[You put away the letter and the Route Map, then look toward the basement exit.]

[The two Starlight Cage paintings are still leaning properly against the corner of the wall. Rona probably brought those two paintings out and placed them here after your feigned death…]

“Rona has already gone to the Multivision Headquarter…”

Lin Xun frowned.

The Multivision School Headquarters had powerful god-level existences such as Prophets and Great Prophets.

According to what he had previously learned, although those Prophets had already degenerated into Disorder monsters, they could still continue guarding the school and could even occasionally go out to fight. There had to be hidden plotlines behind that.

Back at the Direct Vision Branch Association in the auxiliary capital, Lin Xun had already witnessed the battle scene where the Great Sage summoned a Prophet from the Imperial Capital and killed a projection of a star god.

So whether it was him or Rona, going to the Multivision Headquarter was an extremely risky move.

Even though Rona had already advanced to godhood, the Multivision Headquarter was the lair of Knowledge Scholars. There was definitely more than one Prophet-level scholar there. If she carelessly exposed her identity, she might not even be able to escape.

Not to mention that Lin Xun was still only at the demigod level. Any random Prophet could utterly crush him.

“Maybe Rona only went ahead to gather intelligence. The situation may not be as bad as I think.”

Lin Xun took the two paintings and left the private dwelling, boarded the Refined Copper Carriage, and followed the route on the map toward the Multivision Headquarter.

[…]

[After traveling for a long while, the Refined Copper Carriage finally reaches its destination.]

[As you step out of the carriage, you hear a noisy clamor of voices coming from ahead.]

[Because the fog is dense, visibility outside is very low. You strain your eyes before you can make out that in the fog ahead, many carriages are parked, with indistinct figures milling around. It seems that quite a few Scholars are gathered there.]

[Farther away are the vague outlines of the three tall buildings of the Multivision Headquarter.]

In order to infiltrate the Multivision Headquarter smoothly, Lin Xun had already switched into the Shell of a Multivision Branch Association Sage.

Since he needed to conceal his identity, he left both paintings inside the carriage and did not carry them with him.

[Seeing this, you lower the brim of your scholar’s hat and grip your staff as you stride quickly forward…]

[The noisy voices drift through the fog into your ears…]

[Have you all heard? That woman has come back!]

[What nonsense, of course! Who does not know about this by now?]

[Who would have thought that shameless traitor would still dare return to the school. If I run into her, I will definitely let that traitor know what concentrated Knowledge means!]

[Hmph! Back then, she was the Great Sage in the Imperial Capital with the greatest potential to become a Prophet, the only female Great Sage. The school poured endless resources into her, yet Rona betrayed the school at the peak of her fame and degenerated into a heretic who chased the stars…]

[Please explain how she still has the face to come back, how she dares to come back. Is it because her conscience awakened and she came here to accept judgement? Too late! All heretics who chase the stars deserve death, without exception!]

Lin Xun’s heart sank.

Rona had only just advanced to godhood. The fact that she could escape alive from a star god was already an extraordinary performance.

Now that Rona had infiltrated the Multivision Headquarter, it was equivalent to entering enemy territory alone. Facing a group of Prophet-level powerhouses, being unable to overcome them by force was completely within expectations.

“This just became tricky. Originally I only had to rescue Bennett, but now Rona has also been captured. I have to save two people at once…”

[Shh! Are you trying to get yourself killed? Do not speak so loudly!]

[The school higher-ups are currently holding a discussion meeting over this matter. Great Sage Rona… Rona is actually not a traitor. I know some inside information…]

[What inside information could there possibly be? The school has never shown mercy to oathbreaking heretics. Since Rona dared return to the school, the only path left for her is death!]

[Tsk, how did you become a Scribe with that amount of brain matter? Since Rona dared to return openly and was not immediately executed by the school higher-ups, it definitely means there is some hidden reason.]

[Then hurry and tell us, what exactly is the inside story?]

[Yeah, stop keeping us in suspense and say it already!]

[Ahem, all of you better listen carefully. According to reliable information, Rona is actually not a traitor, but a secret undercover agent appointed by the Great Prophet!]

[She never betrayed the true Lord. Rather, she bore the Great Prophet’s orders, infiltrated the Polar Star Society, and entered the core of the enemy organization!]

[After enduring humiliation for a long time, Rona successfully overthrew the Polar Star Society and even killed the Polar Star Society’s highest leader, the Executor…]

[What!]

[How is that possible!]

[The Polar Star Society was destroyed? The Executor was killed by Rona? You did not get that wrong, did you?!]

[Heh, of course not! Its source of information is extremely reliable. And now they should not call her Great Sage Rona anymore, but should respectfully address her as Prophet Rona!]

[The school higher-ups’ discussion meeting will probably have a conclusion very soon. If my guess is right, the school should announce this news tomorrow and clear Prophet Rona’s name.]

[Pr-Prophet Rona? Ahem… who just said Rona was a traitor and wanted to inject concentrated Knowledge into her? It definitely was not me!]

[So Rona was an undercover agent sent into the Polar Star Society by the Great Prophet. I knew it, this really does make everything perfectly reasonable…]

[Exactly, exactly! It had seen through everything long ago. What kind of person would have water in their brain and betray the school to become a star heretic when the school was fully supporting them and they were just about to advance to Prophet?]

[Anyway, if I were in Rona’s place, I definitely could not have done something that stupid.]

[Heh heh, I heard that Great Sage Rona… no, Prophet Rona has always been single, and likes people who look relatively high in Knowledge content. What do you all think, does I look high enough in Knowledge content?]

[…]

“What kind of wild maneuver is this from Rona?”

Lin Xun was a little dumbfounded. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

He had thought the road Rona meant by paving the way was to charge into the Multivision Headquarter and rescue Bennett while facing the siege of many Prophets.

He had rushed over anxiously, thinking that Rona might be facing huge danger right now.

But Rona completely refused to play by ordinary rules, pulled off a double reversal, repeatedly jumped sides, and returned to the school to recognize her roots again in the identity of a Prophet.

And in the end, this outrageous maneuver that defied common sense seemed to have actually worked…

[You stride quickly forward. A group of Scholars is gathered at the association entrance, whispering among themselves about all kinds of news concerning Rona.]

[When they see you, this Sage, appear, they immediately shut their mouths and no longer dare continue discussing it.]

[You wave your hand, signaling them to keep talking and not mind your presence…]

[Seeing that the Scholars still do not dare speak, you look toward the Scribe who had just revealed the inside information and tell it that you too never believed Rona was a traitor who had betrayed the true Lord. After hearing that Rona had returned to the school, you rushed over immediately…]

[The Scribe looks at the robe you are wearing, then at your face, and hesitantly says, This Sage looks somewhat unfamiliar…]

[You indicate that you are a Sage from a branch association in another land. As one of Rona’s former friends, after hearing such news you came to headquarters immediately to see how things were.]

[If it has any more inside information it can tell you, then you will owe it a favor.]

[The Scribe thinks for a moment, then leans close to your ear and whispers that, to be honest, its father is also a Sage, so it is able to know some inside information. In the future, you and its father can interact more often…]

[It really does know some more specific inside information…]