A group of living inquisitors of the Religious Court of Inquiry .

They're simply priceless!

The Court is nothing short of a miracle created at the start of the Golden Age with the combined efforts of the Church, the Sacred City, various nations, and even the entire human world, for the exploration of the World of Dark .

Every single member was chosen from the cream of the crop of the human world and could be considered geniuses in their own right . The funds and materials spent on cultivating their talents are worth far more than their weight in black gold .

They brought light to the World of Dark, converted the wasteland into fertile soil, and illuminated the depths of the darkness with human civilization . . .

Before the Ma.s.s Retreat caused by the onslaught of catastrophes, they had always been seen as legends .

The possibility that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith might have actually continued to keep them in existence had never even crossed Ye Qingxuan's mind before this!

They may not be members of the first generation, which is known for being the strongest, but even if they are members of the last generation before the disbandment, even though they have nothing left in their possessions, and are almost dying of old age, they definitely still have some remnants of their powers from the past!

Such powers are not in the form of military might that can enable one to fight against a thousand men, nor movements powerful enough to destroy mountains and rivers, but something more fundamental—the legacy that only the Religious Court of Inquiry can preserve and has enabled the Court to nurture new inquisitors continuously .

"Elder s.h.i.+ Dong, allow me to make myself clear, I am here to restore the glory of the Religious Court of Inquiry," Ye Qingxuan said after sorting out his thoughts . He looked at s.h.i.+ Dong, his tone solemn . "I offer you my promise in the name of the sword-bearer . If you help me save Anglo, then as the representative of Anglo, I shall give you the full support of the nation, including the supply of whatever material resources and talent you need .

"Regardless of the stances of the other countries and the Sacred City, I will re-establish the Religious Court of Inquiry . The 400 organists I brought with me are enough to set up a new generation of the Witch Hammer once more—the new judgment knights .

"I give you my word that you will be able to form your own armed forces in the territories of Anglo, not having to answer to anyone but me, including the Emperor of Anglo .

"It'll be like the Chainsaw Fraternity . As long as you follow me, I can give you the status and treatment they have received in Canaan . "

He was greeted with silence . In the silence, only the noise from the old men wrestling beyond the curtain could be heard .

s.h.i.+ Dong's kept his eyes down, seemingly considering what the young man had said, but also perhaps just staring blankly at the air in front of him even though there was nothing but empty s.p.a.ce .

After a long time, he said, "I see . " But only that and nothing else .

Ye Qingxuan frowned . He said, "Elder s.h.i.+ Dong, I feel that I have given my promise with all due sincerity, and the conditions are the most I can offer . I don't like abstruse negotiations and trivial bargainings . If what you expect is a higher price, forgive me, but there's nothing else I can do about it . "

s.h.i.+ Dong sighed . He scratched his face with a finger, wearing a gloomy expression, and spoke with the aid of his metallic prosthetic vocal cords, "Mr . Ye, do you know what was my position in the Religious Court of Inquiry initially?"

Ye Qingxuan waited for the answer quietly .

"Accountant . " s.h.i.+ Dong chuckled and said, "I was an accountant . "

Ye Qingxuan was stunned .

"My apologies, Mr . Ye, I am no purifier nor judge, not even a priest nor clergy . " s.h.i.+ Dong chuckled as if he had long been looking forward to Ye Qingxuan's stricken look . "The last grand knight died two years ago . The only one remaining is me, the accountant .

"Do you need an accountant? Mr . Ye, an accountant to help you evade taxes, audit your accounts, and give out loans?" he said . "I promise, I'm the best man for the job .

"I have even given out war loans and bought bonds from the emperors of various countries in the name of the Sacred City . Each year, we would collect huge amounts of interest from them without mercy, turning the countries into money printing machines for the Religious Court of Inquiry, the Witch Hammer and the Knights Templar . But do you need men like me?"

Ye Qingxuan remained silent .

s.h.i.+ Dong pressed on, "I am very sorry, Mr . Ye . Our era has pa.s.sed, so please don't strong-arm us into doing things we are no longer capable of . "

"Elder s.h.i.+ Dong, haven't you ever thought about re-establis.h.i.+ng the Religious Court of Inquiry?" Ye Qingxuan looked at him and asked slowly, pausing between each word, "Never? Not even once?"

s.h.i.+ Dong laughed in self-mockery . "I am already very, very old, Mr . Ye . " He said softly, "I am 230-years-old . Few people can live as long as I do . In order to survive, I have given up a lot of things . " He reached out and lifted a corner of the curtain, showing Ye Qingxuan the chaotic scene outside . Pointing to the old men slightly younger than himself, he said, "Look at them, still living in their unrealistic dreams . But me, I've grown so sick of living that I just want to die . "

Heartfelt exhaustion could be felt from his words . Not bothering to disguise it anymore, he showed the young man in front of him the ugly side of his nature . "What you have just said are all good . They're all excellent, precious opportunities, but for me, they're worthless . "

Worthless .

Ye Qingxuan closed his eyes .

In the long, dead silence, only the noise outside the curtain and the soft breathing of Ye Qingxuan filled the air . After a long time, he looked up again, fixing his eyes on s.h.i.+ Dong, and slowly asked, pausing between each word, "You find that I am not qualified to be the Grand Inquisitor . So you tell me all these words to persuade me to give up my plan . You would rather dig the Court a grave and bury it than to hand it over to me . Because in your opinion, I have no right to inherit the legacy that has been yours, right?"

Looking straight at the young man's sharp eyes, s.h.i.+ Dong smiled .

He nodded . He expressed his stance unabashedly .

"You're right," he admitted .

"Who would you find more qualified than I am?" asked Ye Qingxuan .

s.h.i.+ Dong shook his head . "It's not because of this, Mr . Ye, not all at . " His voice was hoa.r.s.e, "If you didn't have this stole on you, I would have been there to welcome you the moment you set foot on the island .

"Next, I would have sought you to help us re-establish the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and pleaded for the help and support of Anglo at all costs . Even if I had to kneel down, even if all of us here would become mercenaries of Anglo, I would pay any price for the legacy of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to be pa.s.sed on . "

He said, "If you want our music, our technology, our manpower, whatever, I can gladly give it to you . But you didn't come here for that, am I right?"

He raised his palm, with the stole in it . "You want it, you want the Religious Court of Inquiry, but you can never have it .

"Not a chance . "

"Why?" Ye Qingxuan asked . "Because of Mich.e.l.le's death?"

"Of course not . " s.h.i.+ Dong seemed as if he had heard a joke . "Innumerable people of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith have died because of others . It's not like the past Grand Inquisitors had never killed one of our own . Even if you kill me, grind my bones into ashes and sprinkle them into the sea as fish bait, no one will say anything, let alone Mich.e.l.le . However, Mr . Ye, you must understand something . 'Grand Inquisitor' is not just a t.i.tle . It is where the faith of many lies, do you understand? This t.i.tle . . . It represents a belief that many have died fighting for, sacrificing everything they had at all costs . "

Ye Qingxuan listened quietly and nodded . "So I don't deserve it?"

s.h.i.+ Dong waved his hand . "Do you know what a catastrophe is?"

Ye Qingxuan had to suppress a laugh . No one in the world could possibly understand catastrophes better than him .

But s.h.i.+ Dong looked at him and said, "I've looked through your resume, and I know your accomplishments . In this regard, few in the world are comparable to you, even the Grand Inquisitors we've had in the past . But Mr . Ye, do you know what a catastrophe is to the ordinary person?"

Ye Qingxuan was silent .

"Vast, terrifying, powerful, undead . . . Do you know how the ordinary person feels when facing catastrophes?" said the old man .

"The desperation and powerlessness coming from the bottom of one's heart after witnessing an existence beyond the human imagination; thoughts and doubts about the meaning of human existence from a perspective beyond the ordinary; self-mockery towards the insignificance of oneself; guilt . . . Can you feel them?

"Can you confront catastrophes?" s.h.i.+ Dong continued, "Not by yourself, but with a group of people, thousands of people, tens of thousands of people, the people who admire you, the people who trust you, the people who will not hesitate to entrust you with their lives . "

He pressed on, "Can you lead such people? Can you provide them with the courage to contend with countless demons and undefeatable catastrophes, to fight for a glimmer of hope?" He looked at Ye Qingxuan, a raspy voice like that of steel sc.r.a.ping against steel coming from his metallic prosthetic vocal cords . "And after that, can you give the order that would cost all of them their lives mercilessly in order to achieve victory?

"Can you gamble with the world at all costs, even if it meant pulling all the countries into the abyss and using all of mankind as your chips?"

He asked, "Can you?"

Ye Qingxuan still remained silent .

"It's a war, Mr . Ye, a war between humans and non-humans, a war that began in the Age of Dark and has lasted till now, and will continue into the future," s.h.i.+ Dong said .

"Blow the warhorn . Such is the true essence of the duties of the Grand Inquisitor and the Court . "

In the long silence that ensued, Ye Qingxuan chuckled as if he was mocking himself . "What you want in a leader is the ability to do so? Is that . . . what you want?"

"Mr . Ye, as I have said earlier, I'm old, so old that I just want to greet death . " s.h.i.+ Dong shut his eyes tiredly . "I only want a proper burial place, to die in the hands of the enemy in a war considered glorious, leaving my remains on the battlefield . Can you find me the battlefield?

The battlefield worthy of us to shed blood and to suffer in pain for, the battlefield that we desperately want to set foot on once more, even if we have to sacrifice our lives and burn our souls for it, can you find it? "

In another long silence, Ye Qingxuan suddenly laughed . It was a relaxed and happy smile . "Then allow me to change my conditions . " He looked at the old man in front of him and said calmly, "To die in the crusade to the East, would that be enough?"

Dead silence .

Dead silence descended suddenly .

In the blink of an eye, it seemed that even the sound of breathing had disappeared . Even the old men immersed in the battle simulation and their dreams came to an abrupt stop . Everyone turned back stiffly and stared at Ye Qingxuan .

In their aged, murky pupils, red light shone . It was like a flame in the embers that had never been extinguished; fanatic and dangerous . It was as if they wanted to burn this guy who spoke about the dreams that they would never forget so lightly into ashes! But also full of desire, the desire for the possibility that was almost impossible .

"Crusade?" s.h.i.+ Dong repeated . He was no longer dozing off . He opened his eyes, the laid-backness and politeness of the old man fading away, replaced by an iron-like fierceness . He looked at Ye Qingxuan . "Did you say crusade?"

"Yes, the tenth crusade to the east," Ye Qingxuan said . "A real crusade, a real expedition all the way to the easternmost of Asgard to rebuild the White Rock Stronghold and penetrate the World of Dark . "

"You can make it happen?" the old man questioned . s.h.i.+ Dong leaned forward, dragging his heavy restraints like he was judging Ye Qingxuan in his mind . As if he was about to unsheathe his sword at any moment, his eyes became cold . He asked aggressively, "Can you? Ye Qingxuan!"

. . . . A group of living inquisitors of the Religious Court of Inquiry . Theyre simply priceless! The Court is nothing short of a miracle created at the start of the Golden Age with the combined efforts of the Church, the Sacred City, various nations, and even the entire human world, for the exploration of the World of Dark . Every single member was chosen from the cream of the crop of the human world and could be considered geniuses in their own right . The funds and materials spent on cultivating their talents are worth far more than their weight in black gold . They brought light to the World of Dark, converted the wasteland into fertile soil, and illuminated the depths of the darkness with human civilization . Before the Ma.s.s Retreat caused by the onslaught of catastrophes, they had always been seen as legends . The possibility that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith might have actually continued to keep them in existence had never even crossed Ye Qingxuans mind before this! They may not be members of the first generation, which is known for being the strongest, but even if they are members of the last generation before the disbandment, even though they have nothing left in their possessions, and are almost dying of old age, they definitely still have some remnants of their powers from the past! Such powers are not in the form of military might that can enable one to fight against a thousand men, nor movements powerful enough to destroy mountains and rivers, but something more fundamental—the legacy that only the Religious Court of Inquiry can preserve and has enabled the Court to nurture new inquisitors continuously . Elder s.h.i.+ Dong, allow me to make myself clear, I am here to restore the glory of the Religious Court of Inquiry, Ye Qingxuan said after sorting out his thoughts . He looked at s.h.i.+ Dong, his tone solemn . I offer you my promise in the name of the sword-bearer . If you help me save Anglo, then as the representative of Anglo, I shall give you the full support of the nation, including the supply of whatever material resources and talent you need . Regardless of the stances of the other countries and the Sacred City, I will re-establish the Religious Court of Inquiry . The 400 organists I brought with me are enough to set up a new generation of the Witch Hammer once more—the new judgment knights . I give you my word that you will be able to form your own armed forces in the territories of Anglo, not having to answer to anyone but me, including the Emperor of Anglo . Itll be like the Chainsaw Fraternity . As long as you follow me, I can give you the status and treatment they have received in Canaan . . . He was greeted with silence . In the silence, only the noise from the old men wrestling beyond the curtain could be heard . s.h.i.+ Dongs kept his eyes down, seemingly considering what the young man had said, but also perhaps just staring blankly at the air in front of him even though there was nothing but empty s.p.a.ce After a long time, he said, I see . But only that and nothing else . Ye Qingxuan frowned . He said, Elder s.h.i.+ Dong, I feel that I have given my promise with all due sincerity, and the conditions are the most I can offer . I dont like abstruse negotiations and trivial bargainings . If what you expect is a higher price, forgive me, but theres nothing else I can do about it . s.h.i.+ Dong sighed . He scratched his face with a finger, wearing a gloomy expression, and spoke with the aid of his metallic prosthetic vocal cords, Mr . Ye, do you know what was my position in the Religious Court of Inquiry initially? Ye Qingxuan waited for the answer quietly . Accountant . s.h.i.+ Dong chuckled and said, I was an accountant . Ye Qingxuan was stunned . My apologies, Mr . Ye, I am no purifier nor judge, not even a priest nor clergy . s.h.i.+ Dong chuckled as if he had long been looking forward to Ye Qingxuans stricken look . The last grand knight died two years ago . The only one remaining is me, the accountant . Do you need an accountant? Mr . Ye, an accountant to help you evade taxes, audit your accounts, and give out loans? he said . I promise, Im the best man for the job . I have even given out war loans and bought bonds from the emperors of various countries in the name of the Sacred City . Each year, we would collect huge amounts of interest from them without mercy, turning the countries into money printing machines for the Religious Court of Inquiry, the Witch Hammer and the Knights Templar . But do you need men like me? Ye Qingxuan remained silent . s.h.i.+ Dong pressed on, I am very sorry, Mr . Ye . Our era has pa.s.sed, so please dont strong-arm us into doing things we are no longer capable of . . . Elder s.h.i.+ Dong, havent you ever thought about re-establis.h.i.+ng the Religious Court of Inquiry? Ye Qingxuan looked at him and asked slowly, pausing between each word, Never? Not even once? s.h.i.+ Dong laughed in self-mockery . I am already very, very old, Mr . Ye . He said softly, I am 230-years-old . Few people can live as long as I do . In order to survive, I have given up a lot of things . He reached out and lifted a corner of the curtain, showing Ye Qingxuan the chaotic scene outside . Pointing to the old men slightly younger than himself, he said, Look at them, still living in their unrealistic dreams . But me, Ive grown so sick of living that I just want to die . Heartfelt exhaustion could be felt from his words . Not bothering to disguise it anymore, he showed the young man in front of him the ugly side of his nature . What you have just said are all good . Theyre all excellent, precious opportunities, but for me, theyre worthless . Worthless . Ye Qingxuan closed his eyes . In the long, dead silence, only the noise outside the curtain and the soft breathing of Ye Qingxuan filled the air . After a long time, he looked up again, fixing his eyes on s.h.i.+ Dong, and slowly asked, pausing between each word, You find that I am not qualified to be the Grand Inquisitor . So you tell me all these words to persuade me to give up my plan . You would rather dig the Court a grave and bury it than to hand it over to me . Because in your opinion, I have no right to inherit the legacy that has been yours, right? Looking straight at the young mans sharp eyes, s.h.i.+ Dong smiled . He nodded . He expressed his stance unabashedly . Youre right, he admitted . Who would you find more qualified than I am? asked Ye Qingxuan . s.h.i.+ Dong shook his head . Its not because of this, Mr . Ye, not all at . His voice was hoa.r.s.e, If you didnt have this stole on you, I would have been there to welcome you the moment you set foot on the island . Next, I would have sought you to help us re-establish the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and pleaded for the help and support of Anglo at all costs . Even if I had to kneel down, even if all of us here would become mercenaries of Anglo, I would pay any price for the legacy of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to be pa.s.sed on . He said, If you want our music, our technology, our manpower, whatever, I can gladly give it to you . But you didnt come here for that, am I right? He raised his palm, with the stole in it . You want it, you want the Religious Court of Inquiry, but you can never have it . Not a chance . Why? Ye Qingxuan asked . Because of Mich.e.l.les death? Of course not . s.h.i.+ Dong seemed as if he had heard a joke . Innumerable people of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith have died because of others . Its not like the past Grand Inquisitors had never killed one of our own . Even if you kill me, grind my bones into ashes and sprinkle them into the sea as fish bait, no one will say anything, let alone Mich.e.l.le . However, Mr . Ye, you must understand something . Grand Inquisitor is not just a t.i.tle . It is where the faith of many lies, do you understand? This t.i.tle . It represents a belief that many have died fighting for, sacrificing everything they had at all costs . Ye Qingxuan listened quietly and nodded . So I dont deserve it? s.h.i.+ Dong waved his hand . Do you know what a catastrophe is? Ye Qingxuan had to suppress a laugh . No one in the world could possibly understand catastrophes better than him . But s.h.i.+ Dong looked at him and said, Ive looked through your resume, and I know your accomplishments . In this regard, few in the world are comparable to you, even the Grand Inquisitors weve had in the past . But Mr . Ye, do you know what a catastrophe is to the ordinary person? Ye Qingxuan was silent . Vast, terrifying, powerful, undead . Do you know how the ordinary person feels when facing catastrophes? said the old man . The desperation and powerlessness coming from the bottom of ones heart after witnessing an existence beyond the human imagination; thoughts and doubts about the meaning of human existence from a perspective beyond the ordinary; self-mockery towards the insignificance of oneself; guilt . Can you feel them? Can you confront catastrophes? s.h.i.+ Dong continued, Not by yourself, but with a group of people, thousands of people, tens of thousands of people, the people who admire you, the people who trust you, the people who will not hesitate to entrust you with their lives . He pressed on, Can you lead such people? Can you provide them with the courage to contend with countless demons and undefeatable catastrophes, to fight for a glimmer of hope? He looked at Ye Qingxuan, a raspy voice like that of steel sc.r.a.ping against steel coming from his metallic prosthetic vocal cords . And after that, can you give the order that would cost all of them their lives mercilessly in order to achieve victory? Can you gamble with the world at all costs, even if it meant pulling all the countries into the abyss and using all of mankind as your chips? He asked, Can you? Ye Qingxuan still remained silent . Its a war, Mr . Ye, a war between humans and non-humans, a war that began in the Age of Dark and has lasted till now, and will continue into the future, s.h.i.+ Dong said . Blow the warhorn . Such is the true essence of the duties of the Grand Inquisitor and the Court . In the long silence that ensued, Ye Qingxuan chuckled as if he was mocking himself . What you want in a leader is the ability to do so? Is that . what you want? Mr . Ye, as I have said earlier, Im old, so old that I just want to greet death . s.h.i.+ Dong shut his eyes tiredly . I only want a proper burial place, to die in the hands of the enemy in a war considered glorious, leaving my remains on the battlefield . Can you find me the battlefield? The battlefield worthy of us to shed blood and to suffer in pain for, the battlefield that we desperately want to set foot on once more, even if we have to sacrifice our lives and burn our souls for it, can you find it? In another long silence, Ye Qingxuan suddenly laughed . It was a relaxed and happy smile . Then allow me to change my conditions . He looked at the old man in front of him and said calmly, To die in the crusade to the East, would that be enough? Dead silence . Dead silence descended suddenly . In the blink of an eye, it seemed that even the sound of breathing had disappeared . Even the old men immersed in the battle simulation and their dreams came to an abrupt stop . Everyone turned back stiffly and stared at Ye Qingxuan . In their aged, murky pupils, red light shone . It was like a flame in the embers that had never been extinguished; fanatic and dangerous . It was as if they wanted to burn this guy who spoke about the dreams that they would never forget so lightly into ashes! But also full of desire, the desire for the possibility that was almost impossible . Crusade? s.h.i.+ Dong repeated . He was no longer dozing off . He opened his eyes, the laid-backness and politeness of the old man fading away, replaced by an iron-like fierceness . He looked at Ye Qingxuan . Did you say crusade? Yes, the tenth crusade to the east, Ye Qingxuan said . A real crusade, a real expedition all the way to the easternmost of Asgard to rebuild the White Rock Stronghold and penetrate the World of Dark . You can make it happen? the old man questioned . s.h.i.+ Dong leaned forward, dragging his heavy restraints like he was judging Ye Qingxuan in his mind . As if he was about to unsheathe his sword at any moment, his eyes became cold . He asked aggressively, Can you? Ye Qingxuan!