Chapter 24: Go to Florence

The dying sun silently dipped below the rolling hills, casting a myriad of purple and red hues across the clouds.

Zicheng drove his car at full speed on the Qingma Bridge towards the airport. Outside, a rare, expansive view of Hong Kong unfolded, yet the car's occupants were too preoccupied with their gloom to appreciate it.

Silence filled the car, broken only by Yan'er's soft sobs.

"Xiao Nuo, please, do something about her. I can hardly stand it anymore!" Rahab whispered urgently from the front seat, "If she keeps crying, I can't promise I won't knock her out."

"Yan'er, sweetheart, stop crying. I promise you, we will rescue your mother from the Satan's Cult," I reassured her while shooting Rahab a stern look.

"If those vile men lay eyes on my mother's beauty, they... I... I can't bear the thought of her being harmed," Yan'er cried despairingly.

I gently patted her head, offering a smile, "But crying won't solve anything. We're heading to Italy, and a fierce battle awaits us. Weeping all the way to Florence won't do; you need to be well-rested to face what's coming."

Hearing this, Yan'er managed to quiet her cries, though tears continued to stream down her face.

"Yan'er, I promise you, we'll rescue your mother no matter what. Anyone who dared to harm her will face my wrath," I said softly, handing her a tissue, "Besides, your mother's strength far surpasses her delicate appearance; the enemy won't have it easy with her."

Gratefully looking up, Yan'er whispered, "Thank you, big brother."

I patted her shoulder, signaling her to rest. She offered a weak smile, then leaned on my shoulder to recuperate.

Calm returned to the car.

Our story rewinds to the day Yan'er called us.

We found her drenched in tears, her voice barely audible through her sobs.

It took us a while to piece together her story.

After Rahab left that night, Daji had immediately moved Yan'er to a secluded location.

Yan'er shared that Daji had been distracted, seemingly contemplating her next move.

Yan'er had hoped to convince Daji to join our cause, but Daji remained noncommittal.

Until the previous night, when Yan'er returned from shopping to find their home ransacked and Daji missing.

No signs of struggle were evident, nor did the culprits leave any clues.

The only indication of Daji's abduction was a name written in blood on the wall.

"Samael..."

Muttering under his breath, Rahab leaned forward to ask, "Yan'er, did your mom say anything unusual these days?"

Resting on my shoulder, Yan'er shook her head weakly, "No, she barely spoke these last few days."

Retracting his head, Rahab fell silent, lost in thought.

"Any idea who might have taken Daji?" I inquired.

Before we found Yan'er, I had briefed Rahab and Zicheng about the Satan's Cult meeting.

Though the kidnapper left Samael's name in blood, the timeline suggested it wasn't the iron-faced man I had seen.

I had questioned Luo Hu, but he was clueless about Daji's disappearance.

"It could be Samael, or another demon," Rahab conjectured.

"That's as good as saying nothing," I retorted, annoyed.

Rahab glared back, "Based on your description, the iron-faced man's behavior doesn't match Samael's usual demeanor. If the kidnapper wrote Samael's name, it could indeed be him or perhaps a minion."

"And why mention other demons?" I pressed.

"Samael wouldn't likely hand over his creation to anyone else. But it's been millennia; perhaps he's changed. So, the man you saw might be Samael, and Daji's kidnapper his underling," Rahab speculated, sighing.

"But my gut tells me that iron-faced man isn't Samael. His hatred seemed personal, not something Samael would harbor towards me, and his actions were too immature for someone of Samael's caliber." I recalled the actions of the Iron man, and said the opinion.

Rahab hummed in agreement, "What you said makes sense. Actually, Daji and Samael had long-standing grievances. When the Seven Lords were being re-selected, it was Samael who strongly opposed Daji's inclusion, accusing her of impure bloodline."

"Hey, regardless of whether the leader of the Satan's Cult is Samael or not," I clenched my fist and resolutely said, "this time I will repay the suffering I've endured tenfold!"

At this moment, Zicheng, who was driving, suddenly interjected, "Who exactly is that iron-faced man? He could even reflect Xiao Nuo's Devil eye moves. Is that his Devil eye ability?"

From Zicheng's tone, it seemed that Rahab had explained the characteristics of the Devil eye in detail during their recent training sessions.

"No, it's not a Devil eye," Rahab shook his head and calmly said, "It's one of the Twelve Artifacts. That iron mask is the 'Bright Mirror,' which can reflect all Devil eye attacks!"

Hearing this, I gasped, as I had never thought that the iron mask was actually an artifact.

If I had used "Eye of Illusions" to cast more powerful illusions, I might have died on the spot.

Seeing Zicheng's puzzled look, seemingly unclear about what an artifact is, I explained, "The so-called artifacts are tools given by God to the twelve angels who assisted in the creation of the world, intended to protect the Garden of Eden."

"Protect the Garden of Eden?" Zicheng inquired curiously.

I nodded, "Do you know what became of the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve were expelled?"

After thinking for a moment, Zicheng responded, "The Bible mentions that after expelling Adam and Eve, God placed a flaming sword and an angel to guard the Garden of Eden."

"Exactly, but that was just one of the angels and artifacts," Rahab interjected, "In reality, before the great angelic war erupted, a total of twelve angels and artifacts were guarding the Garden of Eden."

"Are those artifacts very powerful?" Zicheng asked.

"Absolutely powerful! Those twelve artifacts, crafted by God himself, possess the power to reshape the heavens and the earth. The first angelic war resulted in some of these artifacts falling into the human realm," Rahab explained, "For thousands of years, these artifacts scattered across the world have sometimes been found by individuals, turning them into legendary figures."

"It sounds like the Satan's Cult got lucky," Zicheng remarked.

"Indeed, Samael once possessed the 'Bright Mirror,' but it was lost. Unexpectedly, it has now been recovered," Rahab revealed.

After listening, Zicheng nodded in understanding. Having been a devil for some time, he seemed to be getting used to accepting peculiarities that contradicted his previous beliefs.

Rahab then inquired, "Have you heard of Medusa, the Gorgon from Greek mythology?"

"Is she the one whose gaze turns people to stone?" Zicheng asked.

"Yes, do you know how she met her end?" Rahab probed.

"The demise of Medusa came when a Greek hero challenged her, avoiding her gaze and using his shield to reflec... reflect!" Zicheng exclaimed in surprise, "Rahab, are you suggesting that the mirror-like shield from the legend is the 'Bright Mirror' artifact?"

Sitting in the backseat, I shared Zicheng's astonishment.

Indeed, I hadn't anticipated the 'Bright Mirror' being referenced in Greek mythology.

"Correct, that mirror shield is indeed the 'Bright Mirror.' As for Medusa, she was originally a demon, but her Devil eye ability wasn't petrification; it was the 'Rigid Eye,' which rapidly hardened muscles," Rahab explained with a calm smile, "The hero who killed her was merely a mortal, naturally weaker than Medusa. However, by acquiring the 'Bright Mirror' unexpectedly, he caught her off guard, causing her to be hit by her own Devil eye technique, ultimately leading to her petrified death."

"Who would have thought, that's the true story behind the myth!" Zicheng realized, then inquired, "So why are demons afraid of silver?"

"Our bodies are inherently averse to silver, a law created by God, though the purpose remains unknown to me," Rahab paused, adding, "But it's not just demons; angels' physiques also dread contact with silver."

"Even angels fear silver?" Zicheng asked, puzzled.

"We demons are essentially fallen angels; this aversion to silver wasn't acquired upon becoming demons. However, generally speaking, our skin's contact with silver causes no special reaction, but when blood touches silver, it inflicts harm," Rahab explained, glancing at Zicheng's chest, "Otherwise, the silver cross you wear would have injured you. I suggest you cover it, as touching it with an open wound can cause unbearable pain."

Zicheng clutched the cross, offering a forced smile, "This cross is a keepsake from my wife; wrapping it up doesn't seem right."

Rahab stated plainly, "I've said my piece, the rest is up to you."

Zicheng merely smiled faintly, not responding, indicating he had no intention of concealing the cross.

Suddenly, he steered the vehicle, announcing, "We've arrived."

Looking out the window, the sight of planes ascending and descending greeted us; we had finally reached the airport.

The three of us and a cat didn't buy plane tickets, but with the "Eye of Illusions," we boarded a flight to Florence without going through any formalities, and we even sat in first class.

Shortly after we sat down, the plane took off.

The scenery at ten thousand meters above sea level is always breathtaking.

I turned my head to watch the bright moon peek out from the dark, boundless sea of clouds, lost in thought.

The plane had been flying for several hours. Rahab, in the seat in front of me, was already watching his second movie. Zicheng and Luo Hu, sitting beside him, had their eyes closed—one was sleeping, the other knocked out by Rahab.

Yan'er, beside me, had long cried herself to sleep, two lines of tears still on her face as she leaned on my shoulder.

"Mom..." Yan'er mumbled in her sleep, showing she was still worried about her mother even in her dreams.

"Poor child," I sighed inwardly, gently wiping away her tear stains.