Chapter 1116: Chapter 82: Departing from the Holy See
Hearing Xuan Ye’s cold voice, Ah Dai felt a chill in his heart, but he still mustered the courage to ask, "Xuan Ye... Priest, I want to ask, is Yue Yue still doing well?"
Xuan Ye frowned and suddenly turned around, his eyes shooting out a sharp light. Under his imposing gaze, Ah Dai couldn’t help but lower his head. Xuan Ye said somewhat loathingly, "My daughter is fine, she doesn’t need your concern. Ah Dai, remember, my daughter is different from you, she is now devoutly practicing Holy Magic, and I don’t want her to be disturbed. After your wound has healed, please leave the church as soon as possible. Rest assured, the five-year pact set by the Sword Saint of the Tian Gang has not been forgotten. When the time comes, if you can truly defeat me, then we will talk." With that, he walked away without looking back.
Ah Dai fell into a coldness within, his body trembling slightly. He knew that Yue Yue was within the church, perhaps, only a few rooms away from himself, but Xuan Ye’s words had completely sealed his heart. Xuan Ye had made it very clear that he and Yue Yue were simply not of the same kind, Yue Yue was the daughter of a Red Robe Priest of the church. But what about himself? What did he count as? He thought sullenly, his heart aching intermittently, as scenes of his time with Yue Yue flashed incessantly in his mind. Yue Yue, I really miss you so much, I really want to find you! But can I really go to you? I can’t! We are from two different worlds, we are not suited for each other. Ah Dai painfully clutched the edge of the bed, unable to let go for a long time.
The next morning, Xuan Ye brought Ah Dai and the others back to the Prayer Temple, where the Pope and Chief Judge Xuan Yuan were waiting for them.
Upon seeing Ah Dai and the others, the Pope immediately showed a warm smile, "After resting for a night, you’re indeed looking much better. Ah Dai, today, I called for you mainly for two reasons, and I hope you will carefully consider them. First, I would like to hear your views on whether you would be willing to join the church. Although you don’t practice the church’s methods, I appreciate you and hope you can join our faction of light. Within the church, you’ll get better opportunities to practice."
The five were taken aback at the same time, with Zhuo Yun immediately saying, "Sorry, Your Holiness, we from the Elf Clan will not join any organization, only the Elf Forest is most suitable for us." In her heart, the church had no status at all. When she and her clan were suffering, where were these self-proclaimed closest to the gods? Even if there truly were gods, they had nothing to do with their Elf Clan. Now, she just wanted to escort Princess Xing Er back to the Elf Clan as soon as possible.
The Pope nodded and looked at Ah Dai and the Yan brothers, asking, "And you?"
Ah Dai’s heart was struggling. Xuan Ye’s words from yesterday had hurt him greatly, filling his heart with inferiority. Now hearing the Pope willing to let him join the church, his heart was stirred. Once he became a member of the church, his status would undoubtedly change, and he would likely have the opportunity to be with Xuan Yue. The thought of seeing Yue Yue again warmed his heart. However, he knew clearly that he was a member of the Tian Gang Sword Sect, how could he join the church? Everything he experienced in the Empire of Sunset City was still fresh in his memory; if not for the shelter of the church, how would the Dark Forces of the Sunset Empire dare to be so rampant? He raised his head, glanced at the expressionless Xuan Ye, shook his head, and said, "Sorry, Your Holiness, I cannot join the church. The Bloodline of the Elf King in Princess Xing Er has become very weak, we must hurry and return her to the Elf Forest. Our visit this time is also to bid you farewell, and again, thank you for the previous act of saving our lives."
The Pope looked at Ah Dai’s dejected expression and frowned slightly, sighing, "Everyone has their own aspirations; I won’t force you, but I just hope that you can become a friend of the church."
Before Ah Dai could answer, Yan Li interjected, "As long as your church doesn’t protect those bastards from the Dark Forces, how could we ever become your enemies?"
Yan Shi pulled his brother aside and apologized to the Pope, "Sorry, Your Holiness, my brother is too impulsive. Please forgive him." Let alone that this place belonged to the church’s domain, just the presence of these three dignitaries from the continent in the Prayer Temple was more than they could contend with. The church’s ambiguous stance towards the various powers on the continent made Yan Shi wary.
Chief Judge Xuan Yuan heard Yan Li’s words, a faint smile appeared in his eyes. Seeing his elder brother lose face was always the most exciting thing for him. Moreover, he also deeply loathed those scum of the Sunset Empire.
The Pope did not get angry at Yan Li’s words but simply sighed, "On this issue, the church indeed made mistakes. The ancestors of the Sunset Empire have deep ties with the church, so naturally, we have to take care of them somewhat. However, they really have been too outrageous in the past few years; I will deal with it. So you too are unwilling to join the church?"
Yan Shi replied with neither servility nor overbearance, "Yes, our brothers are from the Pu Yan clan. Perhaps others don’t know the history of the Pu Yan clan, but I think you are aware, aren’t you?"
A glint of surprise flashed in the Pope’s eyes, and Xuan Yuan’s expression also turned grave. The history of the Pu Yan clan was very mysterious, and it was only after hearing from Xuan Yue that the Pope found records about them in the ancient texts of the church. He was deeply aware that the suffering the Pu Yan clan endured over a thousand years could not be alleviated with just a few words, his voice tinged with apology, the Pope said, "I am aware of the Pu Yan clan’s situation, but the circumstances back then were very delicate, and it was not easy to eradicate the evil forces. God Feather His Majesty feared complications, so the Pu Yan clan had to suffer injustice."
