Stirling settled into his routine over the next few days. He got used to his work and life in the inner city. After his shift, he worked hard on cultivation. During his shift, he slacked off. He registered the case when visitors came. But if he felt unhappy, he reproached Zoe.
If not for his knowing that the Vajra Temple was brewing a storm. Stirling might have thought he could settle down here.
One day, Stirling sat in a chair in the archives, eyes closing. Indeed, he was quietly practicing the Aether technique under the radar.
But the next moment, a watchman hurried towards the archives.
"Where's the clerk? Where's the clerk?!" the watchman shouted to Stirling and the others as soon as he entered the archives.
"Witt, what's up?" Zoe immediately stood up to greet him, asking with an obsequious face.
Stirling and Old Bruce both stood up sluggishly. Stirling's brow furrowed a touch, while Old Bruce remained calm, seemingly unfazed.
"Lord Lance of Patrol Shaman is coming to the archives a few minutes later. Gather all files of external malice incidents that happened this year!"
Officer Witt shouted to Zoey, then glanced at Stirling and Old Bruce.
"Ah, Lord Lance is coming?! Witt, don't worry, we will prepare right now!" Zoe bowed and scraped. Watchman Witt, however, left with his head held high and his nostrils flaring.
Stirling then secretly nudged Old Bruce's arm and asked, "Who is Lord Lance?"
"The Patrol Shaman supervisor here, an eighth-rank official, same with a city magistrate," Old Bruce said.
"Old Bruce, are there some problems with suddenly checking three years' worth of files?" Stirling continued to ask.
"What else could there be? The supervisor's role is to manage external malice. They also adjust the Yearning Malice's fluctuation frequency accordingly. It seems it's nearing the end of the year, and the Patrol Shamans are about to begin their assessment." Old Bruce explained.
Stirling's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but ask: "The Patrol Shaman supervisor can control the Yearning Malice in the city?"
"Of course, it's originally the infrastructure of the Yearning Palace. In past years, when external malice invaded often, the Patrol Shaman had to reduce the frequency. During that time, it was only once every two days. If this malice keeps rising, Farfield City's population cannot withstand it and will collapse. Then, the Patrol Shaman will face harsh punishment from the Yearning Palace," Old Bruce said unhurriedly, puffing on his pipe.
"What realm is this Lord Lance?" Stirling felt his chance had come and asked old Bruce.
"Of course, it's nascent. As for which specific stage, I am not sure," Old Bruce said, exhaling a smoke ring.
As the saying goes, Old Bruce had clearly spent a long time in the archives. Otherwise, he wouldn't know all this information so well.
Stirling quickly bowed to Old Bruce in thanks. In the factional inner city of Night Watch, people like Old Bruce, who kept his distance, were rare. Stirling respected that.
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Zoe didn't even glance at Stirling and hurried off to prepare. To him, impressing Lord Lance mattered more than anything else.
Stirling saw Zoe moving the ladder up and down. He then tiptoed to the back of the archives and pulled out a small glass bottle he had been keeping in his bosom. Stirling squinted at the medicine bottle. He noticed the dried but still clear ink. After a few breaths, the familiar text came into view.
[Current enhancement requires a lifespan of 39 years and 175 days. Enhance?]
Yes!
Now is the time to gamble! All-in is an art of choosing the right time.
The next moment, the bottle in Stirling's hand shook a bit, then went still. Stirling raised an eyebrow, opened the bottle, and poured the pill into his palm. A line of text appeared in his vision:
[Blood - Malice Manipulating Pill]
Using extreme blood as a guide, it conceals the shadow of the deity within the divine palace. It simulates the ultimate: controlling the deity with blood, the malice with the deity, and the worshipper with malice. Note: After consumption, you sense it through your own blood. Combined with Aether, you can simulate divine light.
Stirling stared at the small pill that seemed like regular cold medicine, speechless. Could a pill 100% manipulate a nascent-level cultist? Was it truly that miraculous? He held the pill in his hand, examining and rubbing it carefully, but found nothing special about it.
Stirling couldn't believe it, but it was all happening before his eyes and he has no other choices. Though enhancement had happened many times before, it still felt unreal to Stirling each time. He slipped the pill into his palm, wiped the ink off the bottle, and then put it back in his bosom. He took a deep breath, suppressing the hot flash within him, and told himself that he must remain calm at this moment.
About 15 minutes later, hurried footsteps finally sounded outside the Archives. Stirling and his two colleagues hurried out to meet Lord Lance and his group.
Soon after, a young man in a black robe with gold trim and an official's hat walked towards them. Behind him were two officials in white robes with flying clouds and a servant in blue. The four of them walked to the archives. They ignored Stirling and his colleagues outside. Instead, they went straight inside where the filling carbinets is full of files on the external malice invasions in Farfield City this year.
Lord Lance entered the archives and grabbed the first file. He read it, now and then giving instructions to the attendant next to him.
Stirling, in the shadow, observed Lord Lance. He saw Lance was not only young; he also had very pale skin. Most strangely, his demeanor was effeminate, almost like a woman's.
The Patrol Shaman members all came from Anode Sub-Palace, where women were never found. This puzzled Stirling.
Lord Lance stood with two officers for around three hours, reviewing the files. It got quite dark. Finally, he put down the file and took a handkerchief from his attendant to wipe his hands.
"Who compiled these files?" Lord Lance asked.
"It's me, my lord; my name is …" Zoe hurried to run over, fawning.
"What garbage have you been organizing? There's so much! Do you want to work me to death?" Lord Lance interrupted and pointed at Zoe, berating him.
The sudden turn of events shocked Zoe. His face turned red with embarrassment, and he felt completely lost.
Five minutes later, Lance's frantic output eased off and subsided. Zoe remained trembling, shrinking to one side, almost wetting himself.
Just then, a gentle voice rang out. "My lord, apologize for this foolish servant troubling you so much and exhausting your breath. Please, my lord, take a rest and try this spring tea from out of state. It will soothe your throat, quench your thirst, and cool you down." Stirling appeared, carrying a tray in both hands, on which was a teapot and several teacups, walked over step by step.
"Hmm?" Lance squinted at Stirling, then at the teacup in Stirling's hand, and gave a soft snort.
"Not all of you in the archives are idiots." Lance walked up to Stirling, bowing his head to smell the steaming tea. Then, his expression turned icy as he stared at Stirling, hushed.
Lance's change in demeanor confused Stirling a little, who wondered whether the elixir had been discovered. It makes little sense because he had added the "undetectable" label; this sissy wouldn't have noticed.
Just then, Stirling noticed Old Bruce across from him giving a wink. He paused to think. Then he got it. He grabbed an empty cup, poured some tea, downed it in one gulp, and handed the cup back to Lance.
Seeing this, Lance's smiling face returned. He took the teacup, sipped it, and immediately raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm! Not bad! This tea actually makes me feel homesick. Amazing! How do you make it?"
Stirling, hearing this, said in a moment of inspiration, "My lord, it's honey; I added honey."
"Honey, ah… no wonder." Lance muttered to himself, then drank the tea in one gulp!
