In the towering sanctuary, the believers seated inside the church listened quietly to the Herald's exposition.
In the radiant glow, the priest they revered as the Herald stood unhurriedly at the forefront of the sanctuary, unravelling mysteries for the gathered clergy. His voice and every word felt like harmonies carried down from heaven, rippling outward across the vast hall and offering profound solace.
As he spoke, he would occasionally raise an arm slightly, stirring up a tumultuous roar of acclamation that filled the sanctuary; at other times, he would gently press an index finger to his lips, bidding them to feel with their hearts rather than converse in words.
From beginning to end, his gaze remained so warm. Whenever he looked toward the believers, he imparted the utmost encouragement and support, ensuring even those in the very back row could feel the benevolence and care radiating from his eyes.
In less than an hour, the sermon concluded.
The Herald bowed slightly, as if expressing gratitude to every peer present.
And all the believers returned the gesture with equal courtesy.
Slowly, he left the lectern and stepped down from the dais. Every step seemed to sound a ceremonial hymn in praise of truth. His figure gradually faded into the kaleidoscopic light, yet the surging emotions he had stirred lingered in everyone's heart, leaving their eyes burning with fervor as they sank involuntarily into a state of reverie.
Once the Herald exited the sanctuary, the silver-armored priest, who originally oversaw the town, hurried after him and fell into step at his side.
"Lord Herald, the reclamation of the forested hills behind town, the urban expansion, the construction of public utilities and tourist amenities, and the repair and widening of the roads connecting us to neighboring towns are all underway."
The silver-armored priest handed over a report.
"Very good. A boon for the present, a monument for millennia to come. The Bishop of Domination's renown will not only be sung in the near future; even a thousand years from now, people may still venerate and commemorate him as a deity."
Lanqi took the document and praised him.
By day, he served as a home tutor at Viscount Francis's estate; in the afternoon, he would visit the temple to provide guidance to the priests of the Domination branch.
Every day was fulfilling and grounded.
In this town where tiers were generally low, with the aid of Boss Cat's psychokinetic magic, he could easily reach the temple without anyone noticing. Besides, hardly any local residents ever came near the temple in the first place.
"For this grand cause, we shall not rest until death."
The silver-armored priest offered a devout salute.
Although the townspeople did not trust them in the slightest, the priests had already noticed a clear shift in their attitude.
From poorly concealed revulsion and fear, it had gradually shifted to wariness laced with a hint of curiosity.
"Until death," Lanqi replied, returning the same salute.
They prized equality, striving shoulder-to-shoulder for the same goal and faith.
In Lilom City, fishing and aquaculture were well established, but most of the specialty fish species were only produced and sold locally, as outbound transport costs were prohibitively high.
Fortunately, the town possessed magnificent and unique natural scenery. Semi-natural hot springs could be developed, and the forested hills behind could be turned into an all-natural park, making it entirely feasible to expand the place into a major tourist destination.
When the silver-armored priest presented the redevelopment blueprints drafted by Lanqi to Viscount Francis, the viscount had been astonished and found no grounds to refuse, leaving him with no choice but to authorize the silver-armored priest and his subordinates to begin work.
At present, many northern residents were considering migrating south. According to the Southwestern Province's fourth-quarter report from the previous year, the population was indeed trending upward. Lilom City therefore stood to attract not only tourists, but potentially a substantial influx of new permanent residents.
Once the initial phase was complete, they would proceed to the most critical step: leveraging the Domination branch's network across the Southwestern Province to launch a full-scale promotional campaign for this coastal dream city. If momentum proved strong, they could expand even further, creating a virtuous cycle.
"In the future, rely less on brute force and study more. Those with artistic talent should study design; those with craft and construction talent should hone their trade; and those capable of absorbing knowledge should study economics, finance, statistics, marketing, management, and the like from start to finish. The books in the provincial capital's library are more than enough to go around."
Lanqi patted the silver-armored priest on the shoulder and urged him.
Under the tremendous labor and execution capacity of these Resurrection priests, the town was transforming at a rapid pace.
A few days earlier, High Priest Kane, who oversaw the Southwestern Province, had been invited by the silver-armored priest to tour Lilom City. After a private meeting with Lanqi in the temple, Kane had been utterly won over and joined their collective with wholehearted devotion.
Now, the high priest had returned to the provincial capital to spread this vision on a wider scale, and had sent even more silver-robed priests to Lilom City to study.
"Yes! The Bishop of Domination possesses peerless strength and is the true god of wisdom! To make the Bishop of Domination the ruler of the Protos Empire's Resurrection Church, we must become the cleverest flock. Only then can we truly understand the Bishop of Domination and become true members of the Domination branch!"
The silver-armored priest declared, eyes blazing with fervor.
Nowadays, besides building up the city, they spent every day hitting the books like madmen. Inspired by the Herald, they had thoroughly grasped the importance of wisdom.
Some had even become utterly addicted to studying, unable to tear themselves away.
Physical strength had a ceiling, but knowledge was power too—and knowledge had no limit.
The two strolled and chatted as they made their way toward the exit, until the silver-armored priest saw Lanqi off, and Lanqi waved goodbye.
Afterward, Lanqi took a small path outside the temple.
By the time he emerged from the other end of the path, he had reverted to his original appearance.
A little black cat leapt out from the shadows and clambered onto Lanqi.
"Lanqi... what on earth are you..."
Boss Cat could no longer see through him.
He seemed to be acting, yet also seemed sincere; he seemed bound by circumstance, yet also seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.
"Don't worry, Boss Cat. I merely guided them into forming a positive devotion and faith," Lanqi said with a smile as he caught Boss Cat and held him close. "The Resurrection Church's structure was originally rather loose, with poor cohesion. I simply took the Bishop of Domination, whom they already revere, and sanctified him further into an avatar of strength and wisdom. Once the believers develop a steadfast faith, it forms a shared ideological cognitive community and collective consciousness, diluting individualistic impulses and facilitating efficient coordination and operation."
"..."
Boss Cat was stunned for a moment.
It sounded quite reasonable, but...
Isn't that just brainwashing?!
Watching those cultists turn one by one into deranged top students, Boss Cat didn't know what to say.
Perhaps it was because Lanqi had told them the secret to his great strength was studying.
Or perhaps he had deified the Bishop of Domination so excessively, interpreting the bishop's divine will in his own way, that he had branded the truth that "knowledge is power" deep into the cultists' minds.
Of course, it was also possible that something was inherently wrong with Lanqi himself. He was far too adept at using words to stir desires, bewitch hearts, and manipulate others—these were hardly skills a normal student ought to possess!
Boss Cat didn't dare imagine what the Southwestern Province would look like in a few months under Lanqi's push.
Nor what the Bishop of Domination's mood would be when he saw that his entire retinue had been transformed from do-or-die fighters into brawny tacticians.
Boss Cat was genuinely terrified that the Bishop of Domination would put a bounty on both Lanqi and himself!!
Chapter 253