Holding the Evolutionary Source Blood, Bai Pu's mind unexpectedly flashed back to 12 hours ago when he asked Qin the last question—
How to quickly kill Blood Hand Columbus without causing trouble.
This was a very difficult thing to achieve; the best way to avoid trouble was with poison, but Blood Hand Columbus, as a Mutant, had a body influenced by Evolutionary Instinct that naturally rejected any foreign substance that was not beneficial to evolution.
In layman's terms, a Mutant's poison resistance was maxed out.
Fortunately, Qin provided a solution: Blood of Aggravation.
This was the essence of Bai Pu's blood, containing the power of Evolutionary Source Blood, and the evolutionary instinct of Blood Hand Columbus's body would not reject it but rather eagerly welcome it, actively absorbing it!
Qin carried out a secondary formulation of the Blood of Aggravation, adding a tiny bit of Blood Thistle Poison. After Bai Pu injected it into Blood Hand Columbus, he quietly left.
The death of Blood Hand Columbus did not leave a treasure chest for Bai Pu but only rewarded him with 3,000 Spiritual Points. Bai Pu was not concerned with these; his true objective had already been achieved!
As for how Bai Pu could predict ahead of time the main task of the Poison Thorn Squad?
It seemed difficult, but in reality, it only required step-by-step deduction.
First, Bai Pu and the Poison Thorn Squad were most likely adversaries, inferred from Bai Pu's trial task—the second vial of Source Blood needed to complete the trial was in the hands of the Poison Thorn Squad!
The Spirit Realm Will arranged the trial tasks in such a way that Bai Pu and the Poison Thorn Squad would most likely be placed in opposing factions within the same region! In an absolute disadvantage, Bai Pu, who entered the Plane World first, had the priority of choice.
Especially since Bai Pu preemptively resolved the leader of the Blood Ring Camp, Blood Hand Columbus, causing a severe imbalance of power between the two factions in Northern Brandon. The likelihood of the Poison Thorn Squad being assigned to the Blood Ring Camp to salvage the situation increased to ninety-nine percent.
Having confirmed the opposing faction, Bai Pu contemplated what the main task for them could be, which was essentially predicting the next manipulation by the Spirit Realm Will.
Once the Poison Thorn Squad entered this plane, they faced Northern Brandon, a headless Blood Ring Camp; they couldn't even trigger the main task the second time! The importance of the faction leader was undeniable, and Bai Pu's capture of Colun rather than killing him was precisely to prompt the Spirit Realm Will to issue a task to rescue Blood Hand Columbus to the Poison Thorn Squad!
With prior planning, everything that followed fell into place.
...
"Is this what you wanted?" Qin's figure appeared behind Bai Pu.
"This is the 'mysterious substance' you mentioned. It has another name, 'Evolutionary Source Blood,'" Bai Pu said, turning back.
Qin carefully took the test tube from Bai Pu's hand and examined the Evolutionary Source Blood, whispering, "Evolutionary Source Blood, what an apt name... So, can you tell me your identity now?"
Witnessing the expulsion of the Poison Thorn Squad firsthand, it was inevitable that Qin would have doubts about Bai Pu's identity.
Bai Pu sighed softly and said, "I'm sorry, I can't proactively tell you anything."
Qin did not blame him, as Bai Pu's words contained a lot of information already.
She blinked and said, "It's not that you don't want to tell me, but because of some restriction, you can't proactively say it, only let me guess... right?"
Bai Pu quietly admired Qin's intelligence. Indeed, the Spirit Realm Will forbids Awakened from proactively revealing the existence of the real world to the common people, which is a taboo known by everyone in the Spiritual Era after eight hundred years.
Qin's brown eyes stared at Bai Pu, continuing her conjecture, "In the past, I heard rumors of inter-dimensional travelers. Are you, like those three, also from another world?"
Bai Pu's gaze was calm. At this moment, not refuting meant he tacitly agreed.
"Your world must be fascinating."
Qin mused dreamily, "I really want to see your world..."
Bai Pu remained silent.
"Alright! No more thinking about these meaningless things, come with me!" Qin returned the Evolutionary Source Blood to Bai Pu, smiling again, "I still owe you a promise, right?"
The hint from Spirit Realm Will arrived:
[Main Task II: Sever Blood Hand, completed. You have gained an additional 8 days, 11 hours, 58 minutes, and 54 seconds of free exploration time. The total duration of free exploration is currently: 8 days, 23 hours, 32 minutes, and 28 seconds. This time will automatically take effect after all your stay durations end.]
[Based on your task participation level, you have received a reward: 100 Merit Points; you have obtained the qualification to fuse the Evolutionary Source Blood.]
Bai Pu and Qin had agreed that after Bai Pu obtained the second vial of Evolutionary Source Blood, Qin would help him complete the fusion.
Sitting at the lab table, Bai Pu seemed to return to Room 3072 in a daze. But this time, the doctor in charge of fusing the Source Blood was not Dean Zhao, but Qin, a scholar of Spirit Realm's natives.
Qin, preparing the work, seemed to be in a good mood, humming a little tune in the Northern European style.
"Qin, you don't really need to be angry," Bai Pu suddenly spoke.
"I'm not angry." Qin turned her face, glancing at Bai Pu, "I'm in a really good mood!"
Bai Pu spoke to himself, "I am very grateful to you, for speaking on my behalf before the Duke. Whether it was capturing Blood Hand Columbus alive or ultimately poisoning him to death, you have always helped me."
Qin was silent for a moment, discarding the feather pen in her hand, her expression icy.
"Yes, I've always helped you! Look at what I've got? An excellent test subject! A man smarter than me! Not to mention you might disappear at any time, I'm truly richly rewarded!"
Sure enough, Qin was angry because Bai Pu was from the "Otherworld," which meant Bai Pu could leave the world of Flesh and Blood Plague: Origins at any time.
"I never intended to deceive you; it was simply beyond my control."
Bai Pu spoke calmly, "On the contrary, you've hidden more from me... haven't you?"
The frost on Qin's face quickly melted away, replaced by curiosity, "Let's hear it, what did I hide?"
Bai Pu took a deep breath, "You came from the Blood Ring."
...
"You came from the Blood Ring."
With these words from Bai Pu, the curiosity on Qin's face vanished without a trace and turned solemn.
"Do you know what you are saying?" Qin slowed her speech, sitting at the experiment table, asked word by word.
"I know."
"Your basis?"
"The basis..."
Bai Pu thought for a moment, "There are too many. Your superior level of Flesh and Blood Alchemy, your familiarity with the Blood Ring Fortress, your extraordinary relationship with Duke William..."
"Go on," Qin squinted her eyes, her arms folded on the experiment table, disciplined like a schoolgirl.
Perhaps finding her chest too heavy, she straightforwardly propped it up, also placing it on the experiment table. From Bai Pu's elevated perspective, it appeared quite improper.
"Let's talk about Flesh and Blood Alchemy first. The first time you met me, even before inspecting my body, you noticed my unusual constitution. This, even Mr. Jialan, the Court Wizard beside the Duke, couldn't achieve..."
"Suspecting me just based on this is too far-fetched," Qin said, "Maybe I just happen to be a genius in Flesh and Blood Alchemy."
Bai Pu replied, "It's not just this. Your understanding of the Meteor, your clear recognition of Evolutionary Source Blood, your knowledge of the Blood Ring Curse Seal, these can't be explained by just two words, 'a genius.'"
"You must have seen, even personally studied, Princess Christina, this ultimate host! You are probably one of the alchemists invited by Gustav for the princess's consultation..."
Here, Bai Pu fell silent.
For he had already received a hint from the Spirit Realm Will:
[Brandon Court Advisor: Qin's affection for you has significantly increased! Current affection level: Adoration.]
"Speak, why have you stopped?"
Qin said with a smile, "All-knowing Mr. Dior, why don't you guess who I really am? There's a reward if you guess right..."
She straightened up, getting closer to Bai Pu, her breath exuding a temptation, like the sweet stickiness of a ripe peach.
"Considering your extraordinary relationship with Duke William, the answer is already apparent, no need to say more. It's just that Yvette didn't recognize you, which puzzles me a bit, though it's not impossible..."
Bai Pu awkwardly shifted to the side and helplessly said, "Qin... you are crowding me."
This utterance of "Qin" made Qin stop her advance.
"Alright!"
Qin shrugged, causing a wave of turbulence, "What exactly do you want by showing me such wisdom? A rational man like you shouldn't be showing off like a peacock in heat."
"I hope when you help me fuse the Source Blood, you won't play tricks," Bai Pu laid his cards on the table.
Qin also frankly said, "Yes, I was planning to do a little trick when helping you fuse the Source Blood. The final result, you would fuse the Source Blood but become a Mutant. Then I would use the Blood Ring Curse Seal to make you my slave..."
Bai Pu felt a chill down his spine. A Trial Taker who lost independent consciousness and ability to act independently would not be able to return to the real world. Qin's plan had a real chance of success.
Qin continued, "After all, what I promised you was to help you fuse Source Blood to develop Power, nothing else is guaranteed; you promised to be my test subject, but you broke your word.
"You're so smart, there's no point in deceiving you, so I might as well be straightforward." Qin finally locked her gaze on Bai Pu's eyes, a hint of cunning in her brown pupils, "Smart Mr. Dior, how do you plan to convince me?"
If Bai Pu played word games, he technically didn't break his word, because he didn't promise how long to be a test subject.
But Bai Pu couldn't argue like this, or the negotiation would surely fall apart.
"Qin, you should know my background. Aren't you curious how the first vial of Source Blood in me was successfully fused?"
Qin frowned and said, "It must have been scholars from your world who helped you fuse it."
"Correct. However, they didn't use Flesh and Blood Alchemy, but another completely different technology."
Qin's eyes lit up.
Bai Pu gently said, "A stone from another mountain can polish jade. If you turn me into a Mutant slave, what you get is just a docile puppet; but if you help me successfully fuse Evolutionary Source Blood, allowing me to come and go freely, you will gain the knowledge of an entire world."
"The knowledge of an entire world..."
Qin said with a smile, "That's quite significant. But I think, compared to my loss, it's still a bit lacking."
A hint of helplessness and defeat flashed through Bai Pu's heart. Qin is the best choice to help him fuse Source Blood, he had tried his best to persuade her, but a woman's heart is hard to fathom.
Qin's fingertip drew a circle on Bai Pu's chest, "So, to compensate for my loss, you need to give me another promise..."
"What promise?" Bai Pu asked.
"I hope... after you fuse the second vial of Source Blood, you turn me into your slave!"