Perhaps the environmental agency chief's apology was more appropriate, and even God was moved. At noon on May 6, a sudden heavy rain poured down, quickly washing away the atmospheric dust caused by the fireworks of the music festival last night.
Correspondingly, at the Sakai Cruise Terminal, the setting sail ceremony of the Emerald Light had to end in embarrassment. The decent gentlemen and ladies waving to each other on and off the boat quickly disappeared among the blooming umbrella flowers.
under.
The low flute sounded and the emerald light sailed out of the cruise terminal.
Yin Le stood in the farewell crowd and used his mind to control the data projection on his retina. It was a passenger list of the Emerald Light. Looking at the list, nothing unusual was found. If you have to nitpick, it was probably the passenger list that had just sailed.
There are not many heavyweights on the luxury cruise ship.
In fact, very few of the people on the ship are qualified to participate in the high-profile high-seas auction ten days later.
A truly great person will never follow other people's rules.
Just like the man she serves.
However, it is people like this who truly dominate the course of events.
The ceremony ended in a hurry, and under the chaotic scene caused by the heavy rain, people were finally able to release their true emotions. Yin Le heard many sighs of relief. In her opinion, this was not only because of the cruise ship that had just left the shore, but also because of the people far away.
Factors that are out of everyone’s sight.
At this time, the bracelet vibrates and a message is displayed:
"Flight NH5753 has arrived."
Yin Le also took a long breath and unconsciously integrated into the surrounding environment.
As the direct flight from Sancheng to Xiacheng landed safely, Moya, who had experienced a hurried five-day trip in Sancheng, returned safely.
At this point, Yin Le's two major missions in coming to Bancheng - to find Snake Whispers and to protect Moya, have been successfully completed. Yin Le gave a summary of his work:
It didn't play a key role, and the auxiliary position was quite stable.
If we add the Emerald Light to set sail, the stormy Sakagawa City should have calmed down for a while, right?
...That's not necessarily the case.
In the past two days, even Yin Le, an "outsider", has noticed the subtle and tense atmosphere in Sakai City. And compared to simple perceptions, certain changes at the market level may be more convincing.
The bracelet vibrated continuously, and a short message and an instant message were received almost in no particular order. Yin Le read the content of the text message carefully before answering the call:
"Hello, Mr. Oppei."
The voice on the other side was cold and distant: "Ms. Yin, the handover with you went smoothly. The yacht has now sailed into the Ohorikawa River and is expected to arrive at Beishan Lake in an hour."
"Yes, Mr. Oppei, we have confirmed it is correct."
Yin Le deviated slightly from the direction of the crowd and approached the edge of the viewing platform. This was a high point of the cruise terminal. She could see a small and exquisite private yacht in the opposite direction to the Emerald Light that had just set sail.
Follow the artificial dredging channel dug after the war and go upstream.
The appearance of that yacht has the same design style as the "Ray" that was docked for overhaul. They do belong to the same manufacturer and the same production line, and they are considered sister boats.
There is such a yacht that allows Mr. Ronan to adapt to the living environment without any obstacles - even if he may not care about it.
Being able to quickly find a replacement and successfully purchase it at an unexpectedly low price is probably due to the weird atmosphere in Sakai City these two days.
As the ship owner's agent, Mr. Oppei is also very worried about this loss-making business and has no courtesy at all: "I hope you will pay the balance in a timely and accurate manner as agreed."
"Okay, Mr. Opping, we will definitely pay all relevant payments strictly in accordance with your requirements. In fact, another payment has already arrived."
"...Yes." Mr. Opping confirmed the changes in the account, and his tone also changed subtly. After a second interval, he spoke again, "It is currently the trading window period. I hope our cooperation can
continue."
"certainly."
The communication was quickly hung up, but then another short message came in, still from Mr. Oppei. It contained address coordinates that did not exist in secular society, as well as time information.
Yin Le smiled, and her eyes turned away from the river and fell into the depths of the vast rain curtain.
Looking at this yacht transaction alone, it is just an exchange of luxury goods, a pure consumption behavior. But as a qualified businessman, Yin Le is also making full use of other conveniences brought by the transaction.
For example, information.
Yōzo Okudaira is an important figure in the Osawa Order, a local sect in Sakajo.
The Osawa Order existed before the Third World War, and is a rare veteran that can be full of vitality even in the "Aberration Era". In a few decades, it has transformed from a simple folk belief group to one that can produce "
A mysterious sect with extraordinary power. They have their own force in the intricately connected world of Sakajo.
When dealing with this kind of old-school sect, especially matters involving the overseas transfer of large amounts of funds, you can often find out a lot of interesting things.
During the yacht transfer process, the Osawa Order behind Okuhira Yoshizo did offer significant discounts and reduced transfer fees. Most of the "discounts" were discounted through secret circulation channels of funds.
In other words, in addition to asking for money, the Daze Cult also needs to make use of Yin Le's funding channels.
Moreover, the other party also made some hints, asking Yin Le if he needed to take over some real estate by Beishan Lake, or even some "special materials" that were not easy to move.
This is simply a standard pattern of rapid liquidation of assets and flight of important figures.
During the transaction negotiations, Yin Le also heard some subtle rumors from various relevant channels, some of which were supporting evidence and some of which were counterexamples that required further analysis. But no matter what, something is better than nothing - none of it is worth much.
She can't break into this closed ecosystem by using the transaction as a handle.
Nowadays, the intelligence information in Bancheng can be used as a reference for each other with Ticheng, Xiacheng and even Tancheng, and a lot of sensitive information can be unearthed from it.
Some of them are directly related to the "Amaterasu Order".
Yin Le once "witnessed" a series of battles of wits and courage inside and outside a laboratory with Ronan's support, so he certainly understood what Ronan cared about.
I think Mr. Ronan will be interested in this.
After finishing the work at the dock, Yin Le turned around, blended in with the crowd, and entered the port parking lot shortly after. As soon as he got into the car, his bracelet vibrated again and automatically switched to the internal channel of the sect.
"This gang of fishing mercenaries in Ticheng is really untrustworthy. When things come to pass, they are always wavering. No, they have always focused on the money and have no respect for the will of the Blood Flame!"
"Yeah, Mr. Jiang, that's what you said."
"Especially that Cadman, who has the roots of a prisoner and the character of a fox rat. It was very good when the chief priest was here. As soon as he retreated here, he was greedy and unbridled during the slightest break. The lineage of Ticheng made him
The air leakage from all sides turned into a sieve, and he moved his hands up and down inside, clearly using the sect's capital to develop the 'extracorporeal circulation'. Shouldn't this kind of person be dealt with early, waiting to be bitten by him?
"
Yin Le signaled the driver to return, then closed the tailgate and responded in a warm voice: "Mr. Jiang, please don't get angry. Don't get angry."
"My body is very hard. Even if he really bites it off, it will break all the teeth in his mouth! But now the key is the backbone. Recently, the chief priest has become less and less interested in secular affairs. I know that she is obsessed with Xia Cheng.
I’m still worried about this, but in terms of hard power, we just can’t compare, and we can’t make up for it in a year and a half...”
Jiang Yuanzhen chattered for almost ten minutes before hanging up the call. Yin Le shook his head, scraped his eyebrows with his knuckles, and sighed, but the breath he exhaled failed to relax the lines between his eyebrows:
Compared with the smooth progress on the Sakai City side, the situation at the Ticheng Base Camp is not optimistic.
The Blood Flame Order has just moved not long ago, and its foundation is still shallow. It is surrounded by wolves, watching eagerly. The phone call just now was apparently the complaint of the old scholar Jiang Yuanzhen, but in fact it was conveying information, and there were some "
possible eavesdropping".
"Cadman" in Jiang Yuanzhen's mouth
, is the representative of the local power of the sect in Ti City. He may be just a snake and a mouse at the moment, but with this local snake, he will have to worry about the unexpected events that will lead to the wolf entering the house.
The current global "big investigation" operation led by Tancheng has given Cadman and others an excellent opportunity-during the "sensitive period that may involve despicable murders" announced by Tancheng, the Blood Flame Order in the Abyss District
The solidified configuration of "Blood Soul Temple" indeed maintains a highly active state.
Naturally, the Blood Flame Order was included in the "to-be-investigated list."
If you want to impose a crime, why bother?
What's more... there may not be innocent people here.
Well, it was also because of the "big investigation" operation here in Sakai City that it gave some people an excuse to use force.
It feels like these parties really have a tacit understanding!
Yin Le sighed again and leaned back. Whenever she faced this kind of problem, she had to admit that she was still not a person who could stand alone. Even just thinking about it made her feel mentally and physically exhausted.
.
From the most practical point of view, this is not a level or issue that she should consider. At this time, she misses Mrs. Halder and the young boss she just attached to.
If those two are here, what is her job...feeding the fish?
Yin Le shook his head, and took out a small ornament-like "crystal ball" from his personal pocket. He gently and carefully rubbed it in his palm, feeling the indescribable subtle touch.
The inside of the "crystal ball" seemed to be sealed with a cloud of smoke, and it seemed to be a turbid liquid, gray-white in color. And inside, there was a flat living thing swimming back and forth.
That's the stingray tamed by Ronan.
In Ronan's hands, this deformed creature had a terrifying range of damage, but at the moment it seemed like a pure gadget, without any threat at all.
Being able to control this existence, at least temporarily, gave Yin Le a great sense of satisfaction and stability. It was also through this form that she could more truly feel the existence of the "backbone".
No matter what, as long as she can rely on Ronan who can easily create such miracles, she or the Blood Flame Order will have a bright future after all!
Yin Le held the "crystal ball" in front of her eyes and observed carefully. In the past two days, she "grazed" it twice according to Ronan's arrangement. The manta ray had a good appetite and was very obedient. But for some reason, the inside was originally colorless.
The transparent "filling" becomes increasingly turbid, switching between gas and liquid states at any time, and the changes are very obvious.
I remember my husband said that the "crystal ball" is just a looking glass, and the real seal of the manta ray is in a "space fault"... What does this change mean?
Yin Le was puzzled and her mind wandered back and forth. In addition, she had not had a good rest during this period. She was so exhausted that she actually fell asleep in the back seat of the car.
Then she had a dream.
In the dream, Yin Le's consciousness came to the Blood Soul Temple in Yuan District.
She remained in a subtle semi-awake state, with a little independent thinking, so it was difficult to judge whether this was a pure dream or an instinct of cultivation brought about by more than ten years of priesthood.
All Yin Le knew was that her consciousness was suspended in the lava lake in the stone forest at the bottom of the Blood Soul Temple structure, and she was confused and didn't know where to go.
Suddenly, a cluster of light appeared. Its outline was like the "crystal ball" she was playing with, and it emitted a bright light, becoming the most eye-catching presence in the turbid and chaotic magma lake.
Yin Le's consciousness inevitably moved over, and was drawn by the light source, circling it several times. In a trance, she felt that it was not a "crystal ball", but a mirror. Because her image was reflected on it, it was not too big.
It's real, a bit like the effect of a magic mirror. The habitual image is distorted by irregular light refraction and focusing, but where is the physical effect here?
After another period of confusion, Yin Le suddenly changed her feelings. What pulled her spirit at this moment was neither a crystal ball nor a mirror, but a clear and sharp eye, staring at her coldly, penetrating her.
All disguises are torn apart, the usual image is torn apart, and only her most essential elements are recorded.
There were some elements gathered inside that even she herself didn't know what they were.
Yin Le instinctively wanted to avoid it, but couldn't help but want to see clearly the reflected results. After struggling for several times, he finally achieved a "eye-to-eye", but found that there was too much information entered in these "mysterious eyes"
, not just her, but also the stone forest magma lake, and the breakdown of desires in the churning emotional magma...
If it extends further, it may include the entire structure of Blood Soul Temple and even the hearts and minds of the entire Blood Flame Order.
Everything forms a complex yet clearly layered structural pattern, which is then condensed into an insignificant point of light in the "mysterious eye", just like a star in the vast night sky, blending into the deeper and unpredictable universe.
It has real existential meaning, but that's all.
As for Yin Le, he is just an insignificant speck of dust above this star, and does not even deserve special attention.
The grand and the small, the sublime and the humble.
The strong contrast that touched her body and mind instantly grabbed Yin Le's heart, giving her an unbearable impact and making her suddenly wake up.
The "crystal ball" that sealed the devil ray was still in her hand. She couldn't tell whether it was cool or hot when touching it, and she couldn't find an exact adjective, but it calmed her mind.
"It should be...not a dream, right?"
As a person with abilities, Yin Le believed that such a clear memory could not be an unprovoked dream. She would rather believe that it was some kind of "revelation".
Maybe, it has something to do with Mr. Ronan?
He lifted the "crystal ball" again to confirm that the stingray inside was in good condition. After a moment, Yin Le carefully put it away, looked at his watch, and then looked out the car window. At this time, the car had just got off the high-speed magnetic track.
, the traffic level is being lowered step by step, and the view is still wide.
Through the continuous rain outside the window, you can see the outline of the south bank of Beishan Lake.
A large part of the reason is that the lake surface has been painted with the colorful colors of cheap plastic, and those music fans who braved the rain to attend the event were wearing simple raincoats.
The sudden rain caused a lot of trouble to the just-opened Sakai Music Festival. Then again, music fans who can have fun in the rain might prefer a similar atmosphere?
The sense of reality diluted the sense of fantasy, and Yin Le let out a sigh subconsciously.
A few minutes later, the car parked outside the pier on the south bank of Beishan Lake. A fishing boat was parked here as a transfer boat to take her to join the newly purchased yacht.
After that, she will also go to a specific area on the lake to conduct preliminary inspections to prepare for another transaction from the Dazai Cult in the near future - basically she will not spend any more money, but to collect intelligence, she has to make a show of it.
.
After the car stopped, the driver in the front seat picked up the umbrella provided in the car, trotted away, and opened the door for Yin Le in the rain. In this land, the service awareness of the lower-ranking people is always very good.
Yin Le believes that this is worth learning from her, especially now that a similar competitor who was born here appears next to Mr. Ronan...
There will be more trouble in the future.
Yin Le got out of the car gracefully and stepped on the road covered with a layer of water film. The cool wind smelled of water and smelled of vegetation blew in. She subconsciously looked up and looked behind the vast water curtain.
The shadow of a huge camphor tree.
Even though it is nearly one kilometer apart, Mr. Sakaemon is still the most eye-catching landmark on the south bank of Kitayama Lake. Apart from it, it is probably difficult for people to attract other targets.
However, after only a second, Yin Le's eyes turned away from an angle, pointing in that direction, but it was not Sakaemon's target - thanks to the blessing of the keen senses of the esper, even though she was one kilometer away, she still
Captured the most critical elements.
Yin Le patted the car window and signaled the driver to return to his original position: "Drive forward and go under the tree."
The driver looked troubled: "Mr. Yin, there are roadblocks and warnings set up ahead because of the music festival, and motor vehicles are prohibited..."
Before the driver could finish speaking, Yin Le had already snatched the black umbrella from his hand, blocking the falling rain above her head, and walked forward quickly. From the embankment pier to the camphor tree, which was a thousand meters away, even if she tried to restrain herself, she could only
It took about two hundred seconds to complete.
Outsiders think that this elegant and fashionable workplace beauty is really well-trained and can make wind at her feet even wearing ten-centimeter high heels, but they don't know that Yin Le is afraid of neglecting the noble lady, but she doesn't want to.
Being able to do something so out of the ordinary in broad daylight makes me feel so troubled.
After finally getting to the tree, as a person with abilities, her feet were slightly weak. Regardless of her physical condition, she bent down towards the young man who was looking up under the tree and greeted him respectfully:
"Sir, you are back."
The young man under the tree is undoubtedly Ronan. In fact, his face has been slightly "modified", which is obviously different from his original image, but Yin Le still recognized it at a glance.
The reason is very simple, because at this time, there was an ancient bamboo umbrella above Ronan's head to protect him from the wind and rain. The person holding the umbrella was the snake in kimono.
The formal kimono worn by women in Sakajo is not suitable for traveling on rainy days. If you are not careful, you will be sloppy and make a fool of yourself. However, this woman with the pseudonym "Kitayama Yukie" wears a moon-white kimono in a refreshing and pleasant way. Holding an umbrella, her cuffs dropped, revealing her jade-like forearms. Even Yin Le took a second look.
Seeing Yin Le's gaze shift, Sheyu still smiled and bowed, acting dignified and observant as before. Who would have thought that she was actually a spellcaster with a fierce reputation in the other world?
But why, after Mr. Ronan returned, did he find this person first?
Yin Le's mind was a little flustered, also because Ronan behaved relatively coldly. He clearly heard the greetings, and the angle of his head and neck did not change. His eyes were still wandering among the branches and leaves of Sakaemon, and he only said "hmm" from his nostrils. , considered a response.
Seeing this, Yin Le didn't dare to say anything, nor could he try to steal the snake's position. He could only maintain a slightly bowed posture and quietly ponder and look at it.
Ronan was still in the same outfit as when he left the ship the day before yesterday, except that he had a long-brimmed hat on his head, and there was a band's support logo on it. He must have bought it nearby, and he was also fresh. Under the leafy camphor tree, The rain had covered part of the rain, and Sheyu's bamboo umbrella blocked most of it. Even the light rain blown by the cool breeze from the lake swayed away from his side, unable to touch him at all, as if there was an invisible barrier, quite Show wonder.
Besides that, there’s…and there’s more!
Today, Ronan actually wears glasses, and they are extremely retro monocles that almost no one uses in real life. He does not clamp the lenses in his eye sockets like the characters in movies and TV shows, and has the soft facial contours of an Oriental. , this may not be possible.
The lens is floating, and it is definitely not a projection effect. There is indeed a lens-like object, which is pressed against Ronan's cheek and suspended in front of his left eye.
The direction in which Yin Le came was from the other side. Due to the angle, he was not noticed immediately.
Special plug-in device?
Yin Le subconsciously took a step forward. The angle changed and he could see more clearly.
But at this moment, what Yin Le noticed was not just the structure of the monocle, but also the special texture, luster, and even the images that simultaneously struck his heart.
Very familiar...it's obviously the first time, no!
Yin Le took a small breath and suddenly realized that this was the "mysterious eye" that appeared in her dream.
At this time, Ronan was using this eye to stare at Sakaemon, just like he had penetrated Yinle and Blood Soul Temple before, directly hitting the core of Sakaemon.
Perhaps due to preconceptions, Yin Le always felt that the huge plant-like abnormality in front of him was shivering in the wind and rain.
Apart from watching, Ronan didn't do much. He was like an out-of-town tourist who came here to visit. Under the guidance of two beautiful tour guides, he wandered around the scenic spots for a while, sighed, and finally left neatly.
Sheyu and Yin Le looked at each other again, followed a little behind by half a step. This time, it was Yin Le who held the umbrella to cover the rain, and the two women cooperated quite well.
A young man dressed casually, a beautiful and capable OL, and an elegant and dignified woman in a kimono. The three of them walking together are quite eye-catching. However, they do not pay attention to such details.
Ronan half-turned his head and spoke to Snake Whisper: "The structural design of your religious order is too rough. The imaginary configuration on the spiritual level already has many flaws, and the efficiency on the real level is even worse..."
"That's right. When the religious order was established, it was just to provide a cover. It was mostly a patchwork of things."
"Such a waste."
"terribly sorry."
For Yin Le, this conversation was a bit confusing. Ronan, who had been "sinking" for two days, suddenly appeared and studied the so-called structure of the All Souls Religion with Snake Yu. What was his intention?
?
"And here you are."
"Ah, yes."
Ronan suddenly turned his face again, which instantly attracted Yin Le's attention.
"The Blood Soul Temple also has room for correction, mainly..."
Halfway through the words, the monocle suspended in front of Ronan's eyes suddenly opened with countless fine cracks, and fine water droplets burst out from some parts, quickly blending into the rain curtain. If Snake Yu and Yin Le were not both capable, how could they still see it?
Doesn't come out very well.
Judging from the material, the "lens" seems to be made of water vapor?
What a magic trick.
The broken and twisted "lens" blocked in front of Ronan's eyes looked a little ridiculous, but Yin Le could see that this "lens" was clearly "alive", and at least there was some invisible force at work. Even after it was broken,
It continues to squirm, seemingly hoping to return to its full state.
Ronan frowned, and finally stretched out his hand to wipe it. This smoothed the "lens", but there was still a large pore in the center, and minor cracks were seen around the periphery.
In this way, the "lens" overlaps with Ronan's eyes, and the black pupil is "embedded" in the central hole. Viewed from the front, normal human eyes suddenly turn into cold, poisonous snake vertical pupils, giving a dizzying impact.
.
"……gentlemen?"
Ronan wiped the "lens" again, but failed to repair it further. He flattened his mouth with some dissatisfaction and continued the previous topic:
"The problem with Blood Soul Temple is the same as my current problem: there is nothing wrong with the configuration design on the spiritual level, but to be perfectly reflected in the material world, a compromise solution needs to be found. This is especially true for complex designs, otherwise
, even if it can last for a while, problems will occur sooner or later... By the way, Dean Wan promised to teach me the creation method, I wonder if he still remembers it now?"
Yin Le automatically ignored the last sentence, and his mind was completely distracted by the sentence "Sooner or later there will be problems."
As the deputy chief priest of the sect, she knows it all too well: the fundamental sacrificial weapon of the sect that "reflected" the structure of the Blood Soul Temple in the Yuan District in the early years was disintegrated from the inside following Ronan's judgment... The internal strife and division of the sect was just this.
It's just a natural extension of an event.
She held the umbrella handle with her hand and unconsciously tightened it. When she spoke again, her throat was a little tight:
"Can this problem be solved?"
"It's okay...theoretically it's possible."
Ronan answered very easily: "We can compromise with physical properties, or we can change physical properties. Of course, there should be suitable materials in the vast world, waiting for us to discover them. These are no longer 'configuration' ideas.
And it belongs to the field of 'creation'. The difference is like a thought experiment and a materialization experiment, and the core lies in the real cost."
"In terms of cost..."
"It's a realistic cost. It must be consistent with reality first, and then the cost can be obtained. I came back this time just to understand the real conditions and take the opportunity to do a few experiments. I need your help."
"Do your will."
"Just tell me, sir."
Yin Le and She Yu expressed their opinions at the same time, and they looked at each other again, both showing polite smiles.
Ronan ignored these small details. He twirled his fingers and stated the conditions: "The experimental base requires various processing equipment and testing instruments. Well, I have these ready-made, but I need to add some more. Moving and other things are also troublesome.
"
"Raw materials, a large number of raw materials to choose from, from basic minerals to artificial compounds, as well as extraordinary materials in the direction of aberrations...
Yin Le had already opened the workspace, quickly recorded, and at the same time screened suitable entries from the database. The experimental base was gone. When she heard the demand for "raw materials", her eyes lit up. The Daze Cult's place seemed to be just right.
Woolen cloth!
"There is also the experimental environment. The noise of space-time interference has been quite serious in the past two days... Hasn't it stopped in Sakai?"