Chapter 169: Chapter 122: I’m Just a Desperado Who Could Die at Any Moment
Jiang Yunnuan couldn’t help but ask.
His gaze darted away at her words, and he turned his head to change the subject.
"Once I’ve regained some strength, you should leave. I don’t want you to get into trouble if you’re discovered."
"Don’t worry, we won’t be discovered. Since we came all this way, we’ll escort you out of the Empire. But after you leave the Empire, you’ll be on your own."
Fu Yuan’s information hadn’t been updated in the Empire’s genetic database. He was still listed as a member of the Feather Clan, and he had no plans to get re-tested to update it.
He had deliberately appeared in his Kun form today precisely to avoid detection.
Besides, they had an alibi back at the villa in Central City. There was no way this could be traced back to them.
"Why did you come to help me? From the moment I became a wanted man, there’s been no place for me in the Alliance. I’m just a fugitive on the run who could die at any moment. I can’t repay you for anything, so why are you still helping me?"
Ming Ye clenched his fists, his low, cold voice tinged with a tremor.
At his words, Si Xie scoffed, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Who wants your repayment? We’re just doing this for old times’ sake. We just don’t want you to die, that’s all. Don’t read too much into it."
’If it weren’t for Nuannuan’s mission, it’d be a miracle if he and Fu Yuan didn’t kick him while he’s down. Help him? As if.’
After all, it wasn’t unheard of for Contractors to fight to the death while vying for their master’s favor.
Ming Ye hugged his older brother tighter, lowering his head. "Alright, I understand," he said softly. "But... regardless, thank you."
"You don’t have to thank us!"
Jiang Yunnuan chimed in, her gaze fixed on the two brothers, intensely curious about what they had been through.
’Sigh... this poor guy. His inner core is shattered, his meridians are severed, his organs are damaged, and his Cultivation is completely gone. His injuries are horrific. If Ming Ye hadn’t given him that Innate Spirit Water, he probably would’ve been dead by now.’
’So, what on earth happened to them? How did his brother get into such a terrible state?’
’And... is Ming Ye being a wanted man related to his brother?’
Only after reading her thoughts did Si Xie realize just how curious she was about the situation.
Well, he was actually quite curious himself. So, he couldn’t resist asking.
"So, Ming Ye, how did you suddenly end up a wanted man? What happened? Were you framed, or did you actually commit some major crime?"
At these words, Ming Ye’s pupils contracted. He pressed his lips together and fell silent once more as a series of images flashed through his mind.
Just as Si Xie was about to read his mind, a cough sounded in his ear.
"COUGH, COUGH. Ah Yue isn’t a criminal. He only did it to save me... it was a momentary mistake that led to this disaster. Please, don’t hate him..."
Criminals are always detestable, and wanted fugitives even more so.
Ming Yue didn’t want them to despise Ming Ye, so he couldn’t stop himself from explaining.
And so, about ten minutes later, Jiang Yunnuan, Si Xie, and Fu Yuan knew the whole story.
It turned out that Ming Yue hadn’t been assigned a Contract Master, but a certain woman had taken an interest in him. She had propositioned him and made advances time and again.
He refused her. Unwilling to accept rejection, the woman ordered her Contractors to set a trap for him. They drugged him, knocked him unconscious, and imprisoned him in a basement.
During his imprisonment, the woman subjected him to all manner of torture to break his spirit and pride. Her Contractors, who also despised him, ganged up to abuse him as well.
In the end, he was tortured to the point that his inner core shattered, his meridians were severed, his organs were damaged, and his Cultivation was completely lost.
Ming Ye had been searching for him in secret the whole time. Just a few days ago, he finally got a lead on his whereabouts. When he went there, he walked in on the woman torturing his brother.
The two brothers had always been very close. Upon seeing that scene, Ming Ye snapped. In a red-eyed rage, he killed the woman and all of her Contractors before escaping with his brother.
’That whole household deserved worse than death!’
’But for him to throw his own life away for scum like that... it felt like a waste.’
Jiang Yunnuan felt it was a shame, but she quickly reminded herself that it was his choice to make. As long as he felt it was worth it, that was all that mattered.
"So, when you came back to terminate our contract the other day, you had already killed them?"
"Mm."
He nodded in response.
Jiang Yunnuan: "..."
’No wonder he was covered in blood but didn’t seem injured. It really was all someone else’s.’
"After killing them, why didn’t you escape immediately? What were you doing running back here?"
Si Xie didn’t get it. Weren’t the guy’s actions that day just a complete waste of time?
He was lucky the entire household was wiped out, so no one reported it right away. If it had been discovered any sooner, he never would’ve had time to run back here. He’d have been captured long ago.
Ming Ye pressed his lips together, saying nothing.
’Why did I go back?’
’For the Contract Termination, of course!’
’Only by successfully terminating the contract could I escape with a clear conscience. Otherwise, my only option would have been to say my goodbyes and turn myself in.’
*
The sea of clouds churned.
The massive, sky-blotting, black-and-blue fish that seemed capable of swallowing the heavens soon vanished from sight.
On the ground below, by a large tree, a figure cloaked in black stood with their head tilted up, gazing for a long time at the spot in the sky where the great fish had vanished.
The person was dressed in all black, their pant legs tucked into leather combat boots. A hood concealed their face, and they held a grotesque iron mask in one hand.
"Heh... I knew you would come..."
Murmuring softly, the figure raised a hand and placed the iron mask over their face. Their black boots crunched over dry grass and fallen leaves as they walked slowly toward the nearby crash site.
The Flying Device was equipped with safety features. Despite the crash, there were no casualties.
A middle-aged officer stood beside the wreckage of the crashed Flying Device, his face covered in soot and his hair a mess. His cap was nowhere to be seen as he barked orders at his equally disheveled subordinates.
"You! Send out a distress signal. Request aid from the nearest rescue teams."
"You, you, and you—go check the wreckage of all the Flying Devices! See if the recorders can still be activated. If they can, you must retrieve the footage of that monster!"
"That monster is something we’ve never seen before. We don’t know if it poses a threat to the Empire. We must report this as soon as possible and make sure the higher-ups take it seriously."
"You! Send a message to the border legion. Inform them that our team’s pursuit has failed. The fugitive is heading for the border, likely attempting to flee the Empire. Request that the border legion take over and continue the pursuit immediately."
Just as the subordinates acknowledged their orders and prepared to move out, a tyrannical wave of Energy washed over them. Before anyone could react, they were all knocked unconscious by the overwhelming force.
The figure slowly approached, their gaze sweeping over the unconscious forms scattered on the ground. They closed their eyes and began to extract all of their memories.
After confirming that no one had taken any photos, the figure erased all their memories of the monstrous fish. Then, they looked up at the scattered wreckage of the Flying Devices.
