Soon, a series of unsteady footsteps ca from inside the courtyard, and the wooden door creaked open, revealing an elderly man with a hunched back and gray hair.
It was none other than Uncle Fu, the old steward of this villa.
His eyes were red and swollen, his expression filled with lingering sorrow, as if he had just been crying. But when he saw the shining stars on Chen Huaishuo and Wei Liao's shoulders, he still forced back his grief, bowed respectfully, and asked in a hoarse voice, "May I ask what brings you two leaders here?"
His manners were impeccable, yet they conveyed a sense of aloofness that kept people at arm's length.
Chen Huaishuo's heart tightened. Looking at the old butler's appearance, an ominous premonition arose within him. He softened his tone, trying to make his voice gentle: "Old man, there's no need for such formalities. We'd like to ask if Zhou Huai lives here?"
He paused, then added, "We are his friends and wanted to et him."
“Zhou Huai...” Uncle Fu murmured the na, a deeper sorrow welling up in his cloudy eyes. He slowly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes filled with despair, his voice so soft it could be blown away by the wind: “Two leaders, please go back.”
"My young master... is no longer here."
"Gone?" Wei Liao asked bluntly, imdiately pressing, "Did they move away?"
Uncle Fu slowly shook his head, and two lines of turbid old tears silently slid down the lines of his cheeks.
“My young master... he is... dead.”
Dead?
Chen Huaishuo was startled at first, but then quickly cald down.
He astutely grasped a key piece of information.
"Old man, when... did your young master pass away?"
"Just a week ago."
One week ago!
Just as I expected.
Chen Huaishuo suddenly understood; all the clues connected perfectly at that mont.
A week ago, the earth-shattering battle within the Tokyo ruins erupted. That versatile star, that puppeteer suspected to be SSS-rank, likely paid an unbearable price in his final battle against Kujo Naruya.
This led to his premature death.
It all fits together, everything fits together.
But he didn't leave. After a mont of silence, he spoke again to the grief-stricken Uncle Fu: "Old man, please accept my condolences. Could... we co in and sit down to pay our respects?"
Uncle Fu hesitated briefly. The young master disliked being disturbed by outsiders, but these two n were military leaders, and their words were sincere, suggesting they might indeed have so connection with the young master.
In the end, he nodded, silently turned to the side, and deactivated the invisible array at the doorway, letting the two enter.
Stepping into the courtyard, a desolate and deathly atmosphere imdiately hits you.
The flowers and plants in the yard were neglected and withered. The autumn wind swirled a few fallen leaves in the air, adding to the desolation.
The living room was dimly lit and the lights were off. A black-and-white portrait of the deceased hung on the wall in the main hall.
The young man in the photo has delicate features, clear eyes, and a faint smile on his lips. But behind that smile lies endless loneliness and exhaustion.
It was Zhou Huai.
Chen Huaishuo and Wei Liao walked to the portrait, their expressions solemn. They straightened their military uniforms and then bowed deeply.
After a long while, Chen Huaishuo straightened up, turned to look at Uncle Fu who was silently weeping beside him, and asked softly, "Do you... know anything about your young master?"
Without thinking, Uncle Fu blurted it out.
"My young master is a hero."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried unparalleled pride.
"If it weren't for him, the entire Donghai City, along with its millions of inhabitants, would have been wiped out in that beast tide long ago."
"But to this day, few people know his na. He always worked quietly behind the scenes without ever asking for anything in return."
At this point, Uncle Fu's voice choked up, and grief overwheld him once again.
"He...he was also a man with a hard life. After that accident, he beca paralyzed and lay in bed and in a wheelchair for more than five years! But he never complained and never lost hope in life."
"I only hate it! I only hate that God is unfair! Why! Why did such a kind and outstanding young master have to die so easily!"
These few words brought tears to Uncle Fu's eyes, and he wept uncontrollably.
Even Chen Huaishuo and Wei Liao, two iron-blooded generals who had seen countless life and death, couldn't help but have tears well up in their eyes, and their hearts were filled with endless sorrow and respect.
Yes, such a brilliant and outstanding pillar of the nation with such noble character, our Great Xia should not let him down!
After calming his turbulent emotions, Chen Huaishuo took a breath and asked the most crucial and perplexing question.
"Old man, do you know... what level of professional your young master is?"
"My young master is an E-level professional."
Uncle Fu raised his head and wiped away his tears. Although he was talking about the lowest professional rank, he spoke of it with extraordinary pride, as if it were not a mark of sha, but a supre dal.
Class E?
Chen Huaishuo felt that his brain was not working properly.
He frowned and asked again, "Old man, are you sure? You need to understand that every puppet clone your young master creates is terrifyingly powerful!"
“According to the intelligence we have, the strength of his clones is at least SS-level! How could your young master be... only E-level?”
Uncle Fu shook his head, his face also showing confusion, but he still said with absolute certainty, "Actually, this old servant also felt very strange about this at first. But I saw the young master change his profession with my own eyes, and I also saw his professional badge. My young master is indeed an E-level clone master."
He pondered for a mont and offered his own guess: "Perhaps... perhaps the young master has awakened a hidden profession that we've never heard of before."
"The clones he created were very strong, but his main body... was not strong at all, and could even be described as... very weak."
"Otherwise, he wouldn't have been hiding in this small courtyard, suffering from the pain of his illness."
Uncle Fu's words enlightened Chen Huaishuo.
Suddenly I realized!
That's exactly right! If Zhou Huai were truly an SSS-level professional with unparalleled strength and no physical problems, he should have been famous throughout the world and revered as a god by the Great Xia Kingdom long ago. How could he be content to hide in this small courtyard and remain unknown?
Although this explanation sounds absurd, it is currently the most reasonable one.
But... if the main body is E-rank, yet the clone it creates can reach SS-rank strength, is that reasonable? This is not just unbelievable, it overturns the entire understanding of the professional system!
Just as Chen Huaishuo was still shocked by this revolutionary fact, Wei Liao, who was standing next to him, seed to have thought of sothing. His eyes lit up and he excitedly grabbed Chen Huaishuo's arm!
"Old Chen! Old Chen! If... if he really is just an E-level professional!"
"Then...maybe we really can revive him using the Pendulum of Life!"
Uncle Fu was still imrsed in grief when he heard these words. He froze, suddenly raised his head, stared intently at Wei Liao, and asked with trembling lips, "This...this leader, what...what did you just say?"
"You have a way... to revive my young master?"
His eyes shone with an unprecedented light, the hope and fervor of a drowning person grasping at a straw.
Chen Huaishuo hesitated for a mont, looking at Uncle Fu's expectant eyes. He didn't want to give this poor old man false hope, but Wei Liao's speculation was not without rit.
In the end, he nodded calmly.
"Old man, to tell you the truth, this is the purpose of our visit."
Uncle Fu's mind went blank for a mont. He could no longer hold on, his legs buckled, and he knelt down in front of the two n with a thud. He kowtowed with all his might and begged, "Please! I beg you, my two leaders! No matter what, no matter the cost, you must save my young master!"
"Please! I beg you!"
"Old man, get up! You mustn't! You mustn't!"
Chen Huaishuo quickly stepped forward and, together with Wei Liao, helped Uncle Fu up.
He placed his hand on the old man's shoulder and solemnly promised, "Don't worry, «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» we will do our best!"
“However, this matter cannot be rushed; we need ti,” Chen Huaishuo explained. “The use of this Pendulum of Life is not without conditions. To resurrect a person, the lives of others must be sacrificed. The higher the rank of the resurrected person, the more people and life energy need to be sacrificed.”
"We are not sure how to define your young master's professional rank right now, so... we need so ti to try it out."
Upon hearing this, Uncle Fu instantly understood the key point. His gaze swept across Chen Huai Shuo and Wei Liao's faces, as if he had made up his mind.
The next second, his withered hand suddenly grabbed Chen Huaishuo's arm with such force that even this battle-hardened general felt a bit of pain.
A resolute fla burned in Uncle Fu's bloodshot eyes as he spoke, each word deliberate and uttered with utmost seriousness:
"If a life must be sacrificed to revive the young master, then... let's use this old servant as a test subject first!"
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