Chapter 383: 383 Purpose and Reason

Is Mou half of the Aquarius Director?

The red-haired bureau chief hesitated slightly upon hearing this, still finding the answer absurd, but out of trust in Li Ang, she followed this line of thought.

Indeed, according to the Bureau's past usage records of the 【List of Indications】, unless a specific scope is emphasized, it can only lock onto a single target.

Therefore, if the two souls split from the Aquarius Director were sufficiently different and had been separated many years before the 【List of Indications】 activated, they might indeed evade its effect.

But souls are not like flesh and blood—once gone, they are gone; minor damage can self-repair, but such a complete split is nearly impossible to restore.

And I saw with my own eyes the strongest portion of the "Evil Soul" descend into the depths of the Death Realm—so the remaining half of the Aquarius Director, even if he still retains his god-tier status, would suffer a drastic drop in power.

By normal estimation, his Li Ang value now is barely above 30, at most not exceeding 40; ordinary Level One Cleaners have Li Ang values between 30 and 50, so the current Aquarius Director is weak even among Level One Cleaners.

As for my own power, I rank among the top in the Zodiac Bureau's chiefs; under the Star Palace's blessing, my Li Ang value can briefly surpass 70—almost double his.

This gap is too vast to be bridged by minor tricks, Hekuang I have the Jiachi of Bianhao 013's 【Blood-Soaked Killing Hair】—where does Aquarius get the confidence to act right under my nose?

……

"Li Ang, I feel something's off."

After pondering for a long time without understanding Aquarius Director's source of confidence, the red-haired bureau chief frowned:

"He sacrificed most of his soul just to slip past the Bureau's punishment and avoid sanctions—logically, he should lie low for a while."

"But instead of hiding, he risks being directly eliminated by me to gather dreams in the Wang Gong, and even after meeting you, he openly declares he'll do something within three days—this strikes me as strange."

After sipping the cold tea, the red-haired bureau chief idly tapped her fingers on the table, her brow furrowed as she continued:

"The night after three days is when the Fallen Soul Black Abyss fully merges with reality—he's essentially telling us exactly when he'll strike. But given his current state, he's no match for me—where does he get the nerve to provoke me?"

"Also, based on my knowledge of him, Aquarius is a man driven by purpose—he never does meaningless things."

"Yet neither the Wang Gong nor our bureau seems to hold anything worth his ambition—he can't open the 【Twelve Ant Nests】, and he can't take my 【Blood-Soaked Killing Hair】—then what does he truly want?"

What does Aquarius want…

After hearing the red-haired bureau chief's analysis, Li Ang also frowned.

If Aquarius Director's greatest obsession is replacing the Taurus Director and entering the Watch Palace, that path is now nearly blocked.

The six anomalous items needed to usurp the "Ascension Candidate" identity remain in my hands and those of the rebels—he can't gather them; the target, the Taurus Director, is self-sealed at headquarters, offering no access;

Even if he somehow gathered similar items and infiltrated the sealed headquarters, he couldn't stand against three Directors—he'd be killed the moment he entered.

83 Zhongwenwangzuixindizhi

If he wishes to continue pursuing that greatest obsession, he should first restore his power—at least to the level of a branch bureau chief—before… wait. Restore power?

A faint, unclear thread seemed to surface; Li Ang paused briefly, then cautiously suggested:

"Chief, perhaps we should shift our perspective—instead of asking what Aquarius wants to do in the Wang Gong, let's first ask what he most 'needs' right now."

What does Aquarius need most?

Hearing Li Ang's words, the red-haired bureau chief's gaze sharpened slightly.

Of course—no matter what Aquarius Director ultimately seeks, what he needs most now is to recover the power he lost after sacrificing most of his soul.

Only by restoring his strength to near the Taurus Director's level could he possibly replace him through bodily usurpation and ascend to the Watch Palace.

And as for a method to heal his soul's wounds and return him to his peak… the Fallen Soul Black Abyss! The Nightmare King!!!

With Li Ang's reminder, the red-haired bureau chief suddenly drew a sharp breath as she grasped the critical point.

Soul damage is usually incurable—but just as the Death Realm's rules deny the existence of flesh, the Dream Realm's rules deny the existence of souls.

The Dream Realm's foundation is memory and fantasy; so long as a person's memories remain intact and their cognition unimpaired, even if Aquarius Director's soul is shattered, the Dream Realm will still recognize him as a "complete" individual.

If the Nightmare King successfully descends and is willing to intervene, he could permanently swap portions of the Dream Realm with reality.

Then, by creating a "complete" Aquarius Director within the Dream Realm, inducing the real Aquarius Director into deep sleep, and having the Nightmare King perform the permanent exchange—

The soul-damaged Aquarius Director would, under the Dream Realm's rules, become a false "nightmare," while the complete version within the dream would awaken in true reality!

As for why the Nightmare King would help Aquarius Director… the document, supposedly from the Watch Palace, listing thirty-five locations of the Bowan Black Cult to prevent the Fallen Soul Black Abyss and the Nightmare King's descent—was delivered by Aquarius Director himself!

……

Too late…

After a deep breath, the red-haired bureau chief leaned back in her chair, head bowed, sighing softly:

"No wonder Aquarius isn't afraid I know he's still alive—since Emma and the others left, nearly two days have passed; now realizing this is already too late…"

What's too late?

Hearing her sigh, Li Ang froze, then hurriedly asked what had happened.

The red-haired bureau chief rubbed her temples and replied succinctly:

"If I'm right, Aquarius Director is collaborating with the Nightmare King—his earlier document was likely falsified; the locations marked aren't Bowan Black Cult outposts. The Nightmare King's descent is now inevitable."