286 Special mission (2/2)

”You can be at ease. Relaxed, just be yourself.”

Xiao Luo poured a cup of tea for himself and another for her. He then passed it to her and said, ”Please have some tea.”

Ji Siying was shocked by the gesture, and she immediately marched toward him to accept the cup of tea with both hands. ”Mr. Xiao Luo, thank you!” she said.

Xiao Luo tilted his head slightly, confused by her constant use of ”Mr. Xiao Luo,” questioning himself if she was his liaison or his subordinate. She was unbearably polite, and it was getting to him.

”Gu Zhanguo said you came along with twenty Level C soldiers?”

”That's right.”

”Where are they now?”

”They have been deployed around Mr. Xiao Luo's parents' farm and have covertly prepared defenses around its perimeter to protect them. In the event of an attack, they will escort Mr. Xiao Luo's parents away the moment any signs of the Cobra Mercenaries are detected,” Ji Siying said.

Xiao Luo nodded and was pleased to hear it, and his mind was now freed from the worry of his family's security. Twenty Level C soldiers might not be able to defeat the Cobra Mercenaries, but they were sufficient to guarantee his parents' safety.

He looked directly at Ji Siying again and asked, ”What is your level?”

”Mr. Xiao Luo, I am a Level C soldier,” Ji Siying replied, bowing slightly with respect.

”Level C soldier?”

Still seated on the wooden sofa, Xiao Luo's eyes squinted as he continued to eyeball her. Without any warning, he darted at Ji Siying, striking with his right hand, now formed into a claw with fingers as sharp as blades. His claw-fingers slashed through the air swiftly and locked on Ji Siying's exposed neck.

Ji Siying's reflexes were sharp, evading the strike by a whisker, then shifting back to assume a counter-attacking stance.

However, Xiao Luo shadowed her movements closely, not allowing her any space to maneuver. His claw-hand followed through as he shifted his stance, making her evasive effort futile. She dropped the teacup in a hurry and used her left hand to parry Xiao Luo's strike, as her right hand simultaneously drew a dagger from her waist. Swiftly moving to her right, she thrust the blade into Xiao Luo's exposed chest.

Her mind remained calm throughout, and her reactions were intuitive and swift, the result of her excellent training and conditioning.

But before her dagger had reached its intended target, Xiao Luo struck first with a push-kick into her belly, which immediately broke her attack. She was forced back several steps before she regained control of herself.

It was all over before she knew it. Had this been an actual fight with an enemy, the exchange would have resulted in death.

”Mr. Xiao Luo, you...?!”

Ji Siying held her abdomen in pain and stared at Xiao Luo with a questioning look.

”Just testing your skills level.”

Xiao Luo handed Ji Siying the teacup, which she had dropped to draw out her knife, and not a single drop of tea was spilled. Ji Siying was stunned to silence and could not believe that Xiao Luo could catch her teacup so steadily in that brief moment they exchanged strikes.

”Your skills level as a Level C soldier is excellent, please spend more effort to ensure my grandparents' safety. I might live here, but I can't be sure I'll always be there to keep them safe.”

Ji Siying took the cup from Xiao Luo and nodded. ”Roger!”

The truth was that Ji Siying had not been totally honest with Xiao Luo, and providing protection to his family was only part of it. According to the NSA's own investigations, Xiao Luo had led an average and ordinary life since his youth until about half a year ago. NSA was convinced that there was a secret to how he obtained his strength. And this was the other part of her special mission, to find out Xiao Luo's secret. Ji Siying was embedded to dig it out from Xiao Luo slowly but surely.