Ordinary Reception

Loop was exposed.

And right in the very core of the church, no less.

She knew she wouldn't be able to leave.

In this world, when encountering Anomalies within a city, the attitudes of the major factions differed drastically.

The rulers of each city primarily focused on defense and expulsion, mainly to maintain urban stability.

Secret societies would assess the Anomaly's power and its value as material before deciding whether to strike.

The Sun and Moon Church had the toughest stance, generally aiming to kill. They viewed Anomalies entering the city outside of the Sunless Days as heretics that must be eradicated. Witches from before the Seventh Epoch had once been hunted down worldwide by them.

Of course, being tough requires strength. The church in Sixiang City wasn't that powerful, making them a relatively moderate branch within the organization.

Father Jing beckoned with his hand, and the crystal ball slowly flew back to him.

"Ms. Anomaly, if you truly wish to join the church, you can register first. I will need to submit a special application for you, marking the first time an Anomaly has been granted the status of a church instructor in our entire history."

"Oh? I thought you would just draw your weapon."

"This is the Eighth Epoch, the Epoch of the Ever-Moon. You are a devout believer of the Ever-Moon, madam. Those acknowledged by the moon are accepted and welcomed by our Moon Church."

"A subtle phrasing. It seems you deliberately omitted the Sun Church's stance."

"We are two separate churches to begin with."

"Then I look forward to your good news." Loop turned and left.

Until she walked out of the church.

No alarms rang, no ambushers appeared. She had truly left the cathedral without a hitch.

Loop glanced back at the cathedral, her face cold.

"This isn't good. This Father Jing is not simple."

This Loop didn't go anywhere inside the city. She headed straight out of the city, walked a very, very long way, and then died in a desolate, uninhabited place.

She had been exposed. The moment her infiltration of the church was compromised, it ended in failure. She needed to send the information back while ensuring she didn't lead any tails back to Chen Miemie.

Having fought countless brutal battles against herself, she had an exceptionally sharp sense for the human heart.

If Father Jing had immediately jumped up and called for her death, it would have been easier to handle. The more agreeable he seemed, the more dangerous he was.

It was obvious that the priest had seen through her identity and realized she could control her passives, allowing her to move freely among the crowds in the city.

Taking it a step further, he must have deduced that she belonged to the new mist Anomaly race of the Eighth Epoch.

Such a race appearing in Sixiang City—especially a Sixiang City whose core had been destroyed—would be explosive news, drawing the eyes of countless factions.

There were plenty of smart people in the world, and inexplicable Mysteries emerged endlessly. The slightest carelessness could lead them straight to the still-weak Chen Miemie, putting him in a highly vulnerable position.

Inside the cathedral.

Father Jing looked at the crystal ball, its yellow hue still not entirely faded even after a long while.

The receptionist knocked again and entered.

"Bishop, that lady has left."

"Mm, then it's fine."

This receptionist was no ordinary church member; he was Father Jing's trusted aide, his personal chief secretary.

"Bishop, did that lady successfully join us?"

"No, her faith was not pure enough."

"What a pity. By the way, Bishop, regarding the retrieval?"

"There's no need to go anymore."

"Understood."

In the church's visitor log for this occasion, Father Jing recorded the interview as "A standard reception, no anomalies."

Receiving the news at home, Chen Miemie was very unhappy.

To Loop, this was merely one of countless loops.

To him, it meant someone close to him had died once. He strongly disliked this method of delivering messages.

Chen Miemie sat at the desk in his bedroom and began to plan:

"For the next Anomaly, I need to find one with a targeted ability. Currently, I am lacking in three specific areas.

First, long-distance communication. With more and more Anomalies around me, there will definitely be a need for information exchange and intelligence gathering when we split up.

Second, spatial storage. Right now, when I go out, I can only bring Qinghua and Pure Water. Stuffing Bobo into my bag is barely manageable and quite inconvenient, and Loop basically can't move together with us. It's difficult to carry large luggage and mystical items all on my person.

Third, a warm, soft Anomaly without spikes that can warm the bed. It gets a bit cold during the Frost Moon, and I've wanted to find one like this for a long time."

A short while later, a new message arrived.

Time: 17:05

Sender: Xi

Content: Are you free tonight? There's a trade fair at the market open only to Mystics. Want to go check it out together?

Chen Miemie helplessly declined; he had already accepted an invitation from his master's wife, Cassan.

After dinner, Chen Miemie went to Dawn's house.

Since he saw Cassan every time he was here, he felt this place could also be called Cassan's house.

"Miemie, you're here so early. Have a seat first, the trade fair at the market doesn't start until 20:00."

Aside from her eyes, Dawn's body had fully recovered, and she no longer needed to stay in bed all day.

At the moment, she was holding up both hands, playing a game of cat's cradle with herself.

The string was made of wind; it was said that this could train precise control over one's power.

Chen Miemie leaned over and copied her, creating a string of light in his hands using moonlight. Unfortunately, he was a bit clumsy; after just a couple of moves, the string ended up in a dead knot.

Chen Miemie was very cunning. When he hit a dead knot, he simply made the light string ethereal, turning it back into moonlight, and then re-materialized it. Just like that, the dead knot vanished, and he had a brand-new setup.

He was quite smug about this, considering himself a dexterous genius.

Good thing Dawn couldn't see his advanced maneuvers, or else she would probably be infuriated by this disciple who loved taking shortcuts.

Cassan, the Tipping Point Dancer, always dressed so hotly, her slender waist perpetually exposed.

Chen Miemie was a bit curious: "Master's wife, it's fine tonight since it's the Rainbow Moon, but I remember you dressing this coolly even during the Frost Moon. Aren't you cold?"

Cassan laughed so hard she trembled like a branch of blossoms.

"I don't have any cold-resistant Mystery, so of course I'm cold. But my abilities need to be activated by dancing at any moment, so I just have to endure the cold."

Chen Miemie wasn't giving up: "I don't get it. You can still dress a bit warmer when dancing, right? It's not like all dances are belly dances."

"My dances require a very high level of precision. The tipping point is like the straw that breaks the camel's back; the slightest negligence will cause a deviation. So, wearing a fixed outfit helps my performance. The Frost Moon is only two nights a week anyway; enduring it passes quickly."

At 19:40, Chen Miemie and Cassan finally set off.

The market was the same place as the night market he had visited before his graduation began.

"Oh? Miemie, you really do have two palanquins."

Recently, Chen Miemie had parked one palanquin permanently downstairs at Dawn's place, making it their daily mode of transportation.

"Yeah, I told you before, didn't I?"

"I thought you were just saying that on purpose."

"Oh, no, I really do. How is it? Pretty convenient to use, right?"

"It is absolutely fantastic! This palanquin can actually understand what Dawn and I are saying. We just have to tell it where we want to go, and it takes care of the rest. It is fast and incredibly steady. Miemie, for a mystical item like this, what kind of side effects did you have to endure? It must be pretty severe, right?"

"Side effects? Oh, right, there are some. But do not worry, they are practically non-existent for me. It is just some shadows baring their fangs and claws. Once I shine some moonlight on them, nothing happens at all."

"You are not lying to me?"

"I am serious."

"That is really great. You definitely hit the jackpot with this one."

"Tell me about it."

The two of them chatted as the palanquin moved, and they soon arrived at the market.

They pinned on their Court of the Silver Moon brooches and walked into the trade fair.