Chapter Twenty-Two: Alliance

Internet Content Provider License: Xiang B2-20100081-3
Internet Publishing Qualification Certificate: New Internet Publishing Certificate (Xiang) No. 11
Network Culture Business License: Wenwangwen [2010] No. 128

On the road to Acacia Town, Xiu Yi pondered incessantly over the meaning behind Baker’s words.

From Baker’s tone, Xiu Yi sensed a mixture of anxiety and unease.

He was certain that this unease was related to himself, but it was clearly not so simple. Baker was not a fool; from the very beginning, he understood the dangers of collaborating with Xiu Yi and had prepared accordingly. Judging from his previous behavior, he had not abandoned the alliance despite the exorbitant price offered by the Frank Empire. So what was it that made Baker so uneasy at this moment?

And why did Baker send Lilith to invite him instead of Ashlin? Why couldn’t he say these things over the communication crystal?

Could it be some conspiracy designed to trap him?

No, that was unlikely. If that were the case, the plot was too crude and certainly not Baker’s doing.

Xiu Yi vaguely felt that Baker might have truly encountered some thorny problem, which was why he was so eager to meet him in person.

Upon arriving at Brian Baker’s residence, Xiu Yi noticed that everyone was present inside: Hodding, Eagle Ashlin, and Lilith. The atmosphere was heavy and tense, only slightly easing when Xiu Yi stepped inside and Brian Baker’s furrowed brow relaxed a little.

“Have a seat, Xiu Yi,” Baker said, gesturing for him to come in. “We’ve been waiting for you a long time.”

Xiu Yi noted that Baker addressed him by his given name rather than his surname, indicating their relationship was rapidly growing closer in Baker’s mind.

“Why couldn’t this matter be discussed over the communication crystal? Why did you have to summon me here?”

“There’s been a development, and opinions within our group are divided. We need to hear your thoughts. I mean, we need to obtain some information from you and ultimately reach a conclusion. That’s why we had to come in person.”

“What exactly is going on?”

“Before answering that, we want to ask you something first,” Hodding said solemnly.

It was the first time Xiu Yi had seen the normally refined and gentle Hodding speak with such gravity. It caught him slightly off guard, but he nodded. “Go ahead.”

Hodding continued, “After learning about your other price from Lilith and then hearing from Ashlin about the spatial ring, we were frankly shocked. Lilith was right—you are different from us. So we conducted a further investigation.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“According to our sources, the prominent figure you actually killed wasn’t some noble, but a senior Grand Alchemist...”

Xiu Yi answered, “If that’s all you want to ask, I’ll admit it. Yes, Patrick Hines died by my hand. Before I killed him, I was his assistant and worked for him for nearly four years. Don’t ask me why—you should be able to guess the answer. Compared to Hines, you’re a bunch of saints.”

Baker glanced at Ashlin, the old undead mage bowed his head in thought, then said in a deep tone, “The magical runes inscribed on Lilith—were they Hines’ doing?”

“Something like that.”

“So it was human experimentation. It’s hard to imagine the empire would...” The old mage sighed and trailed off.

Everyone present understood now.

Baker couldn’t help but ask, “So the rumors that all of Hines’ knowledge and secrets fell into your hands are true?”

“I know everything he knew, and there are things I know that he didn’t.”

Xiu Yi’s reply made everyone gasp.

Baker chuckled bitterly, “We never believed this could be true.”

“Truth is often hidden within rumors—it’s not unusual. More and more people will learn about this eventually, but don’t expect the empire to ever admit it. Only those who look closely can see through the lies. Do you know why I never made this public?”

“Why?”

Xiu Yi smiled confidently, “Because even if I said it, no one would believe me. But without me having to say a word, as long as I’m alive, as long as the empire keeps hunting me, as long as I give them hope of finding me, they will keep mobilizing troops, keep running around, keep issuing orders. And since the Xiu Yi Glare they’re after isn’t easy to catch, they’ll have to send more people, even more important and powerful figures. More and more people will become aware of the story, and then...” He spread his hands, “the truth will slowly spread.”

He looked at Baker. “Rumors from the top down are always more convincing than those from the bottom up. One day, people will fully understand the truth.”

Baker, Hodding, and the others exchanged glances—none of them had expected such a mindset from Xiu Yi.

They fully comprehended the magnitude of the impact if this matter were completely exposed: the empire might even plunge into chaos. Neighboring countries would claim righteous cause to invade, and the people would no longer support their emperor. Though militarily they might be helpless against the emperor, the nation’s production, order, and stability would undoubtedly suffer immense turmoil.

Had Xiu Yi openly accused the Lance Empire from the start, the empire would have denied everything. With his influence, few would have listened to him. Yet he did none of that; he said nothing, only kept running, fighting back, drawing attention, letting people speculate, letting rumors fly, and ultimately allowing the truth to surface on its own.

Throughout this process, suspicion would permeate the halls of power, corruption would seep deeper, external interference and internal unrest would become increasingly apparent through his actions, until the final reckoning.

He was like a conspirator who had planned everything long ago. What he revealed now was merely the tip of the iceberg.

This realization shook Baker and the others—they saw before them a boy whose cunning was profound, who had already grasped the very pulse of the empire.

He could not topple this great tree by his own strength, but he could use his allure to bend it repeatedly until it collapsed under its own weight.

Xiu Yi Glare was ruthless: every step he took, every action he made, was carefully planned. He was not in a hurry to publicly accuse the emperor but used the empire’s own hounds chasing him to draw attention and gradually leak the secrets of Purgatory Island bit by bit, extending the influence far and wide.

He was not using a storm to destroy the nation but a gentle wind and rain to slowly erode it.

Hodding could not help but say, “The empire’s foundation is like a sprawling, tangled tree. A tiny ant and its vibrations might affect it somewhat, but will never bring it down. And the tree isn’t foolish enough to ignore dangers right before its eyes.”

“Yes,” Xiu Yi replied. “That’s why we accelerate its internal decay. External factors only attract attention, but the internal assault is the fatal blow. An ordinary ant might do little, but a termite can bring down a mighty tree because it attacks from within. To destroy a nation, sometimes you don’t need to hack it down from outside; internal corrosion is far more effective.”

Baker and the others inhaled sharply.

Such a mentality was unlike that of a mere boy; it belonged to a shrewd, seasoned fox. The stark contrast in a sixteen-year-old left them all in awe.

Hodding said, “You mean... my heavens, I understand why you’ve been training Rele and the others.”

“Yes. At first, I only wanted to use the cover of numbers, but later I realized Rele and his group could play a much bigger role. Xiu Yi Glare is like a light in the dark, drawing everyone’s eyes, but no one suspects that the family he’s building is infiltrating the empire’s upper echelons.”

“You’re putting your personal hatred above all else. You’ll destroy this nation. You can’t let the entire Lance Empire become your sacrificial pawn! And it won’t be easy.”

“I never intended to destroy the country,” Xiu Yi answered. “And the one who did wrong is the emperor. I never planned to sacrifice the whole nation for him. This is merely a posture. More precisely, I’m trying to create the appearance of such a possibility. Society’s development and history’s changes are never dictated by a single factor. They have their unique laws, unaffected by personal will. Just as peace times produce no heroes.”

“Therefore, though I have detailed plans, I don’t believe I alone can topple the empire. But I can create an illusion that convinces everyone I’m doing so and am close to success. Like a black ant rolling in paint, disguising itself as a white termite—one that can gnaw this great tree from inside. That will bring terror to all.”

“And then?”

“Everyone pays for their deeds. Strick VI is the mastermind behind all I’ve endured. I create situations to destabilize the empire, unsettle rulers and subjects. I hold bargaining chips—not my skills, knowledge, or treasured materials, but my threat and existence. They feared me for four years. Now it’s time they taste what I’ve endured. Of course, the final outcome depends on their performance and my mood. What I want now isn’t much—only to walk openly on this land. But to them, that’s too much. People who feast daily don’t appreciate the value of grain; only those who suffer hunger know how fragrant rice can be. Until this nation and its emperor learn their lesson, I won’t get the freedom I desire. So I fight back in my own way. I mean, I’m merely retaliating, but my retaliation leads the nation toward ruin until one day, the Strick family fully awakens.”

“Judging by me, they won’t realize the importance of speaking with me as an equal until they’ve been taught a harsh lesson. They’d rather capture me and force me to submit.”

Only now did Xiu Yi reveal his entire plan. He intended for the Lance Empire to endlessly hunt him, consuming their strength, leaking Purgatory Island’s secrets, creating chaos and disasters, until the noose of pursuit tightened around Strick’s own neck. Then, Xiu Yi would negotiate as the victor—not the compromised—with the empire’s ruler.

At that moment, he would no longer have to make any sacrifices. He would regard the emperor as robbers regard merchants they have thoroughly plundered: “This isn’t robbery, it’s a transaction. Your life is the bargaining chip.”

Yes, this was Xiu Yi’s plan. He intended to send that message to the Strick family.

Baker and the others admired the boy’s audacious scheme but had to admit it was theoretically feasible.

Xiu Yi Glare possessed value that forced the Lance Empire to fight with everything it had. He had successfully killed Abrite, triggered the first disaster, and now the Frank Empire knew of Purgatory Island. Soon, the entire matter would surface.

A great war was imminent, but internal stability would be compromised. The Lance Empire faced a unique conflict, and beyond that, they had to dispatch numerous experts to capture a boy alchemist who might become another Electra. Meanwhile, this boy’s rising faction was already preparing to infiltrate the empire from within.

Baker took a deep breath. “Xiu Yi Glare, you are mad.”

“To borrow your words, everyone sitting here is mad. I’m just crazier than the rest. Now, I think you can tell me what’s really happening?”

Baker nodded to Hodding.

“Following your request, we’ve been investigating those hunting you. The list has been delivered to you. But as you likely noticed, since you killed Abrite, we don’t believe the people on this list alone can easily catch you. So we think they have other plans.”

“Yes, that’s what I thought too.”

“To keep our promise, we tasked our friends with deeper investigation. Recently, several visitors from Wellington arrived in Royao City and were warmly received by the city lord—quite a spectacle.”

“If they’re high-ranking, their identities shouldn’t be hard to uncover.”

Hodding smiled oddly. “Yes, not hard at all. In fact, we quickly recognized one of them.”

“Who?”

“The Sky Warrior Kevin Beers.”

Xiu Yi mulled over the name, then shook his head. “Sorry, never heard of him.”

Baker interjected, “An old enemy of ours, responsible for at least a hundred deaths among my former comrades, including my closest kin.” He pointed to the scar on his face. “This is Beers’ souvenir. Thanks to him, I broke through that day and became a Sea Warrior. If not for my brother risking his life to save me, I’d be dead. But I witnessed my niece and brother-in-law’s deaths, and my sister died of grief.”

Eagle Ashlin added, “He killed many of our relatives and friends. Even bandits and criminals have families and emotions. Kevin Beers is a bastard hated by every one of us. He’s no better than a monster—the one who raped and killed Lilith’s sister.”

“Igore, enough!” Lilith hissed angrily.

Xiu Yi felt his power swell again.

It was clear Lilith’s hatred for Kevin Beers surpassed even her feelings toward Xiu Yi.

Baker said, “Kevin Beers is our old nemesis and the one we hate most. He’s led many raids against us in the Billyas Mountains, so everyone here despises him. He’s ruthless—never leaves survivors, not even elders or children.”

“A real scum,” Xiu Yi said indifferently. “I think I know why you wanted to talk face to face.”

“Yes,” Hodding nodded. “Lilith longs to kill Kevin Beers herself to avenge her sister. We don’t want to let him go either. But Beers isn’t alone—he has warriors and mages of equal rank with him. We have only one mage here, and Eagle Ashlin can’t match them. We need stronger forces.”

“So you thought of me? You want to team up to kill Kevin Beers?”

“Yes. If we’re right, they’re targeting you. We know you’ve been preparing, but we don’t know how confident you are.”

“So that’s why you’re divided? Who opposes?”

“I do,” Baker said. “Kevin Beers is incredibly strong. Alone, he could defeat all of us here. Of course, if I could kill that bastard with my life, I wouldn’t hesitate. But I have to consider more.”

“Me too,” Eagle Ashlin added. “The power gap is huge. Those three strong adversaries alone are beyond us. Besides, Royao City isn’t without other warriors and mages, including Rashel Chaklai and company.”

Xiu Yi noticed a tragic resolve in Lilith’s eyes.

She said, “If you help me kill that bastard, I’ll wipe the slate clean and promise never to hate you again.”

“You know that might not be good for me,” Xiu Yi smiled.

Lilith blushed, her anger rising again, while Xiu Yi relished the thrill of drawing power.

Baker sighed. “Xiu Yi, stop teasing Lilith. She’s desperate for revenge, truly so. That’s why she came to find you herself, wanting to talk, but you didn’t give her the chance. I don’t want her to miss the chance to kill Kevin Beers, but we aren’t confident. Hodding thought we should ask your opinion. He thinks you’re very capable, despite your youth. If you’re confident you can handle these three powerful figures, we’ll join.”

So that was it—shared goals had brought different people together. A fortunate gain, Xiu Yi mused.

He stood and looked out the window.

He knew that if he did not appear in Royao City, Kevin Beers would lead his men to Acacia Town personally. Whether for peace or revenge, Baker had no other choice.

Perhaps for him, repeatedly abandoning this place and fleeing to the mountains was also a painful feeling.

Then, with a cold tone, he said calmly, “Our enemies are strong—extremely strong. They have endless reserves and can rebound even after defeat. The plan I’ve decided on is destined to be a long and painful process with no room for failure. If you come with me to Royao City, it means you’ve officially boarded Xiu Yi Glare’s pirate ship and can never disembark. Have you thought through the consequences? Sheltering Xiu Yi Glare and becoming his accomplices and supporters... are entirely different matters for the empire.”

Baker replied gravely, “We’re fully prepared.”

Xiu Yi turned sharply, his voice cold and ruthless: “Then... let’s go and kill them all!”