Chapter 966. Kill Two Birds with One Stone

The surveillance lasted until near dusk. Everyone returned to the inn before sunset. There was a curfew after sunset. Everyone who was not a member of the Holy Temple still outside after dark would be scrutinized, and most likely captured and detained.

Amon saw their new beasts of burden before entering the inn. Caravan masters frequented this inn, so it had a stable to house the beasts. The Nogrus Saurians were slightly smaller than the Vagor Buffaloes, but they appeared tougher. They had scales resembling metal plates. Despite having been domesticated, they still appeared fierce.

The stable registered six Nogrus Saurians as owned by Peng Chi. This showed the aer stones Amon gave Nao Kong were enough for the purchase. They should have no problem with traveling speed now.

Everyone else had returned to the inn. Amon’s team was the last. He called for another assembly and posted lookouts in the lobby.

"What has everyone learned regarding the rumor of discontent and the inquisitor’s case?" Amon asked.

Nao Dou answered, "We have had a preliminary discussion before you returned. There is indeed discontent. Not because people talk about it, but because we saw their thoughts. A movement intent on rebelling against the Holy Temple, however, that remains a rumor. Most people hope that it is real, especially the devotees."

"That is not surprising. The devotees are no different from slaves. They own nothing. All their necessities are provided, so they have no choice but to obey the provider. They will obviously harbor discontent. Heh! It is so funny when I think about it. Most people wish for others to give them free stuff. But when that becomes reality, it is too late to realize their fate depends on those who give them the free stuff. If the giver decides to cut the supply, they will be helpless. They will have no other choice but to obey the giver. This is the dynamic between slaves and their masters."

"They didn’t gain anything that confirms the group’s existence, but we did," Nao Yin stated.

Amon turned to her. They never discussed their findings during their trip home. They saved it for this meeting. "Tell me everything," Amon told her.

"Inquisitor Lei Xiang is indeed investigating this group based on the rumor. She has hunted every available clue and questioned every suspect before the intel brought her to Ironlit District. She didn’t realize how close she was to one of the people she was hunting. In one of the factories she entered today, she found a small replica statue of the Divine. The statue is a common item every household is obliged to have, so everyone can pray when needed."

"If it is common, what’s so special about the inquisitor finding the statue?" Nao Dou asked.

"Because it is ruined," Nao Yin answered. "The statue is not the one displayed in the praying room, but one hidden in the officer’s changing room. That statue has marks on it, like someone used a knife to stab it repeatedly. Such an act is blasphemy. Hence, when Inquisitor Lei Xiang found it, she demanded to know who owned the statue."

Amon asked, "Is it the factory where they brought out two captives and several corpses?"

Nao Yin nodded. "Yes. That’s the one. After Inquisitor Lei Xiang moved away from the factory, we could scan the people inside. Since the disfigured statue was found in the officer’s changing room, Inquisitor Lei Xiang assembled all officers overseeing the factory, eight in total. These were all people of the Trader caste. She killed five during the interrogation. The remaining three were escorted back to her office for further interrogation."

"The sad thing is that none of the officers are guilty," Nao Sulin added. "The culprit is a different person, the owner of the factory itself. We know because we learned the truth from her mind. The owner is also from the trader caste. Her name is Shang Shi. When she heard winds of the inquisitor roaming the district, she hid the ruined statue in the officer’s changing room without anyone noticing. She felt bad about what happened to her employees, but she was also relieved that she wasn’t discovered."

"Of course, her own self-preservation is the most important. It was only natural."

"It was only temporary, though." Nao Yin took back the role of speaker. "The thing is, whatever movement Shang Shi was a part of, they planned a meeting tonight. Their movement consists of clusters of smaller groups with the same ideal. No one knows who the members of the other groups are, because it is very difficult to gather without being monitored by the Holy Temple. Tonight is when an assembly between the splinter groups takes place. They can finally know their comrades and discuss an appropriate plan to support their movement."

"What Shang Shi doesn’t know, but we do, is that one of her employees is a member of a splinter group," Nao Bow said. "The person is among one of the captives brought away by the initiates. They passed me by on their way. I read their minds then and learned the truth."

"In other words, Inquisitor Lei Xiang will find out about this assembly," Amon uttered.

"Unless the captured member can keep quiet until the assembly is over," Nao Dou said.

Amon turned to Nao Bow and asked, "What do you think? You were in his mind. Do you think he is strong enough to resist an interrogation?"

Nao Bow hesitated a second before answering, "I don’t think so. His mind is filled with fear when I browse it. I didn’t even need to dig deep to learn about the assembly. That’s all he thinks about. He must have thought that his life was over because of it. I think he most likely spills out everything sooner rather than later."

Amon thought for a while before asking another question, "Did you three learn the exact time the assembly will take place?"

"Midnight tonight," Nao Yin answered.

"What about its location?"

"Under the basement of one of the factories in the Ironlit District. Not the one owned by Shang Shi. It’s another one a few blocks from hers. Their group had spent years digging underground tunnels that connect to privately owned establishments in different districts. That’s why they dare to hold the assembly now, because the tunnels had just been completed."

"How unlucky for them. This rumor about their movement occurred just when they are about to hold this important assembly."

"On the contrary, it is more likely that this planned assembly caused the rumor to happen," Amon said. "Such a plan requires them to broadcast information to multiple parties. It is impossible to lock the information down completely. Some might have unintentionally disclosed it during an innocent conversation with another, who then spread it as a rumor. Anyway, we cannot let their assembly fail if we are to use their movement to our advantage in our campaign against the Divine."

"How can we help them? We must face the inquisitor if we do."

"Then we face her. Luckily, she is the only inquisitor in this city. She might bring some helpers, but they should mostly be priests, deacons, and initiates. I doubt the higher ranks in the Holy Temple would deign to involve themselves in this operation."

"Are you sure? Things will be messy if we face Holy Temple members in a city," Nao Dou asked.

"Don’t worry. I don’t need any of you to do anything. I will handle this myself," Amon stated.

Nao Dou didn’t hide his relief, which prompted Amon to chuckle and say, "Don’t be so relieved. If I fail and get captured, you will be in trouble because we are in the same caravan troupe. Additionally, you can’t leave this city until tomorrow morning because the checkpoint is closed at night. You won’t be able to cough up enough reasons for the guards to let you pass. So, you are stuck with the result of what will happen tonight."

Hearing that made Nao Dou tense again.

"Hehe. So, you better pray that I succeed," Amon said.

"Must you kick the hornet’s nest?" Nao Dou complained.

"I have no choice if we want to be one step closer to our goal. By dealing with Inquisitor Lei Xiang, we can keep the resistance movement alive, which will weaken the Holy Temple before my force from the lower world invades this world. Additionally, the inquisitor is a hindrance to me getting the Citizen Crest. I can kill two birds with one stone by getting rid of her."

"By getting rid of her, do you mean kill her?" Nao Dou asked.

"Is there any other meaning?" Amon asked back.

"You do know murdering a member of the Holy Temple will bring about a shitstorm that has never been seen in this upper world in a long time, don’t you?"

Amon grinned widely. "The shitstorm I will cause will be a kind never seen before in the entire history of this upper world."