SIATOWITF Chapter 59
by VolareFor a moment, no one responded. Everyone was frightened by the snake’s insane demeanor, including all the members of the NHE Association.
The first to react was Ji Mo An, his muscles already having developed a memory from the snake’s frequent bloodbaths.
Grab hemostatic gauze, pinch the snake’s neck, wipe away the blood – the series of movements had long become second nature to him.
“Stop being so mysterious, speak quickly,” he said, pressing the snake down onto the chair.
“The Prophet ran away,” Xuan Bai mumbled through the hemostatic gauze.
“Prophet-sama?” Upon hearing the familiar name, Fourteen grew excited. However, before he could utter another word, a vine swiftly sealed his mouth shut.
“Mmph mmph!” Fourteen looked at Green Vine in disbelief, only to be startled by the seriousness in the other’s eyes.
“That explosion you caused in the lab that day…” Su Nai steadied herself on the table, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes.
“I trapped him,” Xuan Bai blinked, and a ball of blue flame flew out.
The flame burned fiercely in the air, crackling and popping, then quickly stretched and widened, forming edges.
In just a few seconds, a blue, three-dimensional model of the room appeared before everyone.
Gurgle… gurgle…
A sticky and disgusting sound came from within the flame. A red dot crashed around inside the model.
“He escaped.” Xuan Bai tapped the flame lightly, and it returned to its original form.
It burned along the snake’s fingertip, devouring all the bloodstains, and finally plunged back into his golden eye.
“The bad news is, he broke out from the outside. He has accomplices.” There wasn’t a trace of panic on Xuan Bai’s face. He even tilted his head and leaned back in the chair, secretly touching Ji Mo An’s hand.
“But there’s also good news.”
“What is it?” Green Vine was also anxious, subconsciously tightening the vines, making Fourteen’s eyes roll back.
“The good news is…” the snake dragged out the last syllable in a particularly mischievous way, “he broke out from the *outside*. He *has* accomplices.”
Green Vine clutched his heart in despair. His dilapidated body couldn’t withstand the snake’s torment.
“…” Jing Junze stood aside, thoughtfully watching the conversation between the snake and the NHE.
She couldn’t help but feel that… the snake’s stance was a little strange… and the members of the NHE Association seemed equally puzzled.
“May I ask a question?” she seized the opportunity to speak.
All eyes focused on her.
However…
“No,” Xuan Bai refused directly.
Jing Junze was stunned; she hadn’t anticipated being rejected.
“You don’t trade with the snake, you don’t consciously make wishes, and you still want to know information that doesn’t belong to you.” A hint of cunning flashed in the snake’s eyes. “Freeloading is shameful.”
Wishing…
Ji Mo An suddenly recalled what the snake had said at that auction.
[The opportunity to make a wish to a snake is rare, and a wish without a price is even rarer.]
Price…
“I…”
His wrist was suddenly gripped tightly, and though his mouth was open, he couldn’t make a sound.
Ji Mo An subconsciously wanted to touch his throat, but found that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t lift his hand.
Not just lift his hand, but he couldn’t even move his body.
‘Don’t be impulsive. The opportunity to make a wish to the snake only comes once.’ Xuan Bai’s voice traveled through his body, and then, after the words fell, he released his grip and hooked his fingers into his.
Ji Mo An was forced to stand still, even losing the ability to transmit his voice.
“Wishing, trading.” Jing Junze walked to Mu Nanyuan’s side. “We know nothing about you either. If you offer enough value, I’m willing to trade with you.”
“Are you sure you want to choose to trade?” The smile on Xuan Bai’s lips grew wider, his golden vertical pupils fixed on the woman opposite him. “It’s been a long time since someone chose the trade option.”
“According to my understanding, trading represents equality,” Jing Junze said steadily.
“The equality of a trade includes the stakes on both sides. But with a wish, you can demand anything,” the snake acknowledged her understanding.
“But I, personally, dislike putting the initiative in someone else’s hands,” the woman brushed a strand of hair from her chest and chuckled dismissively.
“I respect your choice.” The snake blinked, and the oppressive aura vanished abruptly.
He stood up and stood directly in front of Jing Junze.
The great Infinite Snake, Ouroboros, would always give the most sincere respect and integrity to the trading partner.
“Although trading is equal…” Xuan Bai snapped his fingers, and the roaring flames once again erupted from his eyes, suspended between the two.
“However, the party with the initiative can prioritize the content of the transaction.” The snake smiled at Jing Junze, nodding slightly to signal her to speak first.
“Can the terms of the trade be changed?” Jing Junze was cautious; the other party was too mysterious, and she didn’t have the advantage in this deal.
“Before the contract is signed, of course, they can be changed.”
“Then can I make a request for infighting on your side?”
“The scales are always balanced,” Xuan Bai responded to each of her questions.
Understood… Jing Junze’s expression darkened.
She could make any request, but she would also have to pay a corresponding price. The higher the request, the greater the price. But… before signing whatever that thing was, she could modify her requests according to the price the other party demanded.
Keeping everything within a range that she could accept.
“Regarding the Starlight and what happened to Mr. Ji Mo An, all the information of the NHE Association, and your purpose, how about it?” Jing Junze thought for two minutes.
“…” Xuan Bai raised an eyebrow.
“What, is it not possible?” Jing Junze pressed.
“Of course, it’s possible,” the snake nodded slightly. “It’s just that I didn’t expect you to ask for such… simple content.”
“I only place my hope on myself,” Jing Junze said lightly. “You tell us the information, and we will explore it ourselves.”
Moreover… it wasn’t simple; it was something that the Seventh Bureau had been trying to figure out for decades.
“I accept your request, but at the moment, I can only give you the information of the NHE Association.” Xuan Bai raised his hand and pointed in the direction of Su Nai and the others. “They will tell you everything you want to know.”
“As for my hometown and my…” the snake paused, a hint of a smile in his tone, “and the matter with Mr. Ji Mo An. You can also see that in this world, there are great restrictions on me.”
“I cannot reveal the secrets of Starlight, but I can disclose all my future plans to you. How much you can dig out depends on your ability.”
“And when Mr. Ji Mo An recovers his memory, I will not stop him from telling you anything.”
“Agreed,” Jing Junze nodded.
Disclosing future plans… This was very beneficial to them, but… why would the foreign snake say such a thing?
Was he too arrogant, or was it…
Indifference?
For the first time, Jing Junze began to doubt the foreign snake’s position.
“Then what I want from you is.” Xuan Bai slowed his speech, satisfied to feel the emotions of those around him being stirred up once more.
“I require you to list Su Nai, Qing Teng, Rhys, Qi Ning, Du Shuang, Du Xiao, and Sasha as your partners. No one is allowed to harm or interfere with them. Likewise, they have been hidden some things by the NHE Association, and these things will be explained by you.” He emphasized the word “partners.”
For a moment, everyone looked at Xuan Bai in surprise.
Even Su Nai hadn’t expected that what the snake wanted was to protect their safety.
No… it wasn’t just safety, it was even paving the way for their future.
“Can I presume that you and I are not standing on opposite sides? This is more like a conversation between two parties than a transaction,” Jing Junze said decisively.
“How old do you think they are?” Xuan Bai asked in return.
How old?
Jing Junze looked at the group beside her.
They all had very youthful appearances. Except for Green Vine, even Su Nai, who looked the oldest, was no more than twenty-five years old.
The two youths looked like they were less than twenty, and the twins were even like children in their teens.
“We are all the same age, including Sasha,” Su Nai sighed.
“My ability awakened the earliest and is the most powerful. The space I divide can even change the flow of time.”
“They… before, the base facilities were not perfect. As experimental subjects, we faced the threat of death at all times. Whenever an important experimental subject was on the verge of death, the President would ask me to use my ability to put them into a space with a slow flow of time to slow down the speed of death.”
“Fourteen,” Su Nai gestured to Green Vine.
The youth bound by vines was released.
“Boss…” his expression was as if he was about to cry.
“I’m very sorry for keeping it from you all this time. The President and the Prophet… are not the heroes you imagined. He tampered with our memories and knowledge.” Su Nai’s eyes were also slightly red. “Green Vine’s vines, Thirteen’s wings, and Sasha’s sand transformation were not secondary breakthroughs of abilities, but rather the Prophet performed some modifications on them.”
“They want us to keep waiting for the God-given object to descend, not to protect him but to take his body…”
“Alright,” Xuan Bai interrupted Su Nai’s words.
“It’s useless to say more.” He smiled at Jing Junze. “The range of the same age also includes you and the other ability users of your Seventh Bureau. Do I need to make it clearer?”
“I agree to the terms of the trade,” Jing Junze agreed, her fingertips trembling slightly.
That secret, the founder’s dispute, some things that had sunk to the bottom of the water seemed to be gradually turning up again.
“Good child,” the snake’s golden pupils seemed to be even brighter.
He stepped back and raised his hand, biting through his fingertip.
A few drops of scarlet blood were held by the black scales and floated into the flame.
Fizzle… The blue flame, originally the size of two fists, suddenly expanded three or four times, and its color instantly turned into a pure gold.
The snake spread his hands and chanted mysterious words in a low and magnetic voice.
[With blood as the guide, with the soul as the contract. The law casts its gaze, the contract cannot be violated, offering my true name, Ouroboros.]
The beautiful golden flames rolled and burned in the air.
Gradually, they converged into a piece of paper with gold-stamped patterns. Beautiful cursive letters danced on it, and sparks of starlight swirled and scattered, forming a balanced scale on the top of the paper.
Above the paper was written Jing Junze’s request, and below was written the reward that Xuan Bai wanted.
Xuan Bai picked up the quill pen in the left tray of the scale and wrote his name on the paper.
[Ouroboros]
“Please.” After completing the last stroke, he made a gentlemanly gesture.
Jing Junze took a deep breath, took out the quill pen from the right side of the scale, and wrote her name as well.
[Jing Junze]
As the stroke fell, the paper rolled up, and the two names floated in the wind and fell to the sides of the scale.
The scale swayed from side to side for a while before returning to equilibrium, and then split into two clusters of golden flames that flew to the arms of both parties.
A warm current flowed through the body, and the contract carrying the power of the law officially took effect.
“Happy cooperation. Those who violate the contract will be punished by heavenly thunder.” Xuan Bai looked at the cluster of flame marks on his wrist, and the smile finally spread to his eyes.
Jing Junze was also looking at her wrist. The cluster of flames was imprinted on her pulse, trembling slightly with the beating of her heart.
“I seem to already know something.” Jing Junze breathed out and looked at Su Nai and his party.
“If it’s really like what I think, as long as they explain it clearly, the Seventh Bureau will naturally…”
“There are no ifs.” Xuan Bai shook his head. “I don’t trust humans, I only believe in contracts.”
“I understand,” Jing Junze bit her lip.
“Then happy cooperation.” She gave a wry smile and looked at Su Nai.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly, except that the snake suddenly remembered a major event.
That was…
He forgot to release Ji Mo An from the immobilization.
The snake’s body suddenly stiffened. He cautiously looked back and met Ji Mo An’s angry gaze.
Uh…
An extremely familiar look.
Usually, it was a precursor to the snake getting beaten.