I! Cleaner!-Chapter 1009 - 928: The Secret of the Serpent-Bearer
Not a bloodline transformation?
Seeing that this most likely possibility was actually denied by the Taurus board member, Leon couldn't help but frown and say:
"Then what do you mean..."
"I mean, this might really be a ritual of bloodline exchange."
"???"
In Leon's somewhat stunned expression, the Taurus board member slightly closed their eyes, then said with a face full of annoyance:
"In general circumstances, such a thing is impossible, except for the Abnormal Metamorphosis secret technique of the Ophiuchus Palace... Now I highly suspect that the director of Ophiuchus didn't die from the Thirteen Ants Nest back then, but managed to survive.
If this time it's really his doing, then he might have temporarily filled the '1.2 billion materials' gap with something, forcibly prompted this bloodline exchange ritual, and is preparing to gradually swap the bloodlines of the two nations. But what exactly he wants to do, I still haven't figured out..."
The director of Ophiuchus?
From the mouth of the Taurus board member, getting the name he had heard many times in the past, Leon couldn't help but ponder as he asked:
"During the Ophiuchus Eroded Nation event back then, what exactly was he trying to do? If the person behind the current low fever symptoms is really him, is it possible that he wants to try again?"
"Back then..."
After a slight hesitation, the Taurus board member said with a somewhat complicated expression:
"It's a very complex story... Currently, the internal story within the bureau is that he launched a rebellion, intending to sacrifice all the citizens of the East Carleighwen Kingdom to ascend to godhood, and wanted to turn half the world into his divine kingdom.
However, that's not the truth; it's just a narrative to avoid causing chaos. There are still many hidden truths about the incident, and only the board members who made the initial decision and Olivia, who was responsible for the action, know the full situation."
As expected, what the director told me in the past wasn't the truth, just the surface story disclosed internally.
Showing a realization in his eyes, Leon stared at the Taurus board member's eyes, listening as she continued:
"The director of Ophiuchus is actually Olivia's cousin. Because of the close relationship between the Twin Kingdoms, although he was born in the East Carleighwen Kingdom, he grew up in the court of the West Carlay Wen Kingdom and was very familiar with Olivia from a young age... By the way."
At this point, the Taurus board member hesitated again, then looked at Leon and said softly:
"He is somewhat like you."
"???"
The director of Ophiuchus and I... somewhat alike?
Upon hearing this, Leon couldn't help but instinctively touch his face, showing a strong look of surprise in his eyes.
"I don't mean similarity in appearance but rather in the impression you give off."
Looking at Leon's strange expression, the Taurus board member shook her head and explained:
"You both are people with a lot of 'drive,' very dissatisfied with the status quo and various issues. Whenever there's an opportunity, you always try to change something.
And you both are very confident in yourselves, believing that your judgment must be correct, confident that you can completely change everything... That's roughly the feeling.
Besides, he also became a board member at a young age, like you, with an equally tough external attitude. However, his personality is much more extreme, and his methods are more... um..."
At this point, the Taurus board member paused slightly, couldn't help but glance at Leon, then said somewhat uncertainly:
"In terms of methods, you're actually more extreme; in this regard, he can't compare with you. But unlike you, who knows how to clean up after himself, he acts without considering the consequences to a greater extent."
"..."
In Leon's somewhat speechless expression, the Taurus board member said rather wistfully:
"Although he was a royal relative of the East Carleighwen Kingdom, his parents passed away early, so his life was quite tough, witnessing many unpleasant things from a young age.
Even after joining the bureau, he didn't encounter a director like Olivia as you did but instead encountered... some cleaners of less than ideal conduct. Hence, he also deeply detested many situations in the bureau.
Therefore, upon becoming a board member, he, like you now, tried to implement various reforms large and small, such as those investigations you were subjected to due to unintentionally injuring many nobles, which were the rules he initially set down."
Ryan's Bloody Night? That wasn't actually an accidental injury... But it's irrelevant now.
After blinking slightly, Leon, somewhat confused, asked:
"From what you said, it seems he wasn't a bad person?"
"He wasn't a bad person, but he was indeed impatient."
Looking at Leon, who is even younger than the director of Ophiuchus back then, with more drive and talent but seemingly harsher in action, the Taurus board member couldn't help but say with full guilt:
"His starting point was good, but many measures were somewhat ill-considered, and any slight movement by our bureau could affect hundreds or thousands of ordinary people, resulting in much chaos and even casualties.
Therefore, after realizing this, we, some of the more conservative old folks, began intermittently rejecting his proposals, hoping his actions would slow down, avoiding overly radical changes, at least waiting for localized trials to ensure no major flaws before implementation.
But after many rejections, he might have felt thwarted, held some grievances against us, and even disappointment in the bureau, so he started looking for other methods."
Other methods?
Hearing this, Leon couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart, asking somewhat incredulously:
"He chose to sacrifice the people of the East Carleighwen Kingdom to ascend to godhood and then forcefully push his ideas with absolute power? Was he that crazy?"
"More or less..."
The Taurus board member sighed and said:
"He indeed wanted to implement his will with absolute power, but his methods were slightly better than sacrifice; he chose an approach closer to transformation."
"Transformation?"
"That is, using the Abnormal Metamorphosis secret technique from the Ophiuchus Sub-bureau, linking the entire East Carleighwen Kingdom through bloodlines, and merging himself with the stolen [Crimson Blood], using the fusion of himself with [Crimson Blood] to replace the blood of all citizens of the East Carleighwen Kingdom.
At that time, the citizens, wealth, society, territory... even the very existence of the East Carleighwen Kingdom, will become a living abnormal object. And he, already at the Zodiac Bureau chief level, would thereby gain power surpassing the Pillar Gods."
"..."
Merging with a bunch of blood to become the blood of a nation with a population in the hundreds of millions, achieving his goals through this... Those cleaners are indeed quite crazy.
Unable to hold back a hiss, Leon hesitated slightly and then tentatively asked:
"Although his methods were too much, he seemed to be on the same side as the bureau? If it's just this, there wouldn't be a need for the Thirteen Ants Nest to erase him along with the East Carleighwen Kingdom, right?"
"Yes, if it were just that, it wouldn't be necessary."
After slightly closing her eyes, the Taurus board member answered with a face full of pain:
"The key lies in the blood he used... That was blood drawn from the body of one of the supreme Four Pillar Gods, the Crimson Overlord. Only this 'Red King's' truth contains the supreme might capable of connecting 1.2 billion red bloods.
But the Pillar Gods are not truly mortal, while human lifespans are limited, and wills and souls can be worn down; even the souls of those ascended to the Watcher's Palace have a day of complete erosion by time.
Even if the Ophiuchus director's self were strong enough to suppress the residual will in a bottle of blood, with the passage of time and countless opposing wills, he would eventually become completely lost.
And by that time, the unrestrained Crimson Overlord could be resurrected from the 1.2 billion humans and more whose bodies bear their bloodlines.
Even if he firmly believed he could retain his self forever, assuring us repeatedly no issues would arise, we absolutely couldn't gamble the entire future of humanity on his claim!"
