A New Deal

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"Where are they?"

After taking care of the mecha at the Hunting Festival, although he wasn't injured, the President's aura was still a bit unsettled.

Looking grimly at his thoroughly ransacked office, the President cursed aloud.

"Damn it, are you all useless? Couldn't you even watch this?"

"President", the assistant quietly reminded him from the side, "the two of them are already dead."

"Dead is dead," the President waved dismissively, clearly indifferent. "If they weren't dead, I'd have gone looking for them myself,"

"Two useless fools. To think they let someone barge in. Offer their bodies to our god."

"Yes, president," the assistant bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment.

"And," the President swept his gaze over the ruined building and asked, "the guardian formation is broken. How soon can it be repaired at the earliest?"

"Um..."

The assistant hurried to make calculations. Only after some time did he reply,

"The materials bestowed by our god are already insufficient. At the previous pace, it will take two more months."

"Do I have to teach you something like this?" the President asked with a frown.

"No, there's no need, president," the assistant said with his head lowered.

"Good", the President nodded. "As always, just toss a few more scraps to our god. These two useless corpses are just fine."

"Yes," the assistant nodded, but still cautiously added,

"It's not enough. If it's all bodies, could there be a problem?"

"There will be no problem," the President waved impatiently. "Just do as I say."

With that, the President lowered his head and gazed meaningfully at the assistant, eyes beneath his spectacles fixed on him.

"Remember, our god... ha," he chuckled softly, "is not picky."

............

From afar, watching as the President flew into the battered Mechanist Association building, Lyle's eyes widened.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Lyle's reaction, Jiang Cheng tilted her head in curiosity.

"Oh, are you wondering how he's managed to live to such an old age?"

Turning to glance at the President again, Jiang Cheng asked knowingly.

"No,"

Lyle shook his head, "I'm just worried he might find out it was us who took the stuff. After all, his strength..."

"That?"

Jiang Cheng chuckled lightly, "You don't need to worry about that, since the one hiding our tracks is none other than their lord god."

What Lyle didn't notice was that when Jiang Cheng mentioned "their lord", the sneer at the corner of her lips was brimming with mockery.

"However,"

Jiang Cheng cast a surprised look at Lyle, "aren't you the least bit curious about what I just said? You might be a bit naive, but I don't believe you didn't think of it with your observational skills."

"Well..."

Lyle scratched his head and said, "Isn't it normal? He's the President, surely he has some special channels or back doors?"

"Back doors... pfft, hahaha,"

Jiang Cheng couldn't help but burst out laughing at his answer, the corners of her lips twitching.

"Though that's not the reason, I do quite like your explanation," it was a long while before Jiang Cheng could say anything after her laughter.

"Didn't expect you to not be a fool after all—you're able to see through these petty human affairs."

"Of course,"

Lyle replied somewhat helplessly. Why, in this woman's mind, did he seem more and more like a clueless fool? After all, he had survived on his own for years.

"My teacher taught me all that,"

Lyle paused for a long time, before speaking calmly.

Jiang Cheng froze, not even managing to respond.

Yes, she had taught him.

Back then, wanting Lyle to see the darkness in human hearts, she had cruelly sealed away part of Lyle's power—unsealing it only when he faced mortal threats—and tossed him into a slum district of a city.

She had expected Lyle would hate humanity for what he experienced; with everything he went through, it would have been normal for him to hate her, too.

But when she returned two months later, Lyle was covered in wounds and filth, yet his eyes still shone with light.

"Teacher!"

The boy ran over, glanced at his own dirty state, but dared not approach.

Jiang Cheng proactively reached out and took his hand.

"You don't hate me?"

For the first time, the usually expressionless Jiang Cheng showed a trace of emotion and asked quietly.

"Of course not!"

The boy beamed.

"What about humanity?"

"Humans..."

Lyle tilted his head, thinking, "There are lots of bad people—those should be killed."

"But there are still many good people. So, for their sake, I should get rid of those who are wrong. After all... I'm a hero," the boy declared with a star-like gleam in his eyes.

"Why are you quiet?"

Snapping out of it, Jiang Cheng saw Lyle turn to ask her.

"Nothing, what did you just say?"

Jiang Cheng smiled and asked.

"I said, should we just go home now? We can head to the Temple of the Gods tomorrow."

"Of course,"

Jiang Cheng nodded.

"We'll go to the Temple of the Gods and the Mechanist Association tomorrow."

"Why do we still need to go to the Mechanist Association?"

Lyle was a little surprised. After stealing from them, he really didn't want to go back.

"Well, that's... a secret~"

Jiang Cheng teased with a smile, turning to walk home.

"Wait up! Why do you always leave like that?"

Lyle muttered helplessly, trailing after her.

What he didn't see was that Jiang Cheng's smile deepened after she turned away, becoming tinged with coldness.

I'll definitely make sure you succeed, my disciple, my hero~

So, our fellow Ferran, I'm sorry,

............

"What's the point in apologizing? Failing to provide a plan for special situations is your fault—I nearly died,"

Ferran grumbled, looking at the dismissive doppelganger in front of him, who offered only a perfunctory apology and had fled from the mecha and the President's trusted mechanists.

"I hope you can understand something..."

Jiang Cheng raised her hand and grabbed Ferran by the throat.

"Right now, you're the one begging me to tell you who killed your teacher, aren't you?"

"Uh..."

She let go, and Ferran staggered, coughing before speaking.

"Sorry, Your Holiness, I overstepped just now."

"No worries~"

Elegantly wiping her hand, Jiang Cheng smiled lightly.

"You're just a thief—who would expect him to understand manners?"

Ferran lowered his head, expressionless. After so many years surviving by theft, he no longer cared what others thought of him.

"But I do like that you know to repay favors,"

Jiang Cheng said with a smile.

"So, do you want to know who killed your teacher? Do you want to kill them?"

"Of course,"

Ferran frowned.

"If I didn't, I wouldn't make any deal with you."

"Yes, of course you do,"

Jiang Cheng nodded in satisfaction, looking at ease.

"That's why I can naturally tell you: the culprit is the Mechanist Association. But—how could you possibly take revenge?"

"That's not for Your Holiness to worry about,"

Ferran replied coolly, making to leave.

"No, no, what I mean is..."

Jiang Cheng smiled, the curve of her lips and tempting words taking on a devilish quality.

"I have another deal for you. Want to hear it?"

Ferran stopped in his tracks. For some reason, this new deal was like a forbidden fruit dangled by a devil—impossible to resist.

"What kind of deal?"

"Why, to teach you how to destroy them. Oh, no—rather, to teach you how to take your revenge."

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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