Chapter 4230: The Keeper Of Balance
Chapter 4230: The Keeper Of Balance
The human brat was anything but simple. Obscura had looked into his past, and it was clear that Lu Yin was capable of inferring a great deal of information from just a few scraps of words.
“Oh right, where’s Lan Meng? He hasn’t said a word. Ba Se, did it choose a mission yet? Scared, huh?”
“That is Lan Meng’s mission to choose. It has nothing to do with you, Lu Yin. Do not try to sway other people.”
“People? Are there other humans here?”
Ba Se also fell silent. It was natural to use different terms depending on the creature being addressed. Naturally, a human would not refer to other humans as creatures—that would sound too ugly. Lu Yin really could latch onto anything and twist it.
Lan Meng’s voice was low, and it spoke slowly. “Lu Yin, I understand you, as does Obscura. All that talk is just you trying to fish for clues about everyone here. Keep dreaming. Anyone in Obscura whom you can pry clues from isn’t anyone you truly want.”
Lu Yin asked, “What do you mean?”
Lan Meng sneered. “I’ll be blunt: I don’t understand Obscura either. There are no interactions within Obscura. Whether the coffins floating beside you hold ordinary Immortals or peerless powerhouses is something that only Ba Se knows.
“Also, within Obscura, the default hierarchy is determined by the tier of missions taken.
“I, as well as Qi Xu and Hui, can only accept three star missions, or four stars at most. Anything higher than that is beyond what we can touch, even at our peak. Such a level can presumably no longer threaten your human civilization. The ones that you want information about are existences qualified to accept five star missions.
“Who that might be, I don’t know. Maybe they’re listening to me right now. The more you try to draw those creatures out, the less likely it is that they will appear. If you are capable enough, go ahead and force them out. However, once you do... something bad might happen.”
Lu Yin’s eyes narrowed. Lan Meng was deliberately saying everything while within Vestigium. It was exposing Lu Yin’s intentions, and more importantly, revealing it for all those mysterious members of Obscura to hear. Lan Meng was trying to provoke as much hostility towards Lu Yin as possible.
Lu Yin had been too impatient, and he had underestimated Lan Meng. Any creature that could become an Immortal was not simple.
“I do want to pry out a bit of information, but not about these members of Obscura. I want to know about you, Lan Meng. Who’s behind you? Who was watching Ancestor Shan?” Lu Yin asked, changing the topic. “I’ll tell everyone here: Ancestor Shan died because something was watching them. You all know that old toad’s strength, and yet they still chose death. Whatever had their eyes on him must be a peerless powerhouse.
“If that creature belongs to Obscura, then forget I said anything. But if it isn’t... then, Lan Meng, you’ve got a problem. Colluding with an outside enemy? What could you be trying to pull?”
Lan Meng snapped, “Nonsense! Watching Ancestor Shan? I know nothing about that!”
Lu Yin sneered. “You claim to not know, and yet you dared to sneak-attack Ancestor Shan! What a joke! They shattered your blue coffin with a single slap. That toad was far beyond you. How could you possibly dare to attack such a powerhouse? There’s something truly powerful behind you—what is it? Some civilization that you can use? Don’t give me such a laughable excuse.”
Lan Meng shouted, “Stop making wild guesses! I don’t know anything! I only attacked Ancestor Shan because they were at the end of their rope. That toad’s karmic chain had been completed, and it was powerless to keep fighting. Also, the Blacklight Civilization was present.”
“The Seven-Treasure Anuras are clearly a civilization that you were able to use, so why go after Ancestor Shan? You told me to leave the Seven-Treasure Anuras to you and to not interfere in their affairs, and yet you yourself attacked the very civilization you used. How does that make any sense?”
“So what? The Seven-Treasure Anuras can’t be controlled. Ancestor Shan even found Vestigium. It was one of Obscura’s great enemies. I wasn’t wrong to want that toad dead!”
“Quibbling.”
“You!”
“Hehe, human brat, have you forgotten? This is Obscura. Behind every member of Obscura is some civilization that can be used. That civilization might be an entire species or possibly a single powerful lifeform. All that matters is that it can be used. As for what that used civilization thinks about Obscura, does it matter?”
Lu Yin’s eyes flashed. “So, Old Man Hehe, you’re the one behind Lan Meng, huh? No wonder everything was so convenient. One by one, everyone’s absent. Even Furball is gone, and yet you’re here, singing in harmony with Lan Meng. Are members of Obscura able to cooperate internally now? Ba Se, is that considered breaking the rules?”
“Brat, don’t bite whoever you see. I’m innocent.”
Lu Yin opened his mouth to speak, only for the old creature to say, “However, if you give me a bit of your blood, I can tell you who was watching the Seven-Treasure Anuras’ Ancestor Shan, hehe.”
Lu Yin frowned. “You know?”
“Of course.”
“What do you want my blood for?”
“Don’t worry about that. Will you give it to me or not?”
Lu Yin shouted, “Ba Se! This old geezer wants to harm me! Are you going to do something or not?”
The ancient creature was dumbstruck.
Lu Yin shouted a few more times, but no one paid him any mind, not even Ba Se.
He did not give up. Every so often, he would shout again to see if anyone would respond, making it a point to call out Furball and Lan Meng by name. Ba Se was left speechless. “Lu Yin, Lan Meng has already left.”
Lu Yin clicked his tongue regretfully. “It must be feeling guilty. Ba Se, you should investigate that thing properly.”
“Old Man Hehe, are you there?”
“Also gone,” Ba Se reported.
Lu Yin asked, “In that case, who’s still here?”
“Me and you.”
“Ba Se, not to criticize you, but you lack discipline most of the time. Look, no one even comes here anymore. How are you supposed to assign missions?”
“There are ways.”
“Fine. I wanted to discuss management strategies with you, but you’re not interested. In that case, let me ask you something: how do I put this floating coffin away? It’s exhausting to haul it around everywhere. I saw that Lan Meng and the others can pull theirs out however they like.”
Ba Se said, “You should return Qi Xu’s red coffin.”
“If I hand it over, I won’t be able to visit Vestigium anymore, right?”
“You must pay homage to the Divine Tree. This step is required to officially join Obscura. Lu Yin, what are you worried about?”
Lu Yin did not answer, and there was no need to. No one was stupid. Ba Se knew perfectly well that Lu Yin was afraid that he might not be able to leave if he entered Vestigium.
Yet Ba Se also did not give Lu Yin any sort of ironclad assurance. All that was said was, “Since you have joined Obscura, you must trust Obscura. Throughout Obscura’s history, there has never been a precedent of anyone dying in Vestigium. You can hear these words, and the others who have joined Obscura can hear them as well.”
“I know, but I don’t have the time,” Lu Yin replied.
Ba Se calmly continued, “You do not have long to continue controlling Qi Xu’s red coffin. Once another joins Obscura, you must return that coffin. If you still have not paid homage to the Divine Tree by that time, you will lose your ability to visit Vestigium with your consciousness.
“Obscura will not force you to do anything, but at the very least, you must have the ability to enter and leave Vestigium. Without that, you will be treated as though you have abandoned Obscura. Lu Yin, do you understand what that means?”
“Hehe. Ba Se, saying that will push this brat to try to think of ways to stop newcomers from joining. That won’t be any good.”
Lu Yin blinked in surprise. “Old Man Hehe, you didn’t leave?”
The old creature went silent.
Lu Yin shouted, “Old man, don’t color people so darkly. If newcomers join us, I’ll welcome them before anything else. Obscura is great! I’m proud of Obscura. Oh, by the way, will any newcomers be joining soon?”
“Take a guess,” the ancient creature replied.
Ba Se called out, “If you want to store a floating coffin, wrap it with the line of the matching color.”
Lu Yin understood. “Thanks, Ba Se. You’re way better than Old Man Hehe, Furball, and Lan Meng combined. It’s just that these coffins look good but aren’t very useful. Two of them have already been smashed. Lan Meng’s was also smashed. He should have to pay compensation.”
Ba Se let out a helpless sigh. “That was an accident. Lan Meng, Obscura apologizes. The floating coffins are intended to serve as a life-saving tool for members of Obscura, and yet yours did not truly protect you. Please forgive this failure.”
Lan Meng called out, “Ancestor Shan’s power wasn’t something that a coffin could block. I understand.”
“Bring your coffin back to Vestigium as soon as possible. We will provide you with a new one.”
“Alright.”
“Huh? Are there that many floating coffins?” Lu Yin was surprised to the point that he did not even kick up a fuss about the fact that Ba Se had lied about Lan Meng leaving.
“Hehe, brat, there are more floating coffins than you can imagine.”
“Really? How many?”
“Far more.”
“Do you know?”
“Of course.”
“Ba Se, Old Man Hehe shouldn’t know, right? Why does it feel like he knows more than you?”
“Brat, why do you try to stir up trouble the moment you get the chance?”
“I only do it if you give me a chance.”
The ancient powerhouse fell silent.
Lu Yin was about to make a jab at Lan Meng again when Ba Se spoke up. “Lu Yin, do you wish to know how many floating coffins there are?”
Lu Yin arched a brow. “I do.”
“I can show you, once you have paid homage to the Divine Tree.”
Lan Meng complained, “Ba Se, that’s not in line with the rules! Even I haven’t seen them.”
Ba Se slowly replied, “This is preferential treatment granted to Lu Yin by the Keeper of Balance.”
Lu Yin was startled. The Keeper of Balance? He had discovered that term when combing through Wu Er’s memories. Obscura’s gate in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse had come from the Keeper of Balance, not Qi Xu.
That was an odd detail. Qi Xu had been tasked with destroying the human civilization, so Obscura’s gate should have been placed by her. Despite that, it had instead been put there by the Keeper of Balance.
When Lu Yin connected the details of Qi Xu’s death together, how her red sword had been taken by the hidden member of Obscura, how her red coffin had been unused, and how it had even been left for Wu Er, everything indicated that Qi Xu had been abandoned.
But if she had truly been discarded by that mysterious member of Obscura, then that hidden powerhouse in the Tianyuan was very likely Obscura’s Keeper of Balance.
That would also stay in line with how Lu Yin was currently receiving preferential treatment from the Keeper of Balance.
If not, why would the Keeper of Balance favor Lu Yin when the two did not even know each other?
Besides... was it truly preferential treatment?
Ba Se’s answer made Lan Meng fall silent. Clearly, Lan Meng was extremely wary of the Keeper of Balance.
Lu Yin was curious. “What’s the Keeper of Balance? Ba Se, is that a position?”
Ba Se answered blandly, “Obscura’s Keeper of Balance is a mission. Whoever accepts that mission serves as Obscura’s Keeper of Balance.”
“Who is the Keeper of Balance?”
“That cannot be revealed.”
“Do the other members of Obscura also not know?”
“That cannot be disclosed.”
“Why is this Keeper of Balance favoring me?”
“I don’t know.”
“Lan Meng, why aren’t you saying anything? This is clearly not fair to you. This Keeper of Balance seems to be looking down on you.”
“Hehe, brat, there’s no need to provoke it. Lan Meng would not dare to have any thoughts about the Keeper of Balance, not at all,” the ancient being spoke up.
“Why wouldn’t it dare? Are they very powerful? Can they decide Lan Meng’s life and death?”
“Hehe. Guess.”
Lu Yin’s eyes flashed. “Old Man Hehe, you’re the Keeper of Balance, aren’t you?”
“Hehe. Guess.”
Lu Yin was angry. The old bastard always pulled this stunt at the moment when critical information was about to be revealed. Lu Yin did not even know what species the old thing might be. He really wanted to drag the old geezer out and take a look.