Chapter 134: Even Bad Things Have Their Good Side

Chapter 134: Even Bad Things Have Their Good Side

What do I need? The Hermit Cattleya laughed inwardly, detecting the small probe hidden within The Hanged Man’s ordinary question.

If there were needs, there would be clues!

Leaving aside the fact that I have already obtained the formula for Sequence 4 of the Mystery Pryer pathway, Mysticologist, and am accumulating contributions for one of the main ingredients, even if I had nothing, I would not lack corresponding channels—and more than one at that… Cattleya’s thoughts turned, and she recalled the Sea God Scepter in Mr. Fool’s possession. Smiling, she said, “I need a demigod-level mystical item with relatively bearable negative effects.”

At that moment, The Hanged Man Alger nearly blurted out and told her to stop joking.

Even the Church of Storms might not harvest an item of that kind in several years, much less a Beyonder who clearly appeared to be only mid-Sequence!

If I truly had a demigod-level item with bearable negative effects, why would I not keep it for myself? Alger understood that The Hermit was responding to his probe with sarcasm, but unlike most of his colleagues, he did not rage. Instead, he slowly drew a breath and said, “I will keep an eye out.

“But Madam, you should be very clear that even an effective clue to an item of this sort may be worth the Ocean Songster potion formula.”

…Very deep. Not easily angered. That is quite different from the usual style of the Church of Storms… Could my first observational conclusion have been wrong? Was he truly only pretending to be a Storm clergyman back then? No, I cannot think that way yet. Perhaps it is because Mr. Fool is watching, so he does not dare become angry. Or perhaps he himself is an unusual member of the Church of Storms. They will not be common, but certainly cannot be extremely rare either… The Hermit Cattleya was not greedy and made no second probe. She merely nodded.

“I understand.”

After their conversation ended, not a single member proposed another need during the trading segment. Some had already arranged to obtain what they wanted and did not need to purchase it again, with Justice Audrey and The Magician Fors, who were waiting for their later formulas, as the main examples. Others were limited by their financial situation or current circumstances, and were temporarily not engaging in advance spending. This included The Moon Emlyn, who longed for a Blood Clan Viscount inheritance, and Miss Magician, who wanted a mystical item.

As expected, as everyone gradually leaves the lower Sequences, advancement will no longer be so quick, and the frequency of trades is falling rapidly. Before, there would be one or two nearly every week. Now it may be one every two or three weeks, and in the future perhaps one every three or four months… The Fool Klein gave a light nod, not sure whether this situation should be considered good or bad, and indicated that everyone could begin free discussion.

Justice Audrey immediately looked toward The Sun Derrick, waiting for him to describe the change that had happened in the City of Silver.

Derrick did not disappoint her “expectations.” Before anyone else could speak, he said with sincerity, “Elder Lovia has been released. I met her in the library.”

Shepherd Lovia has been released? Her entire team was polluted through flesh and blood by the True Creator. How could she herself not have any problem? What are the six-member council of the City of Silver thinking? Klein originally wanted to express his doubt with words like, “If Lovia has no problem, I will twist off my own head and give it to the True Creator as a ball.” However, considering that curses and oaths involving deities might have bad follow-up consequences, he rationally changed his thoughts.

Of course, this is above the gray fog, so I do not actually need to be that cautious… he sighed inwardly.

“Elder Lovia has been released? That Shepherd?” Justice Audrey thought briefly and remembered what that name represented.

Back then, Little Sun had used the matter of being possessed by Amon the Blasphemer, along with Mr. Fool’s help, to expose that an entire exploration team had been polluted by the True Creator. The leader of that exploration team had been Lovia, and her profession, Shepherd, happened to belong to the Secret Suppliant pathway corresponding to the True Creator!

“Yes.” The Sun Derrick nodded sincerely, then took the opportunity to glance at The Hanged Man beside him.

Alger thought for a moment, but instead asked, “Has your Chief already returned to the City of Silver?”

Why did Mr. Hanged Man suddenly ask about that… Ah, right. To release such an important figure, the other members of the six-member council could not possibly avoid waiting for the Chief’s return…

If the Chief had not returned and they made the decision early, it would mean the matter was even more serious than imagined—so serious that they could not wait for the Chief… If the Chief had already returned, then Lovia’s release is quite likely connected to the results of his expedition, because according to Little Sun, this is the City of Silver’s only exploration in the recent period…

Sigh, how did I fail to think of that just now? Audrey, you still lack experience… Justice Audrey thought, half reflecting and half comforting herself.

“Mm. Just recently,” The Sun Derrick answered, rather surprised by Mr. Hanged Man’s accurate conjecture.

At that moment, The Magician Fors, who had quietly listened, combined this with the material she had previously learned and suddenly formed an idea.

“Mr. Sun, could the situation be something like this?

“Your Chief took the exploration team and that little boy Jack to search for the path that can lead to the outside world, only to discover that doing so requires the True Creator’s power. Heh, this is not a lie I invented, but an inference based on facts. That little boy Jack’s father belonged to the Aurora Order, and they came to your place while searching for the True Creator’s sanctuary.

“Therefore, for the sake of the entire City of Silver, after returning, your Chief decided to release Shepherd Lovia.”

“If that really is the case, Mr. Sun will be in extreme danger next,” Justice Audrey said worriedly, causing Derrick’s heart to sink rapidly.

Just then, The Hanged Man Alger shook his head.

“No. My view is precisely the opposite.

“Miss Magician’s inference aligns with my own guess, but I believe that if this is the case, The Sun will be safer than before!”

“Why?” Derrick’s heart settled somewhat, and he blurted out the question.

Isn’t that simple? Balance! The Fool Klein laughed inwardly.

“The danger of the True Creator is something any intelligent creature with eyes and a brain can perceive. Your Chief will absolutely not place all his stakes on Him. He will inevitably seek a power that can counterbalance the True Creator.

“And you, who exposed their plot and were once possessed by Amon the Blasphemer, may represent another possibility.

“The more Lovia and the others want to harm you, the more the Chief and other elders will protect you. As a result, any unresolved suspicions that might have existed around you before will be treated as though they were unseen.” The Hanged Man Alger gave a simple explanation.

So this is actually a good thing? The Magician Fors was left somewhat stunned as she listened.

Mr. Hanged Man makes a lot of sense… When it comes to analyzing events and situations, I still lag quite far behind him… Justice Audrey felt slightly dejected, even wanting to puff out her cheeks, but immediately felt that such behavior was neither elegant nor proper, so she merely imagined it inwardly.

Apart from them, The Moon Emlyn, who did not understand Lovia’s situation, found listening to the discussion quite difficult. But because he knew about little Jack and the loop of fate, he still barely understood what everyone else was discussing.

To break through the City of Silver’s predicament, they released a “danger” connected to the True Creator? Emlyn began guessing inwardly.

Compared to him, The Hermit Cattleya understood even less. She only felt that she and the other members seemed not to be in the same world.

“I actually have that feeling again—‘What are they talking about? It sounds very impressive, but I cannot understand any of it.’ The last time I had a similar feeling was many years ago, back when I was still very weak… The previous Tarot Gatherings had vaguely shown signs of this, especially when matters involving the City of Silver were discussed, but none were as serious as this…

“Also, why are they so naturally discussing the True Creator and Amon the Blasphemer? Mm… this should be the same Amon the Blasphemer that I know of… They are only mid-Sequence. What exactly have they done before?” At that moment, Cattleya’s confidence, which originated from being a powerful Beyonder, actually suffered a blow.

After listening to Mr. Hanged Man’s analysis, The Sun Derrick first breathed a sigh of relief, then tensed again and asked, “Could this cause our City of Silver to be destroyed by the Fallen Creator?”

He had hoped Mr. Hanged Man would give him an answer that set his mind at ease. Instead, he heard the other man say in a low voice, “That possibility cannot be ruled out.”

“Then what should I do?” Derrick sincerely asked for guidance.

“Without knowing what your Chief and the other elders of the six-member council are planning, I cannot give any advice. But I do not think you need to be so panicked,” The Hanged Man Alger said, lifting his gaze toward Mr. Fool, who sat quietly at the very head of the bronze long table, watching the members.

Following his gaze, The Sun Derrick subconsciously looked over and saw Mr. Fool, whose figure was abnormally blurred and wrapped in gray fog.

His heart immediately became peaceful, and he could not help remembering that sacred and powerful angel.

…Although I have indeed ruined the True Creator’s schemes several times, if I were truly to face Him directly, I definitely could not last even one second… The situation would become “The Fool delivers himself to the doorstep,” and the True Creator would complain that I am not enough even to get stuck between His teeth… Klein maintained his leisurely listening posture, neither saying a word nor making any gesture.

The Sun Derrick withdrew his gaze and said to Alger, “Mr. Hanged Man, thank you for your help. I will find out as soon as possible what the Chief and the others are planning.”

Seeing that the matter was about to come to an end, The Hermit Cattleya carefully considered her words and spoke.

“The Amon the Blasphemer you mentioned just now—are you referring to the ancestor of the Amon family from the Fourth Epoch’s Tudor Empire, that son of the Creator?”

Son of the Creator? Justice Audrey was startled by Madam Hermit’s form of address. Instinctively, she turned her head toward the very end of the bronze long table and discovered that Mr. Fool sat there calmly, as though tacitly confirming Amon’s other identity.