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The driver, seeing that the two had finished reviewing the information, kindly reminded them, "Lu Xia is not easy to deal with. He has good skills and there's a weapon in the trunk. If you need help, my boss has five temporary recruits, all professional Fungus Men from the Dawn Empire."
"We don't need it. We're not his enemies; we just have some matters to discuss with him. There won't be any conflict," Cui Ming replied. "Please let your boss know to keep an eye on that woman."
"Understood." The driver said no more and quietly drove on.
The car reached the outskirts of the city, where Steep Mountain rose at the edge of a mountain range. Stone stairs had been built there, making it a popular climbing spot for young people due to its steepness. As the two prepared to get out, the driver handed them each a pair of sunglasses. "Cover up a bit," he advised, noting that this was the first time he had seen such boldness in their line of work.
"Thank you." Cui Ming and Beiyue took the sunglasses and exited the vehicle.
The driver backed up to the side, lit a cigarette, and waited silently.
The church at Steep Mountain was not at the highest point but rather situated halfway up the slope, built on the edge of a cliff. At a fork in the road, a narrow path overgrown with weeds bore a sign: Private Territory—No Trespassing. The sign featured an image of a gunshot, indicating that unauthorized entry could result in being shot; within Private Territory, the owner held absolute rights.
The path stretched about three hundred meters, leading to a building that seemed embedded in the cliff—a church. "With architecture at this level, this church must be worth at least a hundred million," Cui Ming remarked.
Beiyue ignored Cui Ming's comment about the hundred million; while Cui Ming was somewhat lazy about acquiring money, he certainly couldn't let this go without a response. The church was across from them, and it was clear there had once been a stone bridge over four meters long, but it had collapsed, effectively isolating the church. In front of it lay a patch of weeds; Beiyue leaped across the chasm and landed in the weeds. Cui Ming followed suit.
There was no reaction from inside the church. "Thirty-two meters away," Cui Ming whispered, sensing a wave of Force emanating from within.
Beiyue nodded and moved ahead. He pushed open the church door, revealing a dimly lit interior. At the far end stood an idol surrounded by virtual candles flickering with simulated flames powered by batteries or electricity. In this day and age, alongside technological advancements came various deceptive devices.
To the left of the idol was a row of bookshelves against the wall. A young man dressed in a black leather jacket had his hair braided and was reading while lighting candles. On the table lay two handguns—not modern pistols but rather large-caliber firearms from earlier times, engraved with text from the Original God Sect. The handguns emitted a faint green glow of Force, clearly indicating they were not ordinary weapons.
Cui Ming and Beiyue stood in the center of the church as the young man closed his book, tucked one handgun into his waistband, approached the idol, and turned to face them. "Who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Cui Ming. This is Beiyue. Has Wandering contacted you?" Cui Ming asked, sensing a hint of hostility from the young man. It was time to establish some rapport.
"Contacted me? How would I be contacted? Why would I be contacted?" the young man retorted, then added, "Show me your credentials."
Beiyue produced her alliance credentials and tossed them over. The young man caught them, examined them for a moment, then closed them and tossed them back, his left hand moving away from his gun. "Hunter... please take a seat," he said, his tone much more welcoming.
Beiyue and Cui Ming followed him out through a side door into a space about twenty square meters in size, filled with wildflowers and grasses. A mountain spring flowed down from the hills nearby. There was a stone table right by the spring. The young man walked over, sat down, and filled a cup with spring water. Placing it on the table, he said, "This spring water is better than any tea leaves. Please, have a seat."
"May I ask your name?"
"Wandering calls me Little Lu; you can call me whatever you like." Little Lu said as the two settled down. "Outside of Wandering, hardly anyone knows me. If you have something to discuss, just go ahead."
Cui Ming replied, "We need to deal with the Antarctic Witch and require some assistance."
"Why should I help you?" Little Lu asked.
"Wandering mentioned that we could exchange information about Warden in return for your help," Cui Ming explained.
"Warden?" Little Lu echoed.
"Is the deal acceptable?"
Little Lu inquired, "Did Wandering send you to negotiate this condition with me?"
"Yes, he said you don't care about anything else; the only way to get your help is through Warden."
"Hmph, Wandering underestimates me," Little Lu said. "I don't harbor any resentment towards Wandering; in fact, I admire him. However, I don't like to express my personal feelings, so he thinks I have some grudge against him. As long as you prove you are with Wandering, I'm willing to help. As for Warden... that's a matter from a long time ago. I'm no longer interested in revenge unless he comes to Thunder Sound City."
"No, he's on Shadow Island," Cui Ming probed, genuinely curious if there was no interest at all.
Little Lu ignored the question and said, "Let's talk about your matters. Who do I need to deal with? What should I do? What are their strengths and characteristics?"
Beiyue began the introduction while Cui Ming observed Little Lu. In the world of poker, Little Lu is commonly referred to as Poker Face. In poker tournaments, having a Poker Face is a compliment; opponents cannot glean any information from his expression. Of course, many women nowadays inject Botox to create their own Poker Face, concealing their true age. Little Lu is a pragmatic person who dislikes small talk—perhaps due to his experience as a detective, perhaps because of the pain of losing his wife, or perhaps it's simply his nature.
However, Little Lu was good at listening. During Beiyue's introduction, there were some unnecessary details, but Little Lu showed no impatience. After Beiyue finished speaking, Little Lu pondered for a moment: "From what you've described, if we were in Antarctica, I might not stand a chance against the witch. But here, I have some confidence. If we include Mundo, though, my abilities may be limited."
"You know about Mundo?"
"When I was younger... no, back in my early days as a detective in Thunder Sound City, I once went to the Southwest region for a case involving a certain poison. We had an encounter with Mundo near the Toxic Swamp. He possesses several characteristics that make him hard to kill; his muscles are regenerative, and he has modified his body to become incredibly strong. His amount of Force is exceptionally high; due to our physical limitations as ordinary practitioners, we have an upper limit on how much Force we can use, but he far exceeds that limit. This amount of Force is mainly used for defense; his offensive means involve twelve surgical knives. There are rumors that he has a dagger that can be thrown or used in close combat, but that's purely speculation."
Little Lu continued: "The twelve surgical knives each carry different viruses mixed with Dark Force. They are thrown at incredible speeds and are very difficult to dodge. Once hit, they can slice through one's Force defenses and infect the body with viruses. There are many types of viruses that can cause paralysis or decay."
Beiyue asked, "And you?"
"I'm not alone; I went with my wife."
"Is your wife a practitioner?"
"Yes, though her strength is rather average. However, we both possess a holy light purification ability, so the surgical knife viruses from Mundo don't affect us much. When I was infected by the virus, my wife would dispel it with holy light and vice versa. We fought for quite a while—at least half an hour—until I realized he could regenerate and heal the damage I inflicted. It was wise to retreat then. He also gave up the chase because we had caused him enough pain."
Cui Ming said, "We'll handle Mundo. Can you deal with the witch?"
"Even you don't fully understand the witch's abilities," Little Lu replied. "I can't make any guarantees, but since Wandering believes I can handle it, I suppose I should be able to. However... I'm not optimistic about you dealing with Mundo. If the three of us face off against two, I will be fighting the witch and won't be able to focus on your Purification. Once infected with the virus, you'll have to withdraw from the battlefield and use Ming to dispel it."
Cui Ming said, "Although I don't have absolute confidence, there is still some assurance. Even if we can't hold off Mundo, you can retreat."
"That's possible," Little Lu asked. "When?"
"I'm not sure, probably within ten days."
Little Lu inquired, "Where are you staying?"
"Station Inn."
"I'll come find you tonight." With that, he stood up, signaling the end of their conversation. He didn't waste any words; once the matter was settled, he had no intention of chatting further and ushered them out.
"Alright." Cui Ming and Beiyue recognized the situation and stood up, maintaining a good attitude as they sought help.
...
Would Little Lu really come? Cui Ming felt confident and assured. He had regained his confidence; one could say that despite being struck down by the witch, he still maintained his self-assurance. He understood the reasons for his failures and wouldn’t burden himself with that weight. Meanwhile, Beiyue, even after nearly facing annihilation due to Witch Island, continued to trust Cui Ming.
At nine o'clock that evening, a hotel staff member knocked on the door. Cui Ming opened it to find the staff member standing at the entrance, whispering, "A person named Lu is looking for you."
"Please let him come up."
"Okay."
"By the way, book him a room."
A minute later, Little Lu arrived and knocked on the door. The door was slightly ajar, and Cui Ming opened it, inviting Little Lu into the inn. Little Lu wasn't one for small talk, and Cui Ming matched his demeanor by pulling out the witch's portrait and explaining his plan and current arrangements. Little Lu studied the portrait carefully and said, "It should be fine. If your assumption is correct that the witch and Mundo went to the Southwest of the Western Continent, she will definitely come to Thunder Sound City. From her attire, it's clear she pays great attention to her appearance. What about her personality? Is she arrogant?"
Cui Ming felt embarrassed. "It's quite shameful to say, but we fell for one of her tricks."
"There's nothing to be ashamed of. It's expected when dealing with the natives in Antarctica. Just like when Silent City encounters wizards; they possess incredibly strong magical enhancements and all sorts of bizarre magic circles." Little Lu set down the portrait. "I've noted everything. I'll be staying next door, so just call for me if you need anything. I won't leave my room for these ten days."
"Thank you for your trouble."
"You're welcome." Little Lu walked to the door and turned back to ask, "How is Wandering doing?"
"Very well."
"Oh!"
Cui Ming said, "Should I call you Little Lu or Ranger?"
"Little Lu."
"Little Lu, then... Warden is also my enemy. If I need help..."
"Feel free to reach out to me." Little Lu nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him. (To be continued.)
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