Chapter 349: The Scene Was Incomparably Awkward

The Judgment Court was an independent institution separate from the three major dioceses... now only two remained... possessing an independent establishment, independent finances, independent armed forces, and the power to supervise and judge all clergy.

The stake was the most famous thing in the Judgment Court, followed by Ruling Knights, Holy Emblem Knights, Chief Judges, Judgment Armies, and the God of Justice and Arbitration.

The God of Justice and Arbitration was the full name, just like the God of Balance, whose full name was the God of Equality and Balance; the Goddess of Redemption, whose full name was the Goddess of Love and Redemption; and the God of Light and Darkness, whose full name was the God of Light and Shadow.

People's worship of power and gods could make them compile ten thousand kinds of cool and majestic titles.

However, gods also had strengths and weaknesses, such as the God of Knowledge, who couldn't beat anyone, and the God of Undead, who couldn't beat anyone...

The God of Arbitration was the existence among the gods of Light who couldn't beat anyone. It had superb combat power, mastered the judgment and arbitration of all clergy, and was the final power to maintain justice, order, and law.

Of course, that referred to when the entire divine power system was operating perfectly. Now that the gods had fallen, no one knew if the God of Arbitration was still alive. Where was there any justice, order, or law?

If there were, guys like Dyson would have to be the first to go to the stake. Why would Ang need to kill him?

Although order had collapsed and laws were chaotic, the Judgment Court was still an independently operating institution. It still had the right to judge all heretics and often went out. After all, where would the funds come from if they didn't go out?

Such an institution independent of the three major dioceses certainly couldn't accept funding from the three major dioceses, otherwise, it would be easily manipulated by others. Where would there be any justice to speak of?

Besides funding from the Church, the main source of funds for the Judgment Court was confiscation. For the sake of funds, the Judgment Court had to strive to restrict various illegal and disciplinary activities in the dioceses, striving to pick more thorns and impose more fines.

In order not to be judged and fined, the dioceses from top to bottom also had to strictly restrict believers, followers, and clergy, and strictly require themselves with the Divine Law Code.

Under the supervision of the gods, this was actually a mechanism that operated relatively well. If the Judgment Court had any illegal or disciplinary actions itself, the gods would immediately punish them. But the problem was, there were no gods now.

Anthony had said that the Holy Emblem Knight and the Mobile Judgment Court were the rare Light of the Church of Light, because except for them, the entire Church of Light was as black as it could be, rotten to the core, including the top brass of the Judgment Court.

There were too many flashy operations, enough to write another million-word masterpiece, so skip it.

Anthony didn't hesitate to split the church and seize the authority of the Eastern Diocese, a large reason for which was to restrict those guys in the upper echelons of the church who were as black as could be, including the Judgment Court.

However, he didn't have direct jurisdiction over the Judgment Court, only supervision, replacing part of the functions of the gods, and it indeed had an effect.

Under his supervision, the Judgment Court had restrained itself a lot in the Eastern Diocese, and there were few actions like raiding homes, exterminating families, slaughtering villages, and killing the innocent to impersonate heretics.

Besides that, he would also use 'enthusiastic believer' donations, welfare, subsidies, children's schooling, elderly care, and fair retirement funds to subsidize the Judgment Court of the Eastern Diocese.

If you can't accept funding, then you can't refuse believers' donations, right? Why strike a blow to the enthusiasm of believers? Believe it or not, hundreds of believers will kneel at the door of the Judgment Court immediately, and they won't get up if they don't accept the money?

As for field welfare, anti-static silk underwear was one of them, and there were other various things, too many to count.

Negris once sent a few rolls of cotton cloth in the supplies for Xia Mala. Xia Mala still remembered its goodness to this day, but this kind of 'goodness' was not worth mentioning compared to a thousand-year-old god-stick.

As long as you don't mess around and serve believers with justice, Anthony can arrange your whole family properly, even things after retirement.

What's more flashy is that Anthony restricted local judgment. All Chief Judges must go out on field duty, only judging cases in other cities, and when necessary, conduct joint trials in multiple cities.

The Chief Judges of the Eastern Diocese were tortured by Anthony to the point of bitterness, but because of good invisible benefits and peace of mind, plus a few points of honor for maintaining fairness, there were still many upright Chief Judges who liked the Eastern Diocese, and most of them didn't want to be transferred after coming here.

However, this Kaloke who was speaking now was not a Chief Judge of the Eastern Diocese. This place was located at the junction of the two districts, and Chief Judges were not divided by district; they all had jurisdiction, not to mention the witch who hadn't appeared for many years.

So upon hearing the news, Kaloke rushed over in a hurry.

Anthony smiled coldly: "Came so fast."

Hearing Anthony's tone, everyone knew something was wrong. Negris asked curiously: "Something strange?"

Anthony said: "Of course. It takes more than three hours for a fast horse from the nearest city with a Judgment Court. Lucy's awakening hasn't even been three hours. Unless he rode a flying dragon over, otherwise he was wandering around here early, waiting to cause trouble."

"Just a refugee camp, what's there to cause trouble? Could it be that he knew something would happen here early?" Negris asked, puzzled.

Anthony laughed: "Even if something happens, it doesn't need him, a dignified Chief Judge, to come. Who else here is worth his move?"

While Anthony was speaking, his thumb pointed at himself inadvertently.

However, everyone collectively turned their eyes to Ang. The only one who noticed him, Lu Se, was surprised and said: "Lord Anthony, did your finger cramp?"

"Coming for Ang? Are these people looking for death? There's a good show to watch." Negris revealed a mischievous smile.

Anthony thought the other party was coming for him, but after Kaloke approached, his first glance fell on Ang, and only then did he turn to Anthony to greet him: "Lord Anthony, long time no see, may the Holy Light protect you."

This sentence was a bit provocative. For ordinary believers to wish him Holy Light protection was a blessing. Anthony was a dignified acting Pope, at least a Bishop, a carrier of divine power, so Holy Light protection was not quite appropriate.

It was like someone wishing you a long life of a hundred years when you could originally live for a thousand years.

It seemed he was really coming for Ang. Anthony suddenly laughed. He suddenly wanted to know how Ang, with his character of not being good with words, would deal with the other party's judgment, just as Negris said: "Are these people looking for death? There's a good show to watch."

Because of the expectation of watching a good show, Anthony didn't care about the provocation in the other party's words, and said with a smile: "Oh, it's Kaloke. May the Holy Light also protect you."

Kaloke was stunned for a moment. It had been a while since they last met. Why was Anthony's temper so good? He could feel that Anthony's blessing was somewhat sincere.

Sizing up Anthony suspiciously, Kaloke said: "I received news that a witch appeared here. In the name of the God of Arbitration, I specially rushed over to handle it. May I ask... eh, could this be the famous Lord Ascetic Ang? Kaloke pays tribute to you."

As if he had just seen Ang, Kaloke said loudly and exaggeratedly, while raising his palm, unleashing Holy Light, placing it on his shoulder, and bowing.

Ang tilted his head and glanced at him, his gaze finally falling on the Holy Light in his palm.

One second, two seconds, three seconds, the scene slowly became incomparably awkward...

PS: Headache, can't hold on anymore, will squint for a while, next chapter... ===== CHAPTER 350 =====