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

The church was very large, giving people a solemn and dignified feeling. The City of Night Sin had little religious atmosphere, and everyone was more or less shocked when they first set foot in such a place, even Xu Shi himself was no exception.

The church was already fully prepared, and apart from the other Templar Knights on both sides, the saint was already waiting in the center of the hall.

Her attire remained unchanged, just as it had been when Xu Shi went to sea: a nun's habit covered in white gauze, and a veil on her face.

Combined with the light refracted by the enamel glass, it naturally gains a sense of mystery and sanctity.

"Mr. Xu."

Before Xu Shi could speak, the Holy Maiden bowed slightly, displaying impeccable manners, and said, "I have always wanted to speak with you, and now I finally have the opportunity."

Her voice is ethereal and clear, almost like it has been enhanced with special effects.

And why is it always "Mr. Xu"? If it's missing even one character, I should go and date the White Snake...

Xu Shi was surprised to find that since returning to the capital city of the empire, his吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for complaining/criticizing) spirit seemed to be intensifying.

"Your Highness the Saint."

However, he still politely returned the greeting, saying, "Good things come to those who wait, so I've come anyway."

"Haha, Mr. Xu is very humorous."

Hearing him say that, the saintess smiled slightly and gestured to the knights on both sides.

“Mr. Xu, my name is Ji Bochang. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

A burly man on the left greeted him first, giving him a standard knightly salute.

What kind of name is this... Xu Shi's suppressed吐槽 spirit rose again, and to be honest, it's not very easy to tell. Isn't it said that bodybuilders usually have... well, you know?

"Hello, Knight Ji."

He greeted her in return, but then thought to himself that the way he addressed her didn't seem quite right either...

"This is Park Guk-chang, Knight Park, number eight in the rank."

Lu Baiyan didn't know what he was thinking, but he introduced him anyway.

"Hello."

I have seen this person before. He was the skinny knight who fought against the sea god. If I remember correctly, his ability was related to ice.

This person lives up to their name, but I still have to criticize them. After all, you're not a pretty girl, so having an ice-type ability just feels out of place, you know?

As for the others, they weren't particularly noteworthy, and it seemed that not all the Templar Knights present were there; of the eleven-member order, only slightly more than half were actually there.

There are two familiar faces: one is Qin Yiyan, whom Xu Shi had long labeled as big and brainless, and the other is, of course, the adorable little Luo Yu.

However, he also noticed that there was an unusually powerful energy fluctuation in the hall.

Looking in that direction, there was a half-open door. If you looked closely, you could see a shadowy human figure behind it.

This must be the old Pope, the supreme leader of the Holy See that Cheng Gujian mentioned.

Well, so you're behind the scenes too... but that's not something he needs to worry about.

Such a secretive scene needs some straightforward words to get straight to the point.

"I wonder what brings you all here to see me?"

"Of course, it's for negotiating terms, Mr. Xu."

He didn't expect the saintess on stage to give an even more direct answer.

"What price would it take for you to cooperate with our Vatican?"

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 263 Come on, if you've got the guts, just kill me with one strike.

2023-09-13

Compared to the royal family, who at least exchanged a few polite words, the Vatican's attitude towards Xu Shi was much more direct and blunt. They wanted to cooperate and poach him; otherwise, why would they be looking for him?

However, we can't say we didn't exchange any polite words. Does the casual chat with Lu Baiyan on the way here count?

Thinking about it this way, regardless of personal inclinations, he is a very good person at handling things.

Moreover, the Vatican seems rather anxious, otherwise they wouldn't have blocked the palace gates to beg for help. It's not just that they're acting rashly; it's more like they're desperately seeking any solution... If they don't hurry, it will be too late.

"In that case, shall we begin with self-introductions?"

Xu Shi understood, but still said unhurriedly, "I now know the names of all the knights, each one of them is quite distinctive... And what about Her Highness the Saintess herself?"

To be honest, it's been so long and he still doesn't even know the person's name. How can he have the nerve to say he's sincere?

Failed, start over!

But as soon as he said this, he noticed that everyone in the Vatican suddenly looked at him, their eyes revealing strange expressions.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and everyone else on Xu Shi's side also became nervous.

Shen Qin and Ye Shanshan, who were responsible for the protection, immediately went into battle stance.

Ok?

Xu Shi found this rather strange. What was going on?

"Mr. Xu, you are unaware of this."

Finally, Lu Baiyan spoke first, "Her Highness the Holy Maiden is Her Highness the Holy Maiden; she has no other name."

"..."

Xu Shi was speechless. This wasn't a big problem, so why make it so tense?

This seems to be the usual practice of religious institutions. For nominal leaders like saintesses and popes, names are not really important. All that is needed is to have the title. For example, the saintess in front of us is certainly not the first one, but the previous one would definitely only be "saintess". There are no other fancy things.

No one will delve into this issue, and if you were to ask it proactively, they might see it as disrespectful. Perhaps he is the first person to ask this question in a long time.

Given his inherently wicked nature, it's understandable that an unintentional question would escalate into this situation.

Unfortunately, some people lack this self-awareness and, upon hearing this, will add, "Oh, that sounds rather pitiful."

If the situation was tense just now, these words have completely ignited a powder keg.

"rude!"

The brainless, red-haired, wavy-haired girl glared at him suddenly, "Outsider, watch your words!"

Qin Yiyan was straightforward by nature, and he was already unhappy when he heard Xu Shi's question. Now, with this additional question, if he didn't remember why he invited Xu Shi, he might have already drawn his sword.

"what are you up to?"

Shen Qin's reaction was even more intense than hers; she even gripped the short knife at her waist, looking as if she was just waiting for her brother's order to turn the place into a river of blood.

She didn't care about the attitude of the people from the Vatican. Even if her brother called them trash and garbage, they would still have to listen obediently!

Lu Baiyan, standing to the side, was completely speechless. What are you doing, big brother?

I could have offered an explanation for you just now, but now I can't even speak up for you. If I did, he'd be labeled as biased...

"Alright, Commander Qin, put your sword away."

Surprisingly, the saintess herself remained as calm as ever. "Mr. Xu is new here and it's normal that he's not familiar with the rules of the Holy See. I think this was unintentional, right?"

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness. It was my fault, I apologize to you."

Xu Shi waved his hand innocently, as if to say, "You seem so pitiful to me."

In any case, the fact that "there is no name but only a title" is not a good thing in his opinion. It is easy to think of those modified humans in Night City who only have numbers... For example, his little substitute Lin Xing, wasn't he like that before?

I almost forgot her number... Was it 1557 or 2800?

Or maybe it's a 3-0 APWL... cough, I'm getting off-topic.

He quickly stopped his younger sister beside him, saying, "Don't be so alarmed. How can we fight in such a sacred place?"

That's right. Even if I reshaped her mind, I didn't strip her of her old name and replace it with a new number, right?

You are so inhumane! (Shouting)

Despite saying that, Xu Shi only verbally told her to stop, but instead silently pressed down on Xie Qingyan's other hand, signaling her to be careful.

Anyway, he could sense that the energy within the other person's body was leaking out... Be careful, my lady, the fox's tail, oh no, the tentacles are about to be revealed.

In fact, the dog woman's combat power is not to be underestimated. The combination of "copying" and "nullification aura" will not be bad if used properly. As long as she can learn to digest and use the copied ability in a short time, she can easily deal a devastating blow to her opponent, and she doesn't even need to be proficient.

However, it's also clear that her emotions are indeed unstable right now; she wouldn't have been so impulsive in the past...

Xie Qingyan slapped his hand impatiently. "Isn't this all your fault? Now you're pretending to be a rational person?"

Impulsiveness did not cloud her judgment; she had already realized that Xu Shi was doing it on purpose.

When someone comes to you to discuss something, you can tell they're sincere, but instead you're just harping on their name and talking nonsense.

If this isn't manipulating people's mentality, then nothing is manipulating their mentality.

But this is actually one of the tricks in negotiation. When the other party is a bit impatient, it's not a bad thing to nudge them to stay in that state. The party that is not calm is bound to make more mistakes, not to mention that the initiative is in their hands anyway.

But even if we knew, what could we do? We still had to find a way to ensure his safety... Who told this weak and helpless man to always like dancing on the edge of a knife? Didn't he consider that the other side might resort to desperate measures?

Ugh, what a worrywart. (Sighs)

"It's alright, let's continue negotiating the terms."

Miss Saint blinked, placed her hands below her navel, and continued.

"That depends on how you want to cooperate."

Xu Shi put away his mischievous expression, cleared his throat, and said seriously, "Different demands naturally come with different costs."

"Our requirements are not complicated."

The saintess replied, "I know that you had a good relationship with the royal family before, and you will certainly provide assistance when the main city's economy is affected... Our situation is somewhat similar. We do not ask for the exact same treatment from you, but we hope that you can lend a helping hand."

"Secondly, your arrival has brought many innovative technologies and equipment, and we hope to cooperate in this area, exchange ideas, and learn from each other."

"that's it?"

"that's it."

The saintess nodded slightly, and a light seemed to emanate from her body.

Xu Shi blinked. These requirements could actually be summarized in four words.