Light Speed ​​War

Chapter 152: Unknown Attack

"Not bad, not bad, indeed different from other magic tricks." The leader of the men in black clapped his hands, pointed at Zhou Yuan, and said, "You, now transform those four people." He then pointed at the four special forces soldiers.

"Yes, sir." Zhou Yuan muttered to himself as he circled the table three times, then pointed at the four men one by one, and the four special forces soldiers disappeared one by one.

"Hmm, very good. Truly impressive." The leader of the men in black clapped his hands in approval. "My master enjoys watching illusionary techniques; would you be interested?"

"Sir, we have come to your country to make a living. We would be extremely grateful if you could provide us with a place to stay."

"Alright, then come with us." With a wave of his hand, more than a dozen guards stepped forward, followed by four men in black. Zhou Yuan, Wei Shan, Lefia, and Chu Xiaolu also followed the four men in black, while the remaining guards brought up the rear.

More than a hundred people walked south towards Dadu in turn, and passers-by on the road often watched them.

Gradually, a group of palace-style buildings came into view. There were no pedestrians on the road, and everywhere there were guards in armor patrolling in groups.

"Big brother, are we really going to go see that so-called master?"

"Look, we've been walking for almost an hour already. Since we're here, let's make the best of it. But we need to stay vigilant and be careful."

Four men in black led Zhou Yuan and his companions through the door, and then into a large room. Judging from the furnishings, it was a reception room.

Two maids arranged for the four to sit down and poured them tea.

"I am deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly, my esteemed guests."

Just as the four were about to drink tea, a sprightly old man entered. He was wearing a golden robe, was tall, had a white beard, and exuded an air of authority.

The four men in black bowed and greeted him in unison, "Greetings, Master."

"You guys go down first."

"Yes, Master." Four men in black came out to guard.

"Greetings, Your Excellency." Zhou Yuan bowed respectfully, and the three beauties also bowed in return.

"Please sit down, everyone." The old man also sat down, and a maid poured him a large cup of tea.

The old man glanced at the four of them, and then looked at Lefia a few more times.

"I don't know what to call you..."

"Sir, my name is Zhou Yuan, you can just call me Xiao Zhou."

“Zhou Yuan? Huh?” The old man seemed to shudder for a moment, then returned to normal.

"Then I'll take advantage of my age. Little Zhou, let me ask you, are you foreigners?"

“Sir, to be honest, we are indeed foreigners.” Zhou Yuan thought to himself, “I’m not lying, I’m an alien.”

The old man remained silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. Then, his brow unfurrowed and a smile appeared on his face.

"Xiao Zhou, wait a moment, I'll be right back." The old man got up and strode out the door. Zhou Yuan saw the old man and the leader of the men in black whispering to each other outside the door. Zhou Yuan raised his mental field, and sure enough, he could hear the conversation between the old man and the men in black clearly.

"Master, don't worry about this matter, I will definitely handle it well."

"Yes, be careful not to let this slip out, lest His Majesty become suspicious."

"Understood. I'll arrange it right away."

"Okay, let's go."

The leader of the men in black bowed to the old man in farewell, then strode out of the courtyard.

The old man went back into the house, saying, "Sorry, I had some family matters to take care of."

"Sir, you're too kind."

"Xiao Zhou, don't call me 'Master,' just call me Matrix."

"'Master'?!" Zhou Yuan, Wei Shan, and Lefia exclaimed, nearly standing up. Chu Xiaolu looked at the three of them in surprise.

"You can call me master or not. From now on, you are my people, and I will never treat you unfairly."

Just as Zhou Yuan and the others were wondering, a sweet voice came, "Father, where is the magician?" A beautiful figure dressed in light purple clothes flashed in through the door.

"Aya!" Zhou Yuan, Wei Shan, and Lefia stood up this time, their faces showing a hint of fear.

This girl looks remarkably like Aya, the Earth Empire's super artificial intelligence virtual projection and the Earth Empire's chief steward.

"Wow, you guys are really amazing, you even know my nickname." Aya sat down gracefully, but when she saw Zhou Yuan, her eyes showed a strange look, and her face also underwent a subtle change.

The old man seemed to be taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered. "Haha, what a coincidence! Xiao Zhou, let me introduce you. This is my beloved daughter, Aya."

Aya smiled slightly and nodded to the four of them as a greeting.

Zhou Yuan awkwardly sat down and smiled at the old man and Aya. After Wei Shan and Lefia sat down, they stared intently at Aya, as if trying to find some flaw in her demeanor.

"Aya, this is Zhou Yuan."

"Zhou Yuan?!" This time, Aya, like her father, was also startled.

Zhou Yuan, of course, noticed something amiss. He wondered why the father and daughter seemed so unnatural upon hearing his name. The whole situation was strangely unsettling. This strangeness instilled a sense of dread in Zhou Yuan, Wei Shan, and Lefia. Chu Xiaolu, however, knew little about the Empire's affairs and remained completely calm, without any palpitations.

Next, Zhou Yuan, Wei Shan, and Lefia felt like they were going crazy.

"Aya, how did you know we had guests?"

“Father, you’re just asking a question you already know the answer to. Pandora told me about it. She said there were magic tricks, and they really did work. I was curious, so I came over.”

"Master, Miss, please forgive my rudeness, but may I ask who Pandora is?"

“Pandora…” Aya looked at the old man, and seeing that he didn’t react, “Pandora is that lady outside the door.”

Zhou Yuan couldn't help but gasp.

"Sister Duoduo, are you there?" Aya shouted to the door.

"Miss, what do you want?"

"Oh it's all right."

"Master, those four are your capable henchmen, right?"

"Yes, that's right." The old man stroked his white beard, a smug look on his face. "From now on, you must serve me."

“Father, that’s for sure, that’s what the Heavenly Book says.”

Zhou Yuan and his companions were taken aback. A heavenly book?

Aya seemed to realize she had let something slip and shrank back.

Zhou Yuan suddenly remembered something, "Master, among your four capable subordinates, is there one named Balu?"

The old man and Aya looked at Zhou Yuan in surprise, while Wei Shan and Lefia were also surprised by the father and daughter's expressions of acceptance.

"Xiao Zhou, how did you know?"

"Master, have you forgotten? We are magicians."

"Oh." The father and daughter both said "Oh" at the same time.

"Speaking of magic tricks, we haven't seen one in person yet. Xiao Zhou, could you perform one for us?"

"Yes, Master. Please give me two candles and a silver ingot."

Zhou Yuan then telepathically said, "Three beauties, let's perform one more time."

The maid brought two candles, and Aya gave Zhou Yuan a silver ingot. When Aya handed the silver ingot to Zhou Yuan, her eyes seemed to have some complicated feelings.

Just like in the tea shop, Zhou Yuan circled the table, muttering to himself. Suddenly, he pointed at the silver ingot, and it vanished without a trace.

The old man and Aya watched this scene in astonishment.

The old man immediately burst into laughter and clapped his hands vigorously, "Truly impressive, unlike those charlatans. Good, good, good." The old man said "good" three times in a row.

Aya clapped her hands in praise, her eyes shining.

"Xiao Zhou, you all rest for a bit. The housekeeper will arrange accommodations for the four of you. Aya, you can show the four of them around later."

“Okay.” Aya was overjoyed.

"Xiao Zhou, I have to go out for a bit, so I won't be able to keep you company."

"Master, please do as you wish."

The old man cupped his hands in greeting to the four men, then turned and left. He went outside, whispered something to the three men in black, and then stepped out of the courtyard.

"Aya, how old are you?" Lefia became bolder after the old man left.

"I'm twenty-three this year. Brother Zhou, how should I address these three?"

Zhou Yuan introduced them one by one.

“Xiaolu is younger than me, but I’m still your older sister. Xiaolu, call me older sister.” Aya said playfully.

Chu Xiaolu glanced at Zhou Yuan, somewhat reluctant, but still called out softly.

Aya seemed pleased. "Everyone, let me show you around my house."

The five people went out, followed by three men in black. Zhou Yuan couldn't help but glance at the three men in black a few more times.

Aya led the way, and they strolled through the group of palace-style buildings. Although these palaces could not compare to the luxurious and extravagant imperial palace of the Star Luo Empire, they were beautifully situated, with lakes, streams, pavilions, gardens, and real mountains—everything one could desire.

Although it was summer, it didn't seem very hot, probably because the city is close to the ocean. Aya explained each tourist attraction or palace to the four of them.

The five of them walked around for more than three hours and still hadn't finished. Aya showed signs of exhaustion, Zhou Yuan and the other three had walked quite a distance and were now sweating, while the three men in black were as usual.

The five men sat around a stone table in a pavilion near a grove of trees. Servants quickly served tea and snacks, which were quite palatable and not unpleasant to eat.

Aya seemed exhausted and started eating heartily. Zhou Yuan and the other three didn't stand on ceremony either.

As the sun set, it shone on a small grove of trees not far away. The dappled shadows of the trees swayed in the wind. Zhou Yuan glanced at the sun and estimated that it would be dark in a little over an hour.

After several hours of interaction with the three beautiful women, Aya had grown quite intimate with them, and the four women were chatting animatedly. Zhou Yuan, feeling somewhat bored, got up and approached...

They walked towards the woods three hundred meters away. The three men in black did not stop them.

Upon arriving at the grove, Zhou Yuan felt refreshed and invigorated. There were plenty of small trees, bushes, and wildflowers, and he even spotted some flying insects. Zhou Yuan couldn't help but recall his childhood memories of his mother taking him to forest parks on Earth. He also thought of his four children in the Star Luo Empire, wondering how they were doing. He resolved to go back and see them. Zhou Yuan couldn't help but sigh at the impermanence of life.

A flower is a world, a leaf is a Bodhi tree; spring comes and flowers bloom, autumn arrives and leaves fall.

Zhou Yuan simply lay down on the grass, gazing up at the azure sky. The sunlight was warm and comforting.

Just as Zhou Yuan was about to close his eyes for a short rest, his mental energy field was suddenly triggered, and he had a vague feeling that something was wrong, because he sensed that there seemed to be something behind a big tree two hundred meters away.

Zhou Yuan stood up and looked at the big tree. It was still a big tree, and there was nothing behind it.

Zhou Yuan's mental energy field still sensed something was wrong behind that big tree. Zhou Yuan slowly walked towards the tree, and after walking fifty meters, suddenly, with three "whoosh" sounds, three sharp arrows pierced the air and shot towards Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan quickly dodged, and heard running footsteps coming from behind the big tree, but he didn't see anyone.

Has it gone invisible? That was the first thing Zhou Yuan thought of.

Three men in black seemed to notice the commotion and quickly walked towards the woods.

Zhou Yuan turned back and lay down on the grass again, with a blade of grass in his mouth.

"Zhou Yuan, was there any noise just now?"

"Oh, a small animal suddenly appeared just now and startled me. I tried to chase it but couldn't catch it."

"Miss said it's getting late and we should go home early."

"it is good."

Zhou Yuan followed behind the man in black, glancing back at the grove, but still didn't see anything.

"Brother Zhou, we had a very pleasant chat."

"Yeah, big brother, where did you go?"

"Let's go to the woods, lie on the grass and soak up the sun."

The group got up, and Aya led the way, heading northwest.