Chapter 167

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

Mudrock had witnessed too many partings and deaths, and knew how painful that feeling was. After a moment's thought, she edited the story into a text message and sent it to her owner.

A few seconds later, Shi Lei's phone rang.

Seeing this, Exusiai assumed another client had come knocking and looked on with envy. These days, nine out of ten of the clients the company receives are for Zhongli.

Moreover, all these employers came specifically for him; I'm so envious I could split my jaws.

Shi Lei unlocked his phone and quickly browsed the contents.

Now that Lisa's father has arrived, why doesn't he want to come in? Is it because there are too many people here and he finds it inconvenient?

"I have something to take care of, so I'll be going out for a bit. You guys eat first, don't wait for me."

Texas, assuming he had been commissioned to go out on a mission, also stood up.

Shi Lei raised his hand and pressed it down, smiling as he politely declined:

"No need to drive me, I'll be back soon."

After saying that, he quickly left the scene. When he arrived at the alley entrance, he couldn't find Lisa's father anywhere.

Shi Lei squatted down and reached out to touch the ground to listen to the sound.

The duration of listening depends on the material of the stone and has no direct relation to whether he is Archon Realm.

"Someone has come out; let's go back to the hotel first."

Strange, why run away?

With suspicion in his heart, Shi Lei arrived at the only Ruhua Hotel on Taiheng Road and politely inquired at the front desk:

"Hello, is there a nine-tailed Volcanic passenger here? I need to speak with him."

"I'm sorry, sir. We cannot disclose customer information unless the Lungmen Guard Department requests our cooperation in an investigation."

"Okay, I understand."

Asking Chen to send police officers now would be a waste of time. After leaving the hotel and thinking for a moment, Shi Lei called Isu, the intelligence chief of Penguin Logistics.

For any investigation, he's the right person to contact.

"Isu, help me find someone's room number. He's a clergyman from the Higashi, a member of the Vulcan tribe, and should be staying at the Ruhua Hotel on Taiheng Road. If there's no record at that hotel, check a few nearby hotels."

"No problem, wait a moment."

Isu into official systems was effortless for Is, and accessing the hotel's backend system was even easier. He based his actions on...

The information about "Higashi" and "Vulcan" was quickly filtered to find matching information:

"Yes, room 302, occupied by a Vulcan and an Oni race, Higashi, who just moved in this afternoon."

"OK, thanks."

After confirming the room number, Shi Lei went up the stairs. He went straight to room 302 and knocked on the door.

"Knock knock".

The Chief Priest and the ninja inside the house exchanged a glance, then remained silent, pretending that no one was inside.

But the next second, he had to respond.

"Excuse me, are you Lisa's father? I'm Zhongli, I've come to have a chat with you."

Chief Priest was very surprised that the other party was able to find this place in such a short time.

He had intended to observe for a few more days, but his address had been prematurely revealed. Zhongli had saved Chief Priest's wife and helped take care of his daughter; she was undoubtedly a great benefactor to his family. Now that she had come knocking, he couldn't simply hide from her.

The Chief Priest opened the door, bowed, and said:

"Mister Zhongli, please come in."

Shi Lei stood at the door, showing no intention of going in:

"Weren't you here to pick up Lisa? Why aren't you here to see her?"

"I..."

The Chief Priest paused for a moment, his expression somewhat complicated:

"I'm not ready to meet her yet."

As a father, how could he not want to see his daughter? But this time, he wasn't coming to take Lisa away. Chief Priest was afraid that if he saw her too much, he would be reluctant to part with her.

Lisa used to live with her mother in Syracuse and hadn't seen her father for many years. Shi Lei could completely understand his fearful behavior:

"Alright, you know where I live anyway. Come pick her up when you're ready. Lisa's been looking forward to you every day. It's almost July, don't delay too long."

Seeing Shi Lei turn to leave, Chief Priest tried to persuade him to stay:

"Mister Zhongli, thank you so much for taking care of my daughter during this time. May I invite you in for a seat?"

He understood, but he didn't support it. Hearing this, he went into his room and walked to the window to look out at the street.

The Chief Priest gestured for the ninja to leave, and after closing the door, he revealed a friendly smile:

"Mister Zhongli, has Lisa caused you any trouble during this time?"

Shi Lei has never been one to tolerate anyone; he speaks his mind.

"Instead of asking me these questions, you should prepare yourself mentally. Lisa has been waiting for you every day, worried that something had happened to you. And here you are, hiding."

The Chief Priest sensed displeasure in the other person's tone. He lowered his head, looking extremely troubled.

"Mister Zhongli, I also want to take Lisa home right away. But now is really not the time."

Shi Lei turned his gaze away from the window, sensing that Lisa's father seemed to have some unspeakable secret:

"What's the meaning?"

The Chief Priest grinned bitterly and confessed to him:

"Mister Zhongli, to be honest, the Higashi is currently embroiled in constant warfare and cannot be unified in the short term, which is not suitable for Lisa's healthy growth. I have come here today in the hope of finding a suitable place for her."

Recently, Shi Lei had been worried about Lisa's impending departure. Upon hearing that the other party didn't plan to take his daughter away, his eyes lit up immediately:

"Hey, what are you still looking for? Can't you just let her stay with me?"

The Chief Priest looked apologetic and began to explain:

"Mister Zhongli, you should know the difficult situation of the infected on this land. Lisa's unfortunate infection with Originium-related illness has deeply saddened me. It will have a huge impact on every aspect of her life."

I've heard of a pharmaceutical company called Rhodes Island that has extensive research experience in Originium-related illness. We're currently considering whether to let her live in Lungmen until she's eighteen before going there, or to send her to Rhodes Island for treatment sooner.

When Lisa's mother sent a message to her husband, she explicitly mentioned two things: 'Lisa was infected' and 'Zhongli helped to retrieve the Originium'.

However, in the common understanding, Originium-related illness is an incurable disease for which there is still no cure.

Neither the highly advanced medical laboratories in Columbia nor pharmaceutical companies like Rhodes Island can guarantee a cure for Originium-related illness.

Chief Priest interpreted "helping to retrieve the Originium" as retrieving the Originium crystal that infected Lisa, thus concluding that his daughter was already infected.

Just like when he saw netizens on Tieba boasting that Zhongli could summon Catastrophe Meteorite. He held a skeptical and questioning attitude towards things that were beyond his understanding.

Normal people will subconsciously choose to ignore things that are beyond their comprehension, or pretend that they don't exist.

Simply removing the Originium crystal that infected Lisa will not cure Originium-related illness. This is because the Originium can penetrate deeper into the bloodstream and infect internal organs.

"I have removed the Originium from Lisa's body, and she is no longer an infected person."

When Shi Lei met Lisa in Syracuse, he detonated and removed the Originium from all four of his limbs. After returning to Lungmen, he frequently checked his wounds and found no Originium crystal.

Chief Priest thought the other person was trying to comfort him, but he felt that such comfort was ineffective.

"Mister Zhongli, this is no laughing matter. You have already helped our family so much, we really don't want to trouble you anymore."

Shi Lei found this logic strange and directly pointed out the problem:

"You've already gone through so much trouble, what's a little more trouble? Besides, I don't think taking care of Lisa is a burden. She's like a rainbow after the rain, bringing joy to so many of us."

It brought joy.

Regarding whether Lisa is infected, we should have her blood tested by a third-party organization to get a precise conclusion. If she wasn't properly treated that day, I will be responsible for her subsequent treatment.

Shi Lei now reads medical books every day, reviewing knowledge points while others sleep. He has a thorough understanding of human blood, meridians, organs, and other related topics.

Hearing his confident tone, Chief Priest became even more puzzled. Being pierced by Originium crystal meant a 100% infection rate; no one could escape it.

Seeing that Lisa's father still seemed unconvinced, Shi Lei proposed a compromise:

"Go see Lisa later, so she won't worry about your safety. Take her to a medical facility for testing tomorrow to confirm whether she is infected."

If Lisa isn't infected, let her stay. If she is, I'll find a way to deal with it. Is that alright with you?

Even before the test results came back, Chief Priest still clung to a sliver of hope. He hoped that his wife had made a mistake and that his daughter hadn't been infected.

"Okay, we'll do it your way."

Shi Lei nodded in satisfaction. Since Lisa's father wasn't going to take her away, he had to try to persuade him.

Rather than sending Lisa back to the unstable Higashi, he and Lisa's father would certainly prefer her to stay in a stable city like Lungmen.

He walked outside, tilting his head as he gestured:

"Then let's go, let's go see her now. Don't tell me you're not ready, do you need to prepare to meet family?"

The Chief Priest chuckled self-deprecatingly, acknowledging this viewpoint:

"Okay, Mister Zhongli, please wait a moment."

He opened his suitcase, took out a purple pouch that looked like it had tassels on it, and walked out of the room with Shi Lei.

The ninja stood in the corridor, ready to break down doors and provide support should an emergency arise. Seeing the Chief Priest and the man leave, he discreetly followed behind.

Before long, the three returned to the warehouse.

More than a dozen people sat around a round table, eating meat and drinking wine heartily, creating a lively atmosphere.

Shi Lei from afar, smiling as he called out:

"Lisa, look who's here!"

Seeing that the figure before her matched the image of her father from her memories, Lisa put down her chopsticks and ran over:

"Father!!!"

Hearing this emotionally charged cry, Chief Priest felt as if his heart had been pierced.

He strained his eyes to hold back tears, then knelt down and opened his arms to welcome his beloved daughter. The thousand words in Chief Priest's heart coalesced into a single, trembling word:

"Eh~"

The heartwarming scene of the father and daughter embracing deeply moved everyone present. They silently stopped their chatter and watched the moment with envious eyes.

Whether it was the Sarkaz mercenaries, Mudrock, or Surtr, none of them had any family left in the world. Texas's entire clan was wiped out, leaving only her.

What is lost can never be recovered.

They no longer have parents to embrace, which is why they feel especially envious when they see this scene.

A myriad of feelings welled up in my heart.

Shi Lei narrowed his eyes and gestured for them to sit down. He offered the head seat to the father and daughter.

"Come, come, sit down and eat with us."

The Chief Priest quickly waved his hand, indicating his refusal.

Clergy members like him, responsible for sacrificial rites, take matters of ritual very seriously and believe they must not be transgressed.

"How can this be? No, no!"

Unable to persuade him otherwise, Shi Lei took the initiative to increase the size of the round table. This way, more seats could be added.

The Chief Priest was very surprised by what he had just shown, because he had never seen such a special Originium Arts before.

Exusiai wouldn't miss any opportunity to name the party, so she went back inside and brought out another case of beer:

"Tonight is a beer party to welcome Lisa's father, let's drink until we drop!"

The Sarkaz mercenaries present, who were on good terms with her, burst into laughter upon hearing this, teasing her:

"Come on, you just want to drink."