Chapter 232 | My Class Is Ghost Bride, But This Isn’t Romance

Of course, Bai Ci was not the type of person who could just sit idle.

Over the past few days, while she appeared to be quietly recuperating, she had actually been busy with various bits and pieces of work.

The most obvious of these was lifting Xu Zhaoyue's confinement.

Using Xu Qinghe's identity, she had Xu Jingan bring a message to Xu Zhaoyue, instructing her to pretend to agree with Madame Xu's ideas.

She was to say she had seen the light, and that compared to Bai Ci, who was like a stranger, her noble and upright elder brother was far more important.

Besides, she had indeed needled Bai Ci quite a bit in the beginning.

Although Madame Xu didn't entirely believe her, she had been running herself ragged lately with no help, and she truly needed someone to lend a hand.

After all, there were some things that couldn't be known by the maids and elderly servants; otherwise, if word got out, it would severely damage the reputation of the Xu estate.

Believing that the estate's reputation would keep her in check, and considering Xu Qinghe's critical condition—where he could slip away at any moment—Madame Xu figured this would at least constrain Xu Zhaoyue's behavior to some extent.

If all of this hadn't been orchestrated by Bai Ci, and things were truly as Madame Xu believed, Xu Zhaoyue would indeed have wavered.

Madame Xu did, after all, understand her own child.

But as things stood, once Xu Zhaoyue was let out and saw that her elder brother's condition wasn't nearly as dire as their mother claimed, she assumed their mother had simply grown increasingly paranoid and had fabricated such lies to deceive her.

On top of that, “Xu Qinghe” consistently and firmly expressed his own wishes, stating that he wanted to return to dust, unable to bear watching their mother continue down this wicked path, nor could he let innocent people be sacrificed for his sake.

Because of this, Xu Zhaoyue's loyalty was now entirely aligned with them.

Thinking of the clues the Xu siblings had brought earlier today, Bai Ci couldn't help but sigh. They had actually managed to find out that the Governor was in league with the cult.

The most pressing issue now was how to pass this clue along to Lin Wenyu and the others.

She was currently trapped here, unable to move a single step.

She could only hope that heaven was on their side and that Lin Wenyu would happen to have some business with her, prompting Lin Wenyu to scale the wall and pay her a visit.

But rather than passively waiting for Lin Wenyu, whose arrival was completely unpredictable, Bai Ci wanted to take the initiative.

Perhaps... she could have Xu Jingan proactively find that storyteller player to deliver the message?

Xu Jingan was composed, meticulous, and always acted with propriety. He frequented the city's literary circles and banquets of prominent families, moving about freely without restriction. He was the perfect candidate to deliver the message.

As long as she could come up with a logical narrative to align their perspectives when they met, there would be no loopholes to expose her, nor would it make Xu Jingan turn back and suspect her.

With her thoughts gradually clearing up, Bai Ci pondered over the phrasing until night fell.

In the dead of night, guards occasionally patrolled outside the courtyard.

A figure dressed in black leather scaled the wall and slipped into the estate with practiced ease.

Relying on the skills of her clothing, she narrowly avoided all the patrolling guards, quietly sneaking into Bai Ci's courtyard.

Although she made it through smoothly, Lin Wenyu really wanted to complain. Even the Governor didn't have this many guards protecting his private treasury.

As for how she knew how many guards the Governor had stationed at his private treasury?

That wasn't very important. She had just been passing by and decided to help herself to a little something.

But then again, thinking of the information their boss had uncovered, this level of tight patrolling actually made sense.

Aside from the storyteller, the other player cooperating with them in this instance was a player whose class was Deadly Poisoner.

Lin Wenyu lit the knock-out incense crafted by that poison master, once again putting Jinghong to sleep.

When she opened the door, she happened to find Bai Ci wide awake, deep in thought over her narrative.

The two locked eyes and blurted out in unison, “I have news.”

Lin Wenyu was the first to smile. “You go first.”

Her news was quite a bombshell, so it was better to let Bai Ci speak first.

Bai Ci didn't decline and went straight to the core clues she had uncovered recently. “The Dharma assembly at West Mountain on the fifteenth is a sham. It's actually a cult ritual.”

“The city's Governor was bought out by the cult long ago, secretly acting as their umbrella. This grand assembly, involving the entire city, is highly likely the key juncture they've deliberately prepared for their ritual.”

Lin Wenyu nodded solemnly. “Exactly. The clues we found point to the same thing.”

Even though Bai Ci's clues overlapped with what they had already uncovered, Lin Wenyu didn't think much of it. Instead, a sense of admiration welled up within her.

To be restricted to such an extent and still uncover such crucial clues—she really hadn't misjudged her. Bai Ci was indeed incredibly capable.

Though she was still a bit behind their boss.

Then again, she had never met any player who could match up to their boss anyway.

“The Governor has long since fully thrown his lot in with the Double Snake Cult. This Dharma assembly is the ceremonial grand ritual specifically chosen by the cult leader.”

“It's a bit complicated to explain, and I haven't fully wrapped my head around it either.”

“To sum it up simply, the fifteenth is an auspicious day. By holding a Dharma assembly on that day, he can usurp a powerful force and take his strength to the next level.”

Lin Wenyu explained further.

So this cult actually has a name? Bai Ci's focus drifted slightly, perhaps as a subconscious way of escaping the realization that her efforts had been redundant.

Double Snake Cult... Is it because their sacred rune consists of two intertwined snakes?

What a casual name.

“It seems the information I gathered here isn't of much use after all.” Her brief moment of escapism over, Bai Ci faced reality.

“How could you say you're of no use? You've been incredibly useful!” Hearing Bai Ci dismiss her own worth, Lin Wenyu immediately shook her head in disagreement.

“Bai Ci, you are crucial. I don't know what's up with your skill, but it has played a massive role.”

She spoke rapidly, dumping the entire chain of events on her before she could even explain.

“That old bastard... the core member our boss was following, the one who came to treat you and drew on the back of your hand.”

“After he died, the local government was handling the aftermath. It was precisely because of this that our boss found the opportunity to uncover their collusion with the officials.”

“And since the old bastard died early, and he had a contract with our boss, our boss inherited all of his legacy and resources. The enemies we have to deal with have been cut by more than half.”

Bai Ci nodded, though this had actually been a complete fluke.

Besides, the reason the doctor died was mainly because that young apprentice seized the opportunity to give him a push.

Come to think of it, that young apprentice must be the 'boss' Lin Wenyu was talking about.

Gathering her thoughts, Bai Ci asked, “So, now that you've come to find me, is there something you need me to cooperate with?”

Lin Wenyu nodded heavily. “Yes. Our boss had me come over in the middle of the night to fill you in and coordinate our plans.”

“On the day of the assembly on the fifteenth, all of the Double Snake Cult's scattered followers, peripheral members, and core higher-ups will be present. It'll make it easy for us to wipe them out in one fell swoop.”