Who?
Xiang Nan moved fast, his mind instantly flashing to a name—Beyond.
But that didn't make sense. Beyond wouldn't leave the Kakin Empire, especially with Netero himself on the battlefield. With Netero there as a shackle, Beyond wouldn't dare show his face and confront him directly.
So if it wasn't Beyond, who else could Pariston have called in?
Maybe the Monkey of the Zodiac—Saiyu?
That guy was one of Beyond's people, an undercover plant inside the Association, and definitely tied to Pariston… it could be him.
There was also the possibility it was someone from the Association's Special Contract Division.
Over the years, once Pariston had secured his position in the Association, he'd been quietly building up the Special Contract Division's influence to weaken Netero's authority and decision-making power, while balancing out the internal power structure.
These Special Contract Hunters mostly took jobs from governments or corporations. Their career path wasn't like that of normal professional Hunters—they weren't chasing rank advancement, star-level titles, or groundbreaking achievements for humanity. They were more like… people coasting by, waiting for the next paycheck.
But they still had voting and election rights, which meant Pariston could use them to quietly tip the scales in his favor.
This group was essentially his personal faction within the Association.
Special Contract Hunters also had some say in mission assignments, which gave Pariston ways to shuffle Association resources and even dip into reserve funds. The list of things he could do through them was endless. That's why, when Xiang Nan planned the trap for Pariston, he'd already figured that the "rat" would have a backup plan.
Netero was just the public piece on the board. Behind the scenes, aside from people like Yorknew, there had to be another trump card.
And the most likely candidate Xiang Nan could think of… was the Special Contract Division.
Still, even if Pariston saw trouble coming, he wouldn't pull in all of them—it would expose his faction and give the other Zodiacs an opening to completely wreck everything he'd built in the Association.
If things blew over and Pariston walked away untouched, revealing them now would be a huge price to pay.
So Xiang Nan guessed he'd only stationed a handful of Special Contract Hunters in Yorknew City as an indirect safety net.
"A small squad, maybe a dozen at most. No way more than thirty," Xiang Nan thought.
But when he got to the spot where the aura had vanished and finally saw Pariston's so-called "trump card," his expression froze.
It wasn't a squad of people. There weren't even any figures in Special Contract uniforms.
Instead… there was just one guy, crouched on the ground, examining the corpse of a curse spirit.
The curse spirit, teleported here by Nen ability, had been taken out by this man in a matter of seconds.
And it wasn't Saiyu.
"It's… you…"
Xiang Nan's voice had a rare edge of surprise.
"You know him?"
A voice came from the side—Illumi stepped out from the shadows.
The reason Xiang Nan hadn't brought Illumi into the main fight earlier was so they could work together to catch Pariston's hidden ace.
The moment the enemy revealed himself, Illumi had moved in without hesitation.
Illumi glanced at the crouching man, then looked at Xiang Nan, curious.
"Ahh…"
The man ruffled his hair, sighed, and slowly stood up with his hands in his pockets.
Then he turned to face them directly.
"Pig of the Zodiac… Ging Freecss," Xiang Nan said slowly, his eyes sharp.
Up close, it was obvious—his facial features were strikingly similar to Gon's. Short, messy hair tied back and covered with a gray headscarf, bright eyes, stubble along his jaw, loose lantern pants and black boots… he had a rugged, unpolished look.
"Ah… now I remember…"
Illumi studied Ging. "This guy… does he have something to do with Gon?"
"He's Gon's biological father," Xiang Nan said evenly.
"I see."
Xiang Nan stayed quiet.
Illumi clapped his hands once. "Feels strong. Should I kill him?"
If it had been anyone else, he would've gone straight for the kill.
The only reason he didn't was because he'd recognized Ging instantly… and because Ging's strength was unreadable.
Honestly, even if he and Illumi fought together, Xiang Nan wasn't sure they'd win.
"Even though you already know me from the Dark Continent… I'll still introduce myself. Ging Freecss. Nice to meet you, Xiang Nan." Ging smiled, meeting his gaze, and spoke his name without hesitation.
Clearly, Ging had been watching him for a while.
"If I remember right, you're someone who hates trouble—and you and Pariston can't stand each other. I'm surprised he managed to 'invite' you," Xiang Nan said coldly.
"Personal relationships are one thing, positions are another. Pariston's analysis isn't wrong—this situation could seriously threaten the Association. I don't like getting involved, but as the guy pulling the strings, you've stirred things up too much." Ging's smile didn't fade. "So here's my offer—let's end it here. I can guarantee Pariston won't bother you again. What do you say?"
Xiang Nan narrowed his eyes.
From the start, he hadn't sensed Ging's presence until the man acted. And since this was Ging, Xiang Nan couldn't tell if he'd found him… or if Ging had deliberately let himself be found to start a one-on-one talk.
That meant Ging had probably been watching him and Illumi from the shadows for quite some time—curse spirits included—and knew exactly what was happening on the battlefield.
"No wonder Pariston's so confident. If it's Ging Freecss, the space I have to maneuver in is… pretty much gone," Xiang Nan thought grimly.
Ging's appearance was something he hadn't seen coming.
And as they spoke, a new wave of aura dropped from above—a figure leaping down from a rooftop.
Seeing who it was didn't change Xiang Nan's expression, but it sank his mood.
Ging's disciple—Kite.
"Master…"
The tall man with long white hair walked up beside Ging, his tone respectful.
"You're here… how's it going over there?" Ging asked casually.
"It's troublesome, but from the looks of it, the Chairman has the upper hand. Shouldn't be long before it's over," Kite replied.
He was talking about the fight between Netero and Jed.
"Good… that's good."
Ging nodded like it was no surprise, then looked back at Xiang Nan. "So, Xiang Nan—do you accept my offer?"