You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

"...The headquarters said that it is difficult to train experts like Hei Tong, and they are in urgent need of combat power. Moreover, they don't need to let her go to the battlefield, but only be responsible for protecting the senior generals of the army."

Akahime hesitated for the first time. “Kurotome is from the assassination unit and is very familiar with the Empire’s methods. He is indeed suitable to be a bodyguard… Besides, there are not many high-ranking generals in the Revolutionary Army. If he is assassinated, it will undoubtedly increase the difficulty of launching an uprising in the future.”

"So you're relenting?"

After listening, Iori just found it funny: "I thought you were struggling with something, it turns out it was this kind of rhetoric... Some people will just dump the macro responsibility on themselves, as if if he doesn't make sacrifices, the overall situation will be ruined.

But the fact is that the world will continue to function as usual without anyone, and no one is indispensable.

On the other hand, is your business so fragile that it will fail if one little girl sacrifices herself for you?"

"……yes."

The confusion in Akahiko's eyes gradually dissipated, and she felt suddenly enlightened: "You are right... Hei Tong's current condition is not suitable for fighting again. I will refuse them."

"now it's right!"

Iori nodded with a smile: "Kurotō can be said to be one of the tragedies caused by the darkness of the empire. She is actually a victim, and you are the only one she can rely on in this world.

If you ask her directly, she would probably agree to work as a bodyguard at the headquarters because it would help her dearest sister. But, is this happiness for her?

Akato, you are a person with a strong sense of justice, able to sacrifice yourself for justice, but you must remember: Heito is also one of the many weak people who need your protection.

There is no conflict between upholding justice and protecting loved ones, and it is normal to have some preference for one over the other.”

"I can't refute it... I always feel that I cared too much in the past, always worrying about my past with Hei Tong, and was driven by guilt to keep moving forward... But you are right, not only do the people need protection, it is also important to protect those within your reach!"

Chi Tong smiled with relief, turned his head and looked at the bright moon and stars outside the window, his mind was in a trance, and he said inexplicably: "Speaking of which, since the first time we met, I don’t know how many times you have helped me.

I was fooled by your jokes before, but I still don’t understand why you treat me so well. "

I wasn't joking before, it's really because I prefer long straight black hair - just kidding, that's only half the reason.

Honestly, it must be the good impression left by watching anime in the previous life that played a role. Secondly, after the actual contact, Iori had a good impression of her cold and graceful swordsmanship, her occasionally off-line but very serious personality, and her seemingly cold but friendship-oriented heart...

Even her big appetite can be considered a cute point~

Of course, none of this matters. What matters is that Iori was attracted by her pure and noble soul, which has nothing to do with her appearance, huh!

"Preferential treatment? In my words just now, it should be 'partiality'."

Iori spread his hands: "You know I'm a man who never hides myself."

"..."

Akahime touched her cheek in trouble. To be honest, she also had a good impression of Iori. It was not only because she received help from him, but also because Iori himself exuded a kind of mystery and charm that made Akahime want to get closer to him. The tenderness that occasionally revealed from his wild words and actions also deeply moved people.

But this guy's daily words and actions always give people the feeling that he is not serious... Akame can't tell whether he is telling the truth or joking.

In this regard, the black-haired girl was a little uneasy, so she didn't want to explore this issue in depth:

What if Iori was serious? How should she respond?

The only education that Akahiro received from childhood was various techniques of killing and destroying corpses. She had no experience or reference samples when it came to love.

For a killer, it is an extremely dangerous behavior to rashly break into an unknown Shura field without any intelligence!

So Akame retreated shamefully...but I have to say it was very useful!

As expected, Iori did not continue talking about this matter, but instead brought up another topic.

"By the way, I have something to ask this time... Um, do you have any private contact between the Revolutionary Army and the 'An Ning Dao'?"

Volume 59: White Moonlight of the Seireitei: Chapter : The Leader and His Lamb

An Ning Dao, a typical "common people's sect" that spread rapidly in troubled times.

The "common people" here refers to the middle and lower class people, whose main targets are especially those struggling on the poverty line. They increase their influence and strength by absorbing them, but at the same time they also provide certain material support and spiritual comfort to those who are having a hard time, which has a certain nature of a mutual aid society.

The original form of Christianity on Earth was similar to this.

Of course, the wool comes from the sheep. If one wants to continue to provide relief to the people and preach, there must be a stable source of income. Generally, this means asking for donations from wealthy believers in the middle and upper classes... but the income is basically not enough to cover the expenses, so the "relief" of civilian sects is often something that benefits the people but costs nothing.

But even so, the people can feel grateful. After all, even if it is just a small favor, it is much better than the imperial officials who exploit them.

By analogy, we can understand why the Great Sage Master was able to create such a big wave - let’s not worry about whether the talisman water is metaphysics or not, he really dared to go deep into the epidemic area to treat patients!

Isn't this better than the imperial court that allowed the plague to run rampant and left the people to fend for themselves? !

The darker and more cruel the times, the more important this kind of hope visible to the naked eye is. Even if it is just a tiny spark, it is enough to convince the people.

This is the case with the An Ning Dao. It was just a small sect at first, but it quickly developed into a large organization with considerable influence around the imperial capital and even in the border provinces.

A big part of the reason for this is that the "leader" of An Ning Dao is very special. It is said that this leader possesses extraordinary personal charm, is born with the ability to heal wounds and predict the future, can see through people's hearts, and can even remember the name and number of every believer.

——This is simply the perfect template for a religious leader!

Because of his healing ability, the powerful people in the imperial capital are generally willing to make friends with him, and often facilitate An Ning Dao's actions.

Now that the situation has deteriorated, his influence among the people has made him the target of wooing by various parties. The revolutionary army, the nobility, and local powerful groups have all sent people to communicate with him privately. However, the leader himself has not made a clear statement so far, perhaps to maintain the independence of An Ning Dao... or perhaps to wait for a good price.

Although his status became increasingly prominent, he never forgot his original intention and still often went to the slums in person to provide relief. He also helped the upper class people to confess or receive medical treatment in order to accumulate connections and funds for activities.

Today, the leader received two letters of introduction. One was from the imperial officials. It seemed that a general was very curious about the teachings of An Ning Dao and wanted to give it a try.

The other one had no sender, but the code indicated it came from the revolutionary army.

The two visitors to the two letters of introduction did not leave their names, but only stamped their seals. Interestingly, the seals of these two people who were supposedly in opposing camps were exactly the same!

It was a blue word "Soul". Although the leader could not understand the true meaning of this character, he was very familiar with it because this seal pattern had been widely circulated among the people recently.

It is said that it is the symbol of a general who hates evil. Wherever this seal appears, it means that the governor or lord there will soon be liquidated.

Some people who could not bear the oppression would secretly carve this pattern on their doors or walls and pray secretly that the general would arrive soon to vent their dissatisfaction.

It seems that there are some officials who are frightened by the appearance of many such patterns in their jurisdictions and have become much more restrained in their daily work.

As a result, the anecdote of the "Masked General" became more widely known, and even many people near the imperial capital were interested in it.

Faced with this guy who was suspected to be a colleague, the leader of An Ning Taoism naturally had to pay more attention to him. However, he did not expect that before he could send anyone to investigate, the other party would come to visit him directly, and even brought letters of introduction from both the Revolutionary Army and the Empire!

Is this a demonstration or a hint of something?

It's hard to guess what he's thinking, and his true identity is unknown... It's quite interesting~

The leader was not intimidated by the two letters. He received the mysterious guest, who was hidden under a cloak and mask, with a smile as warm as spring breeze on his face.

Iori actually asked about the teachings of An Ning Dao, and the leader readily followed suit, introducing Iori to it in detail in a magnetic voice. He had no intention of preaching, but was simply explaining it, and it was very thorough, even a little... too straightforward.

For example, he frankly admitted that believing in the Way of Peace could not really free one from suffering, but could only bring "peace" on a spiritual level. Moreover, he could only cure ordinary patients and did not have the ability to "save the world" as the doctrine said.

He didn't even look away when he said this!

The four followers who had been serving behind him turned a deaf ear to these words, as if they were used to it.

"Is it really okay for you to be so honest with an outsider like me?"

Iori asked curiously, "Aren't you afraid that if I tell others, it will damage your prestige?"

"People who truly believe in the An Ning Dao will automatically ignore the truth even if you tell them it. People who doubt the An Ning Dao will also pretend not to hear it. This doesn't mean they are stupid, but that they are smart enough - they know how to survive."

The leader said frankly: "The An Ning Dao itself can only provide very little relief to believers. After all, there are too many people and it is impossible to cover everything.

However, the act of 'joining the An Ning Dao' itself is very meaningful to believers. They can unite together through their identity as believers and support each other to overcome difficulties.

Individual humans are fragile, but when they gather in sufficient numbers, they can generate considerable power... Even the poorest civilians know the importance of banding together for warmth."

"So that's how it is. The fundamental reason why An Ning Dao can grow so rapidly is that it gives ordinary people a legitimate reason to form a group." Iori understood.

“There are some who truly believe.”

The leader said calmly: "After all, when everyone around you believes in the same doctrine, it is natural that their minds will be affected."

“Interesting… Sorry, I thought you were a charlatan or a puppet before, I really underestimated you.

Now it seems that you are a very rational and intelligent person who sees things very clearly.

It is said that you have the ability to predict the future and read minds... maybe it is true."

Iori smiled slightly through the mask, but his voice was unusually cold: "But this confirms my other guess:

Your deputy, Borik, usually uses your name to amass wealth and seduce female believers. Outsiders think that he is doing these things without telling you, taking advantage of your trust in him...

But the reality is just the opposite. He is just a 'lamb' that you raise, ready to be thrown out as a sacrifice at any time, right? "

The four attendants grasped the sharp blades in their wide sleeves. As for the leader—

Laugh without saying a word.

Volume 60: The White Moonlight of the Entire Seireitei: Chapter : Down with the whole fucking world!

The leader raised his hand, signaling his followers to put down their weapons, and said to Iori calmly: "I have always trusted Borik. I don't know anything about what you said... Let's just assume it's like this."

"Ha~"

"Although both the Revolutionary Army and the Empire believe that I have great influence among the civilians and hope that I can express my support for one side, I know very well that my followers are just a group of farmers, small vendors, and craftsmen. They have to do their best just to survive in this world."

The leader looked at Iori deeply. Although he couldn't see the other person's expression through the mask, he always felt that this person was not just saying this to test him.

"Today's sermon is over. Sir, please go back. I am not interested in which side you belong to—"

Dong~dong~dong~

There was a series of groans and falls, and something heavy fell to the ground.

The leader turned around in shock, only to find that Iori had stood three or four meters behind him, and all his followers had fainted on the ground with their eyes rolled back.

What frightened him even more was that two masked men in white also fell down... These were the guards who secretly protected him, and they were quite skilled, but now...

"I just passed out, that's all. Don't get me wrong, I just think talking alone is good for opening up."

Iori made no secret of his strength: "In addition, I must make you understand the relationship between the primary and the secondary."

"Killing me will not benefit either the revolutionary army or the empire." The leader remained calm.

"But I don't belong to either side." Iori laughed.

The leader is no longer calm...

"You can tell lies and see through thoughts, right? Then you should know that what I said is my true thoughts." Iori said leisurely, "Let's have a heart-to-heart talk, Master."

"Which faction do you belong to? Are you a royalist..."

"They don't deserve it. No one can control me, so this is just a personal conversation between you and me. Don't worry about it."

The boy asked gently, "I'm curious, what is your position in this chaotic era?"

“…I cannot control which side the believers choose, nor can I influence them with my own will.

All I can do is try my best to maintain peace and help as many people as possible."

"Having said that, you are quite indulgent towards Bolick."

Iori strolled leisurely in the hall, admiring the exquisite paintings on the wall, and said slowly: "A religious leader who can develop a sect to such a scale cannot be a stupid person, not to mention that it is widely rumored that you have the ability to 'see through people's hearts'.

How could such a wise leader not know what his left and right hands are doing?

It would be fine if you were just a show-off, but the power of religion lies in the recognition of the people. You have unparalleled prestige among believers. There is no way that Pericles can sideline you, let alone cover up everything with one hand.

Then there is only one answer: this is the result of your deliberate indulgence."

The leader's eyes shifted for a moment, and soon he looked back at Iori, staring at him: "Borik is not a good person, he is greedy and incompetent and easy to be seen through. He is a good puppet... Although he thinks he is a collaborator of the minister, it is not actually the case.

However, due to his incompetence and stupidity, even if he does evil, it is only for personal enjoyment and will not shake the overall situation. "

Hearing this, Iori felt even more pleased. He originally just wanted to come and see what the situation was like inside An Ning Dao and whether there was any value in using him, but now he became interested in the leader himself.

This guy might be something!

"Then let me guess...

You have always been neutral, but privately you tend to favor the revolutionary army. Berlik, as your deputy, is secretly a man of Minister Ernest, and his words have a huge influence on you who are "weak and incompetent".

——As long as this balanced relationship continues to be maintained, both the revolutionary army and the ministers will believe that the situation is under their control and will not take action against An Ning Dao, because that would mean pushing this organization into the opposing camp.

And when the situation becomes clear, if the Empire is in the ascendancy, you can continue to be a 'muddle-headed' leader, and if the Revolutionary Army is victorious, you can eliminate Berlik as the culprit - this way you can wait for the price, right?"

Master! Iori couldn't help but applaud him!

This tactic is so clever that it doesn't even seem like something a character in "Aka: Killing the World" can do!

Are you sure you didn’t go to the wrong place from the neighboring Yin Ying Studio?

“…waiting for a price?”

The leader was silent for a moment, and for the first time, the smile disappeared from his face. He asked Iori, "If not, what can I do?