The four men were priests of the Black Orchid cult. Their names were Zeke, Orion, Jax, and Neo.
They had been ordered to sneak into the US from Canada to find information about the Clifton family. They had already been searching for several days, and they had now pretended to be dancers at the family banquet so that they could disguise themselves as dancers and enter the hall freely.
Although they were surrounded, the eyes of the four men never left the door. If anyone tried to escape, they would kill them in a heartbeat.
Although the Clifton family was once connected with the Black Orchid sect in America, the four priests were not there to reminisce about the past. They all had cold expressions as they looked at the guards. They knew that as a powerful family that had survived for over a century, the Cliftons shouldn't be underestimated.
When the man said, "You will all die," the family was in a state of uproar. The young men, particularly, were desperate to attack the four strangers.
One young man said, "There's only four of you and three hundred of us. Do you really think you can take on all of us? You're crazy."
Even Chelsea couldn't help but smile. Only ignorant foreigners would dare to be so presumptuous with the Clifton family. She thought I'm afraid that they won't be so arrogant for long. Soon, they'll feel the true strength of the Clifton family. Besides, Alex is nearby. He'll deal with them.
"Come on then, what are you waiting for? I'll give you one chance to leave," said another family member.
"Don't talk nonsense. I've been learning some new martial art techniques. This will be a great chance to practice," said another.
Everyone laughed. The four men felt that everyone was laughing at them and for a moment, didn't know what to do.
"Well, don't say that we didn't warn you," one of the strangers said coldly. He grabbed one of the security guards and whirled him around in the air several times. The man's face turned red and after struggling to stand for a moment, he collapsed to the ground where he passed out.
Everyone in the room was suddenly silent with shock. The man was a senior security guard and a martial arts master, but he had been knocked out in a single move.
Rufus was appalled, and he was becoming increasingly anxious. He thought, Why aren't Dad and Alex back yet? I'm sure that as soon as Alex gets back, he'll beat these attackers, no matter how powerful they are. He'll save the family.
He knew that his father had an emergency device that he could activate but that he shouldn't unless he had no other choice. If he panicked and activated it too rashly, his father would scold him for losing his cool.
Instead, Rufus said in a deep voice, "Everybody, please step aside. What are you four strangers doing? Tell me what my family have done to offend you. Why have you invaded our celebration and started hurting people? Tell me what you want."
The man who had beaten the security guard was called Zeke. He was the leader of the four and was a senior and knowledgeable member of the sect. He knew that beating the security guard so easily had the effect that he had hoped for. The family were all terrified, and he could sense the respect in Rufus's voice. He knew that Rufus would do anything to defend his family.
He smiled sinisterly at Rufus and said, "You're a sensible man and I can tell that respect us and appreciate the gravity of your situation. Tell me, where is Debbie?"
"Rufus, don't tell him anything. There are hundreds of us. There's no way they can beat us all. Don't be polite to these scumbags," one of Rufus's young brothers roared, his eyes full of contempt and hatred. The men had already hurt one of their own.
"Shut up. My father isn't here so I have the final say," Rufus said coldly. He turned back to the men and said, "Debbie? Why are you looking for Debbie? She's just a young woman. What do you want with her? She can't have done anything to upset you." Rufus was puzzled.
"You misunderstand our quest. You assume that we're looking for Debbie because she's done something to offend us. That's not true. We're looking for her because she is the chosen one and it's her fate to come with us. We're here to ensure that she lives up to her fate. Where is she?" Although he spoke with a heavy accent, his voice was soft and melodic. Everyone was quiet as they listened to him.
Rufus naturally refused to identify Debbie so easily. He didn't know who the four foreigners were, but he could sense cruelty in them. Unfortunately, as the man mentioned Debbie's name, several family members looked at her without thinking. The men followed their gazes and saw that there was only one woman who appeared to be as beautiful, pure, and serene as the woman they were looking for.
The leader told himself, If I guess correctly, this is the chosen one of the new generation of the Black Orchid cult. Her temperament and appearance seem to be perfect. We have been guided to her, and I am grateful.
With his face full of piety, he murmured a few words of gratitude to the sky. He felt grateful that they had found her so quickly and that their trip would not be in vain.
When he had arrived in the US, he had heard that Debbie was the granddaughter of the Clifton family. As soon as he saw her, he noticed her resemblance to Cynthia Clifton. Her face was so similar that he was certain she was the one they were looking for.
However, he could not rely solely on his intuition. The four of them had always proceeded with caution and they needed to be certain that she was the right one.
At that moment, a distant cousin pushed his way through every one to find Rufus. He whispered a few words in his ear.
The cousin had been sent as a spy to attend a Black Orchid ceremony eight years previously.
After observing the strangers for a while, he confirmed to Rufus that they were priests from the Black Orchid cult. Rufus was shocked when he heard who they were. He understood from his father that the cult's influence had been greatly diminished over the years, and that the Cliftons had worked to distance themselves from the group. But, as the eldest son with more access to his grandfather's great store of knowledge and experience than some of his other family members, he was also very aware of the power of such cults.
He understood completely why his father had refused to disclose the blood relationship between Debbie and his family. It was vital that it didn't become public knowledge.
How can I hide Debbie? Rufus asked himself, but he realized that it was too late when he saw one of the priests was already standing next to her.
The man smiled and said, "Miss Clifton, your mother has been waiting for you in Canada for a long time. We've been sent to collect you and take you back with us to join her. Please come with me."
Debbie was shocked. A trace of joy appeared in her eyes as she imagined a reunion with her mother. But it soon vanished as she thought, It's impossible. How could my mother be in Canada when I know for a fact that she fell off the cliff and died?
The priest was almost sure that Debbie was Cynthia's daughter. He knew that he could use the jade Phoenix to confirm it, but he didn't think it was necessary.
"We worship you, for you are the chosen one," he said to Debbie as he dropped to his knees in front of her. His body was completely prostrate, which was the posture of worship. The other three priests also kneeled on the ground and looked up at Debbie with tears of joy streaming from their eyes.