Come With Me

The similar features—

And those pale blue eyes, as if they had been cast from the same mold.

She really looked so much like her...

Cheadle's emotions churned as one memory stirred a hundred others.

Her eyes gradually lost focus. The figure she had missed day and night slowly overlapped with the boy before her, wavering between blur and clarity.

Fortunately...

He did not look anything like Hawk.

There was nothing more fortunate than that.

Lost in thought, Cheadle found herself thinking so.

On the other side of the threshold.

Moyu's eyes filled with surprise as he looked at the suddenly arrived Cheadle.

She wore green and white, with long green hair, black-rimmed glasses, and a pair of dog ears atop her head.

Cheadle, Dog of the Zodiac?

The image of Cheadle from the original work flashed through Moyu's mind. She looked almost exactly like the woman standing before him.

If he had to name a difference—

She looked younger, and her nose was normal rather than deliberately fashioned into the delicate little dog nose she had in the original work.

Still, those dog ears alone were enough to confirm that Cheadle was already one of the Hunter Association's Zodiacs. That was why she had altered her appearance to match the title of Dog of the Zodiac.

But...

His deadbeat father was actually connected to a Zodiac of the Hunter Association???

What was going on???

Even the memories left behind by his predecessor contained no related information.

And Cheadle's reaction was a little strange...

Though deeply puzzled, Moyu concealed the surprise in his eyes.

After confirming that she had not noticed it, he immediately put on a gentle smile and said softly, "Sorry, Hawk went on a long trip some time ago and still hasn't returned."

"Mm, oh..."

Cheadle slowly came back to her senses.

Realizing she had lost her composure, she quickly adjusted her mindset and said as calmly as possible, "I called Hawk before coming here, so I knew he wasn't around. But he said he would be back soon, so he told me to come to the Temple first."

"I see."

Moyu thought for a moment and asked, "Did he say when he would be back?"

"Yes."

As she spoke, Cheadle habitually raised her gloved right hand, palm facing upward. "He gave me an estimate of roughly three days, though he sounded uncertain."

"About three days..."

Moyu lowered his gaze and did the math. It had been exactly half a month.

Still, based on both his predecessor's memories and what he knew now, Hawk seemed like nothing more than an ordinary, booze-soaked monk. How had he crossed paths with Cheadle?

Cheadle watched Moyu as he lowered his head in thought, her gaze softening.

Moyu suddenly looked up.

Cheadle swiftly hid her emotions, her face calm.

"May I ask something presumptuous..."

Looking at Cheadle, Moyu probed, "Did Hawk owe you money?"

"..."

Cheadle was forced into silence.

The first thing that came to mind was just how terrible Hawk's image must have been in Moyu's eyes as a father.

What made it worse was—

When it came to debts, Hawk really did owe her money.

Cheadle forced a smile and said against her true feelings, "Hawk does not owe me money."

After a pause, she feigned curiosity and asked:

"What, does he owe a lot of people money?"

"Not that much. He just likes buying things on credit."

Moyu raised a hand to his chin. "As far as I know, he bought over ten pounds of meat on credit from the butcher shop in the village at the foot of the mountain, and he also owes quite a bit to the grain store. But that's not as much as the general store. He bought a lot of cigarettes and alcohol on credit there, though the plump auntie who runs the store is very kind and never..."

"It must have been hard on you, having such a terrible father."

Cheadle's forehead darkened slightly. She truly did not want to hear any more, so she could only gently interrupt Moyu's account.

Moyu smiled but did not pursue the subject. Instead, he invited Cheadle inside.

Cheadle accepted without ceremony and followed behind Moyu.

Her gaze swept over the aura surrounding Moyu.

"His Ren is very smooth and stable. Even a Nen Ability user with decent talent would need at least half a year to reach this level."

"And Moyu... it was already incredible that he could awaken Nen on his own under the suppression of the God Script. Yet in less than half a month, he has trained Ren to this level."

"Talent-wise, he is undoubtedly a monster. But Light's guidance during this time must also have played a crucial role."

Cheadle thought silently.

During her journey from far away, she had investigated the recent situation in this scenic area to a certain extent.

So she knew that Light had dealt with a wanted criminal here some time ago, and she also knew that Light had deliberately stayed at the Temple for a while before leaving.

As for Light having "guided" Moyu, that was her own inference.

The basis for that inference—

Was the requirement for Professional Hunters to advance in rank.

To advance from One-Star to Two-Star, one had to personally train a One-Star Professional Hunter.

Therefore, many Professional Hunters who sought to gain Stars would hardly ever pass up a promising prospect during their careers. Taking on disciples was commonplace.

Of course, not every Professional Hunter was like that. Some took disciples or guided younger generations according to their own preferences.

But someone like Light, whose utilitarian streak was strong, would definitely approach, teach, and guide Moyu in order to earn another Star once he noticed Moyu's monstrous talent.

Cheadle's guess was essentially correct.

However, given her current position and identity, she naturally would not casually bring it up.

"I forgot to introduce myself."

After arriving at the central courtyard, Moyu suddenly stopped and turned to look at Cheadle with a smile. "My name is Moyu. But since you know Hawk, you probably already know my name, right?"

"Mm, I... have always known."

Cheadle stopped as well, and her eyes changed for an instant.

Yes, she had always known, but she had also always kept her distance.

Though her original intention had been to protect him...

Cheadle silently steadied her emotions before introducing herself in a rather formal manner. "Cheadle Yorkshire. Two-Star Disease Hunter, and one of the Hunter Association's Zodiacs."

"Hm?"

Well prepared, Moyu revealed an appropriate and natural look of confusion.

He would not casually expose his identity as a Seer. At this moment, he should naturally be confused by terms such as Star-Ranked Professional Hunter, Disease Hunter, and Hunter Association Zodiac.

As for being a Nen Ability user...

Although that had already been exposed before Cheadle, the source of his becoming one had been self-awakening...

Under such circumstances, he could not suddenly act as though he knew a great deal.

Besides, she was his deadbeat father's friend and might know some details about him.

"Moyu, was that introduction too formal?"

Cheadle relaxed her posture and looked at Moyu with a smile.

At the same time, she wondered—

Had Light never mentioned anything related to the Hunter Association to Moyu?

"Not at all, it's just..."

Moyu looked at Cheadle hesitantly. His innocent expression was precisely measured.

"Let's sit first."

Cheadle pointed at the stone table and chairs in the courtyard and smiled. "We can treat it as a topic of conversation. I'll explain it to you slowly."

"Alright."

Moyu nodded obediently and went to prepare tea and snacks.

Cheadle watched from the side. Up to this point, Moyu's words and conduct had pleased her greatly, and she once again felt fortunate.

Fortunate that her "dear friend's" son did not resemble his father, and fortunate that her "dear friend's" son had not been ruined by his father.

During this formal meeting—

Both Moyu and Cheadle had things they needed to conceal...

Cheadle could not reveal her intentions for the time being, nor would she take the initiative to mention how she had specifically investigated the Temple's recent circumstances before arriving.

As for Moyu's identity as a Seer, it was a secret that absolutely could not be known by outsiders. He could not reveal even the slightest clue. And given the premise that he had awakened Nen on his own, he especially could not suddenly act like he understood so much.

If Hawk, who knew someone like Cheadle, were also a Nen Ability user, then Moyu would not have needed to go through all this trouble.

The things they needed to conceal led them both to put on a certain degree of disguise from their respective perspectives.

But comparatively speaking—

Moyu had more to hide, and what he had to hide was more important.

After bringing over the tea and snacks, Moyu sat down.

Cheadle then gave him a detailed introduction to the Hunter Association and the significance of Star-Ranked Professional Hunters.

"It's really hard to imagine..."

After hearing Cheadle's explanation, Moyu could not hide his amazement. "How could Hawk know such an important person as you? He really doesn't owe you money?"

"Heh..."

Hearing Moyu's words, Cheadle could not help but laugh. She was convinced that Hawk's image in Moyu's heart had already reached an extremely terrible level.

Although she disliked Hawk, she could not bear to let his image become even worse in Moyu's mind. So she once again said against her true feelings, "Hawk truly does not owe me money."

"Then how do you know Hawk?"

Moyu asked curiously.

It was not as though he absolutely had to know. It was simply natural to ask under these circumstances.

The smile on Cheadle's face froze slightly.

It had been less than half an hour since she entered the Temple.

Yet this brief interaction had already made her, through affection for someone dear, completely fond of Moyu.

Because whether in appearance or manner, he was far too much like her late "dear friend."

"Actually..."

She hesitated for a moment before ultimately deciding to say it. "Moyu, your mother and I grew up together."

After saying that, she paused, then added, "If possible, I would rather not know Hawk."

"So that's how it is."

Moyu looked mildly enlightened while pretending not to hear the pointed remark Cheadle had made about Hawk.

As for his predecessor's mother...

The memories he had received contained no scenes of his predecessor interacting with her.

He did not even know her name or what she looked like.

So, much less Moyu himself, he did not have much of a reaction to it.

Seeing Moyu's indifferent response, Cheadle, who knew the full story, unconsciously bit her lip as a sudden impulse rose in her heart.

"Moyu, come with me!"

"..."

Thanks to Du Ai Xiao Xia for the 500-point coin tip, thanks to Purple Blue Pig for the 500-point coin tip, and thanks to reader 1237915295654739968 and Yan Xi Qi for the 100-point coin tips.