The more Xi Mu thought about it, the more frightened he became, to the point that he didn't even notice when Guru Lan and the other demons left.
"Xi Mu? Xi Mu, are you listening?"
Bai Qi's voice pulled Xi Mu's thoughts back.
"Yes, yes, I'm listening."
Bai Qi frowned, looking at the distracted Xi Mu, and said, "Xi Mu, you don't look quite right."
Bai Qi scrutinized Xi Mu in the mirror, wondering if this guy had already seen through his plan.
"Is that so?" Xi Mu shook his head and said, "Perhaps the environment of hell has made me a bit jumpy."
Xi Mu gave a dry laugh, offering a terribly lame excuse.
Instead of exposing him, Bai Qi went along with Xi Mu's words, providing a more plausible reason.
"I know Zhong Su is your friend, and it must be hard for you that he's been sealed. But we always have to look forward, don't we?"
"Yes," Xi Mu quickly nodded. "It's very hard for me that Zhong Su has been sealed."
Seeing Xi Mu's reaction, Bai Qi was even more certain that the other party had guessed his plan. But it didn't matter. Demons were selfish; as long as he could get out, he didn't care about the lives of other demons. Moreover, one less demon to share the world meant more territory for himself. So, even if Xi Mu already knew his plan, he wouldn't reveal it for his own benefit.
Besides, Bai Qi was quite at ease with Xi Mu. His authority had been almost entirely parceled out. Even if he intended to oppose Bai Qi after his release, with Xi Mu's current strength, Bai Qi could crush him as easily as crushing an ant.
Even if Xi Mu planned to wait until his strength recovered before seeking trouble with Bai Qi, it would still be impossible.
After such a long period of establishment, Bai Qi had built his own network of interests. Even if Xi Mu wanted to make a move against Bai Qi, those who had a stake in Bai Qi's success, such as the Illuminati and the American government, would not stand idly by. Moreover, Bai Qi had the backing of the Mother of Dark Energy; even Xi Mu could not shake Bai Qi's position in her heart.
Changing the subject, Bai Qi continued, "Xi Mu, for certain reasons, I cannot personally open the gates of hell for you. But don't worry, my subordinates will take the Pan Ku Treasure Box to the designated location to open the gates of hell. All you have to do is wait at the entrance. Come out as soon as the gates of hell are opened, and then hand over my 'fire' to my subordinates. Don't try any tricks; you know my influence on the surface."
"Of course, Holy Lord," Xi Mu said ingratiatingly. "Haven't we agreed? You open the door, and I give you the fire. I, Xi Mu, am the most trustworthy among all demons. You can rest assured about that."
"It had better be," Bai Qi nodded. "Finally, a piece of advice: leave quickly after you come out. You wouldn't want to end up like Bo Gang and Zhong Su, right?"
Without waiting for Xi Mu's reply, he cut off the connection.
The conversation ended. Xi Mu looked at the mirror before him, his eyes emitting a scarlet glow.
"Holy Lord, you will pay for your arrogance sooner or later. Just you wait, just you wait."
Having ended the conversation, Bai Qi did not leave the secret chamber immediately. With a wave of his hand, a black mist transformed into small figures before him.
Whether it was exploring the lost continent or releasing Xi Mu, both were very important to Bai Qi. Therefore, he could not be careless when selecting people. After all, every time the gates of hell were opened, Righteousness would cause trouble. He needed to select a reliable person for this task.
Sha Yina was a must. Her body was perfect for holding the Pan Ku Treasure Box. Her body, constructed from a special alloy incorporating lead and multiple seals, was impenetrable even to Superman.
Then there were the three idiots from the Black Hand Gang. Although they were ordinary people, perhaps due to their supporting roles, they often had unexpected effects when dealing with Chen Long.
And Ah Fu. After this period of training, Ah Fu had fully mastered the abilities of the Heterogeneous Dragon Fang, and his strength had greatly improved.
As for the leader... Right, he still had that guy.
Bai Qi relaxed his mind and secretly said, "Yong Huo, come to the secret chamber to see me."
Before long, a mutant wearing a white coat entered the secret chamber and knelt before Bai Qi, lowering his head. "My master, what are your orders?"
This mutant, named Yong Huo, was not a mutant from Marvel. He was a genetically mutated being produced by the Cadmus Project. He had gray skin and black keratin-like protrusions, and was initially cloned and manufactured as a weapon.
These mutants had various forms: some were enormous and possessed brute strength, some had sharp claws and teeth that could cut through iron, some were living biological generators, and some were small but had powerful telekinetic abilities to control others.
The mutant before Bai Qi, named Yong Huo, was a special case, an accidental product whose ability was telepathy. He could sense the minds of creatures within range and communicate telepathically by establishing a mental connection.
Logically, such a special case should have been strapped to an experiment table for thorough study, and even reported to the Illuminati. But Bai Qi did not do so. Instead, he secretly hid Yong Huo. In conversations with Yong Huo, Bai Qi discovered that he was a mutant with great thought, different from other mutants; he could think and had his own ideas.
He was, in a sense, an anomaly among all mutants.
Bai Qi took this anomaly under his wing, sent him to Master Mimic for strict training, and not only honed his combat skills to a respectable level but also personally gave him the name Yong Huo upon his return, making him the supervisor of his Cadmus Project, with authority even higher than Dr. Desmond's.
The suspicious Bai Qi dared to place Yong Huo in such an important position because he knew Yong Huo would never betray him.
The reason was simple: Bai Qi had not only signed a contract with Yong Huo but also that Yong Huo had a unique emotional attachment to Bai Qi.
Many creatures instinctively recognized the first person they saw upon opening their eyes as their parent. Yong Huo's first sight upon opening his eyes was Bai Qi. Therefore, in many situations, Yong Huo regarded Bai Qi as his father, although Bai Qi had never acknowledged him as a son.
Furthermore, all of Yong Huo's knowledge of this world did not come from the goblins' forced indoctrination but was acquired by Yong Huo himself through learning.
Later, Bai Qi often took Yong Huo around Kutor, and while not acknowledging him as a son, he strived to cultivate him into his confidant.
The fact proved that Bai Qi's efforts were worthwhile. Yong Huo, as Bai Qi had hoped, became Bai Qi's most trusted confidant.
Although Bai Qi generally paid little attention to Cadmus, Yong Huo regularly reported all information to Bai Qi through telepathy.