Chapter 68: Playing Dumb

“Three thousand, eight thousand, ten thousand, fifty thousand...” Zhou Tian counted his ever-increasing spiritual energy as he slowly wandered through the city of Huangshi. Though he had found a few magic cores beneath the city, the real reason for his rapid gain was that he had plundered the majority of the city’s shops. His goal was to amass enough to purchase another archaic artifact, and at first, he intended to sweep up all the magic cores in Huangshi. He hadn’t expected, however, that the Church of Light would move far quicker than he’d anticipated. Before he could finish sweeping up even half of the magic cores, a group of rather unwelcome ‘guests’ arrived outside the city.

He didn’t care much if someone showed up in Huangshi—even if they did, he would have simply continued his ‘heist.’ But when Zhou Tian was robbing a shop, he was caught as he tried to slip away.

“If you dare to commit such a crime, come with me to see the Bishop!”

“Are you insane?” Zhou Tian rolled his eyes at the self-important man who turned to leave without waiting for a reply and crawled off toward another shop.

Had he not been discovered, Zhou Tian might have stopped once he learned the Church’s people were here. But now that he’d been found out, there was no point in stopping—after all, at this stage, it made little difference whether he stole more or less. Zhou Tian didn’t mind helping himself to a few more magic cores.

What Zhou Tian hadn’t expected was that the man, angered by being ignored, decided to act.

“So you dare to flee from your crimes!” The man accused, drawing his weapon and blocking Zhou Tian’s path.

“Step aside.”

“Insolence! Come with me to see the Bishop at once!”

“How tedious,” Zhou Tian muttered, ignoring the man and slipping past him. As Zhou Tian passed, the man suddenly stiffened and collapsed to the ground.

“When did you…” Perhaps because his strength was considerable, the man didn’t die immediately. His eyes rolled to Zhou Tian, shocked that Zhou Tian dared lay a hand on him, and even more bewildered as to how he was poisoned without ever realizing it.

Zhou Tian offered no answer—nor was there any need to. Even as the man struggled to speak, the poison overtook him, and he drew his last breath, unable to suppress its effects.

“How troublesome.” Though Zhou Tian did not regret his actions, he was fully aware of the consequences they would bring. The thought of what awaited him left him feeling rather apprehensive.

Creak—while Zhou Tian was still plundering the shops, in the city lord’s mansion, an elderly man in a red robe suddenly squeezed a pair of jade beads in his hand until they creaked. After staring grimly in the direction of Zhou Tian for a moment, he ordered the knight at his side, “Go and summon Vivienne and her companions. As for their captain, you needn’t notify him.”

“Yes, Bishop!” The knight replied respectfully and hurried off at once.

Zhou Tian was unaware of what transpired in the city lord’s mansion. After dealing with that self-important man, he was prepared for the expected retaliation. Yet, having looted several more shops, he noticed that no one came looking for him. This odd turn of events made Zhou Tian hesitate in his actions.

By nature, Zhou Tian responded better to gentleness than to force. If that man hadn’t been so arrogant, perhaps Zhou Tian would have followed him to see the Bishop. At the very least, as fellow members of the same church, Zhou Tian would not have killed him outright. The same principle applied now: if the so-called Bishop sought blind vengeance, Zhou Tian would not hold back, even if he had to defect from the Church of Light afterward.

Zhou Tian didn’t believe the Bishop truly didn’t know he had killed the envoy. Since the Bishop had yet to respond, there was only one explanation—the Bishop had no intention of provoking a conflict. Though Zhou Tian couldn’t fathom the Bishop’s reasoning, the fact that he wasn’t being pursued made Zhou Tian feel awkward about continuing the commotion.

So, after plundering the last shop and destroying all evidence, Zhou Tian resumed his human form and made his way toward the city lord’s mansion as if nothing had happened.

“You, issue a notice in the church’s name and evacuate the civilians from the city.”

“Laotao, you lead your men and escort the demon back to the Holy City!”

“General Nero, this is an imperial edict from His Majesty the Emperor. I have no authority to command you, but for the safety of the city’s people, I recommend you follow the orders written therein.”

“As for everyone else, search for the magic cores individually. Before they explode, you must find all those hidden within the city.”

“Yes, Bishop!”

“Oh, Captain Zhou Tian, you’ve come!” While the Bishop was assigning tasks inside the room, Vivienne spotted Zhou Tian and eagerly greeted him as soon as the Bishop finished speaking.

Nodding to Vivienne as though nothing were amiss, Zhou Tian strode into the room on his own. His behavior made everyone present frown. Regardless of their affiliations, the Bishop’s status was the highest among those present. Even if they didn’t serve under the same command, it was customary to show respect when meeting him. While everyone else did so, Zhou Tian’s casual attitude inevitably ruffled some feathers.

Yet the stories of Zhou Tian’s exploits in the Holy City were not unknown to those present. No one wished to provoke a mysterious figure who acted with impunity and whose relationship with the Pope was uncertain. So, despite their displeasure, no one chose to confront Zhou Tian then and there.

“Captain Zhou Tian, you seem quite busy! I almost thought the men I sent to fetch you had died along the way, since it took them so long to bring you here.” Although the Bishop refrained from attacking Zhou Tian over the envoy’s death, Zhou Tian’s blatant disregard was irritating enough. Thus, the Bishop began with a veiled jab.

“Yes, very busy indeed.” Did Zhou Tian care? Though he hadn’t mastered the art of shamelessness, his thick skin far surpassed anyone else in the room. Unfazed, he retorted, “Unlike those with power and rank, we foot soldiers don’t have the luxury of just giving orders. We run ourselves ragged, and when the job’s done, all the credit goes to those shameless types. The thought alone fills me with resentment!”

He spoke as he glared directly at the Bishop, making it clear to everyone present that there was some kind of friction between them.

“You—” The Bishop was furious, but, being no ordinary man, quickly regained his composure and asked with a half-smile, “Such people are indeed despicable. But may I ask, Captain Zhou Tian, what exactly have you been doing lately? My reports say the city has been anything but peaceful.”

“Indeed.” Zhou Tian nodded gravely. “I have no idea who’s been spreading rumors about trouble in the city, but now panic grips everyone. On my way here, I witnessed more than ten robberies. I had to search for the underground magic cores and also deal with those rioters. If it weren’t for your arrival, Bishop, I’d probably still be out there handling matters instead of enjoying this rare moment of rest.”

The Bishop could only stare, speechless. He’d never seen someone with Zhou Tian’s strength act so shamelessly. One would expect a man of his power to maintain at least a semblance of dignity, but Zhou Tian took it to another level—unfazed by the Bishop’s barbs and even turning them around. Yet, for various reasons, the Bishop couldn’t lay his cards on the table. Confronted by such a slippery opponent, he was left utterly at a loss.