Chapter 402: A New Allegiance

A New Allegiance

Lucas’s eyes snapped open.

Every trace of sleep instantly disappeared.

Hearing the screams, Lucas’s eyes widened, and he became more alert.

His heartbeat quickened.

Could someone be here to rescue him?

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, a tiny spark of hope flickered inside his chest.

Footsteps approached.

Steady.

Unhurried.

Each step echoed through the quiet farm.

Then, he saw Julian D’Aurelius entering with Lina Ashford and Liza Voss.

Moonlight poured through the broken wooden doorway, illuminating the three figures as they stepped inside.

Julian walked at the front with his usual calm smile. His black hair shifted gently with the night breeze, while his golden eyes calmly surveyed the surroundings.

Behind him followed Lina Ashford.

Her long green hair shimmered beneath the moonlight, and her elegant purple eyes carefully observed every corner of the pig farm, remaining alert for danger.

Liza Voss stood on Julian’s other side.

The petite young woman quietly scanned the surroundings as well. Her long black hair swayed softly behind her, while her black eyes remained cold and vigilant.

The three of them appeared completely relaxed.

Yet the invisible pressure radiating from them made the air itself feel heavy.

What terrified Lucas even more was that he couldn’t discern the cultivation levels of the three.

He stared at them in disbelief.

No matter how carefully he observed...

Nothing.

It was as though they stood beyond his ability to perceive.

But judging from the pressure, he guessed they were at least on the same level as Steffan!

Which meant mid-Gold Realm?

His pupils contracted violently.

His breathing became uneven.

"Impossible..."

Lucas muttered, unable to believe what he was seeing.

When had Julian become this powerful?

And Lina...

And Liza...

Every one of them now possessed strength that completely surpassed his understanding.

Julian slowly looked toward the pigpen.

The overwhelming smell hit him immediately.

Even someone with his composure couldn’t help wrinkling his nose slightly.

His gaze then settled on Lucas.

Covered in filth.

Thin.

Disheveled.

Surrounded by pigs.

There wasn’t even a trace left of the proud expert he had once known.

"My friend, is this how your organization treats meritorious members?" Julian exclaimed with a shocked expression.

He genuinely sounded astonished.

For a brief moment, even Lucas couldn’t tell whether Julian was mocking him or sincerely surprised.

Julian silently observed the miserable scene before him.

[Damn, why didn’t I think of such a good idea for torturing enemies?]

[But seeing him so unhappy makes me feel at ease because he gave me a lot of trouble.]

[But this idea is too good. In the future, this way of torturing my enemies... there’s still room for things to turn around.]

Standing behind him, Lina and Liza exchanged helpless glances.

Upon hearing Julian’s inner thoughts, Lina Ashford and Liza Voss couldn’t help but smile wryly.

As expected...

Even at a moment like this...

The first thing on Julian’s mind wasn’t sympathy.

It was learning a new interrogation technique.

Neither woman knew whether to laugh or sigh anymore.

Fortunately, Lucas couldn’t hear those thoughts.

Otherwise, he would probably cough up blood on the spot.

Lucas stared silently at Julian.

The emotions in his eyes shifted one after another.

Shock.

Confusion.

Bitterness.

Finally...

Resignation.

After a long silence, he slowly opened his mouth.

"Are you here to kill me?" Lucas asked quietly.

Julian D’Aurelius didn’t answer Lucas’s question immediately. Instead, his golden eyes lingered on Lucas’s face, noticing the strange anticipation flickering deep within the exhausted man’s weary blue eyes.

It wasn’t hope or fear—it was the desperate longing of someone who believed death would finally free him from his endless humiliation.

Death...

For the first time in his life, it no longer seemed frightening.

Compared to the endless humiliation he had endured over the past several days, dying at the hands of an opponent felt almost merciful. At least it would bring an end to this degrading existence.

The night breeze drifted through the broken wooden walls of the pig farm, carrying the stale scent of damp earth and livestock. Moonlight spilled across the filthy pen, illuminating Lucas’s exhausted figure.

Julian quietly observed him for a moment before speaking.

"Living here isn’t easy, is it? Steffan is really vicious."

He shook his head with an expression of genuine disbelief.

"You’re colleagues. Is it really necessary to be so ruthless? By any chance did you sleep with the woman he likes, that why he treated like you this?"

The sarcastic question landed like a knife.

The moment Steffan’s name was mentioned, Lucas’s expression changed dramatically.

His jaw clenched so tightly that the muscles along his face trembled.

Veins bulged across his forehead.

The hatred buried inside him surged like a volcano ready to erupt.

"I wish I could do fuck his mother in front of him, that bastard son of a bitch..."

Every word was filled with raw resentment.

His voice echoed throughout the silent farm as years of loyalty, betrayal, humiliation, and rage poured out through that single curse.

Standing behind Julian, Lina Ashford and Liza Voss exchanged subtle glances.

Neither interrupted.

After not seeing him for a while, Lucas seemed like a completely different person compared to before.

Gone was the calm, proud operative they had once faced.

What remained was someone held together solely by hatred.

Yet one thing was unmistakable.

The resentment in his tone was obvious even to a fool.

Julian’s golden eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

Seeing Lucas’s realization, he was quite pleased.

Hatred could consume a person.

But it could also become the strongest motivation for survival.

A faint smile appeared on Julian’s face.

"They say no fight, no friendship. We’ve fought for so long, we’re half friends now."

He casually folded his arms.

"I’ll give you two choices."

"The first one, I’ll help you..."

Before Julian could finish, Lucas suddenly understood what he meant.

His entire body trembled.

The hope he had abandoned only moments ago suddenly returned.

Without the slightest hesitation, tears streamed down his face.

Ignoring the filth beneath him, he dropped to his knees and repeatedly struck his forehead against the ground.

"Young Master Julian, I’m willing to be your dog. As long as you give this waste a chance for revenge, I’ll do anything."