Tokyo Knights: The Odd Jobs X Files

Judging from this tall and short pair, they are clearly not good people. If they hurt Michael, will Michael and his family let Hu Laoliu, who brought these two evil stars here, off the hook?

Since death is inevitable either way, it's better to be tough now, at least that way our reputation in the martial arts world will be better.

The fist, as big as a sandbag, pounded wildly into Hu Laoliu's stomach, causing him to vomit bile. But Hu Laoliu still insisted that he knew nothing.

The short man grew impatient and raised his golden scepter, intending to do something to Hu Laoliu, but suddenly stumbled and nearly fell.

The tall man immediately abandoned Hu Laoliu and started babbling at the short man in a very obscure language. Although Hu Laoliu, who was left on the ground, couldn't understand what he was saying, he could still tell that the tall man cared about the short man.

The short man didn't appreciate the tall man's concern. Not only did he not appreciate it, he even rudely pushed the tall man away and kicked him, saying, "Get lost, I don't need your concern!"

After kicking the tall man aside, the short man pointed directly at Hu Laoliu in a hurried voice and said, "Take this guy with you!"

Then he kicked Wu Xiaoqi, who was still dazed after being struck by lightning, and said, "If you want your companions to live, go and find the 'Millennial Wisdom Wheel' for me! I'll be back for you in three days. I'm warning you, you've been down the pyramids, and you're cursed by them. Even if you run to the ends of the earth, I can find you!"

Wu Xiaoqi lay motionless on the ground, it was unclear whether she had heard what the short man said.

At this moment, the short man had no time to pay attention to any of this. The intense dizziness and the pain of his soul being torn apart left him no time to care about anything else. The tall man, who had been kicked over, hurriedly stepped forward to help him up, and had even less time to pay attention to Wu Xiaoqi.

The tall man carried the short man on his back, lifted Hu Laoliu up, and sped away.

It was quite a while after the tall man left that Wu Xiaoqi managed to get up from the ground with difficulty.

Trading that "Millennial Wisdom Wheel" for my master... but tell me what that damn wheel even looks like!

Wu Xiaoqi stared speechlessly in the direction the tall man had left. Fortunately, Wu Xiaoqi wasn't stupid. He quickly recalled the language the tall man had spoken earlier. Although he couldn't understand it, he recognized that it seemed to be an Egyptian language. As for Egyptian things related to Hu Laoliu and Wu Xiaoqi, the only one was the batch of artifacts given to Michael.

Although he didn't know what the "Millennium Wisdom Wheel" was, Wu Xiaoqi could only go to Michael first and look for it among the artifacts he had sold to Michael, hoping that the "Millennium Broken Wheel" would be easier to recognize.

However, when Wu Xiaoqi returned to the mansion, she found it deserted. There was no one there, not even a butler or servants, let alone Michael.

"..."

Seeing this, Wu Xiaoqi sighed.

Master, it's not that I don't want to save you, it's just that I have no other way. But don't worry, after I return to the Central Plains, I will definitely take good care of your wife and junior brothers, and I will offer incense to you during festivals. Please don't hold a grudge against me in the afterlife...

and many more!

Halfway through his mourning, Wu Xiaoqi suddenly realized something: he had no money.

Not to mention the travel expenses back to the Central Plains, he didn't even have money for a meal. Hu Laoliu had always managed the money between the master and apprentice. In Hu Laoliu's words, Wu Xiaoqi was too young and couldn't handle the money, so Wu Xiaoqi didn't have a single penny on him.

Ah, no, it's not like he didn't have a single penny. During the "Suzuki Castle Treasure Hunt" organized by Suzuki Jirokichi, Wu Xiaoqi won a prize of 30 million yen. Although Hu Laoliu took the prize money from Wu Xiaoqi under the pretext of "saving money for Wu Xiaoqi to get married," Hu Laoliu still gave Wu Xiaoqi 3,000 yen as pocket money.

Wu Xiaoqi reached into his pocket, intending to take out his last remaining possessions, when suddenly his expression changed, his face, already charred black from the electric shock, turned even blacker.

It turned out that the 3,000 yen banknote had been charred by the lightning strike. Although it hadn't turned to ash, it was clearly unusable.

Wu Xiaoqi's assets: zero.

....................................

In an abandoned building in Tokyo, the tall man casually tossed Hu Laoliu to the ground, then helped the short man onto a chair.

The short man was about to raise the golden scepter when he was stopped by the tall man beside him, who said in a language that Hu Laoliu couldn't understand: "Lord Malik, you just summoned a 'god' today, so you can't use the 'Millennium Staff' anymore. Your mental strength won't be able to withstand it!"

"Go away!"

The short man's attitude towards the tall man remained hostile, but he still put away the golden scepter.

The lingering pain deep within his soul made him realize that now was indeed not the time to use the golden scepter.

Normally, the scepter would be fine to use, as his mental strength was sufficient to drive it. However, he had just summoned a "god" and used human power to control the "god." It was certainly cool, and he easily subdued Hu Laoliu and Wu Xiaoqi, but the resulting mental drain was also frighteningly high.

Originally, their clan was merely the guardians of the "gods," protecting the power of the "gods" from being taken away by anyone other than the Pharaoh. By virtue of their identity as the tomb-guarding clan, their clan members could borrow a little bit of the power of the "gods," but they also had to pay a considerable price.

"God" will only obey the Pharaoh's orders. Anyone other than the Pharaoh who wants to use the power of "God" must be prepared to be devoured by "God".

The short man is a descendant of the tomb-guarding clan. He has extremely high spiritual talent and, with the help of the golden scepter, he is able to fully use the power of "God" without being devoured by "God". Even so, every time he uses the power of "God", it is a huge burden for the short man.

The short man was well aware that Hu Laoliu and Wu Xiaoqi were capable of stealing the "Millennium Wisdom Wheel" from the pyramid that contained it, so their strength was not to be underestimated. That's why he had to risk summoning the "god" to crush Hu Laoliu and Wu Xiaoqi with absolute power.

After assessing his own condition, the short man knew that it was best not to use the power of the Golden Scepter for the next few days. He had no choice but to abandon his plan to use the Golden Scepter to control Hu Laoliu and have Hu Laoliu bring him the "Millennial Wisdom Wheel".

"You'd better pray that your companion comes to rescue you with the 'Millennial Wisdom Wheel,' otherwise... humph!"

The short man stared coldly at Hu Laoliu on the ground.

Hu Laoliu's skill level was much higher than Wu Xiaoqi's. Logically speaking, if Wu Xiaoqi was already unharmed, Hu Laoliu should be even more so. However, the tall man had given Hu Laoliu some kind of drug before, and now Hu Laoliu's body was even more numb and weak than when he was first struck by lightning. He could only smile bitterly in silence.

The short man took off his cloak, revealing his true face—a bronze-skinned boy. This greatly surprised Hu Laoliu—this boy, who looked several years younger than Wu Xiaoqi, actually had the ability to summon such a powerful monster…

The tall man also took off his cloak, revealing a bronze complexion and a appearance of about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. What struck Hu Laoliu was the dense array of runes branded on half of his face, which looked painful to behold.

After holding it in for a long time, Hu Laoliu finally mustered enough strength to speak. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Who... are you people..."

"Just like you."

The short man said casually, "He's a tomb raider too."

I thought the owner of the lost item had come looking for me, but it turns out it was a case of the thief robbing the thief!

Hu Laoliu was speechless.

....................................

After Hu Laoliu and Wu Xiaoqi left, the three Lai Sheng sisters and Michael left the mansion—they didn't originally live there; they were only there to make a deal with Hu Laoliu and his group, and once the deal was over, they naturally had to leave.

Lai Shenglei did not travel with her father and two younger sisters. Instead, she changed into the attire of "Tia Heinz" and brought the Egyptian artifacts she had acquired from Hu Laoliu to an exhibition.

After sitting for a while in the café outside the exhibition hall, a foreign woman gracefully approached and said to Lai Sheng Lei, "Miss Tia, hello. Why did you suddenly call me? Is there anything I can help you with?"

This woman had the bronze complexion that Westerners currently admire, and she wore a white dress with a distinctly Egyptian style, exuding mystery and beauty. She also wore a large amount of gold jewelry, among which the gold necklace with the "Eye of Horus" around her neck was the most eye-catching, causing Lai Sheng Lei to take a second look.

Lai Sheng Lei put down the coffee she was holding and said to the foreign woman, "Miss Isis, I'm so sorry to have bothered you while you were busy with the exhibition."

The foreign woman shook her head slightly: "Miss Tia returned a large number of cultural relics to Egypt before. You are a friend of Egypt forever!"

Lai Sheng Lei smiled and said, "The reason I'm seeking out Miss Isis this time is because I've just acquired another batch of artifacts from your country. I'd like to take advantage of your presence in Tokyo to hand these artifacts over to you so you can take them back to Egypt."

The foreign woman's face lit up with joy, and she exclaimed, "That's wonderful! Thank you, Miss Tia!"

"You're welcome. I'm just returning it to its rightful owner."

Lai Sheng Lei smiled slightly, then asked the foreign woman to move aside and receive the batch of Egyptian artifacts.

This foreign woman looked young, but she was no ordinary person. She was the director of the Egyptian Archaeological Bureau, holding an official position and a very high status in the Egyptian government. This time, some Egyptian artifacts were on display in Tokyo, and this director of the Archaeological Bureau, whose name was the same as that of a famous goddess in Egyptian mythology, had come with the artifacts. Lai Sheng Rui thought of simply handing the artifacts over to this young director of the Archaeological Bureau, so that she wouldn't have to take them to Egypt again.

When the Tear of Rebirth led Isis to those Egyptian artifacts, a look of astonishment appeared on the calm face of the young director of the archaeological bureau: "'The Wheel of Millennium Wisdom'?"

Lai Shengrui wasn't surprised that Isis could recognize one of the artifacts. After all, she was the director of the Egyptian Archaeological Bureau, so it was normal for her to know about Egyptian artifacts.

What's strange about this artifact is that when Isis saw it, her expression wasn't one of surprise, but rather one of astonishment mixed with solemnity, as if... this thing looked rather ominous.

Chapter 600 Tomb raiding and archaeology are one family

"Miss Isis, is there a problem with this artifact?"

Seeing Isis's serious expression as she looked at the "Millennial Wisdom Wheel," Lai Sheng Lei couldn't help but ask.

"Miss Tia, may I ask you something? You haven't touched this item, have you? I mean, you haven't worn it, have you?"

Isis did not answer, but instead asked about the question posed by Kisugi Rui who had asked first.

"No, why would I wear this?"

"Lai Sheng Lei" said with a smile, then thought of "Lai Sheng Ai". That girl did want to wear it back then, but Michael stopped her. Now it seems that this thing really shouldn't be worn. Michael is experienced and knows that this kind of thing shouldn't be touched casually.

"That's good……"

Isis breathed a sigh of relief, then closed her eyes and touched the gold jewelry around her neck, saying, "I shouldn't be telling these things to an outsider, but Miss Tia, you are a friend of Egypt, and you were the one who brought back the 'Wheel of Wisdom for a Thousand Years,' so I think you have the right to know."

After a pause, Isis added, "Miss Tia, this isn't the place to talk. Let's go somewhere else."

When Isis brought Shiori to her hotel room, she drew the curtains, turned on the light, and then asked her, "Miss Tia, would you like something to drink?"

Seeing that Isis was being so mysterious, Lai Sheng Lei's curiosity was piqued, and she quickly said, "No need, Miss Isis, please tell me about that artifact first."

Isis didn't mince words and said directly, "That artifact is called the 'Millennium Wisdom Wheel,' one of the seven divine artifacts known as the 'Millennium Artifacts.' Legend has it that each of these seven artifacts possesses special abilities, but they can lure the user's soul into darkness."

After hearing this, Lai Sheng Lei said, "I feel like I've heard many stories like this before."

Cultural relics are often sold because of a story.

Special abilities and misfortunes are common stories in the world of cultural relics. She had even seen a pillow that was originally a strange stone. Bao Zheng, a famous minister of the Song Dynasty in the Central Plains, gained the ability to travel between the heavens and the underworld thanks to that stone. Later, it came into the hands of the Ming Taizu Emperor, who ordered it to be carved into a pillow. It is said that if someone is destined to hold that pillow, they will have the ability to travel through time. As for how to determine if someone is destined... well, you can buy it first and take it home to study it slowly.

In short, making up stories is a common practice in the cultural relics circle. As Isis just mentioned, she has heard at least eighty or a hundred stories, all of which are designed to trick people into spending money to buy cultural relics.

Isis heard that Sheng Lei seemed somewhat skeptical, but she wasn't annoyed. Instead, she said very seriously, "But what I'm saying is absolutely true, because I also have a 'millennial artifact'."

As she spoke, Isis gently touched the gold jewelry around her neck and said to Reiji, "This is the 'Millennium Jewelry,' one of the 'Millennium Treasures' along with the 'Millennium Wisdom Wheel,' which has the ability to foresee the future."

"Predicting the future?"

Lai Sheng Lei was stunned for a moment.

"Yes, although I can't predict the future too far in the future, I can see the future within a day relatively easily."

When Isis spoke, she remained calm and composed, and even with the sharp eyesight of Yisheng Lei, it was impossible to detect a trace of lying in her.

However, if she wasn't lying... the ability to foresee the future is a bit too overpowered. Putting aside everything else, in the stock market, Isis wouldn't be the director of the Egyptian Archaeological Bureau, but rather the Egyptian stock market guru.

Isis could tell that Sheng Lei didn't believe she had the ability to foresee the future, so she smiled lightly and didn't take it to heart. She said, "I told Miss Tina about the 'Millennium Items' mainly so that you would be careful if you encounter similar artifacts in the future. As I said, these 'Millennium Items' have the power to lure souls into darkness, but that's not the most crucial point. If someone is not recognized by the 'Millennium Items,' wearing them will not only fail to grant them their power, but will also cause their soul to be burned by them."

"Burning the soul?"

"That's right. If someone without the qualifications and not recognized by the 'Millennium Artifact' were to wear it, their soul would be burned and melted away. Not only would their body be destroyed, but their soul would also perish completely."

Isis said all this in the hope that Rui Kisei would take it seriously and not think twice about wearing the "Millennium Treasure" when she encounters it again.

She knew that Laisheng Rui had established a fund to return cultural relics, and had previously returned a large number of cultural relics to Egypt. In other words, Laisheng Rui had many opportunities to come into contact with cultural relics from various countries, and it was very likely that she would come into contact with a certain "millennium artifact" again. She did not want Laisheng Rui to encounter any danger because of this.

"I see..."

Even now, Lai Sheng Lei is still skeptical of Isis's words. If Isis weren't the director of the Egyptian Archaeological Bureau and had an official position, Lai Sheng Lei might have even suspected that she was a fraud.

Isis could also see the distrust in Shirai, so she reached out her hand to Shirai and said, "Why don't you, Miss Tia, also experience the power of the 'Millennium Artifact'?"

Lai Sheng Lei smiled slightly, shook hands with Isis, and said, "Alright!"

Isis grasped Rui Kisugi's hand and activated the power of the "Millennium Jewelry," trying to foresee what would happen to Rui Kisugi tonight.

Suddenly, as if electrocuted, Isis quickly released Shi Shenglei's hand. A deep blush appeared on her usually calm face, which even her bronze skin could not hide, a phenomenon commonly known as "honey blush."

You're really like this, Miss Tia!

Isis looked at Raiji with disbelief.

Lai Sheng Rui asked in confusion, "Miss Isis, what did you see?"

Isis previously said that the power of the "Millennium Jewelry" is to foresee the future. So, Isis made her feel the power of the Millennium Jewelry, probably so that she would use the ability to foresee the future on herself. And who wouldn't be curious about their own future?

Isis forced herself to remain calm and said, "Miss Tia, you...you're going to have a very hot night tonight..."

Lai Sheng Lei was stunned for a moment, then realized why Isis had such an expression. It seemed that this young director of the archaeology bureau had indeed seen something, and she did have an appointment tonight.

"Ahem, in short, please pay close attention to the matter of the 'Millennium Artifact', Miss Tia, and be careful not to do anything that you will regret."

Isis said to the afterlife with tears in her eyes.

Lai Sheng Lei didn't immediately agree, but instead asked Isis, "Why are you telling me this? Miss Isis, aren't you afraid that after I learn about the power of the 'Millennium Items,' you'll develop evil thoughts of wanting to possess them for yourself?"

The power of other "millennial artifacts" is still unknown, but the power of the "millennial jewelry" is already enough to make people's hearts flutter, no, to drive them mad.

What is the most valuable intelligence in the world? Intelligence about the future!

Even if you only know about the future a day in advance, if you use it well, you can easily obtain money and power, and even have the power to influence the world.

Isis had calmed down by now, and she gently stroked the "Millennium Jewelry": "'Millennium Jewelry' can usually only foresee the future one day from now, but it occasionally gives me revelations about the more distant future. It told me that you and I will become good friends, and that you will not be the same person you are now at that time."

Lai Sheng Lei was startled. Only now did she truly realize that what Isis had just said might not be a lie.

....................................

When Lai Sheng Lei handed the "Millennial Wisdom Wheel" to Isis, Wu Xiaoqi touched her stomach.

Wu Xiaoqi's stomach was growling with hunger. It was mealtime, and the aroma of food wafted through the streets. But penniless, Wu Xiaoqi could do nothing but swallow his saliva.

My master's gone, and I'm broke. What should I do? Am I destined to wander Tokyo and end up as a male escort? Hmm, that doesn't seem so bad, but I'm a little afraid of running into a rich woman with weird tastes…

Wu Xiaoqi was lost in thought, then sighed, "Ah, it was better when Master was still here!"

When Hu Laoliu was around, Wu Xiaoqi would always complain about him, both openly and secretly. But now that Hu Laoliu was gone, and Wu Xiaoqi had to figure out how to eat, drink, and sleep on his own, he started to miss Hu Laoliu.

Although Hu Laoliu always skimped on Wu Xiaoqi's money, he never mistreated Wu Xiaoqi in terms of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, and even took Wu Xiaoqi to see the world.