In this cyberpunk era, why are you still playing the traditional villain?

What else could she say to someone like that?

It would be better to think about what to do first... Lu Baiyan couldn't help but get a headache just thinking about it.

This seems to be an unavoidable hurdle, and it's time for him to make a decision.

But making such a damn painful decision is not so easy.

Squinting Eyes couldn't help but want to curse, but before he could think it through, Her Highness the Holy Maiden's voice rang in his ears.

"Everyone."

She said softly, "Whatever we may face in the future, I will bless you with baptism. Everything... is for the sake of the Holy See."

In the past, the Pope rarely appeared in public, and she usually handled all matters, big and small. Today, however, she has become a supporting character.

However, as the saying goes, a good supporting role can still steal the show. At least, as soon as she opened her mouth, everyone's attention turned to her.

It must be said that compared to the aging Pope, the pure and innocent Her Highness the Saintess is naturally more popular. Not to mention that being baptized and blessed by the Saintess is an immense blessing, something one could boast about for a lifetime.

"Help me prepare, just say the word."

"Her Highness gave the order in a soft voice."

"Yes."

Qin Yiyan nodded. She was originally a nun and had been serving the current Holy Maiden before becoming a Templar Knight.

The two actually have a very deep relationship. Even the red-haired older sister herself knows that her outstanding abilities are only one aspect of her ability to stand out from the crowd and sit in the top seat of the Knights Templar. Her guidance from the Holy Maiden is also indispensable.

Before long, the baptism ceremony was completed, and everyone present stepped forward one by one according to their rank, eagerly awaiting the blessings of Her Highness the Holy Maiden.

"Baptism in the name of God, may the devout souls..."

Her Highness chanted softly, and a pure white light slowly emanated from her body.

……

The words are divided into two parts.

"This saintess's abilities... are quite interesting."

Compared to the fervor of the Vatican, things were quite peaceful on Xu Shi's side.

Xu Shi lay on the recliner, looking thoughtfully at the intelligence he had gathered.

"Is it the saintess's ability that's more interesting, or the saintess herself?"

Xia Ke'an chimed in sarcastically, "If you like someone, just say so. Beating around the bush isn't like you."

"Go away, you little brat, you've got some nerve?"

Xu Shi flicked her forehead without looking up, "Am I such a shallow person?"

"Yes, yes, our Brother Xu Shi is the most cultured."

The older woman slapped his hand in annoyance, his little fist clenched into a fighting stance.

Although their identities have changed, she still seems to prefer acting like a child and doesn't suddenly transform into an adult.

But she couldn't call him "Dad" anymore, at least not in front of others... So, in a rather dramatic turn of events, she went back to calling him "Brother."

"You don't believe me, do you? Then I'll just say it here."

Xu Shi rolled his eyes. "Unless... hey, what do I care if you believe me or not?"

He managed to restrain himself and didn't make any more promises.

"What did I say? Aren't you just talking to yourself?"

The white-haired loli refused to take the blame, making a face at him instead, "Seriously, how long have you been looking at these things? Is it really necessary to be so serious?"

"What else can we do? Wait until they attack us before we see what happens?"

Xu Shi laughed and continued reading the intelligence he had obtained from Cheng Gujian.

This mainly targets intelligence on the high-ranking officials of the Papacy, especially the Knights Templar, as well as the Pope and saints.

Compared to the mysterious old Pope, this Holy Maiden's abilities have been thoroughly analyzed—she is also a support character, and her abilities mainly lie in protecting others.

According to the intelligence, after receiving her baptism, the recipient's abilities will be enhanced for a short period of time, such as strength, speed, and the intensity of their own supernatural abilities. The white light constantly emanating from her body is a manifestation of her releasing her abilities.

At first glance, it may seem like a time-limited buff, but in reality, the effect of this ability is far more than that. After the baptism ends, a small portion will remain and become a permanent improvement. Over time, this accumulation will build up to a significant improvement for the person being baptized.

She was also in charge of arranging and planning the most commonly used cultivation methods of the Vatican.

I had a feeling that this was another type of "united we stand"? This thought came to me involuntarily.

Both are blessing-type abilities, the only difference being whether they affect oneself or others, and whether they are physical or mental... However, with the involvement of the Holy See, this saint's abilities are likely to be even more comprehensive.

After all, the Vatican is the best spiritual medicine. Back then, when little Shen He tried to form cliques in "Divine Descent," it didn't work. But if he were placed in the position of a saintess, with the fervor of the believers, he would have won countless championships... no, the feedback from "Unity of Will" would probably be terrifying.

Tsk tsk tsk, little Shenhe was born at the wrong time (laughs).

"Looks like we still need to find a way to get our hands on it?"

Thinking of this, Xu Shi couldn't help but mutter another sentence.

"See? Your true thoughts have been revealed."

Xia Ke'an seemed to have expected this, showing no surprise at all by his statement.

That's enough.

"hey-hey."

The old lady stopped being cheeky; of course, she knew what Xu Shi was thinking—this kind of all-around support was rare and would be very helpful to the little boy no matter what he was going to do next.

Although the City of Night Sin now has various means to enhance the abilities of "Ascended Ones," how should I put it? The Little Saintess's "Baptismal Blessing" has the advantage of being a natural ability, which is not only effective but also more stable.

Even disregarding other factors, it is still quite valuable as a research sample.

"Anyway, you have another excuse now."

The white-haired loli laughed, "We can't really say anything... How come you always seem to have such good luck?"

"It's not over, is it?"

Xu Shi was displeased, "Why are you learning to be like them too?"

"Okay, okay, I was wrong."

Xia Ke'an immediately backed down, circling around and snuggling into his arms. "Here, let your bad daddy give you a hug, okay?"

"You're the one who wanted to lie in my arms."

Xu Shi wasn't buying it. "Speaking of which, what's the Vatican's latest move?"

“They have gathered a large number of elite troops from other places these days.”

The older woman said, "It's obvious they're about to do something."

"Right...tsk."

Xu Shi was a little annoyed when he heard this, "Of all times?"

His expectations were naturally within the other party's grasp. Having suffered repeated setbacks and now having its position threatened, it would be problematic if the Vatican did nothing.

For such a behemoth, once it moves, it's all for the sake of a decisive blow, determined to settle things once and for all.

Normally, it wouldn't be a problem, but right now his home and work are in complete chaos, and he's overwhelmed with worries. He finally has a little free time, so of course he can't be happy to hear this news.

"Our cargo ship is almost here, right?"

"Yes, the temporary signal stations at sea have all been renovated, and the movements of ships are now real-time."

"Alright, let's keep things calm for the next few days, at least until after these few days before we talk about dealing with the Papacy."

Xu Shi pondered for a moment and said, "All units should strengthen their deployment and prevent them from taking advantage of any loopholes."

"I know, with a bully like you as a boss, who would dare to be negligent?"

Xu Shi's idea was good: one must eat one bite at a time and do things one step at a time.

but.

It seems the other side isn't giving him that chance.

a few days later.

"Master, something's happened!"

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 285 The boomerang of my childhood has finally hit me on the head.

2023-10-08

"What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic?"

Unlike his foolish apprentice who was flustered, Xu Shi tried his best to remain calm.

"Master, it's a newspaper..."

Pan Ling held a thick stack of various newspapers and magazines, her face filled with anxiety.

"What's the big deal in the newspapers?"

Xu Shi chuckled, "Is this the first day you've seen them smear your teacher?"

The press in the Hualan Empire is actually quite rich. The royal family and the Papacy both have their own official newspapers, and various tabloids are also circulating among the people. Strictly speaking, the latter is not permitted by law, but after several attempts to ban it, both sides found that it could not be eradicated and eventually had to let it run its course, becoming a secret that is not a secret.

Since the day the Poseidon Stone transaction began, reports about Xu Shi, who was gradually coming into the public eye, have never stopped.

The reports have consistently been mixed – during the Neptune Stone trading period, some praised it for bringing economic prosperity, while others accused it of speculation and market disruption.

After the initial uproar, things calmed down for a while—not because no one was criticizing it, but because both the royal family and the papacy were involved, criticizing one person meant criticizing the whole thing. Also, Xu's cooperation with the royal family was quick, so the public outcry eventually faded away.

Now that the Cat Cult is on the rise and enjoying great popularity, his position as the cult leader and the new Imperial Tutor is going to be used for another round of hype. However, this time the positive feedback is mostly positive, since he's giving everyone money... The negative feedback, on the other hand, focuses more on gossip and scandals.

For example, he and his first wife, Jiang Chengcheng, were deeply in love, and he and his second wife, Xia Wuyou, were a devoted couple. Of course, what people loved to read even more was his story with the guard surnamed Shen, who was suspected to be his sister, and the untold story with his beloved disciple...

Those with a bit more guts might hint at a possible affair between the leader of the Cat Cult and Xia Ke'an, the Holy Maiden of the Cat Cult; the even bolder ones might subtly describe his relationship with the current young empress of the empire...

To be fair, it's quite an achievement to even get a report that involves the latter published once. Later, when the royal family took decisive action, the only surviving issue was even sold for an astronomical price.

As for the former, it was quickly confirmed that the two were likely father and daughter.