The Whip Bearer's carriage stopped outside the Office Divine Temple, and Fudeng stepped out.
He looked up toward the towering steps, his expression somewhat grave.
A week had passed since the High Priest's speech at the First Knight Order Base. Over those seven days, the High Priest had not returned to work at the Office Divine Temple, instead setting aside all his duties on the grounds of "ill health."
The High Priest had once gone without appearing for a time before. Rumors had run rampant then, with everyone believing that the Order God Church's formidable High Priest had developed health problems. Those rumors had only been dispelled when he reappeared in public.
This time, however, virtually everyone inside and outside the church assumed that, following his speech, the High Priest was deliberately leaving the entire church world hanging as a political maneuver.
But Fudeng knew very well that this time, the stated reason was probably genuine.
Most members of his inner circle knew that the High Priest's physical condition was unusual. Besides, if this were merely a political maneuver, there would have been no need to halt internal operations.
The High Priest had a strong desire for power-or rather, control. Yet over these seven days, he had never issued Fudeng any instructions or sent a doppelganger over to sit with him.
Mobiten stood on the steps. As the Whip Bearer passed him, he bowed and said:
"Cardinal Kreid, Director Zuoluofu, and Lord Xisa are already inside."
Xisa held the same position in the Sealed Space as Fudeng did in the Whip of Order. At the victory banquet at Ogleve Fortress, he had even jokingly tried to tempt Kallen into working for him with a divine artifact.
Xisa was a member of the core leadership, as was Kreid, but Zuoluofu... he