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Mark had just arrived at Toby's residence when he saw Toby sneaking out from afar. His movements were cautious and quick, as if he was afraid of being discovered by anyone.

Mark followed Toby silently, like a ghost blending into the night. He kept a subtle distance from Toby, ensuring that he would not be discovered, while ensuring that he could clearly observe Toby's every move. The night in the Holy City was strangely quiet, with only the occasional footsteps of patrolling guards and a few barks of dogs in the distance, which further highlighted the oppression of the silence. The houses on the roadside had their doors and windows tightly closed, and the dim street lights divided the streets into light and dark areas, casting mottled light and shadows on the walls. Mark's black suit blended perfectly with the night, making him like a cheetah in the dark night, lurking in the shadows. Ice Shadow is more concealed, and it directly turns into a soul state.

Toby's steps were a little hurried, and he looked around vigilantly, as if to confirm whether anyone was following him. Turning a corner, Toby dodged into a narrow and remote alley. The alley was dark and damp, with a musty smell in the air. The walls on both sides were covered with moss, and some rotten garbage piled up in the corners, emitting bursts of stench. Several rats were running around in the garbage, making rustling sounds.

Deep in the alley, a burly figure was leaning against the wall, as if waiting for something. In the dim light, Mark could only vaguely see that the man was wearing a dark cloak, and the hood covered his face, so he couldn't see his expression clearly. Toby walked quickly to him, bent down and whispered: "Lord Gru." His voice was a little trembling, and seemed to be a little nervous.

This person was Gru who summoned the dark beast before.

Gru nodded slightly, stretched out a hand and touched Toby's forehead, and the image of a character was transmitted to Toby's consciousness. "Bring her to me."

Toby looked closely and found that this was actually a portrait of Lily.

"Lord Gru, she is Lily who came with me to the Holy City."

"Bring her to see me at this time tomorrow." Gru tore open a space crack and turned to go in.

Toby let out a long breath, and his bent torso straightened up. He looked around vigilantly, and after confirming that there was no one, he quickly turned around and left the alley, disappearing into the night. The alley returned to peace, with only a few rats still rummaging through the garbage dump for food, making subtle noises. The night wind blew, rolling up a few fallen leaves, swirling in the air, and then slowly falling, as if nothing had happened.

Mark was too far away from them to hear what they were talking about, but when he saw the dark energy that was accidentally revealed when Gru tore the space, he immediately became alert. Seeing that Toby was about to leave, he signaled Bingying to continue following Toby, while he quietly rushed back to see if Lily was also a spy. He didn't believe that an innocent girl was a claw of the dark forces.

Bingying followed Toby closely in the dark and shared Toby's whereabouts with Mark in real time. Through Bingying's perspective, Mark could see Toby walking quickly toward the direction of the Holy Stone Altar. His steps were hurried, and his breathing was a little hurried, as if he had something important to do.

The night enveloped the Holy City, and a tense atmosphere permeated the air. The dim light of the street lamps divided the streets into light and dark areas, casting mottled light and shadows on the walls. There were more patrolling guards than before. They were in groups of three, holding spears, and patrolling the surroundings vigilantly, and the sound of footsteps echoed in the silent streets.

From a distance, Mark saw Lily standing alone at the entrance of the Holy Stone Altar. She was wearing a light blue dress, which made her look particularly thin. The night breeze gently blew her long hair, making her look a little lonely. Lily looked up at the sky from time to time, with a hint of confusion and uneasiness in her eyes, and she seemed to be waiting for something. Her slender fingers tightly grasped the hem of her skirt, and her knuckles turned slightly white due to excessive force.

Mark quickened his pace and walked to Lily. "Lily, it's so late, why are you still here?" There was a hint of concern in his tone.

Lily saw Mark, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and then dimmed. "Mark, I..." She hesitated, lowered her head, and gently kicked the stones under her feet.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Mark asked with concern. He noticed that Lily's expression was a little wrong.

Lily bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and finally shook her head. "Nothing, just couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk." Her voice was so low that it was almost inaudible.

Mark's eyes fell on Lily, observing her expression carefully. He found that Lily's eyes flickered, as if she was deliberately avoiding his gaze. Her hands were clenched tightly together, and her knuckles were slightly white because of excessive force. Her breathing was also a little rapid, and her chest rose and fell slightly, as if something was weighing on her heart.

"Lily, what did you do today?" Mark asked solemnly. He decided to find out the relationship between Lily and Gru indirectly.

Lily raised her head and looked at Mark, with a flash of panic in her eyes. "I... After I separated from you, I went back to my room to sleep." She tried to pretend to be innocent, with a deliberate ease in her tone.

"What else?" Mark continued to ask, his eyes were sharp, as if he could see through Lily's mind.

"And... when the dark beast attacked, I also secretly ran to see it." Lily continued to talk about what happened in the Holy City today, but she did not mention Gru at all.

Mark observed Lily's expression. It didn't seem like she was lying, and his doubts were even greater. He didn't believe that Lily would be related to Gru.

In order to verify his guess, Mark euphemistically described Gru's appearance to Lily. "Lily, have you ever seen a tall man wearing a black cloak with a scar on his face?" He said while carefully observing Lily's reaction.

Lily tilted her head and thought for a while, then said in a blank face that she had never seen such a person. "No, Mark, I haven't seen such a person." Her tone was very sure, and her eyes were very clear, not like pretending.

Mark still had doubts, but he decided to trust Lily for the time being. He patted Lily's shoulder gently, "Lily, it's getting late, you should go back and rest early." There was a hint of tenderness in his tone.

"Well, Mark, you should rest early too." Lily nodded and turned to walk towards her residence.

Mark watched Lily leave, then turned and walked in another direction. He decided to protect Lily secretly and continue to monitor Toby in the hope of discovering the connection between them.