Chapter 627

Chapter 12 The Cause and Effect

October 19, 1182

I wasn’t sure how she had reached out to the Clown first, perhaps through that man’s network buried in West Continent.

When the Clown returned to inform me of this matter, it was truly unexpected. I immediately realized that Teresa could potentially become a major breakthrough in breaking the seal of the Dragon’s homeland. After all, with her status in the Church, it would be easy for her to come into contact with the relics of the great gods, the so-called “divine artifacts” of the saints.

But at the same time, there was a high probability that this was a trap.

Over the years, the Church had never found my whereabouts or those of the spirit, but there had been a few times when their people had come here. I could see that the Church’s senior members were very anxious. Perhaps someone had caught wind of our recent activities, like Teresa. This possibility was not small. The Door of Truth was currently on thin ice, and I had to be more careful and cautious.

I was somewhat worried about what rash action the Clown might take.

Of course, that man would never trust Teresa. He fundamentally rejected all personnel related to the Church, especially someone as authoritative as her. I feared he couldn’t control his evil thoughts and might impulsively kill the female saint, even though he hadn’t done so yet. He had merely kept Teresa under control in the Nogai Sea Port and hadn’t brought her here directly—yet, from the Clown’s perspective, such an action might truly be a dangerous signal.

I could tell that the man had a great interest in Teresa. The reason he hadn’t killed her yet might be due to her strength, or perhaps he was planning to play some more thrilling games…

The latter possibility was much greater.

And once the Clown’s game began, he would certainly drag me into it. Otherwise, he could have simply kept this matter from me until I truly noticed, by which time the female saint might already have been deceived to death.

The Clown had his own ideas, and I could tell that much.

But I made no statement about it.

After much consideration, I decided to meet Teresa the nun first.

I needed to have a face-to-face conversation with her, bringing the Clown along, so that I could make a more accurate judgment of the current situation. This risk was something I, and the current Door of Truth, had to face because it meant more opportunities, possibly a great chance to change the dire circumstances.

I couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.

I had to make the Clown understand this too.

We indeed needed people like Teresa on the side of truth. But if that wasn’t possible, then let the Clown do as he pleased.

November 18, 1182

Our first formal meeting took place at the ship merchant warehouse in Nogai Sea Port.

Unexpectedly, Sister Teresa turned out to be an Apollist. I had never heard anyone mention this before.

However, as an Apollist, she ultimately chose to become a lackey of the Church, which was truly despicable. I felt somewhat disappointed. She was nothing more than a spineless fisherman’s daughter, even if she was wrapped in华丽的金袍 and revered by millions, her inherent foolishness and ignorance still stank to the bone.

This was indeed my first impression of her.

But since we were here, and she had specifically requested to see the first senator of the Door of Truth, saying she had important matters to discuss, I might as well hear what she had to say—carrying this thought, we started talking, and soon, her image in my heart greatly changed.

She was not a foolish, manipulated woman by the Church.

Like the Clown, she too was a madwoman.

Haha.

I must record this matter completely because I have a premonition that she might become the most devout traitor in the history of the Holy Church. And to have encountered such a traitor was truly exhilarating, almost as if the goddess herself was protecting me!

On the eve of the ceremony to be elected as the Holy Maiden,

The woman was brought to the Holy City by Pope Angel, and she came to understand the complex situation the Sacred Church currently faced, as well as their actions towards this world and the devastating impact they had caused. The truth of the war with other races a thousand years ago, the fall of the gods, and the emergence of the abyss—Saints were finally at a loss. What would become of this world from that point on? Everything seemed like the surging red river, sweeping away all the beliefs she once held dear.

Pope Angel told her that the meaning of being a Holy Maiden was to share the sins of the world with him, and in the gap before the flood of destruction arrives, carve out a new path for human society. Teresa relayed these words to me verbatim, and I found them truly laughable.

Desecrating the dead body of a god, imprisoning a living god, all because of a covetous desire for great divine power, such arrogance, greed, and absurdity—ultimately, it cannot be contained, and one cannot bear the wrath of the gods, pushing humanity and the entire world into the abyss of darkness, teetering on the brink of destruction…

Isn’t this exactly what you hypocritical saints have done?

How could that young pope have the audacity to say those words?

It’s truly laughable.

Teresa was originally a devout believer, possessing a spirit willing to sacrifice and dedicate herself to others. I could see this; I am good at reading people, and I could tell at a glance that her faith had completely crumbled today.

In her understanding, the Sacred Church should have been selfless, composed of a group of great individuals who were willing to dedicate themselves, just like her. All they did was shelter the unfortunate and provide aid to the suffering.

Teresa and I were both born in Epilista, and we were no strangers to scenes of burning, killing, and looting, corpses strewn across the desert. She knew how hard and humble life could be, perhaps even her own family and herself were once among the humble. She had seen too many things she couldn’t bear to look at, and she wanted to do something to change this. With this purpose, she became a nun and, through her talent and hard work, reached the day when she was revered by the masses.

She was willing to become a Holy Maiden and do more in the future.

Then she learned who the real culprit behind all of this was.

Teresa finally saw clearly the true faces of the saints who had once been revered from high above.

When she came back to her senses, she realized she had become one of them.

Even though she had been kept in the dark and hadn’t yet contributed to that “great cause” that accelerates the world’s destruction, she had already figured it out. Her so-called “talent” was merely because she drank “holy water” mixed with the bone marrow of a god, and her body happened to adapt better to that sinful water. Thus, the saints made her drink more of it—so-called faith power, so-called devout believers, nothing more than that. It had nothing to do with kindness, chastity, or dedication, these grandiose terms used for decoration.

She knew that the faith power within her was obtained by the church, piece by piece, by stripping the flesh and bones from the great deity’s body. The so-called “blessings” were just lies spread to deceive the world. She was simply better at accommodating the medium carried by the divine body, making her an excellent vessel among humans.

She understood all of this.

Afterwards, she also saw the Fertile Mother God, imprisoned underground in the Holy City, already driven into madness.

When Teresa told me these things, there was neither joy nor sorrow on her face, but I noticed her hands trembling under the table.

The laughter of the clown beside her sounded particularly grating.

What a pitiful, pitiable woman…