Alone and Infinite.

Chapter 501: Outsider

A seemingly ordinary drunken brawl resulted in a death.

This was something no one in the tavern had expected, and their alcohol-induced haze cleared somewhat.

He lowered his arm, which had been waving enthusiastically, and slowly shuffled backward.

"Bang!"

The tavern door was closed by the plump waitress, who snorted coldly with an extremely unpleasant expression:
"Don't leave! Wait for the Church of Divine Word to come!"

Li Xia, from the Church of Holy Proclamation, swept his gaze around the tavern again, and heard that the drunkards of the Church of Holy Proclamation seemed to have completely gotten rid of the effects of alcohol.

But no one dared to run away; some even stood there dejectedly waiting.

But Li Xia wasn't focused on that; he was more concerned with something more secretive.

"Hey, Black Charcoal, did you guys notice anyone leaving the tavern just now, or doing anything unusual?"

"no!"

"Meow!"

That's strange. Li Xia figured that if someone had just gone out or used special methods, they definitely wouldn't have escaped his senses.

Even though nothing was done, everyone in the tavern assumed that the Church of Divine Proclamation would know and that they would arrive very soon.

Is it a special surveillance method?

"Boom!"

There was a loud knock on the door behind them, a knock that seemed to strike at everyone's heart.

The chubby waiter practically jumped away in a panic, then bent down with difficulty and flashed a fawning smile at the still-closed door.

"Boom!"

The heavy wooden door was pushed open, and the entire tavern fell silent. Everyone hurriedly lowered their heads, not daring to look at the figure standing at the door.

Li Xia peered through the gaps in the crowd at the middle-aged man wearing a white fitted robe.

He had a neatly trimmed mustache and a small, one-handed hammer hanging from his waist.

He was holding a thick book in his hand, and his exquisite leather boots creaked on the wooden floor.

"The church sensed that someone had passed away here."

A deep, hoarse voice came from the priest as he took a few steps forward, the small, one-handed hammer hanging from his hand swaying with his movements.

"Bishop Collins, two drunkards are fighting each other—"

The owner, who had been hiding behind the counter, rushed over, rubbing his hands together with a forced smile.

Collins raised a hand to silence the tavern owner, his dark gold eyes fixed on the drunkard lying on the ground, mouth agape and lifeless.

There was also the murderer, who had sobered up and was now slumped on the ground, trembling with fear.

He said in a low voice, "To stand by and watch a fight instead of intervening is punishable by five strokes of the cane according to the law!"

The sound of orderly footsteps echoed outside, and several church clergymen clad in black armor entered, taking barbed steel whips from their sides.

"No—Sir, we—"

Before the hotel owner could say anything more, Collins pointed at him with his finger.

The black-armored guard immediately strode forward, pinned him to the ground, and lashed out with his thorny whip, striking him with a whooshing sound.

Each lash of the terrifying thorn whip scraped away a layer of flesh, and the boss's screams grew louder and louder.

After the five lashes were finished, he lay on the ground, his flesh mangled and bloody, letting out low moans.

“Your sins have been settled, and you are still the Lamb of the Lord.”

A hint of pity flashed across Collins' face as he knelt on one knee and gently placed a hand on the tavern owner's back.

A soft light flashed, and the wounds inflicted by the thorn whips were healing at a visible speed.

In the blink of an eye, the tavern owner recovered from his injuries, stood up weakly, and bowed with fear and timidity:
"Thank you, my Lord."

Collins nodded, then casually circled his finger around the area. The black-armored guards immediately rushed in and pinned everyone to the ground.

The so-called whipping punishment began, with one person being whipped and then treated. Howling and Black Charcoal, watching from the perimeter, were dumbfounded.

"No, this person must have some serious illness, right? They're being beaten and treated at the same time."

"It is somewhat peculiar—"

Li Xia pondered for a moment in the team channel:
"Most religions are seductive and intimidating, such as promising punishment for not believing in me or violating my rules."

But this Church of the Holy Word seems to directly settle accounts for sins.
Once the investigation is completed, the person will be found innocent.

It's a bit like ————

Li Xia paused: "Do you consider yourself a god?"

He was also very concerned about what Collins said when he first came in.

'The church sensed the passing of life'

Does that mean the entire city is under their surveillance? Or can they only monitor living beings?
What about yourself?

He stared thoughtfully at the crowd that was almost finished with the executions when suddenly Collins looked up at him.

Those golden eyes held a smile that seemed gentle yet was actually cold.

Li Xia's muscles slowly tensed, preparing for battle.

Although he didn't really want to fight at this moment, he wasn't afraid of fighting either.

Collins walked toward Li Xia and stopped in front of the table.

He carefully examined Li Xia and nodded:

"Outsiders are welcome to Ogan."

"Thank you."

Li Xia remained seated at the table, continuing to remain vigilant.

"As the bishop of the Holy Prophecy Church in Ogan City, I would like to give you some advice."

Collins wore that seemingly gentle but actually cold smile:
"Now that we have come to Ogan, it is best to do as the locals do, such as worshiping our Savior with the local residents."

Maintaining sufficient respect for the Church of the Word of God is the foundation for your survival here.

Do you understand?

Li Xia nodded calmly and thanked him again:

"Thank you. I might go take a look when I have time."

Collins nodded as well, gave Li Xia another deep look, and waved.

"let's go."

The black-armored guard silently hoisted the corpse onto his shoulder and left the tavern, accompanied by the clattering sound of his armor.

Only when the figures of these black-armored guards disappeared down the street under the watchful eyes of the patrons did they finally breathe a long sigh of relief.

The various noises merged into a low hum, and no one dared to complain or grumble about the Church of the Holy Word.

They then began blaming each other, accusing each other of standing by and watching the spectacle without stepping in to stop it.

This then evolved into the tavern owner bearing an inescapable responsibility.

They demanded free drinks or a discount, but the tavern owner wouldn't budge.

Soon, the small tavern was filled with an extremely strong smell of gunpowder again.

The two argued fiercely, their faces flushed, sleeves rolled up, and they looked ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

In this chaotic situation, Li Xia stood up, looked at the faint light outside, pondered for a moment, and then said:
Let's go for a walk.

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1. Monthly pass 2. Recommendation vote

(End of this chapter)