LWGP - Chapter 254

Chapter 254: Hidden Danger

Killing served but three purposes: one, for flesh and blood; two, for… obedience; and three, for intimidation.

The Sword Cultivator from the First Spacetime certainly had a pretentious air about him, but he was indeed no ordinary man. He knew Wang Jiu was intimidating him and Xing Yao.

However, he was only initially shocked by Wang Jiu's uniqueness; after all, not even in the First Spacetime had anyone seen a soul return from the Ghost World.

Moreover, she had mastered an ability to construct a body at will.

How was that any different from being immortal?

He was shocked, but not purely out of fear of Wang Jiu's power, because there were those in the First Spacetime who were stronger than her.

For instance, in the small group chat where he was currently transmitting the video, there were five people.

One was Mo Ran from the Fourth Spacetime, and the other three were all stronger than him.

After watching the video, the four of them had differing attitudes.

But Mo Ran's attitude was: "Relay a message to her for me."

After some thought, the Sword Cultivator looked at Wang Jiu. The moment he met her eyes, his mind inexplicably went blank, and he blurted out, "You must be Lao Wang from the Gobi in the Third Spacetime."

At these words, Wang Jiu glanced at him. "Insulting me the moment we meet? There's no need for discussion. Why don't you go back now? Otherwise, you can stay."

Her fingers caressed the edge of her blade, and the surrounding Ghost Race members all turned to look at the Sword Cultivator.

A chill ran through the Sword Cultivator's heart. This person was unwilling to let him stay.

She wanted him to leave through the spacetime tunnel.

At least for now, he couldn't stay.

The Sword Cultivator tightened his grip on his flying sword, glanced at Xing Yao again, and finally, after weighing the pros and cons… he retreated.

After their sharp-tongued leader was strung up and the top-tier Sword Cultivator from the First Spacetime had scurried away, the leaders of the allied forces became much more docile. They proactively offered to sign a submission agreement, willing to be devoured or integrated—they had no objections.

They had arrived with great fanfare, but they left cowering in fear.

However, this agreement had been revised once before. After Wang Jiu arrived, Xing Yao and Saling came down. Saling produced the agreement and handed it to Xing Yao. When Xing Yao passed it to Wang Jiu, he made a gentlemanly gesture, intending to take her lantern.

Wang Jiu glanced at him, put the lantern away with a casual flick of her hand, then took the agreement and said politely, "Thank you, eunuch."

Wang Shu and the others shuddered.

Xing Yao's expression remained unchanged. He said faintly, "I'm already aware of the culture here. Please change your form of address."

While flipping through the agreement, Wang Jiu looked up at him. "You want me to call you 'daddy'?"

Xing Yao, who was also aware of the local "daddy" culture, remained unperturbed. "I'm just afraid your Old Lady would beat me to death."

Hearing this, Wang Jiu didn't reply, but one could see her slightly lowered eyes, set against her snow-pale skin, looking relaxed and elegant. Her lips, her hair—every inch of her seemed unreal.

She was definitely different from before.

In fact, none of them knew what kind of being she was now. They only knew that she possessed an aura that had already transcended all limits, giving them a feeling that was… infinitely close to that Eternal Night Overlord.

A power that existed outside the game.

As they pondered for a moment, slap. Wang Jiu closed the agreement. "Do you really need me to remind you to change it?"

Change it? It was probably about the distribution of power.

Qing He and the others had seen the original agreement. The Fourth Spacetime had a larger share. It couldn't be helped; they were stronger, and the technology was in their hands. At that time, they hadn't completely secured the entire Third Spacetime, so they had ceded some power. However, according to the Old Lady, if Wang Jiu could return, the previous agreement wouldn't matter. If she couldn't, this was the best deal they could get at the time.

The Xingyao Empire of the Fourth Spacetime would not have budged.

But in the end, Wang Jiu had returned.

Xing Yao was as calm as he had been when he first discussed cooperation with Wang Jiu in the study. He said nothing. Saling spoke up, "We had to see what your attitude was."

Wang Jiu: "It's one thing for the eunuch not to know, but I thought you always knew, my dear Saling."

Not quite a demon, not quite a ghost, yet she wielded the seductive arts of both with great skill, all while maintaining a proper, elegant, and intellectual demeanor that left one unable to accuse her of being a femme fatale.

Saling's brow twitched, her expression not pleasant. The chief medical officer's cold and stern aura intensified. "I may not be familiar with other matters, but I do know that you, Your Excellency, never submit to others."

That was true. Wang Shu and the others silently agreed.

"Not always."

"Sometimes I'm willing to be on the bottom, but…"

Saling frowned, watching as Wang Jiu altered the agreement herself, seizing the lion's share of power for the Gobi.

"Sometimes, I'm not."

She was making a dirty joke, but it was loaded with explosives.

Dominance, coercion.

She handed the agreement over. Neither Xing Yao nor Saling showed any emotion. They just looked at her with calm eyes for a moment. Finally, Xing Yao signed his name. Saling, as a core member of the technical team, also signed. Then, changing the subject from "top and bottom," she looked at the people around them.

"Have them go to your Gobi to sign?"

"No need. They're not worthy of a table and chairs. Let them sign while standing."

For some reason, Liao Luo and Zhao Shanxiao were instantly reminded of the time they were forced to sign their slave contracts.

She sits, preparing to eat, watching you with cold eyes.

You stand, holding the pen, caught in a bind.

Either sign, or die.

After the signing was complete, the allied players, unworthy of tables and chairs, all scrammed. Xing Yao and Saling had to leave as well.

The Eternal Night Race was not giving them much time.

As he left, Xing Yao didn't say much, but Saling traded something to Wang Jiu.

It was some blood materials.

For a chief medical officer like Saling, blood was the most basic material for research and experiments.

She could see that Wang Jiu currently lacked a true physical body.

Blood was what she needed.

"Thanks."

Saling didn't reply and left with Xing Yao.

Back in the Gobi, Wang Shu and the others wanted to bask in the joy of Lao Wang's return, but they were swamped by millions of applications to join the territory. They were incredibly busy, but they still found time to gossip in their small group chat.

Wang Shu: "Forgive my bluntness, but I'm still a little excited. I wonder if Lao Wang will apply to join the territory later. What do you think, should we not approve it? Hehehe."

His suggestion was quite mischievous. Everyone was stunned. Even Qing He, who hadn't spoken for what felt like centuries, sent a message.

Qing He: "???"

Tired of living.

But they were probably just so happy that the group actually started discussing it.

Liao Luo: "Why don't you be the one to reject her then?"

Zhao Shanxiao: "Let Fatty do it."

Wang Shu: "No, no, no, I think it should be Brother Lu, or Sister Jing, Sister Qingshu, and Sister Guiwan who do the rejecting. Master has always liked them."

You little fatty, you've got a wicked heart.

Lin Guiwan: "I wouldn't dare. Do you think she dislikes everyone other than the four of us?"

Wang Shu: "That's not what I meant, I just think…"

Qiao Xuejing: "She doesn't like the four of us. She just thinks we look decent, for the time being. But she's not a lecher. Look how well she treats you."

The group collectively agreed with a +1.

Wang Shu: "…"

Sis, your words are so venomous.

As they were gossiping, the group, who had just teleported, saw that Wang Jiu had already entered the territory and was walking directly toward the manor.

She walked right into the manor again.

???

Wait, how did she get in?!

Logically, she had revoked all her permissions. Did the system still recognize her ownership of the Gobi by default?

While everyone was puzzled, Mei Qinghe said: "I'm more curious about what will happen when she meets the Old Lady. It would be great if she cried."

Everyone: "…"

Hmm… indeed, compared to how Lao Wang got into the territory, they were more eager to see Lao Wang show some emotion.

But as soon as they entered the manor, they saw Wang Jiu already sitting in the rest area of the grapevine-covered restaurant, while the Old Lady was making coffee.

They had missed seeing their reunion, as it had been very brief.

Most of the people from Huaxia City had returned, but two had stayed behind: Shen Wan and Chen Xiaohu. Instead of going directly back to the capital, Huaxia City, or Sichuan, they were staying in the Gobi for a few days. They were here on the orders of the top leadership to discuss the next steps. The Old Lady had just invited them as well.

However, when Shen Wan saw the scene in the restaurant, her expression was subtle.

The Old Lady was not treating herself as an outsider. Even in Wang Jiu's manor, she acted like a hostess, greeting everyone, asking if they were injured, and then telling them to have some coffee and eat together later.

Everyone had actually come to ask if she was injured. After all, she had been summoning souls alone in the Devil's Eye sea area and must have suffered a great loss.

The Old Lady responded gracefully and took care of them with the air of an elder, but cooking was out of the question. Wang Jiu glanced over, and a chill instantly ran down everyone's spines. Wang Shu immediately understood. "I'll do it, I'll do it! Old Lady, you go rest."

The Old Lady: "How could I let you do that."

Lin Guiwan: "Why don't we go to Wang Shu's place? Old Lady, you need to rest."

Wang Shu: "That could work too."

Lao Wang's glare just now was terrifying as hell.

But the Old Lady didn't think so. She insisted on hosting them, holding the kitchen knife and refusing to let go.

This was the Old Lady's nature. She always had a parental instinct to care for outstanding juniors, just as she had for Lin Guiwan back when they were strangers.

Just as Lin Guiwan was about to offer to help…

Wang Jiu stood up and said faintly, "I'll do it."

Everyone: WTF, no, no, no, that's not necessary, we're leaving right now!

The Old Lady immediately put down the kitchen knife. "Good. You do it."

Everyone: "???"

Hmm, couldn't they say this was a bit like the classic "I'll pay for dinner" or "I'll do the dishes" routine?

I'll do it, I'll do it.

No, no, that would be too much trouble.

It's fine, I'll do it.

Okay, you do it.

Amidst their suspicion, they saw Wang Jiu suddenly lower her gaze, smile lightly, roll up her sleeves, and walk toward the kitchen counter. Then they looked at the Old Lady's natural expression.

Uh? It seems like…

Shen Wan was certain that the Old Lady still had no memory of Wang Jiu, and Wang Jiu surely knew this as well, yet they both acted so naturally.

Just like that moment.

Perhaps back in their home in the capital, this was the daily routine for this old and young pair.

In truth, even if memories were lost, certain habits, certain affections rooted deep in the soul, would not change.

Shen Wan watched for a while, then inexplicably smiled at the view outside the window.

In truth, familial love is more moving than romantic love.

Because it doesn't keep score of gains and losses, or of depth.

Perhaps others had similar feelings as Shen Wan. After they all reported their safety to their families and chatted, the atmosphere among them became very gentle and soft. A few from the medical field even sought out the Old Lady for advice.

After making a voice call to her family in the garden outside, Shen Wan walked back into the restaurant. At the threshold, she saw the warm, bright lights under the vine trellis. The sleeves of a black sweater were rolled up, revealing skin as white and delicate as snow, a striking sight amidst the swirling steam of cooking.

Lin Guiwan was a good cook and was stir-frying dishes on the side. Wang Jiu was making soup, one hand holding a ladle to taste it, the other tucked into her pants pocket. It was a very casual, ordinary action, but it somehow made one feel that she was full of life and charm, exceptionally enchanting.

It had nothing to do with her figure or appearance, but because the person washing her hands to make soup was Wang Jiu.

Shen Wan stopped in her tracks, her thoughts drifting. But then she suddenly saw Wang Jiu, who had just put down the ladle, turn her head to glance over. In that one glance, all the enchantment vanished.

Her heart pounded.

Shen Wan averted her gaze and went to discuss matters with Qing He.

Qing He glanced at her.

Why was the diplomat blushing so much?

After a satisfying meal, everyone left in a hurry, leaving only Wang Shu and the Old Lady.

The huge manor suddenly fell silent.

As they washed the dishes together, the Old Lady asked, "What was it like down there?"

Wang Jiu: "Boring, dark, uninteresting. Thankfully, it wasn't for long."

The System thought Lao Wang was a super hypocrite with double standards. But this standard wasn't for herself. It was as if when the Old Lady was gone, the days she spent saving her felt like years.

But when she herself was gone, fallen into the terrifying Ghost World, it was just a casually mentioned "not for long."

Of course, the Old Lady wasn't that naive. She knew that those 46 days must have been excruciatingly painful for Wang Jiu.

How could the myriad Ghost Race be so easy to get along with? And how did she transform from prey, targeted for revenge and consumption, into the commander who ruled over them?

But the Old Lady didn't press further. She just silently washed one plate after another and then asked, "Do you know why I let you cook tonight?"

Wang Jiu: "I know. You're lazy."

The Old Lady was taken aback and said sheepishly, "Changing the subject?"

Wang Jiu: "Nope. I never lie to you."

The Old Lady had been quite cautious at first. After all, with her memory loss, no matter how high their EQ and IQ were, they had to be careful and prioritize the other person. But she couldn't help but be amused by this, putting down a bowl with a clatter.

"Were you always like this before?"

Wang Jiu pursed her lips, her expression natural. "Occasionally, I'd tell a white lie. After all, a woman who never lies has no charm."

The Old Lady: "Nonsense. I never lie."

Wang Jiu: "You told me that yourself."

The Old Lady: "…"

No, that can't be me. Why would I teach a child in my family something like that?!

The Old Lady was a bit baffled, but she quickly realized that if she had indeed taught her that way back then, it must have been because of Wang Jiu's extraordinary aptitude and character.

"Oh? What else did I say?"

"You also said that no matter what I did—murder, arson, rape, pillage, whatever—you would forgive me."

"…"

I feel like you're taking advantage of my memory loss to trick me, you little brat.

The Old Lady rolled her eyes but didn't pay too much mind to Wang Jiu's nonsense, because she vaguely sensed that Wang Jiu was very nervous.

She was worried, anxious, afraid of something.

The Old Lady was a perceptive person. She felt pity for Lin Guiwan and the others, but for Wang Jiu… her heart inexplicably softened into a complete mess. So she lowered her gaze and said one thing, "I'm sorry."

Wang Jiu froze.

The Old Lady washed her hands, dried them, and reached out to gently stroke her head.

"I'm so sorry for making you work so hard."

Wang Jiu's eyes immediately turned red. Before the tears could fall, she asked with a smile, "Can I hug you now?"

The Old Lady held out her arms and gently placed Wang Jiu's lowered head on her shoulder.

Her shoulder grew damp.

Wang Jiu never brought up whether she cared that the Old Lady had forgotten her, or whether the past could be recovered.

Just as she herself never brought up whether she had remembered her birth mother.

Her heart was too profound, a deep ocean.

The Old Lady looked at the courtyard outside, but a thought flashed through her mind for no reason.

Perhaps, she could plant a loquat tree.

This child probably likes to eat loquats.

There was one more thing. The Old Lady thought for a moment, just about to say something.

"Mama?"

When Jiong Jiong came out of the System's classroom, she was short, with a round face and pigtails, looking completely bewildered.

Wang Jiu looked at her, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Jiong Jiong met her gaze and froze for a moment. But then she saw this stranger, who inexplicably made her a little scared, curve her lips and give her a brilliant smile.

Jiong Jiong was dazed… and after being dazed… she blushed. Even her little ears turned red.

Pretty, so, so pretty.

Competing with Jiong Jiong for the Old Lady's affection would be extremely difficult, and it would hurt the Old Lady. But there was one way for Wang Jiu to get what she wanted.

That was to make the little girl like her even more.

System: "…"

Are you a devil?

In the Fourth Spacetime, Mo Ran exited the social interface and lightly pressed her temples.

The initial plan for the Third Spacetime had failed.

The First Spacetime was preparing for a direct fusion. It wasn't a huge loss, as things could be manipulated after logging in.

But… Wang Jiu was an exception.

They had just discussed it and still couldn't figure out what was going on with her, nor did they know the upper limit of her strength.

However, they could basically confirm that she had already achieved a soul state.

What was the difference between that and a Primordial Spirit?

Mo Ran had never expected a Qiao Biluo to be so formidable.

"Wang Jiu…" Mo Ran muttered Qiao Biluo's real name, her brow slightly furrowed. Her annoyance wasn't with Wang Jiu herself, but with her cooperation with Xing Yao.

System: "Female Emperor, why don't you go seduce her?"

System: "You should have seen it earlier. She still has a bit of a good impression of you. Xing Yao's son is so old; he's just an old man. How can he compare to your nation-toppling beauty?"

Across the four spacetimes, Female Emperor Mo Ran was a prime example of someone at the pinnacle of beauty.

Mainly, her strength and status were also at the pinnacle.

System: "It's not that I'm being vulgar, this is a type of strategy. Just get in touch with her, I'm not asking you to do anything…"

System: "I think you're going too far, ignoring me for so many years! I'm the System!"

Mo Ran: "Shut up."

System: "Yes, my Female Emperor."

Seduce her? How could that be possible.

"What kind of name is Wang Jiu? It's even uglier than Qiao Biluo."

Mo Ran finally said this faintly, closing the video she had replayed several times—myriad ghosts, holding a lantern, seeing the wilderness.

This was a very difficult opponent, much more so than Xing Yao.

However…

A private message suddenly popped up. It was a voice call, and it kept ringing.

Mo Ran glanced at it, her eyes filled with some disgust.

It was one of the leaders of the Fourth Spacetime.

She rejected it directly.

A moment later, a text message arrived from the other party.

Hao Tian: "Sorry, Miss Mo, I was in a hurry just now. Did I disturb you?" Hao Tian: "You must be troubled by Wang Jiu's appearance affecting our plans. That Xing Yao might use this advantage against you. I'm worried about you. Luckily, I recently obtained a secret technique that can drive 80% of the Order Book's power. If you and I cultivate it together…"

Hao Tian: "Miss Mo, I hope you'll consider it carefully."

There was nothing after that. He was probably afraid of annoying Mo Ran. It was the System that started gossiping first.

System: "Your Majesty, I'll bet you a truckload of cucumbers that this is a dual cultivation manual. Oh ho, what a scumbag. It's safer to go for Wang Jiu; you won't be at a disadvantage."

Mo Ran expressionlessly closed the private chat and muted the System's gossip.

But soon, another private message arrived.

Mo Ran was annoyed, but when she looked, it was from Xing Yao.

Xing Yao got straight to the point: "Spacetime fusion, synchronized, with minimal loss and safe. You can discuss it with the people over there."

Mo Ran grew thoughtful.

Although they were rivals, when the overall interests of the Fourth Spacetime were at stake, the two emperors could still cooperate well.

Just like when they took out the Taihuang Empire before.

Seven days later, the situation in the Third Spacetime had completely stabilized. The Gobi had no intention of meddling in the leadership arrangements of the various city-districts, leaving that headache to Huaxia City. In any case, the Gobi was now the number one city with a population of twenty million, gathering twelve great kings, over a hundred kings below them, and countless elites.

These people were all eager to meet Wang Jiu, but they didn't know that she hadn't stepped out of the manor for seven consecutive days.

Fortunately, they saw her on the seventh day.

Because on this day, the Fourth Spacetime was preparing to fuse with the Third Spacetime, and the First Spacetime was also preparing to do so on the same day, even choosing the same location.

Luoyang.

At this time, the riverbank outside the Gobi was already lined with weeping willows, and a stream of top experts from around the globe stood on the embankment.

They were all waiting for the two spacetimes to make their move.

They couldn't just wait idly. While Wang Jiu and the Old Lady were fishing on the side, the poor fish in the river suffered, because more and more people were joining the fishing, people of all skin colors, races, and regions.

But they didn't pay any mind to the others.

The Old Lady brought up Song Yuanqiao.

Wang Jiu: "You want to save him?"

The Old Lady: "I had originally considered waiting for Jiong Jiong to grow up and let her save him herself. It's her responsibility, and it could also help her process her emotions, since she'll find out about this sort of thing eventually. But she's too young, and it would take a long time for her to grow up. I'm afraid it would cause a delay, so I'll do it."

Wang Jiu didn't say, "I'll help you," because she understood the Old Lady's character.

She wouldn't trouble others with things she could do herself, no matter who that other person was.

She understood her completely.

Song Yuanqiao had died in this spacetime, so his soul should be easy to collect. It shouldn't be difficult, and besides, she estimated that the leadership over there had also made preparations.

So Wang Jiu wasn't too concerned. "Right. Now we just have to see the spacetime fusion…"

"And the Eternal Night Race's reaction."

The fingers holding the fishing rod caressed its body as Wang Jiu's gaze drifted toward the distant sky.

They're here.

Space began to fluctuate.

The four spacetimes belonged to Earth, and beyond Earth, in the cosmos, among the endless soaring stars and infinite mysteries, sat a vast empire.

An empire that was an entire planet.

The Eternal Night Empire.

There were countless mechanical castles and innumerable powerful beings, but all people, all buildings, all machines held a deep sense of fear for the region that floated above all else.

It was a forest.

A very strange forest.

At first glance, it was a sea of bamboo, with flowers, grass, and trees flourishing, filled with a vibrant natural energy. But if you looked closely, you would discover that everything was made of mechanical metal.

Beyond its strangeness, it was extremely terrifying.

Logically, metal is lifeless and shouldn't possess such natural spirituality, unless the spirituality they displayed was being controlled.

Such terrifying control.

But beyond the terror, it also felt very awkward.

Because the impression the Eternal Night mechanical race gave was one of rigidity and emotionlessness. Why would they display such natural, living spirituality?

Despite the awkwardness, looking inward, one could see a bamboo house.

Not small, but very large.

A person was kneeling in the courtyard. It was none other than that Eternal Night Overlord.

He was reporting his findings from this recent event.

After he finished speaking, he found a light glowing on his forehead. His memories were being directly observed.

Because his entire being was under the other's control.

His impressions and judgments regarding Wang Jiu were all reviewed.

"Human race turned soul body, Ghost Emperor, Level 7 Undead Order."

A voice spoke. It was a woman's.

But her voice held no emotional inflection, as if it were the sound of metal grinding against metal.

Hoarse, and cold.

The Eternal Night Overlord lowered his head. "She has made plans for herself. She should have already broken free from the game's control."

"Breaking free without a body of flesh and blood, then returning upon remolding one. Very cunning."

"However, she isn't planning for herself. She's preparing for war against me."

The person inside was emotionless, standing at the absolute pinnacle, seeing far, able to capture Wang Jiu's schemes and future path. She did not underestimate her. Instead, she was decisive and ruthless, stating faintly: "She is a hidden danger. Deal with her early."

This meant that the attacks targeting the Third Spacetime would be elevated in scale and increased in frequency.

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