Upon hearing this, Sun Fei smiled and shook his head, saying, "Right Deacon makes it sound so easy. Although it's just this one matter, it's enough to stump even the most outstanding geniuses in the world. Since the beginning of recorded history on this continent, the number of geniuses and ambitious individuals who have wanted to become Pope is no less than hundreds of millions, but those who have ultimately become Pope are fewer than three hundred. Asking me to challenge for the position of Pope is no different from asking me to climb mountains of knives and plunge into seas of fire. Does Right Deacon think that my fist is bigger than His Holiness Blatter's fist? Or that my waist is thicker than the Pope's waist?"
Batistuta, amused by Sun Fei's words, chuckled and said, "It is indeed difficult, but with the support of the entire Black-Robed Holy Temple, it will be much easier."
"Is that so? Although there's a saying that even a starved dragon is bigger than a horse, I really doubt what foundation the Black-Robed Holy Temple still has after centuries of decline, enough to contend with the Pope at the height of his power. As far as I know, the betrayal of Platini, the ' Son of God,' a hundred years ago completely destroyed the Black-Robed Holy Temple's foundation, severely damaging its vitality and bringing it to the brink of collapse." Sun Fei's words were sharp, his criticism merciless, directly exposing the Black-Robed Holy Temple's greatest wound.
The topic of their conversation was absolutely shocking.
To openly address the Pope and the Pope of the Northern Region Diocese in broad daylight, and to plot to overthrow the papacy—if this got out, it would likely cause a bloodbath.
So long before the conversation even began, Batistuta and Sun Fei had each released an invisible shield of power, enveloping the four of them. Those outside the shields could only clearly see the four people's expressions, but they could definitely hear what they were talking about.
Of the four, Sun Fei and Batistuta were the two involved parties, while Garcia was the most talented rising star cultivated by the Black-Robed Holy Temple. Only the Divine Knight Alan could be considered a newcomer to the Black-Robed Holy Temple. Although Sun Fei did not know why Batistuta and Garcia trusted the Divine Knight Alan, who had just joined the Black-Robed Holy Temple, so much, he did not deliberately avoid this guy who was only at the Nine-Star Class Initial Stage.
After listening to the two men's heated, albeit not heated, bargaining exchange, the young priest Garcia, who had remained silent, finally couldn't hold back any longer and boldly spoke up, "Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness, but we represent the glory of the gods, walking across the continent for the well-being of millions of believers. This is a glorious and noble mission, and even sacrificing our lives should be a source of immense honor. Your Majesty, you are the favored [ Son of God ], possessing Son of God Physique unmatched by any other among millions. You should carry on this glory, not haggle like a vegetable farmer in a market."
If these words had come from any other clergyman, Sun Fei would have burst into laughter, but instead, he would have received a resounding slap across the face.
But when Garcia said it, it carried an undeniable air of authority.
It gives people the illusion that what he says is self-evident and an irrefutable truth.
The reason for this is that this young spiritual master possesses a clear and sincere quality that shines through him. Since he was old enough to understand things, this young spiritual master has taken these words as his belief, standard, principle, and guideline, demanding the same of himself in every word and deed. Unlike many who talk big, he not only said it, but also did it, never deviating from these principles.
Sun Fei simply smiled, neither confirming nor denying what Garcia had said.
Although he did not agree with what Garcia said and knew clearly what his Son of God Physique was all about, Sun Fei still admired such a person from the bottom of his heart.
In this world, many times, it is precisely because of the existence of such silly guys that things become more endearing and vibrant. Perhaps His Majesty the King has a slight admiration for people like Garcia deep down, but he doesn't want to become one of them—because it's too tiring.
Batistuta simply shook his head upon hearing this.
He had long seen through King of Chambord that he was not the kind of young man who could be stirred up by a few passionate words. Although the young King in front of him was only a little over eighteen years old, his cunning eyes and unpredictable way of thinking always made the Right Deacon of the Black-Robed Holy Temple feel as if he were sitting opposite a wise man who was talking eloquently.
He is cunning with a touch of roguishness, unwavering on matters of interest, and adheres to his principles without being bound by them.
This is Batistuta's assessment of Sun Fei after a brief encounter.
This man was completely at odds with the qualities required of a pope from one of the major factions of the Holy Church, such as justice, mercy, nobility, kindness, forgiveness, gentleness, humility, politeness, sacrifice, and forbearance. However, Batistuta's sharp eyes, which had judged the nature of countless people over the past few centuries, and his intuition, proven countless times, told him time and again that perhaps only this incredibly unconventional " Son of God " was the best candidate to truly lead the Black-Robed Divine Temple, a sect that had declined to the brink of extinction, to rebuild its glory.
He was about to say something more when Sun Fei suddenly laughed and said, "Let's talk about something lighter, like, to become the Pope of the Black-Robed Holy Temple, does one need to abandon everything in the secular world? King abandons his kingdom and his people, a husband abandons his wife, a father abandons his son, so why not simply abandon the desires of an ordinary and normal person and become a puritan without any desires?"
These words gave Batistuta and the other two young men a jolt.
Because they all sensed the other meaning subtly implied in King of Chambord's words.
The Right Deacon quickly replied, "Of course there's no need to do that. It seems His Majesty doesn't have a deep understanding of the Holy Church's doctrines. The gods love their children and wouldn't require them to live such a puritanical life. Clergy are indeed God's apostles and representatives, but they are also normal people with emotions and desires. A pope of a faction within the Church can also be the emperor of a secular empire, a husband to his wife, and a father to his children."
"Oh, now that you mention it, Right Deacon, things seem to have gotten a little more interesting." Sun Fei nodded thoughtfully.
If that is indeed the case, then this matter is not entirely without room for maneuver. King Majesty the King has to admit that his understanding of the Holy Church is still only at a very superficial level. According to Batistuta, the Holy Church seems to be trending towards a combination of papal and imperial power. He has to admit that the predecessors who formulated this doctrine were truly courageous and visionary.
"So, Your Majesty, you've granted our request?" Batistuta couldn't help but reveal a look of wild joy on his old face.
"Not yet." Sun Fei shook his head smugly and said, "There's something else that's very important to me, and I'd like to hear the Right Deacon's opinion."
"Oh? What is it, Your Majesty? Please speak."
"Regarding Angela, my queen," Sun Fei added, noticing Batistuta's puzzled look, "She's the black-haired girl the Right Deacon was watching. I think the Right Deacon must have noticed something."
"This..." Batistuta's expression changed, and after hesitating for a moment, he nodded and said, "So Your Majesty noticed it too. It seems Your Majesty already has some understanding of it. Indeed, this girl possesses a pure and flawless divine aura. If I'm not mistaken, your Queen is a saint with a Crystal Soul. And such a girl is of immense importance to the Church."
"Of paramount importance?" Sun Fei stroked his chin and Earth Inquiry curiously, "How important?"
"It's even more important than the significance of [ the Son of God ]," Batistuta stated definitively.
Sun Fei was slightly surprised. Over the past six months, he had repeatedly used the identity of the " Son of God " to intimidate others. He was well aware of how high the status of the " Son of God " was within the Church See. At least on the surface, even a pope would not want to offend a " Son of God " who had not yet come of age. And Angela's significance to the Holy Church was actually more important than his own status as the " Son of God." This was truly astonishing.
After a pause, Sun Fei frowned and said, "So, does that mean the major factions of the Holy Church will take action against Angela?"
"If this were discovered by other sects, it's almost certain that something like this would happen, and even the Pope would get involved. Moreover, this matter is extremely complicated. His Majesty possesses the Son of God Physique, and he would become a powerful figure regardless of which side of the Church he joins. However, for Her Highness the Queen, joining the Church and becoming a saint is a risky and unpredictable prospect, and not necessarily a good thing."
Batistuta did not hide anything and answered honestly.
This answer made Sun Fei's heart sink little by little.
"I don't want Angela to join the Church, is there any way?" Sun Fei turned to look at Batistuta with a serious expression.
"Yes, but it's difficult." Batistuta seemed to be gradually understanding King of Chambord's thoughts and discovering the weakness of this young King, when he became powerful, even made him feel a little intimidated.
"Difficult? Then there must be a way?"
"Yes, but it's very difficult."
"If I choose to join the Black-Robed Holy Temple, will it be easier?" Sun Fei frowned.
"It's still difficult, but the chances are better." Batistuta's eyes were sincere, and he didn't mean to coerce Sun Fei in the slightest.
Sun Fei nodded and was about to speak when suddenly the sound of galloping hooves and shouts came from outside the Barracks in the distance. A series of martial arts auras rapidly approached the Barracks, shouts echoing incessantly as they menacingly advanced.
Upon hearing the commotion, the clergy who had been lying on the ground like dead dogs, howling and begging for mercy after being whipped, suddenly perked up. They looked expectantly toward the direction of the Barracks gate as if they had encountered a savior.
Barton, whose life had been nearly taken by Sun Fei, happened to wake up at this moment. Hearing the shouts in his ear, he was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized what was happening. His eyes were filled with venom and resentment as he looked at Sun Fei, like a venomous snake waiting for its chance.
It was the pastor of the Twin Flag City Diocese, Holy Church, who personally led a delegation there.
Thanks to: lib1981, Hazy Day, gkp, Boring Lonely Bug, Heartbroken Little Snail, aloha and others for their support.