A priest in North America, what the hell is the Demon Gate system?

"Why are the police here?" Nia walked into the office, somewhat nervous.

"I don't know, I'll go check." Li Ang got up and walked out of the church, thinking to himself:

"I'm just dressed in black, not because my skin is dark. I don't think they're here to cause trouble..."

Sheriff Bob was standing at the entrance, looking at the church building. When he saw Li Ang come out, he took off his sunglasses, revealing a round face.

"Father Li, nice to meet you." He extended his hand in a friendly manner.

"Sheriff Bob, what brings you here?" Li Ang shook hands with him.

Bob took a bite of his donut and chuckled, "I heard you were having an anniversary event, so I came to check on the security. The town government has forwarded the application form."

As he spoke, his eyes scanned the area around the church, as if assessing something.

"Welcome to inspect."

Li Ang stepped aside, inwardly thinking, "Is American administration really that efficient?"

"Let's just take a walk outside."

Bob walked into the courtyard, his gaze falling on the old benches and broken icons, and remarked with some emotion, "This church of yours...it's been around for quite a while."

"Yes, it's been over a hundred years."

"There seems to be a problem with the roof; the tiles are all sticking up. Won't it leak when it rains?" The sheriff looked up at the church roof.

"It's leaking, that's why we need to raise funds to repair the roof," Li Ang said honestly.

Bob nodded and said nothing more. He walked around the yard, checking the power outlets and fire hydrants, then stopped in front of the donation box.

"This box... is quite simple," he commented.

"The church values ​​frugality," Li Ang said without changing his expression.

The sheriff smiled, took out a small notebook from his pocket, and jotted down a few notes.

"There are generally no problems."

He closed his notebook. "Just a reminder that there will be a lot of people on the day of the event, so please be careful to maintain order. Also, if the amount raised is relatively large, it's best to deposit it in the bank promptly, as things haven't been very peaceful in town lately."

"Not peaceful?" Li Ang frowned.

"Yes, there have been several burglaries, but the perpetrators haven't been caught yet."

Bob lowered his voice: "Especially old buildings like yours, with poor security, are easy targets."

Li Ang's heart tightened. He remembered what happened last night and subconsciously asked, "What's missing?"

Bob was clearly taken aback, then said nonchalantly, "It's nothing much, mostly just chickens and ducks. The most valuable thing is that a cow went missing from the ranch on the east side."

"Thank you for reminding us, we will be careful." Li Ang remained silent.

"That's good." The sheriff put his sunglasses back on, walked towards the police car, and turned back before getting in. "By the way, Father Li."

"Um?"

"Father Andrew...is an old friend of mine," Bob said, leaning against the car door as he swallowed the last bite of his donut.

"Your church is looking for him, and so am I. I don't believe he would run away."

Li Ang remained calm: "Father Andrew's passing is regrettable, and I don't believe those rumors."

"He contacted me before he disappeared and asked me some questions about cults." The sheriff seemed lost in memories.

"Cult?"

Li Ang recalled the contents of the notebook.

"If you ask me, the guys in town who look most like a cult are those Protestant evangelicals and voodoo cultists. Anyway, if you have any information about Andrew, please let me know."

Bob let out a sigh of relief, wiped his hands, which were covered in donut crumbs, on his pants, opened the car door, and drove away.

Li Ang stood in the courtyard, watching the car's taillights disappear around the street corner.

[Ding! Progress update for the sect mission "Investigating the Mystery of the Former Deacon's Disappearance"]

[New Clue Obtained: Rumors of Cult Activities]

This sheriff seems like a kind-hearted person, but...

Father Andrew's notes never mention any conversation with him.

"We have to be careful..."

Li Ang couldn't help but recall the stone with runes mentioned in the priest's notes.

"Father, what did the sheriff say?"

Sister Nia appeared at the church entrance at some unknown time.

She was still holding the Stars and Stripes in one hand and a needle and thread in the other, apparently intending to mend the hole.

"Just a routine security check," Li Ang said casually as he walked into the church.

"Just a reminder to be careful of theft; there have been some burglaries in town recently."

"Theft? Shouldn't we add another lock? The warehouse door seems to have never been locked..."

Nia followed behind him, the needle and thread nimbly winding between her fingers.

"Never mind that for now." Li Ang walked into the office and plopped down in a chair, the wooden chair creaking.

"Sister Nia, I have a question for you."

"Please speak," Nia said, standing across the desk and looking at him intently.

"Have you heard of any...strange religious activities in town?"

Nia tilted her head and pondered, "You mean voodoo? There are indeed a few Haitian immigrants in town who hold some ceremonies, but I've never participated. Also... sometimes people light bonfires, saying it's a moonlight gathering, but I think it's more like a place for young people to date."

As she spoke, her face turned slightly red, and she lowered her head to continue fiddling with the Stars and Stripes in her hand.

Li Ang tapped his fingers on the table. These things didn't sound like the "bloody rituals" described in Andrew's notes.

"Nia, is there anything special about the forest south of the town?" Li Ang asked.

The nun stopped her needlework and said seriously, "That place is haunted."

Li Ang's heart skipped a beat.

"But it's just hearsay; I've never been there myself. Father, are you interested?"

"Haunted..." Li Ang murmured, then shook his head, temporarily suppressing these thoughts.

"I'm not interested. You go ahead and do your work. Make sure the Stars and Stripes looks good after it's been patched up. Even though it's torn, it still needs to look presentable."

"Yes, Father." Nia nodded and went out with the Stars and Stripes in her arms.

The office door closed gently. Li Ang leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

We should look for that rock.

If Andrew really did hide the inscribed stone in the church, then it's probably still here now. He probably wouldn't carry it with him; that would be too dangerous.

The safest approach is to hide the evidence in a place no one would expect.

For example...the church where he lives every day?

Li Ang took a deep breath and slowly expanded his divine sense.

Invisible ripples spread out from him, like ripples on water, penetrating the walls, overflowing the floor, and climbing up the dome...

Li Ang's forehead began to bead with sweat. This meticulous search was far more exhausting than a simple exploration, like examining a carpet inch by inch with a magnifying glass.

"Not here..."

Li Ang withdrew part of his divine sense and turned his perception to a more likely place—Andrew's bedroom, which Li Ang was now living in.

His divine sense swept over every corner of the room.

No.

Where's the office?

His divine sense swept over the oak desk, drawers, and any other possible surfaces.

However, it still didn't happen.

Kitchen, bathroom, confessional, clock tower...

Li Ang's consciousness was like an invisible net, covering every corner of the church.

But he couldn't find any stones with runes engraved on them.

Sweat trickled down Li Ang's cheeks and dripped onto his collar.

This is a sign of excessive mental exertion, just like the exhaustion after several hours of intense thinking.

Perhaps... the stone isn't even in the church.

Li Ang rested for a few minutes until the dizziness subsided slightly before getting up and leaving the office.

Nia was sitting on a bench in the hall sewing a Stars and Stripes flag. The needle and thread moved nimbly in her hands, and the hole had been mostly patched up.

Sister Nia.

"Huh? Father?" The nun looked up, nearly pricking her finger with the needle in her hand.

"Are there... particularly secluded spots in the church? You mean those corners that most people would never think of or find?"

Nia blinked and began to think seriously: "Before I came here, the nuns at the convent told me that when this church was first built, they designed some hiding places to avoid persecution. But that was in the 19th century, and nobody knows about it now."

Li Ang had a sudden thought. If it was a hidden space designed to escape persecution, then it might not even be detectable by divine sense. What if it was underground? His divine sense could only explore up to twenty meters at the moment.

Do you know exactly where it is?

Nia shook her head: "I don't know. That nun passed away the year before last; I only heard about her by chance."

The trail went cold again.

Li Ang sighed and waved his hand, "Alright, you go ahead and get busy."

He walked back to his office and closed the door. The setting sun slanted in through the window, casting a bright patch of light on the desk.

Li Ang was lost in thought.

"Remembrance Day is in a few days. We haven't found the stone, but life goes on."

First, acquire the cultivation technique and improve your strength before grappling with those complex mysteries. Without strength, finding the stone will be futile and might even attract something like what happened last night.

Having figured these things out, Li Ang felt a little more relaxed.

What people fear most is not difficulties, but not knowing where to direct their efforts.

The goal is clear: organize the event well, earn contribution points, and exchange them for cultivation techniques.

After all, all the clues now resemble a very complex web.

He stands in the center of the net, and he needs to have his own ideas.