"We sincerely hope Professor Lu will join the World-Destroying Church..."
"I won't agree to that." Lu Daoxing was firm. "I can work for you under certain conditions, but joining the World-Destroying Church is out of the question."
"Don't be so hasty, Professor Lu. Hear my terms before you decide."
"Hmm? Aren't you offering me the position of Guardian?"
"But you don't know what becoming a Guardian of the World-Destroying Church would give you, do you, Professor Lu?"
Lu Daoxing's eyes held nothing but indifference toward the world. "Power, money, status-I need none of them."
"Professor Lu, it's hard to keep this discussion going when you talk like that." The masked man spread his hands. "Since you accepted our invitation and came to negotiate with us, there must be something you need, correct?"
Lu Daoxing pressed his lips together for a moment, seemingly hesitating.
The masked man folded his hands and watched Lu Daoxing calmly, waiting for him to speak.
Lu Daoxing frowned slightly. "Why have both your World-Destroying Church and the Reincarnation Church chosen me?"
"Naturally, it's because of your extraordinary skill in researching Sequence Artifacts, Professor Lu! Besides, the Jiang Family's sorry state leaves no doubt about your abilities!"
"Zhong Dingming and Guan Fuhai should both be better researchers than I am."
"But they won't accept invitations from the World-Destroying Church or the Reincarnation Church."
"They won't?" Lu Daoxing's tone was probing. "Among the Four Great Mining Families, one boss is a Guardian of the Reincarnation Church, and another is a Guardian of the World-Destroying Church. Surely it can't be such a coincidence that the only two moles your churches planted in the Safe Zone have both been exposed? I imagine you have people in other factions as well."
"Professor Lu, planting insiders has always been one of the