CHAPTER 244: CHAPTER 158: 1001, RESTRICTED CLUE (THIRD UPDATE)

Xia Pingzhou said expressionlessly, "Number 10, how about signing a contract with me and becoming my second demon?"

The words fell, and a brief silence enveloped the booth in the tavern, highlighting the lively commotion outside.

Soon, a gradually uncontrollable laughter sounded in the booth, breaking the dead silence.

Bai Tanlang’s temple throbbed with veins, his face was full of frustration, and he slowly opened his eyes with a white haze, staring murderously at Xia Pingzhou across the table.

"Newcomer... be careful or I’ll kill you," he said word by word.

"Just a suggestion, you don’t have to accept it," Xia Pingzhou found a spot on the sofa and sat down, closer to Bloodline, farther from Bai Tanlang.

Andrew slapped the table and laughed heartily, laughing until he gasped, causing the bottles on the table to shake, "Hahahahahaha! This guy, really hopeless, his brain is quite extraordinary..."

Bernardo raised his hand to cover his mouth, shook his head and laughed softly, almost unable to keep his monocle in place.

Bloodline laughed back and forth, swaying like a flowering branch, "Without the young miss to cover for you here, you actually dare to joke like this... Seems our brigade’s kitten has reached a rebellious phase."

Xia Pingzhou took a sip of ice water, casually changed the topic, "By the way, Bernardo, why did you join the White Crow Travel Brigade?"

Saying this, he turned his head to Bernardo.

Bernardo thought for a moment, then said self-deprecatingly, "Just some unsavory past, no need to bring it up."

"I’m curious," Xia Pingzhou said.

"Alright then," Bernardo brewed up some words, "I was once part of the Whale Terrarium, later expelled for not kneeling to the royal family and misusing some taboo Anecdote Fragments. At that time, I suffered great humiliation and was filled with resentment. Later, I obtained the ’Black Death’ fragment, gained power... I wanted to go back and prove myself to those arrogant royals."

He paused, "Just in time... I heard the leader of the White Crow Travel Brigade was also interested in the Whale Terrarium’s treasure, so I tried every means to find him."

"I see." Xia Pingzhou nodded, thinking your story sounds too fake.

"Old pal, you won’t spread the Black Death to us, will you?" Andrew scratched his hair and asked.

"My heart is still with Miss Jack the Ripper," Bernardo smiled gently, "Why would I do such a thing?"

"True enough," Andrew replied, "Speaking of, where’s Miss Jack the Ripper?"

"She’s gone hunting for prey," Bloodline put down the glass, "She should be close to breaking through to Tier Three recently, so she’s been quite diligent in cultivation."

Jack the Ripper is close to Tier Three Exorcist now, I suppose. Her Celestial Driver mechanism is right there; it doesn’t require the sedimentation of time, just enough human and demon kills.

Thinking of this, Xia Pingzhou suddenly said, "Then what about me?"

Bloodline turned his head to look at him, curled his lips and said: "Come, I’ll take you to fight demons."

"Not quite up for it," Xia Pingzhou shook his head.

Bloodline tilted his head, teasingly said: "What, afraid the young miss will be unhappy when she wakes up? No worries, just treat it as me borrowing you for the night from her. I’ll write her an IOU, and give it to her when she wakes up."

Andrew joked, "Writing an IOU after returning the item, does that make any sense?"

"Forget it... let’s go."

Xia Pingzhou opened the APP, glanced at the Venice map from the Exorcist Association, and saw many red dots flickering. It seems that once night falls, demons appear in swarms in Venice.

In two days, he has to head to London, dealing with the "Red Lantern" affair, completing the third main mission of his body. Time is tight, so he must enhance his power as much as possible within these two days.

Bai Tanlang coldly said, "Go, go, go, quickly get this unlucky thing away from me."

Bloodline got up and walked toward the outside of the tavern, then looked back at Xia Pingzhou. Xia Pingzhou got up to follow, and the two left the booth and then moved through the crowd and out of the tavern.

The moonlight was serene, and the waterways above Venice were deserted, with only the wisteria flowers by the wall still emitting a charming fragrance.

Xia Pingzhou and Bloodline walked side by side on the street, the former looking at the phone map, the latter gazing at the night sky lost in thought.

After a moment, Xia Pingzhou suddenly said, "By the way, maybe I can help you find clues about 1001."

Bloodline was stunned, then turned to look at him, "Even I can’t find it, what makes you think you can help me find it?"

"Since you know you can’t find it, what are you looking for?"

"Who knows? Maybe looking for a phantom, a fixation, or maybe I’m just looking for the past version of myself... Having lived so many years, sometimes only remembering something can prevent my soul from getting lost in the long years," Bloodline paused, "As long as I remember the name he gave me, I am still myself."

"Then why are you unwilling to tell others that name?" Xia Pingzhou said, "If someday you forget this name, won’t you never be able to recall it?"

Bloodline said calmly, "Precious things should be kept in the heart, things spoken will eventually disappear."

"No wonder you’re the Longevity Love-Chasing Old Lady," Xia Pingzhou said, "But after over a hundred years, 1001 has either died of old age or died in some past war..."

"He’s like me, an immortal," Bloodline said, "So I believe he’s not dead yet."

"Why do you say so?" Xia Pingzhou thought for a moment, "The immortality part is visible, but you didn’t spend much time with him, why believe he’s ’ageless’?"

"He told me himself," Bloodline said softly, "He said since he lost his memory, he’s been wandering for a long time but always kept the same appearance. His body never grew, just like mine."

Only when mentioning this string of numbers did Bloodline’s expression become gentle and serene, like a transformed maiden. At other times, she remained elegant, teasing, and elusive.

Xia Pingzhou was silent for a while, contemplating: if 1001 is indeed, as Bloodline said, an immortal Power User, then he’s likely still alive, but Mentor told me 1001 died in the last century...

Which side’s claim is correct?

Could there be a link between the mysterious Prophet who directly led to my body being trapped in the Salvation Society, the restricted Ability User Number 1001, the people who left me at four years old?

There are too many unresolved mysteries in the Salvation Society; I need to clear up these clues one by one and unravel all the mysteries.

Even if I escape the Salvation Society, I must find that unidentified Prophet. Capture him and interrogate him about his prophecy...

Thinking about it, Xia Pingzhou asked, "If you found 1001, what would you plan to do?"

"What else? Reminisce with him, talk about what’s happened over the past hundred years, about the sights I’ve seen on my journey to find him."

Bloodline lowered her eyes, raised her lips, seemingly self-mocking, "Also ask if he found that white-haired girl... Thinking about it, I’m actually quite similar to him, except I’m searching for him, and he’s searching for someone else."

"Sounds a bit like a loser."

"Shut up."

"We’re here, just here," Xia Pingzhou said.

The two stopped in front of the Venice Grand Canal.

Looking forward, a classic stone bridge spans the winding canal. "Rialto Bridge," that’s the name of this old bridge. The bridge is built like a corridor. The roof casts a shadow on the bridge deck, where a couple of pairs of red eyes swim within the shadow.