When Su Jingxuan returned to the grand hall, everything inside remained the same as when he had left. The man in the black robe was still standing there, waiting. However, compared to his appearance before the departure, the handsome face of the man in the black robe looked a bit off-color.
“I want to take a break, and there are things I want to ask you,” Su Jingxuan spoke as soon as he entered the grand hall. He wanted to prevent the man in the black robe from immediately assigning him another mission, considering the man’s apparent dislike for him.
“What do you want to ask?”
Unlike previous occasions where the man in the black robe would get angry at the sight of him, this time his attitude, though cold, was relatively calm. However, his voice was somewhat weak, and a faint smell of blood emanated from him, indicating that he was injured.
Su Jingxuan’s gaze fell on the man’s slightly darker shoulder and kindly asked, “Are you okay?”
Although the injuries of the man in the black robe had nothing to do with him, and the man seemed to dislike him, in a way, they were in the same boat. Su Jingxuan still had to rely on this person to see his loved one.
“It’s none of your business. If you have something to say, say it quickly. Don’t waste my time,” the man in the black robe retorted, showing no appreciation for Su Jingxuan’s concern. His long and narrow eyes were sharp and cold.
He was indeed a person with a stubborn and bad temper.
Thinking to himself that since the other person was not appreciative, Su Jingxuan decided not to put on a warm face where it wasn’t welcome. He got straight to the point.
“This time during the mission, I noticed something. I’m not very sure if my speculations and findings are correct, so I want to confirm them with you.”
“Speak.”
“I found something off about Xie; previously, his perception of me during missions was very strong, and regardless of what form he took, the world’s rules had no effect on him. But this time, I noticed that the characters’ personalities in the plot seem to be influencing him…”
Su Jingxuan frowned, feeling a heaviness in his heart.
He knew his loved one too well—his personality, preferences, and temper. Even more than his loved one knew himself. It was precisely because of this deep understanding that he discovered something was amiss this time.
The Xie in this mission is a person with a strong sense of loyalty, especially towards his brothers. His loved one also values loyalty, but there is a difference between his loved one’s loyalty and Xie’s. Xie would sacrifice himself for his brothers, but his loved one wouldn’t. His loved one would never abandon him to die for someone else.
So when, in the mission, Xie chose to repay a debt to the protagonist’s brother with his life, Su Jingxuan didn’t think much about it at the time, but later, he felt that something was wrong.
If it were his loved one, he believed his loved one would have threatened others just like him, instead of hesitating and joking about sacrificing himself.
Although it was just a slight difference, seemingly insignificant, a small divergence could change many things.
Therefore, he had to inquire with the man in the black robe. Doing missions was his only chance to meet his loved one, and he wouldn’t allow anything unexpected to happen!
“I’ve experienced so many worlds before; I understand those worlds. I don’t believe this difference is a mere coincidence. So, I speculate that these small differences are the work of the world’s rules. If they accumulate, will my loved one eventually be assimilated or even erased by those characters?”
As he spoke, Su Jingxuan already felt some panic in his heart. He hoped he was wrong, hoped he was overthinking.
“That means his speculation was correct,” the man in the black robe said with a slightly changed face and a heavier voice. “I will find a way to solve this issue.”
Su Jingxuan felt a bit relieved. “Why is this happening? What exactly is going on with Xie?”
“You don’t need to know these things. Just complete the task as soon as possible, and I will naturally let you see him.”
The man in the black robe had no intention of explaining too much, giving a cold warning.
“He is my loved one; why can’t I know? If you don’t tell me, let’s end this deal. Find someone else to do your tasks.”
Su Jingxuan didn’t back down, sneering.
He had too many questions. While he could ignore other doubts, he couldn’t remain calm when it came to the life and death of his loved one.
“Are you threatening me?” Killing intent emanated from the man in the black robe, his cloak billowing.
“Yes, I am threatening you!” Su Jingxuan prepared for a confrontation, his smile growing colder.
He never did things without certainty, disliked being manipulated, and detested being an ignorant fool.
Since the decision to trade and do tasks with the man in the black robe, he had been paying attention. Initially, there was nothing, but after several tasks, he gradually found some clues.
Despite the man in the black robe clearly disliking him, getting infuriated by his provocations several times, he always held back in the end. This wasn’t the attitude of a trader. If the man disliked him so much, why bother assigning him tasks? The only explanation for this tolerance was that he was indispensable for this particular task.
Not knowing the man in the black robe’s intentions, Su Jingxuan had no reason to fear showing weakness since the man had reservations about him.
“I don’t care about your schemes; I just want to know about Xie. If you don’t tell me, I won’t do this task anymore…”
“Your life is in my hands, and whether you do it or not is not up to you!”
The man in the black robe, filled with rage, his handsome face momentarily turned as cold as frost, and his icy eyes emitted sword-like glints. He raised his hand, gathering energy, and a palm wind struck towards Su Jingxuan, carrying a powerful pressure.
Su Jingxuan’s heart sank, immediately dodging. The attack narrowly missed him, creating a dark destructive pit on the floor of the grand hall.
“Hmph!” Seeing him evade, the man in the black robe snorted coldly, flicking his sleeve for another attack, the pressure terrifying.
Su Jingxuan’s gaze sharpened. After dodging again, he didn’t hesitate to counterattack.
Since the other had resorted to such violence, he couldn’t just sit back, regardless of whether he could win or not. Sensing that the man held back, Su Jingxuan became even more certain that the man in the black robe wouldn’t take his life. With no reservations, he launched a full-scale assault, staking his life on the fight.
The fact that he dared to initiate an attack surprised the man in the black robe, who became even more displeased. He intensified the force of his attacks, but didn’t go for a lethal blow due to some reservations.
Feeling the restraint in the attacks, Su Jingxuan was more convinced that the man in the black robe wouldn’t take his life. He attacked without holding back, determined to get the answers he sought.
The only one who could provide those answers was the man in the black robe.
“Sujingxuan, you have some nerve!” The man in the black robe accidentally fell under Su Jingxuan’s attack, infuriated and yelling. He manipulated his spiritual power, wielding it in his hands. Suddenly, a resonant dragon roar echoed.
The dragon-shaped jade that had been hidden in his soul flew out, transforming into a black dragon that devoured all the attacking sword energy.
“Dragon Soul! He actually let the Dragon Soul protect you!”
At the moment the black dragon appeared, the man in the black robe’s face showed an incredible mix of shock and anger. It seemed like he was stimulated in an unusual way, losing control of his emotions.
“Xie, you actually gave the Dragon Soul to him. What qualification does he have? What qualification! Are you keeping your promise to me? Are you keeping your promise to him?!”
The man in the black robe roared in anger, his handsome face contorted in a grimace, and his killing intent surged as he uncontrollably attacked again.
Su Jingxuan was overwhelmed by the killing intent, feeling pain in his internal organs.
The black dragon sensed the danger and, with a roar, positioned itself in front of Su Jingxuan, spewing a breath of dragon fire towards the attacking man in the black robe.
Compared to the attacks from the man in the black robe, the black dragon was more powerful. Additionally, the man in the black robe seemed to be injured, making the black dragon’s offensive an absolute advantage that pushed him away.
“Cough, cough…”
The man in the black robe was thrown back and landed on the ground, coughing up blood while holding his chest.
The black dragon observed him but didn’t continue its attack, returning to hover protectively in front of Su Jingxuan in midair.
When the man in the black robe regained his composure, and his agitated emotions stabilized, he looked up to see the protective stance of the black dragon. On his handsome face, resentment and unwillingness grew stronger, and he roared with fury, questioning.
“Roar…”
The black dragon didn’t speak human language, only emitting occasional high or low dragon roars.
It seemed like a warning, yet also like advice.
However, as the dragon roared to its conclusion, its deep dragon eyes emitted a cold light, and its voice turned icy, resembling a final threat.
Su Jingxuan didn’t understand Dragon language.
The man in the black robe, however, understood. He was so enraged that he couldn’t help but spit out another mouthful of blood, struggling to suppress the roiling blood and qi in his chest for quite some time.
When he looked at the protective stance of the black dragon again, his handsome face showed a mixture of regret and bitterness. He said, “Fine, fine. You are indeed deeply infatuated. Since it’s like this, I won’t be able to do anything to him. But our friendship ends here! Forget what you can forget; I won’t forget.”
Staring at the black dragon, his expression carried mocking disappointment.
The black dragon remained silent, gently shaking its head. It then breathed another dragon breath towards the man in the black robe, healing his internal injuries. After that, it turned to Su Jingxuan, showing a gentle expression in its dragon eyes.
Meeting that familiar gaze, Su Jingxuan couldn’t help but exclaim, “Xie?”
The black dragon still didn’t speak but looked at him with gradually moistening dragon eyes. It leaned towards him and gently touched his forehead.
Su Jingxuan’s eyes turned red. He reached out to hug the black dragon’s head, but before he could touch it, the black dragon transformed back into the dragon-shaped jade and returned to his soul.
“Xie…” The unusually familiar aura of his loved one in his soul made Su Jingxuan’s heart ache.
The man in the black robe, witnessing this scene, couldn’t help but clench his fists in anger and frustration. However, he refrained from attacking again, waving his hand to send Su Jingxuan back into the stone mirror, while cautioning him.
“Su Jingxuan, if you want to know the truth, complete the task diligently. Remember, if you fail the task, the one who dies won’t be you, but him!”
