by Feng Yue
“Really?” Ludovic smiled. “Then I want to thank you.”
“You are welcome.” Ye Qingxuan humbly shook his head. “This is what I should do. I always cherish good times since they’re always so short.”
“I can give you such kind of life if you like.” Ludovic threw up his hands and said warm-heartedly, “How about I help you rebuild this prison into a holiday destination? As long as you don’t leave here, you can have whatever you want. Food, sauna, beauties? No problem at all, even if you want to see the little girls in the choir do a striptease, I can satisfy you.
“I must say, some girls now are really hot and bold after taking off their church robes. You’ll be shocked.”
After a silence, Ye Qingxuan clenched his teeth and said, “That sounds great.”
“But you don’t want that, Ye Qingxuan.” Ludovic sighed. “Don’t lie to an old man, especially to someone so good at telling lies like me. It’s meaningless.
“Why can’t you see how things are? You think I’m going to use negotiation skills on you? You want to take the initiative but it doesn’t matter because I don’t even want to negotiate with you.
“You have tried your best. Now the initiative is in your hands but what can you change? Relax, Ye Qingxuan. I’ve already said, be honest with each other. It’s good for both you and me.”
Ye Qingxuan was silent. His expression became gloomy. Ludovic was right. Ye Qingxuan would be unable to resist if Ludovic wanted to something to him.
One was the pope, the other was a prisoner.
There had never been a bigger gap in the world.
The next day, the whole world would be in Ludovic’s hands. Would his ideas and thoughts change if Ye Qingxuan took the initiative of the conversation?
“It seems you have learned to be humble, child. That’s good.” Ludovic nodded, taking a cigar. He said, “Maxwell is now going crazy, you know?”
“Because of me?”
“Not just because of you. To tell the truth, if the sword bearer is gone, he could find another. It’s difficult to find a sword bearer but it’s possible. Your business is a political dilemma for Anglo. However, there are always solutions in politics. But what Anglo worries about now is a big trouble. Elizabeth’s condition is getting worse.”
Ludovic shook his head and sighed. “That little girl has held on for so many years but the Dragon Blood curse has infiltrated the marrow. Nothing can save her… For so many years, Archbishop Mephistopheles has tried his best to cure her but there is no way.
“I’m afraid there is only one month left for her. To make matters worse, there’s Leviathan. A few months ago, the transformation of the Ultimate formed a chain reaction in the aetheric world. One of the results was that the resurrection time of Leviathan was accelerated. It is expected that six months later, it will completely awaken.
“Now, affected by the breath of Leviathan, the ships of various countries have been subjected to different levels of attack, and the monsters in the sea have begun to change and evolve. Their reproduction has increased to a staggering degree. I’m afraid it won’t be long before the number of monsters in the ocean soars at a dramatic rate. By then, humans would not possess the ocean anymore.
“Now, Anglo has launched war plans and mobilized the whole nation. Once the war begins, Anglo would first lose half of its territory and two-thirds of its population.
“The most optimistic result is that after paying the heavy price, the new emperor can kill it again. The worst result for Anglo is to start the destruction of the Holy Grail and die together with the Leviathan.”
Ye Qingxuan was silent.
“This is the best result, Ye Qingxuan. The Sacred City paid a heavy price in order to capture Hecatoncheir, which is as dangerous as the Leviathan. Now facing the four living creatures at their strongest point, how can Anglo not pay a little price?”
Ludovic coolly continued, “Even so, facing the domestic strife and foreign aggression, Maxwell still didn’t give you up. His determination is admirable. Unfortunately, the new emperor has not yet come to the power. Anglo is in such a mess. He doesn’t even dare to leave Avalon.
“Anglo’s diplomats are protesting every day before the Sacred Court, but the new head of the Amnesty Department has not entered office yet. It will be along while for your case.
“But the East’s attitude towards the matter is quite bizarre. On the official side, it’s as if nothing had happened. The ambassador claimed he has bad health conditions and refuses to see anyone. It has been one week and there has been no response at all.
“But many people from the east have seen several key figures secretly. Unfortunately, they all want you to die…” Ludovic sighed. “You have been a thorn in many people’s sides, Ye Qingxuan. Bai Heng will never allow the Ye family to exist and he will not give you the opportunity to return to the East alive.”
“That sucks.” Ye Qingxuan looked indifferent but pretended to cry. “What should I do? Sir Ludovic! You are a merciful and kind-hearted gentleman with great sympathy. Please help me!”
“Is that genuine, Ye Qingxuan?” Ludovic smiled and looked at him. “Aren’t you planning to escape? As far as I know, you seemed to be interested in the boiler room for two days. Do you want to get out of here through the hot water pipes? That’s a good idea, but if you want to get out of here, you don’t have to bother. I can let you go out of the gate fair and square and guarantee that there will be no trouble.”
“What’s the price?” Ye Qingxuan asked indifferently. “From the beginning until now, you’ve beat around the bush enough. You have been waiting for this moment, right? Now you’re finally getting down to the business.”
“You are a rational man, Ye Qingxuan. More rational than your father.” Ludovic shook his head and exclaimed, “Over ten years ago, your father and I had the same conversation. Unfortunately, he refused me even before knowing the conditions. I thought I was going to fail today.”
“I’m not him.” Ye Qingxuan coldly said, “Just clearing my name is not enough. Be generous, Pope, what else can you offer?”
“Ye Qingxuan, is there anything in the world that you want and I can’t offer?” Ludovic laughed. He laid down his cigar and gazed at Ye Qingxuan. “Child, I am able to endorse your purity in the name of God, and I can even honor you as an innocent saint and make you a genuine Saint! You will be the embodiment of purity and integrity! I can make your future path a smooth road so that all your desire can be fulfilled.
“You want to go back to Anglo? The Sacred City will help you solve the problem of Leviathan just as we solved the Hecatoncheir. I can even help you rise above the royalty of Anglo and make you become the uncrowned king! Do you want to help avenge your mother? As long as you agree, your mother’s deeds will immediately appear in the church’s scripture of the good. I can release your teacher, help him erase all the records, and let him live in the world without shame. Even if you want to go back to the East, I will help you to re-establish the Ye family. If necessary, the Sacred City can even make you the second Bai Heng!
“Think about it, you would be the second to only one…”
He paused, revealing a benevolent smile. “Of course, it would be better if you would stay in the Sacred City. I can baptize you again, Ye Qingxuan. From then on, you would be my godson. The Sforza family can be entrusted to you to inherit.
“Within two years, you will become a bishop and return after five years. Then you will be given a red robe and a parish in charge. When you are thirty years old, you will enter the Cardinals at the youngest age ever. You can sit on my right side and become the vice-ruler of the Sacred City.
“After I die, you are the new Pope!”
Dead silence.
After the silence, Ye Qingxuan snuffed out the cigar and lightly asked, “Am I your son?”
“I’m old enough to be your grandfather, Ye Qingxuan.” Ludovic shrugged. “When I was young, I had countless lovers, but none of them were from the east. Neither man nor woman
. So you don’t have to worry.”
“Then why should I trust you?” Ye Qingxuan asked in return. “Believe a lying politician? I’m not that crazy.”
“I’ve told you, Ye Qingxuan. Why do I need to lie to you?” Ludovic gazed at him with compassion and mercy. “As long as you bow down to me, as long as you surrender to me, everything in this world is at your fingertips. I can give you everything you want.”
“After you took everything from me?” Ye Qingxuan raised his eyes and looked at him.
His eyes were pure black. Reflecting the sunshine from the window, they smoldered like black iron burned red.
“Mr. Ludovic, I don’t know what about me is worth you paying so much. My Mind movement tells me you’re not lying. Everything you say is true. Unfortunately, you are doomed to fail today.”
Ye Qingxuan slowly shook his head and got up. When looking down at the dignified old man, he could not help revealing a look of derision. “Because you don’t deserve it.” He took his eyes away from Ludovic, pushed his chair, and turned away.
Ludovic looked at him silently with neither anger nor fury. He just smiled.
But coming to the door, Ye Qingxuan froze. The door had disappeared.
Ye Qingxuan was standing before a smooth and flat wall. On the wall was a carefully depicted drawing of the original door. The pattern was so vivid it seemed real.
All that remained was an iron doorknob inlaid in the wall. No matter how violently Ye Qingxuan turned it, he couldn’t open the door. It was like a bad joke, a tricky game.
But Ye Qingxuan turned pale because all sound had disappeared. In his perception, all the people had disappeared. The whole prison was empty… No, the world on the other side of the wall had vanished. He could only feel the emptiness of chaos.
“I don’t deserve it?” Ludovic’s voice came from behind the table. “No, Ye Qingxuan, you’re wrong.”
Ye Qingxuan stiffly turned back and saw his meaningful smile. As if proclaiming the truth, he uttered, “The only one who deserves your allegiance in the world is me.”
Then he saw outside the big window behind Ludovic, the sun quickly fell from the sky, fell to the ground, and became a glowing red glass ball. He saw the moon rise from the horizon, dissipate in the air and turn into endless frost.
The earth was moving, mountains and rivers were being rebuilt, and the endless river submerged everything; the world outside the window was turned into an ocean. Strange and huge fish swam silently in the depths of the ocean. On the other side of the glass, a pair of horrible meters-long eyes was curiously peeping at the scene inside. Then the fish was devoured by a larger and stranger fish. Blood gushed and dyed everything red. The red turned into flames then the world became a Purgatory.
Finally, everything was shattered.
In the chaos, the world was recreated. Everything began to grow… Everything was chimerical like a dream.
But Ye Qingxuan could perceive every detail and every tiny change. Because of this, he felt fear from the depth of his heart!
He didn’t even know what exactly happened!
In the end, his sight was set on the man near the window. His gaze sharpened as if he wanted to tear the man’s disguise to see what monster was hidden under the flesh and blood!
But even if he used up all the power, he still could not find anything wrong. All this seemed to have nothing to do with Ludovic. There were no aether waves around him. He was just an ordinary old man.
Ye Qingxuan looked at him, drenched with sweat.
Nothing could be sensed but there was great invisible pressure surrounding and swallowing him. His heart beat rapidly and his hands trembled. He almost stopped breathing in the dead silence.
“What the h*ll are you…?”
“Let me introduce myself again, Ye Qingxuan.” Ludovic sat in his chair and stared at the teenager. “I am the president of the Ecclesiastical Oder of the Sacred City, the family leader of the Sforza family. I am also the ruler of the Sacred City…”
He paused, with a strange smile. “I represent the only real God in the world and the masters of all evil thoughts. I am the true agent of Hyakume in this world. Along with the Origin of Evil, the Dark Sovereign, the King of Destruction and Killing, and the Cunning Spider, I am also one of the nine incarnations.
“You can call me Ludovic… the Original Dark Pope!”
487 What Is Humanity
Ye Qingxuan thought he was dreaming.
First, Ludovic, the pope who would be crowned tomorrow, had come to eat lunch with him. He had treated Ye Qingxuan like a filial son and then gave him titles and wishes. He wanted to help Ye Qingxuan create a great world and future where he would become rich and powerful.
Then, the future pope had confessed that he was the incarnate of Hyakume…
Was this a f*cking joke?
“Ahaha, so funny.” Ye Qingxuan plastered on a trembling smile. “That’s a good joke. I’ll give you ten points.” And I’ll keep the remaining ninety points so you don’t get too proud, he thought.
“Try making sure your legs aren’t shaking when you say you don’t believe me, Ye Qingxuan.” Ludovic shook his head and looked at him with pity. “Or do I have to take you to the abyss for you to believe me?”
The scenery outside the window became the dark abyss to suit the conversation.
Ye Qingxuan fell silent.
Hyakume—the source of all evil, the most powerful of the natural catastrophes, and one of the three pillars. Different from the Holy Cauldron and Silent Moon, it was the only one that had a true conscience and tangible existence. He had countless natural catastrophes under it, known as the dark followers. He controlled the uppermost core of the aether world and used the abyss to control the entire Dark World.
He was too big to easily pass through the aether world and descend into the material world. Otherwise, there would be no room for humanity in this world. Now, one of his nine incarnates was right before Ye Qingxuan? And it had the face of Ludovic?
Ye Qingxuan’s head hurt. It did not seem right but one of the countless strands of thoughts had somehow connected and pointed to the truth. But he still could not believe it. He had once seen one of Hyakume’s incarnates. It was the Dark Sovereign who had descended into Avalon. The sight was earth-shattering. Ye Qingxuan could barely fight back against the terrifying aura, even using the enchantment of Avalon’s Shadow.
Ye Lanzhou was the most well-versed of the demons and natural catastrophes of the world. After being modified by moonlight, Deva’s blood had become extremely sensitive to auras from the abyss. Even if Hyakume’s incarnation had come, he would not be able to hide his identity. The moonlight should be able to feel the aura even from thousands of miles away.
But now, Ludovic was right in front of Ye Qingxuan and yet he could feel nothing.
This was the most terrifying part.
To Hyakume, the incarnation was a part of his existence. It was even more important than his body; it was a projection of the source. They were like different images observed from different angles. Some were large, some were odd, some were eerie, some were terrifying, some were wild… They all contained a characteristic of Hyakume. That was why there were nicknames like the Dark Sovereign, the Source of all Evil, and the Cunning Spider. They were all parts of Hyakume but could operate individually.
To Hyakume, these nine incarnations were his most important limbs. If one was hurt, it would affect the entirety.
Hadn’t he prepared for so many years in Anglo just so he could pull Anglo into his control after letting the Dark Sovereign descend? For this, he had made an elaborate plan and used more than a century but still failed at the last moment.
He had been hurt gravely.
According to calculations, he would not be able to affect the material world within seventy years. However, Ludovic was now right before him in his glory.
What it signified went without saying!
This meant that not only was Hyakume able to cast his power i
nto material world at any time, he could even personally come through the aether world with his abyss? In the past, the abyss was just a legend to humans.
But now this terrible legend was about to become reality… The entire world would be upended.
“Don’t be scared, Ye Qingxuan.” Ludovic smiled mockingly. “This incarnate was once just a regular human. As you can see, you’re still okay.”
Hyakume’s incarnate expressed the true essence of the deep abyss. It was a terrifying reality that humanity could not understand. Merely witnessing it would make someone break down and die. However, Ye Qingxuan was still alive. He did not feel any discomfort or hurt and did not discover the abyss from Ludovic.
“See, I’m just a regular person.” Ludovic shrugged and smiled. “Are you shocked? How can Hyakume transform into a man?”
“Man?” Ye Qingxuan sneered. “You’re just a demon with human skin.”
“Oh?” Ludovic’s mocking smile deepened. “Then, please tell me what the requirements for a human are? What counts as a human? Let’s chat, Ye Qingxuan. Tell me, a natural catastrophe and Satan, what exactly a human is.” His eyes were curious.
“According to biology, humans are just something close to apes. Sure, you aren’t covered in hair and have ten agile fingers. You walk on the ground and have great intelligence. Now, you can even communicate with aether… But if I find a hairless monkey, give it intelligence, make it speak a human tongue, and even help turn it into a musician, does it count as a human?”
“Do you think that’s possible?” Ye Qingxuan retorted. “Monkeys are monkeys. No matter how similar it is to a man, it’s still a monkey. If you think monkeys would work, why don’t you turn yourself into one?”
“Then what is the nature of a man?” Ludovic’s expression grew more taunting. “I’ve heard that there’s a foolish natural catastrophe who wanted to become a man and have a human’s soul. He abandoned his power, status, and even his immortality. He willingly fell from the heavens… Does he count as a man?”