From Prisoner to Si Chen

Soon, Old Charles led the three of them into the apartment and went straight to the living room.

Gilan stood up from the sofa and turned to look.

I saw a lady wearing a lace straw hat and a white chrysanthemum dress walking in, holding a beautifully packaged cardboard box.

Behind her were two young men, a man and a woman. The young man looked familiar. He was Cordel Lotito, whom Guillen had met in the Silver Lizard Club.

He was once a member of Dedel's inner circle, and even had a crush on Dedel. It's a pity that his genius brother Renaudian Lotito died at the "Black Mass" dinner and became one of Didier's sacrifices.

Next to Cordell, there was a girl who looked younger than him and seemed to be his sister.

The girl has black hair tied up in braids. She is wearing a sky blue dress and a mutton-sleeved gown on her upper body. She is cute and noble at the same time.

"Good morning, Mr. Gillan."

The lady came over and said with a smile.

"Sorry for visiting so rashly."

"I heard from my husband that the youngest foreign minister of the empire moved next door, which surprised and honored me. So, I prepared some handmade snacks for a visit."

"You're welcome, madam." Gilan stepped forward, took the box, and smiled politely. "Please sit down."

Immediately, the lady took her children and sat down on the sofa. Since the maids were out shopping, the butler, Old Charles, had to be responsible for making tea and entertaining them.

After a cup of hot tea, Gilan chatted with the lady. Through the introduction, we learned that the other party's name was Norma. After marrying Propaganda Minister Stavin, she took her husband's surname Lotito.

The girl's name is Fulla, Cordel's sister and the youngest daughter in the family.

While chatting, Gillan noticed that Cordell always looked at him with complicated eyes. The girl's face was full of curiosity and inquiry.

"My husband told me last night that he personally handed the national flag to you during your inauguration ceremony and listened to the whole speech. He said that you are worthy of being a young talent valued by the head of state."

Mrs. Norma marveled.

Ji Lan smiled and said:

"Mrs. Norma is so complimentary. I'm still young and I have a lot to learn from Minister Stavin."

"How modest of you, Mr. Gillan."

Mrs. Norma said with a smile on her face.

It was obviously Jilan's promotion that made her feel quite useful.

While chatting with the lady, Jilan's keen senses suddenly noticed that he was swept by a weak spiritual vision.

He looked calm on the surface, but with a glance from the corner of his eye, he caught an unnatural look on the face of the girl on the lady's left.

Fulla's eyes flashed with shock.

"This young foreign minister is so powerful!"

Just now, she tried to use her newly learned spiritual vision to explore the blond young man, but was shocked by the dazzling light blooming on him.

Fulla couldn't even tell which original level this young man, who was only a few years older than herself, was at.

"Could it be that he is a Kuze who has surpassed the spiritual mystic stage?! No...impossible?!"

Fulla's heart was filled with disbelief, and at the same time she lowered her eyes, trying her best to cover up her emotions.

However, what she didn't know was that all her reactions were "seen" by Jilan.

'interesting. ’

Ji Lan secretly thought.

'The daughter of the Propaganda Minister turned out to be a mystic... Is she only a level 1 "Kingdom"? It seems that she has just come into contact with mysticism not long ago, and her talent is quite good. ’

Mrs. Norma just came to visit as a neighbor and congratulate Gilan on moving to a new home, so she stood up and left after chatting for a while.

From beginning to end, Cordell remained silent without saying a word. As for Fulla, she was a little distracted.

When parting, under the urging of her mother Norma, who was slightly dissatisfied, Furla came to her senses and quickly raised her skirt to Gillan and said goodbye politely:

"Mr. Gillan, thank you for the hospitality."

"You're welcome, Miss Fulla."

Gillan chuckled.

"You can come and sit again when you have time. You are always welcome."

As he spoke, he asked Old Charles to take out two business cards, write down the apartment's landline phone number on the back, and hand them to Cordell and Fulla.

This may seem like a polite move, but in Mrs. Norma's eyes, it is a signal that she is willing to make friends.

This made the lady happy on the spot, and she quickly asked her children to thank her.

Gillan kept a decent smile and asked Old Charles to send the three guests out of the courtyard.

His eyes lingered on the girl's back for a moment, and he smiled faintly. Then he turned around and went upstairs, ready to continue refining the "wick potion".

…

…

"Cordell, why didn't you say a word just now?"

As soon as she got home, Fulla asked her brother Cordel in a low voice.

She said intentionally or unintentionally:

"Didn't you say before that you knew Mr. Gillan? Are you bragging?"

Cordell glanced at his sister and was silent for a while.

"I met him a few times at the Silver Lizard Club half a year ago, but I didn't know him well. At that time, he was just the illegitimate son of Earl Farhan's family, and he had just arrived in Muse City not long ago..."

He casually recounted the past events, and his sister Fulla looked shocked.

A long while.

Fulla's expression gradually became complicated.

"... Was Mr. Gillan present the night Brother Lenoir died? Or was he the one who stopped the cultists?"

"Fu La, I know you are interested in the occult, but I advise you to ask less about him and don't try to get close to him."

Cordell tilted his head.

Noticing his mother Norma coming upstairs, he added in a deep voice:

"I once heard my father talk about him on the phone with the department, saying that Gilan is very dangerous and is far from what he seems..."

"He and we...are not on the same level at all!"

"Danger?" Fulla was startled. "Mr. Gillan looks very friendly..."

"Ha." Cordell sneered. "That's because you've never seen him kill someone!"

Cordell couldn't help but feel chills standing up when he thought of the bloody and ferocious look of Guillain Iros on the night of the "Black Mass".

Seeing that his sister still had an interested expression on her face, his heart skipped a beat.

"Fula..."

Just as he was about to say something else, the phone suddenly rang.

Jingle Bell!

Soon, a middle-aged maid at home quickly walked to the living room and called to the two brothers and sisters:

"Miss Fulla, I have your phone number. I am a friend of yours from the academy."

"Okay, got it!"

Fulla responded, as if she thought of something, and quickly ran over.

Cordell opened his mouth, but finally just sighed with a sullen face, shook his head and went upstairs.

In the hallway at the back of the living room, a telephone is placed on a narrow counter.

Fulla walked over quickly, took the receiver and microphone from the maid's hand, and said:

"Hello?"

"Fura, it's me, Salina... I'm with Beili now. Zelens and the others have investigated the mysterious place recorded in the 'Jordan Suicide Note', which is consistent with what the devil said."

"Is it true..."

Fulla was startled and then fell into deep thought.

A question came from the girl on the other end of the phone:

"What's next, Fulla?"

"What do you mean?"

"I think this matter is very dangerous... Beili is very interested in it, just like Zelens and the others, and plans to go and have a look together."

"The Dugarte Mountains are not far from Museciti, only half a day's drive away... I think we can give it a try, and maybe we can really find the secluded place recorded in the 'Jordan Suicide Note'."

Fulla thought for a while and spoke in a rather expectant tone.

"I have also found some information in the past few days. Jordan Fibbit was indeed a great astrologer who was active two hundred years ago... Maybe we can find some manuscripts about him and learn more profound mystical knowledge."

"That's...okay, Fulla."

Although the female voice on the other end of the phone hesitated, she agreed.

Fulla smiled and comforted:

"Don't worry, we can go to the security company to hire a bodyguard to escort us into the mountain... Moreover, doesn't Zelens' family have a fighting club? They should also have some good friends, right?"

"Zelens wouldn't agree to that."

The girl named Salena said on the phone.

"And...I don't agree with letting others know about this."

"Well... let's meet at the same place tomorrow and discuss it then."

Fula pondered for a moment and said.

After hanging up the phone, she took a deep breath and smiled expectantly.

Immediately, the girl took out a business card from her outer pocket and turned it to the back.

A string of landline phone numbers were written on it in black pen, and the name "Guilan Iros" was also noted.

Fulla thought for a while, and finally chose to carefully take the business card back.

…

…

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the sun sets.

Lenis drove the four maids back, and the group entered the apartment with large bags and smiling faces.

Gilan finished refining another batch of "wick magic potion", came down from upstairs, stood on the steps, and stopped his female secretary.

Lenis turned back to explain something to the maids, and asked the housekeeper, Old Charles, to help. Then she quickly walked to the steps and said respectfully:

"Sir."

"Lenis, help me investigate a person."

Ji Lan calmly looked down and said.

"Fora Lotito, the youngest daughter of the Minister of Propaganda."

Lenis was startled.

Gillan added:

"You can use part of my authority on the Mysterious Investigation Committee to request their assistance."

"Yes, sir."

Lenis adjusted her glasses and said solemnly.

…

…

Around six o'clock in the evening.

Not long after Gilan finished dinner, another distinguished guest came to the house.

After being informed by Lao Charles, Gillan went to the courtyard to greet him personally.

I saw an old man with white hair standing alone outside the iron gate. He was wearing a simple black suit, holding a white cane, and looked at him with a smile.

"Teacher, you are here."

Jilan opened the courtyard door and said respectfully.

Parra walked in slowly, looked at the environment for a while, and said with a smile:

"You have moved to a new residence, are you still getting used to it?"

"Very good." Ji Lan answered as he led the teacher inside. “The environment here is quiet and relatively close to the Triumph Building.”

"Yeah." Parra nodded.

When the two entered the living room of the apartment, Gillan called Old Charles and whispered to him to let the maids go back to the house.

"Okay, Master."

Old Charles understood and nodded in agreement.

As an experienced butler, he knew that the young master needed a quiet environment to talk about secret topics.

"Teacher, please sit down."

Gillan invited Parra to sit on the sofa, and then poured her a cup of hot tea with her own hands.

Parra picked up the tea cup and took a sip.

"I came here this time to take you to attend the important gathering of 'Midnight Rose' as a formal member."

Hearing this, Jilan was delighted.

"Teacher, do you need me to pay attention to anything?"

"No need." Pala chuckled. "Although 'Night Rose' is an ancient secret sect that gathers excellent alchemists, it does not have many rules and is relatively free and relaxed."

"But you are a newcomer and you are not proficient in alchemy. It is better to listen and watch more."

"Yes, teacher."

Jilan smiled awkwardly and said.

Alchemy is indeed not his strong point.

He only knows the refining methods of "Green Gunpowder" and "Wick Potion", thanks to Shabtai's formula, which clearly marks the steps and precautions of each link.

Jilan's actual alchemy level is not even an entry level.

"Teacher, when does the party start?"

He asked curiously.

Pala put down the teacup and glanced at his watch.

"It's almost time. Let's go now."

"Now?"

Jilan was wondering when he saw the white-haired old gentleman take something out of his pocket.

It was a chess piece made of pure gold.

King chess piece.

Ding.

Pala looked calm and flicked his finger.

The king chess piece spun and flew up, and then seemed to be sucked by a force out of thin air, hanging upside down in the air.

This scene was like there was an invisible and intangible "chessboard" that was upside down in the air, and the king chess piece fell exactly where it should be.

Buzz——

The chess piece suddenly burst into dazzling golden light.

Gilan instinctively closed his eyes, and then he felt a strong suction force appear, pulling his body and flying in an unknown direction.

When he opened his eyes again, he was surprised to find that he had left the apartment and arrived in an unfamiliar garden.

Surrounding it was a green lawn covered with bright red roses, with no end in sight.

The cool wind blew, carrying the sweet fragrance of flowers, blowing on Jilan's cheeks, which refreshed her spirit.

Above her head was the night sky, with countless stars shining brightly, which was extremely magnificent.

What surprised Jilan was that there was no moon in the night sky, but instead, there was a sun!

The sun's light was not strong, but it illuminated the surrounding environment, and it was "in the same frame" with the night, without any disobedience.

"This is the 'Chessboard Manor'."

Pala on the side explained with a faint smile.

"The real base of 'Night Rose'."

"The manor does not exist in the mortal world, but in a folded space like an 'alchemical pocket'."

"It originated from an ancient alchemical miracle. It is said that it was created by the first alchemist and was later mastered by the leaders of 'Night Rose'."

"At present, the 'Chessboard Manor' is owned by the contemporary leader of the cult, Ms. Flamel Jaber, 'Rose'."

"Only formal members are qualified to be given the key to open the door of the manor - that is, the 'chess piece'."

Pala turned his head and glanced at Jilan, indicating the golden king chess in his hand.

"At the same time, this is also a symbol of identity within 'Night Rose'. The higher the level of the chess piece, the higher the status it represents."

After listening to Pala's explanation, Jilan was secretly amazed.

He sighed in his heart, worthy of being an ancient cult, it actually has such a miraculous thing.

But soon, he recalled the last words of Pala and said in astonishment:

"Teacher, then your piece..."

"Well, it is the same level as the queen chess piece in the hands of the leader 'Mei Weng'."

Pala said calmly.

"I thought the position of leader was too troublesome at the beginning, so I refused."

"..."

Jilan opened his mouth and was speechless.

Pala didn't care, gestured for him to follow, and then walked forward with his cane.

"Let's go, I'll take you to meet the others."

"Yes, teacher." Gilan followed closely.

Soon, he followed Pala to the depths of the manor.

From a distance, Gilan saw several romantic-style buildings with white and pink colors sitting in the lawn and flowers.

There were several round tables and exquisite high-backed white chairs on the open space.

At this moment, there were more than a dozen men and women sitting there chatting and eating.

As Pala and Gilan approached, those people turned their heads and smiled.

"The White Sage and his students are here..."