Chapter 174: Black Cocoon X Qi Yuanli, Whalegarden Invasion Plan |
In the dead of night, on the rooftop of a teaching building at Lijing Third Middle School, a pitch-black figure entirely wrapped in restraining bands sat on the railing, a pair of sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose.
Beside him sat a young man dressed in a black trench coat.
The two sat side by side, remaining silent in perfect understanding. Like old friends who had known each other for years, they enjoyed the momentary tranquility as the night breeze gently blew over the brightly lit streets below.
After a moment, Black Cocoon looked up from his sketchpad and presented his newly finished epic masterpiece to the leader of the White Raven Brigade.
At the top of the drawing was a line of crooked, scrawled text that served as the title: "The Legendary Shasha Devours a Whale."
"The Legendary Whale?" Qi Yuanli stared at the sketchpad and pondered for a moment. "And that shark... judging by its appearance, it should be an Eternal Abyss Shark."
"Oh, that makes things much easier."
Black Cocoon pushed up the sunglasses on his face, his tone laced with mild surprise. "It seems the Leader is truly experienced and knowledgeable. I initially thought you wouldn't know what species the Eternal Abyss Shark was, which saves me from delivering a long, tedious speech."
Qi Yuanli spoke absentmindedly, "I just happen to be interested in the subject. Books recording magical creatures are exceedingly rare in this world. Most are concentrated in the hands of a few minority tribes, and you have to cross mountains and valleys just to find them."
Black Cocoon whistled. "I must say, that is quite a violent declaration, contrasting sharply with your gentle and refined exterior... Of course, I don't hate men like you. It's much better than those stupid oxen who have desires but lack the execution and brains to match."
He shook his head. "I am not singling out Tun Yin for criticism, and of course, I have no idea what breed of ox Ghost Bell happens to be."
With that said, Black Cocoon raised a finger wrapped in restraining bands, spinning the sketchpad on his fingertip like a basketball.
"So, may I ask exactly how much Leader knows about the Eternal Abyss Shark species?"
"If my memory serves me right... the abilities of the Eternal Abyss Shark should include transforming size and manipulating water currents. It can also increase its own true form size and awaken transcendental power by devouring Anecdote Fragments."
"Exactly."
Qi Yuanli toyed with his playing cards. "As far as I know, the last Eternal Abyss Shark in the world went extinct many years ago."
'Extinct it is, but I forcibly created one using my supernatural ability. However, since it has no kin, there is no way for it to reproduce. It will have to go extinct sooner or later anyway...'
Black Cocoon thought this inwardly, but out loud he said, "That is merely what the books record. In reality, there is still one peerless Eternal Abyss Shark left in the world, and it... is currently hiding inside the body of the Legendary Whale."
"If I remember correctly..." Qi Yuanli lowered his eyes, still playing with the cards in his hands. "The Legendary Whale and the Eternal Abyss Shark are natural enemies."
"Yes, and precisely because they are natural enemies, the last Eternal Abyss Shark in the world has laid dormant inside the Whalegarden," Black Cocoon said. "Its goal is to devour the Anecdote Fragments within the garden world to achieve a rapid increase in its true form size."
Qi Yuanli remained silent for a moment, glancing at the drawing on the sketchpad. "And then... devour the Legendary Whale?"
"Correct, but the prerequisite is that it must leave the Whalegarden," Black Cocoon said faintly. "If it remains trapped inside the garden forever, it will never be able to fulfill its mission."
"I am more curious about how this shark you mentioned managed to infiltrate the Whalegarden without being discovered by the Anecdote Envoys."
At this, Black Cocoon peeled back a layer of restraining bands covering his right hand, revealing a copy of Shakespeare's "Hamlet".
He crossed his legs and sat on the railing, reading the book while speaking, "Didn't you say earlier that the Eternal Abyss Shark can transform its size and appearance? And not long ago, the King just so happened to be searching the ocean for a Norbe Shark to give his beloved son, the Third Prince Xize'er, as a birthday gift."
He paused slightly before emphasizing:
"The King did indeed find a Norbe Shark that suited his tastes, but the origins of that Norbe Shark are far from simple. Having said this much, you should have already guessed it, right?"
Qi Yuanli kept his head lowered, an extra playing card appearing in his hands.
He deduced without hesitation, "The last Eternal Abyss Shark you spoke of disguised itself as a Norbe Shark, deliberately showed off to be selected by the King, and then... it became the gift the King gave to the Third Prince."
"Exactly. It is so pleasant to converse with a smart person," Black Cocoon said while turning the pages of his book. "If this were a certain idiot named Ghost Bell, he would probably be striking his bell right now, ready to hit someone, and might even accuse me of having an imaginary illness."
"So... after saying all this, what exactly are you trying to convey?"
At this point, Qi Yuanli lightly flicked his finger, and the suit of the playing card changed from red to black.
"Or rather, what is your objective?" he continued to ask.
Black Cocoon lowered his eyes, gazing at the English text in his book. "If I am not mistaken, it was precisely when the King went out hunting that the Cult Leader of the Black Death Cult, Bernardo, seized the opportunity, causing him to unknowingly contract the Black Death..."
He looked up at Qi Yuanli. "And this main culprit who has kept the King bedridden for so long is currently in your brigade, Mr. Qi Yuanli."
"And then?"
"Bernardo's purpose in joining the brigade was to scheme with you on how to invade the Whalegarden and plunder the royal treasury. For a bandit, the treasures of a nation independent from the human world are indeed immensely attractive."
"Is he your collaborator?"
Black Cocoon shook his head and cut in, "Unfortunately, no cooperative relationship exists between Bernardo and me. We have not even met."
He extended a sliver of restraining band from his fingertip. "My true collaborators are Yagubalu, the Eternal Abyss Shark that sneaked into the Anecdote garden, and the little shark's owner, the Third Prince Xize'er... And my two collaborators both harbor their own hidden agendas. Yagubalu's goal is to devour the Legendary Whale and complete its species' revenge, while Xize'er's goal is simply to leave the Whalegarden alive."
"A struggle for the throne?"
"Precisely. The Third Prince is an illegitimate son, yet the King shows immense favoritism toward him. As a result, members of the royal family allied with the Black Death Cult Leader, Bernardo, infecting the King with the Black Death so they could eliminate the Third Prince during this period... This way, no one would be able to contest the throne with them."
Qi Yuanli fell silent for a moment. "I see. Earlier, when Bernardo discussed this matter with me, I felt that some details were blank or lacking... With your additions, I roughly understand what is happening inside the Whalegarden."
Black Cocoon shook his head. "As expected, you are planning to invade the Whalegarden with Bernardo. Too bad you only know the intelligence about the garden's internal strife and that they are a group without a leader, yet you still haven't found a crucial breakthrough point."
He emphasized his tone: "And I... can provide you with this breakthrough point." Qi Yuanli looked up at him: "You've said so much; it surely isn't just to provide me with free intelligence."
"Of course, Mr. Leader. Haven't you noticed that the objectives of my two collaborators don't actually conflict with the interests of your brigade?"
Qi Yuanli thought for a moment. "The Eternal Abyss Shark's goal is to devour the Legendary Whale, so the garden kingdom's treasures are dispensable to it. The Third Prince's goal is to extricate himself from the struggle for the throne and safely leave the Whalegarden... Indeed, this does not conflict with our brigade's goals."
"Exactly, speaking with a smart person is so effortless," Black Cocoon sighed with emotion. "If you are willing to cooperate with me, I will pass a message to my collaborator Yagubalu. When the time comes, you will fight together against the strongest combat force in the Whalegarden, the Royal Court Squad."
He eerily lowered his voice. "And as long as you defeat the Royal Court Squad, entering the royal palace will be like entering an empty land for your White Raven Brigade... At that time, absolutely no one will be able to stop you. The treasures in the vault will be at your disposal, but..."
Pausing here, Black Cocoon suddenly raised a finger. "If you suspect my intelligence is fabricated, then this precious opportunity for cooperation will vanish into thin air... I never betray my collaborators, Mr. Leader. As long as you work with me, all my actions will be to your benefit."
"In truth, even if the series of intel you just shared is true, it doesn't affect much," Qi Yuanli stated. "And you remain tight-lipped about the most crucial piece of intelligence."
Saying so, he lifted his profound eyes from his playing cards, meeting Black Cocoon's gaze.
"After all, this is the biggest bargaining chip in my hand. How could I hand it over right at the beginning?" Black Cocoon said. "I must be certain you will cooperate with me before I can tell you this important piece of intelligence."
"This is indeed a very free cooperation. I can betray you, and you can betray me," Qi Yuanli said. "Furthermore, neither of us is worried about the other's betrayal."
Black Cocoon murmured softly, "Exactly. My goal is simply to let the brigade in to cause a massive uproar. No matter what you do, it will trigger a commotion, buying my two collaborators the chance to escape...
"And your goal is even simpler. Every member of the White Raven Brigade is a mad dog who will pounce at all costs the moment they see something of interest, and you, as their Leader, are especially so. Life and death mean nothing to you."
He gently tapped his finger against the railing. "By the way, Red Dragon stands on the Third Prince's side. When the time comes, there's a high probability he will fight alongside your brigade against the members of the Royal Court Squad."
He clicked his tongue. "Of course... given Mr. Red Dragon's incredibly stupid brain, it is also possible he might attack you in order to protect the garden world, although that possibility is extremely low."
"Red Dragon, huh..." Qi Yuanli pondered for a moment. "You've spoken so much idle chatter, yet I haven't heard you mention a single word about the most critical intelligence."
Both of them knew full well: the most important piece of intelligence in this negotiation was the location where the Legendary Whale would land next.
After a brief silence, Black Cocoon slowly opened his mouth. "August 1st, Norway, the port of Bergen."
"I hope you won't disappoint me and that you'll put on a good show, Mr. Leader," Black Cocoon scratched his jaw. "As for exactly which port, I imagine you can figure it out yourselves when the time comes. After all, the Legendary Whale makes such a massive commotion, you won't just act deaf, right?"
"I have definitely received the intelligence," Qi Yuanli suddenly said. "By the way, you might want to check your book."
Black Cocoon cast his eyes downward and flipped through the copy of "Hamlet" in his hands. He saw that a playing card had been slipped between every single page. A quick glance revealed the King of Spades, the Jack of Hearts, the Red Joker, the Black Joker... It was entirely unclear when Qi Yuanli had managed to place them there.
"So what?" Black Cocoon closed the book, shaking his head without a care. "This prank is quite amusing, though it's still a bit too amateur compared to mine... My pranks are always deeply affecting. For example, delivering diapers to someone, or delivering diapers to someone... Damn it, why is it always diapers no matter how I spin it?"
Qi Yuanli spoke unhurriedly, "Such a bland reaction... It seems you are using a clone to meet with me."
"How else? No matter what, I wouldn't use my true self to meet with a bandit who kills without batting an eyelid, Mr. Leader," Black Cocoon said. He casually tossed away the copy of "Hamlet" he had borrowed from the bookstore owner. Thousands of playing cards fluttered alongside the book's pages, becoming lost in the dark night.
"Then there's no point in capturing you," Qi Yuanli said. "What a pity."
Black Cocoon turned his head to look at him, speaking with great interest. "Mr. Leader, although I am honored to become your prey, it's unfortunate that you most likely won't be able to catch me in this lifetime."
After saying this, he slowly stood up. Like a circus performer, he balanced motionless on top of the railing, casting a sidelong glance at the brilliantly lit streets below.
"I hope you survive... Even villains need a savior for villains."
Qi Yuanli gave no response.
"Lastly," Black Cocoon said, "I have always been skilled at leaving every one of my collaborators with an intriguing cliffhanger. This way, they will look forward to our next meeting even more."
Pausing here, he suddenly dropped his voice. "Qi Yuanliuli... she is still alive."
The moment he heard that name, the fingers Qi Yuanli used to toy with his playing cards paused slightly.
After a long while, he slowly lifted his head and asked in a lukewarm tone, "You know that name?"
"Yes, exactly that look. That delicious gaze. Blue Arc and Ghost Bell have also shot me that exact look before. It is truly delightful... You clearly tried to make your tone sound like you were handling this with ease, yet you couldn't conceal that fraction of astonishment."
Black Cocoon spoke slowly.
He thought to himself: 'It seems I bet correctly. This Qi Yuanliuli really is connected to the Leader. Just what is the relationship between them? I'm so curious.'
'Since Qi Yuanliuli is an undercover agent sent by the Salvation Society to infiltrate Rainbow Wing, could the Leader also be connected to these two organizations?'
With this in mind, Black Cocoon spoke up to break the silence:
"If you want to know about her, then be sure to guarantee the safety of my two collaborators, Mr. Leader...
"I hope you don't entertain any crooked ideas during this cooperation, such as capturing my collaborators to threaten me. Otherwise, our future cooperation will be terminated immediately.
"And you... as an untrustworthy collaborator, will naturally lose any chance of getting information about 'Qi Yuanliuli' from me."
As his words faded, Black Cocoon's body slowly tipped backward off the railing like a knocked-over roly-poly toy. He plummeted into the boundless darkness, sinking into it before dissipating with a hiss into a cloud of steam.
Qi Yuanli silently watched him leave from the corner of his eye. After a long while, he conjured a crow from his fingertip.
As the crow flew far away, his figure also dissolved, scattering away as a flurry of raven feathers.