Two Foxes!

After saying this, Richard suddenly felt very foolish. He subconsciously touched his head, unsure whether he was scratching his own head or Little Jerry's. When Alfred and Vic remained silent after a moment, Richard could only force an awkward chuckle. "Uh, well, I was just joking." "Hiss..." Vic furrowed his brows and said, "That actually seems like a pretty good idea." Richard: "Uh, really?" Vic rubbed between his brows and said, "During the operation, ordering the priests not to wear Order robes is entirely feasible. The garrison can't go without armor... but we can dye their armor another color with paint beforehand. That shouldn't be an issue either, right?" Alfred said, "We're the ones drafting the operational plan. In theory, there's no problem." Once the orders were handed down, the recipients might find it strange, but they would still obey. "Heh heh." Vic let out a chuckle. "So, we've cracked it just like that?" Alfred countered, "But if none of our people wear divine robes and the garrison's armor is painted a different color, then who are the corpses lying on the ground in that vision?" This was sophistry, but the foundation of that sophistry lay in whether the prophecy was "true" or "false." An unknowable known condition naturally gave rise to infinite possibilities. Vic shook his head and sighed. "What a headache. Pondering this is countless times more complicated than drafting plans, and the emotional swings are much worse. No wonder our great God of Order suppressed the Mural God. Deities and churches that babble in riddles like that deserve to be suppressed and branded as heretical cults forever." Alfred picked up his glass, took a sip of ice water, and remarked, "According to mythological records, the Mural God was suppressed by the God of Order for painting the end of the God of Order. Most likely, our God of Order encountered a situation similar to ours back then, and might even have uttered the exact same lament you just did." Richard noticed cold sweat beading on Vic's face at these words, his feet trembling slightly beneath the desk. Joking about the great God was utter blasphemy to Vic. How could a god ever be compared to oneself? Yet Vic forced down his mental and physical discomfort and forced out: "Ha! Ha!" The laugh was bafflingly loud, making Richard subconsciously rub his ear. Oblivious to his own faux pas, Vic took the initiative to say to Alfred: "Perhaps so, haha!" Alfred lowered his head and resumed his work. He could sense Vic's desperate urge to integrate into the circle. That had originally been his plan as well, but unlike others who passively accepted or were overwhelmed with awe, Vic was far too calculating. Still, Alfred did not alter his intention to bring him in. After all, in a newly founded team, opportunists were inevitable. Looking at it dialectically, one had to acknowledge the role opportunists played in certain historical periods, while also taking care to conduct internal purges at the appropriate time to preserve the team's relative purity. It was just as the young master had once said: water purified by spellcraft cannot sustain fish. Just then, the door was pushed open. The three people in the room rose immediately to greet the newcomer: "Karen." "Minister." "Young Master." "I just got back from the Dinge Region. Everything is settled with Luoya. How is the operational proposal coming along?" "The first draft is nearly complete." Alfred made no move to gather the papers for his young master's review yet. "Then hurry it up. Neo sent a crow to me on my way back. I need to head home..." Karen paused, then added, "...to the funeral parlor." Alfred pointed at Richard. "Then let Richard drive you. He can brief you on our plan during the ride." "Mm, fine." Karen waved a hand, turned, and headed downstairs, Richard following with car keys in hand. Once outside, however, Richard found a horse-drawn carriage parked out front. "Uh, Karen, your illness is really serious." "Heh." Nowadays, Richard was often the only one who spoke to Karen with such lack of propriety. Although Richard tried to watch himself, sometimes he simply couldn't help it. It felt like how his father had spiraled into a mental vortex over his sister's death—to a certain extent, it was beyond Richard's own control. During the carriage ride, Richard explained parts of the proposal. Karen gazed out the window as he listened, withholding comment for the most part. When it came to concrete matters, both Alfred and Vic were more capable than him anyway. One point, however, piqued Karen's interest. "Change clothes?" "Ah, yes. Just a joke I made." "A very clever joke. I'm sure Alfred will incorporate it into the plan." "Uh, Karen, what do you think of that prophecy?" "I don't have any specific view on it. I only believe one thing: history is made by people." "Why does that feel a bit perfunctory...?" "When dealing with questions like this, being perfunctory is often the wisest choice. The reason remnants of the Mural Cult generally seem unhinged is that they've trapped themselves in that mindset and can't get out." "Oh, true." Richard pressed a finger between his eyebrows and slid it downward. Karen's gaze narrowed. He hadn't noticed earlier, but the gesture revealed it. "You put Little Jerry inside your brain?" "Uh... is that not allowed?" "Are you sure you can completely control it?" "Aw, control, schmontrol—we're bros." "I remember telling you to consult Minister Neo about rearing methods. Did you go?" "A long time ago. Minister Neo gave me lots of methods to control it..." "And?" "I didn't think I needed them. If Little Jerry ever wants to leave, he'll tell me. Here, look." Richard lifted his arm. A small bump appeared at his wrist, and a silkworm-like creature could be seen slowly squirming beneath the surface. Even separated by flesh, it was clear that it was fawning over Karen. "Little Jerry is terrified of you! Hahaha!" Karen smiled and shook his head. He wondered whether Richard's relationship with Little Jerry was another manifestation of the Arte bloodline. With Little Jerry living inside Richard, it was constantly bathed in his blood. Over time, would that develop into something akin to a "bloodline bond"? If so, wouldn't the Arte family make the world's most talented beast tamers? No, that wouldn't work. Powerful monster beasts were colossal. Never mind that the Arte bloodline had withered away; even if a massive Arte clan existed, would the entire clan's first morning chore be milking themselves like dairy cows to bathe monster beasts in blood? Still, Richard was remarkably thick-nerved. Karen could tolerate Thousand Phantoms inside him because it was a soul body that, without his permission, could only remain within his soul space, whereas Little Jerry was a living, wriggling bug. Yet Richard felt not the slightest revulsion, truly treating it like a friend—no, a brother. Speaking of which... Thousand Phantoms. It must be having a great time right now. Heh. ... "The angel's activity keeps rising." "Yes, I can sense the angel's emotions. He is very excited." "The angel must be desperate to return to the Sea of the Abyss, longing to welcome back our Lord's glory as soon as possible." "The transfer can probably begin now. Has Lady Miliwen arrived?" "People have already been sent to receive her." ... The funeral parlor had ceased business. Pick had joined the Whip of Order system, and a new Inquisitorial Office had been established for the district, though not at the original site. In fact, Karen had considered preserving the Pavaro Inquisitorial Office, but ultimately gave up on the idea. It wasn't because of any difficulty, but because he felt that if Inquisitor Pavaro were still around, he wouldn't care for such formal attachments and might even worry it would disrupt the normal work of the district's office. The carriage stopped before the funeral parlor. Karen and Richard got down. The rolling shutter door was open. Neo's luxury car was parked outside, the front end bearing obvious signs of a collision. Inside, Neo was seated on a morgue slab, a cigarette between his fingers, while the blonde girl sat on a stool with a lollipop in her mouth. "Look, here's the honest and reliable Minister Karen you wanted to see." Neo pointed at Karen, then propped his chin on his palm. Karen shifted his gaze to the girl. She rose and wove her hands into a symbol before her chest: "Miliwen, inheritor of God Nuoqi of the Church of the Abyss, greets Minister Karen." Hearing this title, the cigarette Neo had only smoked a third of instantly burned down to the filter. Ignoring the smoke puffing from his nostrils and ears, he burst into laughter: "Hahaha, you really are a Child of God!" Miliwen gave him a helpless look. "Didn't you know that already?" "Know what already?" Neo shrugged. "To me, 'child of god' is a metaphor for a kindergartener born with a silver spoon in their mouth." Miliwen didn't bother arguing with Neo and looked back at Karen. Karen crossed his hands over his chest. "Karen, Minister of the Law Enforcement Department of the Whip of Order for this region." "Minister Karen, perhaps you don't know, but this is our second meeting." "I know. We saw each other in the teleportation array hall this morning." "You noticed me already?" Neo immediately pointed at Karen. "Look at you! You noticed her, yet you let this prize turbot slip through your fingers! Do you have any idea how much wealth... er, no, how many contraband goods she was carrying?!" Karen said, "I was in a rush to head to the Dinge Region." "Then you should at least have had someone tail her." "I trusted that the Whip of Order on duty in the hall would take notice of her." "Useless! If I hadn't stepped in personally, those two kids would probably be stripped naked and hanging from a tree by now. That's dereliction of duty on your part, Karen—a failure of vigilance." Karen asked, "Are you upset?" "How could I possibly be upset because you intentionally kept this from me? Heh, why would I ever be?" "I only intended to notify you when the operation began." "Fine, no need to explain." Neo pulled out another cigarette and tapped the filter against the center of his forehead. "I do have some issues right now. I called Philias back to hold a meeting for me again." Miliwen finally couldn't hold back. Maintaining a polite smile, she spoke up: "Gentlemen Ministers, could you show this Child of God a little respect?" Neo cast a sideways glance at her. "Heh heh." Was a Child of God worth anything here? In this very backyard, even an evil god had once been relegated to a dog kennel! Karen pulled out a chair and sat down, saying to Miliwen, "Your Eminence, you may speak now." "I don't know where to start, because I want to save some time." "What do you plan to do with that six-winged angel?" "Alright. So that mansion has already been under Order's surveillance. I admire Order's capability—no, I admire your capability, Minister Karen." "Get to the point." "Upon the Sea of the Abyss, a temple called Heaven Square is returning. The temple elders of our Abyss believe it heralds the return of the great God of the Abyss. The angels serve as trackers; only they can withstand the temple's aging effect and accelerate its return. The task bestowed upon me was to personally assist in transferring that six-winged angel. But what I actually intend to do is sabotage the transfer. I originally planned to do it on my own, but now... I wish to seek cooperation with the two of you." "Why stop it?" "Because the night I received this mission, I had a dream. In the dream, I saw a vision of our Lord rallying his forces on the square, swearing a grand vow to breach Heaven. However, one branch god disagreed. He believed this would leave the Abyss without the Main God's protection, allowing abyss entities to stage a comeback and destroy the abyss system that had been painstakingly established. And so, at the rally, our Lord personally executed him... staining the war banner with his blood, mounting his severed head atop the flagpole, and permanently imprisoning his body and divine soul right there so he would witness with his own eyes the grand spectacle of Heaven being breached! Therefore, what lies upon Heaven Square is not our returning Lord, but rather that very god who was sacrificed to the banner and suppressed. After countless eons of imprisonment, I can hardly imagine what bloody turmoil will befall our church once he returns." In this period of history, Mr. Lemar's ancestor had made an appearance—the Vos family's zenith—crafting a puppet for the God of the Abyss to temporarily deter the Abyss in place of the god. Seated on the morgue slab, Neo couldn't help cursing, "Damn it, sounds like a bedtime story." "You should maintain basic respect, Minister Neo," Miliwen warned. "Fine, but I've read your Long Song of the Abyss thoroughly, and there's no mention of this anywhere. I do know Heaven Square, though; it's a symbol of sacredness and victory." Hearing the word "thoroughly" come from Neo's mouth always felt strange to Karen. After all, back in the day, Neo had taught him that there was no need to memorize the Code of Order—just make up whatever chapter and article off the top of his head; the people arrested most likely hadn't read it anyway, and even if they had, they couldn't object. Yet this fellow had inherited Philias's erudition... secretly advising others to slack off while quietly memorizing the textbooks himself. "This touches upon our church's internal affairs. The Church of the Abyss originated in the Abyss. Our Lord first opened the Abyss, then breached Heaven. But at the end of the previous era, Heaven collapsed... One could say that half of our church's heritage perished. The Church of the Abyss today... is essentially the Sea of the Abyss faction. Since the start of this era, they modified the descriptions in the Long Song of the Abyss to erase all traces of Heaven, aiming to turn the Church of the Abyss entirely into the church of the Sea of the Abyss." Karen asked, "Does that have anything to do with the god sacrificed to the banner?" "You can think of that god as your church's Lord Tyrannus... though I recall your church has no branch gods. That deity once helped our Lord construct the abyssal system. One could say he is the... founder of the Sea of the Abyss faction." Neo laughed. "So it wasn't that he opposed breaching Heaven at all—the God of the Abyss was just worried his backyard would catch fire before he breached Heaven, so he manufactured an excuse to butcher him publicly?" Miliwen forced down her temper and ultimately nodded. Karen couldn't help sighing inwardly. Sure enough, strip away the veneer of theological mythology, and beneath lay nothing but a bloody history of power struggles. "And you?" Karen looked at Miliwen. "You mentioned you are the inheritor of God Nuoqi. Which faction did God Nuoqi belong to...?" "God Nuoqi was a student of Pamires. He studied spatial laws under God Pamires before entering our Lord's service to help our Lord forge Heaven. So... yes, God Nuoqi belonged to the Heaven faction." The Desert Church and the Church of the Desert were undergoing internal schisms, and now the Church of the Abyss was divided into two factions as well... Not surprising, really. Didn't fundamentalists exist within the Church of Order too? Karen asked, "I'd like to know your reason for stopping it." "Haven't I already told you? My inherent origin and allegiance lie here." "No, I want to know the more specific reason. What tangible impact would the return of that imprisoned deity bring? I originally assumed it would be a bloody slaughter of vengeance, but from the looks of it, that doesn't seem to be the trajectory. Otherwise, your temple elders wouldn't be assisting in his swift return." Miliwen smoothed her hair and looked around, seemingly gathering her thoughts. Finally, she smiled and said, "If he returns first, then the Church of the Abyss... will no longer belong to the God of the Abyss. The religious lineage established by our Lord will be usurped by him." Then, Miliwen extended a hand toward Karen. "I believe you can trust me now and will be willing to cooperate with me. I don't want my true motive exposed, but I can assist you in disrupting this transfer. Furthermore, the extra tea money has already been settled with Minister Neo—I've agreed to the payment terms he laid out." Karen glanced at Neo sitting on the morgue slab. Neo looked back at Karen. Their eyes met, and smiles tugged at the corners of both their mouths. Neo stood up, stretched lazily, and said, "Except I want to back out now." "What do you mean by that? Without my assistance, it will be very difficult for you to resolve this cleanly. Inside that mansion, a temporary teleportation array has already been set up." Neo said, "As an Order priest, I don't think I'm in any position to turn down the spectacle of an internal schism within the Abyss—a fellow orthodox church. So why should we stop it? Wouldn't letting him return unhindered be far more amusing? Everyone has heard the prophecy that the gods are about to return. I can hardly wait to see how the God of the Abyss reacts when he comes home only to find someone else's nameplate on his door! Hahaha!" Karen shook his head and said, "You can't say that. We must conduct our affairs with integrity. Since you've already made an agreement with Her Eminence, backing out is hardly appropriate. It's immoral." Neo clapped a hand to his chest and said remorsefully, "My moral compass has always been weak, because flowing through my eyes, my body, and every single pore across my flesh is nothing but absolute, unadulterated loyalty to Order." Miliwen clenched her fists, fighting the urge to explode. "I could resort to extreme measures and officially report this to your Order!" Neo nodded. "And the report you submit will be forwarded right into our hands." Miliwen: "..." Neo stepped down from the morgue slab, walked over to Miliwen, and spread open his palm. Written across it in fresh blood was a long list of payment conditions—the tea money. "There is a way to ease my moral guilt and get me to honor our cooperation. Do you know what it is?" "What is it...?" Neo raised his other palm as well, holding both hands up toward Miliwen with a grin: "Double it!"