Chapter 568: Gathered Clues

Solo Hotel.

Lu Mian looked at the firelight in the port district that illuminated the night sky, listened to the noise in the distance, and waited for the visitor who might come.

Not long after, a knocking sound of 'dong dong dong' rang out.

Lu Mian didn't wait for Lu Jianuo to wake up, turned directly, and walked to the door.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw Noelia, who was wearing brown leather armor and a two-cornered nun's hat.

Noelia's face was as cold as frost. She suddenly raised her hand and shouted in a low voice in Ancient Hermes:

"Imprison!"

Lu Mian was immediately unable to move. Around him, it was as if layers of transparent walls or flowing viscous liquids were restricting his actions, which made him a small insect in amber.

The next second, Noelia drew a straight sword from behind her back with a backhand.

At the same time, Lu Mian's trouser legs tightened suddenly, his whole person seemed to be a head taller and a circle larger, and some kind of explosive power expanded from within his body.

The transparent "amber" that trapped him made a creaking sound, and one after another invisible cracks appeared.

With a 'wu' sound, Noelia held the hilt of the straight sword with both hands, cut through the airflow, split the "cage" that had already become precarious, and slashed toward Lu Mian's head.

Lu Mian's right fist, which was ready to go, was raised in time, and hit the side of the straight sword with the condensed crimson-near-white firelight.

In the low and restrained explosion, the straight sword slanted out, brushing against the door frame and slashing toward the ground.

Noelia retreated along the momentum, put away the straight sword, and asked in a low voice in Intis:

"Was it you who blew up the Fishery Society?"

Seeing this, Lu Mian didn't counterattack, his body returned to its normal state, and he said with a smile:

"Whether it was me who blew it up isn't important; what's important is whether anyone can prove it was me who blew it up."

He knew Noelia's warning just now was just a warning and not really trying to deal with him, otherwise after "Imprison," she should have followed up with other Beyonder abilities instead of directly slashing with a sword.

Noelia maintained the majesty of someone who had maintained the order of Sangtagang for many years and questioned different criminal suspects:

"Why go to such an extent, why make such a big commotion?"

Lu Mian turned his head to look at the servant's room, signaling Lu Jianuo, who had woken up from the noise, to go back to sleep.

While walking toward the armchair in the living room, he ignored Noelia's question and said with a smile:

"I found out some things."

"For example?" Noelia walked into the suite and closed the wooden door with a backhand.

Lu Mian pointed to the sofa:

"Sit down and chat first, so you don't say I'm impolite."

Noelia glanced at Lu Mian and said with a smile:

"Without performing the cheek-kissing ritual, what manners are there to talk about?"

Her attitude was frank and open.

Lu Mian sat in the armchair and answered the question just now:

"For example, last year's Sea-Praying Ceremony failed."

Noelia didn't show any surprised emotions, sat on the edge of the sofa, and leaned her body slightly forward so as not to let the straight sword behind her poke her:

"Anything else?"

Lu Mian thought for a moment and said in a tone of chatting:

"Also, the Sea-Praying Ceremony is to marry the sea;

"Also, the 'Sea Viceroy' is the husband of the sea, and the 'Handmaiden of the Sea' is the incarnation of the sea in the real world;

"Also, whether it's the 'Sea Viceroy' or the 'Handmaiden of the Sea,' the children born are 'Children of the Sea,' and the first one has the purest bloodline..."

Although Lu Mian knew very well that what he wanted to express was that the children born to the women the "Sea Viceroy" had slept with were all descendants of the sea, regardless of whether they were "Handmaidens of the Sea," after saying the corresponding words, he, who already had rich mystical knowledge and supernatural experience, inevitably thought that this seemed to include the meaning of the "Sea Viceroy" having children himself.

Phew, sure enough, the more you know, the easier it is to be polluted. The me from before wouldn't think this way... Lu Mian sighed internally, while Noelia sighed with a bit of surprise and a bit of appreciation:

"Your investigation progress is faster than I imagined. How long has it been, and you've already figured out most things."

It's been quite a few days. My "Understand Language" charm will expire tomorrow, and I don't know how much harvest this week of borrowed learning will have... Lu Mian smiled slightly:

"You wouldn't think my reputation as a great adventurer was blown out by bragging, would you?"

"The 'Devil Wizard' who can be rewarded with 300,000 gold liso definitely isn't blown out by bragging," Noelia indicated with a tactful method that she didn't underestimate the person who could hunt the "Devil Wizard."

She nodded with satisfaction:

"Many Beyonders possess good abilities but lack sufficient brains, are blindly combative, and like to show off, but you aren't.

"However, I still have to remind you not to go too far. Although I know very well what the real purpose of you deliberately making such a big commotion is, we must maintain the stable order of Sangtagang. You can't make it difficult for us."

Matching the warning just now, the hidden meaning of this sentence is: don't destroy the current situation in Sangtagang. You can investigate the Sea-Praying Ceremony, but you can't fundamentally subvert the order here? In other words, don't kill the Fishery Society? What exactly is your "Mother Goddess of Earth" Church trying to do, wanting both and wanting neither... Lu Mian pondered Noelia's subtext while smiling:

"If you could be a bit more honest and reveal more information, I wouldn't need to do so many things at all."

Noelia smiled with a bit of embarrassment but without losing politeness:

"We haven't grasped many pieces of information either. I can only tell you that since the Church tacitly allows the existence of the Sea-Praying Ceremony and tacitly allows people from the Fishery Society to obtain the power of the sea, there must be sufficient reasons, which has nothing to do with whether we have the ability to solve it.

"As for what kind of reason it is, I can't understand it with my rank. Perhaps the Archbishop responsible for the entire Gaya Province and the president of our Abundance Convent can answer you."

Lu Mian sneered:

"Then why did you tacitly allow or even indulge me to investigate the Sea-Praying Ceremony?"

Noelia sighed:

"Why must you figure it out? Didn't we also not ask what the real purpose of you investigating the Sea-Praying Ceremony is?"

After saying this, this combat nun left the sofa, stepped out with her legs, and walked toward the door of the suite step by step.

After walking a few steps, she stopped and said thoughtfully:

"There are some ancient traces hidden in the basement of the 'Sea Viceroy' mansion in Milo Village, which can reveal some things. You'd better find an opportunity to take a look."

"'Sea Viceroy' mansion basement? According to Franca's relay, there are a small number of symbols and patterns left by the ancestors of Milo Village... Does Noelia mean that they contain relatively important information? Does the reason for the 'Mother Goddess of Earth' Church tacitly allowing the Sea-Praying Ceremony to be held also include it?

"If Juan Oro didn't lie, didn't deliberately conceal, and didn't play tricks, then doesn't that indicate that the 'Mother Goddess of Earth' Church understands the ancestors of Milo Village better than these descendants? That's right, after all, it's the force that once destroyed Milo Village and cleaned up those ancestors. In these thousand-plus years, there hasn't been a break in heritage, and it has always been at the top of the real world..." Lu Mian looked at Noelia's back as she opened the door and left, and didn't ask further.

He had just returned to the master bedroom and was preparing to sleep when he saw the "Doll" messenger drop the paper folded into a square and leave like a fly, without even saying hello.

"Besides loving to eat a little, and besides eating everything, Ludwig isn't that annoying, right?

"Uh, Lady 'Magician' really likes to stay up late. She replies the fastest to letters written to her at night..." Lu Mian muttered silently while picking up the reply letter.

He quickly unfolded it and read the content on it:

"So far, your performance in Sangtagang can be considered quite good.

"I won't interfere or guide too much. This is an opportunity for you to further digest the 'Conspirator' potion, a very good opportunity.

"I have roughly restored that segment of language. I read it a few times. It is not any language I currently grasp, but it can be determined that it does not possess the trait of prying into natural forces, but it itself possesses a certain energy. Language can also possess energy.

"What does this represent? It represents that in the Sea-Praying Ceremony, it cannot be used as sacrificial language, and it is difficult to rely on it to communicate with supernatural things, that is, the so-called sea.

"Then why can the Sea-Praying Ceremony succeed? The key should be that sacrificial ring. It likely possesses a unique shape, strange patterns, relatively strong spirituality, and precipitated knowledge. That segment of language relies on its own pronunciation, structure, and energy to stimulate this ring, letting it exert its due effect.

"If you can replicate the state of that ring after the Vigil Ceremony for me, I have the confidence to interpret its specific effect and the rough meaning of that segment of language."

That's right. When Lato Giallo read that segment of words "Oh sea, I will marry you...", there was no trace of natural force being pried, which means it couldn't be sacrificial language, and it must have another role... After reading Lady "Magician's" explanation, Lu Mian had a deeper understanding of the sea sacrifice segment.

And now most of the clues seem to have to wait until he can sneak into the "Sea Viceroy" mansion to have follow-ups.

…………

The next morning, Lu Jianuo took Ludwig through the streets, buying the breakfast the little boy wanted to eat.

Suddenly, someone lowered their head and passed by him in a hurry, bumping into him as if they had slipped.

Lu Jianuo moved his body calmly, not letting that person touch him.

He even helped the other party and said hypocritically:

"Be careful."

That person held Lu Jianuo's hand back and stuffed something over.

Then, he said "sorry" vaguely and continued forward, disappearing into the crowd.

Lu Jianuo lowered his gaze and looked at his palm, where there was a white sticky note crumpled into a ball.

He wasn't in a hurry to look at the content on the paper. After buying breakfast for Ludwig, he returned to the Solo Hotel and told Lu Mian about the matter.

Lu Mian took the paper ball and unfolded it quite casually.

On it was written in relatively elegant handwriting:

"After last year's ceremony, the sea had an anomaly."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 569 =====