"A sealing artifact like a rattle drum is so unique and cos from the Church Court; people from the Church shouldn’t be unaware, especially since it involves the forr Bishop. Why hasn’t there been a targeted investigation?" Li Xin asked, "I’ve seen the tropolitan, but there’s been no action from the Judicial Court."
"Your thinking is very clear. The rattle drum obviously doesn’t fit the Moon God’s Court’s style of secret items; I’ve done a little digging myself, and the Church doesn’t have such a sealing artifact," Jiang Wu said.
Li Xin frowned. How did the forr Red-robed Archbishop get his hands on a sealing artifact and then pass it on to Jiang Wu?
"Why did they choose you?"
Jiang Wu sighed, "When I beca the captain of the Shadow Owl squad, I had a brief encounter with the Archbishop. I never thought a small figure like would be noticed; I was indeed overjoyed for a while."
"Where is the rattle drum? Can I take a look at it, and where are the worms you’ve collected? Why does the Archbishop want to do this?" Li Xin continued to ask.
Fear was just a fleeting feeling; then, he began to ponder.
"I wouldn’t carry it around with . I can bring it tomorrow. The rattle drum can detect the Fallen within a few hundred ters when shaken, but prolonged use has side effects, like skeletal changes granting transformation abilities. The short stature you see is the result of bone contraction," Jiang Wu said with a smile, "But from then on, the body will be weak for so ti every day, especially after using the ability."
Li Xin frowned, no wonder Jiang Wu seed sowhat unprofessional.
"I’ve stored the worms in a bronze cauldron in a secret location, unsure of what to do with them now. But from the Archbishop’s tone, the purpose doesn’t seem to be to eliminate the Fallen but to collect these worms," Jiang Wu said.
Li Xin’s way of thinking differed from ordinary people because he understood that soone who reached the position of a Red-robed Archbishop wouldn’t secretly instruct a Shadow Owl captain for a vague sense of Justice. Even if the Archbishop is responsible, wanting to eliminate the Fallen without heightening tensions with the Hundred Martial Hall would surely have a better thod.
The rattle drum itself has significant side effects, so there must be a deeper intent, and it’s cautious of being discovered by others.
If a chief Red-robed Archbishop is concerned about these worms, then the two most important factors in this incident are the origin of the rattle drum and those worms.
"Captain, now that I’m aware of this, I want to put in my share of effort. I’m the kind who doesn’t believe in superstitions, so no need to wait for tomorrow. Why don’t we check out the rattle drum and those worms tonight?" Li Xin asked. The two items are key, and after coming into contact, he could use the dice to gather more intelligence.
"Alright!" Jiang Wu readily agreed. He was very confused, as the side effects of the rattle drum increased, leaving him aimlessly adrift, "Do you want to report this to the Secretary?"
He had hesitated whether to inform the tropolitan, but if the chief Red-robed Archbishop wanted the tropolitan to know, they would have arranged for that directly.
Li Xin thought for a mont, "Not at the mont. Let’s first figure out what’s really happening. If it turns out to be big, I’d suggest stopping here, Captain. If it’s just about dealing with the Fallen, then the Night Patrol’s thods can suffice. While effective, the consequences are too great; if the Hundred Martial Hall is mass-producing the Fallen or planning sothing, this isn’t a case for just the two of us. Truth can’t remain hidden forever."
Jiang Wu nodded. Perhaps due to his personal experience, he always lacked the courage and resolve to challenge upwards. However, Li Xin in front of him was different. Li Xin was always respectful to everyone, but Jiang Wu could sense the decisiveness in his eyes.
"I’ll first head to the Canon Law School to finish up so handovers; I won’t be going over there for a while," Li Xin said.
"Saying it out loud feels much lighter," Jiang Wu laughed, "Li Yinxiao, in the future, we will have to fight side by side. But I suggest you stay as you are; I’ll be overt, you’ll be covert; just in case, it’s better to have a backup."
"As the Captain says," Li Xin didn’t think such detailed precautions were necessary, but being careful never hurt.
Leaving the Shadow Owl, Li Xin imdiately called a carriage to the Quiet Canon Law School. He had to inform White Bear Lu Shuai and the others. Lu Shuai had also organized so gathering; once involved in this case, ti would be unpredictable, and he didn’t want to leave Lu Shuai hanging.
In the carriage, Li Xin habitually began organizing the case process, feeling that the Night Patrol agents were all very persistent. Jiang Wu might say he’s afraid, but he hasn’t shirked any of the necessary deeds.
The previous chief was said to have died, declared externally as a defector; it all felt slightly off. The Church isn’t usually so rigid; to minimize negative impact, they usually use another excuse to cover it; this has always been their approach. Is there a major reason behind it?
Worms...
What’s so valuable about collecting these? In the past, they would simply kill the Fallen and stomp the worms to death. Once bloodthirsty worms fully mutate, they have no retrieval value. Unless...
Li Xin frowned, preparing to make a judgnt: the worms Jiang Wu collected relate to the Fake Embryo.
Just as he was about to roll the dice, a chilling sense of danger enveloped him; Li Xin imdiately stopped, and the persistent sense of crisis dissipated. He opened the carriage window, letting the cold wind brush his face. It was biting, but the suffocating feeling slowly eased away.
The carriage clattered down the road; Li Xin leaned against it, recalling Kathy’s warning to never deal with Fake Embryo issues. If it could spell disaster for the previous chief, the Fake Embryo had that power. Although the dice’s sense of crisis couldn’t definitively be attributed to the Fake Embryo, it could be a misconception. Still, only seeing the worms would clarify matters.
However, he lacked relevant secret knowledge, without which even seeing it might not discern anything. The dice might not help either. He needed an opportunity to consult Mr. Cancer; he forgot that Mr. Cancer also advised avoiding the Fake Embryo topic.
Hiss...
Li Xin could only hope it had nothing to do with the Fake Embryo; if it did... he and Jiang Wu would best cease their actions.
Hundred Martial Hall and the Fake Embryo?
What about Qi Badao? Worms were planted in him; could they be related to the Fake Embryo worms?
But that doesn’t seem right. Many Night Patrol agents were present at the ti, none noticing anything unusual, or does it take soone from within the Church responsible for worms to distinguish? This likely requires Sister Kathy.
There has been no word from Qi Badao since he left, leaving the situation unclear. If there was a way to get a hold of the information, it might be enlightening.
Suddenly, Li Xin frowned. He had overlooked a very important question he kept intending to ask while talking with Jiang Wu, but for so reason, kept forgetting. It just briefly crossed his mind again, but he couldn’t recall what it was.
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