"Why do you want to throw me into the river?"
"Your teacher told you that I am the priestess of Kreis. I don't like people who disrespect Kreis," said the voice that was as cold as marble.
"Then I am afraid you will have to kill everyone in the city of Rome because there are not many believers of Kreis in this city."
"Don't quibble. They are not our people, but you are, or you may be in the future … Your teacher chose you as his successor. Not only will you inherit his skills, but you will also inherit his mission to maintain the balance of everything in the world." The priestess stroked the edge of the carriage with her fingers.
"Otherwise, why do you think I spent so much effort to get close to Commodus? To contribute to the prosperity and stability of Rome?" Zhang Heng asked rhetorically in the carriage.
"Don't try to deceive me. I know you joined the Balance Blade just for the assassin classics in the library. No matter how powerful a person like you is, without faith, you will become a scourge sooner or later. Maybe I should nip the danger in the bud before it's too late."
"Maybe you should do that, but if you do that, no one will be able to tell you where Altrus is," Zhang Heng said calmly.
"Are you threatening me?"
"No, you are the one who threatened me first."
In the face of the strong pressure given by the priestess, Zhang Heng did not retreat. Instead, he confronted her tit for tat, refusing to budge an inch. It seemed that he had never considered the consequences of angering the priestess. If the old trainer were here, he would probably roll his eyes in anger because Zhang Heng did not listen to a single word he said on the bridge.
However, after Zhang Heng finished speaking, there was a long silence outside the carriage.
The priestess outside seemed to be considering whether she should ask someone to throw Zhang Heng into the river. After a while, the barrier above Zhang Heng's head was removed again.
The cold, marble-like voice outside said, "You can come out now."
Zhang Heng climbed out of the narrow carriage when he heard the priestess's words. He then pointed at the black cloth on his face, "What about this?"
"Don't push your luck. If you don't want to die, you'd better wear it."
"It seems like you guys haven't been living well recently. Otherwise, it would be too boring to live so cautiously."
The black cloth was not completely sealed, and the light from outside could still penetrate it. Zhang Heng could also see a vague silhouette, which should be the priestess herself. However, she was wearing a mask. In other words, even if he suddenly removed the cloth from his face, he would not be able to see her face.
The greater purpose of the cloth was to test his loyalty.
The priestess did not comment. Instead, she said, "We don't need to live meaningfully. We only need to remember the meaning of everyone's existence."
"This is truly pure faith. It's admirable." Zhang Heng paused. "But, with all due respect, if that's the case, why did you meet me in private without telling anyone else?"
The priestess laughed. Her laughter was as cold as her voice when she spoke. "You think you know everything?"
"I never said that," Zhang Heng said calmly.
"You are as arrogant as the rumors say. You think that you have won the championship at the Amphitheatrum Flavium and unexpectedly gained your freedom. So, you don't intend to put the Balance Blade in your eyes anymore."
"I don't think it's an accident that I got my freedom," Zhang Heng said calmly.
"Then, you are not that stupid. Since we can give you freedom, we can naturally take it away from you. It doesn't matter if you have Commodus's support or not," the priestess said coldly.
"It sounds like your political ally is quite powerful. I'm relieved. In that case, why are you looking for me?"
The priestess snorted. "There's something I need you to do."
"Is this an oracle?"
"No." The priestess was silent for a while.
"Is that an order from the Assassin Council? Is it approved by more than half of the assassins?"
"No."
"Heh, why should I listen to you?" Zhang Heng said.
Along the way, Zhang Heng had been thinking about the reason why the priestess suddenly met him. With her identity, there was no need for her to do such a risky thing. Besides, she had to hide it from the other assassins of the Balance Blade. As soon as the two met, she was full of hostility, which was a little unusual.
Zhang Heng carefully recalled that he had not done anything to offend her before. There was only one possibility for her to treat him this way.
The priestess needed something from him, but she did not want him to get his hands on her. That was why she used this method to intimidate him and try to take the initiative. This was a very clever political tactic.
However, this tactic of hers might work on simple assassins with little political experience. However, it was a little too much to use on Zhang Heng. Zhang Heng was able to cope with the complicated political environment on Nassau Island. How could he be so easily intimidated by her?
Therefore, the dialogue between the two when they first met was full of gunpowder. Both sides were at each other's throats, and no one was willing to take a step back. In the end, they were evenly matched.
However, this result was a failure for the priestess. She was the one who needed Zhang Heng's help. Once she lost the initiative, it meant that she would not have much bargaining power in the next negotiation.
However, Zhang Heng did not push her too hard. After all, he had to listen to the other party's offer first. So he said, "Tell me what you want me to do first."
"I hope you don't kill Altrus when you find him," the priestess said something that surprised Zhang Heng.
Zhang Heng raised his eyebrows when he heard what she said. "Wait, did I hear it wrong? You, the priest of Kreis, are asking me not to kill the target of the oracle?"
"No, I didn't ask you to spare Altrus. I just asked you not to kill him so quickly when you find him," the priestess emphasized. The priestess emphasized, "The situation has changed during this period of time. I need to learn something from him first, so I hope you can tell me when you find his whereabouts. I will send someone to talk to him first. But don't worry, I will still leave him with you after that. You can complete the test. You won't lose anything."
"It seems that the god you believe in is a little unforward-looking. So what?"
"So, don't you want to enter the library? Because of your faith, the other assassins in the organization may not agree to let you enter the library. However, I can bring you in directly, bypassing the vote of the Assassin Council. You help me, and I help you. We both get what we need. What do you think? "The priestess finally threw out her bargaining chip.
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