Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 1628: Chapter 1623: Fate in Your Hands

Call them together?

It was clear that at that moment, Brother Hao Ke’s rush of survival instincts finally met some kind of obstacle.

Without saying a word, his subconscious reaction was to stare at Fu Qian’s face, as if trying to see if he was joking.

It was evident that although he feared death, involving acquaintances in this situation was still a difficult choice for him.

Unfortunately, the latter maintained a calm demeanor, with a gentle smile that was despairing.

"Why?"

In the suffocating silence, Hao Ke eventually failed to maintain his previous positive posture, voicing his confirmation before answering.

"I can’t see what the point is; I can almost guarantee they know less than I do."

Of course, he justified his attitude, shaking his head as he spoke.

"During this time, nearly every one of them has mocked my excessive worrying. They are generally content with the current situation in Xi Yuan, so what valuable information can they bring in such circumstances?"

"You’re not very humble, are you?"

After a round of explanations, facing Hao Ke who seemed to be awaiting a verdict, Fu Qian seemed finally touched, rubbing his chin and nodding slightly.

"But you’re not wrong either. In terms of intuitive danger perception, you’re clearly exceptional within the whole Xi Yuan... so it’s up to you."

After a seemingly harmless compliment, Fu Qian even stood up the next moment, waving at the incredulous Hao Ke.

"I’ll come by again at dawn. You can either call them over or wait here alone—"

Pausing, Fu Qian’s face was half smirking.

"You can also choose not to be here."

...

"How could I, sir? You can find me here anytime!"

Originally, his expression had gradually eased, yet hearing those overly lenient terms, Hao Ke’s heart skipped a beat, immediately asserting that he would never seize the opportunity to slip away.

Honestly, the fact that the other party said he would return didn’t surprise him much.

This mysterious person clearly had an agenda in Xi Yuan, and after their exchange, Hao Ke certainly didn’t expect that someone with their demeanor would easily let him go.

The fact that they hadn’t killed him when previously trapped was because he posed no threat.

No one cares about a flailing bug.

But knowing some information and even the name "Grimshaw," without the other showing any intent of silencing him, it was more plausible to believe he still had some value.

In that scenario, trying to run away would mean willingly forfeiting what little value he had left.

"So these experiences from earlier weren’t enough to make you believe your life is meaningless to me?"

Impatiently expressing his stance, the departing Fu Qian turned to give him a peculiar look.

"You can make any choice, including leaving immediately or even taking your friends with you. To me, it makes no difference."

"The choice is in your hands."

Clearly indifferent to a response, once those words were spoken, Hao Ke, in a somewhat dazed state, watched as the waving figure disappeared from sight.

Free choice... can it be real?

Amidst this silence, no matter what, Hao Ke slightly exhaled a breath of relief, yet was left feeling somewhat empty.

As someone who excelled at being vigilant in times of peace, Fu Qian’s final words gave him an increasingly unsettling feeling.

Hard as it was to believe, from another angle, Fu Qian could easily snuff out his life or command him without defiance. So, was there any need for deception?

Recognizing Hao Ke’s value in information and also urging him to find more people...

The shadow has already enveloped Xi Yuan...

The decision is in your hands...

Amidst a stream of information, an incredible thought surfaced in Hao Ke’s mind.

Could it be that the person wanted him to find others out of... some form of kindness?

Like a passing piece of advice to the dying—providing some value could exchange for a greater chance to escape the "shadow," or not coming is their choice.

Logically, there’s a semblance of truth, but at the same time, it’s harder to believe.

But what if it is true...

Reflecting on his previously firm stance, Hao Ke was suddenly filled with a sense of regret, worried he might have made a wrong decision.

Click!

After stewing in these emotions for a few minutes, he finally gritted his teeth, marched towards the only entrance, and quickly dismantled his previous setup.

Outside, the night was still vast, and there was still some time before dawn.

Taking a few breaths under the starlit sky, Hao Ke finally made up his mind to step out and quickly broke his earlier promise.

...

Sure enough, things had escalated.

In the darkness, Fu Qian stood silently, surveying the building before him.

A three-story building with traces of age, in dark red.

That disappearing act he pulled earlier was, of course, executed using Blood Conquest.

And after bidding farewell to Brother Hao Ke, he had no interest in staying around to observe, leaving straight away.

The choice is in your hands.

When dealing with the contributing Brother Hao Ke, Fu Qian indeed had no intention of forcing him.

It wasn’t necessary either.

After his conversation with Hao Ke, it was confirmed that Xi Yuan was currently under an untroubled facade of peace.

Some instinctual worries were clearly classified as baseless fretting, excessive tension.

So Fu Qian also acknowledged Hao Ke’s point; in all likelihood, those people couldn’t provide more valuable information than him.

In this case, the significance of having him gather people lay in the action itself.

Dropping a pebble into this abnormal tranquility to see if it would stir up anything unusual.

That’s also why there’s no need to force it, because even if, out of fear of the unknown, Hao Ke chose to escape with his circle, this sudden anomaly was another form of a pebble, only of a slightly different type.

Subsequently, Xi Yuan could still be observed as a whole, reacting to this.

Conversely, Brother Hao Ke, adhering to his previous commitment and staying put, was the least valuable outcome.

But given his displayed survival instinct and initiative, Fu Qian believed that his likelihood of making that choice was small.

Even as the Night Watchmen chose such a course.

Whether on duty or resting, the apparent increase in numbers still seemed to exude an air of relaxation, a pervasive atmosphere of peace and safety.

So now it was Fu Qian’s turn to demonstrate his initiative.

Silently, Fu Qian once again channeled Blood Conquest, heading towards a seemingly familiar aura in his perception.

Let me think, what was that name—Tan Mingxue?