New York Sanctum

Sam and the other three were very curious about the identities of Mary Shaw's group and the two sorcerers, but Meng Zu's remark—"The more you know, the faster you die"—snuffed out their curiosity.

When they drove to Sault Ste. Marie that evening, they had originally planned to fly back to New York that night. However, the car rental company had already closed, leaving Meng Zu no choice but to leave the next day.

When returning the car, Meng Zu had to pay an additional thousand dollars in compensation because of a few extra scratches on it. Before boarding the plane, Sam asked, "Mr. Meng Zu, the vampires drank our blood. Will we turn into vampires too?"

"It's not that easy to become a vampire. If it were, you'd have turned long ago. After you get back, go to a church and find someone from the clergy. Tell them what happened and have them purify you."

"Why do we need purification?"

"The vampires drank your blood, so there'll be lingering dark energy in your bodies. You also absorbed a little resentment from the vengeful spirit. Those things are harmful to ordinary people. The church's purification can remove them from your bodies."

"Oh, and use my phone later to contact your families. Tell them to bring the money to the company and pick you up," Meng Zu instructed the four of them.

After flying back to New York Airport, Meng Zu hailed a taxi and brought Sam and the others back to the detective agency. The parents of all four were already there.

The four parents were overwhelmingly grateful that Meng Zu had found their children. Meng Zu modestly said that, for Franklin's sake, it was simply what he should have done.

Anna and the other two truly came from wealthy families. Their parents handed over fifty thousand dollars without even blinking, praising Meng Zu as the finest detective they had ever seen. Even Holmes was no better than him. Of course, that definitely had nothing to do with Anna and the others telling their parents about what they had gone through and how Meng Zu had performed.

After Sam and the others left with their parents, Meng Zu opened the system and saw that all the missions had been completed. He had gained 290 Contract Points. This mission had truly combined risks and opportunities. Not only had he earned so many Contract Points at once, but he had also met The Ancient One, giving him another way to contact Kamar-Taj.

After informing Uncle Yang and Yang Hai, Meng Zu left the agency and went straight home. After eating, he lay down on his bed and quickly fell asleep.

In Sault Ste. Marie, Meng Zu had not slept at all that night. Before the mission was completed, he had not dared truly lower his guard. Now that it was over and he was back in his own home, he finally relaxed completely. His body did not feel tired, but after encountering Mary Shaw and the others, his mind had remained under intense strain. Once he relaxed, the mental exhaustion immediately caught up with him, which was why he fell asleep so quickly.

When Meng Zu woke up, it was already noon the next day. Turning on his phone, he found several bounty missions issued by the Continental Hotel, along with several missed calls from unfamiliar numbers.

Meng Zu ignored them. He had something important to do today. After getting dressed, he drove to Manhattan.

Arriving once again at Bleecker Street in Manhattan, Meng Zu parked his car, took out the business card The Ancient One had given him from his Storage Space, and headed toward 177A Bleecker Street. As he passed the restaurant at number 176, he noticed that an extra building had appeared beside it. Its address read: 177A Bleecker Street, Manhattan.

Meng Zu thought for a moment, stepped back to number 176, put The Ancient One's business card back into his Storage Space, and walked forward again. This time, number 177A had vanished.

So this thing was a pass, Meng Zu thought as he took out the business card.

No wonder The Ancient One had given him this card. Without it, he would never have been able to find the New York Sanctum. Meng Zu arrived before the New York Sanctum's door. From the outside, it looked no different from the surrounding buildings—equally old-fashioned, with nothing particularly special about it.

Meng Zu stepped forward and knocked on the door. It automatically opened a crack, and he pushed it open and entered. The moment he stepped inside, he saw a broad staircase leading to the second floor.

Meng Zu curiously observed everything in the room. The interior was far larger than the building had appeared from outside. Was this because of spatial magic? He remembered that the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj all seemed highly proficient in spatial magic.

A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling of the main hall, giving off a soft golden radiance. Bathed in that light, Meng Zu felt his entire body grow more comfortable. There was no need to say it—this was a magical artifact.

There were practically no modern electronic devices inside. The place seemed ancient, yet it felt as though it should be that way. It was steeped in history, inspiring a sense of solemnity. At that moment, Meng Zu felt that the sorcerers of the New York Sanctum truly lived in luxury.

Meng Zu had experienced a similar feeling before. He had once protected a wealthy man in Britain, and the castle where that man lived had given off the same impression. Many of the items inside had historical value, but compared to the New York Sanctum, it immediately seemed rather shabby.

Meng Zu looked toward the second floor. He remembered that, in the movie, there was an exhibition room upstairs containing many legendary magical artifacts. Doctor Strange's Cloak of Levitation was in that exhibition room on the second floor.

Thinking of that, Meng Zu felt an itch in his heart. He wanted to go up and see whether there might be a magical artifact that suited him.

Just then, footsteps sounded. Meng Zu turned and saw an old man and a bald, middle-aged Black man holding a staff walking toward him. The old man studied Meng Zu curiously and asked, "Are you Meng Zu?"

"Yes. May I ask how the two sorcerers are addressed?" Meng Zu nodded.

"I am Sorcerer Daniel, and he is Sorcerer Ruo Ya," the old man introduced.

"So you are Sorcerer Daniel. The Sorcerer Supreme told me to come find you," Meng Zu said respectfully.

"Mm. The Sorcerer Supreme has already told me about you." Sorcerer Daniel turned to the bald Black man. "Sorcerer Ruo Ya, I'll take care of him. Go attend to your own matters."

"Then I'll leave him to you, Sorcerer Daniel." With that, Sorcerer Ruo Ya headed upstairs.

Although Meng Zu really wanted to go upstairs and see whether there were any magical artifacts, he did not dare act recklessly here. He followed Sorcerer Daniel into a room.

Two meditation cushions lay on the floor, with a low table beside them. A tea set rested on the table, and Sorcerer Daniel gestured for Meng Zu to sit.

After sitting down, Sorcerer Daniel said nothing and began making tea. Meng Zu also remained silent, quietly waiting. Once two cups had been poured, Sorcerer Daniel said, "Try it and see how it tastes."

Meng Zu picked up a cup and slowly drank it. His eyes immediately lit up as the system notified him that his Spirit had increased by 0.5. This was truly good stuff. Could it be spirit tea?

As Sorcerer Daniel slowly sipped his tea, he said, "The Sorcerer Supreme has already told me about your situation. Although you are not suited to learning magic, you possess a special kind of energy. If you wish to strengthen that energy, you need to learn meditation, allowing your energy to slowly grow stronger."

"Mm, then please teach me meditation, Sorcerer Daniel!" Meng Zu could barely wait.

Sorcerer Daniel said, "First, relax your mind and make your heart calm."

Meng Zu took a deep breath. Following Sorcerer Daniel's instructions, he relaxed his mind, and his heart gradually became calm. Then, before Meng Zu could react, Sorcerer Daniel suddenly struck, driving his palm into Meng Zu's chest.

Fastest updates of Marvel Mercenary, brought to you by Soy Sauce Wood Dares to Fight.