273: Chapter 270 Buying a Cell Phone

Zhang Mu leaned against the wall by the window, watching the two of them sip red wine.

Of course, he didn't have some quirk for peeping into others' private lives; he was waiting for them to talk about the sacrifice.

It would be best if he could get a live sample on the spot.

After watching for a while, he discovered that the two of them also seemed to have a conflict.

At the very least, their tone of conversation wasn't as relaxed as that of friends; instead, it was filled with confrontation.

Of course, Zhang Mu wasn't interested in their love-hate relationship; he only wanted to get evidence.

He took out his Mobile Phone, opened the camera mode, and aimed the lens at them.

As long as they mentioned the sacrifice, they wouldn't escape being filmed.

However, for some reason, as they spoke, Blova suddenly fell silent, his face filled with nostalgia.

Seeing this, Zhang Mu kept the lens pointed in their direction while his own mind began to wander.

Ever since he arrived on the Saul Continent, he had a very strange feeling in his heart.

Even though Lake was situated in a remote corner of the continent, the commotion it stirred up didn't match its status at all.

After all, which small kingdom would dare to harbor the ambition of creating a man-made Gods Blessing?

Above Gods Blessing is Epic, and there aren't many of those in the entire Saul.

Below Epic, Gods Blessing is an end point that most people might not reach in their entire lives; without encountering an Epic, one is basically invincible.

As for Epic, this level cannot be reached through simple cultivation.

Therefore, Gods Blessing is truly not weak.

Zhang Mu pondered that having the guts to create three Gods Blessings at once, the Lake Royal Family and its subordinates had clearly never forgotten their past glory.

The Ice and Snow Empire...

That must have been an incredibly prosperous empire.

As its descendants, it was understandable to think about restoration.

What puzzled Zhang Mu was why the place he landed after passing through the Portal was Lake, and specifically Kas Town.

The Saul Continent was so vast; even putting aside empires, there were already many kingdoms.

How did he happen to end up in Lake's Kas Town?

And by chance, he met Teacher Potter right after coming out, the number one Professional in Lake.

Unfortunately, even after thinking hard for a long time, Zhang Mu couldn't find an answer.

There wasn't a single relevant clue, making even speculation impossible.

Putting this matter aside, he pondered another thing that troubled him.

What on earth was the Pope?

The Young Pope, who was happily mixing concrete at his construction site, said he was the only believer of the Gods.

Only believers could be bestowed with the True Word Spell.

Then what about the Old Pope in the palace?

He used the True Word Spell and didn't seem to need to pay a price.

And then there was the collapse of the Ice and Snow Empire over five thousand years ago.

If the Old Pope's revelations were all true, he seemed to have intended to defy the Gods back then and had even taken actual action.

That was interesting.

Why didn't the Gods confiscate the Old Pope's True Word Spell?

Was it because they didn't care, or because they couldn't?

If it were the latter, it would mean the Old Pope hadn't been completely defeated back then, but rather...

"Blova!"

Pestoya's loud shout not only startled Blova but also interrupted Zhang Mu's wandering thoughts.

"Come on, let's continue deducing the nodes for the Blood Sacrifice's development."

He was just about to continue his deep thinking but gave up upon hearing this.

He straightened the lens, which was slightly tilted, and recorded the work the two began.

They took out a piece of parchment, spread it on the table, looked down at it, and chatted about their progress.

Standing up and approaching, Zhang Mu first circled around the two of them, taking a 360° all-around shot, then gave the parchment a close-up.

Having done all that, he eavesdropped on their conversation.

Feeling that they were alone and confident that their strength made it impossible for anyone to eavesdrop, they naturally spoke without any reservations.

Thanks to this, Zhang Mu also gathered a lot of valuable information.

First of all, the Blood Sacrifice Array was more than half finished.

The remaining nodes could be properly set up within twenty days.

Then there were the sacrifices.

Just as the Old Pope had said, they intended to use all the City Lords who had shown signs of disloyalty as blood sacrifices.

This was not a small number.

But compared to promoting three individuals to Gods Blessing, even the heaviest losses were acceptable.

They also talked about the King.

The King was currently unconscious; this was not expected by the three of them and was considered an accident.

And the reason for the coma was related to Potter.

Over half a year ago, in front of the gates of Kas Town, Haige had revealed a secret to him—the beast tide was man-made.

Beast tides had frequently broken out in the Kingdom of Lake over the past century; every time, many low-level Professionals went to eliminate them, only to end up being wiped out.

One also broke out in Kas Town, but apart from a few stubborn elves, not a single low-level Professional belonging to the kingdom was seen.

The only difference between the two was that Potter was present in one and not in the other.

This indicated that the mastermind could track his whereabouts.

Potter wasn't stupid.

After a bit of thought, he realized that the beast tide was likely inseparable from the King.

Because in Lake, only the King knew exactly where he had gone.

Others, like Avril, only knew the general direction.

As for what happened later, again, Potter wasn't stupid; he wouldn't rush back to the Royal Capital to confront the King face-to-face based solely on Haige's word.

He chose to go to the places in Lake where beast tides had broken out over the years to conduct a detailed investigation.

The King understood his personality and knew that once his plot was exposed, the two sides would likely be locked in a fight to the death.

So, while sending the Saint-level Blova to various places to clean up the evidence, he also paused the Blood Sacrifice.

This then led to his own coma.

The King had been absorbing the life force from the Blood Sacrifice for his cultivation.

Although the life force of low-level Professionals wasn't much, over many years, it had brought him close to a breakthrough.

At this critical moment, the Blood Sacrifice was forced to stop; having lost his source of life force, he not only couldn't maintain his strength but was actually gradually regressing.

If allowed to worsen for half a year, even if he sucked dry the life force of all the City Lords, it probably wouldn't be enough to promote him to Gods Blessing.

Not to mention that Potter would likely return to the Royal Capital to stop him by then.

Out of desperation, he used a royal secret technique to seal his mana core, along with the life force that was continuously escaping from his body.

Before sealing himself, he reached a deal with someone.

This person would help him keep Potter pinned down outside Lake's borders for a year; once successful, the King would give him a top-tier light-attribute crystal as a reward.

Blova didn't know the identity of this person either.

But from the fact that the other party coveted a light-attribute crystal, it was undoubtedly someone from the Church.

And the bait used to lure Potter made Zhang Mu fall silent for a moment.

It was a potion.

It was undoubtedly precious, but compared to the turmoil in the Kingdom of Lake at this time, it was nothing.

But Potter still went, and the moment he got the news, he immediately rushed there.

Because that potion was a Legendary potion claimed to be able to break all curses in the world—God's Mercy.

Potter had once helped Zhang Mu examine his body and concluded that he was suffering from a rare curse.

The purpose of this trip was self-evident.

Holding his phone, Zhang Mu's steps as he constantly moved to change the filming angle came to a halt.

He thought that Teacher must have vaguely sensed the conspiracy.

Again, Potter wasn't stupid.

I just took in a beloved disciple with a fatal curse, and you suddenly come up with a potion that can break all curses, located thousands of miles away.

Calling it a coincidence would simply be treating someone like a fool.

Even so, Potter still went.

The reason was simple: the potion was real.

How could you catch a big fish without putting out some weighty bait?

Therefore, both sides were essentially playing with their cards on the table.

I know you're baiting me, and you know that I know you're baiting me.

Since that's the case, it's a matter of skill; we'll see if I drag away the bait and the rod together, or if you get the big fish into your net.

"Ha—"

Zhang Mu felt a bit heavy-hearted and let out a breath.

Expand the army; expand the First Army.

If something happens to Teacher, none of you will live either.

His attention returned to the present; the two were still talking, discussing the City Lords on the floors below.

After listening, Zhang Mu realized he had guessed one thing wrong.

They weren't worried about the City Lords escaping.

The Griffin Legion, directly under the King, was responsible for cordoning off the hotel this time.

Before the King fell into his slumber, he handed over the primary command to Blova.

His confidence came from this.

The Griffin Legion didn't just have the five hundred people they claimed publicly; it was five thousand, equipped with authentic griffins as mounts rather than wingless defectives.

Most of Lake's thousands of years of accumulation and the rich heritage inherited from the Ice and Snow Empire had been poured into this legion.

There were about fifty people outside the hotel; the rest of the cavalry were mostly on standby at the four gates of the Royal Capital.

If anyone tried to leave on their own, they only needed to delay them until Blova arrived to capture them alive.

After that, the two didn't talk about any valuable topics until they each went back to their rooms to rest.

Zhang Mu put away his phone and returned to Mihe's room.

In the room, only Soren was sitting on the edge of the bed, flipping through the intelligence given by the Second Prince.

Canceling the Shadow Technique and revealing himself, he walked to the table, poured a glass of water, and drained it in one gulp. "Did you find anything useful?"

Shaking his head, he asked, "Lord City Lord, what about your side?"

"The hard evidence has been obtained, and the method of sacrifice has been clarified."

"Can it be sabotaged?"

"It won't work." Zhang Mu turned and sat on a wooden chair. "The nodes of the Blood Sacrifice Array are all within the city, and Soldiers have been arranged to guard them."

"To destroy them, we'd have to deal with the Soldiers, but the moment we touch the Soldiers, the Church will come."

"Then... can we only find a way to reveal the truth?"

"Yes, and it can't be scattered; all the City Lords have to escape together."

"Why?"

"The Griffin Legion is guarding the city gates; if only a few people go out, they'll be caught immediately."

"Only by rushing together can there be enough people that they won't be able to catch everyone."

Soren nodded in understanding. "So now we just need to gain the trust of the City Lords."

"That was the original plan..."

Zhang Mu couldn't help but rub his head in frustration.

With the Griffin Legion guarding the gates, escaping in batches is definitely a dead end; everyone has to act together in an organized way.

That's where the problem lies.

Hundreds of City Lords don't belong to the same faction, and they are even hostile to each other.

How can the message be conveyed to all the City Lords at the same time?

You have to realize, there are two people watching from the top floor.

If everyone slowly gathers, it's no different from telling those two that we're up to something.

After thinking hard for a while, Zhang Mu's eyes suddenly lit up. "I've got it!"

"Got what?" Soren asked blankly.

"A way..."

"Lord Marshal!" Domit and Mihe walked into the room one after the other.

"Guess what..."

"Hold on." Zhang Mu raised his hand to interrupt. "Did Damu and the others enter the city safely?"

"Yes."

"Where are they staying?"

"Rose Inn."

It wasn't far, just two streets away from here.

With one matter settled, Zhang Mu felt his shoulders lighten a bit. "What were you just about to say?"

Domit's broken train of thought reconnected, and he said in a shocked tone, "Guess who we ran into?"

"Who?"

"The worker who was working for you in Gur!"

An ominous premonition rose in his heart, and Zhang Mu knit his brows. "A young man, always smiling?"

Mihe was stunned for a moment. "How did you know?"

"Where is he?"

"Also at the Rose... Uh."

The figure sitting on the wooden chair suddenly vanished, leaving the three people staring at each other in confusion, not understanding why that person made him so agitated.

Meanwhile, Zhang Mu activated his Shadow Technique and rushed out directly from the balcony, reaching the Rose Inn at a near-frenzied speed.

Without asking Domit and the others for the room number, Zhang Mu searched them one by one.

Fortunately, the inn was of average size and didn't have many rooms; he soon saw the Young Pope lying on a bed in one of the rooms.

He seemed quite tired and was sleeping very soundly.

Zhang Mu stepped forward, roughly grabbed his collar with one hand, pulled him up, and roared, "Why are you here?!"

Waking up from his dream, the Young Pope was bleary-eyed and looked a bit dazed. "Who are you?"

"I'm asking you!" Zhang Mu grabbed him with his other hand as well and shook him violently. "Why are you here!"

The shouting almost burst his eardrums; he finally woke up and grabbed the hands on his chest. "Lord City Lord, stop, stop, I'm about to faint!"

Seeing that his eyes were rolling back, Zhang Mu finally let go. "Stop the bullshit and talk!"

Smoothing his chest with his palm, he waited until his breathing was a bit steadier before saying, "Lord City Lord, I told you, it's all for the divine oracle."

The divine oracle...

Zhang Mu's face was terrifyingly grim. "Who does the divine oracle point to?"

"Uh..." The Young Pope scratched his head awkwardly. "For now, I only know they're in the Royal Capital."

"You just told me over a month ago that it was Gur."

"It changed later."

It changed...

Even though he had guessed the outcome the very second he heard the Young Pope had come to the Royal Capital, having it become a reality still felt like a heavy stone pressing on his heart.

Initially, Zhang Mu had some suspicions about whether the so-called divine oracle had anything to do with himself or the people around him.

But since the Young Pope, who was involved, didn't know much either, he had temporarily set it aside.

However, after he brought Soren and the others to the Royal Capital, the fact that the Young Pope followed them undoubtedly confirmed his suspicions.

The "he" in the divine oracle was right by his side, and the possibility that it was himself could not be ruled out.

Clenching his fists, Zhang Mu asked, "What happens after you find him?"

"Take him back to the Church Holy Mountain."

"And then?"

"The divine oracle didn't say."

He clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked, looking very much like he was about to punch him on the spot.

The Young Pope unconsciously backed away. "Lord City Lord, please calm down; this isn't my order."

True.

He was just a messenger; not to mention that Zhang Mu couldn't beat him because of the True Word Spell, even if he did kill him, someone else would just come later carrying the divine oracle.

After a long silence, Zhang Mu loosened his fists. "Listen.

I don't care if you're some noble Pope or the only believer on the Saul Continent... if you dare to harm my people, you will die."

"Uh... Lord City Lord...

If that's the case, you will eventually become an enemy of the Gods. I advise you... it's better... not to."

Stared down by Zhang Mu's cold eyes, his voice gradually grew faint.

After staring for a while, Zhang Mu turned to leave. "I'm busy and don't have time to deal with you. Just stay in the inn."

Even though the Young Pope was the only Legendary on the Saul Continent, he didn't seem angry at all after being verbally threatened by a Magister; he said with a smile:

"I didn't plan on leaving the inn anyway..."

He stopped halfway and asked curiously, "What are you going to be busy with?"

"Buying a Mobile Phone."

A Mobile Phone?

The Young Pope watched the figure disappear through the wall and muttered in confusion, "What's a Mobile Phone?"