Chapter 361 (1/2)

Hao Ren was rooted to the spot for a long moment after the events that unfolded before his eyes: the siren was that powerful all along?

“Phew—” Nangong Wuyue breathed a long sigh of relief, her facial expressin changing back to normal. No one could guess what was in her mind. She meandered forward and curled the sleeping child up in her tail before approaching Hao Ren. “I’m done. The child must have been drugged. Let’s get some fresh air outside, the child will be fine.”

Hao Ren glanced at the little child to find that it was a girl. He could not tell its gender earlier because she was covered in dirt and ragged clothing. He turned to look at situation in the stone chamber, and was disappointed to find no survivors. After exhausting their vitality and magical power, the cult followers had become a pool of mud. Some on the other hand, were turned into ashes by Nangong Wuyue’s strange ability. It appeared that normal methods did not work in capturing them.

The two of them searched the chamber carefully, trying to find any religious texts related to the cult. But, they came up with nothing. Hao Ren searched the clothing items left behind by the followers. Judging from their clothing, some of them were probably peasants, some were merchants, while some were professional soldiers and mercenaries. They were a mixture of the rich and poor, and they were likely residents of Leyton or a nearby area. Hao Ren pulled out a small pendant from a pool of mud. The pendant probably belonged to one of the followers. He looked at the pendant, then exclaimed in shock. “A Royal Knight?”

There were Royal Knights among the cult members? Who was behind the cult?

Nangong Wuyue also found something. She saw a piece of inner clothing with the heraldry of the Disciples of Glory. “It’s the Disciples of Glory!”

Hao Ren quickly took a gander. He was certain that the heraldry belonged to a clergy. He searched the clothing, which was covered in ashes. This time he found a booklet. He opened and read it.

Written in the booklet were the ramblings of a delirious man printed on paper. Hao Ren knitted her brows together. The writings were very disorganised and the contents made him sick. It sang praises of some goddess for her greatness and wisdom. There was also the incessant accusation of the Disciples of Glory stealing the power of the true God as well as their hypocrisy and sins. Hao Ren could not help but wonder how such a mundane booklet could have brainwashed these people. He found it only hilarious at best.

But as hilarious as it was, the things written in the booklet had gotten hold of people’s mind. Hao Ren recalled the moment of shared vision with the gigantic brain, and made a connection with the Disciples of Glory and the cult. The key to decipher the relationship between the three parties might lie in this hilarious text. He let the MDT scan and record the content of the booklet before shoving it inside the dimensional pocket. He wanted to pass it to the ‘expert’ once he reached Leyton.

He knew as a stranger he couldn’t get to the bottom of the secret without landing himself in some sort of trouble. But it would be a different story if the Disciples of Glory or the knights themselves investigate the matter.

They left the cavern after finding no further clues. Outside, the night was still dark. It was three hours before sunrise. Dark clouds were gathered in the sky, rain was going to fall at any moment. Nangong Wuyue was trudging behind Hao Ren, and in deep thought. The little girl was still being curled up by her tail. Hao Ren was engrossed with the thought of the gigantic brain. After a moment of silence, he decided not to keep delving on the thought. He turned his eyes to Nangong Wuyue and said to her, “I didn’t know you’re so powerful!”

Nangong Wuyue wasn’t flattered. Her face wasn’t looking good. She twisted her mouth and said, “I’m still trying to pull myself together.”

Hao Ren was curious. He looked at her and asked, “Pull yourself together? Tell me what happened.”

The siren maiden scratched her head. She was reluctant but then she still told him. “I guess you’ve heard that sirens are incapable of dying, haven’t you?”

Hao Ren nodded. He had heard it from Vivian a long time ago.

“It’s not that sirens are incapable of dying, it’s just that we can resurrect ourselves indefinitely.” Nangong Wuyue pointed at herself. “You see, it’s made of water. As long as there’s water, we could resurrect indefinitely. It’s true that I’m not good in fighting, what you just saw wasn’t actually a fighting technique but a resurrection—by borrowing the body fluid of the believers.

Hao Ren was terror-struck.

“I don’t use it usually.” Nangong Wuyue said as if she had recalled her painful past. “It’s cruel and you know I’m too soft-hearted and I sometime screw up things. As you know, I’m a half-siren with a not so perfert talent. During resurrection, sirens must be highly focused in choosing the venue of their resurrection. But I couldn’t always get focused—sometimes I died in a muddle…”

Hao Ren was startled by what she said. “In a muddle? How could it be? What would happen then?”