On the streets of Adis, inside the carriage of Mr. Shadi's private coach, the semi-transparent ghostly mummy soul looked at the thick book in Shadi's hand, the faint flames in its eyes flickering continuously, as if examining something. After seeing Setuot's reaction, Shadi asked again.
"Can you tell if there's anything wrong with this book?"
"Hmm... Open it and take a look now. Don't turn too many pages, just turn to the first page."
Setuot suggested to Shadi. After hearing Setuot's words, Shadi immediately opened the "Peter's Collection of Stories" in his hand, turning to the first page after the cover. What appeared before Shadi's eyes was just an ordinary table of contents page, nothing special.
"Don't turn to other places, wait a moment..."
Seeing the ordinary table of contents page before him, Setuot continued to speak. Listening to Setuot's words, Shadi also didn't turn the page, just letting it remain open before his eyes. And after a while, the blank part of the page suddenly changed, and a line of Wufijia text appeared out of thin air.
"Hello, Mr. Shadi."
"This is... an Extraordinary item?" Looking at this scene before him, Shadi couldn't help but say with a frown, while Setuot, floating beside him, spoke frankly.
"More precisely... this is a derivative of an Extraordinary item. It's a derivative of a Wandering Text, capable of communicating in writing with the Wandering Text and other derivatives linked to it. On this land, this method of communication was once popular among the upper class..." Looking at the text appearing on the page, Setuot said slowly, his tone seeming to carry a strange color.
Listening to Setuot's words, Shadi couldn't help but be secretly startled. He naturally knew what Setuot was referring to by 'this land' from the past: the powerful ancient North Wu dynasty of the ancient era, thousands of years ago, an Extraordinary ancient civilization born from the land of North Wu itself, before the faith of the Three Saints or even the Lord had touched North Wu.
"This, it can communicate with other Wandering Texts and derivatives... In other words, this is a relic of that First Dynasty?" Shadi then asked, and Setuot beside him also replied.
"It can't really be called a relic... At least it can be said to be an item product influenced by the dynasty's Extraordinary technology. However, due to the scarcity of 'Qi' (Awakening/Enlightenment) in various aspects in this era, most such products should be unusable. That Sister using this thing to communicate with you can be considered putting in some capital..."
Hearing Setuot's words, Shadi once again glanced at the book in his hand with his eyes. After looking at the text on it, he then replied.
"A Sister of the Church, giving me this kind of thing under the guise of a gift, it seems like she wants to discuss some topics that are inconvenient to talk about publicly. Setuot, how can I use this thing to communicate with her?"
"Very simple, you just need to use a pen to write down your desired reply on it. But don't write yet. Wait until she tells you how to use it before writing. If you write now, it will be equivalent to telling her you already knew how to use this thing. This will expose that you have some unusual understanding of the dynasty's knowledge. At times like this, it's better to pretend to be more ignorant."
Setuot reminded Shadi like this. Listening to Setuot's words, Shadi was no longer in a hurry for the moment. He just quietly looked at the page before him and quietly waited. Finally, after a while, new words appeared on it.
"Mr. Shadi, I hope to use this item to have a more discreet communication with you, to say some things that are difficult to say in a meeting. If you want to reply to me, you can just write your reply on it with a pen. This time I am communicating with you with sincere intentions, and have important news to tell you.
"Apart from the function of remote communication, this book in your hand has no other functions. You can examine it carefully and don't need to worry that I will use this to harm you."
After reading the words appearing on the page before him with interest, Shadi stroked his chin. After thinking for a moment, he took out the fountain pen he carried with him and wrote directly on the blank space of the page.
"I have seen what you wrote, Sister Vanya. Tell me, what do you want to talk about with me in this form?"
Using neat handwriting, Shadi finished writing the reply. Then he began to wait quietly again. Not long after, new words appeared before his eyes once again.
"It's about the Savior Descends Faction, Mr. Shadi. Do you think you can cooperate with the people of the Savior Descends Faction to jointly bring a bright future to Adus?"
Looking at Vanya's words before him, Shadi's expression showed no surprise. He picked up the pen and immediately wrote in reply.
"Mr. Muktar extended a helping hand to us at the most critical moment of our Revolutionary Army cause. We cooperated with them and overcame many difficulties together until we achieved what we have today. It was like this in the past, so why not in the future?" Shadi replied on the page like this. Because he was wary of Vanya, he did not directly answer Vanya's question.
"So... Mr. Shadi, you trust the Savior Sect? But if you really trusted them, how could this negotiation have been delayed until now? If the Revolutionary Army and the Savior Sect were of one mind, all this should have ended long ago..." New words appeared on the page. Looking at the text before him, Shadi couldn't help but feel a little displeased, and then continued to write.
"Are you secretly communicating with me alone perhaps just to sow discord between me and Mr. Muktar? Sister Vanya..."
"No, I am just stating the facts, Mr. Shadi. The rift between you and the Savior Sect is no longer a secret to most people in this city. I understand the dilemma you are currently in. The reason you don't take a stance is to maintain a balance between us and the Savior Descends Faction, to maintain this fragile status quo with silence. I can understand your approach. Perhaps for you, who doesn't want Adus to experience war again, this is the safest method.
"But you should also be clear that the conflict between us and the Savior Descends Faction is irreconcilable. Such a balance is inevitably unsustainable. Soon it will be broken, and by then you will also be forced to make a choice. And now I want to remind you to seize this last opportunity to choose for yourself."
Vanya's words then appeared before Shadi's eyes. Looking at the text before him, Shadi couldn't help but be slightly startled, then immediately wrote a reply.
"The last opportunity to choose? What do you mean? Could it be that the Holy Proximity Mountain Church has given us an ultimatum?"
"No, we are not the ones who will act, but the people of the Savior Sect. The intelligence I received says that the Savior Sect will immediately act against me and all other members of the delegation tomorrow. They want to kill us in Adis to force the Church's attitude and also force your attitude. If he succeeds, the Holy Mountain side will have no room for compromise with you. You will be tied to the Savior Sect's chariot with no choice, accelerating all the way to war."
Such words appeared before Shadi's eyes. After reading it, his heart couldn't help but tighten. He was stunned for a while, then picked up the pen and wrote.
"You said Mr. Muktar wants to forcibly act against you? Where did you get this intelligence?"
"The source of this intelligence concerns the secret we hold about the 'Light', and therefore is inconvenient to state directly. But I can confirm that it is absolutely accurate and without error."
"Sister Vanya, if you don't clarify the source of the intelligence and provide corresponding evidence, it's very difficult for me to believe your single statement..." Shadi wrote on the page with a serious expression, while Vanya on the other end of the book also quickly replied.
"Of course I have evidence, Mr. Shadi. You may not know, but Mukhtar and the others have long been disgusted with your unclear stance. In order to tie you and the entire Revolutionary Army to their side, they have already done many things secretly behind your back. For example, this time on our way to Adus by train, we were ambushed by a bandit group." Vanya's handwriting then appeared on the page. Looking at this new reply, Shadi wrote with a surprised expression.
"You encountered an assassination attempt on the way here? You didn't mention this at all before?"
"After we dealt with the ambushing bandit group, we interrogated them and found that their employers were from the Adus Revolutionary Army side. We didn't directly mention this, mainly because mentioning it in a formal setting would only benefit the Savior Sect and be even more detrimental to the negotiations...
"After we interrogated them and the results pointed to the Revolutionary Army, we immediately used divination to confirm it. Unexpectedly, the divination was successful, without any hindrance at all. Mr. Shadi, you should be aware of the seriousness of important information of the Revolutionary Army being so easily divined at will..."
On the page, Sister Vanya's handwriting continued to appear. Looking at the text before him, Shadi's eyes couldn't help but widen slightly.
"Information about the Revolutionary Army can be divined at will? Impossible... Our anti-divination has always been handled by Mukhtar and his team. It worked quite well when fighting Baruk..."
"Working quite well doesn't mean it's currently running. Since the Savior Sect is leading the Revolutionary Army's anti-divination efforts, they can choose not to run the anti-divination, allowing the Revolutionary Army's information to be directly exposed, so that we, who were just ambushed, can easily divine the mastermind behind the ambush. The current Revolutionary Army is deeply influenced by the Savior Sect; in many areas, there is no distinction between you. They only need to slightly manipulate things to guide the divination results towards the Revolutionary Army. Under normal circumstances, the victim would directly point the finger at you, and whether or not they would be willing to risk continuing to negotiate here is another question.
"However... the people of the Savior Sect underestimated our determination and underestimated my judgment. I was not frightened by the ambush tactic, nor did their tactic cause me to lose my judgment. I still came to Adis and am negotiating with Mr. Shadi without prejudice.
"The Savior Descends Faction has long begun to act privately without notifying Mr. Shadi, attempting to disrupt the overall peace of Adus by force, and even privately terminated the Revolutionary Army's divination defenses, putting the information of the entire Adus Revolutionary Army at risk of being leaked. This is already undeniable betrayal. As for betrayers, Mr. Shadi, are you still hesitating?
"If you don't believe what I said, you can immediately perform a divination, divining the current important information of the Revolutionary Army, and see if the Revolutionary Army's anti-divination still exists. Of course, I also know that the current 'Qi' (Awakening/Enlightenment) is extremely precious, and you may be reluctant to use the precious 'Qi' (Awakening/Enlightenment) for such a verification. Therefore, we can provide you with a 'Qi' (Awakening/Enlightenment) storage item. As long as you agree, we will deliver the item to you through a secret channel tomorrow morning."
A string of text continuously appeared on the page, reflected in Shadi's eyes. After reading it, Shadi pondered for a long time without speaking, while Setuot, who was beside him, spoke with interest.
"Turned off the anti-divination? Heh... interesting. It feels like something those guys would actually do. Once that thing is turned off, there's an extra cost when restarting it. If they think you and your subordinates are untrustworthy people who don't need protection in the future, there's no need to spend effort protecting your information, after all, if you fall out, their divination of you would still be blocked by your own anti-divination, which is very inconvenient.
"I think... you need to verify it. If the current Revolutionary Army is truly unable to resist retrieval, then it proves that the group of lunatics from the Savior Sect completely disregards you. Of course, if you want to verify it, it's best to do it yourself. If there's any trick with the storage item given by others, it would be miserable if you get tricked..."
Setuot said this quietly. Listening to his words, Shadi's expression became extremely solemn. After a long silence, he picked up his pen and wrote a response on the page again.
"I heard your suggestion. After I return, I will conduct the verification. You don't need to provide the storage item. If the verification result is as you said, I will contact you again."
...
Afterward, Shadi rode his carriage all the way back to his residence. In this temporary residence near the military camp, Shadi walked into one of his studies and closed the door after instructing his subordinates to stand guard outside.
Then, Shadi took out a "enlightenment" storage item and a "Lamp" storage item that he had treasured. After simply setting up a ritual, he consumed the Spirituality in the storage items and performed a divination. The target of the divination was himself, the leader of the Revolutionary Army. The result quickly showed that the divination was successful, and the random questions Shadi asked were correctly answered in the divination.
Standing in front of the desk, Shadi's face grew heavier as he looked at the divination result before him. He paused for a while before sitting back down in the chair behind the desk, taking out a collection of stories and placing it on top. After opening a page, he picked up his pen and wrote on it.
"Dear Sister Vanya, my divination test is complete. The result is as you said; the Revolutionary Army's information is not protected at all. Mukhtar and his team have betrayed us..."
After writing, Shadi held the pen, quietly waiting for a response to appear, and it wasn't long before he got one.
"I'm glad you have a clearer understanding of the current situation, Mr. Shadi. By now, you probably realize that the people of the Savior Descends Faction are not trustworthy, and cooperating with them will not lead to a good outcome.
"Tomorrow, they attempted to kidnap your stance by attacking us. Now, you still have room to choose your own stance. For the victory of the Revolutionary Army, for the future of the people of Adus, and for the peace of twenty million people, please make your choice."
Sister Vanya's words were filled with sincerity. Shadi felt as if he could see the white-robed Sister speaking to him with a devout demeanor before him, which couldn't help but make him chuckle and mutter to himself.
"As expected of a famous person from the Church... To have such a great reputation at a young age, this reputation didn't come from nothing..."
Shadi sighed like this, then he picked up his pen and continued writing on the page.
"I am willing to stand with you for the future of Adus and the fruits of the revolution, but... peace is probably difficult to achieve. The conflict tomorrow goes without saying, and my break with Mukhtar will likely become the fuse for another civil war in Adus."
Shadi wrote this, and soon Sister Vanya's question appeared before him again.
"Another civil war in Adus? Will the impact be that deep?"
"Of course. Through years of cooperation, the Savior Descends Faction has deeply influenced the entire Revolutionary Army group. In the Revolutionary Army units throughout the territory of Adus, there are many where the Savior Sect's influence exceeds that of my faction.
"Looking at the current Adus, more than half of the Revolutionary Army is influenced by the Savior Sect's ideology, and a quarter of the Revolutionary Army is deeply influenced and can be completely controlled by Mukhtar. If Mukhtar gains the loyalty of a large number of wavering units, then this war will be very large and brutal, but for the future of Adus, we can only endure another wave of sacrifices."
Shadi wrote about the current not-so-optimistic situation on the page with considerable heaviness, and soon Sister Vanya responded to this.
"Can't a large-scale war be avoided? If we quickly deal with Mukhtar in tomorrow's conflict, can things take a turn for the better?"
"Quickly deal with Mukhtar? Frankly, unless Sister Vanya you can persuade the Holy Mountain to send someone of Archbishop level to rush to Adis, we have no possibility of defeating Mukhtar. At most, we can only try to retreat after suffering casualties. He is a Scarlet Tier Extraordinary, not someone we can easily contend with. Moreover, even if we can defeat Mukhtar, the war cannot be stopped.
"Tomorrow, once Mukhtar and I officially clash in Adis, this conflict will immediately spread throughout Adus. The Revolutionary Army units stationed in various places, the parts loyal to the Savior Sect, will immediately attack the units loyal to me under his influence. Regardless of the outcome of our confrontation with Mukhtar, whether we defeat Mukhtar or Mukhtar defeats us, a large-scale war in Adus will be unavoidable.
"This... is also the main reason why I was reluctant to defy Mukhtar and side with you before, because no matter the outcome of the confrontation, the Revolutionary Army and Adus will pay another price."
Sitting at his desk, Shadi wrote this on the page. At this moment, his eyes were full of solemnity.