novelraw Chapter 1108: Personal Motive
Chapter 1108: Personal Motive
From a personal perspective, Luo Qiu wasn’t entirely in favor of Nero becoming a member of the club—because within Nero’s body resided his spiritual seed.
If possible, Luo Qiu didn’t wish for Nero’s "vision" to be lost like this.
However, based on the club’s most fundamental principle of trade… once a customer makes a request, and as long as they can afford the price, the transaction must proceed.
This leads to endless transactions, whether one is willing or not. Once power reaches that level—it no longer changes.
This, perhaps, is part of what’s lost when one loses their freedom… a sense of being unable to control one’s own path.
Luo Qiu knew that day might come soon—or maybe far in the future—but it would come eventually. Most likely, he would become like his predecessor, ultimately losing interest in everything.
Just like the club’s creed: To gain something, one must give something in return.
He would become the eternal Agent of the Root in the infinite time and space—and also its puppet… Perhaps that was the balance?
Nero’s request was approved by the altar—as always, every transaction must receive the altar’s approval before a contract can appear.
The power of the contract comes from the altar; Luo Qiu is merely the witness and executor.…
Nero’s deepest desire was to stay alive—in the club, guests tend to have their most primal desires magnified.
You might be mentally strong, willpower firm, able to resist… but eventually, your desire will be triggered—because you’ve stayed long enough, because you’ve made enough deals… because you’ve stepped onto a road of no return from the start.
She only wanted to live—no matter the form.
But the desire to live can grow enormous—it could mean living until the end of time, living forever.
Obviously, to live until eternity demands a price so vast it's nearly immeasurable… But perhaps there was a loophole—like becoming a Black Soul Envoy.
Maybe that was what Nero was thinking.
“You will lose your freedom. Your body and will no longer belong to yourself. Your life and death will rest on a single thought, and you will be unable to betray my will. Also, while performing missions, you may face situations where death is likely… Even so, are you willing?”
This was a deal—different from Da Zhe’s transformation. Da Zhe first became property of the club and was then transformed by Luo Qiu, with no choice in the matter.
Now, both Da Zhe and Tai Yinzi silently watched Nero—because in a few minutes, she might become one of them.
“Boss, is it really okay to do business like this?” Nero looked into Luo Qiu’s eyes. “Aren’t you afraid your customers might regret it?”
Luo Qiu smiled. “If everything’s made clear from the start, there’s no room for dispute later. And the choice is always in the customer’s hands.”
Nero said calmly, “But the better side is always yours, isn’t it? Even with so-called choice… is there ever a better option?”
She looked at the floating parchment before her and, without hesitation, placed her palm on it. She whispered, “I don’t want to keep suffering.”
The transformation process was simple—under the club’s power, it took less than ten seconds.
Nero gave up her human body and gained a new one formed from the Source of Anomaly.
Her scars vanished. She looked at her new body, feeling an unprecedented lightness—even without medication… the pain was gone.
—No more pain. The pain’s all gone, just like that.
A voice from her childhood—her parents—briefly echoed in her mind.
“It really doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Nero looked at Luo Qiu and smiled.
He saw a tear slowly slip down from under her eye. It was the first time Luo Qiu had seen such a smile on Nero.
Not cruel, not cold, not twisted, not frivolous. No malice or hostility—just a plain, ordinary smile.
So… ordinary.
…
…
A new Black Soul Envoy had joined, yet Miss Maid didn’t seem surprised at all. She didn’t even show displeasure that it was Nero.
Over the centuries, she had seen countless brilliant individuals become Black Soul Envoys—only to die again in brutal missions. She had long become used to it.
In fact, Miss Maid looked to be in a fine mood. After Boss Luo finished Nero’s transformation and returned to the study, Tai Yinzi was shocked to realize—he might not die after all?
Black Soul Envoys were managed by Miss Maid. At that moment, she was patiently explaining the responsibilities to Nero.
“First, you are not allowed to force customers into transactions, but you may use persuasion.”
Nero shrugged indifferently.
“Second, we have no true enemies. Every guest that comes here, even if you once hated them, must be treated with basic respect.”
Nero shrugged again to show she understood.
“Third, the Master is our everything. Any thoughts of betrayal are absolutely forbidden. And, especially, you must not walk around indecently—after bathing, put on clothes immediately.”
Nero… Nero opened her mouth, as if to argue, but in the end said nothing.
The instruction continued. It would take some time.
…
…
Croaching Dragon Estate – Underground Medical Room
Mo Mo had been visiting Zhan’er almost every day. Right now, the estate had only two support staff and one medical worker left.
Zhan’er’s condition made her unfit for transfer… Luckily, when the estate was built, they took great care—self-sufficient electricity still powered everything. As for the surrounding fog, it was being held back by a protective barrier from the Management Bureau.
Because of this, medical equipment could still be used.
If the barrier could move, they likely wouldn’t have stayed here—they would have taken it into the mist zones.
Bored out of her mind, the nurse assigned here began cleaning. For instance, she decided to wash Zhan’er’s old clothes, which still had bloodstains from when she was treated. They’d been left untouched in the corner.
As she picked them up, something dropped from the clothes.
It was a small rattle bell.
“This bell…”
The soft sound it made hitting the floor caught Mo Mo’s attention. He walked over, picked it up, and instinctively gave it a shake.
The clear, crisp chime seemed to carry a strange calming magic.
“Mr. Mo Mo, I didn’t break anything, did I?” The young nurse asked nervously—she knew the kinds of people living in Croaching Dragon Estate.
This plain little bell might be some kind of Daoist artifact—if broken, she couldn’t possibly repay it.
“It’s fine.” Mo Mo smiled. “You can carry on.”
Only then did the nurse breathe a sigh of relief and quickly walk away… Mo Mo stood by the glass, watching the still-sleeping Zhan’er, slightly helpless. “So you’ve been carrying this the whole time.”
He recalled his first day at Croaching Dragon Estate—meeting the current Plain-Clothed Daoist successor, Lai Caisheng, who had given him this bell.
Mo Mo hadn’t expected that Zhan’er would keep it with her all this time… He shook his head, held the bell in hand, and stepped out of the medical room.
There was still another support staff member around—so she wouldn’t be left unattended.
Thanks to the barrier, the inside of Croaching Dragon Estate wasn’t completely engulfed by the thick fog… But from the courtyard looking out, the estate appeared like an isolated pocket world shrouded within the mist.
The fog was so dense that it made the entire mountain estate dim and gloomy. Without checking the time, it was impossible to tell if it was morning or afternoon. Mo Mo never imagined he would encounter him here, at this moment—the mysterious man wearing a bronze mask, the one currently stirring up a storm outside.
Right there, in the annex belonging to the Plain-Clothed Daoist.
Mo Mo didn’t even know when this masked man had arrived, or how he managed to pass through the protective barrier… At this moment, the bronze-masked man stood in the courtyard, gazing up at a parasol tree.
Fear struck deep in Mo Mo’s heart… The only remaining staff in the estate—two logistics personnel—were obviously of no help.
That left only him.
The one thing that gave Mo Mo a bit of confidence was that after returning to the estate, he’d recovered his luggage—his Daoist tools and talismans from Dragon-Tiger Mountain were intact. At least he wouldn’t be forced to fight barehanded.
He gripped a powerful talisman in his hand as he stepped into the courtyard… Mo Mo had the distinct feeling this man had come specifically to find him.
“71st generation of Heavenly Heart! And you still dare to trespass into Croaching Dragon Estate!” Mo Mo rushed into the annex, pointing his plain black wooden sword angrily. “What do you want!”
“Your friend… is he alright now?” The bronze-masked man turned and looked at Mo Mo calmly. “I heard he barely survived, didn’t he?”
Mo Mo gritted his teeth. “It’s because of you that Zhan’er ended up like that… damn you!”
“As the saying goes, ‘Great misfortunes lead to great blessings.’” the masked man said calmly. “That goes for him… and for you. It proves your fate is strong. But having a strong fate doesn’t mean you can waste it recklessly. You might get to see a new world—why not cherish that chance?”
“Cherish?” Mo Mo sneered. “If no one had saved us that day… all those Daoist seniors and Demon experts would’ve died in vain. All for your selfish ambition? Shouldn’t the one who might not survive be left behind? Who gave you the right to decide?!”
“Throughout history, great undertakings always came with sacrifices,” the bronze-masked man said flatly. “In ancient times, weak tribes abandoned their elderly to preserve food for the young. It’s the same idea. Those people had long exhausted their potential. Even with the spiritual revival, they couldn’t break through. That’s why they entrusted their hopes to those who still had potential—willing to sacrifice themselves. To you, is that merely selfishness?”
“They… volunteered?” Mo Mo asked, stunned.
“You don’t understand,” the man said. “You don’t know the pain of hitting a ceiling, of approaching death with no way forward. You haven’t seen the despair of a path you know is there, completely sealed off. Cultivating for centuries, only to reach a dead end, clinging to life at the edge of hopelessness, while time keeps slipping away. Do you understand that?”
As he spoke, scenes began flashing before Mo Mo’s eyes.
Daoists ending their lives in despair…
Demons screaming in rage to the heavens…
Hate!
Kill!
It might’ve only lasted a moment, but Mo Mo was drenched in cold sweat… The endless grief and agony pierced straight into his soul.
His black wooden sword slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground. His legs gave out as he fell to his knees… overwhelmed by endless resentment, fury, and despair—from those who had been trapped in hopelessness since the Immortal Path was sealed off.
Then, the sound of the bell suddenly rang out, cutting through the oppressive aura like a bolt of lightning. Mo Mo’s spirit snapped back.
He gasped for breath, staring at the bronze-masked man—somehow, the small bell was now in Mo Mo’s hand.
“Whether the Daoist world or the Demon world appears peaceful…” the man said slowly, “you’ve probably never realized how deep the undercurrents run. This despair has been building, and it keeps growing stronger over time. When the day comes that it can no longer be contained… madness will follow. Maybe even true catastrophe. Do you know why the Management Bureau was created after the founding of the new nation?”
Mo Mo shook his head, bewildered.
“Because of a greater madness,” the man replied calmly. “Daoists who secretly used mortal lives to shatter their shackles… Demons who went even more insane. They grew more hidden—and far more extreme. If they couldn’t draw from the spiritual energy of the world, they began draining the life force of humans instead. The Taoist principle of calm and non-action has long vanished. Behind the scenes, many turned into demonic predators. Like a plague, it spread silently through both the Daoist and Demon worlds. We have only two choices: perish in madness, or find a new breakthrough. And if no breakthrough is found, then madness will consume everything—including the mortal world.”
“How can that be…”
“You should be grateful,” the bronze-masked man said, stepping toward Mo Mo. “Grateful that they chose sacrifice… not madness. Grateful that they opened a path for you—left hope for your generation.”
Mo Mo looked up at him.
The man slowly removed his bronze mask.
“Now, do you still think this was all just selfishness?”
Mo Mo’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“It’s you!”
Standing before him was… Lai Caisheng.
(End of Chapter)