Chapter 675: Huo Zhengkui's Backhand

Takeout? Are you talking about "homebody" and "noob"? While Zhang Yuanqing was complaining inwardly, he sensed the other party's emotions.

He exclaimed "Huh?" inwardly. He detected no hostility, greed, or murderous intent in the emotions of this sole knight heir, which was inconsistent with the mindset of a spy scheming to seize the Pope's relic.

Arrogance, confidence, impatience, a bad mood, and a hint of envy... Wait, could he really be envious of my The Way of the Extraordinary ID? If you want it, I'll sell you the account for 998 yuan... Zhang Yuanqing temporarily put aside his hostility toward this person and tentatively said:

"A sole knight heir? You found this place so soon after the Pope's relic was stolen. If my clairvoyance hadn't revealed your honesty, your actions would be highly suspicious."

Then, he looked at the thunder mage, Deng Jingguo, and said, "Alliance Leader, I propose to stay and listen. No one can fabricate lies in front of me."

Deng Jingguo nodded slightly. "I have the same idea."

Clearly, he also distrusted this so-called sole knight heir who suddenly visited and mentioned the Pope's relic.

After Zhang Yuanqing was seated, Deng Jingguo looked at the mink-clad knight and said:

"Mr. Zhai Cai, this is a member of our Anti-Black and White Alliance, a swordsman I rely on heavily. He will represent me in all subsequent discussions with you."

"Swordsman?" Zhai Cai leaned lazily against the sofa, sizing up Zhang Yuanqing, and chuckled, "There aren't many swordsmen in the First District, and even fewer in civilian organizations. Are you an infiltrator from the Heavensfall or from the Fu family of scout clans?"

His tone, posture, and expression all exuded a "I'm the boss" confidence. Even in the presence of a Ruler, he showed no restraint.

Could this attitude mean he's a Ruler? Zhang Yuanqing was a little puzzled.

However, even if the other party was a Ruler, he could sense their true inner thoughts through their emotional changes. This sole knight heir wouldn't suspect that the swordsman before him was actually an Illusionist. Any precaution against clairvoyance would be futile.

"Who I am is not important; who you are is very important." Zhang Yuanqing said, "Mr. Zhai Cai, how will you prove your identity?"

"There are many ways to prevent lying. In my opinion, a swordsman's clairvoyance is too subjective and easily countered by experts. It's far less effective than establishing simple rules." Zhai Cai picked up an apple from the fruit plate and slapped it lightly on the coffee table. "I propose we play a game of truth or dare. Whoever lies dies."

Accompanying the slight sound of the apple hitting the coffee table, a halo of brass-colored light spread out, sweeping across the living room.

Zhang Yuanqing and Deng Jingguo clearly felt an invisible force locking down their minds, altering their perceptions. Lying suddenly became a heinous crime, comparable to murder.

Such a strong constraint, simply establishing rules... It feels like he's far surpassing Xia Zuo, the Level 6 knight from the Heavensfall. This is a Ruler-level knight, a giant panda among giant pandas... Zhang Yuanqing felt a chill.

Deng Jingguo remained expressionless and nodded slightly:

"I believe you are a knight now."

After a simple display of power, Zhai Cai sighed:

"I am indeed a knight heir of the Holy See. You all know the Holy See, right? If not, I'll explain it later. The Knights Templar is the Holy See's most powerful force, composed of a group of knight professionals who are not afraid of death.

"They are powerful and fearless. Wherever they go, evil and enemies will be reduced to ashes. When this army is assembled, even the Pope has to retreat. But more than a century ago, the Holy See was destroyed in a terrible upheaval. Only one powerful knight managed to survive. That knight went into hiding for a while, and later contacted Huo Zhengkui.

"He learned from Huo Zhengkui that the Pope had entrusted the relic to this oriental man. So, the two discussed splitting the Holy Plate into four pieces and sealing them in two ways. Two pieces were simply sealed and could sense each other. The other two pieces were sealed in a more sophisticated way and left to Huo Zhengkui to handle.

"The two Holy Plates that could sense each other were kept by Huo Zhengkui and my grandmaster, one piece each. The two agreed to watch out for each other and protect the Holy See's Holy Plate together. Later, the two separated and agreed to contact each other every five years.

"Huo Zhengkui continued to be his gang boss, while that Holy See knight took a yellow-skinned man as his disciple, teaching him knight combat skills and holy arts.

"This was probably done to conceal them from their enemies, just as no one would have thought that the Pope would entrust such an important Holy Plate to a yellow-skinned man.

"And then, the knight heritage inexplicably became ours."

Zhang Yuanqing listened silently and asked:

"What evidence can you provide to prove what you're saying?"

Hearing this, the knight in the black leather jacket took out two items from his designer bag and placed them on the coffee table.

One was a fan-shaped bronze piece and a stack of yellowed letters.

!!! Zhang Yuanqing's pupils contracted slightly. He felt like a pie had fallen from the sky. Could there really be such a good thing?

Zhai Cai unfolded the yellowed letters and said:

"These letters explain everything very clearly. You'll understand once you read them.

"To be honest, I have no sense of belonging to the Holy See and don't want to get involved in these matters. I'll probably follow in the footsteps of my master and grandmasters, silently taking disciples and passing on heirlooms. But I didn't expect that last night, this bronze piece suddenly broke its seal.

"The seals on Huo Zhengkui's and the knight's Holy Plates are a whole. If one seal is broken, the other will also be released, warning each other."

He sighed: "So, I was forced to work and take on the mission of my lineage, coming to your door."

Deng Jingguo picked up the letters and read them carefully.

After a long while, he put down the letters and nodded. "No problem!"

Huo Zhengkui actually left a backhand. Was he worried that his descendants would be unfilial or that the Freedom Alliance would find him, so he entrusted one of the Holy Plates to the knight for safekeeping? Compared to a just knight, the probability of unfilial descendants is higher. But Old Huo's descendants are still good; he didn't disappoint him... Zhang Yuanqing frowned:

"How did you know that Alliance Leader Deng is Huo Zhengkui's grandson? Before the Pope's relic was lost, even he himself didn't know this secret."

"I already said that the two sides agreed to contact each other every five years. After Huo Zhengkui returned to The Way of the Extraordinary, his illegitimate son, Deng Guoguang, once asked us for help. My master's master also contributed to the establishment of the Anti-Black and White Alliance." The knight said:

"It wasn't until after Deng Guoguang died that the two families lost contact."

"So, you knights were Huo Zhengkui's insurance. Once Huo's Holy Plate was lost, the knights would step in to retrieve it." Deng Jingguo pondered:

"The Pope's relic was indeed stolen a few days ago. My father imitated Huo Zhengkui and entrusted the Pope's relic to his illegitimate son. A few days ago, that illegitimate son was devoured by a Star Official and unfortunately sacrificed.

"But there was another twist in this matter..."

He immediately told Zhai Cai about the Star Official killing Jia Feizhang and then being intercepted by the Leader of the Heavens Reaching Sect halfway.

The mink-clad knight listened in astonishment. "Is it that complicated? Well, it seems that the Leader of the Heavens Reaching Sect has already obtained the Holy Plate and successfully broken the seal. That's good. The Holy Plates will sense each other. I will try to find him and retrieve the Holy Plate."

I won't take it out these days... Zhang Yuanqing said silently.

Deng Jingguo then looked at the swordsman from the East and said to Zhai Cai:

"The Holy Plate was not passed on to me. From the bottom of my heart, I'm not willing to get involved in this matter. But since it's a family mission, as a descendant of Huo Zhengkui, I should contribute."

Just as Zhang Yuanqing thought he was going to make some great and righteous remarks, he heard Alliance Leader Deng change the subject:

"I have already commissioned the Free Swordsman to track down the Leader of the Heavens Reaching Sect. Free Swordsman, you will be responsible for assisting Zhai Cai in retrieving the Holy Plate. If necessary, I can take action."

Alliance Leader Deng doesn't seem to want to get involved. That's good. I'll lie low beside this knight and find an opportunity to seize the Holy Plate... Zhang Yuanqing nodded slightly. "I will do my best!"

He originally wanted to say that if it was too dangerous, he would need to increase his reward, at least to make a show of it. But on second thought, there was no need to say these things. He could talk to Deng Jingguo privately.

Saying it would be too contrived.

Zhai Cai squinted at Zhang Yuanqing, with an unwilling expression. "A swordsman..."

He shook his head and clicked his tongue in disappointment.

What do you mean by that?! Zhang Yuanqing felt a bit of an urge to hit him.

Leaving Deng Jingguo's villa, Zhang Yuanqing and Zhai Cai walked slowly along the long street, one in front of the other.

Am I being favored by the goddess of luck today? The third Holy Plate fell into my hands... But this knight is probably a Ruler. It's difficult to snatch it by force. I have to ask the guild leader to take action. The bronze piece on him will be my stepping stone into the Hunter Guild... Zhang Yuanqing looked at the Cai knight walking in front of him, feeling that he was like a tempting piece of pork belly.

Wait! He thought again. If this knight doesn't die, he will definitely wreak havoc in New York. A Ruler wreaking havoc in New York... The Hunter Guild has many eyes and ears; it will be easy to find out why Zhai Cai is causing trouble.

How will I explain snatching the Holy Plate from a Ruler at that time? As long as the Hunter Guild isn't stupid, they will be able to guess that I have someone behind me.

Kill the knight? The knight is Lawful Good, even more upright than the scouts. Killing a good person goes against my principles, and this kind of giant panda among giant pandas is too wasteful to kill. It's more useful to keep him... Zhang Yuanqing was in a dilemma for a moment.

At this moment, Zhai Cai, who was walking in front, suddenly turned his head and curled his lips:

"I sensed hostility from you."

Zhang Yuanqing was startled and said lightly, "I also sensed hostility from you."

He quickly realized that the knight didn't have clairvoyance or the ability to sense emotions. In addition, he habitually constricted his emotions when thinking, so the other party couldn't possibly sense his hostility.

He was testing him.

"After all, we're going to be comrades now. I'm used to being alone and don't trust comrades." Zhai Cai shrugged and then said:

"That the Leader of the Heavens Reaching Sect is elusive. New York is so big, finding him is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Troublesome, really troublesome. I have a lot of things to deal with at my company and don't want to be entangled in these trivial matters.

"Free Swordsman, why don't I just give you the Holy Plate and you find him for me?"

I don't even know if you're testing me. Why is this guy so hostile toward me? Zhang Yuanqing simply kept a straight face and ignored him.

After walking for a while, Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the mink-clad knight's back and took the initiative to strike up a conversation, saying:

"Do you have any plans?"

The mink-clad knight scoffed and asked, "What plans do you think I should have? Alliance Leader Deng said you were investigating the Leader of the Heavens Reaching Sect. Do you have any clues? Don't tell me you have no results."

This guy's tone is so annoying... Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Are you a Ruler?"

Zhai Cai looked at him and smiled. "I'm a demigod!"

If you're a demigod, I'll kowtow to you on the spot... Zhang Yuanqing said indifferently:

"The Leader of the Heavens Reaching Sect is a bounty hunter taking on the Chinatown serial murder case, indicating that his hunter level is not high. I spent some money to investigate his past mission list and found that this person is fiercely righteous, killing only criminals and gang members.

"So, knowing his approximate level and character, a sting operation is the most efficient way. Yesterday, I posted a reward task in the Hunter Guild, a task to hunt me down. I described myself as a lecherous and evil villain who does all kinds of bad things."

Zhai Cai's eyes lit up: "If the Leader of the Heavens Reaching Sect sees that task, he's likely to take it. Then all we have to do is wait for him to come to us."

Zhang Yuanqing also smiled and said in passing, "So, if you're a Ruler, it's best to stay with me. But don't have too much hope. Other hunters might take the task."

Zhai Cai tilted his head, pondered for a moment, and that handsome face evoked an irritating smile again: "Not a bad idea. Then I'll be your bodyguard for three days. If there are no clues within three days, we'll go our separate ways and I'll find him myself."

So, the two of them walked and talked, crossing six blocks and arriving at the red brick building.

Zhai Cai looked up, scrutinized the six-story building, and clicked his tongue. "You live in this kind of ordinary building? It doesn't suit the identity of a saint. I booked a presidential suite at the international hotel in Manhattan. You should hang out with me."

"Do you run a company?" Zhang Yuanqing asked curiously.

"At least I'm a big boss with tens of billions of federal currency in assets. Call me CEO Cai in the future." The sole knight heir raised his chin.

Zhang Yuanqing didn't want to waste time talking to him. "My room is 403. Take it or leave it."

He went straight upstairs, took the elevator back home, poured himself a glass of water, and sat at the dining table to think.

He already had a general idea. First, he would trick the sixth-generation sole knight heir into his home, then have the Leader of the Heavens Reaching Sect attack. After the attack failed, he would immediately contact the Hunter Guild and tell them the whereabouts of the bronze piece.

Next, he would let the Hunter Guild and the Ruler knight fight each other while he fished in troubled waters.

This way, he would have an explanation to the Hunter Guild and be able to keep the bronze piece. He hoped that this sole knight heir would be reliable. Of course, if he wasn't, and the Hunter Guild took the bronze piece, then the Free Swordsman could join forces with the Ruler knight.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yuanqing noticed that the sole knight heir hadn't come upstairs yet. He wondered if he had really left.

He quickly walked to the window, opened it, and looked down at the street. He saw Zhai Cai, wearing a black mink coat, standing in front of a roadside snack stand, holding a box of fried stinky tofu and eating it with relish.

"I'll come up after I finish eating!" He waved.

What about your international hotel style? Your billionaire vibe is squatting by the roadside eating stinky tofu? Zhang Yuanqing's mouth twitched, and he slammed the window shut.

.......

ps: I'll update the mistakes first and revise them later.