CG Chapter 154: Manager Li
Suffocating silence reigned in the entire place.
In that silence, the pot-bellied man moved like a loyal dog, dutifully fetching every need of his master.
Meanwhile, the duo made up of Aretius and the imp stood silent, not speaking a single word after their short, one-sided conversation.
During this time, the imp stood there with a subtle, unwavering smile on his ragged face as he watched the young women working like puppets tied by a string, not stopping or causing any trouble, as if he were watching his own masterful creation.
Next to him, Aretius watched the same process, but he didn't merely focus on the women. Instead, his gaze covered the entire underground cavern, taking in each flicker and each small detail of the body handler's movements.
Surprisingly enough, the darkness of the cavern, with only the subtle flicker of lights coming from the sparse blue fire placed under the burning mortars, didn't seem to affect Aretius, as his sight was able to reach the round-bellied man whose fat shook as he moved around from all the way over here.
Tick-Tock!
The blue flames flickered, reflecting against the dry walls of the cavern as if indicating the passage of years and time.
After an unknown period of waiting, the familiar figure of the fat man came running toward them, his whole body bouncing with each step.
On the outside, this middle-aged, fat man seemed like someone of little skill to speak of. If you were able to disregard his outward appearance and solely focus on his movements, then you would notice something different.
It was true that his whole body was wrapped in thick layers of fat and that he seemed like he might explode at any moment due to the excess weight.
Yet watching how his body moved was something else.
Each footstep was nearly weightless as it fell on the ground, like some masterful artwork resembling the movement of a graceful immortal crane, not to mention how he was able to balance his wide body while holding a liquid in one hand and a bottle in the other.
In the blink of an eye, the man stood in front of them as he extended his right hand while saying,
"Senior. This one has faithfully completed his task. I have brought the finest wedding wine we have stored and prepared… the bride's blessings."
The gaze of the old imp fell on the two objects for a second before he nodded his head in approval toward the pot-bellied man. From there, he gave a long side-eye toward Aretius, indicating for him to take the cup.
"Here it is. What are you waiting so long for? Were you not the one who asked to drink from the wedding cup? Mhmm, don't tell me that you are too scared to drink a single cup now?"
Aretius didn't give the words of the old imp any mind as his sight fell on that red cup and the wedding wine it held inside.
At first glance, the cup seemed ordinary, save for the cracks that spread across its surface like the intricate web of some poisonous spider. Within it, however, rested the wedding wine…
Even the simplest of bystanders would be able to tell that the thick liquid bubbling inside the flowery wedding cup didn't seem auspicious at all. The drink seemed more like a send-off drink rather than a wedding wine.
Well, they wanted him to dance with a ghost bride, so the drink didn't seem too bad.
Yet, despite his seemingly hopeless situation and the malicious gaze of the fat and short duo, Aretius still sensed that this cold cavern was but a natural step in the recruitment process.
Not hesitating further, he grabbed the flowery wedding cup from the fat man before pouring all the contents of the cup into his mouth in a flicker.
The drink passed through his esophagus, leaving a hot sensation before it finally entered his stomach.
There, the drink began flowing around his internal organs, splitting and forming into clumps.
It felt as if thousands of small maggots were playing around inside his body.
Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, this sensation didn't last long, as the maggots entered his intestines, forcefully entering his blood and veins and swirling around every inch and every far corner.
On the outside, it appeared as if these maggots were attempting to come out of his skin and escape. Numerous small bumps appeared on Aretius's skin and face. It truly felt like his whole body might break down from the inside at any second.
At this point, Aretius looked like he was trying to keep himself together from falling down, trying to suppress the pain, and trying to escape this awful prison.
Yet, internally, his mind was as calm as a lake in the middle of a hot summer day. He knew that if he truly wanted to, he could suppress these maggots before turning them into food for his bloodline, but where would be the fun in that?
The purpose of his coming here, and the reason why he was lowering his head in front of the people here, wasn't to make enemies or to show off. He was here to become part of the shadows and part of the blood flowing under the throbbing heart that was the empire.
Sure enough, not long after, the plump, round hand of the fat man extended toward him as he dangled what seemed like a pill bottle in front of him.
"Take it. Not bad. I didn't think you would last that long. If you need anything in the future, you can come to me. From here on out, call me Manager Li. I will make sure to take care of you."
The fat man said this with a wide smile, as if he were seeing a fresh piece of meat in front of him, ready to jump at any moment.
Seeing that gaze that would have made most cower in disgust, Aretius merely nodded back.
Manager Li was surprised by Aretius's persistent calmness. Still, he did not have the chance to make any smart remark, as he was whisked away by a single cough from the short imp.
After the imp saw that the manager was far enough, he turned toward Aretius.
"Not bad. I hope that your heart will beat this strongly until the end. But remember your original intention, and keep in mind that what you have achieved thus far is but a spark in a long road. There are many gates that you need to break through, and many obstacles you would need to overcome if you want to take your rightful place."
"I am sure watching you grow would be interesting. I hope that you don't disappoint me."
Saying that, he turned around, exiting the cavern. However, he halted midway.
"Oh. From now on, that kid will handle your tasks and initiation. Make sure to talk to him before leaving."