Edjo's Temple
Sitting on the ruins of the dilapidated wooden house, Bai Xiaowen opened Naheh's Golden Treasure Chest.
"Aren't you afraid that killing him like this will just kill off the trail?" Li Shuyi said.
Bai Xiaowen smiled and said, "There's no other way. If Naheh were weak, it would be best if I could control him with Confusion Talisman... but his personal strength is too great. That's why he was able to rise from a mere slave gladiator to be appreciated by Sammet."
"We could make a deal with him, like forcing him to reveal information or something," Li Shuyi started brainstorming.
"Hoping he'll tell us the truth is unrealistic. Besides, the moment we exposed Naheh's identity, it was destined that we'd have to fight. From Naheh's perspective, he won't allow two people who know his identity to live; otherwise, freedom will be a pipe dream."
After a pause, Bai Xiaowen continued, "Actually, as a key figure in Sammet's faction, the chances of Naheh finding clues from the treasure chest are quite high. After all, we received a mission from Ramses to Hittite Spy Investigation."
Hittite Spy Investigation is an Elite Tier B-Tier side quest, not particularly difficult. Bai Xiaowen didn't take it too seriously; he'd do it if he could, and leave it as is if he couldn't, since it wouldn't affect his rewards for completing the level.
It took Bai Xiaowen three whole days to travel from Amurru Fortress to Im Village —after all, he was returning to Egypt from West Asia, quite far from the Pharaoh's location. Even after completing this Elite Tier side quest, it would still take another three days to turn it in...
The Battle Rating for defeating Naheh is C, and you have one chance to draw a prize.
Therefore, it seems that the A-Tier rating obtained by killing the Hittites commander Holimu in the previous battle was indeed related to the battlefield situation. Bai Xiaowen and his companion went against the tide and killed the commander of the superior side, which greatly increased their Battle Rating.
Bai Xiaowen drew the item directly and then received a notification; he had obtained an item.
[Gladiator's Elixir: A+ Rank Item. Increases Strength and Agility by 20% and Movement Speed by 50% for 30 seconds. After use, the user will be weakened, with all attributes reduced by half for 300 minutes.]
"Isn't this Naheh's ultimate move...? So it relies on taking medicine. Although the negative effects last a long time, it can still be considered a trump card if used well." Bai Xiaowen frowned. If the negative effects were reduced, this item would be more than just an A+ ordinary item.
Since it only increases strength and agility by a percentage, it would be a waste for Bai Xiaowen to use it. Therefore, this secret medicine was given to Li Shuyi.
Inside the treasure chest, there is a special item that is guaranteed to drop—an old scroll of papyrus.
Bai Xiaowen's hand touched the papyrus and received a hint:
"You have obtained a special item: Naheh's Journal".
"There really is one!" Li Shuyi said with delight. With this diary, there was hope to continue the investigation.
"This logbook was actually part of my calculations, and it's sure to contain intelligence on Hittites spies and Sammet's associates. However, whether we can find information about the Silent Tongue depends on luck."
As is typical of the Spirit Realm Rules, items related to quests or closely associated with the awakened individual will have a higher drop rate. Some quest items will even be given to the awakened individual as a "guaranteed drop".
Therefore, Bai Xiaowen guessed that killing Naheh would yield clues to the side quest "Cleansing Up Hittites Spies." But the Silent Tongue and Hittites spies are two different things; perhaps this sect has no connection whatsoever with Sammet...
Bai Xiaowen flipped through the logbook. He read very quickly and soon reached the last page.
"This guy named Naheh is really something else."
Bai Xiaowen sighed and said, "I initially thought it was a bit illogical that the Spirit Realm Rules would issue a Naheh's Journal as a clue—the literacy rate in Ancient Egypt wasn't high, and knowledge was mostly in the hands of nobles and priests. How could Naheh, a slave, have the habit of keeping a diary? After reading the diary, I realized I was wrong."
"This Naheh was originally a low-ranking monk at the Memphis Temple. Because of a mistake during a ritual, he was punished by the priest, demoted to a slave, and eventually sold to the Avaris Arena."
"Originally, Naheh wasn't even considered a prospective gladiator; he was a lower-level 'material,' used by gladiators to hone their skills. He was killed as a sacrifice the day before a new gladiator's first duel..."
"However, Naheh defied the fate of the sacrifice, defeating the burly, well -Well-Trained rookie gladiator. It was this victory that made the arena owner see his potential, and he began training him specifically to exploit his agility."
"Afterwards, Naheh won a series of victories in the arena, becoming the ace gladiator of the Avaris Arena. Later, Sammet watched the gladiatorial combats, greatly admired him, bought out his contract, and took him by his side, making him a trusted subordinate..."
Li Shuyi said, "This person's experiences are indeed quite legendary; he could be the male lead in a TV drama... So, what about clues? Are there any?"
"Naheh did indeed represent Sammet and contact the priests of the Snake God Edjo," Bai Xiaowen said, shaking his head. "The bad news is, they rejected Sammet's offer of service..."
"And the good news?"
"The good news is that Naheh's diary mentions one of the Snake God Faith's strongholds," Bai Xiaowen said with a smile. "Although the cult didn't participate in Sammet's rebellion, as long as we don't say anything, who will know? For the sake of the set, we two have to play the villains who harm innocent people this time."
Li Shuyi pursed her lips.
More than a hundred miles southwest of Memphis, on the west side of the Im Village, stands an ancient and dilapidated building— the Edjo Temple.
This temple, in terms of its building area, sacrificial scale, and influence, is far inferior to the Karnak Temple and the Memphis Temple. To put it another way, it's like the difference between a dilapidated ancient temple and the Shaolin Temple.
Low popularity means a lack of believers. Apart from occasional offerings from a few surrounding villages, the sect that runs this temple has virtually no source of income. The lower-ranking monks even have to farm for their own support.
However, on this day, the small and dilapidated temple welcomed two distinguished guests.
The two distinguished guests were incredibly generous, donating 100 units of gold (nearly one kilogram) to the temple! For the priests of the Edjo Temple, who hadn't received such generous pilgrims in a long time, this was like a godsend.
Soon, the two distinguished guests were led to the main hall of the temple, where they were received by the current high priest.
These two so-called distinguished guests were, of course, Bai Xiaowen and Li Shuyi.
The 100 units of gold came from a small bribe Bai Xiaowen made when he contacted the Memphis. As a trusted member of the Imperial Guard, Bai Xiaowen was investigating the major case of Sammet's betrayal. With just a casual hint, the local officials would offer their tribute.
The gold Bai Xiaowen knocked down certainly wasn't just 100 Kate units. It's just a pity that this gold couldn't be taken out of the Spirit Realm Plane, so its value wasn't high.
Sitting face-to-face with the High Priest of the Edjo Temple, Bai Xiaowen didn't hold back and first used his Insight to see what kind of background the old man sitting in front of him was.
This high priest was Rare Elite, Anmusu.
"Why have you come to the temple of Edjo, sir? In the the Delta these days, fewer and fewer people worship the great Orochi god..." High Priest Anmusu searched for the right words. He hoped Bai Xiaowen was a follower of the Snake God, not a tourist who had come from afar.
"I didn't originally worship the Snake God, but one day, Snake God performed a miracle in my dream. I felt this was divine guidance and that I must worship her and become her follower. After some investigation, I learned that there was a temple dedicated to the Snake God here, so I came."
Bai Xiaowen launched into a persuasive tactic, "I must say, after arriving here, my beliefs began to waver... How could the great Temple of Edjo be so dilapidated? My heart is filled with confusion."
Li Shuyi felt a strong urge to jot down her thoughts in a notebook. Bai Xiaowen was truly a professional at deceiving people in the Spirit Realm.
The two paragraphs just now successfully created the image of an "Edjo's potential follower," the kind of pseudo-believer who will convert if you work hard, but might turn to other gods if you don't.
Given Bai Xiaowen's previously cultivated image of immense wealth, how could the impoverished and dilapidated Edjo Temple not pull out all the stops to win them over?
High Priest Anmusu said solemnly, "Confused believer, to feel the guidance of the great Snake God in your dream is an unparalleled honor. The Snake God favors you, but if you are blinded by outward appearances and turn away from the Snake God's embrace, this blessing may turn into calamity."
At this point, the high priest slowly stood up and pointed to the giant serpent statue on the north side of the hall:
"This is the statue of Edjo, which is two thousand years old and has witnessed the changes of more than a dozen dynasties."
Anmusu pointed to the pillars again. "The inscriptions on these pillars were carved during the Old Kingdom period, carrying thousands of years of wisdom."
Then Anmusu opened the shrine and took out scrolls of yellowed documents:
"These documents, passed down for over a thousand years, are the temple's most precious treasure."
"For thousands of years, Edjo's gaze has remained fixed here, never wavering. You see the desolation of this temple, but you never imagine the profound history it carries, nor the omnipresent divine grace it possesses! In ancient times, this temple's status even surpassed Karnak and Memphis! Compared to this ancient temple, those two temples were merely nouveau riche!"
High Priest Anmusu raised his hands, like a Frenzy preacher. His wrinkled face truly possessed a dignified and solemn air, inspiring awe and inspiring awe in all who beheld him.
"As expected... professional charlatans all have a talent for conning people. His description of this dilapidated little temple instantly elevated its prestige by several levels..."
Bai Xiaowen muttered to herself.
High Priest Anmusu glanced at Bai Xiaowen discreetly, seeing no sign of emotion on Bai Xiaowen's face, and felt a growing anxiety. Boasting about history was the only thing the dilapidated Edjo Temple could boast about.
"High Priest, I have a question... Is there any other high priest in this temple besides yourself?"
Anmusu frowned and said, "There are several priests in the temple, but I am the only high priest who presides over the temple."
"Really? I've heard that the Edjo Temple has several priests favored by the Snake God, whose strength is even comparable to that of the priests of the Memphis Temple, such as Moaitaihe, Ahmose, and Lord Tiya... I wonder where they are?"
This was something Bai Xiaowen had always been puzzled about. The priest Anmusu in front of him was just a Rare Elite; what qualifications did he have to lead the Snake God Faith?
It's important to understand that Tiya the Snakefolk is Boss Tier creature, so the other two leaders of the Silent Tongue Sect, who are on par with him, must also be no weaker than Boss Tier.
After a brief observation, Bai Xiaowen did not see a single Boss Tier creature in this temple.
"How... how did you know these three names?" Anmusu asked in surprise.
From Priest Anmusu's words alone, Bai Xiaowen deduced that Anmusu indeed knew about Tiya and the others!
"Your Excellency need not ask further about this..."
Bai Xiaowen straightened his back and took out the golden token bestowed upon him by the Pharaoh. "I am the Pharaoh's secret envoy, ordered by the great Pharaoh Ramses to investigate Hittites spies! The Edjo Temple is highly suspected; all those below the High Priest have been detained. Anyone who resists will be considered a traitor!"
A flurry of footsteps sounded, followed by shouts, tables and chairs overturned, and cups and plates scattered on the ground...
High Priest Anmusu was stunned for a few seconds before he reacted, pointing his withered finger at Bai Xiaowen: "You... you are actually..."
"High Priest Anmusu, you need not be afraid. Your sect is currently only suspected. As long as the investigation is thorough and you are not found guilty of treason, you will be in no danger." Bai Xiaowen smiled slyly.
Some monks from the Edjo Temple, armed with clubs, formed a circular formation to confront the approaching Memphis City Guard.
However, faced with the Fully Armed city defense troops, the monks dared not make a move and all ran over to ask Anmusu for instructions on what to do.
Anmusu sighed, shook his head, and said, "Forget it... put down your weapons."
This order was somewhat unexpected for Bai Xiaowen.
He had assumed that a sect with a history of over two thousand years would be a typical example of a centipede that doesn't die easily, and that it would never be wiped out by a hundred city defense troops. He was even prepared for the possibility of several bosses appearing in a temporary battle.
These one hundred Egypt city guards were brought in as cannon fodder.
A group of priests and monks were taken into custody, and the Memphis City Guard guards surrounded them.
Anmusu said, "My lord, we, the priests of the Snake God, have always heeded the teachings of the great Edjo, and have never overstepped our bounds, let alone betrayed Egypt. Please be sure to understand this."
"Really? Tell me first, what are the backgrounds of Moaitaihe, Ahmose, and Tiya?"