From Prisoner to Si Chen..

Chapter 352 Chessboard
Soon, Old Charles led the three people into the apartment and went straight to the living room.

Gillan stood up from the sofa and turned to look.

A noble lady wearing a lace straw hat and a long dress with small yellow chrysanthemums on a white background walked in holding a beautifully packaged paper box in her hands.

Behind her were two young people, a man and a woman. The young man looked familiar, it was Cordell Lotito, whom Gillan had met at the Silver Lizard Club.

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

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

The girl had black hair tied up in a braid, and she was wearing a sky blue dress and a long gown with leg-of-mutton sleeves, which made her look both cute and noble.

"Good morning, Mr. Gillan."

The lady came over and said with a smile.

"Please forgive me for my rash visit."

"I heard from my husband that the youngest foreign minister of the empire moved next door. I was surprised and honored. So I prepared some handmade snacks to pay him a visit."

"You're welcome, ma'am." Jilan walked forward, took the box, and smiled politely. "Please take a seat."

Soon, the lady sat down on the sofa with her children. As the maids were out shopping, the butler, old Charles, was responsible for making tea and entertaining them.

After a cup of hot tea, Gillan chatted with the lady. Through the introduction, he learned that her name was Norma, and after marrying the propaganda minister Staven, she took her husband's surname, Lotito.

The girl was called Fulla, Cordel's sister and the youngest daughter in the family.

Gillan noticed during the chat that Cordell always looked at him with complicated eyes, while 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 your speech throughout. He felt that you are worthy of being a young talent valued by the head of state."

Mrs. Norma exclaimed.

Jilan smiled and said:

"Mrs. Norma, you are too kind. I am still young and have a lot to learn from Minister Staven."

"You are very modest, Mr. Gillan."

Mrs. Norma said with a smile on her face.

It was obvious that she was very grateful for Jilan's praise.

While chatting with the noble lady, Jilan's keen perception suddenly made him aware that he was being scanned by a faint spiritual vision.

He remained calm on the surface, but with a glance, he caught a glimpse of an unnatural look on the face of the girl to the left of the lady.

There was shock in Fulla's eyes.

"This young foreign minister is so powerful!"

Just now, she tried to use the psychic vision she had just learned to investigate the blond young man, but was shocked by the dazzling light emanating from him.

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

"Could it be that he is a Kuze who has surpassed the Spirit Mystic Stage?! No... it can't be?!"

Fulla's heart was filled with disbelief, and she lowered her eyes, trying her best to hide her emotions.

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

'interesting. '

Ji Lan secretly thought.

"The daughter of the Minister of Publicity is actually a mysterious person... She is only at the 1st level of "Kingdom". It seems that she has just started to learn the mysticism, but her talent is not bad."

Mrs. Norma just came to visit as a neighbor to say hello and congratulate Gillan on his new home, so she chatted for a while and then got up to leave.

From beginning to end, Cordell kept his head down and didn't say a word. As for Fulla, she was a little absent-minded.

Before leaving, under the slightly dissatisfied urging of her mother Norma, Fulla finally came to her senses, and hurriedly raised her skirt to bow to Gillan and said goodbye politely:

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

"You're welcome, Miss Fula."

Gillan chuckled.

"You can come back and sit when you are free. You are always welcome."

As he spoke, he asked old Charles to take out two business cards, wrote the apartment's landline phone number on the back, and handed them to Cordell and Fulla.

This may seem like a polite act, but in Mrs. Norma's eyes, it is a signal of willingness to make friends.

This made the lady so happy that she immediately asked her children to express her gratitude.

Gilan maintained a polite smile and asked Old Charles to escort the three guests out of the courtyard.

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

...

...

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

As soon as she got home, Fulla whispered a question to her brother Cordel.

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 moment.

"I met him a few times at the Silver Lizard Club half a year ago, but we were not familiar with each other. He was just the illegitimate son of Count Fahan at the time, and had just arrived in Muse City not long ago..."

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

half an hour.

Fulla's expression gradually became complicated.

"... Was Mr. Gillan also there the night Brother Renault died, or was he the one who stopped the cultists?"

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

Cordell tilted his head.

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

"I once heard my father talk about him on the phone with the department. He said that Gillan was very dangerous and was not as simple as he seemed..."

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

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

"Ha." Cordell sneered. "That's because you haven't seen him kill someone!"

Thinking of Gillan Iros's bloody and hideous grin on the night of the "Black Mass", Cordell couldn't help but feel his hair stand on end.

Seeing his sister still looking very interested, his heart skipped a beat.

"Fula..."

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

Jingle Bell!
Soon, a middle-aged maid in the house walked quickly to the living room and called out to the two siblings:
"Ms. Fulla, there's a call for you. It's from your friend in the academy."

"Okay, got it!"

Fulla responded, seemed to have thought of something, and quickly ran over.

Cordell opened his mouth, but in the end he just sighed gloomily, shook his head and went upstairs.

There is a telephone on a narrow counter on the corridor inside the living room.

Fulla walked over quickly, took the receiver and microphone from the maid, and said:
"Hey?"

"Fula, it's me, Salena... I'm with Beli now. Zelens and his team have already found the mysterious place recorded in the 'Jordan's suicide note', and it's consistent with what the devil said."

"Is it true..."

Fulla was stunned for a moment, then fell into deep thought.

A girl asked on the other end of the phone:
"What to do next, Fulla?"

"What do you mean?"

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

"The Dugart Mountains are not too far from Musshiti, only half a day's drive away... I think we can give it a try, maybe we can really find the hermitage recorded in the 'Jordan Testament'."

Fulla thought about it and said with anticipation in her tone.

"I have also looked up some information in the past few days. Jordan Fitbit 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."

The female voice on the other end of the phone hesitated but still agreed.

Fulla smiled and comforted him:
"Don't worry, we can go to a security company and hire a bodyguard to escort us into the mountains... Besides, doesn't Zelens' family have a fighting club? They should know some pretty good friends, right?"

"Zerens won't agree to that."

The girl named Shalina said on the phone.

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

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

Fulla hesitated 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 over. On it was a landline phone number written in black pen, and the name "Gillian Iros" was also noted.

Fulla thought about it, and finally decided to carefully put the business card back.

...

...

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

Lanis drove the four maids back, and they entered the apartment with bags of all sizes and smiles on their faces.

Jilan finished refining another batch of "wick potion", came down from upstairs, stood on the stairs, and called his female secretary.

Lanis turned around and gave a few instructions to the maids, and asked the butler, Old Charles, to help. Then she quickly walked to the steps and said respectfully:

"Sir."

"Lenice, help me investigate someone."

Jilan looked down calmly and said.

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

Lanis was startled.

Gillan added:
"You can use some of my authority on the mysterious investigation committee and ask for their assistance."

"Yes, sir."

Lanis adjusted her glasses and said solemnly.

...

...

Around six o'clock in the evening.

Not long after Jilan finished dinner, another distinguished guest came to his house.

After being informed by Old Charles, Gillan went to the courtyard to greet him in person.

Outside the iron gate, there stood a white-haired old man, wearing a simple black suit, holding a white cane, and smiling.

"Teacher, you are here."

Jilan opened the gate of the courtyard and said respectfully.

Pala walked in slowly, took a quick look at the environment, and said with a smile:

“After moving to a new residence, are you getting used to it?”

"It's pretty good." Jilan answered as he led the teacher inside. "The environment here is quiet and it's relatively close to the Triumph Building."

"Yeah." Pala nodded.

When the two of them entered the living room of the apartment, Gillan called old Charles and whispered to him to ask the maids to 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 discuss private topics.

"Teacher, please take a seat."

Gilan invited Pala to sit on the sofa and poured her a cup of hot tea.

Pala picked up the teacup and took a sip.

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

Hearing this, Jilan was delighted.

"Teacher, is there anything I need to pay attention to?"

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

"But since you are new here and are not proficient in alchemy, it is better for you to listen and watch more."

"is teacher."

Jilan smiled awkwardly and said.

Alchemy really wasn't his strong point.

He only knew the methods of refining "Green Gunpowder" and "Wick Potion", and this was thanks to Shabtai's recipe, which clearly marked the steps and precautions for each link.

Gilan's actual level of alchemy is not even entry-level.

"Teacher, when does the party start?"

he asked curiously.

Pala put down her teacup and glanced at her watch.

"Almost. Let's get going now."

"Now?"

Just as Jilan was wondering, he was surprised to see the white-haired old gentleman take something out of his pocket.

It was a chess piece made of pure gold.

King chess.

Ding.

Pala looked calm and snapped his fingers.

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

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

hum-

The chess piece suddenly emitted a dazzling golden light.

Jilan closed his eyes instinctively, and then he felt a powerful suction force pulling his body towards 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.

It was surrounded by lush green lawns covered with bright red roses, stretching as far as the eye could see.

A cool breeze blew, bringing with it the sweet scent of flowers that hit Jilan's cheek, lifting his spirits.

There is a starry night sky above, with countless stars shining brightly, which is extremely magnificent.

What surprised Jilan the most was that there was no moon in the night sky, but instead there was a sun!
The sunlight is not strong, but it illuminates the surrounding environment and blends harmoniously with the darkness.

"This is '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 is in a folded space like an 'alchemical pocket'."

"It originated from an ancient alchemical miracle. It is said to have been created by the first alchemist himself, and later mastered by successive leaders of Night Rose."

"Currently, the Chessboard Manor is owned by the current leader of the cult, Ms. Meiweng, Flamel Jaber."

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

Pala turned his head to look at Jilan and gestured to the golden king chess piece 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 shocked.

I sighed in my heart, it is worthy of being an ancient esoteric religion to possess such a miraculous thing.

But soon, he recalled the last sentence that Pala said and said in astonishment:

"Teacher, your..."

"Yes, it's 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, so I refused."

"..."

Jilan opened his mouth, speechless.

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

"Come on, I'll take you to meet the others."

"Yes, teacher." Gilan followed closely.

Soon, he followed Pala deep into the manor.

From a distance, Jilan saw several romantic-style buildings in white and pink colors located among the lawns and flowers.

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

At this moment, there were more than ten or twenty men and women sitting there chatting, eating and drinking.

As Pala and Gilan approached, the people turned their heads and looked at them with smiles on their faces.

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

(End of this chapter)