The Nightmare Witch replied somewhat hesitantly, "Sort of."

Much like the academy, the followers of the Old Gods also differentiate between "purebloods" and "mixed-bloods." In the eyes of pureblood followers, the residents of the underground city are not true adherents of the Old Gods; most of them came here to escape persecution, and by offering faith to the Old Gods, they gain the chance to live in the bottomless abyss.

These residents bear the title of followers of the Old Gods, yet apart from prayers, they never participate in the sacrifices.

However, unlike the academy's customs, pureblood followers do not despise these less pure believers. For a long time, the latter have sustained the normal operation of the underground city, and when the purebloods travel outside, they even invite people willing to believe in the Old Gods to settle here.

CatCat then whispered in Ethan's ear, "Most of the people here are residents of the Empire."

Since Henry III came to power, half the residents of the underground city have been from the Empire, and during Julius's reign, the number of Empire residents grew even larger.

Even though aberrations are widespread here, and one must deal with those peculiar followers of the Old Gods daily, life is still far more stable than in the Empire.

Here, you won't suddenly be arrested, have your possessions seized, or be burned at the stake due to some fabricated accusation.

The Lofic Consortium has provided substantial financial aid for this city's infrastructure. "Every shop you see on the street has essentially been funded by the Lofic Consortium, they treat the underground city residents much more leniently than the Empire's residents."

Lindong has lived in the underground city for a long time.

Although she never considered herself a follower of the Old Gods, she had to admit, for ordinary residents, this place is far more livable than the Empire.

Of course, she refers to the old Empire.

The present Empire is gradually turning into a dream destination for people.

"I must first take Lindong back to the Dream Eclipse for preparation. You can temporarily stay at my mansion; I'll ensure the servants take good care of you, most of them were Empire citizens as well."

The Nightmare Witch voluntarily offered the invitation, her eyes filled with anticipation.

In principle, before the festival begins, Lindong as a candidate must stay in the temple of Dream Eclipse to receive spiritual and physical cleansing, while she could temporarily act as Ethan's guide, introducing him to the underground city, and sit face-to-face at dinner to discuss the avant-garde arts of the Heavenly Father.

It's the most beautiful life she could imagine; her interaction with Ethan surprisingly surpasses the festival itself.

"No need," Ethan politely declined, "I plan to stay at the hotel and explore the city on my own."

The Nightmare Witch is a well-known figure in the underground city, always being recognized wherever she goes. From the eyes of the patrolling team just now, it's clear they respect and fear her; everyone is extremely reserved in her presence.

To him, this is an unfamiliar city, and he wants to explore it by himself. If accompanied by a "leader," he would only encounter a bewildering facade.

"I see..."

The Nightmare Witch seemed a bit disappointed.

She gazed at the hotel not far away.

Her mansion is large, the environment much better than here, one could also take a rose bath when tired from chatting, and the beds in the guest rooms are far more comfortable than the hard beds in the hotel.

However, seeing Ethan's determined expression, the Nightmare Witch held back her words, forced out a smile, "Staying here is fine too, as long as you don't publicly denounce the Old Gods, the residents of the underground city won't trouble you... Lindong and I will head back to Dream Eclipse now."

Her gaze shifted to Lindong, opening her shoulders, signaling Lin Dong to climb onto her shoulder.

After all, Lindong had never perched on her shoulder before, what would it feel like to have that furry tail wrapped around one's neck?

But the response to the Nightmare Witch was a "thud."

CatCat slid down Ethan's arm onto the ground, reverting to human form.

"Let's go."

Lindong spoke in a calm tone, returning to her previously cool demeanor, maintaining a two-step distance from her.

Ethan stood at the intersection, watching the two leave, accompanied in his gaze by the patrol team members. After the two figures disappeared at the corner of the street, the members finally breathed a sigh of relief, their tense bodies relaxed, they leaned closer to Ethan with curiosity written on their faces, "What is your relationship with the Witch?"

The faces of these individuals were covered in red paint, symbols unfamiliar to Ethan, "The Nightmare Witch has never brought a man into the city before."

Lindong is also considered a legendary figure in the abyss.

Especially recently, rumors say she killed Pope Julius and another Saint invited by the Pope from somewhere!

They could easily guess the reason for Lindong's return to the abyss at this critical moment.

"I came on invitation to witness the festival."

"Witness? What is your relationship with Lady Lindong then?"

The patrol team members unconsciously began using honorifics; should Lindong pass the festival, her status in the underground city would surpass even the Nightmare Witch.

Traditionally, there is only one chosen of the Old Gods, and they are invariably the rulers of the underground city.

"Family member."

"Family member?"

"Yes, accompanying family to participate, hoping for good results."

Upon hearing this, the patrol team all sighed, but one persistent person asked, "Are you Lady Lindong's brother?"

Before Ethan could reply, he was answered with a slap on the questioner's shoulder, "This is, of course, Lady Lindong's husband! Such mindless drivel should not insult my intelligence!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.