Chapter 500: Is this Depravation or Righteousness?
White Hair Trench.
Ocean Mother Nest.
In the Deep Sea Monster Fish, the atmosphere between Cang Xu and the fishman youngster felt heavy.
“Cang Xu, are you planning to target these sea beasts and the believers of Charming Blue Goddess? Kill them all to make undead materials?” The fishman youngster looked at Cang Xu expressionlessly.
Cang Xu sensed the youngster's displeasure and quickly lowered his head, “Lord, you were the one who suggested it. I never brought it up.”
He understood the fishman youngster well. Not initiating the idea meant he knew the youngster's stance.
The fishman youngster didn't grasp it at first, but after a moment, he realized Cang Xu's true intent.
Cang Xu knew the consequences of his suggestion, but he had no choice!
Such was the situation.
Cang Xu had been captured, while the dragonman youngster had been teleported and imprisoned within the Ocean Mother Nest, making escape extremely difficult.
Of course, a forced attempt could breach the Mother Nest, but after careful consideration, destroying the nest and charging straight out was not only extremely dangerous but would also cause significant loss of resources. For this was the only known supplementary channel for Pearl Bubbles!
Neither the fishman youngster nor Cang Xu wished to lose this vital supply route.
They felt no particular urgency.
This mindset stemmed from their assessment of the situation.
Teng Dong Lang had been eliminated, the Bayonet Gang dismantled, and both the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord and the Li Jian Clan had become allies of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps. The former had effectively turned Snow Bird Harbor into the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' de facto headquarters, while the latter, the Li Jian Clan, served as the ideal conduit for the corps' integration into the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
The fishman youngster trusted Zong Ge and Zi Di, believing both the atonement and commercial plans were progressing steadily. Thus, even trapped here, he felt relatively secure.
His decision to rescue Lan Zao stemmed not only from his refusal to abandon any comrade and his steadfast commitment to promises. It also reflected his optimistic assessment of the situation.
After all, back then, no gold level enemy had emerged to ambush the survivors.
Nor could he have foreseen a massive faction emerging to challenge the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, one capable of casually deploying gold level combat power!
Given these considerations and the immense profit at stake, both the fishman youngster and Cang Xu were patient, determined to peel back the layers slowly and meticulously.
The hidden trap implanted in Cang Xu by Jian Gui, coupled with Zhou Zhang's dual seals, was another crucial factor in their calculations. Caught between a rock and a hard place, the dragonman youngster couldn't act forcefully, mindful of Cang Xu's life. Thus, outsmarting the situation was the only way forward.
According to the plan, Cang Xu would deceive the goddess to obtain divine blessings, using them to resolve his own hidden dangers. the optimal outcome.
He could also gain the trust of Zhou Zhang and others, facilitating his and the fishman youngster's future escape.
The pair sought to avoid direct conflict whenever possible. If feasible, they could even rescue Jian Gui and others, thereby naturally establishing connections with the orthodox undead faction.
Becoming allies with the legendary faction led by You Shen would offer immense aid to the survivors.
Beyond their unparalleled undead knowledge, they possessed vast quantities of undead materials for trade. Should their atonement succeed, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps could even betray You Shen and his group, turning their defection into a merit for aligning with the Empire.
To be fair, this plan, conceived by Cang Xu and the fishman youngster, was quite sound.
Progress so far has been promising.
Cang Xu's bloodline had not only been accurately detected but had also undergone its first round of purification.
This advancement was a step ahead of their expectations.
Cang Xu's innate potential had been enhanced. The Hanging Corpse Tree bloodline was saint level, and even at just 3% purity, it was sufficient to elevate Cang Xu to silver level.
However, to advance further, Cang Xu was severely lacking in the requisite undead materials.
There were roughly three avenues to obtain such materials.
First, purchasing them on the market.
Second, exploring the Ghost World.
Third, crafting them personally.
Only the third option held any practical possibility for the fishman youngster and Cang Xu.
Thus, Cang Xu proposed targeting the teleported fishmen!
Knowing this would displease the youngster, he skillfully guided him to grasp the necessity himself.
The fishman youngster gazed silently at Cang Xu for a moment before sighing bitterly and shaking his head. "Cang Xu, do not casually create slaughter in pursuit of personal power. For doing so easily leads to corruption, causing us to lose our true selves."
"Some things seem within easy reach, yet the simplest paths often conceal immense, unseen costs. The true path is often fraught with hardship and peril, longer than any shortcut."
“Precisely because of this, the true path holds the greatest value!”
“Commander, you are absolutely right!” Cang Xu nodded repeatedly, acknowledging the words with an expression of attentive learning.
Had Jian Gui witnessed this demeanor, he would have been utterly astonished, unable to resist asking: Where had that defiant, silver-tongued Cang Xu from the undead gathering gone?
Cang Xu treated Jian Gui as an adversary yet faced the fishman youngster as a true subordinate confronting his leader!
It stemmed from the personal debt of gratitude owed to the dragonman youngster who had repeatedly saved him. It stemmed from the immense, unique benefits of the Bloodcore!
And most crucially - it stemmed from the call of humanity.
No one was immune to the allure of truth, goodness, and beauty. Even a schemer like Cang Xu yearned for a world filled with light and love.
For the commander who steadfastly upheld his principles, Cang Xu felt a deep, ingrained respect.
During his years as a noble butler, he witnessed too many wolves in sheep's clothing. Outwardly noble and virtuous, yet inwardly driven by selfish desires, utterly ruthless and without scruples.
The youngster rejected Cang Xu's proposal, yet Cang Xu showed no impatience.
He adopted an attitude of "I'll leave everything to you, Commander! I'll follow your orders."
Thus, silence fell over the scene.
As the leader, the fishman youngster had rejected Cang Xu's suggestion without hesitation.
But he had to confront reality and solve the immediate problem.
This was what a leader had to do!
How could he possibly meet the demand for undead materials?
What could he do?
Cang Xu lowered his head, maintaining silence, adopting a submissive demeanor that said, “I have no solution, but I'm certain you, the commander, can resolve this. I'll follow your lead.”
Just as Cang Xu expected, he soon heard the fishman youngster let out a deep sigh.
The fishman youngster paced back and forth, racking his brain, yet no solution came to mind.
Deep down, he had to admit that Cang Xu's proposal was the best, and only way to solve the problem.
“No, let me think some more...”
Watching the fishman youngster pace before him, his expression torn with struggle, a pang of guilt stirred in Cang Xu's heart.
Yet he remained steadfast in his suggestion, deliberately offering counsel: “My lord, there's no need to rush.”
"We have the undead materials. Xiao Wang Zi's turtle heavy cavalry, along with Jian Gui's gold level ghost ship, have all been captured by Zhou Zhang. Absorbing these will surely purify the Hanging Corpse Tree bloodline."
“Once I teleport out this time, I'll find a way to petition Zhou Zhang, urging her to use these as sacrificial offerings!”
The fishman youngster shook his head immediately: “That's like trying to quench a burning thirst with water from a distant river.”
“We must seize every moment and opportunity.”
“Following this method is too slow. We'd have to wait until the next blood sacrifice to possibly succeed.”
“And it's unlikely you'll be able to teleport in a third consecutive time.”
“Moreover, persuading Zhou Zhang to accept these undead lives as offerings is difficult, there are far too many variables involved.”
Cang Xu fell silent, his expression calm.
Of course, he wasn't truly persuading the fishman youngster. He was using this subtle approach to convey a single message: Listen to me. There's no other way!
The fishman youngster buried his head in deep thought, silent for a long while.
Cang Xu silently calculated the time before suddenly speaking: “Commander, time is limited. Should I proceed with the prayer first?”
The fishman youngster snapped out of his reverie. After communicating with the tower spirit and learning the situation in the Mother Nest, he hurriedly replied: "Yes, proceed with the prayer first. The sea beasts slaughtered by the Snow Pear Octopus have already exceeded half!"
The fishman youngster watched as Cang Xu entered the compartment.
The metal hatch closed before his eyes.
Leaning against the wall of the metal passageway, the fishman youngster clenched his fists.
The moment the metal hatch sealed shut, he already regretted it!
“Am I being too rigid in clinging to the righteous path?”
"Cang Xu is my comrade. He still bears the enemy's seal and a fatal hidden trap. Every ritual puts his life on the line!"
“Yet here I am wasting time, letting my comrade take risks. Isn't that selfish?”
"Compared to Cang Xu, those fishmen are strangers to me. In fact, they are my enemies."
“Am I prioritizing my enemies?”
"Have I considered the greater good? Am I even a worthy leader?"
Despite the abundant air in the metal passageway, the fishman youngster felt suffocation creeping over him.
Thoughts swirled through his mind. The more he reflected, the deeper his guilt toward Cang Xu grew.
“He trusted me. Even when I rejected his proposal, he didn't argue. He kept fighting with his life, striving for a sliver of hope.”
“Yet I hesitated, leaving Cang Xu exposed to danger!”
“For Cang Xu's sake, for our comrades, what's wrong with sacrificing a few fishmen?”
The fishman youngster's face remained deeply troubled.
He agonized inwardly: “If I do this, slaughter others to benefit my own kind, is that a form of depravation?”
“Is this truly a righteous act?”
“Who can tell me?”
The fishman youngster felt utterly lost.
He closed his eyes and prayed silently: "Justice God, my Lord, I follow Your path."
“At this very moment, a lost believer, Your lamb prays to You!”
“Grant me the answer, help me choose, let me walk forever in the light You believe in, far from all sin and corruption.”
The fishman youngster's eyes remained tightly shut, his face contorted with anguish.
His clenched fists gradually relaxed as his prayer stretched on.
When he opened his eyes, an expression of utter exhaustion washed over him.
The Justice God...
Did not respond.