542 Chapter 542: Another Visi (1/2)
”So…I assume you guys will be enrolling in Saint Teresa Academy as well? After it reopens, I mean.”
After the disaster yesterday, Teresa Taylor had cancelled classes and shut the school down, for ”safety reasons.” Though I suspected it had more to do with appeasing worried parents. It was unlikely that the vampires would attack the school again, and if they did, they would find Headmistress Taylor waiting for them.
”I don't know.”
”I can arrange that with Teresa if you want.”
Nan Gong Jiao Shou had overheard our conversation and offered a solution. He smiled at Tang Li's two subordinates.
”I'm friends with the headmistress, so I can pull some strings. Furthermore, I think they'll welcome new students and fresh blood after losing so many in yesterday's attack.”
”I'll be relying on you then.” Tang Li bowed his head. He then straightened. ”I'll leave my subordinates in your care for now, Professor Nan Gong. I'll have to get off at the next stop. I need to continue gathering information on the vampire clans and the Dark Church.” He turned grim. ”They're growing stronger by the day. I also heard that there is a link between the Crimson Blood Demonic Night Sect and the Dark Church. Apparently the latter was involved in this previous attack.”
I felt a chilling premonition at his words. As I suspected, the Dark Church had a hand in this. They really were everywhere. It didn't surprise me – I knew the Dark Church would stand to benefit a lot from this raid, given their goal of sowing chaos and destroying humanity. What better blow was there than to strike at the young students with unrealized potential and prevent them from ever maturing into strong, anti-monster mages?
”Yeah. Leave them to me.”
”Thank you. The two of you, listen to everything Professor Nan Gong tells you to do. Treat his commands as if they were from me.”
”I understand, sir.”
”Yes!”
As if to break our conversation, the train conductor made an announcement over the speakers.
”Tristan Station. Tristan Station.”
”This is my stop.”
Tipping his hat to Nan Gong Jiao Shou and his subordinates, Tang Li stood up and bade us farewell before leaving. I watched him go and leaned back in my seat, glancing at his two charges. Lin Xuan Chi was smiling, his expression as unreadable as always. Ling Xue Xiao looked a little concerned, but she masked her uncertainty with annoyance.
What was she, a tsundere or something? Or the obligatory bitch character who snaps at the heroine of a cliché shoujo manhua over everything she did, out of jealousy?
Well, in any case, the moment we reached Teresa Taylor's home, I was sure we would have absolutely nothing to do with each other again.
*
”You've been gone the whole day, Brother Richie!”
As always, Adrian was outside to greet me. I nodded and waved at him. Shortly after that, Melina came running out to greet me.
”Sensei! You're finally back!”
”Yeah, I'm home.”
I smiled and patted their heads. As expected, Melina sulked.
”Geez! Treating us as kids again! We are no longer children already!”
”Yeah!”
”All right, all right. Sorry. Have you guys had dinner yet?”
”Ah…we were about to have dinner. Amelia said you were coming back for dinner, so we decided to wait a bit.”
”Oh, sorry about that.” I looked sheepish. ”I had a few things to do and ended up coming back late. I hope I didn't keep you guys waiting.”
”No, you're just in time. She had only just finished cooking.”
”Great.” I nodded with a smile. ”Let's eat then.”
After dinner, I checked my smartphone and contacted Kufa. He picked up the call after a few rings and projected his face through a holographic screen.
”Oh, hey, Richard. What's up?”
”Checking on the status of the Hunter Association, Midnight Order and the Federation military. Any movement yet? Progress regarding the location on the Crimson Blood Demonic Night clan? Or reports of them attacking anyone? Maybe a reallocation of personnel on the part of the Hunter Assocition?”
”None so far,” Kufa informed me, stifling a yawn. I suddenly felt bad for disturbing him this late into the night. He frowned. ”Come on, we just spoke about this matter this morning. Why are you so impatient?”
”Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. ”I guess their intelligence isn't very effective then. Either that, or the hunters we meet aren't who they seem.”
”Huh? What's that supposed to mean?”
I briefly told him about what had happened at the Nan Gong family's house that afternoon, and how we were chased by the vampires from the Crimson Blood Demonic Night clan before finally meeting up with Tang Li and his two subordinates. Kufa listened intently, his jaw dropping.
”All that happened today?”
”Yeah.”
”Damn…I didn't know. Let me see if I can pull out any information regarding this Tang Li and the two students under him. Then I'll get back to you.”
”I'll be counting on you then.”
Kufa then switched off the holographic screen and I dropped onto bed, staring at the ceiling. This whole thing was turning into one hell of a mess. If Tang Li and his two subordinates weren't who they seemed to be, then I had to take action and soon.
However, Nan Gong Jiao Shou seemed familiar with Tang Li, the two of them being friends. Even Nan Gong Yue Jian had met him before. So I wasn't sure what was going on. I wanted to trust them, but after what had happened with Xu Wu Cheng and Nan Gong Ji Yan, trust was in very short supply. I couldn't help but keep an eye on every shadow, never mind people I had never met before.
The next day, Kufa called me, waking me up rudely. I fumbled for my smartphone, half asleep, and hit the answer button. My friend's excited face materialized in front of me.
”You were right! They have just updated their intelligence early this morning! Someone called Tang Li did indeed submit a report regarding the vampire attack yesterday, and confirmed that he has assigned his two subordinates to protect Professor Nan Gong's daughter!”