Chapter 332 - I Want a Peaceful and Calm Life

"Wait, Fengnan City..."

Cassius muttered this familiar name, and his thoughts quickly drifted back to when he first awakened his time-travel ability. Since he had spent too long in the era of time-travel, and with experiences that were too remarkable, Cassius' memories of the previous twenty years of his life had become somewhat blurred.

But when he thought more carefully, many things began to resurface in his mind.

The orphanage, University of Jersey, and the Camorra Mountains ruins. The Shadow Demons, and the Ebony Organization, also known as the Hunters.

That archaeological expedition had been strange, and had involved clashes between different forces. Many students and instructors from the University of Jersey’s antique department had become innocent victims, including Cassius. If not for the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant triggering his ability, his body would have long since rotted away in that dark and cramped ruin.

More than a month ago, Cassius had left Fengnan City out of caution. But as he swore on the departing train, he knew he would one day return, and now, it seemed, the time had come.

In an instant, many plans and calculations rushed through his mind.

Cassius not only had to take complete control of the antique department and the leader of the assassination department, but he also needed to gain influence over the executives of the transport and sales departments. With the Ace of Spades' intelligence network and connections, he aimed to uncover the truth behind that archaeological event more than a month ago. He needed answers.

"How many top executives from the transport and sales departments will meet us in Fengnan City?" Cassius asked, his thoughts spinning.

"Probably all of them... If we manage to deal a blow to Duststorm, the top executives will hold a debriefing meeting... Maybe even the deputy leader, Black Joker, might show up."

White Bird raised a shiny silver fork and took a bite of his fried egg.

Cassius listened silently, offering no comment. His deep blue pupils darkened to a pitch black.

Five minutes later.

The trees provided shade from the rising sun outside the restaurant. Golden beams of light mingled with the shadows of the tree crowns and filtered through the large French windows to softly illuminate the table. Six figures sat there, three on the left and three on the right.

A blond man slowly sipped his hot tea, gently placing the empty cup on the table. Beside him, Shulan, dressed in a tight black-and-white uniform, immediately replaced it with a freshly brewed cup of tea, placing the empty cup on a silver tray.

Cassius lifted the second cup, took a sip, and set it down again, his body relaxing as he leaned back into the chair. His head felt the soft cushion against it, and his brows arched slightly as a delicate fragrance lingered at his nose.

"My lord..."

A soft voice came from above, and Sonia massaged Cassius’s shoulders with her tender, pale hands.

"Interesting... Is this the effect of the Golem Seed? Shulan and Sonia seem to have a natural closeness towards me, rather than the simple subordinate relationship they had before..."

Cassius thought, his gaze slowly sweeping across the other top executives at the table. Nearly all of them avoided his eyes. Last night, Cassius had not only demonstrated the benefits of cultivating the Golem Seed, but he had also shown its punitive abilities.

All the top executives had experienced dizziness and nausea in mere moments. Their hearts pounded wildly, and the sense of panic reached its peak, as if their hearts were being tightly squeezed, on the verge of being crushed.

A sweet reward and a heavy punishment — the effect was quite good.

All the top executives were deeply impressed, and a sense of awe formed within them. Some even continued practicing the Golem Breathing Technique after returning to their rooms, like children excited about a new toy, filled with curiosity and eagerness.

After all, this was a path to the extraordinary...

Most of the top executives had tried it out for themselves, and they quickly received positive feedback from the technique.

Wealthy Heir, usually a playboy in both appearance and lifestyle, lived a life of debauchery, frequently attending lavish parties. Though he was still young, his body was already weak. He often experienced a dull ache in his kidneys, a sign of too much indulgence. However, after practicing the Golem Breathing Technique for half the night, he only had four hours of sleep. However, he woke this morning completely refreshed, full of energy.

Shocked, Wealthy Heir immediately changed into a fresh set of clothes and ran five laps around the manor without much effort. When he returned, he was only slightly out of breath and barely sweating. His stamina had significantly improved compared to before. Thus, his interest in the Covert Martial Arts Seed grew even more intense.

White Bird, the actual leader of the assassination department and once an assassin himself, had suffered from lung damage, so he often coughed on cold mornings. But today, he experienced none of the usual symptoms. His chest felt as if a throat lozenge had melted inside, leaving a strange sense of refreshment.

Scholar saw similar benefits. He suffered from headaches whenever he processed too many documents, and the pain in his temples used to feel like needles stabbing him. But the Golem Seed seemed to resolve that. Last night, he had tested it by taking on antique department paperwork for the next two days. He was still energized after going through all of them.

On the other hand, Purple was much more direct. Cassius had casually mentioned that frequently practicing the Covert Martial Arts Seed could slow aging, preserve youth, and enhance beauty.

Purple had taken special notice of this. She had stayed up all night, not sleeping once, and yet when she looked in the mirror this morning, she found herself radiant. Despite the lack of rest, she was in better shape than if she had slept.

Her once faint acne scars from her teenage years had faded, and her already fair skin now had a porcelain-like glow.

These changes were clearly visible.

So, when everyone gathered for breakfast and saw Cassius, their mindsets subtly shifted once again. The initial resistance to being forced to accept the Golem Seed had weakened. Some had even begun to feel a growing sense of admiration.

Those whose attitudes shifted quickly and were quicker to switch sides were already scheming on how to drag the rest of the Ace of Spades leadership down with them.

At the dining table, White Bird relayed the information he had shared with Cassius to the other top executives. They would depart early, heading from Black Sand City to Rain Hill City, where they would meet Sir and the Queen of Spades.

Then, they would proceed together to Fengnan City to confront Duststorm. Some of the elite subordinates gathering in Black Sand City would join them, while the rest would handle the transport of Duststorm’s antiques to the Ace of Spades' warehouse. This was a critical task.

As a result, both the antique and assassination departments needed to leave behind a top executive to supervise and ensure the work went smoothly. Once everything was completed, they would join them in Fengnan City.

After a round of discussion, it was decided. The assassination department would leave Red Fang behind, while the antique department would leave Scholar.

As for White Bird, Purple, and Wealthy Heir, they would travel with Cassius to Rain Hill City. Cassius would also take Bass, Shulan, and Sonia. They would depart on the morning of July 22 at ten o’clock. The eighth and ninth train cars would be filled entirely with Ace of Spades members.

***

At two in the afternoon.

Clang, clang, clang...

A black and green train roared forward on metal tracks, its top billowing white steam as it accelerated.

Cassius pulled aside the white curtains, watching as fine raindrops splattered against the glass, creating a misty blur. The scenery outside was a haze of green and black, with only the faint shapes of roadside trees flashing by. A half-finger-wide gap in the window allowed cold wind to seep in, along with splatters of water.

The blond young man rested his elbow on the window's edge, pressing his thumb against his temple and rubbing the cross-shaped indentation on his brow with his index finger. For some reason, he didn’t feel well. There was an unexplainable sense of unease in his chest, and it affected both of his hearts.

It was as if something significant was going to happen soon. He couldn’t tell whether it was good or bad, he just had a gut feeling. But having reached this level as a combat artist, with his energy, spirit, and will refined beyond the limits, it wasn’t uncommon to have premonitions about future events. They were often accurate.

Some combat artists enjoyed this peculiar ability to sense the future, but Cassius found it bothersome. It meant that something extraordinary was coming, something out of his control. It was a variable.

If he could, he would rather unveil everything before him and eliminate all the uncertainties, past, present, and future. That way, Cassius would feel safer.

Only then could he live a peaceful, stable life.

He turned his head slightly, glancing at the glass window. His reflection appeared, and the indentation on his brow faintly glowed.

"If there’s anything about myself that I still don’t fully understand, it’s probably the Gate Fragments..." He extended a finger and tapped his forehead, where the fragments resided.

"What exactly do these Gate Fragments do? Why are the core members of the Gate Organization so obsessed with them? Back at the Mensa Church, Peacock mentioned that the Gate Fragments could supposedly restore youth and reconnect one with the martial path..." Cassius furrowed his brow. "There’s just not enough information..."

He had tried to extract information about the Gate Fragments from his captive, Black Peacock during the time-travel era, but to no avail. All he had gathered were indirect details, like the fact that both Black Peacock and Purple General were around forty years old.

A forty-year-old combat artist—no, a forty-year-old veteran combat artist at their peak—was an exceptionally rapid rate of training.

Moreover, Black Peacock revealed that he hadn’t been training in Covert Martial Arts since he was a child, but had started later with secret techniques instead.

All the information pointed to one conclusion. The Gate Fragments had a hidden purpose. The Gate Organization likely knew the specific details. It certainly didn’t just have the negative effect of luring Cassius toward becoming a dark creature; there had to be positive benefits as well. He eagerly anticipated the moment when the fragments’ mystery would finally be revealed.

***

On July 22, at exactly six o’clock in the evening.

Choo~

A shrill whistle echoed through the train station as a black-green metal serpent puffed black smoke and arrived. The twilight parted on both sides as the train's headlights rapidly approached like a descending meteor.

At 6:05 p.m.

Four high-ranking officials from the Ace of Spades' antiques and assassination departments left the station and boarded several cars heading to the Rain Hill City branch.

At 6:30 p.m.

Cassius arrived at the Ace of Spades' Rain Hill City branch, where he was warmly greeted by the Jack of Spades, Sir, who had already arrived. Sir couldn’t stop praising Cassius, a subordinate known for his strength and efficiency. He even jokingly suggested that Cassius should one day succeed him as the leader of the assassination department.

At 6:31 p.m.

Cassius became the leader of the assassination department.

At 6:35

p.m.

Sir received a warm welcome from White Bird, Purple, and Wealthy Heir, joining the new Ace of Spades team.

At 7:00 p.m.

The actual head of the antiques department, Queen of Spades Professor Shanshan, arrived fashionably late. He immediately inquired about the hundreds of artifacts seized from Duststorm. His excitement was palpable, and he held great admiration for Cassius, who had contributed the most to this raid. After a few drinks, he even tried to poach Cassius for the antiques department in front of Sir, stating that someone of his talent should be shining there.

Everyone was having a pleasant conversation.

At 7:05 p.m.

Cassius became the leader of the antiques department.

At 7:10 p.m.

In the Ace of Spades' Rain Hill City branch, inside a restaurant.

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

The Professor, dressed elegantly like a scholar, was being served sobering tea. He was still groggy as he came to his senses with flushed cheeks. Opening his eyes, he saw everyone staring at him. His old friend Sir was looking at him with a peculiar expression. The Professor sat up from the couch.

He slurred, "What... what’s going on? Why are you all looking at me?"

He saw a handsome, blond young man approaching him. White Bird, Purple, and Wealthy Heir all promptly and crisply addressed him as "Lord." Even his old friend Sir hesitated for a moment before quietly calling him the same.

Tap, tap, tap...

The clear sound of footsteps grew closer and then stopped.

The Professor looked up to see a man in a black trench coat standing two meters away. His face was expressionless and his blue eyes were tinged with red. An overwhelming force radiated from him.

It was cold, aloof, and untouchable. His entire presence made people instinctively want to bow in submission.

Maybe it was the alcohol, or perhaps his mind was still foggy, but the Professor swallowed nervously and, almost unconsciously, muttered, "Lord."

The blond young man suddenly smiled, nodding slightly. His gaze seemed to carry a hint of approval for those who understood the situation.

He turned and walked away, leaving behind only one sentence.

"The train leaves at 8:30 tonight. Get ready. We’ll depart from the branch at 7:30. By tomorrow morning at 8, we should arrive in Fengnan City..."

Outside the restaurant, the full moon hung high, casting dappled shadows through the trees.

A gentle evening breeze brushed against Cassius's face. He slowly opened his palm, and red, purple, and black streams of energy danced in his palm like a radiant fire.

"Duststorm, Blood Spirit Society, the Book of the Devil... No one will be able to take away the things that pass through my hands..."

Clap!

He closed his hand tightly.