Hise looked at Lin Lei with a puzzled expression. "What? Isn't that little girl from the Lane family your fiancée?"
"My fiancée?" Lin Lei was struck dumb.
Seeing Lin Lei's reaction, Hise seemed to catch on and couldn't help but laugh. "Haha, how interesting, how interesting. Master Lin Lei, let me tell you — that little Dilia from the Lane family has really put her heart into you. She spent effort and money to bid on your 'Dream Awakening' sculpture."
Lin Lei looked at Hise in confusion. "Mr. Hise, could you tell me something? You said Dilia is my fiancée, that Dilia and I are getting married — where did you get that information?"
Hise stroked his small mustache with a smug look. "Can't say, can't say."
Yet in his mind, Hise couldn't help but recall the contents of the note Dilia had once sent him through a messenger. He thought to himself, "For a girl to have the courage to do that — it shows she truly cares about Lin Lei. Better keep it to myself and spare the girl from embarrassment."
Hise understood that when a girl says something like that herself, it wouldn't be right to spread it around. He, Hise, was a man of high moral principles after all.
Lin Lei pushed down his doubts. Hise claiming Dilia was his fiancée was a minor matter. The real issue was that this old monster who had lived for six thousand years had come to see him — that was what truly mattered.
"Mr. Hise, you came here holding a Church of Light token. Does that mean you're a member of the Church?" Lin Lei probed deliberately, trying to feel the other out.
Hise sat down casually and shook his head. "The Church of Light? Don't go associating me with them."
"Then this token?" Lin Lei looked at Hise in confusion.
Hise replied nonchalantly, "Oh, I killed a Cardinal once. Realized this token might come in handy, so I helped myself to it from his body. I take it out from time to time. I have to say, this token works remarkably well."
"Killed a Cardinal and just took his token?" Lin Lei's heart lurched and cold sweat broke out on his back.
This Hise before him was truly a terrifying powerhouse.
Derinkoort's voice echoed in Lin Lei's mind: "Lin Lei, when I was still alive, Hise had already entered the Saint Realm. The Church of Light was still mediocre back then. After more than five thousand years, Hise's strength must have reached an absolutely terrifying level. But killing one Cardinal — the Church of Light wouldn't dare provoke him over that."
"After all... Hise is a Saint Realm expert skilled in assassination. Such a Saint Realm expert is far more terrifying than an ordinary one. And an assassin of the Saint Realm at its peak — that's even more frightening."
Hearing Derinkoort's words, Lin Lei understood in his heart.
He remembered encountering those assassins who had lurked and attacked him in the Magic Beast Mountain Range. Lin Lei knew very well that among warriors of the same sixth rank, one skilled in assassination was far more dangerous than an ordinary sixth-rank warrior. Assassins excelled at concealment and killing with a single strike. They didn't even care about their reputation.
Ordinary Saint Realm experts, on the other hand, valued their reputation immensely.
A Saint Realm expert at its peak who didn't care about his reputation — and was an assassin to boot — was truly terrifying in terms of the threat he posed.
"That's why the Church of Light has never demanded the token back from Hise. That's also why Hise dares to live openly in the Holy Capital — Fenn City," Derinkoort sighed. "This Hise really does live quite freely."
Hearing Derinkoort's words, Lin Lei felt a measure of admiration for Hise.
"What, scared?" Seeing Lin Lei fall silent, Hise grinned at him. "Don't worry, that was a long time ago. I haven't done much killing in quite a while."
A long while? How long exactly? When the man before him was a six-thousand-year-old monster, Lin Lei had no way to gauge it.
"It's nothing. I was just marveling at your strength, Mr. Hise — to think you could kill a Cardinal and still live openly in the Holy Capital," Lin Lei said with a smile.
Hise's eyes lit up. He patted Lin Lei on the shoulder and nodded. "Good, good. As expected of a master sculptor — your temperament is far above the ordinary. You learned of my strength and didn't flinch in the slightest."
"Master Lin Lei, I've come to ask a favor of you," Hise said, looking at Lin Lei with sincerity.
Lin Lei replied immediately, "Please go ahead, Mr. Hise. If it's something I can do, I'll certainly help."
But Hise straightened his face and said, "Master Lin Lei, I, Hise, never like owing favors. If I ask you to do something for me, I'll naturally do something for you in return."
Lin Lei's heart leaped with joy.
A favor from a Saint Realm assassin who had been powerful over five thousand years ago — that was priceless. And in that moment, a flash of inspiration struck Lin Lei's mind.
Clyde!
For days, Lin Lei had been tormented by how to kill Clyde — or rather, how to capture him and interrogate him under torture. He had to learn his mother's whereabouts. But Clyde, whether in personal strength or in the forces under his command, was far beyond what Lin Lei could handle. He had no way whatsoever.
But now, Lin Lei had a way.
"If I ask this Hise to bring Clyde here, it shouldn't be too difficult, should it?" Lin Lei's heart began to race with excitement. The problem that had haunted him for so long seemed like it could finally be solved.
"Please tell me what you need, Mr. Hise," Lin Lei said solemnly.
Hise spoke heartily, "Good, then I'll go first."
Hise stroked his small mustache as though chatting with an old friend. "I don't have many hobbies. Women are one, and killing used to be another. But after growing tired of killing, I fell in love with art, and naturally became most fascinated with art's noblest form — stone sculpture. Master Lin Lei... I was deeply regretful that I failed to win your 'Dream Awakening' at the auction. I couldn't sleep properly for days after that. After thinking it over, I decided to come visit you in person."
"What are you suggesting, Mr. Hise?" Lin Lei frowned.
The 'Dream Awakening' sculpture had already been sold — to Dilia.
"I would like to ask Master Lin Lei to carve a sculpture for me," Hise said, looking at Lin Lei with anticipation.