at Yan Jiu was actually a test of Yan Zizai.
The happiness of Yan Jiu meant nothing to the Yan Family, and because it meant nothing, it was, in fact, not difficult to change the outcome.
Yet intuition also made Bai Wu suspect that the whole incident would not be so simple. Perhaps there would be even more significant events to come.
His intuition was quickly confirmed.
Two days later, in the early morning, Yan Jiu conveyed a message through a conch shell that astonished Bai Wu.
"Bai Wu! Uncle... Uncle has disappeared!"
This development was truly unexpected by Bai Wu.
He had assumed that if Yan Jiu’s marriage could not be changed, the worst-case scenario would be that he would forcibly take Yan Jiu with him, and if the High Tower offered no shelter for Yan Jiu, then they would head outside the tower.
But Bai Wu never expected that in this illogical reality, the first to be in trouble would be Yan Zizai. His conflict with the Yan Family came much sooner than he thought.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End of Chapter~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Today there is only one update. Tomorrow it is very likely I will take a leave of absence. There’s a part of the next episode’s plot that I haven’t arranged properly. The transition from the flight to the prison is a major scene in this volume, but it’s hard to write. I was stuck writing from yesterday afternoon until now and still haven’t figured out the best way to handle it. The new episode isn’t as long as the Mechanical City, but it will be very important, so a leave of absence is necessary. Forcing it would be uncomfortable. Of course, if my thoughts become clear tomorrow, a reverse absence is possible, but the chances are slim. Anyway, I’m taking a day off in advance.)
