Chapter 397: Chapter 251: Heavenly Flowers Fall, Golden Lotuses Spring
Fang Zhen’s forceful hypnotism was indiscriminate, and as a result, Tahar, who was listening from the back, was left red-faced and agitated, scratching his head like a restless monkey.
Tahar felt that in Fang Zhen, he had found a guide for his very soul. His heart pounded with excitement as he listened, and he was on the verge of prostrating himself in total submission.
Tahar felt as if he had wasted the last several decades of his life. He now realized that life held so much more meaning and such bright prospects; it wasn’t just about living from one day to the next, mired in mediocrity over trivial, worldly affairs.
In Tahar’s mind, Fang Zhen wasn’t pointing toward simple benefits or tedious practical matters, but toward the very direction of life itself—a higher truth.
Having come to this realization, Tahar was completely in awe of Fang Zhen.
Matthew and Agatha were also listening with flushed faces—not from embarrassment, but from sheer excitement.
The two exchanged a glance, each seeing an expression of utter shock in the other’s eyes.
Both Matthew and Agatha were people of faith, so their willpower and Spiritual Power were considerably stronger than that of the other nobles.
Yet even so, Fang Zhen’s words still moved them, sending waves of emotion through their hearts. They even felt that if Fang Zhen were preaching a different religion right now, they would be in danger of converting.
Matthew and Agatha were just barely able to maintain their composure and recognize what was happening. But the sheer passion and infectious energy of Fang Zhen’s speech filled them with a sense of awe, as if they were gazing up at a towering mountain. It was so overwhelming that it even inspired a sliver of fear.
’If this were used to preach divine doctrine, to spread the faith... what an astonishing ability it would be!’
With this preaching ability alone, even without any Combat Power, Fang Zhen could at least secure the rank of Cardinal within the Tade Church.
Fang Zhen himself grew more and more energized as he spoke. He wasn’t naturally an extrovert, but when he got going, he could be remarkably eloquent.
He was now instilling in the nobles the principle that "the water that bears the boat is the same that swallows it up," and had begun to speak of being "the first to worry about the world’s troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures."
Of course, Fang Zhen used his own phrasing, and he omitted certain ideas that were unsuited to the situation in Zambein—for example, the question of whether kings and nobles are destined for their station by birth.
It was his favorite line from his studies, a truly earth-shattering question. Unfortunately, his current audience consisted of the very same "kings and nobles." Voicing such a thought to them would be far too subversive, so he decided to hold his tongue for now.
’Maybe I can share it with the Whig Society if I get a chance to visit the Curse Seal World in the future.’
The way he was preaching now truly made him look like the Sect Leader of some religion.
Of course, deep down, Fang Zhen remained perfectly calm.
’The reason this is so effective is that everyone listening has weaker Spiritual Power than I do.’
’This kind of sermon works on nobles, soldiers, and generals, but not on Mages.’
’High-level Spiritual Power is a dime a dozen among Mages.’
’So I have to choose my audience carefully. But this is more than enough for now.’
Fang Zhen preached nonstop, right up until nightfall.
The nobles were mesmerized, gesticulating wildly and falling into a near-frenzied state. Fang Zhen had stuffed their minds full of his ideas, along with his own personal agenda, all to ensure they would never betray him.
’Of course, ideological brainwashing alone isn’t enough. For the best results, I need a two-pronged approach that also involves their self-interest.’
By midnight, Fang Zhen felt he couldn’t go on any longer.
He had used source energy to protect his vocal cords, so his throat felt fine and he could have kept going for a while. The nobles below him, however, could not.
Some of the nobles, lost in a state of extreme fanaticism, had already collapsed from overexcitement and had to be carried away.
The scene was a bit like a Michael Jackson concert, with dozens of fans fainting from excitement and being carried out.
Fang Zhen thought for a moment. ’If I keep this up, I’m afraid I’ll excite the nobles to death—and I mean that in the most literal sense.’
For the sake of the nobles’ lives, Fang Zhen decided it was time to rein in his "divine powers."
"Today’s sermon is at an end. I shall preach to you all again tomorrow," Fang Zhen announced, concluding the day’s lecture.
When he turned around,
he saw that Tahar and the others’ eyes were bloodshot, yet their faces were filled with excitement.
Tahar stepped forward and immediately dropped to one knee before Fang Zhen. "My lord," he said with fervent passion, "under the gaze of the Tade God, I swear to you my lifelong loyalty! I will never harbor a disloyal thought, never act against your will, and will always uphold your honor. Please allow me to become your faithful servant."
With that, Tahar moved to kiss the tips of Fang Zhen’s feet.
Fang Zhen was taken aback.
’Damn, this preaching is way too powerful,’ he thought. ’Even without targeting Tahar directly, the ideological splash damage alone is this effective.’
Fang Zhen stroked his chin in thought, then said to Tahar, "Tomorrow, gather all officers of Knight rank and above from the Augustus Army and the former Balenzuo forces. I’m going to give them a lesson as well."
「The next day.」
Fang Zhen began his second round of sermons.
In addition to the session for the nobles, he also gathered all the noble officers of Knight rank and above from the army to listen to his lecture. This, too, lasted the entire day.
By the end of the day, the Knights were all red-faced. Some were weeping uncontrollably, some were shouting at the top of their lungs, and others were gesticulating wildly—every sort of reaction imaginable could be seen.
