Chapter 564: Changed Plans

A palace? Lu Mian hadn't expected to harvest information from Norfei that Lato Giallo had never grasped.

He deliberated for a moment and said:

"What does that palace look like?"

Is it an ancient treasure left behind, or the residence of some nature spirit?

Is the Sea-Praying Ceremony utilizing the power within that palace?

Norfei shook her head:

"My mother couldn't describe it specifically either, only telling me that the palace is unlike any building on land. It has a peculiar shape, fluid curves, reflects a certain metallic luster, and is silver-gray overall."

Lu Mian sketched the appearance of the palace in his mind based on Norfei's description, but lacking detailed form to support it, he could only imagine the general colors.

He smiled and said:

"If that is indeed the palace of the sea, do you really think the two of you can destroy it?

"You can't even deal with Lato Giallo and his subordinates; what will you use to break through the guards of the Sea Kin, and what will you use to evade the wrath of the sea?"

Norfei was silent for a few seconds and said:

"I have a way."

She didn't say what the way was.

What way could allow a "Child of the Sea" like you, whose strength is likely below Sequence 7, to destroy the palace of the sea? That is an existence capable of plunging the entire sea area into gales and giant waves... Lu Mian muttered to himself, suddenly having a guess:

Is Norfei so confident because she has other collaborators? She didn't return to Sangtagang without making any preparations?

As his thoughts raced, Lu Mian cast his gaze toward Bartner.

Bartner Kong Tai, who had unknowingly distanced himself two or three steps from Norfei, had just re-hung his rapier at his waist and hidden his revolver.

After feeling Lu Mian's gaze, he smiled sheepishly:

"I'm just providing assistance, responsible for commanding the ship. You might not know, but I once served as a second mate for a period of time before becoming an adventurer."

He meant that he didn't know what Norfei's method was either, and he didn't actually care if she succeeded; providing some help had already fulfilled his responsibilities as a lover.

It's clear you come from a good background; your clothing and grooming are quite refined... However, I previously thought you ran away from home to be an adventurer at sea because you were obsessed with Gehrman Sparrow's adventure stories. Now it seems you were originally recommended by your family to serve as a second mate on a ship to gain work experience, but after doing it for a while, you resigned to become an adventurer... Lu Mian didn't know how to evaluate Bartner's romanticism, so he glanced at him and said:

"Do you know this matter is very dangerous?"

Bartner cleared his throat and said:

"I thought the 'Children of the Sea' wouldn't be too strong. I've sparred with Norfei."

Lu Mian stared at Bartner for two seconds, withdrew his gaze, and looked at Norfei:

"What do you plan to do next?"

He didn't directly ask if the other party had any collaborators hiding in the shadows, but instead circled around from the side to lower Norfei's guard, seeing if he could discover some clues from her words.

Norfei pursed her lips and said:

"We have already been discovered and targeted by people from the Fishery Society. It's impossible to proceed according to the original plan. Next, I plan to hide until the Sea-Praying Ceremony ends."

"Why not just leave?" Bartner asked, "helping" Lu Mian with some surprise.

He had thought that after their goal and identities were exposed, Norfei would decisively abandon this operation and wait for the next Sea-Praying Ceremony to think of another way.

Norfei was silent for a moment and said:

"If the Sea-Praying Ceremony succeeds and I am still in Sangtagang, then as a 'Child of the Sea' with a relatively pure bloodline, I should be able to obtain a certain bestowal..."

She paused, her gaze looking toward the ground:

"Although that might cause me to turn into a humanoid lizard sooner and faster, it can also increase my strength..."

There was a not-so-obvious sadness hidden in her words.

Bartner watched blankly, opened his mouth, but didn't say anything.

Lu Mian raised his hand to press the golden straw hat on his head, evaluating it simply with that famous line from the Great Adventurer series of novels:

"This is a gift, and also a curse."

Seeing Louis Berry turn to leave, Norfei thanked him sincerely again:

"I don't know how to express my gratitude. If you have anything you need help with, you can come find me."

"You can find me too," Bartner echoed.

He hesitated whether to continue staying with Norfei or leave Sangtagang directly.

Lu Mian's gaze swept across their faces, and he suddenly smiled:

"As it happens, I have something for you to do."

Norfei was startled and nodded gently:

"Please, give your orders."

…………

After bidding farewell to Norfei and Bartner, Lu Mian returned to the Solo Hotel from the shadows.

Just as he left the darkness in the corner of the master bedroom, he saw the "Sword Knight" standing beside the curtains revealing a hint of crimson moonlight, watching him without a sound.

Why do you always appear in scenes like ghost stories... Is this a trait of a "Spirit Body," or a manifestation of being affected by the potion? Lu Mian slandered internally and said sincerely:

"Thank you for providing help."

The "Sword Knight" didn't respond to this, looking at Lu Mian and saying:

"After controlling Lato Giallo, you seem to have changed your original plan?"

Lu Mian immediately laughed:

"Your intuition is very sharp, but the time point at which I changed my mind might be earlier than you said, or perhaps a bit later."

After answering in a way with a bit of a charlatan's temperament, he smiled and explained:

"Where is there a plan initially formulated that isn't changed at all until the end? That's not a 'Conspirator,' that's omniscience and omnipotence.

"During the process of a plan, one must always adjust their attitude, correct corresponding directions and details based on feedback obtained, new information, and changes in the situation, under the premise of ensuring the real goal remains unchanged."

Therefore, hiding one's true purpose is very important.

It's like how there can be many paths between the starting point and the destination, but there is often only one destination, which is most easily blocked and ambushed by others.

The "Sword Knight" listened quietly, didn't speak again, and disappeared silently by the window.

Lu Mian washed up and went to bed in a relaxed state, sleeping until six in the morning.

After using the breakfast provided by the hotel, he instructed Lu Jianuo to take Ludwig to the street to buy some snacks.

Watching their backs being blocked by the closed bedroom door, Lu Mian returned to the master bedroom, which still had the curtains drawn, pulled out the backrest chair attached to the desk in the dim environment, and sat down.

I don't know how much time passed, but he suddenly discovered points of brilliance lighting up in the depths of the dimness.

He immediately felt himself floating into mid-air, with no land under his feet and no backrest behind him.

Lu Mian watched this deep void and starry background with an unchanging expression, seeing Juan Oro, the president of the Fishery Society, dressed in formal attire and leaning on a cane, walking over step by step from afar.

Lu Mian looked at the old man, saying nothing, maintaining his silence.

He also didn't show any surprised emotions, as if he had long anticipated Juan Oro's arrival.

After the distance between the two sides narrowed to a certain degree, Juan Oro, with his wrinkles trembling, spoke to himself in Intis:

"Milo Village was once destroyed, and the Sea Kin who came to land were also destroyed, but today, we are still standing here.

"As long as the sea is still there, as long as the starry sky is still there, and as long as Sangtagang hasn't become a forbidden zone of death, no matter how big a blow we suffer, or whether we have lost all our descendants, we can walk out from the depths of the sea again, rebuild Milo Village, and restart the Sea-Praying Ceremony.

"On this point, whether it's the clergy of the 'Mother Goddess of Earth' Church, or their combat monks and nuns, they can all prove it.

"If we 'Children of the Sea' are really forced to the edge of a cliff, we absolutely have the courage and determination to drag our enemies into the abyss together, because we all firmly believe that the spirit is immortal, and firmly believe that our village can be rebuilt and will not go extinct."

The meaning of you saying so much is just to tell me that the Fishery Society and the Sea Kin of Milo Village are not afraid of threats, have the ability and courage to be destroyed together with powerful enemies, and that the corresponding heritage will not be severed, and will walk out from the depths of the sea again later? This is equivalent to warning me not to go too far, otherwise they are not afraid of completely tearing off the mask and perishing together... Lu Mian understood the hidden meaning of Juan Oro, didn't answer, watched the old man quietly, and waited for him to continue.

In Juan Oro's eyes, which were as blue as the sea, the figure of the great adventurer Louis Berry with black hair and green eyes was reflected, and he said in a low voice:

"What exactly do you and those people behind you want to do, and what do you want to obtain?

"We will not allow the Sea-Praying Ceremony to be destroyed again, nor will we give up everything we have built in Sangtagang."

After discovering that the great adventurer Louis Berry is not only strong himself, but also has a force hidden behind him, and that his helpers are equally powerful, he feels this is a tough nut to crack. If he really forces himself to gnaw on it, he might break his own teeth, so he came to negotiate to see if he could exchange the retreat of the other party by ceding certain benefits? Just now he was stating his bottom line and strength, so I wouldn't make random offers, leading to a situation where neither side has room to retreat and can only bite the bullet and confront? Lu Mian wasn't surprised at all, looked left and right, and said:

"Why is there no chair? I'm used to sitting while chatting."

After Juan Oro was silent for a moment, the backrest chair Lu Mian had just sat on appeared behind him, and his own posture changed back to before.

Lu Mian looked at Juan Oro, the president of the Fishery Society, and said calmly:

"If I said I never thought about destroying the Sea-Praying Ceremony, would you believe it?"

"'Never thought about destroying the Sea-Praying Ceremony...'" Juan Oro, with deep wrinkles, frowned slightly and repeated this sentence.

Lu Mian continued:

"As long as you are willing to let go of the innocent, such as that fake 'Sea Viceroy,' it's not impossible for us to cooperate."

"Cooperate?" Juan Oro looked at the great adventurer who had forcibly intervened in the affairs of the Fishery Society as soon as he arrived in Sangtagang, broke into the mansion of the "Sea Viceroy," blew up the main building of the Fishery Society, and almost beat his grandson to death, doubting whether his ears had become dull like other old men.

A smile gradually appeared on Lu Mian's face, he leaned back slightly against the chair, snapped his fingers with a 'pa', and ignited a cluster of crimson flames:

"Yes, cooperate."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 565 =====