Chapter 136

Lan Ze stepped into Kanbukun, his gaze locked on the ancient church. The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the mottled walls, and the entire church exuded a mysterious atmosphere. He pushed open the heavy wooden door, his footsteps echoing in the empty hall, as if reminding him of every detail here.

He looked around, identifying the faces of every clergyman one by one.

The old man was not there.

Lan Ze's brows furrowed slightly, his inner doubts increasing.

He walked to the small garden in the backyard, where there were only a few old brooms and a small empty hut.

Returning to the church, Lan Ze decided to ask the people around.

He walked toward a monk who was lighting candles and asked in a low voice, "Is there an elderly man who sweeps here?"

The monk shook his head: "Never seen one."

Lan Ze continued to ask others, and everyone's answer was the same: there was no one here who matched his description.

The church bell rang at this moment, low and distant.

Lan Ze stood in the center of the church, feeling a trace of inexplicable chill. He looked up at the image of the Beast God on the stained glass window, as if it were silently watching him.

He was very sure that the old man that day was not his hallucination, but now he found that there was no such person here at all... Lan Ze's mind was in chaos, and he tried hard to recall the details of the conversation that day. Suddenly, those sapphire-like eyes were stunned.

That day, the old man clearly said, "It should be you who knows me." This meant they should know each other, or at least he should know him... Recalling the familiar figure and gait of the old man walking into the church, Lan Ze had an extremely absurd conjecture in his mind.

This person... was himself. — Qiao Suisui did not stay in the Freedom Alliance for long. She returned to the Imperial Court soon and informed Luka and Laiboli of the information she had learned during this trip. Both men were silent.

After a long while, Luka spoke steadily: "This matter still needs verification. If what the Archbishop said is true, then this matter must be discussed in the long term, not a child's play."

Laiboli said, "Let's not get involved in this fearless dispute. Even if what he said is all true and the Rebel Army was indeed wronged, there will be no good end to opposing a huge Federation."

Qiao Suisui looked up at him and said, "Ashi, I know that from your position, it is very difficult to stand against the Federation, so I have already thought about this matter. You don't need to intervene."

Luka and Laiboli belonged to Ausilan, and Ausilan was a member state of the Federation. How could they act rashly for the Rebel Army, with whom they had no personal connection? Qiao Suisui did not want to involve them.

Luka, however, shook his head slowly after hearing her words, looking at her seriously, and said, "Sui Sui, I am not making excuses to shirk responsibility to protect myself, but this matter has passed for too long. If you want to investigate, it's not a matter of one day or one night. If you are not careful, you are very likely to attract the attention of the Federation. I don't want you to take risks alone."

However, Laiboli sat aside with his arms crossed, his expression complex. "Why must you manage this kind of thing? Sui Sui, can't we just close the door and live our own lives?"

Qiao Suisui could not tell Laiboli about Anubis's identity, fearing that the news would leak and be detrimental to him. Her lips moved, but in the end, she only said, "I will go to the Southern Battlefield after dealing with some things."

This sounded like a notification, leaving them no room at all.

The anger in Laiboli's eyes could no longer be hidden. He lowered his voice, trying his best to restrain himself, and said in disbelief, "Do you know what kind of place that is?"

Luka looked at her with worried eyes, frowning, saying nothing, but it was clear that he was also unwilling for her to go.

Laiboli stood up, adjusted his breathing, suppressed his anger, and said, "If you are going to see Zongfang, I will accept it no matter what price it takes to get him out. But you going to the Southern Battlefield, I do not agree."

At the end of the conversation, the three parted on bad terms.

Laiboli left to adjust his emotions, not wanting his mood to affect her. Luka did not leave, but instead hugged her from behind. "It's really too dangerous there, Sui Sui, don't go."

Qiao Suisui lowered her eyes and said nothing. She broke free from Luka's embrace, faced him, released her S-rank mental power, and raised her hand, blue flames leaping in her palm.

Feeling the powerful mental energy, the man who was usually unreadable now showed a trace of surprise on his face.

"When did you..." He stopped halfway, feeling that asking these questions no longer made sense.

Luka then smiled faintly as if relieved, saying, "Now even Laiboli is no match for you."

Qiao Suisui withdrew her mental power, and the flames in her palm extinguished accordingly, the whole process being handled with ease.

Luka watched her, his eyes filled with sorrowful gratification. He gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, his complex emotions making his throat feel tight.

She was no longer the little girl who was huddled in a cage when they first met.

She had a broader world and things she wanted to do.

Luka's long-standing worry had finally become reality—he knew that one day, Qiao Suisui would no longer need their protection.

She would become the most dazzling star in the interstellar. And what he could do was to look up countless times, gazing at the trajectory she passed, expecting her to stop for him occasionally.

Qiao Suisui saw Luka was a bit distracted, stepped forward to hug his waist, and like before, rested her chin on his chest, asking quietly, "Luka, what are you thinking about?"

The man rubbed her brows with his fingertips, his eyes filled with surging tenderness. He said in a low voice, "I was thinking, when you stop occasionally, I will definitely let you see that I am right here, always here."

He kissed her lips deeply, as if pouring all his emotions into it.

Qiao Suisui's body trembled slightly, then responded to his passion, her hands gently wrapping around his neck. Their breathing intertwined at this moment, as if the whole world had stopped in their kiss.

His hand slid gently across her spine, feeling the warmth and delicacy of her skin. Her heartbeat was as rapid as drumbeats against his chest, and their temperatures continued to rise in this lingering contact.

Lingering and affectionate, every touch brought a surge of electric-like palpitations.

Her fingers ran through his hair, gently stroking his scalp, bringing waves of numbness. His hand moved slowly downward, stroking her waist, feeling her softness and curves.

Every light bite and suck seemed to be telling of endless love. Small moans escaped her lips, as if responding to his every move. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, as if at this moment, they had found the harbor of each other's souls.

Time lost its meaning in this lingering kiss, with only each other's existence. They were immersed in this moment of sweetness, feeling each other's temperature and breath, as if this kiss could last forever.

It was a moment, and it was eternity.

Two days later, Qiao Suisui, having organized her thoughts, sent a message to Anubis, arranging to meet him in Yatelandisi.

This time, she didn't make any disguise and set off to the agreed location in her original appearance.

(End of chapter)