Chapter 1081: Chapter 1081: Division
"Alright, so you’re now the heir of the Vlad Clan! Hahaha!" Pei Yan said, turning his head back to look at his companions behind him with a mixture of amusement and disbelief, "We’ve got to keep this one! Old Vlad is really generous, huh? One son as a hostage isn’t enough; he throws another one in for free!"
"Yeah, I was just as surprised as you were when I found out he was the second heir of the Vlad family. I couldn’t believe they would send him to join the rescue mission. Finally managed to catch a big fish! Makes all the days I spent acting in that dungeon worth it." Pei Jin replied with a laugh, rubbing the bruises left by the chains. Since they didn’t know the exact time of the Blood Race’s attack, she had to stay in the dungeon acting as bait until the game was over.
"Hey! I’ve asked you repeatedly! You thought I was being annoying! Didn’t you say you were sure your brother was in the dungeon? So where is he now? Where is he?" Wu Xiuping yelled at Radu, who was being guarded in the middle of the team, unable to hold back the anger he’d been suppressing, especially after seeing Pei Yan appear and hearing that his rescue target had changed.
"Does it even matter right now? Even if my brother were here, would we not have encountered Pei Yan trying to stop us?" Radu blushed with guilt when questioned but, due to his usual pride, couldn’t bring himself to admit fault to these people. His habitual arrogance made him retort instead.
"It makes a difference! At least we wouldn’t be walking to our deaths for nothing!" As all the ominous feelings turned into reality, Wu Xiuping abandoned previous courtesies and tore into him directly.
"There’s no difference! Blame it on your team being incompetent! Couldn’t even handle one Pei Yan with three people! Otherwise, how could we end up so passive?"
"You...!"
"Alright! Alright! Stop arguing!"
Wu Xiuping was momentarily lost for words against Radu’s shameless arguments. As he pondered how to counter, Pei Yan, surprisingly playing the peacemaker, intervened, "I’ve seen enough of these internal conflicts, and I don’t want to watch another one today!"
Saying this, Pei Yan pulled out a cigarette pack, flicked the bottom, and a cigarette jumped out, drawing an arc in the air before landing smoothly in his mouth. Holding the cigarette, he lit it with his fingers, muttering as he did so, "I got the message on my way here, initially planning not to waste words, to come and finish you all off in one go."
As the ease with which the other party discussed their life-or-death situation hit them, both groups felt a mix of indignation, as if their untimely end was a forgone conclusion to Pei Yan. Yet, despite their feelings, none dared to be the first to provoke him.
"Puff!" Pei Yan exhaled a smoke ring, scanning the crowd again, "However, upon arriving here, I changed my mind. Seeing that your power levels aren’t low, keeping you alive might yield some information I want." He pointed at Radu with a cigarette-wielding hand, smiling, "Besides, with a surprise like you, I can offer a way out. Before I finish this cigarette, those who give up resistance and surrender to the left side of the field will be spared, while those who remain will be killed without exception, unless I take a special interest in them!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Pei Yan shook his head and mocked himself while speaking, "Look at that, people keep saying I’ve become more ruthless, and I haven’t felt that way, but thinking back, I’ve said ’kill without exception’ so many times recently. Sigh!" After finishing, Pei Yan looked at the crowd, showing a resigned expression, "So, don’t say I didn’t give you a chance! For my mental well-being and your lives, I hope you make the right choice."
Pei Yan’s words left both groups exchanging glances, with everyone harboring their own thoughts instantly. The Blood Race’s side was relatively understandable; having never faced the Investigation Bureau directly, they only heard of Pei Yan’s infamous reputation. Despite this, their underestimation of those from the Foundation Plane and blind confidence in their Blood Race prowess diminished the impact of these tales in their minds, making them seem exaggerated. Secondly, due to their strict hierarchy, they had to wait for orders from above and dared not decide independently without explicit instructions from the Patriarch in this operation.
On the other hand, the Blood Sea faction wasn’t the same. Not to mention the mountain of corpses and sea of blood Pei Yan had created in the Hell Plane over the years, but the power and damage he displayed during this competition gave the Blood Sea faction a deeper understanding of Pei Yan than others. Four of the Seven Deadly Sins perished by his hand, and now seeing the Three Tyrants defeated by him and their fate unknown, Wu Xiuping could only wonder, how could he possibly compare to them?
Considering this, Wu Xiuping wavered internally, his legs unconsciously moving towards the direction Pei Yan indicated. Sensing this, the Blood Race’s Depeo panicked internally. The situation was already dire; losing this support would mean certain doom for their side. In desperation, he shouted, "Wu! What are you doing? Don’t be deceived by the enemy’s words! Once you surrender and fall into their hands, do you think you’ll have a good end?"
Depeo’s words jolted Wu Xiuping back from his wavering resolve. He looked at Pei Yan, hesitating, "I’ve heard that your Investigation Bureau uses the Divine Artifact to brutally separate abilities from prisoners in the Secret Prison for your agents. Is that true?"
"True," Pei Yan flicked the cigarette ash and admitted bluntly.
Hearing this response, Depeo felt relieved, thinking Wu Xiuping wouldn’t betray them. But Wu Xiuping felt reassured; he already knew the truth. If Pei Yan had lied, he would have fought to the end without hesitation. The honesty gave him a glimmer of hope, prompting him to ask, "If we surrender, will we face the same fate?"
"Not necessarily. Not every prisoner in the Secret Prison faces that fate." As he spoke, Pei Yan raised his hand and an image of a woman appeared before everyone, "Her name is Qi Youting. You might not recognize her, but she was once a member of the Divine Desire. Yet, because she never committed bad deeds, after education and observation, she’s now part of the Investigation Bureau and works in the Secret Prison. Many like her have survived. If any of you have committed unforgivable crimes, don’t bother surrendering, because in the Daoist Realm manifest, rules don’t constrain me from passing judgment on the spot. But if your crimes aren’t that heinous, surrender and let the proper judgment be passed. You might have a chance to live again after good behavior in the Secret Prison!"
With that, Pei Yan gestured to the half-burnt cigarette in his hand and laughed, "No matter your choice, you’d better hurry! You don’t have much time left!"
