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"Well, that's how things stand. Now, I'd like to hear your thoughts." After Neo finished speaking, he lowered his head and began eating his noodles. What little food remained had all been given to him. Vernon and Helen exchanged a glance, then he spoke up, "This is really too sudden for us. Please allow us to..." *Slurp...* Neo took a sip of the tomato-flavored noodle broth and set down his spoon. "You seem to have misunderstood something. I only want to hear your thoughts, not seek your consent." Helen looked at Neo and said, "Do we not even have the right to choose?" Neo nodded. "You can choose whether you want tomatoes in your noodle soup tonight. As for choices regarding your life's path, believe me—not many people in this world have the right to a truly free choice." Vernon asked, "So, can we take this as a form of coercion?" "Nonsense, of course I'm coercing you. Couldn't you tell?" Vernon shook his head. "I find it very hard to accept leadership from someone like you." Neo retorted bluntly, "Yes, and the last friendly leader is already dead." Vernon: "..." Neo continued, "To cover your escape from the Church of Order's manhunt, he didn't hesitate to raise a Tower of Light before he died just to draw attention away from you. I thought that after going through that, you would have shed some of your unnecessary naivety. Unfortunately, you haven't. "Besides, I think that as subordinates, as students, letting your leader or mentor die just to cover for you is your dereliction of duty. Indirectly, it reflects that the two of you are useless trash." "I won't let you talk about our mentor like that!" *Splash!* Neo splashed all the remaining noodle broth in his bowl straight into Vernon's face. Although Vernon secretly used Light magic to treat patients on ordinary days, he hadn't actually engaged in combat for a long time and had gradually forgotten the fact that he was once a Light warrior. Thus, he failed to block in time and was drenched from head to chin. "Idiot, I was insulting you, not your mentor!" Alfred, who had been sitting quietly to the side without uttering a word, silently took out a clean handkerchief and handed it to Helen, gesturing for her to wipe Vernon off, before resuming his previous posture. Vernon pushed aside Helen's hand as she tried to wipe his face, pointed at himself, and said, "I know what you're planning. I know all too well! But I'm sick of it. I don't want to be used by anyone anymore! I don't want to be a blade in someone else's hand, only to be sold out without even realizing it!" "All right, I take back what I just said. You've made some progress, just not much." Neo took Alfred's handkerchief from Helen, folded it, carefully dabbed at the corners of his mouth, and stood up. His aura locked onto Vernon and erupted in an instant. Seeing this, Vernon immediately condensed a layer of Light armor over his body. But Neo simply reached out and grasped forward. The Light armor on Vernon dissolved instantly, turning into a ball of pure Light power trapped in Neo's palm. Immediately following that, Neo delivered a backhanded whip with his palm. *Smack!* The Light power transformed into a whip, lashing Vernon and sending him crashing to the floor. Seeing this, Helen subconsciously opened her hands, preparing to weave a spell, but Neo swept a glare over her. Helen's hands stiffened, and she ceased her resistance. Neo's gaze carried a clear threat: if she dared provoke him again, he would kill her for real. In the art of intimidating people, Neo was a professional. A single gesture or glance from him produced remarkable results; Otherwise, back then outside the Whip of Order headquarters building, Karen wouldn't have needed to imitate him on the spot. After all, Neo was a genuine hound. The boundary between seeking fun and going mad was very blurry for him, and what people feared most and dared provoke least was a madman. Vernon didn't choose to keep fighting either. With just that single exchange, he had sensed the vast disparity in power between them. Neo looked down at Vernon lying on the ground and said, "I told you, you don't actually have the right to choose. Did you think this recent period of peace and quiet would last forever? "Did you think that by living here like an ordinary person, all turmoil would stay away from you? "Don't be naive. "You've been treating those people with Light spells. Traces of Light aura are bound to linger on them. Who's to say that one day some church personnel won't notice it and report it up the chain? "Furthermore, even though you didn't preach, preaching doesn't necessarily require giving nonstop speeches every day and brainwashing people with the same repetitive words like those charlatans. Your actions and your deeper understanding of Light are actually a far sharper form of preaching than words. Slowly, seeds of Light will be planted in their hearts. They will begin to yearn for the Light, and ultimately, praise for the Light will be on their lips." Hearing this, Vernon immediately recalled what Arif had said to him when they met earlier today: *"I had a feeling you were coming today, because when I woke up this morning, the sunlight streaming through a crack in the roof woke me up, heh heh."* Neo continued, "You can't hide it. There's no way to hide it at all. For a while before, the Whip of Order and the Regional Administrative Office were locked in vicious infighting, which slackened oversight and caused intelligence to be overlooked. But now, the struggle is over. The Whip of Order is entering a genuine period of development, and it will truly function to watch over everything around it. "Do you know what consequences await once what's happening here is discovered? "You and your sister Helen might sense it ahead of time and try to flee. "But can you take the people here with you when you run? "These ordinary people with lingering Light auras on them will be treated as Light remnants. Those who began praising the Light under your influence will be viewed as cult followers. "They will be disposed of... disposed of in all sorts of ways, like blighted soil or a stained floor, completely eradicated. "So stop constantly feeling wronged. Don't naively think you can just wash your hands of everything and choose to hide away. "Either you go preach on some remote island deep in the ocean where church power is weak; "Or, since you chose to operate in a city, you must take responsibility for what you've done, and live up to... the people who genuinely believe in you." Vernon and Helen fell silent. They truly hadn't thought about this before—that the people they helped might end up dying because of their help, along with those people's families, neighbors, and coworkers. The laws of secular nations might still debate whether to punish by association, but within church circles, there wasn't even a debate. The simplest, most effective way to prevent a faith from rekindling from the ashes was... to kill as many of your followers as possible. Back when the Qihe case was exposed, that former indentured servant family who had once oppressed Allen Manor to the point of suffocation was exterminated by the Church of Order in an instant—the best proof of this reality. Vernon asked, "Will you report us?" "That question of yours is genuinely idiotic. Naturally, if you don't agree to my proposal and become members of my secret office, I assure you that a massive sweep of Order priests will appear here tomorrow to clean house." "But if we follow you, can you guarantee their safety?" "Not just them. If you want to continue helping others in the future, I can protect those people as well." "Why should I believe you?" "Because right now, the Whip of Order in the York City Region belongs to us." Vernon: "..." Neo walked back to the table and poured himself a cup of water. There were no tea leaves in it. Taking a sip, he continued, "I can understand your current mindset. Perhaps you feel you've discovered the true essence of Light. You're tired of struggles, killings, being used, and being discarded. You yearn for freedom and peace. "I once had a friend who was just like you, but I don't think you can become what he was. "Besides, in my understanding, light may differ in intensity, but it always insists on traveling in a straight line." Vernon and Helen began chewing over Neo's words. "I'll give you one day to wrap things up here. The day after tomorrow, meet me at the cafe I mentioned. I'll officially assign you two your duties. "Normally you won't be very busy. You can even open a small clinic to treat patients. This is my final concession to you two fools." Neo pushed open the door and walked out. Alfred stood up and followed him out. After the two got into the car, Neo remarked with feeling, "Sometimes it really feels incredible. Even though the Light remnants have been suppressed for nearly a thousand years, there's still no shortage of people with genuine faith in the Light. In fact, according to my observations, the proportion of pure believers is growing larger and larger. "It's almost as if a millennium of suppression has actually purged the impurities from the Light, gradually leaving behind only the purest crystal." Alfred drove without saying a word. Neo continued sighing, "What's even more unbelievable is that such a religion actually went extinct. Sigh." Alfred glanced at Neo, then continued driving. Neo pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff. "So that advice Lord Theisen gave to the High Priest before he died regarding how to handle the Light remnants was truly brilliant. The era of blind suppression is over. Suppressing them further is genuinely helping them forge their essence. That's why we need to ease up first and take the initiative to mix sand into their ranks. "You have to admire it. As the Wien proverb goes, an old pickle crock holds a bit of everything." Alfred finally spoke up. "Please mind your emotional stance." "Heh heh heh." Neo chuckled and turned his head to look at Alfred. "You're killing me. You of all people are telling me that? Why don't you pull down the rearview mirror and take a look at yourself?" "I am merely reminding you that the Young Master's stance has never changed; if anything, it has deepened." "Then why are you helping me like this? Even if Karen gave the word, you could have easily just gone through the motions." "No. I believe any force that emerges independently under the system of the Church of Order is extremely precious. That is the lesson learned from the last incident. "We may be able to latch onto the Church of Order's apparatus and gain seemingly immense power, but when truly facing higher-ups and a conflict erupts, all that power will abandon you. "Just like Bernie and Harry—with a single order from above, they had to accept being reassigned." "You want to become like Bourne?" "Didn't Bourne also hand over command of the garrison? What I want—and what the Young Master wants—is power held entirely in our own hands. The primary objective going forward is to develop precisely that." Neo nodded, leaned his hand out the window to flick his cigarette ash, and cursed, "Everyone always says I'm like a madman, but in truth, you're the real madman. Tell me, is getting onto a mural really that appealing? Why can't I feel the appeal at all?" "Then we won't reserve a spot for you." "You dare!" ... "Wah, it's really hard to imagine that my little Karen has already become a Minister. It really moves me to tears! I haven't failed the promise I made to your grandfather before leaving home after all, meow." Purr spoke while rubbing her eyes with a paw pad. Karen reached out and picked up Purr, stroking her fur, and asked puzzledly, "Why do you feel heavier again?" "Meow!" "Seems like you've been living quite well lately—eating well and sleeping well." "Oh, you know how it is. Sometimes feelings like worry and anxiety must be released and soothed, and the most effective ways are eating and sleeping. If I've gotten heavier, then that extra weight is my heavy, heartfelt concern for you." "Fine, I've felt it." "Young Master, what would you like for dinner? I bought fresh carp." "Do we still have tofu at home?" Karen asked. "Yes, it was all moved over." "Then make a soup." "Understood, Young Master. Please wait a moment." By now, Karen's household had moved to a building adjacent to the front of headquarters. It was considered staff dormitories, except Karen's household occupied three whole units, each having a three-bedroom, one-living-room layout. One unit served exclusively as the kitchen. An ordinary kitchen certainly didn't need so much space, but Karen's household prepared and stored a great deal of food ingredients on their own; in a smaller space, they really wouldn't fit. Another unit had been converted into two bedroom suites: the larger one was where Karen slept with Purr and Kevin, while the other was for Xili. The third unit served purely as a study, doubling as a council chamber. Because his promotion had come so swiftly, Karen had been forced to leave his lavishly renovated office. Fortunately, that office had been handed down to Alfred, so at least the good stuff stayed in the family. However, being a Minister naturally came with numerous privileges. One major perk was that even if he skipped work, no one dared keep a record of it. Consequently, Karen could sleep until he woke naturally at home, have a meal, head into the study, and treat the study and reception area as his workplace, with all relevant personnel coming here to report. In any case, this place was right next to the headquarters building and fully protected by defensive arrays. If a reporter were brought in to spin it, it wouldn't be 'Minister Karen skips work and slacks off,' but rather 'diligent and hardworking, continuing his official duties even at home without rest.' "It really feels like a dream. Diss was always just an Inquisitor, but you've truly shown me a different view, Karen." "Grandfather just didn't care about such things." "Actually, it wasn't that he completely didn't care, but rather due to his personality." Purr tucked in her paws. "Back when he was young, he was truly quite arrogant. His temper—well, he was good to his family, but toward outsiders he was a bit... well, you know. You're different..." "Mm, true." "You're like him in looking down on outsiders, but you're better at pretending than he was. Even though deep down you're still aloft and haughty, you can make the people around you feel that you value them greatly and are their truest friend." "Haven't seen you for a while, and your mouth tastes like you just ate a rat." "It's the truth! On the day of the move, I saw Alaiye—the one who ran the agency in front of Allen Apartments where we used to live." "Mm, I remember." "He kept going on about how Young Master Karen is his best friend." "Isn't he?" "And then you didn't even tell him where your new home is." "Did I not?" "He only found out we'd been living in a funeral parlor the entire time when we moved out." "Oh, an oversight on my part." "I think you did it on purpose. You just hate trouble." "There's a profiling room under my department specifically for analyzing cases. Would you like me to recommend you?" "I'm not going!" "Then shut your cat mouth. I was originally planning to make fish with pickled mustard greens tomorrow." "Stupid dog, go fetch me some tape! I'm going to seal my mouth shut!" Karen stepped out of the bedroom, preparing to head to the study, just as Leon came walking over. The three floors here, upper and lower, were mostly dormitories for their own people, and everyone lived very close together. "You're back?" Karen asked with a smile. "Yes, Minister. My bereavement leave officially ended today, and I've returned to work." Leon's vigor looked quite good. This wasn't put on; mainly, his grandfather had done a great deal for him before departing. "You will continue to serve as my secretary." "Understood, Minister." Alfred was too busy. He was now Director of the First Office while concurrently juggling work across many lines around Karen; having him continue staying by Karen's side as a secretary was no longer suitable. Leon was quite fitting, and he was already on Alfred's vetting list for the next batch of believers. Karen had seen the list, and surprisingly, "Vic" was on it as well. Karen entered his study just as the telephone rang. He picked up the receiver. "Young Master, a call from the Chief's office. Shall I transfer it to you?" "Yes, put it through." Soon, Bourne's voice came from the other end of the line: "Congratulations, Minister Karen." "Congratulations to you as well, Lord Chief." "There's something I need to inform you about. Your application has been approved—the partner application for the Church of the Burrow." "Hm?" "I took a look at it; the specifications are very high. You'll need to make a trip in person, because under these specifications, some genuinely formidable figures in the Church of the Burrow should be enticed." "Did you apply on my behalf?" "Before he passed away, the old Chief activated his highest authority to obtain an audience directly before the High Priest. You know about that. "In addition, he left behind a final testament—or rather, not quite a testament, but what should more accurately be called a work report, giving a detailed summary and arrangement of his achievements, shortcomings, and the matters to be settled after his death over recent years. "In it, he didn't mention a single word regarding arrangements for his own family, meaning Leon. "Instead, he attached a partner application for you with the Church of the Burrow."