Chapter 193: The Weasel Paying Respects to the Chicken?
The Great and Dangerous Sinestro
Sinestro was unlike the other Green Lanterns. The source of his powerful will was not merely protection, but order, iron discipline, and a soldier's willingness to face death. He believed in order and hoped to establish a war-free, tyranny-free, oppression-free utopia in the universe, a cause he was willing to dedicate everything to protect.
A man like that is both great and dangerous.
The Master and the Apprentice
After two days of relentless autumn rain, the sky finally cleared.
The dark clouds dispersed, and Coast City welcomed its first autumn sunrise. Luke, in a good mood, sat on a backyard bench, enjoying a pastry and a cup of red tea, quietly watching the Kryptonian girl practice martial arts on the lawn.
He still couldn't figure out how the old beggar managed to trick Linda into taking him as a master. This wasn't a casual agreement; it was a formal initiation as a disciple, complete with offerings and kowtows.
Since becoming master and apprentice, the old beggar had never given Luke a civil look. Every time he saw him, his eyes held alert hostility, like an old mother hen protecting her chick from a weasel.
"Hey, kid, have you looked enough? That's my apprentice, not your girlfriend. If you want to look at women, go look at your girlfriend. Don't ogle here."
Lingxu Zi materialized on the table and unceremoniously grabbed the nut cake, tossing it into his mouth.
Luke squinted. "Old man, I think you've become too full of yourself lately. You're practically floating."
"A great teacher is hard to find, and a brilliant apprentice is rare. This is a feeling you wouldn't understand."
Luke almost scoffed but changed his mind. "Did you really pass the Lingxu Sect's secret manual on to her?"
"Yes, I passed it all on. I held nothing back."
"That's not like you," Luke said disdainfully. "The old scoundrel who's been swindling and cheating for half a lifetime suddenly has a change of heart? You used to be obsessed with the sanctity of the lineage—the 'essence of the nation that must not be taught abroad.' You wouldn't even take foreign disciples, yet you're teaching an alien."
Lingxu Zi stroked his beard, sighing deeply.
"This girl's talent is too good, a rare gem that appears once in several centuries. She's also hardworking and diligent. Her temper is a bit fiery, but her heart is kind. I won't meet a good apprentice like this a second time!"
Luke was noncommittal, popping a pastry into his mouth. His gaze fell forward. The girl was suspended in mid-air, her limbs twisting with her body into various strange postures: sometimes curled into a ball, sometimes standing tall like a poplar, sometimes forming an inverted 'T' shape with her legs split open...
"That pose is nice. It has a lot of potential for... development."
Luke muttered. The next second, a gust of wind swept across his face. Linda appeared suddenly in front of him, her expression hostile.
"What did you just say? What pose? What 'potential for development'?"
Luke: "..."
"I meant that your movements are graceful and beautiful. You have the potential to become a top-tier ballet dancer."
Linda sized him up, then sneered.
"I'm warning you, don't have any strange thoughts about me, or I'll beat you up."
Luke was embarrassed. "Your master is right here. What strange thoughts could I possibly have about you?" He quickly shot a meaningful look at the old beggar, whose face was frosty. As an old rogue who had been wandering the world for years, Lingxu Zi certainly understood the connotations of words like "pose" and "potential."
That rotten kid! He really is planning something against my apprentice!
Since the old man wasn't cooperating, Luke changed the subject. "Since you're here, take your gift."
"Gift?"
Luke nodded. "Your master and I are practically family. Since he's taken his final apprentice, as a family member, I have to show my appreciation. As it happens, I recently acquired a treasure..."
He opened the bag beside the bench and took out a bright yellow metal box. When the lid was opened, under an orange-yellow light, a strangely antique-looking crystal ring flashed with green light.
"Well? Isn't it beautiful?"
Linda's eyes immediately lit up. She instinctively nodded. The ring's styling, design, and luster were all top-notch. Apart from the green light being slightly unappealing, everything else was perfect.
She liked this gift very much.
The old beggar stepped forward, blocking Linda. "You stinking brat, what are you scheming now? I'm warning you, you have a girlfriend. I swear, I'll call Carol Ferris right now."
Luke was exasperated. "It's just a gift, seriously?"
The old beggar roared, "This is a ring, understand? A ring! You send a girl a ring, and you call it a gift? Do you really think I'm old and understand nothing?"
"You really misunderstand me!"
Luke sighed helplessly, looking genuinely wronged. He looked at Linda. "Do you want it or not? If not, then forget it."
"Who said I don't want it?"
The girl picked up the ring petulantly and slipped it onto her index finger, holding it up to the sun. The sunlight shone through her fingers, casting a faint pink halo over the green ring. The red, white, and green colors interplayed beautifully.
"It's good. It suits me perfectly. I'm very satisfied with your gift."
The old beggar: "..."
Luke cleared his throat and smiled faintly. "I'm glad you like it. Just take good care of it. By the way, the ring is no ordinary object; it tries to run away. Be careful when you wear it. When you're not wearing it, keep it in the box. The yellow light will keep it docile."
After giving away the gift, Luke felt a pang of heartache. He sighed repeatedly for a long time before reluctantly leaving the backyard.
Lingxu Zi glared intently at Luke's retreating figure. Having lived in the Shaw family for so many years, he knew the brat's nature all too well.
Giving a gift?
Bah!
The weasel is paying its respects to the chicken. When has that scoundrel ever given a gift unless he was lusting after someone's body and trying to get into bed?
"My dear apprentice, we absolutely cannot accept this thing. Nothing good will come of it. Listen to me and return it immediately."
"It's fine. It's just a ring."
Linda gazed at her hand. The crystal ring perfectly complemented her slender, fair finger. It was exquisitely beautiful, and she liked it more and more the longer she looked.
Suddenly, the ring began to vibrate, exploding with a dazzling green light. Linda immediately exerted force, pinching the Lantern Ring between her fingers and holding it down tightly. The vibration intensified, sending out shockwaves capable of destroying high-strength titanium alloy, yet her delicate finger pressed down like an immovable anchor.
After a few minutes of stalemate, the green light weakened, and the ring returned to its original appearance.
"Interesting! It really tried to escape!"
The girl scoffed, raising the ring in triumph.
"It thinks it can fly away after landing in Kara Zor-El's hands? Dream on."
Hal's Despair
Meanwhile, in a hospital in Coast City. Hal Jordan, lying in his hospital bed, had eyes filled with despair. Moments ago, he had briefly reestablished contact with the Lantern Ring and, without hesitation, activated the summon function to call it back to him. The result, however, was brutal: the Ring couldn't return; it was firmly clenched in the grip of a giant abyssal beast. No matter how hard he tried, it couldn't break free.
"It's over. It's completely over."
Hal's face was ashen. Since that bastard Luke Shaw openly possessed the Lantern Ring, it meant he had found a way to counter it. This increased the difficulty of retrieving the Ring several dozen times over.
Sinestro's deadline was two days. Three days had already passed. Although Hal didn't know why, Sinestro hadn't appeared as scheduled, but Hal felt he was likely no longer destined to be part of the Green Lantern Corps.
If I leave the Corps, what can I do?
Looking down at his right hand, which was missing two fingers, Hal sank into endless confusion.
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