Chapter 360: Artificial Holy Infant |
Turadin never dreamed these people could be this bold—barging straight into the Head of Church's office.
'I can come in because he's my father. What's your excuse?'
'Is he your father too?'
But now wasn't the time for such concerns. Compared to finding no expecting citizens, what terrified him more was these followers of the new god [Corruption] being discovered by church personnel and subjected to brutal interrogation.
They were the hope for spreading the new faith—they couldn't fall here!
So Turadin hurried forward, pulled Cheng Shi into the room, and ducked behind a massive bookcase, drawing the nearby curtain closed.
This created a narrow space behind the curtain, concealing them both.
Watching these practiced maneuvers, Cheng Shi smiled.
"You're still smiling? You're insanely reckless. Do you know what happened to the last person who broke into the Head of Church's office?"
Cheng Shi, seeing his state, showed zero panic. Still wearing his light smile, he asked with raised eyebrows: "What happened?"
"What happened?"
"Stripped of reproductive rights, then skinned alive and lacquered with gold paint!"
"You don't want to know how they treat blasphemers. And you, my friend—trespassing into the church compound is already a crime of blasphemy!"
Turadin's expression during the punishment description carried genuine fear, but he quickly shook it off:
"Never mind that. We have a big problem. Where did your information about the Holy Infant's imminent birth come from?"
"From me."
Turadin blanked, then snapped irritably:
"I know it came from you. Stop wasting time with word games. I mean—where's the original source of your intelligence?"
"Was it a divine oracle He delivered?"
"Or some form of divination?"
"When did you receive this information? Most importantly—is it verified?"
Cheng Shi's expression was strange. He pointed at himself and said with perfect composure:
"I'm not playing word games. The source of the information is me."
"He delivered no oracle. We performed no prophecy regarding the Holy Infant. The source is me—I personally stated the Holy Infant's imminent birth."
"..." Turadin was dumbfounded. Infinite confusion rose in his eyes. "What? You just said it? If there's no divination, no prophecy, no oracle—doesn't that mean the Holy Infant's birth is something you made up?"
"You tricked me?!"
"What are you really after?"
"Why would you use secrets of a new god and this beautiful ideology to deceive me?!"
Turadin was crying. Cursing and crying simultaneously.
This same "smart person" who'd been scorning fanatical faith just that afternoon had, by evening, become a devout [Corruption] follower—now weeping over a fake Holy Infant.
His reverence for [Corruption]'s ideology was clearly genuine, as was his desire for its true arrival.
But such a stark contrast still left Cheng Shi feeling a pang of emotion.
'A life of [Birth] about to descend into [Corruption]. Hard to say whose fault that is.'
'But whoever's fault it is, it's definitely not mine...'
Cheng Shi sighed internally. All he needed was a tool—someone who could make a Holy Infant appear and ensure the entire church knew about it. Turadin fit perfectly. That's why he'd come.
Watching Turadin sob furiously, Cheng Shi gradually dropped his smile. His face turned serious:
"What constitutes deception?"
Turadin wiped his tears, aggrieved beyond words: "The Holy Infant's birth is fake—fabricated out of thin air! How is that not deception?!"
"Who said the Holy Infant's birth is fake?"
"?" Turadin's eyes were practically shooting fire. He grabbed Cheng Shi's collar, snarling: "You said it yourself! You said there was no oracle, no divination, no prophecy! You fabricated the whole thing out of nothing! How much more are you going to toy with me?!"
Cheng Shi didn't resist. With a calm, cold smile, he answered:
"Yes, I said it. But why does something I said have to be fake?"
"???"
Turadin froze. He sensed Cheng Shi's words held deeper meaning. Brow furrowed, he locked eyes with Cheng Shi, trying to decipher what this self-proclaimed [Corruption] follower was really saying.
Cheng Shi snorted softly and continued:
"Let me ask you a question. Why do we need a Holy Infant?"
"Why?"
"Naturally—to spread the new god's name under the Holy Infant's banner! To fill every corner of the world with His will and radiance! To save these people whose minds have been corroded by [Birth]'s ideology!"
"Those were your words!"
Turadin answered through gnashing teeth. Cheng Shi nodded approvingly:
"Correct. That's exactly right. Now, second question:"
"What does the Holy Infant look like?"
Turadin paused, then grew more furious: "The Holy Infant is fake—who knows what He looks like? Even if He were real, He hasn't been born yet, so how could anyone—"
Mid-sentence, Turadin choked on his own words. He seemed to suddenly grasp Cheng Shi's meaning. His eyes went wide with disbelief as he stammered:
"You... you... you want to fabricate one?!"
"You want to fabricate a Holy Infant?!"
"Smart!" Cheng Shi flicked Turadin's trembling hand off his collar and straightened his clothing. "But wrong word choice. It's not fabrication—it's creation. Spreading a new god's will requires a symbol. We lack that symbol. So we're going to craft one ourselves."
Turadin's mind was roaring. He stared at Cheng Shi in shock, barely able to form words:
"You... this is blasphemy!"
"Blasphemy?" Cheng Shi shook his head with devout serenity. "No, no, no. You're wrong. This isn't blasphemy. This is following my own desires. And embracing desire is the greatest possible offering to Him!"
"So I'm not blaspheming against Him—I'm... making an offering to Him!"
BOOM—
Turadin's brain exploded.
His entire body trembled at this rebellious yet electrifying interpretation of [Corruption]'s will. Cheng Shi's words echoed in his skull as his lips moved uncontrollably, murmuring:
"Not blasphemy... but offering..."
"Embrace desire... embrace desire... craft a Holy Infant... carry His will to the world..."
"Cast off shackles... face your heart's desires..."
As he murmured, the chaos in Turadin's eyes cleared once more. A devout, resolute light glinted through as he solemnly hooked his index fingers together before his chest, proclaiming with ringing conviction:
"Cast off shackles! Face your heart's desires!"
"..."
'I should never have used that gesture here!'
But the mood had already been built to this crescendo. Cheng Shi couldn't very well slap his own face. So he reluctantly joined in with the full gesture.
'Way too weird. Two men doing this to each other. Way too weird...'
After the "prayer," Turadin wiped the tears and snot from his face and said with absolute seriousness:
"The Holy Infant must be born soon?"
'Oh? He's already got a plan?'
'I didn't even say anything and he's already extrapolating?'
Cheng Shi was pleasantly surprised. He nodded rapidly: "Yes. We have a full [Corruption] ideology promotion campaign ready. But the prerequisite is—a Holy Infant."
"Understood. I have a way. The church library's third floor still has the Uma Sinners' Descent Technique under seal. Once we get it, we can have the 'Holy Infant' born within days!"
'Descent Technique?'
Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow, thinking: 'As expected—the Theocracy of Growth knows something about the Uma Sinners.'
But that wasn't the key issue. Making someone give birth was simple. The real question was how to convince people this was [Corruption]'s Holy Infant. That was the reason he needed Turadin.
No one understood how to enrage [Birth] followers better than someone who despised [Birth]. No one understood the church's internal information networks better than the Head of Church's own son. If he could use Turadin's methods to establish the fabricated Holy Infant's identity—then rescue it—wouldn't that complete the trial?
And this was precisely Cheng Shi's solution for clearing the trial!
Since Dolgod didn't have a "life that shouldn't be born"—he'd just create one. When everyone believed a particular baby was [Corruption]'s Holy Infant, saving it would fulfill the trial's requirements.
As for whether Dolgod truly had such a life...
Maybe. But he hadn't found it.
'Whose fault is it for hiding so well...'
Cheng Shi smiled and listened carefully for any movement nearby, then pulled the curtain open.
No word yet from squinty-eyes. So securing the Descent Technique as a backup plan remained the priority. He pointed out the window:
"Then... lead the way?"
Turadin gave a firm nod: "Follow me!"
...
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