Chapter 91: Becoming a Divine Charlatan

“Eh?”

After Windsor successfully joined the Universal Church, Duan Wenxuan suddenly displayed a hint of surprise, but it lasted only for an instant before he composed himself and looked at Nelson. “I have matters to attend to at the manor. The three mutants brought by Windsor cannot be returned now. As for how to explain this to the Night Church Headquarters, I trust you have ways to handle it.”

“Please rest assured, sir. We will provide a reasonable explanation for their ‘loss’ to Headquarters.”

Duan Wenxuan nodded with satisfaction.

Once Duan Wenxuan left, Windsor joyfully spun around several times on the spot. Although she was still an obese woman, she felt remarkably content with her current state.

After approximately four to five minutes, ensuring Duan Wenxuan was far enough not to hear, Windsor tilted her head towards Qiao Si and asked, “Does our leader greatly require those dangerous mutants?”

“Our leader can suppress their effects using divine power, minimizing any side effects when utilizing them.”

Windsor nodded understandingly. Seeing how effortlessly Duan Wenxuan handled the dangerous Twisted Eye, she had already surmised as much, “It’s currently the time for various cities to submit mutants to Headquarters. Why don’t we… create a few monster incidents? Surely some mishaps will occur; I could claim encountering such events and losing items along the way. Can’t everyone be that lucky, right?”

A peculiar smile appeared on Windsor’s face, eagerly anticipating her contribution to the Universal Church.

Nelson seemed somewhat hesitant.

However, Qiao Si, after pondering briefly, also smiled. These individuals, having been driven mad by torment, were fearless of taking risks - it indeed sounded like a good plan.

After leaving for a while, Duan Wenxuan used his coordinates to directly enter the room within the manor. When he emerged from the bedroom door, the cleaning servants downstairs were somewhat startled since they hadn’t seen the Landgrave ascend the stairs. However, these servants quickly bowed their heads again without uttering a word.

Duan Wenxuan nodded approvingly. Mr. Steele, the butler, had done excellently; all the servants assigned here were specially trained.

“Sir.” Steele promptly arrived, glancing at the sky which indicated it was noon. “Sir, would you like me to prepare lunch?”

Duan Wenxuan noticed something: this astute and courteous butler invariably asked him about having a meal based on the time of day whenever he returned. Why was the butler so concerned about his eating habits? Or did he worry that Duan Wenxuan might constantly go hungry when not at the manor?

“Yes, please prepare lunch. The steak from last time was quite good,” Duan Wenxuan readily agreed. In truth, the steaks here indeed tasted excellent, as there was a dedicated area within the manor where livestock was raised specifically for the Landgrave’s consumption.

Steele momentarily left and returned with an abundant lunch for Duan Wenxuan. It included not only a steak but also roasted chicken, soft bread, mushroom soup, various fruits, and fresh vegetables, filling the table to its brim.

Duan Wenxuan’s digestion was now very strong, allowing him to consume nearly all the food on the table. After finishing his meal, he spoke again, “Let’s go see the church.”

“Very well.”

The construction of the church had been completed, and people from the manor had already begun coming there to pray. At the center of the church stood a massive sculpture depicting arms outstretched, as if embracing the entire world, exuding a sense of divine grandeur. The walls around the church were adorned with transparent colored glass, casting refracted light that imbued the space with an otherworldly ambiance.

With its castle-like appearance, the church evoked a profound yet expansive feeling. Upon entering, visitors would instantly feel awestruck, their hearts moved to unconsciously soften their footsteps.

When Duan Wenxuan arrived at the church, one of the twelve disciples he had previously admitted into the Universal Church, Yake, was present. Duan Wenxuan recalled that this child was approximately thirteen years old.

Duan Wenxuan recalled all twelve individuals who had ultimately remained behind. Among them, Yake was the youngest child. When he first arrived, he appeared dirty and timid. Now, having cleansed himself of his grime and dressed in white garments, he looked healthy with a touch of spirited simplicity. He was reading aloud from one chapter of the Universal Church’s scriptures, adapted by Duan Wenxuan.

This was a Mass service. After selecting the Twelve Apostles, Duan Wenxuan specifically proposed that each of these twelve children should take turns, once every week, to lead the Mass ceremonies. The purpose was not merely ceremonial but aimed at training them. Reading the sacred texts during the service was a crucial part, and Steeler even invited traveling bards and singers to instruct the Twelve Apostles on pronunciation, articulation, and other linguistic aspects. Judging by their performance now, the results were excellent.

After several minutes, Yake clearly enunciated the last word. As he lifted his head, he spotted Duan Wenxuan and Steele standing among the praying congregation.

Yake’s face flushed with excitement as he gazed at Duan Wenxuan. These twelve young individuals felt a profound sense of responsibility instilled by Duan Wenxuan, displaying a devotion comparable to Windsor and his followers, yet theirs was purer in nature.

While Windsor’s group embraced evil in their faith, these youths believed in sacrifice and dedication.

Duan Wenxuan gave Yake a meaningful look.

Yake immediately grasped Duan Wenxuan’s intent, barely suppressing his excitement as he proceeded with the final blessing ritual. This involved distributing simple buckwheat bread and pure water to those who had come for prayer.

The recipients nodded gratefully towards Yake and cautiously bowed while passing by Duan Wenxuan. Once the crowd dispersed, Yake, seemingly losing his composure, rushed down eagerly.

“Saint,” Yake looked at him with excitement.

For individuals like Yake, the recent changes were beyond their wildest expectations. They never imagined such a day would come. Now, their families took immense pride in them. Those who previously doubted and gave up regretted bitterly, constantly lamenting that they should not have been like frogs in a well, seeing only a limited portion of the sky.

By the way, this analogy was drawn from one of Duan Wenxuan’s parables outside the Holy Writings, designed to illustrate lessons through storytelling and enlighten the people.

“Very well done.”

Yake scratched his head, slightly embarrassed.

“I’ve come to inform you that in a few days, some chosen individuals from the divine realm will descend upon Westphalia. Among them, those who pass the trials will be eligible to become God’s Servants. I will select six of you to guide and test these chosen ones on their arrival. However, keep in mind that their temperaments may vary greatly; there is no need to overly indulge them. If they cause any disturbances, it is acceptable to discipline them accordingly.”

Yake’s eyes immediately lit up, “Chosen ones from the divine realm?”

“Yes, as stated in the Holy Word, the deity’s radiance shines everywhere, but there remain places yet untouched by its gaze. Those stars bathed in the divine light are known as the divine realms.”

“I understand. Please rest assured, Saint, we will strive to fulfill our duties diligently. We truly hope for the deity’s attention to soon grace this land, transforming it into a divine realm.”

“That requires pioneers.” Duan Wenxuan’s gaze settled on Yake, filled with calmness, warmth, and a sacred sense of compassion.

Yake’s demeanor turned solemn as he once again felt the weight of his responsibility. “We shall traverse through thorns, banish darkness, and welcome our Lord’s arrival.”

Filled with fervor and devotion, Yake departed. After he left, Duan Wenxuan instructed Steele to also exit and then closed the church’s large doors.

With the entrance light abruptly cut off, the interior of the church dimmed slightly, revealing dreamlike specks of dust dancing in the air.

Duan Wenxuan shed his pious expression and curiously approached the massive bas-relief sculpture. Upon closer inspection, the features of the figure bore a striking resemblance to Duan Wenxuan himself.

Indeed, this was no coincidence; Duan Wenxuan had casually provided one of his photos for reference when commissioning the deity’s likeness in the Li Kingdom.

Intrigued, Duan Wenxuan gently placed his hand on the bas-relief. Moments later, he felt a peculiar warmth surging from the sculpture into his body. Initially startled, he soon noticed the door symbol on the back of his hand flashing faintly, drawing away the energy flowing into him.

A milky-white substance pooled in his hand.

“This feeling… seems similar to the power of faith I received from Jian Xiangping before?” After examining it for a moment, Duan Wenxuan realized this connection.

Previously, during the spiritual tide, Jian Xiangping had aided the Li Kingdom against sea spirits. Following that event, the entire Li Kingdom held grand national ceremonies, even giving rise to genuine devout believers. This resulted in the generation of faith’s power, which Duan Wenxuan inadvertently absorbed at the time.

Experimentally drawing a thread of it into his body, Duan Wenxuan felt a warm sensation surge through his limbs and bones. However, in the next instant, he sensed something slightly off. Vaguely, he seemed to hear a whisper near his ear, expressing a desire for vast amounts of money.

This sensation mirrored what he experienced earlier at the Night Church branch in Westphalia. When Windsor switched allegiance to the Universal Church, Duan Wenxuan faintly picked up on Windsor’s thoughts, leading to his initial surprise. The feeling of hearing these inner voices appeared hazy yet connected to this church, prompting Duan Wenxuan’s hurried arrival here.

However, Duan Wenxuan frowned and immediately forced this strand of faith back out using the door symbol. The energy felt wrong; it was nothing like what he had absorbed from Jian Xiangping, which never posed such issues.

In reality, Jian Xiangping seemed to have filtered the faith before passing it on to him. But here, there was no filtration. The force within his hand, though immense, contained various impurities. Absorbing it recklessly would result in an insufficiently pure essence.

Duan Wenxuan attempted to separate the contaminants but found it exceedingly difficult. This would require painstaking effort, and with the time needed, he could accomplish more elsewhere.

“It doesn’t seem particularly useful at first glance. However, the power of faith appears highly adaptable and versatile, making it worth experimenting with.”

Casually, Duan Wenxuan picked up a piece of bread left over from the mass, then inserted a speck-sized amount of faith into it. Instantly, he discovered that this became a remarkably filling bread; anyone who ate it wouldn’t feel hunger for seven days.

“Intriguing.” Initially just an experiment, Duan Wenxuan’s interest now piqued significantly.