Lex frowned, and he didn't hide his dissatisfaction, but Vox did not seem bothered by his feelings. In fact, from exactly how easily he had become cooperative with Lex, promptly giving him an explanation and offering to help him, Lex felt like Vox was actually quite anxious.

He likely was facing a lot of trouble, and he saw Lex as a way to reduce some of his burdens. That made him into somewhat of a shady guy - and that was Lex's assessment of Vox before he asked Lex to kill some random guy.

Then he claimed that this Diyor was in opposition to Lex somehow - something Lex doubted since he had no karma with the guy. That raised another

important point! Lex felt slightly uncomfortable with how easily Vox seemed to be able to peer into secrets regarding Lex!

So far, this was a rarity. Oracles had trouble foreseeing Lex's future, and even Dao Lords could not peer into his Origins, yet Vox could tell vague details about him. That was not normal.

Yet his discomfort was not enough to make Lex turn him into an enemy outright - especially since he could help Lex.

That did not mean Lex was going to go around killing people for him. Even if Diyor was somehow in opposition to Lex, whatever that meant, it was not enough of a reason to kill him. Lex was not a dictator ruling a third world country - he would not just kill anyone who dared stand in opposition to him.

Fortunately, Lex could also settle for just stopping him.

"How do I find and reach Diyor? And how do I stop him?" Lex asked.

"I'll provide you with transport. Wait, that's a good question. How did you guys reach this fort? I would have been notified if you arrived through any of the official means," Vox said, finally revealing that he was not all knowing.

"We walked in through the gate of course," said Mango, who was feeling kind of left out of this conversation.

"Indeed, the great and magnificent Mango brought us in through the front gates," Lex said. "By the way, if you want my help, getting the Heavens Puppet won't be enough. I need Blessing Stones, enough for me, the great and fabulous Mango, and for my little pup as well."

"You will be well compensated for your efforts," said Vox, summoning three Blessing Stones the size of the marble balls Lex used to play with as a kid. "If you wish to use them now, I can provide you with private rooms. In the meantime, I can arrange for a ferry to take you to your destination. The quicker you go, the easier your task will be."

Yes, Lex could certainly sense Vox's desperation now that he had taken note of it. The desperation wasn't necessarily because of Diyor - he could just be one of many who were troubling Vox.

"And how do I know that you'll actually summon the puppet?" Lex asked. "What if I go out and help you, but the puppet never shows?"

"Come now, Lex. This is merely the start of a long and beautiful cooperation," said Vox, spreading his hands. "Why would I waste this opportunity to develop such an amazing relationship by lying to you? It would serve me much better if we continued to help each other for years to come. But, if you don't believe me, you can wait until the puppet arrives. Just know that I will have full authority over the puppet, so you won't be able to interact with him or take him away until you complete your portion of the deal. The only reason I'm suggesting you leave now is because it would be much harder for you to complete your portion of the deal the longer you delay."

Lex did not rush to jump to an answer, deliberating whether to trust Vox or not, but Mango had other thoughts.

"Come, human. Let us complete this task. It's only fair to help out those who are helping you. And besides, if he tries to renege on his deal, I will give him a good thrashing, just like his guards at the mansion entrance."

"Wait, what did you do to my guards?" Vox suddenly asked, jumping up. "I'm paying those guys a lot of Blessing Stones! Shoot, I didn't even realize..."

Vox waved a hand and pulled up a screen which displayed his two guards, stuck in fishing bowls, trying to break out. Though the sight was not ideal, Vox breathed a sigh of relief.

"We've had a number of raids recently," Vox explained, looking towards Lex. "Strong and helpful people who will actually aid in defense of a place are hard to come by here - almost everyone has an agenda. I can't afford to lose any guards, if you could please free them I'd greatly appreciate it."

Lex immediately saw an opportunity.

"Fine, we'll set them free. Prepare the ferry, we'll set out immediately. But if you try to trick us, then you can look forward to finding all your guards in fishbowls. It'd be pretty impressive to see them help you hold back another raid from in there."

Lex had a feeling that Vox was smiling awkwardly at Lex, but since he had no features, it was hard to tell.

"You have a deal. Come on, I'll bring you to the ferry, and you can free the guards in the meantime. Also, you asked how to stop Diyor. Well, if you don't want to kill him, putting him in a fishbowl would also work. Though, just making sure he fails the test to get the official post will also work. These tests aren't easy to come by, so once he fails, his threat will be greatly reduced, if not entirely elapsed."

With a nod, Lex and the others followed Vox out as he led them through the mansion to the outside where a small crowd had gathered around the two

fishbowls trapping the guards.

"Nothing to see here, this is merely a small misunderstanding," Vox declared loudly, his voice a lot firmer and more authoritative than when he talked to Lex.