BXBX NOVEL Chapter 390: The Real Deal! (I)
Chapter 390: The Real Deal! (I)
The thin and withered-looking Elder Yin leaned back in his seat.
He gazed at Chu Liang with a smile and said, "You're here, Young hero Chu?"
"Elder Yin?" Chu Liang uttered.
He glanced at the vice-chief in surprise.
The vice-chief told Chu Liang, "We are all part of the same human race after all, so I sought help from the Sun and Moon Pavilion too. Elder Yin is willing to help us."
Chu Liang was quite impressed by the vice-chief's boldness. Was she not worried that the Sun and Moon Pavilion would betray them?
Seeing Chu Liang's confusion, Elder Yin smiled and explained, "The relationship between our two factions is not as antagonistic as it appears to the outside world. As fellow members of the human race, it is unwise for us to scheme against each other. It is better that we work together so that we can all survive in Python Belly City. We were compelled by our circumstances to put up a front of being in a conflict."
Upon hearing that, Chu Liang immediately understood the reason behind the unusual relationship between the two human factions.
If their dangerous circumstances had occurred naturally, the humans in Python Belly City would inevitably have united after a brief struggle. Once the resources in Python Belly City reached an economic equilibrium[1], the remaining people would surely have banded together to seek a way out.
Yet, they were still competing for resources. The reason had to be that a hand of darkness was suppressing them.
Once a unified human faction emerged in Python Belly City, it would inevitably be ruthlessly purged by the City Lord... so the humans had chosen to remain split as two factions. The only way they could all survive was to pretend to oppose each other.
The arguments and fights between the ordinary members were real, but the higher-ups of the two factions had a tacit understanding of what they were really doing. This was the real reason that they had confronted each other for so long during the day without actually fighting!
Then Chu Liang thought of something. "In that case, the Deathmatch Arena..."
"That's right." Elder Yin nodded with a smile. "I thought of this method many years ago to preserve our manpower to the greatest extent. For nearly a hundred years, I have been secretly supporting the other human faction so that they can compete with mine. It is all so we can avoid getting purged by the City Lord."
Chu Liang gazed at Elder Yin with admiration.
It could not have been easy for the humans to establish themselves in a place like Python Belly City and survive for a hundred years.
This old man looked so skinny; he likely weighed around 100 jin[2]. Considering how he had managed to come up with such an impressive scheme, 99 jin of his 100-jin weight had to be his brains.
"I did not tell the youngsters about these things, so they do not know about our true relationship," Elder Yin continued. "Yesterday, Laosi chased members of the Blazing Fire Gang to the medicinal hall in a fit of rage, with the intention of killing them. When he got back home, I severely punished him for it."
Finally understanding everything now, Chu Liang turned to the vice-chief and asked, "So, will the Sun and Moon Pavilion join us in rescuing the chief of the Blazing Fire Gang from the execution grounds? If so, our chances of success will increase greatly."
Surprisingly, Elder Yin shook his head and replied, "It is pointless to rescue him from there."
Chu Liang shifted his gaze back to Elder Yin. "Huh?"
"Who do you think told Hua Zhengshan the location of Python Belly City's exit?" Elder Yin said softly.
Judging from your tone... it was you, wasn't it?
This was beyond Chu Liang's expectations.
So, he knew everything?
This means that I could find out the location of the exit even without rescuing the chief of the Blazing Fire Gang. Still, the old man knows where it is, yet he hasn't left for so many years. There has to be a reason for that.
The vice-chief explained, "I was still confused about the whole situation until I talked with Elder Yin earlier. I was so puzzled during today's confrontation... Elder Yin mentioned that he had seen our chief get captured, but even we—the chief's close subordinates—weren't fully aware of what had happened. So, how did Elder Yin manage to witness the incident?
"Then I suddenly thought of how the chief had been searching for a way out of Python Belly City for years without any results. But then one day, he went to the southern part of the city, and when he came back, something was different...
"With that in mind, I finally dared to seek out Elder Yin and ask him about it."
After hearing all that, Chu Liang just asked the question he cared most about. "So... where is the exit?"
Elder Yin gently raised his finger and pointed straight up.
Chu Liang paused for a moment, immediately understanding what Elder Yin meant. "So, it's in that..."
"That's right. It is right above that dark sun. The exit is usually obscured by the dark sun, so no one can see it," Elder Yin replied. "I quietly investigated Python Belly City for decades and finally figured out the path that the City Lord uses to leave the city.
"I have told others about this before. Hua Zhengshan was not the first, but he was the only one who managed to get close to the exit. Through his experience, I was able to confirm that there is indeed a door there... But even if we've found the door, we do not have the key for it."
Chu Liang then thought of his hidden realm, the Blue Dragon's Hidden Realm.
As the master of that hidden realm, he could enter and exit it from anywhere in the realm. However, if others wanted to enter or exit it, they would need to take two iron plates to a fixed location and use them to unlock the enchanted formation. It was probably the same for the hidden realm inside the Heaven-Devouring Python's belly.
The "door" and "key" that Elder Yin mentioned did not actually exist; they referred to the enchanted formation locking off access to the hidden realm and the method to unlock it. It could be an inscription seal or even an enchanted tool.
"Hua Zhengshan fought the Dragon Cavalry, broke through their defenses, and made his way to the dark sun. But when he got there, he only saw a door that could not be opened..." Elder Yin said, looking a little emotional as he recalled what had happened. "In fact, it was a result that Hua Zhengshan had anticipated."
"But for the sake of everyone in Python Belly City... even though he knew he would likely fail and perish... Hua Zhengshan still went." Elder Yin's voice gradually softened. "If not for my withered vitality, rendering me unable to fight, I should have been the one to pave the way. He is still young, and he can pass this information on to the younger generations and those who join arrive at the city later."
"But where should we even go to search for the key..." Chu Liang muttered, lost in his own thoughts.
The Blazing Fire Gang's chief efforts in paving the way for the younger generations and future residents of Python Belly City certainly make him admirable, but it is more important right now to spend more energy on figuring out how we can escape. That way, Hua Zhengshan's efforts will not be in vain.
"This is why I said it is pointless to rescue him from the execution grounds," Elder Yin stated.
The vice-chief took over from there. "And that's why we intend to change our strategy. Perhaps we should just storm the City Lord's Residence instead!"
Chu Liang was surprised once more.
The City Lord's Residence was located in the northern part of Python Belly City. It was a massive and solid fortress built with black rock and talismanic spells. The gates of the fortress only ever opened to let the Dragon Cavalry in and out. It was usually impossible for anyone else to even catch a glimpse of what was inside the City Lord's Residence.
We don't even have any idea how many members of the Jimeng Dragon Calvary there are inside that fortress.
How do they plan to break in?
1. Supply and demand are balanced and will not change due to the absence of external influences. | I took economics sooo long ago... Author is really testing us. XD ☜
2. Around 50kg. ☜