Chapter 1096: Chapter 849: Don’t Want to Be Enemies
Revenge begins with gathering allies.
All those who escaped that day were now hidden within the Imperial City; not a single one had left. The messenger found them one by one using a unique communication method exclusive to the Ancient Mage Tower. These people were also having a tough time; some disguised themselves as beggars like the messenger, others moved directly into the sewers. Some even masqueraded as merchants, embarking on lives they were not all that familiar with.
There were not many who responded to the messenger’s call for revenge, for they all understood that what happened here would surely alarm Long Yi. Even if he did not come now, it might be just a matter of time before he would, and once he appeared, no one would stand a chance of escape.
Of course, there were those who were not content. In the end, the messenger gathered a paltry team of thirty. Their goal was clear, destruction and revenge.
Consequently, mysterious explosions began occurring throughout the Imperial City over the next few days, destroying many of its most famous structures. Ultimately, it was proven that these explosions were caused by powerful magic.
There was no need to ponder who was behind these bombings; it was surely the work of the messenger and his group.
Long Yi detested such sneaky behavior. He had thought the messenger and his comrades would have kept a low profile by now, but to his surprise, there were still some brazen enough to commit crimes right under his nose!
Thus, that morning, Long Yi appeared in the Imperial Square in front of the Imperial Palace, and his voice, amplified by magic, reached every corner of the Imperial City.
"Mages of the Ancient Mage Tower, I am Long Yi! Just as you expected, you have successfully lured me here. Sadly, you chose to avoid me, which disappoints me. I understand the fear in your hearts, and I know that not all of you wish to confront me head-on. So, I give you a chance, an opportunity to prove that you are not the bad guys."
"There are a total of one hundred and eighty-six fugitive members of the Ancient Mage Tower, among them one is the messenger. Starting now, you have three days. You can prove your sincerity to me by capturing those responsible for the bombings. I, Long Yi, promise that those who prove their sincerity will no longer be my enemies. And those who capture the messenger will be allowed to leave this planet. Please consider my proposal carefully, you only have three days. After that, I will personally take action, don’t think I can’t find you!"
After delivering his speech, Long Yi immediately went back to rest.
Long Yi was using his deterrent presence to make the enemy crumble from within!
Actually, the actions of the messenger had already caused dissatisfaction among many, as this messenger dragged everyone on this planet into the battle right from the start. Now that they had lost, instead of keeping a low profile, they were engaging in bombing activities. What was the point of that? Now that Long Yi had personally shown up, how were they supposed to fight? Who could possibly best him?
A group of mages from the Ancient Mage Tower gathered at a secret location, all wearing solemn expressions.
Surrender?
But surrender required sincerity!
Sincerity...
"Sincerity is not plentiful," an elderly mage suddenly spoke slowly. The others were startled and then their eyes widened in realization.
Yes, Long Yi provided two options. Anyone who could capture the perpetrators of the bombings would no longer be Long Yi’s enemy. This phrase had often been used within the Ancient Mage Tower; not being Long Yi’s enemy meant at the very least not facing death, though one might still end up a prisoner. But those able to capture the messenger and bring him before Long Yi were promised the chance to leave the planet!
Admittedly, opportunities were indeed scarce!
Suddenly, a few mages disguised as fruit vendors laughed and said, "Oh, we forgot our fruits in the market, we’ll go sort it out and be right back."
Seeing their actions, almost everyone immediately understood, "You bastards, don’t think about hogging the opportunity for yourselves!"
More than a hundred people rushed out hastily.
The members of the Ancient Mage Tower had a unique way of connecting with each other, which allowed them to find one another. However, this method also risked exposing themselves to each other in times of crisis.
For a moment, internal strife erupted.
At this time, Long Yi and the Emperor were within the Imperial Palace.
The Emperor still wore a look of disbelief, "Mr. Long Yi, while I understand the strength of your deterrent power, is it really possible for just a few words from you to incite infighting among them?"
Long Yi smiled and said, "Possible, certainly possible, and it’s not just my deterrent power at work. It has much to do with their nature as well. Raised and matured within the Ancient Mage Tower, their lives have always been arranged for them. Obeying orders is their instinct; compliance is their second nature. Those who emerge from such an environment and suddenly come to this surface world immediately experience something they have never known before."
"Freedom?" the Emperor asked.
"No, selfishness," Long Yi replied. "Selfishness leads to self-interest, and that is why the majority of the Ancient Mage Tower’s mages act like naïve brats, doing various unscrupulous things. But now, here I am, and my presence signifies death, and their instinct is to fear death. So if they find a suitable way to keep themselves alive, do you think it is better for them to continue to flee, or to fight me to the death, or to betray those they are not very close to and who keep pushing them towards danger?"
The Emperor nodded. Long Yi’s comments seemed to make a lot of sense, but he couldn’t help feeling that something was amiss.
Long Yi smiled and said, "No need to rush, we can wait and see if things turn out as I said. Within three days, all will become clear."
During these three days, all the guards in the Imperial City stopped patrolling. Throughout this time, battles of varying scale erupted incessantly within the city.
Watching group after group escorting one or two prisoners to Long Yi, then gleefully clapping on the shackles of forbidden magic, the Emperor was left somewhat speechless. Indeed, people differ from one another.
In three days, all but the messenger had been captured. When the last group arrived, more than forty people were escorting a single individual.
"Is this person really that strong?" the Emperor asked, looking at the obviously frail criminal whose face was marked with unwillingness.
"It’s not that he’s too strong, but rather that these people didn’t catch the messenger, so they could only come together to make up the numbers," Long Yi said.
The Emperor was startled, "Is that also counted?"
Long Yi laughed, "Of course it counts. After all, I don’t have a record of the fight."
The group of over forty people was extremely nervous; after all, such a large number apprehending one person was inexcusable by any measure. They even had concocted a perfect story, with each person’s role in it clearly defined. But Long Yi didn’t ask a single question; he simply nodded, allowing them to pass.
As for the captured individual, just like the others who had been caught, he was instantly killed.
Thus, only the messenger remained at large.
At this point, over one hundred and fifty people were gathered in an underground warehouse. Shackled with the magic of forbidden laws, they had food and drink and, aside from not being able to wander off, were relatively relaxed. Some even admitted that they were able to sleep.
However, when Long Yi appeared before them, they couldn’t help but tense up, facing over one hundred and fifty shackled individuals, Long Yi simply smiled faintly.
"Gentlemen, no need to be nervous. I am here to inquire about something," said Long Yi.
Everyone stared at Long Yi, no one daring to speak.
"You have proven your sincerity through your actions, but clearly, the prime culprit behind this conflict—the messenger—has not been captured. I believe that you do not wish to be my enemies, but if we fail to catch the messenger, or if he escapes, once he returns to the Ancient Mage Tower, things will become troublesome. What do you think?"
Indeed, everyone there understood that if the messenger escaped, they would never be able to return to the Ancient Mage Tower. Turning on their own, no matter which corner of the plane, was something that could never be tolerated!
"Therefore, I am giving you another chance. I will unlock your magical shackles and allow you to leave this place. In exchange, I hope you will help me capture the messenger... alive would be best, but dead is fine too. If successful, you will be allowed to leave this planet. As for where you go, I really don’t care. What do you think of this deal?"
On one hand was Long Yi, whom they couldn’t possibly defeat, and on the other hand was the messenger, whom everyone eagerly wished would drop dead immediately.
This choice was not one that required any hesitation!
Once this group was released, Long Yi waited for less than half a day before the messenger was captured and brought back by a group.
Luckily, he was alive but severely wounded and barely hanging on, clearly the result of being bombarded by multiple spells.
Long Yi found Mora and unlocked his magical shackles, handing over the one hundred and fifty-plus individuals to him, "Take them with you and leave. My word is my bond; you can go. However, I suggest you temporarily find a remote and unknown planet to hide on and meanwhile experience the life of ordinary people. Once the matter with the Ancient Mage Tower is settled, you’ll be safe."
Long Yi’s words were sincere, and Mora never expected that they would one day be released! Those who had captured the messenger were also overjoyed; they truly had resigned themselves to death. Yet, at this final moment, their fate took such an unexpected turn!
Later, Mora would lead the people aboard a spaceship to depart. By then, only Long Yi and the messenger would be left.
"Get up, buddy. I know you’re not dead," Long Yi chuckled.
At this moment, the messenger was of course pretending to be dead, but facing Long Yi, he wished he had actually died right then and there! This was Long Yi, the one whom no one dared to provoke!
The messenger got up from the ground and sat there silently, not daring to look at Long Yi, fearful that a single glance would cost him his life.
"Compared to your life, I am more interested in the information you can provide me. As you’ve just seen, dealing with me is quite straightforward. If you don’t oppose me and honestly follow my instructions, you will not only live, but I will also let you leave."
Upon hearing this, the messenger’s previously gloomy mood suddenly seemed to see the light of day.
"Ask away! Whatever it is, just ask! Anything I know, I will tell you!" The hope of survival made the messenger feel as if all his pains had vanished.
"Actually, my question is quite simple. Have you seen Elma recently?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)
