Chapter 250: Chapter 250 We Break Off for 1 Second
For Sikong Lin, both Shangguan Qing and Sikong Wang are equally important. Moreover, he is very afraid that if both Sikong Wang and Qian Qi have an accident, he would truly lose both his wife and child.
Considering the risks, Sikong Lin does not allow Sikong Wang to take the risk of going to the Sealed City.
Seeing Sikong Lin resolutely refusing while Sikong Wang adamantly insists on going, Su Ang suddenly speaks, "Uncle Sikong, if Sikong Wang really wants to go, how about I accompany him?"
"You?" Upon hearing this, Sikong Lin shakes his head and declines, "Last time, you suppressed the Magic Beast Tide, and your spiritual power probably can’t hold up now, right? You should still stay home and rest well..."
"It’s no longer a problem." Su Ang’s gaze lightly sweeps over Qian Qi like a feather, the meaning obvious, "Last time I suppressed the Magic Beast Tide, many probably thought my condition was worrying. This time, by appearing in the Sealed City, I can also break certain assumptions."
Sikong Wang’s eyes flicker.
When his mother was ill and he was forced by Sikong Lin to study governance at home, he understood clearly that after the turbulent times ended, the Seven Great Families reached a consensus that all major decisions would be made by vote.
However, as they gradually realized the fact that "with humanity’s current capabilities, they cannot eliminate the instance. Ultimately, humanity will die at the hands of Demons," the Seven Great Families began to split and formed three factions: the Ambition Faction, the Conservative Faction, and the Reform Faction.
The Reform Faction advocates seeking new methods to enhance the abilities of Awakeners and Contracted Beasts, encouraging ventures into instances to clear Demons while ensuring their safety as much as possible;
The Conservative Faction advocates going with the flow, methodically eliminating Demons, rejecting reforms, and refusing to let anyone climb above them to become their masters.
Meanwhile, the Ambition Faction believes that the current predicament results from the initial division of power among the Seven Great Families. No decisive Monarch enforced orders to increase the birth rate among Awakeners and conscript them to enter instances to slay Demons, leading to instances being inadequately cleared, leaving many risks and repercussions.
Now, the Ambition Faction has been eyeing Su Ang and Su Xingchen, hoping to find evidence of their spiritual power disorder. Once the Su Family loses an S-Class Commander, the strongest support of the Reform Faction will no longer exist.
At that time, the Ambition Faction will undoubtedly take action to seize power. Letting them become the leaders will not only mean conscripting soldiers into instances by force but also complicating matters as the Nangong Family and Wei Bisheng from the Awakened Association are colluding secretly in some unknown transactions...
If they succeed, one can only imagine what would become of humanity’s moral baseline then... And without a moral baseline, can humans still be called humans?
Therefore, to stabilize the Ambition Faction, Su Ang and Su Xingchen absolutely must not fall.
Sikong Wang retracts his thoughts and says to Sikong Lin, "Su Ang has already injected the Treatment Potion, and now is his prime time. Protecting Qian Qi and me is absolutely not a problem."
"This..." Sikong Lin raises his hand in contemplation. Su Ang isn’t wrong. Making an appearance in the Sealed City could indeed dispel some rumors, and having him accompany Sikong Wang and Qian Qi certainly puts his mind at ease.
After all, he’s seen that kid Su Ang grow up, and that kid is by no means a goody-goody. Even if it meant sacrificing thousands of people, he would first send his family and friends to safety.
"Since that’s the case, alright." Sikong Lin finally nods in agreement, "There’s no time to waste, let’s set off now!"
——
After tidying up, the four set out from the Sikong family. Su Ang initially wanted to ride Qian Qi’s Hovercar, but Sikong Wang insisted on sticking with Qian Qi and riding Qian Qi’s Hovercar.
Su Ang looked at Sikong Wang meaningfully, and finally, compromised lightly, saying, "Then you go ahead and ride with him."
Some things need to be experienced firsthand to learn to let go.
hours later.
Sikong Wang and Qian Qi tumble out of the silver-skinned pro max, crouching on the ground, faces pale as they vomit.
"Ugh—how could there be a speed limit halfway ugh? I can only drive in a straight high-speed line!"
"Ugh—that place has a lot of rich people, so there are many hovercars, hence the speed limit ugh—but, Qiqi, honestly tell me, how long have you actually learned to drive???"
"I learned for 24 hours, do you believe it!" Qian Qi said nervously after rounding up.
"Amazing, no wonder it’s so... Back then, it took me a full month before I dared to hit the road ugh—" Sikong Wang vomits again. Riding in Qian Qi’s Hovercar is no less than taking a 360° high-altitude rotating car!
Su Ang strides over, raises an eyebrow at the two crouching and vomiting in front of the tree, leaning down to hand them two bottles of water, his tone subtly teasing amidst his calmness, "Wangwang, I really don’t understand why you like riding with a newbie."
"Su Ang! You black-bellied fellow!" Sikong Wang stares longingly at Su Ang, "Even your only brother you mess with!"
"I advised you not to ride with Qian Qi junior, didn’t I." Su Ang crosses his arms, looking calmly and innocently at the two, "You didn’t listen, there’s nothing I can do."
"Hmph." Sikong Wang lowers his head, saying bad things about Su Ang to Qian Qi, "Qiqi, this person is really bad; he just wants to make sure I never dare to ride with you again."
"Then you’ll still ride with me in the future, right?" Qian Qi looks moved and expectant.
Sikong Wang: ...
Sikong Wang pats Qian Qi’s shoulder earnestly, "Su Ang will ride with you; he has great composure, doesn’t get carsick, and you’ll surely feel accomplished."
Qian Qi: ... Let’s not be friends for a second, no kidding ＾＿＾.
After rinsing their mouths, they reboard the car. By this time, they had reached the boundary between the Sealed City and the neighboring city, able to see the ruins of the Sealed City in the distance.
The skyscrapers that once stood tall were reduced to ruins all over the ground following a Magic Beast attack, and the earth was cracked with countless fractures, littered with countless crushed carriages.
A slender arm covered in blood and soil dangles powerlessly from beside the car door, someone steps forward to pull the body out, only to find there’s only an arm left.
In the air, many helicopters hover around, searching for survivors amidst the disaster area.
This scene is not unlike the devastation left by a magnitude 12 earthquake where humans lose their homes. The only difference might be the presence of charred walls and land scorched by great fires, glaciers frozen ten miles long that refuse to melt, and massive twisted vines blooming into splendid demonic flowers at the city’s center. They are strange yet beautiful, the city’s sole blooming beauties, yet they mock humanity’s fragility and incompetence.
As the Hovercar flies over Sealed City, Qian Qi realizes that the Magic Beast Tide has, in fact, not ended.
After the A-level Magical Beast was cleared by Su Ang that day, the remaining levels of Magic Beasts were left for the Awakened Warriors and volunteer Awakeners to clear. Occasionally, one could see Beasts scurrying about within the disaster zone, with numerous Awakeners still attempting to encircle them nearby.
"Those are people from the Dungeon Association over there." Sikong Wang lies by the window, pointing to a clearing in the city center, telling Qian Qi, "Chairman Tang is also there."
"High-frequency advanced dungeons where Beasts keep emerging need priority handling, and the rewards from A-level dungeons will also attract the attention of various associations and families. The location of the A-level dungeon in Sealed City hasn’t been found yet, so some families are still holding off, and the Gong family sent people to handle post-disaster relief and reconstruction and will be on the scene first."
Every major disaster area requires the Seven Great Families to contribute money for aid and reconstruction, then they take turns to hold primary responsibility for a disaster area, and this time it’s the Gong family’s turn.
Gong Qiang, the successor of the Gong family, is from the Reform Faction, but the old faction of the Gong family belongs to the Conservative Faction, giving the A-level dungeon to the Gong family is somewhat wasteful.
Therefore, Sikong Lin wants to be the first to enter the dungeon and obtain the dungeon’s rewards.