"Why are you summoning me all of a sudden? Didn't the church arrange beds for you?"

Mark teased in a low voice and threw a small piece of freshly baked hot bread with his special hot sauce on it to Anna and Monica.

A qualified priest is one who can find a place to cook anytime and anywhere. He had already fed two waves of little beggars before the two women arrived with the message.

Anna took it, nodded, and said concisely: "Before we could even arrange the beds, something happened to Enzo."

Anna swallowed the hot pancake in just a few bites. The spicy sauce warmed her cold stomach and dispelled some of the stiffness of the cold night.

She spoke a little faster than usual, her voice very low.

The power conflict perceived in the cellar of the Dark Church, Enzo's snoring while pretending to be asleep, and the ritual traces identified by Monica.

And the key rune information imprinted with the fist: "Traps, Dwarven Danger, Frostwhisper Rift, Church Alliance" was repeated clearly and quickly.

"...The runes are clear and unmistakable," Monica added, her burgundy eyes gleaming calmly in the dim light. "The arrangement that envoy Saru mentioned is likely closely connected to the Frostwhisper Rift. Enzo was likely sent there as bait. Eliza of the Church of the Star-Moon has also stated that she will discuss further actions involving the Rift with us, and the one-hour deadline is a reminder."

"Wow, your snoring is so loud?" Mark laughed and stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth, chewing it with relish, as if what he was listening to was not a conspiracy against his own team.

"It has to be Enzo. If he put his acting skills on stage, wouldn't he be making a fortune every day? With his dark favor and that person's blessing, if he unleashes it, he can scare half of those 'charlatans' out of their wits, right? Tsk, interesting... Church coalition? It seems that Black Anvil is in contact with the Xingyue and Dark gangs?"

He then briefly shared the conversation he overheard with the Black Anvil Church steward at the "Rock Supply Station" that afternoon, as well as key words such as "core of the furnace", "ignition", "remnants deep within the star's remains", "complete activation of power", and "survival of the clan", along with the contradictory clues about the "meteorite disaster" described by Elder Bruno.

"...their demand for sweet potatoes and belly-warming stones, which are rich in vitality and heat, has surged, and it's not just to survive the winter. From what the dwarf said, it seems they're planning something big, and it's related to a power hidden deep within the star's remains. This matter concerns the survival of a certain dwarf clan."

Mark paused, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the small bottle of sauce, making a slight tapping sound.

"I'm thinking that the memory of the treasure in Enzo's anvil head about Falling Star Lake might not be deceiving us, and the item is indeed in his hands. But judging by the seriousness of these dwarves, there might be other 'remaining stellar debris' beneath Falling Star Lake... or perhaps at the heart of the disaster, something that Elder Bruno doesn't know about, or that Enzo hasn't even noticed.

"The people on the Arctic Ice Field are definitely targeting that thing! And it requires a huge amount of life energy to ignite it! The Frostwhisper chasm is most likely where this 'Heart of the Star' is!"

He looked around at his two companions: "The problem now is, they are using the nonsense of prophecy and divine grace to paint a pie for Enzo and you to jump into. Do they really think highly of your talent?

"I always feel like you are also in their trap, you'd better be careful.

"But whether it's Black Anvil or Deephearth, they're both Enzo's former clansmen, so we definitely have to go to Frostwhisper Chasm. That 'Deephearth' branch the old dwarf's been talking about is 99% likely connected to the remnants of the Graybeard clan, and 80% is probably hiding beneath the chasm! But before we go, we need to get a better understanding of these people's secrets... ahem, their backgrounds."

He glanced at Anna and Monica, then looked down at Xiao Mu, who was standing with pink tentacles in his arms and was warily looking at the dark corner deep in the alley.

"The Star-Moon and Dark families have already taken great care of you and Enzo. If the three of us sneak off to explore the Frostwhisper rift together, we'll be too conspicuous and will definitely alert the two families. They might launch an attack prematurely, and Enzo might be in danger. Furthermore, if the rift turns out to be a big urn... the three of us will just be prepared to be caught in the same pot."

The corners of Mark's mouth curled up slightly, but his eyes became sharp. "So, this time, Xiao Mu and I will be the first to explore the canyon."

He reached out and stroked Little Mu's head, which felt very good in his hand. The little guy immediately rubbed his palm affectionately and let out a short "Mum!"

"Frostwhisper chasm." Mark smacked his lips. "It sounds even colder than the glacier. Xiao Mu and I will go and warm it up."

He patted his butt and stood up. The tattered cloak covered with dirt and rust that he used as a disguise made him look even more shabby, as if he was really just a poor traveling merchant with his legs numb from the cold.

"You two should return to the Star-Moon Church and continue discussing doctrine with the Priest. Let's see if they can pull out something valuable from their crotch... ahem, from the library. It's a rare trip to the Icefields, so we should at least learn something that's not available in the Central Continent."

"And one more important thing: keep a close eye on Enzo! After all, Enzo has only been around for a short time. You guys should stay by his side and make sure he doesn't get sold off and end up counting the money. When he's scheduled to leave for the Rift Valley, I'll meet you in advance."

"Okay!" Anna replied with only one word and nodded crisply. The dim lights in the distance were reflected in her light green eyes, as if she was confirming whether there was any new surveillance around.

Monica elegantly tidied up a strand of hair that had been messed up by the wind, her voice calm and composed:

"The secret vault of the Star-Moon Church might indeed reveal some knowledge about the war between the various religions hundreds of years ago. Don't worry, we will ensure Enzo's safety. You take care too, Mark, and Xiaomu."

"Let's go!" Mark pushed the brim of his hat down again, and his hunched back seemed to be even more bent.

Holding Xiao Mu, he slipped out of the narrow corner formed by the garbage dump silently like a wisp of smoke blending into the shadows, and quickly disappeared into the maze of jagged alleys deep in the Fortagan settlement.

Anna and Monica exchanged a glance without saying a word. Their figures seemed to be swallowed by the night as they retraced their steps and quietly crept towards the stone church shrouded in the power of the stars and the moon.

After returning to the hotel and packing up briefly.

Mark looked out from the crooked third-floor window of the Northland Bear's Den. The lights of the gathering place seemed even dimmer in the thin snow and wind.

"Five gold coins a night..." He weighed the key in his hand, which was so heavy it could be a hammer, and sighed. "Xiaomu, even if you have money, you can't spend it like this. We can't even stay for half a day. This money is not worth it. We have to go work and earn it back."