Sin Becomes a God

Chapter 38: The Textile Mill

After a drive of nearly three hours, Fox dropped Lu Renjia off at a building resembling an ancient castle. Looking at the cursive English on the castle’s entrance, Lu Renjia—a guy who hadn’t even passed the CET-4 in the real world—could actually make sense of it. This left him marveling: “The ‘Evil God System’ is truly mind-blowing… I never expected that after giving me this ethereal identity, it would also make me fluent in a foreign language…” Fox, who was driving, caught a glimpse of the astonished expression on Lu Renjia’s face. Thinking Lu Renjia was awed by the “Brotherhood’s” headquarters, he chuckled smugly, “Our ‘Brotherhood’ has a history spanning hundreds of years. This castle dates back to the time of the Crusades… After centuries of renovations, it could now withstand even a nuclear attack unscathed…” Watching Fox speak so eloquently, Lu Renjia felt a surge of irritation for some reason—it was as if a foreigner were boasting to a Chinese person about how advanced their own country was. Thanks to the identity arranged for him by the “Evil God System,” Lu Renjia knew from his memories that the mysterious Chinese organization he belonged to was, in terms of strength, on par with the “Brotherhood.” And when it came to the length of its history, the Chinese organization—founded during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods—naturally held the upper hand. He curled his lip, knowing full well that, according to the course of world history, Wesley Gibson—the protagonist of that final battle—had ultimately captured that ancient castle, which was as formidable as a military base, with nothing more than a truckload of rats, hadn’t he? “Pfft… We have an old saying in Huaxia: ‘A thousand-li dyke collapses because of an ant’s hole. A hundred-foot-high room can be burned down by smoke seeping through a crack.’ There are no permanently impregnable fortresses in this world… This was evident from the Maginot Line during World War II… Sometimes, even the most fortified structures aren’t necessarily useful… As for a long history? Our headquarters is actually located inside an ancient tomb from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods… That’s at least two thousand years old…” Lu Renjia said dismissively. Fox’s mouth twitched. Although the military might of the United States of America was beyond question, its brief history was an undeniable weakness. “FUCK… I shouldn’t have brought up history…” Fox cursed silently to himself. Inside the seemingly ordinary ancient castle, a member of the “Brotherhood” standing on the watchtower spotted Fox driving back and picked up the walkie-talkie to shout, “Open the gate…” In an instant, the medieval-style castle gates slowly swung open. Sitting in the passenger seat, Lu Renjia watched through the car window as workers came and went, carrying bolts of cloth, and felt a pang of unease. Although these ordinary “Brotherhood” members showed no signs of inner energy, they were able to effortlessly lift cargo weighing three to five hundred jin. “It seems the ‘Assassin’s Heart’ is a cultivation method that pushes the human body beyond its limits. As long as one can master the patterns that trigger it, one can control it… I wonder if this ‘Assassin’s Heart’ is acquired through bloodline inheritance or if it can also be obtained through some special cultivation method… If it’s the latter, perhaps I, too, could acquire this cultivation method that pushes the human body beyond its limits…” Lu Renjia thought to himself. Just as Lu Renjia was mulling over the “Assassin’s Heart,” his perception—that of a late-stage second-tier martial artist—sent a chill down his spine. It felt as if he were being stared at by a venomous snake or a ferocious beast, compelling him to glance out the car window. The character of Sloan, played by Morgan Freeman, was less a villainous assassin-in-chief and more a man desperate to protect himself and take control of his own destiny. “Welcome… exchange student from China… I hope you have a pleasant academic experience here…” Morgan Freeman said with a friendly smile. Stepping out of the car, Lu Renjia looked at Sloan, dressed in a suit and tie and appearing as refined and gentle as a university professor, yet the sense of danger in his heart grew even stronger. Although his face, framed by a gentle smile, was deeply lined, and his eyes lacked the intimidating intensity of Fox’s, Lu Renjia could sense that beneath Sloan’s seemingly frail frame lay physical prowess rivaling that of a top-tier martial artist. “Thank you… Mr. Sloan. On behalf of our leader, I offer you our most sincere regards,” Lu Renjia said respectfully. “Hahaha… Li is still as polite as ever. Back when I was an exchange student, Li gave me quite a bit of help…Our ‘Brotherhood’ has enjoyed nearly a century of friendship with your organization… Especially during World War II, our two organizations joined forces and took down quite a few Nazis and Japanese fascists…” Sloan laughed heartily. After speaking, he turned to the Russian in charge of the “medical room” and instructed, “You’re responsible for arranging a room for our exchange student… Do your best to meet his every need…” The Russian nodded. As a veteran of the “Brotherhood,” he knew that every exchange student was the next heir to their respective organization. If “The Cross” hadn’t defected from the “Brotherhood,” then as the strongest assassin in the “Brotherhood’s” history, he would undoubtedly have been sent to China on behalf of the “Brotherhood.” So, upon hearing Sloan’s instructions, he naturally treated Lu Renjia with exceptional courtesy. Just as Sloan was speaking, Lu Renjia also spotted several other powerful figures within the “Brotherhood.” The Gunsmith, his face grim, kept his left hand on the pistol grip at his waist at all times as he walked; the Repairman, with bandages wrapped around both hands, had brown eyes brimming with defiance. The Butcher, as burly as a mountain of flesh, had a jet-black scimitar tucked at his waist. Amid the hostile stares of these three, Lu Renjia followed the Russian into the ancient castle. Amid the roar of the spinning machines, cotton fibers filled the air. As he made his way through the crowd, members of the “Brotherhood” of various skin tones, each wearing a mask, shuttled back and forth, working just like ordinary textile workers. Watching this scene, Lu Renjia couldn’t help but think that, since ancient times, the literati have been poor while warriors have been rich. For martial artists, training begins with toughening the body and tempering one’s foundations—a process that requires vast amounts of blood and flesh to replenish the body’s消耗. As for these assassins under the “Brotherhood”—though they claim to be doing what they believe is right under the banner of “killing one to save a thousand”—being an assassin is an expensive line of work. Not to mention the cost of various firearms, but even just the red Ferrari that Fox drives back and forth is worth a fortune. With this in mind, Lu Renjia smiled at the Russian man leading the way and said, “There are about four or five hundred people working in this factory. They certainly can’t make a living just by weaving cloth…” The Russian paused, then replied instinctively, “Our ‘Brotherhood’ has been around for hundreds of years. Every generation of leaders has made investments alongside running the textile factory… Sloan, in particular, holds a Ph. D. in economics from Harvard. Over the years, the entire ‘Brotherhood’ has been run thanks to him…” Hearing this, Lu Renjia chuckled to himself: “I never would have guessed that Sloan had such an advanced degree… But since he was willing to alter the commands issued by the ‘Loom of Destiny’ just to save his own life, as his ambition grows… he might just take on some shady jobs and then issue orders in the name of the ‘Loom of Destiny’…” Passing through the weaving workshop, the Russian led Lu Renjia up to the attic in the northeast corner of the ancient castle. He settled Lu Renjia into a dry, sunlit room. Meanwhile, after Lu Renjia left, Sloan paced over to Fox and asked in a low voice, “How strong is he?” Fox furrowed his brow in thought, carefully recalling his brief skirmish with Lu Renjia, before replying, “His speed is on par with mine… and his strength is probably greater than that of the Repairman…” Sloan nodded. “Their training methods differ from ours. We rely on the ‘Assassin’s Heart’ to achieve physical stats more than ten times that of ordinary people… but the Huaxia people achieve superhuman levels through the cultivation of martial arts…” As one of the “Brotherhood’s” top-ranked masters, Fox’s speed ranked among the top three of everyone present, and the Repairman’s strength was also legendary. By that measure, Lu Renjia’s abilities were certainly on par with the best. The Mechanic, who had always been confident in his grip strength, raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Fox… you’re sure you didn’t misjudge that? His grip strength is stronger than mine?” Fox glanced at the Repairman’s dismissive expression, then bent down and pulled the round, lumpy piece of iron from the dashboard of his red Ferrari. Flinging the lump of iron at the mechanic, Fox asked coldly, “Can you crush a coin like this using only your index finger and thumb?” After speaking, Fox ignored the mechanic’s stunned expression and turned to Sloan, asking, “Which is stronger—our ‘Assassin’s Heart’ or the martial arts they practice?” Sloan smiled but didn’t answer directly. “When I was young, I went to China as an exchange student… Regarding the question of whether our ‘Assassin’s Heart’ is stronger or their martial arts are superior, I had a long debate with their current leader… Li…Of course, this included more than a few sparring matches, but in the end, we concluded that each had its own strengths and weaknesses… The ‘Assassin’s Heart’ is a talent found in perhaps only one in a hundred thousand people… Whereas the threshold for martial arts cultivation is much lower; once someone possesses the ‘Assassin’s Heart,’ just a few months of training is enough to turn them into an outstanding assassin…Martial artists, however, are different; they require long-term cultivation to truly master their art… That said, this Lu Renjia must be a once-in-ten-thousand genius. Even their leader, Li, didn’t attain such strength until after the age of thirty-five, whereas Lu Renjia is only twenty-three this year. Judging by his talent, Lu Renjia is likely on par with “The Cross.” ” The gunsmith and the butcher standing nearby couldn’t help but pause in surprise; they hadn’t expected Sloan to hold Lu Renjia in such high regard. Who was “The Cross”? He was the “Brotherhood’s” strongest assassin in hundreds of years. Although this former comrade had defected, his talent was beyond question. If “The Cross” hadn’t defected, he would undoubtedly have been the “Brotherhood’s” next leader.