Chapter 372: Mammon's whereabouts, Famula's memories, climbing the Moon River (7K)

Sword Winterhold.

In the study, Yeats looked at the burning golden flame in his palm, thoughtfully.

The sulfur flame inherited from "Apostle of Judgment Uriel" has the effect of restraining evil spirits and can suppress the curse of the Lord of Plague to a certain extent.

The problem is that the cause of the plague has not yet been fully determined.

What if the plague that ravaged the Grand Duchy of Lucia was really related to the curse of the Lord of Plague?

Then, there must be "people of the plague" in the principality.

The so-called plague people are believers of the Lord of Plague.

They regard epidemics and plagues as symbols of life, believing that disease does not regard human beings as good or evil, beautiful or ugly, and will eliminate all inequalities, and is a manifestation of God's mercy.

The Plague People aim to spread the disease and are wanted and hunted in every kingdom. However, the underground secret cult led by the Plague People continues to exist despite repeated bans.

In the original plot, there was a plague man named "Fester". He lived deep in the dark underground, feeding on all kinds of debris and filth. He believed that despair was the essence of life and that people should embrace pain.

Players need to hand over the item called 'Golden Feces' to 'Fusorderer' and listen to him explain his ideas about decay and depravity. Due to the plot, this character is also called 'Gourmet Lao Ba' by players.

Wherever they go, the stench and poisonous gas released by the pus-filled creatures will cause plague and disease in the surrounding areas.

This abandoned baby was thrown into the sewer by his noble parents because of his ugly appearance. He survived by embracing the cradle of the Lord of Plague, and finally died at the hands of the 'Immortal Sword' Phoenix.

"Phoenix also appeared in the Grand Duchy of Lucia... Could this be the story between him and the Fester?"

Ye Zhi frowned slightly, unable to determine the timeline and plot direction for a moment.

But it is certainly a clue worth digging deeper into.

As he was unable to take part in the Moon Goddess Trial and at the same time find out the culprit of the epidemic, Ye Zhi pondered for a moment, and a figure flashed through his mind.

Crane Doyle.

It's time for the 'Grim Reaper' to appear! *In the high-end reception room, the luxurious crystal chandelier emits a faint light, reflecting the mahogany furniture and the paintings on the wall.

Dongdong——

There was a knock on the door, and a detective in a windbreaker pushed the door open and walked in, a pipe in his mouth. He scanned the room and fixed his eyes on the man behind the handmade writing desk.

Adventurer's Guild, President, Anthony.

"Please take a seat, Mr. Crane,"

Anthony's temples were white, and his black suit was well-tailored. The scar on his face made him look even more stern. He whispered:

"How is it going?"

Clan silently took out the package from his arms, placed it on Anthony's desk, and said:

"Here is the list of suspicious members of the Ghost Society. I have recorded all the people who are suspected to be related to the God of Greed..."

"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Crane. Please take a seat."

Anthony was not in a hurry to pick up the package. He folded his hands over his chest, his eyes were as sharp as an eagle, and a hint of tenderness flashed across his weather-beaten face.

"I am deeply sorry for making you do something that goes against your will, but I think you should know that it is a just act for us to investigate the followers of the demon god in the human world."

Clan held a pipe in his mouth, his eyes looked complicated in the hazy smoke, he took a deep breath and sighed:

"I didn't expect that the Ghost Society was actually initiated by the followers of the God of Greed. The purpose was to establish an intelligence network across the human continent and provide useful information to Hell..."

Thinking of this, Clan suddenly felt a little guilty. When he had brought Ye Zhi into the Ghost Society, he never expected that this day would come.

Recently, I took on the commission of President Anthony and dug deep into the life experience of the founder of the Ghost Society. I found that the widow who claimed to be the "earl's widow" was most likely Mammon's disguise in the human world.

"Mammon is the most treacherous of all demons. He often transforms into human form and uses wealth and power to deceive people." Anthony frowned deeply. "In the water city of Veneto, merchants actually worship Mammon as the god of wealth. This is simply... a great blasphemy!"

Hearing the word blasphemy, Cran was a little puzzled and said:

"Mr. Anthony, I remember that you believe in neither the gods nor the church?"

The legendary demon hunter in front of him was from the Wolf School. He once single-handedly killed a powerful demon that broke into the material world from the hell plane. He was a omnipotent figure in the entire continent.

The demon hunter team led by Jello of the Wolf School, which has been in the limelight recently, would probably not be able to withstand even one move from Anthony if they met him.

Such a powerful figure, with no divine blessing in his soul realm, relied entirely on his well-tempered body and combat skills to reach the pinnacle of the continent, which really made Clan admire him.

The white-haired old man was silent for a while, then slowly said:

"Religion is a poison used by the weak to paralyze themselves... Since God is omnipotent, why would He help humans who are as weak as ants?"

"Ultimately, humans can only rely on themselves."

Anthony paused for a moment, a complex light flashing across his deep eyes.

"And man has inherent righteousness and virtue—

"That kind of justice deep in the human heart is what I have always been pursuing, and it is also what I am most worried about being erased and tainted..."

"Power, wealth, and material desires will erode people's pursuit of justice."

Anthony's eyes gradually became sharper:

"So, I will fight the God of Greed to the death until he returns to Hell and no longer appears in the material world!"

"It doesn't sound easy, Mr. Anthony." Crane said with a wry smile, "Preventing humans from falling into the trap of material desires is like preventing birds from pecking at the rice in a cage. Besides..."

Crane looked around at the luxurious furnishings and stopped talking. He thought to himself that it was not convincing at all for a wealthy man to say that he wanted to prevent people from falling into the trap of material desires! As if he had seen through Crane's thoughts, Anthony said calmly, "The reason I bought these luxury goods is that a large number of craftsmen need to rely on my consumption to survive. I don't need them, but they need me."

Crane choked on his words, smacked his pipe, and remained silent.

"Anyway, I'll accept this information, and the reward will be paid to you later..."

Anthony shook the brown paper-wrapped package in his hand and said, "In October, if you have time, please make another trip to the Roland Kingdom on the other side of the strait to track down clues about the devil..."

"I suspect that the followers of the Demon God will also appear at this knight conference."

Anthony said solemnly.

The elderly man does not belong to any camp and pursues the so-called justice in his own way.

Clan stood up, took off his hat and saluted with respect in his eyes... He was a warrior who hated evil and would never bow down even in front of gods and demons.

"Understood." Crane said.

"By the way, Honeysuckle Duke Yeats, is he also a member of the Ghost Society?" Anthony asked.

"Yes, I was the one who invited him in the first place, but I didn't expect that he would be involved in a case related to Mammon." Crane said helplessly, "I'm already thinking about how to apologize to him."

A slight smile appeared on Anthony's weathered face, and his tone was filled with undisguised approval.

"Yeats Bronte is an idealist. To him, worldly power is not worth mentioning. As for what he is pursuing, I will know it sooner or later."

Standing up, Anthony put on a hood, shook his clothes and said, "I'll take you there, Mr. Crane."

"No need to see me off, Mr. Anthony. I will report to you as soon as I find any clues related to the God of Greed."

Walking out of the room, the cold wind blew. Clan stood in the dimly lit street and glanced at the flickering kerosene street lamps. He struck a match, lit his pipe, took a deep breath, and muttered, "If I don't learn fire magic, I still have to carry a box of matches when I go out. It's really troublesome..."

At this time, in the realm of creation, invisible information fluctuations surged from the magic net.

Clan received the short message with a surprised look on his face, and said:

"Yezhi? What's the matter so late?"

"It is like this, Mr. Crane..."

Yeats briefly explained to Clan the situation of plague that had broken out in the Grand Duchy of Lucia and that he needed help in tracking down the culprit.

This journey is very dangerous, as it requires going deep into a city ravaged by the plague. It is not appropriate to let my friends take such risks.

But Crane's ability to gather intelligence was exactly what Yeats needed, so Yeats still made an invitation.

"Investigate the curse of the Lord of Plague?"

Without even thinking about it, Kelan readily agreed: "No problem, leave it to me!"

Ye Zhi was stunned. He didn't expect the other party to agree so straightforwardly. All the words he had prepared were useless! Tactic coughed and Ye Zhi continued, "As for the reward."

"No reward is needed!" Crane said, "This trip is to save people from the plague. It is truly a just act!"

Yeats asked suspiciously, "Mr. Crane, your tone is different from usual. Are you hiding something from me?"

Clan's face froze, and he laughed dryly, "How is that possible? Haha, anyway, let's talk about it when we meet tomorrow!"

Crane tried to change the subject.

Under Yeats's repeated questioning, he had no choice but to tell the whole story.

Yeats pretended to be surprised and said:

"You mean, the Ghost Society that you dragged me into before was founded by the God of Greed?"

Cran smiled bitterly and said, "I just found out about this recently. I'm really sorry for involving you in this incident..."

Yeats had long anticipated the connection between the God of Greed and the Ghost Society, and this was an opportunity to follow the clues and find Mammon, the God of Greed.

Ye Zhi also wanted to get the [Ring of the God of Greed] to upgrade his storage equipment.

The demons' activity area is usually within the empire on the other side of the strait. If you really want to come into contact with demons, it is during the Knights' Conference.

Right now, the trip to the Moonlight Sect is the top priority.

"These are minor issues, nothing serious, Mr. Crane." Yeats smiled, "If you don't mind, we will set out together by sea tomorrow morning to the Grand Duchy of Lucia."

Cran breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Understood!"

Yeats said: "Speaking of which, Mr. Crane, I have a question."

"What?" Crane asked curiously.

"Tell me, is there a possibility that you are actually chosen by the God of Death?" Ye Zhi joked.

Cran heard the hidden meaning in Yeats's words and said helplessly:

"I'm a detective... I chase the case, not the case happens because of me!"

Ye Zhi smiled and stopped teasing.

With Clan's help, he can concentrate on participating in the Moon Goddess Trial, and if necessary, he can change his identity and act under the guise of the Dark Night God's Chosen 'Sherlock'.

However, Yeats was still somewhat concerned. Taking advantage of the outbreak of plague in the Grand Duchy of Lucia, the Papal States sent the Knights Hospitallers to the duchy. He wondered if there were any other powerful figures from the Holy See besides Phoenix.

Previously, Famula had luckily escaped from his hands. Although one of her arms was broken, with the help of the healing angel Raphael, her strength would not necessarily be diminished.

In the Papal States, there is also the former "God of War Chosen" Hastings, and the "Duke of Poison" Cesare whose strength is unknown, which is a big trouble.

The Chosen One of Dark Night has arrived, and the news has spread, greatly enhancing the influence of the Dark Night Sect.

With this previous experience as a lesson, the Holy See will definitely find ways to sabotage the Moonlight Sect's God-choosing Ceremony.

"The Moonlight Cult possesses a magical weapon called the Moon River, which is a symbol of the Moonlight God's Chosen One. Unlike the offensive Tower of Darkness, it has extremely strong defensive capabilities."

Ye Zhi thought to himself, "No matter what, I have to get Moon River..."

As long as the rioting dark night divinity in the soul realm can be suppressed, we can get one step closer to opening the holy land! *Papal States, side hall.

The sunlight shines through the glass windows to the altar. The statue of the Virgin Mary under the cross has a compassionate face and is holding the baby Jesus in her arms.

A black-haired woman stood quietly in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary and prayed, her sleeves hanging down.

On the walls on both sides are exquisite stone statues with lifelike angel faces.

On the shoulder of a statue sat a boy of about fifteen years old, with soft golden hair covering his forehead, deep blue eyes, a delicate and pleasant smile on his face, and wearing a pleated white robe.

What is eye-catching is the wings behind the boy. A pair of white wings emit a warm glow, and crystal light spots float in the temple. The atmosphere is incredibly quiet and peaceful.

Raphael, the angel of healing.

The boy, the protector of travelers.

In addition to curing people's illnesses, He also taught Noah the knowledge and skills to build the ark, and performed such childish deeds as wrestling with mortals. He also gave King Solomon a bracelet that could control the devil.

Raphael's voice was gentle, and his eyes were so gentle as if he was looking at his own child. He said softly:

"So, what have you thought about? Do you want to accept my gift?"

Famula raised her golden eyes, her empty pupils without any emotion, fixed on Raphael's face, gradually becoming brighter, and said hoarsely:

"You haven't told me the price of this gift."

"No price is required, my child. Healing the wounds of the righteous is my duty."

Although he looked young, the blond boy had a steady and loving expression as he spoke slowly.

“Everything in this world has a price.”

Famula did not comment and said:

"Teacher Uriel saved me at the cost of his own life, and I know very well that if I want you to heal me, I must pay a price..."

Hearing this, Raphael sighed softly, flapped his wings and flew up, stepping barefoot on the shiny marble floor, looking up at Famula.

The boy's eyes were as deep as the sea, and the black-haired judge was reflected in his eyes. He said, "Uriel, he is not dead... His soul is still alive, but he has lost the connection with the heaven and cannot return for a while."

“When the apocalypse comes, all good souls will finally be bathed in the greatest miracle - resurrection.”

Famula was stunned for a moment, her voice trembling slightly.

"All good souls...will be resurrected?"

Raphael's eyes flashed, he stood on tiptoe, gently placed his hand on Famula's forehead, and closed his eyes.

The healing angels heal not only the human body, but also the human spirit and faith.

In order to heal Famula, it is necessary to delve into her memories.

Please...collect 6...9...books...!

Scenes from the past emerged.

On a snowy night with a biting cold wind, two figures stumbled and fell in the snow.

"Sister... I can't run anymore..." the girl said chokingly.

"Hold on a little longer." The black-haired girl said tremblingly, "If we escape to a place where the dean can't find us, we'll be safe!"

"Sister, my foot seems to be pricked..."

The brown-haired girl's ankles were covered in blood, staining the snow red. The dead branches were like iron wires, cutting deeply into her purple skin and embedding into the wounds. She was numb from the cold and could not feel any pain.

The black-haired girl gritted her teeth, carried the brown-haired girl on her back, and walked forward in the boundless snow.

"Where are you going in such a cold day?"

The cold wind brought a bone-chilling voice.

The black-haired girl's pupils contracted and she looked back.

The tall woman was dressed in a tight black dress, with a cold smile on her pale, bloodless face.

"Dean..." The black-haired girl's teeth chattered, "I..."

"Be good, come back with me. The fireplace at home is warm, and there's pea soup cooking in the pot..."

The nun in black approached slowly.

What responded to her was the black-haired girl's terrified expression.

The nun's face grew darker and darker.

"Are you hallucinating?"

The black-robed nun said grimly.

"Famula, you can commit suicide by yourself, but don't take your sister with you!"

She stretched out her dry fingers and grabbed the girl behind Famula.

"Don't touch her!" Famula screamed, leaning against a big tree, trembling as she took out a shiny table knife from her back. "I, I saw you turn into a werewolf and eat them! You are not allowed to touch her!"

The nun in black was stunned. Her black hair covered her pale cheeks and a low, strange sound came out of her throat, as if she was giggling.

"I told you a long time ago, Famula, don't eat the poisonous mushrooms in the forest when you are hungry..."

She raised her face, half of which showed sadness and pain, and the other half showed ferocity and hunger, and she shouted, "Why don't you listen! Famula!

"It's always you, the one who makes trouble, and the one who runs away without permission! You are a bad boy, I will put you in solitary confinement!"

She rushed towards Famula quickly.

"Don't touch my sister!" The brown-haired girl hugged the black-robed nun's ankle.

The nun in black picked up the little girl angrily.

However, the next moment.

Famula's pupils contracted, and blazing flames were reflected in her eyes.

The sound of chaotic footsteps rushed into the snowy forest.

"Hurry, the witch's hut is just ahead!"

"Kill her and you'll be rich!"

"But she adopted many children... She seems to be different from other werewolves..."

"Who cares? Just kill her!"

The black-clad nun's face suddenly turned pale, and the strength in her hands loosened.

The little girl ran out and fell into Famula's arms.

Immediately, the black-clad nun stepped forward and pushed Famula, saying in a trembling voice: "Hurry, hurry up, Famula, don't let them find you!"

Famula buried her head, hugged the crying brown-haired girl with one hand, and screamed:

"Don't touch me!"

The nun in black stood there in a daze, slowly lowering her raised hand with a bitter look on her face.

She stood in front of the tree trunk and turned back to look at the witcher who had entered the forest.

In the light of the fire, the well-equipped demon hunter had flames of greed and hunger burning in his eyes.

"Isn't that what we have found?"

"Hey, witch, I'm warning you, let those two kids go!"

"Watch out, those two might be witches too!"

The black-robed nun took a deep breath, looked back at Famula, her eyes gentle, and said softly:

"When you wake up, Famula, remember that I have always loved you deeply..."

Hoarse gasps came from the nun's throat. She knelt on the ground in pain, her body hunched, her hands clasped together, trying to continue praying, but the words were stuck in her throat. Her body seemed to be shaking in severe pain, and she suddenly let out a shrill scream. Her nails grew longer rapidly, her bones grew with a crackling sound, her face was covered with black hair, and her eyes were filled with scarlet fierceness! Famula leaned against the tree, hugged the little girl tightly, her face was terrified, and her eyes reflected the roaring werewolf, the splashing blood, and the burning flames.

The pungent smell of blood filled the ice and snow. Famula felt nauseous and her knuckles turned white as she hugged her sister. The horrific massacre was reflected in the eyes of the black-haired girl, and the firelight illuminated her distraught face.

The cold wind is getting stronger and stronger, as murderous as a knife.

Finally, all the screams stopped.

Human corpses fell in the snow, and the blood dyed the snow red.

"call……"

The werewolf, covered in wounds, panted and crawled towards Famula with difficulty.

The werewolf raised his face and tried to force a smile on his scarred face, but it looked so terrifying.

Famula's whole body was shaking like a sieve. She held the girl and tried to retreat as hard as she could. Her legs were kicking wildly in the snow, but behind her was a tree trunk as cold and hard as iron. She had nowhere to retreat.

When the werewolf's sharp claws were about to touch the little girl's back.

Famula trembled violently, screamed, raised the silver knife and stabbed it into the werewolf's head.

The werewolf stared at Famula blankly, and the light in his eyes gradually faded.

Plop! All the sounds in the snow stopped, leaving only the crackling of burning dead wood in the forest.

She was almost out of breath and lowered her head as if asking for help, but saw the little girl lying quietly in her arms with her cheeks blue from the cold.

Buzz——

Famula's mind went blank.

She tried to shake the brown-haired girl, but saw that the blood flowing from the girl's ankle had solidified into ice. In the white world, there was no other breath except hers.

Famula stood there in a daze, all her strength drained from her body.

Crack.

Famula clearly heard the sound of a nerve breaking in her mind.

She howled with such intensity that her grief shook the snow on the treetops.

In the forest, footsteps were heard again.

There was a whisper of discussion.

"She killed the werewolf?"

"What an amazing child, he even has the potential to be a supernatural being..."

"Take her back. The Inquisition needs fresh blood like this..."

The sunlight shines through the towering dome and the stained glass windows, casting colorful light and shadows, like an angel's wings brushing across Famula's face.

Her eyelashes fluttered and tears silently flowed down both sides of her face.

Famula opened her golden eyes, looked at the angel in front of her, and said hoarsely: "What... did you do to me?"

Raphael had a gentle smile on his face.

"If you want to heal the scars, you must first tear them open... This is the only way to sharpen the soul."

Bathed in the warm white light, Famula's mood gradually calmed down and she took a deep breath.

"What has always puzzled me is..." Famula said coldly, "Isn't He omnipotent? But why is there so much suffering in this world?"

"Yes, but fate is still not completely under God's control, so it is full of misfortunes."

Raphael said calmly: "As long as all the factors that cause the instability of fate are eliminated, there will no longer be so much suffering in this world, and everything will run in a perfect way."

Famula was silent for a long time and said, "What should I do?"

"In the Moonlight Sect, there is a floating island called Moon Island. On the highest peak of Moon Island, there is a temple."

Raphael said slowly:

"Whenever the Moon God trials are held, the Moon River will pour down along the Moon Peak like a waterfall. Only by climbing up the Moon Peak against the waterfall can you reach the temple."

"In previous Moon God Trials, multiple trialists would climb the Moon River at the same time."

"Once you enter the Moon River, all your divinity will be invalid. You can only rely on your will and soul to go upstream along the Moon River and climb towards the temple."

"I want you to take advantage of the chaos, join this trial, climb up to the Moon Temple, and place the [Dead Sea Scrolls] into the temple."

"In this way, the divinity contained in the ancient scroll will be activated, devouring the authority of the Moon God, and the day when the Kingdom of God descends will come sooner."

Famula looked at the empty sleeves speechlessly.

A golden light condensed in Raphael's palm, and something seemed to be sealed in this white light. Immediately, Raguel injected this white light into Famula's broken arm.

Under the light, Famula endured the pain and cold sweat ran down her forehead.

After a while, an arm made of mithril appeared on her right hand, and a strange look flashed across Famula's eyes.

"This is a treasure of the former God of War of the Tuatha de Danann, called the Silver Arm."

Raphael said calmly:

"In the old era, there was a god of war holding a sword of light. He lost his right arm while leading his men to fight against gods. So the god of medicine of the Tuatha de Danann made a 'silver arm' for the one-armed god king. From then on, the god of war was called 'Nuada the Silver Arm'."

"But this 'Silver Arm' was a burden to the God of War. After obtaining the 'Silver Arm', He still lost the throne due to the injury."

"You have not yet achieved the holy realm. The silver arm can help you recover from your injuries and further develop your soul power."

"With this treasure, the resistance you face in climbing the Moon River will be greatly reduced."

Famula tried to control her silver arm, nodded silently, raised her golden eyes, and said, "What about the Dead Sea Scrolls?"

"The Dead Sea Scrolls are essentially scriptures that contain divinity. Their divinity is contrary to the divinity of the Moon God. As long as they are placed in the temple at this special node of the trial, they will be effective."

Raphael handed a box of ancient scroll fragments to Famula and said gently: "If you want to resolve a dispute, you must first fall into it... Go forward, Famula."

Famula's golden eyes flickered with a glimmer of fire, and she nodded silently.

The figure of the god-like man under the black sun reappeared before her eyes, and Famula clenched her hands quietly.

This time... I will definitely reach Tsukishima and never fall behind...

(End of this chapter)