Chapter 51: Invitation

Charles smiled mysteriously. "My beliefs are... slightly different from my grandfather's. I would like to tell you more, if you're interested."

"Of course," Lu Zhiyu said earnestly with a nod. "I am very interested."

"Do you believe in the blood race?" Charles asked in a hushed whisper.

"Vampires?" Lu Zhiyu said, surprised.

There was a difference between these words, so Charles shook his head. "No, the blood race!"

Lu Zhiyu narrowed his eyes. Charles's questions had made him very curious. He glanced at Charles. "There are many legends about the the blood race," he said. "One can go as far back as thousands of years ago, to the Mesopotamian civilization. There are records of them in ancient Jewish texts and from the Roman Empire. Some say they are descendants of Cain, the first murderer according to the Bible, who murdered his brother due to jealousy. Others say they came from Judah or the Wallachian ruler Vlad Dracula."

He paused for a moment. "Ever since the middle ages, the Catholic Church has issued several decrees regarding the blood race, acting as if the blood race was a great enemy. This seemed to validate their existence. It was as if these blood-sucking creatures had been hidden among humans for centuries." Lu Zhiyu paused, then said, "Of course, no one knows whether that's real or not. These are all rumors and legends passed down through generations. No one has actually met them before. It's just a legend!"

Charles shook his head. "No, it's not just a legend. If you are willing, I can show you a whole different world."

"Really?" Lu Zhiyu asked, intrigued. "I am very interested."

The two exchanged their business cards and Charles disappeared with a mysterious smile while Lu Zhiyu frowned. He was certain that Charles was a normal man without any form of special abilities. However, he had probed at Charles's mind and found out some of the information that Charles was talking about.

Charles was a loyal member of a cult called the Vatican Clan. He joined this cult when he was still attending college and became an official member of it after he graduated. There were many famous people in the cult. There were several wealthy businessmen and politicians, as well as scientists and artists. There were even some actors and famous authors among the cult's members. This cult clearly wielded very significant influence.

There also seemed to be some mysterious and powerful forces and people behind this cult. Charles' memory also contained some miraculous events. Did these supernatural forces and powers really exist on Earth?

But then he remembered the Scroll of the World, and he became even more interested. He wanted to learn more about this cult.

As for why Charles invited him, Lu Zhiyu was interested too. It seemed that the appearance of members was very important to this cult. All the members were very beautiful humans. The more beautiful one was, the more likely they were to be invited to join the cult. It was as if only attractive beings fit the requirement for the blood race!

This was why Charles had approached Lu Zhiyu. He looked at the card Charles had given him. Even though Charles didn't say anything when he left, Lu Zhiyu knew that his name would be on the list next time the cult gathered for a meeting. Lu Zhiyu decided that he would join the next meeting. He was set on discovering what was up with this cult.

After leaving the manor, he and Charles spent some time chatting together. Zoe looked at the two of them with an even stranger expression on her face as if she'd determined Lu Zhiyu's sexual orientation.

"Anthony, did you keep rejecting me because you really do like men?" As Lu Zhiyu was about to drive away from the mansion, Zoe suddenly squeezed into the passenger seat.

"Of course not," Lu Zhiyu said. "He just told me some interesting things."

Zoe frowned. "He's not inviting you into some cult, is he?"

Lu Zhiyu didn't expect Zoe to know about the cult as well. "You know about it too?" he asked, surprised.

Zoe shook her head. "Not much," she said. "But Charles and my brother went to the same university, so I know a little about things. I just want to tell you not to get in too deep."

"Is it dangerous?" Lu Zhiyu asked.

"I don't know," Zoe said with a shrug. "But these cults are always so mysterious and private. You can't be recognized officially and you must hide yourself. Why hide if there's nothing wrong? You should at least be cautious."

The two stayed in the car and chatted for a bit longer before Zoe bade him goodbye and slipped away. She got into her own car with a professional chauffeur-bodyguard who escorted her away.

Lu Zhiyu thought about Zoe's words. He thought that even if it was dangerous, it wouldn't really be a threat to him. Of course, he would still be careful because he wasn't sure what was hiding under the surface of this world.

Speaking of Zoe, she'd seemed interested in Lu Zhiyu all this time, but she never initiated anything. She seemed like a hard-to-get woman and was a strong and independent woman in reality!

He sat in his car for a bit longer, then drove away from the mansion. This party had been very interesting and it helped revitalize him. Humans were indeed social animals. All sorts of psychological problems would appear after being separated for too long!

Once he got back to his house, he spent some time watching TV before returning to the dimensional castle. Another dozen of years had passed since he left, but the ant-people had kept the castle tidy. Lu Zhiyu didn't need to rest for energy now, but he still had the habit of sleeping. Resting his mind could help adjust his state.

Ever since he developed supernatural creatures, he began planning his next move. He wanted to open up the path to the zero-dimensional space, so that the supernatural creatures could flourish in Maria's World. He wanted to use Maria's World as a testing ground for these organisms.

He was only one man and have limited speed and energy. He would sometimes make mistakes or have loopholes in his thoughts. If he got more people to do the same thing as him, he could progress much faster and more efficiently. Other people might even point out the correct path for him.

George Bernard Shaw had once said, "You have an apple and I have an apple. If we trade, we still only have one apple each. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we trade, we will each have two ideas!"

This was how knowledge was. Lu Zhiyu could receive knowledge discovered by others without having to steal them. This was a mutually-beneficial thing.