Chapter 675: Whistleblowing

On the bed, Zong Ge's eyes were wide open, pure white from rolling back.

His entire body was unresponsive, as if dead.

Yet his body still held the breath of life; he was still breathing, and a layer of divine power shielded his entire form.

Zi Di stared in shock, frozen for several seconds before snapping back to reality.

“What's going on?”

“What in the world is going on?! Why is Zong Ge like this?”

“Did I make a mistake in the formula?”

"No, impossible. I was fully focused throughout the entire process, and the alchemy apparatus recorded every step."

“Yes, I have magic footage to review.”

This was standard practice for alchemists.

Because even the slightest factor during alchemy could cause the final result to fail. Therefore, alchemists employed various methods to document their experiments, making it easier to analyze later.

Zi Di grew tense and hurriedly reviewed the magic footage.

Soon, she reached a conclusion: “I made no mistakes. I followed every step precisely.”

“Could it be that Ban Tu acted maliciously, trading me defective alchemy techniques?”

"Ban Tu possesses the ability to counter magic contracts, enabling him to carry out a covert attack. Or perhaps he himself was unaware of this flaw. After all, he was merely one of the researchers, with a larger partner—the Intoxication Church."

“The most crucial thing is Zong Ge's strange state.”

“His entire body is enveloped in divine power, and his soul has vanished without a trace...”

If Zong Ge had vomited blood after drinking the potion, or if time had accelerated again, or if he'd fallen into an intoxicated stupor, Zi Di could understand.

But this situation Zong Ge was in, she truly didn't know. It was beyond her knowledge.

“What should we do?” After much deliberation, Zi Di felt utterly at a loss.

The divine power barrier seemed to be protecting Zong Ge, sustaining his life. Thus, while his soul vanished, the divine power suppressed all latent threats within his body, rendering them completely dormant.

Snow Bird Harbor.

In the city government palace.

Snow Bird Harbor City Lord hosted a banquet, lavishly entertaining Tan Mo.

"Lord Tan Mo, your journey has truly been arduous. Not only did you endure a long trek, confronting rampant pirates, but you also devoted your utmost energy to the investigation. Exemplary agents like you are the very foundation of our Empire's strength." Snow Bird Harbor City Lord raised his wine cup, his words brimming with praise.

Tan Mo laughed heartily, raised his cup, and tilted his head back to drain it in one gulp. Then, staring at the empty vessel, he remarked pointedly, “The wine is excellent, but it's not what I truly crave.”

Truthfully, Tan Mo held little interest in banquets or fine cuisine. What truly intrigued him was how much wealth he could extract from Snow Bird Harbor City Lord.

But extortion couldn't be overt, what if it left a trace?

Snow Bird Harbor City Lord chuckled heartily and clapped his hands.

The next moment, the dining room doors swung open. Two attendants entered respectfully, carrying two bottles of red wine.

“Lord Tan Mo, I have prepared what you desire.”

“Behold, this is the sorrow-dispelling red wine!”

Each attendant carried a bottle to Tan Mo's side.

Tan Mo reached out, taking one. He peered through the glass, nodding. “This is the most talked-about wine these days.”

“Only you, Snow Bird Harbor City Lord, could procure two bottles so swiftly.”

Snow Bird Harbor City Lord narrowed his eyes and chuckled, “Ever since the incident, the Intoxication Church has been desperately seeking aid from major factions across the kingdom, to no avail.”

"They had no choice but to offer hefty rewards."

"So, treasure hunters, mercenaries, and explorers swarmed in, eagerly setting sail to search for the scattered bottles of sorrow-dispelling red wine."

“Beyond that, pirates dispatched secret teams to land on the island to liquidate their stock.”

“The Intoxication Church's high-profile maneuvers sparked intense interest among buyers, driving prices ever higher.”

“This resulted in vast quantities of the wine flooding underground markets throughout the region instead of falling into the Intoxication Church's hands.”

Tan Mo nodded in understanding. “After all, with Da Han approaching and pirates rampant, the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's navy can only retreat into defensive positions.”

“Under these circumstances, venturing out to sea to search for sorrow-dispelling red wine is nothing short of risking one's life for fortune.”

“Given the mortal danger involved, it's only natural to sell to the highest bidder.”

As Tan Mo spoke, he had already appraised the second bottle of sorrow-dispelling red wine.

Satisfied, he stored both bottles directly into his spatial storage equipment. “These two bottles are of fine quality. They shall become part of my collection.”

Snow Bird Harbor City Lord was slightly surprised. “Lord Tan Mo, you won't sample them?”

Tan Mo shook his head. “Of course not.”

“The sorrow-dispelling red wine contains fragments of the Wine God's divinity. What if drinking it triggers the Wine God's trial?”

Snow Bird Harbor City Lord sneered inwardly: He knew Tan Mo's bloodline limit was capped at gold level. With such potential, even downing both bottles at once wouldn't trigger the Wine God's trial. Did he think divine trials were so cheap?

Only when a certain trait (usually bloodline), caught a god's attention would a trial be triggered.

Essentially, it was a god's method of proselytizing.

Ordinary proselytizing relied on church members spreading the word, while divine trials involved the gods themselves (the divinity) intervening.

Thus, after a divine trial, the trialist's faith often shifted.

“To be perfectly honest, I'm rather concerned,” Tan Mo continued. “If a divine trial were to be triggered here, and my soul were drawn into the Intoxication Divine Domain, wouldn't I be at your mercy?”

"At that point, City Lord, you could simply claim the divine trial failed, resulting in my immediate demise. Would my family dare question a deity over someone like me?"

Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's expression darkened instantly. “Lord Tan Mo, have I failed you in some way to cause such profound misunderstanding?”

Tan Mo propped his elbows on the table; fingers interlocked into a fist pressed against his nose and mouth. "I merely fear suffering the same fate as Gold Hand, falling victim to your treachery. After all, this is your territory."

Gold Hand, also a gold level secret agent, had perished in Snow Bird Harbor.

Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's expression darkened further, his gaze turning icy. "Lord Tan Mo, you are slandering me. As an investigator, is it appropriate to spout such reckless, unfounded accusations?"

“I already explained the entire matter concerning Gold Hand to you yesterday!”

Tan Mo chuckled: “If it weren't for Gold Hand's preemptive report to the organization via a whistleblowing letter, I would have believed you, really.”

Snow Bird Harbor City Lord frowned deeply: “A whistleblowing letter?”

Tan Mo replied: “In that letter, Gold Hand accused you of embezzling organization funds, exploiting your dual identities as a secret agent and city lord to falsify military intelligence, deceiving subordinates and superiors alike, and amassing wealth through corruption.”

“One purpose of my investigation here is to expose you, Emancipator.”