Deacon Habert's eyes flashed. He motioned for the guards to step back, then went forward himself. A faint golden light, the color of wheat, covered his palm as he gently pressed it against the wall.
He closed his eyes and sensed the space beyond for a moment, then said gravely, "There's a space behind it, and... faint traces of an unclean energy!"
He took a step back and nodded to the tallest guard.
The guard understood. He took a deep breath, raised his armored shoulder, and slammed it into the seemingly solid wall beside the crack!
Boom!
With a dull thud, the wall caved inward. Then the entire "wall" swung inward like a hinged panel, revealing a pitch-black opening.
A stronger stench poured out, mingling old dust and mildew with a strange, indescribable odor that carried hints of sulfur and something sickly sweet.
Beyond the hidden door was a narrow flight of stone steps leading down into the dark underground.
At almost the same time, the guards searching the second floor sent word as well: "Deacon! We found a large number of suspicious items in the second-floor staff room!"
"Split into two teams!" Deacon Habert decided at once. "You three, come with me into the hidden chamber! You two, guard the first-floor entrance and assist the investigator in searching the second floor!"
Yu Xing signaled to Qu Xuanqing and Lingren, and the three followed two guards up the stairs.
The second floor was the staff's living quarters. The furnishings were simple, but everything had been ransacked and left in disarray.
After a locked wardrobe was forced open, they found no clothes inside, but stacks of neatly arranged parchment scrolls covered in twisted symbols and ancient writing.
Scattered across the desk beside it were black stone seals carved with the symbol