Free Web NovelChapter 1129: Chapter 1099: Night of the Waning Moon (1)
Recently in Palermo, the sight of police cars whizzing by is common, their sirens echoing through the streets and alleys, causing people to feel anxious and keep their doors tightly closed. The gang wars seemed to have calmed after Genovis went to prison, and people speculated whether this historically significant family would decline now that a new power is rapidly growing, swelling from a few hundred to over a thousand within a few days, establishing more branches and expanding its influence. More importantly, the current Godfather is indifferent to this new force, undoubtedly causing dissent among the members of the organization.
"I’m not feeling panicked as the Godfather, so what are you afraid of?" This phrase has clearly become Nicholas’s most common saying, whether in front of people or behind their backs. He always uses his icy blue eyes and a teasing smile to look down on those who seem terrified as if the end of the world is approaching, and beside him, his eastern fiancée similarly maintains a high stance to gaze down upon these people.
Genovis’s territory is expanding, while Lucchesi’s territory remains strong; however, it will eventually be swallowed by this powerful force. Robert’s means are brutal and ruthless, but how cruel and formidable they are, only the dead know best. In fact, no one has witnessed Robert’s strength; his actions are always carried out secretly and end secretly.
Nicholas picked a grape and stuffed it into Adam’s mouth. "What do you think Shao Weihua is up to? Cargo ships catching fire, goods being held up, his promise to me unfulfilled, yet Robert’s territory is expanding and will eventually threaten me. This battle will be unleashed sooner or later. When the time comes, will you stand by your ’Black Crow’ gang or by my side?"
The grapes were sweet, and Adam curled up like a cat on her favorite sofa. How formidable is Robert? Just a tiny bit. Those visible are right under your nose, while those invisible are always behind you, either ready to stab you or stab someone else, and the reason is simple.
"I truly don’t understand the logic of your ’Black Crow’ gang. Why abandon such a great boss and instead help a fool? Isn’t that rather foolish?" Nicholas didn’t care whether Adam replied. After she finished one grape, he stuffed another into her mouth. He loved these quiet and gentle afternoons, even if this seemingly kawaii girl was an assassin, ready at any time to wrap a silver cord around your neck and slice your throat in two. "If it were me, I’d definitely choose Xiao Lin, someone smart and powerful, yet amiable to his subordinates. Why did you rebel against the Xiao Family?"
Adam swatted away Nicholas’s hand. She was angry! Nicholas laughed, for whenever the ’Black Crow’ and Xiao Lin were mentioned, Adam would get angry. Setting aside her assassin identity, she was still just a kid.
"If you dislike hearing it, I won’t mention it! But I just want you to know, I’ll always stand by your side."
"Tonight, I’m going to ’Wagangai’!" Adam finally spoke after an afternoon of silence, but her words angered Nicholas.
"Shao Weihua’s idea?"
People show anger in different ways. Nicholas should be classified as the calm type; nothing seems apparent from his exterior, yet his insides are boiling to the point of murder.
"Uh-huh!" Adam agilely jumped off the sofa, her eyebrow-length black hair swaying slightly with the motion and settling softly on her shoulders. "Raphael will go with me."
"Raphael?" Nicholas raised his brow, as if he had yet to thank this brother for seeking out the Blood Race. "You know I don’t like you killing anymore."
"I’m an assassin!"
"No need for Raphael; I have other tasks for him. I’ll go with you."
Adam blinked her big round eyes and walked out of the study silently. Nicholas didn’t follow, merely exchanged greetings with Murphy coming from across the hall before heading to his room.
"The young lady seems quite unhappy." Murphy entered holding a letter.
"You misunderstood; that’s her happy expression." Nicholas narcissistically refuted Murphy’s words, tore open the letter and exclaimed lightly. "Where’s the messenger?"
"Didn’t see the messenger; someone slipped it through the door gap. Should we change our staff? These guys are getting increasingly lax lately." Murphy started complaining.
"They’re not too lax; rather, they think I’m a useless Godfather." Nicholas said dismissively, whether those people protect him or not makes no difference.
"Sir, you’re on the verge of being ousted." Murphy pouted. "Earlier, you were so close to Xiao Lin; now that his identity is exposed, organizations are gossiping, suspecting Genovis’s imprisonment was due to you selling intel to the police."
"It’s true!" Nicholas tossed the letter into the brazier, setting it ablaze.
"What?" Murphy stared in disbelief at his young master. "How could you do something like betraying your brothers?" Murphy was furious, extremely angry, for the loyalty between families was always the point he admired most.
"I was considering whether to explain to you! But seeing you so angry, forget it." Nicholas intended to drive Murphy out with his infuriating words. He wasn’t afraid Murphy would leave him. Some people, from the moment you meet them, you know whether they’ll stand by your side or not. Murphy was such a person; since Nicholas was a child he knew this butler, a few years his senior, wouldn’t leave the Clovis family, wouldn’t leave him.
Deep into the night! When the grandfather clock in the hall struck ten, two shadows lightly landed on the ground from the second-floor window of No. 13 Joseph Street, then started running in the same direction. Before long, a black sedan slowly drove out, following the direction of the two shadows.
Xiao Lin stood by the floor-to-ceiling window with a wine glass in hand. Tonight, the moon seemed to be missing a large bite, like a devoured mooncake, with grayish-black shadows. He gazed at it in a daze, when a pair of fair arms stretched over from behind, a warm face pressed against his back, and Xia Xue kissed this broad back with her lips. This was her favorite place.
Xiao Lin was taken aback for a moment, then a small curve appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Why aren’t you asleep yet?"
It was ten o’clock, the time for Xia Xue’s beauty sleep. Unless it was because of him, she would obediently go to bed at this hour, chat with him for a bit, then drift into sleep. Maintaining a healthy routine is the first step to staying young.
"Hmm!" She made a sound like a little lamb. Xiao Lin took a sip of his wine, planning to move to the bed, but was held in place by Xia Xue. "Just hold me like this for a while."
"Did you see Murong Lengyue?" Lately, this petite woman often appeared absent-minded. Xiao Lin wouldn’t ask her, and she wouldn’t say. A subtle sense of distance formed between the two of them.
"Hmm!" came the lazy sound from her nose. "Before, with Lian, I never felt uneasy, but this time I feel very insecure." Xia Xue blinked. She liked Lian, liked Dan Qing. As long as it wasn’t about dividing her husband, she could accept anything. When she had this thought, she resented Xiao Lin’s actions towards Lian, and it was embarrassing for her to face Lian. But now upon reflection, she wondered if she was being a bit selfish. Lian was not wrong; the worst one was the man she was currently holding, but because she loved him too much, she couldn’t truly hate him. Yet after truly understanding the Xiao Family, that inversion of ethics and morality made Xia Xue question her own perceptions, a challenging inner balance that Xiao Lin would never understand.
"She is not the woman I want!" No matter how many times he said it, this little woman couldn’t really believe him. Although Xiao Lin didn’t like it, the harm he had done in the past wouldn’t disappear just because he wished it so, so he couldn’t blame Xia Xue at this moment. "She was chosen by the Xiao family, not by me, Xiao Lin."
"But..." Xia Xue hesitated.
"The Xiao family has always had a tradition of continuing the lineage by seeking better seeds, spreading them far and wide if necessary, but that’s not something you need to worry about." Xiao Lin turned his head slightly to look at the woman behind him through the glass reflection. "I don’t want you to get too close to Murong Lengyue; she’s not as innocent as she appears."
"Hmm!" Xia Xue nodded and yawned.
Xiao Lin laughed, turned around, picked up the sleepy woman, and laid her on the bed, tucking her in. After leaving a kiss on her forehead, he quietly walked out of the room, leaving a corner of the room lit.
Yelu Shou was already waiting downstairs, with Black Crow circling nearby. "Is everything ready?"
"Tonight still..." Yelu Shou looked at Xiao Lin somewhat worriedly, his injuries hadn’t fully healed.
"How could I not go? Opportunities for such excitement are rare. Have Troy get ready, and we’ll set off, but..." Xiao Lin crouched down, stroked the head of the crow. "Today, you’re in charge of watching my woman at home, understood?" The crow, as if it understood, let out an unhappy groan.
"You should stay too, guard here with Consort Ling and Zimu, just in case..."
"Don’t even think about it!" Yelu Shou smirked, tossing a package in his hand to Xiao Lin. "You must take me with you.
"Haha, since when did I become so weak?" Opening the cloth package, there were two new short daggers; this time their design was slightly longer than before, more sturdy and lightweight.
"Ah, how long is the usage time this time?" Testing it in his hand, the speed and force of spinning were both doubled from before, and the loops were fixed to prevent them from slipping off easily, though the central rod was still there, with three additional grooves on the blade.
"Same as last time." (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
