Chapter 360: Artificial Holy Infant

Artificial Holy Infant

(6000!)

Tu Lading had never imagined these people could be so bold as to barge directly into the High Priest's office.

"I can come in because he is my father; what right do you have?"

"Is he your father too?"

But this was certainly not the time to quibble over such things. Compared to not finding the citizen waiting to give birth, he was now more afraid that these new believers of the 【Filthy Fall】 would be discovered by church personnel and subjected to torture.

They were the hope for spreading the new faith's ideology; how could they be cut down here!

Thus, Tu Lading hurried two steps, pulled Cheng Shi into the room, and then led him to hide behind a massive bookcase, taking the opportunity to pull the curtains shut.

This created a narrow space behind the curtains, just enough to conceal the two of them.

Watching this practiced operation, Cheng Shi smiled.

"You're still smiling? Your guts are too big. Do you know what happened to the last rebel who broke into the High Priest's office?"

Tu Lading's tone was indeed anxious, and this anxiety carried a trace of anger. But this anger wasn't because Cheng Shi was messing around; it was because Tu Lading was furious at himself for not finding news of that 【Filthy Fall】 Holy Infant.

Seeing him like this, Cheng Shi was not in the least bit anxious, still wearing a smile. He raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "What happened?"

"What happened?

After being stripped of reproductive rights, they were skinned and doused in gold lacquer until they died!

You wouldn't want to know how they treat blasphemers, and you, my friend, trespassing in the church is already a crime of blasphemy!"

When Tu Lading spoke of the punishment, his expression was somewhat fearful, but in an instant, he shook his head. "Don't talk about that. There's a big problem now: where did the news you speak of—that the Holy Infant is about to be born—come from?"

"I said it."

Tu Lading was stunned, then snapped,

"I know you said it. Don't waste time playing word games here. I mean, what was the source of your information?

Was it a divine oracle He sent down?

Or some method of deduction and divination?

When did you learn this news, and most importantly, is this news authentic?"

Cheng Shi's expression was strange. He pointed at himself and said solemnly,

"I'm not playing word games. This news is exactly what I said.

He did not send down a divine oracle, and we did not perform any prophecies regarding the Holy Infant. The source of this news is me; I am the one who personally said the Holy Infant is about to be born."

"..." Tu Lading was dumbfounded, and then infinite confusion rose in his eyes. "What? You said it yourself? Since you didn't perform any divination or prophecy, then how do you know about the Holy Infant, and how do you know where and when He will be born?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know!!??" Tu Lading's voice suddenly rose, his expression becoming distorted, but he quickly covered his mouth. His eyes, wide as copper bells, were filled with shock and confusion.

He looked at Cheng Shi's calm expression, which didn't look like he was teasing him, and he instantly realized he had been deceived—deceived by this person who claimed to be a 【Filthy Fall】 believer.

There might not even be a 【Filthy Fall】 Holy Infant in this world at all!

No, perhaps even that 【Filthy Fall】 with the beautiful will...

Is He also fake!?

Thinking of this, Tu Lading pointed at Cheng Shi in disbelief, his finger trembling, and growled in a low voice full of anger:

"How can you not know!?

You are His follower, how can you not know?

If there is no prophecy, divination, or divine oracle, doesn't that mean the birth of the Holy Infant is just your fabrication?

You lied to me!?

What exactly are you trying to do?

Why use the secret matters concerning the New God and this beautiful will to deceive me!"

Tu Lading cried, cursing while he wept.

The clever man who had been despising religious fanaticism that afternoon had become a firm 【Filthy Fall】 believer by nightfall, even beginning to weep bitterly over the matter of the fake Holy Infant.

It was clear that he truly worshipped the 【Filthy Fall】 will and really wanted Him to truly descend.

But such a stark contrast still made Cheng Shi feel a bit of sighing in his heart.

A life of 【Birth】 was about to sink into 【Filthy Fall】; he didn't know whose fault this really was.

But no matter whose fault it was, it certainly had nothing to do with him...

Cheng Shi sighed in his heart. He only needed a tool, a tool to make the Holy Infant appear and be known to the entire church, and Tu Lading happened to be suitable, which was why he chose to come here.

Looking at the angrily weeping Tu Lading, he gradually restrained his smile and said with a serious expression:

"What is a lie?"

Tu Lading wiped away his tears, feeling extremely aggrieved: "The birth of the Holy Infant is fake; isn't it a lie to make something out of nothing!?"

"Who said the birth of the Holy Infant is fake?"

"?" Tu Lading's eyes were about to spit fire. He grabbed Cheng Shi by the collar and shouted angrily, "You said it yourself! You said there was no divine oracle, no divination, no prophecy! You fabricated the lie of the Holy Infant's birth out of thin air! How much longer do you want to play me!?"

Cheng Shi did not resist but sneered calmly, "Yes, I said it. But why does what I say have to be fake?"

"???"

Tu Lading froze. He felt there was more to Cheng Shi's words, so he frowned and looked at the other, staring into Cheng Shi's eyes as if thinking about what this person who claimed to be a 【Filthy Fall】 believer really wanted to say.

Cheng Shi chuckled and continued:

"I want to ask you a question: why do we need a Holy Infant?"

"Why do we need one?

Naturally, it is to spread the New God's name under the Holy Infant's leadership, to let His will and glory shine into every corner of the world, and to save these lost people whose minds have been eroded by the 【Birth】 will!

This is all what you said!"

Tu Lading answered through gritted teeth. Cheng Shi nodded in appreciation:

"Not bad, that is indeed the case. Then, the second question:

What does the Holy Infant look like?"

Tu Lading was stunned for a moment, then became even more furious: "The Holy Infant is fake; who knows what He looks like? Even if He were real, He hasn't been born yet, how could He..."

Halfway through this sentence, Tu Lading choked on his own words. He seemed to suddenly understand Cheng Shi's meaning, then his eyes widened sharply, and he looked at Cheng Shi in disbelief, stuttering:

"You... you... you want to forge!?"

"You want to forge a Holy Infant!?"

"Smart!" Cheng Shi brushed off Tu Lading's trembling hand and straightened his collar. "But the word is wrong. This isn't forging; it's crafting. The spread of the New God's will requires a symbol. We lack this symbol, so we are prepared to craft this symbol with our own hands."

Tu Lading was dumbfounded. He only felt a roaring in his brain. He looked at Cheng Shi in shock, his speech becoming incoherent:

"You... you are blaspheming!"

"Blaspheming?" Cheng Shi shook his head with a pious expression. "No, no, no, you are wrong. I am not blaspheming; I am obeying my own desires. And to embrace desire is the greatest offering to Him!

Therefore, I am not blaspheming Him, but... offering to Him!"

"Boom—"

Tu Lading's brain exploded.

His whole body trembled because of this rebellious and fresh 【Filthy Fall】 will. Cheng Shi's words echoed in his mind, and his mouth opened and closed, murmuring uncontrollably:

"This is not blasphemy... this is an offering...

Embrace desire... embrace desire... craft the Holy Infant... bring His will to the world...

Break the shackles... face the heart's desire..."

As he spoke, Tu Lading's chaotic eyes became clear once again. A pious and firm glint flashed in his eyes. He solemnly hooked his two index fingers together in front of him and said powerfully:

"Break the shackles, face the heart's desire!"

"..."

I shouldn't have used this crappy gesture here!

But the atmosphere had been built up to this point, and Cheng Shi couldn't slap his own face, so he had no choice but to follow along and do it too.

It was too weird; two men using this gesture on each other, too weird...

After the "prayer" was finished, Tu Lading wiped the snot and tears from his face and said very seriously:

"The Holy Infant must be born in the near future?"

Oh, so he has a goal now?

I didn't say anything, and you can already infer so much?

Cheng Shi was stunned for a moment, then nodded quickly: "Yes, we have a series of 【Filthy Fall】 will promotion plans, but the prerequisite is that there must be a Holy Infant."

"Hmm, I know. I have a way. The third floor of the church library still seals the Uma Sinner's Descent Technique. As long as we get that, we can make the 'Holy Infant' be born within a few days!"

Descent Technique?

Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that as expected, the Fertility Church still knew something about the Uma Sinners.

But that wasn't the most important thing. Making someone give birth was simple; the problem was how to make people believe this was the 【Filthy Fall】 Holy Infant. This was the reason Cheng Shi needed Tu Lading.

No one understood better how to anger 【Birth】 believers than someone who loathed 【Birth】, and no one understood better how information spread within the church than the High Priest's son. As long as the identity of this Holy Infant, created out of thin air, was solidified through Tu Lading's methods, and then He was saved, wouldn't the trial's task be completed?

And this was the trial clearance plan Cheng Shi had come up with!

Since that life that shouldn't be born didn't exist in Doer Gede, then I'll just create one myself. When everyone firmly believes that a certain baby about to be born is the 【Filthy Fall】 Holy Infant, wouldn't protecting Him complete the trial's requirements?

As for whether there really was such a life in Doer Gede that shouldn't be born...

Perhaps there was, but I didn't find it.

Who told him to hide so deeply...

Cheng Shi smiled, listened intently to the movement around him, and then pulled open the curtains.

There was no news from the squinty-eyed one, so this Descent Technique still had to be obtained as a backup, so he pointed outside the window and said:

"Then... lead the way?"

Tu Lading nodded firmly: "Follow me!" ===== CHAPTER 361 =====