This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 286 The Manor and the Sanctuary
Through radio, Nie Weiyang transmitted key intelligence back to distant Pingdu, including the infiltration of the Church of Life, the blasphemous false god statue, and the current state of the local people.

But regarding the information about the mysterious white-haired woman, he hesitated for a moment and still didn't send it. After all, he couldn't be sure whether that gaze was directed at 'Nie Weiyang' or 'Administrator Number Two'.

Having completed this necessary task, he did not linger any longer and silently crossed the high white wall, sneaking into the Life Manor.

With his skill and unparalleled stealth techniques, the patrols that followed the same routes around the manor, as well as the rudimentary magical alarms that could only guard against ordinary intruders, couldn't even catch a glimpse of his clothes.

He had no intention of alerting the enemy at this moment, as that would only cause unnecessary commotion and widespread alert, adding complications to his subsequent plans.

His primary goal was very clear: to pinpoint the exact entrance to the shelter.

These kinds of pre-civilizational heritage sites are usually placed under heavy guard by the occupiers, or located in the most heavily fortified and central hinterland.

He only needs to observe the area, see which places have unusually strong defenses and a high concentration of high-level personnel, and then investigate the suspicious locations one by one. The truth will naturally come to light.

To gain a good panoramic view, Nie Weiyang chose the tallest and most conspicuous building in the manor as his first stop.

It was a main building with a dazzling golden spire, surrounded by stained glass windows depicting magnificent patterns. Such decorations may be universal, after all, they are the best architectural decorations summarized by several world-class religions over thousands of years.

Like a gecko, or a weightless shadow, Nie Weiyang clung to the intricately decorated stone wall covered with reliefs, using the base of the statues, the edges of the windowsills, and the gaps in the stone as fulcrums, climbing smoothly and quietly.

If it were his previous playthrough, he wouldn't even disturb the insects on the windowsill.

However, just as his fingertips were about to touch the rooftop, several voices came from a half-open vent below the ornate wrought iron railing.

It was the sound of several people talking, deliberately lowered but unable to hide their emotional fluctuations.

Nie Weiyang already knew there were people there, so he avoided their gaze. But when they spoke, he still entered a state of stillness, concealing his aura to almost nothing, perfectly blending into the shadow of the building, almost becoming part of the wall.

The greatest benefit of his vampire lineage is thus revealed—at night, he is far less likely to be discovered than an ordinary person.

The people speaking in the room were several people dressed in white robes.

They wore the iconic giant sequoia badges of the Church of Life, and their organized speech suggested a high level of education, yet their conversation at that moment carried a mask of feigned composure and anxiety.

"...The construction of the statue must be accelerated! It must be completed day and night! The High Priest has already expressed extreme dissatisfaction!"

A voice, commanding and urgent, rang out first.

Another voice hurriedly offered an explanation, tinged with helplessness and evasion: "I understand, I understand! But... as you've seen, the health of the lowly people in those shantytowns is deteriorating, the spread of the 'fever' is far beyond expectations, and a large number of people are falling ill every day. There's a severe shortage of skilled craftsmen and truly able-bodied laborers. Naturally, efficiency is..."

"Enough! I don't want to hear any more excuses!" The third voice sounded older and more authoritative. He rudely interrupted the explanations, his tone grave: "The most critical issue now is not manpower, it's the 'epidemic'!"
"It's spreading faster than we predicted! And...recent case reports suggest that it seems to have undergone some...some unexpected changes!"

"Didn't you say everything was under control?!" The first voice suddenly rose, filled with doubt and panic: "When you released the fever pathogen, your people swore that it could efficiently select strong embryos with the potential to become high-quality materials, and also naturally eliminate those useless, wasteful burdens..."

"Yes, initially the experimental data was perfect!"

“But…but it seems…it has undergone an unknown mutation, and to some extent…it’s out of control.” The second voice, clearly belonging to someone in charge of technology or research, sounded hesitant and even somewhat panicked: “We’ve observed that its transmission routes seem to have increased, no longer relying solely on contact between parasites and bodily fluids; there may also be some suitable environmental medium present. Even more troublesome is that some patients are experiencing new mutations in their symptoms: accelerated skin ulceration, high fever accompanied by mental confusion…the relief medications and suppression spells we prepared are becoming less effective. If this continues, I fear even our own lower-level followers and peripheral armed personnel will fall ill on a large scale! The consequences…”

A brief, suffocating silence filled the air vent, as if one could hear the heavy heartbeats of several people.

“Therefore,” the aged voice finally spoke again, with an almost desperate tone, “our only hope now is that the statue must be completed as soon as possible and that it can successfully receive divine grace!”
"As long as the 'God of Pan-Human Life' truly descends, displays supreme miracles, and purifies this land, then all problems, whether it be the 'epidemic' or other troubles, will be easily solved."

"Until then, we must maintain our confidence and the image of being in complete control, without revealing any weaknesses! Understand?"

“Yes, I understand…” the other two voices responded softly, but the unease did not dissipate.

Nie Weiyang clung to the outside of the wall like a frozen sculpture, his face calm, his gaze cold and mocking.

These guys are the source of this spreading, toxic fire of the epidemic.

However, these foolish arsonists could no longer control the flames they had started, and it was inevitable that they would get burned.

That bizarre, fake god statue and the elusive miracles may just be the last straw they grasped in their despair and fear, a gamble that cost countless lives.

If it gains the attention of the law of life and death, then their plan might succeed.

If it is not obtained, then all the deaths of these people in recent days will have been in vain.

The ensuing conversation consisted of nothing new—just endless shirking of responsibility and mutual accusations. Nie Weiyang didn't waste any more time; he nimbly climbed over the railing and reached the rooftop.

A narrow, gilded platform on the rooftop is connected to the ground floor by a ladder. Nie Weiyang stands at the highest point, his scarlet gaze piercing through the veil of night, quickly scanning the layout of the entire manor.

Light distribution, personnel movement, energy sensing... Soon, he identified several areas that simultaneously met the criteria of 'exceptionally heavily guarded,' 'frequent patrol handovers,' and 'limited lighting.'

One of the locations is behind the manor, right next to a steep mountain wall.

Just by looking at the location, Nie Weiyang was almost certain that it was the entrance to his destination—the former civilization's refuge.

Downstairs, someone was coming upstairs. It was one of the people who had been blaming each other earlier. They had already ended their meeting and gone to take care of their own business. And this person—the oldest person, the highest decision-maker in the area—was climbing the ladder.

Nie Weiyang's gaze shifted. He could sense that another life was coiled around that person's neck...

...A snake. It's definitely a snake.

When the old man in white robes arrived at the top floor, the place was deserted.

The old man was somewhat puzzled. He dispersed a pale green light from his hand and touched the bluish-black snake beside his neck: "There are no enemies here."

The venomous snake hissed and flicked its tongue, trying to sense the lingering temperature in the environment, but found nothing. It circled around in confusion, then finally gave up the search.

(End of this chapter)