Chapter 188: Banquet Observations

Lei Kedun followed behind him, heading up to the Workers' Association, and the stairwell was now empty of the occasional passersby. Lei Kedun spoke to him again:

"What is your name? You seem to have a high level of education, unlike most workers."

"Youli'an Jin. I once had a fairly good family, until the family business fell apart. My father and mother each, unable to bear the huge reversal, fell into constant melancholy and eventually passed away."

"And I, fearing death and desperate to survive, had to come to Beikelande to struggle. My studies were long abandoned, and I ended up working as a laborer at the docks."

When Youli'an spoke of his past, his tone was flat; it was clear his situation in Beikelande was far from good, and life's pressures had already worn down his former edges.

Lei Kedun controlled his tone and expression, showing neither sympathy nor disgust, and addressed him as an equal:

"We can still pursue the future; isn't that the very reason we hustle for a living?"

Youli'an was clearly moved by those words; a bright light not typical of the lower class flickered in his eyes. The corner of his mouth lifted in a subtle curve, and his voice unintentionally rose a few pitches:

"Yes, we still have a future; each of us still has a future."

"The great, supreme Lord will give us guidance and lead us to a harmonious society where all are equal, free of oppression and suffering!"

"Just as He once led humanity out of oppression by other races, the Lord will continue to guide us into a new era!"

The zealot's words made Lei Kedun's mouth twitch slightly, and a barely perceptible violet glint flashed in his eyes.

Lei Kedun examined the Aurora Society member who called himself Youli'an Jin; he lacked the madness common to most Aurora Society members, and Lei Kedun saw not a trace of contamination on him.

Obviously, those words were his sincere thoughts, the doctrine the Aurora Society had been instilling recently.

"It seems the True Creator will let the red wind sweep this land!"

Lei Kedun let out a quiet sigh in his mind, then continued, echoing the other's words:

"The clash between the new era and the old will inevitably play out as war. You, aren't you afraid?"

Youli'an Jin replied almost without hesitation:

"I have faith—pure, supreme faith!"

Lei Kedun said nothing further; although Youli'an's demeanor was somewhat zealot‑like, it was a clear improvement over the previous madmen of the Aurora Society.

Youli'an led Lei Kedun to a room in the corner of the third floor, Dong dong! He knocked twice on the door, then twisted the handle and opened it.

Youli'an stepped aside to make a passage, raised one hand in a beckoning gesture and said:

"Your Excellency, Divine Envoy, Mr. A is inside waiting for you."

Lei Kedun gave a slight nod and entered; Youli'an did not follow, but closed the door and stood guard at the entrance.

Mr. A still wore a long robe, his complexion a sickly pallor, and with his delicate features gave the impression of a beautiful, frail maiden.

"Your Excellency, have you already learned about the situation of the lower‑class populace in Beikelande?"

Mr. A's words were emphatic, sounding more like a statement than a question.

Lei Kedun gave a slight nod, casually chose a seat near the floor‑to‑ceiling window, and, looking at the translucent glass that framed the eastern district outside, said:

"What method do you intend to use to spread the faith among the lower‑class people?"

Mr. A stepped aside, also gazing at the view beyond the floor‑to‑ceiling window, and said:

"Our current approach is to let believers who already worship our Lord form small groups, expanding outward as worker mutual‑aid teams, and develop the newcomers in those groups into new followers of our Lord."

"The lower‑class need a concrete goal, a lofty ideal, and some tangible benefits within reach."

"The Aurora Society can control certain gangs, some docks, even some factories, providing workers with stable employment channels while also supplying economic support for the spread of the faith."

Lei Kedun stared into the distance and offered his suggestion.

Mr. A cleared his throat twice, then, in a low voice, said:

"Here in Beikelande, the Aurora Society cannot make too big a move; that would invite pressure from all sides."

"Have you ever dealt with any of Beikelande's wealthy elites?"

Lei Kedun turned his head toward Mr. A and asked:

Mr. A gave a gentle nod and said:

"I have had contact, but only with ordinary fellows. True magnates always have traces of various factions behind them, and they frequent many venues, making it hard to conceal their identities."

Lei Kedun sighed inwardly; leading a group of cultists to spread a faith felt absurd.

He buried his head in thought for a moment, then quickly devised a solution:

"I will later provide you with information on Beikelande's nobles and wealthy, so you can filter and select suitable individuals to develop as followers."

"Moreover, besides cultivating followers, you can create one or two wealthy personas yourselves; that would make many actions much easier, such as opening or acquiring factories."

He then added a somewhat uneasy reminder:

"For the newly recruited followers, temporarily refrain from having them pray too frequently, and avoid having them ingest demonic elixirs or use secret prayer channels."

Lei Kedun was somewhat worried that, before Sasilier regains angelic status, if these followers pray too often to the True Creator, they might be affected by the Creator's madness.

"I understand!"

Mr. A did not ask for the reason, merely gave a faint nod and replied.

On Monday at noon, at Count Hol's residence in Queen's District, a banquet was underway.

Lei Kedun obtained an invitation through the Aurora Society's channels, accompanying a member of the Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Committee.

That committee member was also one of the Aurora Society's targets for spreading the faith; preliminary probing showed they resonated strongly with the Society's new doctrine.

As the banquet began, the guests quickly broke into small groups of conversation. Lei Kedun took a glass of red wine, found an inconspicuous corner to sit, and quietly observed the crowd at the center of the banquet.

Sipping a mouthful of misty champagne slowly, Lei Kedun's gaze swept over everyone at the banquet, then was drawn to Audrey, who, dressed in a beige court gown, walked gracefully toward him.

Unsurprisingly, Audrey stopped before Lei Kedun, a hint of surprise and delight on her face, and performed a smooth, natural bow:

"Good afternoon, sir~"

"Good afternoon, beautiful miss~"

Lei Kedun smiled and raised his wine glass.

"Inviting a lady who isn't yet of age to drink isn't exactly a gentleman's conduct!"

Audrey replied in a somewhat playful tone.

"Sorry, that was my rudeness," Lei Kedun said with a light laugh. "Consider this glass of wine as my apology, and thank you for the custom‑made little clothes; my rabbit likes them very much."

As he spoke, Lei Kedun tilted his head slightly and gulped the half‑glass of misty champagne down into his belly.

Ao Daili's smiling expression remained unchanged; she glanced around unobtrusively, made sure no one was watching her, then spoke in a friendly tone:

"Mr. Tai Ensi, this is just a joke, but it seems you aren't really trying to apologize; you simply want to drink."

"Haha, as expected of the audience, so perceptive," Lei Kedun said, raising his right thumb while holding the glass.

While speaking, the two of them reached the balcony, away from the bustling crowd at the banquet's center.

A golden‑coated large dog sat quietly there, its eyes lively as it watched the crowd in the banquet's center, though most of its attention remained on Lei Kedun.

The golden dog approached Ao Daili amicably and nudged its head against the hem of her skirt.

Lei Kedun's gaze swept over the golden dog Su Xi, and he said in a natural tone:

"It's also a member of the audience, and it seems to be a very gifted one."

The dog's face showed a human‑like surprised expression, its eyes widened as it stared at Lei Kedun.

"Hm?" Ao Daili let out a light gasp, then quickly composed herself and said:

"Mr. Tai Ensi, you could tell Su Xi is a magical creature? And you even guessed it was an audience member?"

Lei Kedun nodded lightly and said, "My eyes can see more than those of ordinary extraordinary beings."

After explaining why he could discern the golden dog was an extraordinary being, Lei Kedun shifted the topic and proposed a deal:

"I would like to obtain information on most of the nobles and tycoons of Bei Kelande; I wonder if we could strike a deal."

"." Ao Daili fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Mr. Tai Ensi, what do you need the nobles' and tycoons' information for?"

"You don't need to tell me everything; I just need to make an assessment before deciding whether to grant your request."

Lei Kedun nodded in agreement and said:

"I need a publicly usable identity, preferably that of a noble or a tycoon."

"This is preparation for spreading a faith later."

Lei Kedun deliberately omitted which faith he intended to spread, leaving Ao Daili to guess intuitively.

Ao Daili's first thought was the Knowledge Church, but then she recalled Mr. Yu Zhe; his figure shrouded in gray mist lingered in her mind.

A flash of excitement passed through Ao Daili's eyes; she steadied herself, yet her tone could not hide the excitement as she said:

"Is this… a covert faith propagation?"

As she spoke, Ao Daili glanced upward, as if trying to see, by looking up, the place where Mr. Yu Zhe convenes the Tarot Society.

(End of Chapter)