"She said yes.
In less than three years, her Moonfiend Clan became the largest in all of the Shattered Starfields.
It wasn't until later that I found out she was from the Pontiff's Citadel. "
Lan Jue recounted how he'd fallen for the Moonfiend Empress' warning, and how he'd escaped the Pontiff's Citadel's encirclement.
"I have a question," Zhou Qianlin said after Lan Jue had finished.
"What is it?" Lan Jue asked.
Zhou Qianlin went on. "If you're facing the Pontiff, why didn't you ask the Wine Master to come with you?
If he was there, you'd have a better chance.
The Wine Master is already in the Barrows, he'd help you! "
Lan Jue shook her head. "I didn't tell the Wine Master about this for a reason.
First of all, if it were just me, the Pontiff's Citadel would be the only one holding me captive. They tried to get rid of me before.
But Skyfire Avenue has two new Paragons. As long as they're not stupid, they won't dare harm me.
They'll just go to Skyfire Avenue and ask for something in return. "
"Secondly, this is my personal affair, and has nothing to do with Skyfire Avenue. I don't want to drag Skyfire Avenue into this. If I did, it'd be a fight between two powerful Adepts.
Besides, the Moonfiend Empress came from the Pontiff's Citadel. She's a Morning Star Seraph, a Seraph raised by Genetica.
This is an internal matter of the Pontiff's Citadel, and we're not in the right. We can't involve Skyfire Avenue or the Wine Master. "
"When I came with the Wine Master to the Western Alliance, I thought about asking for his help.
With him there, our chances of success would be much higher. But at the same time, the risk would be greater.
A simple calculation showed that if the Wine Master showed up.
The Pontiff would have to intervene.
At their level, everyone's strength was about the same.
But the Pontiff's ranking was higher than the Wine Master's, and this was the Holy City of Reims. The Wine Master had no chance of winning.
With the Pontiff holding the Wine Master back, we'll have to deal with him.
Metatron, Archangel of the Pontiff's Citadel, and the Six Archangels.
Even if there were two of me, I still wouldn't be able to beat him.
Since he couldn't defeat them, he couldn't rely on his strength to fight them head-on.
After careful consideration, I decided it was best not to involve the Wine Master in this matter.
This is my personal behavior.
Not Skyfire Avenue or the Pontiff's Citadel.
We can't incite a conflict between two powerful Adepts just because of this, and we're not in the right anyway. "
Listening to Lan Jue's words, Zhou Qianlin nodded repeatedly. Just as Lan Jue said, what they were doing at this time could be said to be individual behavior, but once it rose to collective behavior, it was different.
It might even lead to a confrontation between the two Major Leagues.
"Then what do you plan to do?
If we can't fight them, then we'll have to outsmart them.
Are you familiar with this place? "Zhou Qianlin asked.
Lan Jue chuckled.
"Of course not.
This is the first time I've come to Reims.
Still, even the Cathedral needed electricity.
Where there's electricity, there's us.
We can't rush this. We need to find an opportunity.
Not only do we need to save Little Yue, but we also need to keep my identity a secret. We don't want to bring trouble to Skyfire Avenue. "
Zhou Qianlin shot him a look.
"Little Yue, that's a very affectionate way you call me!"
Lan Jue smiled. "I can't help it, I'm handsome.
I'm popular. "
Seeing that smirk on his face, Qianlin had the urge to punch him in the face.
Unfortunately, she knew she couldn't beat him.
Even if she could, she didn't want to.
After a bite to eat, Lan Jue took Zhou Qianlin out. They didn't go to the Cathedral, but to the mall.
They had just arrived, and if they didn't want to expose themselves, they had to blend in. The first thing they needed to blend in was clothing.
Lan Jue bought a middle-income outfit for himself and a similar outfit for Zhou Qianlin, along with a few accessories.
Of course, she also bought more clothes for her sister.
After all, if they did it once, they'd be out of clothes, and they didn't have much with them.
The two held hands as they strolled through the mall. The man was handsome, the woman was beautiful, and they often attracted a lot of attention. Lan Jue had no choice but to buy a pair of large glasses. They were framed, but the concealment was much better.
It wasn't that he didn't want to buy sunglasses, but he couldn't wear them in the Cathedral. It would be blasphemy.
Almost every building in the Holy City had something to do with faith. Even the shops had the symbol of the cross. The two of them finished their shopping and headed out.
Suddenly, a luxurious verti-car appeared in the doorway.
It descended from the sky, and before it touched the ground it was illuminated by projector lights. Passersby moved out of the way.
Lan Jue's heart skipped a beat. She pulled Zhou Qianlin to the side. The door of the verti-car opened, and a man stepped out. Lan Jue knew him. They'd even fought before. It was one of the Pontiff's Citadel's Archangel of Healing, Raphael.
Raphael was dressed in grey trousers, a grey vest, white shirt, and dark tie.
He looked like a gentleman.
They stepped out of the car and made their way into the mall.
Fortunately, Lan Jue was quick to pull Zhou Qianlin to the side. If she hadn't, they'd have been walking right in front of each other.
Powerful people's auras were attracted to each other. In the Holy City, Raphael didn't need to hide his presence. That was why Lan Jue had noticed him so quickly. Lan Jue, on the other hand, had long ago done so.
"Who is he?" Zhou Qianlin asked.
Lan Jue answered. "Raphael, the Archangel of Healing."
Zhou Qianlin's face darkened. One of the people who ambushed you last time.
Lan Jue nodded.
Zhou Qianlin asked. "So he's alone now. Should we make a move?"
Hearing this, Lan Jue couldn't help but laugh. "This is the Holy City of Lance. If we make a move on Raphael …" Suddenly, his eyes lit up. A plan came to him. "Isn't it possible to make a move on him?"
If one wanted to do something beyond one's ability, then the first thing to do was to make it so that the enemies who were stronger than one wouldn't know what one's goal was.
Raphael, the Archangel of Healing, wasn't the weakest among the six archangels, but he was one of the weakest. He was good at support, not direct combat.
Lan Jue knew that if he and Zhou Qianlin teamed up, they would have no problem subduing Raphael.
His brain worked quickly, and a complete plan soon appeared in his mind.
"Let's go." Pulling Zhou Qianlin, Lan Jue led her back into the store.
Since Raphael wasn't hiding his presence, the ripples of his energy were obvious.
Even from several floors away, Lan Jue could sense it. He wasn't in a hurry. Slowly, he led Zhou Qianlin up the stairs. They approached the source of Raphael's aura.
It wasn't long before he noticed that Raphael was on the third floor of the mall. He'd stopped in front of a luxury clothing store. It looked like he was there to try on clothes.
Lan Jue didn't linger. Instead, he pulled Zhou Qianlin down the stairs.
"Aren't we going to do it here?" Zhou Qianlin asked.
Lan Jue nodded. "Here, but not now.
Malls like this have security cameras. We're always under surveillance, and we don't have enough cover. If something happens to Raphael here, the Pontiff's Citadel will know we're up to something. We need to get rid of the cameras first. "
Zhou Qianlin gave Lan Jue a strange look. "I didn't expect you to be such a veteran!"
Lan Jue huffed. "What do you mean veteran? That's common sense."
Zhou Qianlin giggled. "Fine, common sense it is.
Lan Jue, can you promise me something? "
"What is it?" Lan Jue asked.
"We're here to save people," Zhou Qianlin said. "We're here to save people, so we shouldn't hurt innocent people.
I don't mind if you deal with those who attacked you, but there are too many civilians in this mall … "
Lan Jue smiled at the girl's kindness. "Don't worry, the arrow is still in my soul.
Granny Bess didn't say anything, but I can feel it. If I do something bad, the arrow will interrogate me.
The only reason Granny Bess gave it to me instead of you is because she trusts you enough. My kindness is still questionable. She didn't say it directly, but this arrow of kindness is always watching over me. "
"Won't it affect you?" Qianlin asked, a little worried.
Lan Jue shook her head. "Not really. At most it'll make the arrow useless.
It's a weapon that can control a Paragon. I'm not willing to part with it.
Besides, I don't like hurting people. "
As they spoke, the two of them made their way back to the first floor of the mall. Lan Jue had no trouble finding the surveillance room.
As long as there was electricity, Lan Jue's Discipline could be used to great effect.
The mall wasn't like the Cathedral of Reims, which was heavily guarded against Adepts. All he had to do was find a place to do something that would have been suicidal for most people. Then he found the surveillance room.
There was a scientific name for what he was doing. Touching the electric door!
Lan Jue was able to pinpoint the location of the surveillance room. He took Qianlin with him, and they made their way there without a sound.
(To be continued)