CHAPTER 505: CHAPTER 362: CONFRONTING FATE_2

Yan Xing took a drag from his cigarette, digested the information he had just received, and then said to Max, "You suddenly became so tense because you think I became the Executioner to kill you?"

Max exhaled smoke as well.

"The world mechanism chose you as the Executioner because a new Contrary is emerging. You’re being prepared for the next execution. But as destiny’s arch-enemy, you wouldn’t let me off either. Even if you subjectively don’t want to kill me, once you find my true body, fate will arrange all the conditions for you to kill me. Perhaps fate will also arrange for you to find my true body."

"The next execution? A Contrary is emerging? You’re saying all this is orchestrated by the world mechanism? Is the world mechanism that powerful?"

"The role of the world mechanism is to maintain the balance of the world. The Contrary, being an existence that can disrupt this balance, is naturally a target for the world mechanism to eliminate. The emergence of a Contrary is uncontrollable. Once the world mechanism detects the precursors of a Contrary’s appearance, it will choose an Executioner from this world... more precisely, from this land."

Yan Xing asked curiously, "Why someone from this land?"

"That... we would also like to know, but the Executioners have prevented us from entering, and killed or sealed each of us one by one."

"What is the fate of an Executioner?"

"I don’t know! How could I, a defeated one, possibly know the fate of Executioners? But every time a new Contrary appears, a new Executioner emerges. I suppose the world mechanism doesn’t want a Contrary that has grasped divine power to exist, nor does it want an Executioner with even higher divine authority to exist indefinitely."

At that moment, Yan Xing said with a smile, "Well, I think we’ve found a basis for mutual trust, and that’s the beauty of dialogue. As an Executioner, after I carry out the execution, I might face a situation where the hound is cooked after the rabbit is caught. That is not the ending I want. I work like a dog every day and haven’t truly enjoyed life—I don’t want to die like that. You don’t want to die either, do you? What could be a firmer basis for trust than one built upon life and death?"

Max looked at Yan Xing.

"I didn’t expect you to remain so optimistic after guessing your own fate. Are you going to defy the destiny given to you by the world mechanism? Do you think you have that ability? You’re challenging the highest authority of the world."

Yan Xing countered, "When you faced the Executioners, didn’t you resist?"

"We did, but we failed."

"You all resisted, so why shouldn’t I resist?"

Max found himself unable to refute Yan Xing’s point.

"Perhaps, indeed, we do have a common interest."

Yan Xing patted Max on the shoulder. "You must be an old fellow yourself; how can you be less open-minded than me? My ancestors shot down suns, moved mountains, and filled seas—perhaps they were Executioners in the past. Although I don’t know their ultimate fates, I, too, want to leave behind my own legend. As for fate... piercing through it is also part of fate. Come on, get out of the car. Let’s go apologize to Little Tong. We’ll find a place to eat and talk."

While Yan Xing and Max were talking, Chui Chui and Tong Yitong sat in the car behind. Unlike Chui Chui, who could connect to Yan Xing’s consciousness and hear their conversation, Tong Yitong was nervously watching the car in front, fearing that Yan Xing and Max might suddenly start fighting. When she was restrained, Tong Yitong could feel Max’s irresistible power. It was the same oppressive feeling she got from Yan Xing, an overwhelming force.

"Miss Chui Chui... can President Yan beat Max?"

Chui Chui placed her hand on the steering wheel, tapping her fingers to a beat, as if she were listening to music.

"Fight? Why fight? Fighting isn’t what President Yan excels at. He’s good at capturing people’s hearts."

"Ah?" Tong Yitong’s face reddened, clearly misunderstanding Chui Chui’s meaning. "Has... has President Yan captured your heart too?"

"More than captured? I reside in his heart."

Tong Yitong’s expression turned ugly in an instant. "He... did he say that to you?"

"Mhm, he told me so personally."

"If that’s the case, I should leave him."

"Why would you leave him?" Chui Chui turned to look at Tong Yitong. "I think you are the best partner for President Yan, the one who can spend her life with him."

Tong Yitong asked in surprise, "Why, why would you say that? I’m so ordinary..."

"You are not ordinary at all. You don’t know how happy he was when you opened the communication channel. He has many women around him—friends, comrades-in-arms, subordinates—but when facing them, he always carries many burdens. Only when he is with you can he lay down those heavy loads. With everything he now possesses, he doesn’t need a woman to enhance his stature, only someone willing to wait for him without any ulterior motives. I know him the best."

Tong Yitong looked at Chui Chui, not knowing whether to be happy or sour.

"What are you to him?"

"Hahaha, guess? Hmm... Their talk is over. Let’s get out of the car."

Tong Yitong looked at the car ahead and indeed saw Yan Xing and Max, cigarettes dangling from their mouths, emerging from either side of the vehicle. Their expressions were nothing like those of enemies ready to stab each other just moments before.

Seeing Chui Chui get out of the car, Tong Yitong hurriedly got out as well.

But before Tong Yitong could speak, Max said, "I’m sorry about just now. I apologize. I didn’t expect you to actually contact President Yan; it’s made me lose confidence in my own ability to deceive."

Tong Yitong, faced with Max’s sincere apology, was quite surprised. She said, "At first, I did believe you. But after President Yan left Gryphon Island, your request for me to take you away made me suspicious. Now since President Yan has chosen to forgive you, I forgive you too. I hope you don’t do such things again."

"Never again," Max said. "I’ve cleared up the misunderstanding with President Yan and am willing to join him in a significant undertaking. If I still have to die by President Yan’s hands someday, I won’t regret today’s decision."

"You definitely won’t regret it," Chui Chui said.

Yan Xing burned his cigarette butt to ash with a flick of his fingers, scattering the remnants by the roadside. He then said to the three of them, "This isn’t the place to talk. Chui Chui, tell the people from Renlun Investment Bank not to come. There’s nothing wrong here; I’m with Max. Then let’s find a place to eat. Xu’s Old Restaurant is nearby. It’s been a while since I tasted Aunt Li’s cooking, so let’s go there."

The two cars turned and descended the mountain.

The silent alarm in Zhehai City was also called off.

Yan Xing and the other three arrived at Xu’s Old Restaurant and received a warm welcome from Aunt Li. Although Eternal Domain no longer ordered meals from here, Yan Xing still occasionally came to buy some meat dishes, so he was very familiar with Aunt Li.

The four sat around a square table in the yard.

After all the ordered dishes were served, Chui Chui activated a silencing array, and Yan Xing began to discuss upcoming matters with Max.

The appearance of an Executioner must be due to the appearance of a Contrary.

Max definitely wasn’t the Contrary Yan Xing was meant to execute this time. So, who was?

Yan Xing described to Max the war he was fighting with Cloud Tower.

If the Executioner and the Contrary were fated to battle, then there must be an irreconcilable conflict between them.

The war between Eternal Domain and Cloud Tower was continually escalating, and a full-scale confrontation was inevitable.

And the Mages of Cloud Tower were diligently researching "immortality."

Does immortality count as part of divine authority?

It’s hard to say for the Elementalist Mages of Cloud Tower, but the Divine Authority Faction... their very name is too much like a Contrary.

"Although we can’t rule out the Contrary being somewhere else, Cloud Tower more closely fits the criteria. My previous strategy regarding Cloud Tower was one of gradual escalation, aiming to improve my overall strength during the war and gain a comprehensive advantage over them. Now that we know this might be a war orchestrated by the world mechanism, how should we disrupt this setup?"