Because Rice's body was now extremely thin, the bracelet slid off his wrist without much deformation, drawing a smooth arc and just fitting on Qi Ji's sharp, white index finger.
At the same time, there was a sound of moving objects in a corner not far away, followed by a wooden cane with several red agates inlaid on the top flying out from the shadows.
With a slight sound of wind, it came to Qi Ji's side and floated in the air like a witch's wand.
"I've got it all taken care of here."
Qi Ji held the invisibility bracelet in one hand and let the other hand hang naturally. He used his mind to make the red agate cane follow him in the air, then turned to face Gary and the others.
"Thank you, thank you..." Gary bowed gratefully.
Although from their perspective, it was their own daughter who solved the problem of Rice, Qi Ji did not provide any help from beginning to end, and only appeared at the end to finish the matter in an insignificant manner.
But Gary knew very well that the reason why Daisy inexplicably possessed these strange and extraordinary powers was probably related to Qi Ji.
After all, they all witnessed the miracle of her bringing the dead back to life with a drop of her own blood yesterday.
Gary had reason to believe that it was that drop of gem blood, which looked extremely extraordinary, that gave his daughter the magical power to protect the family's safety.
After all, it is all thanks to Miss Yaoliuliu, and gratitude must be expressed.
Thinking of the changes that had taken place in his daughter, he couldn't help but turn his gaze to Daisy again. His eyes showed both approval of her outstanding performance and worry about the unknown changes.
"Aren't you going to the Super Management Bureau?" Qi Ji walked in front of the four people and stood still, "I don't suggest what to do."
"Um, what do you mean?" Hearing her suggestion, Gary withdrew his gaze from his daughter and cast a puzzled look at Qi Ji's face obscured by the shadow of the cloak.
Qi Ji sighed and pointed at Rice's body with the corner of his eye:
"I learned from this guy's memory that the organization he belongs to is quite powerful and has informants in local official agencies. If you go over and report the case now, it is likely to alert them."
By praying to the "sea god" Dicka, she successfully communicated with the remaining soul of Les and obtained some of his memories before his death.
These memories were mostly incomplete because their owners had died, but Qi Ji still learned a lot of useful information from them.
Chapter 155 Life Church
For example, the organization he belonged to was called the "Life Church", an illegal secret religious sect, and his position in the sect was not low. He was the person in charge of part of the Life Church's power in Loen City and was called the "deacon".
This sect believes in a hidden existence that is not among the nine main gods. This hidden existence does not seem to have a title like "Goddess of Grace", "Sea God", "Ferry God" or "First Creator". The believers just call Him "God".
According to the teachings of the Church of Life, "God" exists in the bodies of all living beings in this world and is the origin of all life and spirituality.
"Hmm... this description, why does it feel a bit like 'the god of earth and fertility' Bio?" Qi Ji's thoughts inexplicably diverged.
"The Goddess of Earth and Fertility", referred to as "Mother Goddess of Harvest", is in charge of areas including "farmland", "minerals", "beasts", "vitality" and "reproduction". The church under her command is the "Harvest Church", which is also the one with the widest influence among the nine major churches.
As for the authority corresponding to this deity, Qi Ji doesn't know it yet, but he can try it out later - there is a "Harvest Church" in Rune City that belongs to the Harvest Church.
However, just from her name, realm, and the honorifics that describe her qualities, we can see some of the characteristics of this Mother Goddess:
“The Lord of the Fertile Fields, the Lord of Perfection;
“Guardian of minerals and the earth, master of harvest and life;
"——The leader of an ideal country."
In short, His description has many similarities with the "God" of the Church of Life.
"Could it be that this 'god' is the guise of the Mother Goddess of Harvest? Or vice versa?"
However, Qi Ji quickly ruled out this possibility because, according to Les's memory, the teachings of the Church of Life denied the legitimacy of the Mother Goddess of Harvest.
They believed that Bio, the "God of Earth and Fertility", was an impostor of "God", and that their "God" had fallen into a dormant state because Bio had usurped his power.
The purpose of their establishment of the Church of Life is to awaken "God", the "orthodox" "master of fertile fields, master of perfection, guardian of minerals and the earth, master of harvest and life - the leader of the ideal country."
In other words, if this "god" really exists... he must be at odds with the Mother Goddess of Harvest.
Of course, it is also possible that this so-called "God" does not exist at all and is just exaggerated. After all, a cult that performs rituals is not reliable no matter how you think about it.
Yes, it’s a living sacrifice!
These guys believe that "God" has fallen into a deep sleep because he has lost his power, and in order to wake him up, a sufficient number of lives must be sacrificed to him, preferably humans.
Browsing the parts of Les' memory related to sacrifice, they were so cruel and bloody that even Qi Ji couldn't help but frown.
In short, no matter whether the secrets of the gods described in the teachings of the Church of Life are true or not, it cannot change the fact that every one of these guys is a scum who deserves to be struck by lightning.
Unfortunately, the most crucial parts, such as the purpose of the kidnapping and attack on Gary's family, the senior managers of the Church of Life, detailed information about Rice's other colleagues, etc., were either not available at all or were too incomplete and basically impossible to discern.
The reason is that after a person dies, his soul will dissipate at a very fast speed, and the memories and thoughts stored in it will also be distorted and lost.
Even though only a dozen seconds passed between Les' death and Qi Ji's communication with the spirit world, this loss should not be underestimated.
Secondly, the relevant memories seemed to have been tampered with, probably specifically to prevent members from being forcibly communicated with by hostile forces after death, which would lead to the leakage of confidential information.
This is easy to understand: a large-scale supernatural organization must have considered the situation where its own people fell into the hands of the enemy and were forced to reveal intelligence, and would definitely make corresponding countermeasures and preparations to prevent being traced back and defeated one by one.
Qi Ji only knew that Rice had a colleague named "Buck", who was a young man in his twenties or thirties and a transcendent at the level of a mage.
But more detailed information, such as his specific appearance, contact information, etc., are extremely vague and basically useless.
In addition, Qi Ji can always find sporadic traces of a figure in the fragments of memory.
The highest leader of the Church of Life in Loen City——
"archbishop".
A mysterious and powerful person who has reached the peak of the mage and is trying to reach a higher level, "Light Smelting Master".
The existence of this leader was even more vague and lacking, even his age was unknown. In Rice's memory, there was only an unfathomable figure from behind.
The only certain information about this archbishop is that he is currently practicing in seclusion in Loen or its surrounding areas in order to break through his bottleneck and seek promotion.
As for his contact information, Rice really didn't know it. At present, the Archbishop has almost cut off all contact with the entire Life Church.
The only person who knows how to contact him now is the young deacon named "Buck", who is also one of the archbishop's confidants.
"Buck..." Qi Ji pondered, and a young, tall, and graceful figure emerged in his mind, but his face was blurry. "Very good, the next one is you."
"Miss Yaoliuliu, if that's the case, what should we do?" Gary's face grew heavy after hearing Qi Ji's explanation. "If even the Super Management Bureau might have problems... then it will be even harder for ordinary travel agencies to guarantee safety."
If this evil cult calling itself the "Church of Life" could really extend its tentacles into the local official forces, then other private institutions would have surely been infiltrated like a sieve long ago.
Mrs. Gary, who was holding her daughter, also sensed the worry in her husband's words. She frowned and looked at Qi Ji:
"Miss Yaoliuliu, what is your suggestion... is for us to return to Sunset Harbor by our own means, without going through official or institutional channels?"
Qi Ji sighed softly, turned his head and looked deep into the alley, his eyes seemed to penetrate far away:
"This is the safest option for you."
"But we don't have our own carriage," Gary said bitterly, "If we hire horses or vehicles, it will probably be difficult to avoid the sight of that evil cult."
Mrs Gary added: "It's impossible to walk here, it's a full day's drive from the nearest big city."
Apart from the magic train, the only means of transportation available to ordinary people in the human world is the horse-drawn carriage.
In this world, there are no expressways or national highways. The only things connecting different cities are so-called official roads, and their road conditions are far worse than those of cement roads in towns and villages on Earth.
At most, it is equivalent to a dirt road in the countryside, a path formed by repeated trampling and crushing, a real "road".
When traveling on such a road, forget about efficiency. It is better to focus more on ensuring your personal safety. After all, in today's world, highway robbers and ferocious wild beasts are not uncommon.
Although we have the protection of Miss Yaoliuliu, a powerful transcendent, we don't have to worry too much about this problem.
But if the journey is extended, it will give the cultists who call themselves "Life Church" enough time to prepare, and one of their leaders has fallen on their side...
God knows how brutal these crazy guys will plan for revenge.
Chapter 156: Holy See Council
"Om-"
A slight, pure, and steady sound emerged from the air out of nowhere, sweeping across and rapidly decaying. Within a few meters it was too faint for human ears to hear.
Along with this buzzing vibration, there was a "crack" in the space, and a vertical crack about two meters long suddenly appeared. A pure platinum-colored light seeped through the crack.
The volume of the buzzing sound increased dramatically, and it seemed as if a "crack" appeared in the void, spreading to both sides with the crackling sound of something shattering.
In just a few seconds, this crack, which was more than two meters high and glowing with brilliant platinum light, expanded into an irregular "doorway" that was big enough for one person to pass through.
This doorway that appeared from the void stood firmly, radiating golden and bright white light like the sun. It was holy and dazzling, and the majesty it contained was so great that people dared not look directly at it.
From this brilliant and clean golden light, a slim and tall figure suddenly walked out.
This is an old man with a slightly old face, who seems to be over 60 years old. He has a sparse but neat beard, wears a straight and textured white robe with gold patterns, and a five-pointed priest hat decorated with gold patterns on his head.
On the left chest of his clothes, the holy emblem of "The Left Hand of the Law" was embroidered in bright golden lines.
Archbishop of East Woshu Cathedral, Saint Cosman the Glory of Xindan!
A high-level clergyman in the realm of "Saints" is a noble being second only to the angels under the Goddess's throne and the Goddess's apostles on earth!
"Welcome Archbishop!"
As soon as Saint Cosman appeared, a burst of neat and loud welcome came from both sides in front of him.
He was now in a huge square, the ground was paved with gray-white bricks, each brick was the size of half a magic train car.
Thousands of giant gray-white bricks are laid out in a regular pattern, forming this large square covering several hectares.
The void "doorway" that Saint Cosman walked out of was located at the edge of the square. On both sides of it stood a row of church knights wearing white suits with gold patterns and rune swords at their waists. The loud welcome just now came from them.
Saint Cosman bowed his head slightly in response, then walked with steady steps across the vast stone brick square towards the magnificent buildings opposite.
The view is elevated and far-reaching. It is a hill with a gentle slope but a very large area and towering into the clouds!
On the hill, densely packed buildings are stacked layer upon layer, all with platinum as the main color. They are intricately shaped, and decorated with various luxurious and elegant patterns and symbols, filled with a strong religious atmosphere.
Under the sunlight, this hill almost completely covered by buildings radiates a pure and sacred dazzling halo, which makes the witnesses feel admiration and awe, as if they are facing a miracle created by nature rather than man.
At the top of the hill, a church as tall as a giant's palace stands tall, like an emperor on a throne, looking down from an absolute commanding height at his subjects who are bowing at his feet.
In comparison, the gray-white stone brick square of tens of thousands of square meters... is so small that it looks like a grain of rice dotted among the flowers.
The capital of the Templar State, the "First City of Grace" - Mangcheng!
Crossing the gray-white stone brick square, Saint Cosman stepped onto the stairs that extended straight to the top of the hill.
Step by step, he climbed tens of thousands of steps, and it took him more than an hour to walk from the gray-white stone brick square halfway up the holy mountain to the foot of the cathedral at the top of the mountain.
During the whole process, Saint Cosman, who looked to be in his sixties and had an old face, did not look away, but stared straight ahead at the church that was getting closer and closer.
More than an hour of repetitive mechanical movements did not make his wrinkled face look irritable or tired at all.
Finally, the cathedral, whose top was obscured by clouds, came to within a few dozen meters of him, and the long staircase that seemed like a journey to heaven also came to an end.
After climbing the last step, Saint Cosman arrived at the main door of the church, a pair of huge platinum-colored double doors that were so tall and magnificent that they did not seem to be built by humans.
"Your Excellency, the Holy See Conference has been prepared."
In the left corner of the giant door, a slightly younger clergyman in a clerical robe bowed to Saint Cosman who was coming towards him and spoke respectfully.
Saint Cosman looked at him and nodded, then he spread his right hand into a palm and pressed it against his left chest in return:
"Awaited."
The priest in front of the door didn't say much, turned around and pressed the huge door behind him with his right hand.
The surface of the giant gate was covered with all kinds of complex patterns, and where his palm was pressed, the dense patterns and symbols twisted into a special pattern, which seemed to fit the shape of his right hand exactly.
The tightly closed stone door made a heavy friction sound, and then the right half of the door leaf swung inward, opening a gap two or three meters wide before stopping.
Through this gap, Saint Cosman entered the interior of the church.
Passing through various luxurious and tall porches and halls, and crossing over towering stone pillars, he finally walked through a double-arched door five or six meters high and came to an extremely spacious circular hall.
In the center of the round hall, a long table in bright colors was placed on the ground, with its short side facing the main entrance.
High-backed chairs are placed on both sides of the long table, arranged symmetrically.
At the top of the long table, there was an armchair covered with intricate patterns, like a throne, standing high on a platform with seven steps, overlooking everything below.
"Mr. Cosman, you are here."
The high-back chairs on both sides of the long table were already occupied, but some were vacant.
When the people present saw Saint Cosman enter the hall, they all stood up and saluted. Among them, an old man who looked about the same age as Saint Cosman and wore a five-pointed priest's hat greeted him with a smile, and it seemed that he had a good relationship with Saint Cosman.
Saint Cosman returned the greeting silently, walked slowly to the long table, and sat down in a high-backed chair in the middle.
The rest of the people also sat down, straightened their postures, and sat up straight.
