Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun quietly sneaked back to the Star Group headquarters, finding themselves in the company basement. They poured out large cups of water, gulping them down in huge swallows before collapsing onto the sofa, speechless for a long moment.

“Boss, today was a near-death experience. Good thing you had that trump card. This was supposed to be a simple rendezvous mission, but it turned into something massive,” Zhou Tengyun finally managed after a long silence. Indeed, the variables tonight were too many. Though neither of them sustained injuries and returned safely, they were mentally and physically drained.

“Plans never keep pace with reality; there was nothing we could do about it. But this Augustus fellow clearly has an incredibly powerful backing. Killing him must be kept absolutely secret; not a single shred can leak out. Otherwise, all the Catholics in the world will tear us limb from limb,” Liu Hui said, still unnerved.

“I understand that. I always thought the Vatican Curia was all surface and no substance—that beyond their missionary tactics, they had nothing truly respectable. I never imagined there were such terrifying masters within. Especially that white light sword; even though it was just an afterimage, its destructive power was immense, capable of affecting the target's speed. I still feel a chill thinking about it. In the end, they even conjured an angel, Boss. Does that mean gods truly exist in this world?” Zhou Tengyun wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

“Third Brother, don’t worry. Gods certainly don't exist; so-called gods are just stories cooked up by religious fanatics. Moreover, I doubt there are many as formidable as that Augustus within the entire Vatican Curia. He must have been equipped with some of their most potent divine artifacts to unleash such devastating attacks, and that battle angel was likely just a materialized form of energy. However, the Curia cannot possess an unlimited supply of such artifacts, so I assume there’s no one stronger than Augustus there. The Tribunal he mentioned must be the infamous Inquisition from the Middle Ages. The Inquisition was notorious back then, responsible for executing countless heretics. As its Chief Inquisitor, he must have wielded the most powerful artifact the Curia possessed, as historical records show the Inquisition was the Curia's ultimate military force—the Vatican’s current standing owes much to the Inquisition’s judgments against supposed heresies.” Liu Hui, having faced Augustus directly, had a clearer picture of the situation than Zhou Tengyun.

“That’s somewhat reassuring. If every Cardinal, of which the Curia reportedly has over a hundred, were that powerful, we’d be finished,” Zhou Tengyun nodded.

“I never intended for things to escalate like this. The original goal was just to establish contact with the Red Flower Triad; we didn’t even plan on robbing Brother Quan’s drugs, let alone making an enemy of the Curia. Killing their new Chief Inquisitor was something I never imagined,” Liu Hui sighed. The current outcome deviated wildly from his plan, a complete upheaval. Yet, upon reflection, every plan he had made since his debut had been riddled with complications; none had ever gone smoothly.

“Boss, how do we deal with that Mu Lao San? Should we kill him?” Zhou Tengyun asked. They had hidden Mu Lao San in the mercenary training grounds before returning.

“Not for now. That Mu Lao San knows nothing about what happened after he passed out. Here’s what we’ll do: you change your appearance and make contact with him, but reveal absolutely none of our intelligence. Treat it like you're meeting him for the first time. See if you can establish a line to the Red Flower Triad. Since Brother Quan is dead, the Triad’s agent in Hong Kong is likely gone. See if they will agree to let you take over Quan’s business. Our ultimate goal is to trace the Red Flower Triad’s drug supply channels and deal directly with their backend. I will require vast quantities of narcotics in the future, so I must secure a stable source. This is an opportunity,” Liu Hui explained after some thought.

“That sounds feasible. I’ll design my cover and bring Mu Lao San out immediately,” Zhou Tengyun nodded.

“You must conceal your identity perfectly; he absolutely cannot recognize you. If he does, the Curia could easily trace back through the Red Flower Triad and potentially find us,” Liu Hui cautioned, acutely aware of the Curia’s power. The scene tonight had too many loose ends, and they were rushed, leaving no time to erase traces. Curia personnel, with even minimal analysis, could trace the incident back to the Triad.

“I understand. If things go south, I’ll eliminate Mu Lao San; I won't let it compromise us,” Zhou Tengyun understood the gravity of the situation.

“Third Brother, although it seems unlikely the Curia will find us, I’m worried about one possibility right now…” Liu Hui looked deeply concerned.

“Boss, what possibility worries you?” Zhou Tengyun asked curiously.

“I once read some of the Curia’s ancient texts and learned about the concept of the ‘Life-Bound Tablet’ (). It’s said that important figures in the Curia possess such a tablet. If such a person is killed elsewhere, the tablet at the Vatican headquarters shatters, and the Curia elders can use secret methods to deduce the approximate location of the killer to exact revenge,” Liu Hui spoke slowly.

“Such a thing exists?” Zhou Tengyun was hearing this for the first time and was greatly shocked.

“Yes, the records mention it. But no one can confirm if these records are true, as we’ve never actually heard of anyone in the Curia possessing a Life-Bound Tablet. I mean, if that Augustus had one, it would be problematic. Furthermore, the surname Augustus belongs to a very ancient and powerful family in Europe. While I don't know if he was part of that lineage, if he is connected to that ancient family, their combined pursuit of revenge with the Curia would create immense trouble for us,” Liu Hui explained.

“Boss, things have become this complicated. What do we do now?” Zhou Tengyun asked.

“Augustus intended to kill us, so we certainly won't regret killing him. Everything I’ve mentioned is speculation, not necessarily fact, so we shouldn't dwell on it and scare ourselves. However, this should spur us to accelerate the growth of our own power. If we are strong enough, we won't fear the entire world turning against us,” Liu Hui stated.

“I get it, Boss. I’ll handle the Red Flower Triad matters properly,” Zhou Tengyun nodded, then glanced at Liu Hui, hesitating to speak further.

“Third Brother, if you have something to say, just say it. Is there anything between us that can’t be discussed?” Liu Hui immediately noticed Zhou Tengyun’s unusual demeanor.

“Well… Boss, that giant black python that appeared at the end, what was that thing?” Zhou Tengyun finally succumbed to his curiosity.

“That, Third Brother, is my secret, and I cannot reveal it now. But you can rest assured; that python is entirely under my control, and it will become even stronger in the near future. It is my ultimate trump card, capable of producing unexpected effects at critical moments,” Liu Hui replied.

“Boss, I’m not trying to pry into your secrets. I just found that black python utterly breathtaking. Its sheer size and power far exceed the limits of human imagination, so I couldn’t help but ask. I meant nothing else,” Zhou Tengyun hastily clarified.

“Heh heh. Third Brother, you don’t need to over-explain. Just know that with every passing day, our strength grows rapidly. Before long, even if the Curia discovers we killed their man, they won't dare seek vengeance, and no person or organization will dare dictate terms to us again. Remember, even a local tyrant fears a formidable dragon that has roots; and we, we truly have deep roots,” Liu Hui chuckled.

“I certainly have faith in you. I’ll start handling Mu Lao San’s situation now, laying a good foundation for your endeavor,” Zhou Tengyun said, rising to his feet.

“Third Brother, be careful. If things become urgent, prioritize saving your own life. A mission failed can be attempted again, but a lost life is final,” Liu Hui nodded, giving a final instruction.

“Oh, right. Immediately find that arms dealer from last time and have him send over two more Barrett sniper rifles,” Liu Hui suddenly remembered something and told Zhou Tengyun. He had given his Barrett to Alexander, leaving himself without a long-range weapon. Dealing with Augustus tonight would have been easier if he had one, so he asked Zhou Tengyun to buy a few more for self-defense.

Zhou Tengyun nodded and walked out.

Liu Hui sat on the sofa, reflecting, when he noticed someone calling him on the Planar Trading Device. He opened it to see Alexander from the Magic Plane. He immediately answered the call, and Alexander appeared on the screen, his face flushed, looking extremely excited.

“Well now, dear Alexander, what’s wrong? Has something happened?” Liu Hui asked, surprised.

“Respected Teacher, I succeeded! Do you know? I took down that Gold Slime King! I killed it, and now the way those people look at me has changed,” Alexander exclaimed excitedly.

“You mean you actually killed that Gold Slime?” Liu Hui inquired.

“Yes, I killed it! After Teacher gave me those secret bullets a few days ago, I specifically tested one on an ordinary slime. Those secret bullets are absolutely incredible. I first used the cyan one; a single shot froze the slime into a solid block of ice, which I couldn't shatter even with all my strength. Then, I switched to the red bullet; one shot pulverized the hard ice block, and then the shattered ice fragments began to burn, leaving absolutely nothing behind,” Alexander recounted excitedly.

“Oh, it burned everything until nothing remained?” Liu Hui asked, astonished. He knew the Blazing Array could cause intense explosions, but he hadn't realized it could incinerate objects. Had the Blazing Array evolved, with its power augmented by magical energy in the Magic Plane?

“Respected Teacher, truly nothing remained. After this test, my confidence soared. I then told my human subordinates that I could destroy the Gold Slime King in the canyon. At first, they didn't believe me. Although they followed my commands and showed me sufficient respect, they had no faith in my martial prowess. So, under everyone’s watch, from the edge of the cliff, I first used a cyan bullet to freeze the Gold Slime King solid. The Gold Slime King was patrolling its territory, relatively close to the cliff edge. It never expected an attack on its own turf, so it was successfully encased in ice while unprepared. Then, I used the red bullet to shatter the frozen Gold Slime King and burn it completely,” Alexander proudly detailed the entire process of slaying the Gold Slime King.

Liu Hui listened, nodding. He understood Alexander's feeling all too well. A leader with little martial skill commanding a group of highly capable peers. Though respected, in an age that valued strength above all else, they subconsciously held a degree of contempt for him. After Alexander eliminated an enemy they couldn't handle, their attitude toward him instantly shifted, giving Alexander a surge of vindication that he couldn't help but display to Liu Hui.

“After that Gold Slime King was eliminated, just as we predicted, the millions of slimes in the canyon began a massive internal conflict. The slime population has decreased drastically. I estimate that within ten days, their numbers will fall to a low enough level that they will no longer pose a threat. Then, I can organize personnel to clear out the remnants and allow the entire human population to relocate into the canyon,” Alexander chirped happily.

“Very good. Alexander, you have done excellently,” Liu Hui affirmed; appropriate praise aids the growth of young people.

“Heh heh, this is all thanks to you, Teacher,” Alexander became humble after his excitement subsided.

A thought struck Liu Hui. After tonight’s events, he suddenly felt the pressure mounting. The Curia might attack at any moment; he urgently needed to enhance his own strength. Increasing his support for Alexander was one path to achieving that.

From experiments on Zhou Tengyun a few days prior, Liu Hui learned that Spiritual Roots () could be mass-produced. He immediately resolved to start Alexander on the path of cultivation. If Alexander could cultivate, his strength would undoubtedly increase, especially since Alexander currently faced a critical lack of combat power. Thus, Liu Hui retrieved the Spiritual Root Tester from his storage space and placed it on the trading interface.

“Dear Alexander, I have an instrument here. Let me run a test on you first.”

Thanks to the reader Ye Manlin for the 588 coin tip.