When the players checked into the inn, they disguised themselves as foreign travelers, booking several double rooms. Of course, they gathered together when it was time for a meeting.

The group purchased the latest newspapers and made plans to go out that night to gather information. During this process, Frederick, the lumberjack, volunteered, saying he could help contact some of the high-ranking officials currently in Mori City.

After the Kingdom of Lipma was conquered by the Snow Queen, many of its nobles and high-ranking officials were exiled to various other kingdoms. Using the wealth they brought with them, their own abilities, and their established networks (as intermarriage among the nobility was common), many of them fared quite well, even rising to positions of prominence in these new kingdoms.

The people in this Fairy World held traditional and straightforward views. As the Snow Queen gradually faded from public view, these scattered Lipma dignitaries also quietly sought out Frederick's whereabouts.

Their intention wasn't to kill him, but to have Frederick admit his faults to the current officials. The Snow Queen was relatively lenient with her enemies; when conquering the nations, she hadn't executed entire royal families. She only killed those who resisted fiercely and exiled some who resisted with moderate intensity. As for the nobles who surrendered completely, the Snow Queen couldn't exile them all. She left many in their posts, as numerous nobles already held important official positions within the kingdom.

The King was no more, replaced by the Governors of the city-states.

Now that the Snow Queen was no longer involved in worldly affairs, if Frederick was willing to admit his mistakes, the former Lipma officials might be able to arrange his return. He could perhaps even become the Governor of the capital city of Lipma.

In the past, Frederick preferred death to submission and was unwilling to reconnect with the "traitorous" former Lipma officials.

However, this group of monks from the East kindled new hope in him.

He had witnessed Li Ang's mesmerizing, truth-bending persuasion skills—eloquence capable of making the dead walk, not unlike the Snow Queen's brainwashing abilities.

Perhaps... this Monk really could overturn the current situation...

Determined, Frederick showed the players a seal he had treasured over the years—a secret seal of the Lipma Royal Family, which the former Lipma officials would undoubtedly recognize.

The person Frederick intended to contact was Gunther Rennard, now the Finance Minister of Mori City, formerly a Marquis of the Kingdom of Lipma, and Frederick's own cousin.

The two were extremely close; by Frederick's account, they were so inseparable in their youth that people nearly mistook their relationship for something transcending friendship and kinship.

It was worth a try anyway. Li Ang asked Frederick to write a secret letter to his cousin to see if he could arrange a meeting, while the others continued to interrogate old Dorothy.

This Forest Witch was a seasoned veteran. She had managed to stir up trouble across several kingdoms for years, yet remained unscathed. She was well acquainted with nearly all hidden organizations, knowledgeable about their underground hubs in various cities, and their methods of communication. Whether for escaping or purchasing supplies, everything had to be done through these clandestine groups.

After extracting the contact methods for several hidden organizations in Mori City from old Dorothy, Li Ang took some gold and silver (a generous donation from Carpenter Hoenburg). Under the cover of night, he changed his appearance and headed to the hideouts of these organizations. There, he spent money to purchase various Magic Potion seeds, finished products, cultivation methods, and the corpses of two Spellcasters.

The Spellcasters in this Fairy World were akin to extraordinarily gifted individuals with special abilities. Medical dissections revealed that their body structure was no different from ordinary people. However, some secret organizations didn't think so; they would preserve the bodies of deceased Spellcasters to conduct various experiments, attempting to unravel the source of their special abilities.

Yet, after many years of exploration, it seemed that these Spellcasters had not figured out the mystery of their power's origin, nor had they understood how to systematically enhance their abilities.

After Li Ang obtained what he needed from the secret organization, he went to the cathedral. He staked out its exterior for a night, observing the terrain, defensive strength, and the guards' shift rotation.

The other team members weren't idle either. One was left to guard old Dorothy, while the other players used the cover of night to scatter throughout the city. They delivered secret messages and gathered intelligence. It would be ideal if they could obtain private photos of the Priest in charge of the cathedral or the secret diary of the city's Governor.

The next morning, all the players had returned to the inn. After taking turns to rest, they heard a knock at the door around noon.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

Carpenter Hoenburg's voice came from outside the door. "Excuse me, is the honorable Monk in?"

"Yes."

Li Ang opened the door to see Carpenter Hoenburg, dressed in a suit, standing outside. He nodded and said, "Come in and talk."

The paper mill owner entered the room and saw the Eastern Monk's several disciples, as well as the Forest Witch tied to a chair.

Li Ang closed the door and asked, "What brings you here?"

Carpenter Hoenburg suppressed his urge to ask what they intended to do with the Forest Witch. He was well aware that when dealing with Transcendents, the more one pried, the faster one died. He said, "I visited the private secretary of the Mori City Governor this morning. He indicated that the city is soon to hold an anniversary celebration for the Snow Queen's birth, and it appears they might not be able to schedule a private church visit for you all."

"Alright."

Li Ang nodded, not particularly disappointed. They still had Frederick's connections as a backup plan, and even if they couldn't get permission from the officials, they had other means.

For example, they could create a large explosion in a secluded part of Mori City to lure the Spellcasters away, and then storm the cathedral to snatch the Magic Mirror shard. After all, two of the three remaining shards were very close to Mori City, and it wouldn't be difficult to seize all three in one day.

"Is there anything else?" Li Ang asked, seeing that Carpenter Hoenburg hadn't left.

"Uh," Carpenter Hoenburg looked somewhat awkward. "The Governor's private secretary, upon hearing that you are monks from the East with mysterious powers, extended an invitation..."

"Hmm?" Li Ang was taken aback. "What kind of invitation?"

"The Governor of Mori City's son has experienced some, well, rather supernatural occurrences in the past few months. The Secretary General's intention was to inquire if you gentlemen had any methods of Exorcism or treatments for mental illnesses..."

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