Chapter 005: True Intentions

It was a pity that fate did not favor their wishes. Although Nicholas and Alfred no longerentangle together, love between men has always been passionate and illicit. Though there was no physical contact between them, their glances made the atmosphere extremely ambiguous, as if even the air had turned pink.
Du Fan and Tasia were disgusted to the extreme but dared not move, forced to watch as the flames of passion burned between them. No one knew whether they would be disgusted to death before long.
It was unclear how much time passed in such an unbearable atmosphere when Nicholas and Alfred suddenly stopped moving. The affectionate expressions vanished instantly, and their faces became pure and noble. Their ability to change expressions was even faster than flipping through a book. Even Du Fan, who changed expressions countless times a day, could only marvel at their skill.
So, this charlatan who had been one all his life was indeed better than someone like him who had only done it for a few years.
He really wasn’t fake enough, cunning enough, or insincere enough…
As Du Fan pondered, a figure quickly arrived—radiating combat energy. Who else could it be but Ordas?
Ordas was not accompanied by anyone else this time. He appeared extremely carefree, completely free from his previous messiness.
Upon seeing him, Alfred stood up first and said, “Lord Ordas… you’re late…”
Ordas nodded slightly, glanced at the two of them, and said, “So it’s you two. I was wondering who Teacher Bruce had assigned this time. Since it’s you two, I suppose you’ve dealt with the rest of the Holy Church members?”
Alfred nodded awkwardly. Though both of them were undercover, facing Ordas’ transparent gaze still made them feel slightly nervous. Originally, there wasn’t much difference in their statuses—Nicholas was even slightly higher in rank. But meeting in such circumstances, under Ordas’ presence, the two couldn’t help but feel somewhat inferior.

Seeing that the two did not respond and their expressions remained unchanged, Ordas gave a slight nod and said, “Judging from your expressions, it seems most of the problem has been resolved. I met Du Fan and Tasia yesterday. I suppose you still don’t know—Tasia has been seriously injured by me and won’t recover without months of rest. As for Du Fan… if he dares to show up again… I’m sure I can make his life worse than death.”

Alfred and Nicholas exchanged a glance, their expressions conveying mutual understanding. They had long had an affair, and though they hadn’t yet reached a level of perfect understanding, they mostly understood each other’s feelings. With that glance, they both made up their minds.

Alfred bowed slightly and said, “Since Lord Ordas says so, we’ll leave everything to your instructions from now on.”

Ordas nodded slightly and said, “Anyway, we must go get what’s inside the sacred palace today. Teacher Bruce must have made countless preparations for that divine essence. If we fail to complete this task, neither of you will be safe.”

Without saying goodbye, Ordas stepped forward slightly, his combat energy surging as he vanished from the warehouse like a shadow.

Alfred and Nicholas exchanged a few more glances, then, with a soft sigh, they too disappeared into thin air.

After a while, a cold laugh came from a corner of the warehouse.

Du Fan slowly stood up, his expression unreadable as he stared at where they had disappeared.

Tasia’s face was icy cold. Though she could barely stand, she couldn’t hide her anger. She looked at the traces left by Alfred and Nicholas. After a moment, she said in a deep voice, “Those two… they not only betrayed the Church but also their faith…”

Du Fan nodded slightly, turned to look at Tasia, and said with a smirk, “So, Miss Tasia, what should we do now?”

Her expression grew even colder. With a grunt, she said, “What else can we do? Of course, we must go settle accounts with those traitors!”

Her words were too forceful, and it inadvertently triggered the wounds in her chest and abdomen. With a groan, her vision went dark, and she nearly fainted again.

But this time, Du Fan didn’t come to help her like before. Instead, he glanced at her briefly before turning his gaze elsewhere.

After a moment, Du Fan let out a soft sigh and said, “Miss Tasia… From now on, it depends on you…”
Tasia was shocked. Looking at Du Fan’s cold face, she didn’t know what to feel and couldn’t help but ask, “Lord Du Fan… Do you mean…”
Du Fan sighed slightly and said, “Miss Tasia, you’re sensible enough to understand that under these circumstances, I can’t believe you’re normal. Have you never thought that even Alfred and Nicholas are spies for Roland Academy? How could I just trust you so easily? You should know that after all I’ve done, the people of Roland Academy would love to tear me to pieces. Although you’re seriously injured now, who knows if this isn’t some ruse? If you were to stab me in the back later and kill me under suspicious circumstances, who would I turn to for justice? So… Miss Tasia… I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you…”
Du Fan’s words sounded reasonable, but in truth, he wasn’t actually suspicious of Tasia. It was just that the little sense of conscience he’d developed due to Nicholas’s influence had long vanished. Though Tasia was charming, he wasn’t going to be a fool just for her. He began to think about how to take advantage of Aldas and the others, but no matter what he thought, taking Tasia with him as a burden would only lead to certain death. Still, this bastard was used to hypocrisy—he clearly intended to discard her as a burden but still had to put on such an act; it was simply habit.
Hearing Du Fan’s words, Tasia didn’t know how to respond for a moment. She sighed. Her expression remained unchanged, but her eyes held a hint of resentment. Finally, she let out a soft sigh and said, “Lord Du Fan is right. Even Nicholas, the saint whom Lord Anthony trusts the most, is from Roland Academy. It’s only natural you’d doubt me… If that’s the case… Lord Du Fan, please go. That way, you won’t have to worry about me stabbing you in the back, right?”
Seeing Tasia’s sorrow, Du Fan felt a slight pang of pity. He thought that opportunities like saving a beauty like her didn’t come around often, and it might be possible to take great advantage of her now. Remembering the unfinished task from the previous day, his heart burned even more. He hesitated for a while, and his resolve, which he had finally made, was disrupted again. After a long while, he sighed slightly, and ultimately, reason triumphed over desire.

Although Tasia was an extraordinary woman, she wasn’t someone worth risking one’s life for. Moreover, Chenchen was by her side. If necessary, she could find a way to trick that little fox into bed later. For now, it was important to focus on the task at hand.

After thinking for a moment, Du Fan sighed slightly and gave up the idea of pushing Tasia over right there. He rummaged in his storage ring for a while before pulling out two magic scrolls and tossing them in front of Tasia. “These scrolls may not be very useful, but they can at least save your life. If I still have a chance to survive later… I’ll find a way to get you out. But if I die… well… you’ll have to figure it out on your own…”

With that, Du Fan turned and left, his figure disappearing quickly into the air.

Tasia stared at the place where he had gone, filled with confusion. She didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. By the time she reacted, tears were already streaming down her face. She touched her pale lips and sighed softly, comforting herself, “Tasia, don’t be silly… He’s long forgotten you. Why worry so much? Have you forgotten you’re already a nun?”

Before she could finish crying, she was stunned again as Du Fan reappeared before her, seemingly having returned at some unknown moment. Tasia was overjoyed and almost fainted.

Du Fan stood in front of her, but his gaze wasn’t fixed on her. Instead, he glanced at the person in his arms before gently setting her down on the ground.

By now, Tasia had regained her senses. She looked at the person and gasped in shock, “Ferei!”

Du Fan nodded oddly and said, “I noticed a very chaotic energy not long after I left. When I went to check, it was Ferei. I have no idea how he managed to evade Alfred and the others.”

Tasia had forgotten Du Fan’s earlier determination. She shook her head and said, “I’m not sure either. But if he wakes up, we’ll know, right?”

Du Fan nodded. His radiant combat energy flashed over Ferei, and after a moment, he nodded slightly and said, “There’s still hope.”