Dennis took his time to speak, "I don't know much about the cult of Mithras, since I was never a part of it directly, but Callum was... my all knowledge came from him."

"Tell us everything you know," Zhan asked.

Dennis spoke, "All I know is that Callum often took some of the selected slaves to some other place, not to sell but to practice."

"Practice what?"

"Rituals."

Zhan's eyes widened and he looked at Yanli, before he asked, "What kind of rituals?"

Callum never took part, he just observed, he never told me what kind of people they were who conducted the rituals. He just always said that he will be assisting the cult of Mithras to serve goddess Ankh."

Yanli spoke, "By conducting rituals?"

Dennis nodded, "Cult of Mithras have various books on magic and demonic art that they gathered from all over the kingdom and some neighboring kingdom.

They got their hands on the book and saw the spells and many other practices and they experimented with the magic on slaves.

Recently they were after a very certain type of ritual."

"What kind of ritual?"

Dennis spoke, "One day Callum spoke that those people were trying to impress goddess they found a book that had elaborate instructions to impress the goddess and produce a child favored by the goddess ankh."

Zhan's face paled and so did that of Yanli's

"What else do you know?" Zhan asked.

Dennis shook his head, "nothing I know nothing other than this their experiment failed perhaps that's what Callum told me, he never told Callum who was the woman chosen to carry the child and who the father was, so it is a mystery, but II know that it exists and they practice arts and spells and rituals they also experiment on slaves."

Zhan's voice shook as he asked, "What kind of experiments?"

"I don't know, all I know is that no one ever came out alive from there, no slave survived the experiments."

Yanli asked, "Only slower caste people were there?"

"No... sometimes the prisoners of war or sometimes the illegitimate kids of people who wanted to get rid of those kids, they are also used, including criminals."

Zhan got up after hearing this, "Then Cheng..."

"He was the only one who came out alive somehow. Callum had mentioned killing him off but then Duke Yibo saved him by declaring him as a deranged person. And Queen also held a soft spot for him."

Zhan was horrified after he learned about all this, he got up and left the cell, Yanli spoke, "Whatever information you gave us, make sure you take it to the grave with you."

She said and followed after Zhan.

~~~~~~~~

It had been an hour since Wen Qing came here, and finally, after waiting for an hour she slowly went inside the room.

Cheng was sitting on the bed staring into nothing, without even seeing her he spoke, "What are you doing here Princess?"

Wen Qing smiled gently, "I came to meet you."

"Any specific reason?"

Wen Qing pressed her lips before she answered again, "Yes."

Cheng sighed, "You are the only Royal I respect your highness, so I will listen to you."

"I am honored... " Wen Qing spoke and went near him,  "Do you... still believe in the cult of Mithras?"

Cheng looked at her and looked how serious she was, already feeling exhausted he didn't bother to be sarcastic and beat around the bush, "I do."

Wen Qing nodded, "Then would you like to go after them?"

This made Cheng look at her, she smiled after being noticed by him, "I came here to help you... to go after the cult of Mithras."

"If this is a joke then..."

"Do I look like I am joking?" Wen Qing asked with all seriousness and Cheng could not spot any sign of joke.

So he got up, "What made you come here and suddenly ask this question?" there was this glimmer of hope in his eyes, he thought that perhaps Wen Qing also experience something.

To which she replied, "let's just say I have been doing some of my own research and I found some things... some bizarre things."

She then raised her hand forwards, "So are you going to come out of your shell or are you going to be trapped here forever?"

"Did you actually believe me?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't"

Cheng didn't answer, and after some time Wen Qing sighed and withdraw her hand, "I will come two days later... you can give me your answer then... but honestly lord Cheng it's time you come out of hiding."

Wen Qing walked out of the room after that.

~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Simon was sitting with Yibo waiting for Zhan and Yanli, however, Simon was in his own thoughts.

Many things have changed in this timeline.

The power of nobility has already changed and also Cheng became his master which never happened in his past life, during this time of his life Cheng mainly stayed isolated, while Zhan stayed away from home, to work.

Yibo nearly died even that didn't happen so soon.

The bandits now work for Yibo, Simon knew since he again read his mind and even that didn't happen in his last life, so many things gave changed how is this going to affect this life?

"Simon? what are you thinking?" Yibo asked.

"Nothing father," Simon replied.

"Is there something bothering you?"

Simon sometimes thinks to tell his father about his rebirth but stops because he could bring himself to tell about the atrocities he committed.

"Nothing father."

In the meantime, Zhan and Yanli came as well.

However, they looked really pale and horrified, Simon, didn't like this.

Yibo also got up when he saw the faces of those two.

"Nancy take Simon away from here."

His nanny came as well, Simon had no intention of going but he still went with his nanny, he would just have to read Yibo's mind later on.

After he left, Yibo faced the two siblings, "What did you two find out?"

"It exists" were the only two words Zhan spoke.

Yibo blinked twice as he let that sink in, "what else did you find out?"

Zhan looked at Yibo with worry, unable to say anything, but Yibo asked. "What else did you find out?"

Yanli took the lead." they do experiments... on slaves on criminals on illegitimate and unwanted  children or sometimes on war prisoners."

"Experiments like?"

"We don't know the detail. " She said, "but one thing we found was that they also performed some rituals to please the goddess ankh... in order to produce the favored one."

Yibo felt like he was struck by thunder, "what?"

Zhan was beside him and he held his hand as he spoke, "Dennis told us that he didn't know who was the woman selected to carry the child and how as the chosen father but I think we already know."

Yanli sat down on the seat, "You know what that means right duke?"

Yibo sat down on the chair, "Ritual? experiments? Queen issued the degree and Aurelia was eager to take Simon to temple after he was born and she left after she thought Simon was not favored one?"

"So they are all a team?" Yibo spoke in his shivering voice as he covered his face feeling scared very scared for his son.

For Simon.

"What will they do if they get their hand on him?" Yibo asked this question.

Zhan and Yanli don't even want to think about it.