Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 315 A Fine Knife
I dare to verify good and evil, do you?

Humiliation, this is undoubtedly direct humiliation, humiliation to one's face.

But would this high priest dare? He really wouldn't.

Even though everyone knows that high priests are not so pure, and even though everyone questions whether the once devout one has been corrupted, if a person judged to be evil and depraved appears in a high position in the Church of the Good God, he will naturally lose everything.

God has no power to manage every believer or every pastor, but all believers, subordinates, and superiors will look at you with doubt and contempt, even if they themselves are not necessarily clean.

"Damn you! How dare you?!"

But the very act of refusing this verification speaks volumes.

Today's events are destined to spread throughout the city. Bishop Ryan has no future. Although he is already a marginal figure in the church headquarters, being questioned about evil by the paladin and being refused to verify the evil is enough to ruin his reputation.

This is what makes paladins so unsettling and even terrifying: all spells and supernatural powers depend on resistance and the strength of the enemy and oneself, and there is no such thing as "absolute authority" or "infinite penetration".

The judgment abilities of the Sin Domain Judgment and the Investigation of Evil also depend on resistance; the strong can completely refuse them. But what cannot be refused is the human heart.

"If you have no problem, why are you refusing?"

How can killing someone compare to destroying their spirit?

For a pastor, losing honor and trust means losing everything.

Bishop Ryan may be able to quell the storm with his seniority and connections, but he is destined to lose a great deal.

Those genuine trusts and aspirations, those shared beliefs that create resonance and harmony, are the most precious assets.

"Is it worth it, young man?"

The old shepherd's face darkened, and he shut his mouth without saying a word.

The mediator, Archmage Kurna, sighed. He was too lazy to try to mediate anymore; the two sides were already certain to become mortal enemies.

He was just somewhat amazed that this young man was so brave, he had completely offended people.

But is it really worth it? As Bishop Ryan said before, the assassin behind it could also come from the Church of the Good God. Wouldn't it be better for everyone to make money together?

"Om."

Rean raised the sheathed holy sword, from which holy light emanated.

It illuminated Rean's cheeks and the path beneath his feet.

No response is needed, nor are empty words required; that is enough.

Since some people are destined to be apart, if you're blocking my way, let's see who dies first.

Kind, ordinary people can be exploited by you, but now that I have power and I dislike you, why should I tolerate it?

“A purely benevolent knight? Then you certainly can’t stand it. Fine, we shouldn’t get involved either. But the kingdom is currently in turmoil, so let’s proceed with caution.”

Just as Rean had anticipated, when this middle force representing the mage world got involved, since there was no intention to wage a full-scale war, some things naturally came to an end.

But Rean has already achieved his goal, so those notes and exchange certificates are actually of little significance, and even the great shepherd who willingly offered himself up to enjoy the stain of history is not important.

The important thing is that you got slapped in the face, and then you didn't slap back.

You've gone soft.

Rean's town was attacked, but the losses were not significant; in fact, it could be said that he "gained" something. However, Rean still wanted to fight back, even though he knew that the attackers were not actually related to the slave market itself, but rather to the stakeholders behind it. Rean still wanted to slap the slave market in the dock area.

Now that Rean has returned, it seems the slave markets and the forces behind them are next.

"Come on, hit me here! If I don't, you're a coward!"

As a paladin, Rean's behavior was undeniably crude, but that crudeness and unreasonableness formed a stark contrast to the "noble" bishop.

The old pastor was furious, but then he jumped in, trying to protect his purse strings and "supply channels." By leaving the arena, he had lost all justification for remaining "noble." Once you're in the dogfighting ring, don't pretend to be a gentleman.

Gentlemen? Devout shepherds guiding "cattle and sheep"? Heaven knows how chaotic your mess is.

The old man didn't stay long. The stares around him were too piercing. Even though most of the people here weren't clean, they weren't stupid enough to suffer the consequences. The paladin then exposed their hypocrisy.

After that old bastard ran away, Rean also achieved his goal.

He remained within the rules, yet subtly crossed some of their limitations, redeeming the receipt for 200% of its value.

Yes, I am robbing, legally robbing. Try to stop me if you dare.

Rean prioritized using resources on slaves who hadn't escaped, focusing on artisans, laborers, and professional seeds. He also prioritized sending out scouts to detect evil, allowing them to target some "good people."

As for the property in the slave market, Rean had little interest in it. On the one hand, he was not short of money for the time being because he had a sponsor, and on the other hand, he found it dirty.

"Haha, you have no idea how angry that old guy was, his face turned black."

After bringing the "spoils of war" back to the underground town, Rean returned home and happily reported to his "superior".

Judging from the smile on Dania's face in the mirror, she seemed to admire Rean's actions as well.

"Ha, those hypocritical bastards, always telling me I can't do this or that."

Believe it or not, Rean really did become Dania's weapon this time.

As a voter, Dania gained more say, but this was not without cost. As a voter who had surrendered her "soul" to the gods, her stance would be questioned.

The various churches under the gods regard them as the most dangerous competitors. They show the utmost respect on the surface, but their lack of cooperation behind the scenes is equally extreme. There are only so many faiths; if you have more, I have less. There is only so much territory; if you take it, I have nothing left.

Those people certainly wouldn't confront her directly, but they would definitely use various tactics like giving her the cold shoulder, delaying her, and refusing to cooperate, in any way they could prevent her "Mirror Woman Church" from expanding.

But when Rean slapped a group of people, the common people would think that a great shepherd was "evil," and would naturally think that other great priests were the same.

If he can achieve his goals, Rean doesn't mind becoming someone else's tool.

However, there is some merit to this skepticism. If Rean hadn't known that Dania's identity as a voter was questionable, he wouldn't have been able to fully trust her. What trust can you have when your soul is in someone else's hands?

If you truly want to trust, you should talk to the deity who holds the soul.

"But I'm afraid many bishops in the church will have a problem with you, and may even avoid you."

The saying goes, "When the rabbit dies, the fox grieves," and "Those of one's own kind grieve." Are the other bishops truly without problems? After holding high positions for so long, how many can maintain their former purity and individuality?

Even their most friendly ones would probably see Rean as a dangerous troublemaker. The Great Shepherd also had many friends and acquaintances, and those within the circle would naturally be hostile to the "attacks" from those outside the circle.

If Rean can disregard Ryan's feelings, he can certainly disregard the feelings of other churches.

“It’s okay, my situation is similar to yours, they will soon dislike me quite a bit.”

Rean was referring to the "god of drama and pleasure," and anyone who acted in the name of a god would naturally become a competitor.

There will also be a false god behind Rean, but these things are hard to say. At that time, the other party probably will not regard Rean as a troublemaker, but as a major enemy!
"Uh, you haven't given up yet?" Dania responded subtly. She had also heard some news from certain channels, and that the god seemed to be in quite bad shape.

"At least, let's meet. I always felt that person couldn't be that simple. Perhaps, he is trustworthy."

Rean sighed. Some things had to be faced.

After humiliating that high priest, the synchronization rate of 32% suddenly increased significantly, and I'll probably see him in person tonight.

However, this bizarre growth doesn't seem like an approval of "doing good deeds" at all; it seems more like "the gods being pleased."

"Perhaps this deity holds other deities in contempt. Would it please him to humiliate them?"

It seems there's no need to guess anymore; the destined meeting is right before our eyes.

(End of this chapter)