There were roughly several hundred creatures in this place. Each one carried a powerful aura and was far from ordinary.
Some had clearly been imprisoned for a long time and had already grown accustomed to life here.
Others were still struggling, roaring in fury. Especially when they saw Xu Zimo, their howls nearly shook the heavens.
“There are no restrictions?” Xu Zimo asked. “Can I choose any of them freely?”
“You can choose anyone, but there's one condition you must be aware of,” Old Sir replied. “You can only ask them to fulfill one wish, and that wish must be within their capabilities.”
Xu Zimo slowly walked in front of the cages. In the first one was a human.
A man with long, messy hair that had grown to his waist, completely covering his face. Only his eyes were visible, piercing and intense.
“His name is Tie Liangmu. A few years ago, when the Violet Sun Empire went to war with the Azure Wood Empire, he was a deputy general of Violet Sun. But he betrayed them and sided with the enemy,” Old Sir explained.
“He was a major reason for their defeat and the massacre of an entire city. The weight of that sin mostly lies with him.”
Xu Zimo glanced at the man. He didn’t speak, just looked back at Xu Zimo with emotionless eyes.
Old Sir went on to introduce several more prisoners. Each was guilty of terrible crimes.
But none of them satisfied Xu Zimo.
“What kind are you looking for?” Old Sir asked.
“Do you have any prisoners from the Nether Blood Sea?” Xu Zimo asked.
“The Nether Blood Sea?” Old Sir paused for a moment, then said, “Are you sure?”
“What do you mean?” Xu Zimo frowned.
“Nothing. I’ll take you there,” Old Sir said with a smile, shaking his head.
He led Xu Zimo north through a long row of cages arranged neatly along the path.
Xu Zimo didn’t know how big this place really was, but the deeper they went, the more uneasy he felt.
Finally, they stopped in front of a dark purple cage tucked in a corner.
Inside was a man with a human-like appearance but abnormally pale skin.
His complexion was sickly white, and his eyes had no whites or pupils, just a deep, solid red, like a dead octopus.
“He’s from the Blood Race?” Xu Zimo immediately sensed something unusual.
“To be precise, he’s a defective hybrid of Human and Blood Race,” Old Sir replied with a smile.
Seeing Xu Zimo’s confusion, he explained, “His father was human. His mother was from the Blood Race.”
“I see,” Xu Zimo nodded.
“He escaped from the Nether Blood Sea years ago and stumbled into this Inn of Good and Evil. I locked him up here afterward,” Old Sir continued.
“Unfortunately, most of the creatures here have signed the good-and-evil pact. Fulfill one wish, and they’re free. But he’s the only one who refuses to sign. And I still don’t know what crime he committed.”
“Then why are you recommending him to me?” Xu Zimo asked with a frown.
“Don’t be so quick to judge. Hear me out,” Old Sir said, still smiling. “He’s the only one here from the Nether Blood Sea. I’m giving you an option. If you can convince him to sign the pact, I’ll allow him to leave with you. It could be useful to you too. Didn’t you want to learn more about the Nether Blood Sea? He probably knows a lot.”
Xu Zimo thought for a moment.
Then he nodded and said, “Can I speak to him alone?”
“Of course,” Old Sir nodded.
He waved his hand, and a thick mist surrounded the cage, isolating it with Xu Zimo inside. Then Old Sir faded and disappeared.
…
Xu Zimo checked his surroundings and, confirming they were alone, turned to face the Blood Race hybrid.
“I think we should talk,” Xu Zimo said with a smile.
But the Blood Race man remained calm, not even sparing him a glance.
“I can get you out of here. Set you free. Even without signing the pact,” Xu Zimo continued.
“If you still want to leave, talk to me. If you’d rather rot in here forever, I’ll walk away right now.”
The Blood Race man still didn’t respond, and Xu Zimo didn’t waste any more time. He turned to leave.
“Wait,” came a raspy voice from behind him.
The voice was harsh, like someone who hadn’t spoken in centuries, rusty and broken.
Seeing Xu Zimo ignore him, the man seemed to panic.
He slammed against the bars of the cage and shouted, “I’ll talk!”
His voice was so loud, and his movements so violent, it made the entire space tremble.
Xu Zimo slowly stopped and turned around.
“You think I’m begging you?” he said coldly. “You still don’t seem to understand who the prisoner is here.”
“I want to leave,” the man said calmly from inside the cage.
But Xu Zimo could feel the longing hidden deep within him.
This man was hiding a big secret, Xu Zimo could sense it.
“Let’s talk business then,” Xu Zimo said, turning back.
“What do you want to know?” the Blood Race man asked.
“Take me to the Blood Race,” Xu Zimo replied.
He already suspected the Blood Race was near the Nether Blood Sea. But that place was one of the ten forbidden grounds.
Its size alone was massive, and without someone familiar with the terrain, it would be nearly impossible to find them.
Originally, he planned to go with the God Emperor and take a chance. But now, having found the Inn of Good and Evil, he had another option.
“What do you want with them?” the man asked warily.
“You care that much about the Blood Race?” Xu Zimo laughed.
“You’re half-human. I thought they’d hate you.”
On the Primordial Heartlands, there were countless races. Because of their numbers, the human and beast races were the most tolerant.
Other races, though, placed extreme importance on bloodlines and heritage.
Someone like this man, with mixed blood, would likely be rejected by the Blood Race.
“That’s none of your business. Why are you looking for them?” the man asked.
“I don’t mean any harm. I’m just going there to retrieve something,” Xu Zimo replied with a smile.
“I can take you,” the man said after a moment of silence, finally nodding.