Chapter 386: Shadow Church
Chapter 386: Shadow Church
November 21, 2024
"Little brother, come sit by me."
He Hong's voice was filled with a teasing smile.
Upon hearing this, a hint of jealousy flashed across Liu Honghui's eyes.
Ding Lei, on the other hand, gave Jiang Cheng a meaningful smile.
Everyone present, being adults, couldn't help but understand He Hong's intentions.
After all, despite Jiang Cheng's youth and his striking appearance, he was already a more skilled alchemist than those in the room.
However, despite appearing to be in his thirties, his actual age was nearly forty. If Jiang Cheng were him, he wouldn't be interested in such a woman, although playing around was another matter.
"I'll just sit here, sister."
Jiang Cheng smiled apologetically at He Hong and sat down opposite her.
Her smile froze.
Liu Honghui felt a surge of satisfaction, and his gaze towards Jiang Cheng softened considerably.
Just then, the private room's door opened again, and an elderly man in his late fifties or early sixties entered.
He wasn't tall, standing at just over one meter and sixty centimeters.
"Elder Tian has arrived."
Ding Lei quickly introduced him, "Jiang, this is Elder Tian. Before you came here, he was the most skilled alchemist among us."
"Elder Tian."
Jiang Cheng greeted him promptly.
"No need for such formality, no need."
Elder Tian waved his hands repeatedly, "Just call me Old Tian. I've long heard of your reputation, Jiang. I thought you'd be arrogant and aloof, but seeing you now, you're humble and polite. Jiang, your future achievements are limitless."
"Indeed."
Liu Honghui nodded in agreement.
"I've always said that Jiang doesn't have that kind of flaw." Ding Lei chuckled.
"Jiang is quite something, just a bit shy." He Hong added, her eyes never leaving Jiang Cheng.
"Sorry, I was held up by something earlier."
Elder Tian found a seat and sat down, completing the group.
"Let's order first. Feel free to order whatever you like, I'm treating everyone today."
Ding Lei patted his chest.
"Really? Then we won't hold back?" He Hong asked with a smile.
"Please go easy on me, Sister He." Ding Lei quickly backed down.
The dishes here weren't cheap; even the simplest cost thousands to millions, and some even hundreds of millions.
Of course, there was a reason for the high prices—the ingredients were rare and precious. Consuming them benefited the body or psychic energy, and some special dishes could even enhance one's spirituality.
Jiang Cheng symbolically ordered two dishes, and the others followed suit, as everyone present wasn't there just for the food.
Soon, He Hong turned to Jiang Cheng with a smile and asked, "Little brother, you look like you're not even twenty yet. Do you have a girlfriend? If not, I can introduce you to someone."
"Ahem."
Liu Honghui coughed and glanced at Jiang Cheng, "Jiang, I heard you were living in the outer district before?"
"Yes."
Jiang Cheng replied, "Later, I was fortunate to receive recognition from Big Brother Changlin, who brought me here from the outer district."
"I see. But indeed, there's no future in the outer district; it's better here." Liu Honghui nodded.
"Yes, the outer district is indeed too backward." Ding Lei and Elder Tian echoed.
"That's right, but as I've just arrived, I'm clueless about the inner district. Could you all explain it to me?"
"Upon hearing this, the group exchanged glances, all of them smiling.
"What's so difficult about that?"
Old Tian chuckled, "This Inner City, as vast as it seems, is actually quite compact. Just remember the 'One, Two, Three' and you'll be fine."
"One, Two, Three?"
"It's the City Lord's Mansion, the two associations, and the three families."
Liu Honghui continued, "The City Lord's Mansion, of course, refers to the City Lord's Mansion in our Eastern City. The Law Enforcement Bureau under it is their power base. Here, aside from the Horned Clan, their influence is the strongest, at least on the surface."
Jiang Cheng nodded, recalling the Enforcement Bureau and the conditions in the slums and the outer districts.
It seems the situation outside is connected to the City Lord's Mansion.
"The two associations are the Adventurer's Guild and the Shadow Church."
"The Adventurer's Guild and the Shadow Church?" Jiang Cheng furrowed his brows. The former sounded normal, but the latter? It didn't seem like a legitimate organization at all.
"Let's talk about the Adventurer's Guild first."
Liu Honghui smiled, "You can understand what kind of organization it is without me explaining much. Joining is simple. Once you're in, you can take on tasks and earn bounties, and purchase various resources. However, entering the core circle is extremely difficult. Without exceptional strength or talent, it's nearly impossible."
"That sounds good," Jiang Cheng thought for a moment, "But with so many people together, what about the Horned Clan?"
"Of course, they collect fees."
Ding Lei's voice sounded, "Members of the Adventurer's Guild have to give up a portion of their bounty earnings to the Horned Clan as protection fees. The association's very existence is due to the Horned Clan's tacit consent."
Jiang Cheng was taken aback. "Really? Even though the Horned Clan has issued a martial ban, many here still practice in secret. The Horned Clan is powerful, but they can't possibly monitor every place. So, they allowed the establishment of this association to gather the hidden Force Warriors and Mind Masters. This way, nothing escapes their watchful eyes."
Jiang Cheng took a deep breath.
It seemed to make sense.
"And what about the Shadow Church?"
The people in the room exchanged glances, their eyes revealing a shared wariness.
"The Shadow Church is an organization from our star sector, existing long before we Yanren arrived. They occupied several star systems and worshipped an ancient deity called the Shadow Lord. When our Yanren army arrived, the Shadow Lord naturally opposed the invasion of his territory, leading to a great war between the two sides."
"And then?"
"Later, they were defeated, and their territories were divided among us. Our ancestors also migrated here through interstellar travel, which is why we are here now."
Ding Lei shrugged, "But a giant snake, even when dead, still writhes. For hundreds of thousands of years, remnants of the Shadow Church have been plotting, but their strength is limited, so they only dare to make small moves in secret.
However, a century ago, and especially after the Resistance Army's battle with the Horned Clan a few decades ago, the Shadow Church found an opportunity to grow. Now, their influence has spread to over a dozen planets."
(End of Chapter)
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