Lord of Prayer - Chapter 246 179: Evil Artifact

‘He wants to find Steward Mandala…’

The brothers, Xia Bo and Xia Qi, exchanged a glance. The younger brother, Xia Qi, hurried forward to pull down the shop’s security shutter, temporarily closing for business. The older brother, Xia Bo, said with trepidation, “Sir, this is not a place to talk. Please, follow me.”

He turned and walked toward the back, leading Zhou Chen to the warehouse where they kept their stock. He plastered an obsequious smile on his face. “Please forgive us, Sir. The black market is crowded, and prying eyes are everywhere. It’s much more private in the warehouse, so we don’t have to worry about eavesdroppers… I’ll contact the Steward for you right now.”

As Xia Bo spoke, he pulled a phone from his pocket, logged onto a dark web address, and quickly made contact with Mandala.

He typed out Zhou Chen’s exact words and sent them to Mandala. After a few seconds of silence, Mandala initiated a voice call.

A voice, distorted by a voice changer, came from the other end of the line. It carried a hint of displeasure, as if annoyed at being disturbed so late at night. “What do you want?”

Zhou Chen took the phone and said coolly, “The Eternal Life Project, of course.”

“…You’ve found a related clue?” Mandala’s voice instantly turned serious. The Eternal Life Project was directly connected to the Forbidden Ancient Book, and no lead could be ignored.

“A short while ago, I discovered that the Li Family was secretly funding the Eternal Life Project, so I decided to infiltrate their residence to look for clues. Who would’ve thought I’d run into an invasion by the Blood Race? A few of those arrogant bastards were pretty strong. If I hadn’t been worried about exposing myself, I would’ve put them in their place… Anyway, the Blood Race ended up stealing all the research data for the Eternal Life Project.”

“All the research data…” Mandala’s tone grew grim. This was not good news for the Crimson Sect. The Blood Race was powerful as a whole; if they were the first to find Professor Charles, obtaining the Forbidden Ancient Book would become much more difficult.

“What are you after?” Mandala asked warily, sensing that Zhou Chen had ulterior motives.

“To be honest, while I believe I have the right to be arrogant, I don’t think I can storm a Blood Race stronghold by myself and snatch the research data.”

Zhou Chen said calmly, “After weighing my options, I’ve decided to cooperate with you. I’ll help you get the Forbidden Ancient Book, but in return, you’ll have to give me sufficient compensation.”

“Hah. So that’s your game,” Mandala sneered.

‘This “Butcher” is smart. He knows the Forbidden Ancient Book is not something he can covet for himself, so he’s choosing to take a step back and cooperate with the Crimson Sect. That way, he can still profit from the situation.’

“But what makes you think I’ll cooperate with you?” Mandala asked indifferently.

“The Crimson Sect has no other choice,” Zhou Chen scoffed. “I’ve given you the intelligence, but do you know where the Blood Race’s stronghold is? Do you know their numbers? Do you know what routes can be used to enter the stronghold? I do. And only I know. Otherwise, why would you think I’d come to you for a partnership for no reason?”

Mandala fell silent.

After a long moment, she spoke. “Give me a few minutes. I need to discuss this with the others.”

With that, she hung up.

Zhou Chen leaned back in his chair and waited leisurely. In contrast, the brothers Xia Bo and Xia Qi were sweating bullets, terrified that this big shot would kill them in a fit of rage if the deal fell through.

·

「In a dark bedroom.」

The fluorescent glow of a phone screen lit up the room. Mandala, hair disheveled, sat on her bed, staring at the constantly updating messages in a group chat, lost in thought.

Her true identity was that of the Hong City Police Department’s vice-captain. As soon as she opened the group chat, she saw a report on the very incident “Butcher” had described: The Li Family of Hong City had been attacked by the Blood Race, suffering heavy casualties. The specific reason was unknown.

‘If that guy wasn’t lying, then the Blood Race has probably taken all the research data. They were already a big step ahead of us. This is terrible…’

Mandala subconsciously bit her nails. After thinking for a long time, she raised her wrist. A ring of blood-red thorns materialized on her skin, pulsing like a breathing light. It flickered for two minutes before stabilizing into a steady glow.

The connection was established. On the other end was the Crimson Sect’s Grand Steward, codenamed “Puppet Master.”

“What is it?”

A deep, dignified voice resounded in Mandala’s mind. This was a secret communication Curse Technique unique to the Crimson Sect, one that could not be overheard by outsiders.

“Sir, I have the latest intelligence on the Eternal Life Project. The Blood Race has invaded the Li Family’s residence…”

She recounted everything she knew, adding at the end, “I believe we truly need to clash with the Blood Race. Their progress in tracking the Eternal Life Project is far ahead of ours. Destroying their stronghold would be very beneficial for us, and it might give us the opportunity to seize the results of their investigation directly.”

“Indeed. But is that Eternal Fire Steward trustworthy?” the Grand Steward asked.

“He’s probably not lying about this matter, but he as a person cannot be trusted,” Mandala said coldly.

“No matter. He won’t dare to try any tricks then,” the Grand Steward’s deep voice continued slowly. “The Blood Race has amassed a considerable Power in Hong City. I will summon at least five Stewards and forty Ascender Cultists. Have your subordinates prepare. We will launch a surprise attack tomorrow night.

In the last few days, the [Omen Bird] has been greatly agitated and has transformed into its Red-Eyed Black Crow form. I fear a great disaster is imminent. We must act as soon as possible. Delays will only lead to complications.”

“The [Omen Bird] has changed into its Black Crow form…” Mandala was slightly stunned by this news. The [Omen Bird] was an extremely rare Abyssal Demon that could naturally predict good or bad fortune in its surroundings. For a good omen, it would take the form of a white dove; for a bad omen, it would take the form of a black crow.

But a Red-Eyed Black Crow signified the coming of a great disaster.