Chapter 254: Ancient

After Lu Mian's fireball failed to hit Xia Ludi, he saw countless branches and vines drilling into the Golden Rooster Hotel from all directions, crawling all over the walls, floors, windows, and ceilings, brownish-green intertwined, airtight.

Along with such changes, the scene around him instantly became illusory and then returned to substance.

He saw a huge brownish-green tree, its root system deeply embedded in the earth, its canopy slowly growing toward the high sky.

Lu Mian's pupils dilated sharply, discovering that he had been moved without knowing it, just like every time he entered the "Other Shore World" without noticing.

He was no longer inside the Golden Rooster Hotel. He was stepping on the gnarled tree roots covering the ground, looking up at that giant tree that seemed to come from myths and legends, and the oil-painting-like blue sky and white clouds.

That giant tree was covered with disgusting, wet tumors, and every branch seemed to carry a building, a road, and some things.

The Golden Rooster Hotel was one of them. It was located at the top of the brownish-green trunk near the upper part, wrapped by a large number of branches and vines, revealing only a dozen windows.

Through those glass windows, Lu Mian saw that couple who had eloped cursing each other and exercising crazily, while the intelligence peddler Anthony Reid was curled up under the wooden table as if fear had occupied his soul, shivering…

On other trunks, most of the things wrapped by branches, leaves, and vines presented a wonderful sense of virtualization and haziness, just like watching scenes recorded by a magnetic field through fog:

There were ancient buildings with pediments, gable roofs, and lead-framed windows; a woman holding a gas street lamp pole, being hugged from behind; a priest standing in front of naked men; a man jumping out of a glass window while clutching his buttocks; beautiful curves being carried to the dining table on a tray; a joyful party with clothes thrown everywhere; an evil beauty who suddenly turned her head and grew two black sheep horns; a bishop who was naked from the waist down in front of a holy emblem, accepting the confession of believers…

In different scenes, the architectural style, the characters' clothing, and the hairstyles were all different. Some had a strong sense of the era, and some were just like they happened yesterday.

Lu Mian, while cauterizing his wound to stop the bleeding, condensed semi-illusory crimson fire crows behind him and quickly looked around, but couldn't find Franca.

Franca hadn't been moved to this place between reality and illusion!

On Chaos Street, peddlers and pedestrians located between tree roots, trunks, and vines were eating the food they sold in large mouthfuls, not stopping even until they vomited. Some pushed down the opposite sex on the street, some pulled out short blades and slashed with red eyes at colleagues they had quarreled with or competed for spots with before. Some, in such a chaotic scene, walked to the glass window by the street, trying to invite the reflection of themselves in the mirror to dance with the posture of a gentleman…

Outside these streets, pedestrians and carriages passed by normally, and what they saw in their eyes had no abnormalities—peddlers were still hawking, the shops on both sides were all open, and people shuttling between them seemed addicted to such liveliness, reluctant to leave.

What they didn't notice was that no one who entered that area ever came out again.

…………

Market Avenue, fourth floor of the earthy-yellow building where the congressman's office was located.

Yu Ge Artois looked at the streets not far away, wondering what he was thinking.

Cassandra, with red hair, looked back at the door and asked with slight curiosity:

"What exactly does Susanna of the 'Society of Bliss' want to do?"

Yu Ge Artois smiled and said:

"They said a lot, but I lack sufficient knowledge and didn't understand it too well. I only remembered that they intend to let that divine tree underground drill downward into the depths of that Fourth Era Trier and extend upward into a place called the Astral World."

After Cassandra, Ron, Margaret, and Baudouin looked at each other, they couldn't hide their confusion and worry as they said:

"Will this cause too much of a stir? Currently, our strength is still very different from the official Beyonders. It is best not to have direct conflicts with them. You might not know too well, but I come from the Solomon family and know the official situation very well. I know how exaggerated and terrifying their strength is.

"Everything we did before was done in secret, trying hard to avoid investigation. If we are truly exposed to the sunlight, what will welcome us is likely a Saint, a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, and above that, there are Angels, and Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts."

Yu Ge Artois pressed his right hand down and said with a smile:

"Don't worry, they can't implicate us.

"This matter was not instigated by me, nor did I even hint or help. It can only be considered that I knew their plan in advance and acquiesced to their actions.

"In the whole matter, the only thing that can be related to us is the chemical plant explosion that brought more decay gifts, but that was Bono Goodville misunderstanding Ron's meaning and committing an unforgivable crime himself. As for the various emotions and desires brought by the accident being utilized and amplified by others, accumulating the nutrients they need like a snowball, what does that have to do with us?"

Seeing that the expressions of the team members had eased, Yu Ge Artois left the window and laughed in a low voice:

"If they succeed, it means our cause has taken another solid step forward, closer to the arrival of the great existences. If they unfortunately fail, then we will restrain ourselves during this period and try not to let the Beyonders of the two major churches find problems. We are still the rulers of the Market District.

"And whether they succeed or fail, it is our opportunity.

"When discussing in Congress, I will accuse the Beyonders of the two major churches of being degenerate and corrupt, with mediocre abilities, allowing cultists to destroy the Market District again and again, each time more seriously than the last!

"I will demand that the Eighth Bureau directly establish a branch in the Market District to help the incompetent church Beyonders share the heavy workload.

"The Eighth Bureau, which has always been keen on expanding its own power, will definitely support me in doing so.

"At that time, there will be three different official forces existing in the Market District at the same time, and there will be many contradictions between them, which will be more conducive to our work.

"And compared to the orthodox Beyonders of the two major churches, the people of the Eighth Bureau belong to the type that can be won over, eroded, and induced to change their faith bit by bit.

"This is my plan. In the long run, victory will surely belong to us!"

Secretary Ron, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and with his hair neatly combed back, laughed:

"This is what I am best at."

Winning over, eroding, corrupting, making an organization gradually decay and degenerate.

Yu Ge Artois tidied up his tailcoat and the bowtie on his chest, walked toward the office door, and prepared to go to the banquet hall.

Before leaving, he looked around, his gaze moving over the faces of Cassandra, Ron, Baudouin, and Margaret, his heart exceptionally confident and determined.

These four subordinates all had not-weak Beyonder abilities, and Cassandra with red hair was especially powerful, making him full of a sense of security.

And outside the door, near the stairs, there was also an official Beyonder squad responsible for protecting him.

—Not every congressman can get the protection of a three-person squad. Some congressmen are powerful Beyonders themselves, some come from noble backgrounds and bring their own extraordinary bodyguards, and some have a certain strength and only need one Beyonder to follow to ensure their safety. Only Yu Ge Artois, who has neither Beyonder ability nor family support, needs this level of protection.

According to regulations, the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery, and the Eighth Bureau will take turns sending a three-person squad to protect Yu Ge Artois's safety. Today it is the turn of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun.

Besides the extraordinary level, there are ten well-trained professional security personnel in the whole building who hold firearms. They all come from the Seventh Bureau under the Intis Intelligence and Homeland Security Committee, that is, the Special Service Bureau, responsible for providing basic protection for congressmen and high-ranking government officials.

Yu Ge Artois stood at the door, waiting for Secretary Ron to open the door, then walked out with a smile, head slightly raised, chest puffed out, and walked down the stairs.

…………

On that earth covered with gnarled tree roots.

Lu Mian, surrounded by semi-illusory fire crows, saw the heroine of the Old Pigeon Cage Theater, Xia Ludi Calvino, again.

She walked through the illusory scenes of different trunks with great performance spirit, sometimes putting on a corset long skirt and coiling up an old-fashioned bun, sometimes wearing a tight skirt, small jacket, and long boots as is currently popular, sometimes as if returning to the period of Solomon royal rule, taking pride in male-leaning attire, completely fitting the corresponding background.

In this process, as soon as she left a virtual scene separated by fog, she would flash to another place, just like walking through Trier of different eras with the posture of a stroll.

Under the illumination of misty gas street lamps, Xia Ludi smiled at Lu Mian:

"You should feel honored. You are the first non-believer to enter the interior of the divine tree and merge with it."

The crimson fire crows around Lu Mian condensed but did not fire, because Xia Ludi kept flashing, appearing in different illusory scenes, "changing" into different costumes.

Her voice came from all over, combining into words.

Lu Mian's palms had already quietly put on black gloves, his right palm in his pocket, tightly gripping Mr. K's finger.

Xia Ludi introduced in the manner of an aria, as if it wouldn't satisfy the desire in her heart otherwise:

"This 'Shadow Tree' was planted here before the current Trier was built, planted underground.

"It nourished the people of Trier with joy. With the help of the Demon family and all the devout believers, it made the atmosphere here evolve bit by bit toward the direction the gods hoped to see. And the people of Trier did not let it down. Degeneracy and enjoyment are the nature of human beings. Year after year, they watered it with various desires that exceeded the limits, providing it with nutrients.

"More than a thousand years have passed. Although Trier has not yet developed into the expected appearance—joy supreme, indulgent to death—it has also taken a certain shape. The growth of the divine tree has reached a critical moment.

"In this situation, simple desires and emotions can no longer play a major role and can only serve as firewood. We need a sacrifice, a sacrifice of sufficient weight. And you, who possess the pollution of the Angel level but lack matching power, are the best choice!"

Hearing this, Lu Mian was startled, his pupils dilated instantly, as if wanting to see Xia Ludi's appearance clearly.

She knows that I have the power of Fate sealed in my body?

Xia Ludi smiled:

"When High Priestess Susanna was summoned by you for the first time, she discovered the terrifying power of the Angel level sealed in your body and didn't dare to possess you. She wanted to kill you afterward, but it wasn't just for Charlie!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 255 =====