True Solution of the Sword Dao
Chapter 252 - 240: Lurking 2

Chapter 252: Chapter 240: Lurking 2

In the Lin You household

Inside the living room

Lin You blinked her eyes, looking at the young woman sitting before her. Beside her was a similarly puzzled Feil.

There was also Merrill, sitting with her legs crossed to one side. The blonde woman was dressed in a white medical robe, assuming the posture of a female doctor. She held a steaming cup of green tea in her hands. As soon as she heard Lin You’s account, she immediately rushed over.

The blonde young woman sat opposite the three of them, also holding a cup of green tea, sipping it slowly.

"I am a mercenary hired by Xilan Saersi to protect you," the woman said calmly, "You can call me Cheng Guang. Additionally, I am a top electronic safety monitoring expert, so your safety will be my responsibility from now on."

"Where is Uncle Xilan now?" Lin You asked.

"He is currently unable to tell you. However, compared to his abilities, Lin You, you should be more concerned about your own safety," Cheng Guang said calmly.

"Do you have any way to prove it? We can’t just take your word for it," Merrill said coldly. "I know Xilan; he definitely wouldn’t have sent you here without any proof. That is, of course, assuming you really were hired by him."

"I do," Cheng Guang nodded. "Actually, I am Xilan Saersi’s disciple. To put it in terms you might understand from Hua Nation’s traditions, he raised me, he is my foster father. But he’s not just any foster father who raised me; he also introduced me to the world of mercenary work. This information should be easy for you to verify."

"I see," Merrill’s expression softened slightly. "I was thinking, how could Xilan be so generous to actually pay to have someone come over."

"As you know, that guy treats me like free labor," Cheng Guang shrugged helplessly. "Since it was his request, and I happened to want to take a long vacation for myself, I accepted the job." Cheng Guang pulled a small red bead from her trouser pocket and tossed it lightly to Merrill.

Merrill caught it accurately and took a glance.

"This definitely belongs to him. Only someone very close to him would be given this," she said.

"Of course," Cheng Guang smiled.

"Then, you should be quite clear about our general situation, right?" Merrill continued.

"Very clear," Cheng Guang nodded.

"Regarding the Energy Scepter, in the Inner World, there are only two groups truly interested in it. One is the Holy See; why they are interested, nobody knows. However, it seems that they are not pouring much effort into this. On the other hand, there are the mage scholars. They have a strong research interest in the Energy Scepter.

So, where there’s demand, there’s a market, and thus, there’s profit to be made. Some small and medium-sized families, or wandering mercenaries, naturally have a great interest in your Energy Scepters. Instead of saying they are after the elusive Power of Inheritance from the legends, it’s more accurate to say they are after the hefty prices offered by the Holy See and the magic side."

"And what about you?" Merrill asked, staring intently into Cheng Guang’s eyes.

"Me? Are you joking?" Cheng Guang rolled her eyes, "I don’t believe in the so-called Power of Inheritance of the Energy Scepter at all. As for the magic side and the Holy See, the magic people once nearly caused my father to become paralyzed from the waist down. And you’re not unaware of the relationship between my father and the Holy See, right?"

"Xilan and the Holy See indeed don’t get along," Feil suddenly spoke up. "Cheng Guang, long time no see."

"Hello Aunt Feil," Cheng Guang nodded in response.

"Aunt... Auntie..." Lin You’s face was full of black lines.

****************

Italy

The Amalfi Coast, Minoli Town

In the afternoon, within an open-air garden by the sea.

Under the white circular sunshade in the lush green lawn, there were several white-backed chairs arranged haphazardly. A circular flower bed was placed in the middle of the lawn, with white and red flowers looking exceptionally bright under the sun’s rays.

The sea breeze carried a hint of moisture and a faint freshness.

From here, looking straight out at the sea, there was a stretch of azure that seemed to merge with the sky, occupying most of the view.

An old man with white hair and a somewhat bald head sat under the parasol, shirtless, wearing only a pair of brightly colored beach shorts. He was wearing black sunglasses, and what was most noticeable were the layers of wrinkles squeezed out on his belly, along with a silver cross necklace worn around his neck.

"Every year at this time, I always make a trip here," the old man’s voice was slightly hoarse; however, his Italian was still quite clear. "The wind of Minoli, at this time each year, is always so lulling."

Under the parasol, an equally shirtless old man slowly emerged on another backrest chair, also dressed in beach shorts, although, unlike the bald man, this old man had a full head of white hair.

"So many years, and you haven’t changed a bit," the old man’s voice had a serious tone, instantly giving the impression that he was a very stern person.

"Because there’s no need to change," the bald old man patted the fat on his stomach. "I have five more years; that’s my time."

"I still have ten years, a bit later than you," replied the serious old man. "Having lived so long, one should be content."

"I don’t think so," the bald old man removed his sunglasses. "I want to struggle a little more. With such a beautiful world, how can one willingly leave it."

"So, you’re planning to make your move?"

"Yes. Now, only the Energy Scepter can give me a bit of hope," the bald old man clutched the cross necklace on his chest, "Lord, please forgive my greed."

******************

In the bright, spacious central aisle of the cathedral, among the crowds filling the seats, most of them were priests and nuns dressed in religious robes. Among them were young faces, middle-aged people, and even some old individuals with wrinkled faces. Regardless of age, everyone’s expression was solemn.

At the church pulpit above, a priest in a black robe was loudly reciting a passage from the Bible.

"Be on alert, stand firm in faith, be men of courage, be strong. Whatever you do, do it with love from your heart..."

After every sentence he read, the congregation would echo the recitation.

Half an hour passed in this way. After the reading concluded, everyone stood up and started to leave, quietly talking amongst themselves and leaving the cathedral in small groups.

The priest in the black robe also packed up the Bible, patted his robe, and prepared to exit through the side door of the church.

"Father Yado! Please wait a moment."

A young voice called out to the priest in the black robe.

At this moment, only a few people were left in the entire cathedral, and they were chatting casually as they walked out.

A man with golden hair, clad in silver-white knight’s armor, stood in the middle of the corridor and called out loudly.

The priest squinted his eyes and examined the knight.

"Ah, it’s Alexander. What’s the matter?"

The knight bowed slightly.

"I apologize for stopping you so abruptly. I just wanted to confirm something about Lord Tesla’s will."

"Lord Tesla?" The priest, Father Adot, obviously started. "Alexander, you should not be asking me this question. Isn’t your Judgment Knight Order directly subordinate to Lord Tesla?"

"It seems that way, but in reality, our Knight Order’s structure can no longer be as rigorous as before. Over the past year, we’ve had but a few chances to meet Lord Tesla," the knight said respectfully.

"What about your commander, what about Gao De? You could ask him," suggested Father Adot calmly.

"If possible, I would prefer to obtain more comprehensive information from you." Alexander smiled as he discreetly passed something into the priest’s hand.

The priest took it without changing his expression, weighed it, and his eyes immediately showed subtle satisfaction.

"Since you insist, I shall give you a clear answer," the priest said, his face becoming even more amiable.

Ten minutes later.

The knight left the church with a satisfied smile.

**************

Inside the Sword Canon Space

On the lawn

Lin Fei was practicing the Basic Sword Technique slowly.

Yuan Yicheng stood to the side, a silver longsword strapped to his back, watching Lin Fei practice in silence.

"Cheng Guang?" Lin Fei pivoted, with a diagonal sweep of her sword tip. "Who is it?"

"It should be an undercover agent from the Nicholas Family," Yuan Yicheng said solemnly. "After I completed my mission, my people tracked this person for a while and overheard her talking on the phone with someone from the Nicholas Family."

"You move quite fast." Lin Fei’s sword pointed horizontally, speaking softly.

"It was just a matter of taking care of a small mercenary corps, did a few quick missions, and it was easy to become the corps leader," Yuan Yicheng said indifferently. "The system itself is based on the might of strength."

"Your strength, my lord, has increased too rapidly recently."

"Normal." Lin Fei sheathed her sword and stood up straight, finishing her practice of Basic Sword Technique. "Recently, I’ve had some insights, which could be considered a bit of progress."

"Congratulations, my lord," Yuan Yicheng congratulated.

"I’ll be sending someone over soon, a Dream Eater named Ding Ning. Lend him a hand."

"Alright."

"He’ll infiltrate Lin You’s circle under the guise of a Barrier Master. As for that Cheng Guang... leave her be for now."

"These two, with their respective backing from us and the Nicholas Family, plus others drawn by the Energy Scepter, will make things interesting," Yuan Yicheng said with interest.

Lin Fei did not respond, calmly returning the Black Demon Sword to its sheath.

*********************

United States San Francisco

Night

A noisy and bustling bar.

The piercing sound of rock music vibrated through the entire establishment. Bodies twisted and gyrated in frenzy. Multicolored lights flickered rapidly, darting over each person.

In a corner of the bar.

A handsome man in a silver suit leaned on a glossy black leather sofa. His eyes were slightly red-tinted, as elegant and charming as red wine. His black hair was tied back in a bunch behind his head.

Next to the sofa stood two guards in black suits, both bulky and with bulging waists.

Across from the man stood a snow-haired old man, leaning on a cane, with a neat white goatee.

"Avis, our people should not get involved in the Holy See and magic side’s vortex. The time is not right! Our Nicholas Family is not yet prepared to face the wrath of both. I hope you will reconsider," the old man said.

"Uncle Jack, I am very pleased that you could come visit your nephew."

"But," he stood up, his red eyes faintly glowing, "the Cheng Guang project is the first comprehensive plan I personally initiated since taking office, and it follows my will."

"So what?" the old man said with a deep voice.

"So what? Ha ha ha ha..." Avis suddenly burst into laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" the old man’s complexion slightly changed.

Avis abruptly stopped laughing.

"I, Nicholas Avis, execute the will of our great ancestor," he whispered near the old man’s ear. "My will is the direction of the family!"

He patted the old man’s shoulder. "Don’t stray from the path."

"That is what I should be saying to you," the old man snorted coldly, turning away to watch as Avis and his entourage crossed the dance floor and disappeared through the bar’s exit. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for Monthly Tickets at qidian.com, your support is my greatest motivation.)