I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1010 Bloodstained Temple, City's Conversion (5K7)

"We must never allow heretics to defile our holy land!"

In a corner outside the temple, the Zoroastrian priests who had been driven out formed a small circle, their emotions running high. They denounced the infidels' atrocities and vowed to retaliate in any way they could.

However, even in this heightened emotional atmosphere, there are rational voices among us.

"But that Han general is indeed extraordinary."

A young priest hesitated and said:
"He single-handedly breached the city walls and killed General Shamai. Many people witnessed this firsthand."

"Silence!" the old priest shouted sternly. "Those are nothing but tricks of the devils! No matter how powerful they are, they can never be a match for us, the gods of light!"

"But, but..."

This completely idealistic statement left the young priest stunned. He weakly tried to argue, but was immediately interrupted by another priest:
"Enough! Our Holy Church has a history of thousands of years. How can we bow down to heretics?"

"If we let them succeed today, our idols will be toppled tomorrow, the sacred fire will be extinguished, and all priests and believers will lose their home!"

"To die for holy war, we will live forever bathed in the flames!"

"If we succumb to violence and allow heretics to defile the temple, then after death we will only be condemned to hellfire!"

The elder priest's words were resounding and highly infectious; in just a few words, he stirred the blood of the surrounding priests and assistant priests, and the young priest finally made his decision:
"it is good!"

"High Priest, please tell us what we should do?"

The old priest took a deep breath, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes: "I have already sent word to the most devout believers in the city; they will all attend the assembly. Once the ceremony begins, we will—"

He made a gesture of wiping his neck.

"what?!"

The young altar priest was startled:
"This...this is too risky! The temple is full of Han soldiers. How can those believers possibly succeed?"

"What are you afraid of!"

The old priest said ominously:
"One of our people was among those who presided over the ceremony. He endured humiliation and managed to arrange things for those heretics. It is said that in order to demonstrate the divinity of that false god, all the guards were arranged to be below the platform and outside the hall."

"As long as our people can get onto the high platform, he will be outnumbered and will surely reveal his true colors!"

"Furthermore, I also made the worst-case scenario plan. Before withdrawing, I buried oil under the altar. Even if the believers cannot kill that false god, they can light the flames and let the sacred fire turn that false god and this defiled temple to ashes!"

"This is too risky!" The young acolyte's face turned deathly pale. "If we fail, we'll all die!"

"What's there to be afraid of!" the old priest shouted sternly. "To sacrifice ourselves for the Holy Church is our honor! Besides—"

He lowered his voice, a sly glint in his eyes: "I've already sent word to the Governor-General of the North. As long as we can hold off that Han general, once the Governor-General's army arrives, these heretics will surely die!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, and finally made up their minds.

"For the God of Light!"

"For the Holy Church!"

They swore in whispers, their eyes gleaming with fanaticism.

Meanwhile, inside the temple.

Tibo was directing the people to set up the altar, covering the original statue of the god of light with a red cloth, and hanging golden flags symbolizing Indra around it.

"Sir, everything is ready."

Tipo respectfully approached Su Yao, presenting him with a magnificent golden sacrificial robe with both hands:

"Please allow me to help you change your clothes."

Su Yao glanced at the long robe embroidered with intricate patterns and frowned slightly: "No need, I'll wear this."

“This…” Tibo looked troubled. “My lord, the ceremony requires the display of your divine power. While this battle robe is indeed imposing, it is perhaps a little…”

"What?" Su Yao raised an eyebrow. "You think that's not enough?"

"No, no, no!" Tibo hurriedly waved his hands. "My lord, you misunderstand! It's just... just according to tradition."

"I am tradition."

Su Yao interrupted him and strode towards the altar:

"In legend, Indra is the god of the gods, the god of thunder, and the master of war and protection."

"Isn't my battle armor more imposing than those fancy robes?"

Tibo stared blankly at Su Yao's battle robe, which was still stained with blood. After a pause, he feigned sudden realization and said, "My lord, you are wise! I was foolish!"

Having solved the clothing problem, Su Yao stood in front of the altar and looked around. Upon seeing this, he immediately frowned.

His senses clearly told him that beneath the seemingly peaceful temple, undercurrents were surging.

"Tibo," Su Yao suddenly spoke up, "Are you sure your arrangements are okay?"

Tipo was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, I have driven away the stubborn Zoroastrian priests. Now, everyone here is a believer of my God and priests from other sects. They are all very pragmatic and will not cause trouble."

"is it?"

Su Yao sneered, then suddenly kicked over a table, saying:
"Then can you tell me why there's kerosene hidden here?"

"what?!"

Tibo's face turned deathly pale instantly. He looked down and saw that black liquid was seeping out from the cracks in the floor tiles at the edge of the altar.

"This is impossible!"

Tipo fell to his knees in terror:
"Your Excellency is wise! I have no ulterior motives! This must have been done by the remnants of the Zoroastrian Church!"

The two's actions startled the busy crowd near the altar, and many people cast puzzled and frightened glances at them.

Su Yao coldly swept his gaze across the scene and said in a low voice, "It seems your job is really not very good."

"This scoundrel will immediately halt the ceremony, thoroughly investigate all those involved, and give the master a proper explanation!"

Tipo scrambled to his feet, about to call for help, but Su Yao grabbed his shoulder.

"No need."

A hint of amusement flashed in Su Yao's eyes:
"Since they want to play, then we'll play along with them."

"Pass down the order: the ceremony will proceed as planned. I want to see what kind of trouble these people can cause."

Tipo swallowed hard and asked in a trembling voice:
"Sir, what do you mean?"

Su Yao's lips curled into a cold smile:
"Of course, we should lure out all the rats hiding in the shadows—and wipe them all out in one fell swoop!"

Su Yao's voice was not loud, only Tibo beside him could hear it, but even so, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to his spine, and dared not say anything more, and could only nod in agreement.

Soon after, as preparations inside the temple were completed, the temple gates slowly opened, and the people who had been waiting outside filed in.

Among them were merchants, farmers, artisans, and even priests from other sects, including Zoroastrianism. All eyes were focused on the altar in the northeast.

There, the Han soldiers quickly built a high platform out of wood, and Su Yao, wearing a crimson battle robe and holding a long sword, sat on it.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed Su Yao, gilding him with a golden-red glow, making him appear from afar like a true god descending to earth.
"Look! It's the gods! The great gods!"

"How sacred the light emanating from him was!"

In the crowd, the believers arranged by Tipo immediately began to praise loudly, bowing their heads in droves, guiding the emotions of the people.

"I heard he breached the city walls all by himself."

Even Prince Tibo was routed and fled in disarray by him.

"Could he really be a reincarnation of a god???"

Whispers arose from the crowd, and many people, with awe in their eyes, knelt and kowtowed along with the people arranged by Tipo.

This is an acknowledgment of the team's achievements.

According to legend, Indra is also known as the Castle Destroyer, because he single-handedly destroyed the 99 camps of the serpent demon Fritjaja.

However, some people are not convinced by this.

"Bullshit about reincarnation of gods! Ahura Mazda is the only true god in this world!"

Someone whispered a rebuke, their hand pressed tightly against the slight bulge on the side of their thigh, desperately trying to endure it.
The ceremony began.

As Tipo arrived below the altar, the sacrificial group stepped forward one by one, while the Han soldiers who had been maintaining order retreated to make way.

The priests chanted verses praising Indra aloud. Their voices echoed through the temple with a peculiar rhythm.

"Great God!"

"You are the creator of heaven and earth, the master of thunder, and the nemesis of evil."

Just as Tipo was halfway through reciting the mantra, a strange thing happened!
"False God!"

"Evil!"

"Suffer to death!"

Suddenly, a roar erupted from the crowd, and more than a hundred Zoroastrians dressed in white robes drew their concealed daggers and charged madly toward the altar.

"There are assassins!"

"Protect your lord!"

Yufulo and Sadhguru were shocked and quickly led their troops to stop them.

Suddenly, right before this solemn altar, a bloody conflict erupted.

The elite Han army slaughtered the fanatical believers who were causing trouble as easily as cutting melons and vegetables. Their fervent enthusiasm was worthless in the face of strict discipline and superior equipment, and they could not make any waves.

It should have been like this
However, just as the Han soldiers in the temple were about to bring the situation under control, a sudden shout of battle came from behind them.

The voice was actually coming from the altar behind them!

"what?!"

Hufro hurriedly turned around and saw that the floor tiles around the altar were suddenly lifted up, and more Zoroastrians emerged from the ground. Holding torches and machetes, they bypassed them through a secret passage and rushed straight up the platform, lighting fires as they went.

The pre-buried kerosene was ignited instantly, and a wall of fire spread out in an instant, isolating the inside from the outside.

"not good!"

"Oh my God!"

"Quickly put out the fire!"

The priests of Indra screamed in terror, the onlookers cried out in panic, and only the Zoroastrian fanatics laughed heartily.

"Hahahaha!"

"Hahahahahaha!"

"Evil god! Demon!"

"You have no way to escape!"

The fanatics charged onto the platform, risking their lives.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Su Yao continued to approach the highest point.

Since they have already launched their attack, they have disregarded life and death. Their ultimate goal is to tear off the veil of the false god in front of everyone, so that the people of the city can see that the false god can be fearful, injured, and even die!

"Today is your death day!" The leader of the fanatical followers charging on the platform shouted, brandishing his sword.

Let the flames purify everything!

The Zoroastrian priest in the audience raised his fist high.

And Su Yao.
"That's it?"

Facing the surging, thronging cultists climbing the steps, he gripped his broadsword, slowly stood up, and a chilling smirk curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Pay homage to Kamui."

As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of cold light appeared.

The Mo Dao in Su Yao's hand flew out, flashing at the top of the platform, and then flew straight down the steps with a whoosh.

"Woo——"

"what?!"

"My hand, my hand!!!"

In the blink of an eye, the longsword flew past.

Not only was the leader of the fanatics directly pierced through the chest by the long-handled sword and died instantly, but the other fanatics along the way were also pierced through by the sword or had their hands and feet severed. They all let out shrill screams and rolled down the steps.

The Mo Dao continued its momentum and landed directly in front of the Fire Worship Cult's chief priest below the stage. The blade vibrated and hummed, startling him so much that he staggered backward.

"How is this possible?!"

The high priest's face turned deathly pale, and his legs went weak as he looked at the sharp blade so close to him.

"A miracle! This is a true miracle!"

Tibo seized the opportunity and shouted loudly into the crowd:
Look!

"Who but the most supreme and great God could possess such power?!"

"absurd!"

"Just brute force!"

The high priest, regaining his senses, jumped up and down in anger, shouting:

"kill him!"

"He's out of weapons!"

"Don't let this opportunity slip by!"

The priest's words brought the stunned fanatics on the platform back to their senses.

They had long since disregarded life and death. Although Su Yao displayed extraordinary power, the flames behind him left them with nowhere to retreat.

"Come on!"

"Kill!"

"To dedicate oneself to the God of Light!"

The fanatics launched another attack.

This time, it seemed that Su Yao, having lost his weapon, was no longer able to stop them.

The fanatics stepped over the corpses of their leader and comrades, rushed up the high steps, and finally arrived in front of Su Yao.

"Die!"

"Go to hell!"

"Avenge our leader!"

The fanatics roared and shouted battle cries, wielding swords and blades towards Su Yao. It seemed that a grand spectacle of slaying a false god was about to unfold before everyone's eyes.
"roll--"

"Bang!"

Before the people outside could see what was happening, they saw the seven or eight people who had been surrounding Su Yao in a semi-circle suddenly fly backward off the platform and fall into the fire, letting out heart-wrenching screams in the flames.

Then, without giving them any time to be shocked or frightened, in the next instant...
The swords and blades that had just attacked Su Yao had somehow ended up in his hands.

With two swords in his hands, he slashed left and right, drawing elegant arcs.

Then, human heads and limbs flew everywhere on the high platform.

Su Yao walked down the high platform step by step, facing the fanatical believers who rushed forward, spreading blood and death.

With each step he took, several fanatics fell. Blood streamed down the steps, dripping into the fire and dissolving in the flames.

"Devil! This is the real devil!"

The young acolyte in the audience finally broke down and turned to run away.

But this is naturally a futile effort.

The fanatical believers below the stage had already been cleared out by the Han army. When the assistant priest tried to escape, he found that he was surrounded by Han soldiers. He bumped into a soldier and was then slapped hard across the face, leaving him dizzy.

This was practically a public execution.

Countless Zoroastrian fanatics were killed one by one by Su Yao on the high platform.

They originally intended to fight to the death and stage a grand drama of eliminating evil and protecting the righteous.

But little did they know what kind of hell they were facing.

Finally, faced with that cruel and helpless power imbalance, more and more people broke down and wanted to escape.

But the flames they themselves set off had sealed off their own escape route.

Having lost their courage, they dared not face the executioner's blade behind them, and could only kneel one by one before the flames, chanting prayers for divine protection.
"Don't think you've already won!"

The desperate priest let out a cry:
"The fire is unstoppable, and your false gods will surely perish under the sacred flames!"

"Stop joking!"

"Is this all Ahura Mazda's Olympic flame is capable of?"

call!
As soon as Su Yao finished speaking, a gust of wind was heard.

The altar, which was engulfed in raging flames, was actually cleaved open by Su Yao with the blade, creating a passage!

Su Yao strode out of the sea of ​​fire, surrounded by a faint golden light, his clothes completely undamaged.

He looked down at the high priest, who lay slumped on the ground, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"Are you the mastermind behind this?"

The high priest's face was ashen, his lips trembling: "I...you...who exactly are you?"

"I already said that!"

At this moment, the priest Tipo excitedly rushed forward, stomped on the torch in the high priest's hand, and shouted:
"Before the true gods, your tricks are nothing but showing off your limited skills!"

With that, Tibo opened his arms and shouted to the crowd:

"Everyone!"

"What are you all still hesitating for?!"

"Why aren't you stepping forward to pay homage to the true deity?!"

Tibo's voice echoed in the temple, and the people who had been hesitant and watching finally awoke from their daze. After witnessing all this, their initial shock and fear had turned into awe and fervor.

At Tipo's prompting, one person after another prostrated themselves and kowtowed to Su Yao in worship.

"God is above!"

"The Great Heavenly Emperor!"

"May the Heavenly Emperor protect us!"

"please forgive us!"

Shouts rose and fell, a tidal wave that nearly overturned the temple.

Su Yao stood before the altar, bathed in the worship of the crowd, and felt the surging power within him.

He knew very well that he was no god.

But now, this rapid increase in experience points has led him to some unexpected discoveries.

I seem to have always overlooked the power of religion.

Faith is indeed a powerful weapon.
“Tibo,” Su Yao said calmly.

The young priest immediately knelt forward: "What are your orders, Heavenly Emperor?"

“These people,” Su Yao pointed to the captured Zoroastrians, “are now yours to deal with.”

"Remember, Heaven cherishes life, and even in the face of the Vajra's wrath, we must always have a compassionate heart. For those who have gone astray, we must give them a chance to repent and start anew."

Upon hearing this, Tipo repeatedly kowtowed, saying, "I understand, I understand!"

Nothing can transform and solidify faith more than a "war of the gods".

Tipo immediately understood Su Yao's intention—these prisoners would become the best witnesses to proclaim the power of the gods. He turned to the captured Zoroastrians and shouted:
"The merciful Heavenly Emperor has forgiven your sins! Now, kneel down and repent for your ignorance, convert to the true God, and you will be saved!"

The captured Zoroastrians looked at each other in dismay. The high priest slumped to the ground, his face ashen, while the young deacon was the first to kneel, trembling.

"I am willing to convert."

Once there was a first, there was a second, and then a third. Soon, even the stubborn priest's faith collapsed, but for various reasons, he was still unwilling to give up his faith.

"very good."

Su Yao nodded, quite satisfied with the efficiency, and then ordered the first young altar priest to take charge of spreading the faith in the area.

Su Yao no longer showed any mercy to the stubborn high priest who continued to utter curses.

"Since he so devoutly worships a false god, let him remain with his sacred fire."

Tibo immediately understood, and with a wave of his hand, several followers rushed over, grabbed the high priest, and dragged him toward the still-burning altar. The high priest finally broke down, struggling and shouting:

"No! No! You can't—"

Before he could finish speaking, his figure was engulfed in flames, and his shrill screams echoed through the temple, terrifying everyone.

"This is the consequence of disobeying the gods!" Tibo proclaimed. "From this day forward, Zohanna will forever be bathed in the glory of the gods!"

After the ceremony, Su Yao summoned Guo Jia and Lu Su to a side hall of the temple.

"Your Highness's actions today are truly brilliant," Guo Jia exclaimed. "Ruling this place in the name of the gods is far more secure than simply conquering it by force."

“Indeed,” Lu Su said. “Today’s events have spread throughout the city, and the dying struggles of those Zoroastrians have become the best testament to your divine power.”

"In particular, that kid Tibo took the opportunity to recruit many priests from other sects. Now he has complete control of the religious forces in the city."

Su Yao smiled slightly: "This is just the beginning. Fengxiao, the plan you mentioned before can now be implemented."

A glint flashed in Guo Jia's eyes: "Your Highness means... to use these priests to contact the Governor-General of the North?"

“Not bad.” Su Yao stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the mountains to the south. “Tibo told me that the Kushan’s northern governor is a devout Buddhist. We can make good use of what’s happening today.”

(End of this chapter)