Chapter 680: Richard's Ultimate Brain

Chapter 680 Richard's Strongest Brain

Milliven stared at Neo, she truly hadn't expected that after she took the initiative to pull over, the other party's response could still be this extreme.

What previously seemed like a "car accident" was in truth an impact caused by this modified vehicle activating relevant magic circles at extreme speed, which was completely not inferior to a high-level tactical spell attack; even with her body, if she hadn't dodged in time, she would very likely have been crashed into a wreck.

Because this was no longer a car, but a miniature weapon of war.

Neo opened the car door and got out, first walking to the front of the car to carefully observe the "scratch" condition.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

This heartache was truly not faked; everyone familiar with Neo knew the status of this car in his heart.

However, for modified cars of the same cost, the gap in the modified effects was still very obvious; the former was a hidden assembly, pieced together through special channels, while Neo's car embodied his network of personal relationships, just as the same formation arranged by different formation masters would also have a huge gap.

With this crash, the effects were worlds apart; Neo was very satisfied with his beloved car's performance just now.

"This is a downhill road, how can you park your car here? It's very easy for passing vehicles' brakes to fail and crash over, don't you understand?"

Inside the taxi that had been smashed into scrap metal, the driver's blood spurted out in a few streams, as if responding to Neo's criticism.

Neo even specially bent down to take a look, confirming that the driver had already become a pile of meat paste mixture.

Immediately after, Neo attempted to reach out and pry open the completely deformed trunk.

Milliven frowned, staring at this scene.

With a "click" sound, the trunk was flipped open by Neo, revealing an already torn-open hiking bag, with many blue crystals the size of fists scattered all around.

This kind of blue was so beautiful that it made one's heart intoxicated.

Top-grade space attribute crystals—taking out any single one could make it onto an auction at the black market, and here, there was a whole large bag.

In the church circles, space attribute items, especially this kind of space attribute crystal, held a sensitivity akin to carrying gunpowder onto a ship in secular society.

In Order's "First Day War" against Reincarnation, it was by utilizing the Pamires Cult's messenger space as a springboard that they completed the surprise assault.

Neo reached out again to pick up a piece of the hiking bag's leather; monster leather, which blocked detection—if this bag wasn't ruined... no, even if this bag was already ruined, taking these fragments back to patch up could still fetch an extremely high price.

Luxurious, truly luxurious, it had already become unreasonably luxurious.

This was no small fish or shrimp anymore, this was simply a turbot!

Neo reached out to stroke his own face, letting the wolf-like red glow in his eyes restrain itself a bit.

"Um, since you violated the rules by parking first, causing my car to be scratched, these will be counted as my car repair fees, how about it?"

Milliven didn't speak.

Neo turned around, stretched out a finger to point at Milliven, and said, "Not speaking means you default to agreeing?"

"I'm very curious, when did Order's law enforcement methods become so arrogant and brutal?"

"Ah, then you probably haven't been out of the house for a long time, right?" Neo smiled, "Order's law enforcement methods have now become much more subtle and gentle."

"Is that so? I don't think so. I originally thought I could have a good talk with you."

"Talk?" Neo raised his middle finger again, "When you made this gesture towards the Order Educational Administration Building, there was actually no necessity to talk anymore; any devout believer would not allow their own church to suffer such an insult."

"Hehe."

Milliven covered her mouth and started laughing, and amid her laughter, beneath her feet, a dark red starlight array appeared.

Neo threw down the cigarette butt, and his figure directly flashed instantly to the opponent's front.

"Buzz!"

A barrier appeared, blocking Neo's attempt to get close.

"Bang!"

Neo's entire person collided against the barrier, making a dull sound.

But the next moment, Neo, who flew backward, had his body turn into a flock of bats and scatter, while the ground beneath Milliven's feet began to ooze blood, and a foul stench bearing the scent of a curse began to spread rapidly.

"Bloodthirsty Fiend?"

Milliven's figure floated upward; the position where she originally stood directly caved in, forming a terrifying suction force attempting to drag her back.

The woman's eyes revealed resentment; she was already angry, but she still didn't plan to strike back. A silver pendant broke off and fell from her neck; after entering the caved-in ground, it immediately released a holy brilliance, and amidst consecutive crisp "sizzling" sounds, a sheet of white mist billowed up.

The suction force vanished, and Milliven's figure landed not far away; inside the original position, a human figure walked out from the white mist.

Neo shook his right hand, which was completely red as if it had been scalded;

But Neo didn't care at all, it was just a burned hand, this was barely anything; according to that kid Karen's teasing of him: it was as if every single time he didn't fall apart bodily, he wouldn't know how to fight.

"Are you a Bloodthirsty Fiend or an Order Priest after all?"

"If I weren't an Order Priest, what am I standing here doing? Just to commit a robbery?"

"Hehe." Milliven stretched out a finger to point at the location of the scrapped car, "If you want those things, you can take them."

"Those are already my car repair fees, did you forget?" Neo took a deep breath and continued, "What I want to get from you now is my mental anguish fee caused by the car accident."

"Unreasonable."

"If you hope others will be reasonable with you, then please manage yourself well when you go out; don't make gestures you shouldn't make, and don't reveal unreasonable looks.

Do you know that there exists such a type of person in this world, whose appearance while walking on the road just makes people really want to beat him up? Fortunately, you belong to this rare population."

Milliven took out another new lollipop, peeled off the wrapper, put it into her mouth to lick it, and said:

"Not going to help?"

Just as the words fell, Neo's figure retreated, dodging a fierce gale blade cut.

A tall man wearing a trench coat, a scarf, and black sunglasses appeared there, and he spoke, "I am only obeying my master's command to take you to drink tea, I didn't agree to help you do other things."

Milliven said while licking the lollipop, "Now someone is blocking me from going to your master's appointment, what do you plan to do?"

The tall man seemed to sigh and said, "You leave first, I'll block him."

"He crashed and killed my servant."

"It's impossible for me to help you kill Order's people here!" After the man shouted, he looked towards Neo, "Very sorry, please understand, I need to block you for a bit."

Neo tilted his head, reached out to point at this tall man, and said:

"Has your master forgotten the agreement with us?"

The man: "How did you recognize..."

Neo gently poked his own forehead with a finger: "If I say I smelled the scent of a cockroach, do you believe it?"

"This..."

If it was said that Karen only mocked himself for looking more and more like a "secret service chief," then Neo was the standard template of a "secret service chief."

One must know that Karen's professional skills were basically all learned from Neo, and Neo himself not only had work experience in the Whip of Order, but at the same time also inherited Philias's relevant memories.

In that era, a leader roaming around everywhere to preach with a group of Light remnants possessed extremely rich professional capabilities himself, otherwise he would have been wiped out by the major orthodox sacred churches long ago.

As for Philias's ultimate "demise," it actually wasn't entirely because of Bernard, but because they held an extremely deep affection for the Dark Moon Island they established together.

It was affection that tied them down.

As for Neo... he had no affection.

"Get the hell out of my way, or you can expect the Whip of Order to drag your master straight out of the Ankara Hotel! You know well enough that our Head of Enforcement, Cullen, is entirely capable of doing just that."

Hearing this warning, Science, the manservant to the Luna Cult's Holy Son Salaina, had no choice but to step aside, turning to Miriven with an apologetic expression: "I am deeply sorry, but I cannot offer you any help. I believe that even if my master were here, she would order me to do the same."

"Cullen? I only recently heard of him—no, I have seen him. Quite handsome. So handsome it makes one want to grind their teeth."

*Snap!*

Miriven crushed the lollipop in her mouth. "The Luna Cult is cutting private deals with the Whip of Order now? Fascinating. It seems the losses from the War of Samsara have truly stripped away your standards when dealing with Order."

Science turned in silence and chose to depart.

Miriven licked her lips, asking, "So, are we about to play a perfectly fair game of chase?"

Neo nodded, pulling a black reagent flask from his pocket. He gave it a few shakes, and the liquid inside reacted instantly. As the glass shattered, the dark fluid shot into the sky, bursting into a black firework.

It was a flare, a signal that would immediately draw the surrounding forces of the Whip of Order and the combat clergymen under the regional office to this location.

Neo continued to nod, a smirk playing on his lips:

"A fair game of chase? Do you honestly think I am out of my goddamn mind too?"

"Hmph!"

Miriven’s form dissolved instantly into a beam of light, darting diagonally forward at breakneck speed. Neo did not move. He remained rooted to the spot, casually pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

A moment later, a mound of earth swelled up nearby. As the dirt fell away, Miriven’s figure reappeared. The one that had dashed away before was merely an illusion, but Neo had seen through the trick from the very beginning.

"Heheh..."

Neo chuckled, exhaling a plume of smoke.

"Your spells flow smoothly and your holy artifacts are top-tier, but why do you handle things like a child fresh out of kindergarten? You wouldn’t happen to be some idiot Holy Child from a church, would you? Hahaha!"

Miriven opened her mouth, wanting to speak, yet finding no words. She felt the man before her was joking, yet he also seemed to be deliberately mocking her.

Neo blew a smoke ring and pointed at his own face. "Hey, you should have at least tried to attack me first. See if you could kill me swiftly and cleanly. Who knows, maybe my strength is actually quite mediocre?"

Miriven gritted her teeth.

"Not running anymore?" Neo gently cracked his neck. "The perimeter is going to close in very soon."

Miriven sighed, as though arriving at a definitive resolution. "Do you know what my assignment here is?"

"Ah, what's that supposed to mean? Are you turning yourself in?" Neo poked around his pockets. "I don’t share Alfred's habit of carrying a notebook everywhere. I can't take your statement."

"The task I was given was to come to York City and transport a six-winged angel."

"Damn it!" Neo cursed immediately. "That bastard really thinks my mind is fractured. He purposefully kept me in the dark!"

Miriven found this reaction baffling. "What is wrong?"

Connecting this to the secret, tense preparations inside the department over the past few days, Neo instinctively realized that this was exactly what Cullen was planning for.

"What on earth is wrong with you?" Miriven pressed.

"Ah, nothing. Keep talking." Neo took a deep drag from his cigarette. The existence of a 'six-winged angel' did not trigger his brain half as much as the realization that Cullen was treating him like a lunatic.

"That was the assignment given to me, but my true purpose for this trip is to sabotage the operation. I have no intention of bringing that angel back. I intend to defy the higher-ups."

"Good, very good." Neo nodded with utter insincerity.

"Are you not curious as to why I am doing this?"

"Not in the slightest. Are you also suffering from a mental breakdown?"

Miriven took a deep breath, steering the conversation back to the point. "I want a partnership with you, just like the one the Luna Cult has."

Neo flattened his palm, holding it out in front of him, and used a fingernail to slice his fingertip. Treating his hand as 'pen and paper,' he made a motion as if preparing to take notes.

"This comes at a very high price."

"Name your terms. Within the scope of my ability, I will meet them as best I can."

Neo drew a checkmark in blood across his palm.

He showed it to the woman:

"Deal."

"You must keep my identity a secret. Furthermore, I demand to see Cullen."

"Honestly, discussing things directly with me amounts to the same thing."

"I know Salaina. I trust the judgment of the Luna Cult's Holy Son when it comes to people."

"Fine then."

Neo shook his head with a touch of helplessness. Why did they all insist on trusting that fellow, who was so obviously hypocritical yet loved to play the part of a proper gentleman?

As for that Holy Son of the Luna Cult, she likely still had no idea that her funds had already been laundered away by Cullen and the regional director.

Neo pointed toward his car. "Get in."

Miriven hesitated for a moment before sliding into the vehicle.

Neo stepped into the driver’s seat and pressed a button. A spell matrix activated, and a reinforced cage materialized in the back seat, locking Miriven inside.

Miriven did not resist, nor did panic cross her face. She had clearly anticipated such a measure.

Neo pulled out another reagent flask and tossed it outside. The signal flare triggered once more, indicating the crisis was resolved and no backup was required.

He then walked over to the scrapped car, retrieving all the valuables from the trunk. By the time he returned to start the luxury vehicle, he discovered the woman inside the 'cage' had leaned over to open the expensive red wine he had purchased from the car's mini-fridge to use as a prop.

"Madam, you will have to pay for that out of your own pocket."

"Your wife must be quite miserable, being married to such a stingy man."

"Yes, you are quite right. If I had resolved to give her a vial of peaceful rest fluid a bit sooner, she would not have lost her way."

Miriven froze. "I am sorry. I should not have made that joke."

"No matter. If you want us to head straight to the Clergy Building for a public execution next, you are welcome to keep joking."

As if trying to placate her 'driver,' Miriven remarked, "You know, this matter is of grave importance. It involves the return of a god."

Hearing this, Neo glanced at the empty passenger seat beside him.

The return of a god, was it... That god favored that exact seat. Whenever there was a driver available, he would absolutely never burden himself with the task of driving.

Miriven took a sip of the red wine, letting out a heavy sigh:

"They have absolutely no idea what it is they are trying so desperately to drag back..."

...

The Dark Inquisition.

Dark had never expected that his Inquisition would one day turn into a buffet restaurant.

Numerous personnel from the Whip of Order were constantly entering, leaving, and working here, while his own job had become continuously replenishing the staples, pastries, and beverage stations.

His wife, Magistrate Lucy, had also received a letter requesting her assistance in the investigation. However, her duties were far more substantial than his; she was actually able to offer counsel and assist in formulating containment strategies.

Meanwhile, he and his four divine servants had been reduced to a head chef and four kitchen hands.

Lucy stepped out from a room on the second floor, massaging her aching palms. She had just spent hours inside with several array masters calculating the defensive matrices of the manor, and her use of the Rubik's Key had left her somewhat overextended.

Looking down, she saw her husband replenishing the pastry station with freshly baked pork floss buns. Wearing an apron and a chef’s hat, he looked thoroughly professional.

Dack lifted his head and caught his wife's eye upstairs, purposely lowering his voice as he called out, "My dear, I made this just the way you like it. Remember to have an extra piece later."

A soft smile graced Lucy's face; her husband was always so endearing, no matter the circumstances.

In the adjacent room, Richard stood by the desk, helping Alfred and Vic organize the proposals, a task he would follow by distributing them in batches to the various discussion groups across the other rooms while ensuring the returned drafts were properly collected.

It was no simple chore, directly affecting the efficiency of the entire workflow from top to bottom, yet Richard handled it with aplomb.

Alfred stretched his limbs, looking over at Richard with a slight smile. "I honestly thought you wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace."

This duty was originally meant for Leon, but Leon was currently entirely engrossed in purchasing groceries at the voucher mall.

Richard tapped his own forehead and replied, "I wouldn't have been able to endure it normally, but little Jerry is currently helping me out right inside my head."

Vic looked up, casting a glance at Richard as he remarked, "Aren't you afraid it will eat your brains?"

Richard replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Evolution toward a higher state of being is an instinct, so why on earth would it eat my brain?"

Vic remained silent.

Choked by the retort, Vic could only rest his hand upon the fountain pen, asking Alfred, "Can I look at it now?"

Alfred gave a nod of assent.

Vic picked up the pen, his peripheral vision catching Richard standing nearby; he was certain Alfred understood exactly what he implied.

Alfred said, "Go ahead."

Vic nodded, thinking to himself: Richard's priority of trust is actually higher than mine?

Yet this fellow doesn't seem like he has entered the inner circle, surely he didn't just pull strings to get through the back door?

Vic pieced together the two scrolls hidden within the fountain pen onto the desk, and Richard leaned in closer to watch as well.

After a long while,

Vic let out a long sigh, offering Alfred a bitter smile. "If, despite our meticulous planning, we must still pay such a tragic price, it truly leaves one with a sense of profound frustration."

Alfred spoke, "In fact, it is entirely possible that among the corpses lying inside clad in divine robes, there could be you, there could be me, and there could be him."

Richard blinked his eyes,

And said,

"Then wouldn't it be fine if none of us wear divine robes on the day of the operation?"