Chapter 379: Chapter 367: What, is there no one willing to go? (Please subscribe)
"About Anshan City?"
Everyone looked at each other.
The Lord Bishop, could he be planning to make a move on Anshan City?
Thinking of this, an unconscious shiver ran through their hearts.
They knew that this city was a small one nearby, with a population of around a hundred thousand, a tempting number to them.
The key issue was that a small city would have several C-level Awakened guarding it, and B-level Awakened even more so.
The majority of them could not match the combat power of a C-level Awakened.
Therefore, choosing a village of two to three hundred people was the safest option. Even if there were some Martial Artists inside, they wouldn’t be a threat. If no other targets were found, they could join forces with other bishops to attack a village of one to two thousand people.
A city of a hundred thousand people?
They all knew better than to target such a place. How could the Lord Bishop even consider it?
"Everyone, calm down and hear me out."
The man in the red robe said calmly, "Of course, I know that targeting a small city is very difficult and highly risky. If we fail, even I will be in danger, but this Anshan City is different from other cities."
"Different?"
"That’s right. Let me ask you, can you find a way to stay overnight in a city?"
"This...?"
They all looked at each other in dismay.
"Lord Bishop, if it’s a village of around a thousand people, we can spend some money and time to settle in, but a typical small city is very difficult."
"Exactly, only Awakened or Entry Force Martial Artists can stay inside. Our power comes from Lord Celestial Demon’s blessing, so we can’t pass their assessments. Even if we could, we wouldn’t get the chance..."
"If it’s neither, then even if we have money, getting in within a year or two is unrealistic."
Everyone voiced their concerns with furrowed brows.
The man in the red robe nodded in satisfaction and smiled, "What if I told you Anshan City allows people to settle in freely?"
"What!"
The room fell silent momentarily before erupting in noisy discussions.
"Anshan City lets people move in freely? That’s impossible, right?"
"Yeah, even larger villages don’t allow free settlement, let alone a city."
"But the Lord Bishop said it himself. Would he lie to us?"
"Exactly, since the Lord Bishop said so, it means Anshan City really is like that now."
"But how is this possible?"
"Nothing is impossible."
The man in the red robe spoke calmly, "I received word that two days ago, people living outside the city moved in without having to pay any price to do so.
Not only that, even those living in nearby small villages were taken in by Anshan City’s Awakened."
This news shocked everyone even more.
What on earth is going on in Anshan City?
Are they that short on people?
Shouldn’t they need powerful Awakened or Martial Artists instead of bringing so many ordinary people into the city?
Isn’t this making it harder for them?
"You don’t need to doubt the authenticity of this information. I’m telling you this mainly to ask if any of you are willing to volunteer to infiltrate Anshan City and investigate the situation for us."
Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent.
The previously chatty crowd now seemed like they had their mouths sewn shut, lowering their heads, not daring to make a sound.
That’s Anshan City!
These people usually only dared to target small villages, but going to Anshan City, once exposed, they might die on the spot. Even the Lord Bishop himself wouldn’t dare to easily set foot in such a place.
Not to mention, even if they escaped, the fate of Peng Song was right before their eyes; how much better could their outcome be?
"What, no one is willing to go?"
The man in the red robe frowned in displeasure.
He needed to gather a total of a hundred thousand people, and with less than a month remaining, they were still short by over thirty thousand.
At the current rate, the task would surely not be completed on time.
If he failed, his fate would be no better than that of the recently deceased Peng Song. Even if he survived, he would be stripped of his bishop position and demoted to the lowest level of follower, subjected to others’ whims, which he absolutely could not accept.
But if he succeeded...
He would receive special attention from above, his power would soar, and his status within the church would rise. He might even advance from a bishop to an archbishop.
"I understand your concerns." He scanned the crowd, speaking softly, "I’m not sending you to your deaths. Think about it, although we can’t undertake large efforts, small ones are easily manageable.
I just said that Anshan City has now lifted its restrictions. Anyone can obtain permanent residency there. The city will be filled with strangers from various places, all unfamiliar with each other.
If you enter now and target small groups first, as long as you are discreet, no one will know. Those people could be there one day and gone the next."
Hearing this, many heads began to lift.
"What if someone notices the disappearances?"
The man in the red robe continued, "There are already about fourteen or fifteen thousand new residents. How long would an investigation take? Even if the C-level Awakened themselves came, they wouldn’t know where to start, right?
Think about it. You go to villages of one or two hundred people, put in a lot of effort, and only manage to sacrifice a few hundred. At Anshan City, people are everywhere, and you can easily achieve that number in one night."
These words truly tempted most of them.
Indeed, they risked encounters with Fierce Beasts to find offerings. Sometimes, a village they’d found after much effort turned out to be empty, wasting their time and energy.
But the Bishop’s words opened new possibilities for them.
Since anyone could settle in Anshan City, so could they, right?
Offering dozens to hundreds of sacrifices in one night would be effortless. Being a bit bolder, hundreds wouldn’t be impossible.
By being cautious during the day and blending in with the ordinary people, how could they be exposed?
Isn’t this much better than relying on luck outside?
"Lord Bishop, I am willing to lead people to Anshan City," Fang Liang gritted his teeth and stood up first.
"Lord Bishop, I too am willing to lead a team immediately!"
The woman who spoke earlier stood up as well.
"Lord Bishop, I..."
"Lord Bishop..."
Others soon followed, despite initial hesitation.
After all, completing the task meant rewards, and exceeding the target meant even greater rewards.
"Enough."
The man in the red robe looked around and finally focused on Fang Liang and the woman beside him, approval in his eyes. "You two shall lead the teams. Too many people will increase the risk of exposure."
"Yes!"
Both were delighted to hear this.
Especially the woman, who felt secretly pleased.
Luckily, she had reacted quickly. Otherwise, someone else would have taken this opportunity away from her.
Sure, the task was risky, and failure meant a miserable death like Peng Song’s, but could she really be that unlucky and get caught immediately? As long as she returned with the Sacred Artifact, the mission wouldn’t be a complete failure.
"Lord Bishop, we’ll gather our people and set off immediately!" Fang Liang said urgently.
"No rush. Listen to me first, then you can depart." The man in the red robe waved his hand. "Although Anshan City is now a haven for all sorts, you still shouldn’t be careless. Spend some time investigating quietly. Target those who pose the least risk of exposure. If you reveal yourselves early on, not only you but everyone will be in danger."
"Understood." Fang Liang nodded repeatedly. "Lord Bishop, don’t worry, we’ll act cautiously and ensure there is zero risk of exposure."
"Indeed, Lord Bishop, please await our good news."
"Very well, go ahead, but remember, be careful."
"Yes."
Fang Liang and the woman exchanged glances, each leading a few people towards the door.
As they neared the exit, Fang Liang sneered and said to the woman, "Zhang Ru, you’re really like my shadow. Whatever I say, you say. Whatever I do, you do."
Truth be told, he had tolerated this woman for a long time.
Previously, when the Lord Bishop asked about handling Peng Song, he had just changed his attitude, and Zhang Ru immediately followed suit.
Earlier, when the Lord Bishop asked who would scout Anshan City, he stood up, and Zhang Ru followed suit right after.
Usually, it might be excusable, but for this mission, the more people involved, the higher the risk of exposure.
Besides, they were competitors.
"You’re overthinking." Zhang Ru glared at him.
"Is that so?"
Fang Liang’s eyes flared with anger.
As they approached the exit, he turned and said, "Zhang Ru, I hope you don’t drag me down once we reach Anshan City. If you get caught, it’s best to end your own life. Don’t come looking for me. The Lord Bishop won’t spare you, and neither will I."
"Worry about yourself, whether you’ll get caught." Zhang Ru retorted, leaving without looking back.
"Tch." Fang Liang snorted disdainfully and also disappeared through the exit with his team.
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