Chapter 497: Defying Order

Chapter 497: Defying Order

In an instant, the vitality saved in Vermilion Bird’s body was injected into Edmond’s lifeless corpse. Two seconds later, the Black Gold altar under the corpse glowed faintly of a gray light.

Edmond slowly opened his eyes, which glinted with the same faint gray.

He didn’t move, but opened his eyes slightly.

“Answer the questions, Edmond,” Vermilion Bird spoke at a hastened pace but in an authoritative tone that demanded obedience.

“Yes.”

Edmond’s tone was devoid of emotions, the cold, hoarse voice squeezed out of the throat like an echo from the abyss, chilling.

“Do wanderers and humans give birth to Spectres?”

Qilin had learned of Gao Yang’s hypothesis, and he asked the first question.

“They do not,” Edmond responded.

Qilin paused. Had Gao Yang guessed wrong?

Without wasting any time, he asked a different question, “Where do Spectres come from?”

“Life monsters,” Edmond responded.

Spectres came from life monsters!

Qilin was shocked. That was entirely different from what Gao Yang had speculated.

He quickly asked, “What part of a life monster does the holy water come from?”

“Amniotic fluid.”

Amniotic fluid.

It seemed that not only did life monsters give birth to lives, they were mammals like humans, hence they had amniotic fluid.

Then back at the No.7 Winery in West Nation, the large organ Gao Yang had found in the giant growth tank in the basement must be a life monster’s uterus.

It was a mystery how the life monster died.

“What is the relationship between life monsters and wanderers?” Qilin continued with a question they had come up with beforehand.

“One sows seeds in the other.” Edmond’s response was concise and abstract.

“How?” Qilin pressed.

“Crimson Tide...” Edmond’s parted lips paused for two seconds. He seemed to be processing information. During those two seconds, Qilin barely managed to tamp down the urge to pose another question.

Edmond sorted out his thoughts and continued, “Wanderers turn into seeds after death, and life monsters send seeds back into wanderers via the blood fog... Seeds, wanderers, reincarnation...”

“Guildmaster! We must send reinforcements now, or tell Seven Shadow to stop investigating!”

Qilin’s expression remained cold, and he didn’t voice his stance.

Vermilion Bird didn’t understand it. She turned to Azure Dragon, “Say something, Azure Dragon!”

Azure Dragon had a troubled look on his face. Although he did believe they should help Seven Shadow, he trusted and obeyed Qilin’s orders unconditionally.

“Seven Shadow will die!” Vermilion Bird was on the verge of losing it. “We can’t lose more people!”

“I have my plan.” Finally, Qilin broke his silence.

“Guildmaster! All these years, I’ve never once defied your orders because you’re right every time, but this time, I disagree.”

“Vermilion Bird, we should trust Guildmaster...”

“How?!” Vermilion Bird cut him off. “This is a life monster we’re talking about. Why aren’t we allowed to help? Okay, let’s say we don’t go to Seven Shadow’s rescue, but we can’t just let important intel about life monsters slip, can we?”

Azure Dragon fell silent. He didn’t understand Qilin’s true intention either.

“I’m sorry, Guildmaster. I’m calling Seven Shadow. I can’t just let a companion march to his death.” Vermilion Bird took out her phone, determined.

Qilin sighed softly rather than stop her. “It’s your choice.”

Vermilion Bird called Gao Yang.

...

Meanwhile, at the White Crane Shrine on top of Mount Kei, Gao Yang’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw that it was an encoded call from Vermilion Bird.

“Hello?” Gao Yang picked up immediately.

“Seven Shadow! Hurry...crackle...”

Beep, beep, beep—

Vermilion Bird only got three words out before the signal cut off with a disturbance. Confused, Gao Yang was about to call back when Qing Ling shouted.

“It’s coming!”

Gao Yang’s head jerked up. In the sky, a brilliant white shooting star emerged, flying above the peak of Mount Tamaougi toward the White Crane Shrine on Mount Kei. That must be the source of signal disturbance.

The white shooting star fell unusually quickly. Gao Yang estimated that it would land in less than ten seconds.

He had never felt such overwhelming anxiety and pressure before, and the others felt the same.

Gao Yang’s hands started trembling uncontrollably. He tightened his fists and forced himself to calm down.

“Get ready, everyone.”

A bead of cold sweat streaked down from his forehead.