Today, they too are going to their deaths.

Inside the villa marked with a plaque that reads "Gourmet Club".

Nearly 80% of the senior believers of the local Snake Worship Church gathered here to enjoy a rare food tasting event.

After fierce competition in terms of color, aroma, taste, and ease of preparation, many delicacies brought by believers from various places, such as Yorkshire lamb chops, bouillabaisse, and Provençal stew, have been eliminated. Now, only Earl's roast pigeon and rainbow oysters remain for the final showdown.

Exquisite cuisine must be seasoned with an equally fascinating story; culture and wisdom are the flavors that snakes cherish most.

"So, you worked as a cook for a count for three days just to learn his sauce recipe, and he didn't even notice? Ha, you really are a clever snake!"

"Thank you for the compliment. I appreciate such praise; it fully demonstrates my patience and ability."

The believer who brought the Earl's roasted pigeon gladly accepted the praise from his senior, revealing a reserved smile, and waited for his opponent to give his answer.

His opponent chuckled and said in a mysterious tone, "The story of the Rainbow Oyster begins with my last voyage."

"My sailors and I crossed Cape Despair, following the route where the Salt Mountain was supposedly sighted. We were prepared to prove it was just another rumor, grab some souvenirs, and leave, but instead we encountered a storm."

"Even my magic ship is powerless against the wrath of the sea god. We desperately tried to find a safe place, but a giant octopus traveling with the storm targeted us. Its tentacles were longer than the ship's mast, and with a single twist, it tore one of my crew members in two."

"I fought it fiercely with a scimitar and a musket, but those weapons were nothing but toothpicks in the face of a monster that was beyond human strength to defeat."

"I can only pray to the power of the serpent god, that the gunpowder may transform into a long serpent to entwine it and seize the ship's tentacles, and that the brilliant flames and explosions may temporarily force it back."

"But our canvas was torn, and the boat was almost completely destroyed. My crew and I worked hard to repair it, but before we could even survive the storm, killer crabs washed aboard."

"That abominable monster wanted to kill our new sailor, but my brave and fearless boatswain stepped forward at the crucial moment. He drew the killer crab's attention, and while being cut in half at the waist, he used his scimitar to cleave open the killer crab's eye stalk, creating a perfect opportunity for our trap..."

Just as the story was about to reach its climax, a voice suddenly rang out from outside the door.

"Unregistered denomination followers, your unauthorized assembly has violated the laws of the kingdom. In the name of the Albion royal family, I will punish you."

"I'll give you one minute to surrender."

The most senior believer in the branch, upon hearing this voice, helplessly covered his forehead and sighed, "Probably some blind idiot who parachuted in to try and boost his sales figures by using us."

For various reasons, the Serpent Worshippers were not recognized by the kingdom and were not allowed to preach openly, but they never hesitated to pay taxes, many nobles were their friends, and the royal family turned a blind eye.

Anyone familiar with the Serpent Cult knows they possess a vast number of superhumans. Faced with an "unregistered cult" completely unchecked, any normal person should back down. To insist on confronting this challenge head-on—what else could it be but idiocy?

The senior believer gestured to the contestant, "Go on with your story, I'd love to hear it."

The contestant shook his head, frowned, and warned, "I smell gunpowder; they're probably up to no good."

Before he could finish speaking, the two-inch-thick oak door was blown open from the middle, and wood chips and iron parts flew into the room like shrapnel.

Before the smoke of battle had even cleared, a tall knight clad in full armor had already stepped into the club.

All the believers' eyes were fixed on the knight; they felt a mixture of absurdity and anger.

This is their territory, and they don't welcome impolite guests, especially fools like this who come alone.

Some immediately cast spells, trying to transform the flying wood chips into small snakes; others drew their revolvers, aiming at the knight's hands and feet; still others deemed the enemy insignificant and continued their leisurely meal...

However, the knight moved forward.

Before the incantation was finished and the bullet was fired, she had already crossed most of the hall like a phantom and punched the outermost believer in the chest.

A nearly 80-kilogram adult male was sent flying more than ten meters by a single blow and lost consciousness on the spot.

The atmosphere in the gourmet club became heavy. The believers finally realized that the newcomer's strength was beyond reason, but they had no way to avoid it.

Using the flying human body as cover, the knight reached a dazed spellcaster, grabbed his arm, and pushed hard, causing the bare bones to break free from the skin at the elbow.

The ancient serpent's words immediately turned into a scream, but before the scream could reach its maximum volume, a knee strike slammed into the believer's face, denting his entire cheek.

The knight tossed aside the unconscious believer, using him as a cannonball to send another person flying. Then, with a leisurely stroll, he dodged the forced skinning technique and bullets, and with a single uppercut, sent the believer, who couldn't comprehend that the times hadn't changed in the eyes of some, flying through the air.

The local branch of the Serpent Cult lacked mandatory combat training, and most of its followers had no combat experience; they only possessed magical abilities. The few exceptionally skilled members, however, were unarmed and without sufficient troops, and faced with such a formidable enemy, they simply couldn't muster the will to fight.

Besides one believer who was originally on the second floor checking his hunting rifle, preparing to go out bird hunting.

He hurriedly changed the shotgun to deer bullets, leaned against the second-floor railing, and aimed at the knight.

His hands trembled uncontrollably, and he dared not fire rashly. But to protect the other church members, he focused his mind through prayer and comforted himself: after all, she was just a mindless warrior who fought hand-to-hand. Could she really be wearing such heavy armor and just jump over and knock him unconscious with one punch? At least he was safe for now.

Just aim at the leg joint and shoot...

The believer, who had just put the knight into the scope, was taken aback. He saw that the knight had somehow acquired a magnificent rifle in his hand.

The next instant, the knight suddenly turned his head, raised his gun, and pulled the trigger without aiming.

When the gun-wielding believer came to his senses, his left arm and shotgun had already been shot out. He stood there for a few moments before being overwhelmed by the pain, collapsing to the ground with a groan.

What was supposed to be a relaxed and enjoyable food tasting event has now turned into a mess.

Even the most senior believers had to admit that perhaps only a bishop could easily deal with such a powerful figure. Lacking proper equipment and coordination, they were no better than ants blocking a carriage in the face of this knight.

At the next rally, he must prepare a machine gun and call in more serious combat believers!

Now, he has no choice but to use his last resort.

The senior believer raised his hands and shouted, "We surrender!"

When the believers saw that someone had set an example, they immediately followed suit and raised their hands to shout.

The believer, who was trying to sneak in a little more food, reluctantly raised one hand after being elbowed by his friend, and mumbled surrender with his mouth still full of food.

The knight was satisfied with the surrender, but her purpose was not limited to that.

She said coldly, "If you really want to surrender, then break your little fingers. Or, I'll chop off your hands myself."

Those believers who already felt that surrendering was too humiliating were now trembling with rage.

The secret arts of the serpent require the language of the ancient serpent and hand gestures; severing a finger deprives them of their spellcasting ability. They went through so much hardship to climb out of the abyss, and now that they can finally enjoy themselves, how can they allow someone to push them back in?

But what can they do if they don't cooperate?

If they lose a finger, they can at least retain most of their ability to work; if they lose a hand, they can't even hold a knife and fork anymore.

If there had been a bishop present, the knight would never have had such an opportunity to act so recklessly!

The knight ignored the humiliation and anger of the Serpent Worshippers, calmly counting down: "Ten, nine, eight..."

Without a doubt, the believers knew that when the countdown ended, it would be the time for the knight to personally chop off their hands.

The less resolute believers trembled as they picked up the knives beside them and pointed them at their fingers, while the more cunning believers prepared to flee along the secret passage.

"Looks like I've arrived just in time." A flippant voice interrupted the knight's countdown.

Cui Xun, concealing his figure beneath a black robe and wearing a mask, entered the gourmet club.

He looked around, his gaze finally settling on the knight, and said in a slightly critical tone, "Little knight, you couldn't find the real culprit, so you came here to vent your anger, didn't you?"

The knight did not reply. Her body was tense to the extreme, every organ in her body warning her of the danger posed by the man in the distance. Faced with such a terrifying enemy, she had no chance to hide her strength.

She immediately summoned her contracted rifle and fired nine shots at Cui Xun.

Then, the nine bullets froze in mid-air with an indistinguishable high-speed whistling sound.

High-speed chanting! No hand gestures required! The loose air and the incoming projectile are rendered inert, one forming an air wall and the other forcibly slowing them down!

The knight didn't know what this meant within the cult of snake worship, but she was certain that this new enemy's mastery of the secret arts of snakes far surpassed that of all the believers here.

We can't give him another chance to cast a spell! We must drag him into close combat!

A sudden burst of intense light erupted from the knight's body, causing the believers to wail in pain as if their eyes were about to be blinded, but Cui Xun, standing before the knight, remained unmoved.

Instead, he leisurely took a few steps forward as the knight approached at full speed.

"Little knight, your armor is quite good. It can block spells, and your reaction speed is also quite fast. Close combat is indeed an area where the Serpent Worship Cult is not good, but snakes that have shed their skin are in no way weaker than you in close combat."

Cui Xun's hand firmly enveloped the heavy punch aimed at him.

The knight's pupils suddenly contracted. She struggled to pull her fist out, but instead pulled herself towards the motionless Cui Xun.

Damn it! This isn't a snake, it's a giant python, a anaconda!

In the knight's uncontrolled other hand, a knight's sword, seemingly forged from silver light, suddenly materialized. She wanted to force Cui Xun back by slashing... if she could manage to slash it.

Cui Xun stepped forward again and grasped her hand as she was about to swing her sword.

Now, let alone wielding a sword, she felt as if her wrists were about to be crushed, while the enemy in front of her remained calm and composed, even having the mind to sigh.

"I didn't expect that you, little knight, are weaker than the mechanical horse."

Damn it, this is the very bishop who caused the chaos, and he didn't defeat the mechanical horse by trickery, but by brute force in a fair and square manner!

He is far superior to the bishops she killed; why should they both be bishops?

She would probably need to wear that troublesome steam-powered armor and bring a special forces team to fight against this monster.

But she didn't get another chance.

The knight gritted his teeth and headbutted Cui Xun.

The knight's headbutt, reinforced by the helmet, struck Cui Xun squarely on the head, but instead, the knight felt his head spinning from the impact.

Cui Xun sighed, "Your fighting spirit is truly unwavering, little knight. It's a pity you ran into me. But you should also consider yourself lucky; thankfully, I'm not the radical type who enjoys fighting and killing."

Cui Xun suddenly released his grip, shaking off the knight, and then, before she landed, he took a step forward and flung his right arm joint free.

Lower abdomen, chest, skull.

His arms swung like giant snakes, and the sound of the three punches was amplified into one due to his strange technique.

boom!

Terrifying brute force penetrated the steel and crushed the well-trained body.

The knight felt as if her head was about to be crushed; her body had completely lost its strength, and blood was spilling uncontrollably from her helmet as she retched.

The knight, lying on the ground and unable to even get up, felt that he was going to die.

She could only let Cui Xun remove her helmet, scrutinizing her grey-blue eyes with the same gaze he would use to appraise a commodity, before letting out a soft laugh: "So you're a knight lady. Sorry, your chest is too flat; I didn't notice anything unusual."

"Well then, now you'd better make the most of your position as a hostage and wait for the ransom."

The knight blinked blankly, seemingly not understanding what had happened.

Cui Xun gently explained to her, and also to the other followers of the Snake Worship Cult, "Indiscriminate killing will only deepen unnecessary grudges. I think you stormed the Gourmet Club, seriously injuring several people but not killing a single one, also with this idea in mind."

"Of course, I will also leave you a way out, but I need to leave you with an equal amount of shame, while compensating those believers who have been severely damaged by you."

"I will not let you go until I have enough money to ensure that those severely wounded believers will be financially secure for the rest of their lives."

"If you ever seek revenge, please remember that it was I, the Serpent Worshipping Bishop codenamed 'Mentor,' who severely injured you. Please seek revenge against me, not anyone else."

"Also, could you please tell me your location so I can write a ransom note?"

The knight knew this was the best possible outcome; she not only revealed the location of the stronghold but also wrote a letter herself requesting a ransom.

The believers were even a little frightened for a moment, as they did not expect this unfamiliar bishop to be so considerate.

According to legend, the bishops who completed the molting ritual considered themselves inhuman, becoming incredibly cold-blooded and cruel. As a result, their "mentors" actually considered their future livelihood.

Some eager believers practically started flattering him on the spot: "Respected Teacher, what brings you here from so far away? May we be allowed to become your assistants?"

Cui Xun waved his hand and chuckled, "No need for formalities. I don't like excessive flattery, but I will remember everyone's actions."

"Does any of you know where Ms. Doreen is? She helped me when I was down on my luck, and I owe her a debt of gratitude. I'm now preparing to repay her."

"If I'm not mistaken, she will definitely ask me to help her manage the slums."

"This is definitely a job that will require a lot of manpower, and I will probably need your help a lot."

In order to avoid being exposed in the future, Cui Xun decided to separate his identity as a mentor from his true self. He is trying to build a persona of a mysterious origin, gratitude, approachability, and the ability to recognize and utilize people's talents.

To prevent other believers from interfering with Doreen's actions, Cui Xun decided to give Doreen the identity of a benefactor, so that other believers would give up competing with her and instead try to build a relationship with this benefactor.

The mentor's fighting style should also have the characteristics of the Snake Worship Cult, and his tone should be completely different from his true self. Cui Xun wanted to create a natural, flamboyant, and frivolous persona, portraying a gentleman on the surface but a pleasure-seeker in reality.

These followers of the Serpent Cult, who possess extraordinary power, are not nobles, but they are superior because of their strength. They do not expect fairness; they prefer to be rewarded by a powerful individual who provides appropriate rewards based on their contribution.

Idealists are too far removed from reality; they might even fear such utopian ideals. They are more accepting of a relationship of exploitation and being exploited.

This understanding needs to change gradually over a long period of time. Before that, Cui Xun felt that the persona of a pleasure offender could explain why he would do things that seemed strange to ordinary people.

The pleasurable bishop "Mentor," who comes from humble beginnings, splits the Snake Worship Cult. The cold-blooded hunter "Cui Xun" from afar infiltrates the royal family. He operates in both the underworld and the legitimate world. Next, he needs a third identity: to spread his ideas among the lower and middle classes by writing books.

Of course, he should now do what a bishop should do and make the Serpent Worshippers work for him.