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Seeing this, Aston assumed that Chi Que was shocked by the secret behind it, and couldn't help but sigh, "However, I only recently received this news, and when I found out, I was just as surprised as you."

No, I don't think we were surprised in a different direction.

Chi Que mentally scoffed, suspecting that the rumors about the so-called high-ranking officials of the Demon Kingdom were actually just hearsay.

"So?" he said with a hint of amusement, "Your Grace, you also want to use your culinary skills to curry favor?"

Upon hearing this, Aston frowned slightly, clearly disapproving of Chi Que's mention of "climbing the social ladder."

He slowly shook his head: "Climbing the social ladder? That's too much of a stretch. I just want to borrow the legacy of those who came before me."

Is there any fundamental difference?

Chi Que thought to himself.

He followed up on Aston's question by asking, "So what are you planning to do? Just take the food and knock on the castle gates?"

Aston, clearly having planned ahead, ignored Chi Que's witty remark and said, "Performing is naturally the most direct way, but before that, I need to confirm whether your culinary skills live up to the hype."

He paused, his gaze sharpening: "After all, rumors are rumors, but the plan cannot afford to fail."

Chi Que moved slightly.

Aston turned slightly to the side, gesturing an invitation: "My estate is not far outside the city, a tranquil place with plenty of ingredients. Why don't we go now? Let me see it for myself."

Chi Que took a half step back, increasing the distance between himself and Aston: "This isn't a good idea. After all, I'm just a cook with no fighting ability. I'm really worried about leaving the city rashly."

Although he knew the other party probably didn't know his identity, he was still uneasy about going to someone else's territory.

Besides, it seems he hasn't agreed yet?

Aston's gentle expression faltered slightly, but after a moment, his smile returned: "It was my oversight. In this instance, it's always good to be cautious."

"However," he then changed the subject, coaxingly adding, "you must understand that if you can use this opportunity to establish a relationship with the Duchess and obtain an invitation to the secret banquet, it will undoubtedly be much easier."

Chi Que weighed the pros and cons in his mind. As someone who never puts all his eggs in one basket, he admitted that Aston was right. Whether he could get an invitation to the celebration was still uncertain.

"But the manor is far too private," he said slowly. "How about this, we find a public, neutral, third-party venue?"

Aston raised an eyebrow slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "A third party... well, how about the Blood Moon Church?"

The church?

The flaws in the pool prompted me to reflect.

It's an acceptable suggestion.

"No problem," he readily agreed.

This surprised Aston. He had thought that Chi Que would make additional demands, but he did not expect him to agree so readily. Little did he know that Chi Que had his own ulterior motives.

After passing through several more streets filled with the stench of blood, a majestic vermilion church came into view.

Chi Que raised an eyebrow. In terms of form, it was not much different from what he had seen before, except that it was larger.

This must have been Aston's first visit. He strolled into the church, where a priest immediately greeted him: "Sir Aston, are you here today for Mass or confession?"

He gave a graceful bow before speaking, "No, I've come today to ask the church for a small favor. I'd like to borrow the church's kitchen to try making the Holy Communion as recorded in history."

Chi Que's lips twitched.

God's Special Holy Communion.

But it doesn't seem to make any mistakes.

The priest hesitated for a moment before speaking with some difficulty, "This... I'm afraid it will be a bit troublesome. The church kitchen is a sacred place, and outsiders must have the bishop's permission to use it."

"It's alright," Aston waved his hand. "Then please convey our message to His Holiness the Bishop."

The priest left, and Aston turned around, smiling at Chi Que: "Then let's wait here for a while."

After saying that, he walked straight into the crowd of worshippers and began to worship in a very serious manner.

—Increasing proficiency in noble professions.

Chi Que did not go to the service, since he could not improve his proficiency in that way. Instead, he sat down in the church's rest area and looked around at the interior decorations of the Blood Moon Church.

Although it is called the Blood Moon, the church's murals are not actually blasphemous. On the contrary, they reveal a sense of holiness and even correspond to the mythology in the book that Chi Que saw.

"The dragons also went to war with their messengers, but they were not victorious, and there was no place for them in the heavens anymore." Chi Que recalled the ancient texts, which corresponded to the content on the murals. It told the myth of the vice-ruler of the heavenly kingdom fighting against the demon king of the earth and finally casting him into the abyss.

The story should have ended there, but the murals reveal what happens next.

The vice-ruler of Heaven, leading one of the three stars in a war against God, fell from the earth into the underworld.

But the story doesn't end there.

The next mural depicts the red dragon launching another war against Heaven. Heaven's vice-ruler, hidden behind the clouds, seems to be observing something. And the outcome of this earth-shattering battle—

It hasn't been drawn yet.

"You lazy bum!" Chi Que howled in his mind. "And what the hell is this Heavenly Vice-Lord?! Did he stitch together the spirit origins of Lucifer and Michael? Don't make your brother laugh."

However, despite his complaints, he knew that the outcome of this great battle would likely be the destruction of the Ancient Kingdom.

"But if the plot has been altered like this, what are the churches worshipping?" he suddenly thought.

So Chi Que looked toward the very center of the chapel.

There stands a huge sculpture there, its face blurred and indistinct, as if the facial features had been deliberately erased.

But he noticed a small red mark between his eyebrows.

"Is that a cinnabar mole between the eyebrows that they learned from the Eastern Heavenly Court?" Chi Que quipped, then suddenly realized something was off.

That crimson hue seemed to be emitted from something embedded within it.

He squinted, trying his best to see.

Look closely, it's... a blood moon.

He looked somewhat familiar.

"Wait a minute." Chi Que suddenly realized something. "That thing... it looks like...?"

He finally saw it clearly.

It was a mirror, but instead of reflecting the scene inside the church, it strangely reflected a blood moon.

......

Chi Que had a nightmare.

He sat up abruptly in bed, panting heavily.

However, he had forgotten what nightmares were.

Thankfully, it was just a dream.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, got up and put on his shoes. The silver moon outside the window had just passed its zenith; it was still a long time before dawn.

He went to the restroom, and while washing his hands, he suddenly noticed that the mirror in front of him was foggy.

So he reached out to wipe it.