No Hero

The Fifth Step Toward the End: Paradise, the Ideal City—translated by Raylight (proofread by Trespa.s.serby; C/E edited by Taffygirl13 & lucathia)

“Guess we’re going to die, right?”

Ezart lazily raised a lamp, saying, “That is, if I’d forgotten to bring a UV lamp . This thing is seriously heavy as h.e.l.l, so I really didn’t want to bring it, but lots of stuff living in caves are frightened by it . It’s even more useful than a cannon!”

You’re really quite something . The money spent to hire you was really not wasted!

Ezart raised his ultrviolet lamp with a fierce expression . That gave me a very bad feeling…

“At least leave one for me to experiment on!” I immediately seized the moment to shout out .

Boom—

With a flash of the light, the rapidly approaching night race instantly turned to ash, even those that were only partially shone on .

It was truly the most perfect failure .

Not even a single one was left .

“Ah Ye!” We rushed to the hospital . Mr . Luo Ye anxiously tried to dash into the hospital ward but was stopped by a tall and strong young man at the door . His face was the picture of cool, and he gave off the feeling of a stern bodyguard . However, he was actually a driver named Nitewalker .

Nitewalker coolly said, “Without the young master’s permission, outsiders may not enter!”

That was rather strange behavior on his part . Nitewalker was just a chauffeur, and given his personality, he normally would not do something like this . After giving it some thought, I a.s.sumed that it was the young master who had instructed him to do so, and turned to say, “Mr . Luo Ye, please wait here for a moment . I will go in and ask for the young master’s permission . ”

Mr . Luo Ye’s expression seemed a little stiff, and though he was evidently displeased, he still nodded .

The moment I stepped in, I saw the young master reclining on the hospital bed . His body was covered with bandages, and there was even a plaster on his face . It was highly likely that the injury on his face had been inflicted by Solitary b.u.t.terfly . He turned to me and asked, “Did he display any strange behaviors?”

“Nothing of the sort . ” Afterwards, I abruptly recalled, “Over the course of our conversation, I found out that Mr . Luo Ye lives in Daystar City . ”

Hearing that, the young master lowered his head, deep in thoughts .

“Young Master, how are your injuries?” I asked in worry, “Have you truly been poisoned?”

“Yeah . There’s poison on that woman’s spikes . It seems to be a sort of neurotoxin, but it’s nothing too serious . I have a strong resistance to poison . ”

The young master ma.s.saged his temples . “It’s just that my head hurts a little and my limbs feel weak . ”

“Those criminals are truly very dangerous . ” I sighed, and found myself leaning more toward the opinion of locking them up .

“Yeah, an ability like controlling metal is really troublesome to deal with . I couldn’t even fight properly . If it weren’t for him, it would not have been hard to handle the rest . ”

The young master weakly said, “Ah Yue-gē told me not to bother with them anymore . P29 has some specific equipment for dealing with those kinds of people, so they will be handling it . Their only worry is not being able to find them . But once they find them, those fugitives will be trapped like birds in a cage . ”

I nodded, and then gave him a timely reminder, “Young Master, Mr . Luo Ye is still waiting outside . ”

The young master hesitated for a moment, before answering, “Let him come in . ”

I brought Mr . Luo Ye in, and he immediately locked his gaze onto the young master to size him up . After confirming that the young master did not have any major injuries, he then relaxed a little and asked gently, “How did you get into a car accident?”

“When I was crossing the road, I dashed across the moment the traffic light changed and got b.u.mped by a car . ” The young master lowered his head, most likely to hide his guilt from lying . He continued, “I’m only lightly injured . No big deal . ”

Mr . Luo Ye lightly reprimanded, “Next time, be more careful . Thankfully, this time it was a mere b.u.mp, but what if that wasn’t the case?”

The young master gave an “okay” a little guiltily . Seeming as though he did not want to continue lying, he changed the topic, “I heard from Charles that you live in Daystar City?”

Mr . Luo Ye nodded and lamented, “It’s not far from here, just an hour’s flight . With such a short distance, I wouldn’t have taken this long to come had I known that you were here earlier . ”

“I will be going to Daystar City in three days . Can you go back first, and then at that time come and look for me again?”

Mr . Luo Ye froze, and then gave a small smile . However, one could tell that his smile was extremely forced . He said in a small voice, “Ah Ye, if you wish for me not to come and look for you again, you can say it directly . It’s all right . ”

The young master was stunned, momentarily unable to respond .

Mr . Luo Ye seemed to be trying his best to hide his lack of composure, and merely said gently, “My apologies, I did not think this through . I simply wanted to come and see you, but I didn’t think that it would have troubled you instead . I will be taking my leave soon—”

“Don’t leave!” The young master cried out in shock .

From the reactions of the young master so far, the young master did seem to be troubled by Mr . Luo Ye’s arrival . Moreover, he had also clarified that Mr . Luo Ye was not his father .  If that is so, then why does he now look so nervous about Mr . Luo Ye leaving…?

Ah, Mr . Luo Ye is at least still the master’s uncle, so it would indeed be impossible to treat it as though he had never appeared .

Mr . Luo Ye seemed to be at a loss as to how to react due to the young master’s drastically different reaction, and the young master also appeared clueless as to what to do next .

I opened my mouth to ask, “Mr . Luo Ye, could I inquire if you own a cell phone? May I know your number?”

Mr . Luo Ye froze for a moment, and answered, “I do . ” He paused, and then recited a string of numbers .

As I inputted the numbers into my phone, I explained, “I will send you my cell phone number . The young master is not used to carrying a cell phone around with him . Therefore, please call my phone number so that it will be easier for you to contact us . ”

Mr . Luo Ye hesitated for a moment, and then turned to the young master . He questioned once more, “Then, I will come and look for you at that time?”

“Yeah! You definitely have to come!” The young master emphasized strongly, still anxious .

Hearing that, Mr . Luo Ye finally seemed to believe that the young master truly wished to see him again . He stretched out his hand, as though he wanted to rub the young master’s head, but midway he pulled back, seeming to find it a little inappropriate .

“Then, I will be going off first,” Mr . Luo Ye suggested tactfully .

The young master nodded . He looked on and sent Mr . Luo Ye off with his eyes, his gaze looking slightly guilty .

I inquired delicately, “Young Master, do you truly wish for Mr . Luo Ye to come and look for you? If that is not the case, then I can help you handle this . ”

“Of course I want him to come!” The young master shook his head as he said, “I just need to think of what to do first . With him around, a lot of things become inconvenient . ”

So that is the case .

“Next, I have to go to Daystar City . ” The young master looked a bit vexed, but afterwards, he looked at me with an even more worried gaze . “But Charles, don’t you have to go to school?”

“Because of Professor Ni Cai and Professor Lieder, many students and professors are currently being asked questions by the police, so lessons will possibly be canceled for a period of time . ”

According to Ah Shuu’s exaggerated words, since the Sun Emperor was involved and it was an issue as serious as abduction, it would not have been strange even if the whole school disappeared . However, I believed that it would not be that serious… At least, before matters progressed to that stage, I would inform the young master .

When the young master heard that, he resignedly said, “It can’t be helped . Gēge got snubbed, so Ah Yue-gē flew into a rage and is now taking it out on others . ”

“Is Secretary Bai in charge of the investigations?”

“P29 seems to be an organization that Ah Yue-gē was in charge of in the first place . ” The young master tilted his head to one side as he pondered, and added on, “Things like killing people to silence them, secret human experimentation labs, and the purchase and sales of illegal firearms are also part of Ah Yue-gē’s job scope . Let me think, there might also be… Drugs? But that’s just my guess! Maybe there’s no such thing at all!”

Why bother guessing? Young Master, you have the highest access rights within the whole Sun Alliance, so you would be able to find out, right?

The young master abruptly changed the subject and said, “Charles, help me contact Gēge . ”

“Very well . ” After I dialed the number, I pa.s.sed the cell phone over to the young master .

“Gē . ” The young master called out, and then quickly explained, “No! I didn’t get into any trouble . Don’t worry… What do you mean I wouldn’t call you unless I have gotten into big trouble? Don’t I always call you at night? C-Calling once in three days isn’t that infrequent…” As he continued speaking, he seemed guiltier and less confident .

When I had first met the young master, he would video call the master every night . Though recently, it was true that the intervals between the calls were getting longer . There were times that the young master did not call for five days, and then the master would give me a call—the young master would only remember to bring his cell phone when he was out being Dark Sun, for the sake of contacting the other heroes and the police . In that kind of situation, of course he would not have the time to pick up the master’s calls .

“Gē… Luo Ye is still alive . ” The young master had an uneasy expression, looking more like he was speaking of his nemesis being still alive rather than a relative .

Following that, the young master did not speak for a long time . However, there was not a single sound from the phone either . Evidently, the young master was quiet not because the master was speaking, but rather, both parties had gone completely silent .

Suddenly, the young master’s expression changed, turning darker and darker as he listened attentively . Somewhere in the middle, he gave a shout of “Gē,” but then froze suddenly . After listening a while longer, he actually roared into the phone, “No way! If you dare to do that, I will never talk to you again!”

The young master hung up the call, full of rage . When he noticed me at the side, he explained in discontent, “Gēge told me to hand the person over to him to deal with . ”

The two words “deal with” sounded very ominous . Accompanied with the young master’s expression and the fact that the person who was going to deal with him was the master, I was certain that when he said “deal with,” it was referring to the kind of “methods to deal with someone” that were extremely tidy and made one disappear without a trace .

“Is it a problem of the family inheritance?” I cautiously inquired .  Otherwise, why would he want to deal away with his own uncle?

The young master froze, and then shook his head saying, “That’s not it . This is a very complex matter . As for the most crucial parts, I-I can’t tell you . ”

I smiled as I replied, “Young Master, when it comes to things that you may not speak of or things you do not wish to speak about, of course you are free not to say them . There is no need to feel troubled by it . It is not as though I have told you all the large and small affairs of the Elysees family either, is that not so?”

The young master’s expression seemed relieved . He did not bring it up again, and merely conversed with me idly .

“Charles, put some bandages in the luggage!” He seemed a little helpless as he said, “My injuries should be fully healed in three days, but since I’ve already pretended to be in an accident, I can only continue this act . ”

“As you wish, Young Master . ” I carefully scrutinized the young master’s face and said, “Sticking on a band-aid should work for the injury on your face . This way, it would not affect your filming, and perhaps you could even pose it as a kind of fashion statement . ”

“Band-aid fashion style? That doesn’t seem too bad!” The young master laughed and said, “Filming a movie seems like it would be very interesting, and Father Alex seems like a good person!”

I quietly said, “Young Master, I believe it would be best not to trust Father Alex too much . ”

The young master frowned and asked, “Do you hate Father Alex? Though it feels like he is a fairly good person?”

“I do not think that he is a bad person . It is merely that he might possibly harbor ill intentions toward you or the master, as after all, there have been too many conflicts in the past . ”

“There shouldn’t be any hatred between the Church and Gēge . Mainly it’s…” The young master glanced at me, but did not continue . He merely asked in confusion, “Exactly how did X become enemies with the Church? I mean, what happened at the start of it all?”

“Young Master, I am afraid I am not in the know . ”

I had heard X mention that he and the Church had hunted each other down for a very long time, the animosity acc.u.mulating until he could not remember which incidents had occurred . However, he had never once mentioned the reason behind what had started it all . Even when I had asked him about it, I would only get a cold reply of “I forgot . ”

“Is it possible that… . ” The young master hesitated for a bit, but still asked, “That X killed someone from the Church first?”

I replied calmly, “Young Master, X has not mentioned a word of his past to me . Perhaps that is the case, or perhaps that is not . I am unable to answer that question . ”

As for who started this circle of hatred, that was no longer important, for I had already chosen to stand beside X . For the young master to ask a question like that, could it mean that he was starting to feel doubt as to why he was standing on X’s side?

The young master gave a disappointed “oh,” his expression turning more perplexed .

I could not help but try to explain, “Young Master, the people from the Church are definitely not evil . They protect humans, and that is an undeniable fact . ”

“But we aren’t bad guys either!” The young master looked vexed as he said, “Why do we have to fight each other? What exactly is the problem?”

“The problem lies in the fact that I am not human . ” I spoke in a quiet voice, “As for you, Young Master, you know too many non-humans . ”

The young master seemed bewildered and questioned, “Why can’t humans and non-humans get along with each other? I don’t understand . We are just of different races . Is that a big issue?”

Young Master, you are so powerful, so naturally you would not be afraid of us . However, others might not be able to win against non-humans even when armed with a weapon . No rabbit would be willing to stay in the same cage as a lion . No matter how tame the lion appears, who knows when it might go mad and swipe their claws at them . Is it not so?

I hesitated for a while, but still opened my mouth to say, “Young Master, if you intend to side with the Church, then I am afraid I will have to leave your side, so as to avoid possible conflicts that may occur . ”

After saying so, I felt uncomfortable . Those words sounded as though I was using myself to threaten the young master, though that was not my intention . I was merely notifying the young master that I would have to do so .

“Charles, what are you saying? As if I would harm X!” The young master seemed a little angry, but his words made me feel at ease, for the young master was always a man of his word .

“So X is more important than me…” The young master muttered softly, as though he was a little jealous . I felt the urge to laugh at that .

The young master seemed to have noticed, and his face turned slightly red . However, he tried his best to keep an earnest expression as he asked, “Charles, do you believe that X is in the right?”

The young master seemed very insistent on the issue of who was in the right or wrong . However when I thought it over, he was a hero, after all . How would it be possible for him not to be concerned over it?

“It is not simply because X is in the right, but rather…” I was at a loss as to how to explain, and took a deep breath before continuing, “I know that I personally would not wish to see him taken away by the Church, so regardless of what happens, I will always be on his side . ”

The young master seemed deep in thought as he asked, “So this has nothing to do with who’s right or wrong?”

“Indeed, this has nothing to do with being right or wrong . ”

“I think I get it . ” The young master sighed and asked, “X is your ‘Gēge,’ right?”

I nodded . “He is both a father and an elder brother to me . ”

“‘Gēge’ is indeed someone that cannot be betrayed, no matter what . ” The young master seemed a little downcast as he murmured, “That was why I had to leave the house . Otherwise, what could I do?”

What is the relation between not being able to betray the master and the need to leave the house? The thought popped into my mind, but I understood it soon after . Though there was not a direct link between the two, it was still relatively easy to comprehend .

The master had never been a good person, but the young master wanted to become a hero . If the young master were to stay at home, it would be difficult to face the injustice that was so close at hand .

“I’m sorry . ” The young master quietly said, “If I were to probe into the question of who is right or wrong, I ought to start with myself .

“Even if they are both bad guys, X would definitely lose to my Gēge several times over . ” His tone seemed deprecating as he mocked himself .

Seeing the young master’s expression darken, I quickly asked a question to distract him, “Young Master, why did you initially want to become a hero?”

“Hmm? To tell the truth, I had no intentions of becoming a ‘hero’ at first!”

The young master scratched his face, saying, “At first, all I wanted to do was save Gēge . But Gēge didn’t want other people to find out that I’m his dìdì and that I have many strange abilities, so he ordered me to act like a normal boy . Yet I had to go save him no matter what, so in the end, the solution I came up with was to disguise myself with a visor and those clothes . ”

So that was the case .

“Afterwards, I saw many unpleasant incidents, and I just happened to have a disguise on hand, so I thought I might as well put it on and help them . Without realizing, it somehow ended up like this . ”

I replied with a smile, “Indeed, it is common to see unpleasant incidents in Sunset City . Young Master, since you chose to live here but are unable to turn a blind eye to it, perhaps you are destined to be a hero . ”

The young master looked at me as he complained, “It’s not like there are more unpleasant incidents in Sunset City than other places . Gēge stays in Daystar City most of the time . After I graduated high school, he immediately moved over, because the security there is good… But I hate it there!”

He emphasized very seriously, “I really, really hate it!”

I was unable to comprehend and asked him, “Why is that so? I heard that the public security and order in Daystar City is excellent, and the city is extremely high-tech and beautiful . It is rare to hear someone say negative remarks about Daystar City, except from non-humans . ”

As a vampire, Daystar City was a place that I would stay far away from, and naturally a place that I did not want to live in . However, Daystar City has always been considered to be the most ideal city . Many political and business celebrities lived there, so naturally it was not a terrible place to stay .

“The bad guys of Daystar City are different from those in Sunset City . ” The young master spoke in a serious manner, “The bad guys there don’t use brute force to kill, so it’s not something I can stop . ”

If they do not use brute force to kill, how do they do it then?

“Father, I have sinned . ” The young master said with a grin .

He sat on the sermon stage disrespectfully . With a flat cap, skate pants, and the band-aid on his face, he looked very much the part of a mischievous teenager . Though he was already over twenty, his baby face seemed to make everyone still regard him as a teenager .

Father Alex was standing below the sermon stage, still dressed in priest robes . This time, the robes were more elaborate than before, with gold decorations adorning the sides of the robe . However, the cross on his neck remained unchanged .

“Is that so?” Father Alex seemed not to take it seriously . On his face was a loving smile, as though he was looking at a child playing a prank . “What sin have you committed?”

“The sin of killing you . ” The young master pulled out a gun from behind his waist . The grin on his face had at some point turned into a cold smile .

With a wave of Father Alex’s hand, a small blade like that of a bamboo leaf appeared in his hand .

With a clang, half of the gun barrel in the young master’s hand fell off, the cut as clean as if it had been sliced apart with an energy blade…

“Cut!”

“Very good, very good . Once more from the top . Ah Ye, you’re doing very well . Please keep it up! Father, your movements need to be even faster, and even more stylish . Just like this!”

Director Xiao walked up front, and as he talked, he demonstrated how to swing the knife . Off to the side, someone immediately rushed to the area below the sermon stage and picked up the part of the gun barrel on the floor, before sticking the sections back to form a complete-looking gun .

The young master’s action of pulling out the gun seemed far too smooth . An observant person might see through his cover… Wait, the young master was originally a graduate from the combat major, so being proficient in using guns would be proper . Why do I keep forgetting that?

I sat in the corner of the church, trying my best to hide in the darkness and make myself less conspicuous, though a vampire in the church was something that could not be any more conspicuous .

It was still fine for the church in Sunset City, for only Father Yue was there . At most, there would be a few other absent-minded clergymen or nuns . However, the churches in Daystar City were proper churches, especially since the churches chosen for this film production were all famous cathedrals . They were absolutely forbidden areas for non-humans!

Ever since I started following the young master, I seemed to have broken many taboos of non-humans, and now to think I would even step into a cathedral . If this were to happen in the past, a war would most likely break out because of it . Yet now, I could actually walk in peacefully . This really made me feel deeply moved by how much the world had changed…

I lowered my head, a computer tablet in my hands . Once in a while, I would raise my head to look at the young master who was filming, checking if he required my services . The majority of the time was spent staring at the tablet with my head lowered . On the screen were the surgical notes that Ah Shuu had sent me . Some even had videos embedded in it and were extremely useful for enriching my knowledge of actual operations .

Even if there was something I did not understand, I could message Ah Shuu . He was online most of the time and would reply to me immediately . It was truly a blessing that I had become acquainted with this cla.s.smate!

What Ah Shuu asked for in exchange was occasionally taking a few photos of the young master for him to see, or switching to video call so that his female junior could see me . Neither of these things were difficult to do .

I could not resist wondering .  Should I give Mr . An Te Qi a tablet? If so, I would be able to receive his teachings whenever… Sigh, now that was foolish thinking on my part . Mr . An Te Qi might not even pick up his cell phone, let alone a tablet .

“Charles, you there?”

Seeing the message that popped up on the screen, I quickly walked out of the church before I then pressed the call b.u.t.ton . On the screen, Ah Shuu appeared with unkempt hair .

“Ah Shuu, did you just wake up?”

Ah Shuu froze, and answered, “No, I’ve been awake for about two to three hours . Why? Do I look like I just woke up?”

“You may have momentarily forgotten to comb your hair,” I politely pointed out .

“It’s not like I’m going to school . Why would I need to comb my hair? Besides, I don’t own a comb, since my hair can be styled by hand with wax . The moment I comb it, it’s all ruined!”

I looked at Ah Shuu’s curly hair . It had looked pretty good the last time I had seen it, but now, its completely untouched state was simply… .

Ah Shuu scratched his head, and asked, “Do I look a lot like an auntie?”

I could only nod my head .

“Well, you’re the only one seeing this anyways, so it’s fine even if I look ghastly!”

“May I inquire as to the reason you are looking for me?”

“I got some questions for you . ”

I wryly chuckled, “Is it for your female junior again?”

“Yeah! If it were someone else, I wouldn’t even bother!”

“You certainly look after your female junior a lot . ” I made a remark with some implications . I had met Ah Shuu’s junior once, and she was unmistakably a cute girl . Her personality was unexpectedly shy . I had thought that Ah Shuu would prefer girls who were more outgoing, but evidently that was not the case .

Ah Shuu let out a “hehe,” and then started recording as he asked, “How old are you?”

“A hundred and fifty-seven years old . ”

“Woah!” Ah Shuu’s eyes widened, and he asked, “Then, doesn’t it mean I should call you Great-grandpa Charles?”

I politely explained, “There is no need to do so . Among vampires, I am merely a child who has just reached adulthood . ”

“Is that so? Then shouldn’t you be calling me Ah Shuu-gē instead?”

I joked, “If that is your wish . ”

Ah Shuu’s expression turned into one of disgust, and he continued quickly, “Forget it, forget it! Getting a person who has lived a hundred and fifty-something years to call me Gē? I’m not that old!”

“Next question . You—”

I abruptly felt uneasy, and raised my head . As expected, I saw that something was off, and said in a quiet voice, “Ah Shuu, I will contact you again later . ”

Following that, I put the computer tablet into the bag that I was carrying around, and looked at the people coming toward me . There were a total of six people uniformly dressed in priest garbs, the type that allowed for easier movement . That was also the kind worn by the people in Sin Elimination Committee .

There were many clergymen walking through this area, but given that the six of them had walked toward me in a straight line with their eyes burning through me, it would be foolish to a.s.sume that they were just pa.s.sing by .

Since our arrival at Daystar City three days prior, I had spent most of the time at the church . The fact that people were only now coming to stir up trouble with me already made me feel very astonished .

They stopped in their tracks at a distance a bit away from me . As expected, they were people from the Sin Elimination Committee, for they knew not to come too close to a vampire . What a pity that they had made an unwise decision to come forth and pick a fight . Judging from their appearances, they all seemed to be full of youthful vigor, which was probably the reason why .

They glared at me, their expressions ranging from cold to colder, though their imposing manner was a little lacking due to their ages .

I merely returned their gazes with a faint smile .

“Is he really a vampire?” One of the particularly young-looking clergymen turned to his companion and whispered softly, “He doesn’t look like one at all!”

His companion beside him immediately reproached, “Idiot, didn’t you see the info? He’s even a fifth-generation vampire!”

“He doesn’t even look like a vampire…” That clergyman unhappily said, and after that, received glares from his two companions . He quickly straightened up and stopped talking .

I could not resist smiling at that . These young people from the Sin Elimination Committee were rather interesting, and did not seem as remarkably vicious as portrayed in the rumors . Of course, I was referring to the rumors spread among the non-humans .

“Don’t think that you’re something just because you can step into Daystar City! All vampires have sinned without exceptions!”

“Our Lord has spoken, one must not partake in any blood!”

“How dare you defile our church…”

When I heard their words, on the contrary I felt more relieved . People truly intending to attack would never talk so much . If they were here just to run their mouths and taunt, then everything would be all right . Not getting involved in a fight would be the best possible scenario .

“Stop wasting words on him!”

I dodged the scythe coming at me . The blade was about the size of one’s palm and in the shape of a cross, with a bead chain attached at the end . One could throw it out to attack, or use it like a whip and swing it around . If one was skilled with it, it was indeed a rather troublesome weapon .

In my honorable father’s investigation, this kind of cross scythe was one of the Sin Elimination Committee’s basic equipment . The cross was made of silver, making it highly likely to be targeted toward vampires .

I had not thought that they would still make a move in the end, though the person who started it was not one of the younger ones, but the one who looked the most mature and calm . This really makes one feel rather bewildered .

I looked at him . Though his face was full of anger, I could not feel any killing intent from the attacks of the scythe in his hands, and the places he aimed for were not vital points . On the contrary, the youngsters at his side looked extremely excited, their eyes shining with killing intent, and their emotions seeming a lot more genuine .

I started to understand at this point . These young people had likely been incited to do this . Though the Church had agreed to let me and Melody step into Daystar City and even enter a famous cathedral due to the shooting needs, they would most likely still feel uncomfortable about it . Finding someone to come over and teach me a lesson seemed reasonable .

If they got younger people, they could lay the blame on the hot-headedness of youths, so it would be harder to pursue the matter .

“He’s so fast!” The youngest priest sighed in admiration, and was once again greeted by the glares of his companions .

After I dodged the weapon for a while, the other person seemed to feel humiliated by this, and his killing intent grew stronger . This is truly terrible . Should I let him land a hit once or twice? But he is using a lethal weapon, so if it were to hit me, I would most likely be unable to hide this from the young master .

This was but a trifle, and I had no wish to pull the young master into this matter . But if he were to see me injured, he would most likely be very angry, to a level outside of the Church’s expectations .

After giving it some thought, I simply turned and entered the church . Since their intention was merely to pick a fight and stir up some trouble for me, I doubted that they would give chase .

A black shadow flashed before my eyes, and an object fell from above . When it landed on the ground, it made a strange, dull thud accompanied with the sound of something snapping . It was so sudden that it had nearly landed on me head-on . My alertness was seriously growing worse . The Church’s actions were truly starting to make me feel a little displeased—

A strong smell of blood emanated…

I looked down and saw a man lying on the floor . His head was facing me, his neck bent at an impossible angle . Both his eyes were wide open, almost popping out . I was not too sure if I was overthinking it, but his expression seemed very disinclined, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with resentment .

In his current state, he could not be considered as a human anymore, but rather a corpse . His blood was sprayed all over the floor, emitting a sweet scent .

The realization hit me that this was not something done by the Church . No matter how much they loathed me, they would not push someone down to their death right in front of their own cathedral doors .

“Charles!”

The young master dashed out, looking alarmed as he cried out, “Charles, are you all right?”

I raised my head and spoke calmly, “Young Master, I am fine . It is just that someone has fallen off the building . ”

“Fallen off the building?” Only then did the young master notice the corpse on the floor . He frowned as he took a moment to look it up and down . Following that, his vision was blocked by Father Alex who had immediately rushed over . The other gently chided, “Don’t look . This is not something you ought to see . ”

The young master obediently pretended to be afraid and threw himself into my arms . He then pinched me, secretly hinting to let him peek through the gaps .

At this point, a sudden shriek pierced the air . The young master was not shocked by the corpse, but jolted violently at the sound of the scream . Following that, there was more screaming, and chaos unfolded on the scene . Someone yelled to call for an ambulance, but I believed that it was too late for such a thing .

With this kind of situation, we naturally could not continue filming here . Director Xiao could only tell us to go back to the hotel to rest .

The entire film crew utilized a dozen or so black vans, and when they were all driving on the streets, the formation was simply startling . If this were to happen in Sunset City, a large commotion would most likely break out, and many outside broadcast trucks would start following behind the vans . However, Daystar City seemed to be fairly used to this . At most, we would receive a side glance from the occasional pa.s.serby, who would then proceed onto their daily lives as per usual .

It had been three days since we had come to Daystar City, and I could see the place lived up to its reputation . The city was very technologically advanced, the streets were clean, and the people on the streets were well-dressed . It seemed that the trend of glowing accessories in Sunset City was not popular here, and even body modifications seemed to be less common here than in Sunset City .

The people here were extremely courteous, and conflicts were rarely seen in the streets . If one were to pull out a weapon in the streets, it would cause a disturbance and much criticism . This would simply be unimaginable in Sunset City .

If one were to pull out their weapon in Sunset City, all that would happen is that the people around them would all start pulling out their weapons .

Truly, these two cities were substantially different from each other . As of now, I could not help but admit that I preferred Daystar City over the other .  Why does the young master hate this place so much?

The young master was currently engaged in a conversation with Ah Shuu using the tablet computer, replying to some questions such as “What color underwear do you wear the most?” Seeing that he did not require my services, I continued to look out of the window . After all, this was most likely the only time I would be able to step into Daystar City, so it was a good chance to see as much of it as possible .

The more I looked, the more amazed I was . The city was very beautiful, and even the design of their traffic lights was magnificent . If it were not for the fact that this city rejected non-humans, perhaps I would have chosen to stay here .

The young master gave an “ah” and then said, “We’ve reached the hotel . Ah Shuu, I’m going off now! I’m getting out of the car . ”

“After you return to the hotel, poke me if you’re free . I’ll show you something interesting,” Ah Shuu actually said in a dubious tone .

What exactly is he planning to show the young master? I could not help but worry . Last time he had suddenly sent a remarkably large file and said that it was good stuff meant to be shared with friends . When I opened the file, it actually turned out to be a hundred adult films .

The young master happily agreed, “Okay!”

The film crew had booked several floors of the hotel for us to stay in, including the young master and me . Only Father Alex did not stay in the hotel due to the fact that the church he resided in was nearby .

Once the car arrived, the service staff immediately opened the car door, full of smiles . Even the hotel was extremely comfortable . I personally did not meet a single unfriendly staff, for they always had smiles on their faces . Even most of the guests in the hotel would smile at each other if they were to make eye contact with another .

When we got out of the car, I instructed the driver, “Nitewalker, please do as you have done for the previous two days and return to your hotel room to await orders after you park the car . ”

Though he was not driving his own taxi, Nitewalker’s driving was still extremely steady, which made me feel extremely glad to have brought the driver to Daystar City .

“Understood . ”

After getting out, we saw a few people waiting in the hotel lobby . There were not many of them, roughly ten people . Once they saw the film crew walking in, they immediately jumped up from the sofas in excitement .

There had actually been quite a crowd on the first day, mostly comprising of Father Alex’s fans . However, once they had realized that he would not be coming over, there had been drastically less people the next day, with a turnout of about ten people . Though the young master was also well-known in this area, it was mostly on the negative side . That was most likely because he was a compet.i.tor with the city representative of this area .

Thankfully, there were still people who loved the young master, though rather mysteriously, most of them were ladies above the age of thirty .

The young master also liked them a lot, and frequently allowed them to rub his own head . It looked a lot like a child acting lovably cute to their mother in hopes of getting pampered .

“Ah Ye!”

A few ladies who had also dropped by yesterday came up to him familiarly . Usually the bodyguards would hold them off, but since there were not many of them and the young master did not mind them, the bodyguards stood by the side without moving .

The young master looked at the group of ten ladies or so and asked curiously, “Why did the number of people increase?”

Everyone answered one-by-one: “This is my little sister,” “My colleague,” “My neighbor,” “My mom”…

I see, good things must be shared with friends, is it?

The young master let them rub his head as they wished, and sometimes they even brazenly pinched his cheeks . However, he gave no resistance, and the women turned bolder . They surrounded him persistently and seemed extremely happy as they smiled and giggled .

“You’re different from the rumors,” one of the younger girls suddenly commented .

The young master seemed puzzled as he asked, “What rumors?”

The women turned quiet for a moment, their expressions looking a little uneasy .

The girl was nervous for a while, and glanced at the young master . Seeing that he was not about to take action, she then boldly answered, “You’re the Sun Emperor’s little brother, right? Everyone says that you’re a big shot, and there’s several members of the adjudication squad surrounding you . As long as someone comes close to you and does anything strange, they might even be killed!”

“Killed?” The young master’s eyes turned wide as he explained, “I do have bodyguards at home, but I only have four of them . Also, they don’t follow me out of the house, and definitely would not kill people who come close to me!”

“Is that so?” The girl seemed to believe his words and murmured softly, “You really are adorable! Even cuter than on television!”

The young master’s face turned red, and he muttered, “I’m almost twenty-four…”

“Ah Ye, hurry and go rest!” Director Xiao walked over, and rolled his eyes as he said, “If you want to pick up girls, wait till after the movie is finished! Today we are filming night scenes, so we might have to shoot through the night . Go sleep quickly, and eat something . We’re gathering at seven o’clock, got it?”

Pick up girls… I believed that the ladies here were not “girls” to the young master, but “big sisters” and “aunties . ”

The young master gave an “oh” and obediently replied, “Okay . ”

However, he still bid farewell to the crowd of women one by one before he left . At this point, most of the film crew had already gone upstairs, so only the young master and I remained in the elevator .

I pressed the elevator b.u.t.ton, and the young master suddenly asked, “Charles, do you like it here?” He seemed a little uneasy as he continued, “I feel like you seem to like this place a lot . ”

“Indeed, I do quite find it quite to my liking,” I answered truthfully .

The young master said in a small voice, “But I hate it here . ”

“Young Master, these are just personal opinions . There is no need to mind it much . ”

“But Gēge also said that there isn’t anything bad about this place . ” The young master seemed a little depressed as he said, “Can it be that I’m the only one who is strange?”

“Then, what are Mr . An Te Qi’s thoughts on this?” In my opinion, Mr . An Te Qi might possibly prefer Sunset City?

The young master helplessly said, “Bàba doesn’t care which city he is in . He only knows his own lab!”

… That is true .

“But Ezart hates it here, too!”

The young master abruptly said, and his expression turned much more relieved . When he stepped out of the elevator, the worry was gone from his face .

One must really thank Ezart for this .  I wonder how he has been doing lately? Last time, he told the young master that he was going on an adventure to a mysterious, large oriental tomb . However, it seemed to be illegal to do so, as it was stated on his contract that he was not to reveal which tomb it was .

As per usual, Ezart said that he would mail back some souvenirs to the young master . Thus, we had received a small knife last time . The note that accompanied it had these words messily scribbled on it: “My reward . The others said it’s the Yu Chang Sword . 1 Well, I don’t have time to write more! I got another job exploring old tombs, gotta go . Bye . ”

He had not even signed his name, so if it were not for the fact that only Ezart would mail something like that to us, we would likely not have been able to figure out the ident.i.ty of the sender .

Thus, I could only buy a climate-controlled safe of the best quality so as to carefully preserve this artifact that was claimed to be the Yu Chang Sword, as well as to store future artifacts that would continue to arrive in Styrofoam boxes from delivery services .

The young master sighed, “I wonder when Ezart will come back . It’s been a long time since I had midnight snacks with him . ”

Even if he wanted news from Ezart, the young master would not call him . The reception at ancient tombs was not great, and most of the time the call would not go through . Even if it did, it could possibly bring fatal danger to Ezart .

The phone would not connect nine out of ten times, and even if it were to connect, it might cause Ezart’s death . Thus, the young master stopped calling Ezart and merely waited for Ezart to call him .

Once he entered the room, the young master said he was going to take a shower . Normally he showered twice a day, once when he came back from his morning exercise, and a second time at night . Even though he did not have time for his exercise now due to having to film in the early morning, he still kept his habit of showering in the morning .

Is it purely because he likes taking showers, or is there another reason for doing so? Perhaps I can ask the young master in the future .

Since we were staying at the hotel, there were no household ch.o.r.es to be done . Therefore, I could only switch on my tablet, and tried to inquire and admonish, “Ah Shuu, what are you planning to send to the young master? Please do not send him any erotic films . ”

I was not sure what Ah Shuu was doing, but he was stunned for a long time before he regained his senses . He yelled, “What do you mean erotic films! Sending those to Ah Ye is too perverted! I’m not some perverted uncle who takes pleasure in corrupting the young!”

“… I believe the young master is older than you?”

“Like heck! Ah Ye is a year younger than me, okay? I played around for a few years before I went on to university!”

Ah Shuu seemed awkward as he said, “But you’re right, Ah Ye isn’t a child . Sheesh, I forgot, okay! Looking at his face makes me think he’s in high school… But wait, high-schoolers would probably have already watched AVs ages ago, so sending him some wouldn’t be a big deal!”

He grabbed at his hair that was already messy enough, as he shouted, “It’s all because your young master looks too pure! Just thinking of sending AVs to him makes people feel guilty! Don’t tell me he really is an angel?”

I laughed as I said, “Even if you were to send them, the young master would probably not have much interest in them . ”

“A man who has no interest in adult videos?” Ah Shuu frowned as he asked, “Don’t tell me Ah Ye has never had a girlfriend before?”

“The young master already has a fiancée . ”

Ah Shuu’s eyes turned wide . “Are you for real… Oh, you mean like an arranged marriage between rich families?” He blurted out his a.s.sumed conclusion .

I quickly explained, “Nothing of the sort . The young master was the one who decided on his fiancée!”

“Is that so? Then, is she pretty?”

Pretty… “Miss Briar is certainly rather adorable,” I answered honestly . After all, she was merely thirteen, so it was difficult to describe her as beautiful .

“From your tone, it doesn’t seem like she’s very pretty…”

“Please hold on a moment,” I told him, for my cell phone was ringing .

Taking a look at the name displayed on the screen, I then picked up and greeted, “Mr . Luo Ye, greetings . ”

Though the other did not speak, heavy breathing could be heard over the line . One could tell that Mr . Luo Ye was extremely agitated right now .

“Are you coming over?” I cautiously inquired .

I did not think that my words would set off a trigger, and he immediately growled, “If you don’t want me to look for Ah Ye, then just tell me straight! There’s no need to do this! N-No matter what, I’m still his father . How could he do such an unfilial thing?”

“What are you talking about?” I inquired in shock . “The young master has not done anything . ”

“He hasn’t?” Luo Ye gave a laugh, one filled with sorrow .

I could feel that something was terribly wrong, and quickly asked, “Where are you? Please, would it be possible if we meet up and talk about this?”

The other fell silent for a long while, his breathing becoming rapid .

A thought suddenly flashed across my mind, and the words slipped out, “Please believe the young master, he truly would not want to harm you!”

“Very well!” Mr . Luo Ye gritted his teeth as he said, “If he wants me to die, then Ah Ye should come over and kill me personally!”

As I thought! My expression darkened as I heard his current whereabouts .

“If he truly still wants to see me, then he should come faster,” Mr . Luo Ye indifferently said and then hung up the phone .

I immediately knocked on the bathroom door and called, “Young Master!”

“Huh?” The sound of the water flowing gradually grew softer .

“Mr . Luo Ye’s life is in danger . ”

Roughly ten seconds later, the young master dashed out of the shower . Most likely he had just arbitrarily wiped himself a few times, so his clothes were all soaked by the water still on his body, and his hair was even still dripping wet .

“Where is he?” He asked, extremely fl.u.s.tered . He looked as though he was about to jump straight out the window after asking this, which was typical behavior of Dark Sun when he was in Sunset City .

I reminded, “Young Master, the French window in the hotel cannot be opened . Also, Dark Sun does not exist in Daystar City, so please follow me . ”

The young master froze, and could only follow me obediently . As we went downstairs, I gave a call to Nitewalker and explained that we were pressed on time and we needed him to drive out immediately .

Thankfully, we had our own driver . Even if the car he was driving was not his own, I believed that with his ability, it would still move at a superhuman first-cla.s.s speed .

When we reached the hotel entrance, the black van was already waiting . It was true that Nitewalker’s room was at a floor a lot lower than ours, but his speed was still extraordinary . It seemed that Nitewalker did not just drive fast, he also moved very quickly .

After getting on and reporting the address, I could finally relax a little . However, I noticed a serious problem . “Young Master, you forgot to put on your shoes!”

The young master froze for a moment, and then looked down at his bare feet . Following that, he calmly said, “It’s okay . Charles, call Luo Ye . I want to speak to him . ”

I immediately did so, but could only inform him in an apologetic tone, “Young Master, the call did not go through . Should I continue calling?”

The young master shook his head, and shouted at the driver’s seat, “Nitewalker, faster! Go the fastest you can!”

Nitewalker glanced at the rear mirror and asked, “Even if people realize there’s something strange?”

The young master’s expression changed, but he then said through clenched teeth, “It’s fine!”

Nitewalker violently spun the steering wheel, and we switched directly from the middle lane to the shoulder, causing a series of honking . As we climbed up the side of the building afterwards, the sound of the car horns abruptly stopped .

Down below, unrest finally stirred in the always calm and collected crowd of Daystar City .

Footnotes

1 “Yu Chang Sword”: (魚腸劍) The Yu Chang Sword is one of ten famous swords from China . The first character 魚 (yú) means fish, while the second character 腸 (cháng) means intestines . The name may come from the pattern of the sword looking like the intestines of a fish, or because the sword is small enough to fit in the bowels of a fish . It is also known as the Sword of Bravery, as it was a sword used by the cook Zhuan Zhu to a.s.sa.s.sinate King Liao of the Wu state, with the sword coming out from the fish served to the king .

The Fifth Step Toward the End: Paradise, the Ideal City—translated by Raylight (proofread by Trespa.s.serby; C/E edited by Taffygirl13 & lucathia).

“Guess we’re going to die, right?”.

Ezart lazily raised a lamp, saying, “That is, if I’d forgotten to bring a UV lamp . This thing is seriously heavy as h.e.l.l, so I really didn’t want to bring it, but lots of stuff living in caves are frightened by it . It’s even more useful than a cannon!”.

You’re really quite something . The money spent to hire you was really not wasted!.

Ezart raised his ultrviolet lamp with a fierce expression . That gave me a very bad feeling….

“At least leave one for me to experiment on!” I immediately seized the moment to shout out

Boom—.

With a flash of the light, the rapidly approaching night race instantly turned to ash, even those that were only partially shone on

It was truly the most perfect failure

Not even a single one was left

 .

 .

“Ah Ye!” We rushed to the hospital . Mr . Luo Ye anxiously tried to dash into the hospital ward but was stopped by a tall and strong young man at the door . His face was the picture of cool, and he gave off the feeling of a stern bodyguard . However, he was actually a driver named Nitewalker

Nitewalker coolly said, “Without the young master’s permission, outsiders may not enter!”.

That was rather strange behavior on his part . Nitewalker was just a chauffeur, and given his personality, he normally would not do something like this . After giving it some thought, I a.s.sumed that it was the young master who had instructed him to do so, and turned to say, “Mr . Luo Ye, please wait here for a moment . I will go in and ask for the young master’s permission . ”.

Mr . Luo Ye’s expression seemed a little stiff, and though he was evidently displeased, he still nodded

The moment I stepped in, I saw the young master reclining on the hospital bed . His body was covered with bandages, and there was even a plaster on his face . It was highly likely that the injury on his face had been inflicted by Solitary b.u.t.terfly . He turned to me and asked, “Did he display any strange behaviors?”.

“Nothing of the sort . ” Afterwards, I abruptly recalled, “Over the course of our conversation, I found out that Mr . Luo Ye lives in Daystar City . ”.

Hearing that, the young master lowered his head, deep in thoughts

“Young Master, how are your injuries?” I asked in worry, “Have you truly been poisoned?”.

“Yeah . There’s poison on that woman’s spikes . It seems to be a sort of neurotoxin, but it’s nothing too serious . I have a strong resistance to poison . ”.

The young master ma.s.saged his temples . “It’s just that my head hurts a little and my limbs feel weak . ”.

“Those criminals are truly very dangerous . ” I sighed, and found myself leaning more toward the opinion of locking them up

“Yeah, an ability like controlling metal is really troublesome to deal with . I couldn’t even fight properly . If it weren’t for him, it would not have been hard to handle the rest . ”.

The young master weakly said, “Ah Yue-gē told me not to bother with them anymore . P29 has some specific equipment for dealing with those kinds of people, so they will be handling it . Their only worry is not being able to find them . But once they find them, those fugitives will be trapped like birds in a cage . ”.

I nodded, and then gave him a timely reminder, “Young Master, Mr . Luo Ye is still waiting outside . ”.

The young master hesitated for a moment, before answering, “Let him come in . ”.

I brought Mr . Luo Ye in, and he immediately locked his gaze onto the young master to size him up . After confirming that the young master did not have any major injuries, he then relaxed a little and asked gently, “How did you get into a car accident?”.

“When I was crossing the road, I dashed across the moment the traffic light changed and got b.u.mped by a car . ” The young master lowered his head, most likely to hide his guilt from lying . He continued, “I’m only lightly injured . No big deal . ”.

Mr . Luo Ye lightly reprimanded, “Next time, be more careful . Thankfully, this time it was a mere b.u.mp, but what if that wasn’t the case?”.

The young master gave an “okay” a little guiltily . Seeming as though he did not want to continue lying, he changed the topic, “I heard from Charles that you live in Daystar City?”.

Mr . Luo Ye nodded and lamented, “It’s not far from here, just an hour’s flight . With such a short distance, I wouldn’t have taken this long to come had I known that you were here earlier . ”.

“I will be going to Daystar City in three days . Can you go back first, and then at that time come and look for me again?”.

Mr . Luo Ye froze, and then gave a small smile . However, one could tell that his smile was extremely forced . He said in a small voice, “Ah Ye, if you wish for me not to come and look for you again, you can say it directly . It’s all right . ”.

The young master was stunned, momentarily unable to respond

Mr . Luo Ye seemed to be trying his best to hide his lack of composure, and merely said gently, “My apologies, I did not think this through . I simply wanted to come and see you, but I didn’t think that it would have troubled you instead . I will be taking my leave soon—”.

“Don’t leave!” The young master cried out in shock

From the reactions of the young master so far, the young master did seem to be troubled by Mr . Luo Ye’s arrival . Moreover, he had also clarified that Mr . Luo Ye was not his father .  If that is so, then why does he now look so nervous about Mr . Luo Ye leaving…?.

Ah, Mr . Luo Ye is at least still the master’s uncle, so it would indeed be impossible to treat it as though he had never appeared

Mr . Luo Ye seemed to be at a loss as to how to react due to the young master’s drastically different reaction, and the young master also appeared clueless as to what to do next

I opened my mouth to ask, “Mr . Luo Ye, could I inquire if you own a cell phone? May I know your number?”.

Mr . Luo Ye froze for a moment, and answered, “I do . ” He paused, and then recited a string of numbers

As I inputted the numbers into my phone, I explained, “I will send you my cell phone number . The young master is not used to carrying a cell phone around with him . Therefore, please call my phone number so that it will be easier for you to contact us . ”.

Mr . Luo Ye hesitated for a moment, and then turned to the young master . He questioned once more, “Then, I will come and look for you at that time?”.

“Yeah! You definitely have to come!” The young master emphasized strongly, still anxious

Hearing that, Mr . Luo Ye finally seemed to believe that the young master truly wished to see him again . He stretched out his hand, as though he wanted to rub the young master’s head, but midway he pulled back, seeming to find it a little inappropriate

“Then, I will be going off first,” Mr . Luo Ye suggested tactfully

The young master nodded . He looked on and sent Mr . Luo Ye off with his eyes, his gaze looking slightly guilty

I inquired delicately, “Young Master, do you truly wish for Mr . Luo Ye to come and look for you? If that is not the case, then I can help you handle this . ”.

“Of course I want him to come!” The young master shook his head as he said, “I just need to think of what to do first . With him around, a lot of things become inconvenient . ”.

So that is the case

“Next, I have to go to Daystar City . ” The young master looked a bit vexed, but afterwards, he looked at me with an even more worried gaze . “But Charles, don’t you have to go to school?”.

“Because of Professor Ni Cai and Professor Lieder, many students and professors are currently being asked questions by the police, so lessons will possibly be canceled for a period of time . ”.

According to Ah Shuu’s exaggerated words, since the Sun Emperor was involved and it was an issue as serious as abduction, it would not have been strange even if the whole school disappeared . However, I believed that it would not be that serious… At least, before matters progressed to that stage, I would inform the young master

When the young master heard that, he resignedly said, “It can’t be helped . Gēge got snubbed, so Ah Yue-gē flew into a rage and is now taking it out on others . ”.

“Is Secretary Bai in charge of the investigations?”.

“P29 seems to be an organization that Ah Yue-gē was in charge of in the first place . ” The young master tilted his head to one side as he pondered, and added on, “Things like killing people to silence them, secret human experimentation labs, and the purchase and sales of illegal firearms are also part of Ah Yue-gē’s job scope . Let me think, there might also be… Drugs? But that’s just my guess! Maybe there’s no such thing at all!”.

Why bother guessing? Young Master, you have the highest access rights within the whole Sun Alliance, so you would be able to find out, right?.

The young master abruptly changed the subject and said, “Charles, help me contact Gēge . ”.

“Very well . ” After I dialed the number, I pa.s.sed the cell phone over to the young master

“Gē . ” The young master called out, and then quickly explained, “No! I didn’t get into any trouble . Don’t worry… What do you mean I wouldn’t call you unless I have gotten into big trouble? Don’t I always call you at night? C-Calling once in three days isn’t that infrequent…” As he continued speaking, he seemed guiltier and less confident

When I had first met the young master, he would video call the master every night . Though recently, it was true that the intervals between the calls were getting longer . There were times that the young master did not call for five days, and then the master would give me a call—the young master would only remember to bring his cell phone when he was out being Dark Sun, for the sake of contacting the other heroes and the police . In that kind of situation, of course he would not have the time to pick up the master’s calls

“Gē… Luo Ye is still alive . ” The young master had an uneasy expression, looking more like he was speaking of his nemesis being still alive rather than a relative

Following that, the young master did not speak for a long time . However, there was not a single sound from the phone either . Evidently, the young master was quiet not because the master was speaking, but rather, both parties had gone completely silent

Suddenly, the young master’s expression changed, turning darker and darker as he listened attentively . Somewhere in the middle, he gave a shout of “Gē,” but then froze suddenly . After listening a while longer, he actually roared into the phone, “No way! If you dare to do that, I will never talk to you again!”.

The young master hung up the call, full of rage . When he noticed me at the side, he explained in discontent, “Gēge told me to hand the person over to him to deal with . ”.

The two words “deal with” sounded very ominous . Accompanied with the young master’s expression and the fact that the person who was going to deal with him was the master, I was certain that when he said “deal with,” it was referring to the kind of “methods to deal with someone” that were extremely tidy and made one disappear without a trace

“Is it a problem of the family inheritance?” I cautiously inquired .  Otherwise, why would he want to deal away with his own uncle?.

The young master froze, and then shook his head saying, “That’s not it . This is a very complex matter . As for the most crucial parts, I-I can’t tell you . ”.

I smiled as I replied, “Young Master, when it comes to things that you may not speak of or things you do not wish to speak about, of course you are free not to say them . There is no need to feel troubled by it . It is not as though I have told you all the large and small affairs of the Elysees family either, is that not so?”.

The young master’s expression seemed relieved . He did not bring it up again, and merely conversed with me idly

“Charles, put some bandages in the luggage!” He seemed a little helpless as he said, “My injuries should be fully healed in three days, but since I’ve already pretended to be in an accident, I can only continue this act . ”.

“As you wish, Young Master . ” I carefully scrutinized the young master’s face and said, “Sticking on a band-aid should work for the injury on your face . This way, it would not affect your filming, and perhaps you could even pose it as a kind of fashion statement . ”.

“Band-aid fashion style? That doesn’t seem too bad!” The young master laughed and said, “Filming a movie seems like it would be very interesting, and Father Alex seems like a good person!”.

I quietly said, “Young Master, I believe it would be best not to trust Father Alex too much . ”.

The young master frowned and asked, “Do you hate Father Alex? Though it feels like he is a fairly good person?”.

“I do not think that he is a bad person . It is merely that he might possibly harbor ill intentions toward you or the master, as after all, there have been too many conflicts in the past . ”.

“There shouldn’t be any hatred between the Church and Gēge . Mainly it’s…” The young master glanced at me, but did not continue . He merely asked in confusion, “Exactly how did X become enemies with the Church? I mean, what happened at the start of it all?”.

“Young Master, I am afraid I am not in the know . ”.

I had heard X mention that he and the Church had hunted each other down for a very long time, the animosity acc.u.mulating until he could not remember which incidents had occurred . However, he had never once mentioned the reason behind what had started it all . Even when I had asked him about it, I would only get a cold reply of “I forgot . ”.

“Is it possible that… . ” The young master hesitated for a bit, but still asked, “That X killed someone from the Church first?”.

I replied calmly, “Young Master, X has not mentioned a word of his past to me . Perhaps that is the case, or perhaps that is not . I am unable to answer that question . ”.

As for who started this circle of hatred, that was no longer important, for I had already chosen to stand beside X . For the young master to ask a question like that, could it mean that he was starting to feel doubt as to why he was standing on X’s side?.

The young master gave a disappointed “oh,” his expression turning more perplexed

I could not help but try to explain, “Young Master, the people from the Church are definitely not evil . They protect humans, and that is an undeniable fact . ”.

“But we aren’t bad guys either!” The young master looked vexed as he said, “Why do we have to fight each other? What exactly is the problem?”.

“The problem lies in the fact that I am not human . ” I spoke in a quiet voice, “As for you, Young Master, you know too many non-humans . ”.

The young master seemed bewildered and questioned, “Why can’t humans and non-humans get along with each other? I don’t understand . We are just of different races . Is that a big issue?”.

Young Master, you are so powerful, so naturally you would not be afraid of us . However, others might not be able to win against non-humans even when armed with a weapon . No rabbit would be willing to stay in the same cage as a lion . No matter how tame the lion appears, who knows when it might go mad and swipe their claws at them . Is it not so?.

I hesitated for a while, but still opened my mouth to say, “Young Master, if you intend to side with the Church, then I am afraid I will have to leave your side, so as to avoid possible conflicts that may occur . ”.

After saying so, I felt uncomfortable . Those words sounded as though I was using myself to threaten the young master, though that was not my intention . I was merely notifying the young master that I would have to do so

“Charles, what are you saying? As if I would harm X!” The young master seemed a little angry, but his words made me feel at ease, for the young master was always a man of his word

“So X is more important than me…” The young master muttered softly, as though he was a little jealous . I felt the urge to laugh at that

The young master seemed to have noticed, and his face turned slightly red . However, he tried his best to keep an earnest expression as he asked, “Charles, do you believe that X is in the right?”.

The young master seemed very insistent on the issue of who was in the right or wrong . However when I thought it over, he was a hero, after all . How would it be possible for him not to be concerned over it?.

“It is not simply because X is in the right, but rather…” I was at a loss as to how to explain, and took a deep breath before continuing, “I know that I personally would not wish to see him taken away by the Church, so regardless of what happens, I will always be on his side . ”.

The young master seemed deep in thought as he asked, “So this has nothing to do with who’s right or wrong?”.

“Indeed, this has nothing to do with being right or wrong . ”.

“I think I get it . ” The young master sighed and asked, “X is your ‘Gēge,’ right?”.

I nodded . “He is both a father and an elder brother to me . ”.

“‘Gēge’ is indeed someone that cannot be betrayed, no matter what . ” The young master seemed a little downcast as he murmured, “That was why I had to leave the house . Otherwise, what could I do?”.

What is the relation between not being able to betray the master and the need to leave the house? The thought popped into my mind, but I understood it soon after . Though there was not a direct link between the two, it was still relatively easy to comprehend

The master had never been a good person, but the young master wanted to become a hero . If the young master were to stay at home, it would be difficult to face the injustice that was so close at hand

“I’m sorry . ” The young master quietly said, “If I were to probe into the question of who is right or wrong, I ought to start with myself

“Even if they are both bad guys, X would definitely lose to my Gēge several times over . ” His tone seemed deprecating as he mocked himself

Seeing the young master’s expression darken, I quickly asked a question to distract him, “Young Master, why did you initially want to become a hero?”.

“Hmm? To tell the truth, I had no intentions of becoming a ‘hero’ at first!”.

The young master scratched his face, saying, “At first, all I wanted to do was save Gēge . But Gēge didn’t want other people to find out that I’m his dìdì and that I have many strange abilities, so he ordered me to act like a normal boy . Yet I had to go save him no matter what, so in the end, the solution I came up with was to disguise myself with a visor and those clothes . ”.

So that was the case

“Afterwards, I saw many unpleasant incidents, and I just happened to have a disguise on hand, so I thought I might as well put it on and help them . Without realizing, it somehow ended up like this . ”.

I replied with a smile, “Indeed, it is common to see unpleasant incidents in Sunset City . Young Master, since you chose to live here but are unable to turn a blind eye to it, perhaps you are destined to be a hero . ”.

The young master looked at me as he complained, “It’s not like there are more unpleasant incidents in Sunset City than other places . Gēge stays in Daystar City most of the time . After I graduated high school, he immediately moved over, because the security there is good… But I hate it there!”.

He emphasized very seriously, “I really, really hate it!”.

I was unable to comprehend and asked him, “Why is that so? I heard that the public security and order in Daystar City is excellent, and the city is extremely high-tech and beautiful . It is rare to hear someone say negative remarks about Daystar City, except from non-humans . ”.

As a vampire, Daystar City was a place that I would stay far away from, and naturally a place that I did not want to live in . However, Daystar City has always been considered to be the most ideal city . Many political and business celebrities lived there, so naturally it was not a terrible place to stay

“The bad guys of Daystar City are different from those in Sunset City . ” The young master spoke in a serious manner, “The bad guys there don’t use brute force to kill, so it’s not something I can stop . ”.

If they do not use brute force to kill, how do they do it then?.

 .

 .

“Father, I have sinned . ” The young master said with a grin

He sat on the sermon stage disrespectfully . With a flat cap, skate pants, and the band-aid on his face, he looked very much the part of a mischievous teenager . Though he was already over twenty, his baby face seemed to make everyone still regard him as a teenager

Father Alex was standing below the sermon stage, still dressed in priest robes . This time, the robes were more elaborate than before, with gold decorations adorning the sides of the robe . However, the cross on his neck remained unchanged

“Is that so?” Father Alex seemed not to take it seriously . On his face was a loving smile, as though he was looking at a child playing a prank . “What sin have you committed?”.

“The sin of killing you . ” The young master pulled out a gun from behind his waist . The grin on his face had at some point turned into a cold smile

With a wave of Father Alex’s hand, a small blade like that of a bamboo leaf appeared in his hand

With a clang, half of the gun barrel in the young master’s hand fell off, the cut as clean as if it had been sliced apart with an energy blade….

“Cut!”.

“Very good, very good . Once more from the top . Ah Ye, you’re doing very well . Please keep it up! Father, your movements need to be even faster, and even more stylish . Just like this!”.

Director Xiao walked up front, and as he talked, he demonstrated how to swing the knife . Off to the side, someone immediately rushed to the area below the sermon stage and picked up the part of the gun barrel on the floor, before sticking the sections back to form a complete-looking gun

The young master’s action of pulling out the gun seemed far too smooth . An observant person might see through his cover… Wait, the young master was originally a graduate from the combat major, so being proficient in using guns would be proper . Why do I keep forgetting that?.

I sat in the corner of the church, trying my best to hide in the darkness and make myself less conspicuous, though a vampire in the church was something that could not be any more conspicuous

It was still fine for the church in Sunset City, for only Father Yue was there . At most, there would be a few other absent-minded clergymen or nuns . However, the churches in Daystar City were proper churches, especially since the churches chosen for this film production were all famous cathedrals . They were absolutely forbidden areas for non-humans!.

Ever since I started following the young master, I seemed to have broken many taboos of non-humans, and now to think I would even step into a cathedral . If this were to happen in the past, a war would most likely break out because of it . Yet now, I could actually walk in peacefully . This really made me feel deeply moved by how much the world had changed….

I lowered my head, a computer tablet in my hands . Once in a while, I would raise my head to look at the young master who was filming, checking if he required my services . The majority of the time was spent staring at the tablet with my head lowered . On the screen were the surgical notes that Ah Shuu had sent me . Some even had videos embedded in it and were extremely useful for enriching my knowledge of actual operations

Even if there was something I did not understand, I could message Ah Shuu . He was online most of the time and would reply to me immediately . It was truly a blessing that I had become acquainted with this cla.s.smate!.

What Ah Shuu asked for in exchange was occasionally taking a few photos of the young master for him to see, or switching to video call so that his female junior could see me . Neither of these things were difficult to do

I could not resist wondering .  Should I give Mr . An Te Qi a tablet? If so, I would be able to receive his teachings whenever… Sigh, now that was foolish thinking on my part . Mr . An Te Qi might not even pick up his cell phone, let alone a tablet

“Charles, you there?”.

Seeing the message that popped up on the screen, I quickly walked out of the church before I then pressed the call b.u.t.ton . On the screen, Ah Shuu appeared with unkempt hair

“Ah Shuu, did you just wake up?”.

Ah Shuu froze, and answered, “No, I’ve been awake for about two to three hours . Why? Do I look like I just woke up?”.

“You may have momentarily forgotten to comb your hair,” I politely pointed out

“It’s not like I’m going to school . Why would I need to comb my hair? Besides, I don’t own a comb, since my hair can be styled by hand with wax . The moment I comb it, it’s all ruined!”.

I looked at Ah Shuu’s curly hair . It had looked pretty good the last time I had seen it, but now, its completely untouched state was simply…

Ah Shuu scratched his head, and asked, “Do I look a lot like an auntie?”.

I could only nod my head

“Well, you’re the only one seeing this anyways, so it’s fine even if I look ghastly!”.

“May I inquire as to the reason you are looking for me?”.

“I got some questions for you . ”.

I wryly chuckled, “Is it for your female junior again?”.

“Yeah! If it were someone else, I wouldn’t even bother!”.

“You certainly look after your female junior a lot . ” I made a remark with some implications . I had met Ah Shuu’s junior once, and she was unmistakably a cute girl . Her personality was unexpectedly shy . I had thought that Ah Shuu would prefer girls who were more outgoing, but evidently that was not the case

Ah Shuu let out a “hehe,” and then started recording as he asked, “How old are you?”.

“A hundred and fifty-seven years old . ”.

“Woah!” Ah Shuu’s eyes widened, and he asked, “Then, doesn’t it mean I should call you Great-grandpa Charles?”.

I politely explained, “There is no need to do so . Among vampires, I am merely a child who has just reached adulthood . ”.

“Is that so? Then shouldn’t you be calling me Ah Shuu-gē instead?”.

I joked, “If that is your wish . ”.

Ah Shuu’s expression turned into one of disgust, and he continued quickly, “Forget it, forget it! Getting a person who has lived a hundred and fifty-something years to call me Gē? I’m not that old!”.

“Next question . You—”.

I abruptly felt uneasy, and raised my head . As expected, I saw that something was off, and said in a quiet voice, “Ah Shuu, I will contact you again later . ”.

Following that, I put the computer tablet into the bag that I was carrying around, and looked at the people coming toward me . There were a total of six people uniformly dressed in priest garbs, the type that allowed for easier movement . That was also the kind worn by the people in Sin Elimination Committee

There were many clergymen walking through this area, but given that the six of them had walked toward me in a straight line with their eyes burning through me, it would be foolish to a.s.sume that they were just pa.s.sing by

Since our arrival at Daystar City three days prior, I had spent most of the time at the church . The fact that people were only now coming to stir up trouble with me already made me feel very astonished

They stopped in their tracks at a distance a bit away from me . As expected, they were people from the Sin Elimination Committee, for they knew not to come too close to a vampire . What a pity that they had made an unwise decision to come forth and pick a fight . Judging from their appearances, they all seemed to be full of youthful vigor, which was probably the reason why

They glared at me, their expressions ranging from cold to colder, though their imposing manner was a little lacking due to their ages

I merely returned their gazes with a faint smile

“Is he really a vampire?” One of the particularly young-looking clergymen turned to his companion and whispered softly, “He doesn’t look like one at all!”.

His companion beside him immediately reproached, “Idiot, didn’t you see the info? He’s even a fifth-generation vampire!”.

“He doesn’t even look like a vampire…” That clergyman unhappily said, and after that, received glares from his two companions . He quickly straightened up and stopped talking

I could not resist smiling at that . These young people from the Sin Elimination Committee were rather interesting, and did not seem as remarkably vicious as portrayed in the rumors . Of course, I was referring to the rumors spread among the non-humans

“Don’t think that you’re something just because you can step into Daystar City! All vampires have sinned without exceptions!”.

“Our Lord has spoken, one must not partake in any blood!”.

“How dare you defile our church…”.

When I heard their words, on the contrary I felt more relieved . People truly intending to attack would never talk so much . If they were here just to run their mouths and taunt, then everything would be all right . Not getting involved in a fight would be the best possible scenario

“Stop wasting words on him!”.

I dodged the scythe coming at me . The blade was about the size of one’s palm and in the shape of a cross, with a bead chain attached at the end . One could throw it out to attack, or use it like a whip and swing it around . If one was skilled with it, it was indeed a rather troublesome weapon

In my honorable father’s investigation, this kind of cross scythe was one of the Sin Elimination Committee’s basic equipment . The cross was made of silver, making it highly likely to be targeted toward vampires

I had not thought that they would still make a move in the end, though the person who started it was not one of the younger ones, but the one who looked the most mature and calm . This really makes one feel rather bewildered

I looked at him . Though his face was full of anger, I could not feel any killing intent from the attacks of the scythe in his hands, and the places he aimed for were not vital points . On the contrary, the youngsters at his side looked extremely excited, their eyes shining with killing intent, and their emotions seeming a lot more genuine

I started to understand at this point . These young people had likely been incited to do this . Though the Church had agreed to let me and Melody step into Daystar City and even enter a famous cathedral due to the shooting needs, they would most likely still feel uncomfortable about it . Finding someone to come over and teach me a lesson seemed reasonable

If they got younger people, they could lay the blame on the hot-headedness of youths, so it would be harder to pursue the matter

“He’s so fast!” The youngest priest sighed in admiration, and was once again greeted by the glares of his companions

After I dodged the weapon for a while, the other person seemed to feel humiliated by this, and his killing intent grew stronger . This is truly terrible . Should I let him land a hit once or twice? But he is using a lethal weapon, so if it were to hit me, I would most likely be unable to hide this from the young master

This was but a trifle, and I had no wish to pull the young master into this matter . But if he were to see me injured, he would most likely be very angry, to a level outside of the Church’s expectations

After giving it some thought, I simply turned and entered the church . Since their intention was merely to pick a fight and stir up some trouble for me, I doubted that they would give chase

A black shadow flashed before my eyes, and an object fell from above . When it landed on the ground, it made a strange, dull thud accompanied with the sound of something snapping . It was so sudden that it had nearly landed on me head-on . My alertness was seriously growing worse . The Church’s actions were truly starting to make me feel a little displeased—.

A strong smell of blood emanated….

I looked down and saw a man lying on the floor . His head was facing me, his neck bent at an impossible angle . Both his eyes were wide open, almost popping out . I was not too sure if I was overthinking it, but his expression seemed very disinclined, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with resentment

In his current state, he could not be considered as a human anymore, but rather a corpse . His blood was sprayed all over the floor, emitting a sweet scent

The realization hit me that this was not something done by the Church . No matter how much they loathed me, they would not push someone down to their death right in front of their own cathedral doors

“Charles!”.

The young master dashed out, looking alarmed as he cried out, “Charles, are you all right?”.

I raised my head and spoke calmly, “Young Master, I am fine . It is just that someone has fallen off the building . ”.

“Fallen off the building?” Only then did the young master notice the corpse on the floor . He frowned as he took a moment to look it up and down . Following that, his vision was blocked by Father Alex who had immediately rushed over . The other gently chided, “Don’t look . This is not something you ought to see . ”.

The young master obediently pretended to be afraid and threw himself into my arms . He then pinched me, secretly hinting to let him peek through the gaps

At this point, a sudden shriek pierced the air . The young master was not shocked by the corpse, but jolted violently at the sound of the scream . Following that, there was more screaming, and chaos unfolded on the scene . Someone yelled to call for an ambulance, but I believed that it was too late for such a thing

With this kind of situation, we naturally could not continue filming here . Director Xiao could only tell us to go back to the hotel to rest

The entire film crew utilized a dozen or so black vans, and when they were all driving on the streets, the formation was simply startling . If this were to happen in Sunset City, a large commotion would most likely break out, and many outside broadcast trucks would start following behind the vans . However, Daystar City seemed to be fairly used to this . At most, we would receive a side glance from the occasional pa.s.serby, who would then proceed onto their daily lives as per usual

It had been three days since we had come to Daystar City, and I could see the place lived up to its reputation . The city was very technologically advanced, the streets were clean, and the people on the streets were well-dressed . It seemed that the trend of glowing accessories in Sunset City was not popular here, and even body modifications seemed to be less common here than in Sunset City

The people here were extremely courteous, and conflicts were rarely seen in the streets . If one were to pull out a weapon in the streets, it would cause a disturbance and much criticism . This would simply be unimaginable in Sunset City

If one were to pull out their weapon in Sunset City, all that would happen is that the people around them would all start pulling out their weapons

Truly, these two cities were substantially different from each other . As of now, I could not help but admit that I preferred Daystar City over the other .  Why does the young master hate this place so much?.

The young master was currently engaged in a conversation with Ah Shuu using the tablet computer, replying to some questions such as “What color underwear do you wear the most?” Seeing that he did not require my services, I continued to look out of the window . After all, this was most likely the only time I would be able to step into Daystar City, so it was a good chance to see as much of it as possible

The more I looked, the more amazed I was . The city was very beautiful, and even the design of their traffic lights was magnificent . If it were not for the fact that this city rejected non-humans, perhaps I would have chosen to stay here

The young master gave an “ah” and then said, “We’ve reached the hotel . Ah Shuu, I’m going off now! I’m getting out of the car . ”.

“After you return to the hotel, poke me if you’re free . I’ll show you something interesting,” Ah Shuu actually said in a dubious tone

What exactly is he planning to show the young master? I could not help but worry . Last time he had suddenly sent a remarkably large file and said that it was good stuff meant to be shared with friends . When I opened the file, it actually turned out to be a hundred adult films

The young master happily agreed, “Okay!”.

The film crew had booked several floors of the hotel for us to stay in, including the young master and me . Only Father Alex did not stay in the hotel due to the fact that the church he resided in was nearby

Once the car arrived, the service staff immediately opened the car door, full of smiles . Even the hotel was extremely comfortable . I personally did not meet a single unfriendly staff, for they always had smiles on their faces . Even most of the guests in the hotel would smile at each other if they were to make eye contact with another

When we got out of the car, I instructed the driver, “Nitewalker, please do as you have done for the previous two days and return to your hotel room to await orders after you park the car . ”.

Though he was not driving his own taxi, Nitewalker’s driving was still extremely steady, which made me feel extremely glad to have brought the driver to Daystar City

“Understood . ”.

After getting out, we saw a few people waiting in the hotel lobby . There were not many of them, roughly ten people . Once they saw the film crew walking in, they immediately jumped up from the sofas in excitement

There had actually been quite a crowd on the first day, mostly comprising of Father Alex’s fans . However, once they had realized that he would not be coming over, there had been drastically less people the next day, with a turnout of about ten people . Though the young master was also well-known in this area, it was mostly on the negative side . That was most likely because he was a compet.i.tor with the city representative of this area

Thankfully, there were still people who loved the young master, though rather mysteriously, most of them were ladies above the age of thirty

The young master also liked them a lot, and frequently allowed them to rub his own head . It looked a lot like a child acting lovably cute to their mother in hopes of getting pampered

“Ah Ye!”.

A few ladies who had also dropped by yesterday came up to him familiarly . Usually the bodyguards would hold them off, but since there were not many of them and the young master did not mind them, the bodyguards stood by the side without moving

The young master looked at the group of ten ladies or so and asked curiously, “Why did the number of people increase?”.

Everyone answered one-by-one: “This is my little sister,” “My colleague,” “My neighbor,” “My mom”….

I see, good things must be shared with friends, is it?.

The young master let them rub his head as they wished, and sometimes they even brazenly pinched his cheeks . However, he gave no resistance, and the women turned bolder . They surrounded him persistently and seemed extremely happy as they smiled and giggled

“You’re different from the rumors,” one of the younger girls suddenly commented

The young master seemed puzzled as he asked, “What rumors?”.

The women turned quiet for a moment, their expressions looking a little uneasy

The girl was nervous for a while, and glanced at the young master . Seeing that he was not about to take action, she then boldly answered, “You’re the Sun Emperor’s little brother, right? Everyone says that you’re a big shot, and there’s several members of the adjudication squad surrounding you . As long as someone comes close to you and does anything strange, they might even be killed!”.

“Killed?” The young master’s eyes turned wide as he explained, “I do have bodyguards at home, but I only have four of them . Also, they don’t follow me out of the house, and definitely would not kill people who come close to me!”.

“Is that so?” The girl seemed to believe his words and murmured softly, “You really are adorable! Even cuter than on television!”.

The young master’s face turned red, and he muttered, “I’m almost twenty-four…”.

“Ah Ye, hurry and go rest!” Director Xiao walked over, and rolled his eyes as he said, “If you want to pick up girls, wait till after the movie is finished! Today we are filming night scenes, so we might have to shoot through the night . Go sleep quickly, and eat something . We’re gathering at seven o’clock, got it?”.

Pick up girls… I believed that the ladies here were not “girls” to the young master, but “big sisters” and “aunties . ”.

The young master gave an “oh” and obediently replied, “Okay . ”.

However, he still bid farewell to the crowd of women one by one before he left . At this point, most of the film crew had already gone upstairs, so only the young master and I remained in the elevator

I pressed the elevator b.u.t.ton, and the young master suddenly asked, “Charles, do you like it here?” He seemed a little uneasy as he continued, “I feel like you seem to like this place a lot . ”.

“Indeed, I do quite find it quite to my liking,” I answered truthfully

The young master said in a small voice, “But I hate it here . ”.

“Young Master, these are just personal opinions . There is no need to mind it much . ”.

“But Gēge also said that there isn’t anything bad about this place . ” The young master seemed a little depressed as he said, “Can it be that I’m the only one who is strange?”.

“Then, what are Mr . An Te Qi’s thoughts on this?” In my opinion, Mr . An Te Qi might possibly prefer Sunset City?.

The young master helplessly said, “Bàba doesn’t care which city he is in . He only knows his own lab!”.

… That is true

“But Ezart hates it here, too!”.

The young master abruptly said, and his expression turned much more relieved . When he stepped out of the elevator, the worry was gone from his face

One must really thank Ezart for this .  I wonder how he has been doing lately? Last time, he told the young master that he was going on an adventure to a mysterious, large oriental tomb . However, it seemed to be illegal to do so, as it was stated on his contract that he was not to reveal which tomb it was

As per usual, Ezart said that he would mail back some souvenirs to the young master . Thus, we had received a small knife last time . The note that accompanied it had these words messily scribbled on it: “My reward . The others said it’s the Yu Chang Sword . 1 Well, I don’t have time to write more! I got another job exploring old tombs, gotta go . Bye . ”.

He had not even signed his name, so if it were not for the fact that only Ezart would mail something like that to us, we would likely not have been able to figure out the ident.i.ty of the sender

Thus, I could only buy a climate-controlled safe of the best quality so as to carefully preserve this artifact that was claimed to be the Yu Chang Sword, as well as to store future artifacts that would continue to arrive in Styrofoam boxes from delivery services

The young master sighed, “I wonder when Ezart will come back . It’s been a long time since I had midnight snacks with him . ”.

Even if he wanted news from Ezart, the young master would not call him . The reception at ancient tombs was not great, and most of the time the call would not go through . Even if it did, it could possibly bring fatal danger to Ezart

The phone would not connect nine out of ten times, and even if it were to connect, it might cause Ezart’s death . Thus, the young master stopped calling Ezart and merely waited for Ezart to call him

Once he entered the room, the young master said he was going to take a shower . Normally he showered twice a day, once when he came back from his morning exercise, and a second time at night . Even though he did not have time for his exercise now due to having to film in the early morning, he still kept his habit of showering in the morning

Is it purely because he likes taking showers, or is there another reason for doing so? Perhaps I can ask the young master in the future

Since we were staying at the hotel, there were no household ch.o.r.es to be done . Therefore, I could only switch on my tablet, and tried to inquire and admonish, “Ah Shuu, what are you planning to send to the young master? Please do not send him any erotic films . ”.

I was not sure what Ah Shuu was doing, but he was stunned for a long time before he regained his senses . He yelled, “What do you mean erotic films! Sending those to Ah Ye is too perverted! I’m not some perverted uncle who takes pleasure in corrupting the young!”.

“… I believe the young master is older than you?”.

“Like heck! Ah Ye is a year younger than me, okay? I played around for a few years before I went on to university!”.

Ah Shuu seemed awkward as he said, “But you’re right, Ah Ye isn’t a child . Sheesh, I forgot, okay! Looking at his face makes me think he’s in high school… But wait, high-schoolers would probably have already watched AVs ages ago, so sending him some wouldn’t be a big deal!”.

He grabbed at his hair that was already messy enough, as he shouted, “It’s all because your young master looks too pure! Just thinking of sending AVs to him makes people feel guilty! Don’t tell me he really is an angel?”.

I laughed as I said, “Even if you were to send them, the young master would probably not have much interest in them . ”.

“A man who has no interest in adult videos?” Ah Shuu frowned as he asked, “Don’t tell me Ah Ye has never had a girlfriend before?”.

“The young master already has a fiancée . ”.

Ah Shuu’s eyes turned wide . “Are you for real… Oh, you mean like an arranged marriage between rich families?” He blurted out his a.s.sumed conclusion

I quickly explained, “Nothing of the sort . The young master was the one who decided on his fiancée!”.

“Is that so? Then, is she pretty?”.

Pretty… “Miss Briar is certainly rather adorable,” I answered honestly . After all, she was merely thirteen, so it was difficult to describe her as beautiful

“From your tone, it doesn’t seem like she’s very pretty…”.

“Please hold on a moment,” I told him, for my cell phone was ringing

Taking a look at the name displayed on the screen, I then picked up and greeted, “Mr . Luo Ye, greetings . ”.

Though the other did not speak, heavy breathing could be heard over the line . One could tell that Mr . Luo Ye was extremely agitated right now

“Are you coming over?” I cautiously inquired

I did not think that my words would set off a trigger, and he immediately growled, “If you don’t want me to look for Ah Ye, then just tell me straight! There’s no need to do this! N-No matter what, I’m still his father . How could he do such an unfilial thing?”.

“What are you talking about?” I inquired in shock . “The young master has not done anything . ”.

“He hasn’t?” Luo Ye gave a laugh, one filled with sorrow

I could feel that something was terribly wrong, and quickly asked, “Where are you? Please, would it be possible if we meet up and talk about this?”.

The other fell silent for a long while, his breathing becoming rapid

A thought suddenly flashed across my mind, and the words slipped out, “Please believe the young master, he truly would not want to harm you!”.

“Very well!” Mr . Luo Ye gritted his teeth as he said, “If he wants me to die, then Ah Ye should come over and kill me personally!”.

As I thought! My expression darkened as I heard his current whereabouts

“If he truly still wants to see me, then he should come faster,” Mr . Luo Ye indifferently said and then hung up the phone

I immediately knocked on the bathroom door and called, “Young Master!”.

“Huh?” The sound of the water flowing gradually grew softer

“Mr . Luo Ye’s life is in danger . ”.

Roughly ten seconds later, the young master dashed out of the shower . Most likely he had just arbitrarily wiped himself a few times, so his clothes were all soaked by the water still on his body, and his hair was even still dripping wet

“Where is he?” He asked, extremely fl.u.s.tered . He looked as though he was about to jump straight out the window after asking this, which was typical behavior of Dark Sun when he was in Sunset City

I reminded, “Young Master, the French window in the hotel cannot be opened . Also, Dark Sun does not exist in Daystar City, so please follow me . ”.

The young master froze, and could only follow me obediently . As we went downstairs, I gave a call to Nitewalker and explained that we were pressed on time and we needed him to drive out immediately

Thankfully, we had our own driver . Even if the car he was driving was not his own, I believed that with his ability, it would still move at a superhuman first-cla.s.s speed

When we reached the hotel entrance, the black van was already waiting . It was true that Nitewalker’s room was at a floor a lot lower than ours, but his speed was still extraordinary . It seemed that Nitewalker did not just drive fast, he also moved very quickly

After getting on and reporting the address, I could finally relax a little . However, I noticed a serious problem . “Young Master, you forgot to put on your shoes!”.

The young master froze for a moment, and then looked down at his bare feet . Following that, he calmly said, “It’s okay . Charles, call Luo Ye . I want to speak to him . ”.

I immediately did so, but could only inform him in an apologetic tone, “Young Master, the call did not go through . Should I continue calling?”.

The young master shook his head, and shouted at the driver’s seat, “Nitewalker, faster! Go the fastest you can!”.

Nitewalker glanced at the rear mirror and asked, “Even if people realize there’s something strange?”.

The young master’s expression changed, but he then said through clenched teeth, “It’s fine!”.

Nitewalker violently spun the steering wheel, and we switched directly from the middle lane to the shoulder, causing a series of honking . As we climbed up the side of the building afterwards, the sound of the car horns abruptly stopped

Down below, unrest finally stirred in the always calm and collected crowd of Daystar City

Footnotes.

1 “Yu Chang Sword”: (魚腸劍) The Yu Chang Sword is one of ten famous swords from China . The first character 魚 (yú) means fish, while the second character 腸 (cháng) means intestines . The name may come from the pattern of the sword looking like the intestines of a fish, or because the sword is small enough to fit in the bowels of a fish . It is also known as the Sword of Bravery, as it was a sword used by the cook Zhuan Zhu to a.s.sa.s.sinate King Liao of the Wu state, with the sword coming out from the fish served to the king