" What should we do with these three Hunters?" Xiao Lou turned to consult Yu Hanjiang for his opinion.
Yu Hanjiang stepped forward, looked at the miniature Xiao Lou in the bottle, and asked in a low voice, " How exactly did Hunter come to this world? Where did you find out about our experiences in the other secret chambers?"
Xiao Lou coldly replied, "We naturally have sources of information; otherwise, how could we kill you?"
Yu Hanjiang asked, " What good would killing Challenger do you? Would it extend your life in Card World?"
The other person suddenly fell silent, their pale face expressionless, as if they had turned into a statue.
Yu Hanjiang frowned and softened his tone: "If you tell us about the Hunter Organization, I might consider not killing you, since you look exactly like Xiao Lou."
"Heh..." Xiao Lou suddenly curled his lips into a smile, as if he had heard the funniest joke. He let out a strange laugh from inside the bottle, and after laughing for a while, he said indifferently, "Anyway, I won't live if the mission fails, so just give me a quick death." After saying that, he closed his eyes and put on a cold expression of "calmly facing death".
Yu Hanjiang looked at Xiao Lou and shook his head.
Helpless, Xiao Lou had no choice but to forcibly drag the three Hunters back to Peach Blossom Spring and set it on fire.
These Hunters are absolutely stubborn.
So far, we've encountered many Hunters, and they all share a common trait: they would rather die than reveal any secrets about the organization after failing a mission, as if they've all been brainwashed.
Their loyalty to the organization even surpasses the most basic human instinct for survival? Why?
People with weak wills are likely to betray their friends and family when facing death. Not everyone in the Hunter Organization is a tough guy with a strong will and a willingness to die, but every time you put a knife to their throats, you can't get any information about the organization. That's too strange.
Xiao Lou said softly, "They're all unafraid of death. I don't believe that everyone in the Hunter Organization is willing to die. I guess if they leaked the Hunter Organization's secrets, they might feel worse than death, so they would rather choose death than say a word."
Yu Hanjiang thought about it carefully and agreed, "That makes sense. The person who leaks information might suffer a fate worse than death? When missions fail, many Hunters simply commit suicide by poisoning themselves."
Xiao Lou said, "This organization has its own rules, such as the 'head bounty system,' and methods for moving between different secret rooms and replacing certain special characters. I now suspect that the Hunter Organization... might be an organization created by the Guardians to oppose us Challengers?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Qi suddenly slapped his forehead, walked up to Xiao Lou excitedly, and said, " Professor Xiao's suspicions are very likely! If the Guardian wasn't involved, how could these Hunters have entered the Secret Room World and become key characters? " Whether it's CEO Shao's adoptive mother or this clone in the game, their sudden appearance seems too coincidental, doesn't it?
Shao Qingge said, "If that's the case, then Hunters might also have to travel between different worlds to do missions?"
Lu Jiuchuan said with a stern face, "During my time undercover in the Hunter Organization, I did frequently receive mission orders from my superiors. The mission objective was always the same—to kill the outsider. However, because I wasn't a real Hunter, Hua Ying always covered for me during the Weekly Routine. They didn't know I had failed the mission, and they never punished me. I don't know what kind of punishment a real Hunter would receive if they failed a mission."
Tang Ci said, "In other words, it's very likely that from the moment we entered Card World, there has been a force that has always been at odds with us. Our goal is to clear the secret room, while their goal is to kill us?"
Upon hearing Tang Ci's words, the teammates exchanged bewildered glances.
At first, everyone thought this force was a spontaneous organization of the "natives," like a "cult" targeting outsiders. But now it seems that Hunter can not only find out all their cards, but also know their past experiences in the secret room? How could the natives have such great abilities?!
After all, the natives are confined to one world. For example, the princes and princesses of the ancient world of Red Heart 8 cannot appear in the entertainment industry world of Hearts 9, so they cannot know what is happening in the entertainment industry world.
When Yu Hanjiang tested the fake Liu Qiao, she was able to answer questions about the eighth, ninth, and tenth levels fluently, indicating that she was very clear about Xiao Lou's experiences in different worlds.
Thinking of this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
It was as if there was a pair of eyes watching them from behind.
In Card World, only four people are fully aware of what happens in each secret room— Red Heart A, Diamond A, Ace of Spades, and Plum Blossom A, the four Guardians!
The Guardians can freely control the flow of time in each Card World; they are the true rulers of the Card Worlds, with powerful figures behind them. Perhaps, as Xiao Lou speculates, the Hunter Organization itself is a faction they created themselves, selecting a group of people from the very beginning to stand against the Challengers?
Ye Qi gave an analogy: "It's like when you play an online game, there are two factions set up by the official developers. For example, in World of Warcraft, there are players from the Alliance and the Horde factions. If they meet in the wild, they are immediately marked as red names and can attack each other. The same applies to Card World. Hunter vs Challenger, that's two opposing factions?"
Xiao Lou wasn't entirely sure about the Hunter Organization's origins before, but after this experience, Hunter gained a much better understanding of their background.
As he gained more and more hands, he couldn't help but doubt the motives of these Guardians.
Being manipulated is unpleasant, but since the factions are officially set up, the missions won't be deceptive. Their way out is still to clear the secret room, only now it's much more difficult.
*
By this time, Liu Qiao had spent ten minutes explaining the cause and effect of the clone incident to His Majesty.
His Majesty of the Merfolk Clan was horrified, unable to believe that the murdered Elder Karen had been secretly researching clones and had even created a 2.0 version.
To convince him, Liu Qiao took him through a maze, where they found a large number of petri dishes resembling glass coffins in a laboratory at the fish's tail, containing many identical "human specimens."
When His Majesty saw so many specimens, his face immediately turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
Liu Qiao advised, "Father, the cloning project is too crazy. We must stop it as soon as possible. Otherwise, if a large number of identical people appear in the future, the order of our Merfolk Clan will be completely disrupted." She paused and added, "Moreover, after the genes are copied, our bloodline will no longer be pure."
The last sentence is the key: Merfolk Clan values lineage above all else. If future Merfolk Clan members were to have a mix of human and Zerg genes, His Majesty would absolutely not tolerate it.
His Majesty made a decisive decision: "Destroy all the specimens in these laboratories!"
Liu Qiao nodded: "Father, rest assured, leave the aftermath of this matter to my brother and me."
The specimens should contain genes from the Zerg, humans, and Merfolk Clan. They are still immersed in nutrient solution and have not yet awakened. The Mermaid Royal Palace is deep in the ocean and cannot be ignited. Liu Qiao used Telepathic Connection to tell Xiao Lou about this: "Father has agreed to destroy all clone experiments. Let Xiao Ye and CEO Shao help carry away the petri dishes in the laboratory."
The teleportation cards in Ye Qi and Shao Qingge's hands could not only transport people, but also carry 200 kilograms of objects. The two swam back into the deep-sea maze and used the teleportation cards to move hundreds of petri dishes back to Peach Blossom Spring in batches.
Looking at the hundreds of "glass coffins" placed under the peach tree, the teammates looked solemn.
Yu Hanjiang and Lu Jiuchuan exchanged a glance, then the two brothers tacitly stepped forward and scooped out the clones one by one from the glass containers, piling them together. Without hesitation, Yu Hanjiang poured several bottles of alcohol on them and set them on fire.
The scene made the teammates feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Especially seeing that the burned clone looked exactly like himself...
Ye Qi suppressed the urge to vomit, his face slightly pale. Shao Qingge put one arm around his shoulder and covered his eyes with the other, whispering, "Don't think too much about it. These clones don't have consciousness. Just think of them as inflatable dolls made to look like us."
Ye Qi was taken aback for a moment: "Inflatable dolls... CEO Shao, you really know a lot."
Shao Qingge chuckled and ruffled his hair: "Of course, otherwise how could I be your father? I'll teach you slowly later."
Ye Qi was speechless.
The teammates' initial discomfort instantly lessened upon hearing Shao Qingge's words. If these experimental subjects were treated as mindless dolls, burning them would indeed make them feel much better psychologically.
Lu Jiuchuan joked, "Today's Peach Blossom Spring is practically a crematorium. Won't Tao Yuanming have any objections?"
Xiao Lou said helplessly, "We can't start a fire in the sea, so we can only take it back to the Peach Blossom Spring to burn. Fortunately, the Peach Blossom Spring will disappear automatically after 3 hours, and it will be a new space when it opens again tomorrow, so it shouldn't leave any traces or smells."
At this time, the ground under the peach tree was covered with black ash, and the air was filled with a strange burnt smell, which was indeed unpleasant.
Xiao Lou glanced at Peach Blossom Spring, who was being temporarily used as a crematorium, sighed, and looked at his teammates, saying, "Let's go find His Majesty. My tail was dyed by Old Mo after all; it wouldn't be good if it faded."
Everyone imagined Xiao Lou swimming in the sea, and suddenly his silver tail lost its color. It would probably shock the Merfolk Clan members—the prince's tail was dyed? That's unbelievable!
*
Inside the palace, Liu Qiao and Xiao Lou, connected via Telepathic Connection, stayed by His Majesty's side, comforting the elderly man who had suffered a great shock.
His Majesty patted her shoulder and said earnestly, "Although your brother is Father's illegitimate son who was raised away, you are still siblings. Father hopes that you can get along well and never kill each other..."
The old king still feels lingering fear from that replica of Xiao Lou and Liu Qiao's confrontation. He's truly afraid that one day the siblings will kill each other for the throne, and that's the last thing a father wants to see.
"Father, rest assured, I have always respected my elder brother. However," Liu Qiao looked up at his father, his gaze calm, and said slowly, word by word, " it is more appropriate for me to inherit the Merfolk Clan."
"What?" His Majesty stared at Liu Qiao in disbelief. "Could it be that...you've always harbored ambitions?"
"Father, my elder brother doesn't want to be the leader of the Merfolk Clan. He's already privately communicated with me and wants me to succeed him. I respect his decision and am willing to take on this responsibility for him. If you don't believe me, you can ask him yourself." Liu Qiao lied without batting an eye, her acting skills were already superb. Of course, this was also the story Xiao Lou told her through the Telepathic Connection.
Xiao Lou's tail is dyed, so he can't stay in Merfolk Clan as king. Besides, Xiao Lou's true identity is a prince of the Luoke Empire, and he needs to return to his own country as soon as possible to resolve its problems.
"This... I need to discuss it with your brother." His Majesty looked worried.
Just then
Xiao Lou had just finished dealing with the clone and returned to the palace. He walked up to His Majesty, bowed, and said respectfully, "Father, the experimental subjects have been dealt with."
"Your sister said you don't want to inherit the throne, is that true?" His Majesty asked with a look of suspicion.
"Yes, Father." Xiao Lou's expression was extremely serious. "Although I am your child, my mother has never been found, and many in the clan believe that my origins are unclear. If I were to succeed to the throne, I fear I would not be able to gain the support of the people. On the contrary, Liu Qiao is your and the Queen's only daughter, and her bloodline is the purest." He then turned his head and looked gently at Liu Qiao. "Moreover, my sister has been intelligent and quick-witted since childhood, and she is certainly the best candidate to succeed to the throne."
"..." His Majesty looked conflicted, as if he was hesitating about who to pass the throne to.
"Perhaps Father should discuss this with the elders before making a decision?" Xiao Lou suggested.
"Very well, I'll invite the elders to a meeting." His Majesty turned and left.
There are a total of 7 elders in the Merfolk Clan. Karen has already been eliminated. Of the remaining 6 elders, Gui Yuanzhang can influence the votes of 3 of them. This means that Liu Qiao has at least 4 votes on his side.
That evening, His Majesty summoned the elders for an emergency meeting. More than half of the elders believed that Xiao Lou's origins were unclear, and that it would be easier to win over the people if His Majesty and Queen's biological daughter, Mermaid Princess, were to inherit the throne.
The following morning, His Majesty announced the result in front of the entire clan.
Liu Qiao, dressed in formal attire, walked through the palace, received the crown from her father, and officially became the heir to the Merfolk Clan. Xiao Lou stood beside her, smiling slightly, his expression quite gratified.
In real life, Liu Qiao is his student. After so much training in Card World, this girl's meticulousness, rationality, and courage have all improved to a new level, making her more and more outstanding.
The successful completion of this Merfolk Clan side mission, while Xiao Lou was the overall commander, also deserves high praise for Liu Qiao's vigilance and self-poisoning rescue. If she had actually been drugged, her teammates would have been hampered, making it much more difficult to defeat the Hunter team.
After the enthronement ceremony, Xiao Lou bid farewell to Liu Qiao and the old king.
His explanation to His Majesty was: "Father, when I was young, Elder Karen brought me back to the palace, separating me from my mother. I want to find her. I will have to leave the palace for a while, so please take good care of yourself."
His Majesty sighed softly: "Go then. Since this is your obsession, your father has no reason to stop you."
Xiao Lou and Liu Qiao exchanged a glance. Liu Qiao then used Telepathic Connection to say, " Professor Xiao, the Merfolk Clan can't be of much help with the Luoke Empire's situation. You must be careful."
The Merfolk Clan can manage to stay on land for a day or two, but they would find it very difficult to adapt to long-term land travel. Moreover, Liu Qiao is now the heir, so it is not appropriate for him to leave the Mermaid Royal Palace without permission.
Xiao Lou nodded to her: "Don't worry, the three of you stay at Mermaid Royal Palace and wait for our good news."
Gui Yuanzhang, Lao Mo, and Liu Qiao personally saw them off.
Just as Xiao Lou and his group of six were about to leave the sea area, Gui Yuanzhang suddenly said, "We can't help, but we can use cards. The three of us are card holders..." "Take this, Professor Xiao." As he spoke, he magically opened his palm and produced three card holders. Clearly, the three of them had already agreed beforehand to give the card holders to Xiao Lou.
Xiao Lou looked at Senior Gui with some surprise.
Entrusting such an important item as the card holder to a teammate demonstrates that he has absolute trust in Xiao Lou.
Xiao Lou asked, "Aren't you keeping these for self-defense?"
Gui Yuanzhang said, " The problem with Merfolk Clan has been resolved. The three of us checked carefully last night and found no survivors. All clones have been destroyed. In addition, Liu Qiao is now the esteemed heir, so no one can harm us."
But Xiao Lou was still worried. After thinking for a moment, he said, " Keep the Invisibility Cloak and the coloring card, just in case."
The coloring card can be used to color tails in Merfolk Clan, but it's not very useful back in Luoke Empire. The Invisibility Cloak can be used to escape in a critical moment. Gui Yuanzhang nodded and took the card Xiao Lou handed back: "Take care."
Xiao Lou looked at them and said, "Take care, all three of you. Goodbye when we leave the secret chamber."
Without saying anything more, the six swam quickly back to the surface, tucked their tails back in, and returned to normal.
Shao Qingge drove his newly purchased hovercar over, taking his teammates away from the fishing village. At the intersection of the aerial road, Shao Qingge stopped and asked, "Where to next?"
Xiao Lou decisively said, "Go back to the Luoke Empire."
******