Chapter 430
Xia'er took a deep breath, turned, and walked toward the banquet hall.
Inside, the atmosphere was still lively, with glasses clinking and laughter echoing. Aside from Windsor and Aivina, no one would notice Xia'er’s absence. Even if he returned now, it wouldn’t raise any suspicions.
...
“Mother...”
Hearing the soft call from the white-haired man, Lafayette felt a wave of suffocation wash over her.
“Ha ha...” The corners of Lafayette’s mouth, wrapped in bandages, twitched slightly as she spoke in a hoarse, aged voice, “Your Excellency Qiangyin, what brings you here?”
“Are you planning to leave?” Qiangyin looked at Lafayette, his voice slow and deliberate. “As long as you wish, you can continue to be Windsor’s teacher. In Ansu, you will receive the best treatment; the entire Royal Medical Academy will heed your command...”
“We are family...”
Lafayette slowly raised her head, her eyes, hidden behind goggles, fixed on Qiangyin, but she remained silent.
Family?
No.
The concept of family was foreign to Qiangyin; Lafayette even doubted whether he was capable of feeling emotions.
The reason Qiangyin had two children with Queen Vitalis was simply his desire for flesh and blood to help him attain a new body... Unfortunately, both were girls.
And what about keeping her around?
One reason was that she could help Qiangyin mend the horrific scars that occasionally marred his body, and the other was... she could serve as the first experimental subject for Qiangyin’s body-swapping plan.
Because Lafayette’s goal was also to replace her own body, a necessary procedure for the “Newborns” to take a step forward.
“You’ve gone too far this time, Qiangyin,” Lafayette said slowly. “You can’t control everything; you’re too impatient.”
Lafayette’s words made Qiangyin raise an eyebrow slightly. After a moment of silence, he chuckled.
“I can.”
That was Qiangyin’s answer—short but powerful.
Lafayette studied Qiangyin, a sense of doubt slowly rising within her.
Ever since Qiangyin returned from the Otherworld, his already reckless nature had become brazen. How could he be so confident now? No, this was arrogance.
What had he seen in the Otherworld?
Lafayette didn’t know what Qiangyin had witnessed, but she was certain he was still under the organization’s control... he couldn’t turn the tables.
“Who was that girl just now?” Qiangyin asked, looking directly at Lafayette, cutting through the pretense. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll have to ask her myself.”
This was a blatant threat.
“She’s one of our organization’s members,” Lafayette finally spoke after a long silence.
“What organization?” Qiangyin pressed.
His inquiry was met with Lafayette’s silence.
It wasn’t that Lafayette didn’t want to answer; she simply didn’t know the name of the organization.
This was a security measure of the organization.
“This is a secret we can’t even reveal in death,” Lafayette shook her head gently. “I can’t even perceive any secrets of the organization in my mind.”
Lafayette didn’t know herself?
Qiangyin was slightly taken aback.
...With such a high level of secrecy, it was no wonder he had never sensed the organization’s existence before.
Was it an ancient secret society?
“You can’t leave Ansu,” Qiangyin said, looking at Lafayette, his tone slow and deliberate. “This is my request.”
A request?
No, it was a threat!
If Lafayette dared to leave, she would be captured the next moment; she was certain of that.
She had never escaped Qiangyin’s control; it was as if he could always know her whereabouts, no matter where she went.
“I’ll leave once the research is over,” Lafayette replied, seemingly unfazed by Qiangyin’s tone.
“I hope you can keep your promise as you always have,” Qiangyin nodded slightly, then turned to leave. “I have some matters to attend to... I’ll take my leave now.”
Lafayette watched him go until the wooden door closed, and he vanished from her sight.
At that moment, Qiangyin stepped out of the dark corridor, leaving the underground and heading toward the hall.
A musician from the Royal Orchestra, stationed at the entrance, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing Qiangyin. He hurried over to his side.
“Your Excellency Qiangyin, it seems there’s trouble with the Order of the God of Order...”
The musician spoke in a hushed tone.
“Trouble?” Qiangyin frowned slightly. “Are they planning a rebellion?”
The people of the Order of the God of Order were clever; they wouldn’t act rashly after hearing those words last night. They would surely test the waters first.
“The St. Bernard Church in the eastern suburbs has lost contact with them. They sent a few ‘Crown Guards’ over, but those guards haven’t returned... It might be related to that world. They’ve requested assistance from the Royal Orchestra,” the musician explained quietly.
“The Otherworld...” Qiangyin mused, his head lowered in thought.
The Order of the God of Order only sought him out when they faced issues related to the Otherworld, which was even less frequent than the head of the Russell family.
The more they understood the Otherworld, the more they feared it.
Soon, a smile spread across his face.
It was the “Uniqueness” coming to find him...
This was what he had learned from his delirious musings in the Otherworld—the “Law of Uniqueness Attraction.”
The “Uniqueness” in his mind would inevitably draw the other party closer.
In the Otherworld, he couldn’t do anything about that hand... but in reality, he was on home turf.
“Gather the team.”
Qiangyin quickened his pace, heading toward the door as he swiftly issued his command.
...
In the Eastern District, at the Canal Tower Bridge.
This was the dividing line between the East and West Districts, a stinking canal marking the boundary between wealth and poverty.
A carriage sped across the tower bridge, inside which a petite figure with green hair nervously clutched a handkerchief.
This was the handkerchief of the Mother Goddess...
No, no, no... What am I thinking, Tara!
This is the Mother Goddess’s signal... It’s time to act!
So, this handkerchief has completed its task of delivering the signal. Does that mean the Mother Goddess no longer needs it?
Tara opened her hand, letting the handkerchief rest quietly in her palm, still warm with the Mother Goddess’s essence.
Yes, yes... This handkerchief, kept close, was a gift from the Mother Goddess... After fulfilling its historical mission, it rightfully belongs to me...
Tara seemed to quickly convince herself. She no longer hesitated and pressed the unfolded handkerchief against her face, covering her nose completely, and took a deep breath.
A faint fragrance mixed with a hint of fruit juice filled Tara’s nostrils, and as her brain began to feel lightheaded, she slowly slumped back into her seat.
Tara slightly parted her lips, her gaze fixed on the top of the carriage, her entire being feeling as if she had inhaled something forbidden, her mind buzzing with exhilaration.
It wasn’t until the carriage stopped and a knock sounded from outside that Tara hurriedly removed the handkerchief, carefully folded it, and tucked it away before wobbling out of the carriage.
“Teacher, are you alright? You look a bit unwell,” Percie said, stepping forward to support the swaying Tara outside St. Bernard Church.
“I’m fine... just a little dizzy,” Tara shook her head. She looked up at Percie and asked, “What’s the situation?”
“The formation and the offerings are all set... But a few ‘Crown Guards’ barged in earlier and inadvertently got caught in the formation,” Percie said, looking at Tara with uncertainty. “Will this have an impact?”
“No, the Mother Goddess... Lord Xia’er said that the number of offerings doesn’t matter; what’s important is her blood,” Tara replied, shaking her head. “We need to prepare to activate the blood formation.”
The Mother Goddess...
The term that slipped from Tara’s lips made Percie’s pupils constrict slightly.
She had been curious why Teacher Tara showed such deference to that ordinary girl... even dressing in a maid outfit and serving her so humbly...
Teacher Tara was a treasure of the Holy Ascension Sect, a figure of archbishop rank. There was no way she would demean herself like this; Percie had even thought at first that Tara was being coerced.
But now, the word that inadvertently escaped Tara’s mouth seemed to answer Percie’s questions.
Though it was absurd... it was indeed possible.
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