Free Web NovelChapter 314: Chapter 118: Intimidating the Patriarch of the Yan Family
The fifth layer of the High Tower. Yan Family Manor.
The Patriarch of the Yan Family looked at the ceiling above the forbidden ground, his face calm. It had been a very long time since the fifth layer had suffered an intrusion.
Although the group back then had fought fiercely, turning the entire fifth layer into something resembling a do-or-die battleground with a 72 to 8 survival ratio, at least those people belonged to the fifth layer.
At least since the advent of The Era of the High Tower, no one from the lower levels had ever managed to climb to such a height.
So sometimes Yan Zhao would wonder, if everyone on the fifth layer died, would the people on the sixth intervene?
Did the specific "they" want these so-called Eternals to live forever?
Otherwise, why grant them eternal life? Why let them guard this place for seven hundred years with such ease?
Yan Zhao slowly shook his head, sensing a powerful presence; after all, he had perhaps thought too much.
In seven hundred years, only one madman had ever climbed up, and those who had been firmly ruling the High Tower for seven hundred years dared not cross that line.
Today, with the rare occurrence of outsiders invading, Yan Zhao found himself thinking deeper than usual.
He listened to the footsteps in the distance, the strong presence, and suddenly it all seemed natural. For seven hundred years, because no human had ever set foot here, the defense of the fifth layer was not as exaggerated as one might expect.
Of course, this time the Yan Family was caught off guard, and many external forces could not be mobilized instantly.
"A too calm seven hundred years, what’s the point if it’s just the eight of us fighting among ourselves?"
With this thought, Yan Zhao unexpectedly felt a sense of anticipation.
...
...
Bai Wu looked at the many containers displayed in the forbidden area, the labels on which seemed to indicate the dates when these people were confined, the latest batch coming from half a month ago.
Yet, as the captain of the Investigation Corps’s seventh squad, he had received no reports about missing persons cases from the interrogation team members like Tian Xun or Yun Shu.
Since the death of Zhong Xu, the incidents of missing girls had ceased. Although Bai Wu still instructed his people to continue the investigation, pretending everything was normal.
But looking at the large number of containers on display in the forbidden area’s laboratory, Bai Wu thought of the scenes he had witnessed in the Mechanical City.
The President of the Tower God Society had created a Mechanical God Cult, similar in setting, only that the displays on both sides here were filled with living people.
All sorts of... living people who didn’t appear alive.
"Some of them were dead, some were half-dead. You know, the matter of humans turning into Evil Fallen, it only works with the special rules outside the High Tower combined with emotional transformation. All other methods have no basis and are purely speculative.
And those people you see, as experimental subjects, are actually based on the same principle—whatever their constitution, first take them out of the tower to inject the fluids of the Evil Fallen, or serum, or something else. Then bring them back into the tower, and if they’re not dead, study them carefully, not just the subject, but also his family members who haven’t yet become subjects.
Prejudice is a variant of ignorance, this ruler firmly believes it all has to do with genes, but if it’s related to genes, how is mechanization explained?"
Bai Wu’s fists clenched involuntarily as he looked at the miserable state of the people on both sides, the varying expressions of pain and ferocity on the faces of each experimental subject in their containers. He could imagine the intense suffering they must have endured as the blood of the Evil Fallen was injected into their bodies.
And as they were put into containers, if they had died it might have been a relief, but if not, that pain would accompany them almost constantly.
These were only the ones he had seen for himself; whether there were people who had been completely obliterated by the rules of the High Tower was also unknown.
It was difficult to imagine... how someone like Yan Zizai could continue to believe so devoutly in the Patriarch of the Yan Family after witnessing such scenes.
But Bai Wu soon found his answer.
The dim forbidden area laboratory brightened after rounding a corner.
The daylight simulated by the fifth layer’s ceiling shone onto a small circular area where Yan Zhao was observing plants.
When Bai Wu arrived, he greeted him with a smile,
"It’s truly no easy feat to have made it here by force. I admire your skill."
"You seem unafraid of me?" Bai Wu said.
Yan Zhao replied,
"In this world, all hustles are driven by profit. Since you haven’t killed a single member of my Yan Family, but merely injured them severely, it’s clear you don’t have a deep-seated hatred towards us. Even if you did, I believe that as long as we show sufficient sincerity, we could resolve your resentments."
Bai Wu couldn’t deny that Yan Zhao already possessed a third of Bai Yuan’s demeanor, which gave others a feeling as refreshing as a spring breeze.
Of course, there was still a gap compared to Bai Yuan’s powerful charm, which seemed to brighten the surroundings.
But it had to be said that this man made a very good first impression.
Without any trace of evil, it was this very person who did such appalling acts to the Evil Fallen woman on the plane, leading to the tragic fate of Yan Jiu and the entire Yan Family.
It was also this person who had killed no fewer people than Zhong Xu, yet... he just didn’t exude that sense of evil.
Bai Wu quickly understood what was going on.
Bai Yuan’s facade of hypocrisy relied on his insight into human nature, his seamless reasoning about his surroundings, as well as his own strong presence and charm.
Yan Zhao was also stunningly handsome, but after coming to this world, Bai Wu had met Lin Wurou, Yan Zizai, and even Dwarf—each charming in their own right. He had already become indifferent to "beauty."
He had even considered the idea that if one day he decided not to leave the Tower, he could write a "High Tower Male Catalogue" for the entertainment of the ladies on the third level.
In any case, the charm emanating from Yan Zhao was only a small part due to his appearance; what he relied on was his Sequence.
[This man’s charm is quite sinister. Unlike you and me, whose natural attributes are unadorned as a lotus blooming from clear water, this person has undergone "special packaging." Talent Sequence 25—The Integrator, to be honest, I never lie, I detest The Deceiver who ranks before me, but I abhor even more this Integrator who trails behind me! Because he’s really that kind of... a very special kind... a white lotus Sequence.]
Talent Sequence 25—The Integrator.
The description of this Sequence is simple: it grants the holder an unimaginable level of affinity and acceptance, causing others to unconsciously open their hearts to him and regard him as one of their own.
It appears to be a social gift. But in reality, this Talent also possesses abilities similar to those of The Deceiver.
However, The Deceiver needs to deceive others, making them believe lies, and through this deception, gain strength for themselves.
The Integrator doesn’t need to lie; he only needs to be accepted. Over the long process of being accepted, he slowly gains the power of others.
To give a simple example, if The Deceiver wants to gain someone’s power, he will try to make them believe a certain false statement.
What about The Integrator? He doesn’t care whether a statement is false or true; he only needs to tell the other person: Fantastic, we think alike, we must be soulmates!
While the description wasn’t deep, Bai Wu’s reading comprehension was always excellent, and he quickly grasped the gist of this ability through his own sensing. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
He suddenly thought that if someone possessed both Prayle’s Eye, which sees through everything, The Deceiver, who gains power from lying, and The Integrator, who earns trust by blending in with others... that person could essentially be considered the master of social interactions, with an ability to infiltrate anywhere.
It’s essentially the trifecta for a scoundrel.
And indeed, both Cain and the Patriarch of the Yan Family were scoundrels. Bai Wu scorned them both.
"That’s right, all hustles are driven by profit, and indeed I have come for a certain person, hoho."
With the hammer in his hand, coupled with the ghastly mask and the bizarre laughter, Yan Zhao couldn’t discern Bai Wu’s intentions for a moment and then said,
"This makes things much easier. I should also thank you for not being lethal against the Yan Family."
Different from the attitude he had when he was with Yan Zizai, where he didn’t care about others’ opinions and believed that only history could judge his actions, the current Yan Zhao appeared very modest.
Seven hundred years ago, he captivated the Evil Fallen woman on the plane with that very charm. Of course, at that time, Yan Zhao’s appeal was due to his personal charisma, unrelated to any Sequence.
Over the seven-hundred-year period, interactions between the ruling figures were scarce, so The Integrator had little effect on the other rulers. But outside the Tower, Yan Zhao had managed to blend into the external forces by adopting the image of a villain.
He was confident that anyone before him would feel an affinity; he believed he could emulate any persona that people liked, thinking it to be their confidante.
He looked at Bai Wu and felt a surge of confidence, even considering the idea of bringing Bai Wu under his command.
And Bai Wu? Bai Wu decided to temporarily imagine this man as Bai Yuan. Although he was influenced by the Sequence, his hostility towards Yan Zhao visibly decreased.
But guided by his own willpower, as well as early warnings and assistance from Prayle’s Eye, Yan Zhao gradually overlapped with Bai Yuan in his mind.
Seeing Yan Zhao again, Bai Wu’s hatred surged in an instant, and his reasoning became much clearer. It was as if—he entered the phone booth world and needed to empathize with that cauldron in the same way.
A terrifying intent to kill instantly permeated the entire Yan Family.
Bai Wu didn’t actually want to kill Bai Yuan; it was merely using this momentum to hit Yan Zhao with a setback.
Feeling this aura, Yan Zhao’s expression remained unchanged, but his heart was set aflutter.
"Why is it not working... and why does he hate me even more now... This shouldn’t be happening..."
Yan Zhao masked his confusion with a smile.
Bai Wu said:
"Stop smiling, you don’t look good when you do, hahaha, you must be very curious about who I really am."
It was the first time Yan Zhao had been told he was not good-looking, and his face did look ugly for a moment, but it was fleeting, and he soon recovered his composure.
"If you are willing to tell, I would be most pleased to make your acquaintance," said Yan Zhao, still appearing very courteous.
Bai Wu couldn’t help but sigh; in terms of being a scumbag, Yan Zhao might even be better than Hundred-Winged Angel Orange.
Unfortunately for him, he met Mr. Bai today.
"Oh, if I tell you, I have to be friends with you? Then I don’t want to."
"..."
Yan Zhao was silent for a second:
"Then how about you tell me who you are looking for? If I know them, I’ll certainly tell you." frёewebnoѵēl.com
In fact, Yan Zhao really wanted to attack Bai Wu, but not knowing the details, Bai Wu, now under the influence of the Angel Envoy, could not be detected by Xie Yingjie using mechanical data, nor sensed by spiritual power, unless the power reached the level of Zero Jing Wu.
In short, Bai Wu already knew Yan Zhao’s biggest secret, but Yan Zhao did not know Bai Wu’s trump card. So even though Yan Zhao had the ability to defeat Bai Wu, he dared not act rashly.
Bai Wu was also aware of this reason, and as a result, appeared even more natural:
"The person I’m looking for is named Yan Zizai."
"Indeed, that is someone from our Yan Family. May I ask what business you have with him?"
"None of your damned business."
Yan Zhao’s breathing became a bit hurried, then quickly evened out as he replied with a smile:
"After all, since it concerns someone from my Yan Family, I naturally need to understand the ins and outs of the matter."
"None of your damned business."
Bai Wu smiled too, but hidden beneath the malicious mask, Yan Zhao was unable to see it.
A twitch appeared in the corner of Yan Zhao’s eye, but he still did not explode with rage.
Bai Wu, enjoying the subtle changes in expression that were hard to detect, continued:
"He owes us, Black Gold Island, a debt. Last time at Mechanical City, he ruined our plans. I even suspect that the death of Zhong Pangzi has something to do with him! If you choose not to tell me, don’t blame me for being rude, hahaha. You can choose not to talk, I’m very much looking forward to getting a bit of exercise."
Waves of shock rose in Yan Zhao’s heart.
Black Gold Island? This person comes from Black Gold Island?
Of course, Yan Zhao didn’t fully believe what Bai Wu said, but he didn’t completely disbelieve it either. The idea of outside forces entering the High Tower sounded absurd, but if the other party was human... it was possible.
Among the Eternals of the past, there was a similar case.
He had also heard of Black Gold Island, which amongst the outside forces, was even more famous than Huangquan Island.
Especially considering some of the equipment on Bai Wu was clearly Spirit Possession items...
Of course, what shocked him the most was that Zhong Xu had died.
Bai Wu guessed that Yan Zhao’s biggest shock must be the death of Zhong Xu. Good, the Eternals rarely met, and the Zhong and Xie families kept a tight lid on the matter, allowing him to use Zhong Xu’s death to pressure him for the second time.
The death of Zhong Xu would be exposed sooner or later. After thinking it over, Bai Wu believed that revealing it at this time and in this manner was also appropriate.
"Black Gold Island... Zhong Xu is dead?"
The power behind Zhong Xu was Black Gold Island, as was the power behind the Qin Family; Yan Zhao was very clear about this.
He could hardly believe that one of the eight, Zhong Xu, had actually died! This disgusting fatty, for seven hundred years everyone wished for his death, but to some extent, they also hoped that the others were alive because no one wanted to face change and calamity without any fellow travelers.
No one knew how long the stability of the High Tower would last, whether the existence on the sixth floor might suddenly appear, or if the Evil Fallen outside the Tower could one day enter it...
Because of each other’s existence, for seven hundred years, the eight had even thought that perhaps their rule could be eternal.
But now, Zhong Xu was dead.
This seemed to be telling Yan Zhao—there is no eternal reign.
Bai Wu was very satisfied with the other’s attitude and said:
"I don’t mind having one less ruler in the High Tower. I need to know the whereabouts of Yan Zizai, ho ho ho ho ho, I’m a very solid person when it comes to doing business, a one-hit deal. There is a head for every grievance and an owner for every debt, I only beat the dog, not the owner. If you want to protect the dog, I’ll hit you both. If you are sensible, I’ll let you off the hook."
The meaning of these words was very clear: either protect Yan Zizai and die, or hand him over and live.
Yan Zizai was no longer of any value to Yan Zhao, and he certainly didn’t want to offend someone from Black Gold Island if this strange masked figure was truly from there.
Feeling that he could not integrate with Bai Wu, nor become one with them, Yan Zhao gave up and said with a hint of frustration:
"Yan Zizai has gone beyond the Tower."
"Tell me the area code."
These words undoubtedly exposed that he had the Return Roulette. However, Bai Wu didn’t care; after all, he was a person from Black Gold Island, if you’re not convinced, go find my boss Jing Wu!
After hesitating for a second, Yan Zhao gave out the code.
Lying is an art, and lies often need to be accompanied by the truth to be credible. The heavier the truth, the more credibility it carries.
Although Yan Zhao hadn’t verified the death of Zhong Xu, thinking about the Zhong family’s overly low profile recently, he thought it more and more probable.
So, gradually, he also believed that Bai Wu was from Black Gold Island. He did not want to offend the people of Black Gold Island, especially since the power behind him was not an opponent of Black Gold Island before hijacking flights and finding that great existence.
After noting down the code, Bai Wu walked over to Yan Zhao, patted his shoulder, and said:
"You are not bad. Just a bit of a bitch. How good it would have been if you had been like this from the beginning instead of pretending to be so genteel and easygoing. Ho ho ho ho, I’ll take my leave!"
Bai Wu walked out with a large swagger. He loved the feeling that even though you’re stronger than me, you just don’t dare to hit me.
Upon reflection, after he had declared his identity from an external power, Yan Zhao seemed even more wary, even though his strength had not changed in the least.
He suddenly thought of some situations from his past life.
Some people always think the moon looks fuller in other countries, and so they kneel for so long they can no longer stand.
When leaving the Yan Family Manor, a note suddenly popped up in his eyes:
"As your personal advisor, I must tell you that in the area you are about to enter, as a first-time entrant, all your possessions will be stripped away. Therefore, it is best for you to find a place to hide your belongings and put them back on when you enter for the second time because your identity will change the second time you enter."
Why another riddle? What kind of place would strip you of your personal belongings?
Bai Wu didn’t know where he was headed. He wanted to ask Yan Zhao, but feared asking too much might reveal something. Yan Zhao wouldn’t stay so cowardly forever; the longer he lingered in the Yan Family Manor, the greater the chance of being exposed.
Especially since...
Yan Zizai was not bad at all—good enough that Bai Wu was willing to risk his own life for such a person.
