Time flowed, daylight scattered, and night gradually descended.
As night fell on Igwinte, the shadows of darkness gradually covered the entire city. Somewhere within these shadows, an urgent meeting was being held.
Inside a dim, spacious room, around a long dining table lit by candlelight, the core members of the Red Communion Society sat silently on either side of the table. This time, there were no bloody dishes in front of them, and their number was one less than last time.
The atmosphere at the table was heavy, and everyone wore a serious expression, a stark contrast to their previous gatherings.
"Burton is dead. According to the news from the An Yin Bureau, he died in his own home. None of the subordinates in the stronghold survived." Sitting closest to the head seat, Buck, a middle-aged man with gloomy eyes, a gaunt face, and a small mustache, slowly said. Upon receiving confirmation of his news, the hunchbacked old man with eyes of different sizes sitting diagonally opposite him spoke in astonishment.
"That... that guy is really dead?! Didn't you notify him to evacuate, Buck? How could he still die at the hands of the Hunter?" Clifford said loudly. Buck slowly replied.
"It wasn't the An Yin Bureau. According to the news from there, the Hunter was already eliminated before they reached Burton's place. He died terribly. Now the An Yin Bureau itself is wondering who got to Burton before them." Buck continued to say seriously. Upon hearing Buck's words, Clifford was somewhat dumbfounded.
"What... someone acted before the An Yin Bureau? Who did this? Who in Igwinte has the guts and ability to do something like this? Gray Hill?!" Clifford said incredulously. Buck slowly shook his head, then slowly continued.
"No... although Gray Hill doesn't like us, he is a person who strictly adheres to rules. He would not violate the neutral rule of the White Craftsmen's Guild. This time... I'm afraid some new hidden force has entered Igwinte..."
"New force... Could the matter with Abbott last time also be related to them? Could this also be a secret society?!"
"Yes... I also suspect that Edrick, whom Burton mentioned had reappeared, was absorbed by them as a member. Although I don't know what Spirituality they pursue, they are clearly opposing us..." As he spoke, Buck angrily slammed the table with his hand, making a resounding noise.
"Being able to clear out Burton's stronghold and eliminate everyone, including Burton, in a short period of time, this strength is already extraordinary. I suspect those guys deployed at least two to three Extraordinary at once... otherwise, their actions wouldn't have been so swift."
Buck continued to say in a serious, low voice. Listening to his words, Clifford also seemed a little flustered.
"Another society opposing us? At least two to three Extraordinary? Hey, hey... I say, Buck, this is a big deal. Now that Abbott and Burton are gone, we need to quickly inform the Mentor and ask him to come out and preside over the situation!"
Clifford said to Buck with a slightly anxious tone. After running rampant in Igwinte for so long, the Holy Communion Society suffered serious losses for the first time within just a few weeks.
Listening to Clifford's words, Buck was silent for a moment, then slowly turned his gaze to his direct opposite, the young man with dark brown hair who had been silent until now.
"Bill, the situation has become serious. Can we go and tell the Mentor?"
"No, the Mentor said that he is currently in a critical period of preparation for his advancement, and nothing should disturb him..." Facing Buck's words, the young man named Bill replied indifferently. Hearing this, Clifford next to him couldn't help but feel anxious.
"A mysterious society of unknown origin, in league with the An Yin Bureau, is eyeing us like a tiger. We've already lost two people! This is a major matter concerning the entire society, Bill! Can't we even go see the Mentor about this?" Clifford said urgently, but Bill shook his head and continued to say nonchalantly.
"No, the Mentor has already said that he will handle all matters himself. Is this all the capability you have? Didn't he leave you precious opportunities for divination?"
As he spoke, Bill looked at Buck opposite him, and Clifford also shifted his gaze to him.
"That's right... Divination! The Mentor left opportunities for divination! Buck, hurry up, now is the time for divination! Let's find those sneaky guys and give them a taste of their own medicine!"
Sitting in his seat, listening to the words of Bill and Clifford in front of him, Buck pondered for a few seconds, then slowly nodded.
...
Turn back time slightly, to this evening at dusk.
Taking advantage of a day off, Dorothy, who had finished her "extracurricular activities" in the morning, didn't want to waste this precious day off. After finishing the aftermath, she spent the afternoon playing in the city. It wasn't until it was almost her usual dismissal time that she finally arrived home by carriage.
On the side of Nanyang Flower Road, Dorothy leisurely stepped down from the carriage. After paying, she slowly walked up the stairs to her doorstep. After opening the door with her key, she saw an empty living room and did not see Grego.
'Ah... my older brother isn't here. Thinking about it, there was such a big case during the day, it's impossible for him not to work overtime tonight...'
Looking at the empty room, Dorothy immediately thought, her relaxed mood still present, without the slightest guilt for adding a lot of work to her older brother.
After confirming that Grego was not at home, Dorothy's behavior began to become arrogant. She placed the cake and dessert she had bought beforehand on the coffee table, then took off her shoes and lay directly on the sofa. She didn't call Mrs. Hark downstairs to prepare dinner for her, but just lay on the sofa and ate snacks and dessert as dinner, occasionally stretching herself on the soft sofa.
"Hmm~~ It's so comfortable being home alone. In the future, I should cause more trouble to make Grego work more overtime~"
After stretching, Dorothy said with emotion. Then she took out a book with a dark blue cover from her bag and began to lean on the sofa in an inelegant posture, eating dessert while reading.
And this book was the secret transmission found in Burton's home. Taking advantage of Grego not being home, Dorothy directly lay on the sofa in the living room and studied the cult book.
However, she also kept a lookout by using the raven Corpse Puppet from her bag to stand on the windowsill and monitor downstairs.
With the help of the Knower's speed-reading ability, she quickly finished reading this not-so-thick secret transmission, having read all the content.
The name of this secret transmission is "Secret Mirror Notes", written by an Extraordinary of the "Stone" Spirituality. This Extraordinary was a jeweler and appraiser, so this is a tool book teaching people how to initially identify secret cult items. It teaches people how to identify items with Spirituality, how to identify artifacts with secret cult meanings, and initially teaches people how to find treasures from various seemingly ordinary antique piles.
'Rare, it's not a "Cup" secret transmission. I thought the secret transmissions found in the homes of Holy Communion Society members were all bizarre things. There's actually something so proper... Where did that guy get it from...'
While thinking, Dorothy carefully flipped through the book again, and finally found a message on the flyleaf.
"December 6, 1240, gifted to Aldrich by An De, may our friendship last forever."
Looking at this message, Dorothy couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth, the image of Aldrich's smiling hand-cushioning appearing in her mind, and then she scoffed to herself.
'Hehe... I really don't know... how much that guy sold the friendship of this Mr. An De for.'