Chapter One Hundred: Blasphemous Utterance

“Just hand this cloth over to them and that will do it?”

Zhou Tian glanced at the blood-red silk in Anduin’s hand, unable to fathom how a single drop of blood could stain so much fabric.

“Exactly. There is a trace of divine blood on this cloth. My followers will naturally find you by following that aura.”

“And then you can get out?”

Anduin shook his head.

“I have my own methods.”

Clearly unwilling to say more, he fell silent. Zhou Tian did not mind. Even partners could not be expected to reveal every trump card they held.

“What do I get out of this?”

“Aren’t you getting out too?”

Anduin asked in return.

Zhou Tian shook his head.

“Not enough. Even without your help, I have a way to leave.”

Anduin frowned, and whether he believed him or not was impossible to tell. After a moment, he asked,

“What else do you want?”

A smile appeared on Zhou Tian’s face as he named the people from the Nine Provinces one by one.

“I want you to rescue all of them!”

That included the bald monks, of course. They were all people of the Nine Provinces. Back then, when those two elders had abandoned them, it had surely been because they had no choice. If there were an opportunity, Zhou Tian would not mind rescuing them as well.

“No. There are too many. The people of the Holy God Church are not fools; they have their own trump cards. It would be very difficult to get so many people out.”

Anduin refused at once. There were more than a dozen of them altogether, and they would only drag him down. If he were that capable, he would never have fallen into the hands of the Holy God Church in the first place.

“All right then. You must rescue these two. As for the others, save as many as you can.”

Zhou Tian shrugged and pointed at Mu Su and Zhang Yi. As for the bald ones, he could only offer them his apologies. He could not be blamed for standing by and doing nothing.

“That I can do.”

Anduin nodded. Two people, at least, were still within his means.

“When can we begin?”

Now that the deal had been struck, Anduin asked, a little impatiently. He had been trapped here for quite some time.

“I’m free whenever.”

Zhou Tian said carelessly. He had nothing to prepare. Plans were no match for change. In truth, he had originally prepared a whole array of contingencies and had come in this time merely to sound Zhang Yi out.

But before he could even begin, things had already gone awry. Mu Su had somehow found some unreliable information from who knew where, and Zhou Tian still had no idea where this Tribunal was located. He feared that if he were to teleport blindly and end up inside a wall or into a spatial storm, he would truly be finished. He would be trapped there forever, so he did not dare try recklessly.

Yet just when all seemed hopeless, a new path had opened before him. He had run into Anduin, this divine son, who seemed to have everything in order. It looked as though Zhou Tian would be able to save himself a great deal of trouble.

“All right, then let’s begin now. But, friend, there is one thing I must stress.”

Anduin’s expression turned solemn.

“Friend, in this place all supernatural power is sealed. Though divinity can still be forced into use because of its special nature, I am not yet familiar enough with divinity to establish any kind of contract. The agreement between us is fragile. If you keep your word, I will do everything in my power to meet your demands!”

“Don’t worry. I’m the most trustworthy man you’ll ever meet.”

Zhou Tian patted his chest.

Their cooperation had its own advantages and disadvantages. Zhou Tian was able to leave by his own means, so he held the initiative at the beginning. But once he handed the blood silk over to the other side, that initiative would shift. In truth, this verbal contract was very fragile.

Still, Zhou Tian had no intention of breaking it. Nor was he especially afraid that Anduin would. Worst case, he could always turn around and help the Holy God Church. He did not believe that with fifteen attacks reflected back at them, plus Flameburst, the Holy God Church still could not handle a divine son.

“All right. Come over and take the blood silk.”

Anduin nodded, motioning for Zhou Tian to come closer.

In a flash, Zhou Tian appeared inside Anduin’s cage. The moment he arrived, Anduin said in astonishment,

“You have no divinity at all? You’re not a god!”

Only after seeing Zhou Tian from inside the neighboring cage did he clearly sense that there was not the slightest trace of divinity on him.

“No, I’m not. I came from... well, never mind. I said that as a joke. Don’t fuss over the details.”

Zhou Tian waved it off and took the crimson silk from Anduin’s hand. It did not feel damp as one might expect from cloth soaked in blood; instead, it was smooth and silky to the touch, and a warm, comforting sensation rose through his heart.

Anduin’s eyes gleamed with even greater curiosity. Lava-like fissures appeared within his pupils, blazing a vivid red. This was the power of divinity empowering his gaze as he inspected Zhou Tian’s body.

However one looked at him, Zhou Tian seemed to possess not the slightest supernatural power. It was not because of the cage’s suppression, but because he simply had none.

Still, Anduin understood that this already touched upon Zhou Tian’s secrets. Asking more would be pointless, so he kept quiet.

The moment Zhou Tian raised his head, the red light in Anduin’s eyes vanished.

“Why do I feel like some pervert was spying on me?”

Zhou Tian muttered under his breath.

Anduin’s mouth twitched, but he did not respond.

“Wait here a moment. I need to tell someone something.”

Zhou Tian told Anduin to wait and slipped over to Zhang Yi’s cell.

He briefly explained the deal he had just struck with Anduin, since only Anduin could hear and transmit sound through the seals. The others were unable to.

After listening, Zhang Yi nodded.

“I have seen this Lord of Ashes in the records. He is considered a powerful deity from the ancient divine realm. He never founded a divine pantheon, nor does he belong to the camp of plots and deceit. He should be trustworthy.”

“When the time comes, act according to the situation. Keep an eye on Mu Su for me. I owe him that much.”

Zhou Tian did not say more. Zhang Yi was no innocent novice.

Zhang Yi indicated that he understood.

Zhou Tian then flashed into Mu Su’s cage. Since all of his conversation with Anduin had taken place in Mu Su’s cell just now, there was no need for much explanation.

“Mu Su, you got dragged in because of me. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get you out.”

“...”

Mu Su’s face shifted through a complicated range of emotions, which left Zhou Tian utterly speechless. A grown man was acting like a resentful wife locked away in a boudoir. Saying no more, Zhou Tian returned to his own cage and signaled to Anduin that they could begin.

Anduin nodded, exhaled slowly, and placed both hands before his chest in a bizarre posture. Faint golden light began to pour from his body, and a blurry figure appeared behind him. It was exceedingly tall, nearly brushing the top of the cage.

The figure was a deep crimson overall, with a pair of broad wings. Veins like flowing magma extended all the way to the tips of those wings. Two purple horns rose from its head, thick and massive, though the finer details could no longer be made out clearly.

Though the figure gave off a faintly sinister impression, Zhou Tian actually felt an aura of holiness from it.

Anduin’s lips moved, but no sound came out. White flames rose around the nearby cages, and aside from the people of the Nine Provinces, all the imprisoned beings clutched their heads and slammed themselves against the bars as though they were enduring unbearable agony.

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