Julian's invitation letter, brimming with academic fervor, stirred up waves once more in Lin Jie's slightly calmed state of mind.

The Banshee, the family curse, and that mournful "wail" which overlapped with the one he heard in the "reverberation"—these words, laden with mystery and a sense of destiny, powerfully drew him in.

He did not refuse.

This was not only to repay Julian for his help, but also to pursue the truth hidden behind the mysterious "wail," and to see with his own eyes that emerald island which, throughout the long river of history, has flowed with blood, tears, and rebellion.

The approval from the Geneva Headquarters came faster and more resolute than Lin Jie had anticipated.

Julian's judgment was accurate.

For a strategist of Sir Henderson's caliber, a potential UMA event possibly related to "Celtic mythology" and "Druidic remnants" occurring in Ireland—a location considered the "Empire's soft underbelly"—carried far greater potential intelligence value and political significance than a simple monster hunt.

In the late 19th century, Ireland was a special and sensitive entity for the entire British Empire.

It was both an inseparable territory on the imperial map and a perpetual powder keg within the empire, burning with nationalist flames and ideas of independent resistance.

The English government's implementation of high-handed rule there, coupled with the Irish people's increasingly intense movements aimed at reviving their own national culture and traditions, kept this land in a state of tense, drawn swords and suppressed contradictions.

Headquarters was well aware that on such complex social soil, steeped in "anti-English" sentiment, any action originating from "London" with an official hue could be interpreted by local radicals as "yet another English interference," potentially triggering unpredictable diplomatic incidents.

Therefore, having the non-British French Curator Julian, who enjoys a prestigious reputation in European academic circles, take the lead, paired with Lin Jie—an Oriental who also does not belong to the British ethnic majority and whose identity is relatively neutral—and William, who operates with a low profile and possesses formidable personal combat prowess, formed the most perfect and prudent choice for intervening in this event: an atypical three-person special investigation team with an "international flavor."

The reply telegram from Headquarters was concise and weighty.

They not only approved Julian's application to establish the "Special Investigation Team for the Emerald Isle," but also elevated the priority of this mission to "Level Two Alert," the same initial level as the Paris "Serpent Breaker" operation.

This meant that during their operation, Lin Jie and his two companions would have high-level authority to mobilize all resources of the local "liaison point" in Dublin, Ireland.

Thus, less than a week after the conclusion of the Dartmoor incident, a non-mainstream elite team—the Iron Triangle of Lin Jie, William, and Julian—was assembled at full strength at London's Paddington Station, propelled by the will of the vast organization.

Julian, who valued books and archives above life itself, was the last to arrive.

He stepped down, travel-worn, from the "Continental Express" that had just crossed the English Channel from the port of Dover, still dressed in his elegant yet slightly rumpled scholar's attire, wearing his signature gold-rimmed glasses.

But he was followed by two logistics personnel assigned by the Paris branch, specifically tasked with carrying his so-called "luggage": three large crates wrapped in heavy waterproof canvas, containing bound books and ancient documents.

"Oh, my dear Lin! I've missed you terribly!" Upon seeing Lin Jie, Julian immediately opened his arms and gave him an enthusiastic hug, ignoring the astonished and disdainful looks from the English gentlemen around them.

"I swear, the air in England is more dreary and dull than a thousand-year-old mummy in our Louvre underground archives!"

"What I've brought are copies of all the core original documents related to 'Celtic,' 'Druidic,' and the 'Banshee' from our archives. Believe me, they will help us crack open the Emerald Isle's hard and mysterious 'skull' better than bullets ever could!"

Julian pointed at the three heavy crates of "knowledge" behind him, his face beaming with confidence.

William remained as taciturn as ever, his face betraying no emotion.

But as Lin Jie and Julian, the "brainy duo," reunited and engaged in fervent academic discussion, a faint glimmer of reassurance quietly passed through the depths of his deep gray eyes.

He understood that when these two "most powerful minds" came together, seemingly unsolvable puzzles would ultimately be dissected layer by layer by their razor-sharp intellect.

All he needed to do was, as always, become the "shield" behind them, capable of blocking all overt and covert attacks aimed their way.

Their mode of transport was not a direct passenger ship to Ireland.

To conceal their movements, they first took a train to the port city of Holyhead on the west coast of Wales.

This was one of the most important maritime hubs connecting England and Ireland at the time, with countless steamships laden with cargo, mail, and passengers of all kinds shuttling between Holyhead and Dublin every day.

The three of them blended into this noisy crowd of travelers filled with the atmosphere of lower-class life, disguised as a French professor heading to Trinity College Dublin for academic exchange, along with his hired Oriental private secretary and a silent bodyguard.

This identity combination matched their appearances and demeanors, sufficiently explained their presence here, and appeared low-key and reasonable.

They boarded a Royal Mail steamship named the "Leinster."

This was not a luxury cruise liner, but a fast ferry renowned for its speed and punctuality, handling both cargo and passengers.

The surface of the Irish Sea was not calm.

The autumn westerlies roamed freely here, displaying their wild and tempestuous side.

Gray waves rolled on endlessly, crashing against the sturdy hull of the "Leinster" time and again, sending sprays of white foam into the sky.

The ship rocked rhythmically under the push of the large swells, turning the faces of many first-time sea travelers from the inland regions pale, sending them scurrying into the cabins to avoid seasickness.

But for Lin Jie and his two companions, this level of turbulence was nothing.

They chose a quiet corner on the upper deck.

Julian pulled out a large nautical chart marked with ancient Irish tribal distributions and mythological sites from his bulging canvas backpack, spread it on the deck, and then, amidst the swaying ship and howling sea wind, began a pre-mission briefing for Lin Jie and William about the "Banshee."

"The true meaning of the word 'Banshee' in ancient Gaelic is not 'female demon,' but rather 'woman from the fairy mounds,' or more accurately, 'female messenger,'" Julian said, his finger pointing to a location on the map marked "Hill of Tara," the ancient center of Irish kingship.

"In the most primitive Celtic beliefs, the Banshee was not a malevolent spirit that brought death."

"On the contrary, they were guardian deities bound for generations to certain great families possessing the purest, most ancient Gaelic bloodlines."

"They possessed the ability to foresee the future. When they foresaw that an important member of the family they guarded was about to die due to war, illness, or conspiracy, they would manifest in advance in a form somewhere between 'spirit' and 'physical entity,' issuing a warning to the other family members by emitting a 'wail' filled with immense sorrow."

"So her song, in the original legends, was not a curse, but a reminder, a form of guardianship tinged with tragedy."

"She was using this method to tell those about to lose a loved one to prepare in advance."

Julian's explanation surprised Lin Jie, completely contradicting his previous stereotypical impression of the "female demon" as something evil.

"Then why do modern legends describe her as an ominous being that brings death?" Lin Jie pressed.

"Because of history, my dear Lin," Julian replied, a smile of irony and sorrow on his face.

"Because the conquerors always have the power to 'redefine' the 'deities' of the conquered."

"When the English set foot on this Emerald Isle with their monotheistic faith, all the ancient nature gods from the Celtic polytheistic tradition were, without exception, branded as 'heretical,' 'demonic,' and 'evil spirits.'"

"The Banshee, this messenger originally imbued with tragedy and protective colors, was inevitably demonized, transformed into the terrifying image now equated with death and ill omen."

He pointed at the plea for help letter from Professor O'Donoghue. "So what the O'Connor family is suffering now may not be a curse from the Banshee. It seems more likely that they themselves, or their ancestors, did something gravely wrong hundreds of years ago."

After several hours of sailing, that evening, as the western sky was dyed a magnificent and splendid hue by the setting sun, a long coastline blanketed in lush green finally appeared on the horizon.

Dublin had arrived.