The Unveiling of a Decade-Long Plot

“President Fire Finch!”

Several guild presidents, who had been waiting there, endured the lingering heatwave and swarmed around her. Their eyes were still filled with unconcealed deference.

They knew that if their small guilds could attach themselves to the great ship of the Vermilion Bird Guild, the resources they would gain in the future would be immense.

Fire Finch’s eyes narrowed slightly before her expression returned to normal. “You’ve all worked hard,” she stated. “I hope you can continue to bear with us in the upcoming tasks.”

With that, she turned and walked towards the exit, embodying the image of a cold, domineering CEO.

However, Fire Finch’s thoughts were far from calm.

Having forcefully sustained the sea of flames, her internal energy was now almost completely depleted.

She had completely exposed her weaknesses, which meant… it was time for them to make their move!

With her back to everyone, a subtle curve played on her lips.

****

The guild presidents, far from being offended by Fire Finch’s demeanor, seemed flattered and repeatedly affirmed their agreement.

Inwardly, they rejoiced, fortunate to have heeded Old Hu’s advice; otherwise, they truly would have missed this opportune moment.

Unbeknownst to anyone, a middle-aged man with streaks of white in his hair watched Fire Finch’s retreating figure with icy eyes.

Before the others could react, crimson energy coalesced around him. He transformed into a crimson arrow, lunging directly at her unguarded back.

“Hu Peng! What are you doing!”

A powerful aura jolted the complacent guild presidents awake. They stared in disbelief at the crimson shadow.

But by the time they fully comprehended the situation, Hu Peng’s figure was already on the verge of striking Fire Finch.

“Hahahaha! Foolish!”

As Hu Peng was about to succeed, the false smile on his face solidified into a genuine, malicious grin.

He had waited for this moment for a very long time!

‘These laughable adventurers, and this little Vermilion Bird!’ he thought.

‘Did they truly believe my goal was merely to trigger a dungeon rampage?’

‘How shallow!’

‘Those were simply decoys to divert attention. My true objective, it’s the Four Symbols!’

‘Only by eliminating the Vermilion Bird’s successor can a breach appear in the Four Pillars of the Nation.’

‘Then!’

‘The true masters of this world will break free from the dungeon’s shackles and descend upon this reality!’

‘And I!’

‘I shall become the new king, ruling over humanity!’

‘It is a pity that the S-rank dungeon in Yan’an City was destroyed by that damned witch,’ he mused. ‘Otherwise, I could have guided an even more powerful deity to descend.’

‘By then, the power I would wield would be second only to the gods, and above billions!’

Just then!

“So, it truly was you, President Hu.”

A voice, calm as still water, struck his ear like a thunderclap from a clear sky. He then met Fire Finch’s cold, alluring gaze.

There was no hint of life in her eyes, as if she were looking at a corpse.

‘How could this be!’

‘She discovered me?’

‘Is this a trap!?’

For a moment, countless possibilities flashed through Hu Peng’s mind.

Yet, he quickly dismissed them all.

Fire Finch’s aura when she landed was incredibly weak, a clear symptom of extreme exhaustion.

She was undoubtedly at the end of her tether!

The witch was on the other side of the city; no one could save her!

Having lurked in the shadows for so many years, how could he abandon such an opportunity now that it lay before him?

“Die!” Hu Peng’s eyes blazed with ferocity.

In an instant!

His blood-red hand transformed into a spear, plunging straight into Fire Finch’s chest.

‘Hm?’

Hu Peng suddenly frowned. The sensation in his hand felt wrong!

There was no tearing of flesh and blood as he had expected. Instead, it was like striking cotton, all his power completely dissipated.

‘A clone?’

Before he could investigate further, a powerful spatial fluctuation instantly pressed him to the ground.

Splat!

His body suddenly made intimate contact with the ground.

A mouthful of fresh blood spurted out, but in mere moments, it was evaporated by the lingering heat of the ground, leaving only a black stain.

“It’s… it’s…!”

Before he could utter the ‘who’, another heavy blow struck his back.

The immense impact pierced through his body, instantly cracking the ground beneath him.

Hu Peng tried to control his internal power to resist, but the space around him had been forcibly solidified by an unknown force.

Even if he wished to fight back, his body couldn’t even twitch.

‘Why!’

The venomous hatred in his eyes seemed capable of devouring everything in the world.

‘Ten years of meticulous planning!’

‘Was it all for naught in the end?’

He refused to accept it!

“Are you alright?” Li Jia looked at Fire Finch, who had taken a direct hit, and chided her. “If you had suspicions, you should have just captured and killed him directly. There was no need to put yourself in danger.”

Fire Finch grinned, offering no reply.

‘Exciting!’

‘If Aya Tone hadn’t cast a Holy Shield on me before the operation, I truly would have been in trouble just now.’

She leaned down, a playful glint in her eyes. “President Hu, failing a second before success must provide quite the emotional rollercoaster for you. Wouldn’t you say I’m quite benevolent?”

For this operation, she had specifically returned to Sparrow God Village to consult the old man about the events of that year.

Triggering a dungeon rampage required a massive influx of magic cores into the dungeon.

Only official guild personnel could silently acquire such large quantities of magic cores.

However!

Her subordinates’ ledgers showed no discrepancies. The only possible avenue for action lay with these private, smaller guilds.

These small guilds were required to submit annual inspection reports, a level of access ordinary adventurers simply couldn’t reach.

Thus, the answer was clear.

Hu Peng remained silent, merely glaring intensely at Fire Finch, as if he wouldn’t rest until he had devoured her alive.

“Oh, right, I forgot you can’t speak now. So eager, but what can you do? Hahahaha!”

The other guild presidents exchanged glances. Being shrewd individuals, they instantly realized that the benefactor they had just admired was, in fact, an enemy!

They had been used as cover!

Yet, seeing President Fire Finch’s unrestrained, villainous laughter, they dared not step forward to explain themselves.

Fire Finch’s wild laughter abruptly ceased, her face regaining its icy composure as her gaze fell upon the presidents.

“Outside, there are still some stragglers, and the streets that were damaged by this operation…”

Before she could finish, the sweating presidents eagerly interrupted her, vying to speak.

“We will dispatch personnel to round them up, and we will collectively fund the repairs for the damaged streets!”

“Exactly, exactly! I’m even willing to hand over all my assets!”

Colluding with enemies was already a grave offense. From the moment they were seen with Hu Peng, their fate was sealed; they were in an undeniable predicament, as if yellow mud had fallen into their pants—guilty by association.

“Then I thank you for your trouble,” she replied. “Regarding your assets, you can discuss it with my secretary later.”

“No trouble at all, no trouble at all! Absolutely!” they affirmed.

Then, one cautiously inquired, “So, now we…”

Fire Finch cast a cold glance at them. “Scram.”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

They now wished they had extra legs to flee this place of trouble as quickly as possible.

As for money, it could be earned again if lost, but a lost life was truly gone forever.

This time, their efforts had truly been for naught, a complete and utter loss.

Fire Finch ignored them, her gaze returning to Hu Peng, who lay like a beaten dog.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “I won’t kill you—at least not until all those clones of yours are completely eradicated.”

Upon hearing this, his previously venomous eyes finally flickered with panic.

‘She knows everything!’

‘This woman has been playing me all along!’

‘She had been plotting since that pre-battle meeting!’

‘Even my biggest life-saving trump card was seen through completely!’

Hu Peng’s eyes were bloodshot, filled with a desperate urge to kill the woman before him right then.

However, the demise of too many of his puppets had damaged his soul.

He couldn’t even exert A-rank power now.

“Don’t rush,” she said, a hint of something sinister in her tone. “Soon, we’ll arrange for some lovely young ladies to give you some psychological counseling and thoroughly correct your antisocial personality.”

‘Heh heh, who wouldn’t love young ladies who can communicate with souls?’ she mused.