The Keike Family
Shortly after nightfall, Lianke rushed toward Meteor City's eastern district, where the black market was located.
Out of concern for her creation, Lianke had left Hisoka at the church.
With her abdomen injured, Carl simply couldn't keep up with her, so Lianke grabbed her by the collar and carried her along.
Aside from the bloody chafing under both arms, everything was fine, and even the wind was gentle...
As it turned out, human potential could be brought out.
About half an hour later, Carl discovered that her abdomen had suddenly stopped hurting. She struggled free, landed on the ground, and followed behind Lianke.
"Once we're inside, talk less and watch more."
At a corner, Lianke looked down at Carl, her tone serious.
"...Master, aren't we going to the black market?"
Carl looked past Lianke and saw a signboard lit up in a riot of neon colors, mounted high above a building: "Keike Casino."
Weren't we supposed to be rescuing people?
Who comes to a casino to rescue people?
"You'll find out soon enough."
Lianke had no intention of explaining. Meteor City was so big that there was no way she could search it inch by inch in time. She could only ask a friend for help!
With that, Lianke took Carl's left hand and headed toward the building.
"All right..."
Carl felt bitter, the skin under her arms stinging fiercely.
Since she had placed her hopes in Lianke, she could only trust her.
Without stopping, the two soon reached the casino entrance.
"Welcome~"
When the burly men on either side of the iron gate saw someone approaching, they promptly bowed.
"Is Luona at the casino today?"
Inside the casino, the lights blazed, and the gamblers' shouts and cheers nearly burst through the doors into the alley outside.
At her question, the two burly men, who had just begun to straighten up, bent over again.
Luona, Luona Keike, was the current wife of Patriarch Pike.
As underlings of the Keike Family, how could they not know what that name meant?
"May I ask who you are?"
After a moment's hesitation, the scar-faced man on the left asked Lianke softly.
"New here?"
Lianke glanced at the long, narrow scar running across the man's nose and mouth, her tone indifferent.
Without waiting for an answer, she held up her fair, delicate index finger and waved it in front of him. Under the light, the silver ring on it revealed an exquisite emerald viper design.
"Hiss~"
The scar-faced man's pupils suddenly contracted. The emerald viper ring on Lianke's index finger was also known as Viper's Kiss.
And the viper happened to be the Keike Family's crest!
Anyone who carried that thing was either an important member of the Keike Family or a friend of the family.
And whichever she was, she wasn't someone a minor boss like him could afford to offend!
"Please... come with me."
Without another word, the man lowered his head stiffly and gestured for Lianke to follow.
For the sake of his own safety, he decided to take her to see his boss, the casino manager.
The three passed through the doors, and a wave of noise and cigar smoke washed over them.
Amid the hum of spinning roulette wheels and the sharp clatter of dice cups, Lianke pulled Carl through the frenzied crowd.
After turning several corners inside the building, the three came upon a wide wooden corridor.
At the end of the corridor stood an exquisite birch door.
"My lady, the manager's room is just ahead."
"I'm only a lowly subordinate, so I can't escort the two of you any farther."
The scar-faced man bent at the waist to a ninety-degree angle, his tone exceedingly respectful.
"The manager?"
Lianke glanced at the man beside her and spoke indifferently.
"Yes, my lady."
"Only the manager knows where Madam is, so I took it upon myself to bring you here."
The man's heart trembled. Catching sight of the dark red stains near Lianke's shoes, he dropped to his knees with a thud.
No matter how you look at it, that looks like blood...
Whoosh!
It was as though a fierce wind had suddenly risen. The man felt a wave of intense malice sweep over him, and a bone-piercing chill instantly seized his entire body, freezing him so thoroughly that he couldn't utter a word.
"Hah, hah."
"Thud!"
After only three seconds, the man's face turned purplish-blue, and he collapsed to the floor, convulsing uncontrollably.
Taking Carl's hand, Lianke walked toward the end of the corridor.
"Aren't you curious why I did that?"
Lianke glanced at her disciple's expression, her tone teasing.
"Master... didn't you tell me to talk less?"
Carl blinked and looked up at her, somewhat helpless.
The Phantom Troupe was on the verge of being wiped out. How could she spare a thought for whether anyone else lived or died?
"Swish~"
The smooth sound of hinges suddenly rang out as the birch door, inlaid with ivory reliefs, swung inward, releasing a waft of rose fragrance.
"It's late, Lianke. Don't be so angry~"
"Whatever it is, come inside and tell me. Don't make things difficult for the people under me."
A sultry voice came from the room.
The crystal chandelier overhead lit the room brightly, and a faint scent of roses lingered in the air.
"Why did you come looking for me so late instead of staying holed up in the Mist Forest?"
Luona reclined on a pure white sofa, a die spinning constantly between her scarlet fingernails.
"And why did you bring a little kid along?" She lazily straightened up, her silk nightgown slipping off her shoulder.
"Hm, is he your son?!"
Luona glanced at Carl, who was shrinking behind Lianke, her tone strange.
"Carl, my new disciple."
Dropping onto the sofa, Lianke patted Carl on the back:
"Call her Auntie Luona."
"Disciple? You?"
Luona's hand paused, and the die nearly fell to the floor.
If she remembered correctly, this should be Lianke's first disciple, shouldn't it?
At that thought, Luona's gaze toward Carl instantly turned strange.
"Good evening, Sister Luona."
After glancing at Lianke's expression, Carl spoke without hesitation.
"Hey!"
The moment she finished speaking, Lianke puffed out her cheeks and glared at Carl.
You little brat, now you decide to be clever!
"Hehe~"
"Carl, come over here. I'll give you a present."
On the sofa directly opposite, Luona suddenly sat up straight and beckoned to Carl with a smile.
Honest children like this were what she appreciated most!
"Don't bother with all that phony stuff. I came to see you tonight because I need something."
Lianke rolled her eyes.
Luona slowly opened her hand and gently wiggled her five fair, delicate fingers. "Go on, tell me~ I never said I wouldn't help."
"A few children got carried away playing and might have run off to the black market..."
Lianke laid out the facts. "They all have homemade bombs on them, and their leader is a black-haired kid who likes reading..."
Apart from the fact that all the children were Nen users, Lianke concealed virtually nothing.
"In that case, I'll send some people to the black market to ask around for you. I'll also have a word with the recycling companies there and tell them not to take in any children tonight."
Luona took a copper ring off her little finger, her tone calm.
"Come, Carl, come over here."
With that, she beckoned to Carl again.
After glancing at Lianke's now calm expression, Carl slowly walked over to Luona.
"So cute."
She suddenly pulled the boy into her arms, and the scent of rose perfume mixed with blood filled Carl's nose.
Feeling the softness against the back of her head, Carl's body stiffened abruptly.
A bronze ring slipped onto her little finger, the viper crest on its inner surface gleaming in the light. "This is the Keike Family's crest, Carl. Don't lose it~"