Chapter 952: Goodbye Red Sleeve

A few minutes later, Chen Ling casually walked out of Chiton's office.

Even though he could now freely enter and exit the church, Chen Ling remained vigilant. He first returned to his room, stealthily drew the curtains, and made a show of inspecting the paper slips. Then, with a serious expression, he organized a batch of hospital information and revised it into a booklet, before confidently striding towards the church entrance.

Chen Ling was almost certain that the King of Silver had left Wuji, but it never hurt to be cautious; such was the self-cultivation of an actor.

As he stepped out of the church, a familiar figure slowly ascended the steps, approaching him.

Dressed in a black enforcer's trench coat, she emerged from beneath the dark clouds. Her dark red hair, like wisps of cloud in the setting sun, silently swayed. She casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and her icy gaze slowly lifted, fixing on Chen Ling at the top of the steps.

With just one glance, a mountain-like pressure surged towards Chen Ling, as if even the dark clouds above had grown darker and heavier!

The person stopped on the step just below Chen Ling.

"Hello, Miss Hong Xiu."

Chen Ling instinctively wanted to call her simply "Hong Xiu," but remembering that Hong Xiu shouldn't be familiar with him at this point, he didn't dare to be presumptuous. Sticking to his current "persona," he opted for the most polite compromise.

"Walk, or drive?" Hong Xiu asked indifferently.

"..." Chen Ling hadn't expected Hong Xiu to be so cold, or perhaps this was simply her natural disposition. After a moment of hesitation, he cautiously inquired, "Is there a difference?"

"I don't drive." Hong Xiu pointed to the black sedan parked beside the church. "If we're driving, you'll have to do it."

"We have quite a few places to go today, so let's drive... I'll drive."

Hong Xiu nodded slightly, turned and walked to the passenger side, got in without a word, and even buckled her seatbelt.

Chen Ling found this scene inexplicably amusing. The venerable Asura leader, a monster who couldn't be killed even by missiles, a being capable of single-handedly fighting through the Forbidden Sea, actually needed to wear a seatbelt while riding in a car?

He wondered if this was her natural personality, or if her memories had been replaced, affecting her habits.

Vroom—

Chen Ling started the car. He ostentatiously pulled out a manual and began to earnestly flip through it.

"Miss Hong Xiu, aren't you curious where we're going next?"

"It doesn't matter, as long as you don't leave the Wuji Domain," Hong Xiu said nonchalantly. "Where you go, or what you do, I don't care... My job is simply to ensure your safety."

"Understood."

Seeing this, Chen Ling simply drove off in a certain direction.

Pedestrians were scarce on the streets of the Wuji Domain, and cars were almost non-existent. Buildings on either side receded constantly past the car window, and Chen Ling drove through the city without obstruction.

Meanwhile, Chen Ling spoke casually:

"By the way, Miss Hong Xiu, where are you from?"

"Wuji."

"A local, then... Just like me." Chen Ling nodded. "Hey, do you speak the Wuji Domain's dialect?"

"No."

"You don't? Which district are you from?"

"No particular district. I was brought to the Guardian Knights' order for training and cultivation when I was little. Strictly speaking, the church is my home."

Hearing this, Chen Ling uttered a thoughtful "Oh."

Just as he had suspected, Hong Xiu's memories had also been replaced by the King of Silver. Moreover, the original owner of these memories seemed to be one of the knights protecting the Wuji Domain church. It had to be said that the King of Silver was quite adept at choosing people, giving the strongest combatant the most loyal and straightforward memories, binding her directly to the church.

Chen Ling glanced at Hong Xiu's attire in the rearview mirror, and casually asked:

"Your clothes are quite nice. Where did you buy them?"

Hong Xiu paused.

She looked down at her enforcer's trench coat, as if deep in thought.

"I don't remember," Hong Xiu shook her head. "It was probably from Ruien Apparel, or maybe Lan Yun Tailoring... I don't fit into my old knight armor anymore, so the King permitted me to wear my own clothes. It doesn't violate any rules."

Seeing that casual conversation and subtle probing were ineffective, Chen Ling decided to throw out a bombshell question:

"You're a member of the Guardian Knights, and you were previously part of the Sorcery Association. Why are you so obedient to the new Silver Government?"

Hong Xiu's brows furrowed slightly.

Whether it was Chen Ling's imagination or not, the temperature inside the car seemed to drop slightly.

"Mr. Chen Ling, your question is very dangerous and highly suggestive." Hong Xiu looked at his profile. "What are you trying to say?"

"Heh, I'm just speaking honestly. In my opinion, neither the King of Silver nor his Silver Government are worthy of loyalty," Chen Ling replied calmly, driving.

"Their policies are too harsh. They completely disregard the people of the Wuji Domain... Miss Hong Xiu, you and I are both natives of Wuji. You must know very well what the Wuji Domain became after they appeared."

Chen Ling said this entirely based on his current persona. After all, who would expect an anti-Silver Government fighter to praise the King of Silver?

"Guardianship is a knight's duty," Hong Xiu replied gravely. "What we guard is the peace and stability of the Wuji Domain. Ever since the death of the former Sorcery Association President, Shang Shaoquan, both the new President Brand and the Wuji Monarch, Lou Yu, messed up this domain..."

"I resisted at the time, but I was no match for Lou Yu. I was eventually thrown into prison, watching them slaughter civilians and wage wars..."

"The appearance of the King of Silver, however, suppressed all the unrest. He controlled the Wuji Monarch, Lou Yu, and re-established order in the Wuji Domain. Although some policies are indeed harsh, it's much more stable than before. At least the people no longer have to constantly worry about being sacrificed, and they have a chance to breathe."

Hong Xiu's perspective was a direction Chen Ling had never considered; he was momentarily stunned by her words.

In a sense, Hong Xiu was indeed correct. Before the King of Silver appeared, the Wuji Domain was far more chaotic... But how could things be so simple?

The King of Silver's true purpose was to wage war, and behind the sacrifices in the First District, the King of Silver was undoubtedly controlling the entire situation. The King of Silver only showed these enforcers what he wanted them to see. It could only be said that he spared no effort in brainwashing these people.

Chen Ling didn't ask any more questions. He had already probed everything he intended to. Next, he had more important things to do.

The vehicle slowly pulled over to the curb. Chen Ling turned off the engine, opened the door, and got out.

He opened the manual, looked at the first name listed, matched it with the building across the street, and nodded slightly:

"Let's start here..."