Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 19 The Visit of the Senior Deacon
"Bang! Bang!"

Lu Ze repeatedly pulled the trigger at the target ten meters away, the revolver making a loud sound as it struck his hand and palm.

After firing all six bullets, he lowered his arm, let out a long breath, and squinted at the target opposite him.

There were three gun holes clearly visible on the target.

Half the hit rate? I need to practice more.
Lu Ze's lips twitched slightly as he thought to himself.

With his thumb, he pried open the hot cartridge case, gave it a slight shake, and the spent cartridges inside clattered to the ground.

He was currently in a small, enclosed underground shooting range, alone with no one else around. This was the underground shooting range located at 3 Zorant Street. Most of the range belonged to the Tingen Police Department, with only this small area reserved specifically for their night watchmen to practice.

Lu Ze sat down in the rest area, placed the revolver on the table, and began to carefully wipe and maintain it with a handkerchief.

Speaking of which, this revolver and the bullets were actually obtained from Old Neil.

As he maintained the gun, he recalled the scene from that day.

Terrified by the unusual behavior of Old Neil, Luze went straight upstairs to find Dunn after his occult course, not even daring to pick up the gun he'd been longing for. He was initially worried that Dunn would question him, after all, Old Neil had been his teammate for years, while Luze was just a newcomer who'd only been there for a day. But after he carefully described the shape of the eyes on the back of Old Neil's head, Dunn quickly believed him.

According to Dunn, the image of cold, eyelash-less eyes perfectly matches the physical description of the evil god at the top of Old Neil's path—something that Luzer, without a background in mysticism, could not have made up.

Now that Dunn has come to believe him, the key issue is how to resolve the problem with Old Neil.

How to solve it?
One word, wait.

Dunn told Luzer not to tell anyone for the time being, and that he would handle it properly. Until then, Luzer had to act normally, continuing to attend classes, talk to Old Neil, and study as if nothing had happened.

The next few days were extremely difficult for Luze. He tried his best to act nonchalant, going to work, picking up his gun, and attending training. Under Old Neil's strange glare, he tried to joke around with him, almost to the point of schizophrenia. If Luze hadn't still maintained a certain level of trust in Dunn, he would have suspected that Dunn was also one of Old Neil's men.

Lu Ze felt a lot of pressure because of this, which gave him even more motivation to practice shooting. Every afternoon after get off work, he would not go home immediately, but would come to the shooting range to practice for half an hour first.

Fortunately, tonight is the final deadline.

Lu Ze polished the revolver until it gleamed, then filled the cylinder with Demon Hunter bullets one by one, closed it, and holstered it under his arm. He stood up, dusted himself off, took a coat from the coat rack, put it on, and strode out of the shooting range onto the street.

As the sun gradually set, it was rush hour, and the streets became bustling with people and carriages. Luze joined the crowd, walked along the street for a while, entered the Old Will's Restaurant, picked up his dinner order, and then, carrying his meal box, took a public carriage home.

By the time he got home, the smell of gunpowder on him had mostly dissipated.

Pushing open the door to No. 6 Narcissus Street, Lu Ze saw his younger sister, Cecilia, sitting at the living room table, studying. To make it easier to read, she had tied her long, flowing black hair into a ponytail, revealing her slender, fair neck, its curves as graceful as a swan's. Seeing Lu Ze enter, she looked up and smiled.
"I left work right on time today."

As she turned to speak, Cecilia's black ponytail swayed back and forth, looking quite adorable.

"Unfortunately, it's not."

Lu Ze placed the lunchbox on the table. "I have to be on duty today and will be staying at the company all night. I won't be coming back to sleep. Eat well, remember to lock the door, and if there's anything urgent, go to number 2 to find the Moretti family."

"On duty?"

“Yes, we all have to stay awake all night and take turns. It’s my turn tonight,” Lu Ze explained. He noticed that his sister’s smile had faded a little, so he added, “The good news is that there’s a stipend for those on duty, so we get a little extra pay.”

"I understand." Cecilia lowered her head and took the lunchbox. "Then you should tell me earlier next time. I'm waiting for you to have dinner together."

Her obedient and quiet demeanor made Lu Ze feel a little guilty, so he couldn't help but give her a few more instructions before reluctantly leaving the house.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

By the time Lu Ze returned to Blackthorn Security Company, it was completely dark.

In August and September, the nighttime temperature was just right. He walked into the company lobby, enjoying the cool night breeze.

"Oh! Lu Ze, it's you. Good evening."

Luo Shan, who was behind the table, greeted him. This girl was surprisingly easygoing. After discovering that Lu Ze was not a strange person at all, and after chatting with him a few times, she quickly became familiar with him and could now talk to him with a smile.

Good evening, have you had dinner yet?

Lu Ze gave a casual greeting, then turned and went into the lounge, where he closed his eyes to rest on the sofa bed.

He told his sister Cecilia he was on the night shift, but in reality, it wasn't his turn to guard the Charnis Gate that night. Actually, Dunn had specifically instructed him to come here tonight and not to make a sound, to wait for further instructions.

Not long after, the door to the lounge opened, and someone walked in. The newcomer had long black hair and a cold expression; it was Luo Yao, whom Lu Ze had met before.

"Ms. Luo Yao, is your injury healed?"

"Lu Ze said. The other person walked steadily, looked somewhat tired, but was in good spirits."

"Hmm, basically no problem."

Luo Yao replied, sitting down on the sofa opposite Lu Ze and looking at him with great curiosity.

When the two met in the lounge before, Lu Ze was the one being protected. Now, however, he has become his teammate. The world is truly amazing.

"I think I still owe you a thank you. Thank you for saving me."

Although she was unconscious at the time, according to other people's descriptions, if it weren't for Lu Ze, she might have been devoured alive by the cultists.

"You're welcome. I was mainly trying to protect myself."

Lu Ze spoke frankly, "But we're teammates now, so isn't protecting each other the least we can do?"

Luo Yao nodded.

Before she could say anything more, the door to the lounge opened again. Dunn stood outside, wearing a black trench coat and a hat. "Lu Ze, come with me. Luo Yao is here too. Okay, you come along as well."

"Captain, where are we going?"

Half surprised and half confused, Luo Yao stood up and asked.

“We’re heading to Tingen train station. A senior deacon has arrived.”

(End of this chapter)