Xu Shi had always had a pretty good impression of Lu Baiyan.
The main reason was that this kid reminded him a bit of his good brother Qi Maoyang, who was far away in the City of Night Sin. He was a little mischievous, but not much, and his personality was quite likable.
Furthermore, the fact that he and Luo Yu seem to be at odds is an even bigger plus.
"Knight Lu".
So even though the invitation seemed a bit abrupt, he didn't really offend the other party and nodded politely, "Did you invite me yourself, or are you representing the Holy See?"
“I came here with the Knights, of course, to represent the Holy See.”
Lu Baiyan returned the smile, but there was a hint of regret in his voice, "However, it would be even better if Mr. Xu would like to visit my residence later."
Um?
Xu Shi found this attitude interesting, as he seemed somewhat reluctant.
However, upon closer reflection, it becomes clear—everyone knows that Xu Shi's relationship with the Vatican is far from good, at least the Vatican itself is well aware of this.
But the value of itself is immense. Whether it's the recent Poseidon Stone incident or the various equipment and technologies from earlier times, it's certainly spreading now... The royal family has already taken the first step, and even if the Papacy is unwilling, it's impossible for them to give up without even making contact. Doing so would be the least beneficial thing for them.
So the question is, who should be sent to be the guide?
There aren't many people in the Holy See who have had dealings with Xu Shi before, so simply sending someone they don't know before would definitely not work, as it would seem too abrupt... But besides that, there are only Luo Yu, Qin Yiyan, and Lu Baiyan left. If you really want to talk about it, he has met the Holy Maiden once, but given her status, it would be too humble for her to come and invite him.
Luo Yu and Qin Yiyan had some kind of grudge against him, so it seemed that only Lu Baiyan was capable of handling this task.
Wow, so many twists and turns!
Xu Shi couldn't help but mentally complain, thinking that this kind of etiquette is never lacking, no matter where you are.
Lu Baiyan's reluctance is therefore understandable—he had dealt with Xu Shi before, but they weren't particularly close, not to the point of calling each other brothers. However, this matter was easy to mess up, and it was hard to say whether Xu Shi would give him face. If he refused outright, Lu Baiyan would have to take the blame.
In fact, from the relationship between him and Luo Yu, Xu Shi could tell that the Templar Knights were by no means a monolithic entity, and there was bound to be infighting... Thinking about it this way, Lu Baiyan's displeasure was less directed at himself and more at being pushed out to do this thankless job.
As for his subsequent invitation... it's hard to say whether it was sincere or just polite.
Luckily, I'm an easy-going person, otherwise this guy would have had a real headache.
The carriage that came to pick him up was naturally an exquisite one, and he once again took the lead in the main carriage without hesitation—though it wasn't as comfortable as Cheng Gujian's carriage. The Vatican's carriages looked magnificent, but the interiors were rather simple.
Xu Shi recalled that he had flipped through a few pages of their scriptures before, which seemed to follow some kind of strict discipline... If that's the case, then why build such a magnificent exterior?
happy.
The others naturally came along as well, and the younger sister dutifully took on the responsibility of protecting her brother, not taking a carriage but accompanying him directly beside Xu Shi's carriage.
If she was only annoyed with Cheng Gujian, she was definitely wary of the Holy See. Who knew if it was a trap?
She vaguely remembered that she had fought with the Vatican before. She didn't care about the cause and effect, but she was definitely labeled as a "bad guy".
Actually, there's no need to be so wary... Xu Shi chuckled to himself. The other party's blatant invitation, especially coming to the palace gate, definitely had a provocative and challenging connotation, but they would never do anything foolish that would be detrimental to him.
Because this would easily give the royal family a handle to use against them, which would not benefit them at all.
However, this gesture was indeed very heartwarming, and he was very satisfied with Miss Shen Qin's loyal performance.
So, the "brother complex" trait is pretty great... provided you're the brother being controlled.
"I still admire Mr. Xu for turning misfortune into good fortune and returning victorious from the battle of Poseidon."
Lu Baiyan rode in the same car with him. After a moment of silence, he started to make small talk to get closer to him. "To be honest, I really didn't expect you to survive... You're really amazing."
"It was just good luck."
Xu Shi jokingly replied, "Otherwise, I wouldn't be sitting next to you now, would I?"
Lu Baiyan could tell that he was hiding something. How could he survive being swallowed by the Sea God? It couldn't be explained by mere good luck.
However, he wouldn't ask too many questions, as it would be impolite... so he simply nodded in agreement, "Indeed."
"But in any case, the new technologies and creations you brought are very interesting. I have collected quite a few myself, such as that light bulb, and some other items."
He then started a new topic, “Your city-states must be very different from the empire… To be honest, I look forward to visiting one day and seeing it all for myself.”
These words actually contained a hidden subtext: he hoped that Xu Shi could be on good terms with the Papacy as he had with the royal family, so that there would be a chance to realize what he said... But the true meaning in his tone did not sound like mere flattery to Xu Shi.
There was no sarcasm or irony in the polite conversation just now.
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