Chapter 70: Fifty-Nine Truth
The power of God is limited.
This was something Ulu had never thought of, even considering these very words to be the highest form of desecration, even more so than Bai Wei’s arguments about the power of the Rhein God contaminating the minds of believers that he had made yesterday in the library, to the point that Ulu subconsciously wanted to deny it, “This is impossible…”
“Is it impossible, or are you unwilling to accept this reality?” Bai Wei said with a half-smile, “In fact, there is a very direct piece of evidence, which you, as a Priest, would know.”
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Ulu subconsciously asked, “What?”
“How many Knights were there at the beginning of Rhein’s establishment?”
This was basic common knowledge, and without hesitation, Ulu replied in his mind, “Ninety-seven thousand six hundred and eighty-two.”
...
“Indeed, you remember very well,” Bai Wei said indifferently, “And now?”
Ulu’s eyes beneath his mask widened bit by bit, and as he walked at the end of the line, he stopped, braced himself against the wall with his hand, and barely stopped his trembling body.
“It’s still… ninety-seven thousand six hundred eighty-two,” Ulu answered with difficulty, “No increase.”
“The standard for becoming a Rhein Knight is to be able to enter the lowest level of ‘Divine Blessing’ mode, to receive the power of the Rhein God, which is also Rhein’s most powerful armament,” Bai Wei said slowly, “But why, for centuries, has Rhein been unwilling to enlarge the scale of its Knights?”
Bai Wei paused but didn’t give Ulu much time to think about this issue, and continued.
“In stark contrast, the population under the dominion of Rhein has more than tenfold that of the time when Rhein was first established.”
After uttering those words, Bai Wei felt Ulu’s body tremble even more violently, his heart pounding as if it wanted to burst through his chest.
“God’s power is limited, so the scale of Rhein Knights cannot be expanded…” Ulu murmured, as if speaking to Bai Wei, and as if talking to himself, “But the population under the dominion keeps increasing, which means that Rhein’s control over its territory will get weaker and weaker, and this process is irreversible, so…”
Ulu couldn’t continue his words. He felt a knife pressed against his neck, that if he said that sentence out loud, the blade would instantly pierce his throat.
But Bai Wei had no such concern and said it for Ulu, “So, to ensure absolute control, those extra, uncontrollable people…”
He paused again like giving Ulu a moment to recover, as if preparing to enjoy the expression Ulu was about to reveal.
Ultimately, he still spoke slowly, with deliberate spacing between words.
“…should be eliminated.”
At those words, Ulu’s body shook once more, and despite bracing against the wall, Bai Wei’s statement nearly knocked him down.
But he quickly steadied himself, and then as if he thought of something, he yelled in his mind at Bai Wei, “No, no, that’s not it!”
Bai Wei didn’t speak, just quietly listened to Ulu’s words as if grasping at the last straw.
“You’re saying, because Rhein wants to control the population, it uses those black insects, right? You’re saying my mother was killed by those insects, aren’t you? But that’s impossible! These insects need to be recovered, and I’ve never seen Night Crow Knights outside of Somo City! And do you know how many people there are in the entire dominion of Rhein?!”
“Millions! Tens of millions!”
“With just these recycling-needed insects, you could kill so many people?”
Ulu seemed to have caught Bai Wei’s vulnerability, launching a frenzied counterattack.
“Visas! Perhaps you think you’re smart, or you think all your lies are seamless! But it’s not like that, it’s full of holes! You can’t deceive me, you can’t fool me!”
The last half of his statement wasn’t just thought in his mind, but blurted out, his loud words echoing inside his mask, creating a dull and strange sound.
Ulu wanted to laugh, wanted to laugh with glee for uncovering Bai Wei’s conspiracy, wanted to laugh wildly at Bai Wei’s clumsy lies.
But he couldn’t laugh. Amidst his fury, Bai Wei hadn’t uttered a word in retort, just quietly listening, as if watching a poor clown’s frantic performance.
“When did I say, your mother was killed by those insects?” Bai Wei said, “What you said is correct, but you’re missing a little bit.”
Ulu subconsciously repeated, “Missing a little?”
“Yes, that little bit is the final, the whole truth,” Bai Wei said gently, “Do you want to witness it with your own eyes?”
Ulu hadn’t time to speak when he heard footsteps.
That was the sound of heavy leather boots stepping on the puddles, dull and distinct.
Subconsciously, he looked up, and in his field of vision, two Night Crows emerged from the darkness; their pitch-black masks reflected a heart-stopping sheen, like the grim reaper beckoning him.
Ulu instinctively wanted to back away, but Bai Wei’s voice came just in time, “You are just one step away from the truth.”
He then stood still.
“Matthews,” called the leader’s voice, its sound chaotic and noisy under the mask, “What’s wrong with you?”
Ulu took a deep breath and straightened his mask, which had skewed due to overwhelming emotion, and replied softly, “I’m fine.”