The cold wind made the leaves rustle with a chilling sound. Beneath the ordinary noise, heavy crises seemed to be hidden. Four white horses pulled a carriage galloping down the road, surrounded by Holy Knights who easily kept pace using only their physical strength. Each of them possessed the strength of a Great Mage.
Meng Lan had left all non-essential personnel at the cathedral in Fanshui. All the guarding knights were to accompany her back to Limbo. She was quite concerned about Osiris’s warning of death, but in truth, she could not imagine who in this place could possibly kill her.
Osiris had issued similar warnings to many people. Some had been fortunate enough to escape disaster by relying on Osiris’s "prophecies." Perhaps it truly was as Osiris said: the divine consciousness of "Fate" had nearly dissipated, or rather, it had more pressing matters to attend to, causing its attention toward the secular world to diminish.
Incidents in Limbo were piling up. Without her presence, the influence of the Specter Church would be suppressed very quickly. While most of the people in Fanshui were their believers, those in Limbo were different; they were further from peace and closer to death...
If she could avoid or survive this so-called calamity, perhaps the realm she had been stuck in for so long would finally loosen. If she could become a Calamity-class magic user, the current situation would change entirely with her promotion.
The Specter Church's power in Limbo would be able to rival "Death." As for the surrounding regions, the degree of encroachment would only increase further. Once the Prince ascended the throne, it might take only a few years for the royal capital to move to Fanshui, at which point the work desired by the Divine Lord would be complete.
A look of solemnity appeared in Meng Lan’s eyes. She tried her best to keep herself from becoming too fatigued despite her mental tension. If such a powerful opponent truly existed, she would certainly give it her all.
Then... who could it be? The Bishop of "Death"? No... it was impossible for him to act personally. His Majesty the King was already at death's door and could not act either. Could it be those Royal Court Mages? They hadn't appeared in political activities for many years. Only when an event threatening the safety of the Royal Court occurred would these people step in.
Rumor had it that these Royal Court Mages all taught at the Limbo Imperial Academy. Could there be some assassin organization remaining in this era that received orders directly from the King? Impossible... our internal spies couldn't possibly be unaware of such a thing.
As for the heads of the noble families, although most were meticulous and unpredictable, humans were profit-driven animals after all. They couldn't possibly do something like this.
Could it really be those Royal Court Mages? No... our actions couldn't be called treason yet, and a change in faith doesn't fall under the category of threatening national security. Then... who could it be?
The Five Staves of the academy? They couldn't possibly get such permission. The directors of the four academies? They were bogged down with complex affairs and it was also impossible for them. Moreover, according to their style, if they didn't do such things during the years of war, it was even less likely they would break the status quo in this era of peace.
The presidents of the various associations? They were prominent figures in their own regions. Doing something so risky would inevitably affect everything...
She had gone through everyone she knew, yet no information could be gathered. She bit her fingernails and glanced out the gap in the window. It was pitch black outside; she could see nothing.
For some reason, she thought of the culprit who had escaped from Lobilance. Thinking about it now, perhaps only that person fit the description. At that time, the scene had the aura of blood and time magic, and that aura faintly bore traces of Royal Court magic. It was for this reason that none of the investigators dared to conduct a search with any great fanfare.
After all, if it was an assassination carried out by the Royal Court's inner circle, they would likely be the next to die if they actually found anything.
“Is there really some assassin organization?” Meng Lan frowned, her lips twitching uncontrollably. “Then their method is likely... assassination?”
“What a pity. I didn't wait for the details of Vivian’s death to be fully investigated. Otherwise, I might have had a better chance of winning,” Meng Lan murmured softly. “Or should I have stayed in Fanshui?”
“Most people die from their own insatiable greed and desire. It seems this time, I have placed my life on the gambling table as well.” Meng Lan sighed softly. She had souls scattered near the escort team, and she had not sensed any unusual movement. The night was silent, as if nothing was there.
She began to feel slightly relieved, wondering if she had just happened to miss the dangerous timing. But she quickly realized that even the "Fate" of the present was not something that could be easily broken by a single prophecy.
The carriage was traveling at high speed when, at a certain moment, it seemed to decelerate briefly before returning to its normal pace. Perhaps the wheels had run over something, causing the convoy to slow down. Of course, this deduction... carried a hint of fantasy, as her escort convoy was blessed. Even if it were bombarded by magic, there should be no hesitation in its movement.
Meng Lan took off the necklace from her neck, which held a small box. Through the tiny glass pane, countless souls could be seen struggling, trying to break through the window and escape. This was her artifact, which stored all the "apostles" she could use.
“Is it here...?” She took a breath, feeling somewhat relieved that the opponent hadn't started with something like a curse. Her condition was still at its peak.
“Yes, I'm here,” a person's voice rang out softly. The carriage door was opened quite casually, as if the chains and restrictive spells on it had no effect at all.
As if she were a carpool passenger, she casually opened the carriage door and sat inside, right across from Meng Lan.
Had the carriage not been moving at breakneck speed, and had everyone around Meng Lan not remained completely oblivious, this would have seemed entirely ordinary.
“You were the one who planned that... assassination that took the souls of my believers.” Li Yue removed her hood. There was no emotion in her blood-red eyes. Her pitch-black hair turned pale white inch by inch, and black snake scales appeared on the parts of her skin exposed to the air. Her nails turned jet black, and a shattered crown appeared atop her head.
All of this made Meng Lan’s scalp tingle with fear.
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