Chapter 2853: The Paradox of Strength

"Looks completely ordinary."

Excellency Patches's move was far more outrageous than summoning wind and rain—it was practically on par with ripping out a Golden Core barehanded.

If the soul of the Archipelago—which had once drawn so many gazes—was the stark contrast between pure indulgence and iron law, then the White Tower Codex in Bai Jinting's office was undoubtedly the ultimate convergence of that symbol.

Especially now that it genuinely seemed to bear the faint blessing of the Law, it was far from simple.

Unfortunately, even a script detailing the return of a king only earned another desecration in front of this deceiver.

Casually toying with the forcefully shrunken folding screen in his hands, Patches delivered a rather mediocre appraisal.

"So why do you believe it's one of the most valuable things in the Archipelago?"

Not only that, he refused to let Fu Qian off the hook, demanding his reasons for rating it so highly.

"In an uncivilized land where anything not explicitly forbidden is permitted, the few restrictions that exist lack secular interference. They are closer to the absolute purity of the Law, which simultaneously makes indulgence even more tempting."

This question naturally couldn't stump Fu Qian. He smoothly continued his evaluation of Bai Jinting's masterpiece.

"Combine that with the fact that the power of the Law is reviving, allowing it to genuinely bind its surroundings without relying on a physical gaze—did Master realize this early on, prompting him to lay low and scheme in the dark?"

Appearing slightly persuaded, Patches set the folding screen down, opened it, and thoughtfully offered an addendum to Fu Qian's theory.

"It seems so. After wandering the island today, its restrictive effect on the surroundings isn't terribly obvious yet. Ibu, who never cared for this sort of thing to begin with, wouldn't have noticed it very quickly."

Fu Qian casually agreed, even bringing up his earlier vacation time.

As for Patches knowing about the Law's reviving power, that wasn't strange at all. After all, they had just served time in prison together over in the West Plain.

Not to mention how quickly he had perceived and utilized Fu Qian's status as a Pseudo-Law Core earlier.

"Which gave Master the chance to calmly lay his trap, using that time gap to help the Codex recover faster? I get the feeling you're about to say 'but.'"

Unfortunately, being overly agreeable could sometimes invite suspicion.

Patches continued along this train of thought while simultaneously sizing Fu Qian up.

"But—after I thoroughly desecrated it last time, the Codex should have been reduced to a pile of scrap paper. It's hard to imagine it coming back from the dead just like that."

Fu Qian didn't disappoint him, not even hesitating to confess to his own crimes.

"Even if this lingering dream still carries a trace of divine power, considering the interior of the dreamscape itself remains completely unaffected, the odds that the Codex benefited from it are extremely low."

"Oh? Then what do you think is awakening it?"

Showing an almost eager willingness to hear opposing views, Patches wasn't the least bit dissatisfied with Fu Qian's rapid flip-flopping. He even handed the folding screen straight over to him.

"Master, probably. The way I see it, if he really has the sheer nerve to deal with Ibu at his currently displayed level, he has to be hiding his true capabilities—don't forget, The Club is the one place that completely disregards natural talent."

As he reached out to take it, Fu Qian echoed his previous sentiments. Not only did he reiterate that Master was likely playing both sides, but he also pointed out a paradox in his strength.

Compared to the rituals and enlightenment of the Divine Path, limb grafting was the textbook definition of simply piling up resources to force a result.

As the esteemed Employee No. 001, if he truly possessed the audacity of a Mid Tier scheming against a Demigod Realm, there was no way he was still just a Mid Tier.

At the very least, if someone like Old Man Lu Ming and the others were in his position, Fu Qian didn't think they could pull off what was happening right in front of them.

"But—I just remembered that the Archipelago has a rule. Two people aren't allowed to stand together at the bow of a ship at night, are they?"

In the very next moment, another echo appeared. Master, who had been completely silent until now, suddenly spoke up, tossing in a "but" of his own.

"Oh? You're actually in the mood to care about that right now?"

Under normal circumstances, Master's words could have easily been interpreted as an attempt to break the silence and ease the awkward tension.

But Ibu clearly didn't see it that way, and this was no longer just a matter of being abrupt.

He turned his head and stared at the other man with profound meaning.

"Heh heh—on this particular point, you fall somewhat short of Bai Jinting. Even when there's no one else around, he would never violate the rules he established himself."

The implied threat hung heavy, so thick one could practically smell electrical sparks.

Yet Master remained completely unrestrained, even daring to utter those legendary taboo words—you are far worse than your predecessor.

The crucial part was that his claim was well-founded, making it incredibly difficult to refute.

At that moment, Fu Qian could genuinely see sparks flying. It was as if the scene that had once occurred on that gathering of flowers and brocades was playing out all over again.

Blinding lightning gathered in Ibu's eyes, looking as though it would erupt and obliterate everything at any second.

It only proved that he was truly ruthless and spoke little. The moment he sensed something was wrong, the old man decisively attacked—Sizzle!

However, an identical accident occurred. The brewing lightning strike suddenly dissipated in a bizarre manner.

The bright red robe Excellency Ibu always wore was suddenly torn to shreds, releasing a raging storm of countless lightning snakes from the tattered fabric.

"Don't be nervous. You'll learn to adapt to the rules soon enough."

Even this dissipating energy wasn't something a Mid Tier could easily withstand.

Yet Master, who was standing right beside him, didn't retreat a single inch. He even had the leisure to voice words of comfort.

And in those words, absolutely none of his previous fear and trepidation remained.

"You aren't Master—who exactly are you?"

Being humble at first and arrogant later was far more terrifying than the reverse.

Faced with this sudden turn of events, Ibu clearly realized something was wrong.

However, he still maintained some composure in the face of danger. He quickly regained his voice and immediately questioned the other man's identity.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Master chuckled, casually throwing the question right back.

"You are far stronger than he is, and you are far too familiar with certain things—the Codex. Is this your true goal in cooperating with me lately? Is this also why you suggested taking a boat?"

One had to admit that even though old man Ibu had seemed a bit sluggish earlier, he was incredibly sharp right now, instantly realizing exactly what was attacking him.

He even realized why Master had allowed himself to be "coerced" into traveling together earlier—a trap had been quietly unfolding this entire time, waiting for its victim to step inside.

"You flatter me, but don't forget that I merely made a suggestion. You were the one who agreed to it.

"If you weren't feeling hesitant, why would you have chosen such a troublesome method?"

Master, however, refused to reveal his true identity. He merely emphasized that the willing bite the hook.

"As for right now, it would be best if we stop here."

Before Ibu could say another word, the boat beneath their feet seemed to take root, coming to a dead halt amidst the crashing waves.

"Nicely done."

Having watched the entire process unfold, Patches didn't forget to turn his head and praise Fu Qian, signaling that he had been proven right yet again—the other party really hadn't made it to the Laboratory.

"You flatter me."

Fu Qian showed no emotional fluctuations whatsoever, shamelessly plagiarizing Master's response.