Another letter.


    Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, surprised to receive the second letter so soon.


    "This letter should be from Li Yongjie to Inoue Kenjiro, and Inoue Kenjiro is the owner of that house. But before discussing the contents of this letter, I must first tell you a story," Zhang Jingxu began.


    "More than twenty years ago, Fisher''s Vige was an isted fishing vige. Its first-generation residents had fled to this ind over a hundred years ago, so they had little interaction with the outside world. Moreover, due to the turbulent times, few outsiders visited Fisher''s Vige."


    "Until more than twenty years ago, a journalist named Li Yongjie heard rumors about Fisher''s Vige and came here alone. He was the first outsider to visit Fisher''s Vige in many years. Inoue Kenjiro, the most outgoing person in Fisher''s Vige, weed Li Yongjie and became good friends with him."


    "Then, Li Yongjie began gathering information in Fisher''s Vige and established a connection between Fisher''s Vige and the outside world. Inoue Kenjiro also learned Chinese from Li Yongjie. A yearter, when Li Yongjie decided to leave, he gave Inoue Kenjiro a jade pendant and continued to send him a letter every month."


    "A yearter, Matsui Ichiro arrived in Fisher''s Vige and began promoting the Ocean True Deity Sect. He imed that he hade to Fisher''s Vige under the guidance of the true ocean gods. Some superstitious vigers were deceived by Matsui Ichiro, but most remained skeptical."


    "Then, Matsui Ichiro started performing various small magic tricks in the vige, which he referred to as miracles. Because the vigers of Fisher''s Vige had been isted from the world for so long, more and more of them fell under Matsui Ichiro''s deception, bing fervent followers of the Ocean True Deity Sect."


    "However, Inoue Kenjiro firmly opposed Matsui Ichiro and had many conflicts with him. At that time, Inoue Kenjiro''s father was the old Vige Chief, so he had significant authority in Fisher''s Vige. Even most of the vigers who believed in the Ocean True Deity Sect sided with Inoue Kenjiro."


    "But as Matsui Ichiro organized multiple ceremonies, which were essentially bizarre rituals involving burning incense and bowing to strange statues in his house, those followers became more and more devoted to Matsui Ichiro. They turned into fanatical followers of the Ocean True Deity Sect, regarding Matsui Ichiro as their leader."


    "However, Inoue Kenjiro saw the situation deteriorating and began urging the remaining vigers to keep their distance from the fanatics and Matsui Ichiro to prevent more vigers from being brainwashed. Unfortunately, it backfired. More and more vigers transformed into fanatical followers of the Ocean True Deity Sect. During this time, Inoue Saburo also became a fanatical follower of the Ocean True Deity Sect for reasons he can''t recall. Only recently did he regain his sanity."


    Zhang Jingxu''s words left everyone in silence.


    As a Cult Leader, Liu Xing quickly understood from "Watanabe Ryusei''s" memories how Matsui Ichiro had brainwashed the vigers of Fisher''s Vige.


    Liu Xing sighed and said, "If my assumptions are correct, Inoue Saburo probably used special materials infused candles during those ceremonies. When these candles burn, they have a hypnotic effect on ordinary people nearby. If someone were to take an antidote at that moment, they could potentially resist the hypnotic effect. The effectiveness of brainwashing depends on the individual''s willpower, but with repeated brainwashing, even the strongest-willed can bepletely controlled."


    "Oh, wow, that''s quite powerful," Ling Ishikawa eximed in surprise.


    Liu Xing nodded and continued, "Indeed, these candles are incredibly potent. However, their supplier is limited, making them expensive and in low supply. Usually, onlyrge Secret Cults can acquire them. Theoretically, one candle can hypnotize up to ten ordinary people. Matsui Ichiro possessing these valuable candles and using them on the vigers of Fisher''s Vige is unexpected."


    Zhang Jingxu chimed in, "You''re talking about the Hypnotic Incense produced by the ck market, right? My master once mentioned that this ck market deals in all sorts of mystical items."


    Liu Xing nodded again. ording to "Watanabe Ryusei''s" memories, a figure d in a ck robe, known as "the ck market," annually sent invitations to well-known Secret Cults worldwide on January 1st, inviting them to attend a unique auction held on September 9th at 9:09 AM. The location changed each year, and when the auction began, the ck market would appear with a cart containing various magical items.


    During the auction, anyone could bid for the items the ck market disyed. The highest bidder would im the item, and once all items were sold, the ck market would disappear.


    Over the years, Secret Cult leaders had attempted to attack or steal from the ck market, believing they were invincible. However, anyone who challenged the ck market met a grisly fate, as did those who ordered the attacks.


    As a result, Secret Cult leaders had learned not to provoke the ck market, which sold superior itemspared to those in the Cthulhu Role-ying Game Hall, and they could be purchased with money, no points required.


    However, Liu Xing couldn''t help but wonder if the ck market was the embodiment of someone taking the fall. After all, Hypnotic Incense was one of the lowest-tier items sold by the ck market. Some of the higher-tier items could even be used against Great Old Ones.


    Returning to the topic, if the Ocean True Deity Sect could purchase Hypnotic Incense from the ck market, it indicated their significant status among Secret Cults. But why did they target Fisher''s Vige, a remote ind? And why did they invest so heavily in it?


    Could there be some dark secrets hidden in Fisher''s Vige?