A Dark and Windy Night

Before leaving the highlands, Zhou Beichen needed to find a temporary steward for the settlement. A power vacuum was dangerous, especially during this fledgling stage. The fervor of faith and the hardships of reality could both trigger internal unrest.

His gaze fell upon Korfalon's followers in the cellar. After several days of ideological reeducation—combining limited material privileges, Lorgar's occasional displays of divine intimidation, and Zhou Beichen's constant preaching of the New Covenant and the vision of a heavenly kingdom on earth—some of their loyalties had begun to waver.

Especially the youngest follower, a young man named Eric. His faith in the Covenant Church had always carried a degree of blind obedience. After Lorgar exposed the secrets hidden in his heart, and he personally witnessed Zhou Beichen's ruthlessness and the settlement's miracles, his mental defenses completely collapsed. He then fanatically converted to Lorgar with the desperation of a drowning man clutching at driftwood, regarding him as a true divine revelation.

This was quite common in later generations. It was called "convert fanaticism."

"Eric." Zhou Beichen stood at the cellar entrance, his voice calm.

The young man whose name had been called abruptly raised his head. Reverence and panic mingled on his face as he hurriedly prostrated himself. "P-Pastor Beichen..."

"The Son of God and I need to leave for a while." Zhou Beichen got straight to the point. "During that time, you will temporarily manage the settlement's daily affairs."

Eric froze instantly, as though struck by lightning. He raised his head in disbelief, looking at Zhou Beichen and then at Lorgar, who stood behind him as silent and imposing as a mountain. His lips trembled, but he could not utter a single word. Him—a former captive, the lowest-ranking follower—managing this heavenly kingdom on earth filled with miracles? This... this was simply...

"This is both the Son of God's trust in you and a test," Zhou Beichen said with emphasis. "Maintain daily production, distribute supplies according to the established quotas, and settle minor disputes. If you encounter anything you cannot decide, discuss it with the captain of the church guard and Old Buck. Remember, stability is the highest priority."

Eric trembled from head to toe in excitement, tears nearly spilling from his eyes. He heavily struck his forehead against the cold ground, his voice thick with sobs. "I will obey the will of the Son of God and Pastor Beichen! Eric will give everything he has and never fail your trust!"

Seeing his tearful, almost crazed gratitude, Zhou Beichen felt somewhat reassured. Those stunned senseless by immense favor were the most loyal in the short term, and they would desperately maintain the status quo to prove themselves. The risk was his lack of ability, but for now, stability outweighed everything else.

With the arrangements made, Zhou Beichen and Lorgar, now dressed in the Covenant Church's gray robes, quietly left the highland settlement under the last darkness before dawn and disappeared into the endless wasteland.

A journey of one hundred and fifty kilometers would have meant several days of grueling travel for ordinary people, but Lorgar's exceptional stamina and Zhou Beichen's firm purpose made them much faster. Avoiding known areas frequented by sand bandits and dangerous creatures, they followed Lorgar's almost instinctive sense of direction and, in just over two days, caught sight of Ralte's low yet sprawling city wall, pieced together from massive rocks and rusted metal.

Ralte was even more... oppressive than Zhou Beichen had imagined. The city wall had been battered by wind and sand for ages, giving it a lifeless dark-red hue. A sparse line stood at the entrance, mostly sand-beast merchant caravans passing through and gaunt local residents. Several Covenant Church guards in worn leather armor, their eyes weary, listlessly inspected those entering the city.

Zhou Beichen took a deep breath, lowered his hood, and quickly arranged his face into that expression of a pastor—humility mixed with a faint sense of superiority. He led Lorgar, whose hood concealed his face but could not hide his towering, muscular frame, toward the city gate.

"Stop. What are you here for?" A guard lazily blocked their way. His eyes swept over Zhou Beichen's pastor's robe, and his expression became slightly more serious.

"May the Covenant guide you, brother." Zhou Beichen gave a slight nod, his voice carrying just the right measure of warmth and weariness. "We came from Bitterstone Settlement in the east, spreading the Covenant's teachings and purchasing some necessary supplies for our ministry."

The guard nodded. A pastor's identity still offered some small conveniences in a place like this. But his eyes soon fell on Lorgar behind Zhou Beichen. Even beneath the loose robe, his shoulders and height far exceeded those of ordinary men, standing out like a crane among chickens.

"The guy with you is pretty damn big." The guard clicked his tongue in amazement, curiosity and probing in his voice. "Say, you came from the east. I heard there's been some rumor going around over there about some Son of God. It's caused quite a stir. You know anything about it?"

Zhou Beichen's heart tightened slightly, but his smile remained unchanged. He even showed a hint of helpless mockery as he spread his hands and said in an almost conversational tone:

"Ah, don't mention it. We've heard several versions of it along the way. Some say he has three heads and six arms, others say he can command the wind and rain. If you ask me, it's probably eighty percent nonsense." He deliberately paused and shifted to the side, seemingly casually blocking Lorgar from view. "How could this wasteland possibly have someone nearly two meters tall with violet eyes or whatever? If there really were someone like that, wouldn't he be a monster? It's probably just some tribe making up nonsense to attract refugees."

As he spoke, Lorgar cooperatively shifted slightly, the shadows of his hood completely concealing his face. Yet the guard seemed unconvinced and still tried to crane his head for a look beneath the hood.

At that moment, Lorgar seemed to casually raise his eyes.

Beneath the hood's shadow, those violet eyes flashed like a faint gleam suddenly passing through deep waters, making eye contact with the guard for an exceedingly brief instant.

There was no threat, no emotion, not even any focus. They simply existed for that single moment.

The guard abruptly froze, as though something had pricked him, and instinctively withdrew his gaze. For no reason, his heart seemed to skip a beat, and an indescribable chill shot up his spine. Those eyes... they were not human eyes. Too pure, and too... profound. He did not dare look again. His thoughts became a mess. Maybe it had just been a trick of light and shadow. Maybe that big man had some kind of eye disease...

Irritably, he waved his hand as though trying to dispel that fleeting unease. "Fine, fine. Get through already, Pastor! There are lots of rules in the city, so don't cause trouble!"

"Thank you, brother." Zhou Beichen smiled his thanks, secretly letting out a breath of relief as he led Lorgar quickly through the gate passage.

Upon entering Ralte, a powerful smell assaulted them, a mixture of sweat, spices, rusting metal, and some kind of religious incense. The streets were narrow and crowded, flanked by low houses carved into rock walls or built directly from discarded planks. Most people wore numb expressions and hurried along, completely unlike the highland settlement's atmosphere, which was harsh but filled with hope.

Zhou Beichen and Lorgar did not waste time. Like two drops of water vanishing into a vat of oil, they quietly began gathering information. Zhou Beichen used his identity as a pastor to eavesdrop and make conversation in taverns frequented by low-ranking clergy and around public water stations. Meanwhile, relying on his extraordinary senses, Lorgar wandered through the market and artisan districts, catching scattered scraps of information about people skilled in technology and management.

After several days, one name gradually surfaced, appearing with increasing frequency—Lavoisier.

Piecing together the scattered information, Zhou Beichen learned that Lavoisier had once been a promising low-ranking pastor. He was said to have a gift for organization and calculations, and had even assisted in managing Ralte's logistics warehouses, briefly improving the efficiency of supply distribution. But his personality was too upright, and his understanding of Covenant doctrine was almost rigid. Unwilling to associate with the corrupt, embezzling senior clergy who formed cliques for private gain, he repeatedly offered blunt remonstrations. The outcome was predictable. He had been marginalized and stripped of real authority. Now, he only retained a nominal title, sorting through ancient, neglected records and living in a remote shack near the abandoned mining district.

"Almost completely detached from the church... some achievements in management... the only problem is that he's excessively loyal to the church." In the cramped room of their temporary lodging, which barely qualified as an inn, Zhou Beichen summarized the information for Lorgar, a teasing smile at the corner of his mouth. "Loyalty means he cannot easily be bought. But being pushed aside because he is too loyal means there is tremendous disappointment and resentment in his heart. That is our opening."

Lorgar listened quietly, his expression hidden beneath his hood. "Father, how do you intend to make use of him?"

"Courtesy first, force second." Zhou Beichen's eyes gleamed. "Let's see whether this devout Pastor Lavoisier's faith will waver when faced with a true divine revelation. If it doesn't... then we'll have to use less polite methods. We need his brain. As for his loyalty, we can cultivate that slowly, or... perhaps all we need is his obedience."

Night deepened, and Ralte's clamor gradually fell silent, leaving only the wind and the occasional footsteps of patrolling guards in the distance. The twin stars' light was obscured by thick clouds of dust, leaving heaven and earth shrouded in darkness.

Like two ghosts, Zhou Beichen and Lorgar moved through narrow, filthy alleys. They avoided several areas where lights still burned and drunkards shouted, eventually arriving at the edge of the abandoned mine district. This place was even more dilapidated, and the air carried the pungent stench of metal slag and chemical waste.

Following the address they had learned, they stopped before a nearly collapsed shack pieced together from stone and old ship planks. No light shone within. Everything was deathly silent.

This was it—Lavoisier's residence.

Zhou Beichen and Lorgar exchanged a glance, then nodded to each other.

On a dark and windy night like this, it was the perfect time to "borrow" talent.

Like predators merging with the night, the two silently approached the wooden door that looked as though a gust of wind could knock it down.

The operation had begun.