absurd deduction game.

Inside the church prayer hall.

Cang Nong jogged back to the area where Aiven had been, his face showing just the right amount of confusion and a hint of anxiety.

He didn't lower his voice deliberately, and said to the nun who had spoken with Evan earlier, "That person just now, uh, Mr. Evan, he went into the restroom and hasn't come out. I waited for a while, knocked on the door but no one answered, so I was worried something had happened and pushed the door open to check... It was empty inside, there wasn't a single person there!"

His voice was quite clear in the relatively quiet hall, and many residents who were listening intently to what was happening around them, as well as the priests who were maintaining order, heard it.

In such a sensitive period, any "disappearance" is enough to raise alarm.

The nun's expression immediately turned serious: "Nobody here? Could it be that he..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear—in this situation of forced gatherings and strict prohibitions against leaving at will, those who try to slip away from everyone's sight are mostly hiding something.

"I'll go report to the archbishop immediately!" The nun made a quick decision and turned to walk towards the pulpit.

Zeng Lai and several other strategists around him also heard the commotion. Zeng Lai's face showed no particular expression; he merely glanced in that direction before turning away as if nothing had happened, but his ears carefully caught the hushed, belated chatter of the nearby residents.

"That's Ivan? The painter Ivan? This is the first time I've ever seen him!"

"Of course, we don't usually come into contact with artists favored by such important figures."

"I knew it! He was just sitting in the corner, not talking to anyone..."

"I could tell at a glance that he was gloomy! He had a tainted soul!"

"Could he really be a spy for the esoteric sect?"

Some of the wealthy people who had bought Ivan's paintings looked nervous, their eyes revealing their annoyance.

Zeng Lai remained unmoved; these hindsight speculations were of no value to him.

He saw Cang Nong follow the nun toward the pulpit, and the other strategists also moved in that direction, clearly not wanting to miss any opportunity to gain clues or contribution points.

Behind the pulpit, Tian, ​​disguised as the archbishop, stood with his eyes down, as if deep in thought or in prayer.

Hearing footsteps and the nun's slightly hurried report, she slowly raised her head, her face showing a listening expression.

The nun quickly recounted what had happened, her tone filled with self-reproach: "...It was my negligence; I wasn't more vigilant."

Cang Nong, who was standing next to him, added, "I led him to the entrance of the restroom. He said he would be out soon, so I waited outside. About... about twenty-five minutes later? I felt something was wrong and went in to check, but he was already gone."

Tian's heart stirred slightly.

Twenty-five minutes ago?

That was shortly after Fernal left, when the investigators on the ground had just come in to "help." Did Evan realize something or was he trying to contact the High Priest at this point in time?

She felt a sense of relief and even secretly praised this fanatic for having some sense at the crucial moment, knowing that he couldn't just sit and wait.

On the surface, she frowned slightly, revealing the solemnity and majesty befitting an "archbishop".

“Twenty-five minutes is enough to do a lot of things,” she said in a deep voice, her gaze sweeping over the few divination masters and the deacons gathered around her. “To leave without permission at a time like this is suspicious, and we cannot rule out the possibility that he is connected to the evil events of the past few days.”

She hesitated for a moment, as if weighing her options, then called out in a loud voice, "Sister Tian!"

An elderly nun, also dressed in a nun's habit and resembling Sister Tian, ​​stood not far away and gracefully stepped forward, bowing respectfully: "Archbishop, what do you need me to do?"—This was a cultist who had been assigned to impersonate the real Sister Tian, ​​responsible for relaying messages and handling emergencies within the church.

“Take a few reliable guards and go to town immediately to find this Mr. Evan,” the fake archbishop Tian ordered, his tone decisive and leaving no room for argument. “Go to his gallery first. If you find him, be sure to ‘invite’ him back. I need to examine him in person. If you can’t find him… search carefully to see if there’s anything suspicious.”

"Yes, Archbishop." The cultist playing "Tian" responded respectfully without hesitation, and immediately turned to point to four nearby church guards who looked strong and capable.

Upon seeing this, one of the fortune tellers immediately stepped forward: "Archbishop, let me go help too! More hands make light work!"

Tian glanced at him and nodded: "Very well, may the Mother Goddess bless you with a successful journey."

Led by the fake Sister Tian, ​​four guards and a volunteer strategist quickly left the prayer hall, their footsteps soon disappearing into the corridor.

Watching them leave, the nun who had initially spoken with Evan looked even more ashamed and whispered, "Archbishop, it was my fault..."

Cang Nong scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, "Actually, it's my fault. I was too careless. I should have talked to him more often at the door..."

The fake archbishop, Tian, ​​waved his hand, a look of tolerance and weariness on his face: "There's no need to blame yourself too much. Evil lurks in the shadows, full of cunning and impossible to guard against. This is not your fault. Go back to your posts, continue to appease the people, and maintain order."

The nun quickly bowed in agreement, and Cang Nong responded with an "oh," before turning back to her work of maintaining order.

The other researchers who had gathered around gradually dispersed when they saw that there were no more immediate clues or tasks being released, but their eyes still kept glancing toward the exit, each with their own thoughts.

Zeng Lai also prepared to turn around and leave.

"Mr. Zeng Lai, please wait a moment."

Suddenly, the voice of the fake archbishop, Tian, ​​rang out and stopped him.

Zeng Lai paused, turned around, and showed just the right amount of doubt and respect on his face: "Archbishop, is there anything else?"

Tian took two steps forward, closing the distance, and lowered his voice, speaking in a gentle tone as if an elder were caring for a younger person: "I suddenly remembered... where is Mr. Yu Xing? Why didn't he come with you today?"

She sighed softly, her eyes revealing genuine regret: "Mr. Yu Xing, as well as Ms. Qu Xianqing and Mr. Lingren who sacrificed themselves before, were all powerful investigators who provided tremendous help to our church and the town of Yolikev. It's a pity that the latter two have returned to the embrace of the Mother Goddess... I hope Mr. Yu Xing is safe and sound."

She looked at Zeng Lai earnestly, "So, do you know where Mr. Yu Xing is now? Is he safe?"

Zeng Lai sneered inwardly. Here they come, just as expected, they're trying to get information out of him.

Is this imposter testing Yu Xing's movements?
He showed just the right amount of worry and helplessness on his face and shook his head: "This... I really don't know. Yesterday he went to Mrs. Fernell's house with Carlos to handle some follow-up matters of the commission, and he hasn't returned to the office since. This morning he did bring me a message saying that everything is fine with Mrs. Fernell for the time being, and that I don't need to worry."

He shrugged, his tone casual: "Perhaps Mrs. Funel needs his assistance with something. As you know, that lady's affairs are always quite complicated."

The fake archbishop, Tian, ​​nodded, his eyes flashing slightly.

As for the High Priest... well, she probably doesn't need to worry about that.

The High Priest is incredibly powerful, the absolute core figure and spiritual leader of the Tantric sect. Unfortunately, the High Priest never consults with high-ranking Tantric practitioners, leaving them to guess at the situation. She didn't press further, but simply sighed again, "I hope so. May the Mother Goddess protect them."

“Praise be to the Mother Goddess,” Zeng Lai echoed, bowing slightly before turning and leaving to walk back into the crowd in the hall.

The moment he turned around, the worry on his face vanished, and his eyes became calm.

As Tian watched him leave, she turned to think about other things, a thoughtful look flashing in the depths of her eyes.

Zeng Lai's answer didn't seem problematic, but she had a feeling that... these investigators seemed to know more than they appeared to. However, as long as it didn't interfere with the final ceremony, she would let them be for now.

Evan has already gone out to check, and as for the High Priest... there shouldn't be any need to worry.

She turned her gaze back to the dark mass of people below, maintaining the solemn posture of an archbishop, but in her heart she began to silently calculate the time.

It's getting closer and closer to 6 PM.

……

Where is Yu Xing?
Yu Xing is in a guest room on the second floor of Funer's manor.

He lay on the bed with his eyes open, staring at the intricate plaster patterns on the ceiling for quite some time.

In the afternoon, the bright sunlight outside the window cast several clear patches of light on the floor through the gaps in the heavy curtains.

The air was filled with the manor's unique scent, a blend of expensive fragrances, and it was so quiet that the occasional, deliberately soft footsteps of servants could be heard in the distance.

Even though he had deliberately suppressed the self-healing ability of the curse power under the bandage on his shoulder, he could hardly feel any pain in the wound. The filthy but effective ointment from the cult accelerated the healing process, leaving only a slight tingling sensation as new flesh grew.

He lay there for a while, then slowly sat up, the movement causing only a slight discomfort in his shoulder.

He looked down at himself—the blood-stained, torn shirt from last night had been taken away by the maid, and now he was only wearing bandages on his upper body, with a brand-new, well-fitting white linen shirt that Martha had brought this morning over it. The shirt was soft and simple in style, clearly a spare item from the Funere Manor, and quite expensive.

He stood up, walked to the window, and pulled the heavy curtains open a wider gap.

Sunlight streamed in instantly, almost blinding him. He squinted and looked out the window at the manor view.

The neatly manicured gardens extend into the distance, with a glass greenhouse and low buildings where servants live in the distance, and further still, the woods and walls at the edge of the estate.

Everything appeared peaceful and orderly, with a carefully maintained elegance and a sense of detachment.

But Yu Xing knew what lay hidden beneath this calm facade.

Beneath all the seemingly normal arrangements were esoteric traps that could be activated instantly; his ethereal tentacles had already thoroughly explored these traps without him even realizing it.

It must be said that Fernail is quite talented. If she weren't the high priest of the secret society, she would be very suitable to be a strategist. The things she arranged can effectively limit the flow of people from outside the manor, and even church personnel would find it difficult to break in.

He pushed open the window, and fresh air, carrying the scent of plants, rushed in, dispelling the slightly stuffy atmosphere in the room. He took a deep breath and his gaze fell on several male servants who were talking in hushed tones on the garden path, their expressions somewhat tense.

Those were Tantric practitioners; perhaps their tension stemmed from an instinctive unease about the "big event" that was about to take place.
Time passed little by little.

Yu Xing estimated that the purification ceremony at the church should have ended long ago—although he stayed in the manor and did not go out, he was well-informed.

Zeng Lai and the others should have entered the church as planned, while Yi Qing is delaying Funer.

Carlos is currently hiding somewhere and doing something unknown.

A slight gurgling sound came from her stomach, and Yu Xing raised an eyebrow.

This is a very common physiological feeling of hunger.

Oh, right, the maid just brought afternoon tea, but he hasn't touched it yet; it's on the tray by the door.

He walked to the door and opened it.

The corridor was empty. A mobile food delivery station was parked by the door, with a silver tray covered with a white cloth on it. He carried it in and closed the door again.

On the tray was a cup of black tea that had long since gone cold, a few slices of white bread spread with butter and jam, a small dish of fried eggs and bacon, and a few fresh strawberries—a typical English breakfast, refined but not extravagant.

Yu Xing sat down at the table, picked up a slice of cold bread and took a bite. The taste was acceptable, with the butter having a slightly salty flavor.

He ate slowly, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Carlos's paper doll had a good haul last night, and the information had already been delivered this morning. It was pretty much as he had guessed: the ceremony would take place in the manor.

After all, he and Qu Xianqing had already explored the entire town separately and found no other suitable place for the ceremony. There were many vacant buildings in the slums, but most of the cult hideouts inside had been destroyed by Qu Xianqing. For both reason and sentiment, Funer would not risk placing the ceremony there.

Yu Xing comfortably crossed his legs.

Fernal was summoned to the church to cause trouble at noon. Before leaving, he was told to do as he pleased, so he has been resting in his guest room until now.

LOL, he's not going to go out at all. What better option would be to skip all the traps from the start and go straight to the core of the ritual?

He could easily go to the attic at any time later, avoiding the gaze of those cultist servants.

Just then, Yu Xing's brows twitched slightly, and his gaze pierced through the wall, looking towards the direction of the pavilion.

Just now... he seemed to sense a spatial fluctuation. The source of the fluctuation was not noticeable without careful sensing, but the destination of the spatial fluctuation was near the attic!

Is someone coming at this hour?

Yu Xing patted the food crumbs off her hands, stood up, raised an eyebrow, and went to the window.

There are many green trees in the manor, some of which are particularly tall. He had noticed one of them before, which was directly facing the attic window.

The power of the curse silently enveloped the tree, instantly killing it, though it wasn't outwardly apparent for a short time.

Then, Yu Xing silently manipulated the dead branch to climb into the attic, intending to watch the show from the branch's perspective. (End of Chapter)