A priest in North America, what the hell is the Demon Gate system?

Leon stood beside Jacob's body, remained silent for a few seconds, then turned and walked toward the cross that bound Ellie.

With a slight movement of the blade of the Venerable Sword, the hemp rope snapped, and Ellie fell instantly.

Li Ang caught her and put her down. The girl's body was cold from being bound for so long and from the heavy rain.

Ellie looked at Jacob's corpse, her body trembling slightly. She walked step by step toward the old body curled up on the ground, squatted down in front of Jacob, and gently closed his still-open eyes.

Li Ang stood by and watched her finish, then said calmly, "He has only himself to blame."

Ellie stopped moving.

"If you want to hate me, that's your business," Li Ang continued, his tone perfectly calm.

"If you want revenge, that's your prerogative."

He kicked the sacrificial knife at his feet toward Ellie.

"You are my target for this mission, I will not kill you." He paused, a faint red light flashing in his eyes.

"But if you do it, I can guarantee you'll lose all your memories and end up in a hospital."

Ellie looked down at the old-fashioned knife, its blade still stained with blood.

She reached out and grasped the knife handle.

Li Ang didn't move, quietly watching her.

Ellie held the knife up to her face and looked at it, then she laughed, a laugh tinged with self-mockery and helplessness.

"Is it reasonable for you to make me, a weak woman, fight you?"

As she spoke, she flicked her wrist and sent the knife flying. The blade tumbled through the air a few times before embedding itself in the mud a short distance away, leaving only the hilt sticking out.

Li Ang did not speak, but simply dispersed the Venerable Sword.

Allie lowered her head again, looking at Jacob's face. She reached out and gently brushed away a clod of dirt stuck to his eyebrow.

"When I was little, he often told me that the most important thing in life is not living long, but dying with dignity," Ellie said, as if talking to herself.

"He never had a good life. When he was young, he had to support a large family, and when he got old, he had to worry about whether the whole community could survive. In the end, he was even harassed by that kind of thing... He didn't deserve this ending."

She looked up at Li Ang, her eyes red and tears streaming down her cheeks, but her gaze was unusually firm.

"Father."

"Um."

"If you really could change people's memories..." She paused, taking a deep breath.

"Let my father have a dignified way of passing away."

Li Ang looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded.

"I'll handle it."

-----------------

Uldum.

In a booth by the window at the Longxuan Pavilion Chinese Restaurant, Li Ang picked up a piece of General Tso's Chicken and put it in his mouth. To be honest, this was truly decadent, because he actually found this strange Chinese food quite delicious.

The television hanging on the wall was broadcasting news from Lancaster County's local station. Kate, wearing a bright red suit jacket, looked serious on the screen.

"Breaking news: Jacob Byler, a Presbyterian member of the Amish community in Audam, was found dead at his home today. According to preliminary investigations by Lancaster County Sheriff's Office, the cause of death is suicide. A suicide note was found at the scene. Let's cut to the scene."

The screen switched to the outskirts of the Amish community, where Doni, wearing a raincoat, stood by the roadside with several police cars parked behind him.

"Thank you, Kate. I'm in Odum now. According to police, Jacob Bailer's suicide note mentioned the continued land acquisition of the Amish community by large agricultural corporations in recent years, and the survival difficulties faced by the community's traditional agricultural way of life. Mr. Bailer expressed deep concern for the future of the community in his suicide note, believing that the traditional way of life is being gradually eroded by commercialized agricultural models..."

"Okay, thank you for the report from the front lines, Donnie! In recent years, the trade war deliberately instigated by a major Eastern power has affected a large number of domestic industries. Mr. Bayler's tragedy may be a microcosm of this systemic pressure!"

The camera abruptly cut back to the studio.

"Next, let's focus on the President's latest remarks regarding the return of manufacturing—"

Jonah sat opposite Li Ang. Today he was wearing a dark gray suit, not as flamboyant as last time, and his tie was a plain dark blue.

"Father."

"Um."

"Thank you for bringing my sister out."

"There's an old saying in China: 'If you take someone's money, you have to solve their problems.'" Li Ang said casually, picking up another piece of meat.

Jonah smiled, took an envelope from the inside pocket of his suit, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Leon.

The envelope was thicker than a regular envelope, and the opening was sealed with red sealing wax.

"The extra reward we agreed on before," Jonah said.

"I have an antique stored in Philadelphia. It was given to me by a destitute family to pay off a debt years ago, and it's been kept in a safe ever since. I don't know much about it, but if your church likes collecting old things, it might be of interest."

Li Ang took the envelope, but did not open it on the spot. He casually put it into the inner pocket of his coat.

The waiter brought out the last dish, a whole steamed sea bass, topped with shredded scallions and ginger slices, and drizzled with a sauce made from hot butter, steaming hot.

Jonah paused for a moment, then slowly nodded. "About my father... to be honest, I regret it a little. I always thought that leaving that community was the best choice. The outside world has electricity, internet, cars, and all sorts of things that Amish people never need in their entire lives."

"I thought my father and his family were just stubborn and unwilling to accept new things, which is why they had such a hard time living their lives."

He picked up a piece of fish and put it in his mouth: "But now I understand, it's not that they didn't want to change, but that the cost of change was too high for them. They were trapped in that era, while people outside were moving forward, and they could only watch."

"So what are you planning to do?" Li Ang asked.

Jonah put down his chopsticks, leaned back in his booth, and looked out the window at the hurried passersby on the street.

"I plan to start a company specifically to help the Amish community solve livelihood problems."

"That does sound a bit ironic," Jonah laughed at himself.

"A rebellious son who once severed ties with his father to leave the community is now trying to find a way out for the community."

"People's thoughts change. I used to think I would become a professional Overwatch player, but then I found out I couldn't even get past Silver." Li Ang took a sip of tea.

Jonah chuckled at that remark, but the smile quickly faded.

"Father..."

"Was my father in pain when he passed away?"

Li Ang paused for a moment as he picked up some food.

"I don't know, but he committed suicide. It's said the bullet went straight through his head, so he probably didn't experience any pain."

Jonah nodded and did not ask any further questions.

The two ate their food quietly for a while, as sunlight streamed in through the window.

"What exactly is that antique of yours?" Li Ang asked casually.

"I haven't seen it with my own eyes. I only know that it's a metal box about the size of a palm, said to have been passed down from the Middle Ages, with some unreadable characters engraved on it. The person who used it to pay off a debt said that it was passed down from his ancestors and was supposedly a relic of a certain paladin."

Li Ang nodded without saying anything.

"The Paladin's Relics..."

Thinking of the increasingly powerful enemy, a strong urge to become stronger arose in Li Ang's mind.

"Looks like I'll have to head to Philadelphia."