Yu Lian looked up at the blue sky and once again reflected that, sure enough, because he wasn't inhuman enough, he couldn't fit in with these thoroughly conventional rulers. Still, that had long since ceased to be the point.
He lowered his eyes and mused, "The King of Wei became a snake. Was it you who introduced him?"
A flicker of surprise crossed the Grand Priest's eyes, but he still clasped his hands and smiled obsequiously. "The general sees all. However, I had already taken over the Starwatch Pavilion and withdrawn from the organization before King Vellent joined it. As for His Highness, he simply found his own way in. For your information, respected general, the organization cooperates with all sorts of forces: those in the open, the underworld, business, politics, the Alliance, and the Empire. Each person is responsible for one area. Most of the time, the organization's senior members really are just clubmates."
Yu Lian understood now. The Serpent Around the World really was a loose organization devoted to stirring things up. But so long as "Future" could maintain an air of lofty mystery and control from behind the scenes, the organization's continued existence was practically a religion.
He suddenly felt less inclined to get to the bottom of "Future's" true identity, though he remained curious. His demigod-level intuition told him that even if he learned the truth, it wouldn't change the situation.
Or perhaps the truth simply wasn't what he hoped it would be.
By comparison, learning how they had stabilized the corpse of a Void Lord seemed more practically useful. Yu Lian figured that even if he couldn't use the knowledge himself, it would surely help the Spirit Research Society's future education and development.
He ate his cake, watching the two men with keen interest.
Trent