Chapter 1349
Chapter 1349 - 1335: Unwelcome Guest
1,549 words
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8 min read
A rotten boat still has a few nails, let alone a cult that almost succeeded in reaching Ascension.
Lu Ping’an never underestimated Chris. His victory was marked by too much luck, and the further he advanced in the hierarchy, the more he realized how outlandish Chris’s strength had been.
Not to mention, merely being on par with the Lady of the Forest and still living well showed her confidence and strength.
"She is mad, but she has the capital to be mad. According to her blueprint for evolution, whether she really became the ’Mother Tree’ or devoured her own dozens of ’possibilities’ to become the ’unique,’ she was no ordinary deity..."
Such an existence, her downfall, how could it not stir up a splash, how could it not leave behind plenty of legacy and troubles...
"... Lord Bane, I should have been the one visiting you. I never expected you would take the initiative to come to me."
Even though he was speaking formally, there was not a trace of respect in Lu Ping’an’s tone.
He was somewhat wary of the man before him, and the reason was rather straightforward—this was an eighth-tier individual, a former regional bishop and spokesperson of the Mother Goddess cult.
"You jest, sir, it should be I who visits you... Both Princesses are under your command, I wonder if there’s a possibility of meeting Mother Goddess, Your Highness."
"Her? She’s thoroughly dead."
The elderly gentleman sitting on the sofa, his hair completely silver, bore the rather cheesy wartime title of "World Devourer"... Given that there were no chaotic video games or novels back in that era, this now somewhat juvenile sounding title actually testified to his strength and his main profession.
"A very strong Gourmet cum Beast Tamer, even capable of holding his own against Quasi-Gods for quite a while. He is quite dangerous, and he joined the Mother Goddess cult more for better Predation; he understands my teachings but does not obsess over them. In fact, he has his own view of the ’world,’ and is merely accumulating and refining it..."
This was Big Cat’s evaluation, already quite high. Facing such an existence, Lu Ping’an had no assurance of victory, but now with the two of them sitting less than two meters apart, Lu Ping’an was quite relaxed.
The reason was very solid—inside this small Reception Room, it was not just the two of them.
"... Heh, I didn’t expect that, the ’Wild Boar’ is still very much alive, but the ’Black Cat’ is thoroughly dead."
The man who spoke was also sitting on another sofa, his presence, a clear threat to all parties involved.
"Old K" Ke Xuequan, a Quasi-God, the Pope of the Lin Nu Church’s ’Flame Resurrection’ branch, and also the representative of the Linnu Force in the Eastern Country.
In some sense, Proper Gods are regarded as Evil Gods recognized by the Eastern Country... Since they have an official stature, they naturally have official workplaces and liaisons.
Being able to stand out even among the heroes assembled in the Lin Nu Church, to formally represent the Proper God Church, proves his capability.
In fact, Lu Ping’an had heard about him, he even had a letter of recommendation given to him by Lord Xiuyi.
"... Unless necessary, or if he approaches you first, there’s no need to seek him out, as things might get much more complicated."
Initially, Xiuyi’s advice was vague, but later, when Lu Ping’an made some private inquiries, he could almost understand.
The Lin Nu Church had rejected many top-tier figures of the Life system. They had joined mainly for the convenience granted by the Proper God Church to operate freely. They had little recognition or faith in Lin Nu herself.
Each branch of the Church, from its teachings, to its philosophy, to its staff, could be considered an independent unit... Thus, the relations between these independent organizations could either be good or very poor.
Nominally, everyone is a companion, but in reality, they are no different from strangers.
"Lord Xiuyi, Lord Arkur, they both ask me to convey their greetings to you."
"Ha, it’s already good they didn’t curse me to death... I’ve heard about your issues, the frontline needs reinforcements, why didn’t you seek me out?"
"They also said, seeking you out would make things very complicated, um, very much so."
The white-bearded elderly man sitting in front of him also had another identity: his sister, the former ’Old Q’ Ke Junhong, now known as ’Lord of Flowers’, a very powerful and well-known divine figure of the new generation of the God of Life... She hadn’t ascended to the position of Proper God, but if a few Proper Gods were to be removed, the chances of Lord of Flowers entering the ranks was exceedingly high.
With such a relative, "Old K" has delicate relations with his northern, southern, and central factions. This time, making him a stationed representative was recognition of his strength and influence, but from another perspective, it was also excluding him from playing along.
After all, usually everyone can cooperate together, but with the huge opportunity that Mercury 42 has just started, if Lord of Flowers’ influence circles come into play, everyone’s shares will naturally decrease.
"... They should have brought me a message by now, show it to me."
Indeed, opponents who had clashed for decades deeply understood each other, and Lu Ping’an directly handed over the letter.
After a glance, the other party directly crushed it and then revealed a thoughtful expression.
The two Big Shots held very special identities, representing their respective churches, attesting to their capabilities... But from another perspective, being raised into the sunlight, doing many things became inconvenient, and they had to bear additional responsibilities, making their "popularity" within the church quite delicate.
However, for Lu Ping’an, the oppressive force of the two Big Shots currently facing him in the small room was overwhelming... watching the ripped table, ceiling, and glass, Lu himself felt numb.
Their simultaneous arrival was definitely not a mere coincidence, considering their relationship; if one showed an intention to visit, the other might unexpectedly join.
After all, for a considerable time, they had been opponents keeping each other in check... During the moments when Linnu and Big Cat did not get along, their subordinate organizations, as "official representatives," naturally became entangled in each other’s interests.
Especially since in many domains, they were actual competitors.
Now, having arrived together, they only had eyes for each other... perhaps Lu Ping’an was competent enough to pose a vague sense of threat, but it was still too soon to truly threaten the two of them.
In a way, they were like beasts that had both set their sights on a priceless, rare beast, yet worried that the other might strike first... Whether it was scaring the prey away or driving it into the opponent’s camp, neither outcome was desirable.
"Hah, you think you’ve got me figured out... All right, all right, let her talk to you."
Lu Ping’an quietly crushed a scroll, and the next moment, he opened his eyes, his demeanor completely transformed.
"Cowards and flies stuck together, when did the fool thrown to the margins become so arrogant..."
Disdainful words, arrogant demeanor, the once Quasi-God manifested in her "Saint’s" flesh.
The next moment, both displayed cautious expressions, their spiritual intuition simultaneously sounding frantic alarms.
Falling into a state of alert, they also realized that they might have come in vain this time.
"You’re not dead?!" He was somewhat puzzled; clearly, the young man had just spoken the truth.
"Your Highness, I just knew..." This one even hypocritically wiped the corner of his eye that held no tears.
"I am dead, utterly dead, but that doesn’t mean I can’t come back to life; in fact, if you had come a bit later, perhaps I could meet you in a different way."
Lu delegated the conversation to Big Cat, letting him handle the two malicious visitors.
Lu Ping’an had already determined that they were perhaps still probing... Thus, he would let their malice linger at probing.
The three didn’t talk long, or rather Big Cat’s constant belittling and mockery, sharp and biting as always, forced the two malicious guests to take their leave.
After they left, Lu Ping’an showed signs of fatigue... To maintain the pressure, Big Cat might have been fully manipulating his body, a burden even he struggled to bear.
And once the two had left, Lu Ping’an knew he had to step up his efforts here.
Would they give up just like that? No, it probably wouldn’t be long before his residence encountered "lost assassins" and the like as testers.
Since he had already been pulled into the vortex, he must quickly gain the power to "protect himself."
Since Lu Ping’an had come to the capital of this country, truly entering the high-level game, he had to bring out corresponding power.
He needed to prove he was a Chess Player, not a Chess piece....
"Chris, be prepared, within half a month, I will have crafted your puppet..."
— End of Chapter 1349 —