Moonlight, like quicksilver, evenly splashed across the broken arches and leaning marble columns of the Baths of Caracalla; the ruins of the thousand-year empire were submerged in the deep blue night, with only the gods' empty eye sockets on the fragmented reliefs gazing down upon the human world.
The ritual area was set up in the ruins of the open-air baths, where the dry pool bottom was covered with black volcanic sand, and circular braziers on the edges spewed orange-red flames, branding flickering shadows onto the mottled mosaic floor.
That place once soaked in the ambitions of Roman nobles, and now it was about to swallow a new sacrifice for a new kingship.
And now, this coronation ceremony was prepared for Giana.
She was currently getting ready to do her makeup; after dismissing her bodyguard, Cassius, she went to the vanity mirror.
Just as she picked up her lipstick to apply it, she saw a man in a dark blue suit appear in the mirror.
She paused for a moment, then a smile curved her lips.
"I never thought the famous Mr. John would also peek at others doing their makeup?" She said, turning around to look at John, who was standing behind her.
John looked at Giana, who had turned around, with a complex expression in his eyes.
"You've come for your good apprentice, haven't you?" Giana didn't bother with pleasantries and asked directly.
"Yes."
John nodded, then took a step back.
Giana walked forward, brushing past him, and sat down on the sofa in the lounge.
"I've always been curious why you took that guy as an apprentice; he's completely unlike Ling Feng." Giana casually picked up a slim cigarette from the table, and in the flickering firelight, a thick puff of smoke was exhaled.
John also came over, sitting opposite her. "Sometimes, there isn't so much curiosity, nor so many whys; perhaps it's just because I found him pleasing to the eye."
John remembered the guy's miserable look when he was squatting on the ground, petting Daisy; he could tell he had a gunshot wound, and he could tell he was very weak at the time.
However, every word he said surprised John.
"My bullets also got damp." That's what the kid told him at the time.
John almost couldn't hold back at that moment. Telling a retired top assassin that your bullets got damp—wasn't that like saying, "Man, you're past your prime, what's the difference?"
But for a moment, he really thought that Ling Feng had returned.
A look of reminiscence flashed in John's eyes, but now Zhang Jie had fully grown into an assassin capable of standing on his own.
"Is that so? I thought you took him as a disciple out of respect for the Old Lady." Giana waved her hand, dispelling the smoke in front of her.
John, however, was stunned.
"The Old Lady?"
He, of course, knew who Giana's Old Lady was. At first, he didn't know Zhang Jie lived at Killer's Home.
But later, when he asked Marcus to protect the kid, Marcus told him.
After that, John investigated Zhang Jie's background, and this investigation was astonishing; he never expected that Zhang Jie, this rookie, had lived at Killer's Home for 8 years.
But at the same time, he was shocked by his tragic experience; this guy worked at Killer's Home for 8 years, yet he was still an unranked nobody, not even considered an assassin.
He initially thought his Shooting talent was faked, but it turned out to be genuine and developed entirely through sheer hard work.
On the night Zhang Jie finished his assassin bank assessment, John was visited by an uninvited guest.
Bang!
A bullet casing landed on John's bedside table.
The crisp sound startled John awake. As he prepared to draw his gun, he saw the shadow standing by his bedside and was instantly speechless.
"Senior Sister?"
Light from outside the window streamed into the room, casting a trapezoidal shadow on the figure by the bed.
But even so, John recognized who this person was in that instant.
Victoria Schneider!
She was his guide into the world of assassins, and his eldest Senior Sister. He never expected that after so many years of not seeing her, she had managed to sneak into his bedroom without him noticing in the slightest.
"John! Why did you bring Zhang Jie into the world of assassins?"
At this moment, the Old Lady Schneider was not the lazy, meddlesome, greedy, and excuse-ridden person Zhang Jie saw; instead, her eyes were sharp, without any cloudiness, and her posture had become upright.
Cold sweat instantly dripped down John's forehead; he knew all too well how capable this eldest Senior Sister was.
"Senior Sister, I didn't know he had such a deep connection with you." John said truthfully, and this was indeed a fact; he truly didn't know what kind of bond Zhang Jie and Schneider shared.
"I just found him pleasing to the eye, very much like that kid Ling Feng."
John's explanation slightly softened Schneider's tone, and she also knew that Zhang Jie was not an easy person to handle.
Although she wasn't always by his side and couldn't provide him with comprehensive care, the kid seemed to be gradually approaching the dark world.
"Never mind, it's not your fault. If anyone's to blame, it's that bitch Lisa!"
Schneider waved her hand, then casually sat down on a chair in the room, crossing her legs.
"Since you've already taken him as a disciple, train him well. Don't let him die halfway; I hope he can reach the top."
The memories gradually drifted away, and John also came back to his senses.
"I just found that kid rather interesting and hoped to give him a boost; I just didn't realize he was the Old Lady's tenant." John shrugged, but a rare smile appeared on his lips. Giana keenly noticed this.
"It seems you're very satisfied with him."
Based on Giana's understanding of John, his expression was always unchanging; such a rare satisfied expression certainly indicated his approval of Zhang Jie.
"Don't worry, after learning he was the Old Lady's tenant, I no longer had any intentions." Giana flicked the slim cigarette in her hand, and as the ash slowly fell, she continued, "I, of course, know what kind of person my brain-dead brother is, but some things still need to be done."
Giana's explanation made John nod. He, of course, knew that doing this was out of necessity; after all, as Giana, who was about to take over as the family head, some things were beyond her control.
And winning people's hearts was the most crucial step; if she didn't even care about her own family's blood relatives, how could she make everyone obey her?
"Necessary pursuits will still happen, but they won't be too extreme; I hope you understand." As John's old friend, she naturally couldn't go too far, especially after knowing he was the Old Lady Schneider's tenant.
John instantly understood Giana's thoughts. "Hmph, I never thought you'd use your tactics even in such matters? Truly the style of a mob boss."
"You know, I am not just myself, but the entire family corporation." Giana had no choice in this matter; even when facing her old friend, she could only relax a little. Some thoughts could not be known by others.
"However, your apprentice has caused quite a stir in Italy these past two days; I wonder if it will attract the attention of another organization."
Giana pointed at John, implying something.
John nodded, "I know, Veronica told me everything."
Then, John stood up, "Although Santino is dead, the blood pact still remains, which can be considered my thanks for you not going for the kill against that kid."
With that, John flicked his thumb, and a gold coin made a 'ding' sound as he tossed it to Giana.
—
Thanks to boss Yakong for the big health care reward! Thank you to all the bosses for your rewards, adding one more chapter.
As usual, I'll update another chapter after I wake up tomorrow.
The plot is still unfolding, some plot holes have been filled, and some still need time. Let's take it slow, no rush. The main storyline is still John Wick, but the timeline will be more spread out. The integration of various films also needs a reasonable approach.
My update speed and word count should be considered exemplary, right? (Laughs)
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
[patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"