absurd deduction game.

While at the art exhibition, seeing how the painter, who wasn't very good at hiding his emotions, was so highly regarded by many of the town's elite, Yu Xing knew that he must have someone behind him.

And it's not just ordinary investors.

It's impossible for Evan to establish himself in the industry based solely on art, but if you add his status as a chosen one of the ancient gods, his current position becomes understandable.

He must have gained the support of esoteric people among the upper class, so their relationship was not one of sponsorship but cooperation. Their shady beliefs and conspiracies gave them a unique social structure, like a swarm of rats in the shadows.

Edgar White's notes not only confirmed Yu Xing's conjecture about the collaboration between the esoteric religion and the ancient gods, but also clearly pointed out the existence of the "City of Terror." More importantly, they revealed the method to enter that eerie realm—by gazing at the stars and actively accepting contamination.

This way, the investigation into Edgar's disappearance can continue... as long as they also go to the City of Horrors, they will have a chance to find the travel writer... or his remains.

“Gazing at the stars, you mean making contact with that ancient god, right?” Qu Xianqing frowned slightly. “That sounds like a good suggestion for suicide.”

“But this should be the only way. Even the Church of the True Gods wouldn’t have any other way to enter the realm of an ancient god.” The musician tapped his chin lightly with his fingers, his tone calm. “Besides, don’t we happen to have a suitable ‘medium’?”

Starry Night.

The painting he bought at a high price and then gave to Yu Xing happens to match Edgar's account. Perhaps, if the archbishop studies it further, it could become the key to unlocking the City of Terror.

"Was this also part of your plan?" Yu Xing asked, tilting her head.

"Although I'd love to admit it, to make myself seem omniscient and to make you all more wary of me... but," the actor laughed, "it's just a coincidence. If I could foresee what would happen next, why would I even bother with this game?"

Qu Xianqing snorted coldly.

The actor added thoughtfully, "Perhaps, with the explanation in that book, or perhaps one of your Broken Mirror Squad members, could do it?"

Qu Xianqing, who hadn't finished his cold snort, paused: "Who did you say?"

The actor shrugged: "I don't know, I don't know."

Qu Xianqing: "..."

Yu Xing stroked the cool cover of the notebook, a dark blue light flickering in her eyes, and she understood the implied meaning in the actor's tone.

Predicting the future sounds like something Zhao Mou could do, but he's not quite there yet.

So, the actor was referring to Carlos, right?
Yu Xing, who already knew that Carlos was full of secrets, was not surprised. Anyway, he had said before that as long as Carlos behaved himself in the broken mirror and did not betray his teammates, he would not care what the "magician" did in private.

"Now that we have the clues," Yu Xing said, carefully wrapping the notebook again in oilcloth and putting it away. "Let's go back now."

He raised his hand and glanced at the silver beacon; its light remained steady.

“We’ve only spent less than two hours, we have plenty of time,” Qu Xianqing estimated. “Should we explore a little longer?”

After asking herself the question, she rejected the suggestion: "No, forget it."

The key to this forest atmosphere is the unfamiliarity of the environment. They don't know what abilities the forest has. What if time flows faster here than outside, and they waste time because of their curiosity? That would be disastrous.

Without further delay, the three of them made sure they hadn't left anything behind, then grasped the beacon and recited a prayer praising the Mother Goddess of Harvest.

They each held the silver beacon, engraved with ears of wheat and stars, in their palms, the cold metallic touch seemingly resonating faintly with the altar of the distant church.

"Praise be to the golden wheat fields, which grant a bountiful return journey."

"Praise be to the vast earth, which forgives the lost sheep that tread upon it."

"Praise be to the Mother Goddess for her loving heart, guiding the way home through the endless night."

As the last syllable of the prayer faded, the beacons in the palms of the three men suddenly emitted a soft and steady pure white light!

The light, like the first rays of dawn, instantly dispelled the surrounding gray-green fog and gloom. Centered on the beacon, the light rapidly spread to the three people, enveloping them in an oval-shaped cocoon of light.

The familiar tearing sensation returned, but this time it didn't come from the raging spatial turbulence outside, but from beneath their feet—as if a gentle yet firm force was pulling them from an extremely distant place.

The surrounding scenery began to blur and stretch; twisted trees, glowing fungi, damp soil... everything quickly faded and decomposed, merging into a dazzling white light.

The unsettling whispers of the forest were no longer in my ears; instead, a faint, solemn, and soothing hymn gradually rose into the air.

This spatial journey felt much smoother and shorter than the previous one.

In just a few breaths, the traction under my feet suddenly disappeared, and the feeling of weightlessness vanished in an instant.

The next moment, the three of them felt their feet firmly planted on solid ground, and the dazzling white light around them receded like a tide.

The familiar scene in the prayer room came into view again—the towering murals on the dome, the teleportation array lines on the ground that had not yet completely faded, and the eight high-ranking deacons around him who looked slightly tired but still maintained their prayer postures.

The air was filled with a faint, unique scent of incense, warm and peaceful, a stark contrast to the decaying, sweet-smelling stillness of the Forgotten Forest.

The archbishop stood in front of the magic circle, the light of his amber staff dimming slightly. When he saw the three people who had returned safely, especially the conspicuous oilcloth bundle in Yu Xing's hand, his aged eyes instantly shone with joy and anticipation.

Once the pure white light completely dissipated, the three stood steadily on the cool stone floor of the sacred prayer room. The chanting of the surrounding deacons gradually ceased, and the light of the magic circle slowly dimmed.

The archbishop immediately stepped forward, his face showing obvious concern. His gaze quickly swept over the three men, and only after confirming they were not seriously injured did he breathe a sigh of relief. He then spoke in a calm tone:

"Thank God Mother, you have finally returned. Ten whole hours... My children, you must have gone through a very difficult adventure."

Ten hours?

Yu Xing, Qu Xianqing, and the actor almost simultaneously revealed subtle expressions.

Qu Xianqing calmly said, "We will enter the dense forest, find clues, and return immediately. The whole process will not exceed two hours."

"Two hours? That's impossible!" A high-ranking deacon, pale-faced and with a rather lively personality, exclaimed, having just finished praying. "We've been precisely calculating the time since the teleportation array stabilized. Look at me, how could two hours have exhausted me like this?" "Ahem." His colleague cleared his throat, signaling him not to be so lively in front of the investigators.

A hint of understanding flashed in the archbishop's wise eyes. He slowly said, "It seems that the Forgotten Forest affects not only space and mind, but also time itself. It is it that affects your perception of time."

He took a deep breath, his tone tinged with relief: "Thank goodness, thank goodness you were so decisive, returning immediately after obtaining the clue without any hesitation. If you had lingered in the forest longer..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood the consequences—once the twelve-hour limit was reached, the magic circle would close, and they would be trapped forever in that eerie forest with its distorted spacetime.

Oh, but for investigators, it might not be so absolute.

They might be able to get out, but they probably won't be able to return to Yolikev anytime soon.

The carefree butler breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright, alright, sounds like you succeeded, right? Let's all take a break, I'm exhausted..."

Colleague: "Cough cough cough cough!!!"

……

After a brief period of chaos, the exhausted deacons left to rest, as maintaining the teleportation array for ten hours was a great burden for them.

Yu Xing and the others followed the archbishop out of the prayer room and back to the office filled with bookshelves and the smell of old parchment and ink.

After dismissing everyone around him, the archbishop gestured for Yu Xing to hand over the item to him. Yu Xing took out the oilcloth wrapping again, unfolded it on the desk, and pushed the dark blue-covered notebook toward the archbishop.

The archbishop put on white gloves and solemnly opened his notebook.

He read quickly, his aged brows furrowing more and more deeply as he read, especially when he came across Edgar's account of being corrupted, his dream of the "City of Horrors," and how to enter it; his breathing became noticeably heavier at that point.

The office was silent except for the rustling of papers turning. Qu Xianqing and the actor stood quietly to one side, awaiting the archbishop's judgment.

After a long silence, the archbishop slowly closed his notebook, his fingertips resting on the three-eyed symbol on the cover. He remained silent for a long time, his expression unusually solemn, as if a storm was brewing in his eyes.

“Edgar… he really was taken there.” The archbishop’s voice was slightly hoarse. “‘The City of Terror’… a prison built by the power of the ancient gods that distorts reality, a prison constructed of fear and imagination. No wonder the church couldn’t find him even after exhausting all its efforts; he’s no longer on our ‘level’.”

He raised his head, his sharp gaze fixed on the three: "The notes mention the method of entry—'gazing at the stars,' actively accepting contamination. This is indeed the only possible way to reach that realm, but it is also extremely dangerous, tantamount to offering oneself as a sacrifice to the ancient gods. Investigators, are you still willing to continue helping the church?"

“Since we’re already here,” Yu Xing said. “The church also sent people to the previous art exhibition, so they should know that I have a medium here that can reliably provide ‘starry sky’ pollution without immediately and completely devouring people.”

The archbishop's gaze slowly shifted to Yu Xing, his expression inquiring: "You mean..."

The actor chuckled and interjected at the opportune moment, his tone tinged with amusement: "Your Excellency, don't you think that Mr. Evan Clifford's 'Starry Night,' which was never exhibited, perfectly fits this description? The corrupting power it contains... I'm sure the deacon you sent to the exhibition could sense it to some extent, and he definitely reported it to you."

The archbishop immediately understood the entertainer's implication.

He pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "That painting... indeed, the distortion and madness it embodies far surpasses ordinary pollutants, and can be used by us."

He looked at Yu Xing: "Is the painting with you, sir?"

Yu Xing nodded, without denying it.

“Please hand it over to me.” The archbishop stood up, his tone resolute and unquestionable. “A simple contamination medium is not enough. We need to transform it into a ‘key’—a key that can briefly open a passage under the protection of the Mother Goddess’s radiance, and ensure that your consciousness is not instantly lost.”

He didn't ask Yu Xing what she did after getting the painting, nor did he investigate the controversy at the art exhibition. At this moment, all his attention was focused on how to resolve this extraordinary crisis.

After a moment's thought, Yu Xing readily agreed.

Handing over "Starry Night" to the Church is the safest option at present. He believes that with the Archbishop's ability and position, he can indeed transform it into a controllable tool without destroying its original function.

"Wait a moment." He smiled at the archbishop, and the massive root system hidden beneath his feet seemed to be rapidly moving towards the office, quickly rolling up the painting tube he had left on the table and quietly returning with the painting.

Tentacles emerged from the floor of the archbishop's room, materialized, and wrapped their sharp points around the painting tube, delivering it intact.

He picked up the painting tube and handed it to the somewhat shocked archbishop, a smirk playing on his lips: "It's just some investigators' little tricks. It's not evil, at least the Mother Goddess didn't seem to find it repulsive, did she?"

The archbishop took the painting tube and exhaled: "Of course, of course, I have no doubt about your justice, but this ability is very rare, somewhat like the divine grace of the Father God of the Deep Sea."

That was also a true god, but his followers were concentrated in the north of this continent. There were no followers of his in Yorikov Town, and the archbishop had not seen him since he was transferred here.

Yu Xing didn't say that the archbishop had admitted his mistake, and simply accepted the title tacitly.

After calming himself down, the archbishop did not immediately open the painting tube in his hand. Instead, he said to the three of them, "Creating an object takes time and requires concentration. I will use a sacred relic treasured by the church, combined with the power of the Mother Goddess, to perform the ritual. This process must not be disturbed. You should go to the side hall to rest and recover the energy you expended in the dense forest. I will inform you when the 'key' is forged."

He summoned a young church member, none other than Ivan from before, and instructed him, "Take the three investigators to the east wing and prepare refreshments."

Knowing they couldn't interfere with what was to come, the three readily agreed and followed Ivan out of the office.

The east wing is spacious and quiet, furnished with several comfortable sofas and coffee tables. Through the stained glass windows, you can see the lush plants in the courtyard outside.

After serving hot tea and delicate pastries, Ivan bowed and withdrew, gently closing the door behind him.

Only three people remained in the room.

Compared to the constant tension in the Forgotten Forest, the safe environment here makes people unconsciously relax, though only to a limited extent.

Qu Xianqing picked up her teacup, took a sip of hot tea, and glanced at the actor out of the corner of her eye. She saw the actor leisurely leaning back on the sofa, looking at the decorations in the side room, as if he were attending an ordinary tea party.

Tsk, loading up.

Yu Xing leaned against the window, her gaze fixed on the direction of the office.

Although separated by walls and distance, he could still vaguely sense a vast yet gentle, yet undeniably majestic power gathering and rising in that direction. It was the divine power of the Harvest Mother Goddess, being guided by the Archbishop, engaging in a dangerous collision and reconciliation with the cold, frenzied, corrupting power in *Starry Night*. (End of Chapter)