Chapter 760 - 116: Mutation
Su Changxing took a sip of coffee and then took a big bite of a slice of bread spread with cream: "No fighting, if possible, I’m just going to grab something."
He suspected that at the Duke’s, there might be more than one broken Bronze Mirror fragment, as William’s cargo ship previously
was also meant to deliver broken Bronze Mirror fragments to the Duke.
What he was more curious about was why the Duke wanted to collect these things; he shouldn’t be a Player, right?
The Duke’s title is hereditary, so he was originally from this world.
William also grabbed a large piece of bread from the table, took a big bite, smiled, and said, "Just call me when you’re leaving; I can leave anytime."
Little Vick, sitting on the side, pointed at the rum in William’s hand and said, "I want a drink too."
"What kind of alcohol should kids be drinking? Just have some milk."
"How am I supposed to grow up without drinking!" Little Vick said with good reason.
...
A large number of antiques and items from the Ancient Church were collected by the City Guard in the square, then transported one carriage at a time to the seaside, where they were dumped into the sea to be destroyed.
But there were always people who resisted, feeling these antiques were more valuable than life itself, but they were all thrown into prison by the Guards.
Most miserable were some nobles who liked to collect a large number of antiques; when they were all destroyed at once, it was as if their lifeblood was taken away.
But because this was the Princess’s order, and since she held the army’s power, they had no choice but to send the Guards away with forced smiles while their hearts bled.
This was just a small matter.
These nobles were smart, knowing how to act; without these antiques, they were still nobility.
"Do these things really have problems?" Kasmin’s face also showed a pained expression.
Before, she didn’t think much of it, but seeing so many antique items being destroyed together, she felt an immense pity.
Su Changxing shook his head: "I don’t know; precisely because I can’t tell, everything needs to be destroyed."
Kasmin sighed, complaining: "This morning, over a dozen nobles and scholars came to me, earnestly explaining the significance of these antiques, making me feel like a completely ignorant vulgar Princess."
Su Changxing rubbed his slightly aching left eye: "They know everything, they’re just unwilling, that’s all. If you actually allowed them to keep them, they might not dare to."
Throughout the process of destroying these antiques, he observed closely, believing this move could thoroughly clear Maelon’s internal troubles.
At this moment, gunshots sounded from a street not far away, seemingly a conflict with the City Guard.
Su Changxing immediately rushed over.
The ground on the street was covered in blood, with many Guards lying on the ground crying out in pain.
In the midst of them, an old man wearing white cloth, glasses, with long spikes protruding from his back piercing through his clothes, his body distorted and elongated, lay on the ground howling at the surrounding Guards.
Around him stood Guards continuously using firearms, attempting to shoot the old man, moving around.
Clearly, the person before him had already been corrupted by the Evil God, transforming into a monster.
The bullets exploded into sprays of blood on the old man’s body, breaking bones, as he lay on the ground.
As more Guards surrounded him, his body was completely ruined by bullets, his eyes slowly closed, and he fell silent.
Su Changxing noticed that in the old man’s hand was a bronze-style wristband, apparently the real culprit.
The Guard’s captain, a middle-aged man with short blond hair and a mustache, Jia Jinlan, seeing Su Changxing walk over, said: "Master Liu Luola, how should we deal with this monster?"
Su Changxing examined the old man’s body: "What happened just now, how did he become a monster?"
Jia Jinlan responded: "He was the owner of an antique shop, handed over everything but refused to give up the wristband in his hand. During the struggle, this guy suddenly became a monster."
"I thought there was a problem, didn’t expect it really. It’s just that the old guy’s sudden attack injured quite a few of our people."
Su Changxing nodded thoughtfully and said: "Hang the body in the square as a warning to everyone, to prevent further resistance."
Jia Jinlan discreetly praised: "Master wise, this will make these people clearly realize, what we are doing is not to seize wealth but to prevent more from turning into monsters."
Su Changxing gave him an appreciative look and then said: "Let the members of the All Beings Sect handle this matter later; it will be more convincing."
Jia Jinlan awkwardly smiled: "No problem."
The monster incident quickly spread throughout Maelon, drawing many to watch.
"See, I told you, there’s a reason for the Princess to do this, can’t just destroy antiques for no reason."
"Sure enough, there’s an Evil God causing mischief behind Maelon, heard before that Lord Eric was also influenced by the Evil God, leading him to order the massacre of the city."
"The Evil God is truly detestable."
In the crowd.
Mike, dressed in the All Beings Sect’s robes, was also watching and said seriously, "It is precisely because of the Lord’s radiance that we are spared from the harassment of the Evil God."
"If not for the Lord descending upon Maelon, it would have been doomed a few days ago, and you should all be grateful."
Mike babbled on in the crowd, and those around him listened earnestly, feeling that he made a lot of sense.
"It seems the All Beings Sect truly is a sect of the True God," an old man who appeared to be in his seventies or eighties couldn’t help but exclaim.
"Haven’t you joined the All Beings Sect yet? Hurry up and get in line; who knows, you might be carrying the plague, don’t pass it to us."
Upon hearing this, people around promptly distanced themselves from the old man.
The old man looked at this scene, then lowered his head and hurried away, heading towards the All Beings Sect, feeling as if staying in this city required becoming a believer of the All Beings Sect.
Everyone around was a believer of the All Beings Sect, and if you were the only one who wasn’t, you’d seem out of place. Generally, ordinary people, in order to survive better, first need to conform, making themselves like everyone else.
This is also the survival principle of ordinary people.
Also, because of the plague, it has now been proven that the All Beings Sect truly has the ability to cure the plague, and those not in the sect are likely to carry the virus, even without symptoms.
The first to join the All Beings Sect were mostly people from the lower rungs of society, who didn’t have many concerns.
While some nobles are still observing, they have many worries, fearing that joining the All Beings Sect would bring various constraints.
...
"Have you confirmed his identity?"
An elderly man in luxurious attire stood on a high platform, watching the dense crowd in the square far away.
A guard in a black hoodie kneeled and said, "We’ve got some leads, he is indeed the Liu Luola who appeared over a decade ago, and the portrait matches the same person."
The old man took the cigarette from his mouth and threw it into a canister, "No wonder, it seems the Empress had a Princess with him. I thought these years would continue in peace, yet the whole family nearly got buried here."
"Divine Spirit? Heretic? Whatever they are, preserving our family’s line is what’s most important."
"Soon everyone will follow me to join the All Beings Sect. We have to join after all, otherwise this plague can’t be treated, joining early also shows where we stand."
He glanced at the sores on the skin of his hand, exhaled slowly, as if something was suppressed in his chest.
He was the Marquis Koles, a Great Noble in Maelon, an authoritative presence.
Eric managed the entire city but had no title; he has always somewhat looked down on him.
Shortly after dinner, Koles led his family to the cathedral.
Seeing this, Nobu immediately went up to greet them with a beaming smile, "Our Great Sect Leader instructed that for the Marquis, of course we should make things easier, come right in with me, no need to queue."
He was incredibly excited inside; people like the Marquis were usually never seen in Maelon.
Now, he could speak on equal terms with the Marquis; how could he not be excited?
But he kept all of this deeply inside, showing none of it.
The people the Marquis brought were all direct descendants, not too many.
Seeing this, Koles also smiled contentedly, "Thank you, Great Priest."
He had seen the believers of the Housheng Sect, also visited their church, naturally knowing how rigorous and complicated becoming a believer there was.
Coming to the All Beings Sect, he merely took a book of teachings, a robe, and participated in a prayer, then it was done.
He hadn’t even reacted by the time it was over, feeling like it was just a process, quite light.
"That’s it?" Koles incredulously looked at Nobu.
Nobu nodded, "That’s it, but in the future, you must pray at least once a day, confessing your good deeds and sins, wishes and troubles to the Lord in your prayers."
Koles thoughtfully nodded, feeling it wasn’t such a big deal, and his previous worries seemed to vanish into thin air.
On the way back, the Marquis’ eldest son, Gred, whispered, "This All Beings Sect doesn’t seem so impressive, allowing so many commoners in, seems far inferior to the Housheng Sect."
Koles frowned and scolded, "What nonsense, we are now believers of the All Beings Sect. If I hear such things again, don’t blame me for thrashing you."
Everyone knew this Marquis had a temper; even with his sons, he’d beat them, often wielding the stick himself.
Great nobles are not that particular; the ones who really are, are those lesser nobles.
Gred was frightened, his face changed, and he immediately fell silent, being beaten on the street in front of so many people would be too humiliating.