He is the leader of the Tantric sect in Chagdu.

"One hour ago"

A trip planned on the spur of the moment will inevitably have everything in place during the preparation stage, but once the journey begins, just like the great barrier protected by Reimu, strange changes will keep emerging.

First, Lin raised a question: "Now that you're a high school student, the three of us... don't seem like a family with a single mother anymore, but have you ever thought—this combination is still weird?"

"really."

It can only be said that there has been some improvement, but not much.

"At least now I won't be mistaken for a child trafficker... Do you think I don't want to become more mature? It's just that I don't have enough raw materials."

Along the way, Ai... now Ailian, was still struggling with the image of his new disguise—a seventeen-year-old high school student from the lower city, a full twenty centimeters taller than the previous gray fox. But this was not without its price; as compensation for the extra height, his half-human-length tail was gone.

This is a huge loss.

At this stage, the art of invisibility still has to abide by the law of conservation of energy, so this exchange is normal. But Ellen only recently learned how important a tail is to a leopard fox—at first, he almost couldn't even walk, and was mocked by Lin the whole way.

Fortunately, Ellen didn't just chat idly along the way; she also took the opportunity to get a lot of information about the esoteric world from Neh.

"A qualified person? I'm a qualified person now, right...? Stage zero, which is basically a newbie."

"What do I need to do next? First, let it sprout, then collect the criteria, the criteria form the tendency, the tendency determines the path—and then I can go through that white door and enter the depths of the Great Gift Pool... I think I understand."

Ultimately, we must first gather grief.

Ellen organized the known information—

I've barely figured out the first two levels of the "Path of Ascension": the zero-level "Qualified Ones" who can see the Great Gift Pool but haven't yet sprouted their potential, and the first-level "Inclined Ones" who have successfully sprouted their potential, constructed their inclinations using the criteria, chose their path, and finally passed through the gate to truly enter the Great Gift Pool.

Ellen wanted to know more, but Nee shook his head and refused to answer, meaning: let's explore the area ahead later.

"Alright..."

Eileen had no choice but to comply, but she also remembered the unfinished topic from before: "Nie, did you know me before?"

Lin didn't hear this, nor did she use a more direct question—even though he had already vaguely sensed that Nie had a close relationship with the mysterious original body from three months ago.

But as long as Nee herself doesn't want to talk about it, Ellen is still willing to help her maintain this fragile tacit understanding.

Unexpectedly, Nie did not show any resistance at first. She was just stunned, and then silently hugged Ellen's waist and buried her face in his vest.

"I think I understand."

Eileen sighed. In truth, he didn't understand anything. He could only sense Nie's closeness to him from her attitude... Perhaps there was also a part of her dependence that couldn't be fulfilled for the time being?

Unfortunately, he couldn't handle these feelings right now and could only awkwardly change the subject—

"Next...we're going to explore that place, Nie. Don't you really have anything you want to say to me?"

Well, it seems Ellen hasn't given up yet.

"..." Nie pondered for a moment, then replied softly, "Be careful, Foundation."

"The Foundation?" Eileen frowned.

A name I've never heard of.

"Hmm, the Foundation—"

Nirvana takes a deep breath:

"The Trinity Foundation is the only officially recognized 'official' entity within the Nest in the realm of the Invisible Arts. It is fully responsible for all media related to the Invisible Arts within the Nest—including mystical items, secret knowledge about the Grand Pool and the Celestial Regalia, as well as secret transmissions, rituals, qualified individuals, and so on."

They are everywhere and at all times.

Ailian's expression was solemn.

Nirvana continued:

"Of course, the term 'invisible art' is actually used by the esoteric sects. On the Foundation's side, they call it 'mysticism,' and the esoteric practitioners are called 'mystic scholars.'"

In addition, "Sichen" is referred to as "Supreme Divinity," and "Invisible Arts" is described as "Mystic Arts"... Their deliberate distinction in terminology is not without reason; it is mainly to sever ties with clandestine organizations in the private sector...

Eileen tilted her head: "Why?"

Why?

Nie pursed his lips:

In fact, the term "esoteric Buddhism" has a derogatory connotation. Even if it has a certain audience in some works, it is only allowed to be mentioned in themes such as "urban legends and mysterious stories".

And the cultists... are even more taboo, they are madmen who walk outside the law, demons in the darkness—kidnapping, fraud, murder... as well as live sacrifice and flesh rituals, these are all part of their daily lives, and even the most rampant mafia cannot touch even a fraction of the cult's ugliness.

Even a portion of the laws of the hive city were insufficient to judge their sins; their humanoid bodies could not contain their deformed and twisted souls.

The scariest thing is...

Nie paused for a few seconds, then continued:

"The scariest thing is that most of these seemingly exaggerated claims are actually true."

Eileen: "..."

Oh no, this is a complete disaster.

His situation was worse than he had imagined.

He started to sweat. The cosplay outfit he'd taken out of Lin's closet was just as cheap as her figurines—completely unbreathable. Although the city's air circulation system was in disrepair, resulting in nighttime temperatures only in the single digits, he was still drenched in sweat.

Her last shred of hope was dashed, and now there was no way out. If the authorities recognized her and arrested her, her headshot would likely be shown on various channels starting the next day, leading to a spectacular "live trial" that would break the city's legal channel ratings for the past decade, and her life, along with Ai's, would be recorded as a major achievement in the law enforcement department's file.

Fortunately, the original owner's information was deleted along with the think tank's blacklist from the very beginning, without leaving any trace; otherwise, he would have had to be reopened twice.

It's a stroke of luck amidst misfortune...

Ellen took a breath and looked up to find that she had unknowingly arrived at the boarding station. She squeezed into the station and realized that she didn't need to buy a ticket. There was no one on duty in this godforsaken place.

Looking at the war-damaged waiting hall around them, Lin couldn't help but sigh: No wonder it's a place that connects to the far suburbs. The organization responsible for operating this place has probably been bought off by shady businesses long ago. Of the dozens of carriages, five are used to carry passengers with ulterior motives, and the rest are used to haul goods—besides moon sugar and illegal drugs, the idle population of the lower city is also a kind of commodity.

The outskirts of the city don't mind having too many people. Besides being cannon fodder in daily battles, they are also used as sacrificial offerings for esoteric religions, or to cater to the special tastes of certain leaders—living people, beautiful humanoid subspecies, non-human subspecies, women, technicians, cubs... No matter what kind of intelligent beings they are, they are all real commodities with real value, and there is no worry about sales or circulation.

Eileen felt a little nauseous: "Isn't anyone going to do anything about this?"

"The lower city is also a nest." Lin, who was walking ahead, glanced at Ellen and explained in five simple words.

She propped her head up, pacing back and forth with an air of nonchalance. "Not to mention the outskirts, which are part of the lower city... well, how should I put it... people need to poop, nests need to excrete, disgusting things always need a place to go, otherwise they will seep into the order and make everything smell bad."

"However, when there is too much garbage, scavengers will come."

Lin has completely let loose; the little restraint she had left is rapidly disappearing from her body, and her behavior is visibly plummeting below acceptable levels.

"Those scumbags who live by eating shit gather together as soon as they smell it, and then start exchanging their experiences of eating shit. Gradually, they become a menace to the area, euphemistically called 'management'... In reality, they do things like animals, turning that place into an even dirtier and smellier den."

"Be careful, there are children around..." Eileen reminded him helplessly. Lin also toned it down a bit, and sighed as she concluded:

"Even you, Sister Lin, sometimes wish you could be like the hot-blooded protagonist in a shonen manga and give all that trash to TuTu."

"There might be an opportunity in the future..." Ellen chuckled twice, then fell silent.

Having stayed in the comfort zone of the city for too long, he had almost forgotten that this was the Nest, and the Nest never lacked a shadowy side.

Perhaps sitting on a train, you can hear screams and cries for help coming from the carriage behind you—those barbaric and naked atrocities have never been deliberately concealed, because everyone is too busy and tired, and even if they still have the ability to empathize, they don't have time to pray for others.

The ground beneath my feet is no longer fertile ground where compassion and kindness can grow.

"I also want to grieve for them, but then I suddenly realize that this is the Nest."

He silently said to himself—at this moment, his eyes were dry, his red eyes were silent, and the seed in the soil in front of the door was crying out in distress. It felt its master's soul trembling, but no nutrients flowed out.

Failed.

Eileen sighed. He also wanted to seize the opportunity to collect "nourishment," but in the end, he couldn't fool his own empathy—his subconscious kept reminding him that this grief was too broad and too empty, and the seed that had not yet sprouted could not accept this kind of nourishment.

Perhaps, only when his mind matures further, and his desire grows strong enough to understand and process the suffering of the masses, can he transform this emotion into real power.

"...That's really quite idealistic."

He vaguely realized... this might be the essence of the invisible art, called the Line of Boundaries, the axis for measuring height—only by walking on this path can it be called the "Path of Ascension".

The current Ai, a weak gray fox, can hardly understand the suffering of individuals. She can only do her best to "lick" the misfortunes of those around her and carefully absorb meager nourishment.

But if he climbs high enough, to the top of a mountain or a tower, he no longer needs to "lick" the top; he can directly "taste," "understand," and even "accommodate" those more magnificent ideas.

The art of the intangible resides in the realm of the three cavities, the passage between the skull, chest, and abdomen, and the height of the body, mind, and spirit—this originates from the power of "cognition" and "mind." Deception cannot bypass the mind; only when the mind triumphs over material things can true "ascension" be achieved.

In that idealistic red pool, he had only just begun his journey.

Nie walked behind Eileen, the girl keenly sensing the unease in the person before her. She vaguely glimpsed the drop of nourishment hanging in the air, first lost in thought, then relieved—

No rush, there are still many opportunities and plenty of time.

"Brother..." Nie tugged at Eileen's clothes. The fox had grown quite a bit taller and no longer looked like the girl's age. So before setting off, the two fabricated a "brother and sister" relationship to make it more believable.

"Look there."

She pointed to a spot not far away, and at the same time, the principle of silence once again enveloped the surrounding area.

Ellen became alert, directing Lin not to run around while looking in the direction Nie pointed: a giant GG sign came into view, which was also being used as a train number indicator for this station.

He quickly discovered the key point: the nearest bus seemed to have left two hours ago—wasn't he late?

"Actually, it's just in time. It's a bus going to the suburbs... A two-hour delay is considered early, and a three-hour delay is considered on the hour." Lin seemed quite calm about it. "They have a side business. They need to load and unload goods at unmanned stations along the way."

"Too……"

"Never mind the license plate...look down, there are two people there."

Nie was speechless at their reactions and could only add, "One was wearing a tall hat, and the other was an old man."

After Nie's reminder, Ellen also noticed the strange pair: a girl in a top hat and formal dress, whose face was obscured, and a middle-aged man in a trench coat with a brooding air about him—"What's wrong with those two?"

"That's the foundation."

Nie's simple words shocked Eileen: "The Foundation has three main departments... those two people should be agents from the Countermeasures Bureau."

"They carry the scent of multiple criteria... They could very well be high-level agents, or perhaps already 'leaky,' so we must be careful."

Nie forced a serious expression from her cute little face. Ellen casually slapped away Lin's hand that was about to pinch the little one's cheek, grabbed her ear, and made sure the silencing spell would make the restless girl feel pain and be silent: "Don't be so impulsive at this crucial moment."

Observing the two men's actions carefully, he adjusted his glasses and said softly, "What do we do now? Should we try to dodge them?"

Nephew's power is truly convenient; there's absolutely no need to worry about being passively exposed. Ellen is becoming increasingly reliant on this little guy—he's using the advantages Nephew brings to plot: "Lin should be fine; her file is still clean, so it doesn't matter if she's discovered. But with 'Ai,' it's still best to be cautious...right?"

"It's okay."

A rainbow flashed across Nemu's pupils, and the next instant, Eileen exclaimed in surprise as she summoned her knowledge panel, only to find that the information there had been completely altered—"Dora Nemu, you're amazing!"

He adjusted his glasses, a hazy glint in his eyes. "This way... we've freed up some room to maneuver."

Ai might be a wicked cultist, a genuinely wicked fox.

But what does this have to do with Ellen?

Eileen blinked behind her glasses: "Eileen is just a newbie to the world of mystery. In society, she's still a high school student who hasn't even reached adulthood. She's never done anything wrong, never abused her powers, is diligent and studious, low-key and kind, and full of aspirations for justice. She has the grand ideal of becoming a Phantom Thief of Hearts. But because of the low employment rate in Northern River, in order to have a stable life in the future, she decided to make a living using the occult. On her way to find opportunities, she encountered the Foundation. As long as these guys offer a high enough price, Eileen is willing to work for them."

Who says Ellen can't be a member of the Countermeasures Bureau?

Moreover, if we perform well... perhaps we'll even have bodyguards to explore the outskirts.

The principles of the "moth" are infused with passion, and at this moment, it begins to stir—an excited buzzing and vigorous wing flapping spread from the scar on its abdomen.

The moth craves behavior that conforms to the characteristics of the norm; it attempts to raise the ritual and offer a grand, invisible deception!

Enter the strange thief of the heart, Ai Gonglian Ginseng.

Watch closely, this is how you use the power of online aliases!

"I feel... I can help too." Lin pinched her chin, feeling her fangirl spirit burning—that little girl hiding under the hat, she smells so good!

Without even needing to discuss specific plans, the three of them tacitly boarded another carriage as the train pulled into the station, waiting for unrelated people to leave on their own, thus beginning this predetermined "encounter".

Lin took the lead: If you think it's too difficult, then I'll go up and expand the domain first—

She skipped and hopped over to the pretty girl, the female office worker flashing her sweetest smile:

"Hello, may I sit here?"

……

...

That's the story...

Eileen wiped the sweat from her forehead and the thin layer of condensation on her glasses, solemnly concluding this "colorless lie"—

"As newcomers to this path, we may not be able to seize this opportunity... The mysterious man's will tells us to go to the outskirts, which is an adventure for us. It is dangerous there, with man-eating dogs and wolves everywhere."

"So, we need help, senior. If you don't mind, perhaps we could... travel together? We can give up the mysterious item mentioned in the will, hoping to make friends on this path of ascension and, incidentally, find a foothold—"

His attitude was humble and sincere, his gray eyes like those of a bewildered wild deer, reserved yet bright, lively and radiant:

"Can we become companions?"

"..."

Virtue and Sherlock exchanged a glance. The latter pursed his lips, made a funny face, and remained silent, yet it seemed as if he had said everything.

The girl could only sigh, and then said helplessly:

"All right."

...

The moth's joy leaped onto her brow—Eileen's eyes narrowed into squinty ones.

Tsk, as expected of the three of us!