Embers Ad Infinitum

On the way to the detention center of the fake "priest", Shang Jianyao had something to say:

"He's so hypocritical. He's obviously very moved and yet he says he wants to think about it again."

"He" refers to Xu Liyan, the lord of Wild Grass City.

Jiang Baimian glanced at Shang Jianyao:

"It's normal. Promising too quickly will look cheap."

"Sincerity is the most important thing between brothers." Shang Jianyao objected.

Jiang Baimian followed his logic and said:

"You and he are brothers, which does not mean that the company and him are brothers."

Jiang Baimian originally wanted to joke, "If you have the ability to make all the directors on the board of directors become your brothers, rounding it off will mean that the company and Xu Liyan have become brothers." However, considering Shang Jianyao's ability to act, he gave up this idea in time.

While they were talking, they arrived at the detention center and met the person in charge.

After showing Xu Liyan's warrant to the other party, the two were welcomed into a small room.

The main body of the room is the console, with multiple screens above it.

At this time, all the screens showed the same picture: a small room with only one bed and one chair.

In the small room, the sick fake "priest" was sitting on a chair, looking at the opposite wall, where there seemed to be a big screen.

"He has a strong 'hypnotic' ability. It is best for the two of you not to have close contact with him. It is safer to be separated by electronic products." The person in charge briefly explained the reason for the current design.

Of course, Jiang Baimian could not tell the person in charge that Shang Jianyao was also an awakened person and could make friends with fake "priests". She nodded and said:

"So fine."

After she and Shang Jianyao sat down, following the operation of the person in charge, the scenes on the screens were connected together to form a whole.

This gives the impression that there is only a pane of glass between the two parties.

Then, the door of the small room opened, and a silver-gray metal robot walked in and adjusted the screen opposite the fake "priest".

Obviously, humans cannot "hypnotize" machines.

"The power of technology..." Jiang Baimian sighed with emotion.

Not long after, the fake "priest" saw the situation in the monitoring room through the screen.

"It's you." The sickly man leaned back in his chair and said calmly.

Jiang Baimian immediately laughed and said:

"You're quite calm."

The fake "priest" raised his head slightly and said:

"Since his nickname is 'Father,' he must have been prepared to die as a martyr for the Lord."

His tone was calm, as if it was not him who was imprisoned, but Jiang Baimian and others.

Jiang Baimian knows that these people have strong self-logic. If you follow their rhythm and fall into their logic, it will be difficult to break their heart and ask for enough valuable details.

Of course, if that doesn't work, they can also ask Odike, a member of the "Shang Jian Yao Brotherhood", for help.

But this will be more troublesome, because dream guidance is obviously directional, and the range it covers will not be too wide, so it needs to be tried again and again.

Jiang Baimian then glanced sideways and signaled Shang Jianyao to ask first.

This was her strategy, to let Shang Jianyao, who did not follow common sense, disrupt the opponent's rhythm.

Shang Jianyao said without hesitation:

“What is the sacrament of your ‘anti-intellectual religion’?”

His expression was quite serious, as if he was asking a crucial question.

The fake "priest" was stunned for a moment, as if the momentum he had built up fell into the air.

This is not something worth caring about, so the fake "priest" replied casually:

"Rice soup, lotus root starch, stewed eggs and other things that are easier to eat."

"Do you all think of yourself as babies?" Shang Jianyao asked abruptly.

The fake "priest" was stunned again and thought for a while before saying:

"Human instinct is present from birth, and our goal is to leave most people with only instinct and experience."

"This kind of Holy Communion is okay for babies to eat, but it won't feel full for adults, so it can only be experienced occasionally." Shang Jianyao completely ignored the fake "priest"'s response and said to himself, "Really, you should and Religious groups that believe in carrying out the New Year’s Day and Commanding Orders should have more exchanges and exchanges.”

The fake "priest" couldn't keep up with this guy's thinking, so he gave up and kept his mouth shut.

"I think you religious organizations are too self-contained. If you can communicate and learn from each other's strengths frequently, it will definitely attract more believers than now. At least I will consider it." Shang Jianyao made a suggestion.

The veins on the fake "priest"'s forehead twitched slightly, and he resisted the urge to refute.

"Speaking of which, are all the people in your sect stupid? For example, you spent so much effort, but ended up not accomplishing anything, and even sent yourself here." Shang Jianyao looked like he wanted to be fake. Priest” discusses the failure of anti-intellectual education.

The fake "priest" breathed a little heavier and said in a deep voice:

"It's just bad luck this time that I met you and Odik together."

"Luck?" Jiang Baimian seized the opportunity and said with a smile, "When you know that Lei Yunsong and the others are members of the 'Pangu Creature' and choose to use them as scapegoats, you should be able to think of the 'Pangu Creature' Someone will definitely be sent to investigate, and they will be relatively powerful ones.

"Under such circumstances, shouldn't you implement the plan as soon as possible?

"Who would have known that you actually delayed it for a month and a half and didn't officially start until we arrived. Do you have procrastination? Or do you have a tendency to commit suicide subconsciously?

"If not, then I can only regretfully think that your brain has been sacrificed to the person who holds the end of the year."

The fake "priest" took a deep breath and said dullly:

"In order to wait for the weather to get colder, a large number of wilderness wanderers gathered here."

"You can completely change your plan. Why are you so rigid? Your goal is to assassinate Xu Liyan, not to mess up Weed Grass City." Jiang Baimian was like an instructor, sharply attacking the students' self-confidence.

Then, she changed the topic and asked with a smile:

"Did someone instill in you the idea that you had to do this?"

The fake "priest" trembled slightly and his eyes widened a little unconsciously.

Jiang Baimian didn't give the fake "priest" a chance to find a reason. He laughed and chased after him:

"Don't you know that when you were dealing with Odik, Xu Liyan was attacked and almost killed him?"

"What?" The expression of the fake "priest" changed significantly.

With a smile on his face, Jiang Baimian told the story of the real "priest"'s attack and the purpose he wanted to achieve, and finally asked:

"If it hadn't been a coincidence, the entire high-ranking nobles in Weed Grass City would have jumped into the sky with a bang, and then the regular army from the 'First City' would have used the excuse to quell the riot and forcefully moved in.

"Isn't this crazier, more imaginative, and closer to success than your plan?"

The fake "priest" lowered his head slightly with a gloomy expression and did not respond. He didn't know what he was thinking.

"Compared with him, I think you are like a fake 'priest'." After a series of foreshadowing, Jiang Baimian finally said this.

The fake "priest"'s eyes suddenly froze, and his body trembled more and more violently.

Jiang Baimian continued:

“That person’s nickname might be ‘Mute’, or it might be something else.

"Do you still remember that someone once told you that from now on, you will be a 'priest'?

"Uh, something like that."

The fake "priest"'s pupils dilated and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

After a few seconds, he let out a low roar like a beast, raised his hands, and covered his face.

Then he stood up with a horrified look on his face.

"Yes, yes, yes!" He said the word "yes" three times in a row, his voice getting louder and louder.

Huh... Jiang Baimian breathed out silently:

"Now you know who you are, right?"

The fake "priest" whose false pride was completely shattered could no longer organize his psychological defense and sat down as if he was helpless:

"Guo Zheng, my name is Guo Zheng.

"I am a member of the Anti-Intellectual Cult. I was chosen to bask in divine grace and became an awakened one."

Jiang Baimian immediately interrupted Guo Zheng:

"You were awakened by the people who held the end of the year?"

This is the issue that deserves the most attention.

Guo Zheng gasped and said:

"Yes, we were selected and entered a dark cave. As instructed, we each found a place to lie down and sleep.

"Not long after I fell asleep, I saw the 'Hall of Stars'."

Jiang Baimian asked:

"How many people are selected in total, and how many people are awakened?"

"There were many people selected. I don't have a specific number, but there must be hundreds." Guo Zheng recalled, "In the end, four or five were awakened..."

As he spoke, he frowned, as if he was suffering some kind of pain.

"What are the side effects of people who haven't awakened?" Jiang Baimian asked thoughtfully.

Guo Zheng thought for a while:

"Some went crazy, some died on the spot, and some had nothing wrong with them. These are the majority."

Jiang Baimian turned his head and glanced at Shang Jianyao, smiled and asked again:

"How can you be sure that those who seem to be fine or crazy are not awakening?"

Guo Zheng showed obvious fear:

“At that time, an elder from the sect presided over it.

"He can look through everyone's memories on a large scale."

Sure enough, the strengths of the "anti-intellectual religion" lie in the fields of memory and hypnosis... Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao looked at each other, both a little excited.

This is the excitement of slowly figuring something out.

"Elder? How are the levels within your sect divided?" Jiang Baimian continued to ask.

Guo Zheng took a breath and slowly exhaled:

“The leader of the sect is the Pope, but I have never seen it. It is said that he has gone to the New World, where he serves the Lord and is responsible for guiding the chosen ones behind him.

“Below the Pope is the ‘Conference of Eight’, a total of eight elders who govern different areas.

“Below the elders is the bishop, who is responsible for various specific affairs. Below the bishop is the pastor, who is the executor of plans and the disseminator of doctrine.”

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly:

"Which level does 'Father' belong to?"

"I am a bishop, he... I don't know." Guo Zheng recalled with some pain.

Jiang Baimian took the opportunity to ask:

"Do you still remember who 'hypnotized' you? Do you remember what he looked like?"

Guo Zheng frowned again:

"He, he, he is a man, no, he is a woman, no, he is handsome, no, he has a shaved head..."

"No, no..." Guo Zheng's lips moved, and he screamed in madness and fear, "He tampered with my memory!"

PS: I wish everyone a happy Spring Festival, and there will be more tonight.