So that "Assassin" pathway Beyonder who loved to appear silently and slip away using Invisibility had come to Telier as well... Xialuote recalled how Hengli'aite had once warned her not to keep counting on someone looking after her from the shadows. At the time, she had suspected it was just an excuse to keep her from relying on outsiders, but now it seemed Hengli'aite truly might not have been in Suxite during that period.
"Good evening, Hengli," she greeted her warmly, her gaze drifting toward the cemetery. "Who are you paying respects to?"
Dressed in a black gown, Hengli'aite glanced back at the fresh flowers she had just set down and said, "Someone who is no longer here."
No longer here? The first person who sprang to Xialuote's mind was her cousin from the Suolun family, Luoshali Suolun.
Could something have happened to her, and she was already buried in this church cemetery?
Hengli'aite evidently caught something in her shifting expression. Raising an eyebrow slightly, she asked, "What are you thinking? Luoshali is alive and well—she just hasn't returned to Telier yet."
Only then did Xialuote breathe a sigh of relief. A little embarrassed, she asked, "Is she still in the Miwu Sea Archipelago?"
The waters surrounding the Northern Continent were dotted with numerous islands and archipelagos. For instance, Suniya Island, lying to the east of the continent, had once belonged to the Kingdom of Luen before being seized by the Fusake Empire in the Twenty-Year War. In the south, the Dixi Archipelago had initially been controlled by the Kingdom of Feineibote, ceded to Yindisi after the Oath-Breaking War, but had fallen into Luen's hands due to the recently concluded Three-Year War.
To the west of Yindisi lay a vast cluster of islands shrouded in mist year-round. Only a portion possessed established ports and stable settlements, while others remained completely undeveloped due to hidden reefs, a lack of fresh water, and harsh weather. Administratively, they did not even have a unified capital; they were merely placed under the nominal care of Pasi Province, which held the largest harbor, Port Lesair.
With the Miwu Sea Fleet suffering heavy damage during the war, governing overseas colonies had grown increasingly difficult, and the Miwu Sea Archipelago had gradually turned into a paradise for smugglers, pirates, and criminals.
If Luoshali remained stationed there for a prolonged period, whatever she was doing was likely far from proper or legal...
Sure enough, Hengli'aite nodded and said, "The task your family assigned her isn't finished yet, and she also needs to find an opportunity to complete her advancement ritual."
"A ritual?" Xialuote immediately caught the unfamiliar word and pressed further.
When paired with advancement, the word's significance to a Beyonder was self-evident. But Xialuote had originally assumed that all one needed was to obtain a potion formula, gather the corresponding ingredients, concoct the potion, and drink it down in one gulp.
Yet from what Hengli'aite said, did Luoshali need to hold a specialized ritual for advancement in addition to preparing the potion?
Hengli did not conceal anything. "Starting from a certain Sequence, advancement requires more than just a potion—you also have to complete a corresponding ritual. Otherwise, a loss of control is inevitable."
So extra requirements really only appear at higher Sequences... Comprehension dawned on Xialuote, and she immediately recalled another matter she had pieced together during this period: "Then what about 'acting'? In the process of mastering a potion, does acting play a crucial role?"
"It seems you've already found your bearing." Hengli, who had previously reminded Xialuote to act like a true Arbiter, showed no surprise. Instead, she nodded with gratification. "The formal term for this method is the 'acting method', and the process of gaining feedback is called 'digestion'."
So the sense of fulfillment I felt after acting successfully was feedback... Digestion, what an apt description... Corroborating the woman's words with her own experiences, Xialuote quickly grasped the concepts and pressed on, "What marks the completion of the 'digestion' process?"
Hengli glanced toward the cathedral not far from the cemetery. Seeing that no one was paying attention to their conversation, she replied, "When the time comes, you'll naturally know. The feeling is unmistakable.
"As for Sequence 9, as long as you find the right way to act, summarize the appropriate principles, and engage in enough practice, you can usually digest the potion completely in about half a year. For us, the true difficulty of advancement often isn't mastering the potion, but how to obtain the subsequent formula and gather the necessary ingredients."
Half a year? That was far shorter than the three-year observation period mandated by the Church, and it aligned with her own estimated timeframe... A surge of joy welled up inside Xialuote, but she quickly remembered that she had no leads on the Sequence 8 potion formula, not even knowing the name of that potion.
Aside from continuing to make contributions within the Church and waiting out the three years, she would more likely have to seek opportunities on her own outside.
And the capital of Yindisi surely would not lack such opportunities... Gathering her thoughts and seeing Hengli'aite step past her, preparing to leave along the street outside the church, she hurriedly said from the bottom of her heart, "Thank you, Lady Hengli."
At her words, Hengli'aite's forward stride pivoted smoothly. Her body spun around with nimble grace, her skirt billowing in the night breeze. Pinching the hem of her dress with one hand, she offered Xialuote a lively yet standard curtsy. A sly smile played across her lips before she turned once more, her figure rapidly melting into the darkness of the night.
This person hasn't changed a bit... Xialuote grumbled inwardly, the word "Witch"—the title describing Beyonders of subsequent Sequences in the Assassin pathway—inexplicably leaping into her mind. Tugging her gaze away, she looked toward the cemetery behind her.
After a brief hesitation, she bypassed the unlocked iron gate and stepped onto the grassy lawn lined with rows of tombstones. Passing stones both new and old—some with inscriptions weathered away—she soon found the one adorned with fresh flowers.
The surface of the gravestone bore no epitaph or family crest, only a name and two brief dates:
Hengli Mading.
1118–1140.
————
Skirting the cathedral's outer walls, Xialuote returned to the main entrance of Saint Weiyefu Church. Following several believers through the doors, she looked up toward the nave, whose vaulted ceiling was so high it was nearly lost to sight.
Rows of stone pillars stretched into the depths of the church. Long tables along the walls held hundreds of burning candles, which, together with the high-hung oil lamps, illuminated the entire hall brilliantly.
On the stone walls to either side was a massive rose window more than ten meters in diameter. By day, sunlight streamed through them in multicolored beams; by night, the interior light beamed outward through the glass, allowing both banks of the Sailunzuo River to behold the radiance of Saint Weiyefu.
Beside the windows were painted enormous murals depicting a white-robed lady with long blonde hair and an invisible halo behind her, doing battle against evil and protecting the pious faithful.
So this is Saint Weiyefu... Xialuote observed before the window for a moment. Once the nearby believers dispersed, she approached a clergyman, explained her purpose in a low voice, and requested that he notify the Purifiers attached to the church or the Inquisition staff in the underground area.
A short while later, in an upper area of the church, she met the captain of the Purifier squad on duty today—Feilikesi Duonowan, a blonde-haired man in his thirties wearing a gold-and-white coat and waistcoat.
Taking the letter Weiyefu had written to the Telier diocese, he read it carefully, while Xialuote covertly observed this official Beyonder.
Why blonde hair again? Weiyefu had it, and so did the mural of Saint Weiyefu in this cathedral... Could drinking too many potions of the Sun pathway gradually turn even one's hair golden? A preposterous speculation crossed Xialuote's mind, though she dared not show her curiosity on her face.
After a moment, Duonowan set down the letter, glanced at her, and said, "The sister from Suxite explained your situation in the letter. Shortly, I will have someone prepare some holy water for you. During your stay in Telier, you may also come here periodically to collect more.
"However, you must safeguard '3-1452' carefully. You may not hand it over to anyone else to use, and under no circumstances should you disclose any information regarding it to anyone."
Xialuote nodded.
According to the internal regulations of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, detailed information on Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts was restricted to diocesan bishops and Purifier deacons, while Grade 2 items were overseen by bishops and squad captains. Information on Grade 3 Sealed Artifacts was open to official members, meaning even a peripheral member like Xialuote had no right to access it.
Not only did Weiyefu have me assist in testing the Dagger of Verdict long-term, she even directly revealed its altered abilities and negative effects. It seems she treats me as more than half an official member... As she pondered, she recalled the holy canon once used to verify the truth of her testimony, guessing that the Sealed Artifact she had had no right to know about was most likely classified as "Grade 2".
Seeing Xialuote remain silent without responding, Duonowan seemed to misunderstand. Putting down the letter, he said in a more formal tone, "If you wish to assist us in completing certain tasks, there happens to be something suitable for you here.
"The corresponding results will be reported to the Purifier squad in Suxite as your contributions to the Church."
No, that's not what I meant at all... The moment Xialuote heard that she was being asked to do work, she was about to shake her head in refusal, but she perked up at his second sentence.
Her acting as an Arbiter was already on the right track, so naturally she looked forward to the next Sequence's potion. If she could obtain the Sequence 8 potion from within the Church, it would not only save her the gold coins needed to buy formulas and ingredients outside, but also spare her the risk of dying from losing control after consuming the wrong potion.
After a brief hesitation, she nodded and asked, "What do you need me to do?"
Duonowan was clearly pleased with this answer. Smiling, he raised a finger. "First, and the easiest for someone of your status: if you have the opportunity to enter Baifeng Palace and come into contact with members of the royal family, keep an eye out for anything concerning Beyonder powers, secret faiths, or abnormal incidents."
Here it comes... Inwardly, Xialuote was not at all surprised.
She had long suspected that the Church's willingness to readily provide the Arbiter potion was not just because she assisted in investigating the evil god's believers, but also because they valued her status as a Suolun noble and a member of the royal family's collateral branch.
"However, the Inquisition does not require you to actively test anyone. You only need to report to us when you witness with your own eyes an abnormality that might involve evil cults or a loss of control."
This boundary was fairly acceptable... After a moment's consideration, Xialuote nodded in agreement.
Duonowan then raised a second finger. "Second, Telier is currently in turmoil. There has even appeared a sect claiming to worship the 'True Creator'. They preach their faith brazenly and have launched attacks against the Church..."
Chapter 55