Chapter 10: Official Operation

“Your Excellency, there’s something off about Aje and Roshel…”

Beikeze spoke in a rather serious tone.

Among the four who remained, Beikeze had interacted with each of them. Of those, Aje and Roshel stood out the most as being odd.

Mu Xuan had no doubts about Beikeze’s words.

Of the three of them, Beikeze might be the one with the least combat ability, but his powers of perception were beyond question. In certain ways, Beikeze’s sense was even keener than his own.

After jotting down those two names, Mu Xuan turned his gaze toward Buzhaqi.

“Your Excellency, Bishop Her didn’t show any odd behavior during this operation. Also, even though something seemed to be stirring not far away, Bishop Her acted as if he didn’t see anything at all…”

“Similarly, I also noticed that some people, like me, realized there was something in the black fog not far off, but others didn’t notice a thing…”

Mu Xuan furrowed his brow and asked, “Did you remember the features of those who didn’t notice anything?”

“Of course! We’ve all been together for a long time now, so even if I don’t know their names, I can definitely tell them apart!” Buzhaqi replied confidently.

Mu Xuan had no way to prove whether those people were really human, but following the principle of rather killing by mistake than letting one go, anyone who displayed even a hint of abnormality had to die.

Mu Xuan was no saint; trapped in this current predicament, sacrifices had to be made. He couldn’t save everyone! Besides, those people hadn’t provided any Faith anyway!

Next, Mu Xuan looked toward Griffinde and spoke: “I’ve found a way to let the Radiance of the Goddess shine over the entire village, but I’ll need your assistance.”

At those words, Griffinde and the other two instantly became spirited.

They’d all been worried that their actions might attract the strange entities lurking in the black fog, but if the Radiance of the Goddess could cover the village, it meant they could truly bask in Her protection and never again fear an incursion from the strange!

“Your Excellency, it’s my honor!” After Griffinde responded, Mu Xuan turned and waved his hand. Instantly, the lines he’d once drawn on parchment appeared out of thin air.

“Griffinde is here, and this is where we are now.” As he spoke, Mu Xuan marked two spots on the Map.

“We can’t tell the cardinal directions, but everyone should be able to understand these markers. From the gate here, head along this side path, and then…”

“Griffinde will intercept here. Those with abnormalities will be dealt with, while the rest will be led by Griffinde to this place for protection.”

“Beikeze, you’ll be responsible for distinguishing between the normal and those who are not! I don’t want any mistakes—no wrongful killings or missed targets. That would insult the Radiance of the Goddess!”

“Buzhaqi, you’ll be in charge of the first and second personnel transports. The third transport will be handled by Beikeze. During the third transport, eliminate Her. Make it quick—one blow if you can!”

“……”

After making all the arrangements, Mu Xuan took a couple of deep breaths. Buzhaqi then asked, “Your Excellency, how should we transport the people…”

“I’ll put them to sleep. As for the transport itself, Griffinde will provide the equipment.” Mu Xuan replied swiftly.

Mu Xuan clearly remembered that at Griffinde’s place, right by the Enclosure, there was a perfectly good wooden Plank Cart.

Seeing no further questions, Mu Xuan dissolved the space.

When he opened his eyes again, staring at the damp, decaying ceiling, Mu Xuan’s gaze turned somber.

He slowly stood up and pushed open the door, calling Her inside.

“Bishop Her, I’d like to try purifying the statue again this time…” Mu Xuan stated directly.

This sparked a trace of suspicion in Her.

Had Griffinde’s actions struck him that hard?

“Your Excellency, have you found a way?”

“No, but I plan to overdraw the power of the scepter…” Mu Xuan said calmly.

But these words caused a huge reaction in Her.

“Your Excellency! The scepter is the symbol of the Church—it cannot be damaged!!!”

“Then tell me, if I don’t try to purify the statue, should we just wait for the statue to turn against us?” Mu Xuan’s voice grew cold. “Or perhaps you, Bishop, have some other plan… Oh, right, why was it only my team that was attacked, while yours remained unharmed? And what about that gesture you made when the statue first acted up…”

Mu Xuan bit out the words “Bishop” with heavy emphasis, and his following remarks immediately caused Her’s face to turn grim.

“Your Excellency, I don’t understand…”

“Enough! Her… I know you want to be Pope, and I don’t oppose you gathering your strength in secret. After we deal with the statue, I’ll give you the papacy…” Mu Xuan first barked, then softened his tone as he spoke to Her.

As expected, these words eased Her’s expression somewhat. After hesitating for a long time, Her sighed and said, “Your Excellency, then I’ll indulge your whim just this once…”

Heh…

Mu Xuan rolled his eyes at Her inwardly. Maybe this guy’s real goal wasn’t the papacy at all, but the scepter…

“I’m glad you understand, Bishop Her… But, I need them to be asleep, so they won’t be frightened by what comes next…”

“Of course…”

Then, Mu Xuan led Her out the door. With a gentle wave of his scepter, the once-restless crowd—disturbed by the conversation between Mu Xuan and Her—immediately fell silent.

Mu Xuan nodded at Her, then glanced at the Helmet Her had left at the door, and strode out of the house, looking toward the statue in the middle of the distant courtyard.

“Your Excellency, let me confirm one more time. Are you truly going to do this?” Her walked up to Mu Xuan, worry on his face.

“I am,” Mu Xuan replied firmly.

Her shook his head, then stepped to the side, putting a person’s width between them, and said, “Your will, Your Excellency. I’ll ensure your safety from here.”

Thanks to their earlier conversation, Her knew Mu Xuan was aware of certain things, so he made no further effort to hide his ability to help Mu Xuan.

Mu Xuan nodded and slowly approached the statue.

But before he could get close, the black fog boiled like scalding water, exploding outward. A torrent of malice pressed down on Mu Xuan, and crimson, viscous liquid began to seep from the statue’s mouth.

Even as he gritted his teeth, Mu Xuan found it nearly impossible to take a step forward.

Her noticed and twitched his fingers slightly, instantly relieving much of Mu Xuan’s burden.

Mu Xuan was a bit surprised, but didn’t focus too much on Her. After all, his main target now was the statue before him.

Perhaps because of that power he used last time, the statue seemed to remember Mu Xuan, and with no way to destroy him, that formless force kept hindering his approach.

Even after the pressure lessened, Mu Xuan still couldn’t take a step for half a day, making his heart burn with frustration.

He’d received at least some power of light from the feedback—did the statue really think he was just clay?

With that thought, Mu Xuan channeled the light within his body, letting it flow throughout him. Instantly, his feet felt light and he strode two steps forward.

His advance surprised Her. In Her’s mind, this kind of pressure would stop even the most muscular warrior from taking a single step.

Attributing this to the scepter, Her lowered his hand.

Immediately, the boundless black fog thickened into a liquid and surged at Mu Xuan like a tidal wave. The statue instantly became wildly distorted.

In just a split second, Mu Xuan saw the statue’s head suddenly fall to the ground, and then its limbs twisted into bizarre positions.

Gritting his teeth, Mu Xuan jabbed the scepter hard into the statue’s navel before the black fog could come crashing down. The statue’s head, lying on the ground, revealed a hideous, terrifying expression…

Without hesitation, Mu Xuan instantly channeled a strand of Faith Power from the scepter into the statue.

As dazzling light erupted, the thick black fog, upon touching the radiance, evaporated into mist and scattered through the air…