Chapter 42
In the moment those brown, round eyes locked onto her, Xia'er’s heart raced. It felt as if a veil had descended over her vision, and all the shadows, murmurs, and dizziness vanished in an instant.
With the help of this veil, Xia'er finally saw the person before her.
In the haze, there indeed stood a normal person, quietly watching her from outside the door. With a masked face, they extended a hand clad in a gem-studded white glove, and behind them unfurled six ethereal, wing-like appendages.
"Are you feeling better now?"
A voice echoed in Xia'er’s mind again, hollow and light, devoid of emotion, making it impossible to discern whether it belonged to a man or a woman.
It wasn’t the calm tone of someone like Aivina, who could convey a hint of emotion; it was more like a machine, flat and unchanging throughout.
"I... I feel a bit better..." Xia'er slowly rose from the ground, raising a hand to her forehead, but found nothing there to touch.
"You are Xia'er, as mentioned by High Priestess Yulisi, correct?" The figure in the white robe continued the inquiry from when they first opened the door.
"I am..." Xia'er fumbled through her pockets and quickly retrieved a church insignia, handing it over.
The insignia was stained with her blood, but the figure showed no sign of disgust. After accepting it and holding it in their palm for a moment, they placed it into their pocket.
"What about Yulisi?" Xia'er asked, though her notes indicated she had committed suicide not long ago, without specifying the reason.
"She was martyred," the figure in white replied mechanically. "As a 'Missionary,' after witnessing the deaths of many believers, the potion was on the brink of spiraling out of control. To prevent it from completely losing control, she chose to meet the Goddess while still conscious."
"So, you are the bishop sent by the Church of the Savior Goddess?" Xia'er ventured.
"Yes," the white-robed figure confirmed. "When I arrived, I was kept at bay by the pain in this area. It was only when the suffering subsided that I could enter."
Did the bishop arrive just as the infection began to spread? They were unable to enter due to the pain, waiting until most people had died before they could come in?
This was clearly a massacre exploiting the vulnerabilities of the Church of the Savior Goddess.
"High Priest Yulisi mentioned in a confidential report that you possess some special intelligence. May I ask if my earlier action of stabilizing your spiritual reason can be exchanged for some information?" the white-robed figure inquired politely.
Despite their courteous demeanor, Xia'er couldn’t shake the unease that crept up her spine, perhaps due to the strange insects she had seen earlier or the emotionless tone of their voice. It felt as if she were standing before not a person, but a nameless monster disguised as one.
"There are traitors within the Church or the Redemption Society..." Xia'er tried to avoid looking directly at the white-robed figure as she continued, "The infection was originally supposed to break out on July 4th, but after I alerted the Church in advance, it happened earlier..."
"That’s shocking," the white-robed bishop replied mechanically. "You’re not lying."
"Though I know it might be impolite to ask further, I still want to know how you knew the original plan for the infection outbreak was July 4th."
Taking a moment to calm her breath, Xia'er looked back at the white-robed figure.
She recalled the first time she had seen Yulisi and said, "Yulisi told me this is what the Goddess wanted me to see—she wanted to take me to the Church for my baptism, but I refused."
Xia'er’s words elicited no reaction from the white-robed figure.
The bishop seemed to stall, as if caught in a program, and after a long pause, they slowly bowed their head and spoke:
"I understand. If 'Missionary' Yulisi could perform the baptism for the prospective saintess, then her potion would be fully consumed. That is why she wanted to take you to the Church."
"Since things cannot be undone, Miss Xia'er, would you be willing to return to the Church with me? Listening to the divine oracle has left your spiritual reason somewhat unstable; you need treatment and intervention."
Chapter 45: A Glimpse into Another Realm? (Second Update)
Indeed, they directly assumed she was the saintess...
Though Xia'er knew they could sense her emotions and discern the truth in her words, did they not question anything at all?
They couldn’t even tell if what they were saying pertained to this timeline.
And judging by their tone...
"Are you not concerned about what’s happening here? Just moments ago, thousands died in the square in front of the Bell Tower Church," Xia'er couldn’t hold back and asked, "The person conducting the resurrection ceremony might still be in the Bell Tower district!"
Most importantly, the treatment for dehydration had yet to be developed. In reality, Xia'er still bore the infection; if this issue wasn’t resolved, the simulation would be meaningless.
"The fact of the believers' deaths has already occurred. The Church will initiate the next contingency plan. My task was only to prevent the outbreak; now that it has happened, I have no reason to remain here and continue the investigation. I must return to the Church to report," the white-robed figure said coldly, devoid of any human warmth.
Xia'er felt her eyelids twitch at their indifferent words. The favorable impression she had built of the Church of the Savior Goddess had diminished significantly.
No reason to continue the investigation?
Perhaps that was true for the white-robed bishop.
But for Xia'er, it was absolutely necessary.
Even if the infection had broken out, even if everyone had died, as long as Xia'er could uncover the truth, she could return to reality and prevent it all from happening!
Calming herself, Xia'er let her thoughts simmer for a moment before speaking: "I can go back to the Church with you, but I have one condition."
"Please, go ahead," the white-robed figure leaned slightly forward, all ears.
"I want to investigate the truth here and find the mastermind behind it. Otherwise, I won’t leave," Xia'er stated calmly. "This is to complete my resurrection ceremony."
Since everyone in the Church of the Savior Goddess could mistake themselves for the saintess, she would play along and use her false identity as leverage.
As Xia'er expected, this tactic proved effective.
After a brief pause, the white-robed figure straightened up, and their holy voice echoed in Xia'er’s mind:
"Of course, Miss Xia'er."
"But if the investigation reveals that the person is no longer here, I ask that you accompany me to the Ansu Church."
To ensure Xia'er’s safe passage to the Church, the white-robed bishop made a concession.
Upon hearing their response, Xia'er let out a small sigh of relief.
She didn’t know if the extraordinary being spreading the infection was still in the Bell Tower district, but having the white-robed bishop as her protector was undoubtedly beneficial.
"Alright, let’s go," Xia'er nodded in agreement, knowing she could only stay for 24 hours and wouldn’t even have time to reach the Church.
The white-robed figure stepped aside slightly to let Xia'er pass, following closely behind to ensure her safety.
"I haven’t asked your name yet," Xia'er said as they walked toward the Bell Tower Church.
"You can call me Xiu," the white-robed figure’s voice resonated in Xia'er’s mind.
Xiu? It sounded like a woman’s name, but from her voice and demeanor, it was impossible to tell.
In the Church of the Savior Goddess, the first tier was "Ascetic," Yulisi was a "Missionary," and the white-robed bishop clearly belonged to a higher tier. Given her ability to suppress the murmurs in Xia'er’s mind, her power likely exceeded Xia'er’s imagination.
On the way to the Bell Tower district, Xia'er asked a few questions, and to her surprise, Xiu answered every one, even those concerning her own rank.
Xiu was a third-tier "Radiant Bishop," and the resurrection ceremony for a "Radiant Bishop" was quite complex and abstract.
It involved becoming a "symbol of the divine."
Almost all "Radiant Bishops" wore the same attire and followed the same behavioral logic, whether in speech, movement, or actions, they were nearly indistinguishable.
This resurrection ceremony seemed designed to erase individuality, transforming all "Radiant Bishops" into a single "symbol."
In other words, even if Xia'er had encountered another Radiant Bishop instead of Xiu, it was highly likely they would have had the same conversation.
Day after day, they maintained this resurrection ceremony, playing the role of a "symbol," until the potion was gradually consumed, all while resisting the murmurs in their minds...
One could only imagine the immense mental pressure these "Radiant Bishops" endured.
There was one more thing that weighed heavily on Xia'er’s mind.
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