The Pope’s clone that had descended here vanished without a trace. Ye Chui and the others all breathed a sigh of relief. This blond youth who appeared no older than Ye Chui himself had given Ye Chui a feeling of powerlessness in fighting him. The figure before him was merely a clone, yet it possessed such immense power. If the true body descended, who knew how terrifying it would be.
Ye Chui’s current strength was enough to rank among the top on the Castro Continent, but the Pope was likely the undisputed number one among humans on this continent. He was the most favoured child of the Church’s gods, the believer strongest closest to the power of those divine entities.
“If I encounter his true body, I am afraid I have little hope of defeating him. It seems my strength still needs to improve,” Ye Chui thought to himself. Then his gaze sharpened as he looked towards Eliza.
Eliza was slowly walking over at that moment, his body trembling slightly, his expression hesitant and uncertain. One moment his brows were furrowed in worry, the next he smiled calmly, as if undergoing intense inner conflict. His hands clutched tightly the holy relic. Though the Pope Boris had not fully reclaimed Eliza’s heart of faith just now, he had still greatly shaken it.
Eliza could revert to his original Cardinal Archbishop at any moment.
Just as Ye Chui worried in his heart, a holy radiance descended upon Eliza’s head. This was Akuya’s faith divine light. The goddess was jogging over. Though this woman was unreliable in many ways, she was not completely foolish. She understood Eliza’s importance, and at the critical moment, she enveloped him with her faith divine light.
Under Akuya’s faith influence, the hesitation and tangle on Eliza’s face vanished completely. He looked at Akuya and sincerely exclaimed, “My goddess…”
Ye Chui and his group immediately relaxed.
Eliza and his group had been secretly summoned by Akuya, which could be said to have ulterior motives, intending to use Eliza against Ye Chui’s party. However, her actions had inadvertently helped Ye Chui and the others greatly. For this reason, Ye Chui decided not to pursue her fault.
Akuya seemed to realise that this world was vastly different from the fantasy world she came from. Just now, the opponent’s Pope had only descended a clone and repelled her, a goddess, with a single word. Thoughts of becoming a demon king were now far from her mind. She devoutly expressed that she would obediently listen to Ye Chui from now on.
“Next, Eliza is entrusted to you. Stabilise his heart of faith again. Do not let him revert to a Cardinal Archbishop,” Ye Chui instructed Akuya.
“Yes, yes, I will brainwash him every day,” Akuya hurriedly promised. It seemed she herself thought joining her faith cult was brainwashing.
Daily brainwashing for two hours, no worries for veteran idiots…
The town of Cold Wind Port had been reduced to ruins, bodies strewn everywhere. Ye Chui had Akuya’s believers bury the corpses and deal with the wreckage here. Then he approached Mishal.
There was something unusual in Mishal’s soul that Ye Chui was very concerned about. He wanted to properly ask where her place of origin truly was.
“My birthplace village? I only remember it was a small coastal fishing village with about a hundred households. Everyone was very kind and close. One day, I was playing alone by the sea and encountered a group of pirates passing by. I was curious and did not run away, so they kidnapped me… That’s all I remember,” Mishal said, tilting her head in thought.
“A fishing village of about a hundred people?” Bart, who knew something about coastal areas, shook his head. “There are countless such fishing villages. Miss Mishal, do you remember the name of that village?”
“If I remembered, I would have tried to find it after gaining freedom…” Mishal shook her head regretfully, but then she suddenly froze. “Wait, I, I think I remember!”
“You are now an undead spirit. Undead spirits centre on memory and soul, so past memories emerge more clearly,” Celty’s head, held in Guibao’s arms, explained. “What is the name of your village?”
There was some divine remnant in Mishal’s soul, which made Celty very expectant. Perhaps… Mishal’s ancestor was one of the gods?
Though the god race were gods, they had physical bodies. Occasionally, some god race members could not control themselves and united with mortals, producing demigods. Many legends of demigod heroes circulated in the gods’ era… Mishal’s situation could be considered demigod, though the divinity in her soul was now sparse to the point of being negligible.
“The village should be in the north. I remember sailing on the pirates’ ship for a very, very long time… The people in the village were all very harmonious, like one family. Also, everyone in the village had great talent for cooking…” Mishal gradually recalled many things about the fishing village. Finally, her eyes lit up. “I remember now. The village was called Grey Town!”
“Grey Town?” A village called a town? That seemed somewhat strange…
“Is it Greyton!?” Celty suddenly exclaimed.
Mishal paused, looking at Celty in confusion.
The others also turned curiously to Celty.
Celty said excitedly, “The people in that village having talent for cooking, that absolutely cannot be wrong. Among the god race, there was a deity most skilled in cuisine. His name was Greyton. He was the God of Gastronomy, of a romantic nature. Back then, he even pursued the Destruction Goddess. Half the demigods in the gods’ era were his doing… The village where Mishal was born must be related to him!”
“It seems my fate is indeed entangled with the gods. To encounter someone connected to the gods like this…” Ye Chui thought awkwardly.
“Mr Ye Chui, I, I am already dead now, but I want to visit my birthplace village again. Can you help fulfil this wish?” Mishal pleaded at that moment. She had learned her current state from Irabesha and Stari, understanding that Ye Chui had only turned her into an undead to inquire about her origins.
Ye Chui thought for a moment, then nodded. “Of course. Stari, Irabesha, you two take Mishal to search for her village. Since it is a coastal fishing village, sail the Fearless Conquest north along the coast to find it. If you locate it, contact us again. Mishal is an undead spirit and needs magic to exist. As long as she stays with you, she will not dissipate.”
“We will definitely help Mishal find her birthplace!” Stari quickly said.
Ye Chui then looked at Bart and Evans brothers. “You two return to the Star Empire. Our guild will head from here to the Doomsday Mountains and find a way into the haunted caves.”
“The haunted caves are the most dangerous place on the Castro Continent, heavily guarded with powerful prohibitions. Only tomb keepers can enter. How will you get into the haunted caves?” Bart asked worriedly. They had discussed the haunted caves in the Doomsday Mountains long ago, but previously were unsure if it was the entrance to the Divine Sin Continent. However, the earlier conversation with the Pope had confirmed it was very likely the entrance, so Ye Chui decided to set off immediately.
“Tomb keepers are all heinous criminals. The seven great empires have authority to exile tomb keepers. We just need to cause a big commotion in the Morning Wind Empire territory, then deliberately let ourselves be captured. Becoming tomb keepers will be easy,” Ye Chui explained.
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Bart and Evans were momentarily speechless. From Ye Chui’s words, it felt like causing a big commotion was their true intention.
In the battle against the Church, the Morning Wind Empire sided closely with it. Ye Chui and the others surely harboured ill intent. Otherwise, to become tomb keepers, they could just ask the Emperor of the Tidal Empire or Jacob Majesty of the Star Empire with a single word. Why go to such lengths to cause trouble in the Morning Wind Empire?
However, Bart and Evans knew Ye Chui’s group’s style. Seeing them all already excited, they said no more.
Thus, the matter was decided. The group split into four paths. Stari and Irabesha took the undead Mishal to search for the fishing village. Bart and Evans returned to the Star Empire. Akuya would lead Eliza and the other believers, after handling the remains and corpses in Cold Wind Port, to continue deeper into Morning Wind Empire territory to preach.
As for Ye Chui’s group, they disguised themselves to cross the Morning Wind Empire, heading to the entrance of the haunted mines in the Doomsday Mountains.
“Ye Chui, what will we disguise as this time? A circus again?” After setting off, Debbie asked Ye Chui full of anticipation.
“We have already done the circus. Doing it again risks recognition. This time, since we plan to cause a big scene, we will pose as a chivalrous thief gang. This time, the Tidal Empire spent a full hundred thousand gold coins in one go, enough to buy three or four mansions. My heart still aches over it,” Ye Chui said with a chuckle.
“Then what is the name of our chivalrous thief gang?” Green asked.
“I have already thought of the name. It is called…”
…
Half a month later, in Fearless City within Morning Wind territory.
Fearless City was a city at the border between the Morning Wind Empire and the Sacred Heart Kingdom, near the Doomsday Mountains. It was the closest city to the infamous haunted mines. It was midday, and a late autumn storm arrived unexpectedly, with lightning flashes and thunder, the weather dark.
In a small tavern on the city outskirts, the heavy rain trapped many travellers here. Watching the rain threads outside the window, they hugged their cups of ale, discussing recent major events, such as the war between the Star Empire and the Church. Though the fighting might never reach here for them, it had already affected them in many ways. Believers in the city had grown more irritable lately, and the war had raised prices of potatoes and rice by several coppers. Even cheap ale that used to cost one copper for a large cup now required two.
The tavern door was pushed open, and an old man with a tattered umbrella hurried in. Seeing him, many regulars greeted him happily.
“Old John, long time no see. Where have you been making a fortune lately?”
“We thought you had answered the gods’ call and left us.”
“Old John, what I look forward to most are the wonderful stories you tell.”
The crowd smilingly ushered Old John to the bar counter and helped hang his umbrella on the rack by the door.
The bartender poured a cup of ale for Old John.
Old John was actually not that old, under fifty, but looked aged. From youth, he loved travelling, doing peddler business, with broad experience. Each time he appeared, he brought major news from afar, making him the most welcome guest for both the tavern owner and patrons.
Gulp, gulp. Old John downed most of the ale, wiped his mouth. Seeing the expectant looks, he knew what they awaited and chuckled. “This time out, I really witnessed something extraordinary. Do you know what the biggest event in the Morning Wind Empire lately is?”
“Is it that idiot cult? I hear they are all lunatics preaching everywhere,” one patron said.
Old John shook his head. “No, no, compared to this, that cult is nothing. Do you know? Lately, a chivalrous thief gang has appeared in the Morning Wind Empire, called the Seven Deadly Sins Thief Gang.”
“The Seven Deadly Sins Thief Gang?”
“Yes, a group of seven. The lord of Kus City, the Miga family of Wave City, both suffered their robbery. They distributed the stolen gold coins to many poor people. Now their bounty in the mercenary guild has reached one hundred and twenty thousand gold coins. Not long ago, three four-star magic guilds and two four-star mercenary groups joined forces to capture them, but were directly defeated. Heh, truly impressive.”
“What kind of people are in this Seven Deadly Sins Thief Gang to be so powerful!?” the bartender asked in surprise while wiping a glass.
“I remember their names clearly.
The Seven Deadly Sins Thief Gang clearly corresponds to the gods’ era.
Old John pulled out a stack of papers from his pocket and spread them on the counter. “This is their wanted poster. Truly a lawless bunch.”
Boom.
Lightning flashed outside the tavern, suddenly illuminating the somewhat dim interior like daylight. The seven fierce-looking figures on the wanted poster caught everyone’s eyes, instinctively sending a chill through them.
However, at that moment, the tavern door was pushed open again, and a group filed in.
The patrons quickly noticed there were exactly seven of them.
Most terrifyingly…
“They, they are the people on this wanted poster… the Seven Deadly Sins Thief Gang!”
