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Chapter 167 - 165: "Believe Me, Take Me Away

Chapter 167: Chapter 165: "Believe Me, Take Me Away

Su Ming’an didn’t speak, only smiled in his eyes as he looked at her, as if he was not at all nervous that she might actually strike.

Under his undisguised gaze, the girl’s hand gradually loosened its grip, and then, after a clear fluctuation in her eyes, her hands gently let go.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Su Ming’an gasped for air, his hand covering his throat, which felt fiery hot from being choked.

He was not incapable of defeating Dan Shuang, as the damage value from a moment ago showed. His combat power was not high, not to the absurd level of Holy Initiation. If he had chosen to walk the path of violent extraction, it would not have been difficult to kill her.

But there was no need.

She was his bridge to connect with the Revolutionary Army.

From the moment he opened his eyes, he had been testing her temperament. As seen from how easily her defenses were broken just now, she seemed to care greatly about the situation of the Revolutionary Army, yet was a powerless revolutionary with a direct and intense disposition, who still maintained the goodness of not harming the innocent.

"Are you upset?" he asked with a smile, his tone very direct, "It seems, you also think I’m right."

He seemed to hear the sound of grinding teeth from the person in front of him, but she quickly suppressed it.

"Don’t let me hear you talk like this again," Dan Shuang’s eyes were fierce, her tone sharp in a way completely different from before, "Although you’re a person without combat power, if you continue to insult the Revolutionary Army like this, I won’t mind teaching you a lesson first."

She leaned in close, her tone as sharp as a dagger.

"However, I think there are some things that perhaps I understand better than you do."

Su Ming’an’s tone was equally challenging, as if filled with needles, not yielding at all.

Perhaps he had chosen the right tone.

Usually, Dan Shuang would ignore such a pretender upon seeing one. But seeing his confident demeanor, she was curiously irked.

"Heh," Dan Shuang chuckled, "Go on, what do you understand?"

"Humans are social animals," Su Ming’an whispered to her, "Once panic ensues, it spreads quickly among the group like a contagion. Despair, panic—these negative emotions resonate more easily at such times—just like now."

Dan Shuang furrowed her brows, looking at him: "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Resources are being depleted bit by bit; food and water are running low. The Revolutionary Army, battling everywhere, lives like a band of looting bandits. This, I believe, is not only visible to me but also to many people inside the Revolutionary Army... including you," Su Ming’an slightly bowed his head, the faint glow at the foot of the air reflecting in his eyes, merging into a stagnant glow.

His voice became very light, as if afraid of disturbing something:

"You should know that groups only recognize simple and extreme emotions. The wisdom and independence of an individual is gradually worn away when assimilated into the collective—because they become extremely susceptible to emotional contagion and get excited about some suggestive collective concept. If you want stability, if you want everyone to follow you and feel secure, you need to establish a clear goal for them. You need to prove to them that you can always stand in front of them, providing them light and direction—you need to become the lighthouse in everyone’s eyes..."

As expected, the bullet comments came fast:

[Here comes, Moli 3.0!]

["Finally, it has arrived" series, the stone in my heart has settled.]

[Start the betting pool, when will this girl give in... Although she looks dangerous.]

[Wait, the ponytail girl seems easier to persuade than Your Majesty, she might actually be convinced.]

[I really feel sorry for Brother Ming’an... When his neck was choked just now, I almost jumped up too...]

[Take out the little notebook, memorize the full text...]

[...]

Dan Shuang’s eyebrows gradually relaxed.

"... You are quite different from many nobles I’ve seen,"

she said.

At this moment, touching his neck which still hurt a bit, Su Ming’an also heard a clear system prompt:

[NPC (Dan Shuang) Favorability: -20+20]

[Current Favorability Rating: Neutral]

He continued to hear her crisp voice, flowing by his ears like a spring:

"Those nobles who only see class in their eyes, only know how to widen the gap between levels, and only measure whether the number of resources fits their desires... It’s quite rare to find someone like you who can see clearly."

"They are not that they can’t see clearly," Su Ming’an laughed, "...it’s just that they don’t want to see clearly. Or perhaps, even if they do see clearly, they will pretend they don’t, just to confuse people like you..."

"What do you mean, beating around the bush?" Dan Shuang didn’t want to hear him talk about these things anymore, although he truly did strike a chord with her, making her feel—this noble from the Regular Army who was caught by chance might really be different from those ordinary nobles.

[NPC (Dan Shuang) Favorability: 0+10]

"...Well, you do make some sense," she continued, the black ponytail swaying slightly in the morning wind, carrying the crisp scent of wine: "As long as you don’t do something too outrageous, I don’t want to watch you all the time. Walk with me, I can assure you won’t get into trouble on the road."

"Can you give me some healing?" Su Ming’an spread out his hands: "My condition now... isn’t too good."

Dan Shuang then realized she had just hit this man quite hard.

She looked at the blood spots, stark against the green grass, and the clear red mark on the man’s throat, her eyes quickly blinked, and then she immediately turned and left.

...He really didn’t cry out in pain at all, causing her to gradually forget that he was injured.

But the more she thought about it, the more it seemed his words, although superficial, made sense...

Moreover, a noble in such a state not crying out, not being delicate even though injured, and even persuading her... was very different from what she imagined of a false army soldier...

[NPC (Dan Shuang) Favorability: 10+10]

Su Ming’an lifted his head to see Dan Shuang coming back, followed by a person cloaked entirely in a cape.

"This is a healer from the Revolutionary Army." She said, "Stretch out your hand."

As Su Ming’an did as she said and felt the energy gradually transferring from the other side, his increasingly cold body gradually warmed, as if approaching a fireplace.

"Is it done?" Dan Shuang stood in place, waiting for him.

The gourd in her hand filled with wine, and as she tilted her head to drink, the sparkling liquid shone in the phosphorescent light.

Looking over, her eyes seemed a bit tipsy, with a glimmering ripple of light.

"It’s done." Su Ming’an withdrew his hand and followed her to the side.

That place was where he initially felt the chatter coming from, with a fire burning bright and a circle of people in varied attire seated around it.

They roasted demon beast meat, drank liquid like crystal clear springs, and upon noting movements here, they turned to look over all at once, their gazes carrying a fierce desperateness of fugitives.

Among them, Su Ming’an saw a tall, thin figure.

A blood-red butterfly perched on his shoulder.

...Truly an acquaintance.

Su Ming’an’s gaze met that man’s, and then shifted away.

"—Hey, kid, what’s your fake army doing here?"

Suddenly, a man with a large sword, apparently the leader, stood up. His lips smudged with minced meat, his gaze fiercely menacing, looked down on Su Ming’an from a high stance.

Su Ming’an understood this group from the Revolutionary Army, chased by the Regular Army, running around like lost dogs; they probably didn’t have the best minds, easily swayed by suggestive ideologies, becoming blades in someone’s hand.

Seeing him in Regular Army uniform, they naturally found him offensive.

He offered a smile, just about to "communicate" with this person.

But he saw the originally disgusted look in the man’s eyes starting to soften, and then, it began to gently melt away.

[Enemy camp NPC, basic favorability level: indifferent or higher.]

When he saw Su Ming’an’s face, the Ruler’s passive ability was triggered. The man, originally intent on killing members of the Regular Army, had his anger extinguished in an instant.

Even when looking at Su Ming’an, who was entirely unguarded, members of the Revolutionary Army felt he appeared somewhat innocent.

"...how strange, why can’t I get angry?"

"Could those deceptive troops’ manipulation techniques have reached this level?"

"I was wondering earlier why the Second Commander wanted to save this noble, but now I think saving him isn’t so bad..."

"This kid looks pretty harmless."

"Forget it, it’s none of my business, I’d better hurry up and eat some meat..."

The previously tense atmosphere, on the verge of eruption, was instantly dissipated.

Some Players looking for an opportunity to make a move were stunned by this scene.

"Don’t cause trouble." Dan Shuang suddenly spoke to the group of Revolutionary Army members.

She stepped forward abruptly, protecting Su Ming’an behind her:

"—Did you forget what I told you? Don’t involve innocent people. Just take this man to town and exchange him for some resources, if you must let out your anger, do it on the battlefield, with weapons, against those damned Regular Army members, not by bullying a powerless individual. You really disgrace the name of the Revolutionary Army!"

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone fell silent. She seemed to command great respect.

In the ensuing quiet, faint whispers stood out. Though not very clear, Su Ming’an could hear them.

"...to say he has no combat power."

"Hilarious, the Number One Player always pretends to be innocent..."

He shifted his gaze towards the source of the noise and saw two Revolutionary Army members huddled together, whispering to each other.

...but clearly, these two were Players disguised in the garb of the Revolutionary Army.

"Dan Shuang." He suddenly spoke, reaching out and grabbing her: "Come with me."

He pulled her toward a tent nearby.

At first, Dan Shuang didn’t catch on and even followed him a few steps that way.

But she quickly realized what was happening and briskly pulled away from him, her movements as swift as the wind.

Even faced with Qin Wang’s stunningly attractive face, she maintained a stoic manner from start to finish, conducting herself more like a man.

"What are you doing."

Her tone was cold, as if ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

The audience rarely saw a scene where a girl was utterly unaffected by Su Ming’an’s presence, and now they were quite amused:

[...so unexpected.]

[I suspect this isn’t a girl at all, see "Miss" Yamada in the Fourth World for details.]

[I’ve gotten used to girls being defenseless against Ming’an, too many freebies up until now, but this is curious.]

[Speaking of which, it seems the Fifth World isn’t easy, I saw Iris seems to have failed...]

[Yes, I also saw her recruitment message in the Main God Space, seems like she’s forming a group.]

[Iris failed? Ah, that’s too bad, I always thought she’d remain Ming’an’s Lighthouse Lady...]

[Her failure’s fine by me, I never liked that foreign chick anyway]

[She was the Lighthouse Lady?]

[Ah... I think it’s a pity; after all, she was a top contender.]

[...]

Su Ming’an saw this barrage of comments.

Upon seeing the message "Iris failed", he, who had been continuously planning like a computer, paused for a moment.

He seemed to breathe heavily a few times, as if nothing had happened, regaining his composure, he found himself gripping Dan Shuang’s arm with even more force.

"What do you want—"

"Come with me," Su Ming’an turned back.

Dan Shuang raised her head, and when she met his eyes, she saw them sharp as a tempered cold steel.

Suddenly swelling with nearly suffocating emotions, she momentarily doubted this was the same innocuous nobleman.

At that moment, she began to grasp the meaning of his earlier vague remark about "emotional contagion."

She was directly pulled into the tent.

"Do you have a dagger? Or something sharp will do."

Su Ming’an closed the tent flap, cutting off the outside view, and then reached out to her.

"Explain yourself," she furrowed her brows: "What is this shady business that needs such secrecy?"

"I am Qin Wang."

"Huh?" Dan Shuang squinted.

"I am Qin Wang," Su Ming’an repeated.

"What?" Dan Shuang had not grasped the meaning of this name, and then she saw Su Ming’an suddenly stretch out his hand, snatch the dagger belted to her waist in an instant, with a speed that gave her no chance to react.

"—You!"

Before she could react, the man in front of her immediately cut his own hand.

Blood dripped onto the ground, depicting a vivid red.

He squatted down, his expression exceedingly serious, pressing his palm against the ground, moving slowly, drawing a crimson circle.

Directly contacting the wound to the ground, he seemed to feel no pain. Having completed the circle, leaving behind a bloody pattern, he then added a few strokes, using the blood flowing from his palm to draw a symbol-like array.

As Dan Shuang watched the scene, unaware of what the other party was doing, she mulled over the name he had mentioned, gradually deciphering some meaning from it.

"Qin Wang." She repeated, blinking faster: "Qin Wang, Qin Wang..."

As Su Ming’an stood up, the blood-colored array on the ground suddenly began to glow, her chest surged with intense emotions that nearly stopped her breathing.

"You are—" she exclaimed, then noticed a glowing mark on her own hand.

"This is an Awakening Improvement Array," Su Ming’an looked at her, his eyes dead still like a calm lake:

"...there’s no time left, trust me, and take me with you."

He seemed to ponder for a while.

When he spoke again, his voice carried a hint of sharp determination as if he had just made a tough decision.

"—and some people within your Revolutionary Army. I would like to speak with them, alone."

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