Chapter 272: Section 60: Captain Long Fu, You Stand Out from the Crowd
Late at night.
The survivors of Mysterious Monster Island gathered secretly to discuss.
Mu Ban’s face was full of worry, “Do we really have to go to the Life Temple? It’s quite risky!”
Sanda shook his head slightly, “But if we refuse Bishop Hao Fu, what reason can we use? Wouldn’t that immediately arouse suspicion?”
“No, not really, after all, we’re pirates.” Fat Tongue interjected.
Cang Xu’s expression remained serene, “Hao Fu, in his own severely wounded state, used the Great Resurrection Technique to revive many of us. This act has profound implications and also shows his sincerity. The captain made the right decision to agree on the spot.”
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“That’s right,” Zong Ge agreed with Cang Xu’s view, “The Hundred Needle Family was our choice. And this bishop from the Life Sect… at the moment, he seems like a good choice, too.”
Bai Ya’s eyes widened, “Are we going to tell him our secret from Mysterious Monster Island?”
The Dragon-man youth shook his head, “No, now is not the time. But I can sense that Bishop Hao Fu harbors good feelings towards us. Moreover, he can continue to hide, can he not? Even if we see through his disguise, there’s no need for him to use the Great Resurrection Technique to repay us, right?”
Fat Tongue asked, “Then, can we have him rescue my family’s chairman?”
A hint of sorrow flashed in the Dragon-man youth’s eyes as he shook his head slightly.
Cang Xu spoke candidly, “Chairman Zi Di and the Big Guy have different situations. Chairman Zi Di’s soul clearly bears traces of Undead Magic, and if Divine Arts were used to save her, it could very likely attract the attention of the gods.”
With that, the old Scholar took out a Pearl Bubble.
“Everyone, this is the Pearl Bubble we secretly placed on the Big Guy before the resurrection.”
“After the resurrection, I counted them, and not a single Pearl Bubble was missing.”
“To some extent, this indicates that the God of Life did not cast Their gaze upon us during the resurrection process. Hence, the Pearl Bubbles showed no signs of consumption.”
Not every use of Divine Arts attracts the attention of the gods.
The nature of Divine Arts is that clergy borrow Divine Power.
For the gods, it is difficult for Them to respond to every prayer or monitor every utilization of Divine Power. Generally, Their gaze is only cast during major ceremonies or on key individuals and significant events.
Golden Hook exploited this loophole by capturing Hao Fu, trying to force him to use his Divine Arts for healing.
Cang Xu continued, “We must admit that contacting Hao Fu and entering the Life Temple is risky. But the possibility of attracting the attention of the gods is small, and even if the gods do cast Their gaze upon us, the chance to uncover our secret on Mysterious Monster Island is even smaller.”
“It’s worth taking the gamble.”
“We stand a great chance of winning, and if we do, we will gain the friendship of a bishop-level person.”
Cang Xu’s stance was clear, showing support for the Dragon-man youth.
“I agree with Cang Xu’s opinion,” Zong Ge stated succinctly.
As usual, no one objected to the Dragon-man youth’s decision.
The Dragon-man youth nodded, “This matter concerns the lives of everyone present, so I gathered you all to discuss. Since this is the outcome, let’s proceed. Good luck to us!”
“Good luck!” everyone responded in unison.
The following day.
White Wings Port welcomed ten ships.
“My god, so many demon energy ships came at once!”
“Judging by the state of these ships, there must have been an extremely fierce battle.”
“Who exactly are these people?”
The port buzzed with the arrival of the Justice Pirate Group.
The pirate flag of the Justice Pirate Group had already been stowed away.
Many people could guess the identities of these ships and sailors. But since the Empire’s officials had opened the port, it proved that these pirates were also tradable.
That was enough.
Although White Wings Port was not an Imperial secret port, welcoming pirates and providing supplies had become an almost openly acknowledged unspoken rule among the major ports.
Unless pirates were utterly vile and unacceptable to the Empire, ports would choose to repel pirate ships with cannon fire.
Of course, even when pirates entered a port, such resupplying carried risks.
Historically, there have been cases where the Imperial Navy laid traps on land to arrest and capture pirates.
The Life Temple was grand, constructed entirely of obsidian, surrounded by lush woods filled with birds and fragrant flowers, resembling a garden.
The Dragon-man youth fulfilled his promise, personally escorting Hao Fu back here.
“Bishop, you’ve finally returned!” Several high-ranking temple officials had been waiting for a long time.
Seeing Hao Fu again, their faces beamed with joy; the news of Golden Hook successfully hijacking the supply ships had thrown them into disarray.
Now that Hao Fu was back, they had found their pillar of support.
“Thanks to Captain Long Fu, he saved me, and also defeated the Gold and Silver brothers. Golden Hook has died by Captain Long Fu’s hand,” Hao Fu introduced.
The high-ranking officials of the temple cast surprised glances at the Dragon-man youth.
They could sense it very clearly, the Dragon-man youth was of Silver aura, not even at the peak of Silver. Yet he had slain a Gold warrior with his Silver Cultivation. This feat was indeed rare!
“Killing Golden Hook was not solely my own doing; my subordinates also fought to the death. Without them, and given that Golden Hook was already injured, it was merely a stroke of luck that I could win,” the Dragon-man youth explained with a smile.
The crowd expressed their admiration and gratitude in chorus.
They arranged for the Dragon-man youth to be hospitably treated in the guest room.
Di Lou and the others who had come along with the Dragon-man youth were also properly accommodated. These people had all converted to the worship of the God of Life due to the Great Resurrection Technique.
The guest hall was situated inside the greenhouse of the temple.
Surrounded by huge floor-to-ceiling glass windows, one could see the dense greenery, bright flowers, and colorful parrots and golden-haired little monkeys within the greenhouse with utmost clarity.
The Dragon-man youth sat on the sofa, with delicate pastries and precious tea placed on the ivory-white tea table.
A stout nanny dressed as a nun stood by his side.
The youth casually chatted with the stout nanny for a few sentences, to which the nanny expressed her deepest gratitude. It was evident that Bishop Hao Fu possessed a charismatic leadership, endearing him to everyone at the temple.
“Captain Long Fu, I apologize for having kept you waiting,” Bishop Hao Fu reappeared before the Dragon-man youth after a short while.
He had changed into a pure white bishop’s robe and revealed his true, amiable yet dignified face.
Bishop Hao Fu sat across from the Dragon-man youth and once again expressed his gratitude for the youth’s lifesaving grace.
The Dragon-man youth also sincerely thanked Hao Fu for resurrecting the pirates.
After exchanging a few courteous words and sipping some tea, Hao Fu asked the stout nanny to leave, leaving just him and the Dragon-man youth alone.
Bishop Hao Fu slightly restrained his smile and, with a serious tone, asked, “Forgive my boldness, but may I inquire, Captain Long Fu, how do you view the various races that exist in the world?”
The Dragon-man youth realized that the bishop had come to the crux of the conversation and sat up straight, pondering carefully before replying, “I have always believed that every form of life has the right to exist in this world.”
Hao Fu’s expression grew more solemn, “Be they Elves or Beastmen?”
The Dragon-man youth nodded.
Hao Fu pressed further, “Even Demons and Devils?”
The Dragon-man youth nodded again.
Hao Fu questioned further, “Yet Demons and Devils are so malevolent… When the Empire wages its campaign across the Wilderness Continent, the Beastmen are the Empire’s greatest enemy. Are you opposed to the Empire’s campaign, Captain Long Fu?”
The Dragon-man youth shook his head, “What is justice? What is evil?”
“It’s actually very hard to judge these things,” he continued.
“If a powerful Beastman slays many of the Human Race, he becomes a hero to the Beast Race. To the Beastmen, he is undoubtedly just. But to us, he is certainly extremely evil.”
“Every life has the right to exist, yet lives differ among themselves, some strong, some weak.”
“The strong feed on meat, the weak graze on grass, just as tigers and leopards do with rabbits and deer.”
“I am not opposed to the Empire’s campaign; on the contrary, I quite agree with it.”
“It is a contest of strength, and only by determining who is stronger can both the Human Race and the Beast Race truly understand themselves and reality, leading to a better coexistence in the future.”
“I believe that the Holy Emperor didn’t promote this national policy of marching across the Wilderness Continent with the intention of exterminating all the Beastmen, right?”
“Hahaha,” Bishop Hao Fu suddenly burst into laughter, clapping his hands, “Captain Long Fu, you truly are unique!”
“After boarding your flagship, I could immediately sense this.”
“In your Justice Pirate Group, there are Half-Beasts, goblins, Rat-men, and even half-giants…”
“Indeed, pirates come from diverse backgrounds, but your pirate group is different. Different races not only coexist but also treat each other equally.”
“Such a situation is so rare that I would hardly believe it if I hadn’t experienced it myself.”
“Just now, hearing your words, Captain Long Fu, I realized it is all because of you.”
The Dragon-man youth thought to himself: The bishop holds me in too high regard, their mutual cooperation owed more to the life-and-death adventures on Mysterious Monster Island, watching over each other. Coupled with the shared burden of the Empire’s crimes, they had become a tight-knit group, huddling together for warmth.
Bishop Hao Fu sighed and continued, “Life is precious, vibrant, and full of potential. Every life deserves respect, no matter how strong or weak, for they all have their reasons for existence. Such is the doctrine of our Life Sect.”
“Captain Long Fu, do you know why I am willing to use the Great Resurrection Technique?”
“Because on the ship, I received care from Big guy, whose demeanor was fierce, but how could I not sense the kindness in his actions?”
“And also because I saw your intense grief over Big guy’s death.”
“Whether it’s Big guy, you, or anyone else, your respect for life transcends race, which has deeply moved me.”
“Captain Long Fu, have you considered worshipping the God of Life?”
“This…” the Dragon-man youth lowered his head to ponder for a long while before he finally shook his head with a wry smile, “I’m sorry, but please forgive me for not having the desire to convert at this time.”
“Hehehe, please don’t rush to refuse,” Bishop Hao Fu waved his hand, “I haven’t mentioned my conditions yet.”
“If you and Big guy would convert to the worship of the God of Life, you could attain the position of Guardian Knights.”
“At the same time, you would receive various conveniences. Please look at this list.”
The Dragon-man youth took the list and, after reading it, couldn’t help but change his expression, “Bishop Hao Fu, to enlist our services with such a hefty cost, what is it for? You’ve already repaid your debt of life.”
Hao Fu smiled, “I believe that any sect would intend to recruit the possessors of Legendary and Divine Bloodlines.”