Chapter 499 - 385: A Third of the Stars Lost Their Light
"Xu Fu?"
Chu He frowned slightly, a hint of confusion and unfamiliarity in his eyes.
To him, the name was like a faint, blurred, and mysterious echo from the distant, dust-covered depths of history.
"Xu Fu, courtesy name Junfang,
was a renowned Alchemist of the Qin Dynasty.
It is said he was the last disciple of the legendary Master Guiguzi.
The man was learned and versatile, a true polymath.
He possessed deep knowledge and mastery in numerous fields, including medicine, astronomy, and navigation.
Among the people of the coastal regions, he enjoyed immense prestige and was held in high esteem.
According to the records in Qin Shi Huang’s Annals,
in the twenty-eighth year of Qin Shi Huang’s reign, Xu Fu received an order from the Emperor.
He led three thousand young boys and girls on a resolute journey east to Yingzhou,
his mission being to find the legendary elixir of eternal life for the Emperor.
Furthermore, the Brief History of the White-Red Empire also mentions: ’In the seventy-second year of Emperor Xiaoling’s reign,
the man of Qin, Xu Fu, arrived.’"
Xia Yunya’s voice was deep and steady,
as if he were recounting an ancient legend forgotten by time.
Every word carried the weight and depth of history.
"It is highly likely that Xu Fu recorded something of critical importance,
which the White-Red Empire has only recently discovered.
That is why they were willing to take enormous risks
to secretly infiltrate the Great Xia Empire, attempting to claim that object for themselves.
As for the specific details, you will have to investigate them yourself.
Based on my experience and foresight,
I’m afraid this matter will be extremely thorny and the situation severe.
It may trigger a series of unforeseeable consequences.
And what I know ends here."
Having said this, Xia Yunya spread his hands in a helpless gesture,
as if lamenting his own powerlessness and insignificance to fate.
No one knew if the hands of Deities were at play behind the scenes.
And what exactly was the secret the White-Red Empire had discovered?
"I understand."
Chu He nodded, his expression grave.
Seeing this, the corners of Xia Yunya’s mouth lifted slightly, revealing that faint smile once more.
Then, his figure gradually grew blurry,
like a wisp of light smoke, slowly vanishing from the top floor of the skyscraper.
He left behind only emptiness and silence, as if he had never been there at all.
"Is the old man gone?"
Xia Chengli shook her head abruptly,
as if waking from a long and strange dream.
Her eyes held a trace of bewilderment and confusion. "I fell into that weird state again. Did the old man tell you some secret I’m not supposed to know?"
"We’ll talk on the way back."
Chu He simply gave her a brief summary of the matter concerning Qin Shi Huang.
Even this short account was enough to make Xia Chengli incredibly excited.
Her eyes shone with excitement as she said impatiently, "Then there’s no time to waste!
Let’s head to the White-Red Empire right now
and demand they return what they stole from the Great Xia Empire! We can’t let them get away with it!"
By the time Chu He and Xia Chengli returned to Ye Lingyun’s office,
several highly respected elders of the Vampire Clan were already waiting there.
They held thick books in their hands, which they placed on the table with focused expressions.
Ye Lingyun was sitting at the desk, carefully looking through them.
Seeing Chu He’s return, Ye Lingyun didn’t ask many questions.
Instead, she got straight to the point. "We’ve mostly figured out the background of that giant face that appeared in the sky."
"What is it?"
Chu He asked.
’There might be crucial clues related to the current situation hidden behind this, and he couldn’t afford to be careless.’
"Saruman of the Dark Holy See."
Ye Lingyun replied.
"Is that the name of the giant face in the sky?"
Xia Chengli leaned in curiously, her eyes wide as she asked.
Her heart was filled with a desire to probe and understand this mysterious figure.
’The Dark Holy See?’
A chill flashed through Chu He’s heart.
Though the Dark Holy See had always acted with a low profile, everything they did was utterly depraved.
In the Great Xia Empire alone, they had caused numerous tragedies.
According to conservative estimates,
the Dark Holy See had reaped at least several thousand lives.
This so-called "conservative" estimate likely just meant that a proper count was impossible.
With the Dark Holy See’s secretive methods, they could often make a living person vanish into thin air,
without leaving so much as a single strand of hair behind.
Under such circumstances, investigating the precise number of victims was next to impossible.
"That’s not the name of the giant face in the sky.
To be precise, it’s actually a specific codename for an elite group within the Dark Holy See.
The so-called Saruman is one of the enigmatic Seventy-Two Pillar Demon Gods.
In the first part of the occult classic, the *Key of Solomon*, titled ’Witchcraft’,
there are detailed records of these seventy-two Demons.
Each of them holds a unique position,
such as Commander, Duke, Marquis, Count, and so on,
each commanding different legions and all bound by specific seals.
It is said that these Demon Gods can be summoned by humans.
Upon a successful summoning, the summoner has the opportunity to acquire their abilities, gain their assistance,
or draw upon certain mysterious and ancient knowledge.
The seventy-two Demons have varied appearances.
Some resemble common animals, like crows or wolves, exuding a sinister aura.
Others, however, have extremely bizarre forms, like hybrids of various creatures, inspiring awe and fear in those who behold them."