Chapter 420: Does He Intend to Turn This Nation into a Land of the Dead?
Lu Yinghua was watching with utmost reverence a woman who appeared to be two or three years older than him.
Whenever he spoke with her, he had to be extremely cautious.
Sometimes, if he was too respectful, she would interpret it as flattery, considering sycophancy the behavior of treacherous courtiers or eunuchs.
And then he would be disciplined.
He would be sent flying with a single blow, and her strikes were never measured—an ordinary person would likely be killed instantly.
Yet, at other times, if he wasn't sufficiently reverent—though not outright impolite, just properly respectful—she would accuse him of being disrespectful and lacking in deference to his master, and he would be punished all the same.
In short, the woman before him was an unconscious tyrant, her thoughts inscrutable, and those who served her were constantly at risk of life-threatening danger.
"Truly useless," the woman suddenly said to him, causing his heart to tighten. Was he about to be beaten again?
However, she showed no intention of punishing him.
Then why had she called him useless?
The reason was that this woman—his master—had captured a Divine Ancestor after crossing the ocean half a day ago and left it in his care, only for him to nearly let the Divine Ancestor escape.
To be honest, for Lu Yinghua, who was not a Campione, to hold his own for so long against a Divine Ancestor on the verge of reverting to a Heretic God was quite an achievement.
One could say that among fourteen-year-olds worldwide, there was no second like him.
He was a genius among geniuses.
But in the eyes of his master before him, he had always been utterly incompetent.
Before them lay a Divine Ancestor beaten to the brink of death—a girl so petite one couldn't help but pity her. Her name was Asherah, the hidden Witch behind Lord of the Flies in North America.
So, by capturing her, had his master done a favor for the King of the Netherworld?
Of course not. It was simply because his master urgently needed to deal with a Heretic God and lift a seal, requiring a serpent goddess as a sacrificial offering.
Thus, Asherah had become the target.
Naturally, capturing her shouldn't have been so quick, but someone had betrayed her whereabouts.
The betrayer was also a petite golden-haired girl, likewise a Divine Ancestor.
Her reason for the betrayal was to have his master awaken the sealed God of Steel, believing that this God of Steel might be connected to the "Last King" whom this Witch sought.
Hence, the transaction took place.
But his master intended to kill that God of Steel, didn't he?
That was no problem.
If his master killed the God of Steel, it would prove he wasn't the "Last King" they were searching for.
Speaking of which, his master seemed unusually cheerful today.
"Considering I lost a martial arts match today and am in a good mood, I won't punish you further," his master said, genuinely pleased.
Lu Yinghua, who had been racking his brain for a response that wouldn't seem sycophantic or disrespectful, suddenly froze.
Had he heard correctly?
His master lost? And was in a good mood?
That made no sense—
"Ah!" Lu Yinghua cried out in shock.
"Hmph, your expression still lacks control. I can tell at a glance you're thinking something rude," his master remarked.
So Lu Yinghua could only force a bitter smile and stand up.
"I did lose—it was purely a matter of martial skill being inferior to my opponent."
"Eh?"
Startled by his own lack of composure, Lu Yinghua braced for a second strike.
But it never came.
"I never thought there'd be someone in this world surpassing me in martial arts. So I've prepared a reward for them tomorrow—I'll let them slay that beast!"
Lu Yinghua understood now.
Clearly, his master yearned for a more exhilarating martial duel, so he intended to push that person to become a Campione?
This was utterly absurd. Normally, who would actively help create so-called "Campione companions"? They weren't companions—they were rivals.
But coming from his master, such actions didn't surprise him.
Only by becoming his equal would that person be truly worthy of fighting his master seriously.
Still, Lu Yinghua was profoundly shocked that someone could defeat his master in pure martial arts.
What kind of monster could pull that off?
"Who was it?" he ventured cautiously.
"Don't know. Didn't ask for a name. I just told them to go to the Western Heavenly Palace at high noon tomorrow."
"Master, did they agree to go?" he pressed even more carefully.
"Does their agreement matter?"
So Lu Yinghua understood—most likely, his master had left without waiting for a response.
This perfectly aligned with his master's behavior: issuing commands without allowing replies before departing.
From the master's perspective, anyone who wasn't a Campione had to obey her commands—this was the dominion befitting a king.
Such was the uncompromising tyranny of the Jiangnan cult leader.
As for Lu Yinghua, who had asked additional questions, he wanted to gather more information so he could investigate and make arrangements himself.
If the other party failed to show up, there was an eighty percent chance his master would hold him accountable—since he had heard such news, why hadn't he taken the initiative to investigate the other party and ensure their attendance?
This would be a dereliction of his duty as a disciple.
So, rather than face scolding, harsh words, or even physical punishment later, it was better to take advantage of his master's current good mood and ask for more details, enabling him to quickly locate the other party.
Even if the other party was unwilling to go, he would have to find a way to bring them there.
Just as Lu Yinghua prepared to ask his master where she had encountered the other party, he caught her unfriendly gaze and immediately fell silent.
He couldn't press further, or he would suffer the consequences.
This left him greatly troubled. How could he find the other party with such limited information?
But they were in this country, right?
And in the Tokyo metropolitan area, right? Because his master had just gone for a stroll in the Tokyo region.
But how vast was the entire Tokyo area? How many people lived there?
Not only did he have to find the other party, but he also had to immediately bring them to Nikko in the Kanto region?
With less than a day to accomplish this, it was an overwhelmingly difficult task.
So, Lu Yinghua stared helplessly at the spot where his master had vanished. Unlike her, he didn't possess abilities like the Divine Foot Passage, which allowed her to zip around the world in an instant.
Thus, he immediately made a phone call, mobilizing all his family's resources in this country.
Meanwhile, two figures—one tall, one short—gazed at the city bathed in the fading twilight.
"It's time to begin, Athena."
"Are you certain you wish to proceed? Do you intend to destroy this nation? To turn this land into the underworld?"
"What, are you concerned about humanity?"
"No, this one merely wishes to understand your true purpose."
So, Athena fixed her deep gaze upon the other.
She would have her seal lifted and cooperate with the other in this act.