The other side of the crystal fell silent for a moment, followed by a light chuckle.
"Mr. Morgan, wasn't everything settled during the meeting? We provided the ship and the labor; what else do you want?"
Old Morgan did not respond immediately, simply flicking his ash, his gaze fixed on Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan understood the gesture and remained silent.
The silence stretched for several seconds.
Only then did Old Morgan speak unhurriedly: "What about the blood?"
The sound of breathing on the other end of the crystal hitched.
It was brief, but Lu Yuan caught it.
Silence followed.
It lasted a long time.
"...How did you know?"
"That isn't important." Old Morgan held the cigarette between his fingers, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What matters is that since it wasn't part of the plan, it belongs to us now."
"Of course, you're welcome to try and take it by force."
Silence returned to the other end of the crystal.
Lu Yuan could sense that the other party was weighing the pros and cons.
The Ascension Society did not want this matter to become public knowledge, and they certainly did not want to burn bridges with the Nightwatchers at a time like this.
After a while, the voice from the crystal spoke again, its tone softening significantly.
"The blood must be taken away, and so must Marcus. We just received word that he is severely injured."
"Furthermore..."
The voice paused.
"You may participate in this plan and share the results. However, you must provide personnel."
Old Morgan let out a cold snort, flicking ash into the ashtray.
"Provide personnel?"
"We Nightwatchers have always been on the front lines. Don't tell me your Ascension Society is unaware of the current situation."
"We have no men to spare."
"Then the most we can provide is information."
"No."
Old Morgan leaned forward, crushing out his cigarette, his voice suddenly turning cold.
"At the very least, tell me what you are doing."
"Do you know where this is? Gelimu Port. Imperial territory."
"Your Ascension Society is profaning that kind of existence. If something goes wrong, never mind your headquarters; those people lurking in the shadows will immediately report it to the heart of the Empire."
"When that happens, your headquarters won't be the only ones punished; you'll have to atone with your life."
Old Morgan's tone was flat, his fingers tapping lightly on the tabletop, but every word felt like a blade.
"You should know the Empire's current state. Daring to provoke those existences is a death wish."
"So, I need an explanation."
"Otherwise, the Nightwatchers are authorized to arrest all of you on charges of threatening Imperial security."
"Of course, you could try to resist."
He paused, a cold sneer pulling at the corner of his mouth.
"But you should weigh the consequences carefully."
The other end of the crystal went completely silent.
Lu Yuan watched Old Morgan, feeling a secret sense of shock.
This old man, who seemed petty and stingy, was a completely different person at the negotiating table.
The silence lasted for a very long time.
Finally, a sigh drifted from the crystal.
"...We have not provoked those taboos."
"That heart has not reached that level, and it is still under seal."
"The person can stay with you for now. We can discuss the details further once the fighting outside concludes."
Old Morgan leaned back into his chair, lit another cigarette, and said tonelessly, "Fine."
The communication cut off.
The blue light dissipated, and the meeting room returned to silence.
Old Morgan exhaled a cloud of smoke, his face showing no sign of triumph; instead, it grew even more somber.
"Those bastards are indeed conducting some unsavory experiments."
He leaned against the back of his chair, his cloudy eyes squinting as if he were talking to himself.
"Infiltrated by the Deep Sea Church like a sieve, the inner city Viscount guarding against us, and now no one knows what the Ascension Society is up to..."
Old Morgan gave a bitter smile and flicked his ash.
"I really am an incompetent Nightwatchers captain."
Lu Yuan did not offer a reply.
Old Morgan glanced at him and stood up.
"You were right before, kid. The Ascension Society really did come for their man."
Lu Yuan nodded slightly, his finger tapping the armrest of his chair. "They don't want to blow things out of proportion."
"That's why they're easy to leverage." Old Morgan held the cigarette between his fingers. "But that's all. None of those people in the Ascension Society are easy to deal with."
Just as he finished speaking, the crystal lit up again.
This time it was the Holy Church.
"What is Father Philip's condition?"
Old Morgan looked at Lu Yuan, signaling him to answer.
Lu Yuan sat up straight and said, "His holy power is exhausted. He needs quiet rest."
"Understood. Protect him well. We will send someone to retrieve him."
The communication cut off.
Old Morgan reached into a drawer, pulled out an envelope, and handed it to Lu Yuan.
"Someone delivered this yesterday. It's addressed specifically to you."
He leaned back and exhaled smoke.
"The messenger said the writer couldn't come personally."
Lu Yuan took the envelope and saw the familiar handwriting on the cover.
Lawson.
He tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside.
The handwriting was somewhat hurried, as if written in a rush. The ink had blurred in places, looking as though it had been dampened by water droplets.
"Dr. Lu:
Greetings.
I wish to trouble you one more time with the matter I entrusted to you previously.
My daughter Laurina is studying alchemy at the Imperial Polymath Tower. The bag of imperial gold shields I gave you should be enough for the travel expenses. If it's convenient, please go see her for me and deliver a letter.
You are the only person I trust in Gelimu Port.
Tell her her father is dead and that she must never come back.
Things are not peaceful in Gelimu Port lately, and it isn't safe for you to be here alone. While you can still leave, you should set out early. The environment around the Polymath Tower is decent and suitable for research.
By the way, I saw that doctor again a few days ago. I didn't expect to run into him again. The world is truly small.
I'll end it here.
Travel safely.
—Lawson"
Lu Yuan looked at the letter, his brow furrowing slightly.
On the surface, it seemed like a standard letter of entrustment.
But there was an oddness between the lines. He had already settled this matter last time, so why was Lawson emphasizing it again?
And...
"While you can still leave, you should set out early."
"The bag of imperial gold shields I gave you should be enough for the travel expenses."
Was Lawson trying to rush him away?
And then...
That doctor.
Lu Yuan remembered this person.
The first time he had treated Lawson, Lawson had mentioned him—the doctor who had advised him to stay away from the sea and leave Gelimu Port.
Lu Yuan hadn't paid it much mind then.
But now, Lawson had specifically mentioned it in the letter...
"I didn't expect to run into him again."
This phrase didn't look like simple sentimentality.
It felt more like... a hint?
Lu Yuan folded the letter and tucked it into his pocket.
Lawson.
The greedy, snobbish landlord who had chosen to give him a warning at the final hour.
He remembered the last time they met; Lawson had said "there will be big movements in a few days."
At that time, Lawson had already become a provisional priest of the Deep Sea Church.
Calculating the time, Lawson had likely already embraced that undersea city by now. They might never see each other again in this lifetime.
But why go through such a roundabout way to desperately give him a warning?
"Someone you know?" Old Morgan asked, his expression obscured by the swirling smoke.
"My former landlord, Lawson." Lu Yuan put the letter away, his voice calm. "He was also a priest of the Deep Sea Church."
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