A Fifty-Fifty Split

Knock, knock, knock!

"Bishop Luo Qi, are you in?"

Knock, knock, knock!

"Bishop Luo Qi, are you awake?"

Knock, knock, knock!

"It's time to wake up, Bishop Luo Qi."

Bang!

The room door burst open. Luo Qi, his eyes bloodshot, glared ferociously at Fenris standing at the doorway and roared, "What the hell are you knocking for?! Can't a guy get any rest?!"

Fenris indifferently wiped the spit from his face and calmly said, "Bishop Luo Qi, I know your injuries haven't fully healed, but please understand, now is not the time for rest. If that fellow Ai De Wen really manages to research something, it will be a disaster for the entire world."

"And that's your reason for barging in to wake me up this early?!" Luo Qi bellowed. "To have me save the world?!"

"Strictly speaking, it's for you to save the world with us," Fenris said, shifting slightly to the side so Luo Qi could see Mina standing behind him. "While you were resting, Miss Mina and I discussed countermeasures all night. We've already come up with several preliminary plans, which is why we've come to discuss them with you. After all, you are our strongest combatant. Whether it's dealing with that Seven Sound Player or Ai De Wen, we truly can't do it without your participation."

Seeing Mina give him a respectful bow, Luo Qi's anger subsided slightly.

He knew it wasn't the time to play dead. After all, that damned Tongue was still hidden right under his nose; how could he possibly relax?

"Then come in," Luo Qi said gruffly as he retreated into the room. "But I'm making myself clear: no matter what your plan is, if you expect me to face it alone like the night before last, then don't even bother opening your mouth!"

"Don't worry, Bishop Luo Qi. This time, Miss Mina and I have a very thorough plan. We absolutely won't let you suffer a loss again."

Fenris followed Luo Qi into the room, and Mina trailed behind, observing everything with a hint of surprise in her eyes.

Luo Qi keenly caught this emotion and immediately frowned, "What are you looking at?"

"Ah, my apologies, Bishop Luo Qi," Mina replied politely. "I mean no offense, I'm just a little surprised."

"Surprised by what?"

"Your room," Mina said. "It's clean, tidy, odorless, and even has a faint... pleasant scent."

"And what about it?"

"It's just a bit of a contrast," Mina said. She glanced at Luo Qi's bedside table, where a burning scented candle sat, before turning her gaze to Fenris, who was dressed like a beggar. "After all, I stayed in Chief Fenris's room all last night. Compared to yours, Chief Fenris's room is rather... well... too simple."

Luo Qi understood Mina's meaning. He had witnessed the hygiene habits of these Eternal Nightmare Cultists before; they had no hygiene habits at all, as long as they were alive, even if their bodies stank.

"Of course, I'm different from this guy," Luo Qi taunted Fenris without mercy. "I represent Rhine! Being slovenly will only bring shame to Rhine!"

Fenris didn't get angry at the blunt mockery. He simply said leisurely, "For the Eternal Nightmare, dreams are reality, and reality is dreams. So, we only need to manage the dream world well; the rest doesn't matter."

"Heh, then you can dream for the rest of your life."

Fenris looked surprised. "How do you know our cult's most sincere blessing?"

Luo Qi: "..."

Mina chuckled softly. "Customs differ between churches; mutual understanding is all that's needed. Of course, compared to Chief Fenris's unconventionality, I much prefer Bishop Luo Qi's elegance. It makes me feel relaxed, as if we are of the same origin. But come to think of it, the Four Great Orthodox Churches are all one family."

This was Mina's true intention.

She wasn't praising Luo Qi for no reason; she wanted to use this opportunity to get closer to him.

Mina had guessed that Luo Qi was someone from the Peach Blossom Paradise that Teacher Isaiah had mentioned, and likely "Thumb."

After all, he only had his thumb left on his right hand, a rather obvious characteristic.

So, Mina had immediately sent this information back to Nameless Town and received confirmation from Teacher Isaiah, verifying that this fellow was indeed Thumb.

Therefore, Isaiah had instructed her to find a way to build a relationship with Luo Qi, to prepare for a series of subsequent actions.

This was why Mina had made this move, intending to start with these small matters and make Luo Qi subconsciously categorize her as one of his own, rather than like Fenris.

However, to Mina's disappointment, Luo Qi didn't fall for it. He merely gave her a nonchalant glance.

No, it wasn't even nonchalant; Mina could read a hint of... disgust in his eyes.

Why was that? Had she offended him somehow?

Mina was utterly perplexed.

As for Luo Qi, her gorgeous mage robes, beautiful face, and prominently high chest... were all equally detestable!

It even made Luo Qi involuntarily recall the Tongue that had nearly cost him his life the night before last.

These women with chests bigger than their heads were truly damnable!

Luo Qi thought viciously to himself.

"Alright," he said, sitting in the main seat and tapping the table impatiently. "Just say what you need to say!"

Fenris nodded. "Bishop Luo Qi, we want to know if you're still capable."

The words made Luo Qi's eyelids twitch. "What do you mean, 'am I still capable'? When was I ever incapable?!"

"I phrased that poorly. What I want to ask is, if you were to face that Seven Sound Player again now, how confident would you be in defeating him?"

Luo Qi cast a sideways glance at Fenris, considered it, and managed to suppress the urge to curse.

What do you mean, 'how confident am I in defeating him'?

If I really had it, would I have been beaten to this state?!

"Let's call it even," Luo Qi tried to maintain his composure. "If we really fought, it would likely be a mutual destruction, but I don't want to end up like this fighting with someone like that, you understand?"

"I understand," Fenris nodded slightly. "Don't worry, Bishop Luo Qi, we won't let you fight alone anymore."

Not letting me fight alone, which means we still have to fight.

Luo Qi's remaining thumb on his right hand twitched involuntarily.

Honestly, if he could, he really didn't want to trouble Tongue anymore, especially now that Tongue knew his identity. Pushing Tongue to a corner would definitely not be a good thing. What if it was a case of mutual destruction?

But completely ignoring Tongue was impossible. As Fenris said, if Tongue and that Forbidden Scholar really researched something, it wouldn't just be one or two people who would be in trouble.

This put Luo Qi in a dilemma, feeling like a cornered rat being held in someone's hand, afraid to move but unable to not move, causing a sense of panic.

So, he wanted to see what Fenris's plan was first.

"Although we haven't captured any information about Ai De Wen these past two days, I believe they haven't left this town yet," Fenris said. "And the reason he's been quiet is most likely because that Seven Sound Player also suffered quite a serious injury and can't protect him for the time being. This also indirectly confirms that Bishop Luo Qi did indeed inflict considerable damage on that Seven Sound Player."

Hearing this, Mina couldn't help but glance at Luo Qi again.

She also knew that Mr. Tongue had three Corpse Pieces, and Luo Qi, with only one Corpse Piece, not only retreated unharmed from the fierce battle with Tongue (only losing four insignificant fingers) but also managed to inflict significant damage on him. This genuinely surprised Mina.

Was it that Bishop Luo Qi possessed strength beyond his appearance, or was Mr. Tongue not as powerful as he seemed?

Or perhaps, Mr. Tongue's body was already being dragged down by the three Corpse Pieces?

The side effects of Corpse Pieces were well-known. Although the major churches all had methods to alleviate these side effects, they could at most only alleviate one piece.

And three Corpse Pieces... was there really any room for alleviation?

He wasn't Visas himself.

Luo Qi had also considered this point. After all, he had personally witnessed the terrifying sight of He Wei Ni Ya's flesh almost peeling off her bones. He had no idea what kind of poison in this world could do such a thing, so he could only attribute it to the side effects of the Corpse Pieces.

In that case, even if he didn't act, wouldn't that hermaphrodite not live much longer?

"Mr. Fenris," Mina's words pulled Luo Qi out of his thoughts. "You still haven't told us what that Forbidden Scholar actually wants to do, I mean specifically, and why that Seven Sound Player is helping him?"

"It's still because of that knowledge," Fenris said. "Ai De Wen has always been pursuing the complete decryption of that knowledge and bringing it into reality. But because of the Divine Command Imprint, he has never been able to complete this step. However, the Divine Command Imprint is not omnipotent, and there is only one way to evade its surveillance."

"Visas's power?"

"Yes," Fenris nodded. "Ai De Wen can use Visas's power to construct a formation that can bypass the Divine Command Imprint, thereby achieving his goal within the formation."

"It seems this is why he got involved with that Seven Sound Player. The Seven Sound Player, possessing Visas's Corpse Pieces, naturally possesses Visas's power." Mina nodded slightly. "Then why haven't they started yet?"

"I think, most likely, it's because that formation will consume a great deal of Visas's power, so that Seven Sound Player is not yet ready," Fenris replied. "Therefore, we still have a chance to nip this greatest danger in the bud. Once he succeeds, then..."

"Then what?"

"Who knows?" Fenris shrugged. "Anything is possible. Either he becomes Visas, or Visas's secrets are utterly useless to him."

"So the best-case scenario is world destruction, and the worst-case is nothing happens, right?" Luo Qi looked at Fenris coldly.

"The unknown is the greatest terror. Even if there's only a one percent chance, we can't just stand by." Fenris said with a smile. "This isn't the first time we've discussed this, is it, Bishop Luo Qi."

Luo Qi snorted and said nothing more.

"Whether it's that Forbidden Scholar or that Seven Sound Player, we cannot let them be," Mina said. "Since they've come together, let's deal with them together."

"Deal with them together?" Luo Qi's tone grew colder. "What, are you going to deal with them? If your teacher isn't making a move, you just want me to charge into the fray?"

Luo Qi's tone, which was two degrees colder than before, confirmed to Mina that he was indeed targeting her, making her feel helpless.

"Of course not," Mina shook her head and said. "I will make a move, and my teacher will also make a move."

"Oh?" Luo Qi raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Isaiah is also coming here?"

"No, my teacher will not leave Nameless Town."

"Then what about your mother?" As soon as Luo Qi heard that Isaiah wasn't even planning to move, he couldn't help but curse. "What can he do by just staying in Nameless Town, offer us moral support?"

Mina pretended not to hear Luo Qi's scolding and calmly said, "My teacher will make preparations in Nameless Town."

"What preparations?"

"Preparations to kill both the Forbidden Scholar and the Seven Sound Player simultaneously."

Luo Qi's brow immediately furrowed.

"In two days, Nameless Town will welcome the 'Spotless Night'," Mina said before Luo Qi could ask. "Spotless Night is when the power of the stars is most abundant and Star Relic Warlocks are at their strongest. If a receiving formation is set up in advance, then the power will be endless. At that time, neither that Seven Sound Player nor that Forbidden Scholar will be a match for my teacher."

...Spotless Night.

As a Bishop of Rhine, Luo Qi naturally knew what Spotless Night was, and he also knew that Isaiah of the Star Relic Church was the most powerful Star Relic Warlock in a hundred years.

If he made a move during Spotless Night, then there was indeed a possibility of killing Tongue. At worst, he could add himself to the equation.

Thinking of this, Luo Qi's eyes lit up bit by bit.

His biggest dilemma before was whether to help Tongue kill Hand Eye, or help Hand Eye kill Tongue.

For him, the bitterness of this choice was no less than when he was young, and the old Father with a face full of wrinkles smiled and asked him if he planned to be on top or bottom that night.

And now, a third path had appeared.

If Isaiah, a complete outsider, made the move, wouldn't all his previous worries be unnecessary?

Could there really be such a good thing?

Thinking this, Luo Qi found Mina much more agreeable.

"So, all we have to do is lure those two over to Isaiah?" Luo Qi suppressed his inner excitement, feigning calmness as he said, "Do you have a specific plan?"

But Mina saw through his thoughts.

Just as I expected, he took the bait.

Mina thought to herself.

This guy probably wouldn't guess that the teacher's real target is actually him.

Mina smiled faintly.

"Of course."