https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-327-Cardinal-Lanchi-s-Performance-was-Truly-Magnificent/12584480/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-329-Cardinal-Lanchi-s-Challenge-in-the-Northern-Demon-Territory/12584483/
Chapter 328: Lanchi's Escape Plan
Chapter 328: Lanchi's Escape Plan
Ten days later, in the latter half of March in the Protoss Empire.
Frost snow fell from the sky, covering the vast snowfield that stretched to the horizon, blending seamlessly with the grayish-white sky. The original contours of the landscape were obscured by a thick layer of snow.
Over a hundred kilometers away from the border city of Bandora, near the northern border province, the land remained desolate and uninhabited, with only the barren snowfields in sight.
As one ventured further north, the harsh and abnormal climate became more prevalent, and it was common to be stranded for days due to the inclement weather. Scattered snow-covered cities and towns also became fewer and farther between.
In this vast expanse of white, a sled suddenly appeared on a hillside, cutting through the frosty snow and kicking up a storm of white.
"Yahoo! Let's take off!"
"Faster, faster!"
"Meow, you two slow down, or you'll fall off the cliff!"
The abrupt laughter and childish shouts stood out starkly against the howling wind and snow.
On the sled were two figures, their faces radiant with excitement, undeterred by the icy chill and frosty sting in the air.
Lanchi and Xide sat on the sled, with a large black fox pulling it forward at full speed. The tips of its ears burned with golden flames, and its powerful strides sent snow flying in all directions, leaving deep golden imprints in the snow with each step.
The cat boss clung desperately to Lanchi's clothes.
It was clear to see that Lanchi and Xide were genuinely having the time of their lives. If Tata had been with Lanchi, she would have scolded him to slow down, and if it had been Xiubao, she would have gently reminded him to be cautious on the snowfield. But with Xide, she only urged him to go faster.
"Meow, not so fast!"
The cat boss knew he had no control over Lanchi anymore, but he still cried out in vain.
"Huh? Not fast enough?"
Lanchi lowered his head against the howling wind and snow, asking the question to the cat boss in his arms.
He immediately leaned forward and shook the sled's reins, signaling the fox to pick up the pace.
"Meow!"
The cat boss opened his mouth only to be greeted by a mouthful of snow.
It wasn't until the sled raced down the hillside and steadied on the flat snow-covered ground that its speed finally slowed, the deep red paint on its body still standing out vividly against the white landscape.
"Hahaha, even if we crash, I won't get hurt. And if he gets hurt...well, he still has his wind-attribute wheelchair, right?"
Xide laughed uncontrollably, her head turned to the side as she looked at the little black cat on Lanchi's lap.
She knew Lanchi carried a lot of strange and wonderful magic cards with him.
Considering the secrecy of their final destination, the two had once again altered their identities and appearances after leaving the Snowfield Province.
They did not continue to use their identities as Roche and Xide from the Protoss Royal Magic Academy but instead posed as a magic craftsman and a merchant from the Snowfield Province, intending to do business in the northern border province.
This way, they could avoid being tracked back if their investigation uncovered anything sensitive on their return journey.
However, Lanchi did indeed have an excessive number of high-level purple magic cards in sealed packages, appearing more like a magic card merchant than a user. And the benefit of having them sealed was that it was easy to identify their effects while they remained unclaimed.
But Xide struggled to describe the quality of these cards. Most of them were useless scraps meant for decomposition, a random assortment with no apparent purpose, unlike the ones meant for the little black cat. She couldn't fathom why Lanchi had brought so many worthless cards along.
She only knew that Lanchi had acquired these magic cards by leveraging his connections in the imperial capital before their departure, and Duchess Krolys had been a great help. Whatever deal they had struck, it had resulted in such a substantial advance payment to Lanchi.
"Meow..."
The cat boss whimpered, his tears flowing freely, transforming back into the crying cat head.
It no longer wanted to be with these two.
"If we uncover something big during this trip and expose it, the empire's reputation will surely skyrocket."
Lanchi slowed the sled a little, releasing the reins with one hand to hold the cat boss securely, speaking with certainty.
The sled continued its journey, the runners grinding against the thick snow with a "gee-gee" sound, leaving a long, trailing mark in the snow behind.
Despite the howling wind, the two on the sled paid it no mind, still reveling in the sensation of speed.
According to the map, they should soon be reaching a plain, with no more rugged mountain roads or lakes ahead. At this speed, they would quickly arrive at their investigation destination, the northern border city of Bandora.
"Isn't there an investigation team led by Major Fanleiku that went ahead? If there's a problem, he'll probably be the first to discover it."
Xide replied nonchalantly.
"That's not necessarily true. What if there's an eighth-rank level danger in the north? One investigation team might not be enough."
Lanchi mused, reflecting on the secret Krolys had shared with him, which he had promised not to reveal to anyone else. Aside from that, he hoped that Sigrid would gain a clear understanding of the dangers in the Northern Border Province.
"Those who can reach the seventh-rank are no longer on the same level as mortals. It's easy to defeat them, but killing them is not that simple."
Xide spread her hands, as if recalling her own strength when she first reached the seventh-rank.
"..."
Lanchi glanced up, looking at this abnormal human female, Xide.
A fully-powered seventh-rank cultivator would be extremely difficult for a group of sixth-rank cultivators to defeat. However, for the person sitting next to him, it would indeed be "easy to defeat."
Most of the time, Xide gave him the feeling of being approachable and surprisingly good-tempered, which was the complete opposite of a certain unmarried female he knew.
But it was only when they talked about other powerful beings that he could clearly sense the vast disparity between his experiences and her immense strength.
"Rest assured, even if your position remains low, I won't look down on you, Saint. As long as I'm here, just work for me."
Xide grinned, her playful tone carrying a hint of reliability, as if a queen had made a promise.
"..."
Lanchi remained silent for a moment.
"If there comes a day when I want to retire and leave, will you let me go?"
He had already decided that he would disappear back to the Southern Continent, but lately, he had been chatting casually with Xide every day, and he found himself reluctant to part ways with this friend.
If possible, he didn't want to become enemies with Sigrid and the Orthodox Church in the future.
"..."
Xide hesitated for a moment before answering, "That depends on the situation."
"For example?"
"If my favorability towards you is very low, I'll assume you've betrayed me and help you retire completely."
Xide coldly clasped her fingers, her expression ruthless.
"..."
Lanchi couldn't tell if she was joking about the consequences of low favorability or genuinely threatening him.
The cat boss, nestled in Lanchi's arms, shivered in fear. It knew Lanchi shouldn't have gotten involved with this female devil!
There was no way she would let him go easily!
"To be honest, in most cases, if you want to leave, I probably won't let you go easily. I've made an exception by choosing you as my saint, so naturally, you'll have to serve me forever."
Xide candidly revealed her true answer to Lanchi.
"Understood."
Lanchi nodded, having expected as much.
He looked down and smiled at the trembling cat boss, feeling no anxiety.
"!"
The cat boss was startled, suddenly understanding this nascent thought.
It could guess that when the time came for Lanchi to flee, he would most likely use a fake death technique, creating the illusion that "Rochi Maccassi" was dead, so that Sigrid would not even consider pursuing him! Then, this scoundrel would transform back into "Lanchi Wilford" from the Southern Continent, severing all ties with Sigrid!
However, the cat boss was worried that if Lanchi did this, it might trigger a series of unpredictable chain reactions.
"What if the saintess you once had wanted to leave?"
The cat boss swallowed and timidly asked with its soft voice, mustering its courage.
Sigrid had lost a saintess before. If she had to choose between a subordinate "leaving" and "dying," the cat boss didn't know how ruthless Sigrid would be towards a betrayer.
If she turned out to be extremely extreme, then Lanchi would have no choice but to use a fake death technique!
Upon hearing this, Xide paused for a moment, seemingly caught off guard by the question. Finally, a reluctant smile appeared on her face.
"I'd probably let her go and live the life she wants."
Her voice carried a rare hint of guilt and gentleness.
"..."
This time, both Lanchi and the cat boss fell silent.
The cat boss looked up at Lanchi.
It sensed that if Lanchi used a fake death technique, it might lead to another nascent situation...
(End of Chapter)
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