My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

"Otherwise, what do you think I'm here for?"

His voice was calm, as calm as if he were talking about what to eat for lunch.

The axe fell silent.

He looked at Lin Mo, at those eyes that were completely expressionless.

He suddenly remembered the first time he met Lin Mo.

That day outside the church, he carried an axe, looked at the wanted criminal in black robes, and thought to himself, "This kid is interesting."

Then Li Yiguang was killed and replaced by a puppet.

Daming was killed with a single sword strike to the throat.

This person was never there to participate in any competition in the first place.

He came to the capital with the intention of destroying the country.

Hunter Axe took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress all the shock in his chest.

He leaned against the courtyard wall, the giant axe sliding off his shoulder and landing with a thud on the ground.

"you……"

He spoke, but his voice was still somewhat unsteady.

"Give me some time."

Lin Mo didn't speak, he just stood there, waiting for him.

Occasionally, voices could be heard from the street outside the courtyard.

Sunlight filters through the vines that climb the courtyard wall, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

After a long while, the hunter's axe raised its head again.

"OK."

He said his voice was a bit more stable than before.

"Since you dare to say it, I dare to listen. Tell me, what are you going to do?"

Lin Mo looked at him and asked the question that was troubling her most right now:

"Is Li Yan protected by a demigod-level expert?"

The hunter was taken aback.

He hadn't expected Lin Mo's first question to be this.

But he soon realized it.

This is the most crucial issue.

If there were demigods, all plans would be meaningless.

The gap between a demigod and level 90 is greater than the gap between level 90 and level 10.

He frowned, thought carefully for a while, and then shook his head.

"Not now."

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.

Hunter Axe continued, his voice tinged with thought:

"The Holy Ancient Empire's foundation is not deep, and human lifespan is short. Even if one reaches the demigod level, one only has a lifespan of less than two hundred years. After death, one will be summoned to the God Realm to live... That is the final destination for all demigods."

He paused.

"Now that the continent is stable and there is no large-scale demon army, the Holy Ancient Empire has not had a demigod powerhouse for nearly twenty years. The last demigod has long since gone to the God Realm."

Lin Mo nodded, but his brows did not completely relax.

"What about other countries? If the Holy Ancient Empire didn't have demigods, wouldn't they attack?"

Hunter Axe grinned, a hint of mockery in his smile.

"Demigods have their own rules. They are strictly forbidden from participating in wars and cannot side with any side. Otherwise, they will lose their qualification to ascend to the divine realm. Therefore, the top combat power between countries is still that of strong people at levels eighty to ninety."

Lin Mo quickly calculated in his mind.

With combat power above level 80, Hunter Axe is one, and he himself is also strong enough.

But that's still too few; to succeed, we must create the necessary conditions.

Thinking this, he looked up at the hunter and said, word by word:

"Tonight, in the name of the Second Prince, gather all the capable people here. We'll discuss the specific plan then."

Hunter Axe nodded, about to say something, when he noticed that Lin Mo had already turned and walked towards the door.

He froze for a moment.

"And now?"

Lin Mo walked to the door and turned around.

Sunlight streamed in from behind him, casting a long shadow.

"Now? I'm going shopping with Mianmian."

He spoke in a flat tone, as if he were talking about something perfectly normal.

The hunter's axe gaped open.

He watched the black-robed figure disappear through the doorway, listening to the footsteps gradually fade into the distance, and remained motionless for a long time.

"Going shopping? At this hour... should we go shopping?"

Hunter Axe stood still, realizing for the first time that he might really be unable to keep up with this young man's train of thought.

……

Lin Mo accompanied Mianmian and Yin Xue for an afternoon of sightseeing.

That girl is curious about everything.

She would linger at the sugar figurine stall for ages.

She watched the jugglers' performance intently, perched on Lin Mo's shoulder.

Passing by a small shop selling hair accessories, she even tugged at Lin Mo's clothes and pointed inside.

Yin Xue, on the other hand, was having a great time. He transformed into an adult and led Mianmian through the various stalls.

She bought a bunch of trinkets that she didn't need, most of which were things she wanted herself.

Lin Mo followed behind, like a servant responsible for carrying bags and paying money.

The two didn't finish enjoying themselves until it got dark.

Back at the cathedral, Mianmian was still incredibly excited.

He jumped around on the table, arranging the little trinkets he had bought in a row and looking at them one by one.

Lin Mo sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her, unusually without urging her.

The little guy finally got tired, curled up into a small, pinkish-white ball of fur, and made soft purring sounds.

Lin Mo reached out and gently patted her head.

Mianmian stirred, nestled her little head into his palm, and then fell into a deep sleep.

Yin Xue transformed back into his miniature form, flew to her side, and yawned as well.

"You two should go to bed early."

Yin Xue waved its little paws, its eyes already closed.

Lin Mo walked to the door and opened it.

A figure was already waiting in the corridor.

Li Yiguang.

Or rather, Li Yiguang's puppet controlled by Ottmu.

The body stood in the shadows, a standard second prince-style smile on its face.

Upon seeing Lin Mo emerge, it bowed slightly, then extended its hand and pointed to its temple.

Otmu's voice echoed in Lin Mo's mind:

"Boss, it's ready. Now you can control it with your mind. I've handed over control to you."

Lin Mo nodded.

He closed his eyes, extended his consciousness, and touched the core inside the puppet.

The next moment, the view shifted.

He could sense the presence of that body.

Cold and stiff, but completely under his control.

He could see the lights in the corridor, hear the sound of the night wind in the distance, and feel the coldness of the stone floor beneath his feet.

He raised his hand.

The puppet's hand also rose, the movement fluid and natural, even more agile than when it was controlled by Ultraman.

"Can."

He spoke using Li Yiguang's mouth, and the voice was exactly the same.

Otmu's voice carried a hint of smugness: "Of course, the boss's mental strength is much stronger than mine. When you control it, no one can tell."

Lin Mo didn't say anything more.

He manipulated Li Yiguang's body and turned to walk deeper into the corridor.

……

Deep within the cathedral lies a secluded council chamber.

This place is not open to the public, does not receive believers, and is not used for any religious activities.

It is only prepared for certain special occasions.

Those moments that need to be kept secret, carefully considered, and not known to too many people.

At this moment, the doors to the council chamber were tightly closed.

Inside, the lights were on.

A dozen or so people were sitting on either side of the long table.

Some were wearing military uniforms with gold general stars on their shoulder straps.

Some of them were dressed in fine clothes, and they were clearly powerful figures from top families in the capital.

Some possessed a profound and serene aura; simply sitting there caused the surrounding air to distort slightly—these were powerhouses above level ninety.

They didn't speak, they just waited quietly.

Occasionally, people would exchange a glance, then quickly look away.

The atmosphere was so heavy it seemed like it could drip water.

"What exactly does His Highness the Second Prince want to say?"

A middle-aged man wearing dark gold armor spoke, his voice very low.

"I don't know. But for His Highness to summon us all here, it must be no small matter."

"Have you heard? His Highness left the palace last night and even killed someone."

Shh—don't talk nonsense.

"I'm not making this up; it's the truth. The bodies of those palace servants were only discovered this morning..."

"Shut up."

The man in the dark gold armor glared at him, and he immediately shut his mouth.

But that uneasy atmosphere had already spread in everyone's heart.

Just then, the door was pushed open.

Everyone stood up at the same time, their eyes fixed on the doorway.

Li Yiguang stood outside the door.

He was dressed in a moon-white gown, with a jade belt trimmed with gold thread around his waist, and his hair was neatly combed.

The light shone in from behind, casting a soft shadow on his face and making his eyes look deeper than usual.

He stood there at the doorway, his gaze sweeping over the people on either side of the long table.

A dozen or so people stood there, looking at the young man, feeling an indescribable pressure.

That's not the impression Li Yiguang usually gives off.

The Second Prince is usually gentle, polite, and sociable, but deep down he has a superficiality about him.

And the person in front of me...

Just standing there made the air seem to freeze.

After a few seconds, someone finally realized what was happening.

"Welcome, Your Highness the Second Prince!"