One-Eyed Monster

Kadi was really puzzled by the Little Black Hands’ attitude. He had finally found them, but they didn’t greet him with open arms. What did he do wrong? That couldn’t be it; he had gone through so much trouble to find them. They should be moved by his efforts! However, their rhetorical question completely confused him. How could it have come to this?

Truth be told, he genuinely didn’t know where these Little Black Hands were supposed to go. His promise to take them back had been a spontaneous burst of passion. Now, that passion was causing him embarrassment. How was he supposed to face these adorable Little Black Hands? Especially after hearing their stories, he felt profoundly ashamed...

Of course, he hadn’t wanted to disappear back then either, but he’d had no choice, had he? That situation had been so peculiar. Even now, he still hadn’t figured out who was who at that time, nor did he understand what had truly happened to him.

But none of that mattered now. He had found the Little Black Hands again, and that was more important than anything. Past misdeeds could be bygones, especially since his attitude in admitting his mistakes was so good; the Little Black Hands had no reason to keep holding onto grudges.

Indeed, the Little Black Hands quickly calmed down. This hero who had arrived, though unreliable, had at least come. In a sense, it meant he hadn’t forgotten them.

Since that was the case, a hero should act like one and help them out somehow. Even if he couldn’t guide them back to the path home, letting them get to know this world better wasn’t a bad thing either. After all, hadn’t they gotten lost in the first place because they wanted to understand this world?

They had gotten so lost that they eventually forgot even who they were—it was simply outrageous. But that had all happened a long time ago; thinking about it now only left them with lingering regrets. So, sometimes they felt that forgetting themselves wasn’t entirely bad, as they had also forgotten their past troubles...

Of course, this was merely a way to console themselves... Deep down, they still yearned to return to the world they originally came from.

These were all familiar, long-standing problems, yet they remained unanswered.

”AHEM... Um...” It was Kadi, in the end, who broke the awkward silence. He was thick-skinned, after all, and wasn’t bothered by such things.

ERM... The Little Black Hands also sensed the awkward atmosphere created by the silence, so when Kadi started speaking, they quickly chimed in, regardless of what he was actually saying.

”Tell me, why weren’t you affected by the Dark Force?” Kadi had, perhaps unintentionally, shifted the topic to their current predicament.

Why was he looking for Grand Master Guzan and these Little Black Hands? Wasn’t it precisely to seek their help?

And why had he disappeared in front of the Little Black Hands? Wasn’t it because his heart was with Guru Mountain?

If his heart had been with the Little Black Hands, would he have disappeared? Would he, at a time like that, have been wondering if they were affected by the Dark Force?

No, he wouldn’t have. Back then, he would have chosen to flee without a moment’s hesitation.

But now, his thoughts were on his companions at Guru Mountain...

So, before three sentences were out, he would inevitably steer the conversation back to their current predicament.

The Little Black Hands naturally didn’t understand the significance of Kadi’s words. They were quite surprised by his question.

”What nonsense is this? Aren’t we free now? So free we’ve almost forgotten who we are.”

Kadi didn’t press the issue further. He didn’t understand the Little Black Hands very well to begin with, so why look for trouble?

That was Kadi for you: he just did things. As for the reasons behind his actions, he never dwelled on them. ”Doing something is always better than just complaining endlessly.” That was Kadi’s motto, and he faithfully lived by it in Beijing.

If it had been someone else, say Igor for example, he definitely wouldn’t have acted as recklessly as Kadi was right now. Igor would absolutely ensure he had a clear understanding of the situation before committing to any course of action.

Of course, such a comparison was meaningless, because Igor, at this very moment, was also racking his brains for a way to disrupt the enemy’s attack.

Kadi’s gains, it seemed, were a little greater than others’. What he needed to do now was also very simple: he wanted to bind these Little Black Hands to his Fire Tree Silver Flower. He felt that this would surely enrich the way the Fire Tree Silver Flower bloomed.

”Next, I’m going to take you to the place I was just at. You should be happy about that, right?”

”Why should we be happy?” The Little Black Hands didn’t humor Kadi much, remaining icy despite his warm smile.

”ER...” Kadi scratched his head. ”Because... because there’s different scenery over there!”

After racking his brain for a long time, this was the only reason Kadi could muster, and it was a rather flimsy one.

The Little Black Hands hadn’t actually thought much about it; their blurted retort was purely a jab at Kadi’s characteristic unreliability. Still, they were quite cooperative with him, and Kadi could sense that too.

So, he didn’t make a point of answering the Little Black Hands’ question. At this juncture, Kadi felt he should focus on this: What special abilities did these Little Black Hands actually possess? This was something Kadi had always wanted to know.

In any case, Kadi now used the Fire Tree Silver Flower to connect with the Little Black Hands too, allowing everyone to properly study how to deal with the Dark Force. The Fire Tree Silver Flower didn’t need much preparation time; a short rest was enough for it to fully extend its branches. Kadi’s idea was indeed a good one.

Before long, the Fire Tree Silver Flower sprouted an additional purple branch. The light shimmering from this new branch was distinctly different. Clearly, Kadi, using the most straightforward—if clumsy—method, had brought these Little Black Hands onto their battlefield.

Igor quickly sensed a familiar Spirit Power—it was Kadi. Although the whole process looked a bit clumsy and awkward, it was unmistakably Kadi.

Igor had found his own style; Kadi, on the other hand, had found confidence and decisiveness. Kadi had provided Igor with a new option. They shared a single objective: to defeat this enemy.

”Found a breakthrough?”

”Yes.”

”Then let’s give it a try!”

”Okay.”

Such was the dialogue between Kadi and Igor—terse and to the point. Many people likely wouldn’t have understood what the two of them were discussing... This was rapport, a tacit understanding that had formed between them without conscious effort.

Kadi temporarily stopped searching for Grand Master Guzan. For one thing, Grand Master Guzan’s whereabouts were too difficult to trace. For another, he himself was very eager to see if their counterattack would be effective.

Constant defense wasn’t a viable solution. Sometimes, one needed to take the initiative and strike. Even if it only managed to aggravate the enemy, they had to attack, and attack again, doing so relentlessly and with all their might...