Chapter 91 Destino Art
Jonathan paused in shock before snapping back to reality. He was a fearless person after all. He returned the smile and reached out a hand too. “Hello!” he greeted.
The two of them shook hands politely.
Although Jonathan was usually laid-back and carefree, he made sure to keep a distance between women he was not familiar with. He would not flirt with them so casually.
Furthermore, Mabel was not a simple woman.
Jonathan looked at Mabel in confusion. “If I’m not mistaken, I think this is the first time we’ve met. To what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked politely.
Mabel smiled. “Let’s have a seat.” She gestured toward the chairs.
Jonathan nodded and replied, “Sure.”
Amber, who was standing by the side, sighed in relief. She was afraid that Jonathan would actually act out of line in front of Mabel. She thanked her lucky stars that Jonathan did not embarrass her.
Once the three of them sat down, Amber began to make the introductions. “Jonathan, this is Ms. Sandler. She’s from the sixth division at the Department of National Security.”
Jonathan was taken aback. “The sixth division?”
Mabel smiled. “Have you heard of the sixth division, Mr. Lawson?”
Nodding, he replied, “I have.”
Mabel’s interest was piqued. “What you think of the sixth division?”
“The sixth division is a mysterious place. It’s probably even more secretive than Anglandur’s intelligence agency. Furthermore, your training is top secret. I’m surprised you revealed your identity, Ms. Sandler,” Jonathan replied with a smile.
Mabel smiled back. “You are a trustworthy person, Mr. Lawson, aren’t you?”
Her words were laced with intimidation, as though Jonathan would be in danger if he denied it.
He was immediately disgusted by the way she spoke, but he did not let it show. “I didn’t agree to anything.” Jonathan was open to persuasion, but not to coercion. He was implying that he had not promised anything. There was nothing they could do even if he exposed it to the world.
The atmosphere turned tense.
Amber detected the awkwardness and stepped in to mediate. “Jonathan’s always been like that. He’s pretty straightforward. Don’t mind him, Mabel. He will definitely keep your identity a secret,” she said.
Mabel was not really angered by Jonathan. On the contrary, she looked at him in admiration. “Capable people are always a little arrogant. If Mr. Lawson was a soft man, he would not be worth my time. He would also not be able to catch Zachary.”
Jonathan instantly understood that the woman in front of him was testing him. He also realized that Mabel had come to talk about Zachary.
Jonathan smiled in response. He did not make any comment.
“Let’s order some food,” Mabel said.
Amber instantly replied, “I’ll call for the waiter.”
The meal was pretty pleasant. Jonathan had a good appetite and ordered a lot of food. In the beginning, he noticed that Mabel had her guard up around him. However, as time passed, she soon let it down.
Mabel had been conversing softly with Amber. Both of them were exasperated at how much Jonathan was eating.
Once they finished their meal, Mabel went and paid for it.
The three of them then walked out.
By then, it was already half-past eight in the evening.
Horington was lit up by bright neon signs. Cars flooded the roads.
Amber looked at Mabel and said, “Let me take you back to the hotel, Mabel.” The other woman replied, “There’s no need to do that. I can get home just fine. I would like to take a walk.”
Since Amber was not that close with Mabel, she did not persist.
After bidding Jonathan and Amber goodbye, Mabel left.
Jonathan watched her go. The woman was wearing a black dress that accented her curves. She had an alluring figure!
Jonathan could not tear his eyes away, especially with the added mystery of Mabel’s status.
When Amber noticed Jonathan staring at Mabel like a hungry predator, she stepped on his feet hard. She then stomped to her car and drove off.
Jonathan winced and grabbed his foot in pain. In the end, he laughed out loud. Is Amber jealous? What’s there to be jealous about? Is she jealous because I haven’t been looking at her like that? Even if I do like you, you won’t even be able to tell!
Jonathan wasn’t about to dwell on Amber’s anger. He only cared if Jennifer was mad at him, and no one else.
Soon after, Jonathan got into his AMC Gremlin and left.
During dinner, Jonathan had ordered someone wine to drink. Therefore, he was technically driving under the influence of alcohol. However, Jonathan never cared about such things. He got behind the wheel anyway. Furthermore, beer and wine did not count as alcohol to Jonathan.
He did not expect to see Mabel not long after he left.
She was standing by the roadside, the warm night breeze gently tousling her hair. At that moment, Mabel resembled a goddess. She was so beautiful that she could drive anyone mad.
Somehow, Jonathan had a feeling that Mabel was waiting for him.
Jonathan slowed the car to a stop and wound the window down. He poked his head out and asked, “Are you waiting for me, Ms. Sandler?”
Mabel looked at Jonathan and smiled lightly. “You’re right,” she said in a carefree tone.
“Get in, then.” Jonathan waved at her.
Mabel opened the door and got into the passenger seat. The moment she did, the entire car was filled with a faint fragrance.
Jonathan drove on. “Where are you going, Ms. Sandler?”
“Since I’m in Horington, I have to see the ocean. Let’s go to the beach,” Mabel replied.
Jonathan chuckled. “Why don’t you get Amber to bring you to the beach? Do you want to go on a date with me, Ms. Sandler?” Once Jonathan gets closer to a person, his mouth would get out of control.
Thankfully, Mabel was not angry. She held herself elegantly. She was like a blooming flower that would never wilt. She wasn’t prone to losing her temper too. Mabel smiled. “Whatever you say.”
Jonathan felt dissatisfied. A man would tease a woman because he wanted to annoy her. He hoped that she would get embarrassed and act on it. However, if the recipient simply brushed it aside, it wouldn’t be fun anymore.
Of course, Jonathan felt that Mabel’s reaction was normal. There was no way he could expect someone like her to be embarrassed and shy.
“By the way, how did you know I was coming? What if I decided to go on a date with Amber instead?” Jonathan asked nonchalantly.
Mabel smiled faintly. “I had a gut feeling.”
“Are you really that intuitive, or are you just a stalker?”
Mabel laughed. “You have not reached my level yet. Once you get to the cultivation stage where I’m at, you will begin to develop intuition. You will be able to feel if things are going to take a turn for the worst, or not. It’s similar to how you tend to become more sensitive to certain things the older you get.”
Jonathan rolled his eyes. “Old people are always muddled.” Unable to suppress his curiosity, he went on to ask, “Which cultivation stage are you at, Ms. Sandler?”
“Haven’t you already guessed it?” Mabel chuckled.
“Nascent Soul!” Jonathan exclaimed in shock.
They soon reached their destination.
The beach was brightly lit. There were plenty of recreational facilities. There were also many hotels nearby. Most tourists chose to visit the beach. Therefore, the hotels nearby were all luxurious and expensive.
Jonathan and Mabel walked over to a quieter part of the beach and sat down.
In front of them was an unending expanse of the ocean. The sound of waves crashing against the shore could be heard. The sea breeze blowing at them tasted salty.
Jonathan had a lot of questions. He began, “Ms. Sandler, you…”
“My name is Mabel Sandler,” Mabel cut in. “Please stop calling me Ms. Sandler. Just call me Mabel, like how Amber does.”
Jonathan laughed. “Calling you Mabel does make you seem younger.”
“Sure. It’s just a way to address me anyway,” Mabel said lightly.
Now that he had been granted permission, Jonathan got cheeky. “Mabel.”
“Hm?”
“Mabel.”
“Yes?”
“Mabel.”
Even Mabel, who was usually a patient person, got somewhat agitated. She looked over at him with her eyebrows furrowed. “What do you want?”
Jonathan laughed cheekily. “It feels so nice to say your name. It also gives me a sense of accomplishment.”
Mabel looked at him in exasperation. She had not realized that he was a chatterbox.
Jonathan soon put on a serious face. “I have something to ask you, Mabel.”
“Go on.”
“I’ve been at Neutralizing Force for three years now. Before this, everything had been a piece of cake. However, I’ve tried everything, but I can’t get to the next stage. What exactly am I lacking? You are a Nascent Soul expert. I would like to get some advice from you,” Jonathan said.
Mabel sat up straighter and looked at him. “Neutralizing Force is the limit for martial arts. There are many masters out there who stopped at Neutralizing Force. No matter how strong you are, your body will start to decay once you age past fifty years old. However, people who have attained Nascent Soul can remain strong and healthy even at eighty.”
Jonathan nodded. “I know.”
Mabel continued, “Neutralizing Force is the highest level in martial arts. Nascent Soul, on the other hand, is a type of Destino Art. Do you know what that means?”
Jonathan had heard Gabriel talk about it before. He furrowed his eyebrows and asked, “What actually is Destino Art? I don’t think it will be easy to describe it in a few sentences.”
“You’re right. If it were that easy to understand, there wouldn’t be so many people stuck at Neutralizing Force. You can only walk the path of Destino Art on your own. No one can teach you. There are some professionals who have gone wild. They would kill without remorse, but they are strong in Destino Art. They know who they want to become. That is the reason why those people are able to achieve Nascent Soul. And then there are some who, though righteous, aren’t able to reach Nascent Soul,” Mabel explained.
There was a pause before she went on, “In a nutshell, there isn’t a clear pathway for Destino Art. It doesn’t matter if you’re a righteous person or not. The most important thing is to be firm and have confidence in yourself. You have to know what you want to achieve. You must have your own motivation. That is what it means to learn Destino Art. Overcoming obstacles is also a way.”
Jonathan pondered over her words. He seemed to have come to an understanding.
