Volume 3, Chapter 54 – A Helpless Choice

Several days ago…

After receiving orders from Xue Tian’ao, Moxiao launched a series of investigations into the eldest miss of the Blackrose Family and the demon king tier Abyssal Demon, the Blood Butterfly. Although his intuition as an intelligence broker told him to never meddle in this muddy water, Moxiao decided to take a gamble in order to repay Xue Tian’ao for saving his life.

After all, intuition was just intuition. Normally, it wouldn’t be that accurate, right?

However, when Moxiao was bound hand and foot and thrown into the Blackrose Family’s Blue Rose Garden, he realized that his intuition was actually quite sharp. He really shouldn’t have taken this mission.

…

“You… you bastard… what… what do you want…”

Looking at the elegant, handsome black-haired man quietly drinking tea in the pavilion, Moxiao, who was already heavily injured, spitting blood, and firmly bound by chains, asked tremulously. The moment he spoke, a terrifying pressure suddenly descended from the sky, forcefully pinning Moxiao back to the ground as he tried to stand up.

At that moment, Moxiao knelt on the ground with an expression of sheer terror, looking fearfully at the four Black Knights standing beside him like pillars holding up the heavens. Feeling the thick murderous aura surrounding them, Moxiao’s body couldn’t help but tremble.

“Show some respect,” one of the black-armored knights said coldly.

His emotionless, icy words made Moxiao shiver. He didn’t doubt for a second that if he said one more disrespectful word, this knight of the Blackrose Family would hesitate for not even a moment before drawing the sharp sword at his waist and decapitating him.

Terrified, Moxiao immediately shut his mouth.

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At that moment, the black-haired man, who had been silently watching the scene while eating tea snacks, slowly lowered his fork and looked at the surrounding Black Knights with a playful expression. “This is a ‘guest.’ It is too rude of you to act this way. Have you forgotten our Blackrose Family’s tradition of ‘hospitality’?”

“Our apologies, Duke. We understand.” Upon hearing the black-haired man’s words, the knights were momentarily stunned before bowing apologetically to Moxiao and releasing his chains.

Subsequently, supported by these terrifying knights, Moxiao sat down opposite the dignified black-haired man, and a cup of tea was even placed before him. Although he was no longer bound and no blade was held to his throat, Moxiao didn’t dare move an inch, nor did he have any impulse to flee. After meeting the man’s deep, abyss-like black eyes, Moxiao realized the horror of this person. Trying to run in front of him would be no different from seeking death.

Furthermore, while there was no blade at his neck, there were over a dozen rifles pointed at him from not far away. Truly ‘hospitable’.

The only thing he could do now was perhaps beg for the other party’s forgiveness. Otherwise, he was almost certainly a dead man.

However, before Moxiao could construct a plea for mercy, the black-haired man, the head of the Blackrose Family, spoke first with great politeness. “My apologies, Mr. Moxiao. My subordinates were a bit crude to have injured you like this. I am truly sorry.”

Hearing the other party’s polite words, Moxiao felt increasingly uneasy. Although the man before him wasn’t releasing any magic power, the invisible pressure he exerted was indescribable. It was significantly stronger than the feeling the Great General had given him. At this moment, Moxiao completely understood why the Blackrose Family could become the premier family in the Sadik Empire, second only to the imperial family.

“What… what do you really want…”

“Oh? What do I want? Hmm, let me think. How about some compensation?” Resting his chin on his hand, Xiao met Moxiao’s gaze playfully. “Mr. Moxiao, I let you gather information happily for two days. You should give me something in return, shouldn’t you?”

“What… do you want me to do?” Moxiao grit his teeth and asked word by word.

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To this, Xiao smiled slightly and waved his hand. “There is no need to be so nervous. It’s just some simple work. I need you to pretend as if nothing happened, return to the Sky Dome, and tell Xue Tian’ao the results of your investigation. Of course, I will provide those results for you.”

“What?!” Hearing this, Moxiao’s brow furrowed deeply. “You want me to pass on false intelligence?”

“Hmm, sort of. But it’s not entirely false; some parts will be true.”

Looking at the overbearing black-haired man, Moxiao’s fear had reached its peak. Although he didn’t know the man’s ultimate goal, it certainly wasn’t anything good. Since Xue Tian’ao had saved him, he naturally couldn’t betray that man.

‘But for now, I should pretend to comply so I can leave alive, and then tell His Majesty Xue Tian’ao the truth about what happened here…’ Moxiao thought to himself.

However, before he could open his mouth to feign agreement, his thoughts were seen through by the Duke of Blackrose. As a set of ‘kind’ yet hair-raising words entered his ears, Moxiao’s entire body began to shake.

“Don’t think about agreeing first and then turning around to tell Xue Tian’ao the truth. If you do that, I will be very sad, and I’ll have to invite your wife and child to ‘play’ in Saberius for a while longer.”

In an instant, Moxiao’s heart stopped. He looked up, meeting Xiao’s deep black eyes with pure terror. “You?! What did you say?! What do you mean by ‘longer’?! What have you done to Feidor and the others?!”

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Back to the present…

Looking at the communication magic stone in his palm and hearing the polite yet cold words coming from it, Moxiao’s eyes were filled with unease and guilt. Hiding inside a toilet stall, he spoke cautiously. “Duke, I have already told Xue Tian’ao those words as you requested, and I’ve made him believe them. So… can you… can you please release my wife and child…”

Hearing this, Xiao laughed somewhat helplessly on the other side of the communication magic stone. “Mr. Moxiao, I know you are a smart man. You know very well that I cannot release them at this time, so why ask repeatedly?”

“But, but…”

“Rest assured, Mr. Moxiao. As long as you continue to guide Xue Tian’ao, once our goal is achieved, I will naturally keep my promise and return your wife and child safely to your side. I have always been a man of my word.”

“Fine, I… I understand…”

“Good. Keep up the hard work, Mr. Moxiao. Once this is over, the Blackrose Family will give you a generous reward.”

After the call ended, Moxiao despondently threw the single-use magic stone into a nearby trash can and slowly walked out of the restroom. Although he had expected this outcome, he still felt incredibly dejected. However, the only comfort was that he had heard the voices of his wife and child and confirmed they were currently safe.

‘Despicable Blackrose… using my family as a threat!’ Moxiao couldn’t help but clench his fists and curse in his mind.

After stepping out of the restroom, Moxiao unconsciously glanced toward the magic bookstore where Xue Tian’ao was with eyes full of guilt. It was true that Xue Tian’ao had done him a favor, and Moxiao had constantly thought about how to repay it. It was precisely because of this debt that he hadn’t been able to refuse Xue Tian’ao’s request to investigate the Blackrose Family.

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But, compared to saving the lives of his wife and child… Moxiao helplessly chose his family.

He couldn’t be like those seemingly brainwashed Royal Knights who would completely disregard their own lives and their families’ safety for Xue Tian’ao. To save his beloved wife and child, he would have to play the part of a treacherous villain who bites the hand that fed him.

‘I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I have no choice…’

Meanwhile, as Xue Tian’ao left the magic bookstore contentedly with those precious materials, the cute blue-haired girl who had been silently organizing the ledger slowly raised her head with displeasure and looked toward the fox girl who was currently counting money.

“Mother, that guy seems to want to make a move on you too. There was hostility in his eyes.”

“Hehe, that’s just how he is. He wants to get rid of anyone he can’t fully use. But don’t worry, little Linxi, he won’t get the chance to move against us.”

The little girl named Linxi did not disagree with her mother’s words. Instead, she looked curiously through the window at Xue Tian’ao’s departing figure. “Speaking of which, Mother, that guy spent so much money on those materials. What is he trying to make?”

“About that, he didn’t say. However…” As she spoke, the fox lady charmingly raised her hand to cover half her face, hiding the playful smile at the corner of her mouth. “Black Coral Root, Bewildering Flower Bud, and Heartbreak Ghostflower Leaf… based on these materials, it seems this new emperor wants to concoct a drug to bewitch people’s minds.”