One-Eyed Monster

With Kevin’s words, the Great Mentor instantly understood.

”This is really troublesome. It seems we can’t wait for Xiso,” the Great Mentor said.

”Indeed. His situation is more complex than ours. As you know, it’s not something that can be explained in a few words,” Kevin replied, shrugging.

A significant reason the Great Mentor had previously assigned Kevin here was that he had recognized the trouble Xiso was facing. He knew this problem couldn’t be resolved quickly, so Kevin might have to be stationed here for a while, unable to return to Moonflow Stream. Unfortunately, things had changed too rapidly. Now, the Great Mentor was back on Twin Peaks, once again facing the challenging issue concerning Xiso.

However, they wouldn’t devote too much attention to Xiso now. Although Xiso was in trouble, he wasn’t in danger. Compared to the Great Mentor’s primary concerns, Xiso’s dilemma was merely a thorny, trivial matter, incomparable to the situation with Kuyi Tulan.

”So, we should proceed as planned,” Kevin said, hoping for a precise response from the Great Mentor.

”Once Joseph returns, we’ll start working on the plan Kadi proposed,” the Great Mentor sighed. Even he felt confused at that moment, as his understanding of Kuyi Tulan had changed after all this time.

He didn’t understand why Kuyi Tulan was so obsessed with power, and understood even less why Kuyi Tulan had so many followers. From his perspective, this was a mistaken decision. How could anyone support him?

The Great Mentor had never chased power, so he was unfamiliar with it. In truth, he was more like a dedicated Scholar, obsessively studying magic arts. However, he was a complete novice when it came to power struggles and found many aspects of them perplexing.

The Great Mentor’s kind and compassionate heart had attracted a large group of followers from among the monsters of Guru Mountain. These beings once had their own power struggles and dreams. But after Kuyi Tulan transformed their bodies, the world they loved abandoned them, altering their worldview. The Great Mentor’s timely assistance offered them a new direction. It was this sheer kindness and help that made them follow the Great Mentor so persistently.

Kuyi Tulan had caused all of this. They harbored hatred for Kuyi Tulan, but under the Great Mentor’s influence, they had lost their original hostility, having long been assimilated by his kind heart.

Igor, observing carefully from the side, noticed that although the Great Mentor had immobilized these monsters, they still respected him greatly. Their admiration for the Great Mentor was genuine, a heartfelt appreciation.

Meanwhile, Igor was pondering where he had seen that familiar-looking face before.

The immobilized monsters gradually became able to move. Igor didn’t know if the Great Mentor had administered an antidote to the Fog Elixir or what had happened, but regardless, those who had initially been immobilized began to stir.

”What are we doing now?” Kadi asked again, rather bewildered. He could never understand why his consistent train of thought was always being disrupted by inexplicable events. For instance, he had just been persuading the Great Mentor, and now, in the blink of an eye, he had become a mere spectator. Kadi was very frustrated. Igor was frustrated too, as he still couldn’t understand his own role; he always felt passive...

”Huh? Everyone can move now? Could it be Xiso...?” Kevin also noticed the change, and he was quite surprised.

Kevin knew that the Great Mentor’s Fog Elixir had no simple antidote. Its effects could only be nullified in two ways: one was to wait for it to wear off naturally, allowing them to move again; the other was to rely on a specific external force. And on all of Guru Mountain, only Xiso could provide that force.

The precise amount of force and the method of its application were crucial to nullifying the elixir. Besides Xiso, no one else could do it.

This meant that the monsters of Guru Mountain had regained their freedom of movement, and it must have been Xiso’s doing.

But wasn’t Xiso in trouble? How could he have found the time to help everyone dispel the elixir’s effects? Had he found a way to overcome his current difficulties? Or had he completely resolved the issue?

Kevin wasn’t sure, and neither was the Great Mentor. This was a question that perhaps only Xiso himself could answer.

As for those like Igor, they had no idea what sort of difficulty Xiso was facing.

The monsters of Guru Mountain knew Xiso very well, so they understood his difficulty. Therefore, they were as puzzled as Kevin at that moment and were also deeply concerned about Xiso’s situation.

”Actually, we didn’t need the help. Once the elixir’s effects wore off, we would have recovered on our own…” one of the monsters said tentatively. They were naturally happy about Xiso’s help, but they were also aware of his current predicament.

”It was necessary!”

The tentative question actually received a response, making the monsters extremely excited.

Deep down, they also wanted to know how Xiso had dealt with his difficulty.

Igor was clueless, wondering why these people were making such a fuss. Could this pale, gaunt-looking fellow be the biggest monster on the mountain?

That couldn’t be right. Kadi and he had observed the relationships among the monsters on this mountain. This Xiso was on the same level as Kevin, serving as the Great Mentor’s right and left hands.

This made Igor even more curious. What kind of situation could make everyone so concerned about Xiso?

Blind guessing was useless. Igor knew he shouldn’t make that mistake, so he calmed his mind and began to observe carefully again.

”The collective’s suffering outweighs personal grievances. I can disregard my own difficulties, but I will always prioritize the collective...” Xiso said quietly, answering the earlier tentative question.

”We need you, Xiso, but we need a Xiso who is wholeheartedly committed,” Kevin said.

”I am fine now!”

”But...” Kevin wanted to say more, but seeing Xiso’s expression, the words caught in his throat.

”Everyone, please rest assured. I, Xiso, will not lose my reason over personal emotional problems. That Xiso has vanished from within me!”

After hearing Xiso’s words, Igor began to understand Xiso’s difficulty. So, it was his own emotional problems...