Jiang Baimian pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed:

“That’s too much trouble for you. No need. It will let the priest know that you failed to develop any believers.”

The main point wasn’t really this, but that not only had he failed, he had also leaked information about the Mirror Church. Jiang Baimian didn’t say it explicitly, but she believed Smith could understand.

Smith didn’t know if the other party was genuinely being so kind or using a feigned retreat to threaten him. He hesitated for a few seconds and said:

“Then you aren’t going to retaliate against the Mirage Dragon Church?”

He wasn't the only one surprised; Long Yuehong was equally bewildered.

What was the team leader planning?

Jiang Baimian smiled.

“If we can retaliate, we naturally will. If we can’t, then forget it. In the Ashlands, it's foolish to be fixated on whether you're at a disadvantage or whether there are grudges. It often wastes your time, your resources, and might even cost you and your companions your lives. As long as people are still alive, nothing is a big deal.”

Clap clap clap, Shang Jianyao applauded, making Smith completely stunned.

“I understand.” After a while, Smith exhaled and said, “I’ve seen too many people blinded by hatred, becoming irrational, and ending up losing the rest of their lives.”

At this point, he nodded slightly in gratitude.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of any help.”

Jiang Baimian looked around.

“Then we’ll take our leave.”

“Bye-bye.”

“The dream will eventually end.” Smith stood up, raised both palms, and shielded his eyes as if with a mirror.

After exiting the apartment and returning to the car, Long Yuehong, who had been holding back for a long time, couldn’t help but ask:

“Team Leader, are we just giving up like this? Really not going to meet that priest?”

Jiang Baimian glanced at the rearview mirror and said with a smile:

“After discovering that the Mirror Church also worships a Controller, I don’t plan on establishing contact with them.”

“Why?” Long Yuehong felt that even Shang Jianyao couldn’t understand the team leader’s reasoning this time.

Jiang Baimian hummed.

“Worshiping a Controller, regarding the Mirage Dragon Church as heretics, and having a sufficient understanding of Awakened, indicates that the Mirror Church won’t be small in scale and won’t lack experts. They must have corresponding influence in First City.

“Do you guys remember? The one who cooperated with First City to protect the descendants of Olei was a Mind Corridor-level Awakened who specialized in illusions.

“I suspect that they might be a high-ranking member of the Mirror Church, and they have a deep collaboration with First City.”

“That’s right…” Long Yuehong was shocked.

If Jiang Baimian’s guess was correct, then if the Old Task Force clung to the Mirror Church, it might eventually develop into seeking advice from a Mind Corridor-level Awakened who uses the virtual world on how to crack the virtual world.

That would be instant death!

Bai Chen echoed:

“I also think we need to be cautious about this. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“This is actually an opportunity.” Shang Jianyao showed off his newly learned catchphrase, “The more dangerous it is, the more we must take risks. As the saying goes…”

His subsequent words were glared back by the team members in unison.

Genawe also imitated Jiang Baimian, casting a red light at him.

As the jeep drove out of Harley Street, Long Yuehong raised a new question:

“Then what do we do next?

“The Mirror Church lead is cut off. Where else can we get information on how to crack the virtual world?”

Jiang Baimian smiled and said encouragingly:

“Think about it from a different angle, with a different perspective.”

Long Yuehong pondered hard for a while, secretly glancing at Shang Jianyao and Bai Chen, discovering that they seemed to have understood something.

Why can’t I figure it out… Long Yuehong felt a little frustrated.

The next second, Bai Chen, who was driving, took the initiative to ask:

“Start from the Mirror Church’s enemies?

“The ones who know you best are often your enemies.”

“A promising child.” It wasn’t Jiang Baimian who laughed and clapped, but Shang Jianyao.

Jiang Baimian glanced at him and smiled lightly.

“We can ask the people from the Mirage Dragon Church!

“They are a sect mainly composed of Ashlands people and have few believers in First City. They shouldn’t have any connection with the Mind Corridor-level Awakened who protect Avia and Marcus. Moreover, they and the Mirror Church are heretics to each other, so they might be willing to give us some hints.”

That's right, the Mirage Dragon Church are also experts in illusions… Long Yuehong completely understood Jiang Baimian’s thinking.

He then worried about a realistic problem:

“Then how do we contact the people from the Mirage Dragon Church?”

They mainly operate in the southern Ashlands and have almost no believers in First City.

“You have to ask old Genawe about this question.” Shang Jianyao answered on behalf of Jiang Baimian.

Genawe moved his metal neck.

“I remember the telegraph frequency of Tarnan’s Hunter’s Guild. We can ask them to help us contact Zhou Yue, the master of Zhou Temple.”

I’m so stupid, really… Old Genawe was once the mayor of Tarnan. Even if he doesn’t know the telegraph frequency of Nanke Temple, he must have the Hunter’s Guild and various chambers of commerce’s… While feeling slightly frustrated, Long Yuehong said with relief:

“Then it seems we can make it in time for the gladiator match in a few days.”

The next day during work hours, Jiang Baimian sent a telegram to Tarnan’s Hunter’s Guild in the name of Xue Shi Yue, asking them to contact Zhou Yue, the master of Nanke Temple, on their behalf.

…

In Tarnan, the local guild leader, Gu Bo, picked up the telegram that his subordinate had brought.

His gray hair was becoming increasingly sparse, but his deep brown eyes were still bright.

“Looking for Zhou Yue? After running away from such a big incident, what’s the point of looking for Zhou Yue?” Gu Bo muttered in confusion.

He then complained:

“Really, as a relic hunter, you have no awareness at all, not professional at all. If you want someone to do something, you have to post a task first!

“Hmph, for Genawe’s previous care, this old man will reluctantly make a trip.”

At Nanke Temple, Gu Bo met Zhou Yue, who was wearing a white robe and tied with a hemp rope.

“You are…” Zhou Yue compared the other party’s height with her own and happily guessed, “Guild Leader Gu?”

Skinny Gu Bo wasn’t happy at all that a face-blind patient remembered his features and said unhappily:

“Next time, please pretend you don’t recognize me.”

“Okay.” Zhou Yue readily agreed.

Anyway, “All are dreams, why be serious.”

Gu Bo took out the telegram.

“Xue Shi Yue and them are looking for you.”

Zhou Yue immediately widened her eyes.

“They’re here to ask for that batch of smoked meat?”

She felt a pang of heartache.

…

With the help of Tarnan’s Hunter’s Guild, the Old Task Force directly contacted Nanke Temple.

Jiang Baimian wasn’t polite and expressed the meaning of “We’ll leave the reward for you, but you have to answer us one question.”

Zhou Yue said that she had to think seriously about it and would reply at night.

After finishing this matter, the Old Task Force first went to the First City Hunter’s Guild and posted a task to find the families of Weite and others to return the supplies. Then, they carried the supplies they had collected in the No. 13 Ruins in the wasteland to Terrence’s house, the second boss of the Blackshirts in Stern Street.

Seeing such a large pile of expensive items, Terrence’s eyes widened a little.

“Where, where did this come from?”

Could Xue Shi Yue’s team collect so many valuable things so quickly?

Hearing his question, Shang Jianyao laughed.

“Robbed it.”

At that moment, in the hot summer, Terrence actually felt a trace of coldness.

“He’s joking. During the process of catching that white wolf, we found a few ruins in the mountains. We were quite lucky.” Jiang Baimian picked up the glass of iced Coke and took a satisfying sip.

Terrence breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and carefully checked the pile of items.

After a while, he had his men bring a calculator and started tapping away.

“After this time, you still owe 6,000 Orei.” Terrence gave the result first, then explained, “I’ve already calculated your supplies at the highest price…”

“Okay, but we’ll have to get that 6,000 Orei after some time.” Jiang Baimian nodded. Shang Jianyao, on the other hand, was happily gulping down iced Coke.

Terrence responded without hesitation:

“No problem!”

He felt that his life was definitely worth 6,000 Orei.

…

When the agreed time arrived in the evening, Zhou Yue replied to the telegram.

“Besides splashing with water, you can consider closing the door and turning off the lights while the target is going to the toilet.”

“What kind of weakness is this?” Long Yuehong was very puzzled after listening to the team leader’s recounting.

“People are always very vulnerable when they go to the toilet.” Shang Jianyao said with a look of emotion.

Jiang Baimian replied thoughtfully:

“I remember that when dealing with that Higher Mindless, Zhou Temple Master brought a sack…”

She then said:

“Also, I don’t know if you noticed, but during the intermission of that gladiator match, Marcus didn’t go to the toilet like the other nobles.

“He was in the noble’s box for a full two hours, and, and he drank very little water, very little.”

This wasn’t originally a point worth paying attention to. It was common for adults to not like drinking water and to not go to the toilet for two hours. Many people in the arena had similar performances at the time. Jiang Baimian didn’t think there was anything wrong with it before, but now, combined with Zhou Yue’s statement, it made her have to have some doubts.