novelraw Chapter 381: The other party treated him with sincerity, and he reciprocated with sincerity
Chapter 381: The other party treated him with sincerity, and he reciprocated with sincerity
The elderly man on the screen fell silent for a moment. "The specific intelligence is classified as top secret, not for disclosure. City Lord Mo, you only need to know that this is a decision jointly made by the Supreme Council, the Military Department, the Aberrant Purge Division, and all other high-level authorities of Daxia. For the overall interests of Daxia, I ask for your cooperation."
Upon hearing this, Mo Yuan gently placed the chess piece in his hand down onto the board, producing a crisp, clicking sound.
"Heh... I, Mo Yuan, have guarded Black City for hundreds of years. The men under my command have shed blood for Daxia, have left their bones in its soil. The Mist Surges we have repelled, the Aberrants we have slain, are more than some of you have ever even seen. And now, for the sake of some unspecified secret, a single sentence, you want me to hand over a Guest Advisor I personally acknowledged? You can't even be bothered to give this old man a decent reason? Is this the attitude you high and mighty officials have towards me?"
The old man seemed choked by these words, but still insisted, "City Lord Mo, your achievements have never been forgotten by Daxia. But this matter is of great importance, it involves principles..."
"My principle is this," Mo Yuan interrupted him, staring at the old man on the screen, enunciating each word clearly. "The people of Black City are under my, Mo Yuan's, protection. Without concrete evidence, without a proper, publicly stated reason, no one is taking anyone from me."
He paused, then continued coldly. "If you want the person, fine. Produce the evidence. Announce it to the world. Declare exactly what unforgivable crime Chen Qing has committed. Make me, Mo Yuan, and make all of Black City, accept it willingly. Otherwise..."
Mo Yuan snorted coldly and flicked his sleeve. "I won't be keeping you company!"
With those words, and without waiting for a response, he directly cut off the communication.
Mo Yuan understood clearly in his heart.
Because he was an Aberrant.Even with his distinguished service, even with his overwhelming strength, when it came to certain core issues, he was still an outsider to be guarded against.
They feared he would show favoritism because Chen Qing was an Aberrant, because he himself was also an Aberrant.
But so what?
In this little patch of land that was Black City, he, Mo Yuan, was the rule.
Anyone who wanted to touch his people had to ask for his permission first.
Mo Yuan stood quietly for a moment, profound light swirling in his eyes, lost in unknown thoughts.
His mind stirred slightly, and an intangible thought was transmitted outward.
Not long after, Su Zhan's figure appeared outside the study door.
"City Lord."
Su Zhan entered the study and looked at Mo Yuan.
Mo Yuan turned around, his face not revealing much emotion, and got straight to the point. "I just received a communication from Daxia's Supreme Council."
Su Zhan's gaze sharpened slightly as he waited silently for what came next.
Mo Yuan looked at him, his tone steady. "They have determined you are extremely dangerous and demanded I hand you over."
The aura around Su Zhan instantly turned several degrees colder and sharper.
But he didn't speak. He just looked quietly at Mo Yuan, waiting for his next words.
He believed that if Mo Yuan intended to hand him over, he wouldn't be telling him so calmly like this.
"I asked them for a reason," Mo Yuan continued. "They told me it's top secret, not for disclosure. They couldn't even be bothered to fabricate a decent reason to placate me. It seems the matter of the Reforge Fruit has finally given them the lead they wanted, and they can't be bothered to conceal their purpose any longer. Their determination to move against you is very firm. Although they didn't say it outright, what lies concealed beneath that 'top secret' label... you and I both know perfectly well."
He was clearly telling Su Zhan this.
Daxia's high-level authorities had almost certainly confirmed that "Chen Qing" was "Su Zhan," and had consequently made the decision to eliminate him.
The previous protection was now facing unprecedented pressure because the other side had found near-conclusive evidence and raised accusations that could shake the very foundations of the state.
After listening, Su Zhan's eyes were filled with a chill.
He had long anticipated this day would come. He just hadn't expected it to be so fast, so direct.
He looked at Mo Yuan, his voice calm and even. "What is the City Lord's meaning in informing me of this?"
Mo Yuan met his gaze. After a moment, he spoke slowly. "I refused them. Here, in my Black City. However... I am not certain if Daxia's most powerful few stand on their side. If they do, then it will be very difficult for me to protect you."
Su Zhan gave a slight nod, understanding Mo Yuan's meaning.
This was a warning. The storm was coming. He needed to prepare early.
"Thank you for informing me, City Lord."
What was destined to come had finally arrived.
Mo Yuan was standing so firmly on his side.
From the moment he arrived in Black City until now, when his identity was exposed, it remained so.
The other party was Daxia's high command.
They represented the most authoritative official power of all humanity.
The reason they gave, though classified, contained a killing intent that Mo Yuan couldn't possibly fail to sense.
This meant that protecting "Chen Qing" was, to a certain degree, equivalent to standing in opposition to Daxia's official authority, requiring him to bear unpredictable risks and pressure.
Moreover, Mo Yuan had likely already guessed the truth of his dual identity.
Knew he was that Su Zhan who should have died. Knew how much impact this identity would have on the faith of Daxia's populace once completely exposed.
Yet, despite all this, Mo Yuan had still chosen to protect him.
This unreserved support, its weight, was already no less than that of Teacher Wang Mingyuan and Ye Hongyu.
As his thoughts flowed, Su Zhan suddenly realized something.
He had only spent a year at Vermilion Bird Academy. That year, while there was care, was also accompanied by suspicion and ended in the frantic haste of a forced escape.
Yet in Black City, in this city regarded as a chaotic land, he had spent two and a half years of relative peace and stability.
Here, his disguise was never doubted by anyone.
He could focus entirely on improving his strength.
Mo Yuan had provided him with the most secluded cultivation grounds, the highest courtesy, the firmest protection.
Comparing the two, Black City, or rather Mo Yuan himself, had given him a more direct form of support.
Su Zhan looked directly at Mo Yuan, his voice frank and open. "City Lord Mo, thank you. Your guess is correct. Chen Qing is indeed my disguised identity. My real name is Su Zhan."
He didn't elaborate excessively on the causes and consequences. But these simple two sentences had already laid bare his greatest secret, the heavy identity he had borne for years, completely open before Mo Yuan.
This was a repayment of trust.
The other had treated him with sincerity; he would repay that with sincerity in turn.
From this moment on, in Black City, before Mo Yuan, he no longer needed to hide.
Mo Yuan listened quietly, not a trace of surprise on his face.
He had been waiting for this for a long time.
"Su Zhan... Good. In the eyes of those lofty, high-and-mighty figures of Daxia, your existence, your dual identity, is an unstable factor that must be eliminated. They fear change. They fear anything beyond their control and understanding. But in my, Mo Yuan's, view... they are wrong! Utterly, completely wrong! You are no calamity, Su Zhan. You are a miracle rarely seen in a thousand years! The one and only existence who has broken the norms and walks upon two paths!"