novelraw Chapter 665: Is the Old Man Getting Old and Talking in His Sleep?
Chapter 665: Is the Old Man Getting Old and Talking in His Sleep?
"This sounds no different from the imperial army asking me to pass along a message..."
Lu Ce said, a little speechless. When the topic turned to the Game, battles, and other serious matters, he visibly relaxed, as if he had entered a domain he understood. Even his gaze sharpened considerably.
"Speak. What did that person want to warn me about?"
Hearing Lu Ce's tone take on an unmistakable combat edge, Xie Antong froze for a moment, then said with a touch of amusement, "Uh, you might have misinterpreted some things."
"Do you think the Grand Elder is like the head of an official organization, telling you, an abnormal Player, to tone it down?"
Lu Ce: ?
Isn't that exactly it?
"Hmm? Then what would he warn me about?"
"When did I say it was a warning? It was really just a reminder, I don't know why..." Xie Antong's expression grew puzzled as she recalled the Grand Elder's voice and continued, "His attitude toward you was unexpectedly friendly."
"That surprised me. He seemed to admire many of the outrageous things you've done." "He also said that, whatever else, there was still some hope on your side."
Lu Ce was also surprised, staring at Xie Antong in disbelief. This couldn't be a joke, right? He had always been treated like a public enemy by everyone. This 'Grand Elder'—whom he'd never met—actually showed goodwill. He knew full well what kind of person 'Sin' behind the mask was.
"He said that at the end of the last Game, the gods' reactions might have been off, and it could be related to you."
Lu Ce: ??
He was genuinely bewildered and blurted out, "How did he know the gods' reactions?"
"That's the terrifying part," Xie Antong said solemnly, nodding. "I don't know the details, but let me tell you, this Lust choosing you is absolutely not normal."
"There have always been divisions within the gods. This time it might be a personal... godly action by Lust."
"He said you can verify this yourself. My sponsorship qualification will let me grow in strength, but yours might not show any growth in the short term."
"Rather than saying He chose you, it's more like He latched onto you, trying to attach to you in some way."
Listening to Xie Antong, Lu Ce's image of the never-before-seen Grand Elder skyrocketed in his mind. The man had directly speculated about gods as if he were human, and his guesses about Lust attaching to Lu Ce were almost spot on. This world really did have senior figures? Were they hiding this deeply?
He still said nothing.
Xie Antong nodded. "He said those lofty ones seem unusually quiet. They're probably discussing strategies to deal with you."
"His suggestion was that if you choose some decisions beyond reason in the next Game, it might foil their plans."
By this point, Lu Ce was growing skeptical. He could know all that?! "If he can hear conversations among the gods, isn't that a bit too much?" "Why is someone like that so low-key? When old Players return, doesn't he join the Game?"
Xie Antong shook her head. "I had the same doubts at first. But he really doesn't seem to have participated in the Game as an old Player."
"He didn't tell me why."
"He said..." Xie Antong swallowed and showed a trace of fear. "He said: 'I don't care what your relationship is now, but I just told you these things, and you'll definitely go tell him everything right after, hehe.'"
Lu Ce: ......
He raised a slight brow. For the first time in this world, someone had piqued his interest.
"Can you introduce me? No, introduce Sin," Lu Ce said. "Just tell him Sin wants to meet him. He can come to his home turf."
As he spoke, the light in his eyes flickered—greed, pride, and other emotions surged within him. Yet after he finished, he noticed Xie Antong staring at him, mouth slightly open, a little stunned.
"You..."
"He also said, 'When you tell him these things, he might want to meet me.' "
"'But sorry, so many people in this world want to meet him and can't. Now I'm going to let him taste being turned away, haha.'"
"You might get the chance to meet him."
Lu Ce narrowed his eyes, his expression growing more formal as he fell into thought. Seeing him like that, Xie Antong continued, "He didn't say he didn't want to meet you;
it's just that he has to rest."
"He said having too many people inside his body causes his spirit to go wrong, so he must sleep properly for a while."
"Huh?" Lu Ce's expression changed to puzzlement;
he didn't understand what that meant. "Too many people inside his body...?" "Is the old man getting senile and talking in his sleep?"
Xie Antong shrugged, admitting she didn't really know. "He said that those whose senses reach the heavens always pay some price."
With that, Xie Antong had finished telling him everything. She looked around and found the place utterly bare—no water even to drink. In fact, besides what she told Lu Ce, Nie Jiu Tian had said one more sentence to her in private.
— It seems you want to be someone whose hands and eyes reach everywhere, but my advice is to be very careful.
She hadn't said that part out loud.
"Alright, judging by your face, you're probably going to fall into deep thought again."
"My Divine Punishment side is also quite busy." With that, Xie Antong stood up and made to leave.
"Wait."
Lu Ce, who had been looking down, suddenly spoke and called out to the departing Xie Antong. She turned back, looking at him curiously.
He said calmly, "Did he also say I'm very likely not to accept his suggestion in the end?"
"Use that as your gauge, to judge whether the other things he said are true."
Xie Antong: ?!?