Chapter 460: Chapter 52: The Five Great Holy Lands

Amidst the haze, Li Xin followed the Gold Market manager for a while. Dead silence hovered, and after another short walk, five towering gates loomed in sight, the rest shrouded in mist. The bronze gates, stained with rust, were engraved with cryptic symbols about immortality. Each inscription drew an eye-like pattern. One was too familiar to Li Xin, souls dancing—the lines and aura was something that startled him awake in past dreams.

——Secret Castle Association.

This must be the place Simmons mentioned. They entered through this place, and probably Luo Xue too.

The gates of the Secret Castle Association were tightly shut, not open at the moment, and the other four structures were the same, exuding an aura of ancient eternity. They each had different styles, none of which he recognized. Those appearing here must be of the same level of existence. Maybe at the next Round Table Conference, he could ask the knowledgeable Mr. Cancer to educate him.

Here, the haze on the Gold Market manager’s face remained, only those eyes burning with gray soul flames were too familiar—Immortal.

Li Xin looked at the Immortal, whose hollow eyes seemed to devour souls and met his gaze. Slowly, the Immortal pulled a contract from his chest, the words on it shimmering as if alive. Beneath, it bore the signature of Avogadro…

…

Qi Badao hung like a puppet on strings, relying on the last breath to stay upright and not collapse, unable to sense time and feeling a bit queasy. What kind of person was Brother Li? He once thought that Secretary Kathy was the most significant person he would ever meet, but that seemed wrong since even the Secretary couldn’t enter here.

Why would a being like Brother Li appear in the Underground City of Celestial Capital?

Why was his life so fortunate?

As Qi Badao thought, a smile cracked open his face. It didn’t seem so terrifying anymore, he even felt a bit proud.

Suddenly, Qi Badao felt light, and in the next moment, he found himself at the entrance of the passageway to the Three-Eared Bar.

“Let’s go,” Li Xin said. The contract was in the Hera Language, its main content was about entering the Secret Castle, life and death were dictated by fate, but one could obtain a Divine Relic. However, the Divine Relic belonged to the Secret Castle and would be reclaimed upon the host’s death. To leave the Secret Castle, one had to either fight their way out or complete a transaction with the Secret Castle. It was public knowledge. The contract was signed by Avogadro, not by him, but Li Xin could feel acutely that it pointed to him.

He hadn’t made any deals, he had escaped in the chaos, and judging by the Immortal’s demeanor, he shouldn’t count as breaking a contract. The Immortal didn’t take any other actions. He asked the Immortal some questions, but the Immortal didn’t respond. Maybe it was his former self who signed it. No wonder they called him Avogadro, assuming there was some special meaning. Now it seems it must have been his former name.

Why did the Immortal bring out the contract? Did he want to take the dice after he died?

So far, the Secret Castle hasn’t shown direct hostility towards him. The Secret Castle has existed for thousands of years, and its operations have always been favorable. Even coveted, it must have a good reputation, unlikely to kill the goose that lays the golden egg prematurely.

The Secret Castle has always existed. There are some questions, such as what’s the purpose of the Secret Castle, who was his former self, how did he enter the Secret Castle, and why did he appear in Celestial Capital upon leaving? Was it merely a coincidence?

It feels like something is entwining him.

To be safe, Li Xin made a judgment—would the Immortal pose a danger to him? The answer was no, an effective judgment.

…There shouldn’t be any deception.

This meeting resolved part of it. Overall, Li Xin was somewhat relieved. Back then, the Secret Castle faced an invasion, and he escaped amid the chaos. Logically, that also counts as making his way out, but there was always a worry about these secretive forces having their own ’interpretation rights.’ Now it seems they still have some integrity.

He finally understood why they always called him Avogadro; it’s a pretty cool code name, and translating it into the Hera Language is especially imposing. As for what other exchanges his former self had with the Secret Castle, he could only figure it out step by step.

“Yo, handsome, how do you feel?” The proprietress, Yan Jie, flirted as Li Xin and Qi Badao came out.

“You regret only when you need money but don’t have enough. I’ll go back and work like crazy,” Li Xin said with a wry smile.

“Work like crazy?” The proprietress looked puzzled, then laughed so heartily that her chest heaved, giving a group of men a feast for the eyes.

At the entrance, Li Xin and Qi Badao got on the carriage. Li Xin leaned back against the carriage wall, saying nothing, and Qi Badao dared not disturb him.

“We’re heading back,” Li Xin said, “Don’t spread today’s events.”

“Understood, Brother Li. I won’t speak even if they kill me,” Qi Badao nodded vigorously, realizing Brother Li was really the towering blue sky.

“There’s no need for that. If someone really wants to kill you, you should speak. Staying alive is more important than anything,” Li Xin smiled.

The words caught Qi Badao off guard.

Early Monday morning, Li Xin was pulled out of bed by Lin Fei. He had to report to the Quiet Canon Law School today, and Lin Fei would strictly supervise his enthusiasm.

“Spruce up a bit, don’t stir up trouble at the Canon Law School, don’t bite off more than you can chew. The Quiet Canon Law School is also very reputable, the top academy in Li Long. Make more friends, less trouble,” Lin Fei advised.

“Aunt Fei, I’m not a child anymore, and I’m pretty well-behaved,” Li Xin said, feeling a bit defensive. He also pondered the matter of the Death Church, probably half-true, possibly existent, possibly not. Sister Kathy had various tricks, mostly stringing him along, and he almost got handled.

He figured he’d deal with it for now. Qi Badao was keeping an eye on the case investigation. He himself had the position of Night Patrol and had selected two capable hands from the gang to assist Li Xin. Though their combat prowess wasn’t top-notch, they were very familiar with Dragon Capital, local experts adept at handling trifles.

Some of the case files’ subjects were hard to locate, even if the Night Patrols stepped in, but they had their own ways. It’s just that Dragon Capital is too large, and the investigation funds weren’t abundant, causing the progress to be slow. Li Xin understood this—every piece of information costs money. The Shadow Owl wasn’t quite reliable in this aspect, and Li Xin, being new to Shadow Owl, couldn’t forcefully demand funds, so he wanted to follow up himself, hoping it’d be faster.

Feeling Li Xin’s mood, Lin Fei smoothed the frown on his forehead. “Don’t frown, even if you want to be an excellent Night Patrol. Do you think just solving cases is enough? It’s either ability or power that gets things done better, I think you’re well aware.”

Lin Fei earnestly adjusted Li Xin’s collar while speaking, “Do you think Kathy would strongly oppose you working as a Night Patrol? Her feelings run deeper than yours. No matter what choice you make, you must be the one with decision-making power, not just complain and regret.”

Li Xin was a bit taken aback; he couldn’t quite recognize Lin Fei. “Aunt Fei, when did you get so good at talking?”

“There, that’s why you underestimate Deputy Editor Lin,” Lin Fei said, pleased, looking at the somewhat handsome Li Xin. “Hmm, our Ah Xin is handsome, capable, and responsible. He will surely meet a good girl.”

Good girl…

It felt like something shattered again.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep