Chapter 1711

Matthew shook his head slightly. The words sounded intriguing, even a bit appealing, but he was certain this was the first time he had ever heard them. "Does this mission have anything to do with those phrases?" Ansel gave a nod. "Since you haven't heard of them, let me fill you in. Have you ever heard of The Great Orders?" Matthew hesitated. "Are you talking about the Old Houses or the Philosophical Sects?" He had heard nursery rhymes about the Old Houses—Lorraine especially loved them. The singer, a little girl, had a playful, mischievous voice. As for the Philosophical Sects, he had studied them in school. Ansel chuckled. "Of course, I'm talking about the Philosophical Sects. Historically, there were 189 Orders recorded, each dedicated to a unique ideology. But centuries of war, book burnings, and suppression of scholars had caused many texts to be lost. Later, when the ruling dynasty enforced its own doctrines, even more knowledge disappeared. Now, the world only knows of 35."