The Villain Slaps The Protagonist’s Halo - Chapter 130 (Patreon)

Chapter 130: Hunting the World

"Colonel, didn't you lead a team to the Hunter's Base? You're back so soon?" He Qingtang asked.

Meng Jia felt a pang in her heart. Although she had already severed ties with the organization, she still harbored emotions, especially since her sister, Meng Yao, was still at the base.

Shen Su stood in front of Nie Jia, sneering, "Once the job's done, naturally, we'd return."

Nie Jia met his gaze impassively.

"We did find the Hunter's Base based on the coordinates provided by Nie Jia. However, by the time we got there, it was already deserted, the entire underground facility burnt to the ground," Shen Su said, almost through gritted teeth, as he looked at Nie Jia.

The swift destruction of the base must have been An Yuan's doing. Most likely, everyone had evacuated long before. Meng Jia breathed a sigh of relief secretly, thankful that their leader had allowed enough time. The fate of tens of thousands of hunters remained uncertain.

"I bet you had already settled your men before coming to Huaxia. Providing an empty base was a clever move to gain the trust of the president and the general. You're quite the strategist," Shen Su remarked.

Nie Jia replied indifferently, "If you were any good, you'd have caught up even with heads handed to you. Why bother coming to me?"

Shen Su's eyebrows twitched, then he turned to Lieutenant Song and called out softly, "Song."

Lieutenant Song pushed his glasses up. His gaze shifted past Shen Su's shoulder and landed on Nie Jia's eyes.

Nie Jia's expression remained blank. "You'd better not pry into my thoughts. You'll regret it."

Lieutenant Song hesitated.

Shen Su snorted. "Scared? Someone like you, this method suits dealing with you perfectly. If you can pass Lieutenant Song's scrutiny, then you can blabber on about other nonsense."

He Qingtang didn't say much. She wasn't as trusting of Nie Jia as Shi Chen was. It wouldn't hurt to let Lieutenant Song inspect him. But... Lieutenant Song was a mysterious ace of the United Front Department. Apart from officers at or above the rank of colonel, no one knew his capabilities. So how did Nie Jia know?

Later, He Qingtang noticed Lieutenant Song's face suddenly turn pale, his eyes filled with a mix of astonishment and fear, which was unsettling. She thought he might have glimpsed some conspiracy of Nie Jia's, and her nerves tensed in response.

"Someone like me?" Nie Jia stepped forward, his gaze sharp as a blade boring into Shen Su's eyes. "Do you really think you're any nobler than me? If I remember correctly, back at Asakawa Airport, you were still considering convincing me to join Huaxia, weren't you? But things didn't go your way, did they?"

Shen Su was like an enraged leopard, his eyes brimming with killing intent. "That was in the past. Unless Kong Fei can come back to life, you'll forever be an enemy."

A hint of cunning flashed in Nie Jia's eyes. "Honestly, I have no regrets about killing Kong Fei until now."

"You!" Shen Su seethed with anger.

Nie Jia's expression turned cold. "I killed him because he wanted to kill me. For someone filled with murderous intent, I don't have the generosity to spare his life. As for you, you sent people to kill me in the reformation camp. I'm willing to overlook it for the sake of Shi Chen's face. I know I've killed countless people and was a real villain. It must make you uncomfortable that the higher-ups of Huaxia accepted me so readily, even without investigating Kong Fei's death. But you don't have to be so resentful. You're not much better yourself."

"No matter what, I'll never indiscriminately kill innocent people like you do. And I'll never believe that a villain who disregards human life will one day fight for peace," Shen Su retorted angrily.

"Is that so?" Nie Jia sneered. "In the reformation camp, you sent those three to kill me without telling them I had awakened other abilities, let alone that my self-healing ability could extract the signal source at any time without restriction. It would be best if they killed me; otherwise, I'd kill them. And that would give you enough reason to persuade others to give up trying to recruit me, to make up your mind to get rid of me, a super-dangerous person, just right for avenging Kong Fei. In simple terms, those three were sent to their deaths by you. You accuse me of indiscriminate killing, but what about you?"

Shen Su looked at Nie Jia in silence, seemingly struck by the accusation, his eyes subconsciously evading.

"Now that we're both no saints, stop boasting about being a peace warrior in front of me. I don't hold grudges against the past. If you dare to cause me trouble again, I'll send you to meet Kong Fei," Nie Jia warned Shen Su in a low voice, then stepped back. The cold sharpness in his demeanor receded completely, and he even politely smiled at Lieutenant Song before leaving on his own.

Shen Su clenched his fists, his fingers stiffening, standing silently in place, gnashing his teeth. It was unclear what he was thinking.

"Lieutenant Song," He Qingtang said with a serious expression, "Does Nie Jia have any ulterior motives? Can he be trusted?"

Shen Su snapped out of his thoughts, turning around to look at Lieutenant Song, hoping he would refute Nie Jia.

Lieutenant Song was already drenched in cold sweat. He raised his head, his face pale, and faltered for a while before saying despondently, "Yes, Colonel. Nie Jia... can be completely trusted. He has indeed withdrawn from the Hunters with enough sincerity to join us. As long as General Shi is here, Nie Jia won't betray us. You don't need to worry about this, and please relay it to the President."

He Qingtang breathed a sigh of relief, while Shen Su was naturally extremely disappointed.

"I have other matters to attend to. I'll take my leave." Lieutenant Song was at a loss, nearly bumping into a wall as he turned around.

Shen Su noticed his odd behavior and approached, intending to exchange a few words, but what he saw were Lieutenant Song's tear-filled eyes.

When Nie Jia returned home, Shi Chen had already prepared dinner. After dinner, the two took a stroll downstairs. Nie Jia asked curiously, "Lieutenant Song is an empath, capable of reading minds. But isn't there little difference in advancement for such abilities?"

"It makes a huge difference," Shi Chen smiled, tightening his grip on Nie Jia's hand and tapped his own temple, "He can now briefly control people's thoughts, even permanently alter their memories. He's only at the fourth level now, but after reaching the fifth, he should be able to extend the duration of control."

Nie Jia raised an eyebrow slightly. "Isn't that more terrifying than abilities focused on output?"

Shi Chen smiled, "Yes, that's why he's the ace of our United Front Department. When he reaches the fifth level, many conflicts in the world should diminish."

Most abilities are physical, leaving blood and gore in fights, but Song Nuanyang can kill without blinking an eye, just by a thought. When he reaches the fifth or even sixth level, he could even change the world's landscape without anyone noticing.

Fortunately, this ability awakened in the world protagonist, Song Nuanyang. His righteousness and kindness are particularly precious in this chaotic world. Moreover, possessing such a power to control minds is very suitable for doing evil.

Although Nie Jia knew all of this was pre-set data, he still admired Song Nuanyang. Having the ability to do evil but choosing to be a hero for peace. Nie Jia, on the other hand, was the opposite of Song Nuanyang. He chose to sink with the demons. If it weren't for Shi Chen's presence, he might have become just like the original Nie Jia.

As they returned home from their stroll, Shi Chen cleared the table and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. There was a knock on the door, and Nie Jia went to answer it, finding Song Nuanyang standing outside.

"I have something to ask you," Song Nuanyang's eyes were red, showing signs of nervousness.

Nie Jia didn't dislike the world protagonist as much as before. He had some goodwill towards Song Nuanyang, so he let him in. "You seem to see things clearly. What's bothering you?"

"I just want to confirm with you," Song Nuanyang sat on the sofa.

Shi Chen shouted from the kitchen, "Honey, do we have a guest?"

Nie Jia replied, "Lieutenant Song is here. You can wash your dishes and don't need to come out. He's here for me."

Shi Chen responded with an "Oh" and didn't move further. Song Nuanyang smiled helplessly, tears welling up in his eyes. "You and Shi Chen could quickly reconcile when you met again. It seems unnecessary for me to come and confirm."

"Are you very upset?" Nie Jia looked at him indifferently.

Song Nuanyang's smile gradually faded, seeming unable to hold back the inner turmoil any longer, and he burst into tears, his brow furrowed in pain. "Shouldn't I be upset? Me and the entire world, we don't exist, we're just constructs used to imprison you. Our suffering is also designed, the existence of this world is meaningless, what are we struggling for..."

Nie Jia remained silent for a moment. "If it's meaningless, then should we just stop living?"

Song Nuanyang looked at him and took the tissue Nie Jia handed over.

Nie Jia continued, "If it's meaningless, then what's the point? Many people exhaust themselves just by living, so why bother seeking meaning? I used to treat you all as a string of lifeless, meaningless data, freely killing and slaughtering. Instead of stopping me immediately, Shi Chen influenced me. He made me see you all as living beings. Now you think you don't exist? It's a bit funny."

Song Nuanyang fell silent. "I'm just too shocked."

"I understand," Nie Jia said. "That's why I warned you not to pry into my thoughts. You'll regret it."

Song Nuanyang's brief words woke him up, seemingly accepting reality, and he smiled again weakly, the unease in his heart gradually dissipating. "I don't regret it. I'm glad to have met you, Nie Jia."

He reached out his hand, but Nie Jia ignored him, coolly sinking into the sofa. "You know I don't like protagonists."

"Is that so? But I feel like you quite like me," Song Nuanyang forcibly grabbed Nie Jia's hand and shook it, then said, "Both you and Shi Chen are from the Stellar Era. If Shi Chen has lost his memories for now, what about you? Can you come to my lab tomorrow and create some futuristic weapons? Like Gundams, or Transformers, or at least Iron Man's armor..."

Nie Jia shook off his hand. "I'm a military doctor, not an engineer. I can't do it."

Disappointed, Song Nuanyang wiped his nose. When Shi Chen came out and saw the scene, he said to Nie Jia, "How did you make him cry?"

Nie Jia suddenly became furious with Song Nuanyang. "Now that you've finished confirming, hurry up and leave."

-------

Table of content - Next Chapter >>> 

• Your invaluable feedback and ratings mean the world to me. Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.
• You can also check out the other Novels I'm currently translating by clicking HERE.
• If you come across any mistakes within this chapter, kindly notify me in the comments below, so that I can make the necessary corrections.