Versatile mage c1 2021, p.622
Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 622
"Incident of the Red Mediterranean Sea? Why have I not heard of it before? Why didn't the media report it, if it was that serious?" Mo Fan asked, confused.
Mo Fan knew how big the Mediterranean Sea was. How many people's blood would it take to turn the sea red and the scent of blood linger in so many countries along the coastline?
"Do you think it's something they could afford to tell the public? Lots of people kept demanding to learn the truth, they asked for democracy, but there are certain things that can't be made public. Publicity means giving exposure to the mastermind of the incident. It will stir up the urge to commit crimes among the lunatics. Those that hold a strong grudge and hatred for society will follow in their steps. It would further strengthen the Black Vatican's influence in the world and help them grow!
"Just look at Salan; so many people are mimicking her after the Calamity of the Ancient Capital. Many cities are suffering because of her. The number of Salan's worshipers could fill up the entire Mediterranean Sea. Even the younger generations who have had enough of society think of how 'cool' Salan is. Studies have proven that laughter is contagious, but so is evil. The maniacs of the Black Vatican might just be some people that have thoughts after being mistreated, and which eventually led them astray… perhaps they were only ordinary people before," Lingling said sternly.
Every person had good and evil sides. There was no clear boundary between what was good and evil. A mother who stole money just to feed her daughter was not necessarily evil, nor was the daughter who killed the judge for pronouncing her mother guilty for stealing the money kind. Even a gentle person could turn into an unforgivable criminal after they were provoked!
Many people had lots of negativity in them. Their minds were constantly occupied by thoughts of killing the people that bullied and humiliated them to vent their frustrations. Those that were poor were hoping that everyone else would suffer together with them. They hoped the rich and the blissful people would suffer just like them. If they were given a button to make everyone suffer like them, it was very likely they would press the button, since they believed they were beyond redemption and burst out laughing...
The button did exist. The Black Vatican was the button. Zhao Pinlin was one of the people that had decided to press the button. He was just an arrogant, proud student on the bus, but what did he become at the villa?
If the Calamity of the Ancient Capital had not happened, his mind might not have been filled with evil thoughts. Without those thoughts, he might not have chosen to step into Fang Shaoli's trap...
Most people did not have their own moral strength. They would pretend to be m.a.t.u.r.e by arguing it was just how the world was in coldness, disdain, and envy. The truth was, they were no different from imm.a.t.u.r.e kids; they did not have their own beliefs, and they lacked the ability to judge on their own. They were blindly following others. Parents did not allow kids to watch gory and violent movies because they were afraid the kids would be influenced by the movies, since they had yet to discover the right values. It was the same reason the authorities would try their best to gloss over news about tragedies from the public.
Not every a.d.u.l.t had m.a.t.u.r.e thoughts and beliefs. Perhaps they might not immediately become a crook after seeing evil deeds, but if they found a chance to do evil, they might hesitate and make the wrong decision, just like Zhao Pinlin had made.
Even if the odds of making a wrong decision were only increased by a hundredth, or even a thousandth, it would still be devastating for the world. If they were unlucky and another criminal genius like the Cold Prince or Salan was born, the time before another tragedy would happen would start ticking!
Therefore, was it really necessary to tell the people who demanded democracy everything, when most of them were just trying to satisfy their curiosity, or even gloat over the sufferings of others?
If they could reduce the number of criminals in the world by thousands or even tens of thousand by trading away the right to know everything that happened, why would they even bother with democracy?
---
The incident of the Red Mediterranean Sea that the Cold Prince was responsible for was not made public, sealed off by the European Union and the Shoreline Alliance. Therefore, it was unlikely for Mo Fan, who learned most of his knowledge from textbooks, to read about it. As a matter of fact, many incidents across the world were sealed off by the authorities. They were not trying to point their fingers at others, but to limit the negative impact of the incidents, since there were just too many fools in this world.
"Salan's influence is even greater than the Supreme Pontiff of the Black Vatican. I believe the Cold Prince, who's also a psychopath, doesn't want people to think he's inferior to Salan. The incident of the Red Mediterranean Sea wasn't that significant compared to Salan's achievements. If the Cold Prince is planning something, it's going to be worse than the incident of the Red Mediterranean Sea without a doubt, and there's a chance it will happen in our country," Lingling said.
"F**k the Black Vatican; why do they have to pick on our country when there are so many countries in the world?" Zhao Manyan cursed.
"We can't let it happen!" Mo Fan swore.
Mo Fan was aware that the conspiracy was beyond what the few of them could handle. They had to ask the authorities for help. Mo Fan immediately thought of Han Ji. The man would clearly be the first to step forward if he learned the Black Vatican was up to something.
However, Han Ji could only represent the Clock Tower Magic Association. If the Cold Prince was planning something worse than the incident of the Red Mediterranean Sea, he obviously needed the help of someone with greater power. Mo Fan believed it was better to contact Zhu Meng. As a Councilman, he would have more say in things like this.
"Aren't you close with Chairman Shao Zheng? Why don't you try contacting him? If he gives us permission to investigate the Cold Prince, we should be able to get more help," Zhao Manyan also had the same idea.
"I'll try." Mo Fan dialed Chairman Shao Zheng's number, but his secretary answered the call.
"Mo Fan, have you found any new clues about the Totem Beasts? I've read your report regarding Outer Mount Kunyu and told the Chairman about it. We did send some people to search for the Giant Purple Sacred Linden, but they weren't able to find anything useful. It's very likely that the demon has gone into hiding. It won't dare to show itself for a long time," the secretary, Gu Lian, said to him immediately..
"Well, there isn't anything to report about the Totem Beasts, but I do have something that I believe the Chairman should know. Is he available?" Mo Fan asked.
"The Chairman is currently at Dalian's maritime battlefield. The situation along the shoreline isn't looking good. Something serious is about to happen. The Chairman has already proposed sounding the alert for five thousand kilometers along the shoreline. I'm afraid he will be very busy with it for some time. You can let me know if there's anything important," Gu Lian said.
An alert for five thousand kilometers of shoreline?
Mo Fan initially thought he had heard it wrong. He asked Gu Lian to confirm that, and to his surprise, Gu Lian repeated exactly the same words!
"Isn't the shoreline of our country only around twenty thousand kilometers long?" Mo Fan asked.
"Yes, which means more than a quarter of the shoreline will be placed on alert. It's been a long time since the Chairman had a chance to get any rest. He's trying to convince the country to place more attention on it, but the politicians think he's overreacting. They said it's normal for the sea level to rise every year," Gu Lian said.
"But still… placing a quarters of the shoreline on alert, isn't that..." Mo Fan agreed that the proposal sounded a little crazy.
"I know, a lot of people are assuming our Chairman is going nuts (sigh) but the Chairman insisted on trusting his instincts. Is the thing you mentioned more serious than that?" Gu Lian asked.
"Ugh, it does sound more important than what I have… but I still think it's important to say it," Mo Fan said.
Mo Fan briefly explained the possibility of the Cold Prince conspiring in their country to Gu Lian, and how an Elder of the Enforcement Union had already fallen victim to it.
"Do you have any solid evidence?" Gu Lian asked seriously.
"We have found out there's a traitor in the Enforcement Union, but we haven't learned anything much," Mo Fan said.
"I'm afraid the Chairman can't do anything about it if that's all you have. He's allocating every resource he has to the shoreline. It's true that we should be treating a Red Cardinal of the Black Vatican seriously, but the Chairman can't attend to two things at once. The Chairman could only assign the other Councilmen who aren't cooperating with him at the moment to handle it if you have enough proof," Gu Lian said.
"I thought our nation would be united if there is any trace of the Black Vatican after what happened at the Ancient Capital," Mo Fan sighed.
"Don't worry, if there's solid evidence, no one will dare waste a second further. Therefore, can you please get some evidence from the traitor? We must locate the Cold Prince and learn what he's up to. That way, we'll be able to allocate resources to the matter accordingly!" Gu Lian encouraged him.
"So the higher-ups are only willing to make a move if we have information on the Red Cardinal or solid evidence about what he's up to?" Mo Fan asked.
"There's a Preventive Committee. You may be able to ask them for help, or let them handle it from here if you want. I believe they can handle it well," Gu Lian told him.
---
Mo Fan's heart sank after hanging up the call.
He did not blame the Chairman and the secretary for not taking his warning seriously. What Gu Lian said was reasonable, if they tried to make a move before collecting enough evidence, it might be a waste of their time and resources. Besides, sending too many people to search for the Cold Prince might alert him instead! On the other hand, there were other problems that needed more attention for the time being...
"How is it?" Zhao Manyan asked.
"We'll have to find some convincing proof," Mo Fan replied.
"Mm, we are just giving them a heads-up," Lingling seemed to have predicted the outcome.
"Then let's start with the traitor! Humph, we'll be making the move instead this time, and giving the Black Vatican a devastating blow!" Mo Fan promised coldly.
Chapter 1340 - Putting the Blame on Others
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
---
At noon, Mo Fan and Lingling could not be bothered to go out and eat. They found a spot on the highest floor of the Canton Tower and enjoyed some Cantonese delicacies they had ordered for delivery. They also enjoyed the wind and the sight of the tallest building in the city below their feet.
In front of the tower was Victoria Square. The pedestrians were just little dots below them. It looked like they were standing still even when they were walking.
A pair of golden wings sprang up from Victoria Square. The man soared up past the skyscr.a.p.ers nearby and continued to approach the tower. He was holding two smoking takeaway boxes in his hands. The pleasant aroma of food was leaking out from the boxes.
"Here you go, fresh rice noodle rolls, beef meatballs, roasted pork buns..." Zhao Manyan placed the food down.
The strong wind blew one of the takeaway boxes away when he was not paying attention. The white takeaway box flew into the distance and floated in the sky above the city. It kept flying higher instead of falling...
"No littering!" Mo Fan said.
"I didn't mean it, the wind is too strong here. It's not like I'm the one that suggested eating up here..." Zhao Manyan said.
Normally, if you were the first person to own a car among your friends, you would immediately become the dedicated driver in the group. The same logic applied to Magicians. If you had a pair of wings or achieved the Advanced Level of the Wind Element, you would be in charge of taking away food, delivering stuff, and providing emergency backup.
"F**k me, my roasted pork bun," Zhao Manyan's hand had slipped. The smoking bun fell off the tower. He immediately turned to Mo Fan.
Mo Fan ignored his pleading look. He would not use his Space Magic to retrieve a bun that some fool had dropped. He even justified himself, "The air quality in Guangzhou is extremely bad. There's dust everywhere. If your bun falls a hundred meters down, it's no different than rolling in a pool of mud. Don't even think about eating it."
"Cut the crap, you're just unwilling to help!" Zhao Manyan was not willing to give up. He loved eating roasted pork buns, and the sweet sensation when the soft texture of the bun was mixed with the juice of the roasted pork. He rose to his feet and dived from the tower after the roasted pork bun like a professional diver.
Mo Fan and Lingling simply ignored him, and continued to enjoy their food. They soon heard people screaming. It was likely they thought someone had fallen off the tower again...
"Have you come up with a plan?" Mo Fan asked.
"I have," Lingling nodded.
---
---
Mount Wuyi Enforcement Union...
Mount Jueguai was the mountain base of the Mount Wuyi Enforcement Union. Mount Wuyi Enforcement Union was mainly responsible for the areas to the south of Nanling Mountains. Apart from keeping an eye on the One-eyed Magic Wolf Horde, they were also responsible for the safety of Fujian, Jiangxi, and the provinces nearby.
A woman in her forties was alone on the balcony of a building on Mount Jueguai. The sun was shining on the umbrella. The sunlight was already peeking through the umbrella as the sun shifted in the sky, but the woman seemed totally unaware of it. She sat on the chair as her eyes stared at the mountains and a tall cliff leading to a valley in front of her...
"Did they realize something? Impossible, I was being so cautious, there's no way they could track me down!" the woman murmured. Her eyes were rolling around uneasily.
She grabbed her pants tightly before loosening the grip after some time.
The woman rose to her feet and murmured as if she had made up her mind, "I can't let them find me!"
A young female Enforcer came up to the woman and asked softly, "Who's trying to find you? Aunt Cheng Ying, did you hear? Elder Leng Qing of the Lingyin Enforcement Union was assassinated. Apparently, she was killed by the Hall of Assassins. The higher-ups of the Enforcement Union are so mad about it. They have given the orders to hunt down the people of the Hall of Assassins!"
Cheng Ying glanced at the Enforcer. The fierce look in her eyes dissipated after she confirmed the Enforcer was not trying to bait her into saying something.
"I have some matters to attend to, please tell the supervisor on my behalf," Cheng Ying said.
"Aunt, are you alright? Aren't you the supervisor now? Did you fry your brain from just spending some time in the sun?" The Enforcer was amused.
"Oh, I am too used to reporting to Supervisor Luo. He was the supervisor for ten years," Cheng Ying explained.
"I can't believe Supervisor Luo would fall sick all of a sudden and resign. That being said, if he didn't fall sick, I bet you wouldn't have become the supervisor either!" the Enforcer said thoughtlessly.
"Nonsense! Don't say anything like that again," Cheng Ying scolded her sternly, her expression dark.
"I'm sorry, the words just slipped out of my mouth," the young woman apologized immediately.
"Tell the others that I'll be busy for the next two days. Tell them to report to the Elder if there's anything important."
"Sure, but aunt, where are you going?"
"You're asking too many questions. I didn't take you from your mum so you can annoy me with your questions. Just do as you're told! By the way, Leng Qing sent us an encoded message asking for backup. Don't tell anyone that I asked you to relay the message to the Kunming Enforcement Union, because she specified Kunming as the destination. Now that Leng Qing is dead, the higher-ups will be pointing their fingers around. You must keep it a secret if you don't want to take the blame!" Cheng Ying warned her.
"Ah? Why would they blame me for it? I was just following protocol!" Su Qingqing asked.
"An Elder has died, so someone must pay for it. If they can't find the culprit, they won't be able to explain themselves to the superiors or the Lingyin Enforcement Union. They will surely find a scapegoat, and the scapegoat is usually someone that has made the smallest mistake, even though that wouldn't even lift their brows normally. A tiny mistake might become deadly, even if you have nothing to do with it!" Cheng Ying said.
"I...I'll make sure to keep it a secret. Aunt, you're so nice to me. If you hadn't been telling me what to do over the past few years, I'd just be a nobody at the bottom. My mother didn't teach me anything apart from drinking and beating me up. But now, even those that mistreated me before are being respectful to me after they learn I'm an Enforcer now," Su Qingqing said.
"You're grateful to me?" Cheng Ying raised her brows and asked the naive young woman.
"Of course!"
"Then I have a favor to ask you, and don't tell anyone else. I don't really trust them, especially after learning there's a traitor among us. I wouldn't want them to mess with my plan," Cheng Ying said.
"Not a problem."
---
---
To the west of Mount Jueguai was the Flying Cliff Bridge between two mountains. A tragedy once took place on the second mountain, so it had been abandoned since. The Flying Cliff Bridge ended up as a decoration.
A young woman was hanging on the side of the bridge. Her legs were dangling above a canyon creek.
"Aunt..." the girl struggled, kicking her legs. Her body was restrained by a special force, preventing her from using any magic. She was no different from an ordinary human.
The rope was tied firmly around her pale throat. Her face was turning blue as her eyes were rolling upward. Her twisted face showed she was suffocating painfully!
