Chapter 110: Sorting Out the Threads

Ou Xiaolu used his sword to nudge the skeletal arms Cheng Ming had left behind, his expression growing solemn.

At this moment, Portcas had also descended from the sky, his red flames shifting to form a suit that appeared quite high-end.

Charles and the others crowded around. Charles spoke up, "Rhino-Tiger, teach me that move where you can summon sharks, or maybe lions!"

Ou Xiaolu ignored Charles, keeping his gaze fixed on the two arms. Portcas spoke again, "These are modified, aren't they? It seems someone in the East has embarked on the same path."

Indeed, the arms Cheng Ming had left behind were modified. The mouth in the palm of the hand showed clear signs of artificial work, and most importantly, there was an extra bone between the two arm bones, positioned where no normal bone should be.

Ou Xiaolu glanced at his own left arm and lowered his head, lost in thought.

With the intuition of a police officer and the sensitivity of a woman, Hannah was the first to sense the gravity of the situation. She took Ou Xiaolu’s right hand and asked, "Was your left arm severed by them?"

Ou Xiaolu wanted to find a reason to cover it up, but the words that slipped out were simply, "Yes."

Upon hearing this, Hannah reached out her other hand and gripped his arm. "Everything is in the past now. Don't worry, this is the United Republic of Amidigi; no one can hurt you here."

Seeing Hannah act this way, Calista immediately jumped in to assert her presence. She said loudly, "We have to catch that guy! Ou, do you know who they are?"

"People from Future Tech," Ou Xiaolu said bluntly. "As for how they came to New Town, I'm not sure. But Mr. Portcas, do you know them?"

"Future Tech?" Portcas shook his head. "I've never heard of that organization. However, judging by their strength, they are quite formidable. It’s roughly on par with the technological level Wayne had fifty years ago."

"They are very powerful in the East, though; otherwise, I wouldn't have been driven out," Ou Xiaolu said, glancing at his left arm again.

"The fact that you survived shows your background is powerful," Portcas remarked. "If you were just an ordinary person, you would have been sliced up for study long ago. Still, I must thank you for saving me. Would you like to come visit my territory?"

"Your territory?" Ou Xiaolu looked at Portcas and then at his surroundings. He was still curious why these people had ended up fighting right at his doorstep.

Portcas pointed to a side road. "Down there is a small steel mill. It’s my property. It doesn't produce much steel, but I need the high temperatures generated from smelting. You’ve seen my body; I have to keep it heated constantly. That’s why I wasn't at the Holy Blood Council headquarters when it was attacked yesterday. By the way, you know about the Holy Blood Council, right? Oh, I forgot, you’re very familiar with Wayne."

"I know, I know! The Holy Blood Council is the largest superhero organization in New Town, and their biggest feature is that they’re rich!" Charles chimed in, raising his hand.

Portcas nodded with satisfaction, wearing the expression of someone who wanted just such a follower.

Calista and Hannah, however, looked utterly bewildered; they knew nothing about the Holy Blood Council. Portcas explained the situation to them before shifting the topic back to yesterday's battle.

"Actually, once you reach the level of a Council Member, you usually have your own territory. Aside from meetings, we rarely go to the headquarters. Yesterday, I was training in my steel mill, so I only found out about the attack after the fact. I hadn't intended to get involved, but since I am the only one of the three Vice Chairs left, I had to come out and see what was happening. I didn't expect them to track down my territory and come here to corner me."

Ou Xiaolu interrupted, "It seems it wasn't just them. I heard a group from the Rocky Mountains was also looking for you."

"Are you talking about those werewolves from the Brest family? I’ve always said the Holy Blood Council should have its own character and not let those muscle-headed, brainless werewolves join. And look what happened—they even gave that werewolf a Vice Chair position, and in the end, he offended someone and got killed."

"Werewolves?" Ou Xiaolu thought for a moment. "That werewolf was from your Holy Blood Council?"

"What? You aren't talking about the werewolves from the Brest family?" Portcas looked at Ou Xiaolu with surprise.

Ou Xiaolu shook his head firmly.

Portcas was visibly shaken. He asked tremblingly, "Then who was it? Mother Nature, the Tree of Life, the Lord of All Things? Or the Silver Dragon King?"

"Probably one of the Silver Dragon King’s subordinates. Are there that many powerful beings in the Rocky Mountains?"

"That is the last gathering place of spiritual energy on the Northern Continent. If we weren't so weak, we would have wanted to occupy a good spot there too. The feeling of soaking in molten iron every day is quite unpleasant. By the way, do you know what the Silver Dragon King came for?"

"Not really. Also, it was a subordinate of the Silver Dragon King; likely at the Deacon level."

"Then it’s fine. As long as it isn't the Silver Dragon King, the son of the Silver Dragon King, or those three butlers, the others aren't worth worrying about."

Ou Xiaolu thought to himself, *Could it be that the one I killed was the son of the Silver Dragon King? He didn't seem like much.*

However, he didn't reveal any of this. Instead, he asked, "How is your relationship with the Brest family?"

"Not great. At the very least, I don't like them. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, the body of that Vice Chair is still hanging in front of my valley," Ou Xiaolu said, gesturing toward the direction of the valley.

Portcas looked in that direction, falling into deep thought. "That valley seems to be that person's territory."

"The former Archbishop. He gave it to me."

"Fine, pretend I didn't say anything. We won't intervene in your affairs with the Brest family."

*Good, I like that kind of answer,* Ou Xiaolu thought, nodding in satisfaction. He began ushering Charles and the others into the car, preparing to head to the valley first.

...

Meanwhile, having fled far away, Cheng Ming leaned against a rock, gasping for air. His hair had turned completely white; he looked thirty years older.

Having lost his hands, he struggled to lower his head, nudging his phone from his pocket onto the ground. He tapped it with his foot to dial a signal.

The call connected. Before the other party could speak, Cheng Ming broke the silence.

"We failed. I am severely injured. Xiao Liu, Xiao Wang, and Xiao Zhang were killed in action. Only Xiao Li is still alive, as he did not participate in the fight. Furthermore, the target mastered supernatural abilities on his first day in New Town. A-Yuan died at his hands. His strength has become immense."

A moment later, a voice came through the phone—it was the voice of Jin Guanyu.

"Investigate who the target has been in contact with since arriving in New Town. If you can't even do that, don't bother coming back."