Bitter Fruit

Even if he didn't fully grasp the current situation, he should at least understand humanity's current stance toward the different races. If exposed, no matter how brilliant the titles above Chen Guan's head, he would be reduced to dirt, hunted by everyone from then on.

This world belonged to ordinary people. The common folk couldn't distinguish between good and evil, so the door could never be opened. In the past, a human hero had been exiled to a distant place, never heard from again, simply for manifesting demonic power. Long Ao didn't want Chen Guan to suffer the same fate as that hero.

Yin Tianzheng glanced at him and ignored him.

Chen Guan pocketed the Tranquility Jade and spoke up.

"Elder Yin, I appreciate you keeping this secret." He paused, then shifted his tone, "But that's not enough."

The moment those two words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the courtyard shifted again.

An Changqing raised an eyebrow.

Long Ao, who had just relaxed his fists, clenched them again, this time from surprise.

Su Yuehe showed no change in expression. She had spent enough time with Chen Guan to know he always had a purpose behind his actions.

Yin Tianzheng was caught off guard for a moment. "You have more conditions?"

"When this is over, I hope you'll agree to one thing. I can't say what it is yet, but it won't put you in a difficult position."

Yin Tianzheng let out a laugh.

"You sly kid, bargaining with an old man like me even at a critical moment like this."

He extended a hand, palm facing upward.

"Don't say just one thing. As long as Yin Tianzheng can manage it, just speak up."

"I'll say it plainly—let everyone here bear witness. The Yin family owes Chen Guan a favor. Claim it whenever you want, and it will be honored."

Chen Guan looked at the outstretched hand and shook it.

The old man's palm was rough, with thick knuckles, but his grip was surprisingly steady.

"Deal."

Yin Tianzheng released his grip, turned, and strode out of the courtyard, his pace more than twice as fast as before.

"Don't just stand there. Let's move!"

The old man's voice carried far through the night.

"To the Oriental Pearl Tower."

An Changqing was the first to follow, sheathing his sword with a clean, sharp motion.

Long Ao followed closely behind, pausing for a heartbeat as he passed Chen Guan. His mouth opened, but all he managed was a single word.

"Stay safe."

Hong Yuan hoisted her battle axe onto her shoulder, glanced back at Chen Guan as she caught up to Long Ao's pace, and muttered something, but her words were lost in the wind.

Su Yuehe walked at the back. As she passed Chen Guan, she said softly.

"Take care."

Chen Guan fell in at the rear of the group and got into the car.

As the vehicle drove out through the Yin family gates, he looked down at the Tranquility Jade in his pocket. The bullet comments had exploded by now, still starting with "Holey."

[Holey, is he really going to solo a demon remnant?]

[Newcomers, don't worry—this guy once soloed Baal.]

[That Yin family favor is worth a lot. What does Chen Guan really want? Brother Coffin must be after something big.]

[His real goal is to save people, right? Yin Chen really has grit—a true man.]

[Honestly, I care more about the little sister. Poor sis...]

[She hasn't even appeared yet and already got the "poor" label? That's terrifying.]

[Any experts here analyze if a Divine Fragment can really suppress a demon god's remnant?]

[We're not natives.]

Chen Guan skimmed through the comments, filtering out a few valuable ones from hundreds of chaotic discussions.

[I think the biggest risk isn't the remnant itself, but backlash from Divine Resonance. When two same-source things meet, it's either absorption or rejection. If it's rejection, Chen Guan himself will blow up first.]

[The person above hit the nail on the head. Plus, the Tranquility Jade Yin Tianzheng gave him can only withstand one hit. What about the second wave?]

[Bro Coffin's gonna blow up again (sobs)]

These three comments made Chen Guan's finger pause.

He truly hadn't considered the possibility of rejection.

Absorption was the best-case scenario. But if the Divine Fragment and the remnant clashed, it wouldn't just be about the five-second window—he couldn't even guarantee he'd survive standing there longer than five seconds.

A familiar laugh rang through his mind.

Baal's voice was laced with amusement.

"Hehehe, boy, you really think that thing doesn't have any consciousness?"

Chen Guan remained expressionless, replying silently in his mind. "What do you mean?"

"It's just asleep."

Baal drawled out his words, dragging his tone.

"If you use the Divine Fragment to wake it up, you'd better think about the consequences."

Chen Guan mentally retorted, "Yin Tianzheng said it has no consciousness, only instinct."

"Ha, that old man wasn't wrong to say that. It really doesn't have clear consciousness—he didn't screw you over."

Baal chuckled twice.

"But have you considered this: a sleeping thing and a dead thing are two different things."

"Sleeping means it could wake up at any moment."

"And you're planning to walk right up to it, holding the thing it wants most, and bang gongs and drums in its ear."

"Think it'll take that well?"

Chen Guan said nothing.

Baal didn't press further. His laughter faded away. He'd said what needed to be said—the rest wasn't his business.

He wouldn't die, would he? Heh, the story definitely wouldn't go that way.

The seeds of consequence had been planted. Baal was confident they wouldn't ripen before Chen Guan met his end.

At that moment, Chen Guan looked up at the window.

The silhouette of the Oriental Pearl Tower flickered faintly in the night sky, its peak lights glimmering on and off through the dust and smoke.

There were nineteen minutes left until the one-hour deadline.

Outside the car, a row of fallen streetlights flashed by. Metal poles were tilted crookedly onto the road, trailing wires sparking on the ground.

Further ahead, he saw a crowd running in the opposite direction—some dragging suitcases, some carrying children, some in pajamas and barefoot.

Everyone and every car was rushing outward.

But their vehicle was the only one charging inward.

Long Ao sat on the other side of Chen Guan. After a long hesitation, he spoke, his voice low.

"Chen Guan."

"Yeah."

"When you said earlier that if it fails, we should run fast—what about you?"

"I told you, I don't need to escape."

"That's not what I'm asking." Long Ao turned his head to look at him. "I'm asking, what are your chances?"

Chen Guan thought for a moment and gave an honest answer.

"Forty percent."

Long Ao's cheek twitched. "You're betting on forty percent?"

"If I don't bet, it's zero."

Long Ao didn't reply. He turned back and stared at the seat in front of him.

Hong Yuan popped half her head out from behind Long Ao, her eyes wide.

"Forty percent? You looked so confident back at the Yin mansion—I thought you had at least eighty percent."

"Eighty percent isn't a bet. That's a sure win."

Chen Guan leaned back in his seat and smiled. "Forty percent—that's a real gamble."

Hong Yuan's lips parted, then she pulled her head back, muttering gloomily, "You're something else."

Whether he was something else or not, there was no better way. At least Hong Yuan couldn't think of one.

Yin Chen shouldn't have to sacrifice himself. Neither should Chen Guan. Neither that little girl. Neither should the million civilians. And maybe not even Guan Jinyue.

This feeling of everyone seeming not to be wrong was the worst of all.

The car swerved sharply to the left, throwing everyone to one side. The view outside the window shifted to the Bund Riverside Avenue lining the Huangpu River.

The silhouette of the Oriental Pearl Tower began to emerge in the distance.

The car screeched to a halt in the square at the base of the tower, its tires leaving a long, dark skid mark on the asphalt.