Lord of Cinder in American Comics

Ash's conversation with Hututu was joyful and interesting. Having grown up with Hututu, Ash had a special affection for this 'friend'.

Hu Tutu was overjoyed to meet a Chinese-speaking friend in a foreign land. He told Ash about his friend Xiao Mei, the talking cat Xiao Guai, and how Xiao Mei loved eating kebabs. He even showed Ash his amazing ear-twisting skills.

Just as the two were chatting happily, a chilling shout rang out.

"Hu! Tu! Tu! I told you not to talk to strangers, but you wouldn't listen."

Ash looked in the direction of the sound and saw a purple-haired woman wearing a white top and black long skirt, carrying a shopping bag, yelling at TuTu. The woman rushed over, her flowing purple hair burning like flames.

Tutu was so frightened that she jumped off the rocking chair and stood there helplessly. Ash felt she had to save her childhood friend.

Once Tutu's mother got closer, Ash clenched his right fist, clasped his other fist together in front of his chest, and gave Tutu's mother a fist-and-palm salute.

Upon seeing Ash bow, TuTu's mother hurriedly put down what she was holding and bowed back to Ash as well, her fiery-like hair calming down.

"Didn't you ask?" TuTu's mother asked cautiously.

Two complete strangers exchanging greetings in a foreign land created a somewhat awkward and delicate scene.

“Ash Solar is the owner of this area. He was just talking to little Tutu. Please forgive him if he offended anyone.”

"Zhang Xiaoli, Tutu's mother. By the way, you said you own the whole area, could you help me find someone?"

Zhang Xiaoli pulled Tutu aside and told Ash the reason for their trip. It turned out that Grandpa Niu, who lived in the same building, had found out about their trip and asked them to help bring something back for his comrade's son. Grandpa Niu adored Tutu and was determined to help no matter what.

However, finding the place was easy, but finding the person was difficult. Helpless, Zhang Xiaoli could only leave Tutu in the amusement park and ask the people around for directions.

Ash pulled over a security guard who was extremely respectful to Ash, which must have been Kingpin's instruction. The guard quickly arranged for someone to guide Zhang Xiaoli as instructed.

After finishing her explanation, Ash said her final goodbye to Tutu, and Zhang Xiaoli carried Tutu into the patrol car driven by the security guard.

Before getting into the car, Ash asked one last question: "TuTu's mom, you seem to know martial arts. May I ask where you learned it from?"

Zhang Xiaoli said somewhat shyly, "I am a disciple of Mo Xiaobei, the Fiery Demon of the Hengshan Sect."

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This chapter is a bit strange, but it's from the author's childhood (a bit of a revelation of my age), and I wrote it simply to fulfill a peculiar idea. (As a child, I saw that when TuTu's mother, Zhang Xiaoli, got angry, her entire hair would catch fire, and in one episode, TuTu also mentioned that his mother's hair would catch fire when she was angry, and Zhang Xiaoli would also call herself the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world. So, I suddenly had a strange thought: could everyone in TuTu's family be a master? This made me think of the fiery demon Mo Xiaobei, and I connected the two.)

Don't worry, this is just an Easter egg, a result of the author's sudden inspiration. It will not affect the plot of the book in any way, nor will it contain any strange or problematic elements.

I also wish you a Happy New Year.

## Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Broken Date with the Fire Keeper

Early that morning, Kassel went to find Beckett. Ash felt bad about keeping Kassel to play games with him. Beckett was seriously trying to find a wife, so what was the point of him being dragged into playing games? Was he going to keep him up to fight later?

The Fire Keeper's extravagant lifestyle with Martha has come to an end, her shopping spree ending with the collapse of Martha and Alex.

As a noblewoman, the Fire Keeper had included a large number of gifts in her shopping spree over the past few days, taking good care of everyone in the Dark Souls world. For example, she gave Ashheart a dragon model, Andrei a power hammer, and Onion a variety of ingredients and corresponding recipes...

Ash had brought gifts for everyone in the Dark Souls world before, but she only brought small gifts for certain people when she remembered them, never as thoughtful as the Fire Keeper.

Ash changed into the clothes the Fire Keeper had bought for him at home. For the first ten years, his plans relied mainly on invisibility and charm. He wore military uniforms or priest robes in the army. It wasn't until the Fire Keeper handed him the gift that Ash realized he didn't have a suitable set of clothes in this world.

Looking at himself in the mirror, a well-fitting suit perfectly accentuated his figure, and his long gray hair was tied back. He had the typical appearance of an Atlas nobleman, with a scholarly air mixed with a hint of domineering.

The Fire Keeper had changed into a long black silk dress, her white hair was tied up in braids with a ribbon, and she no longer had the bandages and shawls she wore at the sacrificial site, leaving only the eye ornaments.

When Ash saw the Fire Keeper in her new attire, she took her hands and said, "Indescribable beauty, my Fire Keeper."

In this world, only Ash is willing to listen to the Fire Keeper and complete the task of extinguishing the fire. Many times, they are companions on the path of linking the fire and fellow beings who extinguish the flames.

But Ash gave the Fire Keeper a different feeling. He was the first person to hold her back and talk to her in the Firelink Shrine, and the first person to listen to her doubts and worries.

Ash gave the Fire Keeper care before the apocalypse and earnestly helped her destroy the world. She liked the warmth of Ash's burning body from the embers.

The two shared tender moments, without uttering any unnecessary words. Everything had passed, and everything had begun.

The two had arranged to meet at a traditional restaurant today. Although neither of them needed to eat, Ash still looked forward to and loved the food.

The Fire Keeper also enjoys this ordinary, everyday life, free from the responsibility of maintaining the flames; she only needs to do her job well.

The two walked hand in hand along the street. Ash liked to walk slowly, which was probably a habit from her past life. She always slowed down in everything she did. Slow meant steady, and steady meant fast.

The two wandered around the streets until they turned into a small alley.

At the same time, a man wearing a blue shirt and a black suit also walked into the alley, but when he entered, he found that it was a dead end.

He scanned the surroundings but found no trace of Ash or the Fire Keeper. The man raised his right hand and spoke into the concealed communicator in his sleeve, "Finch, I've lost them."

“Mr. Risser, you must find him. He’s the next target.” Finch on the other end of the intercom urged Risser urgently.

"Can't you locate his phone?" Risser suggested expressionlessly.

“He’s using Stark Industries’ private satellites, so I can’t locate him.”

"Oh~~~ The all-powerful Finch finally has something he can't do." Rither said sarcastically, his face expressionless.

“Mr. Risser, we don’t have much time left. Finding out why he’s on the list and stopping the deaths and murders is what we should be doing.”

Finch was getting impatient and kept urging Rither to find Ash's whereabouts.

"I think I've found him, and he's found me too."

Rither prepared to return the way he came to continue searching for Ash, only to find Ash and the Fire Keeper standing right behind him.

Rither slowly lowered his right hand, which had a concealed communicator, and used his fingers to transfer the call to his earpiece. He then said to Ash, "Sir, I mean you no harm. You are about to be caught in a disaster, and I am here to stop it."

“Mr. Rither, do not attempt any attacks on this Mr. Ash. I just found out that he was the one who organized and implemented the troop evacuation two years ago, preventing further casualties.” Finch was still providing Rither with information and intelligence through the intercom.

Ash stared into Rither's eyes for a few seconds, then tentatively asked, "Do I know you? Can you tell me where you're from?"

With the Fire Keeper's help, Ash glimpsed the depths of Reese's soul: confusion, pain, and a yearning for redemption. Although he didn't quite understand the situation, he was still willing to listen to the story.

Ash gave Rither a chance, and the three of them stood in the alley, waiting for Rither to give an explanation.

“Mr. Ash, I’ve been asked to come and protect you.”

"So, am I in some kind of trouble?"

"I am not sure."

"Are my enemies coming to kill me?"

"I am not sure."

"Am I under a bounty from some organization?"

"I am not sure."

........................

This kind of conversation went on for a long time. Ash asked every possible reason, while all Rither could say was that he didn't know.

What can you say?

"I don't know. No, no, no, I just said it offhand. I need to ask my boss first before I can tell you," Rither quickly waved his hand to explain.

Reese pressed his headset and explained the current situation to Finch on the other end, and the two were immediately caught in a dilemma.

Their usual rescue plan involves tracking and protecting the intruder, then taking advantage of the fact that they are not discovered, Reese shoots and shatters the intruder's kneecap.

If they are discovered, wait until danger arises before Rither shoots and shatters the attacker's kneecap.

But this time, Ash's cooperation was so good that the two of them didn't know what to say for a moment.

Finally, Rither pressed the earpiece, and Finch on the other end of the phone narrated the story, which Rither then repeated to Ash.

"You said you received a list, a list of people who have received death threats?"

Risser nodded.

"Your mission is to protect these people and prevent them from getting into trouble and getting killed?"

Risser nodded again.

"You don't know the reasons, you don't understand the process, and you can only find the key people in the incident?"

Risser continued to nod.

"Are you trying to persuade me to cooperate with you using this reason?"

Risser nodded a little shyly.

"Okay, I agree."

Rither stared at Ash in shock, never expecting that such an absurd reason could convince Ash. For a moment, Rither wondered if he had come to the wrong person.

Without further teasing Rither, Ash said to the Fire Keeper, "Sorry, I have to go again."

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Ares is Mute

It was supposed to be a date with the Fire Keeper, but Reese interfered and told Ash that she was in danger.

Although Ash didn't care about the danger this matter brought, why wouldn't she take a story that's offered to her?

Ash was a little unhappy that his date with the Fire Keeper was canceled. However, the Fire Keeper was very understanding and excluded him from the date.

"Go, Lord Ash, do what you want to do. We still have more time to help this lost soul."

The Fire Keeper understood Ash's thoughts, and over the centuries at Firelink Shrine, Ash told her many special stories.

At first, the Fire Keeper didn't pay much attention, but when she arrived in this world, she found that Ash's stories would always appear before her eyes.

Are you going to let this lady go back on her own?

Just as Ash and the Fire Keeper were saying goodbye, Rither offered his opinion, since from an outsider's perspective, it was absolutely unacceptable to let a blind girl go home by herself.

“We don’t know who is targeting you yet, and this woman may also be under threat.”

Risser makes a good point. When the situation is unclear, it's important to prevent someone from raiding the base directly. Although Ash has confidence in the Fire Keeper's skills, becoming a Fire Keeper isn't something you can do just by reading a couple of holy books like Irina.

However, the Fire Keeper is usually quiet and doesn't like fighting, so over the centuries, the Fire Keeper's exploits have only been heard from Rudolf.

"I'll call a security team to escort the Fire Keeper back."

Ash thought about it and realized that it was indeed not good to let a lady fight and kill. It was better to find some people, even if they were just cannon fodder, they could still take bullets.

I dialed the number of the mainland hotel. At times like this, the service from the mainland hotel is the best. After all, no one dares to fire a gun in front of you in a hotel. There might be two more in the future, but right now, no one dares to do it.

As a member of the High Table, Ash's requests were always met first and foremost. Within minutes, two black Chevrolet SUVs pulled up in front of him.

The two cars came to a stop, and six bodyguards in black suits got out—two in the front and four in the back. One of them, a girl with short blonde hair styled in a slicked-back style, walked up to Ash.