CH-077

77 The Secret of Sdan

Shu Li had just been surrounded by the three when he heard a "click" – the office door slowly opened.

Bishop Holm and Bishop Hugo walked out one after another.

With just a brief glance, Shu Li could see that both their expressions were off – Bishop Hugo's mouth was tight, while Bishop Holm strode away without a word, as if he had just suppressed his anger.

Clearly, things had not been calm inside the room.

His heart stirred slightly.

If he and Leyton had taken a few steps forward and happened to get close to the door, they probably would have overheard something they shouldn't, and it would not have been a pleasant experience.

Looking back, Calvin's abrupt call had actually unintentionally saved him from that trouble.

Now he could only pretend that he was so occupied with the three children that he had not noticed Bishop Hugo and Bishop Holm approaching their direction.

Just then, a scream suddenly rang out in the distance, breaking the deadlock.

"Ah——!"

Everyone startled instinctively and looked toward the direction of the sound.

Leslie reacted first, calmly identifying: "It's from the altar."

Shu Li immediately followed up, analyzing: "There are many people there, so it's unlikely to be anything major." He paused, then added, "But we should still go over quickly and make sure everyone is safe."

As he said this, he unconsciously glanced at Father Leyton beside him, who had not yet fully processed the situation.

The other man was slightly startled, then understood his hint – the matter concerning Father Jekai needed to be delayed a bit.

After all, Shu Li speaking up for Father Jekai would take less than a minute at most, so Leyton quickly nodded.

Everyone's footsteps hurried toward the altar.

Bishop Hugo and Bishop Holm also went to the scene. They could not continue their conversation anyway, so this was a good chance to shift their mindset.

When Shu Li arrived at the scene, there was only a broken statue and some stone fragments on the ground. Father Simeon, Raymond, and other clergy and nuns from the church were gathered not far away, their expressions tense, occasionally looking up toward the tower as if they had encountered something unbelievable.

"Is no one injured?" Shu Li asked as his gaze quickly swept over everyone. Seeing that they could all move freely, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

As soon as Raymond saw Shu Li, he rushed over as if he had found someone to rely on and quickly poured out his grievances: "Father Aris, you don't know, it was very dangerous just now! We were walking right here when a statue fell toward Father Simeon."

Father Simeon also quickly added, pointing to the tower not far away: "We saw a figure in the tower opposite at the time. Because we all know there is a path there, a staircase. So, we immediately went to find out who did it. But then something terrifying happened—"

Before Father Simeon's voice faded, the others also gathered around.

Clearly, they all shared the same feeling, hoping for comfort, perhaps also for support.

Raymond, not noticing that others were using him as a spokesperson, continued: "There is a staircase there. When we ran in, we didn't see anyone coming down the stairs, and nuns and clergy were going up along the way to catch the person. But the terrifying thing was, the room where the statue fell from was empty."

He paused, then added: "We even searched the entire rooftop, but found nothing. It was as if the person had vanished into thin air."

Just then, someone nearby muttered quietly: "Could this be a demon?"

When people cannot explain something, they tend to attribute it to "mysterious forces."

"So," Shu Li began slowly, his tone calm, "a group of people rushed into the room, and the result was they didn't see anyone, right?"

Everyone unconsciously looked at him.

Because they could tell – he seemed to already have an answer.

"Well then," Shu Li continued, "did anyone check behind the door? Is it possible that the person never escaped?"

Everyone was slightly stunned, exchanging glances, and for a moment, no one responded.

"If it was nuns, clergy, and priests who went in, and the same nuns, clergy, and priests who came out are still here now..." He paused, his gaze sweeping over them, "then the answer is quite obvious, isn't it?"

The air froze for a moment because of these words.

As a senior member of Sdan Church, Sister Rita's expression darkened, and her tone turned cold: "Are you suggesting that one of us pushed over the statue? Who among us would do such an excessive thing? Father Aris, this is a public accusation against our faith!"

Shu Li did not say much more, only glancing briefly at the statue that still lay abandoned on the ground.

Just then, a clear, cool young voice came from the crowd.

Leslie's tone was calm: "With faith so firm, the statue has been on the ground for so long, and no one has picked it up?"

Though phrased as a question, it was like a silent accusation, mercilessly plunging the scene into complete awkwardness.

Leyton stiffened in the silent, awkward atmosphere. Seeing that no one was moving, he quickly bent down to pick it up, saying, "Isn't this eight-inch statue something everyone is scrambling for now?"

Raymond's attention was immediately caught by Leyton's words, and his gaze shifted to the statue, looking somewhat dazed. "...So this is the statue that's all the rage?"

The eight-inch statue's hands were spread open and turned outward.

It was said the statue was meant to depict a lifting gesture, but this one looked more like a helpless shrug.

It was said to be an imitation of the statue in Carson City, the one that captivated anyone who saw it. But Raymond only felt the statue was demonic, something that would possess you after looking at it.

Raymond was completely dumbfounded.

Father Simeon had also heard that many imitations of this statue were circulating, but seeing the actual product, he was still stunned for a moment by the "artistic interpretation" – he could not recognize any trace of Father Aris's essence at all.

Simeon's expression also turned subtle and complicated: "Is this really the most popular version?"

Shu Li, on the other hand, looked at the helpless pose of the statue with its hands spread open and could not help but laugh: "No, I think this is quite creative." Saying this, he took the statue and began to appreciate the craftsmanship seriously, tapping lightly on its surface with his fingertip, casually turning it at different angles.

But as he inadvertently tilted the statue slightly, a glint of metal suddenly flashed from deep within a crack.

Sunlight happened to shine in at an angle, and the otherwise inconspicuous crack quietly reflected a dazzling golden light, like some hidden existence that had finally been accidentally uncovered.

Shu Li's smile froze, and his eyes suddenly darkened.

He instinctively examined the crack again – it was not an ordinary break.

It was a layer of golden luster wrapped in a stone shell, like a demon inside the statue opening its eyes, meeting Shu Li's gaze.

This statue had gold hidden inside it.

"..."

The waters in Sdan City ran far too deep.