Secrets: Priestess

Chapter 155 Visit and Inspection
"Perhaps, you really are a 'wise man'."

Tessa sighed softly, then suddenly smiled at Xio's puzzled gaze. "Since you're asking for instructions... then tell your captain that bar has some vacant space that could be converted into a 'black market' venue. Ask her to consider it. I'll only charge a small fee for the use of the venue, which is much more cost-effective than renting space everywhere."

Xio didn't refuse this time, because the decision-making power lay with the captain. She nodded and said, "I'll pass it on."

"Speaking of which, the way you organize the party is pretty barbaric."

Intending to build a good relationship with the Red Gloves team that Xio was in, Tessa said:

"Even if you have the Church of Evernight as your backer, such a crude way of organizing the event won't reassure your real customers. After all, the 'customers' don't know you have a backer. It could also easily attract investigations from other official organizations, which would significantly impact business."

Xio was very concerned about organizing the party. He looked at Tessa curiously and asked, "Miss Persland, do you have any other suggestions?"

Tessa said, "I know there's a party tonight at 7:55. Are you interested in going? See how Backlund's secret party works."

Xio was quite interested. She was interested in how secret gatherings operated, and was also interested in these extraordinary gatherings themselves. She looked at Fors, seeking her companion's opinion.

Fors nodded imperceptibly. She believed that if the woman beside her wanted to murder them, she wouldn't have to go to such great lengths.

Thinking about it the other way around, it would actually be safer to attend gatherings of other extraordinary people with the introduction of such a powerful person.

The destination was in the Backlund Bridge area, not too far from their current location. Tessa hired a carriage. Inside the carriage, after isolating it from the outside world with magical items, she introduced it to Xio:
"For the sake of secrecy and safety, these gatherings are held at irregular times. They're convened using advertisements in newspapers. Participants use codewords hidden in the newspapers to determine the time for the next gathering. The location, however, won't be easily changed unless something unexpected happens."

Xio listened attentively and even asked the writer Fors for the small notebook he carried with him. He began to take notes and asked, "Why won't the location be easily changed? Is it a matter of capital costs?"

Hugh, who was busy looking for a meeting place, had some experience in this regard.

Tessa nodded. "That's the main reason. Also, places like these often harbor various tactics or arrangements used by the organizers of the gatherings, and these arrangements are difficult to change. Also, familiar locations give regulars a sense of security."

Watching Xio write down these experiences on paper, Tessa introduced the more regular attendees of the gathering: "Although this is a gathering of relatively low-level Beyonders, there is a 'Pharmacist' and a spokesperson for the 'Craftsman', both of whom are regular attendees of this gathering. Sometimes they sell some more practical consumables."

"Pharmacist?" Xio and Fors asked in surprise almost at the same time.

"What? Are you looking for a pharmacist?"

This wasn't something that needed to be hidden. Quinn nodded and said, "We're looking for the 'Pharmacist's' potion formula."

Audrey's friend, Viscount Glint, who is also keen on pursuing mystery, has been looking for the "pharmacist's" potion formula and wants to become a "pharmacist".

Xio and Fors, the two extraordinary people, were naturally entrusted with finding the formula for the "Pharmacist" potion.

Tessa shook her head and said, "Pharmacists are all master-apprentice. Even if you find a pharmacist, it's difficult to trade potion formulas from him. You're looking for the 'pharmacist' for potion formulas on commission, right? Is the reward for the commission generous?"

Xio didn't understand why Tessa asked that, so she explained, "The Pharmacist is a Sequence 9, and he knows a thing or two about prices... so the reward won't be too outrageous."

Tessa gave a bewitching smile. "The recipe for the 'Pharmacist' potion is incredibly rare. In fact, killing a 'Pharmacist' also grants you their Beyonder characteristics. These Beyonder characteristics released after death are equivalent to a corresponding potion. And it's all done in one go, saving you the trouble of gathering ingredients and preparing the potion."

Xio just remained silent and completely ignored Tessa's instigation.

When the hired carriage arrived at Iron Gate Street in the Backlund Bridge area, it was still some time before the agreed time.

Before getting off the car, Tessa suddenly produced three sets of black robes that concealed her appearance and handed them to Xio and Fors, "Take them and cover yourself up."

The black robe Tessa gave Fors fit her well, but it was too heavy for the petite Hugh. However, Hugh was very experienced and used some of the materials he had with him to pad his height...

Xio's actions made Fors laugh with her hands covering her mouth.

He laughed so hard that he couldn't even think of using the three-pointed spear in his hand to help Fors fix it.

After getting off the carriage, Xio and Fors saw a bar with a sign that read "The Brave." A burly man nearly two meters tall was guarding the black wooden door.

"The party is at the bar?" Hugh asked Tessa in a low voice, putting on his large hood.

Tessa shook her head and said, "No, but this bar is somehow related to the party. We can wait here for a while since the time is not up yet."

The two followed Tessa into the bar. The burly man guarding the door looked at them but did not stop them from pushing the door open. However, when Tessa and the others pushed the door open, the smell of alcohol wafting from the bar made his throat move slightly.

The bar had just opened, so there weren't many customers.

Hugh saw two tables in the middle of the bar. On one table, two boxers were waiting for their fight, and on the other table, a game of dog and rat was being played. These were the usual gambling methods in the bar.

The bloody and bizarre game of animals killing each other can greatly arouse the emotions of the spectators. Thousands of mice usually die in a game of dog catching mice.

The later it gets at night, the bloodier the rules of the game become, so the animal game is more popular than the boxing match next to it, and the amount of gambling involved is also astonishing.

Tessa had no interest in this "game" at all. She was fascinated by the boxing match on the other side. She still remembered that when she was in Tingen, Claire would often participate in the boxing matches at the Dragon Bar at night. Tessa drove Claire late at night and provided her with many massage services.

Those peaceful and comfortable days were only three months ago, but now it seems like a lifetime ago.

As the night deepened, more and more people came to the bar, and the atmosphere became increasingly noisy. Xio held a wooden cup filled with beer but did not take a sip, while Fors, fitting in with the atmosphere, lit a cigarette and puffed away.

Many of the guests here were dressed in strange clothes, and the black robes worn by the three of them were not the most eye-catching.

Tessa checked the time on her pocket watch again and reminded the two, "It's almost time. Follow me."

Tessa came to a billiard room where a fifty-year-old man with a big nose was playing billiard with his opponent.

Tessa walked in and called out, "Caspers."

The sound was neither loud nor soft, just loud enough to be heard in this room. The opponent who was playing billiards with Callepas stopped playing tacitly after hearing the name, and then left.

Caspar, who was left behind, limped over and asked politely, "What do you three want?"

"Two iron masks." Tessa took out two 2-pound notes and threw them towards Caspars, and the notes fell accurately into his hands.

Caspar saw the money and grinned, "Wait a minute."

After a while, Caspar brought over two iron masks that only covered the upper half of his face. He handed them to Tessa and asked, "Do you still need me to lead the way?"

There were three people who came, and they only had two iron masks. Kaspars could naturally tell that one of them was an old guest.

Tessa handed the mask to Xio and Fors behind her and refused, "No thanks." After packing up, Tessa took Xio and Fors through the secret door of the bar to the alley outside the backyard. After turning around and around, they arrived in front of a dark house.

Tessa knocked on the door of the house according to the code mentioned in the newspaper: 7 heavy and 1 light, 6 long and 1 short.

"What's the purpose of this code?" Xio asked.

"To prevent others from walking in by mistake," Tessa explained.

During the brief question and answer session, the small wooden board on the door was silently opened, and an eye appeared from the crack of the door, looking them up and down.

Tessa revealed the iron mask under her hood, and the door creaked open, revealing a waiter wearing the same iron mask standing behind it.

Several hooded robes were hanging from his arms. He looked at the black hooded robes that Tessa and the others had put on. He was silent for a second, then said to them in a hoarse voice, "You... follow me."

The waiter wearing an iron mask closed the door and led Tessa and the others through the dark living room into the living room on the first floor.

In the living room, only a candle was lit on the coffee table.

The faint light made the entire room dim and deep.

In his heart, Xio compared the environment of this gathering with that of Mr. A's gathering. This one seemed more mysterious and spooky, but Xio guessed that this difference... was probably because the host here was not as confident in his strength as Mr. A.

At this time, there were about ten people sitting on the sofas and chairs around the coffee table, all dressed in hooded robes and iron-colored masks.

Tessa and the others found three high stools at the side and sat down. From the moment they entered until now, the living room had been almost frozen in silence, with no one saying a word.

When the wall clock precisely pointed to 7:55, an old voice came from the single sofa in the middle: "It's time, let's get started. No need to wait for those who are late."

The old man who spoke was respected here as the "Eye of Wisdom" and was the organizer of this gathering.

Just as the Eye of Wisdom spoke, a hoarse voice came from the middle area: "I want to sell potion formulas."

"Sequence 9 'Singer' and Sequence 8 'Light-Prayer' of the Church of the Eternal Sun."

"The former is 220 pounds, the latter is 450 pounds."

This voice immediately attracted everyone's attention, but the man sitting in the middle remained indifferent and calmly waited for everyone's offer.

"Actually, I might consider buying it." A chubby-faced man laughed and said, "I could take in another apprentice, give him these two formulas, and have him pray specifically for light on my herbs. Perfect! Luxurious!"

Xio's eyes immediately turned to the person who spoke. When they came, Tessa described the appearance of the "pharmacist" in the party to them, and from the word "herbs" in this person's words, it was not difficult to guess that this person was the "pharmacist"!
Although the pharmacist was the first to speak, his words were frivolous and clearly a joke. It was obvious that this pharmacist was a person with an eccentric personality.

In the end, the two related potion formulas were bought by another person with a shrill voice for a total of 600 pounds.

Xio also took the opportunity to see that the transaction process was completed under the witness of the "Eye of Wisdom".

To be precise, it was done with the witness of a ring.

The "Eye of Wisdom" took out a ring inlaid with many tiny diamonds from his pocket, and in the middle of the ring was a green gem that looked like an eye.

After the "Eye of Wisdom" put on the ring, the emerald gem on the ring suddenly burst into a brilliant golden light as the old man closed his eyes.

The Eye of Wisdom quickly let the gem on the ring touch the potion formula that the waiter held in front of him. As the golden light became purer and purer, it eventually evolved into a seal-like projection.

"True and effective!" The old man "Eye of Wisdom" declared in a deep voice, and immediately took off the ring, not daring to wear it for one more second.

This didn't seem like Flora's "appraisal"... Quinn mentally compared the ring's abilities with those of his companion, Viper.

But apparently, this is also a magical item that can support the transaction of extraordinary items! It is the core of the success of this party!
After this witness, the transaction was quickly concluded. Xio glanced at the trader sitting in the middle. After receiving the banknotes, the man in black robe counted them three times!

He looks like a person who is used to being poor...

At this time, the pharmacist who was being watched by Xio spoke again: "I brought a few sedatives."

The pharmacist called out several times, as if he was looking for someone, but no one responded.

Xio heard the pharmacist muttering, "That guy didn't come this time? Maybe he died somewhere..."

Then the pharmacist shouted again, "I want to buy the medullary crystal of the Elf Spring. Who has it?"

Judging from the reactions of the others, this pharmacist has asked to purchase this extraordinary material many times at the party.

Tessa next to her had an idea. She remembered that at the Tarot gathering two days ago, she heard that the new member "World" had sought to purchase three extraordinary materials: the real roots of the Mist Tree Man, the entire spinal fluid of the Evil-Striped Black Panther, and the medullary crystals of the Elf Spring.

Coincidence? Tessa pondered, subtly paying a little more attention to the black-robed figure sitting in the middle area.

At this time, Xio asked the pharmacist, "Sir, if I find the medullary crystals from the Elven Spring, can I exchange them for the 'Pharmacist's' potion formula?"

"Why are so many people looking for the 'Pharmacist' potion formula recently..."

Hearing Xio's question, the round-faced pharmacist muttered something, looked in Xio's direction, coughed lightly, and replied, "I also said at the previous party that I can't trade with the 'Pharmacist' potion formula. I can only teach my formula to my students."

Since Tessa had warned him in advance, Hugh was disappointed but not surprised.

But the round-faced pharmacist added, "However, I can tell you where to get the 'Pharmacist's' potion formula. It's in Backlund."

Xio showed a delighted expression. Although the medullary crystals of the Elf Spring were also difficult to find, at least there was a direction for Viscount Greylint's commission.

Xio was very grateful to Viscount Greylint for taking care of her and Fors. Although they had always dealt fairly with each other, Xio, who believed in repaying a favor, still wanted to help Viscount Greylint find the "pharmacist" formula he had been longing for.

On the other side, Tessa, who was carefully observing the black-robed man in the middle, noticed that when the round-faced pharmacist said this, the black-robed man's sitting posture became unnatural for a very brief moment.

……

In Earl Hall's luxurious mansion, after a long silence, Audrey finally accepted Claire's invitation and agreed to join her team.

After this, the atmosphere between the two of them relaxed considerably. Claire also wanted to talk about something relaxing, so she brought up Audrey's good friend, Viscount Grallint.
"Come to think of it, Viscount Greylint has always wanted to become a Beyonder, right? Why did he insist on finding the 'Pharmacist' formula? Because most of them are based on a master-apprentice system, and Beyonders through this path are hard to find."

(End of this chapter)