Chapter 897: The Most Peculiar Joint-Investigation Team
The investigation teams led by Ha.s.se and Hao Ren respectively finally met in front of the family hall. Other than Hao Ren and a few of his teammates, everyone was freaking nervous. Though Wayne and Hesperides looked relatively calm, the magic power had begun to glow on their hands. The demon hunters were clenching their crossbows and silver daggers, the atmosphere became very tense.
Even though the demon hunters were mentally prepared, they tensed up when they saw those people on the other side. They could not help it because after all, they were enemies for 10,000 years; the reaction was ingrained in their DNA, and they could do nothing to suppress it.
As for Lily, who was waving the ‘h.e.l.lo’ placard, was ignored entirely.
The young demon hunters aimed their crossbows at the otherworldlings across the square while Wayne was threateningly baring his fangs in return. Fighting was on the verge of breaking out, but Vivian just watched on cool-headedly. She nodded at Ha.s.se. “Do you want to fight? Have demon hunters degenerated so much that you could no longer think with your brain?”
“Stand down,” Ha.s.se ordered his men by raising his fist in the air. He then nodded back to Vivian. “Countess, long time no see,” he shouted across the square.
The two leaders—at least the demon hunters thought Vivian was, talked to each other at a distance. The tense atmosphere eased. The demon hunters began to tuck away their weapon while maintaining their alert, but the Letta runes were still activated on their hands. Wayne and Hesperides did the same; despite their calm demeanor, they were still in combat-ready mode.
Both sides had shown maximum restraint.
Vivian was satisfied with the situation. She smiled subtly. “Good. I don’t like to see fighting breaking out here, especially you guys have been killing each other for a long time.”
The demon hunters looked at Vivian curiously. Some of them had only heard of the Countess of the Crimson Moon but never met her in person. They were taught to hate otherworldlings since the early age, but when they met this most ancient ancestor of otherworldlings, who was even older than their first ancestor, they could not help but look at her with respect. Ha.s.se ignored the reactions of his men. He, White Flame and the dark-skinned man stepped forward. “Let’s cut the crackle and get down to business. We all know why we are here today. So what is your suggestion?”
Vivian looked at the warriors that Ha.s.se had brought. “Let’s work together.”
This suggestion had not only caused a commotion among the demon hunters, but Ha.s.se and White Flame were also a little surprised. The two of them said in unison, “Work together?!”
Vivian nodded as if saying “I’m not joking.” She moved aside so that the other side could see the hall. “You will know when you see what has happened inside; it’s totally unlike anything you have seen before.”
Ha.s.se looked at Vivian with a puzzled look. He lowered his head and walked into the Ancattero family hall, while several masters followed him from behind.
After a few moments, Ha.s.se came out from the hall with his men, face like a dead man, filled with horror. He waved his hand motioning the warriors outside to stay calm. Ha.s.se then turned to Vivian. “Just do what you said,” he said.
The demon hunters’ reactions were varied; there were those who were surprised, unacceptable, and incomprehensible. Demon hunters were taught to hate otherworldlings since young, and the quirky phenomenon of innate hostility was deeply ingrained in them, and there was no such thing as ‘collaborating with the otherworldlings’ in their thinking. They could not believe Ha.s.se had said such a thing, but none of them stood up to object as Ha.s.se was the most senior leader of the team. As a highly respected elderly demon hunter, Ha.s.se was only answerable to the top-twelve sages, but in field mission, his words were the council of elders’ words.
Vivian tilted her head slightly to the side. “Any problem, Wayne?” she asked.
Wayne exhaled with a weird expression on his face. “Do as you say. Anyway, it’s a rare experience.”
The demon hunters had no choice but to work with them. It was the most peculiar joint-investigation team ever put together. Walking along the demon hunters, Hao Ren had never felt such weird. He was on pins and needles, and gooseb.u.mps popped out all over his skin. Everyone was suspicious of each other. They were nervous, but no one dared to make the first attack. He was sure as h.e.l.l that he was not the only one having this feeling; he could see the tense look on the face of the demon hunters. It was as nervous as carrying a gas tank together and then someone had decided to light a cigarette up to calm himself down.
Lily was sensitive to the atmosphere and stuck close to Hao Ren. The uncomfortable feeling had her tail puffed straight like a sword. “Mr. Landlord, will they fight?”
“I think… they won’t,” Hao Ren replied, glancing at Vivian and Ha.s.se, worried. “It seems the two of them might be able to keep things under control.”
While the joint-investigation team walked toward the family hall, Hesperides came up to Ha.s.se quietly. “Long time no see. Are you still in Athens?”
Ha.s.se had noticed Hesperides earlier. White Flame and the bald man also knew the nymph of the evening and Ha.s.se had old grudges, so when Hesperides came up suddenly, they were nervous. Ha.s.se, however, looked as calm as a summer sea. “Long time no see, Hesperides. Your injury… is it okay now?” he asked.
“I should be thankful to a strange doctor.” Hesperides had no emotion on her face. “Look at you! It looks like you’re still blind,” she said.
Ha.s.se’s gaze landed on Vivian, and he smiled in a self-deprecating manner. “It’s my honor to be blinded by the ancient one. I still remember when I was at the Athens’ sanctuary, you lunged out at me suddenly like a mad dog. I thought you were doing the same to me this time.”
Hesperides gently rubbed her old wound on her forehead with a mysterious smile on her face. “Oh, since the arrow was removed, the wound has healed together with my character as well,” she said.
Ha.s.se said indifferently, “Wow, looks like I had made a peaceful ‘G.o.ddess’ tyrannical by accident.”
Hesperides quietly watched Ha.s.se for a while. Behind her twinkling amber eyes hiding a thought. At last, she nodded and then returned to the side of Vivian, as if nothing had ever happened.
Ha.s.se looked as cold and somber as ever. The conversation earlier had not affected him a bit.
Two mortal foes were exchanging words casually, but enough to send a chill up the spines of the onlookers. Feeling a little confused, Hao Ren nudged Vivian. “What do they mean?” he asked.
“I still remember what you have done to me, but I will leave it to another time to settle the score,” Vivian interpreted.
“Oh, I see.”
Despite the tension between the demon hunter and Wayne and Hesperides, the tension subsided when they stepped into the hall. Ha.s.se was too occupied with the bodies of the demon hunters that lied around the hall. He examined each of them and quickly identified several prominent people.
“This is Master Abaddon!” “Master Chloanne is here!” “I’ve found the body of Elder Marduk!”
The demon hunters reported their findings and could not care less about Hao Ren. They were busily examining the bodies, magic residue, and damage to the hall itself and reconstructed the battle scene. Though the demon hunters had the image of being stubborn and violent, they were a dab hand at crime scene investigation.
At least they were better than Hao Ren was in this regard.
Vivian came up to the body of Amatura with Ha.s.se. “Do you know him? Is he Amatura?” she asked.
Ha.s.se recognized Amatura in an instant. “That’s him. Eh, did he leave behind this?” he asked.
His eyes fell on the message on the pillar next to Amatura.