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This afternoon, they would arrive at Purple Moon City. While Cui Ming was chatting with Eva, a sailor approached and asked Eva to take a phone call. After a while, she returned and sat down, saying, "Our people have identified the Pope. He visits the elderly once a month. No photos are allowed, but a portrait has been drawn." Before leaving, Eva had contacted Raefus through her network, and Raefus had begun the investigation.
"Is he a practitioner?" Cui Ming asked.
"Not sure," Eva replied. "Raefus just arrived in Sharon City." Sharon City, a neighbor of Twilight City, was the largest Fire Cult city-state with a population exceeding one hundred million. It was also home to the Holy Mountain and had been the initiator of multiple holy wars. The land was rich in gold, diamonds, and other precious minerals.
Cui Ming nodded. "We should arrive in about four days."
"Two days," Eva corrected. "The coastal train to Twilight City has opened from Purple Moon City."
"What about the inland countries?" Cui Ming inquired. Although there was a route from Purple Moon City to Dawn City, he was unaware that the railway had been established.
"West Lake City has built a railway connecting to the Purple Twilight Railway. Other inland countries are negotiating to open highways to West Lake City," Eva explained. "Once transportation on the Eastern Continent opens up, it will become the most prosperous continent. The Ray Intermediary has already arrived in Purple Moon City and purchased tickets for the train at nine tomorrow morning; accommodations have also been arranged."
Cui Ming smiled contentedly. "It feels great to be taken care of."
Eva laughed. "If you want, I can arrange a global trip for you."
They would reach Purple Moon City and take the train directly to Twilight City.
The journey was smooth until they reached West Lake City station. West Lake City was not coastal; they had built a railway connecting to the Purple Twilight Railway. Cui Ming and Eva were in car six, first class, enjoying a comfortable environment. They ate snacks, chatted, read books and newspapers, and admired the beautiful scenery outside.
About three minutes after leaving West Lake City station, a girl around one meter fifty tall, dressed in a red outfit, bounced past them while humming a tune.
"Wow, is that a practitioner? Such a young practitioner?"
"Wow, it's a Fire Cultist."
Both of them turned to look at the girl who appeared to be around twelve or thirteen years old. Her protective Force was red, which generally comes in various colors. There is no precise distinction, except for golden yellow. Currently, only Lich and Zhir have golden yellow Force. Red typically indicates that her hair might be related to flames.
She was an adorable little girl with big eyes, resembling a cartoon character. Her face was full of youthful innocence, and her body was a bit chubby. On the left side of her chest, there was a Fire Cult emblem. This girl likely came from Inland City, where laws require Fire Cultists to clearly indicate their beliefs, meaning that the City-State does not discriminate against followers of the Fire Cult.
Why must one clearly display their belief in the Fire Cult? This is related to the customs of the Fire Cult. Fire Cultists do not eat pork and do not use any cooking utensils that have been used to prepare pork. Additionally, employees of companies affiliated with the Fire Cult enjoy mandatory prayer time each day. The key point here is the former; in earlier years, a devout follower had killed someone out of rage after consuming food cooked with lard at a restaurant. The restaurant owner felt wronged as he had no idea that the individual was a follower of the Fire Cult.
In such cases, when Fire Cultists travel to non-Fire Religion Nations, they usually hang identification tags for themselves. Originally, the Fire Cult had certain privileges allowing them to carry short knives according to their customs. However, Dawn City broke this rule; civilians in Dawn City can possess weapons but must register them. All weapons are numbered, and firearms have ballistic records. The lord of Dawn City stated that they treat everyone equally and will not grant privileges based on faith or ethnicity.
"Little girl," Cui Ming waved.
The girl turned her head and paused for a few seconds, seemingly surprised as she noticed their Force. "Wow, who are you?"
Cui Ming replied, "We are on a pilgrimage; please sit here." The first-class seat had two seats, and Eva made some room.
The little girl sat down without suspicion, swinging her legs lightly on the seat while hugging a cloth bear on her back. She asked excitedly, "Are you Fire Cult followers?"
"Yes."
"What a coincidence!" The little girl said, "My name is Annie."
"My name is Andrews, and this is my friend, Miss Pyrikas."
"Hello." Pyrikas looked at Cui Ming.
"Hello."
Eva asked, "Where are your parents?"
Annie replied, "They have passed away." As she spoke, she lowered her head, tears falling down her cheeks as she wiped them away.
Eva gently hugged Annie. "Poor girl."
Cui Ming felt a jolt in his heart. Was this really a little girl? The emotions were coming too quickly. Annie looked up, her big tear-filled eyes gazing at Cui Ming as she asked, "Brother An, do you know the Pope?"
Cui Ming answered, "No, I don't know him. The Pope is someone we could never meet. Why do you ask?"
Annie seemed somewhat disappointed by this response and sighed. "My parents were followers of the Fire Cult and ran a blacksmith shop in a small village in Blackwood City. Two months ago, there was a mudslide in the village. Before my dad died, he told me to find the Pope. He said the Fire Cult wanted to recruit me into the Holy See for many years, but they never agreed. The Pope sent a teacher to instruct me in Force."
Oh, one in five hundred thousand. A Fire Cult Practitioner discovered Annie, but her parents disagreed, so...
Cui Ming nodded sympathetically and asked, "How old are you?"
"Fourteen," Annie replied.
Cui Ming sighed, "Poor child, may the gods bless you to meet the Pope."
Annie looked around, "Brother, Sister, why aren't you wearing the Fire Cult insignia?"
"Discrimination," Cui Ming replied with a hint of bitterness. "It's unavoidable to interact with ordinary people; their gazes are truly hard for us to bear. Don't cry anymore; I have a piece of chocolate here. Wipe your tears first."
"Thank you, Brother." Annie took the chocolate, wiped her tears, and seemed delighted as she exclaimed, "It's so delicious." Her voice was sweet and charming, making it pleasant to hear.
"Poor child." Cui Ming reached out affectionately to tuck a strand of Annie's hair behind her ear, gently stroking her cheek with two fingers.
Eva smiled at Cui Ming, realizing he had a preference for this type. Annie shyly turned away slightly, lowering her head as her cheeks flushed. Cui Ming noted that Annie's skin felt wonderful; it suggested she was between thirteen and fifteen years old.
However, something about Annie felt off to Cui Ming. She was dressed meticulously—an outer red hooded cloak with a genuine leather lining. This outfit was quite valuable, and there were signs of skincare on her face. While the overall appearance was subtle, the area around her eyes showed clear signs of treatment; many women use products like cucumbers for that purpose, leading to noticeable differences in skin texture. Annie wore ordinary cloth shoes with neatly tied laces that resembled bows but were not tied by her.
Annie was very well-behaved, often hugging a cloth bear in front of her. She listened intently when speaking and showed genuine curiosity about various topics, making her seem like a practitioner from a secluded area. The conversation revolved around Eva asking about Annie's life; she answered questions and sometimes inquired about where her brother and sister lived. Her demeanor resembled that of a little girl; she had no real connection to the Fire Cult or the Holy See and knew very few people outside her family, which included uncles who were Fire Cultists.
A few hours later, as night fell, Annie looked at the crescent moon outside the train window and said, "Ramadan has begun."
Cui Ming nodded, "We should eat more tonight; starting tomorrow we can't eat during the day."
"I'm going to the restroom," Annie said as she got up from her seat and walked toward the train's restroom.
Seeing Cui Ming watching Annie leave, Eva remarked, "Do you like her? You're quite perverted."
"Who doesn't like a little girl?" Cui Ming smiled, then shifted the topic. "Eva, can you contact your associates right away and check on Annie's background in Blackwood City?"
"What's wrong? Is something off?"
"Everything seems fine, but it just feels off," Cui Ming replied. "True, she exhibits the shyness, experiences, and preferences of a fourteen-year-old girl. However, think back to when we saw her; she walked very naturally. Also, her clothes are all high-end, perfectly matching her appearance and height. How could a blacksmith raised in the countryside have such taste?"
Eva pondered for a moment before asking, "So who is she?"
"I don't know," Cui Ming said. "But I sensed elements of dark magic." In Cui Ming's Fate Card, the Force Practitioners exhibited ripples; each person's ripples were unique due to their characteristics, much like fingerprints. Cui Ming relied on this to discern friend from foe. Both Annie and Eva shared a commonality in their ripples—they both carried a dark aura. Eva indeed practiced dark magic within the Magic System to enhance her Force's offensive capabilities and increase the damage of Painful Venomous Sting against opponents. But what about Annie?
After a long silence, Eva mused, "Wandering speculated that Fire Cult Practitioners are Half-Beasts. Due to millennia of evolution, they appear very human but retain some distinct features. If Annie were not fourteen but twenty-four, with such skin and those adorable big eyes—what would that imply?"
Cui Ming replied, "It's possible. We have two scenarios: if Annie realizes something is off with us, she will definitely arrange an ambush. If she doesn't notice anything wrong and joins us on Holy Mountain, we will surely be exposed by the Fire Cultists. Regardless of what happens, we need to secure a vote in Twilight City."
Eva said, "Let's dismiss the second scenario. If it's the first one, it means Annie might be able to contact reinforcements."
Cui Ming took out a piece of paper and wrote down a number. "When you contact your associates, have them call this number for me and ask if Mi Xiaoji, Mi Xiaonan, or Mi Xiaomo are in Twilight City. If they are, have them come to pick up the train—just hang around near the train station without making an appearance. Also notify Raefus to head straight to Twilight City. If Annie is indeed part of the Fire Cult, we can't rule out that she might be acting alongside someone from The Holy See; we need to secure that vote. Once that's done, we'll interrogate her using Painful Venomous Sting to extract everything about the Fire Cult Practitioner."
Eva nodded and asked, "What if Xiaomi isn't there?"
"This number belongs to Prince Jayce of Twilight City; have him gather some reinforcements. Let him know we're traveling with a dangerous individual—Jayce is smart; he'll know what to do." (To be continued.)
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