Church of Evolution

Inside the rented room, Su Ze, Liu Wenyin, and Aunt Yun were eating around the table.

Su Ze sighed. "The situation changed too fast. Before we could even think about escaping, the storm was already here."

Yesterday morning, news broke that Feng Buqing had massacred the Hunter squad. By the afternoon, public sentiment was boiling over. Information about Feng Buqing's identity and the Tainted Ones spread like wildfire online, forcing the Mu Kingdom and Luofan Kingdom to take immediate action.

"Something's off about this. Someone's clearly fanning the flames behind the scenes."

Aunt Yun snorted coldly. "Who else could it be? Obviously those pretentious bastards!"

Su Ze was taken aback. "You mean the Church of Evolution?"

The Church of Evolution was currently the only legal religion on Linhua Continent. They worshipped the "God of Evolution." Among the six kingdoms on the continent, aside from Luofan Kingdom, the other five neither promoted nor opposed the Church—they allowed them to preach but offered no policy support.

Only Luofan Kingdom, with its massive wealth gap and vast impoverished population, had become fertile ground for the Church's growth.

When people were trapped in the mire with no hope in sight, faith became the last light they could cling to in the darkness.

To stabilize their rule, the Luofan Kingdom's government had quickly aligned with the Church of Evolution, enacting policies that made it easier for them to spread their teachings.

In today's Luofan Kingdom, the Church of Evolution was rampant. Even in the filthy, crowded slums, grand and solemn Divine Temples stood tall.

Liu Wenyin spoke up. "Yesterday, the online chatter about the stench of the Tainted Ones kept emphasizing it was the God of Evolution's curse, calling them the forsaken. That's clearly the Church of Evolution's rhetoric."

"What's their goal in doing this?" Su Ze asked, puzzled.

"They're just going with the flow, stirring up panic to profit from it." Liu Wenyin handed her phone to Su Ze. On the screen was a news report stating that from yesterday to today, countless Luofan Kingdom citizens had flooded into the Divine Temples, praying to the gods for the God of Evolution's protection.

To show their sincerity, believers often scraped together a portion of their meager incomes to donate to the temples.

The news was accompanied by a photo: countless men and women in tattered clothes, gaunt and sallow, packed the Divine Temple so tightly there was no room to move.

Su Ze shook his head, unsure what to say.

Aunt Yun said, "How about we leave today? The longer we stay, the more I feel something's going to happen."

"Besides, a lot of people are fleeing to other places for safety right now. We won't stand out blending in with them."

"But Aunt Yun, you still need to rest and recover from your injuries." Liu Wenyin tried to persuade her. "I think staying in Mengka City is safe enough. If Luofan Kingdom sends a Saint-level powerhouse here, that might actually protect us."

"The ones hunting us are the Netherworld Organization and Guan Kingdom. If a Saint-level is stationed in Mengka City, I believe those two forces will have to hold back."

Su Ze and Aunt Yun thought that made sense.

Just as Aunt Yun was hesitating, all three of their phones chimed at once.

Su Ze picked up his phone and saw a breaking news headline pushed by a social media app: The Lion Army, led by General Ye Muni, entered Mengka City early this morning.

"Luofan Kingdom's Saint-level has arrived."

As soon as Liu Wenyin finished speaking, she noticed Su Ze's expression had turned grim.

"What's wrong?"

Su Ze took a deep breath and asked, "How many General Ye Munis does Luofan Kingdom have?"

"I've only heard of this one. General Ye Muni is Luofan Kingdom's newly promoted Saint-level, having just completed his fourth evolution a few days ago. He's spent years in the military and is a powerful figure with real influence. Everyone speaks highly of him."

Su Ze let out a dry laugh. "As far as I know, Zhao Yuanyi has a close friend named Ye Muni."

He remembered Zhao Yuanyi once telling him to seek out General Ye Muni when he arrived in Luofan Kingdom.

Liu Wenyin shot to her feet. "Hurry and pack. Hope we're not too late."

Qinggu City, Mu Kingdom.

Zhang Fantie stood respectfully before Zhao Yuanyi, reporting the leads he'd uncovered recently.

"So he went to Luofan Kingdom with a woman called Dr. Liu and a Butterfly Transformation Stage cultivator?"

Zhang Fantie nodded. "Four Hunters confirmed that account."

Zhao Yuanyi frowned deeply. The information Zhang Fantie provided was too loaded—involving a Fifth-Order Marvel and a Saint-level from the Netherworld Organization—making him feel like things were spiraling out of control.

He couldn't quite grasp how a mere Pupal Stage kid had gotten tangled up in such high-level affairs.

Before he knew it, that brat had not only found a backer and freeloaded an S-grade extract worth hundreds of millions, but also crossed the Black Rock Mountain Range and escaped the pursuit of a Netherworld Organization elder.

They were cut from the same mold, so why couldn't his own son, Zhao Lingxiao, pull off something like that?

"There's one more thing," Zhang Fantie said. "When I found those four Hunters, another faction had already interrogated them—likely Guan Kingdom's people."

Zhao Yuanyi lit a cigar, took a heavy drag, and ordered, "Have someone look into that Dr. Liu. Also, take a team to Mengka City and search there. General Ye Muni is stationed there now; I'll give him a heads-up to arrange assistance for you."

After Zhang Fantie left, Zhao Yuanyi picked up his phone and dialed an overseas number.

Zhao Yuanyi: "Hello, General Ye Muni. This is Zhao Yuanyi. I have a small favor to ask."

Ye Muni: "If you keep talking like that, I'm hanging up."

Zhao Yuanyi: "Haha, times have changed. You're a Saint-level now, your status has risen. I wouldn't dare call you 'Little Ni' anymore."

Ye Muni: "Spit it out!"

Zhao Yuanyi: "Actually, there is something I need your help with. I'm looking for someone in Luofan Kingdom. He's most likely in Mengka City, but he might have fled to another city..."

Su Ze and the other two hastily packed their bags, rushed out the door, and then rushed right back.

They had left just fine, but now they couldn't get out.

All exits from Mengka City had suddenly been sealed off, requiring identity checks to leave. The three of them couldn't scrape together a single ID card between them, so they had no choice but to turn the car around and head back.

They were trapped in Mengka City.

The first order Ye Muni gave upon arriving in Mengka City wasn't aimed at Feng Buqing in the Black Rock Mountain Range, but at restricting residents from leaving the city. This was clearly unreasonable.

Su Ze could already sense that Ye Muni's move had everything to do with his "former father."

"Now we just have to play it by ear and take things one step at a time."

If Aunt Yun had recovered her strength, the three of them could have tried to force their way out. But without Aunt Yun, a Butterfly Transformation Stage Combat Strength, leading the charge, they were stuck holed up in the rental house.

Aunt Yun said, "Give me another eight or ten days, and I'll be mostly recovered. Then I'll take you all and fight our way out!"

Su Ze had his doubts. Ye Muni and Zhao Yuanyi were bound to have more tricks up their sleeves. Could they really hold out until then?