It's the cyber age now, and you're still playing traditional villains?

Fortunately, I was alert early, otherwise... Lu Baiyan knew what would happen without even thinking.

But think about it the other way around, if you really doubt yourself, then you shouldn't act so indifferent, as if you trust yourself so much, okay?

Thinking of the scene in the previous argument where the Pope stepped in to act as peacemaker and they even accepted the suggestions he made, he sighed silently in his heart with his eyes narrowed.

In comparison, he suddenly felt that Xu Shi seemed to be a better person - it was undeniable that this guy was very arrogant and his methods were very sinister, but he was very honest when dealing with himself.

At least his way of winning over was quite direct. As for whether his apprentice's psychological attack was instigated by him, it actually doesn't matter. In squinting eyes, all of them are tied together, and it doesn't make much difference who says it, especially since it was Xu Shi himself who started it.

He also believed in his own judgment. If Xu Shi said it himself, the meaning would definitely not change. The only difference was that his words would be more sophisticated.

Tsk.

Lu Baiyan now realized firsthand how uncomfortable it was to be caught in the middle and waver - if he had made a decision earlier, at least he wouldn't be as helpless as he is now.

But unfortunately, if I want to make a decision now, the effect will not be much good - even if I break off all ties with Xu Shi, I am afraid I won't be able to win back much trust from the Holy See. But if I make up my mind to go to Xu Shi, although it will be okay for me, the family behind me and a series of related people will definitely not be able to escape unscathed.

Because he had a premonition that the Vatican had recalled the Knights Templar outside, and he was afraid that there would be big moves.

"Anyway, I think you have no major problems. You didn't do anything out of the ordinary when dealing with outsiders. You just have a more moderate and gentle personality."

Han Jingchuan could monitor his actions, but he couldn't read his mind. Seeing this, he just comforted his old colleague, "So you don't have to worry about anything."

"Let me lend you some good words."

He squinted his eyes and said calmly.

"I'm just telling the truth."

Han Jingchuan said, "But since you have discovered me, it just so happens that the Pope has called everyone to a meeting, so you should not be absent."

"understood."

Lu Baiyan said in a neutral tone, "Please take away your little bug. It's annoying enough that it keeps buzzing in my ears."

"…Just arrive on time."

Han Jingchuan didn't argue with him, and the fluctuating air returned to normal after a while.

……

After a while, the cathedral.

Compared to the previous small meeting, this time the ceremony was much grander - in addition to the attendance of all eleven Knights Templar, many powerful priests and clergy in the Vatican, and even nuns from orphanages across the country participated.

The empty church was packed with people, and those who didn't know would have thought it was some unprecedented morning worship service.

The host was finally not the pure and flawless Saint, but the Pope who had been behind the scenes for a long time.

The old Pope also changed into the most high-standard attire, which made him look less senile and more vigorous.

"Everyone."

The old pope spoke slowly, "I believe you already know why I summoned you here today."

"Yes."

Everyone responded in unison that many people here were leaders of other churches stationed in other places, and they could not enter the main city without orders.

So when they were called together, the purpose of the call had of course already been written on the letter.

The status of the Holy See was threatened! It could even be said to be severely damaged!

Not being in the main city does not mean not paying attention to what's happening in the main city. In fact, many people who are interested have known for a long time that a group of foreigners from overseas have been making a lot of big moves here recently. Not only have they made a fortune by reselling Poseidon's Stone, but now they have even established direct contact with the Holy See and the royal family and founded a new sect.

If it was just the former, then these out-of-town managers would at most just feel a little regretful - many people have already sensed the considerable profits behind the Poseidon Stone trade, but unfortunately when they were ready to enter the market and make a big splash in their own territory, the flame had already been extinguished, and the opportunity to make money naturally vanished.

In terms of finance, churches in other cities are usually self-sufficient, and only at special times will the cathedral provide assistance... Although it is generally impossible to make a loss, anyone would feel regretful if they missed such an opportunity.

but.

If it is the latter, the situation is different.

First of all, the state religion of the Hualan Empire is now the Holy Fire Cat Cult, which makes them suddenly become wild and unjust.

However, this trend was not as easy to stop as the trade of Poseidon Stone. Due to various rumors, their churches in other cities also suffered a certain blow. Some neighboring counties had even begun to build churches of the Cat Cult. After all, with the support of the royal family behind them, the speed of expansion was much faster than everyone imagined.

Including the measures previously taken by the Holy See to check and balance the Cat Cult, it will of course be inevitable to promote them to other places - otherwise it will just be a face-saving project, and it will only be counterproductive to lose sight of one thing while gaining another.

To be honest, compared with the main city, more poor people in the counties and prefectures are harmed.

Although this operation restored some reputation for the Holy See, it was the self-sufficient priests who suffered. Of course, the money and materials used to help the people had to come from them, and the expenses increased several times. It would be a lie to say that there was no resistance.

Compared to the days when people could make a fortune by simply giving away a few small things or offering indulgences, few people are really willing to do such a laborious and time-consuming task.

"We all know that these despicable foreign barbarians are really going too far!"

Some with hot tempers could no longer hold back and immediately stood up to express their opinions, "Your Holiness wants us to eradicate heresy? I'll be the first to do it!"

"Me too!" "Me too!" "Hi hi hi!"

Seeing the atmosphere suddenly become heated, Lu Baiyan rolled his eyes in his heart.

He didn't know what to say... Everyone knew that the starting point of most of these people was probably not "serving the Lord God" anymore, they were just so excited because Xu Shi's actions harmed their own interests.

But this is probably also the cleverness of the Holy See. It uses spirit and faith to bind people together, but often uses substantive interest factors when driving them. Not only does it act as a non-stick pan inside and out, but the effect is not bad either.

"Everyone, please be patient."

The old pope stood in the center of the stage and gently pressed his hand, "I know how you feel, but the heretics are cunning, and now they are involved with the royal family. One move can affect the whole body, so we must not be reckless."

"So what is His Holiness going to do?"

Some people actually thought that they were just a few outsiders, and they would be drowned by the spit of so many of us... But facing the highest authority of the Holy See, they would not be impulsive enough to disobey his words.

"Find its weakness and break it with one strike."

The old pope said slowly, "Jingchuan, tell me about your discovery."

"Yes."

A man in a black robe and black armor, covering his entire body except for a pair of eyes, stepped forward on the stage.

This is Han Jingchuan himself. Just like his abilities, one can tell at a glance that he is an intelligence worker.

"These past few days I have been deploying euglena near Xu Shi's residence to monitor its movements."

His voice was low and hoarse. "As for his actions, he basically only goes to the church and the palace of the Cat Church. In many cases, he doesn't even go to the church, and he mostly leaves the management to his subordinates."

"Speak the key."

Park Kuk-chang Park Knight urged.

"..."

Han Jingchuan was helpless, but he was too lazy to argue with him. "The point is, I seem to have discovered that there is a rift between him and one of his wives, which has led to a bad atmosphere between them."

This sounds like just gossip, but people will not take it lightly - a thousand-mile dam can be breached by an ant hole, and many times a small problem is enough to be fatal.

“Is there any possibility of acting?”

Someone couldn't help but ask.

“It’s not ruled out, but it’s very likely to be true.”

Han Jingchuan pondered and said, "His wife was swallowed by the sea god at that time. I heard that although she gained some opportunities afterwards, the "divine punishment" she received was not light. According to their conversations these days, it was because the "divine punishment" eroded her spirit that caused her temperament to change drastically."

They call the complications of supernatural powers "divine punishment."

"If that's the case, then it's really valuable information."

The other person nodded slightly. It is said that one must first stabilize the country before fighting against foreign enemies. Internal discord and rifts are often the beginning of defeat.

"Then, what does His Holiness mean..."

"Try to stimulate the stimulation further."

The Pope said in a deep voice, "It seems that Xu Shi has been hiding this matter. He obviously doesn't want it to affect other things. But if we can take advantage of it and wait for him to lose his composure and be distracted, it will be the best time to defeat him in one fell swoop."

"Of course, considering the royal family, this alone is certainly not enough. It is just a fuse at best."

He added, "That's why I called you all here. You all have the most elite warriors in your hands, including yourselves. Once you eliminate the heretics and the rulers, the glory of the Church will surely return."

Is this going to be a full-blown war... Lu Baiyan's heart was beating fast. It was obvious that the Pope's target was not only Xu Shi, but also the growing royal family.

This can be considered as cutting the grass at its roots. Otherwise, it would be useless to just eliminate Xu Shi. Today there may be the Cat Cult, and tomorrow there may be the Dog Cult. The root cause lies in the royal family's fear of the Holy See. It is no longer a matter of checks and balances, but one party must be eliminated.

If it succeeds, maybe the Holy See will completely rule the Hualan Empire in the future? At most, it will just be a puppet that is friendly to the Holy See.

Naturally, other people also knew this and were quite supportive of it.

To be honest, there are very few people in the Vatican system who are loyal to the royal family - even the Knights Templar were poached, so it goes without saying what happened to the priests and nuns they trained themselves.

and so.

The final answer was just one sentence.

"Eliminate heresy and restore the glory of the Church!"

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 284 I won’t fall for it this time!

2023-10-06

It is our duty to restore the glory of the Holy See!

The atmosphere in the church fell into an unprecedented frenzy.

This seems to be the atmosphere that should exist here - for the people in the Holy See, the Lord, the Pope, and the Saint are the most important things above all else.

In comparison, other authorities are of course insignificant. What is the royal family? It is time to overthrow them and let the grace of the God be spread alone on this land.

In addition, the order to attack Xu Shi was exactly what many people wanted, and the scene seemed crazier than any previous week.

Not only these outsiders, but even the Knights Templar on the stage are the same.

There were already factions among the eleven Knights Templar, and there were many radical people who opposed Xu Shi. When they heard that things were developing as they expected, they were naturally overjoyed.

For example, Park Guochang, Ji Bochang... They have had enough of Xu Shi's anger these days, and they wish he would die soon.

Of course, if we were to say who hates Xu Shi the most, it would undoubtedly be little Luo Yu.

Anyway, from Lu Baiyan's perspective, it was obvious to see the excitement in his eyes - his fists were clenched tightly, his eyes became bright, and although he didn't want to eat him alive, he at least wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.

This is really... Mimiyan was a little helpless. He used to think that this kid was very interesting, so he had been willing to interact with him more. Hot-blooded young people are really fun.

But ever since Xu Shi showed up, the other party had become a little strange. He became irritable, paranoid, and even a little crazy, with all his thoughts written on his face... To be honest, this seemed a bit ugly to Lu Baiyan, and it made him increasingly disappointed in Luo Yu. Ugly people were boring.

But on second thought, it seems that the conflict between Xu Shi and the Holy See started with Luo Yu.

To be honest, this may be the reason why the situation has become what it is now.

And it must be said that after this period of baptism and training, Luo Yu has made some progress - not only has his strength improved, but his personality has also become much more stable.

At least he didn't join the others in making a fuss - to be honest, it's useless to shout louder now, because he who laughs last laughs best.

Thinking of this, Lu Baiyan couldn't help but glance at Qin Yiyan who was standing next to the saint, wanting to see her reaction.

The red-haired sister's reaction was very interesting. She wasn't happy nor disappointed, but just a feeling of relief.

To her, Xu Shi's appearance was obviously not a good thing, as it had messed up the original structure of the Hualan Empire. As a staunch supporter of the Holy See, her natural idea was to get everything back on track.

But on the other hand, her attitude towards Xu Shi himself was not actually negative - the feud between the two was not serious and only involved verbal provocations.

Qin Yiyan herself didn't care about this. She would never be so angry that she couldn't eat for the rest of her life just because the other party said "You come to be my maid". If she really wanted to say something, she was the one who started it... For her, this was not a deep hatred.

On the contrary, in a sense, she did not deny that Xu Shi's appearance also brought a lot of positive effects - as the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, she knew the internal problems of the Holy See best. The long-term comfort gave rise to many filthiness that were contrary to the doctrine, and any one of them made her feel heartbroken.

It's a pity that she is just a thug. Although she has a high status, she has no decision-making power. The most she can do is to make suggestions. On the contrary, under Xu Shi's stimulation, many problems were forcibly improved.

The more immediate ones include giving alms to the public and helping the poor, while the more distant ones may involve the chilling actions of the people in the Church during the expedition against the sea god - they were timid in the face of real danger, but were eager to seize the fruits of victory that did not belong to them... This even made her doubt herself for a time, when did the Church become like this?

Fortunately, everything is moving in a good direction now, whether it is sincere or false, and she is also very clear that if the Holy See can really win this turnaround battle, the cohesion that is being lost day by day will be restored.

Then... let's do this. The sooner it's over, the world will be at peace.

At this moment, the red-haired sister showed unprecedented calmness and relief - she was just a sharp blade and didn't want to think about too many other twists and turns.

"..."

Such small movements could not escape the squinting eyes, and it was difficult for him to judge whether Qin Yiyan's idea was right or wrong.

He actually respected and admired his boss. After all, compared to others, his character was quite pure. There were not many people these days who were still foolishly following doctrines and rules.

It's not an exaggeration to say that she is stupid, but this is also caused by the environment - Qin Yiyan grew up in the Vatican. After becoming a Knight Templar, she mainly serves the Saint and protects her safety. In other words, the Vatican is everything to her.