Full of Calculations

Adam hadn't been to the church for a while.

But as soon as he stepped down from the carriage, he seamlessly engaged in conversations with the passing cultivators, feeling no sense of unfamiliarity.

The cultivators also marveled at Adam's ability to get along with everyone.

Word had spread that Adam had become a sorcerer. Generally, sorcerers don't earn much favor in the Holy Tianyin Kingdom.

For most cultivators, sorcerers are seen as a troublesome profession.

Yet, this identity wasn't a hindrance for Adam. The cultivators remained friendly towards him, with some even asking why he hadn't visited for so long.

Adam didn't rush his business. He continued to chat and gather information as he made his way to the mural area, where Alva was lounging on a chair, drinking.

"Professor Alva," Adam greeted with a smile, but received no response from Alva.

Unfazed, Adam continued, "Professor Anthony seems unwell recently. Celine told me not to get involved, so I wanted to ask…"

As soon as Adam uttered the first syllable of Anthony's name, he felt a force enveloping them.

Alva stood up, glanced at Shaya's room, then turned his attention to Adam.

"Anthony isn't feeling well? Has he been doing anything unusual lately?" Alva asked, his voice urgent and worried. "And don't mention Anthony's name outside!"

"It seems someone went to investigate the central clock tower," Adam replied.

He had further inquired about the situation with Doug, learning that someone had gone missing during the search.

It was undoubtedly the work of either Anthony or Celine. Anthony's subsequent condition seemed related to this incident.

"Is that so?" Alva was stunned upon hearing the news.

"I thought…" Alva muttered to himself, then looked at Adam, exhaling before saying, "Don't worry about it. Anthony has his own convictions."

Turning away, Alva stopped and said to Adam, "Go to the Latour residence and retrieve a painting titled 'The Past' for Anthony."

With that, Alva dismissed Adam, removing the force surrounding them and taking a swig of his drink.

"Goodbye, Professor Alva," Adam said respectfully. From their conversation, Adam gleaned a small clue: Alva referred to the Latour residence, not 'my' residence, which was unusual.

Thinking about Anthony's surname, Adam realized this might be related to Professor Anthony.

When he was allowed to enter, Adam found Shaya nestled in a chair, reading documents. Shaya seemed pleased to see Adam.

But Adam's report soon darkened Shaya's expression.

"I saw a stranger in the dried fruit shop who might be a cultivator," Adam said, making Shaya become serious.

"What did he look like?" Shaya asked, slightly uneasy.

The church had last tracked Poldo to the road to Roya, after which he disappeared, which wasn't normal.

"Hmm." Adam pondered, then requested a pen and paper, describing the encounter while sketching the person's likeness.

Adam had heard Poldo's name before the defector's warrant was issued. Shaya had once given Adam a bag of dried fruits, mentioning offhand that Poldo had given them to him.

Adam was familiar with most southern cultivators. Even if unfamiliar, he had seen most of them once or twice.

The man's special expression of happiness while eating dried fruits indicated he was a cultivator, which is why he was surprised to see Adam. He must have observed the effects of Adam's God's Tear ritual disguise.

Though Poldo's warrant showed him as an old man, defected cultivators typically didn't adhere to aging and returning to the divine embrace.

Most surviving defectors would undergo some modification to regain youth and longevity.

For many, eternal life is elusive, but for powerful beings, finding ways to extend their life isn't difficult.

Shaya aged normally because he refused to abandon his faith.

"Completely forsaken faith, Poldo?" Shaya didn't need the sketch to recognize that the person Adam encountered was indeed Poldo.

They shared a dark childhood, but their paths diverged, leading to different choices.

"General Golar guards the border wall; Poldo can't cross it easily. The problem lies within Roya City," Shaya said, worried. "Your information is valuable. Be careful and don't wander around."

"I understand," Adam nodded, noting the information.

General Golar, trusted by Shaya, made it unlikely that even a rejuvenated Poldo could easily cross the border wall.

"This just got interesting," Adam thought. Reporting Poldo's presence served multiple purposes: gathering information from the church, diverting its attention from his actions, and undermining Mansela.

Mansela's business heavily relied on smuggled resources to maintain his achievements.

Ruber was his biggest competitor.

If anyone didn't want Roya under lockdown, it was Mansela.

Poldo's arrival had already locked down much of Roya, and learning he was rejuvenated invalidated the previous warrant.

"This will intensify Roya's lockdown," Adam thought. All exit routes would be sealed, crippling Mansela's business.

"Thus, the next batch of smuggled goods becomes crucial," Jin had told Adam the previous night.

Poldo's arrival had already blocked many of Mansela's routes, infuriating him. His focus was now on a caravan returning from the Kingdom of Loken.

Ensuring the safe arrival of that cargo was vital for maintaining his family's expenses.

"Whether partnering with Ruber or Mansela, we must weaken them to gain more control."

Adam understood clearly that Mansela wouldn't allow outsiders into his smuggling business unless desperate, as he had sought Jin's help before.

Ruber was ambitious and eager to establish himself but currently couldn't match Mansela's smuggling operations. If he succeeded, his influence in Roya would eliminate the need for support from other beings.

Adam aimed to make both sides suffer in their struggle, forcing them to rely on the hidden forces.

"Only then can we use their channels to safely cross the Roya border," Adam thought. Strengthening the border lockdown today was a step towards eventually crossing it.

Between the two, Adam favored Ruber.

"Mansela has connections in the Kingdom of Loken. If he defeats his competitors and stabilizes his smuggling business, he might abandon his alliance with other beings."

"Ruber, however, needs to establish new channels in the Kingdom of Loken, which is where I have an advantage." Though born in the Holy Tianyin Kingdom, Adam's paternal lineage traced back to the Kingdom of Loken.

"Of course, Mansela is also a viable option. With Jin's prior involvement and Mansela's weakening noble status, I could leverage my sorcerer identity to control him."

Full of calculations, Adam boarded the carriage to the Latour residence to fetch the painting.