I changed the world.

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At the foot of Zhebi Peak, on a mountain path, three Westerners dressed in windproof camouflage clothing were moving forward with flashlights.

“Father, the path here is difficult to walk on. Be careful to follow the path I just walked on. There are snakes here. I just saw a sharp-nosed viper. These snakes are very common in this jungle. If you get bitten by them, then we will probably have to go back immediately…” Walking in front was a burly brown-haired man with a full beard and deep-set eyes. He was carrying a hiking stick and a backpack, and he moved through the woods with remarkable agility.

“Victor, I know, don’t worry, I’ll be careful.” Walking behind the burly man was Father Simon, Cardinal Wells’ assistant.

The three continued walking silently. After a while, Victor, who was walking in front, raised his wrist to look at it, then took out a light, pen-like object from his pocket. With a pull of his hands, he unfolded a flexible screen displaying an electronic map with a cursor. He studied it briefly, then put the map away and turned to the two behind him, saying, "According to the satellite map, there's a small village not far ahead. Let's go around it; the foot of the mountain is just ahead. I suggest we rest there."

“You’re a professional, I think this is a good choice.” Simon nodded. Bishop Wells had privately hinted to him that the other two had served in the military of another country, and he had also noticed along the way that they were indeed experts in jungle operations. Besides, after traveling through the woods for several hours, he was genuinely feeling quite tired.

Chapter 523 Father Simon in Action

The normal mountain road passes through a mountain village on the map. On the map, this village, named Huangjia Village, is the largest settlement in the surrounding mountains and a place where multiple roads converge.

However, due to certain special circumstances, the three-person team chose to take a detour to avoid the village.

“Be careful. If you encounter any Easterners, pretend you're tourists and don't attract their attention. Most of the people here are followers of the Xuanmen sect, and we didn't inform those Taoist priests about our trip. Lord Wells wants us to keep a low profile as much as possible…” Father Simon reminded the other two while carefully observing their surroundings.

“Father, if necessary, we can…” Alex, walking at the back, gestured with his hand across his neck in a low voice, “This jungle is dense; as long as we do it cleanly, no one will know it was us…”

“It’s best not to do that. These Easterners are special, and the Vatican doesn’t want to ruin relations with them… If necessary, we can try giving them some money…” Simon glanced back at his companion and warned with a frown.

Alex shrugged and remained silent. Simon felt uneasy. He didn't like Alex, who seemed sinister, but he also knew that their delegation was a diverse group, with many unfamiliar faces, including Alex.

Before he left, Bishop Wells had hinted to him that Victor was a trustworthy ally, while Alex required caution…

He didn't want to cause any trouble; he only hoped to complete his mission smoothly. The three of them had come out to explore Zhebi Peak, where extraordinary phenomena had previously occurred.

They also tried to verify with the Taoist priests of the Celestial Master's Mansion, but received no information; those Easterners were clearly very wary of them. Therefore, Bishop Wells and other high-ranking members of the delegation did not show excessive disappointment, as this was to be expected, and thus they decided to act on their own.

At the very least, the Vatican hopes to obtain concrete evidence that the Celestial Master's Mansion possesses extraordinary powers during this eastward mission. A further goal would be to make contact, and perhaps even obtain information about whether the Vatican itself possesses such powers. After all, much of what has happened before was merely speculation, and speculation and evidence are entirely different.

The extraordinary events that had occurred in the Zhebifeng region were a stroke of good news for the delegation, seemingly a key to breaking the deadlock. Since the Celestial Master's Mansion had been unable to glean any useful information, trying other approaches was certainly a viable option for the delegation.

They had made contingency plans before they came. The delegation would try to conceal their departure during these days, but they also needed to return within two days. If they could not return within two days, it would be difficult to completely hide it no matter how much they tried to conceal it.