110: Possibly the Abyss

This sentence made Chen Ao's movements pause.

Li Mo continued, "A powerful partner can indeed bring many conveniences. But at the same time, he also has his own ambitions, his own calculations, and his own bottom line."

"When you need him to do something... that crosses the line, he will weigh the pros and cons, he will hesitate, and he may even refuse."

"Because he has too much to lose."

Li Mo turned around and looked directly at Chen Ao.

"But Old Ghost and Seventh Master are different."

"Their lives have already hit rock bottom; there's nothing left for them to lose. What that boss gave them was a new life they wouldn't even dare to dream of."

"So, they have no bottom line, no ambition, and certainly no hesitation."

"Their biggest advantage is that they themselves have nothing. Therefore, they are willing, and can only, give everything."

Li Mo's analysis was like a sharp knife, instantly cutting to the core of the matter.

"That boss doesn't need a 'partner' at all."

"What he needs is an absolutely obedient 'tool' that can execute any of his commands."

"A perfect tool that will not betray him."

Li Mo hit the nail on the head.

"Master Ao, you can't do this, and neither can I."

"Because we have too much."

A long silence fell over the private room.

Chen Ao's fiddling with the metal ball unconsciously stopped.

Li Mo's words sent a chill down his spine.

Not because of the words themselves, but because of the operating style of the mysterious boss revealed behind them.

Extreme self-confidence.

It was absolute confidence in his own strength, crushing everything!

He didn't care who his collaborators were, because in his eyes, everyone was just a pawn in his plan.

Such a person is more terrifying than any powerful opponent.

Because you never know his trump card.

Li Mo's words caused an invisible ripple in the luxurious private room.

Chen Ao's movements completely stopped.

He was not a fool; on the contrary, to sit in the position of the King of Linzhou's black market, his mind was far superior to ordinary people.

He instantly understood the deeper meaning in Li Mo's words.

"Your analysis is very interesting."

After a long while, Chen Ao spoke again. He placed the metal ball in his hand on the table, producing a dull thud.

"But this raises an even bigger question."

Chen Ao leaned forward, exuding a dangerous aura.

"Who exactly is he?"

This question was the core.

"I've gone through all the well-known families and businesses in Linzhou, and even several surrounding cities, in my mind."

Chen Ao said, word for word.

"Not a single one matches."

Li Mo held his wine glass, gently swirling it, a composed smile still on his face.

"Master Ao, your perspective is still too narrow."

"Why not broaden the scope a bit, to the entire Great Xia, or even the entire real world."

Chen Ao's eyebrows twitched.

"Why are you so sure?"

"His modus operandi." Li Mo took a sip of wine. "Those behemoths truly at the top have their pride and their rules. They might covet Linzhou's market, but they would never use such an almost crude method."

"They have a hundred more elegant, more discreet means to swallow everything silently, like a gentle drizzle."

"To personally step in for such small profits, and even find two bottom-tier black market nobodies as proxies? This doesn't fit their status, and certainly not their logic of interest."

Chen Ao fell into thought.

He couldn't refute Li Mo's words.

"Then could it be some parvenu who got lucky and suddenly rose to prominence?" Chen Ao proposed another possibility.

Li Mo smiled.

"Master Ao, the market economy leaves traces for everything. If he can produce so many high-quality potions, there must be a huge production line, raw material supply, and R&D team supporting him."

"These things don't just appear out of thin air."

"Unless..."

A hint of playfulness entered Li Mo's smile.

"He can conjure these things out of thin air, like a god."

This sentence made the air fall silent again.

A person who can create things out of nothing?

That was too absurd.

"Impossible." Chen Ao flatly denied it.

"Exactly, impossible." Li Mo nodded in agreement. "So, after eliminating all impossibilities, whatever remains, however incredible, is the truth."

He put down his wine glass.

"Now, there are only two possibilities left."

"First, some ancient family, hidden for centuries and unknown to the world, wants to re-emerge."

Chen Ao's knuckles tapped lightly on the tabletop, making a 'tap, tap' sound.

"Not very likely." He himself overturned this conjecture. "These old monsters cherish their reputation more than anyone. If they were to emerge, it would surely be with thunderous force, drawing widespread attention. They would never choose a small place like Linzhou, find two rat-like individuals, and engage in such undignified petty actions."

"Master Ao is wise."

Li Mo bowed slightly, indicating agreement.

"Then, there is only one last possibility left."

The light in the private room seemed to dim at this moment.

Li Mo looked at Chen Ao and slowly uttered two words.

"Abyss Domain."

These two words were like two invisible mountains, crashing down!

Chen Ao's finger, tapping the table, abruptly stopped.

A deathly silence fell over the private room.

After the advent of the professional era, the Abyss Domain became an unavoidable place for everyone.

It runs parallel to the real world and is the destination for professionals.

Dungeons, equipment, treasures, and secret realms are all within the Abyss Domain. Likewise, countless monsters and endless battles also take place in the Abyss Domain.

A deathly silence fell over the private room.

In the floating crystal, the standoff in the front hall of Old Ghost Hall continued. Scarface's arrogant curses and Seventh Master's steady maneuvering became a silent pantomime.

Chen Ao's full attention was focused on Li Mo.

His body slowly straightened, and the oppressive aura belonging to the King of the Black Market was, for the first time, directed at Li Mo without reservation.

"Like you?"

His voice was flat, yet carried the weight of an impending storm.

Li Mo did not answer yes or no.

Chen Ao didn't need him to answer either.

"Recently, have you people from the Abyss Domain been too active?"

This also worried him; the strength of people in the Abyss Domain is limitless!

The resources and combat power controlled by forces in the Abyss Domain are beyond the comprehension of others.

Originally, the forces in the Abyss Domain looked down on the trivial gains of the real world, but recently, it seemed different.

Li Mo was silent for a moment. He glanced at the crystal screen, at Zhao Tianyang, who stood behind Old Ghost and Seventh Master like a silent demon god.

Finally, he seemed to make a decision.

He no longer looked at Chen Ao but directed his gaze out the window, towards the murky sky of the black market, where light never penetrated.

"Because..."

Li Mo's voice became somewhat ethereal, as if from another world.

"Monsters have completely transformed from enemies that needed to be resisted into resources."