absurd deduction game.

After the secret tripartite meeting between the followers of the ancient gods, the high-ranking members of the esoteric sect, and the investigators who had abandoned the light for the dark, they quickly split up and left in two separate groups.

Defit went ahead first. Yu Xing didn't know exactly how he got there, but he clearly saw how he left using the Void Branch.

As expected, the esoteric sect also possessed teleportation rituals. While ordinary peripheral members did not know them, high-ranking members like Defit were adept at performing them.

To be fair, perhaps Yu Xing didn't know enough about the Church of the True God in this instance's worldview. Anyway, he felt that the esoteric religion's research on rituals was indeed quite in-depth, covering all aspects, but the only downside was that the cost was too high.

If the Church of the True Gods could obtain the research results on rituals from the esoteric religions and optimize the costs as much as possible, its overall strength would probably increase significantly.

Order has its limitations, especially since the forces of the righteous gods do not communicate with each other, making their respective orders seem too rigid.

For example, the teleportation array of the Church of the Harvest Mother Goddess requires so many high-ranking deacons to maintain. Is it because the high-ranking deacons are too weak?

Of course not. It's just that the ritual of teleportation in the spatial realm has nothing to do with the authority of the Harvest Mother Goddess. On the contrary, the church of the [Silk Weaving Goddess]—which may sound like a spider, but is actually the goddess in charge of communication and connection, one of the pieces of information Yu Xing has learned in the past few days—is full of teleporters.

While other churches require eight people to maintain a ritual, the Church of the Silk Weaving Goddess only needs one teleporter.

If the true gods could break the mold slightly, equipping each church with one or two teleporters, they could unleash a large amount of combat power when needed.

This is probably why the esoteric schools of thought never dare to let their archbishops ask other churches for help—when the subordinate priests of the orthodox churches unite to fight, the result is far more than one plus one equals two.

With these thoughts in mind, Yu Xingyou followed behind Ai Wen, watching him recite the filthy prayer again and open the passage they had come from.

They retraced their steps, and after a moment of distortion, the stifling air inside the gallery, a mixture of turpentine, high-grade ink, and a light dust, enveloped him once more.

Evan covered the heavy canvas again, completely concealing the door leading to the secret meeting place.

Having said all that needed to be said, there was no need for further pleasantries. Evan simply nodded to Yu Xing, indicating that he could leave on his own, before turning and heading deeper into the gallery, clearly having his own preparations to make.

Yu Xing stood alone in the empty and quiet gallery hall, where mottled stained glass cast cold, lifeless light.

He had taken off his cloak, raised his hand to straighten his slightly disheveled collar, and then looked at his blood-stained sleeves with disdain. In the end, he decided to go back to Carlos's office to change it off.

But he did not leave immediately.

After meeting Evan at 10 o'clock, the series of events seemed long, but in reality, it didn't exceed four hours. It wasn't even 2 o'clock in the afternoon yet, so Yu Xing simply stayed at the gallery to kill time. Under the care of the young maid who knew nothing, she took a lot of snacks and black tea from Evan and asked the maid to tell her about the interesting things she had seen in the gallery.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and as the maid's smile froze, the hands on her wristwatch finally slowly pointed to 2:30 in the afternoon.

The church's team heading to the west of the town has already set off, and it won't be long before they clash with the ambush arranged by the secret cult.

Yu Xing knew that the actors wouldn't miss the opportunity to cause trouble, while most of the strategists who were keen to watch the plot or were on investigation missions were now focused on the area outside the town.

Leaving now will minimize the chances of being seen by others.

He didn't linger. He straightened his clothes and, like a gentleman, calmly pushed open the artistic wooden door of the Flowing Light Gallery and stepped into the oppressive afternoon streets of Yolikef.

Behind him, the freckled maid who opened the door for him breathed a sigh of relief and stared at Yu Xing's back with a somewhat complaining look.

day!
How come I never realized this investigator was such a gossip? She's practically told him everything interesting about the gallery. If he doesn't leave soon, she'll be begging for mercy!
……

The streets were even more deserted than when Yu Xinglai had arrived.

The leaden-gray clouds still hung low, and the lingering damp chill in the air, mixed with an invisible sense of panic, permeated the streets every day.

Occasionally, pedestrians who have to go out to run errands will hurry past, looking anxious and not daring to linger outside.

Yu Xing's figure moved swiftly through the shadows cast by the buildings. His pace seemed unhurried, yet he always managed to skillfully avoid the sight of all the church guards on duty on the street and the secret cultists in the shadows. Like flowing water blending into the shadows, he moved silently toward Carlos's detective agency.

About twenty minutes later, he arrived at the street where the firm was located.

After carefully observing the surroundings and confirming that there was nothing unusual, he opened the door.

The door hinges made a slight creaking sound as they turned.

However, contrary to expectations of being empty, the living room was filled with a faint aroma of coffee.

Carlos was lounging leisurely on the slightly worn sofa, legs crossed, with a newspaper open in his hand, seemingly engrossed in reading it.

The afternoon sunlight filtered through the half-drawn curtains, casting a soft halo around him, completely out of place with the tense and oppressive atmosphere outside, making him look like he was on vacation.

Hearing the door open, Carlos looked up from his newspaper, his eyes, which always held a hint of a smile, fixed on Yu Xing at the door. There was no surprise on his face, as if he had expected him to return at this moment.

He put down the newspaper, picked up the coffee cup beside him, took a slow sip, then put the cup down, crossed his hands on his knees, adopted a serious expression, cleared his throat, and in a tone that was both solemn and comical, imitating a church deacon, drawled out:
"Sir, please wait. I, as a perceptive... butler, must solemnly inform you—"

He sniffed seriously, his brow furrowing: "You are enveloped by an extremely thick, extremely... decadent and evil aura! This is no ordinary filth, but a nauseating stench originating from some indescribable being! I suspect you have had deep contact with those fanatics of the esoteric religion!"

Yu Xing: "..."

The husky started barking again. He simply crossed his arms, closed the door to block out outside prying eyes, and leaned against the entryway, raising an eyebrow to watch Carlos's performance.

Carlos stood up, took two steps toward Yu Xing, his face showing exaggerated heartache, but his eyes gleamed with a mischievous smile. He extended his finger, and a faint, magical light seemed to flow from its tip.
"For the sake of your soul's safety, and for the peace of Yorickf Town, I, Deacon Carlos, now demand that you immediately, right now, accept the scrutiny and purification of the Holy Light! Confess and you will be treated leniently; resist... well, you will bear the consequences!"

As Yu Xing watched Carlos's flamboyant performance, the cold expression on her face, which she had brought from the gallery, melted away like spring snow, replaced by a slightly mocking smile.

He chuckled softly, finally managing to take off his dirty trench coat and hang it on the coat rack, as he slowly and deliberately replied:

"Come on, dear 'Deacon Carlos'."

He emphasized the title, his tone languid: "Stop with your clumsy holy light tricks. If we're really going to talk about it..."

He turned around, his gaze landing precisely on Carlos, his deep blue eyes narrowing slightly, and the smile at the corner of his mouth deepening:

"The 'evil' smell that clings to you is much stronger than the smell that clings to me."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The faith in "Deacon Carlos" has collapsed.

Immediately, he relaxed his shoulders, reverting to his nonchalant demeanor. He shrugged and said with a grin, "Oh dear, we've been found out. Looks like our great detective has had quite a haul today; his nose is sharper than a dog's."

Yu Xing walked to the sofa, poured herself a glass of water, drank it down, and then glanced at Carlos, her tone returning to normal: "Yeah, I just caught you red-handed. You've been making deals with the cultists lately, and the main storyline of the dungeon is pretty much clear now. Want to tell me what you've been trading?"

"Or is it that 'it's not the right time yet,' and you want to hold the magic show until the very last minute?"

Carlos tilted his head: "As expected of the captain, you know me too well. But... it's not like I can't give you a hint."

"Sometimes magicians need assistants, sometimes they need 'plants,' and now, I've had my assistant contact the most suitable 'plant.'"

"As for me, I'll stay here, have some tea, read the newspaper, and wait for Qu Xianqing to send me a message."

Speaking of this, Carlos waved the newspaper in his hand.

Yu Xing noticed that this newspaper didn't seem to be from today—of course, who would be in the mood to sell the latest newspaper these days?

Not only the one in Carlos's hand, but also several others were piled up on the coffee table in the living room. Yu Xing picked one up with some curiosity and glanced at its contents.

These newspapers were not printed locally in Yolikev, and most of them were dated half a month or even a month ago, coming from several larger towns in the surrounding area.

His gaze swept quickly across the sensational headlines and reports, most of which concerned the escalating bizarre events and esoteric activities:
Blackwater Town Weekly Report - Date: Approximately three weeks ago

Front-page headline: "Scarlet Chapel" tragedy shocks the city! Dozens of worshippers self-immolate, strange symbols found at the scene!
Summary: A horrific mass death occurred in an abandoned chapel on the outskirts of Blackwater. The investigation revealed that the victims were all members of a recently active secret society. No signs of forced entry were found at the scene. All the deceased were in a kneeling posture, their bodies severely burned, but surrounding flammable materials remained intact. Police discovered undecipherable, distorted symbols drawn with unidentified paint on the walls and floor, suspected to be related to a recent spate of malevolent rituals. An anonymous source revealed that the society worships some kind of "ancient entity," and this incident is highly likely the result of a failed sacrificial ritual. Surviving townspeople are living in fear and are demanding that the church increase its patrols.

Chronicles of Dale - Date: Approximately two weeks ago

Second edition, prominently featured: The serial disappearances in the dock area solved? The mastermind points directly to the "Sea Abyss Cult"!
The report summarizes a "breakthrough" in the month-long serial disappearances of dockworkers and homeless individuals. The sheriff announced that evidence found at the scene points to a secret cult called the "Sea Abyss Cult." This group is suspected of kidnapping people for some kind of blasphemous sea god ritual. Reportedly, partially mutilated remains were found in nearby waters, covered in fish-scale-like growths and bizarre gnaw marks. The report concludes with a warning from an unnamed church deacon, stating that the "Sea Abyss Cult's" rituals may aim to summon some terrifying creature dwelling in the deep sea, urging residents to stay away from the coast and avoid going out at night.

Another obscure tabloid, dated and with a blurry print, had a short news item circled in the corner:
"Dream Harvesters" are rampant? Multiple citizens have fallen asleep and never woken up!
Brief Summary: Recently, several cases have emerged in the city of residents dying mysteriously in their sleep or falling into unresponsive comas. The victims showed no external injuries, but all had complained to relatives and friends of recurring and terrifying nightmares before their deaths. Rumors circulate that this is the work of members of a cult called "Dream Harvesters," who use special rituals to invade dreams and drain the victims' fear and life force. The church has not yet commented on these rumors, but has increased nighttime patrols and advised residents experiencing persistent nightmares to seek refuge at the church immediately.

These reports from different towns prove that the reach of Tantric Buddhism has long since extended beyond Yorikef; they are active in various places, carrying out all sorts of bloody, bizarre, and dangerous rituals, causing numerous casualties and social panic.

Their methods vary, and the "beings" they worship seem to differ as well, but at their core they all revolve around evil sacrifices, distorted transformations, and the desecration of the rules of reality.

Yu Xing put down the newspaper and tapped her fingertips lightly on the rough paper.

These reports confirm that what Defit and Irwin said was true—the cult was indeed a well-organized and extremely dangerous network of forces, but what was so special about Yolikef that made the cult arrange the "descent of the divine kingdom" ceremony there?

He looked up at Carlos, his tone devoid of emotion: "It seems life in this instance world is quite lively."

Carlos shrugged, took a sip of coffee, his tone still relaxed, but his eyes became slightly more serious: "You bet. So, the thought of tomorrow's 'grand finale' unfolding before my eyes makes me incredibly excited."

He swirled his coffee cup, his words carrying a pointed meaning: "But with such a great opportunity and such a grand stage, how could I, as the world's best magician, not be invited to participate?"

Those emerald green eyes turned and met Yu Xing's gaze.

Carlos grinned: "Don't worry, Captain, I haven't messed up a single performance yet. Tomorrow, you'll see a surprise!"

Yu Xing tossed the newspaper back onto the coffee table and turned her gaze to the gray sky outside the window.

"Although I already guessed it—"

Carlos's gaze immediately turned mournful.

Yu Xing smiled slightly: "But I can pretend to be surprised." (End of Chapter)