biography of lvan

1

"Did you knock on my door just to bother me?" Herbert's tone was filled with impatience, and his hoarse voice made one's heart palpitate with fear.

"Normally, it would be the time for fencing and horse riding practice right now. However, those courses have ended, and Odrie believes that I can learn more advanced skills, and you are a master in this field..." Ivan blurted out this seemingly flawless lie in a flustered manner. Facing such a terrifying killer, he dared not mention the necklace at all.

"Odrie wants you to learn the killing skills from me?" Herbert looked doubtful. Although Mr. Juan had mentioned that Odrie was planning an unprecedented project, he didn't know the details.

"I'll go and ask Mr. Juan about the situation," Herbert said and was about to leave.

"If you don't have time, I can practice on my own," Ivan replied in a panic, fearing that the matter would get out of control.

"Stay here and wait for my return. Don't leave without permission. Do you understand?" Herbert's tone was firm and brooked no dissent.

After speaking, Herbert disappeared from the room in a flash and closed the door behind him. At this moment, Ivan was standing alone in the pitch-dark room, filled with anxiety and regret in his heart.

Perhaps it was never within his power to retrieve the necklace from this devilish killer. Perhaps he shouldn't have stepped into this room in the first place. Ivan could even imagine that the lie he just told would become his epitaph, with an additional sentence below: A foolish man wove a stupid lie in front of a killer and finally met his doom.

Ivan could only pray silently in his heart, hoping that the gods would protect him and help him get out of this dangerous situation.

As long as he could obtain forgiveness from the terrifying killer Herbert, Ivan felt that he would be willing to accept any punishment. Even if it was like last time, lying in bed for a whole month and enduring the severe pain and weakness of his body, he would do it willingly. At this moment, he was kneeling on the ground and praying piously, full of hope that he could receive the kind salvation of the gods, as if that was his only lifeline at the moment and could pull him out of this dreadful predicament.

In the lounge, Mr. Juan was lowering his head, with a slight frown on his brow, deep in thought. Odrie was sitting quietly beside him, while Herbert was standing in the dark corner of the room like a silent statue. The shadow seemed to blend with him, adding a touch more mystery and danger to his presence.

This lounge was the place where Mr. Juan usually spent the most time. It was completely different from the layout of the study. The lounge was like a small art treasury, filled with precious works of art from all over the world.

Against the wall, paintings were neatly hung one by one. They came from different regions and each exuded its own unique artistic charm. There were oil paintings with themes of ancient myths from Xibai. The pictures were magnificent, as if they could transport people into that mysterious and grand ancient world. There were exquisite portraits from Otto, with the expressions and demeanors of the characters depicted in great detail. There were

landscape paintings of mountain forests from Rurik, showing the tranquility and grandeur of the mountain forests vividly. And there were pastoral landscape paintings from the island country of Ing, full of a strong rural flavor and natural beauty.

Besides, there were extremely rare paintings depicting the local customs of the Eastern countries. Among them, the most precious ones were those works from the Far East.

They were painted with completely different aesthetic concepts and painting techniques, which were truly astonishing. The artists from the Far East seemed to possess magical powers. They could draw wonderful pictures just with different shades of black pigments and simple strokes. Most of these works from the Far East focused on natural themes such as landscapes, single flowers, plants, birds, beasts, fish, and shrimps. There were very few creations involving figures and portraits.

In the middle of the room, several armchairs were placed in a circle. These armchairs were ingeniously made, carefully woven with sturdy and lightweight rattan. On the surface of the rattan chairs, layers of precious animal furs were thickly spread. There were lion and lynx skins from Xibai, which emitted an air of majesty and wildness.

There were bear skins, fox skins, and leopard skins from Rurik, each showing the wonder and power of nature. There were mink skins, rhinoceros skins, and crocodile skins shipped from Otto, which were even rarer and more precious. These thick furs made the rattan chairs not only soft and comfortable but also especially warm. Once you sat on them, it was as if you were surrounded by warmth and luxury.

Mr. Juan and Odrie clearly knew the art of enjoyment. An exquisite screen carved from ivory cleverly separated the door from the lounge. Feathers of various rare birds were dotted everywhere in the room like stars. Mr. Juan seemed to have a special preference for peacock feathers. The bright emerald green color of the peacock feathers became the dominant color here, making the whole room full of a gorgeous and mysterious atmosphere.

In a corner of the room, a bronze brazier was placed. Inside the brazier, some kind of incense was burning. Wisps of smoke were curling up slowly, followed by a refreshing fragrance. The fragrance was like invisible threads, gradually permeating the whole room, making people feel relaxed and happy when they smelled it.

"That kid wants to be your disciple?" Mr. Juan broke the silence after a while and asked slowly. His voice was particularly clear in this quiet room.

"He said that Odrie had ordered him to do so," Herbert replied calmly, without the slightest ripple in his tone.

"Your achievements are quite remarkable," Mr. Juan turned his head slightly and showed an approving smile towards Odrie.

"Yes, a stupid but extremely clever lie. However, I haven't taught him the course of deception yet," Odrie responded with a smile on her face, and then added, "Should we let him suffer a little? Let him remember that real deception must involve careful planning and cautious thinking?"

Hearing Odrie's suggestion, Mr. Juan fell into deep thought again. His brows furrowed even more tightly, and a hint of solemnity could be seen in his eyes. After a long while, he slowly raised his head and said, "Didn't you mention to me those consecutive accidents in Luxembourg? Didn't you also propose that Herbert assist you? Well, Herbert, you take that student and teach him the skills of using weapons and avoiding danger.

You have one month to turn the little one into a basic hunter. I think this will be very beneficial for our plan."

"What can I teach him in one month?" Herbert frowned slightly. Apparently, he didn't have much confidence in teaching. His voice was still hoarse and low, echoing in the room filled with incense.

"Teach him what is edible and which foods are poisoned. Teach him how to distinguish and stay away from danger. Teach him the benefits of standing in the shadows. Teach him the ways to escape from a desperate situation. And teach him one or two skills for self-defense. The little one can't always be under your protection.

He needs to be able to face at least two street thugs by himself and quickly deal with them," Mr. Juan said with a firm look, as if he had already planned a growth path for Ivan in his mind, a path full of challenges and dangers.

"I'll do my best," Herbert replied in a deep voice, which seemed to come from a deep, cold well, without any emotional fluctuation.

"Odrie, how much of the little one's studies are left unfinished?" Mr. Juan raised his head slightly, looked at Odrie, and asked softly.

"Almost done. It's just that his Xibai language is a bit lacking. It's okay for daily use, but it might not be sufficient in certain situations," Odrie replied slowly after a moment of thought. "Besides that, there are no problems with his other manners and etiquettes."

"Very good. Can I ask Firth to start arranging the trials? Let the little one show off the results of his studies." A glimmer of expectation flashed in Mr. Juan's eyes as he asked again.

"Yes," Odrie replied firmly and without hesitation.

"Then, it's set for one month later. You and Firth get well prepared in this month. The little one is left to me and Herbert. I haven't used Xibai language for a long time and have forgotten a bit. Odrie, could you bring me a Xibai dictionary, please?" Mr. Juan's voice echoed in the room with an air of unquestionable authority.

Odrie nodded gently in agreement, and then she and Herbert slowly withdrew.

Back in his room, Herbert, with his sharp eyes like a hawk's, immediately noticed Ivan kneeling on the ground. Ivan's face was as pale as paper, and his body was trembling constantly. That appearance made the cold and ruthless Herbert instantly perceive his inner fear and uneasiness.

"Get up. Mr. Juan said that since you intend to learn more advanced combat skills, from today on, you will study with me. 'The Actor' happens to be busy and can't teach you this month. From today on, you move here to live. I have also made a schedule for you. You have one month to get used to it.

"This schedule starts at three in the morning. There's no need to be surprised. The things I teach you are not as easy to master as what Odrie teaches. Because you not only have to imprint everything in your mind but also remember them firmly with your body," Herbert's sharp eyes seemed to be able to see through everything even in the darkness.

He stared closely at Ivan's pale face and panicked eyes and said in a cold tone. "Get up at three. You have to learn to walk outside the house without alerting anyone. Everyone living in this house except you is extremely vigilant. You must learn these first.

"Before five, it's the time for you to learn running. 'The Actor' has never taught you these because he is a swindler. Swindlers don't need to run for their lives. But for us killers, it's completely different. Running is the only life-saving trick.

"Perhaps the skills of the most powerful killer are not particularly remarkable, but his ability to conceal his actions and his running skills are definitely top-notch.

"After five, I'll teach you everything a killer should know. Killers are completely different from swindlers and thieves. There aren't many things for a killer to learn, but more importantly, it's the mastery of these skills.

"In the afternoon, I'll give you combat lessons. It's a different skill from fencing. The combat skills I teach you are far less flashy than fencing. A direct strike is always more practical for a killer than a drawn-out fight.

"I think two hours of training should be enough. You spend the rest of the time with Mr. Juan. At night, you come back here to sleep. You have to learn to sleep curled up in a sitting position or standing, and always stay alert while sleeping, just like most people in this house. 'The Actor' can't teach you these things."

At this point, Herbert walked to the table with steady steps. He reached out, took something from the drawer of the table, then turned around and handed it to Ivan.

At this moment, the light in the room was really too dim. Ivan tried hard to open his eyes wide, but he couldn't see clearly what the thing in his hand was. He could only roughly tell by touch that it was a long strip about half a foot long and seemed to be a device made up of various metal materials joined together. However, he had no idea what this thing was used for.

"Go and stand by the window. Don't open the curtain. You have to get used to the darkness slowly. Although you will be a swindler like Odrie in the future, and a place with bright lights is the most suitable for you swindlers, but who knows if you will encounter any danger in the future.

"I tell you, most dangers come from the dark. If you want to avoid those various dangers, you must first get familiar with the darkness. After getting used to the darkness, you will deeply realize that the best way to avoid danger is to be in the same darkness. Darkness can protect you and make it easier to stay away from danger. While light makes you a more conspicuous target."

Hearing this, Ivan could only obey Herbert's order and slowly walked to the window. In the faint sunlight shining through the window, Ivan finally managed to see clearly the item in his hand. He saw that the object had a strange and very unusual shape, which made Ivan full of doubts and puzzles. He wondered to himself what this thing was used for.

Just when Ivan was full of doubts and his brows were tightly furrowed, suddenly, a hand quietly stretched out from behind.

Ivan was startled by this sudden situation and his body tensed up involuntarily.

With a highly skillful pull and flip of the hand, the thing that Ivan was holding was instantly opened completely. Only then did Ivan see clearly that it was an exquisite hand crossbow. The crossbow arms made of refined steel were tightly joined together by hinges, and an extremely sturdy string, made of some unknown material, firmly tied the two ends of the crossbow arms. When the crossbow arms were folded, they could be easily put into the shaft. There was a deep groove carved on the shaft, which was obviously the place for placing crossbow bolts.

When the whole hand crossbow was fully opened, it wasn't much bigger than the palm of a hand, yet it gave off a chilling and intimidating aura.

"You're a novice, and I don't have much time. I don't have the time to

teach you too many things. Mr. Juan asked me to teach you some self-defense skills that will come in handy for you in the future. I'll give you this small crossbow. I got it when I took out an enemy back then. It's not of much use to me anymore, but it's just right for you."

"The thing is exquisitely made. When folded, it's small in size and can be stuffed into your pocket casually. Don't look at the short crossbow arms. The bolts shot from it are not weak in power. It's easy to shoot and kill an armed guard within fifty meters. At close range, it's even no problem to deal with a heavily armored knight. The only thing you need to practice is to improve your hit rate."

Herbert's generous act really shocked Ivan a lot, and his elusive way of doing things even made Ivan break out in a cold sweat. The back of his vest had already been soaked with sweat.

"Fold the crossbow up."

Ivan did as he was told and thus began a brand-new lesson.

For Ivan, although he hadn't intended to become an assassin at all, these new pieces of knowledge aroused his great interest.

Ivan had always thought that assassins were just desperadoes who sneaked into other people's rooms and stabbed daggers into their chests while they were asleep.

Now he realized that although his original imagination was more or less correct, being an assassin was by no means that simple.

Any assassin could be regarded as an expert in architecture. They needed to be able to tell at a glance where secret passages and hidden doors might be located.

Assassins also had to be proficient in the knowledge of medicine and could distinguish all kinds of poisonous fumes and poisons just by smell and taste.

Moreover, assassins had to be skillful in operating various means of transportation, ranging from the single-person canoes used by barbarians to the light sailboats commonly used in offshore shipping that originally required six people to operate. As for driving carriages and horses, that was even easier for them.

Compared with the horsemanship taught by Audrey, the riding skills that assassins needed to master were much more difficult.

Since when fleeing for one's life, there may not necessarily be a well-saddled and bridled fine horse waiting nearby. Moreover, a horse snatched for escape may not be docile, obedient, and absolutely follow instructions.

Therefore, for a killer, instantly subduing a wild horse and escaping on a bareback horse without any tack is an extremely crucial skill.

In addition, jumping off a galloping horse's back is also a common escape means for killers.

That is a high-level horsemanship skill that highly tests technique and courage.

Ivan learned this skill with great difficulty and paid a considerable price. Although his limbs were not broken, the bruises and abrasions all over his body made him suffer for quite a few days.

However, these are not the most difficult skills to master.

The long-distance running practice in the early morning of a day's training is the most severe test.

For a killer, escaping is not as easy and comfortable as running leisurely on a flat grassland.

It is necessary to jump over ditches overgrown with thorns, slide down slopes full of sharp rocks like knives, climb mountains with soft textures that may collapse at any time, and run madly along bone-chilling brooks. This is the escape route of a killer.

Not only that, Ivan also has to avoid arrows whistling from all directions. For killers, bows and arrows are the most common and least welcome things. Although the arrows used for practice have already had their arrowheads removed, the pain of being hit on the body still feels real.

The time spent with Herbert was always filled with a tense atmosphere and a strong sense of crisis. There was no peace even when sleeping. Although Ivan was still unable to sleep standing up like a horse, since living with Herbert, he curled up in the corner to sleep every night. In the first few days, he was even tightly tied with ropes to maintain this posture. However, it didn't take long for Ivan to get used to it.

The only thing that he has not mastered yet is staying alert while sleeping. In fact, after a day of training, as soon as Ivan returned to his corner, he would quickly fall into a deep sleep. Staying alert during sleep is almost impossible.

Although Ivan could not satisfy Herbert in this regard, Herbert could not find other faults except this.

Among them, the most outstanding achievements were in shooting and combat training.

In Herbert's eyes, Ivan was a naturally gifted technical fighter. Although he was not tall and burly in stature and his strength was not overwhelmingly powerful, his excellent flexibility and precise shooting skills enabled him to avoid being in a hopeless situation and waiting passively when facing strong opponents.

For Ivan, combat was not his favorite. When it came to the elegant art of fencing, that was where his interest lay. In South Port, there were often public fencing performances. The Xibai people were the most enthusiastic lovers and experts in this regard. Although fencing performances were not as popular as circus and fashion shows, due to the large number of Xibai people traveling in South Port, the number of spectators was also quite considerable.

During his time in South Port, Ivan was deeply obsessed with fencing, which was a perfect combination of power and art.

However, the combat skills taught to him by Herbert had no aesthetic sense at all.

The weapon Herbert gave him was a dagger. This dagger was thin, sharp, like a paper cutter, without a guard and with a short handle. Obviously, it was not a defensive weapon and could hardly even be used for parrying.

The moves Herbert taught were extremely simple and purely offensive. The key was only how to improve the attack speed and hit rate, and how to cut the throat and neck blood vessels, or sever muscles and ligaments in a specific way.

Such a thin dagger was not suitable for stabbing into the heart. Although Herbert did not neglect the assassination course, he also warned that stabbing with a dagger was not a reliable method. If there were other places to attack, it was best to give up the idea of stabbing the dagger into the opponent's heart.

However, deep in his heart, Ivan hoped that he would never have to use the skills taught by Herbert against anyone.

For some reason, Ivan liked the small hand crossbow very much. Although the hand crossbow was also a lethal weapon, he didn't feel too much burden in his heart. Whenever he had free time, Ivan would go to the shooting range in the backyard to practice.

Even without careful aiming, Ivan could easily hit the bullseye fifty meters away. Shooting flying birds or shooting fixed targets while riding on a bareback horse was not difficult for him either.

Practicing shooting was the thing that Ivan was most interested in besides studying Xibai language with Mr. Juan.

This class was held in the treasure pavilion where no one except Herbert could enter without Mr. Juan's summons.

The treasure pavilion was actually Mr. Juan's private lounge, where Mr. Juan spent most of his day.

The treasures displayed in the treasure pavilion were all the collections that Mr. Juan had spent his whole life collecting.

Being in this lounge filled with precious works of art every day was the most exciting moment for Ivan.

At such times, Ivan always felt as if he had already realized his dream and completed the feat of traveling around the world. The strange and wonderful art treasures were all the brilliant crystallization of different cultures from all over the world.

This treasure pavilion gathered rare treasures that Ivan had seen, not seen, heard of, and not heard of. And these rare treasures were by no means comparable to vulgar gold and silver or dazzling jewels.

Each treasure here represents a unique civilization.

Even for gold and silver products, a gold necklace inlaid with gems made by a French handicraft workshop is completely different from a necklace shipped from Otto, which is made by twisting gold into thin filaments one by one and then weaving them together, decorated with colorful enamel and inlaid with small gems.

Besides those treasures, Ivan also had a good impression of Mr. Juan.

In his eyes, Mr. Juan was like an amiable old boss, an old man.

It's just that Mr. Juan was much richer and had a broader view.

Ivan knew that Mr. Juan was the most outstanding connoisseur he had ever seen.

Although Odrie could also be regarded as an excellent appraiser, he often had to rely on books to determine the origin of an item.

However, Mr. Juan was completely different. It seemed that he could tell where an item came from, which era it was a masterpiece of, and sometimes even accurately state its specific place of origin just by looking at it.

Among these numerous treasures, what interested Ivan the most was a model sailboat carefully crafted according to the real original.

The hull was made of oak, which was also the main material for making real ships. The deck was paved with red pine floorboards. All the railings, decorations, and inlaid lace on the ship were carved from walnut wood. The statue of the goddess of dawn, carved from a single piece of white locust wood, was hung steadily at the bow, looking sacred and elegant.

On the left and right sides of the model ship's hull and the cabins at the stern, the name of the ship - "Golden Radiance" - was clearly engraved.

Ivan gently turned the rudder and the winch that controlled the sails. Amazingly, they could operate smoothly just like the parts of a real ship, as if the model contained the soul of a real ship.

"You seem to like my sailboat very much." An old voice speaking in Xibai language came from behind. It was Mr. Juan. It seemed that he had had a particularly sweet nap today and didn't pay much attention to the passage of time.

Ivan quickly stood aside with his hands down. After staying in this house for so long, he was already used to everyone's elusive behavior.

"Yes, this is the most exquisite model I've ever seen. It's just like a real one." Ivan replied in Xibai language.

"It used to be a ship sailing freely on the ocean. I used to be the second mate on this ship." Mr. Juan said with a long sigh, his words full of nostalgia for the past.

Ivan was already used to this. After all, Mr. Juan's class was the easiest. It was just chatting and communicating in Xibai language.

"You must have been to many places?" Ivan asked curiously.

"Indeed, I've been to many places. I've been to Bergt in the East and seen the Tor people wielding scimitars on horseback. I've also been to Lindy further east and witnessed the ancient kingdom of Lindy that has a history of three thousand years. I even reached Chira in the Far East and saw a metropolis with a population of over three million." Mr. Juan slowly told in Xibai language, as if the pictures of those journeys were reappearing in front of his eyes.

Although Ivan couldn't fully understand all of it, he was obviously extremely curious about these novel things.

"Are the Tor people in Bergt really so good at forging swords? Can their scimitars really easily cut off our long swords? I used to see spices shipped from Otto in South Port. The merchants said that Bergt is rich in spices, people are dressed in gold and silver, and the emperor's palace in Tor is made of whole marble blocks and is the richest country. Is that true? What kind of country is Lindy? Mr. Juan, is the Chira you mentioned the extremely eastern country that produces porcelain?" Ivan asked a series of questions in a row.

"The scimitars made by the Tor people are indeed sharp. But when it comes to wealth, they can't compare with Lindy and Chira.

In fact, Lindy is the real spice country. The spices that are extremely precious here are not rare at all there. Besides spices, Lindy is also rich in gold and gems. It is truly a wealthy country.

"As for Chira, it is an even more peculiar country. The language they use and the characters they write are different from any other country. They don't have an alphabet. So if they want to express meaning, they have to remember thousands of completely different characters. The strangest thing is that that country doesn't believe in gods. They have no religion. Their belief is in their own ancestors.

"That country has a unique culture and extremely prosperous cities. Their cities usually have a population of several hundred thousand, and there are several cities with a population of over a million. This is unimaginable in any other country. Besides porcelain, silk is also a unique specialty of this country. Their paintings have nothing in common with those of other countries either." The old man said while pointing at several paintings hanging on the wall to explain.

"You are such a learned person. These things even Odrie doesn't know well." Ivan sincerely exclaimed. This was not flattery, but a genuine admiration for Mr. Juan's extensive knowledge.

"You like sailing?" The old man asked with a smile.

"When I was in South Port, the sailors were the ones I envied the most. By the way, Mr. Juan, how did you become a sailor and travel around the world?" Ivan asked curiously.

"My hometown is also South Port. When I was a child, I also envied those sailors very much. At that time, South Port was just a newly established small town by the sea. The dock hadn't even been built well. If you wanted to board the big ships anchored outside the harbor, you had to take a sampan ferry. The transportation of goods also depended on those sampans. Are there still those sampans now?" Mr. Juan recalled the past with a look of emotion in his eyes and then asked Ivan.

"Yes, there are, but there are very few." Ivan replied.

"Really? In our time, we completely relied on these sampans. I was your age when I bought a small sampan with two friends. We helped people transport goods every day and saved all the money we earned. Slowly, we replaced the small sampan with a big one. At the same time, we also learned a lot of maritime skills from the sailors who came and went." Mr. Juan fell into memories and slowly told about that green and struggling past.