Chapter 35: Light and Shadow (4)

The disguise Huey wore had been completely stripped away, and he had fully reverted to the appearance of the boy who had once lived on the island. He had even changed his attire into a set of black combat gear. If not for the fact that Huey’s voice remained unchanged, Bailey would not have dared to believe that this was indeed Sissadadaniel.

What pained Bailey most was that when the prey he had been desperately hunting finally appeared before him, he himself had already become the prisoner.

"It’s been half a year, and you’ve grown taller," Bailey said, swallowing hard and forcing a smile.

"Growth is an inevitable process for everyone," Huey replied calmly. He glanced at Bailey. "But it seems you haven't made much progress. Bailey, how many years has it been since you became a fourth-level warrior?"

"Six years," Bailey answered helplessly.

"You have been lost in a life of luxury and dissipation for too long." Huey reached out, channeling his battle aura energy within his body, causing his arm’s skin to emit a faint, white glow.

"You! You are already..." Bailey was horrified. He never imagined that the boy who had been a nobody on the island would, within just half a year of leaving Purgatory Island, become a fourth-level warrior. His speed of improvement far exceeded his expectations.

"Surprised, aren't you?" Huey looked at Bailey coldly and said, "Brian, let him go. I’ll have a match with him. Activate the silence barrier."

Brian Buckler, who had been standing behind Bailey, withdrew his hand and stepped aside. As soon as the aura binding Bailey’s movements vanished, Bailey felt he had regained his freedom.

Huey swung his left fist rapidly, like a heavy hammer, striking toward Bailey with a tidal wave of force.

"Oh!" Bailey roared, instinctively throwing his right arm forward, only to be shocked to find that Huey was faster than him.

Huey’s left hand transformed from a fist into a claw, grabbing Bailey’s right fist and following the momentum to lock his wrist joint. Bailey countered with an elbow strike, but Huey side-stepped, then lifted a leg to kick at Bailey’s knee. Bailey retreated instinctively while throwing a left punch toward Huey’s head. He was in a life-or-death crisis and poured all his strength into this strike.

Huey did not dodge or parry. He met the blow with his own right fist. The two fists collided, their aura energies clashing, sending swirls of force erupting from their bodies.

The white light of the battle aura shimmered constantly on them. Bailey let out another roar, his right fist breaking free from the entanglement like lightning to smash toward Huey’s head again. Unexpectedly, Huey did not block this time. He lunged forward, charging into Bailey’s chest and slamming his head into his bridge of the nose.

The impact was charged with battle aura, making Bailey see stars. Both men had similar levels of aura energy, but Huey was clearly more adept at combat—after all, his teachers were Lancelot and Paget—and his mastery of aura application was significantly superior to Bailey’s.

If battle aura were like an army, the amount of energy would be the size of the military force, which directly determined the outcome of a warrior's battle. However, just as a powerful army does not guarantee victory, the application of that aura was equally crucial. The application of aura is, in fact, the ability to mobilize one’s bodily energy, much like a general’s command over their troops. Huey had learned to project, internalize, and rapidly switch his aura, skills analogous to a general commanding troops to advance, retreat, or concentrate.

Therefore, the ability to apply aura is akin to a general’s command capability. Rank depends on the size of the army, and warrior level depends on the magnitude of aura, but history is full of examples where the weak defeat the strong. In personal duels, lower-level warriors often defeat higher-level ones for this very reason. Rank only represents potential, not performance.

Huey’s attack on Bailey was a victory of aura application and combat technique. He had intentionally forced Bailey to concentrate his aura in his right arm, contested control there, and then left an opening to lure Bailey into overcommitting. It was like a general feigning a weak center to lure the enemy in, only to ambush them with elite forces. Huey delivered a fierce, fatal blow that instantly decided the outcome.

With his center broken and his command shattered, Bailey was dazed by the fierce headbutt. Huey grabbed his chest, lifted him overhead with his right hand, and slammed him back into the room. Before Bailey even hit the ground, Huey leaped up and delivered a downward kick that smashed him into the floor. Even with aura protection, Bailey could not withstand such a brutal assault, coughing up several mouthfuls of blood.

Stepping on Bailey’s face, Huey’s voice was cold and decisive: "Even without magic, you are no longer my match in a one-on-one fight, Lord Bailey."

Bailey was dragged into a small bedroom. They were alone now; Brian had returned to the venue, confident in Huey's ability to handle Bailey. Only Lilith remained in the living room, cradling the now snow-white Xu.

Looking at Bailey, Huey’s eyes were filled with pity. "Do you know, Lord Bailey? Most of the time, I am actually very grateful to you. Although you are a despicable, greedy, and shameless villain, it is undeniable that it was only with your help that I was able to leave Purgatory Island alive."

"But unfortunately, you intend to kill me now, don't you?" Bailey replied weakly, his nose no longer bleeding after Huey gave him a healing potion.

Huey smiled slightly. "What makes you think that?"

Bailey said bitterly, "Huey Glair, perhaps I am greedy, but I am not an idiot. You cannot let an enemy go back to expose your identity."

"Unless that enemy is no longer an enemy," Huey said coldly.

Bailey was shaken to his core, staring blankly at Huey.

Huey stood up and strode to Bailey. "Don't be a fool, Bailey. Do you really think I risked exposing myself just to kill you? How would I explain the disappearance of Rashel’s men to him? Make him more suspicious of me? No, Bailey. I brought you here because I need your help. I need you to prove to Rashel that I am not Huey Glair." He looked into Bailey’s eyes. "Just like before, we will continue to cooperate."

"That’s impossible!" Bailey shouted. "I will not cooperate with a devil like you again. You dragged me onto a pirate ship; you’ve ruined me! You’ve ruined all of us!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Bailey realized his mistake. A flicker of cunning flashed across Huey’s eyes.

He chuckled. "I ruined you, ruined all of you... that’s a very interesting way to put it. Lord Bailey, are you trying to tell me that our transaction on the island has already dragged you into a bottomless pit?"

Bailey trembled with fear.

Huey laughed even more happily. "Yes, yes. Ever since I discovered that you and Lord Chackley were the main force behind the pursuit, I have been wondering: Why? Why would all the warriors on the *Freedom* join in the hunt for me? Just because you’ve seen me? That’s not enough of a reason."

Huey paced with his hands behind his back. "So I’ve been thinking... I couldn't understand why a minor law enforcement officer from Deep Harbor would become the commander of my pursuit, or why you would listen to the arrangements of a second-level warrior. Especially today, I noticed you were completely obedient to Rashel. He is no puppet; he is a true commander. This is incredible. Even though we believe the world’s power is not held solely by the strongest, we also know that immense power commands respect. Yet, looking at Rashel’s attitude toward Chackley today, I regret to say I didn't see that—oh, and by the way, I eavesdropped on your conversation."

Bailey remained silent.

"So I was certain there was a problem. I couldn't confirm the details, only vague clues. You know, Lord Bailey, bringing you here was a very risky decision. If you couldn't confirm my hypothesis, you would have died. And your disappearance would have been the biggest reason for Rashel to suspect me. But fortunately, you helped me confirm it."

Huey walked over, leaned close to Bailey, and whispered, "Rashel discovered the secret of your deal with me, didn't he? I know this guy is formidable; he even discovered secrets I didn't want you to know, like this ring." Huey held the ring up before Bailey’s eyes—the very object the Lance Empire dreamed of possessing. It was right there, but Bailey was not qualified to take it. "He had the leverage to expose your secret, so you were forced to stand with him and join the hunt. Is that it?"

Bailey nodded bitterly. "Yes. That bastard threatened us, forcing us to help him become the commander of the hunt and then dragging us everywhere to find you. We first went to your hometown in South Wales, turned up empty-handed, then rushed back to the Farsa Archipelago, but we arrived two days after you and only saw Ablitt’s corpse. Rashel believes you likely went to the Bilias Mountains, so he wanted us to monitor the material markets in this area."

"And so you came?"

"Yes. Rashel believes that was an invitation from you."

Huey sat back. "I did buy some materials in Royo City. But to me, this wasn't an invitation to Rashel; it was another probe. I just wanted to know who was chasing me and how dangerous they were. It turns out he is cunning enough to make me cautious. I am very interested in this guy now. I want to know how he thinks—for instance, why was he so sure I would appear in Royo City?"

"Rashel believes you are declaring war on the Empire, so you won't avoid the fight."

"That is true, but war is not necessarily fought on a battlefield filled with smoke," Huey replied. "So, why didn't you just kill him to keep him quiet?"

"He has a contingency plan. If we kill him, someone will deliver a letter exposing us to His Majesty. Then we would be finished."

"As expected, a very old-fashioned tactic, but very effective," Huey laughed. "However, Rashel made a big mistake. He overlooked one thing."

"What?" Bailey was startled.

Huey said coldly, "He can use this to threaten you, and I can too."

Rashel was indeed a smart man, but he had one major flaw: arrogance. He was so arrogant that he thought he could control everything, but he was wrong. Greedy people must pay the price for their greed, and arrogant people must pay the price for their arrogance.

He used blackmail to force Chackley and the others to serve him, but he never expected Huey to see through the problem and, in turn, use the same method to force Bailey to work for him. He had completely underestimated Huey Glair’s grasp of the human heart, and his arrogance prevented him from considering the consequences of his blackmail failing.

Unlike Bailey, Huey always preferred a multi-pronged approach when using people. He never believed that threats or bribes alone could make someone serve him completely. If conditions allowed, he considered even a mix of threats and benefits to be insufficient. Thus, what Huey was offering Bailey now was far more than what Rashel could provide.

"Cooperate with me, just like before. You will continue to have large sums of money and live a comfortable life. You don't have to do anything but stay by Rashel’s side. Whenever he has a plan to deal with me, just let me know. If you dare to play tricks, or if I get caught or killed by Rashel’s people, the evidence of our deal on the island will be delivered to the ears of Strik VI. Believe me, I have more evidence than Rashel to prove all of this is true. What do you think?" Huey said with a smile.

Bailey trembled with rage. "Devil! You are all devils! You are all devils who love to manipulate others! Huey Glair, you bastard!"

"No," Huey shook his head. "To be precise, from the moment you accepted your first deal with me, a long-term cooperative relationship was destined. Just like a corrupt official; once they take the first bribe, they can never stop. On the path of crime, people always sink deeper and deeper, unable to pull themselves out. You can never expect to stop after one score. Even if you could restrain your own greed, others wouldn't allow it. Lord Bailey, you are just one of them. You cannot defy the laws of history! So choose: cooperate or perish!"

Bailey took a long breath and said in a pleading tone, "If Rashel finds out, I’m finished. That guy is not easily fooled."

"Don't worry about that. I promise you, from today on, Rashel will never be able to cause you any harm. I mean... even if he dies, he won't be able to tell your Emperor anything about what happened between you and me."

Bailey was shocked, almost jumping up. "Huey Glair, you mean..."

"Yes!" Huey replied with absolute certainty. "You understand, don't you? I mean, if Rashel really has such a letter, I know where it is."

"That’s impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible," Huey said firmly. "Fate has already made arrangements; it only depends on whether the interested party discovers them. Don't forget that not just anyone can approach the Emperor. If Rashel had one friend he could trust, who also had the qualifications to easily approach the Emperor, I happen to know such a person who fits the criteria..."

"Who?" Bailey shouted. He had always been desperate to know who Rashel had entrusted that letter to.

Huey replied coldly, "Earth Warrior Paget, commander of Avril’s guards, my former aura teacher. Wake up, Bailey. In this matter, only I can help you; even Chackley can't."

Bailey sat on the ground, speechless for a long time. When Huey walked out of the small bedroom, Bailey followed behind him, obediently. From Bailey’s current perspective, he could clearly see Huey’s exposed vital point on his neck. He knew that with one strike, Huey would be dead. But he did nothing, merely following behind.

Lilith’s gaze lingered on Bailey for a brief second before returning to Huey. "It seems you succeeded."

Huey replied, "I promised him that after the Royo City affair, the Dadaniel family will head to Wington. I will steal the letter that Rashel used to threaten Bailey and the others through Avril. He knows only I can do this. He has no choice."

Lilith looked at Bailey, and Bailey quickly added, "By cooperating with you, I can at least get something out of it. Being blackmailed by that bastard Rashel, we only get to do the dirty work. I am confident I can convince Chackley and the others; I think they will make the wise choice. But Huey Glair, you must promise me that if you are caught by the Empire, you won’t sell us out."

"I can promise that, but you’d better make sure I don't get caught by the Empire," Huey said coldly.

"I can only say I will do my best."

"That’s enough. But I suggest you pick the right time to tell Chackley and the others the truth, or in case their minds aren't open enough..." Lilith added coldly.

Bailey immediately understood. "You decide the time and place, and I will bring them. If they don't listen... leave them to you to deal with."

People on the wrong path always slide further and further. For Bailey, falling into Huey’s control again left him with no room to turn back. At the same time, this made him hate Rashel even more; if not for him, he wouldn't be in this position.

So he said, "I only hope that when you get that letter, you will let me kill Rashel with my own hands."

Huey looked at Bailey with deep meaning and shook his head. "No, Bailey. I cannot promise you that."

"Why?" Bailey was surprised. "Aren't you going to deal with him? What difference does it make who kills him?"

"I am indeed going to deal with Rashel, but that doesn't mean I must kill him. On the contrary, Bailey, I want you to protect him. Use all your strength to protect Rashel’s safety and don't let anything happen to him."

This command left Bailey stunned. He shouted angrily, "Why?"

Huey’s eyes frosted over. "You had better learn to say yes, instead of asking why. I have no obligation to explain the reason to you. Remember, in this regard, I am more tyrannical and more brutal than Rashel!"

Bailey trembled slightly and could only nod, gritting his teeth. "Fine, Huey. I promise you I won't touch that bastard, even after you steal the letter for us, I won't... kill him."

"If Rashel dies, you die too," Huey said coldly.

Seeing that Bailey was completely submissive, Huey nodded. "I have some things to do, but I need someone to provide cover for me, proving that I have been in this hotel the whole time and haven't gone anywhere. Of course, I don't need to fool everyone; I just need to fool Rashel. So, Lord Bailey, you should be able to take on this responsibility, right?"

Bailey was stunned. "You’re going out?"

"Yes. Otherwise, why do you think I removed my disguise? Just so you could see my face more clearly?" Huey laughed.

As he spoke, Huey walked to the side of the drawing room. Lilith suddenly pulled back the carpet on the floor, and Bailey was horrified to see a pre-drawn magic circle beneath it.

"This is..."

"A teleportation circle, a technology the Empire has always wanted to acquire," Huey replied faintly.

He took Xu from Lilith and applied a potion, restoring the creature’s black, glossy fur. Huey stood on the circle with Xu in his arms. The circle activated, and huge red waves of spatial energy converged beneath Huey’s feet.

Bailey finally understood what Huey was doing. He shouted, "You want to..."

"Yes, Bailey. Even with your testimony, it’s still difficult to make Rashel fully believe that I have nothing to do with Huey Glair. The best way is to have Huey Glair appear in another place. Lord Bailey, my presence here requires your testimony and cover. If you can't do it..."

Huey’s finger lightly traced his own throat, and Bailey felt a chill run down his spine.

"Wait!" Bailey shouted.

*Boom!*

The circle activated, and Huey’s figure vanished.

Stepping out of the teleportation circle, he found himself in a dark, small room. Stepping out of that, he was in a pitch-black corridor. Following the corridor, he reached a patio, and beyond that was an ordinary shop. From the outside, the shop looked perfectly normal, with nothing suspicious.

In fact, this was a secret stronghold arranged by Acacia Town. The owner and the staff were all Buckler’s people, used mainly for gathering intelligence and occasionally hiding fugitives wanted by the Empire. Ever since Brian Buckler arrived, the information and human resources here had been handed over to Huey. This was where Huey had established the corresponding teleportation array.

Coming to the front room, someone was already there, waiting respectfully for Huey.

"Young Master, everything is prepared."

"Very good," Huey replied coldly.

Huey raised his hand, and a rat-like creature with a weird, metallic blue luster appeared abruptly before everyone. Huey placed a soul-binding bead into the skull of the rat, and his voice murmured, "Awaken, my slave..."

As Huey sang the incantation softly, a mass of red light ignited in the eyes of the undead rat.