Chapter 185: The Storm Pope

At Dusk City, as twilight approached.

A massive Cangqing -colored eagle soared above the city, drawing gasps and panic from passersby who looked up.

After all, anyone could tell this eagle was a powerful beast.

Fortunately, the eagle soon flapped its wings upward and vanished into layered clouds, causing the patrolling knights to exhale deeply in relief.

“Could that heterochromatic one be connected to the Marsha family?”

On the eagle’s back, Osiyion frowned slightly as he stared at the unyielding needle of the silver compass in his hand.

Earlier, while flying low on Hurricane Eagle, he had used the compass to scan various locations—every time, the needle pointed unerringly to the very center of this city-state: Red Fox Castle.

“Then I’ll have to spend a bit more time.” Osiyion muttered.

His original plan had been to find the heterochromatic one who had ascended to the Morning Star rank and kill him with a single sword strike, even though his patriarch-pope’s order was to capture him alive.

It wasn’t because he hated heterochromatics or out of some dull, noble excuse like upholding justice—it was simply because the latter was too troublesome!

Should he just storm Red Fox Castle directly?

After all, the Marsha family, whose power had plummeted since Crimson Fire’s death, couldn’t possibly stand against him even if all of them attacked together.

Osiyion hesitated a moment, then abandoned this tempting idea.

Storming the castle of a realm lord was practically declaring war on all nobles—even as the current Pope’s son, he’d face long confinement as punishment.

Most importantly, he disliked fighting the weak.

“I’ll go ask the bishop of the local church first.”

Osiyion thought, and instantly, the Hurricane Eagle used its sharp eyes to scan the city for churches.

Rider-mount telepathy: You can directly transmit thoughts, images, and other mental content into your mount’s mind, and vice versa.

This was one of the abilities Osiyion gained upon ascending to the New Moon Knight rank; it was said many knights in history had dreamed of it, though he himself found it useless.

Especially since this damn bird, whenever slightly hungry, would flood his mind with images of a chicken, driving him to sometimes rage and nearly cut it down with his sword.

“Sis, I’m leaving. Fly around nearby—and stop sending me images of chickens!”

Once the Hurricane Eagle’s keen vision located its target, Osiyion stood and gave his orders.

Haaah.

The Hurricane Eagle let out a lazy screech, whether it heard him or not was unclear.

Shhh!

Immediately, Osiyion leapt straight down from several kilometers above.

Whosh whosh whosh.

His body plummeted like a meteor, air rushing past his skin and sparking with friction.

Falling from such a height with a mortal body—even a Crescent Moon Knight—would normally turn him into a bloody mist upon impact.

But he was one blessed by the world, beyond natural law.

Shhh shhh shhh.

The next instant, countless gentle winds arose from nowhere, cradling his body like a mother holding an infant.

His descent slowed, then slowed further, until it stopped entirely.

Windborne Heir: You are favored by the wind; all winds of the world will cherish you as a mother cherishes her child.

This was the blessing Osiyion was born with; because of it, the people of Windbreath City once called him “Child of the Wind,” though later, due to his extreme obsession with swordsmanship, the title gradually changed to Blade of the Rending Wind.

Storm Cathedral.

Inside the hall, Bishop Lu En stood beneath the statue of the God of Storm and Hunt, clad in a pure white robe, hands clasped in devout prayer.

“Great Lord, Ilise is a good child—please cast a single glance upon her, and let the Holy Knight sent to capture Bo be a reasonable man!”

As he prayed, Lu En murmured under his breath.

Boom!

A massive crash behind him jolted him from his prayer.

Lu En instantly turned, wary, and gathered magical energy, ready to unleash a Storm Divine Art.

But the sight before him left him stunned—the cathedral’s roof had a gaping hole, and a tall young man with green shoulder-length hair and a carefree, dashing face lay half-buried in the rubble, smiling casually and waving at Lu En.

“You must be Bishop Lu En of the Dusk City chapter. I’m Osiyion. Could I trouble you for some tea? I’d like to taste the local specialty.” The young man said, relaxed and at ease.

At the sound of that name, Bishop Lu En’s round face broke into a smile—but inside, he cursed.

The Pope has sent the most troublesome Holy Knight!

Reception Hall.

Gulp gulp gulp.

Osiyion sat on the sofa, lifted the scalding teapot, and poured tea straight into his mouth, gulping it down like a cow drinking water, utterly oblivious to the pained expression on Bishop Lu En’s face.

What a waste—this is premium Dusk Tea, even I hesitate to drink it!

“Phew, no wonder this tea is renowned across the entire continent—it’s truly delicious.”

Osiyion wiped tea from his lips, a satisfied look on his sharply defined face.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Bishop Lu En.”

“No need to thank me, Holy Knight. You traveled all this way to carry out the Pope’s command—this tea is nothing.” Lu En replied politely.

“So you already know why I’m here?”

“Only a guess—it must relate to the heterochromatic one.”

“Precisely. Bishop Lu En, the Silver Compass of the Flowing Wind Church pointed south last week, indicating a new Morning Star-ranked heterochromatic has emerged here. Yet as the bishop of the southern region, you failed to report any information about him.”

As he spoke, Osiyion’s pale blue eyes narrowed slightly, and a sharp, blade-like sword intent erupted from his body.

Facing this sword intent, Bishop Lu En felt as if countless knives and swords were pressed against his throat—his muscles trembled uncontrollably.

He knew full well he had committed negligence and complicity regarding Ilise, and as a Holy Knight and the Pope’s son, Osiyion could execute him on the spot without consequence.

“Sigh… after finishing this mission, the journey back will be long. If only I had a few pots of tea to accompany me!”

Just as Bishop Lu En strained his mind for an explanation, he suddenly heard Osiyion sigh, pressing his forehead.

In that instant, Lu En’s mind cleared.

“I—I have a few packets of Dusk Tea in my cabinet—I give them all to you!”

“Hah! Bishop, you truly are loyal and diligent! It must be that vile Marsha family that concealed the heterochromatic’s existence.”

After accepting the tea, the sharp sword intent vanished instantly; the Holy Knight laughed and clapped Lu En on the shoulder.

This guy changes his expression faster than I do, Lu En thought inwardly.

But he doesn’t seem as “cold-hearted” as rumored. Perhaps I can probe a little.

“Cough… Holy Knight, the heterochromatic’s connections are… complicated.” Lu En began slowly.

“You mean there’s someone of unimaginable status—even my father must treat with caution—who wants to protect this heterochromatic?”

After hearing Lu En’s account, Osiyion’s brow furrowed tightly.

“Precisely. Due to an oath, I cannot reveal the identity of this great one—but I swear before the Great God of Storm and Hunt: even the Pope himself must treat this lord with the utmost respect.”

Bishop Lu En spoke solemnly; in a way, this was also for the Storm Church—there was no need to make an enemy of a prince with fourteen hundred million blessings.

Osiyion froze. Even if he was ignorant, he knew that for believers, especially for clerics like Lu En, breaking a divine oath was worse than death.

So he could be certain—the man had spoken the truth.

“This great one… must be very strong, then?”

After a long silence, Osiyion suddenly spoke, his voice brimming with barely concealed excitement.

“That lord is a mage—he knows nothing of swordsmanship.”

Lu En, having guessed Osiyion’s thoughts from his past deeds, immediately panicked and explained.

“But… surely that lord has a bodyguard who is an exceptional swordsman?” Osiyion pressed.

Lu En’s expression stiffened.

As someone half-aligned with Red Fox Castle, he had heard rumors: the prince had summoned a golden-haired attendant who slew three New Moon experts with a single sword strike, the brilliant light of the blade drowning one-tenth of the city square.

Osiyion saw the shift in his expression and burst into laughter, rising to his feet and heading for the door.

“Bishop Lu En, I’ll be back soon. But if I don’t return, remember to collect my body—and tell my old man I’m waiting for him with a jug of wine in the Underworld.”

Hearing this, Lu En’s face turned pale with terror—if the Pope’s son attacked the prince, whoever died, it would be as if the heavens had collapsed.

“Osiyion, this will drag the entire Storm Church into an abyss of eternal ruin…”

“Wind, bind him for me!”

Lu En tried to chase after him, but Osiyion merely shouted—and every window in the reception hall burst open with a gust.

Streams of wind poured in, forming invisible ropes that wrapped tightly around Bishop Lu En, even sealing his mouth shut.

Thus, Lu En could only watch in despair and fury as Osiyion hummed a tune and vanished from sight.

The Windborne Heir blessing was simply too powerful—a single spoken word could summon power rivaling a Storm Divine Art.

God of Storm, why have you blessed such a reckless, lawless man?

For the first time in his life, Bishop Lu En questioned the god he worshipped.

Red Fox Castle, evening.

Moonlight was shattered by thick clouds, leaving only a few slender beams to faintly outline the castle’s silhouette.

After enjoying a fine meal, Xia Mingyu climbed the moss-covered stone steps onto the ramparts to take a stroll.

Luo Yi and Luo Lan stood silently behind him as guards; Kalen had been ordered by Xia Mingyu to focus on protecting Ilise.

After all, the Storm Church’s Holy Knight could appear at any moment to capture her.

Shhh shhh shhh.

Xia Mingyu leaned on the battlement, feeling the cool night breeze brush his face, and immediately felt the oppressive stuffiness from spending all day in the library lift.

Tap. tap.

At that moment, a faint footstep suddenly came from the steps behind them.

“Who? Who’s there!”

Luo Yi immediately stepped in front of Xia Mingyu, demanding loudly.

“Don’t be so tense—maybe it’s just a patrol soldier.”

Before Xia Mingyu finished speaking, a figure clad entirely in a black robe and masked emerged from the steps, holding a pitch-black longsword.

The attire was identical to that of the faceless assassins who had tried to kill him before.

Not again?

The last assassination attempt was barely over—am I really that hated?

Xia Mingyu’s lips twitched. He had a gut feeling that whoever dared approach so openly likely surpassed him by at least one tier.

Thud. Thud.

While he pondered this, the Luo Yi and Luo Lan brothers had already drawn their waist swords and unleashed their magic, becoming blurs as they charged toward the sudden intruder from two different directions.

Facing the simultaneous assault of two Crescent Knights, the man merely raised his pitch-black sword in silence.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Blades flashed.

In the dim night, the black blade was like a venomous snake hidden in the grass—nearly invisible—and its sword technique was impossibly fast, as if it had slashed out over a dozen blades in an instant.

Rip.

In just a few seconds of blade contact, a chilling, flesh-tearing sound echoed across the silent wall—the sound of steel slicing through blood and muscle.

Luo Yi and Luo Lan stared in stunned disbelief at the deep gashes across their chests, nearly splitting them open.

Splash. Splash. Splash.

Blood gushed forth; both men collapsed to the ground, faces filled with unwillingness.

Two Crescent Knights slain in an instant?!

Xia Mingyu’s pupils contracted at the horrifying sight. He immediately activated his ability, “United in Vengeance,” but received no response—its cooldown had not yet ended.

Without hesitation, Xia Mingyu hid his right hand behind his back and snapped his fingers—almost silently.

The next moment, on the wall surface dozens of meters behind him, a single red rose stubbornly sprouted from a crack between bricks.

Surprisingly, after defeating Luo Yi and Luo Lan, the faceless assassin did not strike immediately. Instead, he spoke softly:

“Wise One, please rest assured—your two guards are merely immobilized. With proper treatment afterward, they will suffer no serious harm.”

Hearing this, Xia Mingyu’s expression did not relax. He prepared to cast his Exchange Spell while stalling for time: “Do you intend to kill me?”

“I do not wish to kill you, but orders must be obeyed—I must consider my family.”

The faceless assassin fell silent for a long time before speaking again.

“Rest easy, Wise One. I shall grant you a painless death. A man as kind as you will surely find happiness in the afterlife.”

“But I—I, a man stained with sin—am not yet ready to descend into hell.”

He raised his black sword, preparing to unleash a killing technique to slay the frail Wise One before him.

Yet in the next instant, the gentle night wind atop the wall suddenly howled—as if celebrating someone’s arrival.

“Finally… found you! A swordsman worthy of fighting me!”

A voice brimming with uncontainable joy drew nearer, carried ahead by the wind.

A voice, brimming with uncontainable joy, drew near from afar, carried ahead by the wind.

(End of Chapter)