The zealots have become rampant lately, and even Bishop Dima is finding himself stretched thin. The order received was to consolidate forces within this courtyard, with unknown intentions. If they willingly surrender upon capture, so be it; but if they resist, apprehend them at all costs!

In truth, the Holy See itself is unsure which faction these people belong to; "heretics" is merely a convenient label, an excuse.

For any local authority, especially within the Church, eradicating a faction requires a sound pretext to win public acceptance.

"Do you have the Bishop's writ?" the Captain of the Guard couldn't help but ask.

Father 'Gonitz' rolled his eyes: "There is no writ, but after you mobilized, the Bishop discovered this!" Saying so, he pulled the Captain aside and retrieved the token taken from the two middle-aged men who were killed.

"They truly are heretics!" The Captain gritted his teeth, roaring, "Archers, prepare..."

"Prepare for what? Hold on!" Father 'Gonitz' quickly interjected, "If the Bishop had wanted you to act directly, he wouldn't have sent me!"

"Why? If they are heretics, just kill them all!" the Captain demanded.

Father 'Gonitz' smiled faintly: "These people are merely helpers hired by the heretics. The true mastermind isn't here. Even if we arrest them, what good will it do? Can our Holy See execute them all?"

"Then what should we do?" The Captain, finding his analysis compelling, couldn't help but inquire.

"Heh heh..." Father 'Gonitz' chuckled: "It's simple. Lure the snake out of its hole! We have them surrounded, so they will try every means to contact their leader. The Bishop's intention is clear: we just surround them without attacking, preventing their escape. Reinforcements will surely come to their aid. We will wait here, fresh and ready—a siege against the reinforcements! These people were hired temporarily; if they can't escape, internal strife is inevitable. Then, I will use the glory of my Lord to preach to them, and surely many will surrender. This way, we can eliminate them without losing a single soldier!"

The Captain stared wide-eyed at the priest's analysis, filled with utter admiration: "I never imagined it could be done this way. Truly remarkable!"

Although the priest's origin seemed strange, he harbored no suspicion. The possessor of the [Pious Priest Garb] must be the most devout believer—how could he possibly betray the Holy See?

……………………………………………………………………

Wyatt and Cam had prepared for battle. If they let the Holy See capture them, they would still be convicted and destined to die. If they played their cards right, utilizing the terrain advantage of the manor, escaping Koga Town was still possible.

Just as they were about to make a move, a priest arrived.

Others might not recognize him, but Wyatt instantly knew this priest was the "Big Boss"! What was the "Big Boss" doing, masquerading as a priest and discussing matters with the Guard Captain?

While puzzled, he saw the Captain laughing heartily, whispering a few words to the men beside him. The tense, sword-drawn standoff immediately dissipated, and the entire guard contingent actually retreated.

However, they only pulled back a few hundred meters, still surrounding the manor.

"What's going on?" Cam and Wyatt exchanged bewildered glances.

"It seems the Big Boss bought us some breathing room... but they still have the entire manor surrounded. If we don't break out, we still can't leave. What's the point of this?" Wyatt furrowed his brow.

The Golden Armored Men couldn't fly. Being surrounded left them no option but to fight their way out, so neither of them could conceive of a way to escape.

As the two hesitated, they saw the Big Boss, clad in the clerical robes, stride forward grandly, shouting loudly as he walked: "Only those who believe in my Lord can find peace. The glory of my Lord is omnipresent; justice endures in this world..."

Wyatt and Cam, seeing Chen Feng shouting with such pious fervor, felt two words rise above his forehead: "Quack!"

A complete charlatan!

Chen Feng slowly approached, standing before them, proclaiming in a resonant voice: "Return to the embrace of my Lord, you poor, lost lambs..."

Wyatt and Cam broke out in a cold sweat, telepathically transmitting: “Big Boss, what in the world are you doing?”

Chen Feng continued his loud pronouncements, his wide priestly robes concealing his movements. With a flip of his wrist, he tossed several items over.

Wyatt caught them: more than a dozen trade cards, a square box, and ten arrows.

"The trade cards contain 180 Thunderstrike Arrows—take them back to study if you can cultivate an archer corps using our magma... The box holds the [Gate of Nature]; I placed another teleport point outside the city. Arrange for everyone to leave through the [Gate of Nature] now. Once outside, take the Gate of Nature towards the mine. I'll stay here and help stall them!"

A faint voice instantly reached their ears, immediately reverting to pious phrases like "The glory of my Lord" afterward.

Wyatt hastily tucked the items into his robes. Their movements were subtle, so none of the guards, hundreds of meters away, noticed anything.

Wyatt took a deep breath, suppressing his shock, and shouted loudly: "I am also a devout follower of the God of Justice! The manor enshrines an idol; I shall fetch it now!" Saying this, he turned and walked back in with Cam, followed by all the Golden Armored Men behind them, who also retreated.

……………………………………………………

"Boss, why did we pull back?" a bald guard next to the Captain asked curiously.

"That's classified. Just follow orders," the Captain replied flatly.

"Yes!" The bald man couldn't help but ask again, "Then... won't it be dangerous for this priest walking up there like that?"

"Heh heh, they probably wouldn't dare harm a priest. Do you think this contingent of ours is just here for show?" The Captain's voice held a hint of displeasure.

The bald man immediately understood and nodded quickly. Harming a priest was a grave sin; if the others dared to act, their own men would certainly fight to the death.

"Captain, you are truly amazing..." The bald man took the opportunity to flatter him heavily.

"Go on, scram!" the Captain scolded, kicking him lightly in the rear, but a smile played on his lips.

Watching Father 'Gonitz' diligently lecturing the "heretics" in the distance, the Captain sighed internally: "Truly worthy of possessing the [Pious Priest Garb]. Just this level of dedicated spirit is admirable. They've been gone for half a day, and he's still here explaining things... Truly admirable!"

As the Captain was marveling, a sudden commotion erupted behind him.

"What are you doing? Have you no discipline?" he roared, turning to look behind him.

Twenty White Robed Bishops were approaching from the rear of the formation.

"My Lord Bishop..." He quickly moved to greet them.

"What are you doing here?" the leading Bishop said icily.

The Captain recognized this man; his name was Richmad, a favored subordinate of Bishop Dima.

"Reporting to Bishop Richmad, we are employing the tactic of luring the snake out of its hole!" the Captain hurriedly replied.

"Luring your head!" Bishop Richmad roared in anger, kicking the Captain to the ground. He accelerated his pace, charging toward Chen Feng, who was still muttering his incantations.

Although Chen Feng was shouting loudly with his back to the guards, he had been paying attention behind him. Seeing this group of White Robed Bishops rushing over, he didn't hesitate for an instant. He executed a Teleportation spell and vanished from the spot with a whoosh!

Father Richmad rushed forward, saw the vanished Chen Feng, and bellowed: "Find him quickly!" Then he charged into the courtyard.

The twenty White Robed Bishops were all experts at the Nether Saint realm. Their reactions were swift, and powerful mental waves, like a tide, washed over the entire manor, but... there wasn't a single person inside! Everyone seemed to have vanished into thin air!

The Captain ran up too, asking loudly: "Why did Father 'Gonitz' leave?"

His words, though unintentional, drew looks like daggers from all the surrounding White Robed Bishops, as if they wanted to kill him.

"You idiot, you've been played and you don't even know it!" Father Richmad roared, taking out a crystal ball. He tapped it with his finger, and an image immediately appeared: the back of the man in the priestly robes, flying high in the sky.

"In that direction, pursue him!" He pointed forward and flew off first.

…………………………………………………

"Wyatt, do you think the Big Boss can escape?" Cam asked with some worry.

In the pitch darkness of the night, Wyatt looked toward Koga Town: "The Big Boss has always been full of ingenious schemes... there shouldn't be any problem!" Even as he said it, he wasn't entirely confident, making his voice lack conviction.

"This is the best boss I've ever met!" a Golden Armored Man behind Cam declared loudly: "When danger comes, he doesn't run first, but stays to cover his subordinates... I will follow him from now on!"

When this man shouted, the crowd around him immediately voiced their agreement.

Wyatt looked at them and said loudly: "Good. Since you've pledged loyalty to the boss, we'll head back now. But we must change our formation. If we appear as one large group like this, we might attract the Holy See's pursuit again soon! I'll make arrangements now: five men per group. We will rendezvous at Ante Road Town in one month!"

"Yes..." everyone responded with firm conviction.

After ensuring everyone had dispersed under the cover of night, Cam looked at Wyatt and said: "Let's go back too. But we need to keep recruiting along the way... I really hope that when we meet the Big Boss again, we can surprise him!"

"Surprise the Big Boss?" Wyatt shook his head: "His nerves are tougher than steel cables. If you can startle him, I'll truly admire you!"

"Deal, let's make a bet. Whoever loses has to go half a year without shaving or touching a woman!"

"..." (To be continued. For future developments, please visit www**, more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!) First published.