[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing":3,"chapter-the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-70":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Holy Church Begins with Bestowal of Blessings",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1688893,2156,"Chapter 70 : The Bloody Blade","the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-70",70,"\u003Cp>Chapter 70: The Bloody Blade\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, after completing morning prayers, Nyx headed to York Town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only there could he receive news more swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around noon, Yara arrived at the church.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face looked weary, with a hint of concealed fear in her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Priest, I came to see Ando,” she said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s currently watching the tournament,” Corleon replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yara felt even more troubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking about the need to acquire iron weapons, Corleon asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss Yara, I recall there’s a blacksmith in Daniels Village. May I ask if there are iron weapons for sale?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Apologies, Priest. Given the current situation, as you might know, we lack such weapons ourselves,” Yara said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Moreover, along with the lord’s conscription order, there was also a requisition for weapons. We must pledge our loyalty to the lord.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“However, I can inquire in town to see if any other families are selling weapons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I shall trouble you, Miss Yara,” Corleon nodded slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just a small favor,” Yara said, glancing at the newly constructed church, which had taken shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This new church is truly... beautiful,” she said, her voice tinged with regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A large batch of sturdy bricks, Cicero’s design, and the devout believers’ meticulous construction naturally made it beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, to Yara, this new church wasn’t practical enough; it couldn’t serve as a fortress during wartime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed a bit wasteful to use so many sturdy bricks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the cluster of residences being built behind the church, along with those warriors rumored to have been abandoned by the knight families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this new church had been constructed to fortress standards, it would be far superior to the bases of ordinary small families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since it was so close to York Town, right beside the lord, perhaps they didn’t dare to build a fortress directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yara speculated as such.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Yara’s words, Corleon smiled and said, “This was designed by Monk Cicero. The small church in Daniels Village was also his design.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was quite satisfied with the new church.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha, this monk’s design is indeed beautiful,” Yara said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The small church in the village was completed yesterday. However, due to limited resources, it was built using only wooden planks and stones.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s already completed?” Corleon was taken aback, then said, “Miss Yara, after you’ve finished your tasks and return to the village, could you come to the church once?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d like to trouble you to bring a sacred relic to the small church.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though called a sacred relic, it was actually a cross, about half the size of a person, that Corleon had [Enlightened].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After enlightenment, this cross possessed a faint power to dispel evil and soothe the soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Placing this sacred relic on the Lord’s Throne and worshipping it devoutly might perhaps invoke other powers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course,” Yara agreed, as it was merely delivering an item.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yara didn’t linger much; the threat of the village being razed still loomed, and she didn’t have the mind for small talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before nightfall, Yara brought Ando, whose face bore a bright red slap mark, back to the church.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After taking the sacred relic prepared by Corleon, she returned to the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corleon tentatively inquired about the lord’s decision, but Yara only sighed and shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lord didn’t meet her; it was Piero who conveyed the message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The lord said, everything proceeds as usual.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Yara could only visit some allies, gather some information, and then hurried back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Yara’s departure, time seemed to accelerate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new church was continuously being filled, and the tournament, which lasted six days, selected four warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weilin Daniels achieved a record of twenty-five consecutive victories and was hailed by the people of York Territory as the number one warrior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day, the lord also appeared, personally praising his bravery and awarding him a two-handed greatsword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a great honor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least after that day, Ando dared to hold his head high before Melia, looking down at others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, this might have spurred the prospective knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that day, the frequency of prospective knights returning to town after hunting bandits increased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They erected long spears outside the town, each bearing a bandit’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most exaggerated instance was when they escorted over fifty people into town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corleon heard from Nyx that a family in a village had colluded with bandits, intending to kill the prospective knights. However, their conspiracy was uncovered, and eventually, the knights broke through the family’s manor gates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nyx recounted this with a mocking expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that day, the knights’ blades grew bloodier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subsequently, three more families managing villages were overthrown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both gates of the town were filled with spears, with over four hundred heads hanging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood soaked that land, and the stench of blood, carried by the breeze, could be smelled even in the church.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said that the marquis, who was supposed to march south soon, had only gathered his army but hadn’t made any moves, which slightly alleviated their fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the knights’ actions instilled fear of the lord in them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They trembled in their manors, dreading the moment when the knights would kick open their gates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They clearly realized that the lord was merciful and generous, but also bloody and brutal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They dared not make any more small moves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accompanying the knights’ slaughter, more civilians dared to walk outdoors within the territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some were those who fled after the leaders of their villages died; some ventured out due to the town’s relaxed control; others were refugees driven out by fear of the knights’ blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the deterrent of numerous heads loomed behind, it indeed made York Territory seem to come back to life gradually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The church’s Sacrament also became known to many. Thus, more people transitioned from ‘shallow believers’ to devout believers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new church was completed earlier than Cicero initially estimated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The church’s overall structure was elongated, with a cross-shaped symbol on the upper front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above extended the bell tower, adorned with a stone-carved cross.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside was a small bell brought by Cicero, whose chime could be heard near the town’s main gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering, there were two small side rooms, accommodating the bell ringer, monks, or warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Further inside was a spacious main hall, capable of holding over eighty people for prayers. Both sides had windows fitted with sturdy glass purchased from town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though not very transparent and with limited lighting, their thickness prevented them from being shattered by wind and rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, after enduring the dim lighting of the Flower Church, which relied on small holes for light, Corleon was quite satisfied with this level of brightness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the eaves above were small holes ensuring basic air circulation, eliminating the stench from the previously enclosed environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the far end was a master bedroom for Corleon, two temporarily vacant secondary bedrooms, a small study, and a storage room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the storage room, a basement storage was dug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the monks, they still resided outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After completing the church, Cicero was inspired to build a monastery for monks and warriors who recited the Holy Scriptures daily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corleon agreed but didn’t allocate much funding, merely instructing him to lead the monks and warriors to construct it themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the church’s completion, surplus bricks were used to build a kitchen beside the church for preparing the Sacrament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this period, many people partook in the Sacrament at the church.\u003C\u002Fp>",1234,"2026-06-06T13:52:13.932Z",1,"novelbin.me","8198beb70746f0da82062306bcdafd1606fd8210a2e52002dd72693ecd73ed24","the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-71","the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-69",373,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-cover.jpg"]