Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 243: Eternal Life

So much had happened throughout the day that Yang Chen returned home feeling quite fulfilled. Late into the night, with Lin Ruoxi and Wang Mama already asleep, Yang Chen showered and then opened his laptop in his room. Tonight was the agreed time to meet with Soren.

After entering the long, cryptic web address, a video call window popped up once again. The video signals were indeed blinking, but to Yang Chen's surprise, there were two signals flashing—one was the blue eagle emblem of Soren, and the other was a red pirate ship.

A knowing smile played on Yang Chen's lips as he clicked open both video frames. On the computer screen appeared the avatars of two men. Besides the red-haired Soren in military attire, the other man wore a white robe and appeared to be in his forties or fifties. He had curly mustaches and thinning brown hair with a large bald patch, and he wore a black eye patch, smiling kindly at Yang Chen.

However, even in their smiles, these two men didn't appear particularly amiable to the average person.

"My Lord Hades, greetings from Macedonia!" One-eyed Macedonia raised a steaming cup of some unknown beverage towards Yang Chen and greeted him in fluent Hebrew.

Yang Chen leaned back against the headboard, watching the relaxed man on the screen, and replied with a smile, "Macedonia, it must be noon over there. Are you hungover again?"

"Of course not, I'm just experiencing different time zones," Macedonia grinned, his mouth curling up.

Soren, the redhead, snorted disdainfully. "Cut the crap, you bald vulture. All you do all day is wine in oak barrels and those women with barrel-like waists! My Lord Hades, I strongly suggest transferring all his intelligence networks to me. He's simply squandering the opportunities you've given him!"

"You uncouth red-feathered hawk! You're just jealous of my accomplishments! My children have the most devout faith and steadfast beliefs. No one can lead them through the waves but me!" Macedonia retorted in English with disdain.

Yang Chen intervened, "Soren, you should be used to Macedonia by now. And you know very well that Mossad's conversion work is irreplaceable. Macedonia's job is indispensable."

"My Lord Hades, I understand it's difficult, that's why I've entrusted him with the reconnaissance work. I just feel this old man is getting fatter and his hair is getting thinner," Soren grumbled discontentedly.

"Hey, Red Hawk, today is the report to Lord Hades. Are you looking for a fight?" Soren sneered.

"Would my nuclear warhead fear your pirate ship?" retorted Macedonia disdainfully.

"Enough! Do you have to argue every time we meet?" Yang Chen intervened with annoyance, rubbing his forehead. "Soren, you go first. What's the situation?"

Soren straightened up a bit. "My Lord Hades, despite your request for a team of average combat capability specialized in disguise and communication, I couldn't find anyone with ordinary combat skills. All my Eagles possess top-tier special ops combat abilities globally. The first batch of twelve members will arrive at the southeast port of the Midsummer Sea tomorrow night."

"Good. Did you provide them with the contact methods?" Yang Chen asked.

"I did, but..." Soren frowned. "The Yanhuang Iron Brigade of Midsummer has already detected the movements of our escort ships. I think tomorrow night, it's necessary for you, Lord Hades, to go and provide backup. It's impolite, but I fear for the safety of the team members. Trust me, Lord Hades, the Yanhuang Iron Brigade may not be the most powerful clandestine defense organization, but they are definitely one of the most tenacious."

Yang Chen nodded knowingly, apparently relieved that the Dragons Group had not caused trouble for Soren, then turned to Macedonia. "Macedonia, what about the intel you've gathered?"

Macedonia picked up a paper from the mahogany table beside his rocking chair, glanced at it, and said, "My Lord Hades, according to the investigation, the leader of the Ya Qi Hui, Zang Er Tokugawa, is a master at the peak of Earth Shinobi. Preliminary estimates put his strength roughly equivalent to the combined force of about eight hundred top special agents. However, due to the variability of Sakura's Ninjutsu, this figure is likely a conservative estimate. One noteworthy point is that Tokugawa was once a core assassin of the original Zero, which suggests he might have significant knowledge of the Divine Stone."

A glint flickered in Yang Chen's eyes as he responded expressionlessly, "Although the original Zero no longer exists, its branches are indeed numerous, and I cannot eliminate all of them. If Tokugawa wishes to end himself sooner, it might not be a bad thing."

Both Macedonia and Soren wore solemn expressions, deeply understanding the implications.

"As for another investigation, Lord Hades, I find this task too easy," Macedonia continued. "Regarding the woman you're interested in, Anxin, she's currently stable and working on international flights, primarily between Sakura's Tokyo and Paris of the FAX. I believe locating her shouldn't be too difficult."

Yang Chen smiled satisfactorily, simply wanting to ensure Anxin was trouble-free. "Keep an eye out for any unusual activities around her," he instructed.

"I'm delighted to serve you, Lord Hades," Macedonia chuckled.

Yang Chen couldn't think of anything else to discuss and was about to bid farewell to the two lively characters when Macedonia spoke up again. "Lord Hades, there's one more thing. Because you're currently residing in Midsummer and in coastal international cities around the Central Sea, I must remind you."

"What is it?" Yang Chen asked, puzzled. Something that the seemingly nonchalant pirate chief, the king of intelligence, brought up so cautiously couldn't be simple.

Macedonia's smile faded, and he said, "According to information collected by my intelligence network, the 'Holy Grail' has finally surfaced, and the location is in Midsummer."

Yang Chen's face momentarily froze, then a sense of incredulity set in. "Does that thing really exist?"

Macedonia furrowed his brows for a moment before replying, "Legend has it that the cup used during Jesus Christ's Last Supper to contain his blood after he was crucified. According to legend, anyone who drinks from the Holy Grail filled with holy water can attain eternal life."

"Vulture, how could such a thing exist? And even if it does, it would surely be in the Balkans, Mediterranean, or Middle East, not the distant East like Midsummer," Soren said skeptically.

Macedonia snorted, "Before meeting Lord Hades, did you believe in gods and the Covenant of the Gods?"

Soren paused for a moment, then closed his mouth.

Yang Chen sighed, "Gods may not be real gods, at least I can't achieve immortality. But there are indeed some unbelievable things in this world. Continue, Macedonia."

"Yes, my Lord. Initially, I didn't believe this intelligence because it seemed too incredible. According to the information, the Holy Grail was plundered by Mongolian cavalry during the Yuan Dynasty from a noble treasury in the Middle East and brought back to Midsummer. It has since been buried in a tomb belonging to a Midsummer noble. The recent archaeological excavation near the Central Sea discovered a tomb precisely matching the description of the legendary Holy Grail, which led to its transmission to the Roman Curia," Macedonia explained.

"Just this, how can we confirm whether the Holy Grail truly exists?" Yang Chen asked.

Macedonia replied, "Although we may not know the full history of the Holy Grail, the Roman Curia and their enemies, the 'Dark Council,' are undoubtedly the most familiar with it."

"You mean the 'Dark Council'?" Yang Chen said with a wry smile.

Macedonia visibly paused, "Lord Hades, did you actually deal with them? I always thought you were unaware of their existence!"

"Many years ago, during a mission encounter. Those guys aren't as exaggerated as the legends say, but their unique lineage gives them some powerful abilities. Regular agents are no match for them. If the 'Papal Guard' and 'Crusaders' of the Roman Curia truly consider them opponents, then the Roman Curia indeed wields substantial influence over European countries," Yang Chen recalled several encounters from years ago, feeling somewhat troubled. If those people came to Midsummer, he would likely have to intervene. Otherwise, the members of the Yanhuang Iron Brigade would surely suffer. If they suffered, Midsummer's protective umbrella would be weakened, making it difficult for him to stay comfortably in this country.

But facing that group of people is no easy task.

"As expected of Lord Hades, my intelligence network couldn't track their specific actions. We only discovered that both the Dark Council and the Roman Curia have dispatched elites to Midsummer. This indicates that the matter of the Holy Grail is not just a baseless rumor," Macedonia suddenly grinned. "I hope the Orientals still retain enough mysterious power. Otherwise, this might be a battle with vastly unequal combat strength."

"If that's the case, where is the Holy Grail now?" Yang Chen asked. If he could relocate the Holy Grail to another country, or even throw it into the sea, it could avoid an unnecessary conflict. Who cares about eternal life? He certainly didn't!

Macedonia sighed, "I'm very sorry, Lord Hades. My intelligence network is particularly weak in Midsummer. The Yanhuang Iron Brigade is incredibly tough to deal with, without a doubt. On this point, Red Hawk and I surprisingly agree."

"Being tough is pointless. Midsummer's traditional methods for enhancing combat prowess are inherently incapable of mass-producing powerful individuals quickly. This is very different from the West's supernatural beings," Yang Chen shook his head helplessly. "Your information is valuable. I'll keep an eye on it. Keep monitoring closely. Whether or not the Holy Grail is as miraculous as they say, the struggle for it must not disrupt the balance between the world's organizations."

"Lord Hades, I have a point of curiosity," Macedonia said.

"What is it?" Yang Chen replied with a smile.

Macedonia hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Lord Hades, since the gods exist, why don't the other major gods stand up like you to restrain the chaotic forces in the world? Wouldn't that be more helpful for world stability?"

Yang Chen chuckled and looked down, "Do you think I wanted to stand out? Have you ever seen me voluntarily demand that any person or power obey me?"

Both Soren and Macedonia were taken aback and then shook their heads. They had all come to him of their own accord.

"This question, I asked the previous Lord Hades when I took the Hades Ring," Yang Chen said.

"The previous Lord Hades?" Macedonia and Soren exclaimed in unison, clearly unaware that there had been a previous Lord Hades.

"The answer is simple yet complex," Yang Chen mused as if talking to himself, "If there's one reason, it's that...we love this world more deeply than anyone else."