Universe Infinite Canteen

Ma Lu noticed a new email as soon as he returned.

The email was sent by Li Wei two days ago, informing him that the Church had verified the death of the Shrike and fixed the credit for the last operation.

Since only he and Li Wei had survived in the end, most of the achievements were attributed to their names.

Furthermore, with Li Wei intentionally nurturing and trying to win over Ma Lu, the rewards that Ma Lu received this time were very generous, including as many as one million Holy Silver Coins and two hundred thousand Atonement Points.

Apart from that, he also received a set of new armor and replaced a deceased member to be promoted to Master.

Li Wei asked him to discuss the promotion ceremony with the Sacred Order of Knights once his retreat had ended, coincidentally Yun Que had also entrusted him to look up the "Chronicles of the Holy Temple City".

Therefore, Ma Lu made a trip to The Great Tower before the mission, where the Messenger received him and led him to Li Wei's office.

Even though the crisis with the Witch Alliance had been resolved, this deputy leader of the Sacred Order of Knights seemed to be even busier, continuing to search for the remaining Fallen Witches while expanding his influence in the Order of Knights and even within the Church.

However, upon hearing that Ma Lu had come, he still took the time to meet him, offered some encouragement, and scheduled the promotion ceremony for a week later due to the need for the presence of the Order of Knights' high-ranking officials.

Nevertheless, the proposal for the promotion had already been approved in the final decision, so Ma Lu could now enjoy some of the privileges of a Master in advance.

When he suggested visiting the library, Li Wei agreed without any hesitation. Find exclusive stories on empire

Afterward, Ma Lu took the elevator to the 69th level.

Although it was called the 69th level, in reality, one level here was equivalent to three levels elsewhere, and it was filled with books.

Rows of bookshelves were arranged in a circular pattern, spreading outward.

It was clear that the Order Church really loved circles; no matter where one looked, many elements related to circles could be seen.

But this presented a problem: how to find the specific book he needed among so many.

Ma Lu looked around and spotted a terminal in the corner.

This terminal resembled those in the Weaponry Department and probably operated similarly, including a voice-recognition system. Ma Lu tried inputting "Chronicles of the Holy Temple City" through voice command and immediately received a code.

The first three digits corresponded to the shelf number, the fifth digit was the level, and the sixth and seventh digits were the positions on the shelf.

Following the code, Ma Lu easily found the "Chronicles of the Holy Temple City".

This book was common in the Holy Temple City, but according to the Bliss Bird, the versions circulated outside were abridged ones—only those in this library were genuine.

Previously, even as a Holy Knight, Ma Lu had no authority to peruse this book, but now that his promotion to Master was practically assured, he finally had the privilege to consult these historical records.

After obtaining the book, Ma Lu found a secluded and quiet place where he sat down on the carpet and pretended to skim through it.

Of course, he could not understand the contents, but he could take pictures to show the Bliss Bird later.

Ma Lu was cautious; he did not use the built-in camera feature of his armor to avoid any detection methods the library might have, considering his armor was also made by the Church. Instead, he used the Traveler's Bracelet to sneak pictures.

Meanwhile, he was also observing his surroundings.

However, even so, someone managed to approach him from behind. The person's footsteps were very light, and Ma Lu had not opened the Chessboard Map, so it wasn't until the person spoke that he was startled.

"Compassion is poison."

"What?" Ma Lu turned around and saw a familiar figure —

the old nun from the card shop, or, more precisely, the hooked-nose granny who had led the graduate witches for him to choose from after he had donated to the Church. Her name seemed to be Teresa.

However, Ma Lu remembered seeing her information on the Chessboard Map inadvertently; she was also a witch, and her name was displayed as Thorn Hawk.

She was the only witch Ma Lu had seen who did not wear the Ring of Order.

Ma Lu had suspected that she was the deepest mole the Witch Alliance had planted in the Church.

But considering her current tone, that seemed unlikely.

Moreover, unless she always resided in The Great Tower and never went out, passing through the 1st Level's Holy Stone would reveal a witch's identity; in other words, the Church's higher-ups should also know she was a witch.

Even so, she still wore no Ring of Order around her neck, and she was also in charge of training and recruiting witches.

Compared to the Witch Alliance, Ma Lu felt she was more like a hidden boss on the Church's side.

"Compassion is poison," Teresa repeated.

"Uh... What does that mean?" Ma Lu asked offhandedly.

The old nun stared down into his eyes, "I have seen many knights who, through daily interactions and fighting side by side with their witches, have developed feelings and naturally sympathize with their plights, even hoping to find a way to change all this. I sincerely hope you are not one of those people, Master."

"You know who I am?"

"Of course, only the recently titled Lord Xi Mu, managing to enter the library at Level 69 in beginner's knight armor," said the old nun. "I hear you are close with your witches, even going as far as to stand at the forefront during battle to shield them from harm."

"That is simply based on a knight's most basic judgment of the battle situation; everything I do is aimed at ultimate victory."

"I hope so," the Thorn Hawk said noncommittally, pausing before adding, "I noticed you took the 'Chronicles of the Holy Temple City' from the shelf. Is there anything you want to know about this book?"

"I was just flipping through it," said Ma Lu. "Actually, I find it a bit boring. I think I'll choose another book."

"Then I recommend 'The Sorrow of the Red Dragon,' especially if you still want to delve deeper into the events of the 14th Holy Year, or if you have any questions, you can ask me directly."

Ma Lu looked into the old nun's eyes, but he could not discern any emotion in those dark, deep orbs.

"You needn't worry," the Thorn Hawk continued, "Many knights promoted to master first come here seeking the truth and answers, though usually after the promotion ceremony. You seem more eager than most…"

"Alright, I am indeed curious about what exactly happened that year, why the Church treated witches who should be hailed as heroes in such a manner?"

"Everything has its cause," the Thorn Hawk said. "Extraordinary power also brings extraordinary ambition."