Chapter 251: A Satisfied Collaborator

Chu Hairen left.

Amidst Ren Yidao's enthusiastic farewell, he quietly departed the illusion after the two had confirmed their future method of contact.

Although Chu Hairen still held a suspicious attitude toward Ren Yidao, feeling that he definitely had other schemes, he still chose to cooperate.

Why?

"It's very simple~"

"Because he has no choice."

Correct.

From the very beginning, this question posed by Ren Yidao had no real answer, at least not a correct one for Chu Hairen.

It seemed to offer a choice between "cooperation" and "non-cooperation," but could Chu Hairen choose not to cooperate?

He could not.

"He is a beast accustomed to disguise; his harmless facade is for the sake of a greater scheme, and now... it is not yet the time to be exposed."

"Therefore, even though both he and I understand that this transaction is not as simple as it appears on the surface, he can only accept it."

"So, it is called cooperation, but in reality, he has no initiative at all."

Cooperation?

No, no, no, this is merely an unequal transaction.

As for whether forcing and threatening Chu Hairen like this carries certain risks and threats.

Does that even need to be said?

Of course it does!

Not only does it exist, but it is also not small.

Ren Yidao could smell a familiar scent on Chu Hairen.

It was the scent of a beast.

This is not to say that Chu Hairen is a Demon Beast in human form, but rather an inexplicable feeling.

In Ren Yidao's perception, this is a dangerous beast.

A domestic dog that appears docile and harmless on the surface, but is actually a fierce wolf grinding its teeth and sucking blood in the shadows, constantly staring at its master's neck, ready to bite down.

Very dangerous.

Very good.

Ren Yidao very much appreciates this bloodthirstiness in Chu Hairen.

This kind of person is very dangerous.

He will not be content to be beneath others; he will constantly strive to grow, eventually achieving his goal of usurping his superior.

But at the same time, this kind of person is also very useful.

He is very cautious; before his wings are fully grown and before he has absolute certainty, he will never risk offending his superior.

Before he commits such an offense, he will be the most capable and reliable subordinate.

The Eastern Wasteland is too far; Ren Yidao cannot attend to everything personally.

What he needs most at this moment is a reliable informant and a capable collaborator.

Chu Hairen happens to satisfy these two conditions, and he also possesses an ambition that can be exploited.

Very good.

It is decided that it will be you!

Ren Yidao is very clear about what he is doing; this is fostering a tiger that will eventually cause trouble.

But so what?

Chu Hairen's cautious personality, viewed from another angle, is actually very easy to handle.

As long as Ren Yidao can always keep the other party suppressed, there will be no risk of things going wrong.

Does Ren Yidao have the confidence to always stay on top of the other party? To stay on top of a direct descendant of an Eastern Wasteland royal clan?

The answer, naturally, goes without saying.

"Hmm~ hmm~"

Humming with a pleasant mood, Ren Yidao savored the expression on Chu Hairen's face just now, which looked as if he had lost a horse.

"Yes, yes, yes! That is exactly the expression... Ha!"

Delightful!

Just a short while ago, Ren Yidao had conducted a profound reflection on his own wicked conduct.

He reached the conclusion that "one should not strike too hard against friends!"

And also...

"As long as they are enemies and not friends, it doesn't matter."

Since it is hard to get the same joy from friends, one can only get double the joy from enemies!

As for the minor detail of having few friends and many enemies, there is no need to calculate that so precisely.

In short, I will not lose out.

I will never lose out in this lifetime!

After enjoying himself for a while, Ren Yidao suddenly sighed lightly.

"Master, where on earth have you gone?"

The Qian Mirror overlooks the Beiming Divine Continent; although it cannot achieve minute observation, it can roughly scan the general information.

Ren Yidao had long ago asked the Qian Mirror to help keep an eye out for traces of his master, but until this moment, not a single clue had been found.

Excluding the option that she has long since passed away, there is probably only one possibility—Luoyue Shangren is not in the Beiming Divine Continent.

Then, could it be in one of the other three Shenzhou?

Or perhaps, outside of Shenzhou? Did she accidentally enter the land of the Demon Race, becoming trapped and unable to return?

Ren Yidao did not know much about his master, nor was it appropriate for him to speculate too much about her; he could only hope that Jing Yueqin's judgment was correct.

"However, hearing is not believing; I still need to have some of my own judgment."

Ren Yidao being willing to put in the effort to search did not mean he would accommodate all of Jing Yueqin's thoughts.

He still had his own judgment.

"Moreover, seeing is not necessarily believing; even if seen with one's own eyes, sometimes it might not actually be true."

"It is merely one side of the story, at most to be used as a reference."

Right now, there is a very vivid example.

Coincidentally, this example is Chu Hairen.

While browsing through Chu Hairen's memories, Ren Yidao was not just looking for his weaknesses and secrets.

He unexpectedly discovered a secret that even Chu Hairen himself had not noticed.

Although there was no way to find concrete evidence, Chu Hairen's memories seemed to have some issues.

The truth of some matters was likely not as simple as what he saw and thought.

Is what the eyes see the truth?

Not necessarily.

Behind this, I fear there are other hidden circumstances.

However, before clarifying the truth behind this one hundred percent, Ren Yidao did not intend to inform the other party in advance, nor was he willing to give even a hint.

I still have to rely on him to do the work.

If the person doing the work awakens, who will be left for me to exploit?

Is it you?

"Ren Yidao..."

Much as Ren Yidao had thought, after several rounds of deliberation, Chu Hairen indeed had no intention of actively turning against him.

"I have remembered you."

Although the secret hidden in his heart for many years was exposed at this moment, Chu Hairen did not lose his composure.

The other party was not a member of the Chu Family, nor were they even from the Eastern Wasteland.

Even if Ren Yidao revealed his thoughts, how many people would believe it?

Would they believe an outsider? Or would they believe their own Prince?

He was of the direct line of the Chu Family, a strong candidate who would become the future Chu King, and even the Lord of the Eastern Wasteland Dynasty.

In the eyes of others, as long as he did not make mistakes, the things they craved would be within his grasp; there was no need to take such a risk.

At most, it would only make them suspicious, which might affect his original plans.

Therefore, this threat had an effect, but it was not great enough to make Chu Hairen bow and submit.

Yet, Chu Hairen still agreed.

Because he had ambition.

What he wanted was not to become a puppet Chu King under the coercion of the Chu Family clan elders.

What he wanted was to become a true King of the Eastern Wasteland!

Before coming to Beigan, Chu Hairen had held expectations for the Lord of Northern Gan.

He wanted to know, was this someone like his father, just a puppet sitting on the throne?

Or was it a monarch who truly grasped the Shenzhou divine dynasty?

At the beginning, he had not been sure, but just when he felt regret, he saw that scene at the Longgong Hall.

When Li Long made that kind of crazy and absurd promise, yet not a single minister dared to speak up, and not a single Clan Elder came out to oppose it...

Chu Hairen arrived at the answer.

It was the latter.

The Lord of Northern Gan, Li Long, was a true King.

Not just someone enjoying a title, but a Son of Heaven who truly possessed the power of life and death, holding the power over the lives of the tens of millions of people in Beigan.

Yes.

That is exactly it!

It should be like this!

This is what he wanted.

This is everything Chu Hairen thought about day and night, everything he wanted to obtain.

What he saw and heard in Beigan further strengthened the conviction in Chu Hairen's heart, making his determination even firmer.

To achieve this goal, he was willing to spare no cost.

Therefore, when Ren Yidao came looking for him, amidst his shock and anger, a thought also emerged in Chu Hairen's heart.

Opportunity.

This was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.

He even had the idea of treating this as an opportunity to, in turn, obtain benefits from Ren Yidao.

Since Ren Yidao only used "trade and cooperation" as a name, then there was room to maneuver.

Regarding his own ambition, Chu Hairen knew clearly that it was not a simple matter.

The Chu Family is like a deep-rooted mountain pressing down on the hearts of the people of the Eastern Wasteland, and it presses down on the hearts of their own clansmen just the same.

No Chu Family disciple dares to offend the authority of the clan leader, the Chu King, and no one would be willing to provide help.

And since he cannot find a collaborator within the Chu Family, Chu Hairen needs an outsider who can provide help to cooperate with.

The original plan was to screen for some talented individuals who were ambitious and had ideas but were not valued, through years of contact.

Such people cannot find a way out within their families, and most have also suffered unfair treatment, so they can be lured by profit or threatened.

When the time comes, after they succeed, just let them go back to their own families to take back everything that "belongs" to them.

But this also has its downsides.

These people are in the Eastern Wasteland; if they were to develop any ulterior motives, it would lead to unpredictable consequences.

And now, there is a better choice.

Chu Hairen is the best candidate for Ren Yidao, and likewise, Ren Yidao is the same for Chu Hairen.

An outsider who has ability, has status, and is located in a distant place like Beigan.

Being able to serve as a team leader in the Two Domains Conflict means his status and influence in Beigan are certainly not low.

When the time comes, even if he seizes the great power of the Chu Family, Ren Yidao will be unable to interfere with the Chu Family.

The whip is too short to reach.

In summary, both sides of this transaction are actually quite satisfied.

"However, how exactly does he intend to let me stand out in this trial?"

Although Chu Hairen cannot perceive the progress of both sides in the competition, he has a standard of reference.

Chu Yiping.

Judging by the frequency with which Chu Yiping comes to find him and his exasperated expression, the progress in the Eastern Wasteland is likely not that ideal.

Moreover, with Beigan proposing this method of competition, added to Ren Yidao's extraordinary performance in the illusion... Chu Hairen does not hold a high opinion of the Eastern Wasteland.

However, Chu Hairen does not attach much importance to the outcome of this trial; there is only one thing he is concerned about.

That is whether he can demonstrate his own ability in this trial and gain greater attention and support.

"Hairen! You've woken up too?"

After being spoken to, Chu Hairen slowly opened his eyes and looked around.

"This is..."

Hu Wanwan, one of the Eastern Emperor contestants, pulled Chu Hairen, and after dragging him up from where he was, said:

"We are still inside the Qian Mirror; everyone who has awakened is here."

There was no need for Hu Wanwan to explain further; Chu Hairen had already figured out the situation around him.

"I see, then the result... how is it?"

One, two, three... nine.

Including himself, there are nine people awake on the Eastern Wasteland side, while on the other side, the Beigan group has ten people.

"We lost, Jiang Mingzhi hasn't woken up yet."

Hu Wanwan also shrugged indifferently, not taking this matter to heart at all.

He even laughed gloatingly, and with a wink, said:

"It's a good thing you aren't the last one, otherwise, the eighth-place Prince Pang would have given you a good lecture!"

Hahahaha.

"Hmph!"

Listening to the mockery from these few people, Pang Lixing, who had been standing to the side with his eyes closed, let out a cold snort, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Shut up!"

"Otherwise, I will definitely not spare you!"

The young man's expression was cold, and he even made a gesture as if to swing his hands, with a strong impulse to spill blood on the spot if things went wrong...

Chu Hairen still had his usual simple and honest smile, and he looked at Pang Lixing strangely.

"He is..."

Although Pang Lixing might not know it, Chu Hairen thinks quite highly of him.

A proud Prince who comes from a great family and whose status is very unstable.

This kind of person is the talent Chu Hairen is preparing to secretly win over.

And precisely because of this, Chu Hairen knows Pang Lixing's personality, and he shouldn't be this irritable.

"Ah, it's normal, look at the others."

Hu Wanwan pointed to the others around them who hadn't spoken and were still wandering in their minds, and curled his lip:

"They are all still immersed in the previous illusion and haven't fully figured out who they are."

Pointing specifically at a few people with bruises on their faces, he grinned mockingly:

"This one thought he had been kidnapped after waking up and immediately attacked the person next to him, this one who got hit didn't react at all, that one..."

After pointing around in a circle, Hu Wanwan pointed to himself triumphantly:

"As for me, I was the first to wake up and have already adapted, but they still need some time."

After finishing, Hu Wanwan looked Chu Hairen up and down with some surprise, clicking his tongue in wonder:

"It's you, though; you couldn't see any confusion the moment you woke up, impressive!"

Having roughly figured out the current situation, Chu Hairen scratched his head and smiled:

"Haha, maybe it's because I have a precious treasure on me?"

As he spoke, Chu Hairen unconsciously wiggled his bottom... but he quickly realized the problem.

!!?

Chu Hairen: "Just now... did I want to wag my tail?"

Fortunately, the great dragon's influence on him was not significant, and he had no wings to flap, otherwise he feared he would have given himself away long ago.

Scratching his head and pretending nothing had happened, Chu Hairen looked toward the Beigan group on the other side.

"The outcome is decided, the Eastern Wasteland has already lost; how do you intend to fulfill your promise?"

Although he regarded Ren Yidao as a qualified collaborator, exactly how much help the other party could provide him still needed to be verified.

Right now was the moment for the other party to demonstrate their value.

Just as Chu Hairen was thinking about what to do, three figures appeared almost simultaneously.

Chu Yiping with a weary face, Jiang Mingzhi with a bewildered face, and Ren Yidao with a joyful face, the three appeared at the same time.

Before Chu Hairen could speak to Chu Yiping, a commotion erupted from the Beigan side.

"Ren Yidao!!!"

Li Qiushui had a rare look of fury on her face, raising her sword to slash at Ren Yidao, shouting sharply:

"Let me slash you once!"

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