Exorcist's Self-Cultivation

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The progression of events always seems to surprise.

For instance, Du Wei appeared to betray the church on the surface, but in reality, he wanted to penetrate the Vanity Sect as an undercover agent to identify the "member" who had designs on Alex.

He planned to contact Mercer.

Yet in reality.

Before he could reach out to Mercer, he had already received a message from him.

...

The next day.

At a European airport about five hundred kilometers away from the Vanity Sect.

Inside a dimly lit bar.

Du Wei and Mercer had arranged to meet here.

With few patrons during the day, the bartender wiped down the stemware, preparing for the evening's guests.

And in a corner of the bar.

Du Wei sat on a sofa, shrouded in shadows, while Mercer sat across from him.

Just like before.

Mercur still wore a mask, as if he had never taken it off.

"Mr. Du Wei, I never imagined we would meet in this manner. How should I address you now, Your Excellency the Duke?"

Mercur looked at Du Wei and started the conversation.

His demeanor was somewhat relaxed, not as haughty as before.

But according to the Vanity Sect's rules, he needed to understand Du Wei better to prevent a series of potential issues in the future.

Upon hearing this.

Du Wei calmly said, "Rather than the name Du Wei, I prefer the title given to me during the Victorian era by those people."

Although he said.

Du Wei was reluctant to acknowledge that he was His Excellency the Duke.

But now that he needed to use this identity, he had to play the part fully.

And Mercer nodded.

He said, "Very well, Your Excellency the Duke."

Actually, Mercer had been quite interested in Du Wei before, despite his malicious intentions, he quite admired Du Wei.

But when he learned that Du Wei was His Excellency the Duke.

He felt somewhat uneasy.

Because the only outside observer of the embarrassing scene when he was being chased by Matthew was Du Wei.

And to add insult to injury, Du Wei had played a role in his defeat.

Accordingly, Mercer's gaze was rather peculiar, "Your Excellency the Duke, this must be our third encounter."

Counting the previous beating, indeed it was the third.

Du Wei nodded slightly.

And Mercer continued, "About those past events, we both understand there is no point in dwelling on them. Now that you have regained your memory and left the church, the Vanity Sect welcomes your joining. We also hope that your arrival can bring some favorable developments to us."

After saying this, he added, "But as you know, there have always been only thirteen core members in the Vanity Sect, each owning a Primitive Mask. Our most fundamental power relies on these."

"I told you before that one member died in New York, and his mask lay beneath the Horror House. Later, I attempted to pacify the Demon Spirit within, but ultimately, it vanished with the mask."

"Although we now sincerely extend an invitation to you, we also hope that you can retrieve that mask for us."

The Vanity Sect had already initiated an investigation into Du Wei.

They confirmed Du Wei's identity.

But in reality, the inner circle didn't pay too much attention to Du Wei.

After all, the Vanity Sect is not an ordinary Hunter Organization.

Their members are all very strong, and even the weakest among them, Mercer, could take on some Demon Spirits or even Strangeness.

But the Duke standing before them now was different...

Regaining memory did not equate to regaining strength.

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Regaining strength did not necessarily mean being stronger than the current top hunters.

There had to be a measurement, bluntly put, an assessment.

But this didn't quite fit with Du Wei's thinking.

He frowned and said, "Why retrieve that mask? I feel it's unnecessary."

Mercer explained, "No, no, no, our main concern is the Demon Spirit inside the mask, which is our legacy and the foundation of the Vanity Sect's continuation to this day."

Du Wei shook his head and said, "What if I already possess a Demon Spirit?"

Mercer was stunned for a moment, "What do you mean? As far as I know, you only have an Evil Spirit Envelope on you, and a few items harboring Evil Spirits."

"Oh, and that mask of yours, which also has an Evil Spirit. You call it the 'Shadow', right?"

Du Wei said indifferently, "It seems you've been keeping an eye on me, but that information doesn't apply to me anymore since I regained my memory."

With that, he extended his hand and pointed at Mercer.

The latter didn't understand why.

But the next second.

Mercer's expression turned ugly.

He looked down at the vast shadow beneath his feet that, like flowing tide water, emitted malice aimed solely at him.

The chilling strangeness and horror made him instinctively feel that he could die at any moment.

And within the shade, suddenly, a pair of bloodshot eyes opened, glaring at him malevolently.

"Demon Spirit..."

"You carry a Demon Spirit with you?"

Mercer tried to stay calm, but the cold breath from the mask he wore quietly enveloped his entire body.

Clearly.

It was the Demon Spirit helping him.

But even so.

Mercer's look at Du Wei had completely changed.

Carrying a Demon Spirit, ready to act on a whim, such a way of doing things was simply unreasonable.

Without meaning to, Mercer thought to himself, "Is this the modus operandi of a Victorian Era hunter?"

At that moment.

As if Du Wei had seen through his thoughts, he suddenly smiled and said, "Don't worry too much. It's very obedient. I've always had a good impression of the Vanity Sect, and I agree with some of your ideas."

"After regaining my memory, I found this world completely different from what I remembered."

"I don't like it very much."

"That's why I left the church. Thinking back, the only organization that satisfies me is the Vanity Sect."

"I agree with you, so I'm actually on the same path as you."

"Look, now I have a Demon Spirit, do I still need to bring back that mask?"

As he said this.

Du Wei leaned forward, calmly locking eyes with Mercer, an intense gaze.

Invisibly.

With a strong oppressive force, it seemed to Mercer that if he made any more nonsensical demands, he would be ready to kill at a moment's notice.

Therefore.

Mercer said with a chuckle, "Actually, we value you as a person. Whatever the mask is or isn't, it's not very important. We'll just send someone else to find it later."

Du Wei nodded in satisfaction, but his heart remained very cold.

He decided to "show goodwill" to the Vanity Sect.

Or rather, to set a trap for them.

"How about this, since the organization values me highly, and I am a man of my word, I promised you I would deal with the Demon Spirit and bring the mask back. Once I join the organization, I will bring closure to the matter."

"But I haven't yet returned to my peak strength."

"I might need some help from the organization, like finding someone to accompany me."