America: John Wick 1924

Chapter 54 An Orthodox nun dressed in white stockings and carrying dual pistols

Suddenly, a young policeman rushed toward Chief Johnson.

"Sheriff Johnson, the number of dead has been determined!"

Sheriff Johnson quickly retorted:
"Tell me, how many people died?"

"A total of 28 people died! 14 died from stab wounds, 1 from drowning, and 13 from gunshot wounds!"

At that moment, another policeman, holding several sheets of paper, rushed up to Sheriff Johnson.

"Sheriff Johnson, find out who owns this house!"

Sheriff Johnson gave him a look that said, "Read it quickly."

The other person cleared their throat and said quickly:
"Jack Lewis. The illegitimate son of New York real estate tycoon John Lewis."

"Because he was an illegitimate child, he was not loved by his father and was sent here to live, left to fend for himself!"

Una murmured:

"A rich family's child...no wonder this house is so big..."

Sheriff Johnson curled his lip:
"A rich young master who is not favored... Such people are indeed prone to going astray."

With that, Sheriff Johnson stood up and walked deeper into the mansion, with Una quickly following.

Upon seeing one corpse after another, Una could no longer control her facial expression, revealing an uncontrollable look of horror.

Those who died from gunshot wounds were considered to have died a quick death. They were shot in vital areas and met God without much suffering, at least their bodies were preserved intact.

In contrast, those who died from stabbings and beatings suffered increasingly gruesome deaths!

Some had their faces scratched by the wall, some had their heads chopped off, some had their hearts pierced, some had been cut in half at the waist...

Una didn't understand knife skills, but she could tell that the cuts were very smooth and neat, clearly the work of a master.

Like Una, many police officers at the scene were stunned by the clean and efficient method of killing.

"Wow, amazing... to be able to split a grown man in half like that..."

"A master of swordsmanship... only Asians would have someone like that."

"What kind of deep hatred must there be to wipe out the entire Black Robe Patrol?"

Such sentiments were heard endlessly.

After walking around the house and examining the various corpses, Sheriff Johnson made a confident judgment:
"It would take at least ten people to kill these twenty-odd people so cleanly and efficiently. One or more of them are skilled with swords, while the rest use firearms."

A police officer standing nearby frowned:
"Ten people... was it a gang feud?"

Another police officer refuted this:
"But the Black Robe Patrol isn't a gang... Could it be revenge from the Chinese?"

Sheriff Johnson shook his head:
"Impossible. Chinatown is in the middle of internal strife, so it doesn't have the resources to deal with the Black Robe Patrol."

Upon hearing the word "Chinese," Una's gaze sharpened as she recalled a minor incident from the previous day.

Yesterday, that Chinese pastor asked her a strange question—

(Where is the Black Robe Patrol's headquarters?)
—Could it be...?!

Una frowned, a bold idea emerging in her mind!
However, after only a short while, her furrowed brows relaxed.

—Did I get stupid from drinking milk? How could that be...?

—Although that Chinese pastor was indeed quite capable, no matter how strong he was, he couldn't possibly kill the entire Black Robe Patrol single-handedly.

—Besides, how could he possibly know where the Black Robe Patrol's hideout is?

With this thought in mind, Una put the bold but foolish idea out of her mind and focused her attention on the crime scene in front of her, meticulously collecting clues.

……

……

Li Yu is very busy today.

Because today is Sunday.

The so-called "worship" is the most core and common collective activity in Christian faith life. It is a religious practice in which believers gather in church at a specific time—usually Sunday—to worship God, listen to teachings, and fellowship through a series of standardized rituals.

Protestant worship services include rituals, calling and praise, prayer, Bible reading, and so on. Even in America at that time, there was still a strong religious presence; not only the middle-aged and elderly, but also many young people regularly attended church.

Today, as soon as the Sacred Heart Church opened its doors, parishioners—the residents of Maple Street—came one after another to attend the service.

The venue was packed, and those who arrived late had to stand.

The church, usually empty, became exceptionally crowded on this day.

This was the first worship service that Li Yu presided over after taking up his post at the Stone Chamber Church.

It's no exaggeration to say that the success of today's worship service largely determines whether he will gain widespread recognition from the neighborhood in the future.

As it turns out, the adage "opportunity always favors the prepared mind" is an unchanging truth.

All the hard work Li Yu put in to play the role of a pastor was not in vain!

Whether it was reciting the Bible or preaching blessings, he completed it steadily and perfectly without any mishaps.

It is worth mentioning that when everyone was singing hymns, Li Yu sat quietly at the piano and played the music with ease, which caused a stir among the audience.

Li Yu never imagined that the piano he had practiced so diligently since childhood would have such a moment to shine.

Although he was an amateur, he was more than capable of accompanying hymns.

According to Jane, because she couldn't play the piano, the church had never heard piano music since her foster mother died.

Li Yu's appearance allowed the melodious piano notes to resonate once again within the Stone Chamber Church.

And so, thanks to a perfect worship service, Li Yu got a little closer to the neighbors of Maple Street and successfully gained experience points.

[Ding! You have successfully led a service as a pastor.]

[Priest progress: 3% → 6%]

Because he was busy attending church services during the day, Li Yu finally managed to find time to visit the Catholic priest who sold weapons and the Orthodox nun who worked part-time as an "underground doctor" after nightfall.

Fortunately, according to Nekoyashiki, the store is open until 10 p.m., so it's okay to go a little later.

After greeting Jane, Li Yu didn't change his clothes. He was still wearing his priest's robes, carrying a lever-action rifle tightly wrapped in cloth strips, and a suitcase full of weapons. He headed towards Lake Street.

The reason Li Yu wore the priest's robes was purely out of personal preference—he always felt that it would be especially interesting to meet Catholic priests and Orthodox nuns while wearing Protestant priest's clothes!
……

……

That night--

St. Michael's Catholic Church, 13 Lake Street, San Francisco

"This is it..."

Li Yu raised his gaze and repeatedly examined the Catholic church in front of him, which was several times larger than the Stone Chamber Church.

The mainstream religion in the United States is Protestantism, while Catholicism is a marginalized and rejected faith.

In the United States, those who practice Catholicism may face bullying or even murder from Protestants—this is a fact, not an exaggeration.

Although Protestantism is highly secular, a considerable number of Protestants are exceptionally eccentric, and their behavior is even more outrageous than that of medieval fanatics.

The existence of such a sizable Catholic church within the city limits of San Francisco was truly beyond Li Yu's expectations.

Seeing that the door was unlocked, Li Yu pushed it open and went inside.

He stepped in with his left foot first, but before he could even step in with his right foot, he froze on the spot as if petrified.

The reason is not complicated—it was because he saw an unbelievable sight:

A beautiful young woman dressed in Orthodox nun's habit, reeking of alcohol, lay sprawled on a bench near the entrance, seemingly asleep, her full breasts and flat stomach rising and falling rhythmically.

Several empty bottles were scattered around him, each labeled with the same name: Vodka.

If that's all there is to it, then so be it.

What truly shocked Li Yu was her attire—she was clearly a nun, yet she was wearing a pair of white stockings!
Her nun's habit was shortened at the hem, turning it into a short skirt that only reached halfway down her thighs, exposing her fleshy, white-stockinged thighs.

For this reason, Li Yu clearly saw that each of her two white-stockinged thighs was tied with a black holster, and both holsters contained the same pistol: a Browning M1922 pistol.

　Indeed, nuns must wear white stockings; a nun who doesn't wear white stockings is soulless.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)