Jiang Lin walked up to the altar foundation, released the outer binding and matching process, and shut down the energy circuits in the branch nodes one by one.
The dark red light extinguished layer by layer.
The silver-white spatial anchors surrounding the barn's perimeter dissipated along with it.
The vagrant's body slowly slumped to the ground, his breathing steady, looking as though he were simply asleep.
When the two walked out of the barn, the afternoon sunlight was slanting down through the gaps in the cloud cover.
Gray Robe walked ahead.
Jiang Lin followed two paces behind him.
They maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too far, neither saying another word.
After walking like this for about a quarter of an hour, Gray Robe stopped beside a crooked old scholar tree.
He turned to face Jiang Lin, his tone slightly more relaxed than it had been inside the barn:
“It is safe to speak here.
“There is no third person's presence anywhere near.”
Jiang Lin stopped about three paces away from him.
He had already retracted the Eight Extremities Holy Sword back into his body, his hands hanging naturally at his sides.
Although he had not completely lowered his guard, he showed no obvious intent to attack.
Gray Robe sat down against the rough trunk of the old scholar tree, casually gathering the hem of his faded gray-white robe before looking up at Jiang Lin:
“As I told you earlier, I initially assumed you were a mole planted by another diocese, or perhaps bait released by the Bishop.
“However, learning that you belong to the Temple actually makes me feel this assignment arrived at just the right time.”
“Right time for what?”
“Right time to prove that my prior judgment was not mistaken.”
A rare hint of conviction seeped into Gray Robe's tone, as if he had waited many years for this conclusion.
“The secret cult's system is far too outdated.
“The authority of the Four Pillar Gods weighs over everyone's heads. The Pope sits at the very top, while four Pillar Apostles divide and command the four major dioceses.
“No matter how much those below sacrifice or accumulate, as long as the Pope remains in that position, it is impossible to truly break through that ceiling.”
When he spoke the word “Pope,” a faint ripple stirred in his voice.
It was like a stone that had rested on his heart for years had finally been pried open just enough to reveal a crack.
Jiang Lin did not interject, simply listening in silence.
Gray Robe continued:
“I have been inside the secret cult for nearly thirty years.
“From the lowest-ranking believer, I climbed step-by-step to my current position as Missionary. I can no longer remember how many sacrifices I have handled or how many quests I have completed.
“Yet to this day, I am still only at the 7th-Rank mid-stage.
“I cannot break higher.
“Not because of a lack of talent, nor because the quality of my sacrifices was insufficient.
“It is because the Pope has been suppressing the entire system.”
Gray Robe paused, his grayish-blue eyes resting on Jiang Lin once more.
“All energy returned from sacrifices passes through the Pope's status before entering an individual's body.
“He takes the largest portion for himself, leaving only the remnants for those below.
“Having sacrificed Blood Raven and Withered Bone, you must have noticed that the power feedback you received was far below the actual value those sacrifices should have yielded.”
Jiang Lin did not deny it.
“That was not a flaw in the sacrificial process,” Gray Robe said, lowering his voice slightly.
“It is the Pope intercepting the flow at the status level.
“As long as he sits in that seat, it will be impossible for the secret cult to nurture a second person who can pose a genuine threat to him.”
“You want to replace him,” Jiang Lin finally spoke, his tone remaining even.
“What was your original plan?”
“My original plan was to leverage my position as Missionary to move between the various dioceses, gradually identifying the rifts between the Pope and the four Pillar Apostles, then finding an opportunity to act through the sacrificial system.”
Gray Robe paused briefly.
“However, that plan moved far too slowly.
“The Pope is exceedingly vigilant. Though differences exist among the four Pillar Apostles, not a single one has dared to openly challenge his authority in all these years.”
He paused for a fraction of a second, as if gauging just how much further he should unveil his cards.
“Therefore, I need someone.
“Someone capable of breaking the secret cult's existing framework from the outside.
“And a Temple apostle actively appearing within the cult happens to grant me that exact opportunity.”
Jiang Lin stood on the other side of the old scholar tree, his gaze fixed on Gray Robe's face.
“You mean I am responsible for killing high-ranking members of the cult from the outside, while you take advantage of the vacant positions to install your own people?”
“More or less,” Gray Robe said.
“Though in practice, it is not quite so simple.
“The deaths of Blood Raven and Withered Bone have already drawn the attention of the cult's higher-ups.
“Especially Blood Raven. Having operated near Bramble Town for so many years, his sudden, unexplained death prompted the Eastern Diocese to dispatch investigators to inspect the scene.
“You cleaned up after yourself very well.
“Yet when someone dies, another must step up to fill the void.
“And as for those replacement candidates...”
Gray Robe paused slightly.
“If I lay out the groundwork in advance, I can gradually control their promotion pathways.
“Ultimately turning those people into my own.”
“Then what do you need me to do?”
“Continue remaining in Shadow City as Drake,” Gray Robe replied without hesitation.
“The Bishop already extends a degree of trust toward you. Furthermore, you joined the cult recently with minimal entanglements, making you less likely to arouse suspicion.
“I will continue using my Missionary identity to occasionally pass through Shadow City, delivering intelligence and next steps to you.
“As for you...
“You only need to carry out tasks that outwardly align with the cult's interests, but inwardly assist me in gathering power.”
Jiang Lin did not answer immediately.
In his mind, he rapidly calculated the benefits this partnership could offer, as well as the hidden risks involved.
Gray Robe was a 7th-Rank mid-stage mental magic adept who had operated within the cult for thirty full years.
His grasp of internal personnel, organizational hierarchy, and inter-diocesan relations far surpassed anything Jiang Lin, a newcomer who had barely infiltrated the ranks, could match.
If he truly intended to rend the cult open from within, the intelligence value he could provide would indeed be immense.
Yet by the same token—
The foundation of this alliance was laughably fragile.
If Gray Robe could collaborate with a Temple apostle today to replace the Pope, he could just as easily sell Jiang Lin out tomorrow for greater gain.
“I can cooperate with you,” Jiang Lin finally said.
“However, I have several conditions.”
Gray Robe's expression remained unchanged, clearly having expected that Jiang Lin would not trust him based on mere words.
“Name them.”
“First, you mentioned earlier that the Pope intercepts sacrificial feedback at the status level.
“How many people know about this?”
“Exceedingly few,” Gray Robe said.
“This is a deduction I arrived at through years of observation and data comparisons of sacrificial feedback across different dioceses.
“I have never spoken of it publicly.
“Within the cult, openly questioning the Pope is taboo in itself.”
“Then put it down in writing,” Jiang Lin said.
“Include your deductions, analytical evidence, and all the data you possess.
“In duplicate.
“One for you, one for me.”
His tone was completely calm.
“If you ever decide to sell me out, this document will find its way to other dioceses—or even into the hands of the Pillar Apostles.
“When that time comes, it will become your execution warrant first.”
Gray Robe fell silent for a short moment.
Then, he gave a faint nod.
“Agreed.”
“Second,” Jiang Lin continued.
“Throughout our cooperation, any intelligence you provide must be accurate.
“You may use my hand to weaken a diocese, or task me with eliminating targets you wish removed.
“However, whatever risks are involved must be disclosed beforehand.
“If you intentionally conceal critical intelligence to push me into an obvious trap...”
Jiang Lin looked at him.
“Our alliance ends instantly.
“And what you wrote will land on the desks of Envoys from other dioceses in the shortest possible time.”
“Reasonable,” Gray Robe answered, still composed.
“Is there a third condition?”
“Yes.
“I want your real name and true background,” Jiang Lin said.
“‘Gray Robe’ is merely a codename.
“Since we are partnering, you must offer something truly verifiable.”
Gray Robe did not reply right away.
Leaning against the rough trunk of the old scholar tree, he remained silent for a long time.
It did not look like he was weighing pros and cons, but rather reopening a chapter of his past he had refused to touch for many years.
After a moment, he finally spoke:
“My real name is Therane.
“A native of the northern region of the Saintas Kingdom.
“Thirty-five years ago, my family was wiped out during a feud between local lords.
“I fled into cult-controlled territory.
“Later, I joined the cult, shed my original identity, and remained here until today.”
Having said this, he slowly raised his right hand.
A trace of faint gray-white light surfaced from his fingertips, condensing in his palm into a simple motif.
It was a crest similar to a family coat of arms.
The image endured for a mere two breaths before rapidly fading away.
“This family crest should still be traceable within the old archives of the Saintas Kingdom's northern region,” Gray Robe said.
“Upon your return, you may verify it yourself.”
Jiang Lin memorized the outline of the motif.
“Write that down as well.
“Along with the analysis from before.”
Gray Robe nodded without another word.
Reaching into an inner pocket of his robe, he drew out the parchment scroll he had examined earlier in the wooden hut, extracted a piece of fine charcoal, and began writing against the tree trunk.
His pace was neither rushed nor slow.
Every word was written with neat, precise strokes, as if compiling an official document meant for permanent record.
He wrote for nearly one shichen before stopping and folding the parchment before handing it to Jiang Lin.
Jiang Lin took the parchment, unrolled it, and skimmed through it quickly.
After confirming its contents matched what Gray Robe had stated, he stored the parchment deep within his spatial ring.
“Then our agreement is struck,” Jiang Lin said.
“I will remain in Shadow City and maintain my current role as Drake.
“As for subsequent matters, I will await your word.”
Gray Robe stood up from beneath the tree, brushing off dust from the hem of his robe.
“In the coming period, I will make another trip to Shadow City.
“When the time comes, I will arrive under the guise of delivering supplies so as not to attract unwanted attention.”
He took several steps toward the town.
After walking a short distance, he suddenly paused.
This time, he did not turn around.
“By the way.
“That ‘Bowel Strengthening Technique’ you used during your initiation... its notoriety within the cult is currently greater than you might imagine.
“A major reason the Bishop has not harbored deeper suspicions toward you is precisely because they feel...”
Gray Robe paused briefly.
“Someone who could devise such a technique—and execute it without batting an eye—was born to walk this path.
“You may continue to maintain this advantage.”
The corner of Jiang Lin's mouth twitched slightly.
“...Understood.”
Gray Robe's figure gradually drifted into the distance along the trail.
His faded gray-white robe cast a long, slender shadow beneath the afternoon sun until he rounded the shrubbery ahead and vanished entirely.
Jiang Lin remained standing in place.
Maintaining Space Perception at its maximum range, he confirmed that Gray Robe's aura continued moving into the distance without any sign of returning before turning toward another fork in the path.
He did not return to Shadow City immediately.
Instead, he stayed on the outskirts of this border town for another night, secretly observing the movements within to verify whether Gray Robe had left any other arrangements.
Everything was completely normal.
The following morning, the vagrant they had left near the barn indeed woke up at the town entrance.
A few copper coins were tucked in his clothes.
Remembering nothing of the previous day, he sat in place with a bewildered expression for a short while before taking the copper coins and leaving the town.
Having confirmed no lingering issues remained, Jiang Lin retraced his steps toward Shadow City.
...
By the time he returned to Shadow City, darkness had fallen completely.
Jiang Lin did not rush to report back to the cathedral, returning straight to his quarters instead.
After securing the doors and windows, he retrieved the parchment scroll handwritten by Gray Robe from his spatial ring and re-examined it under the lamp light.
The writing on the parchment was neat and compact.
The content was roughly divided into two sections.
The first half contained Gray Robe's long-term observations regarding the Pope intercepting sacrificial feedback, as well as data comparisons gathered over the years.
It detailed four sets of sacrificial records spanning different times and dioceses.
Each set meticulously documented the time, location, sacrifice rank, and the final percentage of feedback received.
The second half consisted of a rubbing of Gray Robe's—or rather, Therane's—family crest, along with a brief outline of his origin.
The text aligned almost exactly with what he had recounted under the scholar tree that afternoon.
Jiang Lin read through the entire contents once more.
Afterward, instead of immediately returning the parchment to his spatial ring, he withdrew a blank recording crystal.
He injected magic essence into it.
A faint radiance lit up.
He transcribed every single word from the parchment into the crystal.
A recording crystal was far smaller in size, making it much easier to conceal than a parchment scroll.
Even if something went wrong with his spatial ring, he would not be left without leverage against Gray Robe.
Once the transcription was finished, he stowed the original parchment back into the depths of his spatial ring.
As for the recording crystal, he hid it inside a crack where the ceiling beam met the wall.
Finally, he swept dust back over the spot to conceal all visible traces.
...
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