Chapter 127: One Night
Good.
Now that Xi Nian knew who was behind the attack on Lorna—and that the man had ties to a terrorist organization—things became much simpler…
But before he could deal with that matter.
Xi Nian swept his gaze across the twenty-something members gathered in the car wash yard and suddenly said, "Whoever among you has secretly defected to Killian, step forward now."
The words shocked everyone present into silence.
Edick took a deep breath and said gravely, "You mean… one of us is a traitor?"
Xi Nian nodded.
He didn't believe that bald-headed intruder could have made it into the car wash and right up to Lorna's room without help from someone inside.
Besides—
If Lorna hadn't been unwell, then no matter what regenerative powers, heat abilities, or even self-destruction that intruder had, he never would've been able to harm her.
So the fact that Killian's people chose this particular moment to strike meant they had received insider information. Someone had leaked word that Lorna's condition wasn't good, prompting Killian to send someone to test the waters.
"Who's the traitor?"
"It can't be…"
The members looked at one another in suspicion, each person suddenly seeming guilty to the others.
In this situation, even checking phones and cameras might not uncover the mole.
"You don't need to guess," Xi Nian said calmly. "Finding the traitor is easy for me."
In his demigod form, he raised his hand, and a streak of golden light appeared, like a living serpent dancing in the air. It landed first on Edick.
"Are you a traitor?" Xi Nian asked.
"No," Edick answered bluntly.
"Then you're not," Xi Nian nodded lightly, before looping the glowing lasso over the next person.
And so began a series of questions and answers.
"Are you a traitor?"
"No."
"Are you a traitor?"
"No, I'm not!"
…
The process looked almost comical and strange.
After all, what kind of traitor would openly admit their betrayal?
But when the lasso fell onto a woman, Xi Nian asked the same question: "Are you a traitor?"
Under the golden light's compulsion, the woman's eyes flickered and she said, "I am."
The entire yard froze in disbelief.
So it worked?
Bound by the Lasso of Truth, she couldn't lie. That was the artifact's most terrifying trait.
"Do you have accomplices? Who are they?" Xi Nian pressed.
"I have two partners. They pledged themselves to Killian before I did. Their names are Dood Samer and Marlon Jeremy…"
Before she could finish, two large men sitting in the back row bolted to their feet, terror on their faces, and sprinted for the exit.
But they didn't make it far. The golden lasso shot out like lightning, coiling around both their bodies at once.
Xi Nian gave a single tug, and the two men were yanked through the air and thrown down before him.
Holding the rope in one hand, he lifted them off the ground as if they were nothing, his silver gaze cold. "Tell me—why does Killian want Lorna dead?"
Among the two was a familiar face: one of the thugs who had chased after Pietro previously.
"I don't know. He never told me," that thug muttered blankly.
The other man, trembling, said, "Killian believes Lorna has a very rare mutant gene. Last time, he wanted her cooperation, to give him her blood for his human experiments. But she refused. So later he contacted us in secret, telling us that when the chance came, we should work with him to kill her and deliver her corpse."
At those words, Edick finally lost control. His eyes burned red with fury as he swung a fist, smashing into the man's face and knocking out several teeth.
The others looked on with hatred in their eyes. Nothing enraged them more than betrayal.
"These three traitors are yours to deal with," Xi Nian said coldly. Retracting the lasso, he turned and walked up the stairwell.
Behind him, the screams of the condemned began.
Xi Nian ignored it. He returned swiftly to a darkened room, where Xiao Huang gave a soft "meow" before leaping gracefully onto his shoulder.
"Well done. I'll reward you with a can of tuna later," Xi Nian praised, then looked toward the bed, where the green-haired girl was just opening her eyes.
"How do you feel?" Xi Nian asked softly.
Lorna, for once meek, replied, "The dizziness is gone. I'm not burning up anymore. I just don't have any strength."
"Rest for a day or two and you'll recover," Xi Nian said, sitting by her bed. "Just now, outside—"
"I heard," Lorna interrupted. "I didn't expect… three traitors."
"Don't worry. I'll handle it," Xi Nian said firmly. "I'll leave Xiao Huang and Jarro here to protect you. With the traitors gone, you're safe here."
"You're planning to go to Los Angeles, aren't you?" Lorna asked directly.
Xi Nian nodded.
Since Killian had targeted Lorna—and since he was a terrorist—there was no reason to hold back.
Xi Nian wanted to use his current demigod state to strike quickly and end this once and for all.
But then, a delicate hand tugged at the corner of his shirt. In a voice caught between command and plea, Lorna whispered, "Little brother, don't… don't leave me. At least not tonight."
Xi Nian met her emerald eyes and found himself unable to refuse. For the first time, he saw Lorna, usually so strong, looking fragile.
Weakly, Lorna added, "By tomorrow, I should be better. I'll personally go to Los Angeles and settle this."
"That's not possible," Xi Nian said, sighing. "Tomorrow, I'll go with you to Los Angeles."
Even without his demigod form, he had Xiao Huang. He could always take another mode.
Or—let Lorna lend him a little power again.
Either way, he wouldn't let her face the danger alone.
"Then it's settled, little brother," the green-haired girl murmured. She turned away from him, hiding the triumphant glint in her eyes.
Taking down the enemy in Los Angeles was only part of her plan. What she truly wanted tonight… was simply to keep Xi Nian by her side a little longer.
Even if only for one night.
…
Meanwhile, late at night.
At Xi Nian's home.
A girl with scarlet hair, wearing a white nightgown, hugged a pink pillow to her chest as she softly pushed open a door.
Peering into the darkened bedroom at the figure lying on the bed, she whispered, "Master… are you cold?"
There was no response.
"Already asleep…" Wanda muttered, disappointment in her voice. Hugging her pillow tightly, she quietly closed the door again.
Silence returned to the room.
But then, the figure in bed shifted slightly, revealing the mature, graceful body of a woman beneath the covers.
Diana opened her eyes. Resting her head on her own oversized pillow, she hugged another tightly in her arms. From beneath her white silk nightdress, her long, glistening legs slid around it.
Held firmly between her thighs, Xi Nian's pillow began to warp out of shape.
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