Chapter 474: The Distance Between Faith and Legend

The Inquisition is the King's accomplice.

It wasn't just Edward who had such an epiphany; a small person in the Quemubao territory also couldn't help but have such a thought in his heart.

His name was Hanke.

However, unlike Grand Duke Edward, the Grand Duke certainly knew that it was just a statement, something said for people outside to hear.

But old Hanke felt it from the bottom of his heart—

Saint Xisi, probably really was dead.

"By the order of 'Radiant Knight' Haigemuo Dewalu and Grand Inquisitor Ximeineisi! To manifest the benevolence of the King and the Shengcheng, and to save other compatriots in the Dusk Saint Saint Xingsheng who are starving, Quemubao, as a model of piety, now my Lord needs you to offer your harvest! All grain will be unified and distributed to those in need! This is supreme merit, and my Lord will witness your piety..."

On the square of Wheat Field Village.

A cavalryman riding a tall horse came to the villagers, cleared his throat, and read the Inquisition's resolution in a loud voice.

The autumn sunlight should have been warm, but at this moment, falling on the villagers of Wheat Field Village, it only made them feel a chill from the bone marrow.

Just yesterday, these people walked into the village with kindness, praising them as the most pious people in the entire Dusk Saint Saint Xingsheng, and the most loyal lambs of Saint Xisi.

But when they saw the grain that exuded the fragrance of wheat, these "shepherds" immediately changed into a completely different face, letting them hand over the grain that hadn't been warmed up yet for the sake of the overall situation.

It had to be said that Ximeineisi was an Inquisitor with means; what he was good at certainly wasn't just killing.

He would also apply gentle means to pious believers, which was the so-called "carrot and stick" strategy.

For example, villages that cooperated with the Inquisition's "procedural justice" would get enough food, while villages that resisted the Inquisition's cleansing would be regarded as heretics for key "settlement."

Children who lost their fathers would certainly hate the Church, but now these impious orphans might have to face the hostility of other villagers first. By slightly adjusting the distribution of grain, they could turn the villagers' hatred for the Church into hatred within the villagers themselves.

Now the entire Dusk Saint Saint Xingsheng was starving, and only the farmers of Quemubao had grain, so this grain naturally had to come from here.

? ￠O

And the King was also a person who pretended to be asleep; after waking up, he waved his hand and sent the order to the Earl.

Looking at the murderous Inquisition, thinking of the dagger under the pillow, Earl Sailong thought repeatedly that his hundred pounds of meat really wasn't enough for them to cut. Finally, he gritted his teeth and decided not to choose a side, letting these guys who all stood behind the gods fight.

Now he had become the most pious person, staying in the church of the castle all day and asking the priest for advice on theological knowledge.

The Inquisition knew he was a pig and couldn't be bothered to pay attention to him. The Salvation Army certainly wouldn't force him to die; after all, wouldn't it be more troublesome to change to someone who sucked up to the Church?

It was just hard for the farmers of Wheat Field Village.

"... This is our grain! Why should we hand it over?!"

Before the cavalryman finished speaking, a roar suppressed with anger erupted from the crowd.

That was Hanke's neighbor, a strong man known for his fiery temper. His face turned red with anger, saying the common voice of all the villagers.

Soon, the voices responding to him rose one after another.

"That's right!"

"Not a single priest died in Quemubao! Isn't it enough to prove our piety! When the Green Forest Army came here, it was us who protected them!"

"We don't oppose helping the citizens of Dusk City, just like we once took in them who were fleeing... At least let them use money to buy it! It's not like they don't have it!"

This clear rhetoric really wasn't something the farmers of Wheat Field Village could come up with; most of them were outsiders who were settled here thanks to Saintess Highness.

They came from as far as Gray Stone Town, and as near as Dusk City, and now they had all started a new life here, naturally speaking for their new hometown.

Looking at this group of farmers who were impervious to oil and salt, the cavalryman's brow furrowed, and he was about to scold them not to forget their identity.

However, at this time, a hand wearing a black glove was raised lightly, stopping the scolding that tried to urge someone to pull back from the brink.

An inquisitor wearing a black robe accompanying the team walked out slowly from the team.

He was thin and tall, and the face under the hood only had a pair of cold eyes, staring at the roaring farmer like a snake.

"Because... this is the Earl's land." The inquisitor's voice was flat and hoarse, without a trace of temperature. "The crops grown on this land naturally belong to the lord first, and then to you."

That strong man's momentum suddenly dropped by half.

Under the legal principles of the Kingdom of Lai'en, this sentence was an iron rule that couldn't be refuted. The grain grown by serfs had to be handed over to the Earl first, and then distributed to them by the steward appointed by the Earl.

In fact, the Salvation Army also fulfilled this obligation at the beginning, cooking for them when they were farming, which was also the biggest reason they were willing to open up wasteland.

Although the Saintess promised that all the crops would belong to them after they grew up, she had now been driven away by the Inquisition, and didn't even last until after the harvest.

Reason told the strong man not to mention this, but he still held a trace of unwillingness, squeezing out a submissive defense from between his teeth.

"But... but Earl Majesty didn't say anything!"

Hearing this, the corner of the inquisitor's mouth hidden in the shadow curled into a playful smile.

"Oh? How do you know he didn't say anything? He said he was loyal to the King, and we have the King's handwritten order; you mean... you want to resist your lord?"

This sentence was like a stone that smashed the roof of the granary, and a commotion and disturbance erupted among the surrounding farmers.

They couldn't believe that the lord they had welcomed back to the castle was so spineless!

However, facing those bright swords and dark gun muzzles, they weren't much braver than that lord, and no one dared to resist.

In fact, it wasn't that all the villagers wanted to resist.

There were many who were filled with righteous indignation, but most were those who wanted to settle things.

Many people comforted themselves that after the Church took the grain, they would definitely distribute a little to themselves; at least they had praised Quemubao, saying they were pious.

In fact, it was correct.

Even if they were behind the citizens of Dusk City, they were definitely ahead of the villagers of Lion Griffin Cliff territory, and they wouldn't be starved to death.

The land here was unexpectedly fertile, and the Inquisition was still counting on them to continue working hard and sowing for next year's harvest.

Just then, a young voice sounded from behind, and the anger in his chest seemed to be unable to be suppressed.

"This is our land! The Earl has no right to do this!"

Everyone's eyes focused over; it was a young man who was less than twenty years old, obviously not having experienced the poison beating of the feudal stick.

He was too young.

The inquisitor had been waiting for this sentence, and the tight corner of his mouth really showed a smile.

He turned slowly toward the young man, the look in his eyes under the hood full of playfulness, like a cat teasing a mouse that had fallen into its claws.

"Oh? Evidence."

The young man was choked by this counter-question, just wanted to speak, was pulled hard by the person next to him, and then reacted that this was a trap.

However, being watched by the Inquisition, not speaking was even more terrifying than speaking.

His face turned red, and finally he answered stammeringly, trying to muddle through.

"... It, it was Saint Xisi who said it, He... He gave these lands to us."

This sentence was fine in the past.

However, saying it in front of the Inquisition that was determined to have zero tolerance on the land that had been ravaged by Chaos, that was a big taboo.

The inquisitor didn't say more, just waved his hand lightly.

"It's a believer of the 'Witch,' take him away."

Two executioners like wolves and tigers immediately stepped forward, roughly dragging the young man out of the crowd, regardless of his family's begging and wailing.

The cavalryman loyal to the King moved his lips, seeming to want to say something, but under the gaze of the inquisitor's cold eyes, he finally chose silence.

The rest of the people were also silent as cicadas in winter.

Including old Hanke who stared with wide eyes.

Fear was the best persuasion.

The young man was thrown onto a flatbed cart, together with the livestock that the villagers had just bought from the dwarf brothers.

The villagers could only watch as their harvest, which they had worked hard for half a year, was moved onto the carriage bag by bag and transported to an unknown distance.

Until the army of the Church and the Kingdom went far away, disappearing on the horizon, the suppressed village sounded sporadic sobbing and cursing.

"They are not the servants of Saint Xisi at all! Saint Xisi would never give such an absurd order!"

"Didn't the Saintess say... everyone is fighting in His name, but no one really puts Him in their heart. I didn't understand before, now I know, what she said was the people of the Inquisition!"

"This group of guys... simply don't reason more than those undead!" Someone complained in a low voice, and this sentence aroused the resonance of everyone.

Everyone in their hearts missed that figure who had "disappeared" incomparably.

Including Hanke.

It wasn't like this when Saintess Kalian was here...

It wasn't just the villagers of Wheat Field Village who were confused about faith; a man sitting at the door of the Rock Hotel also had a trace of confusion on his resolute face.

He supported the Saintess's choice to put down her weapon.

Even, he felt that the reason why that pure girl gave up the power in her hands was at least partly because of his persuasion.

And now—

He began to doubt whether he had done a correct thing.

All the beauty that had appeared and the peace that was about to come had all vanished the moment the Inquisition arrived...

"Master..." Yulien walked behind him, looking at the rolling dust in the distance, and whispered his name.

He had many questions to ask, but didn't know where to start.

When he was in Gray Stone Town before, he looked at those thugs and only had one thought in his heart, which was to pray for the Church to take action against them.

The Church came, but it was different from what he imagined.

Gangte shook his head.

"Yulien, my child... I can tell you how to wave a sword, but there are some things I can't figure out either; perhaps you need to find the answer yourself."

Having won every battle on the battlefield, he had never felt his powerlessness like today. That kind of spiritual weakness was even more painful than the decline of power.

When he was injured by Ka'er'man'de'si's God-Chosen at the Huang Tong Pass, he hadn't doubted like he did now...

Not far away, the inquisitor glanced at the man sitting in front of the hotel, a trace of cold mockery on the corner of his mouth... until the man raised his head and looked at him.

The curled corner of his mouth converged slightly, the inquisitor snorted coldly, hid the look of disdain under the shadow of the hood, and walked away with the last team.

In the continuous forest bordering the Kingdom of Luo De in the north of the Dusk Saint Saint Xingsheng, a caravan full of goods was camping and resting in the open space in the forest.

The sunset glow spilled mottled golden light spots through the layers of red leaves.

It was now late autumn.

The merchant Tuomu'si leaned against a cargo cart full of cloth and rare goods, stroking the heavy money bag at his waist.

This business trip made him gain a lot, and also made him experience an unforgettable adventure, which could be said to be worthwhile.

However, Tuomu'si's heart, besides the joy of harvest, also had a trace of indescribable complexity.

This feeling was as if an exquisite epic was open in front of him, but he only had time to finish the prologue before he had to close it.

Of course—

Maybe it was just dissatisfaction.

After all, half a month ago, his status was the exclusive merchant of Saintess Highness, and the people who traded with him were the dwarves with faces on the Broken Rock Peak... That status was much higher than a traveling merchant.

His investment seemed to succeed, but it also seemed to fail.

Tuomu'si hesitated for a long time, and finally walked toward the simple but clean carriage in the center of the caravan.

"Highness... are we just leaving like this?" He stood by the carriage window and asked respectfully.

Since witnessing the heaven-reaching means of that "Prince Kelin" who "turned his hand to clouds and covered it with rain," his address to Saintess Kalian had unconsciously changed to "Highness."

Inside the carriage, Kalian was borrowing the sunset glow to quietly read the book left by Prince Kelin.

She looked up at the sound, smiled slightly, and that elegance and piety were even a bit similar to the gentleman who sat in this carriage at the beginning.

"We have never left, Mr. Tuomu'si," her voice was gentle and calm, "Sometimes, retreat is also a kind of advance."

Everything was proceeding according to Prince Kelin's plan.

Bulennan and Lei Deng had already taken the most elite warriors of the Salvation Army and secretly headed to the depths of the Wan Ren Mountains.

They would accept the most rigorous training with the help of dwarf friends, polishing themselves from a mob into a heroic army capable of contending with the Kingdom.

The power of a demigod was indeed not to be underestimated, but everything was only temporary.

As Saint Xisi's influence continued to weaken, the power of the demigod was also constantly decaying. As long as they didn't give up the long-term struggle, one day they would be able to fight for their own future.

And Kalian, carrying the "New Testament" bestowed by the "Son of God," returned to the place where she first heard the "oracle"—the northern border of the Kingdom of Luo De.

Although this was also the Church's sphere of influence, because Chaos's corruption hadn't descended, it was far from the Inquisition's vision.

The people here were even more pious than the Lai'en people, but at this moment they were suffering from blasphemy no less than what the Lai'en people were enduring.

Just as Prince Kelin said, the corrupt nobles were turning men into turtles and women into prostitutes, and everything was done in the name of the divine.

She herself had been a victim.

Now "Saintess Kalian" would respond to the prayers in people's hearts, replace the god high above, and correct all of this!

Just when Kalian was immersed in the world of the book, the sound of urgent horse hooves came from afar.

Five cavalrymen rushed over from the other end of the forest path, and the appearance of this group of people instantly broke the peace of the camp.

The young men of the caravan stood up one after another, looking nervously at these uninvited guests, including the mercenaries escorting the caravan, and Hoge who was still serving as the mercenary captain.

He recognized this group of guys; they were the soldiers of Sir Lixite.

But seeing them one by one fat and strong, and even the standard armor on their bodies couldn't be buckled, Hoge knew that that Sir Lixite probably also became a puppet who had been hollowed out long ago, just like Earl Sailong Jiade.

They didn't even realize that they had patrolled to the land of their neighbors.

No matter how the local lord couldn't take care of himself, they had seriously violated the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Lai'en, and would be hanged if caught!

Although the stupid knight and the stupid Earl were not worth sympathy, this group of villains who forced good into prostitution was also hateful.

Tuomu'si's fists couldn't help but clench, and a trace of sweat seeped from his palms.

Five cavalrymen cruised on the edge of the camp, surrounding the caravan, and two of them were their old acquaintances who had stopped them once before.

＿CO

These cavalrymen on the frontier of the Kingdom of Luo De obviously hadn't heard of any legend of the "Saintess."

They only felt that this caravan was very familiar, and the Saintess sitting on the carriage was even more familiar, exactly the same as the "cargo" they had chased and escaped before, and even looked... seem more holy and lovely.

Maybe she had been trained by a big shot.

That was even better.

Several cavalrymen looked at each other, and a greedy grin appeared on their faces.

The leader, Kounisi, turned off his horse and became an infantryman, playing with a horse whip in his hand, and walked over swaggeringly.

"Yo, isn't this our nun lady? Why, this is... going to the Shengcheng to take scriptures and come back?"

Kalian sitting in the carriage didn't pay attention to him, the quiet smile still hanging on her face, her white jade-like index finger gently turned the book over another page, seemingly praying, but also seemingly sliding across the throat of the rude person.

"Respected Holy Spirit adults, please impose sanctions on these blasphemers."

That was the "spell" her god taught her.

As long as she prayed with piety, His servants would naturally receive the "task" and execute it without hesitation.

Kounisi frowned, seeing that this girl actually didn't pay attention to him, the smile on his face became more and more dangerous.

He swore to let this guy with an unclear brain see the power of the soldier old man!

However, the moment he took a step forward, the surrounding air suddenly became cold, as if frozen by a cold wind blowing from nowhere.

Under the shadow of the trees, something seemed to be wriggling, and pairs of ghostly green soul fires lit up out of thin air, like ghost fires that only existed in Hell.

The hair-raising chill rushed from the spine to the top of the head, and before he had time to react, he heard the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground coming from behind.

"Dong—"

He turned his head abruptly, only to see his four companions actually falling from the horse's back together!

They didn't even have time to let out a scream, and even the expressions on their faces were still maintaining the previous ferocity.

Lines of blood appeared on their throats, followed by the increasingly rapid blood surge, and they flowed all over the ground in a few breaths.

"Yu—!"

Five frightened warhorses neighed and fled into the depths of the forest, leaving only Kounisi alone, standing in that dead silence.

Hoge, who pressed his hand on the sword hilt, swallowed his saliva, staring at the four corpses with wide eyes, not even seeing what breed of undead had made the move.

"Don't kill me!!"

The instinct to survive overwhelmed everything, Kounisi threw away the weapon in his hand with a "dang," his legs softened, and he knelt on the ground.

He begged for mercy with snot and tears.

He knew too well how many pounds his fat was; that armor that showed off his power could only bully ordinary people who had no weapons.

However, the Saintess in the carriage didn't speak, and didn't even lift her eyelids, as if what was lying there was just an insignificant fly.

The current her was no longer the weak girl at the beginning, and there was no one here worth her showing a weak expression.

A monk wearing a gray cloak walked down from the carriage, his steps very light, without a trace of sound, like a ghost without weight.

He stretched out a hand like a withered branch, reached toward the soldier's back, and placed it lightly on his shoulder.

Kounisi trembled all over, but found that he couldn't move a bit, only hearing a hoarse and low voice whispering in his ear.

"Sleep."

The Demon King might not care about the offense of mortals, but the Demon King's servants wouldn't pretend not to hear.

No one could offend the Demon King's chess piece.

That voice seemed to carry some kind of magic, gently blowing away that ordinary soul.

The light in Kounisi's pupils dissipated rapidly, until it was completely extinguished.

His body was still kneeling there, looking no different from the original, but in fact, it had become a corpse ghost that could be manipulated by others.

Looking at this weird and terrifying scene in front of him, Tuomu'si swallowed his saliva with difficulty, while Hoge pretended not to see it.

Although he felt that this Saintess was abnormal a long time ago, and that Mr. Kelin was even more abnormal, but now...

They seemed to be less and less covered up.

Not only was it not covered up, but the Inquisition that was raging on the land of the Dusk Saint Saint Xingsheng was also not covered up.

Although the villagers of Quemubao lost the grain they had worked hard to grow, the citizens of Dusk City received "generous" relief from the Inquisition.

Steaming wheat porridge stalls were set up everywhere in the city, replacing the wheat porridge that the Campbell army had given away not long ago.

For those citizens who had been hungry for too long, having food was a heaven-sent gift; as for where the food came from, they didn't care.

And had no right to care.

When Grand Inquisitor Ximeineisi learned from his subordinates that many citizens in the city attributed the credit for the "Angel's Descent" to some unknown "Son of God," and cast their gratitude to the "Saintess Kalian" who had disappeared, he didn't fly into a rage as many had expected.

On the contrary, he adopted gentle means that hadn't been used before, and sent the theologians who followed the Inquisition to every porridge stall.

They spoke with the standard accent of the Shengcheng, and while distributing food to the hungry, they used the most easy-to-understand language to explain the truth of the "Angel's Descent" over and over again—

That was not a miracle performed by some "Son of God" of unknown origin, but the Pope Majesty far in the Shengcheng who was compassionate, and invited the "Power Angel" who served Saint Xisi for them.

The priests talked until their mouths were dry, and the citizens also nodded repeatedly, most of their faces full of "so that's how it is" worship.

They seemed to be convinced, but also seemed not to be.

After all, people had preconceived impressions; even if these priests preached over and over again, they couldn't change the fact that everyone in this city remembered—

When the citizens of Dusk City needed help the most, the one standing by their side wasn't the Church, nor the King, but Saintess Kalian's Salvation Army.

The cunning citizens certainly didn't dare to refute these Inquisitions, but they could bury their gratitude to the Saintess and the Son of God in their hearts.

The "New Testament" had already become a ghost that couldn't be seen or killed.

Dusk City Cathedral, which had been requisitioned by the Inquisition as a temporary headquarters.

Under that towering dome, Ximeineisi was quietly listening to his subordinates' "optimistic" report on correcting the rumors in the city.

"... The enthusiasm of the people is very high; they are grateful for the benevolence of the Pope Majesty, and grateful for the order and food you brought. As long as it takes another period of time, those rumors about the Witch Kalian will vanish."

"Very good." Ximeineisi nodded; he was satisfied with the transformation of Dusk City.

The only flaw was the Campbell people.

The subordinate swallowed his saliva and added carefully.

"It's just... the Campbell Principality's army doesn't seem to have done its best to wipe out the remnants of the 'Salvation Army.' According to the evidence we collected, it was precisely because of the connivance of the Campbell people and the Sword Saint that Kalian and her servants were allowed to escape into the Wan Ren Mountains."

Ximeineisi nodded expressionlessly, didn't speak this time, and that elusive look couldn't see joy or anger.

The Sword Saint wasn't easy to deal with.

His legend had always been spread by the Church as a positive model, which itself was the Shengcheng's affirmation of the folk piety of the Kingdom of Luo De.

Not to mention, they still needed this watchdog to guard the Huang Tong Pass, where few nobles were willing to go.

As for the Campbell family...

That was the Shengcheng's affirmation of the Lai'en people's piety; the Inquisition actually couldn't handle it well either. Denying the Light of Praise was equivalent to denying the holiness of fighting the Demon King, and at the same time equivalent to denying themselves.

The Inquisition's sword was invincible when facing "rootless duckweed," but when facing people in the same system, they had to be extremely careful.

They were all melons on the same vine; if they weren't careful, they might cut their own arteries, causing unexpected trouble.

They were here to cut the Gordian knot, not to create trouble.

The subordinate didn't dare to say more and bowed to leave.

Seeming to have finally waited for his chance to appear, watching the departing black-robed warrior, Palace Steward Sike Lai'er walked over from the side corridor.

He first saluted Ximeineisi respectfully, then said the King's worries inadvertently in a worried tone.

"Grand Inquisitor Highness, forgive me for speaking bluntly, I always feel... the Campbell family's piety to the gods seems to have faded."

Seeing that the Inquisitor didn't pay attention to him, Sike Lai'er paused and gritted his teeth to increase his strength.

"I don't want to speculate on our heroes with the most malicious intent, but some people seem to have forgotten whose servant they are. Just like this war, I heard the Campbell people showing off their bravery, attributing the victory to their Princess Ailin Highness and Edward Highness... but didn't hear the names of the King and the Church!"

"I didn't say they must thank us, but they have lost the respect they should have for the King. As if their power wasn't bestowed by the King and the Holy Light, but bestowed by their people... this is simply reversing the universe!"

This sentence made Ximeineisi frown.

Seeing his expression, old Mr. Sike Lai'er's heart floated with a trace of secret joy.

As long as the Inquisition kept an eye on the Campbell family, those increasingly bloated upstarts would have no mind to covet the King's title.

Just then, a crisp sound of armor collision came from the entrance of the hall, and Princess Ailin Campbell walked in, travel-worn.

She had left Dusk City earlier and went to the territory of Jing Shui Tan, which had been controlled by the Campbell army, and had just returned to this city bathed in Holy Light again.

Ignoring Sike Lai'er, that loyal and pedantic old dog, she walked straight to Ximeineisi, anger burning in her emerald pupils.

"Grand Inquisitor Highness! I need an explanation!"

"Audacious!" A black-robed guard on the side glared at her, his hand already on the sword hilt.

Ximeineisi raised his hand, signaling the guard not to care, and turned to face Princess Ailin, saying coldly.

"What explanation do you need?"

Princess Ailin stared at him without flinching, gritting her teeth and saying.

"I don't oppose you searching for the remnants of the Green Forest Army, but why implicate innocent villagers?! Do you know what you are doing!"

"We certainly know, we are cleansing the corruption of Chaos."

Facing Princess Ailin's questioning, Ximeineisi's voice was as cold as ever, and without a trace of wavering.

"And, we haven't implicated any innocent people. Your accusation has no basis. Everyone we arrested has evidence of having participated in the Green Forest Army, and every death sentence has been approved by the Inquisition. I admit that there must be people who were wronged, but sometimes correction must be excessive, otherwise Chaos will make a comeback... This is the necessary evil permitted by the 'Holy Word Book'."

"The locals might be afraid now, but soon, they will thank us for the true peace we brought." He drew a cross on his chest, as if thanking himself on behalf of the locals in advance.

Or perhaps, he was doing it on purpose to anger someone.

Princess Ailin widened her eyes, and for a time, she was actually refuted by this cold and cruel crooked logic, and her shoulders trembled slightly with anger.

She simply couldn't believe...

This priest from the Shengcheng would actually say such things!

Compared with Prince Kelin, who also came from the Shengcheng, this sanctimonious guy was simply like a maggot born in the Demon City of Hell!

Sike Lai'er on the side lowered his head, not daring to look at Princess Ailin, his conscience was fiercely fighting with his loyalty to the King.

At this time, Ximeineisi suddenly narrowed his eyes, and his turbid vision fell on the top of Princess Ailin's head.

If he remembered correctly, the Campbell family should be blond.

This image not only appeared in the widely circulated epic, but also had records in a corner of the mural of the Saint Kelaimen Cathedral.

His old eyes didn't see clearly before, but now he saw clearly; that was clearly a head of silver-white as bright as the moon—

"Your hair, what's going on?" ===== CHAPTER 475 =====