Psychics don't die from gunfire

Chapter 700 "Living Saint"

So no one bowed their heads anymore, everyone held their heads up and chests out.

"Amanda Margaret please remember the name."

There was no loudspeaker, but the old man's voice somehow spread throughout the square and echoed in everyone's ears.

"Her eldest son died in the battle against heretics. Her second son was an excellent firefighter who died in the fire. Her husband also sacrificed his precious life for the Empire as a soldier of the Seventh Legion—"

At this time, a group of priests wearing golden and red masks came out and stood on the platform. They held torches and divided into two rows. Then a priest holding an iron plate came and knelt beside the old man.

The old man stretched out his index and middle fingers and scooped out the white ointment from the iron plate.

"It is true that the body, like the ears of wheat harvested in the field, must decay and return to the dust, but the soul, redeemed by the precious blood of the Holy Spirit, will be clothed with the crown of immortal glory. Our Amanda Margaret has passed through the valley of death and now stands beside the eternal river flowing with milk and honey, seeing the glory of the Lord's face brighter than a thousand sunrises."

The index and middle fingers stained with ointment slowly slid across every inch of the edge of the bronze coffin, making it sparkle in the morning light.

Finally, the oil representing grace was applied between the woman's brows.

"——Let us wipe away the tears from our cheeks!"

"Because the Lord himself promised: 'I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even if they die.'"

The old man's rough hands slowly touched the woman's face, causing her eyes, which had been clenched for a lifetime, to relax.

The people in the square said in unison: "We will meet again on the glass sea and never be separated again."

The sounds that should have seemed chaotic were surprisingly unified at this moment, transforming into a solemn and low chant.

The old man said no more.

He struck the brass staff a second time.

Boom, boom, boom, boom.

In an instant, golden flames suddenly appeared from the high platform, under the bronze coffin, almost engulfing the entire coffin. From a distance, it looked like a blooming flower, lifting the coffin up to the sky.

Seeing this scene, even though it was a critical moment in the mass, the people in the square couldn't help but become a little agitated.

In a sense, the Mass held by a "living saint" himself is a manifestation of miracles to everyone through his hands!

The flames that appeared out of nowhere showed no signs of stopping. Instead, they became more and more intense and completely bloomed. However, the entire bronze coffin did not tremble at all, allowing itself to be burned by the raging golden flames.

If someone stood at a higher place and looked down, they could clearly see what was happening inside the coffin.

The woman is burning.

First, the petals covering her body, which were picked in the early morning, began to burn, then her simple clothes, and finally, her body also began to burn.

——There is no pain and no ugliness.

It was more like witnessing a piece of tissue paper being lit, watching the drifting flames slowly spread and engulf the paper. The woman's entire body was swallowed up by the gold bit by bit, without any ashes or black smoke rising, or the smell of burning fat, she was simply "burning".

Like a sacred sacrifice.

The old man stared at the woman quietly until the last bit of her body was burned out and no trace of her remained in the world.

"Amanda Margaret is a believer in the 'Eternal Burning Arcanaros.'" Renata said softly in an inconspicuous corner of the square, "So she chose the form of fire for her mass ceremony."

"Do you know her?" Song Shi looked at the platform.

"No, at least ten minutes ago, I didn't know her." Renata shook her head slowly: "But I have seen many such things, and I can roughly guess the cause and effect."

"Ten minutes ago?" Song Shi said, "Do you know her now?"

"Well, I know her now—" Renata whispered, "I remember her now."

Song Shi nodded.

Renata raised her head and suddenly began to sing.

It was a tune Song Shi had never heard before, with a melodious tune and a hint of sadness. It suddenly floated in the solemn atmosphere of the square, and it did not seem abrupt, but blended in with the atmosphere.

Hymns and recitations are the basic skills of the clergy, and Renata is undoubtedly the best among them. At least Song Shi, who is closest to her, was unable to hear any problems based on his own musical background. On the contrary, even Song Shi had to admit that the other party seemed to sing well.

Some people were stunned, and some couldn't help turning around, trying to find out who was singing.

Some people also joined in after the initial shock.

It didn't matter that so many new and distinct voices joined in that the song suddenly became chaotic.

It was a long time later, so long that Renata had already stopped singing, that the last trace of singing in the square disappeared.

".What's the name of this song?"

Song Shi didn't sing along, he just listened and then asked.

Renata nodded: "Guess."

"Don't ever tell me after that."

As the woman turned to ashes and ascended to heaven, the Mass came to an end. The old man turned and walked towards the church, and the clergy who accompanied him came forward one by one to lift the bronze coffin and carry it back to the Fidas Cathedral.

The believers who had gathered also dispersed. Some stayed in the square with their eyes wide open, as if they wanted to imprint everything deeply into their hearts. Others, with uncontrollable enthusiasm, seemed to be running, but also seemed to feel that something was wrong and wanted to walk instead. Their postures were extremely awkward for a moment, but they did not cause anyone to laugh at them.

"According to doctrine, the people of the empire must participate in pilgrimages at least three times in their lifetime." Song Shi and Renata followed the crowd to the church. Renata looked around and commented, "This is an important part of proving your piety. So for a long time, nobles were proud to let their descendants participate in the pilgrimage, which could accumulate a lot of reputation."

"Did you forget to mention the other half?"

".The other half?" Renata asked curiously.

"How could I remember?" Song Shi moved to the right to avoid being bumped by a bearded man who was staring at the church without looking at the road. "Are there any nobles who are proud to send their daughters to a monastery and save a lot of assets?"

"Although there are indeed examples where the nobleman himself is pious, or his daughter voluntarily joins a monastery out of faith." Renata nodded: "But I admit that you are right."

"——Both of you, please come over here."

A calm voice came over, and a middle-aged man in a white robe embroidered with gold thread stood under the heavy door, staring at the two people in the crowd with sharp eyes.

He said respectfully, "Bishop O'Neill is waiting. He invites you two to come over for a chat."

Song Shi noticed the way the other person looked at him. No, it should be said that there was no fear in the way he looked at Renata.

This is not normal. Being in office at a religious holy place like the "Fidas Cathedral" and being qualified to deliver messages for a "living saint" means that his status is definitely not low. If he were to be transferred to a local diocese, it would not be a problem for him to take over the position of bishop of a city.

But for the [Inquisition], this is nothing.

[Inquisition] In the Empire, it is in charge of the trial of psychic entities, heretics and religions. It is independent of other departments and almost only obeys the living god on the throne. It does not have any taboos and has never hesitated to use cruel means both internally and externally.

Not to mention the man in front of him, even the cardinals who represented the core of the power of the state religion had been imprisoned in the history of the Inquisition.

When the Imperials met the Inquisition, it was like when a company of the Enterprise Alliance met a tax audit by Dark Crystal Credit. Every mouse would be terrified when it saw a cat. Even in history, there were many saints who directly expressed their dissatisfaction with the cruel actions of the Inquisition.

Renata showed her true face at this moment. The other party would definitely recognize the Chief Judge, but instead of being afraid, he showed... respect?

"Please lead the way." Renata nodded slightly.

The other person turned and led the way.

He walked through a remote little door, but as a religious holy place worthy of being the end point of a pilgrimage, even though it was just an inconspicuous aisle, it was still solemn and dignified. The morning light penetrated through the mosaic glass, refracting countless mottled blocks of light. On both sides were carefully carved reliefs of angels, saints and scepters.

However, compared with the complicated and exquisite scenes, there was one thing that caught Song Shi's attention more.

As we went deeper into the church, the feeling of being restrained gradually intensified.

It was a stronger sense of restraint than the previous time in the Fire Purification Road and in the square. A kind of power completely permeated the environment of the church, and any visitor was inevitably suppressed.

After repeated purification, the power of faith overflowed into the Fidas Cathedral.
Thousands of years ago, the East Continent's use of the power of faith was the best in Terra, but as time went by, this path gradually became less popular in the East Continent. The Vanpusta Empire, however, remained steadfast on this path from beginning to end.

Today, when it comes to the use of the power of faith, the Empire is the undisputed number one on Terra.

Song Shixin thought.

From this perspective, apart from the Vanpusta Empire, Zen Liushana is already a leading figure in the Terra faith.

The priest who was leading the way stopped.

He pushed open the door, nodded to each of them in turn, and then gave up his seat.

Song Shi didn't waste any words and walked straight in.

This is a side hall of the Fidas Cathedral. It is empty and there are almost no facilities to be seen. Under the glass dome, in front of the huge sculpture, stands an old man in a long robe.

It was the "living saint" who presided over the mass not long ago, Upton O'Neill.

"Long time no see." The old man said slowly: "Renata."

"One year and two months." Renata reported the exact time. She nodded slightly to the old man and said, "It seems that you are in good health."

"From the day I was baptized, everything I own no longer belongs to me," the old man replied. "I must devote my whole heart and soul to the empire and not waste myself."

"A small question. Does the Living Saint have such a good relationship with the Inquisition?"

An inappropriate voice came out, Song Shi folded his hands and said, "Personal emotions are unnecessary for the Tribunal. I remember you said so, right? I will hold it now, will it be of any use?"

"Nan Dou, Song Shi." The old man turned his gaze to the young man: "I have heard of your name."

"Positive or negative?" Song Shi raised his eyebrows.

"Positive," the other party replied, "You broke a part of the company's endless desires, allowing many people to survive and escape the purgatory of consumerism and cybernetics."

Song Shi didn't say anything for a while. He pondered for several seconds before saying, "——But?"

"No buts." The old man shook his head: "You have done well enough, impeccable even if there are limitations, but this is not your problem."

Song Shi smiled now: "Then I probably know what you are going to say."

"Because you have no faith, because faith does not exist in the corporate alliance." The old man was unmoved and said slowly: "You shattered people's purgatory and sent them to the vast and dark sea. You have never given them a new lighthouse, no candle to guide them, so one day, they will be swallowed by the sea again and fall into a new purgatory."

"Okay, we've received feedback here." Song Shi sighed, "Okay, no problem, faith."

There was no anger or sadness in the old man's eyes. He just looked at the young man calmly, as if he was looking at a lost lamb.

"It's not just a personal relationship." He turned to answer the young man's original question: "It seems that-"

Renata smiled and interjected, "As a friendly reminder, reports against clergy are usually handled by the Inquisition. And as a friendly reminder, I am one of the current Grand Inquisitors."

".It seems that Renata didn't tell you." The old man paused, as if he didn't hear it: "She retrieved the holy relics and 550 souls for the Fidas Cathedral."

——Retrieve the holy relics and souls?
Song Shi narrowed his eyes, a lot of information suddenly flowed through his mind, and he came to a conclusion in an instant.

"The Lord of Disaster, [Tyrant] Ognius?"

"After all, it's boring to talk to yourself." Renata shrugged. "It's very greedy for me and harassed me several times, so I made a bet with it before."

"If I can win seven consecutive battles at its feast, I can take back the relic it stole from the Cathedral of Fidas. The skull of a saint, more symbolic than practical, if I may say."

"Inquisitor Renata used herself as a bargaining chip to make Ognius bet on the holy relic and 550 souls." For the first time, deep compassion emerged in the old man's burning eyes: "She achieved what we could not achieve, and completed the salvation we could not complete."

Song Shi let out a breath.

For ordinary people, "soul" is just a vague existence. But for the people of the Vanpusta Empire, after two thousand years of faith, their "soul" is no longer a vague reference, but a real existence.

"The souls of the people in that town." Song Shi said slowly.

"Most people were killed in the aftermath of the battle, and their souls were torn to pieces on the spot." Renata sighed, "But Ognius still seized the opportunity to retain and rob some of them. You were right before, they are almost all devout believers. For the disaster, this is the most tempting treasure."

"When I made the bet with it, there were only the last 550 left."

After a few seconds, the young man's voice rang out.

"To be honest, I originally thought that when the living saint who represents the light side and the great inquisitor who represents the dark side meet, they will definitely fight to determine whose faith is more authoritative."

"I must admit, this is beyond my expectations. Good job, Renata."

"——But I'm already here."

A red-gold flame emerged silently, guarding Song Shi's body.

"The 'living saint' who believes in the Holy Spirit [Eternal Burning Arcanaros]——"

"How about I try your fire?"

(End of this chapter)