Lord Black Lives Forever!

"Who told you?"

"He said it himself, in the reader group announcement."

"He said it himself?"

Quill was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "Good, very good."

Knowing they would be hunted down if discovered, yet daring to show up and participate in a book signing – it was like knowing he might die if he found the Spring of Enlightenment, yet Sean still went to the Black Berry Rainforest. Was this writer trying to pull the same trick again?

He liked Sean's courage.

"It's also possible he's deliberately tricking us, trying to divert our attention and hide his real location," the orderly offered his opinion.

The source of the information was reliable; they had someone lurking in Sean's reader group. But whether Sean's words could be trusted...

It was hard to say.

That man was very cunning.

"It doesn't matter. If he doesn't show up at the book signing, at most we'll just keep looking for him, and my mood will continue to worsen. For me personally, this is indeed not good news, but for our hospital, there won't be any additional losses." Sean's appearance put Quill in an exceptionally good mood. He rarely spoke more than a few sentences to his subordinates. "But if he really dares to go, this time, I'll make sure he can't escape."

"I believe he will go."

The person who understands you best is often not your friend, but your enemy. Quill and Sean hadn't interacted much, only meeting once in total. However, Sean's composure and decisiveness during that encounter left a deep impression on him.

In a way, Sean was also a madman. His methods of operation were very different from the other patients in the institution. The more dangerous something was, the more he might want to try it, because greater risk meant greater reward. A man who wasn't afraid of exchanging his life with an enemy – Quill believed Sean had the guts to go to the book signing.

"Then who should we send this time?" the orderly asked.

The complete annihilation of Wensite and his men had already proven that ordinary witch hunters, guns, and ammunition posed little threat to Sean. They needed to increase the dosage to save this stubborn patient.

"No one."

Quill looked at the empty cage hanging by the window, the glass reflecting the sickly smile on his face.

"This time, I'm going personally."

Old Sigel City.

At this moment, Sean, wearing a hooded sweatshirt, lowered his head and moved quickly through the crowd.

It took him two days to get out of the Black Berry Rainforest, and another two days to flag down a couple on the road. He politely asked them for a ride to the border of Lacquer State, then found a black car used for smuggling and drove all the way to Old Sigel City.

There were still five days until the signing event with Number 1. It didn't matter whether Quill had guessed he would come early or not.

Because he had "bodyguards."

Today marked exactly one week since the great Mr. Blake had given Kate his instructions.

Sean had rented an apartment in Old Sigel City for a period before. He was somewhat familiar with the city. He first found a motel, got a room, and solved his accommodation problem for the next few days.

Before leaving Holkodo, Sean withdrew all his savings from the bank. Although not much was left after paying off his mortgage, if he was frugal, it should be enough until the royalties were disbursed on the 15th of next month – assuming Quill hadn't frozen his bank card.

One of the reasons he chose a motel was its affordability, offering better value than a hotel. More importantly, he didn't need an ID, reducing the risk of being found.

The receptionist was a slender girl with a rose tattoo on her hand. Seeing that Sean was handsome, she even gave him a discount. Eighty yuan a night, with breakfast included. She handed him a small card with a picture of a seductive woman and said with alluring eyes, "Call me tonight, okay~"

Sean expressed no interest: "I don't need the service."

The girl: "Then I'll call you. I need it."

Sean: "?"

He decided to use the True Formula to lock his door that night.

Under the girl's possessive gaze, Sean left the motel with a blank expression and took a taxi to the eastern suburbs.

He didn't have the driver take him directly out of the city but got off within the city limits and walked to the abandoned factory himself.

This was the address he had left for Kate.

This area had been deserted for many years, and few people came here normally. This also meant that if someone saw them, they would easily become a suspect. It was also difficult to shake off anyone following them. Therefore, this place wasn't actually very suitable for meeting and exchanging goods, unlike busy places like train stations or pedestrian streets. Sean could imagine Kate's cautious demeanor, looking back every few steps as she approached.

After all, he did the same thing himself.

The meeting of two strangers at a crowded train station might be coincidental, but if they met in an deserted abandoned factory, it would be inevitable. It could save a lot of meaningless conversation and make people subconsciously think deeper. Furthermore, a relatively enclosed environment with no one around could provide a greater sense of security for the dominant party.

As Sean expected, Kate arrived cautiously.

This was the first time he had seen Kate in person, and he found the guy's acting skills to be exceptionally good.

Kate wore sunglasses, a scarf, and a rustic cowboy-style jacket, pulling a suitcase behind her. As she walked, she looked around, stopping occasionally to ponder, appearing exactly like a lost tourist visiting Old Sigel City for the first time.

This act of confusion continued as she "navigated" her way into the factory and saw Sean, who was also wrapped up tightly and wearing a mask.

"!"

Kate gasped.

There was someone else here??

Sean was also greatly alarmed.

Flames instinctively flared in his palm.

He spoke almost simultaneously with Kate:

"Who are you?!"

"Why are you here?"

Their gazes were wary as they sized each other up.

Kate noticed Sean's movement and said coldly, "Are you a Wizard?"

But Sean's voice was even colder, with a hint of killing intent, "Aren't you?"

Knowing of Wizards, yet not being one, meant he could only be a Witch Hunter.

Sean's words declared his stance.

Kate's mind raced. His first reaction upon seeing Sean was that the news had leaked. But on second thought, that shouldn't be the case.

Lord Black had specifically instructed him to handle this personally, implying he didn't want anyone else to know. Therefore, he hadn't told a soul, not even his teacher, Adeph.

Besides Lord Black and himself, no third person knew this location.

Lord Black had no reason to harm him. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't send Sean. When Sean actively displayed his Magic, Kate immediately saw that Sean was only a rank-one Newborn Wizard, while he himself was already rank-five, a "Light Servant" with a unique title. With no one else around, Sean would be easy prey if a fight broke out; he wouldn't last a single move.

But if Sean wasn't an enemy, but an ally, then why was he here?

Could it be...

"Were you also sent by Lord Black?"

Sean blinked in surprise, "Also?"

Seeing his reaction, Kate knew he had guessed correctly. He was quite good at judging people, so he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Put away your Magic. My name is Kate. You should have heard of me."

Sean was astonished, "Kate? The Light Servant who can enter the second level of the Sanctuary??"

Kate removed his sunglasses and puffed out his chest proudly, "Indeed, that's me."

The misunderstanding was cleared.

The flames in Sean's hand extinguished. Kate asked him, "What did Lord Black send you here to do? Can you tell me?"

He wondered if the materials in his suitcase were meant for Sean.

Sean hesitated before replying, "I'm not sure myself."

"You don't even know your own business?" Kate asked, puzzled. He thought Sean was still wary, so he decided to be blunt, "I tend to speak my mind, so please don't take offense."

"With my rank, if I wanted to kill you, you would have been dead the moment we met. You wouldn't still be standing here. Or I could capture you and use mind magic to slowly interrogate you until I got what I wanted, without worrying about you lying. There's no need for me to waste time talking to you like this."

Mainly, his mission might be related to Sean, otherwise, he wouldn't bother asking so much.

"Of course, if Lord Black told you not to reveal it, you don't have to tell me," Kate added.

"No, he didn't." Sean seemed persuaded by Kate's words. He organized his thoughts and said, "Actually, Lord Black didn't ask me to do anything this time. I ran into a bit of trouble myself and went to Lord Black for a prayer. That's when he told me to come here today."

Ran into trouble?

"What kind of trouble?" Kate asked.

"I've been targeted by a doctor named Quill at Floris Hospital in Holkodo," Sean explained. "I'm a writer, and I have a book signing on the first of next month. It might be dangerous."

"Then why don't you just not go?" Kate asked inexplicably. "Which is more important, money or your life? I don't need to tell you, do I?"

"No, I have to go. This isn't about money," Sean said earnestly. "The book I wrote is called The Moon and the Knight. Although I made some dramatic embellishments to make the story more engaging, it is essentially a biography, recording Lord Black's magnificent and turbulent life."

Sean's tone was incredibly firm. "You might not know, but Lord Black has always been my faith. Even though the Scholar Era has passed, that will never change."

"I will not forget him, and none of us should forget him, because without him, the empire wouldn't be what it is today."

"I don't expect everyone to see the truth of history or remember Lord Black's name, but I will still strive for it."

"Faith cannot be defeated by danger. On the contrary, it only makes me more resolute. The more the enemy opposes me, the more it proves I am doing the right thing. Even if I die one day, even if I'm nailed into my coffin, I will shout from my grave with this decaying voice—"

"Lord Black lives forever!"

This referred not only to Karl Black himself but also to a spirit of defiance against the oppression of the Witch Hunt. Sean grew more excited as he spoke, his intense emotions surging like a tide, surrounding Kate and making his eyes redden. He thought, What genuine emotion is this?

Wasn't he also Karl Black's most steadfast supporter?

So, in this world, there was someone else who regarded Lord Black as his lifelong faith, just like him.

Looking at Sean's death-defying gaze, Kate understood.

Sean's book signing wasn't just for himself; it represented Lord Black.

He finally understood why Lord Black's instructions to him had been so simple. The materials weren't the main point; what Lord Black truly wanted was his stance.

A determined attitude like Sean's, one that charged forward fearlessly despite the perilous path!

"I understand!" Kate's gaze grew fervent, as if something had ignited within him. He said to Sean, "In five days, go ahead with your book signing. I will be by your side, guarding you the entire time."

"Quill, is it?"

"If he dares to lay a hand on you, I'll make sure he never returns!"

Alright, all sorted.