In this cyberpunk era, why are you still playing the traditional villain?

"Yes, after you guys went out to sea, we were worried and kept urging him... I forgot to tell you!"

The man called out through the window of the wooden house, "Should I have him come directly here?"

"No need, let him go home and rest first!"

Pan Cheng said, "I'll go find him after I finish eating!"

"okay!"

"Brother Pan and this Brother Luo Yu are very close."

Xu Shi sipped his soup slowly and casually uttered a sentence.

"Of course, what's the difference between them and your own children?"

Pan Cheng laughed heartily, "Brother Xu, would you like to come along later?"

"Okay."

Xu Shi did not refuse; he had long wanted to meet this child who might be the main character.

"Dad, I'm going too! I haven't seen Brother Luo Yu in so long!"

Pan Feng hurriedly put down his rice bowl. "I'm done eating. Shall we go now?"

"Me, I too..."

My younger sister, Pan Ling, is introverted and speaks softly, but you can tell she's very excited.

"Look how anxious you guys are."

Pan Cheng chuckled, revealing a helpless expression like that of someone whose daughter has grown up and can't be kept. "Eat your food properly. Your brother Luo Yu isn't going anywhere... There are guests here. What kind of behavior is this?"

The two sisters were taken aback and glanced at Xu Shi at the same time, only then realizing that their behavior was indeed a bit impolite, and turned their faces away to the left and right respectively.

Xu Shi didn't seem to care much, and just smiled when he saw this.

Yes, this hangover soup is indeed delicious.

Young girls also have their own innocence and vitality, don't they?

……

After finishing breakfast in a peaceful manner, Pan Cheng took Xu Shi to Luo Yu's residence.

Of course, the Pan sisters were also there, following behind.

Luo Yu's residence is not far from here, just a few hundred meters away in a small courtyard—most people on Silver Pine Island live in such houses, but this one looks deserted, obviously the owner doesn't come back often.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, one sees a young man who has just changed his clothes, placing his bright silver armor on a stone table, where it gleams brightly.

"Xiaoyu!"

Pan Cheng's eyes lit up with joy, and he called out to them.

"...Uncle Pan!"

Upon hearing this, the boy turned around, not even bothering to straighten his clothes, and hurriedly ran over to grasp his hand. "I heard from them that you went out to sea? Was it alright? Were you injured?"

"Thank goodness, it was a close call."

Pan Cheng smiled, but was interrupted by his two daughters before he could say anything more.

"Brother Luo Yu!"

It's clear that the two sisters truly treat him like a brother, and they've already been pestering him with questions.

"Xiao Feng and Xiao Ling".

Luo Yu smiled, gestured with her hand, and said half-jokingly, "Long time no see, you've all grown taller, you're all young ladies now... Have you been practicing the sword techniques I taught you diligently?"

"There are some!"

Pan Feng nodded repeatedly, "I sparred with someone yesterday, um, but I lost..."

Xu Shi chuckled to himself, thinking to himself, "What level is my Wuyou at? If you really beat him, what will happen?"

Of course, according to Xia Xiaomao, this young lady Xiaofeng probably didn't really practice swordsmanship seriously, or she just practiced it incorrectly...

However, he was too lazy to expose her. Why ruin the atmosphere? You can't expect too much from a little girl who's so isolated from the world.

His attention was more focused on Luo Yu—it must be said that the boy was quite handsome, clearly someone who had cultivated and trained for many years, with an upright posture and a resolute temperament.

Combining this with Pan Cheng's previous description of him, a description suddenly popped into Xiao Xu's mind.

He was both literate and skilled in martial arts, and extremely handsome.

happy.

He was sizing up Luo Yu, who, after exchanging pleasantries with the Pan family, finally noticed him. "Hey? And this is..."

"Oh, look, look!"

Pan Cheng slapped his forehead, "I forgot to introduce you, Xiaoyu. This is Brother Xu Shi. We were able to return safely this time thanks to his help."

"Oh……"

Luo Yu nodded. "So, those two ships in the harbor also belong to him?"

He noticed it when he returned, and he was curious about the strange-looking ship.

"Yes, my name is Xu Shi, and I have met Brother Luo Yu before."

Xu Shi greeted him politely and even extended his hand – people here also use handshakes as a courtesy.

"Ah, hello."

Luo Yu seemed a little uncomfortable with his enthusiasm, and after a pause, he shook hands with him symbolically, his movements somewhat stiff.

"Hey, why are you still standing here after all this talk?"

Pan Cheng didn't seem to care much and laughed, "Shall we go to your room and have a proper chat? I haven't seen you in a while."

"Okay, I happen to have something to tell you, Uncle Pan."

Luo Yu withdrew his hand and nodded slightly, saying, "However, this Mr. Xu..."

He was clearly not as bold and generous as Pan Cheng, or perhaps he became somewhat wary after learning that Xu Shi was not a local.

"It's alright, Brother Xu is no outsider."

Pan Cheng waved his hand dismissively, "He's a very nice person. I said before that you're about the same age, so you might become good friends."

Xu Shi felt a bit like complaining. A seven or eight-year age gap is enough for two or three generations, right? Is it just that middle-aged people are insensitive to the age of younger generations...?

But of course he wouldn't actually say that; instead, he offered plenty of understanding.

"It's okay. If there's anything I can't hear, you two can talk. I'll go for a walk outside."

"...How could that be? Since Uncle Pan has said so, how can I treat Brother Xu, um, as an outsider?"

Luo Yu pursed his lips, then smiled after a moment. "It makes me seem a little petty... You don't mind, do you?"

"of course not."

Xu Shi squinted his eyes, "Then shall I call you Brother Luo?"

"no problem."

In a harmonious atmosphere, the group went to Luo Yu's house and sat down.

There were not only them, but also four men in armor. Two followed behind Luo Yu, while the other two stood guard at the door.

Before coming, Xu Shi had also consulted Pan Cheng to find out that this was a Templar Knight of the Hualan Empire's Holy See.

In the Hualan Empire, monarchical and divine power coexist, and the influence of the Papacy is no less than that of the royal family. The two have always been in a relationship of mutual restraint, with the Papacy even subtly suppressing the royal family.

The Knights Templar were appointed by the royal family but served the Papacy, thus acting as a link between the two forces and holding a high status.

In addition, the Papacy has its own apostles and messengers, and the royal family also has its own soldiers.

Luo Yu is a Silver Knight, the highest rank among the Templar Knights. There are only eleven of them in the entire Hualan Empire, with only the Pope and the Holy Maiden of the Holy See above him.

The men he brought with him were Bronze Knights of the Papacy, one rank lower than him, and they appeared to be his attendants, also wearing brass armor.

In fact, given Luo Yu's status, his triumphant return home should have been marked by ceremonies with earthen paving the way and water being poured down the streets. Yet, he only brought a handful of people with him, which in a sense could be considered a display of integrity and frugality.

"What I want to tell you, Uncle Pan, is that you don't need to rush to go to sea. I've already told you that."

Luo Yu cut to the chase, saying with a hint of reproach, "Although the Holy See has put pressure on us, I've been trying to find ways to maneuver. The threat from the Sea God has existed for so many years; it's not so easy to resolve. What you're doing is no different from sending yourselves to your deaths."

"This time it was lucky, but I heard that Ah Xin and the others still didn't make it back, right? What will happen to your two aunts if something really happens to you? What will happen to Xiao Feng and Xiao Ling?"

"...That's what we say, but we don't want to put you in a difficult position."

Pan Cheng's smile was tinged with bitterness. "While you were away, the Holy See and the Royal Family sent people here more than once... They said they were offering a bounty for the conquest, but Silver Pine Island is here, it's not so easy to escape. You'll also be under pressure from the Holy See."

"I'm also from Silverpine Island! I'll take care of anything that happens!"

Luo Yu shook his head, "I'm already planning to go there myself in a while. You guys shouldn't do this anymore, it's too dangerous!"

"...Okay, okay, I'll listen to you."

Upon hearing his words, Pan Cheng feigned apology, but his face showed great relief.

"Excuse me, could you spare me a moment?"

Xu Shi, who had been listening quietly, raised his hand. "From what you're saying... this trip to sea wasn't something Brother Pan and the others did voluntarily?"

"That's right?"

Faced with his question, Pan Cheng thought for a moment and did not completely deny it.

Sigh, I knew it.

His words made things clear to Xu Shi. He had been a little puzzled before. To be honest, the armed forces of Silver Pine Island were really not that great. Forget about that Poseidon, they couldn't even defeat a school of fish... With that kind of configuration, setting sail for distant seas was, to put it bluntly, mindless...

But if someone put pressure on you, then it's understandable. You're forced into it, so you have to go whether you want to or not, or at least make an appearance.

Pan Cheng probably thought the latter, but he was unlucky enough to run into a fish swarm, which led to what happened later.

Not only that, he also noticed something from the brief conversation between Pan Cheng and Luo Yu.

This child's situation is not ideal.

He is nominally a Silver Knight, so he should have some say in both the Papacy and the royal family. Therefore, both sides should give him some face and not push someone from Silverpine Island to be the scapegoat.

But that's the reality. According to Pan Cheng, they've been urging him more than once, which clearly means someone is deliberately targeting him, perhaps even the Papacy and the royal family are working together.