Chapter 347 - You Have a Keen Eye!

"What's wrong?" Jilan noticed Cassius staring at him, seemingly lost in thought, and immediately frowned in confusion.

Cassius shook his head slightly, concealing the greed that flickered in his blue-black eyes.

"Nothing much, just feeling relieved that I'm finally about to resolve the mental issue that's been plaguing me. It's also a stroke of luck that the Gate Fragment I obtained happens to be a Soul fragment, which can effectively remove the side effects of my Covert Martial Arts. I'm pretty fortunate," he spoke casually, with a slight change in tone. "If I had gotten a Physique or Qi fragment, I honestly wouldn't have known how to handle it."

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Yeah, when I got my Gate Fragment a few months ago, I also prayed it would be a Physique fragment. I guess when you long for something enough, it responds. Heaven still smiles upon the two of us..." A rare smile appeared on Jilan's cold face.

Cassius also laughed along with Jilan, and the atmosphere became quite cheerful.

Jilan felt that the core member codenamed Peacock could become someone worth building a relationship with. Cassius's eyes twinkled; Jilan had a good eye—he really knew how to judge people!

The two of them chatted casually for a bit before deciding to head to Jilan's temporary residence to continue their discussion.

Jilan was staying at a small, rather remote inn nearby that didn't appear very legitimate. After all, the Gate Organization had been classified by the Black Ops Agency of the Hongli Federation as the most dangerous Class S organization, with all its members listed as wanted fugitives. Jilan had appeared publicly before and was on the wanted list, so it was better to keep a low profile.

Jilan had taken a room on the far end of the second floor. The space was rather simple, with dim lighting that gave the area a hazy, frosted yellow glow, making the place feel somewhat surreal.

There were two nearly identical maps on the wooden table. Cassius and Jilan pulled up a chair and sat across from each other, studying the documents under the dim light.

Cassius actually had more detailed information in his possession, but he hadn't taken it out. The Blood Spirit Society had not given Jilan the most recent population density map of Beiliu County, as they had held back a bit. Though they were traditionally allied with the Gate Organization, the Blood Spirit Society had their own agenda.

Beiliu County had always been the Blood Spirit Society’s base, and while they didn't know what the core members of the Gate Organization planned to do there, it never hurt to be cautious. After all, they were already doing a favor by providing the information.

Cassius had obtained the latest population density map of Beiliu County after wiping out a branch of the Blood Spirit Society. There had been significant changes, especially in the past decade, as the eastern regions had seen rapid development, with coastal trade booming and populations continuously flooding in.

Urban population density had shifted dramatically.

The map Jilan had was, in fact, rather outdated.

In the dimly lit room, Jilan used a pencil to mark the map, occasionally using an eraser to correct things. He looked like a high school student meticulously doing homework.

While he was checking for gaps in the data, he was also thinking about how to draw Cassius into his circle. Finally, he came up with an idea.

He suddenly stopped, flipped the map to the page containing Beiliu City, and pointed to a circled area with a black dot in the center, marking the position where he planned to stand.

He pushed the map towards Cassius.

Cassius blinked, puzzled, and looked up at Jilan.

"Based on my calculations over the past two or three days, the area with the highest population density in Beiliu County is this section of Beiliu City. It's a bustling night market, with a large flow of people every night..."

"If we perform the Gate-opening ritual there, we can instantly envelop tens of thousands of people. It's one of the best locations," Jilan explained, pointing at the map with his pale fingers. "On July 30th, I plan to perform the ritual in this spot."

Cassius was surprised and asked, "Why are you telling me the location of your Gate-opening ritual?" His tone carried a hint of confusion.

"Under normal circumstances, two Gate Fragment holders like us should avoid each other to prevent interference. But you possess a Soul fragment, and I have a Physique fragment. Plus, I'm performing the ritual on the 30th, and you're doing it on the 31st. There won't be any significant issues if we carry out the rituals in the same area."

Jilan smiled slightly. "I've calculated all the other high-density population areas in Beiliu County, and none of them come close to this section of Beiliu City. Even if my ritual on the 30th slightly affects the next one, the effect will still be far better than in any other location. If you don't mind, you can join me."

His invitation was obvious. This was an olive branch extended towards Cassius, signaling goodwill.

"Oh?"

Cassius's eyes brightened, and his expression gradually became more composed.

"Thank you."

Though his words were brief, they carried weight, showing that he was the type who genuinely appreciated and remembered others' kindness.

Jilan rotated the map and said, "Take a closer look..."

Cassius glanced at it, then suddenly reached into his coat.

"Jilan, the population density map of Beiliu County you're holding is from five years ago. Take a look at this..."

He pulled out a stack of updated maps and tossed them across the table.

Jilan raised an eyebrow, surprised. He grabbed the papers and quickly flipped through them.

"It's really different... Is this... an updated version?"

The latest version of the documents showed significant changes in the more economically developed regions, especially in Beiliu City, which had become even more prosperous over the past five years.

Buildings had sprung up like mushrooms after rain, streets had been rezoned, and the night market had expanded.

The position he had meticulously calculated would now need to be adjusted. Clearly, based on the current population density of Beiliu City, his previous choice was no longer optimal.

Jilan's mind immediately turned to the Blood Spirit Society.

"Those bastards! They deliberately held back the latest intel from me. Are they wary of the Gate Organization? How amusing!" Jilan fumed, recalling the meeting with the Blood Spirit Society's vice president, Adam, just two days ago. Adam had assured him that the information he provided was the most comprehensive and up-to-date.

Comprehensive, my foot! They were just stringing me along!

If not for Cassius showing up with the latest version, Jilan would still be in the dark, feeling proud of himself for having found the "best" location.

Cassius, it seemed, was the more trustworthy one. Jilan had just extended an olive branch, and Cassius had returned the favor.

Clearly, Cassius must have paid a certain price to the Blood Spirit Society, like trading benefits for accurate intelligence. Jilan understood why he had withheld information in the beginning. After all, it was unrealistic to expect two strangers to open up immediately when they first met.

Hadn’t he also glossed over the side effects of his technique at the beginning, only giving a vague explanation?

Now, since Jilan had taken the initiative and shown the results of his two or three days of hard work, it made sense that Cassius would reveal the real information. It seemed more logical and sincere. Jilan was growing more and more fond of this core member. Cassius was indeed someone worth befriending.

After a moment of thought, Jilan looked over at Cassius, just in time to meet his gaze. The two locked eyes.

"It seems the Blood Spirit Society kept something from me. Peacock, you must have paid quite a price to get this population distribution map of Beiliu County. And now, you're willing to show it to me for free. I can only say, thank you..."

There was a hint of appreciation in Jilan's eyes as he looked down to study the latest intelligence. Opposite him, Cassius rubbed the slight stubble on his chin.

He hadn't really paid any significant price. He'd just charged straight in and killed everyone along the way. He had eliminated his enemies and solved all his problems. His "latest intelligence" was merely a byproduct.

The only loss he could think of was when he had used his Roaring Sonic Gun to pierce through someone, and the force energy accidentally shredded his sleeve. He had to replace his coat afterward.

But clothes were expendable to him. If he didn't ruin at least one outfit in a battle, it didn't feel satisfying, as if the whole process was incomplete.

Five minutes later, Jilan slammed his hand on the table, leaving a distinct handprint.

"The Blood Spirit Society has truly caused no end of trouble. Beiliu City has changed a lot in the past five years. If we followed the old population density maps for the Gate-opening ritual, we'd have lost a quarter of our potential!"

He laid the map out in front of Cassius, pointing to different areas.

"Look, this is Fania Avenue in the Eastern District; this is Ray Main Road in the Eastern District; and this is the night market in the Southern District. Five years ago, Fania Avenue was the best spot, but now Resso Main Road and the Southern District night market have overtaken it in population density."

"The best location now is the Southern District night market."

Jilan circled part of the map with a pencil, then pressed down slightly and marked a small black dot. "Specifically, Benny Avenue, at the intersection with Camphor Street. It's very likely to be here..."

He made a simple judgment of the location. Then, his gaze grew deeper as he sat back in his chair.

"Those dogs from the Blood Spirit Society, using their local gang status to deceive me like this. I'm going to settle this with them tonight!"

Jilan's face grew cold, his aura turning as deadly as a viper's. His arms naturally radiated an aura that seemed to extinguish all life.

Normally, being deceived wouldn't make him this angry. But Jilan's lifespan was almost at an end, and he urgently needed Physique fragments to extend his life. The more vitality he could gather, the better. He didn't know when the next Gate-opening opportunity would come.

If too much time passed between Gate openings, he might die from running out of life force. Therefore, gaining more vitality from this ritual was extremely important to Jilan. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spent two or three days exhausting himself over calculations.

So the fact that the Blood Spirit Society was deceiving him at this crucial moment completely infuriated Jilan.

"Heh, it seems they want to see the power of the Black Demon's Hand. In terms of characteristics, my sinister Covert Martial Arts is quite effective against those with undead abilities..."

His eyes darkened, and he seemed eager for action.

"Jilan, are you planning to settle the score with the Blood Spirit Society? If so, you're a bit late. They've already dealt with their enemies and withdrawn."

Cassius sensed something was off and quickly spoke up.

You've got to be kidding. I wiped out the Blood Spirit Society two days ago, including their vice president, Adam. What are you going to see if you go there now? Dig up their ashes and make a drink from them to vent your anger? You'd be better off focusing on the Gate-opening ritual.

"They've withdrawn? Wasn't Adam revived recently?"

Jilan clicked his tongue, clearly displeased.

Yes, they withdrew—to heaven. Adam had indeed been revived, but right after that, he was killed again. He'd died twice at Cassius's hands and experienced death twice.

Who knew if they'd meet again in future time-travel periods? Cassius was quite looking forward to it. He decided to call the Adam from the last time-travel period "Adam I" and the one he had just killed in the real world "Adam II." In future encounters, he'd call them Adam III, IV, V, and so on...

It would be a way to commemorate the twisted fate between him and Adam.

But Cassius didn’t say any of that out loud.

"Let's not worry about the Blood Spirit Society for now. The Gate-opening ritual is more important. We've already got the latest intelligence, so let's study that first. You can settle the score with them after the ritual."

He consoled Jilan.

"Hmph, they got off easy. You're right, there's no rush. I'll deal with them after the Gate-opening ritual!"

Jilan let out a deep breath, his killing intent slowly fading.

Cassius smiled.

Yes, after the Gate-opening ritual. You can go join them afterward... Jilan.

"I'll help you when the time comes!" Cassius said in a righteous tone.

"Brother, thank you!" Jilan stood up and patted Cassius firmly on the shoulder.

He hadn't misjudged this man. Even though they had only known each other for a few hours, Cassius was already willing to fight by his side.

This man was worth befriending!

Cassius felt the strength of Jilan's pat on his shoulder and looked down. If it weren't for the fact that there was a high failure rate when trying to steal someone's Gate Fragments under normal circumstances, he would have already killed Jilan on the spot. Based on the information he had gathered earlier, a Gate Fragment became much harder to steal once it had an owner.

The best time was during the Gate-opening ritual, when the Gate Fragments resonated with the world and started to manifest. At that moment, killing the owner would guarantee a successful theft of the Gate Fragment. Then, Cassius could push open the door that originally belonged to Jilan and enjoy the tantalizing rewards.

Somehow, this made it all seem even more exciting.