Monster Girl Development Master

Page 103

She knew it! Even a holy angel is still a monster girl, how could she not be interested in her beloved Master Zhuang Sen? Heh, a bunch of hypocritical idiots! You all just watch me and my master being all lovey-dovey, go hide in a corner! Hmph! Hehehe! Hahaha!

slap.

Lilith, who was inwardly laughing three times, crashed into an invisible wall. Her voluptuous breasts, which had been trembling with her movements, were instantly flattened into pancakes. However, she assumed that she had lost track of time while engrossed in Zhuang Sen, but Zhuang Sen clearly remembered that Lilith had only been flying for less than thirty seconds. Had she already reached an invisible wall? Or was the fallen angel encountering some kind of obstacle?

While I was thinking, the sacred angelic sanctuary had already transformed back into the ritual chamber.

Chapter 270: The Noble Alliance

During the ceremony.

Once he regained his senses, Zhuang Sen embraced Lilith, who was snuggling up to him again. He looked around to confirm that they were indeed in the ritual room. The inheritance had automatically shut down, indicating that they had indeed reached the limit of one awakening. But this was too fast! It was even faster than Nia's speedrun by selling her body. What kind of reward could there be?

The Fallen Angel bloodline development level has been increased to 30%.

[Progress is being synchronized...]

[Simultaneously completed; Holy Gun Angel bloodline development level increased to 89%]

WTF?

Looking at the system notification, Zhuang Sen wondered if he was hallucinating from Lilith's breasts. A single inheritance had increased his development level by 25%, directly boosting him to only 3% away from the second awakening? Even without any other rewards, this was already extremely generous! What's more, this surge had also pushed his [Holy Lance Angel], which was only at its fourth awakening, to 89% development level. Five awakenings only required 80%!

Lilith naturally sensed the changes in her bloodline. All the trepidation and nervousness she felt before the inheritance process vanished, and she proudly leaned closer to Zhuang Sen: "Master~ the surprises don't stop there, look~"

A pure white, oval-shaped object, roughly the size of Zhuang Sen's palm, was handed to him by Lilith. The system then promptly popped up a notification:

[The Core of the Judgment]

[The core of power condensed by the Angel of Judgment]

[Effect: Upon use, releases a 'Final Judgment' once within a kilometer radius centered on the holder.]

[Can be used as an anchor point for angel species nests]

【—The Demise of Light】

After reading the introduction, Zhuang Sen's bewildered expression immediately turned into joy, and he hugged Lilith tightly and kissed her twice—Nest Anchor Point! Although he didn't know what "Final Judgment" was, Nest Anchor Point alone was enough. This was yet another super base that combined the powerful functions of mass production and teleportation! However, this meant that it couldn't be placed randomly anymore. Leon Territory already had two, and Farau Territory had one from Deherim. It was better to keep this last one on hand as a backup.

However, having won a good start, their luck should be good from here on out.

Zhuang Sen rubbed Lilith's little face, and Lilith's whole body went weak and flushed, but she still managed to throw a mocking look at Madam Liya—your son likes me more now, sister.

Lady Lia chuckled, set down Grody from her arms, walked to Zhuang Sen's side, and opened her arms. Zhuang Sen, as usual, freed one hand to pull her into his embrace. Thus, the equally alluring and seductive Fara sisters, one elegant and graceful, the other alluring and beautiful, met in Zhuang Sen's arms. Their four full breasts collided and pressed heavily against Zhuang Sen's chest, the delicate and smooth touch an ultimate pleasure. Zhuang Sen put away the [Core of Judgment] and reopened the system panel, preparing to see if there had been any changes to Arachne's inheritance.

……

Meanwhile, while Zhuang Sen was indulging in beautiful women and working hard to improve his strength, some people were talking about him.

Earl Milley, Earl Deep Forest, Earl Oak, Marquis Norsa, and Marquis Plantagenet gathered in a dimly lit room. But they weren't the only ones there. There were also many nobles who had tried to target Zhuang Sen at the wedding ceremony, some nobles who had little interaction with them before, and even some nobles from outside the Falling Star Kingdom. And then there was the most esteemed, the most unexpected, and the most unsurprising of all—His Highness Prince Greya.

Clearly, this was no ordinary gathering, much less a suitable occasion for Prince Zhuangsen's direct vassals. Even Earl Millais knew this, yet he still attended, and unsurprisingly, saw the other four. This made perfect sense. As the saying goes, no one likes suddenly having a strange superior, and no one likes handing over their territory to someone else! Besides, even if there wasn't an opportunity before, now that the First Prince had personally intervened, what difference did it make if the newly promoted prince was favored by the King? Could he possibly be more favored than the First Prince?

Without the king's support, what good is it if he's a little brat who can fight? Everyone else is just a level three or four bloodline.

Count Millais, with only a third-level bloodline, glanced at Marquis Norsa and Marquis Plantagenet, and felt greatly calm. He stopped sweating and raised his wine glass to drink heartily, unaware that some of the gazes around him had become playful and mocking.

Seated at the head of the table, Gloria saw everything clearly, but naturally he wouldn't remind Earl Millais. What if he came to his senses and decided he didn't want to oppose Zhuang Sen anymore, and actually sided with the Princess? Wouldn't that be a loss of cannon fodder for Gloria? Besides, he was currently the best choice to annoy that brat Zhuang Sen, who couldn't resist women. The others were just too shrewd, asking for too much, even though they were there to help. Oh well, let's get down to business.

Prince Gloria, who had maintained a polite smile throughout, deepened his smile, making it seem as if it came from the heart, and then slowly spoke: "Gentlemen, thank you for coming today. I am delighted to see so many loyal, brave, and intelligent noble people gathered together. What makes me even more gratified is that I am not the only one who has not been deceived by my skillful sisters. This has strengthened my resolve and courage to fight them to the end and protect the kingdom and the rights of the noble bloodline!"

After a series of tedious platitudes, the somewhat noisy room quieted down, followed by a slightly suppressed round of cheers and praise. This feeling intoxicated Gloria, and he absolutely did not want to lose this ability. Therefore, he could not allow Serafina to become queen, and he could not stand idly by while Johnson, a staunch supporter of the princess, truly solidified his position as prince and supported Serafina! Although vain and arrogant, Gloria still possessed ability, so he only enjoyed the moment for a short while before getting down to business.

"I think you all have already guessed why we are holding this secret meeting today. That's right, it is to target Zhuangsen Leon, that scoundrel who usurped a high position, fawned on the powerful, and clung to women. He is a lustful, cunning, vicious, and liar patricide!"

With Prince Gloria's statement, public sentiment began to surge. Some were his planted agents, some were genuinely interested, and some were truly naive. Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, someone asked, "Prince, Prince, you're right, but that brat now has His Majesty the King's support and is said to be a level four bloodline user. How can we deal with him?"

With an air of confidence, Gloria directed her gaze toward the five Earl of Milley and his companions seated together, focusing primarily on Earl Milley: "As we all know, that brat Johnson and my sisters have bewitched our esteemed King. But he is far too greedy, attempting to seize so much territory in this way. This gives us an opportunity to bring His Majesty to his senses. If we can expose Johnson Leon's greedy and incompetent nature, letting the King know that he is utterly incapable of governing the land, we can send him back to where he belongs! So this depends on our warrior, Earl Milley!"

The author says:

作者的话：进度更新：月票17/50，催更票17/50，打赏1100/5000

Chapter 271: The First Stop of the Tour

"What these people are thinking is really not surprising at all."

Zhuang Sen looked at the intelligence report just delivered by the secret service and scoffed. As a staunch supporter of the princess, how could he not be paying attention to Prince Greya's movements? The secret service had been keeping a close watch on them, and unsurprisingly, they caught them plotting their scheme. But it was actually useless; Zhuang Sen couldn't possibly go to Baro and complain, nor did he want to.

Leaving aside the fact that Prince Greya is involved, and whether Baroo would handle it, even if it were just ordinary nobles, Johnson would prefer to deal with it himself, thereby strengthening his prestige and rule, rather than letting Baroo handle it all. Then, whose territory is it, his or Baroo's? Besides, this loud conspiracy is obviously just a facade; aside from a simpleton like Count Millais, probably no one would truly believe it. But it doesn't matter; Johnson has nothing to fear now.

“Angie, send a letter to Earl Millais, adding some wedding requirements to his plan and giving him an extra week.”

Ange, who was riding on Zhuang Sen, nodded, but offered a small suggestion: "Why don't we just arrest them directly? So as not to affect Sister Dantalian's wedding."

"Don't worry, it won't affect anything."

Zhuang Sen patted Anjie's little hand and exchanged a smile with Dantalian sitting next to him: "And who knows, it might even be a great thing."

Ange blinked, and Da Tou gradually realized what was happening: "You're so naughty, brother~"

"Alright, if you understand, hurry up and get started. I still need to take care of my fifth awakening potion."

"Yes, yes~"

Anjie swayed her slender waist, her body glistening with sweat, and soon collapsed softly into Zhuang Sen's arms.

……

Time flew by, and unsurprisingly, Zhuang Sen successfully completed his fifth awakening, solidifying his strength at the top level. However, he didn't publicize it, instead continuing with his original plan, just as he had announced. So, at the end of the month, Zhuang Sen, accompanied by his large entourage of wives and their personal guards, began the first leg of his wedding procession, naturally heading towards the Earl of Milai's territory near Leon's territory.

However, one thing needs to be mentioned: it wasn't just Johnson and his party that set off, but also the various guests who originally came to attend his wedding with Celine, as well as businessmen who came to make money, travelers who simply wanted to join in the fun, and so on. Apart from a very few people who didn't make it, most people were very enthusiastic about participating in Johnson's wedding procession.

Should we disperse them?

Lydia looked at Zhuang Sen, who was riding alongside her, and he shook his head. "There's no need. Besides, we can't just drive the prince away, can we? How can we elevate Sister Serafina by putting him down?"

Slightly behind Zhuang Sen, Serafina, who was confronting Gloria, twitched her ears, then continued to stare coldly at Gloria. Red dragon guards surrounded her, and their new runic equipment made the originally very elite heavy scale armor of Prince Gloria's Titan Guards look dull and lifeless. Prince Gloria, who had also heard Zhuang Sen's "whispering," felt a surge of anger, but he couldn't vent it. In the end, he could only pull away from Serafina with a dark face and go to the other side of the road.

Then he realized that this made it seem as if he and Serafina were guarding Johnson on either side, which made his face even darker, as if he had transformed from an Earth Titan into a Dark Titan. This also caused many of the nobles following behind to quietly distance themselves from him, lest they be unfortunate enough to incur his wrath.

And so, they traveled leisurely along the way.

……

A week later, in early February, Johnson arrived at Millais, the capital of the Millais County.

This is a city built against the mountain, which looks very majestic from a distance. However, once you get closer, the magnificent feeling is replaced by dirt and disorder when you see the messy houses built around the city wall at the foot of the mountain. This is especially true when compared with the city wall, which has been deliberately repaired and decorated and adorned with sacred white silk.

As the procession approached the city gate, Zhuang Sen's expression turned grim. It wasn't that he saw anything horrific, but rather that he saw nothing at all. There were no beggars, no poor people, not even farmers entering the city. In front of the empty city gate, only two guards dressed in fine plate armor stood ramrod straight, strutting about like roosters.

There are no poor people to be seen at the entrance of the slum, just like there is no trash in the trash can. Unless it is specially arranged, it is difficult for this to happen. And the way Count Millais dispersed the poor people, Zhuang Sen did not think it would be gentle and polite.

"Darling," Lydia leaned closer to Johnson, her voice low, "Should we make a move?"

"No rush, this fool is just cannon fodder. If we're going to make a move, we'll break his master's hand too." Zhuang Sen composed himself. "But you, have you decided who will be this Earl Millai?"

Seeing that Zhuang Sen's mood had improved, Lydia was relieved: "I think Lady Liya is better, that way you can also grant Lilith the Farau territory at the same time, dear."

As the two chatted, the group passed through the city gate and entered the city. They saw the clean and tidy streets, the solemn and dignified nuns of the Church of the Furies, the long street banquet that was not much different from the previous ones, and the somewhat bloated Earl Millais.

“My lord!” Earl Milai approached Zhuang Sen with great enthusiasm and said loudly, “Welcome to Milai City! As per your request, the city has made all the necessary preparations and is ready to hold a sacred wedding for you and Viscount Dantalian at any time!”

As Count Millais shouted, Zhuang Sen felt the gazes emanating from the rooms lining the road, filled with hostility, resentment, and sorrow. Clearly, Count Millais was deliberately inciting his subjects against Zhuang Sen, this extravagant, ambitious, and wasteful prince. It must be said, this tactic was indeed effective, especially against Zhuang Sen, who had consistently promoted policies beneficial to the common people. Normally, this situation would have undoubtedly inflicted a psychological blow on Zhuang Sen, but unfortunately, he had anticipated it, and he was not the saint these nobles imagined, so he remained calm.

"It does look good. So, did you also do what I asked you to arrange—give each citizen twenty-six gold coins to celebrate my wedding?"

Zhuang Sen spoke in a louder voice than Earl Millais, and also used the [Sacred Hymn] ability, which could increase "persuasiveness." In an instant, he felt that the original malicious gazes had faded a lot, and many gazes had even shifted away. As for where they shifted to... it was hard to guess.

Count Millais's smile stiffened. Just as Zhuang Sen could feel those gazes, the three-time awakened [Steel-Spiked Porcupine] could also sense the shifting gazes. It couldn't help but curse these ungrateful commoners, who had been turned against them by a mere outsider's words! And with a lie at that!

Zhuang Sen watched Earl Milai's amused smile. Although he couldn't read minds, he could roughly guess Earl Milai's thoughts from his resume, and felt even more pity for his intellect. Commoners are easy to fool, but not easy to fool either. Given the shady things Earl Milai usually does in his territory, how much could his subjects possibly trust him? The fact that they believed his previous attempts to shift blame was already a testament to their loathing of the nobility!

That's ridiculous!

Chapter 272: The Sanctuary and the Patriarch

Count Millais's attempt to steal a chicken backfired spectacularly. Not only did Zhuang Sen want to laugh, but the other nobles who heard it also wanted to laugh. After all, everyone knew each other; Count Millais's blatant actions were obvious to everyone except a complete fool. The only one who couldn't laugh, like Count Millais, was Prince Gloria. He hadn't expected Count Millais to make such a fool of himself... Feeling the mocking gaze from Serafina in the distance, Prince Gloria blushed slightly.

However, at this point, he certainly couldn't abandon the plan. He could only comfort himself with the excuse that Earl Milley was just cannon fodder anyway, and the more ridiculous the performance, the easier it would be for Zhuang Sen and the others to lower their guard. Then he rode away first to find his own lodging. Most of the nobles also slowly dispersed, but some nobles still followed Zhuang Sen, not to curry favor with him, but to watch the show. This was because Zhuang Sen was still urging Earl Milley forward, and along the way he kept loudly announcing the distribution of gold coins, which quickly soaked Earl Milley's new clothes with sweat.

Only when Zhuang Sen arrived at his destination—the Sanctuary of Vengeance—did he finally feel relieved and take his leave. Although he had just said that the wedding could be held at any time, it was clearly impossible to hold a wedding immediately upon arrival; even if he was in a hurry, he needed to rest well for a night. Zhuang Sen didn't bother with him any longer, and after letting him leave, he looked up and admired the magnificent building before him.

The Sanctuary of Vengeance is the second largest temple of the Church of Vengeance in the Fallen Star Kingdom, second only to the Temple of Vengeance in the capital. It's also the reason Dantalian chose to marry here; she still maintains her faith in the Goddess of Vengeance, even though, according to information from the ancient monsters, the Goddess of Vengeance might have been just a monster girl in ancient times, perhaps not even as powerful as Holy Lamia. But her faith has never been in any specific person, but rather in the doctrines and good deeds of the Goddess of Vengeance, which naturally won't change because of her status.

"go in."

Zhuang Sen took Dantalian's hand, looking up at her. Even though he was 1.85 meters tall due to his [Holy Gun Angel] bloodline, he could only barely touch Dantalian's chest and abdomen, still quite small. Dantalian easily wrapped her hand around Zhuang Sen's small hand, revealing a serene smile. Her warm eyes were filled with tenderness as she looked at Zhuang Sen, nodding slightly: "Let's go, darling." At this moment, Dantalian finally understood Celine's feelings. A wedding is not just a ceremony, but also an exchange of vows with a lover, a dreamy date. Even though she and Zhuang Sen had tried so much, she couldn't help but feel her heart racing now, and this was not even the official start of the wedding.

Zhuang Sen took Dantalian's hand, and the two walked into the sanctuary arm in arm. Led by a local nun who had been silently following them, they easily met the local bishop and priests and were given a guest room according to the proper procedures. This time, Zhuang Sen and Dantalian were holding a wedding according to the rules of the Church of Vengeance. According to the procedure, the bride would pray for the goddess's blessing in the temple all night, and then dress and groom herself in the early morning. The groom would then pass the test set by the Church of Vengeance the next day and enter the temple to complete the marriage. Finally, the bride and groom would leave together to complete the wedding.

As the now renowned "Saintess of the Church of Vengeance," Dantalian would naturally choose this traditional wedding style, and Zhuang Sen didn't mind. Even setting aside his relationship with Dantalian, from a purely pragmatic perspective, using a wedding to strengthen ties with the Church of Vengeance, which had always helped him, was definitely a worthwhile endeavor. However, the thought of not seeing Dantalian for several hours made Zhuang Sen somewhat reluctant to part with her. So, despite it being early, he and his wives lingered at the Church of Vengeance until the local bishop politely asked them to leave.

After Zhuang Sen left, Dantalian changed out of the revealing clothes she had worn while frolicking with him, donning a simple, loose-fitting black nun's robe. She knelt before the altar of the Furies in the bridal chamber, silently praying for Zhuang Sen and for the wedding the next day. In the room two doors down, the local bishop of the Church of Fury, who had previously generously granted Zhuang Sen and Dantalian's requests, now wore an angry expression, gritting his teeth as he said, "What a depraved and vile vengeful saint! Not only does she flirt with lustful men, but she also disregards the doctrine, intending to maintain control of the church after her marriage!"

The other nuns and priestesses in the room nodded in agreement, their faces full of indignation. As conservatives, they detested any behavior that violated church rules. Especially since they were backed by the Church of Vengeance and hadn't been greatly affected by the Church's previous decline, but rather enjoyed many benefits after Zhuang Sen's rise, they were even more arrogant and extreme. As for whether they were jealous of Dantalian's reputation as the "Saintess of Vengeance," or of her husband, the Count—no, the Prince—that was a question only they could answer.

Amidst the fervor of the crowd, a woman sitting opposite the local nuns laughed and said, "I told you long ago that Rosa and her disciples had become heretics, but you didn't believe me. Now you know, don't you?"

The woman was beautiful, with flawless skin and long, black and white hair that was both strange and uniquely beautiful. However, when she spoke, her voice was hoarse and aged, like that of an old woman. The local nuns, though they had heard her voice before, were still somewhat unaccustomed to the Patriarch's demeanor. Indeed, the woman appearing in this Sanctuary of Vengeance was none other than Yelena Pepp, the Patriarch of the Church of Vengeance, who should have been at the headquarters of the Church of Vengeance in the capital, ruling over the entire Fallen Star Kingdom.

She sneaked here not because she was bored, but to target Dantalian!

However, it was during a conversation with her fellow believers in Leon that Dantalian "revealed" her control over the church. She had already developed a habit of managing the Church of Vengeance in Leon, and besides, she had long since let go of the influence of this doctrine, so she hadn't bothered to hide it. Therefore, the revelation infuriated the conservative bishop of the area. But even if Dantalian had known beforehand, she wouldn't have cared. She was already at her fourth awakening, and the fifth was probably just around the corner. What did she have to worry about?

She'd rather think about how to guard against those sluts trying to steal her man tomorrow night! She's not Celine, who can't last one night with Zhuang Sen. It's her precious wedding night, so of course she wants to cherish it with Zhuang Sen. Even her sisters can't disturb them... As for Count Millais's plan? Hopefully, they'll launch it soon and come to their deaths.

And so, a calm but turbulent night passed.

As dawn broke, Zhuang Sen, who hadn't slept all night, finished washing up, changed into a dashing red and white suit, and arrived at the gate of the Vengeance Sanctuary.

Chapter 273: Religious Fanaticism

The night passed, and the accompanying secret agents brought back new intelligence, fully explaining Count Millais's actions—simply put, he was using a chicken feather as a component and amplifying it infinitely.

Zhuang Sen and Dantalian's only request was a normal wedding in the style of the Church of Vengeance. However, Count Millais used this as a pretext to impose a royal wedding tax, drive away surrounding citizens and seize their residences and shops, clear out the poor from the slums and forcibly enslave them, and even demand that nuns from the Church of Vengeance serve them. It was only yesterday that Zhuang Sen managed to shut Count Millais up, otherwise the nuns who came to greet them would have been sent to Zhuang Sen by Count Millais, and in Zhuang Sen's name no less.

"We have no choice but to kill them."

Zhuang Sen thought to himself that he had originally wanted to wait a little longer, but now it seemed that Earl Millais was really in a hurry to die, so he had no choice but to grant his wish.

……

As the sun fully rose, Zhuang Sen, dressed in his finest attire, appeared before the Temple of Vengeance. The wide road was lined with cheering crowds, but a closer look revealed that they weren't as happy as they appeared. Unlike Zhuang Sen and Celine, who had thrown a lavish banquet in Starry Night City, where the commoners were genuinely delighted to have received a free meal, Count Millais had forced them to come.

Facing Zhuang Sen was a full-scale display of local vengeful female warriors and nuns, along with bishops and priests of the bloodline, forming a three-tiered formation. The first tier consisted of the female warriors, clad in armor and helmets, arranged in two closely spaced columns like steel walls, through which the groom had to pass. The second tier was composed of nuns, all now uniformly dressed, their figures concealed by wide robes and faces veiled in black; the groom had to find the true guide among them. The third tier, naturally, consisted of bishops and priests. This three-person formation seemed somewhat weak, but it was precisely the most challenging test, as the groom had to "defeat" them.

This is the process of a Vengeance Church-style wedding. Like the traditional weddings of the Fallen Star Kingdom, it also has a legendary origin. It is said that the first believer of the Vengeance Church, a prophet, gained the favor of the goddess through courage and wisdom after suffering unjust persecution, thus completing his vengeance. Of course, under normal circumstances, the difficulty of these trials is moderate. It's impossible for an ordinary person to actually fight a group of elite armored warriors, discern the disguise of a well-trained nun, and defeat the bloodline holder; otherwise, the wedding would be impossible.

Soon, as the ceremonial invocation concluded, Zhuang Sen strode confidently into the midst of the vengeful female warriors. His towering figure was immediately blocked by their armor, and increasing pressure emanated from both sides. Clearly, the female warriors had no intention of holding back; in fact, they were exerting every ounce of their strength. Unfortunately, they were ultimately just ordinary people. Even in their armor, they couldn't budge the elegantly dressed Zhuang Sen. Instead, he strolled past them with ease, without even wrinkling his clothes.

Hundreds of tall, strong, and fully armed soldiers were jostled and scattered by a single man. This visually striking scene finally elicited the first heartfelt cheer from the onlookers. However, only ordinary people were surprised; those with bloodlines found it quite normal. Even Count Millais didn't think much of it, though he still loudly praised it, albeit in an extreme way that made people uncomfortable.

Zhuang Sen then looked at the nuns. After he passed the female warriors, the nuns began to regularly change positions, even covering each other's faces. Although these actions didn't escape Zhuang Sen's notice, he didn't see any clues or hints that should have appeared. Normally, the true guides would have some differences from the others, such as the pattern of their clothing or deviations in their posture. To put it bluntly, this level was essentially a game of spotting the difference, but clearly, this time they didn't want to find any.

It didn't matter; according to the rules, the true guide should carry a dagger, so all he needed to do was find it. Zhuang Sen's steps quickened, his previously unhurried pace suddenly accelerating. In the blink of an eye, he had touched all the nuns, finally stopping in front of one of them. He tapped the dagger hidden beneath her black robe with his finger: "Please, nun."

The nun's face, hidden beneath her black veil, was a mixture of shame and anger, but she had no way to defend herself. She turned and led Zhuang Sen to the final test. Zhuang Sen followed, approaching the local bishop, nodding politely, then grabbing the Holy Lance with his right hand. The local bishop and priests, who were about to make a move, froze, then reluctantly stepped aside under Zhuang Sen's increasingly indifferent gaze.

If we don't allow it, we'll die.

Zhuang Sen had no interest in putting on a show of sentimentality with people who were clearly targeting him. Even if it was Count Millais's instigation, bishops and priests weren't commoners to be bullied by nobles. Besides, Zhuang Sen had openly attacked Count Millais yesterday. These actions could only be their own doing; he didn't know why, but that wasn't important. Since they were disobedient, he'd let the obedient ones manage them. It wasn't far anyway; having Bishop Rosa or Priestess Loris in charge of the sanctuary wouldn't be bad.

Zhuang Sen swaggered into the main hall of the sanctuary. Dantalian had already changed into her wedding dress with the help of Lady Liya and the others. A pure white silk robe enveloped the tall, voluptuous nun, its fitted silhouette highlighting Dantalian's powerful and alluring figure. A white veil veiled her holy and mature face, the partial concealment only enhancing her irresistible charm. Her hands, encased in white lace gloves, rested gracefully on her lower abdomen, standing upright. Though not a single inch of skin was exposed, she possessed an unparalleled holy allure.

Johnson sheathed his holy lance, strode to Dantalian's side, took her hands, smiled at her, and turned to the solemnly standing goddess statue. The local bishop, who had arrived late, looked serious and unsmiling, his anger burning within him. The sight of Dantalian and Johnson so deeply in love, their eyes only for each other, greatly displeased the extremely conservative bishop who believed the goddess was above all else.

Then she spoke, "Dantrian, are you willing to relinquish your power and responsibilities as a servant of the goddess, and marry Johnson Leon as an ordinary man? From this day forward, through poverty and wealth..."

As soon as she said that, Zhuang Sen understood why he was being targeted. But where did this bishop get the audacity and confidence to break the pre-arranged agreement? Putting aside previous contacts, why didn't she refuse when Dantalian asked her for help before? Why did she have to betray him at this time?

It seems they really caught that big fish.

Chapter 274: The Big Fish Takes the Bait

The grand conspiracy between Prince Gloria and Earl Millais only mentioned "exaggerating" and "over-executing" the plot to damage Johnson's reputation and incite a rebellion in the territory. However, Johnson didn't believe Gloria's intentions were limited to that. Given this premise, combined with the information that Earl Millais's territory would be hosting the wedding of Dantalian, and that Gloria was cooperating with the current patriarch of the Church of the Nemesis, it's easy to deduce their true purpose: to use Yelena, the current patriarch of the Church of the Nemesis, to dismantle Johnson's control over the religious sphere, which he had achieved through Dantalian.

This was actually what Johnson wanted. Before, when he only had Leon's territory, the Church of the Nemesis only benefited from Bishop Rosa's support. But now that Johnson's territory had expanded, he couldn't expect the churches in the newly acquired territories to be as obedient, especially given that the current Patriarch, Yelena, was constantly opposing him. The best solution was naturally to eliminate Yelena, but Johnson couldn't simply take Dantalian to the capital to kill her. Therefore, he chose to use a ruse, letting Yelena come out and die on her own.

It seems that the other side has really taken the bait.

Zhuang Sen thought about many things, but only for a moment. To outsiders, he only paused for a moment after Bishop Meryl's very pointed remarks. Then Dantalian spoke up: "Knowing in advance that it would conflict with the doctrine, you agreed to it, but then you broke your promise in the sacred ceremony and became someone else's weapon. Is this how the Church of Vengeance understands the doctrine, Ms. Meryl?"

Bishop Melie's eyes flickered, but quickly hardened. She was upholding the doctrine; this was a necessary step in eliminating heresy: "Dan—"

“Enough,” Dantalian interrupted Bishop Meryl. “If you want my answer, then listen carefully. I will continue to fulfill my duties and authority within the true Church of the Furies. If you cannot accept this, you may leave Prince John’s Domain. Now, bow to your mistress, Meryl.”

Meryl froze on the spot. She hadn't expected Dantalian to answer like that. This was practically splitting the Church of Nemesis, separating the Church of Nemesis within Prince Johnson's territory from the rest of the Church of Nemesis! How could she do this!