13 Mink Street

“Dad, Mom, you—”

Santos shushed her with a gesture, and Ashley’s mouth snapped shut. Then, her mother, Celina, took the fountain pen from her daughter. She twisted the cap off, and then flicked the pen downward. Three black butterflies flew out, and one landed on each of the faces of the three people present.

Once the butterflies landed, their wings spread open, creating a curtain of black light that wrapped around each person’s head. This was a method of communication that was similar to the black crows, but when compared to the black crows, this was much more secure. It also allowed for far more information to be transmitted, and it could even support communication across some distance. There was only one drawback: the materials needed were quite expensive. Because of this, the Church of Order’s priests preferred to simply use Arts paper, or even tear some fabric from their priest’s robes, and fold a black crow from that. Most people were not willing to use these butterflies.

Santos and Celina had not brought any with them, because they had no use for such a form of communication during regular days within the research institute. They had specialized assistants and demonic beasts assigned to them who were responsible for communication. However, they knew their daughter carried one, and at this moment, this method of communicating was the safest option.

Celina said, “Hah... that cat’s bone age places her close to two hundred years old.”

Santos said, “That dog’s bone age is only eight years.”

“In every single strand of that cat’s fur, I detected remnants of fire-attribute power. The amount is minuscule, to the point that it can almost be ignored, yet every strand has it. Every last one. Even a top-tier demonic beast would find it difficult to pull something like this off. It’s like an ordinary person being unable to train every single part of their entire body into muscle. This means the cat I examined is currently in a weakened state, or else it was deliberately suppressing its power while in front of me. However, its foundation is far too perfect. It’s hard to imagine what kind of sight it would present at its peak, or if it stopped suppressing its power. A fire-attribute demonic beast that is able to refine its power into every part of its body! No, it has already completely integrated fire-attribute power with its body, and even its soul. I dare say that, to a certain extent, it once stood at the peak of the fire-attribute system.”

Santos said, “The dog I examined showed nothing abnormal in its fur. It’s just an ordinary dog.”

Ashley stood to the side. Despite hearing her parents’ conversation, she did not know what she should say. So not only was the black cat not an ordinary pet, it was even a top-tier demonic beast? When she thought back to how that black cat had been so affectionate to Karon in front of her, Ashley’s first thought had merely been that she was seeing the normal intimacy between a pet and its owner, but after understanding that the black cat was actually a top-tier demonic beast, the memory of that scene instantly looked completely different in her mind. A top-tier demonic beast was so affectionate to Karon?

Ashley then thought of the selection, and how Karon had carried a dead weight up the mountain, step by step, and had eventually even stopped to sit down in the middle of the path, as though preparing to guard the gate. Even then, he had allowed the three of them to go past him. That was absolute confidence that created a certain level of indifference.

Celina looked at her husband and asked, “Then why does your face look so awful?”

Santos swallowed. “The golden retriever I examined really is just an ordinary golden retriever, but have you ever seen a golden retriever with several hundred Church of Principle seals placed on it!”

At this point, Santos clearly became agitated. “What kind of dog would be worth placing several hundred Church of Principle seals on it? What kind of household would be willing to use several hundred seals on a dog?”

Finally, the man spread his hands open. “My guess is that there is a soul worthy of such treatment sealed within that dog. That dog should merely be a vessel.”

If Karon had been standing in the workroom at this moment and the three were not communicating through a special method so that he could hear their entire conversation, he probably would have been unable to stop himself from marveling: “Now that’s professionalism!”

“That cat, I measured its soul fluctuation. Although it was not strong, it was a very, very long time before I heard the echo.”

Ashley knew her mother was referring to an Art that was used to measure the soul strength of demonic beasts. It performed similarly to throwing a stone into a pond and using the echo to distinguish the depth. Humans and demonic beasts were the same. On the soul level, in terms of spirituality, both could be compared to a pond or a reservoir. A weak fluctuation meant the water was not particularly vast, while an echo that took a very long time meant that, setting aside the current amount held in that reservoir, the reservoir itself was extremely deep. From this, one could indirectly infer just how terrifying this demonic beast must have been when at its peak and when that reservoir had been filled.

After hearing this, Santos gave a bitter smile. “Even when I sent the dog away, I never heard the echo.”

Celina’s eyes bulged. Hearing this from her husband implied only one of two possibilities. The first was that the dog was dead, but clearly, it was alive. That possibility did not hold and could be immediately excluded. That left only the second possibility. When standing at the edge of that dog’s reservoir and that stone had been thrown downward... it had simply never landed.

Celina asked, “What exactly was the dog you examined?”

The cat she had examined could be compared to a top-tier demonic beast, as all of the details of the examination data matched. At the very least, there was a point of comparison. She could find corresponding examples in the top-tier demonic beasts she had handled in the past, and in notes left behind by generation after generation of her predecessors in the department. However, the dog her husband had examined...

Santos said, “If I’m not mistaken, what I examined should have been... a golden retriever?”

It sounded like an absurdly useless statement, but Celina knew that when it came to his professional field, her husband was famously averse to saying nonsense. For him to say such a thing meant that he was suffering a far greater shock than her, to the point that it was difficult to even fathom.

Santos continued, “Several hundred Church of Principle seals, and each seal is interlinked, fused together, and not in conflict with any of the others. The difficulty of fusing two seals is ten times the difficulty of having a single seal exist independently... Several hundred seals stacked together and operating harmoniously. That level of difficulty... I even suspect that the one who placed the seals on that dog must have been a Church of Principle Temple Elder... only someone truly at the top of the Church of Principle could have arranged such an inconceivable seal!”

“Is... is that for sure?” Celina asked.

“The head of our department’s array team isn’t capable of something like this, and even the heads of the array teams in the S-rank departments above us, the ones who specialize in sealing the remnant souls of monstrous beasts, could not do this. I am absolutely certain. Most importantly, that dog is still in good physical health. Heavens! There are several hundred seals on its body! That is the same as a person carrying more than a dozen mountains on his back while still remaining in good health! Putting everything else aside, if this dog were sent to the S-rank department above us and they used it as a blueprint for research, they would absolutely go mad over it! This dog is a living textbook! It could help even the S-rank department open up a new epoch in regards to sealing the souls of monstrous beasts! If it were sent over to the Church of Principle, no, if the Church of Principle merely learned of this dog’s existence, the directors of their departments corresponding to ours would probably come over en masse, kneel down and beg to take this dog at any cost!

“But all of that is still only the basic use and value of this dog! You cannot imagine exactly what is sealed inside of it, what could be worth this level of sealing!”

“Ashley.” Celina looked at her daughter. “Are those two really Karon’s pets?”

“Ye-yes.” Ashley was frightened by her parents’ conversation. Her voice almost sounded like she was about to cry. “Just now, outside, I even saw them being very affectionate to Karon.”

Santos and Celina exchanged glances. Celina said, “Let me summarize the exam results again. If that cat of mine is not deliberately suppressing its power, it must currently be in a weakened state. If it completely recovers, it will absolutely be a top-tier demonic beast. Also, while it appears to be only an ordinary cat, I can’t comprehend how it could possibly not have developed intelligence.

“Oh, it fooled me! That’s it. There’s no way it hasn’t developed intelligence, yet it acted like an ordinary cat. It is capable of extremely advanced thought, which means that its wisdom has matured to a level that surpasses even that of a top-tier demonic beast. If a family with a family faith system were to obtain this cat, that entire family would spare no cost to support this cat until it recovered to its peak. This cat alone could ensure the rise of an entire family! In addition, I detected a door inside that cat.”

“A door?” Santos asked in confusion. “A pact?”

“Yes. I didn’t dare investigate any further or probe for details. I was afraid of alerting the animal. However, though it remained unseen, I felt the existence of a door.”

Santos gritted his teeth and said, “A symbiotic pact.”

Celina was startled for a moment, but then nodded in agreement. “Guess who the symbiotic pact was signed with?”

There was no need for anyone to guess, as the answer was very obvious.

Celina let out a long breath and turned to her daughter, “Ashley, you should thank him for not choosing to stop you on that mountain. An existence capable of supporting a first-rate family faith system signed a symbiotic pact with him, just to support his personal development.”

“Mom, even without you telling me that, I already knew I wasn’t his match back then.”

When speech had become extremely difficult for Ashley, and even her thoughts had practically grown numb and chaotic, that fellow had still been able to speak with perfect fluency, and had mocked her without the slightest hint of mercy. At that moment, the gap between them had already been made very clear. Especially when Karon had sat to guard the path up the mountain, Ashley had clearly understood that if he wanted to stop her, she would absolutely not be able to pass.

Santos said, “There’s no need to summarize my examination of the dog. This is not a subject I am qualified to handle. I am completely unqualified, and my experience is lacking. I only want to say one thing: the Church of Principle and our Church of Order have always had a very good relationship. Also, according to a long-standing custom between the two churches, both sides will generally begin looking for a partner from the other church once they reach the level of Inquisitor. The Church of Principle provides the people of our Church of Order with support in regards to knowledge and experience, while we provide them with protection and the martial force they need to obtain various materials. While that sort of partnership is rare within our circles, for other departments of our church, it is practically an established convention.

“What I’m trying to say is, if the person from the Church of Principle is capable of arranging several hundred interlocking seals on that golden retriever, then their corresponding partner from our church...”

Celina said, “Could it be someone from Karon’s family?”

Santos continued, “And reconsider Chief Archbishop Wolfram’s attitude...”

Celina exclaimed, “There’s a Temple Elder in Karon’s family!”

A Temple Elder was someone who transcended every system and department to stand above the entire church. According to legend, the immediate family members of any Temple Elder could receive blessings from Order.

Celina could not help looking back at her daughter. In this world, when most mothers selected a son-in-law, it was not actually because they personally despised poverty and loved wealth, but because they were considering their daughters’ futures. As someone who had already gone through marriage, Celina clearly knew what appeared in life after the initial sweetness of affection passed in a marriage. Wealth might not be something they needed any longer, and what they cared about more was spiritual development, especially given that they were researchers. The annual funding the department received for projects had to be fought for by each office. Research had always been something that devoured resources. If your background was sufficiently impressive, not only would no one dare to fight you for funding and resources, you could even receive additional approvals and more comfortable research conditions, which could allow you to turn your ideas into reality. Most importantly, this young man was very handsome.

Ashley seemed to notice her mother’s thoughts and immediately said, “He doesn’t fancy me. He said I’m not pretty.”

Celina held her forehead.

Santos said, “Stop always thinking about these things. Ashley’s personality is different from yours or mine. In the future, she should just find a young man within the department, preferably someone with talent but no background. That way, after they get married, we can still keep an eye on them. Otherwise, I’m truly afraid that her rotten temper will cause her to start talking about divorce after just a few years of marriage.”

As a father, he could often see things more clearly.

“Alright, it’s time to go out. Hurry up and fix your mental states. As for his family background, it’s enough for us to be aware of it in our hearts, but we must keep this confidential. Karon’s family elders deliberately arranged for him to gain experience in this manner, so there’s no need for us to get involved. Watch your mouths.”

“I understand, Dad.” Ashley knew her father was speaking for her sake.

“It’s never wrong to build a good relationship. Even if we don’t consider his family background, his own talent means his future will not be lacking. This will not only help during the final selection and entering the Reincarnation Gate afterward, it will also be beneficial in the future.”

Celina reminded him, “The cultivation plans...”

“We’ll prepare them. Use cultivation plans for top-tier demonic beasts. The supplements that are needed, the reagents that should be given, and everything else, we’ll provide all of it. Deduct the cost from our allowances. It’s worth it.”

“Mhmm, it’s worth it.”

***

Karon continued to wait for the three people to come out of the workroom.

Pu’er was in his arms, and rather irritated. Although she had deliberately hidden herself as a normal cat, being referred to as ordinary still left her disgruntled. I may choose to live modestly, but you can’t call me shabby!

Alfred walked up behind Karon and placed a hand on his shoulder. His voice just reached Karon’s ears. “Young Master, the telephone in the workroom did not pick up any sound. Your servant suspects they are communicating silently by using communication Arts. Your servant believes they may already have detected abnormalities in Pu’er and Kevin.”

Karon nodded and answered quietly, “That’s normal. This is the bowl of sauce they are used to eating from.”

“Young Master, could something unexpected happen because of this?”

“No. I’m already used to this.”

“Hmm?” Alfred froze for a moment. “Your servant is dull and fails to understand your meaning, Young Master.”

“Don’t worry. They’ll fill in the blanks themselves.”

Karon lowered his head and glanced at the silver ring in his hand. “When I want to climb higher and develop myself more, it’s inevitable that people will notice things about me, but that’s not a major problem. As long as I don’t say anything out loud myself, people will only assume that my background is terrifying. Besides, my background really is terrifying.”

Having experienced many situations like this one, Karon felt that he had already grown somewhat accustomed to it. Although he and the captain were both hiding themselves, the two had chosen to take completely opposing paths. The captain was accustomed to hiding in the darkness, allowing no one to see his true self. Karon, on the other hand, liked to walk beneath the dim yellow streetlamps, listening to the whispers of people on both sides of the street while none could clearly see his face beneath the mask. In any case, before either man overplayed their hand, it was impossible to say whose path was better.

The workroom door was pushed open, and Santos stepped out with his wife and daughter, carrying two lists in his hand. He handed them to Karon, who reached out and accepted them.

“These are the cultivation plans my wife and I have prepared for your two pets, Mr. Karon. They should produce very good effects in nourishing and restoring their bodies and souls.”

Karon noticed the word restoring.

At this moment, Kevin rubbed his head against Karon’s pant leg.

Karon asked, “Excuse me, but the top of my dog’s head hasn’t grown any fur for a long time. Can this be treated?”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve actually already taken this into account. If Mr. Golden Retriever— Cough... If you... If you hope your dog could look a little better, we will treat this issue.”

“I truly can’t thank you enough, Mr. Santos, Ms. Celina. If conditions allow during the final selection, I will help Ashley.”

Ashley, who was standing beside her parents, suddenly felt as though she had been relegated to a younger generation than Karon.

Santos had not expected Karon to be so straightforward, and his impression of this young man improved even further. He immediately said, “In that case, thank you very much, Mr. Karon.”

At this moment, Celina still could not help asking, “Mr. Karon, are you married?”

“I have a fiancée, ma’am,” Karon answered immediately.

“Oh, is that so? Congratulations.” Receiving this answer actually caused the woman to feel a bit relieved.

“Then we won’t disturb you any further. We’ll take our leave.”

“I’ll see you off.”

After they got into their car and the car drove away, Santos and Celina both let out long sighs, then slid down, slumping in their seats.

After seeing the Santos family off, Karon returned to his study and sat at his desk.

Alfred took out a cup filled with the clear liquid from the upper-layer of the refined liquid that had been sitting in the preservation cabinet. The refinement and purification was already complete. As long as Karon drank it, he would obtain the Heart of Sea God.

Pu’er rode Kevin into the study and shouted excitedly, “Little Karon, time to take your medicine!”[1]

1. A darkly comedic reference to the famous Chinese tale of Wu Dalang being poisoned by his wife, Pan Jinlian. “Drink your medicine” is commonly used jokingly when someone is about to be “poisoned.” ☜