Zhou quickly returned to the camp of Poison Snake.
The camp location he had selected lay at the edge of the urban area in the western district of Qiufeng City—
Here it would not be monitored too heavily by the Moon Church or the Federation authorities, and it also facilitated the actions of Poison Snake without bringing him too many obstacles.
Everyone in the gang recognized Zhou.
That full-body black robe was extremely conspicuous no matter where it appeared.
Therefore, the moment Zhou entered the camp he received a tremendous welcome.
“Lord Zhou! Did the operation go smoothly!”
“Lord Zhou, where are we going to operate next…”
The underlings could be said to be extremely flattering toward him, yet the black-robed man also took pleasure in it.
Compared to the atmosphere within the Orthodox Church where everyone scrambled to be first, a small gang he had single-handedly established could better bring Zhou emotional satisfaction.
He thought about today’s situation and pondered how he ought to deal with Luo Xiaoyu.
For the time being he still did not know the other party’s relationship with the Life Tree, so he would first have the small fry inside Poison Snake go probe the truth.
If there was no one behind the other party, then he would think of ways to eliminate the threat.
Zhou therefore said in a hoarse voice to the crowd:
“Gather everyone together. I have something to say.”
Before long the camp was full of people.
Aside from a small number of Poison Snake members patrolling around the camp and some who were out, the rest had all gathered together prepared to listen to Zhou’s instructions.
Most of the members below wore extremely tattered clothes, yet their eyes contained bright, gleaming reverence as idle personnel.
This was only natural.
Qiufeng City was not a particularly developed region, and the local Federation authorities also did not care much about this land that possessed little development value.
They at most put forth effort to ensure that no one would starve to death.
The rest could only be left to fate.
It was under such circumstances that a large group of people could directly see the school conditions in which the children of the powerful and wealthy lived.
This undoubtedly intensified the buried contradictions, and thus gave Zhou excellent conditions for fostering a gang like “Poison Snake.”
Yet if one asked why similar situations had not occurred in the past, the reason was probably that no Transcendent had been willing to incite this motley crowd.
“How has everyone been living in the gang recently?”
Zhou smiled, and although that laughter was extremely unpleasant, not a single person present displayed any unusual emotion.
“We’re living very well! Boss!”
“Yes, yes…”
Following the black-robed man’s inquiry, someone below first responded with a half-sighing tone, and then successive voices of gratitude rose one after another at the scene.
This was natural.
The black-robed man had in fact only casually used a bit of a Transcendent’s privileges to obtain a sufficient amount of relatively decent-looking food.
Yet relying solely on this point was already enough to win people’s hearts in the western district.
“Right now I have encountered a small bit of trouble. Those who are willing to help handle it can come find me later.
In a while someone will bring grain in. Old Five, remember to go take it.”
After speaking, Zhou dissolved the meeting amid the cheers of the crowd.
When the people of Poison Snake had dispersed, the two candidates Zhou had predetermined in his heart indeed stepped forward.
One was the Fat Man.
The other was the second-in-command of Poison Snake, the Transcendent Li Jie whom Zhou had personally cultivated.
Zhou would not ordinarily say words like “those who are willing, come” inside the gang.
If he used similar phrasing, then this matter was most likely rather dangerous.
It belonged to the kind of thing that, without sufficient rewards, people were usually unwilling to risk themselves for.
Before leaving the Poison Snake camp the black-robed man had said he was going to check on the situation of the Thin Man and the convenience store boy.
These words had in fact been spoken for the Fat Man and Li Jie to hear.
The Thin Man, the Fat Man, and Li Jie had a deep friendship among the three of them.
Seeing that the Thin Man had not returned with him, the Fat Man opened his mouth somewhat suspiciously and cautiously.
“Lord, the Thin Man he…”
“Ai, he met with an unexpected misfortune during the mission.”
Hearing this slightly regretful sigh, the Fat Man’s expression changed for a moment, then he hid the emotions in his heart once more.
He, the Thin Man, and Li Jie had mixed together since childhood.
Even though they would bicker on ordinary days, their feelings could still be regarded as quite good.
The other party leaving so suddenly still gave the Fat Man a shock.
“His matter is related to the small trouble I mentioned.”
“While carrying out the mission the Thin Man encountered a Transcendent of unknown identity and was eliminated by the other party.
When I arrived at the scene the other party was already gone, yet I roughly know what the other party’s identity is.”
After explaining the course of events, the black-robed man saw that the timing was right and continued:
“Fat Man, Li Jie, are you willing to lend me a hand?
Help me go probe the other party’s truth. I intend to take action to avenge the Thin Man.”
“As you command.”
The Li Jie whose eyes were sinister remained silent for a while before finally responding.
He was a Transcendent cultivated by Zhou.
Although he was only Sequence Seven and still in the early stage, both emotionally and rationally he ought to listen to the boss’s words.
The black-robed man received a satisfactory answer and laughed a few times with his withered throat.
“Lord… Lord!”
Just at this moment, an underling who should have been on patrol hurried over in a flustered manner and arrived in front of Zhou.
“There’s someone from the Moon Church outside. She says that if we don’t let her in, she’ll force her way in!”
……
The pink-haired nun silently stood still at the camp entrance.
The underlings on guard did not dare act rashly.
Relying solely on her outward appearance and the composed aura the other party radiated, they already lost the courage to step forward.
Yuan Dong looked around this camp and wordlessly let out a soft sigh.
“May the warmth and love of the Lord shine upon the people of the world—”
After praying for a while, the little loli calculated the time in her heart.
The time limit she had set was almost up.
If there was still no movement later, she would have to personally go in and investigate.
She did not particularly like staying in this kind of chaotic place, especially under the premise that that “Zhou” was using lies to deceive and drive these innocent, pitiful people.
If possible, Yuan Dong would have been willing to distribute grain to them and properly teach them principles of conducting oneself in society.
Yet Zhou had remained inactive in this area of the western district for a long time, while the Moon Church’s stronghold here had for a long time lacked higher-level clergy to provide guidance.
If not for her arrival due to affairs, who knew how long this invisible bomb would have remained buried.
She had come here to use the most direct method to warn the other party not to overstep boundaries.
Right now Yuan Dong temporarily had no energy to handle this matter.
Delaying time first was more steady.
Troublesome Orthodox Church believer…
Perhaps because the pressure was too great, the underling on guard somehow picked up the weapon in his hand and swung it toward Yuan Dong.
Yet in only an instant the pink-haired loli disappeared from his eyes.
When the guard blankly observed the surroundings, he finally saw that a sphere of light had condensed in Yuan Dong’s hand and was pressed straight against his head.
There was no need to say it—it was a Transcendent.
Moreover, although this ball of light appeared calm, it gave one an extremely intense sense of crisis.
It was as though one were witnessing a bomb whose fuse had already been lit yet one was completely powerless to do anything about it.
“Enough, honored one of the Moon Church.”
An affected voice like that of an old monster rang out.
Yuan Dong withdrew her hand, and that ball of light dissipated and vanished.
“For what purpose have you come today?”
Zhou looked at the little loli before his eyes with some surprise.
He would not look down on a person simply because the other party’s figure was small and young.
The method of determining age and experience through outward appearance was completely useless in the world of extraordinary power.
He had already experienced this sort of thing when he first joined the Orthodox Church.
Judging from those two moves just now, the nun before his eyes was not someone he could casually handle.
Yet when had such a figure arrived at the Moon Church stronghold in the western district of Qiufeng City?
“Zhou of the Orthodox Church, listen carefully.”
“This place is at the very least territory under the jurisdiction of the Moon Church.
This point is also recognized by the authorities of Qiufeng City.
Even though you have not committed any boundary-crossing actions since coming here, I still must remind you.”
“If anything that goes against the will of the ‘Lord’ occurs, the Moon Church will not easily let Poison Snake off.”
“Understood, understood.”
The black-robed man responded with a smile, and within that unpleasant laughter was concealed an indescribable emotion.
“Please rest assured.”
Seeing this, Yuan Dong no longer entangled further.
She still had matters to investigate and could not waste too much time here.
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