Qi Gefei, still in his molten Exotic Species form, scratched his head and said with a muffled voice, "Pope, hasn't he already been asleep?"

Bai Qingshuang smiled and shook her head. "Him? Asleep? His plans, how could they be so simple!"

"Um, Pope, hasn't he been asleep for several years now?"

"'Slumber,' that sort of thing, has always just been for show. Now that I have arrived here, he should be waking up as well. Since he's awake, the Dawn Star won't be in his hands anymore. I just wonder if he'll be surprised that it wasn't Qi Xinzhu who came here!"

Qi Gefei was unclear about what Bai Qingshuang meant by the Dawn Star, nor why the Pope would be surprised by Qi Xinzhu's absence.

Can't figure it out, so I won't think about it.

"Judgment Chief, shall we leave now?"

"Yes, let's go. The Church has been too quiet these past few years, everyone holed up. It's time to drag them all out. Fan Zhen wants to protect the interests of the old guard, but unfortunately for him, that's no longer possible!"

Qi Gefei didn't dare speak at this moment. As his body slowly returned to its original form, he looked somewhat embarrassedly at Bai Qingshuang.

Bai Qingshuang casually raised her hand, and a men's church robe appeared in it, which she nonchalantly tossed to Qi Gefei.

"It might be a bit small for someone of your build, but it's still better than nothing. Let's go."

"Yes!"

The Truth Disc suspended in mid-air gradually vanished, and the roofless hall sank back into silence.

Bai Qingshuang left the place with Qi Gefei.

After they departed, the stars in the sky above gradually dimmed.

Some time later, Bai Qingshuang's figure suddenly appeared in the center of the hall. She glanced at the serene coffins surrounding her and slightly furrowed her brows.

Was that just now an illusion?

Finally, Bai Qingshuang left. However, after her departure, the lid of one of the coffins shifted slightly.

Inside the Luo Family estate, Lu Luo looked at Mu Fei before him with a somewhat helpless expression.

He had yet to interrogate this Tribunal member and gather useful intelligence when Qi Xinzhu's situation took a turn for the worse. He now had to go to the Church district to help Qi Xinzhu fend off any potential dangers.

This situation was completely beyond his original plans and expectations; it was an unforeseen incident.

And accidents were what Lu Luo disliked the most.

Lu Luo returned to the estate and first found Bai Yuetong, directly stating his intentions.

"I need to leave for a while."

Hearing Lu Luo say this, Bai Yuetong immediately showed a sad expression.

"Is it about Xinzhu?"

She could tell something was wrong from Lu Luo's expression. Under the current circumstances, it seemed only she or Qi Xinzhu could cause such a change in his demeanor. She had just gotten together with Lu Luo and naturally wanted him to spend more time with her.

But Bai Yuetong could also discern what was more important; she knew that some things were not to be taken lightly. If she acted willfully and inconsiderately now, Qi Xinzhu could use the same tactics against Lu Luo later.

"Then, be careful, okay?"

Looking at the dejected droop of her 'Dumb Hair,' Lu Luo wore an apologetic expression. Sigh, running back and forth, you dog!

"Sorry, the matters of the Church still require my careful attention because…"

"I know, don't explain. Important matters first."

Lu Luo nodded. He had already done all he could regarding the affairs of the Luo Family and the Council. As for the Council's future development, it still depended on the intentions of influential members like Shi Haoxuan and Luo Xuemin. His personal power was truly limited.

At most, he could become a bilateral trade liaison when returning to the Fourth Ring. Such a scenario would be the best outcome.

Therefore, compared to the Council, the Church was far more unpredictable.

"Well, you should be fine at home. I'll take that fellow from the Church back first."

"Okay."

After discussing the matter, Lu Luo immediately went back to where Mu Fei was held captive.

"Mu Fei, you're in luck. It seems the interrogation can't proceed because we're heading to the Church now."

Mu Fei was startled. Could it be that the Tribunal has come to rescue me? Impossible! The Tribunal wouldn't get involved in such matters. The internal situation at the Tribunal was also complex. So why would Lu Luo suddenly need to go there now?

"What happened?"

"Stop guessing. No one is here to save you, nor is anyone planning to. I just have business at the Church. Let's go."

"Oh, okay!"

Mu Fei had already witnessed Lu Luo's capabilities and knew it was best not to provoke him unless absolutely necessary.

When Lu Luo arrived at the Luo Family's front gate with Mu Fei, Zhang Yifan was already there waiting for him.

"Leaving?"

Lu Luo frowned slightly. Bai Yuetong should have been very tight-lipped about his affairs, so how did Zhang Yifan find out he was leaving? Is there an unknown channel? If it was surveillance, the Observer should have been able to detect it.

"Yes, how did you know?"

Zhang Yifan smiled. "Stop guessing. You're smart, but I'm not dumb. Some things don't require surveillance; conclusions can be drawn through inference. There aren't many things left in the Inner Ring that can stir your emotions or make you anxious, are there? You've achieved a stunning turnaround with the Council's affairs; at this point, they should be waiting to celebrate your success. Things like that don't pressure you, so it's definitely not about the Council. Since it's not the Council, then the target and direction are quite simple—the Church, right?"

Zhang Yifan had suffered several setbacks in his previous encounters with Lu Luo, which starkly highlighted the gap between them. However, he wasn't discouraged. He quickly assessed his own shortcomings and strengths and regained his composure. It must be said, Zhang Yifan was indeed a talented individual. He was able to recognize his flaws and adjust his mindset quickly, forcing himself to overcome the ingrained thinking patterns of an Inner Ring native. Such an ability already set him above many others.

"Alright, you guessed it. Impressive! So, what is it?"

"Get in the car. I'll give you guys a lift."

Zhang Yifan gestured towards his car, signaling Lu Luo and Mu Fei to get in.

Mu Fei looked at Lu Luo, seemingly waiting for his decision.

"Get in. It's better to be more discreet in the Inner Ring; taking a car is a more ideal choice."

Zhang Yifan didn't quite understand what Lu Luo meant by being discreet, but he chose to go to the Church with Lu Luo for a reason.

"Alright, let's go!"

The three sat in the car. Lu Luo sent a quick message to Qi Xinzhu to reassure her.

Lu Luo felt that the Inner Ring Church was relatively safe, but it would be better for Qi Xinzhu to leave the Church district first. The Pope, the Judgment Chief—these were all people he would have to confront one by one. Now, it was merely that the confrontation had been moved up slightly.

"Mu Fei, what is the Tribunal like right now?"

"Ah?"

Mu Fei, still in a daze, was startled. Due to the urgency of the situation, Mu Fei hadn't yet healed the leg Lu Luo had broken. Since getting into the car, he had been using Holy Radiance to treat his leg, so he appeared somewhat distracted.

"I'm asking what the Tribunal is like now. Just tell me everything you know and can say, as much as possible."

Lu Luo didn't press Mu Fei any further at this time. His time was limited; pressing Mu Fei further now would be pointless. The priority now was to gather as much useful information as possible and identify what could be exploited.

"Uh, the current Tribunal is quite strong, but its current situation is a bit strange."

"Strange? In what way?"

"The Judgment Chief personally selected most Tribunal members, so they are overwhelmingly loyal to her. Yet, despite our loyalty, she maintains a strong sense of distance from us. The Judgment Chief seems to distrust us—at least, most of us."

Lu Luo frowned slightly. Bai Qingshuang, as the Judgment Chief, actually didn't trust the people of the Tribunal? Is this due to past experiences, or other reasons?

Lu Luo understood perfectly well that managing a large organization wasn't a one-person job. Subordinates were essential. One person's energy is finite, and lacking trustworthy aides would be exhausting.

"So who does she trust?"

"Some mysterious individuals who always wear masks; there are three of them in total. They are incredibly strong, unfathomably so. Most of the Tribunal's affairs are handled by these three. We've discussed these three amongst ourselves, but without any definite conclusions."

"Is that so? Any other news?"

"That depends on what kind of news you want."

"Tell me as much as you can, and quickly."

"Okay."

"The current state of the Church is roughly like this..."

After that, Mu Fei seemed to hold nothing back. He was, in fact, quite astute. Knowing Lu Luo was heading to the Church, he made an effort to be more cooperative. If he cooperated, Lu Luo wouldn't make things difficult for him. Right now, Mu Fei just wanted to return to the Church safely.

Zhang Yifan, driving silently beside them, seemed to pay no attention to their conversation. However, the subtle flicker in his eyes indicated he was listening intently.

At the top of the Church bell tower, Qi Xinzhu put down the phone feeling somewhat helpless.

Lu Luo had told her to leave quickly, and she'd agreed. As she glanced at the Church, sadness filled her eyes. Her Senior Sister wasn't here, Lu Luo wasn't here, and her teacher's intentions were unclear. In the current Church, she no longer knew who to trust. Was this place, her long-desired haven of peace, truly as it appeared?

"Sigh!"

Qi Xinzhu stretched out her palm, and the orb of light passed from the Pope gradually emerged in her hand. She didn't know what this orb was, but she could feel the Pope's will within it. And a trace of the Dawn Disc's will.

Can this thing be stripped out?

She didn't know the object's purpose, but she remained wary of anything not truly hers. This was what Lu Luo had told her.

Forget it, I'll just wait for Lu Luo to come.

Qi Xinzhu retracted the orb of light and simply sat down on the stone steps of the Church bell tower's rooftop.

Suddenly, a sense of crisis welled up from deep within her. The feeling of her hair standing on end made Qi Xinzhu immediately dodge.

SLASH! A sword blade sliced across Qi Xinzhu's waist, splattering a large amount of blood on the nearby walls.

Qi Xinzhu endured the pain in her waist and rolled to the edge of the rooftop.

The assailant was too fast. She didn't even have time to look up and see who it was before the second strike descended!

THUMP! A sword imbued with Holy Radiance instantly pierced Qi Xinzhu's chest, the blade pinning her body against the wall.

The face of the assailant finally appeared before Qi Xinzhu.

It was Wan Jing, commander of the Knight of Justice, who had been tailing her.

"Give me the Dawn Star."

Wan Jing's gaze was ice-cold, a stark contrast to her earlier enthusiastic demeanor. This Wan Jing was the Knight of Justice commander who would even dare to move against Bai Qingshuang—ruthless and decisive.

The opposite of justice is evil. Therefore, Wan Jing's true nature was the very source of evil within the knights.

The Holy Radiance wreaked havoc within Qi Xinzhu's body. It not only damaged her muscles and blood vessels but also ground her bones into pieces bit by bit.

Wan Jing, a veteran of countless battles, naturally understood the principle of giving an enemy no chance to retaliate. Thus, when she decided to attack Qi Xinzhu, she was prepared to make it a killing blow.

Qi Xinzhu looked at Wan Jing sadly. Her sorrow wasn't just because Wan Jing had attacked her. It was also because the Church of today was entirely different from the one in her memory. Not a shred of trust remained between people. Mutual killing and plundering... How was such a Church any different from the Fourth Ring, or the world beyond the walls?

"I have no idea what this Dawn Star you're talking about is."

Wan Jing smiled. When she first saw that orb of light, she found it familiar but couldn't be certain about it. This was because she had never seen the legendary key capable of activating the Dawn Disc. However, from the first moment she saw it, she felt there was something extraordinary about it. After following Qi Xinzhu here and overhearing her conversation with the Pope, Wan Jing became even more certain.

The object in Qi Xinzhu's hands was the Pope's Dawn Star!

It was the very same object that Judgment Chief Bai Qingshuang had been searching for all along.

The Judgment Chief was originally supposed to take Qi Xinzhu with her, but in the end, she unexpectedly took Qi Gefei instead. The Pope wanted to use the Dawn Star and Qi Xinzhu to counter the Judgment Chief, but Qi Xinzhu was not with the Judgment Chief.

All these things happened right under Wan Jing's watch. Although she didn't know the ultimate core of the matter, she was certain of one thing.

That was, the Dawn Star was a critical item.

And Qi Xinzhu, once a very crucial person, was no longer so important. Her role had been replaced by Qi Gefei. Since Qi Xinzhu was no longer that important, Wan Jing naturally made her move.

With the Dawn Star in her possession, she would have leverage!

"The Dawn Star is the small orb of light that the Pope gave to you. Xinzhu, be a good girl and give it to me. Your muscles, blood vessels, and bones are all damaged. There's still time if you get treatment now. But if you delay any longer, you'll likely be beyond saving. Your cute little face won't be saved, then."

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