Chapter 25: Zicheng’s dream

"Aren't you going to rest? There will be a fierce battle in Florence," Rahab, sitting in front of me, said quietly while watching his movie.

I sighed lightly, "The enemy this time is very powerful, right?"

"Of course. Just the iron-faced man and the one who kidnapped Daji are already difficult to deal with, not to mention the numerous other demons," Rahab said calmly.

"So, we don't stand a chance this time?"

"That's right, if we didn't have you," Rahab said flatly.

I laughed, "I can't even defeat Daji."

"Xiao Nuo, this journey is extraordinary. Neither your master nor I expected the Satan's Cult to have such power, uniting all demons under its banner. It's truly beyond our expectations," Rahab said, looking at me from the back of his seat, "You must understand, demons are usually very proud and rarely submit to others. Now, almost all demons have joined the Satan's Cult, which is quite intriguing."

"Are you suggesting I shouldn't hold back?" I asked, "But you're aware of the severe consequences, right?"

Rahab turned to look at the bright moon outside the window, "In urgent times, we must adapt. We can't continue with our original plan of slowly recruiting demons. This time, when we reach the critical moment, you need to bring out that proof to make the demons submit."

Rahab turned back, his eyes firmly on me, "Xiao Nuo, I want you to take over the entire Satan's Cult!"

I smiled bitterly, "That's quite a challenge. So, am I going to storm the Satan's Cult headquarters alone this time?"

Rahab shook his head, "No, Zicheng and I will go with you, because he must personally take revenge on his wife's killer. But, if necessary, I will take him away."

I hummed in agreement and then closed my eyes without replying.

Rahab was right, a fierce battle awaited us in Italy, and I needed to rest now.

But soon after closing my eyes, the sweet voice of a flight attendant reached my ears.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this flight has arrived at Florence International Airport. We wish you a pleasant journey."

When we arrived in Florence, it was already morning. As we got off the plane, the sky was just beginning to brighten.

After "buying" some supplies at the duty-free shop in the airport, we decided to check into a nearby hotel because Luo Hu only knew that the Satan's Cult headquarters was in Florence but not the exact location. We had to find out ourselves.

As soon as we stepped out of the airport, we saw a taxi parked not far away.

"Sir, please take us to a nearby hotel," I said to the driver in Italian with a smile.

"Ah? Are you tourists?" the driver asked kindly.

"Yes, we're from Hong Kong," I replied with a smile.

The driver gave a thumbs up and said, "Your Italian is very good! Let me take you to the Feso Hotel. It has complete facilities and a great view. Many foreign tourists stay there." I quickly nodded in agreement.

After the car started, Yan'er whispered to me, "Big brother, I didn't know you could speak Italian."

I smiled without speaking. In fact, I knew nothing about Italian; it was Rahab who was fluent. He had whispered the conversation to me, and I repeated it word for word.

The car drove north, passing beautiful scenery with few people.

Surrounded by low houses, the only prominent structure was a church dome in the distance. According to the driver, it was the Florence Cathedral, a famous landmark here.

After about half an hour, the taxi finally stopped in front of a three-story, simply decorated hotel.

After bidding farewell to the enthusiastic driver, we carried our luggage and walked into the hotel.

"Good morning, how many suites do you need?" the receptionist asked courteously. Seeing that we were foreigners, he used English, which I could handle fluently.

"Please give us two large suites, preferably adjacent," I said with a smile.

"Please follow me," the receptionist replied respectfully.

Our two suites were on the third floor. Though the decor wasn't exquisite, they had everything we needed. Rahab, Zicheng, Luo Hu, and I shared one suite, while Yan'er stayed in the adjacent one by herself.

After settling in, we ordered five lunches and ate while we talked.

"Do you really not know the headquarters' location? Can you contact that Li Hongwei?" I asked Luo Hu while chewing on a piece of bread.

To be honest, Rahab and I initially planned to kill Luo Hu to silence him, but Zicheng couldn't bear it and pleaded for his life, so we spared him.

To prevent him from revealing our whereabouts, we had to bring him along.

Luo Hu was devouring his spaghetti and said, "If I contact the Satan's Cult, they'll discover your whereabouts."

I nodded, then flicked his forehead with my finger. Luo Hu groaned and fainted, dropping his spaghetti all over himself.

I turned to Yan'er and Zicheng, "You two rest here for a while. We'll move out at night. Rahab and I will go out to gather information. You two keep an eye on this guy." Yan'er and Zicheng agreed readily.

Rahab told Zicheng, "You should rest and gather your strength, no more training for now." Zicheng nodded in agreement.

After finishing our meal, Rahab and I cleaned up and prepared to leave. Before we left, I saw Zicheng standing alone on the balcony, leaning against the railing, lost in thought.

I walked over to him slowly. When he saw me, he smiled.

"Are you nervous about finally avenging your wife?" I asked with a smile.

Zicheng nodded, "A little."

"What are your plans after killing Li Hongwei?" I asked.

"Plans? Of course, I'll follow you and Rahab," Zicheng replied, surprised.

"Though we have a ten-year pact, being companions doesn't mean you have to be with us all the time. After avenging your wife, you can act freely," I said with a smile.

Zicheng shook his head, "No, I've decided to stay with you."

"Why?" I asked with a smile.

Zicheng didn't answer, just looked into the distance and asked, "Do you know what my childhood dream was?"

I laughed, "To be a good cop?"

Zicheng shook his head, showing an innocent smile, "Like many boys, I loved watching Japanese anime. Seeing those heroes piloting robots to fight off monsters invading Earth always made my blood boil."

"So, your dream was to protect the Earth?"

"Yes, that was my childhood dream. But as I grew up, I realized that giant robots only existed in our minds. So, to uphold justice, I became a police officer."

"Ah, so your grown-up dream was to uphold justice," I said with a smile.

Zicheng nodded, playing with his cross necklace, his voice suddenly gentle, "Yes, until I met Ruo Ru. She changed my dream. I wanted to protect her forever, to keep her from harm."

"How did you meet your wife?" I asked with a smile. I knew only the mention of his wife could keep his fighting spirit alive.

"If I hadn't become a police officer, I wouldn't have met her. I remember it was the year I graduated from the police academy. One day, while patrolling, a very beautiful girl approached me to ask for directions," Zicheng recalled with a happy face, "I was familiar with the streets in that area, but she was a Japanese tourist. I didn't know Japanese, and her English wasn't very good. We used gestures and struggled to communicate, but in the end, we both laughed."

"Is that how you met your wife?" I asked.

"Yes, after we parted, I didn't think much of it. But the next day, while patrolling the same area, I found her waiting for me. Seeing her waiting alone, and her bright smile when she saw me, I couldn't help but approach her, even though I was on duty," Zicheng said, suddenly smiling foolishly.

"That's touching," I said, envious.

Zicheng scratched his head, laughing awkwardly, "Later, she returned to Japan, but we kept in touch. Meanwhile, I joined a Japanese language class in Hong Kong to improve my Japanese. I visited her in Japan during holidays, and she often came to Hong Kong to see me. Over time, we naturally started dating and eventually got married."

As Zicheng spoke, his voice began to tremble slightly.

I knew he was feeling emotional about the separation between him and his wife, so I patted his shoulder to comfort him and asked, "But what does this have to do with you being our companion?"

Zicheng forced a smile, "Ruo Ru is no longer here; my dream of protecting her can't be realized anymore. I've also resigned from my job as a police officer. Now, I can only rekindle my childhood dream and join you in protecting the Earth." At this, Zicheng couldn't help but laugh.

I laughed, "We're doing this out of necessity, not to protect humans. If the Earth is destroyed, demons can't survive either."

Zicheng sighed and looked up at the sky, "These past few days, Rahab has told me a lot about demons and angels. But to me, it all feels like a mythical story. Deep down, I still see myself as human."

"That's understandable; you've only been a demon for a short time. You'll adapt quickly," I said with a smile.

Zicheng shook his head, "I hope I never adapt. I don't want to become a demon. It's better to retain some humanity."

I smiled but didn't answer.

"By the way, I don't know much about you either. Why don't you tell me about yourself?" Zicheng asked with a smile.

"Me... My father abandoned us when I was young, my mother died in an accident, and my stepfather tried to kill me for unknown reasons," I said, looking into the distance, "Even my master, who saved my life, died six months ago."

"I'm... I'm sorry," Zicheng said, looking apologetic.

I laughed heartily, "It's okay, I've come to terms with it. After all, I'm a born demon, and misfortune always seems to follow me."

Just as Zicheng was about to say something, I interrupted him with a smile, "Alright, if we keep talking, the sun will set. Let's get to know each other better after this mission, my friend."

Zicheng nodded with a smile.