The pearl rosemary cultivation base, called the Rosemary Hotbed by the High Priest.

This place is both the hotbed for pearl rosemary and the "hotbed" for its discoverers.

He had already summoned the magic puppet, following behind Hilia, slowly approaching the rosemary hotbed.

His smile gradually turned cold.

At this moment, with no one around, the High Priest was contemplating whether or not to wait and go in, or act immediately, when suddenly, Winter’s voice came from behind.

"Your Excellency, High Priest, wait for me."

The High Priest looked back, displeased, and said, "Mr. Winter, just wait in the Divine Hall for a moment, why come out? Are you worried the Assistant Priests are neglecting you?"

"No." Winter quickly stepped forward, smiling, "As the Lord of Frost Town, I also have jurisdiction over my own territory. Pearl rosemary is not only a forbidden herb by the Holy Court but also an illegal herb valued by the Ista Empire.

"So, I have to come and take a look."

The High Priest stared at him, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t understand what he was thinking.

Winter knew about his cultivation of pearl rosemary and even received part of the "hush money" for it. Regardless of whether the informer reported this pearl rosemary hotbed to him or to Winter, the outcome would be the same — they would become nutrients for the pearl rosemary.

Based on the High Priest’s understanding of Winter, he knew Winter wouldn’t be kind enough to help cover up murder for him.

He must have discovered something the High Priest didn’t know, which is why he followed.

After pondering for a moment, the High Priest said blandly, "Then let’s go together."

The High Priest temporarily ceased his commands to the magic puppet, planning to speak once they were inside the rosemary hotbed.

This didn’t take long.

Soon, under Hilia’s guidance, the three of them and two magic puppets arrived outside the rosemary hotbed.

Pointing to a rundown house and the tall fence, Hilia said cheerfully, "Your Excellency, High Priest, it’s here. I passed by this place, was curious about what was inside, sneaked in to check, and discovered it was pearl rosemary."

Inside the fence is an anti-snoop array, invisible from above.

There is also a Concealment Array over the anti-snoop array, making it nearly impossible to detect pearl rosemary inside unless specifically sensed.

The High Priest meticulously arranged everything to avoid being discovered, but despite being cautious, many people had discovered it over the years.

Fortunately, whether those who discovered it reported to him or the Lord, the result was the same.

Dealing with the informant resolved the issue.

Now, this pretty girl from who knows where was no different.

Though she is beautiful and could be sold for a higher price, for the sake of the hotbed, she must be relegated to be nutrients.

The High Priest thought while looking at Hilia.

With such a beautiful girl as nutrients, the pearl rosemary would surely blossom more vibrantly.

With this in mind, he stepped forward, feigning brutality, ordered the magic puppet to kick the door open.

Once the magic puppet barged in, he immediately shouted, "High Priest in law enforcement, everyone, hands up!"

The clamor at the door captured the attention of all the slaves working inside. They looked up and, upon seeing the High Priest, complied without panic and raised their hands.

It was as if rehearsed, they quickly gathered and stood in rows, waiting for orders.

The High Priest nodded in satisfaction, turned to Hilia, and smiled warmly, "Miss, come, let’s gather evidence for your commendation."

He gestured behind him, and Winter, begrudgingly, closed the kicked-open door.

Ha, this girl must be closely tied to the mysterious mage from yesterday, probably intentionally released to lure us. Winter sneered internally.

He said nothing, just watched, even accommodating the High Priest’s little whims, letting him take the lead.

The three walked past the lined-up planting slaves and quickly arrived at the pearl rosemary planting site.

The pearl rosemary lived up to its name, each leaf as round and shiny as a pearl.

This season, it wasn’t yet flowering, but the buds were ready to burst, adding mystery to the crystalline plant. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Such a vast plantation..." the High Priest exclaimed, "Its nutrients must be the best, don’t you agree, madam?"

Hilia tilted her head in confusion, "I don’t understand, High Priest seems knowledgeable?"

"A bit, just a bit, madam, could you do me a favor?" asked the High Priest.

"What kind of favor?"

"Check if there is any flesh at the roots of these pearl rosemary plants."

Hilia, smiling, crouched by a rosemary plant and diligently examined it.

"Nope," she said.

"Really? No wonder these pearl rosemary plants don’t seem to be doing well, looks like they lack human flesh as nutrients," said the High Priest, pausing, flashing a priestly smile, "Madam, would you sacrifice yourself to serve as nutrients for these plants?"

With that, the magic puppet, now closely approaching, launched an attack.

"Nope," Hilia smiled slightly. She had long prepared, and with a motion summoned by the Water of Stagnation, she swiftly dodged the attack.

Then, she took out the Holy Daughter’s badge and looked at the High Priest with a smile, "High Priest, you are quite bold, daring to assault the Holy Daughter."

Seeing the silver badge holding a dove, the High Priest’s expression changed dramatically, "You..."

"What, you want to say this badge is fake?" Hilia continued to smile cheekily, "Since entering up till now, I’ve recorded everything with a wristband. Why did I, when reporting to the High Priest about someone secretly cultivating pearl rosemary, end up being attacked by the High Priest? Why is that? It’s tough to guess."

The High Priest’s facial expressions changed rapidly, and so did Winter’s beside him.

His expression was even more compelling than the High Priest’s.

At first, he thought this girl was in cahoots with the mysterious mage from the previous day, but he wasn’t sure.

Now, he was certain.

They were together!

Moreover, they were from the upper city’s Holy Court, who had suddenly started plotting from burning down the Warm Tavern! It was all a trap for the High Priest!

Winter felt everything become clear.

Why was there a mysterious girl seeking revenge on the Flame Sun Association, and why did she succeed with just first-level strength?

No one obstructed her the entire way!

Afterward, Winter investigated and confirmed someone stopped the Flame Sun Association’s men, as they had stopped his son Crisis.

In a single day, the girl created headlines in Frost Town.

But this was just the beginning.

While everyone was distracted by this girl, the masters in the shadows made their moves.

Overnight, all the high-levels of the Flame Sun Association were annihilated!

Then, on the next day, the Holy Daughter made an appearance and intentionally lured the unaware High Priest into his rosemary hotbed, provoking him to attack, effectively sentencing him to death!

What a strategic game plan!

The sky over Frost Town was about to change.

The new High Priest, no doubt, would be even more challenging.

Realizing this, Winter immediately looked at the High Priest and sombrely asked:

"High Priest, did you cultivate this pearl rosemary garden privately?"