The Fairy: From the Traveling Merchant

Chapter 968 The Name of the Protagonist
The Blasphemy Token? Neither Zhao Chen nor Su Xuanbing had ever heard of this term. The latter couldn't help but ask curiously, "What kind of item is this?"

Hong Xiaoxi thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "All I know is that it is a set of cards that records the potion recipes. There are 22 cards in total, corresponding to 22 extraordinary pathways. It is a very rare treasure in this world."

At this point, she suddenly remembered something and quickly added, "By the way, this information came from a magic mirror called 'Arods.' It also told me that one of the 'Red Priest' cards is near the abandoned chapel on Williams Street."

"The magic mirror called 'Arods'? Where did you encounter it?" Zhao Chen's expression changed upon hearing this, and he immediately asked.

He had "seen" the name of this magic mirror in Horace's memory. It seemed to be a sealed artifact of the Church of the God of Steam. A new member of MI9 had become the biggest source of amusement within the department because he had used that magic mirror, and it had even reached the ears of peripheral members like Horace.

“In my dreams… every time I fall asleep, I dream of strange things, and that magic mirror is one of them, it only visits occasionally.” The little girl recalled, covering her forehead with her hand, her face showing pain. “But after being kidnapped here by that baron, I can only dream of a man wearing full black armor that looks like it’s been splattered with blood…”

"Well, he... sometimes he displays the stature of a giant, and sometimes he becomes quite handsome, but his eyes are cold and ruthless."

"Moreover, at first I was just watching from afar, but in the last few days I feel like I'm getting closer and closer to him..."

In a dream? After hearing Hong Xiaoxi's description, Zhao Chen and Su Xuanbing looked at each other, both feeling somewhat embarrassed.

After all, ever since they entered this alternate-dimensional projection, they've been doing it every night... they haven't slept at all, and they had no idea that clues could be found in dreams...

No, perhaps it's because Hong Xiaoxi's strength is too low that the "Taixiao Trial" provided her with some assistance in her dream... However, the dream itself is indeed worth exploring. Zhao Chen offered a defense for his "oversight," then turned his attention to the terrifying man the little girl had described.

If I'm not mistaken, it's the evil spirit sealed in the underground palace on Williams Street.

She likely possessed a blasphemous card, which is why the "magic mirror" guided Hong Xiaoxi to the vicinity of that small church.

As Zhao Chen was pondering, he noticed that Hong Xiaoxi's complexion was getting worse and worse, and her eyelids were about to droop, as if she might faint at any moment. So he immediately put his hand on her wrist and sent a wisp of "Five Immortals' True Qi" into her.

Hong Xiaoxi snapped out of her daze and instantly woke up. Her complexion returned to normal, but a hint of fear appeared on her face: "I was just recalling what that man looked like, and I almost got dragged into a dream?"

The Five Immortals' True Qi is also effective against the "pollution" of this world... Is it because it was transcribed by the "Great Sun Star Chariot"? While Zhao Chen's thoughts were racing, he nodded and said, "You have just been affected by external pollution, and I have temporarily removed the other party's aura from you."

"However, you've probably already formed some kind of connection with it, and once you enter a dream, you'll likely dream about it again."

Upon hearing this, Hong Xiaoxi pursed her lips and asked helplessly, "What is that man in my dream?"

Since it concerned the other party's mission, Zhao Chen did not hide anything and briefly explained the information he had obtained from Pound's memories of the Baron. He concluded by saying, "That evil spirit may very well have the blasphemous card you need."

Hong Xiaoxi swallowed hard, on the verge of tears, and said, "That magic mirror is such a trap! Why did it point me to such a difficult target?"

Perhaps this is actually the simplest way. After all, your name in this world is "Renise Medici," and you are very likely a descendant of that evil spirit. If it awakens in you, you can be considered to have indirectly obtained the blasphemous token!

Despite his complaints, Zhao Chen kindly comforted him, "Don't worry, if that evil spirit dares to come to your dreams again, Xuanbing and I will help you deal with it."

He was indeed unwilling to enter the underground ruins and fight a potentially high-ranking evil spirit, but he was equally unafraid of the power the spirit could transmit through the seal. Su Xuanbing felt the same way, and she was very interested in the magic mirror Xiaoxi had mentioned, so while reassuring him, she asked with a smile, "Could you tell me more about 'Arods'?"

With the assurances of two experts, especially the renowned "Mysterious Ice and Fire Lotus," Hong Xiaoxi finally relaxed slightly. To demonstrate her worth, the young girl racked her brains to recall:
"Arodes is an ancient silver mirror with strange patterns. It first appeared in my dream half a month ago, which was the fourth night after I entered this world."

"It said my soul was strange, having both the flavor of the 'Medic' bloodline and a strange, different 'destruction' symbol from the 'Red Priest'."

"Because it was curious about me, it said it was willing to answer three questions for me, but according to the principle of reciprocity, I also have to answer three of its questions."

"But after I asked, 'Where can I find the Blasphemy Card?' it seemed quite excited and said something like, 'Because your question led me to a great master, I will show you the answer directly. Are you willing?'"

“I was willing, and then Arrodes let me experience the abandoned chapel on Williams Street in my dream.”

At this point, she pouted and said angrily, "But this broken mirror didn't tell me the exact address of the chapel. It took me several days to finally find it."

"As a result, on the first night when I went to investigate, I was tricked into going home by the baron and drugged."

This "Arods" sounds rather friendly. If it enters Hong Xiaoxi's dream again, perhaps it can get information from the magic mirror... Su Xuanbing thought to himself after listening to Hong Xiaoxi's story.

Zhao Chen was somewhat wary, because the rules of this magic mirror sounded very similar to the spirit of the blessed land in the Li family's blessed land, and judging from the experience of the new recruit of Military Intelligence 9 in Heras's memory, his personality was probably just as "bad".

Glancing at the thoughtful Su Xuanbing, Zhao Chen decided that when the magic mirror came knocking, he would be generous and let the lady try it first.

After asking about other things that had visited Hong Xiaoxi's dream, Zhao Chen and Su Xuanbing ended their "chat" when they saw that the girl looked tired.

Next, they burned Pound's body to ashes, and then Zhao Chen used "Blind Heart" to shroud the three of them before walking back to the villa in the West District.

After entrusting Hong Xiaoxi to Guan Siniang's care, Zhao Chen and Su Xuanbing went out again and took a carriage to the Isinger Detective Agency in Hillston District.

A detective exchange meeting of the Stanton Detectives Organization is being held here.

Upon arriving at the office, Zhao Chen and Su Xuanbing were quickly led by a male servant through the fairly spacious living room and into the sitting room where the fireplace had already been lit.

Zhao Chen looked around and saw fifteen or sixteen detectives, filling every available seat in the living room.

The next moment, a familiar young man with a big beard came into his view. It was the "protagonist" he had been paying attention to at the extraordinary party in the Bridge District last night.

Zhao Chen also learned his name through Detective Isengard Stanton's introduction:

"Sherlock Moriarty!"

Sherlock Moriarty? Very well, that's a name that's both "protagonist" and "villain"!
(End of this chapter)