[Wordless Book]

Among the three people in charge of the Mist Church within Fengshuguan City, the remaining one besides Lady Scab and Boss Guan went by the code name Book Without Words.

The first two were natives of Fengshuguan, born and raised there. They knew each other well enough to sit down and share a meal.

Book Without Words, however, was an outsider. Though he was also a member of the “cult,” he had not even the slightest sense of attachment to the local community. As a result, his bottom line was lower than theirs.

Book Without Words was no longer young. He looked to be around fifty, with graying hair.

He paid great attention to his appearance. His suit was immaculate, his leather shoes shone brightly, and his slicked-back hair was perfectly styled. He even carried a cane made from expensive wood.

On the surface, he was an information broker.

It was a clever arrangement. On the surface, he was simply an intelligence dealer who provided merchants with opportunities to make money. In reality, he concealed his identity as a purveyor of the underworld’s darkest secrets.

After all, who would suspect that someone would use the identity of an information broker to conceal another identity as an information broker?

Inside an opulent reception room.

Book Without Words set down his teacup and smiled. “Then it’s settled.”

A merchant beamed ingratiatingly and bowed repeatedly. “I’ll be counting on you. Once it’s done, there will certainly be a generous reward. In that case, I’ll take my leave.”

“No need to see you out.” Book Without Words did not even rise from his seat. He merely spoke in a flat voice as he saw the merchant off.

His thoughts were not on the merchant before him. His mind was filled with the news he had received that morning.

The church’s new overseer had already entered the city and had invited the three of them to meet at a teahouse at 7:30 that evening.

There was no trust between the members of the Mist Church. When faced with a new superior, their first reaction was vigilance and wariness.

It would have been one thing if they never met. But once they did, the other party might take away the resources and influence they had spent years building with a single command—without even needing to say, “Disobey me and die.”

If they had a choice, who would want a madman sitting above them as their boss? Book Without Words had no intention of letting himself be manipulated.

“Not going isn’t an option either. The Bag was appointed by the church. Anyone who dares come alone to take over a city probably has considerable strength and methods. Openly defying him would likely give him an excuse to kill me.”

Book Without Words was caught in a dilemma.

The receptionist who had just seen off the previous guest came in. “Sir, there’s a young gentleman outside who says he has business with you.”

Book Without Words frowned. “I don’t have any appointments this afternoon, do I? I’m unavailable today.”

“Sir, that young man asked me to pass on a message: ‘Before the newcomer arrives, you might as well give yourself another option.’”

Book Without Words froze.

“Show him in.”

The moment he saw the young man enter, Book Without Words recognized his identity.

He hurriedly got to his feet and approached with a smile. “What brings a Third Seat Descendant to my humble establishment? What an honor. Please, have a seat.”

Chen Miemie smiled and nodded as he surveyed the reception room. It was lavishly decorated and imposing.

“Of course, of course.” Chen Miemie dropped himself into the main seat—the very chair Book Without Words had occupied moments earlier.

The corner of Book Without Words’s eye twitched, but he said nothing. He could only sit below him.

“I’ve long heard of Mr. Chen’s illustrious reputation. Now that I’ve met you, I see the rumors were true—you’re the very picture of elegance and distinction.” Book Without Words began deploying the polite social pleasantries he was accustomed to.

Chen Miemie waved a hand.

“Save the pleasantries. The man will arrive tonight. Do you intend to treat him as a guest, or as the master?”

The bluntness of the question caught Book Without Words off guard. Still, he reacted quickly and smoothly followed up. “What exactly do you mean, Mr. Chen?”

“The church’s current arrangement in Fengshuguan is quite good. It doesn’t need a bishop. What do you think?”

Book Without Words glanced at the open door.

This was the reception room for his public identity, and even the receptionist was a respectable employee who knew nothing of his true background. It was not a particularly secure place for such a conversation.

Even the location had been chosen according to the principle that the most dangerous place was the safest. It was not far from the Scholars’ Quarter.

Chen Miemie knew what he was thinking. “Speak freely. No one can get close to this place right now.”

Book Without Words’s heart sank.

He did not doubt that Chen Miemie possessed such power. But if no one could get close, that also meant no one could leave.

Book Without Words knew that being visited today was not something he could brush off with a few polite laughs. He put away his smile.

“Mr. Chen, have you come here on behalf of the Witch?”

“No. I represent only myself.”

“Then, as an individual, Mr. Chen, what do you hope to gain from me?”

“Nothing. Over the years, you three overseers have done plenty of bad things, but you were ultimately only after a little personal profit. Overall, you’ve remained fairly restrained and haven’t carried out any terrorist attacks. Maintaining the status quo is fine.

“The problem is that someone now wants to disrupt that peace.

“That won’t do. It would make me unhappy.”

Book Without Words was speechless inside.

You’re just a young man. If not for your background as a Third Seat Descendant, who would pay any attention to whether you were happy or not? And now some new superior suddenly appears over our heads—I’m not happy about that either.

Outwardly, however, he continued to play along. “But that isn’t something we can decide. The man has already arrived. As they say, a higher rank crushes a lower one. Surely we can’t simply disobey an order.”

Chen Miemie appeared somewhat distracted. “The man has arrived? But he hasn’t completed his handover with you yet, nor has he officially taken office. If some accident were to happen before he assumed his post, there wouldn’t be much anyone could do about it, would there?”

Book Without Words shook his head. “Things aren’t that simple. For one thing, anyone who dares come here in the first place won’t be easy to make disappear. And even if an accident really did happen, it would be a direct slap in the church’s face. Once the church sent someone else, they’d only send someone stronger and more ruthless.”

“Looks like your capacity is limited. No wonder you can only be an overseer.”

Book Without Words was deeply calculating. Even when insulted to his face, he did not react.

Chen Miemie sighed before continuing.

“You always mistake hesitation and excessive caution for thorough consideration. From beginning to end, you act timidly and cautiously, never realizing that once you take a step back, there will be countless more steps to follow. You imagine your enemies as incomparably powerful, when in reality, the whole world is little more than a slapdash operation.

“You’re old, so I don’t intend to change the way you think. Let me put it simply, in terms you can understand.

“Because I’m strong enough, I slapped him, and all he can do is endure it.

“If he refuses to accept that, then every person they send over will have an ‘accident.’ What do you think? Will your church die fighting for the sake of loyalty and seek revenge, or will it weigh the costs and benefits?”

After listening, Book Without Words said, “That makes a great deal of sense. But words are cheap. Your strength can’t be proven by talk alone. You want me to oppose the new bishop appointed by the church based on a few sentences? That concerns my life and everything I possess.”

Chen Miemie stood up.

“I think you’ve misunderstood. I’m not here to persuade you. Since we have no personal grudge, I’m merely giving you one warning before I act.

“I don’t need too many people like you under my command.

“After all, when it comes to accidents, there’s no difference between one person having one and two people having one, is there?”

Book Without Words rose as well and escorted Chen Miemie all the way to the front door.

Chen Miemie soon returned to the shop and flopped down on the sofa.

Though he had said the harshest things after leaving and seemed to be acting tough the entire time, conversations that required him to wrack his brain with strangers were, in truth, a form of social obligation—and they drained him considerably.

Qinghua skillfully massaged his temples.

“Miemie, you seem especially invested in this [Book Without Words]. You value him more than the other two, and you even made a special trip here.”

Chen Miemie didn’t open his eyes.

“Yeah. This [Book Without Words] has a very impressive ability. With a purely support-oriented [Mystery], he came to a foreign land and firmly established himself as the one in charge of the Mist Church. He’s bold yet meticulous, and extremely capable at handling people.”

“His [Mystery] has no combat power at all?”

“None. Scab and Boss Guan went to great lengths to figure out what it could do. He can tamper with contracts—when they’re signed, he can conceal clauses that benefit him, and afterward make clauses detrimental to him disappear. He can ruin people without a second thought.”

“Impressive, sure, but who would keep doing business with him once they caught on?”

“That’s exactly where he’s clever. Aside from his [Mystery], he understands where to draw the line. He takes his share without going too far, leaving others at a disadvantage while still making them remember him fondly.”

“I still don’t think someone who relies on tricks to take advantage of others can go far. At any rate, if I ever ran into him, I wouldn’t do business with him a second time.”

“Right, but the problem is that you can’t avoid him. He isn’t limited to tampering with contracts under his own name. He can stay behind the scenes and manipulate a contract as a third party, making him impossible to guard against.”

“Then there’s really nothing anyone can do about him?”

“There is. Someone whose [Mystery] is a whole major rank above his can forcibly see through it and reveal the contract’s true form. But that fellow never neglects his preliminary investigations and never provokes people like that.”

Meanwhile.

After seeing Chen Miemie off, [Book Without Words] returned to his office.

He sat in his chair and lit a cigarette, remaining utterly still as though lost in thought.

It wasn’t until the cigarette had burned down and scorched his fingers that he came back to himself.

He let out a bitter laugh.

“What’s there to think about? This is the Sealed Library. Going up against [The Bag], a lone man, might not necessarily mean certain death—but against the Witch… sigh.”