Vol 4. Chapter 173.1: Something Unusual

The Crimson Leaf Empire was the most powerful nation on the entire Anqieka Continent primarily because of the cooperation between the imperial family and the Asumos Church. Both the imperial family's main residence and the headquarters of the Asumos Church were located in Anvika, the imperial capital.

On the surface, the imperial family and the Asumos Church maintained a harmonious relationship, cooperating with each other and pursuing mutual development.

However,

The two great powers were ultimately independent entities. Although they had an official agreement defining their respective spheres of interest and prohibiting interference in each other's affairs, two tigers could hardly share the same mountain. As their respective powers continued to expand, nearly all the interests and resources within the Crimson Leaf Empire had already been divided between them.

Human nature was greedy. Even after acquiring such enormous wealth, expecting either side to be satisfied was nothing more than wishful thinking.

Over the years, both sides had gradually turned their attention toward the other's share of the pie. The Asumos Church attempted to exploit its vast number of believers throughout the empire to interfere increasingly in politics, seeking to reduce the imperial family to a figurehead. Meanwhile, the imperial family had grown dissatisfied with the Church's ever-expanding influence and wished to weaken religious authority while strengthening imperial power.

By now,

Anyone with eyes could see that the conflict between these two great powers had become increasingly irreconcilable after years of accumulated grievances. They had already reached a state where they smiled politely at each other in public while secretly confronting each other at every opportunity.

Even so, both sides had exercised considerable restraint, neither crossing the final line nor openly breaking relations. Everyone understood that if the imperial family and the Church began fighting, the neighboring countries would ultimately be the ones to benefit.

Combined with the threat posed by the Abyss Demons in the north,

The imperial family and the Asumos Church had maintained this delicate balance.

However,

Now?

The Asumos Church seemed to be attempting to break that balance...

...

"His Majesty's decree is that we absolutely cannot allow the Child of Destiny to take the Saint Dragon Heart away. At present, the powerful individuals cultivated by the Saint Dragon Heart are divided roughly equally between the Asumos Church and the imperial family. If this treasure falls under Kaelrode's control, the Asumos Church will undoubtedly grow far stronger than the imperial family in the future as it acquires more and more talented individuals. Furthermore, the Asumos Church already possesses the Child of Destiny, someone capable of winning the hearts of the people. If this continues, the Church won't even need to resort to military force. The imperial family will eventually become nothing more than its puppet."

Staring at the shocked Third Prince standing before him, Bolufu spoke coldly.

While explaining the situation to Ankeqi, the imperial Grand State Preceptor was also continuously cursing the Pope in his heart.

Kaelrode...

That bastard's ambitions are growing more outrageous by the day...

To think he's even set his sights on the Saint Dragon Heart?!

If those damned religious charlatans really take control of the Crimson Leaf Empire, what place will there be left for me?!

Considering that the cultivation technique he practiced had been officially condemned as heretical by the Church, Bolufu naturally had no reason to harbor any goodwill toward the Asumos Church.

"Therefore, my mission is to prevent that woman from achieving her objective. Do you understand, Your Highness Prince Ankeqi?"

"Yes..."

Ankeqi murmured softly and nodded.

"But does Mengxi really intend to take the Saint Dragon Heart away? From what I've seen... she usually doesn't seem to care about anything. She doesn't appear particularly interested in the Saint Dragon Heart, either."

Because he personally harbored feelings for Mengxi, Ankeqi couldn't help speaking up on her behalf.

"Her? Hehe, Your Highness, don't let appearances deceive you. That Child of Destiny is quite the accomplished actress. Without such acting skills, how could she have escaped from Skyvault back then? ...She's merely pretending to have no interest in the Saint Dragon Heart. Your Highness, you should also know that the Child of Destiny has entered the Church's Saintess examination. But do you know what the first task of that examination is?"

"What... is it?"

"According to the intelligence provided by our informants, her task is to obtain the Saint Dragon Heart and bring it back to the Asumos Church."

"But... according to the agreement between our imperial family and the Church, the Saint Dragon Heart belongs to neither faction. Only someone who obtains its recognition can possess it. Yet over the past several hundred years, no one has ever gained its recognition. No one has even managed to make it resonate..."

"Just because others cannot accomplish something doesn't mean she cannot. Who is she? She's the chosen one, blessed by destiny itself. Who knows whether she'll trigger a miracle? If she fails to obtain its recognition, then so be it. But if she succeeds..."

"Then... are you planning to distort her will?"

Ankeqi asked somewhat tremblingly, a trace of reluctance flashing through his eyes.

In response, Bolufu merely nodded slightly, neither denying nor attempting to conceal his intentions. He even cast Ankeqi a contemptuous glance.

"I will only do so if she truly obtains its recognition and attempts to take the Saint Dragon Heart away. If she knows what's good for her, I have no desire to lay a hand on the chosen one, either. After all... we're still counting on using her to deal with those Demon King-class monsters in the future. If we completely destroy her mind, it won't benefit any of us. Furthermore, Your Highness, please recognize where your loyalties lie. You belong to the imperial family, not the Church. Don't waste your sympathy on people who don't deserve it."

"Yes..."

"Hmph, seriously. If you and Prince Anmutu were even slightly more dependable and had managed to seduce that Child of Destiny into becoming an imperial princess consort, we wouldn't have to deal with all this damn nonsense now."

"S-Sorry..."

Hearing the heavy reproach in Bolufu's words, Ankeqi lowered his head without the slightest trace of princely dignity.

I...

It's not like I haven't been trying to win her over...

But she never pays any attention to me...

"Forget it. We'll leave it at that. Your Highness, now that you understand the situation, this old man has nothing more to say."

Casting a glance at the dispirited Ankeqi, Bolufu said nothing further.

Instead, leaning on his staff and escorted by several imperial knights, he slowly made his way toward the academy gates. His gaze shifted toward the trembling teachers standing at the entrance, who hadn't dared to interrupt their conversation.

"Take me to my room."

"Y-Yes, Grand State Preceptor! P-Please, this way..."

The tall teachers, who should ordinarily have appeared imposing and dignified, immediately began trembling under Bolufu's sinister gaze. In an instant, they transformed into obsequious lackeys, bowing and scraping as they escorted the hunched old man into the academy.

However,

Before he had taken more than a few steps, Bolufu suddenly stopped and turned back to glance at Ankeqi with his cold, sinister eyes.

"Oh, right, Your Highness. I expended quite a bit of energy strengthening the imperial city's barrier today. I'm feeling rather hungry. Prepare some 'food' for me, would you? Those lowly slaves from earlier... weren't quite enough."

With those words,

Bolufu paid no further attention to Ankeqi's reaction and continued slowly into the academy under the escort of his attendants.

Sensing the youthful vitality permeating the campus, a cruel smile gradually appeared on Bolufu's gloomy face.

...

Meanwhile, after hearing Bolufu's 'request,' Ankeqi couldn't help trembling all over.

The psychological trauma he had suffered during childhood slowly resurfaced in the prince's mind.

However, Ankeqi soon realized something deeply troubling.

The attendants he had dispatched to welcome the Grand State Preceptor...

Had all disappeared.

Recalling Bolufu's words just now, Ankeqi suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of fear and unease.

With his heart pounding anxiously, Ankeqi slowly turned and walked toward Bolufu's carriage, whose door had been left open.

And when the scene inside the carriage finally entered his sight, the imperial prince's stomach instantly churned violently, while his pale-red eyes trembled uncontrollably.

"Th-This... What is this...?"

Inside the carriage,

The three servants he had sent to welcome Bolufu were piled together like discarded cargo, completely motionless.

Moreover, all three shared a horrifying characteristic.

Their bodies had been drained of every trace of color. Their muscles were shriveled and withered, and their faces were grotesquely twisted into expressions so hideous that merely looking at them was enough to induce nausea.

The mana, battle aura, and blood within their bodies had all vanished.

They were nothing more than empty husks, completely drained of everything.

And at the very top of the pile lay the corpse of a young woman.

All traces of her former vitality had disappeared.

The gentle, delicate girl who had once attended to his daily needs had now been reduced to a lifeless, desiccated corpse.

Her empty eyes remained wide open, and her mouth gaped unnaturally, as though she had suffered unimaginable agony before her death.

"Xiao Li..."

Softly calling the maid's name, Ankeqi clenched his fists tightly.

Anger.

Regret.

And an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

All surged through his heart.

Yet there was absolutely nothing he could do.

...

--

At the same time,

Within the Paradise Gardens behind the headquarters of the Asumos Church.

Under the illumination of the moonlight, a woman wearing high-ranking priestly robes embroidered with golden trim slowly made her way into the silent gardens, entering what had once been one of the Church's sacred grounds.

This woman, already over fifty years old with graying hair at her temples, was none other than one of the three Archbishops of the Asumos Church—

Pandora-Aisanovich.

After walking for some time, the Archbishop gradually stopped and respectfully lowered herself onto one knee, gazing toward the imposing figure standing before her.

"Your Holiness, this subordinate has several important matters to report."

As she spoke,

Pandora solemnly withdrew a report from her spatial ring.

"According to the intelligence gathered by the Dark Moon's Shadow under my command, the Crimson Leaf imperial family has indeed dispatched an Eighth-Tier powerhouse to Yexinlian Academy, just as Your Holiness predicted. It is Bolufu, the survivor of the Ghost Tower incident. Furthermore, just moments ago, near Anvika... we discovered traces of members of the Heavenly Punishment Holy Church..."