Chapter 50: Ambers of the Long Night (6)
Tang Mobai glanced at the reminder sent by the expert team and fell silent for a long time before closing the livestream.
Seeing this, Deville immediately added, “It’s true! I only need the score. If you don’t believe me, we can sign a contract.”
But Tang Mobai still didn’t reply — he just looked at Deville quietly, with a gaze that made the boy uneasy, even uncomfortable.
Deville gradually dropped his forced innocent expression and lowered his head again. “Forget it if you don’t believe me. Sorry for bothering you.”
“Wait,” Tang Mobai sighed deeply. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, Deville.”
“Then…”
“But you’ve made it impossible for me to believe you.” Tang Mobai sat cross-legged on the bed. “Because deceit can’t buy trust. If you really want to cooperate with me, you should at least start with honesty.”
Deville blinked, confused. “Brother Mobai, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
“Do I really have to spell it out?” Tang Mobai tilted his head slightly. “You’re not actually a child, are you? I don’t know why, but your real power must be strong. For some reason, though, no one remembers you — no one recognizes you.” He spread his hands. “So tell me, when you’re pretending to be an innocent kid, how am I supposed to trust you?”
…??
At that moment, both personalities inside Deville froze.
His greatest secret had been ripped open so suddenly it left him stunned.
“…Brother Mobai, I really don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“Mm. It’s fine if you don’t admit it — I know enough.” Tang Mobai calmly reached out to ruffle Deville’s hair. His voice was mild, and from Deville’s perspective, there was no trace of bluffing — he truly seemed to have solid proof.
But how could that be? His main body had arranged everything so carefully — even if someone had seen other fragments of the Seven Deadly Sins in another demon’s stream, that memory should’ve already been erased by Lost Paradise.
How could anyone remember?!
“Who the hell are you?!” Deville’s hair bristled, his crimson pupils widening like a startled beast’s. “You can’t be some fool from the Hunger Hell!”
For Deville, the horror was like discovering that the harmless white rabbit he’d been toying with had suddenly shed its skin to reveal a wolf beneath. The “naive sweetheart” mask shattered in an instant — this wasn’t some dim-witted glutton demon. Someone that clueless couldn’t possibly know his secret.
They’d all been deceived by Tang Mobai!
For the first time, Deville felt genuine killing intent. His secret was far too important — if it leaked before the final ritual was complete, everything would be ruined.
“I am from Hunger Hell,” Tang Mobai said gently, watching the boy’s trembling ears. “Don’t worry. I have no intention of telling anyone your secret.”
He tried to pat Deville’s head to comfort him, but as soon as his hand reached out, it was slapped away — hard. This time Deville didn’t even pretend to apologize; instead, his eyes turned cold and predatory.
Somehow, though it was the same face, the aura was completely different. If the Deville before had been a manipulative but clumsy child actor, this one was a venomous young serpent — coiled in the dark, ready to strike.
Deville lunged, grabbed Tang Mobai’s left wrist, and bit down without hesitation.
“Ah—!” The little brat didn’t hold back at all. His sharp fangs sank deep into the vein, and blood spurted instantly. Tang Mobai reflexively tried to shake him off, but Deville had already released him. On Tang Mobai’s wrist, the bite mark bled freely — then the blood began to pulse with strange vitality, forming a rose-like sigil around the wound.
“This is a Blood Sigil,” Deville said coldly, tilting his chin up. “You’ve been cursed by me. If you ever reveal my secret, you’ll suffer the agony of a thousand serpents devouring your heart. From now on, you’ll obey me — help me obtain the Super Brain… Wait—what are you doing?!”
Tang Mobai grabbed Deville, pressed him face-down on the bed, and smacked his butt hard.
“How can you bite people like that? I could get an infection, do you know that? Tetanus shots hurt!”
“You—you—you! Don’t make me activate the curse!”
“It hurts! The curse really hurts! Don’t force me to—”
“Waaahhh stop, stop, I’m sorry!”
[Jealousy]: You’re too shameless! Why is it that you’re the one who bites, but I’m the one getting spanked?!
[Deville]: So unfair…
[Jealousy], sheepishly: “You know I can’t stay out long — the Purifiers will detect me. Just… bear with it.”
Finally, when Tang Mobai switched hands to continue spanking, Deville seized the chance, wriggled free, and escaped to the foot of the bed. “You just wait! I’ll be watching you — always! If you breathe a word of my secret, the Blood Sigil will make you pay!”
Tang Mobai smiled faintly. “Didn’t you say I had to help you steal the Super Brain? Why does your condition now only forbid me from talking about your secret?”
Deville froze. Jealousy sighed quietly in his mind — of course that last part had been improvised.
But Deville couldn’t admit it. He huffed, “If you want me to lift the curse, then behave and help me get the Super Brain! Otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?”
“Otherwise you’ll be stuck with a permanent tattoo! The Blood Sigil never fades — the curse lasts forever!”
Tang Mobai gasped dramatically. “You’d really ruin my government exam prospects like that? What a vicious curse!”
“Hmph! Glad you understand.” Deville didn’t even know what a government exam was, but his threatening tone was perfect. He clutched his sore butt and bolted out of the room.
He hadn’t expected the plan to go so wrong, but it was too late now — he’d just have to keep this unstable factor under control.
Still thinking about his next move, Deville turned a corner and crashed into someone. The impact sent him staggering backward. When he looked up, he saw Yan Wuzhen’s impassive face.
Him?
Deville blinked. His cover might’ve collapsed in front of Tang Mobai, but he hadn’t given up on the others. He was just about to smile and greet him when Yan Wuzhen walked right past him without even slowing down — just a cold glance before striding away.
[Jealousy]: Heh. Interesting…
[Gluttony]: What is?
[Jealousy]: Nothing that concerns you.
Jealousy chuckled, his earlier frustration fading.
He knew that feeling too well — superiority born of arrogance, followed by the creeping anxiety and jealousy that came with losing control.
And that jealousy would eventually become a small crack in the team — a fracture that could widen at any time.
Especially since the three of them had already been rubbing against each other lately…
He was quite looking forward to seeing what Yan Wuzhen would choose.
*
A few days passed quickly.
“You’re going out?” Emmanuel asked, surprised.
“Yes. Why? Not allowed?” Yan Wuzhen replied evenly. “My ability requires me to experience society firsthand. Data on a screen, no matter how detailed, can’t touch real human hearts.”
“…Or are you planning to drop the act and use a contract to enslave us — force our obedience?”
Emmanuel stared at him for a few seconds, then looked away. “You can go. But you don’t know this society — you’ll stumble easily. I’ll lend you a few people to go with you.”
Such kind words — but Yan Wuzhen knew it was just surveillance. He sneered inwardly but didn’t argue.
Ment drove over a hovercar. Yan Wuzhen got in; with a faint vibration, the car slid smoothly into the traffic track.
“I’ve been researching your world these past few days,” Yan Wuzhen said from the back seat. Ment turned, curious. “Then, Mr. Yan Wuzhen, what do you think of it?”
“To be honest,” Yan Wuzhen exhaled slowly, “I envy you. Your society has achieved an unbelievable level of equality.”
Yes — equality. Hard to imagine such a word existing in a world with a rigid level system. Yet it was true.
Fairness was the cornerstone of their world. Because of the level-based hierarchy and the disappearance of money, class disparity was nearly erased. Level had become the only unshakable social class. Even the richest person’s child could only attend the school and take the job allowed by their level. Without sufficient level, you couldn’t inherit a company — even a security guard wouldn’t take you seriously.
To someone from a feudal society like Yan Wuzhen, it was unbelievable. In his world, a person’s fate was sealed the moment they were born — no matter how capable or brilliant, if they weren’t of noble blood, they would live their life being trampled by well-dressed swine.
But here, even the child of a prostitute or criminal could, with high enough level, become a lawyer or legislator.
“Equality is one of our proudest achievements,” Ment said with a note of pride. “We’ve nearly erased all class differences. As long as you work hard and have talent, anyone can live a good life.”
Hearing that, Yan Wuzhen chuckled softly. Ment frowned. “What’s so funny? It’s the truth.”
“I never said it wasn’t,” Yan Wuzhen replied mildly. “But tell me, Ment — living in this world… are you happy?”
“Of course I—” It was such a simple question, yet Ment suddenly froze, the words catching in his throat.
At that moment, Yan Wuzhen turned off the livestream. He leaned forward over the seat, resting a hand on Ment’s shoulder and whispering something in his ear.
Ment’s eyes widened, his face filled with disapproval. But just then, the car stopped for a traffic signal, and before he could react, Yan Wuzhen had opened the door and stepped out.
“Wait! Yan Wuzhen!” Ment called after him. “That plan’s too dangerous — and your level isn’t even high enough to hail a car—”
But before he finished, another hovercar slid to a stop in front of Yan Wuzhen.
Ment froze. Hadn’t Yan Wuzhen been only level 7 before? Normally, you needed level 18 just to summon a ride. What had he been doing these past few days?
Yan Wuzhen opened the door, turning back briefly. “I’m going somewhere alone. You don’t need to follow.”
No way — they still had orders to monitor him. The guards in the back seat immediately moved to get out and intercept, but just as Yan Wuzhen boarded, the signal turned green, and his car sped off smoothly.
Perfect timing. Ment and the others could only watch helplessly as their own car was carried forward with the flow.
“Ment, what do we do?” one of the guards asked nervously.
“Don’t panic,” Ment said, frowning. “His chip is still transmitting. Once the car stops, we’ll track him.”
He couldn’t understand what Yan Wuzhen was trying to do. Escape? Impossible — as long as the chips in their necks remained, Emmanuel could find them anywhere.
And besides… what reason did Yan Wuzhen have to run?
As for Yan Wuzhen, he arrived at a narrow alley between two crowded apartment blocks — the kind of place where balconies hung above like iron cages. It was midday, so most shops were shut, and the windows were locked tight.
“Long time no see, Yan Wuzhen.”
Yan Wuzhen turned around and saw a man in a dark gray trench coat walking toward him, followed by several familiar faces — members of the Secret Forest Guild. Every one of them was glaring at him viciously.
Instead of avoiding their gazes, Yan Wuzhen smiled even brighter and waved cheerfully. “Long time no see, President Gan Lan, and all my dear friends.”
That instantly triggered a round of angry shouting from behind Gan Lan.
“Who the hell is your friend?!”
“When are you going to pay back my points?!”
“Ah, I’m relieved to see everyone still so lively,” Yan Wuzhen said with mock sincerity, then looked curiously at a stranger beside Gan Lan. “Hmm? Haven’t seen this face before. Is this your new right-hand man, President?”
“No,” Gan Lan smiled, patting the young man’s shoulder. “This is Duan Li, a new member of our guild. Still a rookie, but he might be useful for this operation, so I brought him along to broaden his horizons.”
Duan Li quickly nodded and greeted Yan Wuzhen. Yan Wuzhen squinted slightly but didn’t respond.
“Since you took that item, this is our first time meeting again,” Gan Lan said.
The president of the Secret Forest Guild looked like a refined, gentle middle-aged man. He wore clear glasses and a deep green trench coat, always smiling as though he were easygoing and polite. But Yan Wuzhen knew better — behind that smile was a tiger.
“I assume, President, you didn’t call me out here just to settle the debt over that item?”
“Heh, no need to keep probing like this,” Gan Lan said, shaking his head. “Let’s get straight to the point — Yan Wuzhen, would you be interested in rejoining the guild?”
“I actually have that option?” Yan Wuzhen raised a brow, clearly surprised.
“Yes. You won’t need to return the item, and all past grudges will be wiped clean. We’ll even lift your bounty.”
“What’s the catch?” Yan Wuzhen asked with a sly smile.
Gan Lan chuckled softly. “You’re a smart man, Yan Wuzhen. I don’t need to spell it out — you already know what kind of condition we’re about to offer.”
“Your current captain—he’s far too much trouble. Honestly, if he survives this dungeon, do you have any idea how many guild leaders won’t be able to sleep at night?”
“I can more or less imagine.”
Although the chaos from the explosion incident had been quickly overshadowed by the dungeon’s sudden reversal, causing several guilds to lose their investments in the reward world — that was big news across the Hunger Hell — what truly stuck in the guild leaders’ minds wasn’t the loss.
It was the explosion.
The dungeon backlash was an accident, but Tang Mobai? He had the very real ability to flip the table whenever he wanted.
If they didn’t eliminate Tang Mobai in this dungeon, none of the guild leaders would ever sleep soundly again — always afraid that one day, in some dungeon, a bomb would suddenly go off right above their heads.
With that single bomb, the once-insignificant Fuguang team had suddenly gained the potential to become a real powerhouse. No wonder the guilds under the Merchant Alliance were all on edge.
That was why, ever since Tang Mobai and Yan Wuzhen started streaming, many guilds had planted undercover agents in their chatrooms — all trying to track their movements and find a chance to take Tang Mobai out.
And the Secret Forest president had noticed the growing tension between Yan Wuzhen and Tang Mobai, which led to this meeting.
Gan Lan knew Yan Wuzhen very well. He knew this man would never truly submit to anyone or any faction. Those arrogant “Fate of the Arrogant” demons were rebellious to the core — loyalty was their antonym. The only reason Yan Wuzhen hadn’t betrayed his team yet was because the price wasn’t high enough.
“Yan Wuzhen, you and Tang Mobai are not on the same path,” Gan Lan said persuasively. “To tell you the truth, the guild demons are already preparing a siege. Over half of the Merchant Alliance guilds will be participating. Once the time is right, a net will close around him — he won’t escape. You’re a smart man; you know what to choose.”
“And what do I get out of it? Don’t try to fob me off with canceling the bounty — that’s basic courtesy.”
“Fifty thousand points, one top-tier standard item, or two pieces of equipment perfectly suited to your current stage,” Gan Lan said decisively. “And if you wish, you can even return to your former guild position.”
“Sounds nice,” Yan Wuzhen said lazily. “So, what exactly do you want me to do?”
“We want you to cooperate with our operation. When the siege begins, you’ll ambush Tang Mobai.”
“Be specific,” Yan Wuzhen replied coolly. “When exactly? How many guilds are involved? I don’t do losing deals. Everything must be written clearly in the contract — I’m not dying for pocket change.”
Gan Lan looked at him, surprise flickering across his face for the first time. “I almost couldn’t believe it at first…Yan Wuzhen being Yan Wuzhen — you really have changed. The old you would never ask such a stupid question. You, of all people, should know how valuable pre-battle intel is. You wouldn’t be dumb enough to say that unless—”
“You came here to extract information from us?”
“Hah? Extract intel? Do I look like the kind of idiot who risks his neck for someone else?” Yan Wuzhen sneered. “I just want to ensure my own interests. If you don’t even trust me, there’s nothing to talk about.”
“Oh, we trust you,” Gan Lan said mildly. “But first, you’ll need to sign the contract.”
Yan Wuzhen arched a brow. “President, do I look like someone who’d casually sign a slave contract?”
“Of course not,” Gan Lan sighed softly. “Which is why you have only two choices — cooperate with us…”
The guild members behind him darkened their expressions and drew their weapons one by one.
“…or die here.”
“Oh, right,” Gan Lan suddenly added. “Don’t bother hoping the NPCs will save you. Our people already blocked them off.”
Yan Wuzhen sighed long and low, his tone turning cold. “President, I came here alone to meet you, and you still brought this many men. I thought I’d shown enough sincerity — why must you all be so eager to make this difficult?”
“We’re only preventing accidents,” Gan Lan said smoothly. “After all, you are the infamous Spider.”
“Since you know I’m the Spider,” Yan Wuzhen said, shaking his head slowly, “why would you ever think I’d come here unprepared?”
Thank you for reading 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉
