Miss Dusk

Under these circumstances, Ye Qian allowed her Mystic Thread to pass through some dangerous areas for the first time.

Such behavior undoubtedly did not attract any attention or attention.

After all, even Norton, the teacher she had taken in at Saint Via, hadn't realized that this girl possessed such extraordinary abilities.

Now, relying on this ability, Ye Qian is preparing to plan a party of her own.

A high-end party!

Her goal was to bring in people who were not closely related to her but were very powerful.

"Whatever the purpose, perhaps it's worth borrowing." She murmured to herself, turning her gaze to the person she had specifically chosen in this scheme.

The Light Prayer Church, the Archdiocese of Order, the Air and Sea Division of the Misty Provincial Diocese.

The interior of the church in Konghai City.

"Zhiyi'er, don't be complacent just because you've been sent to this remote place. The Heretic Tribunal is likely to investigate you. If you can't prove your innocence, then from this moment on, behave well and don't bring shame to the Konghai Diocese."

Beneath the towering spire lies a magnificent hall.

A middle-aged man in a bishop's robe stared expressionlessly at the man kneeling on the ground, his tone devoid of any kindness.

"Yes."

Although his own strength surpassed that of the regional bishop in front of him, Zhiyi'er dared not disobey him in the slightest.

Because he feared the Heretic Tribunal, knowing the terrible torture he would suffer if he were labeled a heretic.

Although I feel wronged, if I cannot completely cleanse myself of the sin of contacting heretics in the future, then I might really be dragged to trial one day.

"Very well, I trust your intelligence. You may leave on your own now. I will let you know if anything happens."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Zhiyi'er stood up and left the church building.

A black-robed bishop is the highest-ranking official in the Holy See, typically governing an ordinary city. Conversely, in a provincial capital, a white-robed bishop represents the head of a diocese. Within the national hierarchy, this is equivalent to a provincial governor.

Of course, in this day and age, where papal authority surpasses imperial authority, a bishop's status is far higher than that of an administrative official. In fact, even when a provincial governor meets a bishop in black robes, the governor usually bows first.

As Deacon, Zhiyi'er had worked within the Holy See for many years, rising from a low-level staff member to his current position, and had a deep understanding of the Light Prayer Church's inner workings.

The black-robed bishops of each diocese were all top-tier members of the Black Iron Rank, with some key dioceses even appointing Mithril Rank bishops. Such a lineup would make even the Kingdom of Kingdom of Order feel ashamed.

Zhiyi'er himself is a Mithril Rank powerhouse.

At 30 years old, with such talent, if he hadn't gotten involved in that kind of thing, his future would have been limitless. Instead, he wouldn't have been sent to a remote place like Konghai City to serve under a hopeless old man in black robes.

He was very unhappy, knowing that he was being manipulated, but facing the Holy See, this ruthless behemoth, any explanation or rebuttal would be seen as evidence that he was colluding with heretics and was stubbornly unrepentant.

To avoid being executed too quickly, his only option was to do his job well and clear his name.

Of course, Zhiyi'er thought this was impossible.

The parish is probably already discussing whether to deal with him directly or hand him over to the Inquisition trial.

The latter is terrifying, but the former's fate is also likely to be imprisonment. He feels deeply hopeless about such a future, so much so that he longs for a miracle to happen.

After experiencing this injustice, his faith in the God of Light Prayer even wavered slightly.

Leaving the Holy See's territory and arriving in this charming little city, Zhiyi'er sighed and decided to immerse himself in the atmosphere and observe the everyday life of the city.

Certainly...

All that observation was a lie; his real purpose was to obtain what seemed to be very interesting information.

Why do I say this? Because when he entered the city, he had already come across some of the details through various means. The origin of this gathering seemed extremely strange, even to him, a Mithril Rank Deacon of the Holy See. Based on past experience, he would definitely report it to the Holy See.

But now... I'm a bit disheartened. If I really do that, I don't even know if I'll be labeled as a heretic for no reason.

He even suspected that someone within the church was targeting him.

At this moment, we have arrived at a certain place.

"What about that mysterious supernatural item you mentioned last time?" Zhiyi'er found the mysterious person from last time.

The other party couldn't discern his strength, but he could tell at a glance that this guy was a Black Iron Rank cultivator.

In a small city, Black Iron Rank, and he felt that this guy wouldn't just randomly spread information to a stranger, whether it was good or bad, he must have a deeper purpose.

"I said it was a prop last time, but now I feel it's not. That kind of Pollution... is a bit different from what I thought."

"Oh, then what did you say it was?" he asked.

The other person glanced around mysteriously, then suddenly lowered their voice and said, "An invitation."

"An invitation?"

"Actually, that's not quite right. My intuition is that the message was an invitation, and I simply couldn't decipher its contents. I'm probably not qualified enough. But..." He looked at Zhiyi'er carefully, shook his head with a hint of disdain, and said, "I also feel that I'm not quite qualified."

Zhiyi'er amused and exasperated. "Regardless of whether I'm qualified or not, I'm very curious, can you sell it to me?"

"Sell you? Hmph, even if I gave it to you, so what? It's all just a pipe dream anyway. What if it involves some dangerous cult? I'd be scared myself." He pointed in a certain direction outside the tavern. "On 13th Street, you should see a coffee shop. At 6:12 PM, when you get to the back door, you'll get a feeling. Of course, it's normal if there's nothing there. Don't think I'm playing you; there's no point in me lying to you anyway."

"I believe you're not lying to me." Zhiyi'er trusted his intuition; he felt there was definitely something wrong with what the man was saying.

Chapter 111 Miss Dusk

That evening, a little after 6 p. m., Zhiyi'er arrived at the back door of the café on Central 13th Street.

I took out my watch and glanced at the time; it was still 12 minutes until the time the man had mentioned during the day.

"Will some strange message really appear?"

Zhiyi'er, wearing a robe and with his hands in his pockets, casually glanced at the black billboard above the back door of the café.

Beneath the classical-style buildings, the path was exceptionally clean. He silently looked up at the sky, and before he knew it, the time had passed.

Just as the time on the gold watch reached 6:12, a strange message suddenly enveloped him.

"Um?"

As a Mithril Rank expert, he looked extremely surprised.

Because he couldn't explain this power; it was so hidden, yet he could truly feel it.

Upon closer examination, a faint, almost imperceptible message appeared in my mind.

This message is abstract, like an invitation with a time limit.

"Is it an illusion? Or is it..."

He couldn't help but wonder if it was caused by some kind of Pollution, because there are indeed a lot of lost Pollution items in this society, and those things often cause amazing harm in some areas.

"That's interesting."

He touched his pockets, recalled his past experiences, and considered his current situation. He felt that, regardless of whether it could be a breakthrough to change his life, it was necessary to be brave enough to explore some extraordinary things.

So he took the initiative to respond to this force.

Generally speaking, such mysterious forces that appear in public and are known to many people are unlikely to be some kind of evil religion, but rather events caused by Pollution. Actively resolving such matters is a meritorious act for oneself.

If it really is the temptation of Evil God... then we can only leave it to fate.

In fact, even if he does nothing now, the result will be the same.

The strange aura disappeared after he finished speaking.

He stood there blankly for a long time, and finally couldn't help but wonder if he was hallucinating.

There was no feeling left; it was as if everything before had been a dream.

"It's truly an unbelievable event. It's definitely more interesting to see it in private."

Zhiyi'er felt a little relieved. He turned and walked out of the alley, quickly returning to the accommodation the Church had arranged for him in the city.

Generally speaking, someone like him would have a very clear space for solitude.

But that may not be the case now, because he may have been placed on the watch list of some high-level officials. In that case, even if they don't directly interfere with his private life, his personal movements will likely be closely watched.

Back home, I was about to take off my coat and take a shower when, just as I took half a step, the scenery around me suddenly changed.

A thick fog blanketed the area.

The profound darkness instantly swallowed everything around it, and phantoms surged within the darkness.

He took a half step back in shock, quickly looking around before realizing that this was no longer his home, but a completely unfamiliar environment.

Everything disappeared, replaced by what seemed like a mysterious void.

Enveloped in fog, several blurry silhouettes appeared and disappeared.

Soon the shadows became clearer, forming individual figures, but upon closer inspection, one could see that each person had a strange obstruction on their body, making it impossible to discern their appearance.

"Where is this? Why am I here?" Zhiyi'er was feeling confused, a voice came from someone who looked rather panicked.

He immediately looked toward the source of the sound and determined that it should be a woman, but judging from the voice, it was likely made by a middle-aged man.

"Are all of them like me, people who were forcibly brought here?"

As Zhiyi'er frowned in thought, another man next to him said casually, "It seems there are a few new faces at today's gathering."

"A new face? You know everything about this place?" the middle-aged man asked immediately.

"You must have received some kind of invitation before you came in," the woman glanced over. "You know, that esteemed person wouldn't allow just anyone to participate in a gathering like this."

"A party? You mean, this mysterious... foggy place is actually a secret party?" The middle-aged man seemed a little incredulous, but even through the fog, one could still sense his unease.

As Mithril Rank expert, Zhiyi'er finally understood what had happened.

Could it be related to the information I received before?

I responded to the invitation at the time, but I didn't expect a real response, rather than just a prank.

At this moment, this strange gathering was clearly beyond his comprehension; he had no idea how he had gotten to this place.

"Who exactly has the ability to create such a party that I can't understand, and why invite others to attend? What is their purpose in doing this?"

He began to think about the reasons behind it.

There should be a total of 5 people present. The newlyweds should only be themselves and the middle-aged man. The other 1 man and 2 women are likely not first-timers.

Just as he was making these judgments, a calm yet exceptionally beautiful girl's voice came from the mist.

"Welcome, everyone."

As the sound rang out, the mist on both sides dissipated, revealing a girl with long, flowing hair.

The other person gave off a mysterious vibe. Although only a silhouette could be seen through the mist, her slender figure under the dress was still vividly displayed, making one unable to resist imagining her true appearance.

"Who are you?" the middle-aged man couldn't help but ask in confusion.

No sooner had the question been asked than all three senior members bowed to the girl at the same time.

"Miss Dusk, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello, Miss Dusk."

His actions were all very respectful, and his tone also carried Zhiyi'er.

"This lady is the leader of the gathering. Everyone here, coming from all corners of the country, is all thanks to Miss Dusk," one of the girls introduced.

"Is that so?" Zhiyi'er's heart was somewhat stirred.

Just then, the void suddenly surged again, and chairs rose up one after another. Miss Dusk sat directly on one of the chairs high up, looking down at the scene below, and gestured for everyone to sit down.

Zhiyi'er took a deep breath and deliberately let his buttocks touch the cold black stone chair.

"Judging from this, I've indeed been drawn into a mysterious gathering. What are these people going to do next? Is it a transaction, or to achieve some ulterior motive?"

As they pondered this, the young woman among the older members spoke up calmly, "This gathering is a casual act by Miss Dusk. You are all free to exchange ideas and trade here, or request support from other members offline. However, please note that not everyone can remain a member of the gathering for the long term. After this gathering ends, some of you may forget what you experienced today and leave the gathering forever. And it is Miss Dusk decides all of this."

Upon hearing this, Zhiyi'er glanced again at the girl sitting on the stage.

Well, I can't see through it at all.

I couldn't sense any information from her at all, as if she didn't exist.