CHAPTER 246: CHAPTER246-THE ORGANIZATION IN THE SHADOWS

Panting, Armando cursed, "What’s the background of this Marwan, for a civil officer to possess such speed?"

"There must be a remarkable story behind him. No, I need to hurry to the palace and tell my father everything that happened today."

With that thought, Armando ceased his pursuit of Marwan and dashed toward the imperial palace.

...

Marwan leapt from one rooftop to another, casting long shadows under the moonlight.

Unexpectedly, his movements caught the attention of an elderly couple enjoying the moon.

"My dear, look how round the moon is tonight?"

"Yes, my old man. By the way, have you finished the eye medicine you got from Doctor Nid last time?"

"It’s almost gone, almost gone. The medicine Doctor Nid prescribed really does wonders! My eyesight’s no longer blurry, and my ears—"

Before the old man could finish, he exclaimed in surprise, "Eh? My dear, look up there, it seems like there’s someone flying! Could it be an immortal?"

Thinking this, the old man quickly knelt down and started bowing in the direction of Marwan.

"Where? Where?"

While bowing, the old man pointed and said, "There! There! There!"

"You old fool, that’s just a cat in heat, thinking it’s spring and jumping around on the rooftops! What immortal? It seems Doctor Nid is all talk. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to Doctor Rovor instead."

Marwan vanished into the night completely.

...

Armando arrived at the palace gates, only to see General Rodney on guard.

His heart sank.

"Why am I so unlucky to encounter him again?"

Sigh.

From a distance, Rodney spotted a figure clad in black rushing towards him.

Clutching his sword, he prepared to strike the intruder dead upon their approach to the palace gates.

As Armando reached the gates, he felt a chilling gust of wind.

Reacting swiftly, he twisted his body, planted his right hand on the ground, and propelled himself backwards with a forceful push from his legs.

Mid-air, he executed a 360-degree spin, stumbling several meters backward before regaining his stance.

Though he evaded Rodney’s sword, his night clothes were slashed open.

Angered, Armando bellowed, "How dare you attempt to kill a prince? Are you plotting rebellion?"

Only then did Rodney recognize that the figure in the nightwear was Prince Armando.

However, he showed no signs of regret, calmly replying, "Intruding upon the imperial palace at night is punishable by death."

Armando, on the verge of exploding with rage, remembered the urgent matters he needed to report to his father and decided not to waste further words on Rodney.

"Forget it. Let me into the palace now; I have urgent matters to report to my father."

"His Highness must present a token to enter the palace. Without it, please leave immediately, or my sword will show no mercy."

Armando, furious, patted himself down, only to realize he didn’t have the token.

His thoughts raced, "Damn, my clothes are at Marwan’s place, aren’t they? The token was in those clothes and I didn’t bring it with me. What should I do now?"

Without the token, the man before him would surely not allow entry.

Was he really expected to return to Marwan’s house to retrieve it?

Armando, clutching onto his last shred of hope, angrily exclaimed, "Rodney, let me into the palace at once, or you will rue it."

Rodney snorted coldly, "Without the token, I must ask Your Highness to leave quickly. Otherwise, do not blame me for being unsympathetic."

You impenetrable guard dog, just you wait.

I’ll return to Marwan’s house, get the token, and then we’ll see how you stop me.

Watching Armando storm off furiously, Rodney couldn’t help but let out a laugh, leaving the guards around him sweating profusely.

After all, they had just witnessed their leader contradict the crown prince himself!

Yet, seeing their usually stern leader actually laughing, they were all dumbfounded.

Catching his subordinates’ stares, Rodney straightened his face and demanded, "What are you looking at? Do I have something on my face? Get back to your posts. No slacking off, understood?"

The guards shouted in unison, "Yes!"

Rodney then sheathed his sword and took his position at the palace gates, waiting for Armando to return with the token.

As Armando ran, he cursed under his breath, "That fool makes things difficult for me at every turn. When I rule this nation one day, I’ll have him cleaning toilets and scrubbing latrines for me."

Muttering to himself improved Armando’s mood significantly, and before he knew it, he had arrived at Marwan’s estate.

Entering Marwan’s residence, Armando noticed Marwan’s absence and grew increasingly suspicious of him.

Could Marwan be a spy sent from another empire?

It seemed urgent to report tonight’s events to his father.

...

On the other side, Marwan had arrived at his master’s location.

Before him stood a daunting underground fortress, constructed from blue marble, oppressive in its grandeur.

Around the uneven walls of the fortress, at intervals, stood figures in black robes of varying shapes and sizes, each perched atop a protruding slab of blue marble.

They stood there quietly, almost ghost-like, their gaze fixed on Marwan.

At that moment, Marwan was kneeling on the blue marble steps at the very heart of the castle.

"I have a matter to report to my master," he said.

"Speak, Nightcat."

Nightcat was Marwan’s code name.

Nightcat Marwan responded, "My lord, today at the residence of the national preceptor, I witnessed National Preceptor Blois conducting a blood sacrifice ritual with a woman. I suspect that Blois might be plotting something that threatens the sovereignty."

In the fortress, seated on a throne crafted from black crystal, was a man in a black dragon robe, his build imposing.

This man was the king.

The king asked Marwan earnestly, "You’re saying Blois is conducting a blood sacrifice ritual?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Do you know what or whom Blois aims to awaken with this blood sacrifice ritual?"

"I haven’t uncovered that detail yet, my lord, because Blois has set up a barrier using merfolk oil. Without merfolk oil, it’s impossible for me to investigate further."

Upon hearing Marwan mention merfolk oil, the king repeatedly murmured to himself, "Merfolk oil, merfolk oil... It seems Blois must be undertaking something highly secretive. Otherwise, he wouldn’t resort to using the exceedingly rare merfolk oil as a barrier."

Merfolk oil is extracted from the merfolk found in the Blue Seas of the Southern Flame Empire.

There are two types of merfolk: mermaids and sirens.

Mermaids, with their human upper bodies and fish tails, are known for their stunning beauty and their ability to sing and dance, making them a favored pastime among the nobility of various lands.

However, the merfolk oil derived from mermaids only offers beauty and skincare benefits, lacking the ability to create invisibility arrays like those used by National Preceptor Blois.

Even so, since mermaids reside in the deep sea and are seldom encountered by fishermen, the merfolk oil sourced from them remains exceedingly precious, accessible only to the most esteemed women.

The unfortunate mermaids caught are often used for the amusement of the nobility; it would be unthinkable to kill such prized creatures for oil extraction.

On the other hand, the merfolk oil capable of forming invisibility arrays comes from sirens.

These creatures have terrifying appearances, with jagged teeth and an aggressive nature.

They are rarer, with no predictable patterns to their appearances, making them even more difficult to capture and thus more valuable than mermaids.

Due to the frightening appearance of sirens, they hold no value other than the potent oil extracted from them, which means capture typically results in their death.

"Well done, Nightcat," the master commended.

Nightcat Marwan responded with unwavering determination, "I swear loyalty unto death to my master, loyalty unto death to Undercurrent."

The so-called Undercurrent is an intelligence network serving the rulers of the Northern Mountain Empire.

Its members are vast and hidden in every corner of the empire.

They could be an inconspicuous farmer, a befuddled drunkard, or even an ordinary official within the empire.

Their sole purpose is to gather information on all persons and events within the empire that could potentially harm its ruler or the stability of the empire itself.

Marwan’s affiliation with Undercurrent explains why he has managed to navigate the treacherous waters of the officialdom safely, fattening his post without incident.

It also clarifies his possession of extraordinary skills and peculiar knowledge, uncommon for a civil officer.

As Nightcat Marwan took his leave, he cast envious glances at the figures in black robes stationed along the fortress walls.

A conviction flashed through his mind: someday, he too would become one of them, ascending to the ranks of Undercurrent’s true elite force.

The king, after a moment of contemplation, spoke, "Who among you will go and clarify this matter with National Preceptor Blois for me?"

At this, a figure with a short stature and a raspy voice, standing before the wall, spoke, "I am willing to go."

"Very well, Stonemonkey, you shall go. And remember, you must also investigate whether my brother’s death is connected to National Preceptor Blois. If there is any relation, return immediately and report to me. Understood?"

"Yes, my lord, I shall fulfill my mission without fail."

Stonemonkey leaped down from the blue marble wall, landing without a sound and disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.