Chapter Eighteen: Salmon's Fury
Salmon's face was twisted with rage, his heart burning with fury.
He, Salmon, was merely an illegitimate son of the Boey family — kicked out the very day he set foot through the door! Alone and helpless, he was sent to his master, who was also a hidden powerhouse. The man had only agreed to teach him out of respect for his father.
Yet his master turned out to be a deeply twisted individual.
"The humiliation of being cast out back then — I endured it. The torturous life at my master's — I endured that too. I dreamed of one day standing at the pinnacle of hell, grinding every last bastard who looked down on me under my heel. That was the only goal that kept me going!" Salmon recalled, reflecting on years and years of suffering.
He had been enduring in silence all along.
When the two old servants arrived with their news — that the Boey family was finished, and that he was the sole surviving heir of the direct bloodline — he didn't feel the slightest grief. Instead, he was ecstatic!
Good riddance! Those bastards deserved to die!
His chance had finally come!
Because the two old servants had arrived bearing a tremendous fortune. Following the plan arranged before his father's death, he had remained at his master's side for a long time, and only when everything was in motion did he set out with the two old servants and his bewildered little sister toward the Biluo Continent!
This time, Salmon intended to soar — to become someone above all others!
Everything had been planned perfectly.
The two old servants were expendable pawns from the very start. The first time Salmon had witnessed Lin Lei's transformation, he had deduced Lin Lei's true identity. In order to build a relationship with Lin Lei, he had revealed his own name. At the time, he'd believed Lin Lei wouldn't immediately learn his real background.
After all, it was just a name.
Salmon had figured that later on, when Lin Lei learned about the Boey family's affairs, he would think Salmon had been genuinely sincere — revealing his name even in such a dangerous situation. A small risk taken in exchange for Lin Lei's full trust. Well worth it.
Most importantly…
First, he believed Lin Lei wouldn't learn about the Boey family's situation anytime soon.
Second, he had seen through Lin Lei's character. That time Lin Lei had risked his life to save his sister made it perfectly clear — Lin Lei wasn't the sort of person who would covet a friend's wealth. If Lin Lei was willing to put his life on the line for his sister, why would he be greedy for a bit of money?
Salmon had calculated everything down to the last detail.
But who could have guessed that the battle at the Desert Fortress would expose the Boey family's affairs? Lin Lei and Bei Bei couldn't help but grow suspicious of Salmon. To dispel their doubts, he had told Lin Lei his true identity. And in Salmon's view… Lin Lei had no way to spread the secret.
First, it was against Lin Lei's character to betray a confidence.
Second, Lin Lei had been inside the metal life form the entire time — he'd had no opportunity to leak the information.
But now—
This black-robed man had recognized him with a single glance.
"The Boey family is finished. Both old servants are dead. Who in this hell even knows my identity? It has to be Lin Lei. Yes, it's Lin Lei — he must have deliberately leaked the secret to someone using divine sense outside that city. That's exactly what happened!"
Hatred festered in Salmon's heart, venomous and deep.
"That bastard Lin Lei — what a flawless act. He even deceived me. I misjudged him!" Salmon seethed with hatred, his gaze toward Lin Lei filled with such loathing he looked ready to tear him apart and devour him whole.
His dream!
His years and years of painstaking effort!
All of it could very well have come to nothing because of Lin Lei!
How could he not hate Lin Lei?
Lin Lei stood there dumbfounded. Salmon was glaring at him with poison in his eyes, but he hadn't leaked anything!
"Lin Lei, you — you're something, aren't you?" Salmon snarled through gritted teeth, his eyes bloodshot.
"I—" Lin Lei felt utterly wronged.
He could guess — Salmon must believe he'd been the one to泄露the secret. But he'd never said a word.
"Salmon—" Lin Lei began.
"You don't need to say anything!" The sheer venom in Salmon's gaze was enough to make even Nissa, who knew him well, shudder. Was this the same warm, kind brother she remembered?
"Salmon, what are you staring at my boss like that for? What's with that look? What's with that attitude?" Bei Bei bellowed angrily. In Bei Bei's heart, Lin Lei was like a parent, like an elder brother — he wouldn't tolerate anyone treating Lin Lei that way. Even if it was the brother of the girl he cared about.
Inside the cavern, the golden magma still churned and boiled.
Yet the atmosphere had grown deeply eerie.
"Boy from the Boey family, don't waste my time. My patience has its limits," said the black-robed man, Alequin, cradling the golden cat with a faint smile.
Salmon abruptly turned his head toward him.
"You want the Boey family's fortune? Let me tell you—" His expression was savage, twisted with fury. "There is none!"
The smile vanished from Alequin's pale face in an instant, replaced by cold indifference. He regarded Salmon with a frigid stare. "It seems you've chosen death."
"Even if you kill me, there's nothing," Salmon declared, lifting his chin defiantly.
"Hmph."
Alequin let out a cold laugh. His entire figure flickered as though he had teleported — a dark afterimage lingered clearly before everyone's eyes while Alequin himself materialized directly in front of Salmon. His right hand, that withered, yellowed hand encased in a transparent glove, swung toward Salmon in an almost casual palm strike.
Salmon's eyes went wide. He retreated frantically, and at the same time a strange, dark wisp of black radiance shot from his hand. A humming vibration rippled through space, and the dark radiance flew straight toward that right hand — the one that appeared slow but was in fact terrifyingly swift.
"Pfft!"