Chapter 124

"Oh my, the world is becoming more and more interesting." Tianxin wore a faint smile, the bronze compass floating above her hand rotating slowly as its needle flickered erratically.

"But are you big shots really going to just ignore them? Their origins likely aren't trivial; if you don't act now, it might be much harder to deal with them later."

Wheel glanced at Tianxin and said with a huff, "Don't take us for fools. Do you really think I don't know what's going on in that head of yours? You just want us to be the ones to step on the landmine. Things that even the gods cannot manage—you want us to handle them?"

Whether these black-haired humans were the legendary "High Humans," Wheel did not know, nor could he be sure. The only thing he knew for certain was that until the situation became clear, he could not serve as the vanguard; one wrong move and he might lose his life.

The oracle passed down from the Elven race—that the gods could not act, but they could—wasn't that clearly asking them to act as cannon fodder? Expecting mere mortals to handle what gods could not?

Perhaps they really could deal with these black-haired humans, but no one wanted to be the first to risk it. Everyone was waiting for someone else to charge.

"Besides, they aren't cultists, and they haven't indulged in excessive slaughter. They're much better than you lot of nobles, so why should I bother? And tell me, why are you here? Did the Human Emperor send you?"

With such a massive event occurring within human territory, even the Victoria Empire, the Church of the Night, the Dragon's Nest, and the Church of War had responded. It was impossible for the Rofu Human Empire to remain silent.

"Yup! His Majesty the Emperor brought me here to find the source of the anomaly, and now I've finally found it." Tianxin pointed to the city below. "It must have been caused by them. Now I can finally go back and report."

The Imperial Twelve Envoy revealed her purpose without hesitation, though it was hardly a secret; even if she hadn't said it, others could have guessed.

The source of the anomaly? That meant the red sky that had shrouded the world a while ago was caused by them. Come to think of it, the color of that mysterious rift was very similar to the color of that day.

And where did that rift with its teleportation capabilities lead? To the other side of the Desolate Mountains? The end of the Endless Sea? Or perhaps another world entirely?

"What does the Rofu Empire intend to do?" Wheel continued to ask.

"I don't know. I'm just an errand runner. I suggest you go directly to Babylon and ask His Majesty yourself." After answering, Tianxin grumbled with some dissatisfaction, "And why are you asking me all these questions? It's like you're interrogating a criminal."

"Fine, I'll stop asking. But I won the bet from earlier, so now you have to perform a divination for me," Wheel said.

He was plagued by too many questions. Where did these black-haired humans come from? What was behind the rift? Were they truly the people mentioned in the fragmented records of ancient ruins? If they had returned, what was their purpose? Why could the gods not interfere, and why were they supposedly able to? Was it truly just to use them as cannon fodder, or was there some other hidden meaning?

There were many things he wanted to resolve, but he lacked the ability and the courage to do so. He could only hope that the compass, one of the Twelve Imperial Artifacts, might provide some useful intelligence. After all, the origins of that object were equally profound.

"A bet is a bet." The purple-haired girl, Tianxin, was quite straightforward. She opened her hands and placed them on either side of the compass, her eyes shimmering with spiritual essence.

The compass needle began to spin continuously, and the mysterious symbols upon it glowed faintly. A long, ancient aura slowly began to diffuse into the air.

"Speak, what do you want to divine?"

"Are they the legendary group of people?"

"Cannot divine. Choose another."

"Why can't the gods handle them?"

"Cannot divine. Choose another."

"What is behind the rift?"

"Cannot divine."

"Then what *can* you divine?" Wheel raised an eyebrow.

This remark caused veins to bulge on the girl's forehead. She said with a grimace, "Look at the questions you're asking! If I could divine those, I wouldn't be standing here, and you wouldn't be seeing me! Hurry up and pick a simpler question—like what to eat tomorrow!"

"Let me think." Wheel fell into deep thought. Although this divination was quite casual, it was a rare opportunity. She was, after all, an Imperial Compass Envoy; she had some skill.

What should he ask? The major questions were clearly beyond her reach, so he could only focus on secondary matters. These people had significant backers, and he shouldn't probe too deeply right now; stability was the priority. Right, that long-eared one was right—he shouldn't cause chaos; the bigger picture came first. He couldn't let those madmen run wild, but how could he stop them without breaking the rules?

"How can those madmen be kept calm?" Wheel asked cautiously.

As soon as he spoke, the compass emitted a murky yellow light, and the needle spun frantically.

Dozens of seconds later, the compass slowly stopped.

By now, beads of sweat had formed on Tianxin's forehead, and her breathing was somewhat ragged. "According to the compass's deduction, the most effective method is to have them come into contact with Xuanlü. That will keep them stable for a long time."

"Are you sure?" Wheel was deeply skeptical of this result.

Let those guys in the guild come into contact with Xuanlü? Two groups of madmen meeting each other—wouldn't that turn the world upside down?

"That is the result provided by the compass. Believe it or not, that's up to you." Tianxin shrugged, looking completely unconcerned. "Alright, since the divination is over, I'm going back to report. Bye-bye!"

In the next moment, the girl vanished into thin air, running off without a trace.

Seeing all the powerful figures depart, Roy let out a deep sigh of relief. He then said respectfully to Wheel, "Senior, the guild would like to ask if that unknown heretic was caught? If so, please send it back to headquarters as soon as possible for sealing."

"No, it escaped." Wheel shook his head. Seeing the worry on the man's face, he added, "Although it escaped, because of this incident, they have been targeted by the Church of the Night. I believe they won't dare to show their faces again for at least a century."

"That is good to hear. Also, will you be returning to the guild with me?"

"No, I will stay here for a while longer."

As the last two figures disappeared from the mountain peak, evening had arrived, and the sun slowly dipped below the horizon.

Night fell. The residents of Lev City spent a sleepless night, hiding in their homes in terror, fearful that the enemy outside might suddenly break in to pillage, burn, or rape. However, their fears were ultimately unfounded.

Xuanlü did not disturb them; having just finished a battle, they had neither the time nor the energy to spare for them.