Chapter 18 Divine Sacrificial Fire_3

"What a grand promise."

"This is like asking you to pluck the moon from the sky and then offering you the position of President of the Ether Association."

"Utter nonsense."

Lu Zicheng's gaze turned cold as he questioned, "We all know how dangerous the Joker is. This is an impossible mission. If he goes, it's a death sentence."

"Sis, I don't care what Professor Gu did in the past, but back then, he did our Lu Family a favor."

He paused. "As people, we should repay our debts. We have to help that kid."

Lu Zijin raised a hand with nails painted pink and spoke lazily, "A death sentence? Not necessarily."

Lu Zicheng froze for a moment.

"The Judgement Court isn't as dumb as you think. They're cunning, very much so. Why do you think they put this task specifically on him? The reason is simple—because that guy, Li Changzhi, reached out to him before."

Lu Zijin said calmly, "John Berger and Li Changzhi may have different titles, but both of them were on the frontlines of ruin excavation. They were the first to fall, and then both were gravely wounded by the out-of-control Professor Gu. They both have plenty of reasons to seek revenge on him."

Lu Zicheng's pupils contracted violently. He blurted out, "This is the real test, isn't it?"

Lu Zijin hummed in agreement. "Up until now, none of us know why Professor Gu did what he did. The Judgement Court wants to use this incident to see if his son is clean. You know them—they don't trust Mythical Weapons, nor any Truth Serum or hypnosis techniques; they only trust their own judgment."

"The Judgement Court is also trying to determine if Professor Gu left anything behind for his son. Even though none of us believe Professor Gu had fallen, their investigation says otherwise."

She stretched lazily and sneered. "As for the Joker, it's not even about having Gu Jianlin kill him. The Judgement Court wouldn't trust him with that. Naturally, they'll dispatch appropriate personnel to handle it. In other words, Gu Jianlin is just bait."

Lu Zicheng was silent for a long time before asking, "So, it's a two-birds-one-stone strategy. The Judgement Court will have contingency plans, and he won't be in any real danger."

Lu Zijin glanced at him, silently confirming his guess.

"But I still don't think this is reliable,"

Lu Zicheng said with a grim expression. "What if something goes wrong?"

The Ether Association's rules were notoriously strict.

For operations of this level, they rarely allowed other investigators to participate without permission.

No matter how much Lu Zicheng wanted to protect that kid, if he got caught, it would give the Judgement Court more to latch onto.

Though the upper echelons of the Association, including the major families, typically found ways to help their descendants gain advantages during missions,

no one would do so openly, as that would be blatant cheating.

But now, even if he wanted to push resources toward that kid, there wasn't enough time.

If the Judgement Court wanted to revoke that kid's qualifications, all it would take was a word.

Lu Zijin side-eyed him. "Do you really think the Judgement Court cares about such things? The only thing they care about is that Gu Jianlin can draw out the Joker. If the Joker strongly believes that Professor Gu left something for his son..."

Lu Zicheng spat lightly, a bitter gesture.

"But Peak City is my jurisdiction, and my headquarters is in the city center. I wouldn't want anything to happen to that kid either. He's got great talent and a good-looking face. So, I brought you a little treasure from home."

Lu Zijin suddenly smiled slyly, her clear, moist eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief. "We'll protect him and ensure nothing happens. If we're lucky, he might even snag a couple of Mythical Weapons."

Lu Zicheng felt a growing sense of unease. "The bridal shroud of the corpse woman?"

"Exactly,"

Lu Zijin leaned on the table, resting her chin on her hands. "As long as you wear this, you can temporarily conceal your aura. No one will detect your presence. If you secretly protect that kid, it shouldn't be a problem."

Lu Zicheng held his forehead with one hand. "This is insane..."

That thing was a type of Alchemy Weapon, designed to obscure one's presence. Its side effect, however, was that once you wore the bridal shroud, you would have nightmares for an entire month. In those dreams, you would become the groom of a corpse bride, keeping her company through endless, haunting nights...