CHAPTER 971: CHAPTER 164: FORGET-ME-NOT

Lu Li had a bizarre dream.

He dreamed that nothing had yet happened, or rather, everything had changed to a different scene.

In a foreign western land, in the peninsula port city named Bell, he ran a small Detective Agency to make a living.

During that time, he became acquainted with Anna through commissions, she often came to the Detective Agency to help, and affection blossomed.

It was hard to forget that silhouette in the white dress against the bright sunshine and the blue sea.

But life in a foreign land was not peaceful, whether in politics or public security. Creditors came knocking, and he found their attitude and that of their underlings detestable, Anna argued with them, which eventually turned into a physical altercation.

Lu Li scuffled with them, but the creditor drew a gun from beneath his belt, and with a bang, blood spattered——

He lost her.

The kaleidoscopic colors of the dream faded, and Lu Li awoke slowly with a pounding pain at the back of his head.

The yellowish glow of the oil lamp lit the oppressive darkness of the underground room.

They replaced the bright world in his dream, with only one thing unchanged.

He lost her.

"Did I fall asleep?"

Lu Li propped himself up, leaning against the cold wall.

The lump on the back of his head ached against the wall, but the coldness alleviated it.

"You... fainted."

Ophelia walked to the door, speaking to Bishop Jone and the other believers waiting outside.

"He... is awake."

When Lu Li fainted, Ophelia suspected everything here and prohibited the Shadow Church’s believers from getting close.

They were faithful enough not to step into the room.

Now that Lu Li was awake, his previous fainting had nothing to do with these heretics, and the suspicion was lifted.

"Come... in."

Bishop Jone and two believers entered the room in an anxious yet excited manner, as if stepping into a church under the merciful gaze of a divinity.

"The letters... say... what." Ophelia asked.

"Nothing at all."

"Then why... did you... faint?"

As the questioning in confusion arose, Ophelia suddenly felt some frightening aura consuming him.

The ground trembled, dust pattered down, and dull sounds echoed down the corridor outside.

The believers rushed to inform them, some unseeable entity passed over the stone forest above——

Ophelia suddenly looked at Lu Li, his once serene black eyes seemed shattered, losing life and turning gray, as if resonating with the existence aboveground.

"Do you want... to try... again?" She suddenly questioned.

"What."

Lu Li’s eyes turned to her, but they were unfocused.

"You should have... faith in... her."

Ophelia said.

"Believe... she... can come back."

This could persuade Lu Li more than any consolation.

The dreadful presence slowly dissipated, the massive entity that passed above was also gradually moving away.

"Before that... you need... to survive... and... greet her... upon return with beauty."

"For example... this... world... itself."

"This world?"

Lu Li’s pupils gradually focused.

"You are... an Exorcist."

"To this... world, you are like... a house... builder, a... carpenter for furniture, a... painter for walls."

"I will... help you, just like... once... Anna did."

Ophelia’s hoarse voice delivered touching words.

"To save... this... collapsing... world, start with... finding... companions."

The missing Katerina and Andrea, the corrupted Puxiu, the weakly surviving Annie, and potentially migrating to Paradise Valley, the Raimy siblings, among others.

Lu Li finally calmed his emotions thanks to Ophelia’s comfort.

But who knows if that was merely a drowning person instinctively grasping at anything for survival.

In his current situation, Lu Li was unfit for traveling through the Mist Tide and Eternal Night; roaming anomalies especially favored the souls of such lost ones.

They rested for a day in the stone forest.

During the period, Bishop Jone made a vow to Lu Li, willing to pay any price to find the Lord.

The Shadow Church, like Lu Li, was on the trail of Anna.

The only difference was that they craved Anna’s power.

While Lu Li only wanted to find Anna herself.

Lu Li assigned a new mission to Bishop Jone for the Shadow Church.

"Find her."

The oil lamp cast Bishop Jone’s shadow long and narrow, the cloaked hunched figure resembling a monster, which reminded Lu Li that they were heretics, that they worshiped malevolent spirits, and that they used humans as sacrifices.

In Lu Li’s eyes, that was wrong, but perhaps he was the one in the wrong. Even if humans no longer adhered to former laws, how could old treaties constrain a group of heretics?

"Do not harm humans proactively." Lu Li still added.

Bishop Jone bowed respectfully.

Lu Li and their Lord were one, his words were the Lord’s words, they would follow unconditionally, even to the death.

Ophelia watched this with relief, feeling it was a sign of Lu Li’s improving state—although the transition was so quick that she didn’t get to say more comforting words.

"But you should continue to rest."

"Resting makes it difficult to control my thoughts," Lu Li gently shook his head.

The longer he stayed idle, the faster the overwhelming grief and confusion seeped from the cracks to engulf him.

Keeping busy was the only way to maintain his sanity.

Lu Li signaled Bishop Jone to continue speaking.

"Also, due to your investigation, Vena Ice-Free Port is intensively capturing our members; two believers have already been detained by them."

Bishop Jone didn’t express resentment, only narrating the facts.

"When."

"Seven days ago and three days ago."

Lu Li quietly recalled.

Mayor Matteus didn’t mention they had captured any Shadow Church believers, the only discovered believer was still under surveillance.

"Who are the captors?"

"The Tribunal."

The problem lay with either Mayor Matteus or the Tribunal...

Lu Li glanced towards Merchant Anthony in the corner: "Contact Mayor Matteus, tell him the Tribunal captured two Shadow Church believers three and seven days ago."

Soon after, the merchant retrieved a letter from Mayor Matteus.

It contained just the simple line "Understood, I’ll investigate."

The ugly politics and power, even on the brink of death, a group of greedy people clung to it tightly.

But it could also be suspicion towards Lu Li.

On the morning of the third day, the bump on Lu Li’s head had subsided, it was time to leave.

Bishop Jone wished they could accompany Lu Li on the journey, but was rejected, even the attendants, insisted upon by Ophelia, were not left behind.

She still didn’t trust these Shadow Church folks.

Yet Bishop Jone provided Lu Li with contact information for all their bases, and Lu Li left a few boxes of merchant-summoning eyeballs. It’s a pity there was no merchant; otherwise, one could be stationed in the stone forest, allowing the Shadow Church to receive Lu Li’s arrangements at any time.

Before leaving, Lu Li took out the book,

But a fair arm stopped him.

"It’s waiting, not giving up." Anna’s clear eyes were close.

"Carrying too many books is cumbersome," Lu Li responded, lowering his eyes.

Ophelia looked over as she was organizing their belongings.

Anna didn’t say anything, only gently tearing the page with writing content, placing it in Lu Li’s hand.

She whispered softly in his ear.

"Forget-me-not..."