Even the richly experienced Director Xiao couldn’t avoid being persuaded by Huan Zixu, never mind the young Protectors, as well as Zhen and Yuan. 

The Destroyers and Protectors were actually two sides of the same coin, and whether they were good or evil wasn’t up to them to determine, but part of the battle between the System and the world law. If the world law lost and couldn’t prevent the System’s invasion, they would also become Destroyers in the future, become what they hated, go on to invade other worlds. 

Hatred and antagonism against Destroyers had become nearly instinctive for the Protectors. As soon as they thought that they might become what they loathed most, the Protectors shuddered. 

This shocking news made nearly made everyone accept Huan Zixu’s explanation wholesale. Huan Zixu calmly picked up a cup of water and drank of a mouthful of warm water. 

He didn’t want to be like Zhen Li and Yuan Luori, who seemed to be the Protection Organization’s informers but in reality were being halfway monitored. If they lost their usefulness, whether they would be killed or let go was entirely for the Protection Organization to decide. They had no power to make their own decisions. 

If he wanted to guarantee his and Feng Kui’s safety, he had to assimilate into the Protection Organization. Assimilating into a group was simple. You only had to demonstrate two things: First, you and I are the same; second, we have a common enemy. 

Huan Zixu had fed the Protectors a delicate mix of seven parts truth to three parts falsehood, establishing the idea that the System was their common enemy. But the System was too far away. The Protectors didn’t have experience directly observing the System or bone-deep hatred towards it. To ensure a close relationship, it was best to establish a short-term enemy, and the black-cloaked man, whose allegiances were unclear, was naturally the ideal choice. 

Huan Zixu wasn’t really intending on letting the Protection Organization see the black-cloaked man as an enemy. That would be asking for death. He only wanted the Protection Organization to feel a sense of danger from some other powerful source and gradually come to rely on his intelligence and analysis. This way, he could keep the initiative.  

“That’s wrong.” While everyone was shaking and dazed, the handsome uncle Protector once again went around Director Xiao and said, “There’s something you’re wrong about.” 

Seeing this person open his mouth, Huan Zixu sat up straight and, seeming casual while in fact cautious, said, “It hardly matters whether it’s wrong or right. I’m only setting out my conjectures.” 

“You aren’t conjecturing, you’re confusing the issue.” The handsome uncle Protector reasoned clearly:  “You just said that the System has no way to remove the initial item and the origin ability, and neither does the black-cloaked man, and the origin ability is bestowed on Destroyers by the world law. But you also said that the System puts the origin ability in its market at the lowest cost in points, and that if the Destroyer doesn’t equip it within ten worlds, the System can withdraw the origin ability. That runs counter to what you said.” 

Huan Zixu looked quietly at the handsome uncle Protector, not speaking. 

The handsome uncle Protector said, “The black-cloaked man can even absorb the System’s energy, so can’t we reason that he has the same ability to withdraw the origin power? Except that he didn’t do that. Even if he couldn’t absorb the origin ability, at least he could have destroyed that energy. But for both Yuan Luori and Zhen Li, he didn’t do that. 

“According to what you’ve said, you can use points to equip the origin ability, and points can upgrade the origin ability and the initial item. Then can’t I understand that to mean that the points are the natural law power that the System has taken from worlds it has already occupied? So whether you’re a Destroyer or a Protector, the origin ability is a potential you carry with you, but activating the origin power has to rely on the acknowledgment and support of world law. 

“So the black-cloaked man didn’t lie to Zhen Li. He did leave Zhen Li’s origin ability. That he can use that ability is in fact because he has obtained the acknowledgement of the world law. But you’ve twisted these two ideas to give us the impression that the black-cloaked man is untrustworthy and unfathomable.

“A display worthy of a mental ability user. Even though the energy of your System has been removed, you can still change people’s impressions relying only a glib tongue. That’s also evidence that you still have your origin ability!” 

Huan Zixu wasn’t flustered despite having been seen through. He raised his hands and applauded. “Beautiful, splendid! And this is how much you trust the clearer, who has passed 3,841 worlds, who was the System’s greatest butcher, who has lived thousands and maybe even tens of thousands of years!” 

“He saved us, and he’s been helping us protect the world. Facts trump eloquence!” The handsome uncle Protector wasn’t to be outdone. 

“What a joke! A clearer who can even absorb the System, a person whom the System is exerting all its forces to pursue and kill, who has been hiding in your world for over fifteen years—does he really have no goals apart from hiding from the System’s pursuit? He’s willing to abide by the laws, to help the Protectors. Are you telling me that isn’t also trying to obtain acknowledgement from the world law?” Huan Zixu said. 

The handsome uncle Protector didn’t argue with Huan Zixu again. He turned to Feng Kui, who had been listening to the two of them argue all along. He asked, “What about you? 453.5 years. What do they mean to you?” 

Feng Kui saw that the flames of water had spread to him. He blinked innocently and simply said, “Finishing missions with A-Xu, defeating the System, winning our freedom.” 

A pure and simple reason. 

The handsome uncle Protector looked at Huan Zixu and said, “That’s his 453.5 years, completely different from yours. Everyone has a different appreciation of time and life. How can you judge others by your own measure? You haven’t personally experienced the passage of thousands of years, you aren’t him, so how can you recklessly make malicious guesses about another person? What if he’s only…tired? Only wants to rest?” 

This Protector’s question actually brought Huan Zixu to a halt. Uncomprehending, he said, “I didn’t expect that you would hold such naïve ideas about a strong character who has gone to so much trouble to hide himself.” 

“I…” 

You Zhengping wanted to say something else, but he was interrupted by Director Xiao. “Very good, thank you for your warning. My head is clear now.” 

Unexpectedly, Director Xiao didn’t rebuke You Zhengping for his partiality towards the black-cloaked man. Instead, he stood on his side.

“What…is wrong with you?” Watching as the Protectors calmed down one after another, Huan Zixu temporarily lost his composure. 

Director Xiao smiled politely. “You may not be aware of this. Fifteen years ago, when the black-cloaked man came to our world, all the Protectors in the world sensed it. He didn’t infiltrate silently. He gave us a sign, using power strong enough to destroy the world.” 

The tremendous power had swept across the whole world, and then…it had turned into a weariness desiring sleep and vanished. After that, the world was at peace for fifteen years, and the Protectors had gradually begun to live peaceful and happy ordinary lives. 

All the Protectors present had experienced that day. They all remembered it. 

“I’ve never been able to understand what that power meant. Thank you for helping resolve my doubts today.” Director Xiao had suddenly seen the light. “Now that you mention it, we ought to thank the black-cloaked man. He’s the one who brought us fifteen years of peace. You don’t need to twist everything around for the sake of self-protection. We’ll come to our own conclusions after deliberation. I think that the black-cloaked man must already have known about the world law. You weren’t going to use that intelligence to make an exchange with him. Tell us what you’re really covering up.” 

Huan Zixu was clever. Seeing Director Xiao’s attitude, he knew that anything he said next would be useless, so he frankly said, “I also guessed from the information Zhen Li provided that, with the clearer being so powerful, even if the Clearing League all faced him together, the clearer would still grind them flat and win. You may not realize that the levelers now are different from those fifteen years ago. The System has been making high grade levelers kill each other in order to restore its own power.” 

“No wonder there haven’t been any proper Destroyers apart from you two,” Director Xiao said. “In that case, why would the System issue this clearing mission?” 

Huan Zixu said, “There’s another thing you don’t know. The System doesn’t send people with over three hundred levels on world-opening missions, because a leveler who is too powerful will provoke resistance from the world law, and the world law will use methods that will do damage to itself to destroy the leveler. The System’s goal is to seize the power of the world law, not for both sides to fail, so it will only send low grade levelers who won’t lead the world law to use self-damaging means of resistance to the world to judge the world rules bit by bit. When many people have accomplished opening missions, the world law will be riddled with holes, and that’s when the System will come to reap the rewards.” 

“A thousand league dike can be breached with ant holes,” Director Xiao said. “You suspect that the System is sending weak Destroyers to exhaust the black-cloaked man? But that’s wrong. The black-cloaked man can absorb the System’s energy. He must be becoming more powerful.” 

Director Xiao recalled the recent battles. Had the black-cloaked man seemed in any way exhausted?

“No, I suspect that the System is using this ‘clearing mission’ to entice the levelers into coming to this world in a steady stream in order to confused the world’s protective screen, so that in the future it will be able to send stronger opponents who will be able to do serious damage to the black-cloaked man,” Huan Zixu said. 

“But you just said that the world law can only be eroded by completing clearing missions,” Director Xiao said doubtfully. 

“I’m talking about confusing the protective screen,” Huan Zixu said. “A threshold needs to be met for the world law to resist. Because resistance will cause it great harm, it’s constantly going through calculations to assess the threshold. As more and more levelers come to this world within a short time, getting stronger and stronger without the world suffering damage, the world law’s assessment of the threshold requirements will rise. The System must also be able to reckon that. When this reaches a certain critical point, someone whose strength we can’t imagine will come to this world.” 

This information chilled everyone, and Cen Xiao said, not quite understanding, “If it knows that this person is very strong and may cause great damage to the world, and may kill countless Protectors, will the world law still let them in as long as they don’t meet the threshold?” 

“It will.” No one understood the world law’s absolutely rational calculations better than Lian Yufan. “In a battle that impacts the whole world, how could it show mercy for the sake of a few Protectors? As long as the world law judges that the Protectors will be able to defeat this person, it will let them in.” 

No matter how many Protectors would be sacrificed. 

Director Xiao’s face was grave. He said to Huan Zixu, “The two pieces of information you have provided today are critical. They are a sufficient exchange for your and Feng Kui’s lives.” 

Huan Zixu relaxed slightly. 

“But you’re too clever. We can’t feel easy about you.” Director Xiao smiled craftily. “Fortunately, in our conversation just now, you revealed your weak point countless times. As for your punishment…Feng Kui will stay at the base, and you’ll go with Lian Yufan to Zhen Li’s studio and aid us in dealing with other Destroyers. Your power isn’t in your ability, it’s in your skill at manipulating words. I trust that with your help, we’ll be able to discover the existence of Destroyers faster and nip their actions in the bud.” 

“What did you say?” Huan Zixu hit the table and got to his feet. 

Director Xiao picked up his thermos mug again and leaned back in his chair. “Feng Kui has metal in his body. He couldn’t even get through the security checkpoint going on the subway. Without the Protection Organization to shelter him, he can’t go anywhere. It’s better for him to stay at the base. If you display good behavior, you can see him once a week.” 

“You…” Huan Zixu glared fiercely at Director Xiao. 

“Didn’t you say that if you attain acknowledgement from world law, you’ll posses your special ability?” Director Xiao very much resembled the club parting a couple of lovebirds. “When you have sincerely acknowledged this world and once again posses your special ability, that’s the moment we’ll release Feng Kui.” 

Not letting Huan Zixu resist, Director Xiao ordered that he and Feng Kui be “escorted” out, and to separate rooms, not letting the two of them be together. 

“Have people arrange classes for Feng Kui. While he’s at the base, have him train and study,” Director. Xiao said. “Feng Kui is Huan Zixu’s weak point. If Feng Kui surrenders and pays allegiance sincerely, then Huan Zixu will definitely act for us with dedication.” 

Yuan Luori had a sense of familiarity listening to Director Xiao’s arrangements. He poked Zhen Li. “Why did your ability awaken, but mine didn’t?”

Zhen Li shook his head in confusion. “I don’t know. What is your origin ability?” 

“I… The cheapest ability in the first ten worlds… I don’t think I equipped it!” Yuan Luori’s eyes filled with alarm. “The System can’t have taken my origin ability?” 

“That’s normal,” Lian Yufan said coldly. “In all probability, a person who nearly died during his nineteenth level had already lost his origin ability.”  

Yuan Luori: “…”

Zhen and Yuan, whose world views had been toppled and reorganized, were taken away, and only Protectors remained in the meeting room. 

“Director, what are we going to do?” You Zhengping asked worriedly. 

The Zhen Li Studio was in the Xuyang District. If very strong Destroyers came to this world, their first target would be the Xuyang District. 

“I’ll submit a report, unite the World Protection Organization, and request to reopen the ‘source project,’” Director Xiao said. 

“But the ‘source project’ was abolished years ago, and at the time, they didn’t realize the goal of uniting the whole world. At most, the Protectors within one country put the ‘source project’ into practice, and the outcome was…no different from the world law’s self-harm, right?” said Lian Yufan, who had learned about the “source project” from their teaching materials. 

“I’m only requesting it. When the Protectors have all died off, I suppose we’ll be able to use it.” Director Xiao smiled bitterly and left the conference room. 

After receiving so much information, the remaining young Protectors were all somewhat dazed. 

Cen Xiao remembered how You Zhengping had been defending the black-cloaked man in spite of everything earlier and became increasingly concerned. He wanted to take his friend aside for a chat, but he saw You Zhengping pull Lian Yufan into a corner and quietly say something. 

“So…” You Zhengping arranged his wording. “Now that you’ve been working with Yu Hua this long, do you still suspect that he’s a Destroyer?”  

Seeing You Zhengping secretively pull him aside, Lian Yufan had thought that he had wanted to start a captain-rank discussion on the basis of Huan Zixu’s information. He hadn’t expected You Zhengping’s head to still be full of his own home. He was instantly furiously. “You’re a Protector. The fatal disaster may come at any time. Can’t you think about something other than romance?” 

“No, I…” You Zhengping couldn’t explain. 

“I don’t suspect him anymore. I’ll return those pants to you another day, and you can explain it however you want. Make him stop torturing me,” Lian Yufan said in a long-suffering way. 

“You don’t suspect him anymore?” You Zhengping blinked. “When did you give up your suspicions?” 

Lian Yufan rolled his eyes. “When we were doing the decorating. When you get home and have time for some pillow talk, make Yu Hua use environmentally friendly materials to redecorate the studio once we’ve made some money. I’m a special ability user, so formaldehyde won’t hurt me very much, but aren’t you afraid he’ll get cancer from breathing in so much formaldehyde every day?” 

Then Lian Yufan shook off You Zhengping’s hand and left angrily. 

Seeing that Lian Yufan, who had suspected Yu Hua from the beginning and had tested him in all kinds of ways, was now unshakably convinced of the fact that Yu Hua was an ordinary person, You Zhengping felt anguished. 

His and Lian Yufan’s positions had been completely reversed. 

Cen Xiao walked over and said, “You did a good job breaking up Huan Zixu’s arguments today, but you can’t have so many feelings about the black-cloaked man, do you understand? When I went to pick Zhen Li up from the studio, he told me that he had given Yu Hua an employee benefit, a two-person trip to the Maldives. I figure that we’ll have a few days off after this mission, so why don’t you go on a trip? Missions are important, but feelings are also important.” 

After all, You Zhengping’s feelings amounted to combat ability, protecting them was also an aspect of work. 

“No, I… Oh, forget it.” You Zhengping gave up on explaining, silently acknowledging what Cen Xiao was saying. 

After all, from a certain point of view, Cen Xiao’s guess wasn’t wrong. He really had formed a feeling towards the black-cloaked man, but it wasn’t a feeling of psychological transference. 

It was love at first sight. 

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Author's Note

You Zhengping: Hearing Huan Zixu smearing the black-cloaked man, I was angry! I argued on firm grounds, desperately defending him!