Chapter 208: Chapter 208: Finally Revealing the Origin (Vote for Monthly Tickets)
Although this Bishop You Jian’an had probably consumed the Fruit of Life, Lu Luo didn’t linger. He was too busy! Regardless of whether the old man had eaten the forbidden fruit, Lu Luo couldn’t be certain if he was connected to the Nightmare Demon incident.
The upper echelons of the Fourth Ring Church have likely come into contact with it too, Lu Luo thought. Bishop You Jian’an... I’ll make a note of him for later.
He followed Yang Liya deeper into the diocese, a district already quite familiar to him.
However, Yang Liya turned back, her curiosity piqued by Lu Luo’s earlier hesitation.
"Lu Luo, why were you staring at that old man? He’s practically knocking on death’s door. Did he have some clue on him?"
"Despite his advanced age, his physical condition is far better than he lets on. It won’t be easy for someone like him to ’enter the soil.’ Who knows how long he could live if left unchecked? However, I don’t think there are any clues on him. The Holy Radiance around him is very pure; it’s probably unrelated to the Nightmare Demon affair."
Lu Luo’s tone was laced with sarcasm, but Yang Liya quickly extracted the useful information.
"You’re saying he isn’t as weak as he appears? What do you mean?"
"I suspect he’s eaten the Fruit of Life."
"The Fruit of Life? That... perhaps he’s just naturally healthy. No one can be sure about such things."
It was clear Yang Liya wasn’t particularly interested in the Fruit of Life; the Nightmare Demon incident concerned her more.
"Is he connected to the Nightmare Demon incident? If so, we can make our move."
Yang Liya’s words startled Lu Luo. This was the diocese, the Church’s stronghold. Make a move here?
Are these still the same Hunters who used to be so subservient to the Church? Have the Hunters finally found their backbone?
Lu Luo wasn’t entirely sure what Yang Liya implied.
"This authority to act... is it an order from the Council? Are they in conflict with the Church?"
Yang Liya snorted. "Bullshit. The Council and the Church might seem to be at odds, but that’s just an act for others. They’re actually in cahoots. We don’t have any real authority, but if we genuinely need to arrest someone, this is indeed an opportunity to do so."
Lu Luo recalled the investigation warrant Yang Liya had shown earlier and couldn’t help asking, "Then what about that investigation warrant you showed me? If the Church and the Council aren’t in deep conflict, a warrant like that shouldn’t be approved, right?"
Yang Liya casually produced another investigation warrant and, with a surge of strength, disintegrated the paper, seemingly unconcerned about it.
"This investigation warrant? The security department has thousands, even tens of thousands, of these stashed away somewhere!"
"Tens of thousands? What are you implying?" A sense of foreboding washed over Lu Luo.
"It means the Fourth Ring Hunters have long been prepared to take action against the Church. This preparation is constant, always ready for an opportunity to strike. The captains of Hunter Teams 1 through 13 each possess hundreds of such warrants, all waiting for the day to move against the Church. All investigation warrants targeting the Church bear official, authorized stamps. These stamps are genuine, legally binding, and have no expiration dates. To get them stamped, I even went and bought four boxes of special mixed-ink stamp pads! And I paid for it out of my own pocket."
"Ah? This..."
Yang Liya had casually dropped a bombshell, leaving Lu Luo reeling. The Hunters were always ready to take on the Church? And they planned to bypass the Council and go directly for the Church? What exactly were the Hunters thinking? Also, why tell an outsider like him such important matters? What on earth did Yang Liya want?
I guess she wants to recruit you. Hunter Team 2, mind you, is no shoddy outfit like Ludie’s team. The chance for a freebie at the clubhouse has come again. What’s your choice, Lu Xiaoluo?
"My ears must have been clogged with dust just now. I didn’t hear a thing, seriously! Heh-heh-heh, ha-ha-ha!" Lu Luo laughed awkwardly.
Yang Liya stared at him without speaking, her expression clearly saying, "Please, continue your performance."
Lu Luo’s scalp tingled. As he walked, he tried to come up with a plausible excuse. "Really, not only have my ears been acting up lately, but I’ve also been having brain spasms. That whole conversation just now? One twitch, and it’s all gone. I don’t remember a single thing you said. Aba, aba, aba!"
Yang Liya continued to gaze at Lu Luo with her phoenix-like eyes, then suddenly said, "Actually, Hunters often silence people by killing them. It’s just that the media usually doesn’t find out. And even if they did, they wouldn’t dare report it."
Is she trying to intimidate you? Does she really think the host is easily frightened? The stubborn people of the Fourth Ring don’t fear power. What’s there to be scared of? Go for her!
Lu Luo completely ignored the Observer, looking at Yang Liya with an expression of utmost righteousness. "The corrupt Church should have been brought to account long ago! They are chaotic and disorderly, constantly exploiting the people of the Fourth Ring, and indeed, the entire Alliance! I cannot coexist with evil! I cannot coexist with the Church!"
Yang Liya blinked, completely ignoring Lu Luo’s abrupt change in demeanor, and asked directly, "Cut the crap. Are you joining the Hunters or not?"
"No, Captain Yang, what you’re doing is wrong. There should be some reason in things. I’m just an ordinary Fourth Ring student. At most, I’ve started a company with great potential, I have a bit of strength myself, and I’m reasonably handsome, with a bright future ahead. But such achievements are hardly worth mentioning; my life’s journey has just begun. If you do this, you’re essentially coercing me!"
Lu Luo rambled on, and finally, Yang Liya relented.
"Alright. You have two more days. I’ll wait for your decision."
With the two of them in the lead, a large group of Hunters proceeded deeper into the church district.
The Hunters’ rather forceful actions naturally drew the attention of Church members. Yang Liya immediately grabbed a Priest.
"Where is your purification pool? Don’t tell me you don’t know!"
"The purification pool is a restricted area. No outsiders are allowed."
The Priest looked as if he would rather die than submit, which irritated Yang Liya. Things had already escalated to this point; a mere Priest couldn’t possibly stop her.
Just as she was about to act, Lu Luo intervened, taking the man from her.
"Wait, let me handle this."
Yang Liya glanced at Lu Luo and finally released her grip. "You have five minutes."
Lu Luo nodded. "Priest, hello. I know you’re very loyal to the Church, but the current situation is not quite what you imagine. I know the Church is often righteous, but sometimes, certain individuals can be blinded by darkness; you understand what I mean. For example, right now, there’s a riot in the East Ring, and the source is the Nightmare Demon’s Netherflame. We have now investigated and clearly determined that the channels through which Netherflame spread are two water sources in the East Ring. One is the water plant, and the other is the Church’s purification pool. If the water source has indeed been polluted, can you imagine the final outcome?"
Lu Luo’s tone was very calm, but the calmer he sounded, the more uneasy the Priest felt.
"The ultimate outcome of water pollution? What would happen?"
"If the purification pool has been contaminated and the water has already been distributed, then the final result would be a large number of people in the East Ring drinking this water. After drinking it, they will become ’Polluters’ controlled by the Nightmare Demon—what the people of EnDuo call ’virus-infected people’ or ’monsters.’ These individuals could be your family, friends, or even your fellow Church members. They will become slaves driven by the Nightmare Demon, then kill more people, and those killed may also be your friends and family. By then, the entire East Ring will turn into a hell on Earth because of your obstruction and non-cooperation. Your wife, children, and friends will all be torn to shreds by the Polluters, and might even become food for the Exotic Species. The East Ring will be conquered by the Nightmare Demon due to the Polluters’ riot, the dark tide will descend again, and everything will be destroyed. Is that the outcome you want?"
Well-reasoned. I guess he’s been convinced by you.
Just because I won’t tell them where the purification chamber is, how does that make me the world’s greatest sinner? The Priest’s throat bobbed. Though he desperately wanted to argue, he couldn’t find the words.
Humans are like this. During an argument, if the other person gets red-faced and shouts, you’re likely to stubbornly argue to the bitter end. But if their tone is calm and gentle, and their points are well-reasoned, then even if you still disagree, you’ll find yourself carefully considering if what they said was actually correct.
Clearly, Lu Luo’s calm and gentle tone was more persuasive than hotheaded yelling.
"What you’re saying... could it really be true? It sounds a bit alarmist."
Lu Luo smiled. He didn’t press the danger further, merely asking a simple question. "Do you know how much purified water the people of the East Ring drink each day?"
The Priest’s lips moved. Finally, he hung his head. "I will take you to the purification pool."
Lu Luo shrugged at Yang Liya, signaling the matter was resolved.
But Yang Liya pouted. "This guy just talks a good game!"
...
The Priest led the Hunters to the deepest part of the church district.
To Lu Luo and the others’ surprise, the area was filled with plants, flowers, and grass—essentially an artificial garden.
Given the conditions inside the walls, let alone in the Fourth Ring, even the entire Alliance rarely saw such a meticulously crafted garden. Plants needed water, and if watered with Dark Energy-infused water, they could mutate, which was extremely troublesome. That was why large gardens were scarce throughout the Alliance; wealthy families, at most, kept a few potted plants.
The scarcity of plants made this garden appear exceptionally beautiful, so much so that even Yang Liya and Lu Luo paused for a moment.
Unknown components detected in the air. Possibly a colorless, odorless poison gas. The Seed of Virulent Poison is currently filtering it for the host.
Poison gas? What the... wait—
"Everyone, cover your mouths and noses and get back! It’s toxic!"
Yang Liya grabbed Lu Luo and retreated, while the other Hunters quickly followed suit.
The Priest, still standing in the same spot, was stunned. He had been to this place countless times; how could it be poisonous? "You... UGH!"
Before he could say more, he clutched his throat and knelt, his eyes bloodshot, the veins on his face bulging.
The other Church members witnessed this and hurriedly backed away, trying to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the garden.
"This garden... It’s highly toxic!"
Lu Luo really wanted to dive in and take a deep breath of the toxic gas, but seeing the Hunters and the righteous Church members bustling about, he decided against it. If he did that, he would almost certainly be captured as a heretic afterward. For the sake of his future well-being, it was best to keep a low profile for now.
However, Lu Luo looked around and noticed that the Hunters didn’t seem to have any gas masks or similar protective gear. He knew it was time for him to step up again.
"Lu Luo, what are you doing?" Yang Liya called out, seeing him walk towards the garden.
Her strength and speed were exceptional, but her physical constitution was a weak point. Despite being a Sixth Tier force expert, her constitution was meager. Furthermore, as a force-based Transcendent who didn’t cultivate Qi He, her unrefined Dark Energy techniques meant her attribute resistance was poor. Therefore, she didn’t dare risk testing the poison herself.
Lu Luo turned and made a reassuring gesture. "My abilities are a bit special. I warned you about the poison because I was worried about you, not myself. Since none of you can deal with this floral toxin right now, let me handle it."
Lu Luo’s words made the entire Hunter team look uncomfortable. If they were outside the walls, they would have certainly brought various anti-poison items. But here, inside the walls, they had unconsciously overlooked the possibility of potent poisons—a common cognitive inertia among Transcendents.
Lu Luo approached the garden, discreetly taking a few sniffs of the floral fragrance while analyzing the situation.
The flowers are not poisonous, and no toxicity has been detected in the leaves. Even when mixed, they remain non-toxic. A third substance is involved, but there is currently no specific information about it. Only when this substance is added to the mixed fragrance of flowers and plants does it become a potent, controllable poison. Someone must be manipulating it.
"The flowers and trees here aren’t poisonous, and even mixing them won’t create toxins," Lu Luo announced. "However, when a third substance is added, the fragrance becomes deadly. So, the poison here is being controlled by someone. Can anyone tell me who usually tends to this garden? Don’t just stand there—this is crucial information! Every second you delay, the situation in the East Ring could worsen. You’re believers of the Dawn Church. I don’t expect you to save the world, but at least act like decent human beings, will you?"
At this, a young female Priest stepped forward. "This place is called the Garden of Contemplation. Because the purification pool is within it, there’s an abundance of clean water, which is why a garden thrives here. Normally, Priest Zhuang Yanshan takes care of this garden; she’s the manager of the purification pool. Tending the garden is just an additional task for her. She’s been working here for several decades!"
Decades? Then this was entirely her domain. Lu Luo and Yang Liya exchanged a look.
"We can’t deal with these toxic trees quickly enough. Destroying them by force will be faster!"
As Lu Luo said this, someone immediately objected. "No! This garden belongs to the Church!"
Yang Liya slapped the man, sending him flying. "If you don’t want to die, get out of my way! I’ve had enough. Let’s move!"
Lu Luo pushed Yang Liya aside again. She thought he was going to stop her, but instead, she saw him draw a large, extravagantly designed sword from seemingly nowhere.
"A summoned weapon?"
"I’ll do the ’mowing.’ Captain Yang, you can handle the cleanup."
"Okay!"
Lu Luo immediately activated Steam Stage II. Chopping down trees didn’t require immense destructive power, but it did need wide range and high speed.
"Qi Path—Qi Union Slash!"
SWISH!
The Fenrir Type VI sword flashed, its afterimages felling a wide swath of trees that flew into the air.
"Not bad strength!" Admiration flashed in Yang Liya’s eyes, but her actions didn’t cease.
She settled into a slight horse stance and clapped her hands horizontally.
BOOM!
A gesture resembling applause produced a thunderclap-like effect. A furious wind surged, instantly blowing all the severed trees away.
"Follow me!"
After devastating the garden, Yang Liya led the charge to the entrance of the purification room. She threw a punch, and the sturdy door of the purification room collapsed with a deafening crash.
Seeing the tranquil pool inside, both Lu Luo and Yang Liya sighed in relief. The information from the Priest indicated that the last batch of water had been sent out a few days ago; the current batch should still be undergoing purification. The purification pool before them was already full. It seemed they had made it in time.
The purification room was empty, but at its far end, a woman in Priest’s robes knelt silently in prayer.
"I have already felt the power of my Lord; my Lord’s Holy Radiance will scatter to every corner of the world!"
After finishing her simple prayer, Zhuang Yanshan slowly turned around, allowing Lu Luo to see her face clearly.