Chapter 1628: The Broken Mask III

Seeing Zhao Li Xin’s expression, Lucia subconsciously held her breath. For a fleeting moment, she wondered how she had ever liked this terrifying man. Constellation was filled with dangerous people, manipulators, murderers, and fanatics, yet none of them made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up the way Zhao Li Xin did.

Suddenly, he slipped the dagger behind his back and pulled out his phone, then dialed a number. Lucia blinked in confusion.

After a few rings, the call connected.

"Honey, you finally called. Where are you?" Lory’s voice came from the speaker, carrying a hint of complaint.

Almost instantly, the icy expression on Zhao Li Xin’s face melted. "I’m sorry. I got a little preoccupied." His voice, usually cold and emotionless, turned unexpectedly gentle. "Don’t be angry, okay?"

The transformation stunned Lucia, no matter how many times she witnessed it. It was as if he had become an entirely different person. She didn’t need to guess who was on the other end. Funny how a familiar bitterness still rose inside her, perhaps it’s a matter of pride, or curiosity.

Of course, Lucia was smart enough not to reveal her thoughts, having learned from previous experience what his wife meant to him. That woman was his bottom line, and, absurdly enough, he was very sensitive when it came to his wife. Just another thing Lucia envied.

"It’s fine..." Lory sounded slightly upset but was trying to be understanding. "How are things there? Are you alright?"

A faint smile appeared on Zhao Li Xin’s face. The concern in her voice only made him miss her more. "Mm. I’m fine."

Then he glanced at Lucia. "By the way, there’s something I want your opinion on."

Lory immediately sounded intrigued. "Oh? What is it, honey?"

Zhao Li Xin’s gaze remained fixed on Lucia as he spoke casually. "Do you remember the woman who slapped you on the airplane?"

Lucia’s entire body stiffened, and a chill ran down her spine. She had almost forgotten about that incident, but apparently, Zhao Li Xin had not. Not at all.

There was a brief silence from the other end before Lory answered. "Um...Is it Lucia? The Constellation member?"

Zhao Li Xin chuckled softly. "En. I caught her."

"Oh." Lory sounded surprised.

"She claims she knows where Zalchana is." his voice remained calm, but Lucia noticed the dangerous glint hidden in his eyes. "And she says she knows Alexander Behrenn’s and Theodore Navarro’s entire plan."

Lory immediately became serious. "Well, that’s to be expected from Constellation members."

"Uh-huh." Zhao Li Xin glanced at Lucia. "She’s asking me to spare her life in exchange for the information. She asked for amnesty or whatever. What do you think about it?"

On the other end, Lory fell silent for several seconds before she spoke again. "By the way, where is she right now?"

"In front of me," he said casually.

Finally, Lory spoke. "Does she know you’re calling me to decide whether she lives or dies?"

Zhao Li Xin let out a low chuckle. "If she’s not deaf, she should know by now."

On the other side of the phone, Lory could almost imagine what

Lucia was feeling right now. "You’re really a bad man, Li Xin."

"Isn’t that why you like me?" he replied, his voice low and melodious.

Lory flushed. "Hey, stop it. This isn’t the time."

Zhao Li Xin laughed, ignoring Lucia’s darkened expression. She couldn’t believe they were flirting while deciding her fate. Moreover, there were still corpses and blood all around them.

"Okay, bring her home. Don’t let her die," Lory said finally.

"Okay. I’ll be home soon," he replied.

"I’ll send an aircraft to pick you up, along with the sacrifice victims," Lory said.

There was a brief pause. "Oh... right." He had forgotten about those victims.

He looked around and saw them hiding behind trucks and piles of rubble. Zhao Li Xin felt relieved that they had all survived; otherwise, he wouldn’t know what to say to his wife.

"See you later, wife," Zhao Li Xin said as he ended the call.

"En, see you later, honey," Lory replied.

Zhao Li Xin then hung up his phone.

At the same time, Lucia let out a sigh of relief, knowing she had managed to save herself. As long as she was alive, she still had a chance to take revenge on this man, somehow, some way. Then suddenly, she felt a hard strike on both shoulders. Immediately, it felt as though the joints in her arms were being violently yanked out of place.

Lucia collapsed onto her knees, a bloodcurdling scream tearing from her throat. Tears sprang to her eyes. The pain was so intense that her vision blurred; she instinctively tried to move her arms.

They wouldn’t respond.

Panic seized her. "W-What did you do to me?!"

She looked up and saw Zhao Li Xin standing calmly before her.

His expression was indifferent, as though he had merely completed a routine task.

"Stop screaming," he frowned in disgust. "I just pressed a few acupuncture points to paralyze your hand, it didn’t hurt much!" he said irritably.

Lucia looked at him with a bewildered look. "W-Why?"

Zhao Li Xin gave her an obvious look. "You don’t think I forgot that you slapped my wife, do you? You even made her lip bleed." The murderous intent in his eyes was apparent.

"Just because of that?" Lucia couldn’t believe it. It had only been a slap, and it had happened a long time ago.

A smile curved Zhao Li Xin’s lips, though it never reached his eyes. "Yes. I’m a very petty man."

Indeed, unlike many other men, Zhao Li Xin never attributed his atrocious actions to the people he loved. He would never be the kind of person who said, ’I did it for you,’ after committing something horrific. He knew the darkness within him was his own. Whether it was nature or nurture, the responsibility belonged entirely to him.

In contrast, whenever he did one of the rare good deeds in his life, he would attribute it to Lory.

Because that was how he saw it: every cruel thing came from himself, every good thing came from her.

"Be grateful," Zhao Li Xin said calmly. "The reason you can still keep your hand is because of my wife."

_______________________________________

____Back to Dolza___

The Saintess stepped forward to heal a crippled middle-aged man who had lost one of his legs. The man sat quietly in a chair while Alinna crouched before him. She clasped her hands in front of her chest and closed her eyes in prayer. Around them, everyone watched with hopeful anticipation, waiting for the familiar miracle they had witnessed countless times before.

One minute passed, then two... but nothing happened.

Whispers gradually spread through the crowd as people exchanged confused glances. Some frowned, while others looked around uncertainly. Alinna slowly opened her eyes, her expression filled with bewilderment. The warm divine energy she had always felt within her was gone, completely gone.

She looked around in confusion before her gaze landed on one of the Paladins standing nearby. The Paladin immediately stepped away and slipped behind a pillar.

Pulling out his phone, he hurriedly dialed a number; however, he was met with a robotic message indicating that the call could not be connected. He glanced at the screen and saw that the signal bars were completely empty.

His expression darkened; this was impossible. Wellington City was the capital of Dolza. There was signal coverage practically everywhere, unless someone had jammed it.

Among the crowd stood a man wearing a gray hoodie. A faint smirk crossed his lips as he casually tossed a small square device into a nearby trash bin.

On the opposite side of the gathering, another hooded figure wearing a leather jacket discreetly slipped a similar device behind a decorative plant pot before turning away and disappearing into the crowd.

Several other mysterious individuals, all dressed in hoodies and dark glasses, did the same. One by one, they abandoned their devices and quietly vanished without drawing attention.

The man in the gray hoodie pulled out his phone once more and pressed it to his ear. "It’s done, sir."

Miles away, Jay sat comfortably in a leather chair inside his office. Multiple screens illuminated the room, casting a cold glow across his face.

A grin spread across his lips. "Good job." He leaned back in his seat. "Now leave the area." His eyes shifted toward one of the other monitors.

"Oh, and tell Eagle One to remind Dominique Hartley to keep a close watch on Saintess Alinna, more than ever from now on."

He predicted that the situation would become even more chaotic from now on, and the enemy might do something unexpected. "I wonder what they’ll do to him."

"Yes, sir!" the man replied before ending the call.

He slipped the phone back into his pocket and climbed into the car, where the other agents were already waiting. Soon after, the vehicle pulled away, leaving the chaos at the Elysium behind.

Meanwhile, Salvo De Rova watched the events unfold with narrowed eyes. He knew someone had planned this, and he knew exactly who it was, but that could wait; for now, a far more pressing disaster was about to happen.

The crowd was beginning to panic. At first, it was only a few confused whispers. Then came the questions, followed by doubt and anxiety. Like a spark falling onto dry grass, panic began to spread through the gathering with terrifying speed.

"Saintess... can you not fix my leg?" The middle-aged man looked up at Alinna, his voice trembling with disappointment and desperation.

Alinna froze, her face gone deathly pale. "I... I don’t know." The words barely escaped her lips. She looked down at her trembling hands, panic coming over her like giant waves.

Where was it? Her body shivered. Why couldn’t she feel the divine warmth that had accompanied her for years? That holy power that answered her prayers. The blessing given to her, the chosen one.

Where is it?! An icy chill crept into her chest.

"What’s wrong?" the man demanded, panic beginning to seep into his voice. "What’s going on? Why aren’t you healing me? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, that’s not it..." Alinna reflexively denied.