Three days later, based on vague information provided by a prisoner, they found a manor in the valley. The prisoner said that this might be an important contact point.
Lin Qin did not let Pallas attack directly. He sneaked in alone.
The guards at the manor were very lax. He easily avoided several patrolling guards and entered the main house.
In the study, a man was reading his account book under the lamp. When Lin Qin's sword was placed on his neck, he collapsed to the ground in fear.
"Who is Theocracy's contact person? Where is it?" Lin Qin asked.
The man peed his pants and spoke incoherently. "What... what Theocracy? Sir, I am just a fur businessman... I have money, and I will give it to you..."
Lin Qin looked through the account book. It was indeed a record of fur business transactions. He searched the entire study and found nothing related to Theocracy.
He left the manor. The businessman was still shaking in his room.
Five days later, they tracked the whereabouts of a suspected member of Inquisition and entered a border town. The clue pointed to the blacksmith shop in the town.
Lin Qin walked into the blacksmith shop. The blacksmith was a strong man who was forging iron.
"I want to customize a sword." Lin Qin said.
The blacksmith looked up at him and continued to hammer the red-hot iron. "What style?"
Lin Qin said a few secret codes. They were recorded on the torn pieces of paper found at the last stronghold.
The blacksmith's movements did not stop, and his eyes did not change. "I don't understand what the guest said. If you want to use an ordinary sword, please leave a request. If you don't want to use it, please do so."
Lin Qin stood there and looked at the blacksmith. The blacksmith just hammered in silence. The fire made his face turn red.
Lin Qin turned around and walked away. He walked to the corner of the street and shook his head at Pallas who was waiting there.
"It's a trap, or he discovered us, or the clues are simply wrong."
A week later, they found another suspected location. This time it was a remote monastery.
Lin Qin sneaked into the monastery late at night. The monastery was quiet and the monks were sleeping. He searched the abbot's room and only found some ordinary religious books and prayers.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly felt a faint energy fluctuation. He followed the fluctuation and found a hidden secret room in the basement.
The secret room was empty, with only a table and a chair. There was a letter on the table.
Lin Qin opened the letter. There was only one line on it. "You came too late."
The letter turned to ashes in his hands.
A few days later, they arrived at a port city based on a tip. The target was a cargo ship.
Lin Qin boarded the cargo ship at night. The ship was quiet, and the cargo hold was filled with ordinary commodities. He searched carefully and found a hidden compartment in the bottom cargo hold.
In the secret compartment are several boxes of gold coins and an account book. The account book records normal trade transactions without any abnormalities.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard footsteps on the deck. He quickly hid in the shadows.
A few sailors walked by and told crude jokes, not like Theocracy at all.
Lin Qin quietly left the cargo ship. Pallas was waiting for him on the sea.
"It's fake again." Lin Qin said.
In a month, they tried seven times. Three failed attempts, two were insignificant small strongholds, and one was a trap. They were almost led into a preset encirclement. The last time, all they found was a safe house that had been empty for a long time, filled with dust and nothing.
That night, they rested in a cave.
"They are playing tricks on us." Pallas snorted, "Deliberately giving out false clues."
Lin Qin was sitting on the rock wall, wiping his sword. "It means we are looking in the right direction. They are starting to get scared."
"What's next?"
"Let's try another method." Lin Qin put away his sword, "We no longer chase clues. We go directly to find the biggest fish."
"Do you know where it is?"
"I don't know. But someone knows."
The next day, they came to a bustling city. This is where Chaos Territory's largest black market is located.
Lin Qin went directly to the biggest intelligence dealer in the black market. He was a lean man, sitting behind a desk piled with files.
"I want to buy information from Theocracy's top executives." Lin Qin got straight to the point.
The man narrowed his eyes. "The guests were joking. I only do serious business here."
Lin Qin put a bag of gold coins on the table. "You decide the price."
The man glanced at the gold coins and shook his head. "There are some businesses that even if you have money, you have no life to do them."
Lin Qin put another bag of gold coins. "Add this."
This time it was contributed by Dragon Crystal. Pallas.
The man's eyes changed. He stared at Dragon Crystal for a long time, and finally sighed.
"It's not about money. I can't afford to offend Theocracy people."
"I can't afford to offend you anymore." Lin Qin said.
The man was silent for a moment and finally said, "Three hundred miles to the west, there is a place called 'Shadow Valley'. There is an auction there, and occasionally people from Theocracy will appear."
"Who exactly?"
"I don't know. The people who come here are different every time." The man pushed Dragon Crystal back, "You can take this back. The information is given to you for free."
Lin Qin Collapse Dragon Crystal:"Why?"
"I have a son who died in Theocracy's laboratory." The man said expressionlessly, "If you find them, kill a few more for me."
Lin Qin nodded, turned and left.
Shadow Valley is a dangerous place. The entrance to the valley is guarded and everyone who enters is checked.
Lin Qin did not force his way in. He waited outside the valley for three days and finally found a lone participant.
It was a fat businessman with several guards. Lin Qin took action at night, knocked out the guards, and took the businessman to a remote place.
"Theocracy Who will come to tomorrow's auction?" Lin Qin asked.
The businessman trembled with fear. "I... I don't know..."
Lin Qin's sword tip was pressed against his throat.
"I say! I say!" the businessman screamed, "It's Inquisition's deputy Chief Judge, and there are several priests..."
"Name."
"Deputy Chief Judge's name is Malcolm... I don't know about the others..."
Lin Qin knocked the businessman unconscious and put on his clothes.
The next day, he blended in with the crowd and entered the auction. The venue was located in a huge cave, and people came and went.
He found a corner to sit down and observed carefully. Sure enough, shortly after the auction started, several people in cloaks walked in. The leader was a middle-aged man with a gloomy face, who should be Malcolm.
The auction went smoothly. Lin Qin has been waiting patiently.
Until a special auction item appeared - an ancient scroll, said to record some kind of forbidden magic.
Malcolm starts bidding.
Lin Qin also raised a sign.
The venue fell silent. Everyone looked at the stranger who dared to steal something from Inquisition.
Malcolm gave Lin Qin a cold look and continued to increase the price.
Lin Qin never gives in.
The price kept getting higher and higher. Finally, Lin Qin bought the scroll at a sky-high price.
After the auction ended, Lin Qin took the scroll and left. He knew that Malcolm would definitely follow.
Sure enough, shortly after leaving Shadow Valley, several figures blocked his way.
"Hand over the scroll." Malcolm said coldly.
Lin Qin smiled, "I've finally waited for you."
He took off his disguise and revealed his true face.
Malcolm's face changed drastically. "It's you!"
The battle is about to break out.