Fairy tale: Little Red Riding Hood's wolf mentor

“Dong—dong—dong—”

The church bells echoed from the center of town.

The townspeople put down their work and stepped onto the streets, heading towards the church.

“Hey there, little girl, why didn’t you come stay at my place last night?”

Lake turned around to see the stout washerwoman.

She was walking with the crowd towards the town center, and upon seeing Lake’s bright cloak, she warmly approached.

“I’m fine, Auntie.”

Lake flashed a smile. The cloak concealed her appearance, but observers could still discern Lake’s expression.

“I stayed at another friend’s house last night.”

“That’s good, I was worried about you all night!”

The washerwoman nodded, gazing at the cross-topped spire of the church ahead, a hint of fervor in her eyes.

“By the way, haven’t you heard the Bishop’s sermon yet? Perfect timing, let’s go together?”

“Yes, Polo and I were just about to go take a look.”

Lake nodded, but there was no smile in her eyes.

“To see what the saint, who has no flaws in the eyes of all the townspeople, is really like.”

In front of the church was a white stone platform for preaching.

Painted with beautiful gold patterns, it exuded a pristine sense of holiness.

Countless townspeople stood below, eagerly awaiting. Nuns and priests in gold and white monastic robes stood upright around the church.

All the monks had the same expression on their faces.

Gentle, calm, like wearing a sacred mask.

The air was filled with the scent of incense, causing all the townspeople to unconsciously lower their voices.

The Bishop had not yet appeared.

Near the front of the platform, a disheveled man was kneeling.

He was not wearing armor, but simple cloth clothes.

But every townsperson recognized him.

Because he was the former guard captain.

“Ah, that captain should be a good person, I really don’t know… why he would do such a thing?”

The plump washerwoman sighed beside Lake, and said.

“A good person? What has this Captain done in the past?”

Lake looked at the washerwoman and asked.

“He was very concerned about the safety of the town. A long time ago, before the Bishop came, he was elected captain by the townspeople.”

The washerwoman recalled, then said,

“After becoming captain, he never bullied the townspeople, he was dutiful and responsible, and he disciplined many hooligans.

Ten years ago, there were robbers, and he led the fight.

I heard that he often spent money to help the needy in the town…”

“I see…”

Lake nodded, her eyelids slightly lowered, then asked, “What about the Bishop?”

“What?”

“The Bishop, what has he done to make you so admire him?”

“The Bishop, he brought the gospel of God here, teaching the townspeople, taking in orphans, helping the common people…”

The washerwoman paused, then said fluently.

“Is this all his credit alone? Before him, no one did these things?”

Lake raised her head, staring into the washerwoman’s eyes, “What did he change?”

“Little girl, I know you’re from outside, and you don’t have bad intentions, that’s why I’m talking to you nicely. The Bishop is really good.”

The washerwoman opened her mouth, and finally said, “You will understand after listening to the Bishop’s sermon!”

Lake listened, and did not refute, but listened to the townspeople’s discussions, waiting quietly.

Near noon, the white sun hung high, and the gold paint around the church reflected brilliant light!

At this moment, the surroundings suddenly fell silent.

Footsteps sounded from behind the platform, getting closer and closer.

The Bishop appeared.

He wore a white priest’s robe, with a gold-sealed canon in his hand, his gray-white hair neatly combed.

He smiled, his face was broad, and he stepped onto the stage, nodding slightly to the townspeople.

“Townspeople, following me is walking on the right path of light. I am walking the path of God, and we will wash away sins together—

At that time, the gates of heaven will open, and we will all ascend to the sky, you will be angels, entering eternal happiness!”

The Bishop’s voice seemed peaceful and soft.

And within it, there was a kind of captivating magic!

Beneath the eyes of all the townspeople below, a fanatical fire began to surge, as if their spirits had truly been “washed”.

The Bishop slowly nodded, and he turned his gaze to the guard captain kneeling aside.

He shook his head with a look of pain, and said.

“God will bestow divine power upon every devout believer, but recently, something has happened that makes me extremely sad.”

Speaking, the Bishop raised his voice, swept his gaze over the crowd, and slowly opened his mouth,

“A formerly devout believer, was bewitched by the claws of demons, and went down the wrong path. He falsely borrowed the will of God and released a wicked person who slandered the sacred.”

As the Bishop spoke, a priest brought over a white jade box.

Opening it, inside was a slender golden whip.

“The claws of the demon have been released back into the darkness, watching covetously. Your sins are already difficult to redeem—do you know your crime?”

The Bishop took the whip and looked at the kneeling guard captain, asking loudly.

“Lord, I am guilty!”

The guard captain said loudly, but he was already in tears.

That weathered face was filled with self-blame, as if all of this… was really what he had done!

And the townspeople below began to clamor.

“Sinner!”

“You have failed our expectations!”

“You released the demon!”

“You bastard!”

But the Bishop’s face did not show any reproach.

He just put on a compassionate expression and slowly said:

“God will equally love every one of his people. Since you already know your crime, you must atone for it properly. I am willing to remove the evil thoughts for you on behalf of my Lord, can you accept it?”

“Thank you, Bishop, thank you!”

When the guard captain heard this, he began to kowtow.

Then, the Bishop raised the whip high, dipped it in the “holy water” in the basin on the side, and swung it down hard!

“Pa——”

“Pa——”

Blood light overflowed from the guard captain’s back, and shocking whip marks emerged on it!

But none of the townspeople below showed any compassion.

After the Bishop spoke, even those who had previously had a good impression of the guard captain completely regarded him as a minion of the devil!

“It seems that I was deceived by that guy before. Fortunately, the Bishop’s discerning eyes detected his disguise!”

The washerwoman’s eyes were also full of fanaticism, and she couldn’t help saying.

Finally, two priests dragged the guard captain, who could no longer move, back to the church.

The Bishop opened the canon and began to preach with a smile on his face.

In the crowd, Lake and Polo, taking advantage of the crowd’s fanaticism, quietly walked to a place with few spectators.

“Did you feel it?”

Polo asked.

“I felt it, his words do contain… magic.”

Lake said slowly, putting the corner of the bright red cloak in her palm, “My cloak gave me a warning, like that silver dagger, the cloak will block this influence.”

“Me too, and I can feel it more clearly.”

Polo looked at the dagger inserted in Lake’s waist.

Today, before coming to the sermon site, the two had prepared themselves and brought the silver dagger that could block mental influence.

In fact, before the Bishop showed up, both the wolf and the girl had secretly touched the blade of the dagger.

And the two also found that even without using the dagger, they could be immune to the mental magic in the Bishop’s words.

Lake’s magic cloak, and… Polo’s special soul.

“Polo, aren’t we lucky?”

“Yes, or rather, it’s the Bishop’s luck—it’s coming to an end!”

In the distance, the Bishop’s sermon was still clear and bright.

But Polo felt a little nauseous—

In broad daylight, the good kneel to their death, and the wicked preach!