As soon as Su Hao saw this, he understood that either the Four Kings Gang had not yet reached a unanimous decision internally, or this was a last-minute choice made by Gaili.
When Su Hao looked at Gaili again, he became even more interested. Was this guy being headstrong or decisive? Perhaps a bit of both. People who appeared headstrong were often deeply proud, believing that their judgments and decisions were unquestionably correct. It was clear that, in Su Hao’s eyes, Gaili was one such person.
After the four of them had communicated with each other, Su Hao smiled and said, “Are you serious? The Four Kings Gang, the largest gang in Lingyuan City, coming to the countryside to seek refuge with a small group like us – who would believe that!”
Gaili laughed heartily, “Wei, you’re too modest. Do you know what the biggest impression I’ve had since coming to Temple Forest City? It’s that this place, Temple Forest City, fulfills all my visions of beauty. This place is my dreamland!”
Su Hao was a bit puzzled, not quite understanding what Gaili was trying to convey. He asked, “A dreamland? Temple Forest City is just an ordinary small city.”
Gaili stood up, excited, “Wei, Temple Forest City is anything but ordinary. It’s the most beautiful city I’ve seen so far. This is the sacred place I’ve always dreamed of creating!”
Su Hao paused for a moment, still not fully grasping what Gaili meant. He asked, “Gaili, don’t get too excited. Sit down and explain slowly.”
Gaili took a deep breath and continued, “Wei, I’m indeed very excited. What the Four Kings Gang has been striving to do in Lingyuan City is to find a way to maintain order in a city without involving innocent ordinary people in the battles between mutants. We want ordinary people to be able to live peacefully without living in fear every night, worrying about sudden disasters. This has been our pursuit, and I’ve thought countless times about how to achieve it and tried various ways, all of which have failed.”
Gaili stared at Su Hao intensely and spoke clearly, “I’ve found that almost everyone has a dark side in their hearts. They envy those better than themselves and despise those worse off. They lack awe for this world and humility towards others. When greed and delusions take root in their hearts, they abandon all morality to satisfy their own desires, extending their hands of sin recklessly, causing rampant destruction…”
Gaili paused for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts, “It’s as if there’s a shackle that traps this darkness within, but it’s also as if it doesn’t exist because the key to this shackle is within reach, allowing them to release their darkness at any moment.”
Gaili looked seriously at Su Hao, “Wei, I want to know how you did it.”
Su Hao listened quietly until Gaili had finished speaking. At this moment, when he looked at Gaili again, he realized that his impression of Gaili had changed. This was a proud idealist with ambitious dreams, someone who pursued and had faith.
But Su Hao had to pour cold water on him, saying, “Gaili, the Temple Forest City you see is an illusion. The people here are no different from the people in Lingyuan City.”
Gaili’s eyes widened suddenly, as if the beautiful dream he had struggled to create had been shattered by Su Hao’s casual words.
Su Hao continued, “Everything you see is built upon absolute strength. Without that absolute strength, this attractive facade is as fragile as a dream, easily shattered with a single touch. So, the dreamland you believe in is just an illusion.”
With a smile, Su Hao added, “If you have the most absolute power in this land, enough to deter the entire continent, I can replicate the model of Temple Forest City for you, and you can apply it everywhere. But if you lack that kind of strength, then forget about it.”
Gaili clenched his fists and muttered, “Yes, strength is needed.”
However, having run out of Lingyuan City like a fugitive, they were not qualified to claim such strength.
Su Hao continued, “Gaili, humans have limits. Every living being has a limit. Even if you reach the peak of human strength and achieve the ultimate power, there is no way to oversee everything. Darkness will still grow, and everything built will gradually decay and eventually crumble.”
Gaili said seriously, “I understand that, but I still want to give it a try.”
Su Hao nodded, agreeing with Gaili’s words.
Su Hao and Gaili were fundamentally different. Su Hao would always remain an individual, while Gaili and the others, with their limited lifespans, tended to think from a collective perspective.
It couldn’t be said who was right or wrong; it was a matter of differing viewpoints and perspectives.
After a moment, Gaili formally made a request: “We, the Four Kings Gang, request unconditional residency in Temple Forest City for three years. During these three years, the Four Kings Gang will act as a subordinate squad under Temple Forest Council’s command.”
Su Hao quietly observed Gaili and the others, pondered for a moment, and then said, “I need to gather enough information before making a decision.”
Gaili smiled and said, “Please, ask.”
Su Hao’s first question startled Gaili: “Are you a ‘Prophet’?”
Gaili nodded straightforwardly, saying, “Yes!”
Su Hao had a question that had been on his mind for a while, and his mood brightened. He then asked the next question: “Gaili, I know nothing about this sequence, and I’m very curious. Can you tell me about it?”
Gaili didn’t mind and said, “There’s nothing I can’t tell you, Wei.”
Su Hao understood and immediately sent everyone, except for Yashan, out of the room. He then waited quietly for Gaili to continue.
Gaili smiled and continued, “Wei, the truth is, everyone has been misled. The ‘Prophet’ isn’t a sequence, and the ‘Prophet’ isn’t an mutant.”
As soon as Su Hao heard this, his interest was piqued. He had speculated about the ‘Prophet,’ but the idea that it wasn’t even a sequence hadn’t crossed his mind.
Gaili went on, “The ‘Prophet’ does exist, but over time, it has been mistakenly considered an mutant sequence. In reality, that’s not the case.”
Gaili explained further, “There are only eight mutant sequences, and the abilities of these eight sequences didn’t originally belong to the Zhu Hua people. Instead, they belonged to various powerful alien beasts in this land. Over a long period, the Zhu Hua people acquired these abilities, eventually consolidating them into the eight stable mutant sequences we know today.”
Gaili emphasized the uniqueness of the ‘Prophet,’ “The ‘Prophet’ is different because its abilities weren’t obtained from alien beasts but were originally inherent in the Zhu Hua people.”
Su Hao was amazed, “So, the ‘Prophet’ is a natural ability of the Zhu Hua people?”
Gaili nodded and then shook his head, “You could say that, but it’s not entirely accurate. The ‘Prophet’ is a very small group within the Zhu Hua people, and their abilities are unique to this small group. Most Zhu Hua people don’t possess these abilities.”
Gaili continued, “This group of ‘Prophets’ scattered around the world long ago, and it’s not easy to find one.”
Su Hao understood, “I see. So, the ‘Prophet’ is the true natural evolutionary path for the Zhu Hua people, while the other sequences are results of plunder.”
Su Hao contemplated the laws of nature, “In this world, creatures are destined to consume and plunder each other, taking the best genes to strengthen themselves. The ‘Transformation Chamber’ in every creature’s body makes such consumption natural, which is a part of the natural selection process.”
Gaili, hoping to oppose this natural trend, was likely to fail unless he possessed the overwhelming strength to eliminate all mutants.
Su Hao thought it was a pity because if these precious genes, passed down for countless years, disappeared due to the awakening of human nature, it would be a great loss.
Curiosity drove Su Hao to ask another question, “Gaili, what are the abilities of the ‘Prophet’?”
