Chapter 286

Gardner Martin looked at the members of the "Iron and Blood Cross Order" opposite him and nodded with satisfaction, saying:

"Aim!"

Following this command, Faustino and the others raised their glasses to their lips.

So this is aiming? Lu Mian almost laughed out loud, while the "Iron and Blood Cross Order" members beside him were more serious than the last.

He had roughly grasped the essence of this ritual and had certain guesses about how things would develop subsequently.

At this moment, Gardner Martin issued a new command:

"Fire!"

Almost simultaneously, Parsifal, Black, and the others gulped down the red wine in their stemmed glasses, finishing a third of it in one go.

"Cannon fire!"

Gardner Martin loudly spoke the second word.

Lu Mian tilted his head slightly and gulped down another third of the red wine.

Gardner Martin did the same.

He immediately added:

"Assault!"

The "Iron and Blood Cross Order" members present drank the remaining red wine completely.

Gardner Martin let the stemmed glass leave his mouth with a serious expression:

"Lower your weapons!"

As he spoke, he raised the stemmed glass above his eyes, touched it to his forehead, and then placed it back on the dining table.

Vincent Lorrain and the others performed similar actions.

Then, they simultaneously straightened their backs, patted their left chests with their right hands, and shouted in unison:

"War! War! War!"

Accompanied by this synchronized shouting, Lu Mian felt a subtle change in the atmosphere of the room, which seemed to be tinged with a fervent, excited, and impassioned color.

And this atmosphere even infected those "Iron and Blood Cross Order" members, making them immerse themselves in it, with a sense of shared intent and brotherhood.

Even without suffering from "abnormal" corruption or the fanaticism of ideology, in such an environment and within such an atmosphere, Lu Mian was also somewhat affected, becoming involuntarily excited. (Note 1)

He had just been criticizing the "Iron and Blood Cross Order's" initiation ritual for lacking mystery and not fitting the title of a secret organization, but now he felt it was just different in temperament from the "Aurora Order" and others.

Furthermore, the part with more mystery was the vigil at 13 Market Avenue.

Gardner Martin pressed his right hand down, causing Faustino, Albus, and the others to stop instantly and become quiet.

He revealed a smile again and said:

"Let us welcome our new brother, Lu Mian Lee!"

This time, he used Lu Mian's real name, indicating that the "Iron and Blood Cross Order" was very well-informed about its members' situations.

The "Iron and Blood Cross Order" members, including "Supervisor" Olsen, applauded one after another. Lu Mian stood up, poured himself a glass of red wine, and drank it in one gulp to show his respect.

This fully displayed his true colors as a regular at the Old Tavern.

"Very good, everyone is a brother, no need to be too polite." Gardner sat down and, while waiting for Faustino to distribute the plates and cut the bread for everyone, said with a smile, "I have already spoken about the history and philosophy of our 'Iron and Blood Cross Order,' now let's talk about what we are going to do."

He immediately restrained his smile:

"The most important thing we are doing, and have always been doing, is to overthrow the current government, establish a nation ruled by Beyonders, and transform this world. For this, we have been planning and attempting, establishing multiple branch organizations, and preparing to create turmoil.

"Specifically for me, it is to use companies and gangs to control the dock workers, construction workers, porters, handymen, and laborers in the Market District, and when necessary, let them take to the streets and use barricades to confront the police and the army."

Lu Mian frowned and asked suspiciously:

"Isn't it said that there is an essential difference between Beyonders and ordinary people, and that Beyonders are superior to ordinary people? Why set the goal of controlling and using those workers?"

He felt this was very ironic; the philosophy and actions of the "Iron and Blood Cross Order" were completely inconsistent.

Although this was normal—philosophy is philosophy, slogans are slogans, and they cannot be equated to reality—but at least they should have thought these things through; one shouldn't slap one's own face a second later.

If he hadn't just joined this secret organization, Lu Mian's tone would inevitably have carried more sarcasm.

Gardner Martin laughed:

"Very sharp, you have noticed a very important question.

"Before this, only Albus had raised it, and everyone else accepted it very naturally."

It's not just using ordinary people to create chaos, there are other intentions? Lu Mian tilted his head and glanced at Albus, who was sitting at the edge of the dining table, and found that the young man with dark red hair had a very casual posture, with his right leg crossed and his ankle constantly shaking.

Gardner Martin explained simply:

"First, you must understand one thing: why do those deities establish churches and spread doctrines?

"You shouldn't believe the saying that 'God loves the world.' If They really loved it, the Market District wouldn't be in its current state, and Intis wouldn't have so many homeless people."

Lu Mian agreed with this point, nodding slightly without interrupting the "Chief's" words.

Gardner Martin smiled and said:

"We speculate that deities need believers, and this has been confirmed in the history of the past few hundred years.

"The more ordinary people we control, the more capital we have to make the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery wary, reducing their support for the current government and increasing the probability of a successful turmoil.

"In the end, this is an important bargaining chip to make them acquiesce or even change to support us."

"It's all bargaining chips..." Lu Mian's gaze flickered slightly.

What he knew and came into contact with were individual people and individual families.

Gardner Martin sighed:

"To control more workers and more citizens, besides our own efforts, we need the cooperation of the government and parliament.

"I have always been very clear about what kind of person Hugues Artois is and what forces are hidden behind him, but I still chose to support his campaign for Member of Parliament because I knew he would inevitably do some things that would bring quite a few disasters to the Market District. And he represents parliament and the government; the worse he does, the more people will flock to us. It's a pity that this piece of shit was assassinated just days after being elected."

So this is the reason why the Savard Party supported Hugues Artois... I thought you were hiding some evil god behind you, and that the evil gods all supported Hugues Artois... Lu Mian listened and suddenly realized.

Without Gardner Martin's personal explanation and an understanding of the "Iron and Blood Cross Order's" philosophy, he really couldn't have guessed the true intention behind this secret organization supporting Hugues Artois's run for Member of Parliament.

Gardner Martin summarized his previous words:

"Therefore, in the Market District, what we value most are the docks, yards, warehouses, freight companies, and construction companies. The significance of the Savard Party's existence is mainly to contact all kinds of people, collect necessary intelligence, and provide part of the funds for the organization.

"Of course, gangs are also an important means for us to control ordinary people."

No wonder the Savard Party invested so many resources... Lu Mian looked at "Blood Glove" Black, who had a focused expression, and mocked in his heart that this guy was better at acting than himself.

You guys have probably heard what the boss said countless times, what are you focusing on?

Look at Albus, he's been eating, drinking, and shaking the whole time.

After Lu Mian nodded to show he understood, Gardner Martin drank a sip of red wine and said:

"Another thing we are doing is exploring the underground, looking for the entrance to that Trier of the Fourth Epoch."

Hearing this topic, Lu Mian couldn't help but look at the silent "Supervisor" Olsen.

This tall, thin man, who looked like a starving bear, was cutting a steak that was only rare, constantly stuffing bloody chunks of meat into his mouth.

Lu Mian's gaze swept back and forth across his neck several times, finding no signs of a break.

Is the state of only having a head and spine really an illusion he created with some kind of ability? Lu Mian muttered silently.

But this also matches the legends of Bansy Harbor!

"Either Olsen has a deep understanding of the incident at Bansy Harbor, or he has encountered similar monsters elsewhere...

"Even if it's just an illusion, it couldn't have been imagined out of thin air; it must come from his experience and knowledge...

"Madam 'Magician' said that most of what he said should be true, and she even suspected that the reason he went missing for several months was that he entered that Trier of the Fourth Epoch...

"Did he meet a monster with only a head and spine there?

"Since he has entered that Trier of the Fourth Epoch, why is Gardner Martin still looking for the entrance? Is Madam 'Magician's' suspicion wrong?" Lu Mian's thoughts were varied, and he had a series of guesses.

He looked at Gardner Martin and asked suspiciously:

"Why look for the entrance to that Trier of the Fourth Epoch?"

Gardner Martin laughed:

"To other Beyonders, that is hell, an abyss, a land of disaster that cannot be approached, but to 'Hunters,' it means a huge treasure.

"And our 'Iron and Blood Cross Order' is mainly composed of Beyonders of the 'Hunter' pathway."

"Treasure?" Lu Mian thought of the "Shadow Tree" and the invisible sea of fire that could burn a section of the "Shadow Tree's" roots.

Gardner Martin said solemnly:

"I don't know how much you know about the history of the Fourth Epoch, but I can only tell you that during the Fourth Epoch, deities still walked on the earth, and angels often appeared. That period is also known as the 'Age of Gods.'

"In the 'Age of Gods,' there were three powerful nations on the Northern Continent, one of which was called the Tudor Empire, and its capital was that Trier that sank into the underground.

"The Emperor of the Tudor Empire, Alista Tudor, was known as the 'Blood Emperor' and was a true deity, a deity who controlled the 'Hunter' pathway!

"He fell due to a divine war, and his remains are in that Trier of the Fourth Epoch!"

The remains of the "Blood Emperor" Tudor? Lu Mian instantly remembered part of the content in Aurora's witchcraft notes.

Aurora also didn't have in-depth research on the history of the Fourth Epoch, only a rough understanding. She had mentioned the three great empires—the Solomon Empire, the Trunsoest Empire, and the Tudor Empire—and had mentioned titles like "Blood Emperor," "Night Emperor," "Death Emperor," "Black Emperor," and the "War of the Four Emperors."

According to Aurora's description, the "Blood Emperor" was as powerful as a deity.

Note 1: Adapted from the ritual of the Nine Sisters Lodge of the Freemasons.

(End of chapter)