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  "Respected Temple Knight Vina, guardian of God and the Pope, please allow me to express my most sincere greetings." A figure in a dark blue-black long robe emerged from the shadows outside the hall, about fifty years old, with short curly hair, an eagle-like nose, and deep wrinkles on his forehead, but his small eyes were more spirited than those of young people.

  "Archbishop Rassis, is it really you?"

  Rashid: "It is I, venerable Vina. What this man has just said is true; he is indeed my servant and the one whose soul I have guided to God."

  Who is Bishop Rahis? He is one of the top missionaries sent by the Vatican to preach in the country of Zixu. The Vatican plans to divide the country into nine pieces, each with a bishop. Currently, five large dioceses have been established. In the Uyu Diocese, Bishop Rahis is the highest-ranking clergyman and the overall person in charge of preaching in this region and the representative of the Vatican. Regarding the missionary work in Zixu, there is a high-ranking cardinal in the Vatican who is specifically responsible for it. Bishop Rahis reports directly to him and seeks his advice. In most cases, he can handle the affairs of the Uyu Diocese independently.

  The Vatican attaches great importance to the country of Zixu, as it is the only country in the world that still preserves its ancient civilization and is the last stronghold where God's faith has not borne fruit. Not only does the Vatican have a cardinal specifically responsible for missionary work, but each diocese also dispatches a Temple Knight to assist the local bishop, and Aftena was directly sent by the Pope to the Uyu Diocese, which is her secret identity and mission. The status of the Temple Knights is extremely high, and they can even sit with the cardinals and take direct orders from the Pope. The fact that Aftena and other Temple Knights were dispatched to Zixu under the cover of secular identities also shows the Vatican's emphasis on this place.

  Twenty-two years ago, the conquest led by Aphthita failed before reaching the Eastern Continent and was beaten back by Feng Junzi's Hei Ruyi in mid-air. The Vatican has now entered an open-minded era, changing its strategy of direct confrontation to peaceful infiltration into the secular world. Aphthita and several other Temple Knights were tasked with secretly dealing with those heretic attackers who possessed evil powers. After another twenty-two years of studying magic, Aphthita's magical powers had become much stronger than before, and she even regained confidence in a rematch against Feng Junzi.

  But when she came to Uyu as an investor, she didn't encounter any evil forces looking for trouble. Even Feng Junzi, whom she met at a banquet, seemed to have forgotten about the past and didn't have any direct conflicts with her. The religious beliefs here are nominally free, you can preach if you want, sing hymns in church as long as you don't incite riots outside, but no one takes you seriously when you step out of church. Here, faith is met with contempt and neglect by the majority, Aphthita has a set of skills but nowhere to use them. Just when she finally found someone who was using God's name to swindle people, Hong and Quan, she was stopped by Bishop Laxi.

  Aphthenta pointed at Hong and Quan and asked, "Your Eminence, he uses evil necromancy in the name of the Above Emperor, how can he be your subordinate?"

  Bishop Rahis smiled benevolently: "Respected Vina, you misunderstood. He is using the ancient sorcery of the Eastern Continent. It was I who awakened his power and opened the gates of heaven to him. As long as they are children who rely on God, we should be tolerant. Don't you think so?"

  Aphthita: "I don't know when that Brotherhood of God-worshippers became a branch of the Vatican? Can Your Excellency give a reasonable explanation?"

  How did Bishop Rahis happen to arrive just in time to save Hong and Quan's lives? In fact, it was quite simple. Hong and Quan had just deposited a ransom of one million into his account today and invited him to come over tonight to relax and "baptize" the two female believers through a ritual to purify their souls, all in a joyful atmosphere.

  How did he and Hong Hwee Quan get to know each other? It was more than two years ago when he had just been sent to the Uyyak district, and like many people who were just starting out in their careers, he personally stood on the street in front of the church gate handing out promotional pamphlets. Hong Hwee Quan happened to pass by, and Rasis gave him a promotional booklet called "Glory to the Lord", that's how they got to know each other.

  Hong Xiuquan was attracted by the descriptions of miracles in the tracts and the propaganda about how God's sons were revered, and he accepted baptism from Reverend Issachar Jacox Roberts. He later also participated in a ceremony to receive power. However, this man had other ideas. After gaining power, he combined some ancient folk sorcery with his own learning of many magical spells. He then gathered a group of people, established himself as the leader of a mountain stronghold, and founded the God Worshipping Society.

  In the Bible, God's name is translated as Jehovah. So he changed his own name from Hong Erbao to Hong Hequan. The five core members who were involved in the early days of the sect also changed their names to Yang Heqing, Feng Heshan, Xiao Hegui, Wei Hehui and Shi Hebai. This was in line with the tradition of combining Chinese and foreign elements, they all belonged to the "He" generation, as brothers of God, so this organization is also called the Church of God's Brothers.

  Rahis bishop couldn't just sit back and do nothing, he found Honghequan, don't know how they negotiated, the result is that Rahis bishop defaulted his behavior, while Honghequan would give one tenth of the money he got to God's representative - Rahis. Strictly speaking, Rahis bishop didn't really lie, Honghequan was indeed his "servant", doing many things under the banner of God that Rahis himself found inconvenient to do.

  However, the private door of Rashis had no way to tell Aphthite that he still made a gesture of majesty and dignity, waving his hand: "Honghequan, I have something to discuss with this noble Temple Knight alone, please temporarily withdraw."

  Hong and Quan heard the words as if they had been greatly pardoned, turned around and stumbled out of the door. Aphthete was blocked by Archbishop Lachesis and couldn't stop him, she could only look at Lachesis coldly and ask: "What explanation do you have, I hope it can satisfy me."

  Rashid: "Miss Weena, I know your abhorrence of evil and your devotion to God, but some things are not as you imagine. In fact, this Hong and his organization, the Krieg Red Cardinal also knows."

  Aphtharte: "Doesn't the High Priest of Kriegan know? Why doesn't he order you to stop them, to annihilate them?"

  Rashis: "Miss Vina, before you eliminate them, answer me one question. On the continent of Zhi Xu, is it better for there to be more people who believe in God or fewer?"

  Aphrodite: "I know what you want to say, but the so-called faith of those people is not faith, it's blasphemy."

  Rashis: "Noble knight, why don't you look at this issue from a different angle with wiser eyes? Their beliefs are indeed not as pure as yours and mine, but in this increasingly secular continent, they can make more people believe in the existence of God and understand God's miracles. This is what we need now, there are too many bewildered souls here, our strength does not have enough foundation yet. If one day, the people here firmly believe in God, regardless of whether it is because of Hong or Quan or someone else, that would be when we officially reap the fruits of gospel spreading."

  Aphtharte gazed at Archbishop Lachesis, her azure eyes seeming to see right through to his soul, and said coldly: "Is that what you think?"

  Bishop Rakhis places his left hand on the cross over his chest, and raises his right hand in an oath: "I swear by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that not a single day has passed where my soul has strayed from God. Everything I have done is to spread the Gospel so that more people may become children of God."

  Aphrodite: "What if I refuse?"

  Rashis: "Can you have a better way?"

  Aphthita: "No, I am a Temple Knight. My duty is to fight. All glory belongs to the Lord."

  Rashis: "That's right, you need to know that although your status is higher than mine, your duty is to conquer the true evil forces, not to interfere with the internal affairs of the church. In the Uyuq Church, these are fully entrusted to me."

  Aphthita: "I will be watching you at all times. If I find out that you have betrayed the Lord, I will directly petition the Pope for your due judgment."

  Rashid said with a solemn face: "Thank you for awakening my soul at all times, I will dedicate everything to God's cause, even if I lose my life, I will have no regrets."

  Aphtharte was extremely dissatisfied with Bishop Lachesis' tolerance of Hong and Quan's behavior, but she couldn't do anything about it because it wasn't within her jurisdiction. Lachesis was the bishop of this region and had autonomy; if she interfered with him or overturned his authority, that would be equivalent to opposing the Vatican, which also went against her beliefs. Just as Lachesis was making excuses for Hong and Quan, Hong and Quan, who had been driven out of their home and were avoiding people, stood under a streetlamp, hugging their arms and muttering to themselves: "I'll tolerate you all for now, but when I've made great progress in my cultivation and become powerful, just watch how I'll deal with you bunch of ghosts! That old thing will be destroyed, and that foreign girl is really something else; later on, I'll take her to bed and have a good time. I haven't had any experience with angels yet!"

  Hong and Quan's crisis has temporarily passed, while Bai Shaoliu's task has just begun. Xin Weiping's disfigured body was sent to the morgue for cremation, Huang Jing settled the rescue expenses, comforting Xin Weiping's parents who were almost numb from the huge blow of grief as they prepared to leave the hospital. Huang Jing's parents also came, but their hearts weren't filled with great sorrow, instead they were more heartbroken for their daughter, advising her not to be so sad.

  From yesterday afternoon to today, Huang Jing's tears have been falling like a broken string of pearls without stopping. If it weren't for her boyfriend's parents being even more grief-stricken and needing comfort, she would have collapsed from supporting herself. Under the persuasion of her own parents, she finally left the hospital to rest at home, leaving Xin Wei Ping alone in the cold iron drawer. Many of Wei Ping's friends, colleagues, and classmates also came, all with sorrowful expressions on their faces, constantly sighing in regret: a young person with great promise and talent had suddenly passed away like this.

  Just as they were about to pack up and leave the hospital, three people walked towards them, dressed in suits and glasses, looking very elegant. They walked up to Huang Jing and a middle-aged man asked politely: "Excuse me, are you Miss Huang Jing, Xin Weiping's fiancée?"

  "Is it me? What's the matter with you?" Huang Jing's beautiful face still had tears on it, her eyes were red and swollen, and her voice was also hoarse and weak.

  Middle-aged man: "Sorry to hear about Mr. Xin's misfortune. Let me introduce myself, I am lawyer Chen Meiliang from the Mei Liang Law Firm, and also the entrusted agent of Mr. Xiao Zhang, the other party involved in the car accident."

  "Car accident? What are you doing here?" Hearing the two words "car accident", Huang Jing's tears, which had just stopped, couldn't help but flow again.

  "Attorney Chen: 'The traffic accident has been identified, and Mr. Xin Weiping is fully responsible, and his car was not even insured. This accident caused a total of 37,000 yuan in property losses to my client, and he also suffered a huge shock in the car, causing spiritual trauma. He is currently hospitalized for treatment, and the hospitalization costs and compensation for mental damage are an even larger amount. I came specifically to mediate with you, if we cannot reach a compensation agreement, we will resolve it through legal means.'"

  The lawyer said that the property loss caused by the traffic accident needs to be borne by Xin Weiping's heir if it is true, and the burden of hospitalization costs needs to clarify the cause of the disease. Especially, the compensation for mental damage needs to be mediated and judged by the court, if one party claims civil litigation. Huang Jing hadn't responded yet when her mother, who was supporting her, interrupted: "My daughter didn't marry him, go bother someone else with these things!"

  Attorney Chen remained calm and said, "However, we have conducted an investigation. In the past two years or more, Miss Huang and Mr. Xin Weiping lived together, their income was jointly managed and used, and they accumulated joint property. To be on the safe side, we may apply for compensation for property preservation and seal off Mr. Xin Weiping's pre-mortem property."

  Huang Jing closed her eyes weakly and murmured: "Whatever you want to do with our things, just do it."

  Xin Weiping's father suddenly looked ten years older that night, and he came over, trembling with age, saying: "Xin Weiping is my son, what can I do for you?"

  Bai Shaofeng stood by, silently scolding Luo Bing for being a bit too ruthless in his methods. How could he collude with the other party involved in the car accident and get the lawyer to the hospital so quickly? But thinking again, Xin Weiping had died in the accident, and whether from a legal or moral standpoint, these things would eventually be his responsibility. Now that he was gone, his heirs should also bear the consequences. It was inevitable that the other party would come knocking on their door, so it might as well be settled once and for all.

  Bai Shaofeng took a few steps forward and stood between Lawyer Chen and Huang Jing, saying politely: "Please do not disturb my friend at this time and place. You go back first, there will be someone to deal with these things."

  Lawyer Chen: "I'm just a trustee, I came here today to mediate and negotiate in person while the parties are all present. What if they leave the area later and I can't find them?" It seems this lawyer has received some instructions, directly passing on the conversation.

  Bai Shaoliu: "You can find me, I'm Bai Shaoliu, assistant to the president of He Luo Group. Here's my business card... Also, let me remind you that as a legal professional, you should know the law. Next time you come looking for me, it would be best if you brought the traffic accident liability determination letter with you. As for medical expenses, if your client is indeed having difficulties, in cases where the judicial authority has determined responsibility, the responsible party can advance payment first. However, I think your client probably doesn't need to do that."

  Lawyer Chen immediately softened his tone: "Mr. Bai, you can represent the family of the parties involved to mediate if you'd like. Can I take what you just said as a verbal promise? If you don't mind, would you be willing to sign this negotiation document? I'll really look for you later!"

  Bai Shaofeng didn't say another word, took the pen and signed his name on Chen's file folder. He put down the pen and said: "And what about that spiritual damage fee? You can choose to sue in court, we'll talk after the verdict comes out. Forget it, don't contact me directly either, I'll give you a phone number, this is a lawyer from the Heli Group's legal department surnamed Bi, I've entrusted him with handling this matter. He'll tell me about the outcome later, in short, just stop harassing my friend's family."

  Xiaobai's attitude was that of a lawyer dealing with another lawyer. He helped Huang Jing take the lead and took over the matter, but also didn't bother to argue with Lawyer Chen. This is the simplest and most down-to-earth way to handle things. Now, for Huang Jing and Xin Weiping's parents, what they fear and are least willing to experience is the entanglement of the aftermath of the car accident. Having someone willing to help is a great favor. Xiaobai handled things very efficiently, and with just a few words, he sent Lawyer Chen away before others could even react.

  Huang Jing grabbed Xiao Bai's sleeve from behind and said gratefully, "Xiao Bai, thank you so much. Wei Ping just left suddenly like this, I don't know what to do."

  Bai Shaofeng looked at Huang Jingli, whose hair was dripping with rain, and felt a pang in his heart: "Don't be too sad, Wei Ping is gone, you should take care of yourself, go home and rest first, the other things will be handled by me and Wei Ping's friends."

  Xin Weiping's parents also came over to grab Xiao Bai's shoulders, with tears streaming down their faces. Xin Weiping's mother, Cai Fen, had just said a sentence: "Thank you..." when she suddenly fainted and went limp. If it wasn't for Xiao Bai quickly embracing her, she would have fallen to the ground. Her body was weak from grief and she finally passed out. Xiao Bai hastily called out to those around him: "Quickly, send her to the emergency room!" Fortunately, they were still in the hospital, and everyone rushed to send her to the emergency department.