I was a lord farming, how did I become an emperor?

Chapter 353 Temple Ruins
……

……

"Squeak!"

The heavy iron gate emitted a harsh scraping sound.

Two guards roughly pushed Manxiu into the cell.

Manxiu lost his balance and nearly fell.

But he quickly regained his balance, calmly straightened his wrinkled collar, and looked around.

There were already four women in the cell, all of whom looked very young.

It was the same four members of the Church of Dawn who had been arrested with him earlier, sitting on a pile of straw in the corner, dressed in prisoner's robes.

"Manxiu?"

One of the young deacons immediately stood up.

She walked over quickly and looked Manxiu up and down.

"Are you OK?"

Did they torture you?

The other two deacons also came over, looking at Manxiu with concern.

The priestess also opened her eyes, looking at Mansh with gentle eyes.

"Thanks be to my Lord."

The priest said softly, "You've finally returned safely."

Manxiu nodded slightly and patted the dust off his clothes.
"Don't worry."

Manxiu's voice was calm and composed, without the slightest hint of panic. "I'm fine. They just asked me some questions; they didn't use any torture."

The three deacons breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."

"We've heard that those who get arrested often meet a terrible end, and we've been worried about you."

"Will not."

Manxiu shook his head slightly and glanced around warily.

He then lowered his voice and said, "I know the captain who interrogated me."

"know?"

The three deacons looked surprised.

Manxiu nodded.

“Do you remember when I was a merchant in the North? That’s where I met Sao, who is now the commander of the guard.”

“I gave him a lot of gifts before, and we have a very good relationship.”

Manshu said cautiously, "He told me not to worry, he would help me."

As soon as he finished speaking, all four of them stared intently at Manxiu, their eyes filled with disbelief.

"You mean, we still have a chance to leave here?" the priest asked in a low voice.

“Yes, Priest Laura, I sent him to my family. My mother will give him a good reward.”

"He'll find five scapegoats," Mansh said, "but we must leave the Shattered Rock Empire."

Manshu sighed deeply, "I must also leave the family."

The cell suddenly became quiet.

The group exchanged glances, and Priest Laura slowly stood up.
“Manshu, thank you for your generosity,”

Laura's voice was filled with gratitude and guilt.
"Don't worry, as long as you escape successfully, as my lord's most loyal servant, I can guarantee you a prosperous life even if you don't stay in the Shattered Rock Empire."

"You...you have a way to escape the Shattered Rock Empire?"

Manshu looked surprised, then said with a hint of helplessness, "My friend can only help us escape from Riftrock City; the rest is up to us..."

“Of course, as long as you’re willing to come with us,” Priest Laura said confidently.

"I am willing!"

Manshu bowed slightly, "I am willing to serve my lord for the rest of my life!"

"Great."

Priest Laura's eyes were full of joy. "With such a steadfast faith as yours, our Lord will surely protect you."

"May my Lord protect you."

Manxiu softly echoed, then took a step forward, lowering his voice even further, "Everyone, take a good rest these few days and get your energy back."

The four nodded in unison and sat down one after another.

Silence returned to the cell.

Only the occasional sound of footsteps from the guards could be heard in the distance.

Time passes quickly.

Four days later.

The sky outside the window gradually darkened.

Moonlight streamed through the iron bars into the cell, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Late at night.

Heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor, mixed with the sound of armor rubbing together.

Footsteps stopped outside the cell door, the sound of a key being inserted into the lock rang out, and the iron door was suddenly pushed open.

The five men in the cell were startled awake, and groggily raised their heads.
A guard, fully encased in armor, stood at the door.

His helmet was pulled down so low that his face was completely obscured.

"Is that you, Sao?" Manshu asked in a low voice, his face filled with surprise.

Without a word, the guard tossed a package to the five men and ordered, "Change into this and come with me."

"it is good!"

Manxiu didn't say much and immediately opened the package.

Inside was a black cloak, which Mansh quickly put on.

The other four did not dare to be negligent and all put on cloaks.

The guards vigilantly surveyed the surroundings, and after everyone had changed, they waved their hands and gestured for me to follow them.

Manxiu quickly stood up, pulled Laura along, and the five of them lined up and followed the guards out of the cell.

The corridor was deserted.

The guard who was supposed to be on duty has disappeared.

Only the torches burned on the walls, making a crackling sound.

The guards led them through the corridors, down the stairs, and through one passage after another.

Finally, we passed through the small door and stepped into a dark alley.

"Follow me."

The guard lowered his voice and warned, "Don't make a sound."

The five people nodded and walked through the dark alleys, enjoying the cool night breeze.

The alley is lined with dilapidated wooden houses and stone walls, with various kinds of garbage and waste piled up in the corners.

Turn left and right, passing through one narrower and narrower passage after another.

Four clergy members from the Church of Dawn lifted the hems of their robes, carefully avoiding the sewage and garbage on the ground.

Finally, the guard stopped at a corner, moved the broken box on the ground, and revealed a dark hole underneath.

An indescribable stench wafted from the cave entrance, resembling the sour smell of swill mixed with excrement.

Even Manxiu covered his nose, and the four young girls couldn't help but gag.

"Go through here, and someone will be waiting outside,"

The guard lowered his voice and warned sternly, "Remember, never let anyone see your faces, and you can't use your old names anymore."

Manshu bowed deeply to the guard, "Thank you so much, Sao. If I have the chance, I will definitely repay this kindness!"

"Is this... a sewer?"

One of the deacons swallowed hard, his voice clearly showing resistance, "We're going to leave this way?"

The other two female deacons also looked pained, their brows furrowed.

“If you can’t take it, go back to prison and wait to die.”

The guard said expressionlessly, "If it weren't for Manxiu, I would have already chopped off all four of your heads."

"Sorry, that's not what they meant. They just need time to adjust."

Mansh hurriedly explained, then looked at Priest Laura, "This is our only chance."

"This is a test from the Lord for us."

Priestess Laura said softly, "Physical pain is temporary."

"As long as our faith is firm, the Lord will lead us out of the darkness."

Priestess Laura stepped forward first, lifted her robe, and bent down to enter the black hole.

The other three female deacons exchanged glances.

"Lord, grant me strength."

A deacon prayed softly as she followed Laura.

After the other two deacons entered, Manshu looked at the guards and nodded vigorously.

Then it disappeared into the black hole.

The guard glanced at the black hole and put the box back on.

Then the guards came out of the alley, and Gala came to greet them.

"Is it done?" Gala asked.

"Ah."

The guard said in a deep voice, "The worker bees have already been released. Have your falcon notify our people."

……

……

The five men held their breath and hurried across the filthy, stinking ditch.

"Finally out!"

Manxiu breathed a sigh of relief, while the other four looked at their filthy robes with disgust.

One of the young female deacons squatted down and started crying.

"enough."

Laura walked over and said sternly, "We made it out alive; that's already a blessing from God."

"Let's get out of here quickly."

Manxiu whispered a reminder, "I'm worried it might not be safe."

"Ah."

Laura nodded and pulled up the butler who was squatting on the ground. "Hurry up and catch up."

Manxiu walked ahead along the edge of the stinking ditch and soon spotted a carriage parked by the roadside in the distance.

A middle-aged man with his face covered stood next to the carriage; he also noticed Manxiu and the others.

"Come on!"

The middle-aged man waved, "Time to go!"

Manxiu's eyes lit up, and he quickly ran up to her.

"It's Sao..."

"Yes, yes, let's go!"

The middle-aged man urged Manxiu to get into the carriage, and the other four followed suit.

"drive!"

As soon as the middle-aged man cracked his whip, the carriage started moving.

The wheels rolled on the ground, making a jumbled noise, and sped southward into the night.

"We finally escaped safely!"

Manshu leaned back in the carriage and let out a long sigh of relief. "I'll have to rely on you now, Priest Laura."

"Don't worry, Mansh."

Laura nodded seriously and promised, "I will take good care of you after we leave here."

"You must have spent a lot of gold coins to get us out of prison so easily, right?"

Laura remarked, "Those guards must be very greedy, otherwise there wouldn't be a single one in the prison."

"I don't know, but my mother may have given everything for me."

Manxiu lowered his head, looking very disappointed.

Laura sat down next to Menshu and took his arm. "It's okay, I'll take care of you from now on."

……

After three days of travel.

Manshu and his companions arrived at a small mountain town in the north-central part of the southern province.

As a precaution, the carriages have been replaced four or five times and are no longer the same as the original ones.

Even so, when they were almost at the town, Laura got off the carriage and led the group on foot.

Laura did not lead the group into the town, but instead turned around and headed towards the valley next to the town.

Why did we stop? Where are we going?

Manshu asked in surprise, "Aren't we supposed to be leaving the Shattered Stone Empire?"

"Don't rush, come with me."

With a mysterious smile on her face, Laura led the group into the dense forest of the valley.

After traveling through the valley for half a day, Manxiu spotted a dilapidated ruin in the distance.

"That is……"

"Our refuge."

Laura said with a smile.

No sooner had he finished speaking than four or five figures suddenly emerged from the woods on the hillside.

They were dressed in exquisite armor and had solemn expressions.

One of the tall, handsome knights stared coldly at Laura and said, "Laura, you shouldn't have brought outsiders here."

“This stranger you speak of is our Lord’s faithful servant, who spent most of his wealth to save us.”

Laura retorted without hesitation, "Jester, you are not qualified to judge me."

Laura ignored the crowd in front of her and led Manshu towards the ruins.

As they approached the ruins, Lara suddenly turned around and walked into the nearby woods. In front of a dense thicket of bushes, she raised her hand.

Immediately following, a series of transparent ripples spread like water, the bushes vanished abruptly, and a dark cave entrance appeared before everyone's eyes.

“This, this…” Manxiu’s eyes widened.

"It's just an illusion, don't worry."

Laura smiled and said, "Let's go."

After saying that, she raised her hand and released a ball of light, then stepped into the cave, with Manxiu following behind.

The air inside the cave was damp and cold, and the walls were covered with moss.

As they reached the corner, a downward staircase appeared before Manxiu.

Manshu realized that this was not a natural cave, but some kind of ancient architectural remnant.

As you descend the steps, light soon appears below.

A stone wall covered in moss came into view, with a pointed archway in the middle and two Templar Knights in armor standing on either side.

"Priest Laura".

The Templar Knights bowed respectfully, clearly indicating that Lara's status was not low.

Laura simply nodded slightly and led Mansh inside.

Inside is a vast underground space, with towering stone pillars supporting the dome, stone bricks paving the floor, and intricate religious murals carved on the walls.

Manshu looked around and realized that this should be the ruins of a temple.

"Priest Laura, you've come at the perfect time."

A deacon in a grey robe approached and said, "A meeting is being held in the inner chamber to discuss how to retaliate against Duke Rhodes."

"it is good."

Laura instructed the deacon, "These three are my deacons, and this is Mansh, a steadfast believer of my Lord. Please make sure they are settled in properly."

"Yes."

The deacon nodded respectfully. "Please follow me, all four of you."

After finishing his sentence, the butler walked towards the other side hall. Manshu glanced at Laura and followed the butler away.

Lara walked straight ahead, passing through three pointed archways, and entered the inner sanctum of the temple.

A dozen or so people were gathered in the temple, all wearing black and gray robes.

The difference lies in the badges on their chests, which are all different.

"Priest Laura, you've come at the perfect time."

A middle-aged man wearing a gray robe and a sun-patterned dawn badge on his chest stood up.

"We are discussing and preparing to assassinate the nobles around Duke Rhodes."

"It is almost impossible to assassinate Rhodes himself directly."

The middle-aged man said, "Then let's deal with his men first."

"Legion Commander Durant, Gunle who guards the border, and Lusen of the Dawn Society, Linda, and so on."

“Killing these people, even if it doesn’t harm Rhodes, will severely damage his power.”

"Hmm, that's a good idea."

Laura nodded slightly. "It's not just the soldiers, but also the army blacksmiths, quartermasters, and clerks."

"If we eliminate all these people, then Rhodes' army will be completely paralyzed."

After Laura finished speaking, everyone's eyes lit up.
"good idea!"

"These people are all useless. Killing them is easier than stepping on an insect!"

"We can easily send a few people to infiltrate the city and carry out this mission!"

……

People from various churches echoed her sentiments and agreed with Laura's suggestion.

"But we only have one chance."

Laura spoke again, her voice deep and serious: "Rhodes isn't stupid either; he'll launch a fierce counterattack as soon as he realizes what's happening."

"We must leave this place after the kill is over, so we must plan our escape route in advance."

Everyone nodded in unison.

Rhodes' rise to power was rapid, and such a person must be extraordinary; no one can afford to be careless.

"Then let's start making plans."

"It would be best to find someone familiar with Riftrock City so that our plan can proceed smoothly."

"Not only Riftrock City, but also Stone City, Flower City, and so on. We must take revenge on them all at once."

"No, we must concentrate our efforts!"

……

People from different churches started talking over each other, and the inner sanctuary quickly became noisy.

Laura shook her head, a hint of impatience flashing in her eyes.

She bent down and said to her middle-aged companion, "You continue the discussion here, I will go and consult my lord."

“If our lord’s messenger does not agree, this counterattack is nothing but a reflection of the moon in the water.”

“You’re right, Priest Laura, go.” the middle-aged priest said.

Laura nodded and left the inner sanctuary.

She strode outside, asked the waiting butler Mansh about his location, and then headed straight for the butler's quarters.

Manshu had just lain down when he saw Laura come in, and he immediately got up.

"Priest Laura..."

Before Mansh could finish speaking, Laura reached out and interrupted him.

"Come with me, I need your help with something important."

After saying that, Laura turned and walked out of the dormitory.

Manxiu hurriedly followed Laura's footsteps.

Lara led Mansh through the temple ruins, eventually entering a spiral staircase that led downwards.

After the stairs reached the end, a closed pointed archway appeared before us.

Laura lowered her head, closed her eyes, and murmured twice before the door opened.

A spacious hall suddenly appeared before our eyes.

Unlike the one above, the interior of this hall is cylindrical, and seven huge stone tablets stand on the surrounding walls.

Each stone tablet is over three meters tall, and its surface is densely covered with complex runes.

On the ground between the stone tablets, various runes and lines intertwine and entwine, forming complex geometric patterns.

At the center of the design is a circular stone slab about two meters in diameter, with an exceptionally smooth and flat surface.

Manxiu stood at the gate, looking at the scene before him, and gradually felt a sense of oppression coming from the stone tablets.

"Where is this place?" Manshu asked cautiously.

"An ancient teleportation array."

Laura entered the hall and explained, "In ancient times, wizards used this kind of magic circle to teleport between different cities, instantly traversing thousands of miles."

"This is...this is amazing!"

Manshu's eyes widened. "Then we merchants won't be needed anymore!"

"But this magic circle is no longer usable."

Laura shook her head helplessly. "We don't have the magic crystal to activate it."

"Pity."

Manxiu sighed, then asked, "So, why did you bring me here?"

"We modified this magic circle."

Laura interrupted Mansh, saying, "Although it can't be used for teleportation, it can be used to communicate with our Lord's messengers and to guide us to obey our Lord's instructions."

She beckoned to Manxiu, "Come here and stand on the central platform."

"Ok."

Manxiu nodded.

Although he was a little scared, he obediently walked into the stone circle, carefully avoiding the lines on the ground, and stood on the circular platform.

Laura followed him in and took Manshu's wrist.

She then pulled a dagger from her sleeve and slashed it across Manxiu's wrist without warning!

The sharp blade cut through the skin and blood vessels, and blood gushed out instantly!

"what!"

Manxiu cried out in surprise and instinctively tried to pull his hand back!
But Laura was incredibly strong; her fingers gripped Mansh's wrist like iron clamps.

"Priest Laura, what are you doing?!"

Menshu looked at Laura in a panic.

"let me go!"

Manxiu struggled violently, but suddenly felt that he had lost control of his body and was firmly trapped on the platform!

At the same time, blood flowed down Manxiu's wrist and dripped onto the platform beneath his feet.

"Buzz!"

The runes on the ground lit up one after another, and the entire magic circle was quickly illuminated!

The red light flowed within the magic circle, just like blood flowing in a vein!
The runes on the stone tablet began to flash red, and a low humming sound filled the air!
Laura took a few steps back and stood between the stone tablets.

"do not worry."

Laura's voice was calm.
“This magic circle needs a medium, and your soul, which believes in our Lord, is very suitable.”

"I saved you, and you want to kill me!"

Manxiu struggled desperately, but felt that the air around him was so thick that it trapped him and he couldn't move at all!

“This is your honor, Mansh, you should feel fortunate, no one else is worthy of it.”

Laura said calmly, "You will thank me when you ascend to the Kingdom of My Lord."

After saying that, Laura began to chant a spell in a low voice.

Blood gushed from Manxiu's wrist, flowing faster and more profusely than from a normal wound.

At the same time, Manshu felt a strong sense of powerlessness gradually creeping into his body, making him drowsy.

"Oh!"

Just then, a loud bang came from above Laura's head!
Laura was startled and stopped chanting the spell, instinctively looking up.

The next moment, shouts and screams rang out one after another.

(End of this chapter)