[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ring-of-fate":3,"chapter-the-ring-of-fate-the-ring-of-fate-chapter-825":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Ring of Fate",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2298794,4496,"Chapter 825: Reminder","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-825",825,"\u003Cp>“If that one or those few ‘Mirror People’ have infiltrated Mogang, what would they do?” Lu Mi pondered for a while, returned the book to the Traveler’s Satchel, and walked step by step down the stairs into the lobby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was dinner time, and the bar was bustling; Zhu Li carried a tray, flitting like a butterfly between small round tables, placing cups of alcoholic drinks and plates of food before each customer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the customers behaved properly; no one dared to slap Zhu Li’s buttocks or rub against her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t because they were moral or civilized—anyone who could enter Mogang was a violent felon with bloodstained hands; they acted decently because someone had recently set a bad example:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the past two days, Zhu Li’s mood had been unstable, often dazed, no longer able to glide lightly through laughter and chatter as she used to, avoiding grasping hands and arms; in the evening, someone had seized the chance to squeeze her buttocks hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Li’s suppressed ferocity and rage exploded at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Lu Mi hadn’t intervened in time and reminded her this wasn’t a legal duel, that drunkard would now be in the kitchen, missing key parts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ultimately, under the condition that the drunkard refused Zhu Li’s duel challenge, after repeated “negotiations,” he “voluntarily” chopped off that hand to apologize—otherwise, he might have lost control of his emotions and attacked the bar owner, whose harsh words made him detestable, forcing the owner into legitimate self-defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi glanced at Zhu Li’s expressionless face, then strolled into the kitchen and saw Les’s busy shift finally over; he was enjoying his own dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He skewered a finger cooked to caramel color, popped it into his mouth, and chewed with a crisp crunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi sighed silently:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m going out for a bit. Keep an eye on Zhu Li.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem,” Les pointed to the mangled hand on his plate. “Boss, want to try some? I found a new cooking method—fry it first, then steam it for twenty minutes in seasoned broth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No thanks.” Lu Mi turned and left the Carnivore Bar, walking through the pitch-black, unlit streets to the Church of Knowledge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found a corner where he could see the graveyard and the entrance to the underground mausoleum through the window, pulled over a wooden-backed chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He patted the chair’s back and sighed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Church of Knowledge has become so considerate…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There hadn’t been a chair beside the brass bookshelves before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too bad there’s no footrest,” Lu Mi sat down, gazing beyond the stained glass at the graveyard, using the crimson glow of the high moon to observe the area around the mausoleum entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to his knowledge, Shalister, who had been on duty in the underground mausoleum for two days, would return to the surface tonight at nine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi’s goal was to make others believe he came to the Church of Knowledge to read and study, when in truth he was observing the mausoleum and the researchers’ routines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His real purpose was only one:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To use the observation of the mausoleum and the researchers’ routines as cover for his genuine love of learning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this excuse, he wouldn’t have to waste time wandering around the Carnivore Bar, drinking and boasting—he could finish the remaining books sooner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the Church of Knowledge’s dense, bright candlelight, Lu Mi read for a while, then forced himself to lift his head and observe the mausoleum entrance for two or three minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After repeating this several times, he suddenly remembered his sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, Aurora always pushed him to study, but after a while, she’d drag him away from his desk and force him to look out the window at the trees and the distant highland pastures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he had to rely on self-discipline alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As seconds and minutes passed, the church bell tolled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A squad of robed enforcers walked out of the Church of Knowledge, silent and expressionless, entering the graveyard and reaching the mausoleum entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, the series of gray-white stone steps leading underground saw the same squad emerge, walking out at a steady, orderly pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his Hunter’s vision and the crimson moonlight, Lu Mi saw the leader was Shalister, draped in a black robe and blindfolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “witch” walked slowly out of the entrance area, expressionless and emotionless, then removed her blindfold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The line behind her stretched long; each person carried a lantern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Lu Mi felt a momentary dizziness—as if the deep darkness of the mausoleum entrance had suddenly come alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That darkness instantly swallowed the last researcher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi blinked—and found no writhing or movement in the darkness; his earlier perception of animation had clearly been an illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frowned slightly and recounted the researchers in Shalister’s squad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quickly, Lu Mi reached a conclusion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“One person is missing… and one lantern too…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi watched Shalister and her team until they returned inside the Church of Knowledge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Near the staircase entrance, Shalister casually turned her head and glanced in Lu Mi’s direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi placed his right leg over his left knee, leaned back against the chair, and met her gaze calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt Shalister had noticed his watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That suggested she still retained some degree of self-awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew, no need to worry about Zhu Li exploding for now…” Lu Mi exhaled quietly, watching Shalister and her squad vanish at the staircase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the past two days, he’d feared Shalister’s mishap might trigger Zhu Li’s emotional breakdown, forcing her to act before he was fully prepared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would interfere with his reading and studying!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching a while longer, Lu Mi noticed the Mogang Archbishop Heraberg was making a patrol, passing by each brass bookshelf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pondered for several seconds; when the archbishop neared, he suddenly spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Grace, I have a question I’d like to ask you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heraberg, clad in a plain white robe edged with golden thread, smiled warmly and approvingly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding the book in his hand, Lu Mi asked earnestly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The taboos within the underground mausoleum seem aimed at the living—what if someone who enters is a corpse or an undead being?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heraberg studied Lu Mi deeply, then smiled and replied:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The dead should rest eternally. What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meaning: an undead entering the mausoleum would fall into eternal slumber? So “0—01” does involve death and darkness… then I can’t exploit the loophole with the Aeges family’s golden mask… Lu Mi sighed regretfully:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think so too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his gray-white beard and hair, Heraberg spoke in a teacher’s tone:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“While studying, pay attention to your physical health and mental vigor. Don’t stay up late reading—just maintain your current pace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This… is he worried I’ll deteriorate and be overwhelmed by the books’ inherent corruption? I need to control the speed of contamination? Lu Mi rose thoughtfully and replied:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Your Grace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately shoved the book back into the Traveler’s Satchel and left the Church of Knowledge under Heraberg’s satisfied gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he crossed the large square outside, Lu Mi caught sight of Zhu Li stepping lightly out the church’s side door, radiating an unmistakable sense of ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She came to check immediately… Lu Mi watched Zhu Li turn down another alley and head back to the Carnivore Bar on her own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just before reaching his destination, he heard a sudden, piercing, agonized scream from not too far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did Zhu Li do that?” Lu Mi muttered with amusement. “When she’s upset, she cuts someone; when she’s happy, she cuts someone too. Can’t she just take a break and find another hobby?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Mogang had enough exiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Lu Mi was certain that since they’d arrived, daily deaths had multiplied several times over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meaning they couldn’t stay long—otherwise, the supply of exiles would inevitably lag behind the consumption, and Mogang would eventually face a crisis of insufficient prisoners for the seals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bar had already closed; Lu Mi walked behind the counter, poured himself a glass of Lieranzi, sipped slowly, as if waiting for something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some time, Zhu Li’s figure appeared at the door, wearing a shirt and long skirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cheeks still flushed, she glanced at Lu Mi and smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss, are you waiting for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her hand, she toyed with a clump of blood-red matter frozen in ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi sipped his Lieranzi and replied with a question:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know my name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Li walked to the counter, shook her head, and smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I only know you’re my boss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But Shalister, as a member of the enforcement squad, should know the name of every resident of Mogang,” Lu Mi directly named Shalister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Li’s expression flickered, then she sighed with a smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But she says ‘Louis’ is probably fake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t believe you haven’t communicated with the outside world or asked them to investigate my true identity,” Lu Mi leaned one hand on the counter, sipping his liquor calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Li pouted but didn’t directly answer whether they’d investigated Lu Mi’s identity; she merely said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It doesn’t matter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True,” Lu Mi nodded with a smile. “I once captured a ‘Mirror Person’ from the underground Trier. He told me some of his companions had gone to Lunbao, seeking Mogang. Now, new intelligence suggests that one or those few ‘Mirror People’ may have already entered.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Li’s smile faded, her expression turning grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi downed the rest of his Lieranzi, set the glass down, and walked upstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Li sat silently on the barstool for a while, then left the Carnivore Bar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mogang, in an empty house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “witch” slipped on a golden ring set with blue gems and sat before a half-length mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reflection within suddenly trembled slightly, changing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1621,"2026-06-20T06:22:37.987Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","2440ca9b8c9f440231064f7a056923400d695700c817280634caa845e2c6fa59","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-826","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-824",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ring-of-fate-cover.jpg"]