You're my wife, don't doubt it!

Put your head on a sword? Xiao Yao thought. Oh, it's like parading around with your head impaled on the tip of a sword...

"In 1741, with the support of Queen Maria Theresa and the permission of the Papacy, the Watchmen of the Masonic Order were secretly established in Vienna," Karlschderlin continued. "When the Watchmen were first established, they had only one purpose: to fight against Freemasonry, to eliminate Freemasonry's influence on the world, and to prevent Freemasonry from eroding society and the Church."

“Oh,” Xiao Yao replied.

So after all this talk, it all sounds like it's just a private matter between your two families—or rather, a feud. What does this have to do with the Hall of Shadows and the invasion of the Shadows? Xiao Yao wondered.

As if seeing through the boy's doubts, Karlschderin went on to say: "It was also due to their continuous observation of the Freemasons that the Watchers of the Shadow Realm discovered the existence of the Shadow Realm very early on—the Freemasons discovered them first and tried to use some means to open a passage between us and the other side in order to achieve their ulterior motives."

"What is this ulterior motive?" Yu Luying, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up.

“According to the intelligence we have, it’s roughly called: cleansing this filthy world,” Karlschderin replied. “Of course, it’s done according to their ideas, standards, and will.”

“Purify, what a sophisticated choice of words. Isn’t it just cleansing?” Shen Jie pondered. “So, specifically, does it mean cleansing a person’s mind and will through the temple, forcing them to repent and publicly confess?”

“That was just the beginning, and one way of using it,” Karlschdellin told Shen Jie. “Think about it, this is a technology that can change people’s hearts and control their souls. They can use it to do whatever they want.”

"To make people repent, to make them brain dead, to make them commit suicide, to make them stupid, to make them completely different people, or to make them a puppet of someone or some organization..." Yu Luying said, "Just thinking about it makes me shudder. The brainwashing techniques of the masses."

“That’s right. This weapon should not exist in the first place, because it violates the free will that God has given to mankind,” Karlschderin nodded. “No matter what the initial motivation is, whether it is good or evil, even God or angels cannot forcibly change a person’s mind. As the saying goes, ‘Holding a weapon in one’s hand, the desire to kill arises.’ Once you start using it, it will definitely not produce good results in the end, and even the user himself cannot control it.”

Xiao Yao, Shen Jie, and Yu Luying looked at each other, all three feeling like they had been caught in the crossfire.

“And the true purpose of the Freemasons, we speculate, is to merge the world of the shadows with the real world,” Karlschdellin said slowly, “that is, what they call the Great Commission, and all of this has already begun.”

The three children looked at each other, each of them feeling a chill run down their spines.

Xiao Yao raised his hand and asked, "Why is it only starting now after 300 years?"

“Both of us,” Karl Schering said, spreading his hands, “whether it’s the Watchers of the Shadowlands or the Freemasons, our understanding and utilization of the Shadowworld has always been at a stage of hovering outside the door, and for the past 300 years, we have been working to counterbalance their power and prevent them from opening that door.”

Xiao Yao nodded and said, "That makes sense—so, since this power is so dangerous, did you call the three of us here today to ask us never to use the power of the Spirit Fortress again?"

“On the contrary,” Karlschdellin shook his head and said, “you should know that we invited you to meet today to invite you to join the Watchers of the Brightworld.”

The three children exchanged a glance.

Karlschderin continued, “You must continue to use your power, under the supervision and restraint of the Watchers of Light, to use it for good, to fight against the forces of evil, until the day we completely close the passage.”

“In other words,” Xiao Yao pondered, “we use the power of the fortress so that we will no longer be able to use its power in the future.”

“Absolutely correct.” Karlschderin applauded.

“You just mentioned,” Xiao Yao said calmly, “that under the supervision and constraints of the Mingye Watchers, I would like to ask, why do we do this? I mean, why put ourselves in shackles?”

"Xiao Yao!" Yu Luying called out, and Yu Bo also glanced at him.

Karlschdellin remained calm, as if he had anticipated this question: "Because you respect and abide by order, and your heart is pure and kind. For some time now, Mr. Yu has been observing you, supervising your use of power, and watching your every move."

Xiao Yao glanced at Yu Bo, who looked directly into his eyes.

“You have proven yourselves, your strength, and your pure hearts and wills,” Karlschderin said, spreading his hands. “Therefore, with Mr. Yu’s guarantee, we allow, no, we sincerely invite you to join us in our efforts to keep the threat of the Shadow out of this world.”

“I’ll join!” Yu Luying answered without hesitation, her voice steady and firm.

"Silly girl!" Shen Jie was startled.

“Yingying…” Xiao Yao also felt that Yu Luying had agreed too hastily and quickly.

“Hahahaha…” Karlschderlin laughed, “Miss Yu’s sincerity is commendable, but it would be more prudent to make a decision after fully understanding us and carefully considering our options.”

"Yes, yes, we should understand first, then consider, and then decide," Shen Jie quickly said.

“No need,” Yu Luying insisted without hesitation. “I believe in my uncle and in his career.”

“Yingying…” Yu Bo was a little touched.

“Moreover, this is something with a noble sense of mission,” Yu Luying said. “For the past ten years or so, I have been doubting the meaning of my existence. I feel like I am a child who should not have been born. No one, no one, wanted me to be born. Grandpa, Mom, Dad, whoever they are, no one wanted me to be born.”

“Silly sister…” Shen Jie murmured.

“Yingying…” Xiao Yao said to Yu Bo.

“I keep asking God, why did you bring me into this world?” Yu Luying continued, “Is this a punishment, or… In any case, I have never been able to find out what my mission in this world is… or what the meaning of my existence is.”

"And now, I feel like I've found it."

"From Xiao Yao, I found the meaning of love and being needed."

"From Shen Jie, I found another kind of love, true friendship, the willingness to give up and share everything for a friend."

“I have misunderstood my mother all along. In fact, my mother loves me very much and she is a good mother. It’s just that she has problems with how she expresses herself many times.”

"And Grandpa... Although I can't say I've completely forgiven him, he still has feelings for me in his heart..."

Even if I can't be sure about any of the above, even if it's all just me deceiving myself, at least I'm willing to believe in Uncle Yu Bo, and willing to dedicate myself to Chong... to a cause of value.

“For a long time, I’ve been skeptical about God’s existence, neither believing nor denying it. Or rather, I thought He existed, but He never cared about the lives of humans, at least not mine. I never heard His voice,” Yu Luying concluded. “But now I know that I covered my own ears, unwilling to listen to His voice. That’s why I’ve done many wrong things, many things that violated the commandments and my conscience. I’m used to blaming others, but I’m unwilling to admit that I have a problem. Just like Job said to God, ‘Before I only heard about you, but now my eyes see you…’”

"Uh, wait a minute." Xiao Yao gently put his arm around Yu Luying's shoulder. Her sudden enthusiasm made him feel a little uneasy: "If she joins you, does that mean she can't get married?"

Karlschderlin shook his head and said, "Since the reform in 1965, our current members are divided into single members and married members. As for your personal lives, the three of you don't need to worry about the impact on that aspect."

“That’s alright,” Xiao Yao cautiously confirmed, “What will you do if I don’t join?”

Karlschderlin laughed loudly: "What can we do? Would we force you? Would we say, 'If you don't join, we'll destroy you'?"

When he said "I'll wipe you out," Karlschderin made a particularly childlike gesture and expression, which made Shen Jie burst into laughter.

"So, I can make a decision after I fully understand you and consider it carefully?" Xiao Yao said.

“Of course,” Karl Schdellin said.

That's alright, Xiao Yao thought to himself.

“There’s just one thing,” Karlschdellin added, “when you’re out in the open, try not to mention the name of the Watchers of Light. If you must talk about it, you can call it ‘the organization’ or ‘The work.’”

“I understand, please rest assured, we will definitely keep it a secret.” Xiao Yao nodded and promised, then turned to Yu Bo: “May I ask a few more questions?”

“You can ask any questions you want, as many as you like,” Yu Bo replied. “As long as it’s answerable and doesn’t violate the organization’s confidentiality requirements, I will tell you everything I know about the three of you.”

"So, your Yu family, you, your father, and your brother are all members of the organization?" Xiao Yao asked.

Yu Bo glanced at Karl Schderin, who nodded: "Yes—but you might not believe it, I just found out myself."

"What?" The three little ones were all taken aback.

“The organization communicates in a single thread,” Yu Bo explained. “In order to counter the Freemasons, we learned from their organizational experience. The membership roster is only in the hands of the core members. At the grassroots level—for example, my superior is Mr. Shi, and Shi Hui is my subordinate. That’s all I know. So members of the two organizations may know each other, but they don’t know each other’s identities.”

"Ah..." Xiao Yao said, "Then what was the lost Saint Cloth used for?"

Yu Bo glanced at Karl Schdellin again, who shook his head slightly, almost imperceptibly.

“Okay,” Xiao Yao said, “How did Zhao Xiaomei know about the Saint Cloth and plan such a big attack to take it? Where did her power come from?”

“Zhao Xiaomei is an assistant in the organization,” Karlschdellin continued, “neither Mr. Yu Bo nor I knew about this before—so we have reason to believe that there is a bad person in the organization, or rather, a mole.”

“Ah…” Xiao Yao said.

“After all, the Freemasons are best at disguise and infiltration,” Yu Bo said.

Chapter 333 The Unfortunate Granddaughter-in-Law

2023-09-23

After finishing the meal, Xiao Yao wanted to take the two girls to play on the beach for a while, but Yu Bo personally drove them back to Shanghai.

The three children put on blindfolds again, and after navigating the winding mountain road, they finally returned to the entrance of the Saint Love Hotel. They removed their blindfolds and got into Yu Bo's car.

Shen Jie sat in the passenger seat, chatting idly with Yu Bo; Xiao Yao and Yu Luying sat in the back, holding her little hand. All three of them looked preoccupied and didn't say much.

For Xiao Yao, being able to hold Yu Luying's hand at this moment was something that made him feel incredibly at ease—as long as things don't go wrong at home, there are always more solutions than problems.

Apart from that, there aren't many things that can put his mind at ease.

First of all, Xiao Yao was very uneasy about Yu Luying's sudden enthusiasm, and judging from the firm look in her eyes, it was definitely not something that could be calmed down with just a few words.

After returning to Shanghai, where should I stay? Should I stay at a chain hotel or go back to that 20-yuan-a-day place and be a neighbor of Meiyu?

Xiao Yao wanted to go home. He missed his old doghouse and his precious daughter. He didn't want to wander around anymore, living a life of hardship.

However, he didn't know whether he should take this risk.

Of course, there's also this "Guardians of the Bright Industry," or rather, this "organization," "The work."

Xiao Yao and Shen Jie declined to join the "organization" immediately, citing that they had not yet been baptized and needed to learn more and consider the matter further. However, out of consideration for Yu Bo, becoming an "assistant" was something they could hardly refuse.

Becoming a member grants access to mission funding allocated by the organization, access to the organization's secret knowledge and intelligence, the ability to apply for special relics and equipment, and significant improvement in cultivation level and skill level under the organization's special training.

In comparison, becoming an assistant is a rather unprofitable thing—no money, no equipment, no training, nothing at all, only obligations.

"To contribute to the organization's funding as appropriate, according to one's own ability," is that what it means?

I'm so poor.

"So you're an outsider who's also involved in illegal fundraising, huh?" Xiao Yao thought with a hint of sarcasm.

"What are you thinking about?" Yu Luying asked reproachfully.

What's the reward? Well, the organization will pray for all those who help during daily Mass...

Thank you so much, your family is so generous.

As for the benefits—if you can call them benefits—it's that in terms of the level of "assistance" to the organization, it can be more...depending on the mood, than the members.

"Don't pinch me, it hurts!" Xiao Yao thought to himself. "I'm just slow to learn and have low awareness. You have to give me time."