Principal Winchester?!
The trio from Fire Badger all widened their eyes in shock.
Before them stood a little girl who was, at most, six or seven years old.
They found it utterly impossible to associate her with the renowned semigod-tier powerhouse.
Principal Winchester merely hummed in response.
She seemed unconcerned by the gaze of the Fire Badger trio, instead directing her attention toward John, who had already fainted.
Her gaze appeared to possess an indescribable penetrating power, seeing through John's skin and flesh to his organs, which were enveloped in a strange, colorful force.
"The power of the Stellar God?"
Principal Winchester murmured in a tone so soft that no one else could hear, her beautiful eyes filled with an inexplicable expression that was difficult to decipher.
Vincent and Emily, seeing Principal Winchester fixated on John without uttering a word for a long time, exchanged glances and instantly understood.
This powerhouse, who typically remained within the confines of the Star Cluster Academy and seldom ventured out, must have come specifically for John.
This realization surprised them both.
Principal Winchester held a very special position within the Federation.
Not only was she the principal of the Star Cluster Academy, but she was also one of the few semigod-tier powerhouses in the Federation, possessing a unique ability of foresight.
Even the twelve pinnacle Federal councilors had to respectfully address her as Principal Winchester whenever they met her.
What, then, was so special about John that this esteemed figure had personally come for him?
Vincent carefully considered his words before asking cautiously, "Principal Winchester, do you know John?"
Emily and the three from Fire Badger also looked over curiously.
However, Principal Winchester merely smiled and said, "You're thinking too much. His aura seemed familiar to me; I felt it just now, so I came over to have a look."
Her voice was youthful, yet the words she spoke bore the weight of maturity, a paradox that strangely did not seem out of place.
Emily and the Fire Badger trio felt a tinge of disappointment; they had hoped to hear some intriguing gossip.
Principal Winchester, unbothered by their reactions, turned to Vincent and Emily, "I won't delay your investigation. Also, the person in that villa has been subjected to a restriction spell, which I have now under control. His connection to the Immortality Organization seems to be no ordinary matter.
You might want to take him back for questioning; I suspect you'll uncover a wealth of useful information."
Vincent and Emily's eyes lit up, surprised at the prospect of netting a big fish.
Vincent, in particular, was on two missions during this investigative outing.
One was to apprehend the notoriously infamous Alex, who, by sheer luck, had managed to escape.
The other was to find clues related to the Immortality Organization.
The Immortality Organization was elusive; after half a month of searching, he had come up empty-handed.
Unexpectedly, without any effort on his part, he stumbled upon a lead in the Imperial Capital.
Vincent quickly stepped forward to express his gratitude, "Thank you, Principal Winchester, for your assistance."
"It's what I should do. Go on with your tasks," replied Principal Winchester.
After giving John one deep look, a faint starlight suddenly emerged around her.
Then, without waiting for Vincent and Emily to respond, her figure vanished from the spot.
Vincent looked at Sebastian's headless corpse, clicking his tongue in admiration.
"This kid really is something special. A silver-tier managing to kill a member of the Immortality Organization, and it seems he used the Godslayer Blade, too. He truly lives up to my expectations."
Emily smiled gently, "Johan is indeed impressive. Among the younger generation in the Imperial Capital, probably only House Wilson's Oliver Wilson and Simon Hastings from your Judicators could outmatch him."
Vincent's mouth twitched slightly, wisely choosing not to correct Emily's reference to John.
What followed was relatively straightforward.
Two supreme experts from Hidden Stars and the Judicators arrived in person.
Nicholas offered no resistance, promptly surrendering.
John was sent back to the Hidden Stars headquarters for healing.
...
Meanwhile, outside the Imperial Capital's third ring, Black Street.
Neon-lit signs hung in the air, interwoven with a dense web of electrical wires that completely blocked the exploration of hummingbird drones.
Pedestrians on the street either wore eccentric outfits with hair dyed in myriad colors or hustled by in hoodies or masks.
This was the most chaotic and diverse part of the Imperial Capital, hosting extraordinaries from every corner of the Federation and the largest underground market for illicit deals.
Individuals of various standings congregated here, where the person brushing past you could be a cult follower, or the one behind you slurping noodles might be a White Glove from Hidden Stars.
This was the grey area of the Imperial Capital, where, as long as you didn't break the rules, you were mostly left to your own devices.
In an old tavern, dim lights flickered.
The air was a cacophony of laughter and boisterous voices, somewhat noisy.
The tables were filled with patrons, mostly shirtless burly men, each with a bunny-girl waitress sitting on their laps.
These women, heavily made-up, allowed the men to freely grope inside their leather outfits, filling the tavern with a thick scent of hormones.
A man with a hood pulled over his head, his face marked with tattoos, squeezed through the crowd.
He tossed a few gold coins on the counter and received from the bartender a newspaper that circulated only in Black Street.
With just a glance, the tattooed man's expression changed drastically.
The paper bore a bold headline.
[Black Street Headline]: Immortality Organization Branch Raided!
[Details]: A member of the Immortality Organization, who had been blackmailing the chairman of the Life Medicine Group, Nicholas, was killed on the spot by a member of Hidden Stars known as "Black Robe." Chief Captain Emily personally led a team to raid the Immortality Organization's branch, resulting in 15 fatalities and the arrest of 127 individuals, with efforts to capture the remaining members ongoing.
Upon reading the news, the tattooed man did not rush to leave but lingered in the tavern a while longer, ensuring no one paid him any mind.
Only then did he, with the newspaper in hand, meander through a series of turns until he reached a very secluded alleyway.
Without any apparent use of skills, he simply touched a graffiti-covered wall lightly, and then, in an instant, he disappeared from sight.
Not long after the tattooed man vanished, a few youths with hair dyed in bright reds and greens came upon the scene.
Finding the alley empty, they all paused in surprise.
The blond-haired youth at the forefront furrowed his brows, pulling out a Hidden Stars badge from his chest.
He reported, "Boss, we've encountered a suspicious character near Zone C, but he got away."
A man's voice came through the Hidden Stars Badge, calm and steady, "Forget him, focus on the next target and see if you can snag us another big fish."
The blond youth and a few plainclothes members of Hidden Stars acknowledged the order and then left the alley.
About an hour after they departed, the spot where the tattooed man had vanished stirred slightly.
Then, with forehead drenched in cold sweat and extremely cautious, the tattooed man slowly peeked his head out from the wall.
Once sure he was alone, he exhaled deeply before emerging fully.
Had it not been for his unique skill, he figured he'd already be sipping coffee in Hidden Stars' interrogation room by now.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, the tattooed man cursed under his breath, "Damn it, are these Hidden Stars folks dogs? How can they sniff me out like this? And what do they want with immortals anyway, it's none of my business."
Not daring to linger, he changed his clothes and swiftly made his way to a shadowy hostel.
After greeting the hostel's owner, the tattooed man slipped through a secret door to a luxurious hotel hidden underground.
He traversed the opulent lobby and headed straight to a plush private room.
Even through the thick soundproof doors, he could hear the piercing screams of women inside.
Shivering, he couldn't help but disdain his boss's peculiar tastes.
Fortunately for the tattooed man, he didn't have to wait long before the door to the private room swung open.
There stood a young man with his upper body bare, exuding a chillingly handsome aura.
His face still bore traces of blood, and the ferocity and pleasure in his crimson eyes had yet to fade.
It was Robert.
Taking out a white handkerchief, he began to wipe the blood from his face while speaking indifferently, "I don't like being disturbed while I'm resting. Give me one reason not to kill you."
The tattooed man's face turned pale as he hurriedly said, "Young master, I've found information on John."
Robert paused, his narrow eyes squinting slightly.
After getting off the floating train, Robert had been looking for an opportunity to kill John.
But ever since John left the Wilton Hotel for the second time, Robert had lost track of him, only now acquiring information about John.
Seeing the information in the newspaper, Robert immediately connected this "Black Robe" with John.
Flames of blood ignited in his hand, and the newspaper instantly turned to ash.
Robert's gaze turned frosty as he said, "I refuse to believe you can hide in Hidden Stars forever."
The long sword of the Crimson Demon, he was determined to obtain it!
...
After being treated by Principal Winchester, John's injuries were under control.
Even so, by the time he woke up again, it was already the next evening.
The room was dim.
John, his body wrapped in bandages, slowly opened his eyes.
The incandescent light on the ceiling was somewhat glaring.
It took him a while to adjust.
"You're awake?"
A somewhat cool and familiar voice reached John's ears.
John blinked in surprise, turning to see Seraphina sitting beside his hospital bed.
She wore a white dress, her ice-blue hair cascading down like a waterfall, her delicate face still as impassively cold as ever, holding a half-peeled orange in her hand.