Chapter 51: Secrets and Doubts

“Three years? Hehe, Number Five, you’ve really given me a tough problem! There are many things he doesn’t know. I think it’s time to let him know some of them—this is also what the higher-ups want. What do you think? Letting him know some things will surely be of great help to him!” said the old man known as Number Six to the old man beside him.
“Mm, there are indeed some things he should know. Before coming here, I had Hori promise him! Tomorrow, we’ll leave Tianshui City with the rest of them. You take care of things here as you see fit. You know better than anyone who should be told, so decide when to tell him!” With a sigh, the masked man known as Number Five continued.
Without Rod’s knowledge, the two of them had already arranged almost everything for Rod and his group over these three years.
……
The day passed in a rather dull atmosphere. Perhaps because they were about to part the next day, everyone felt somewhat heavy-hearted.
The night sky was especially dark and quiet, with a gentle breeze. As the coolness grew, Mid-Autumn Festival approached. Autumn had arrived. Feeling the cool wind and watching the falling leaves, there was a hint of sadness!
“What’s wrong?” A sudden voice came from behind. Hearing this voice, Rod was slightly startled, then a smile appeared on his lips as he turned to see Nightingale standing behind him. “Why are you here?”
“We’re leaving tomorrow!” With a sigh, Nightingale came over to Rod and sat down in an open space, speaking softly with a hint of emotion.
“Mm, you’re leaving tomorrow!” Rod nodded after hearing Nightingale’s words and said with a bitter smile. Everything was already arranged. Earlier that night, he had received news from Hori: at dawn the next morning, Nightingale and the brothers who had followed him would leave Tianshui City to seek experience. They needed to improve themselves. Rod didn’t know where they would go, nor had Hori mentioned it, but one thing was certain—it would be an extremely dangerous place! Three years—once they parted tomorrow, it would be three years before they could meet again. Who knew what the situation would be like then?

However, from his conversation with the masked stranger that afternoon, he could faintly sense that three years might not be enough to stabilize the continent. Would the entire continent be plunged into a prolonged struggle for those three years? At this thought, Rod couldn’t help but worry—witnessing widespread suffering was something he didn’t want to see.
“Take care of yourself. Remember what I said—see you in three years.” After a brief silence, Nightingale seemed to think of something and gave serious instructions. It was the first time Rod had heard Nightingale speak so seriously, with such a solemn tone.
“To strive together in life, and to rest together in death!” These words surfaced in his mind once again, stirring a sense of emotion within him.
“We’ll meet again in three years! Wait for me!” Taking a deep breath, Rod finally turned to Nightingale and said the same solemnly.
Throughout the night, though they were together, they didn’t speak a word or do anything. Only at the end, as Nightingale was about to leave, did she tell Rod not to worry about them or doubt the intentions of the organization, assuring him that it wouldn’t harm her. This left Rod puzzled—how could the organization have changed Nightingale’s views so drastically in just one night? At dawn, all the members had gathered in the small courtyard. After bidding Rod a reluctant farewell, they set off into the distance under Hori’s leadership, leaving behind only their silhouettes that filled Rod with deep sorrow. Even his good friends Jim and Kambi had left him. Having been together for less than ten days, they were parting again—unavoidably sad, and with their fate uncertain, worry was inevitable.
“They’re all gone!” Seeming to sense Rod’s depressed mood, the masked man beside him sighed.
Today, he too appeared here. But this time, Rod could sense that the masked man standing in front of him seemed different from before—perhaps it was a different person.
“What do we do?” His voice snapped Rod out of his thoughts, reminding him of what to do. In an instant, he suppressed his emotions and asked the man in black, his tone returning to its usual coldness.

The man in black also seemed surprised by the rapid changes in Rod, pausing briefly before saying, “Come with me!” and leading Rod forward. After circling almost the entire courtyard, they arrived at a small room guided by the man in black. The simple furnishings and rustic atmosphere created a unique mood. “What’s the matter?” Rod asked without hesitation after finding a seat in the room. In fact, he had already guessed somewhat what was going on. When he arrived in Tianshui City, Brother Huo Li had told him that he could find answers to many questions here, so perhaps it was time to get those answers now. “Over the next three years, I’ll take you to a place for training. It’s life-threatening—think carefully before deciding whether to go! It’s not too late to give up! I won’t force you! As you’ve probably noticed, Number Five handed you over to me. The person standing in front of you now is no longer the original Number Five! My code name is Six; from now on, you can call me Number Six!” Number Six spoke slowly, seemingly not in a hurry to get to the point. Number Six? If the previous one was Number Five, then how powerful was this organization? There must be so-called Number One, Number Two, Number Three, and Number Four above them! What about after that? Could there be Number Seven, Number Eight, Number Nine, or even Number Ten? Suddenly, Rod realized the information revealed was astonishing—this organization was even more powerful than he had imagined. “What exactly is the matter with the demons? And what kind of organization is yours? There are still many things you haven’t told me!” Rod asked coldly, recalling that Huo Li had said these questions would be answered once he arrived here. “Oh, right! I almost forgot to tell you this! Here are the documents you need. Read them and make sure to organize them. We should set off in the evening!” It seemed Rod’s words reminded the man in black of something. After some thought, he took out a stack of documents and handed them to Rod, giving instructions. As Rod took the documents, the man in black vanished in an instant, as if he had never been there at all. This made Rod complain inwardly—now he couldn’t ask any more questions. It seemed this guy had no intention of giving him any chance to inquire.

“Kid, this should be enough for you to keep you busy for a day!” The man in black, who had walked away, turned a blind eye to Rod’s frustration and helplessness, and muttered to himself with a faint, mocking smile on his lips. With a sigh, Rod examined the documents stacked in piles of three. As he read, his eyes gradually narrowed, and his face showed increasing shock and horror. It seemed everything was far more complicated than he had imagined—by a huge margin. The documents recorded everything related to this moisture incident, from the beginning to the present, including some possible future events. The demons—this was clearly part of their grand scheme. Iron Bar Town wasn’t their main battlefield; their goal was to declare their return to the world. In fact, there were even greater conspiracies and schemes hidden within, which might soon be revealed to the public. What surprised Rod even more was that, according to the records, the demons had split into two factions due to differences in ideology and beliefs. Following this split were the thirteen vampire clans and two werewolf clans, which also divided into two camps. It could be said that the dark races were now divided into two factions, and those who appeared this time were merely members of one faction. Yet even one faction was so powerful—what would happen if both factions teamed up? No one dared to imagine further. However, there was no detailed description or explanation of this news. The third piece of information in the records concerned their organization. It didn’t specify what kind of organization it was or which faction it belonged to; it only said that the organization didn’t belong to any faction, feared none, and didn’t oppose any! Its members included demons, vampires, and werewolves, and their numbers seemed substantial! These brief pieces of information once again shocked Rod. It seemed this organization had existed among the dark races for a long time, and quite possibly in large numbers. So what was their goal? At the end of the records, it even mentioned his own identity, stating that once his strength reached the sacred level, he could obtain from that iron box the information he wanted to know about his identity and why he was a demon, among other things…

It can be said that having this document or not makes little difference, but it certainly provided Rod with great help and inspiration, letting him learn many things! Everything was so confusing in front of him; just as the man in black muttered before leaving, it would take more than a day or two to process all of it.