The front lines between the Boya Empire and the Papal State.
The cold north wind swept across the battlefield, but even the frigid temperature could not freeze the stench of blood and decay in the air.
Winter came again, and the snow fell heavily, gradually covering the rotting corpses scattered across the mountains and fields, but it could not conceal the blood and stench of the battlefield.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
Soldiers in tattered armor were striking the frozen river surface with weapons that resembled spears.
"Splash!"
A thin layer of ice was cracked by the gun tip, making a splashing sound, and then reddish-brown river water gushed out from the ice crevice, along with a rotting, stinking skull.
Even so, the water was still dredged up and continuously delivered to the soldiers.
The battlefield was cold, but the inside of the military tents was relatively warm.
Yalian III had been relegated to the front lines, sat in the main seat of the tent. His face looked more haggard and aged than it had been eight years ago, as if half a lifetime had passed in just eight short years.
In contrast, Archbishop Duoxia, who is over two hundred years old, looks exactly the same as he did many years ago.
"It's been many years, but Your Excellency is still as dashing as ever!" Yalian III picked up the wine to keep warm, took a sip, and looked at Archbishop Duoxia, who was sitting opposite him, with a wistful expression.
Despite being a contemporary of his father, Archbishop Duoxia now appears much younger.
However, his long, sharp front teeth and scarlet eyes clearly revealed his identity as Vampire who Betrayal God.
Immortality sounds tempting, and looks incredibly alluring.
The only thing that surprised Yalian III was that Archbishop Duoxia, who regarded the Church as his family and whose faith was terrifyingly steadfast, would actually Betrayal God and join the ranks of Vampire.
Is the allure of immortality really that great?
It's worth noting that Duoxia's previous religious beliefs had surprised even his father!
Archbishop Duoxia, seated at the lower end of the table, looked at Yalian III, whose face was weathered and showed signs of aging, and felt a deep sense of emotion.
The last time he saw this Yalian III, he was still an innocent child, but today he already looked quite old.
"The ancients have passed away one after another, like leaves falling in the wind!"
The two reminisced about their past experiences, and only after they finished did they get down to business.
"When Archbishop Duoxia first met my father, I was just a young and ignorant child. I never imagined that when we met again, I would be so old and frail. It is truly a cruel twist of fate. However, Archbishop Duoxia was loyal to the Church back then, and everything he thought and did was for the Church's survival. I don't know why he has now joined the ranks of Vampire. Could it be that you have Betrayal God and forgotten your former beliefs?"
Yalian III stared into Archbishop Duoxia's crimson eyes, his words harsh and uncompromising, attempting to pressure Archbishop Duoxia and seize control of the conversation.
Archbishop Duoxia showed no reaction to Yalian III's overbearing attitude, and his demeanor remained mild.
"No, Your Majesty. I, Duoxia, will never Betrayal my vows, Betrayal God, or Betrayal the Church. My Vampire form was not of my own volition, but was forcibly converted by your current Abraham overseer."
We are of the same bloodline, and there is a connection between us, Your Majesty. Therefore, I think we should try to keep our conversation as short as possible.
My main purpose in coming here this time is still for the continuation of my Church.
His Holiness the current Pope Adam has a harsh policy, and his unscrupulous methods of prolonging war have caused our Holy Lord Church to almost completely lose the orthodoxy of God's holiness and sever the foundation for the continuation of our Church.
The Papal State are doomed to defeat, and the emergence of false religions has severed the religious orthodoxy of our Holy Lord Church. If this continues, after the Papal State are defeated, our Holy Lord Church inevitably be wiped out by those false religions, with no chance of continuation.
The rise of false religions is now a fait accompli, beyond any possibility of change. My Holy Lord Church now has only one last chance... Only my Holy Lord Church's doctrines can uphold the holiness of God, only my Holy Lord Church's relics can offer a chance to destroy the Vampire. If my Holy Lord Church can complete this final transformation at this juncture, overthrow the Holy See, relinquish its rule, and solely spread my Holy Lord Church, then I may find a moment of respite...
Adam has trapped himself in his own web, and his actions have completely deviated from the tenets of our Holy Church, destroying its Holy Church foundation. Therefore, I have come here today to cooperate with Your Majesty from within, so that the Holy See will have no power to resist... From this day forward, our Holy Church will behave like a false religion, only spreading its doctrines and promoting the glory of our Holy Lord Church, but will no longer be involved in ruling power."
Archbishop Duoxia's two scarlet eyes were filled with complex emotions.
Having reached this point, Duoxia is truly caught in the middle, disliked by everyone.
His Majesty Adam, mindful of Adam's unwavering loyalty to the Church, did not kill him or conduct live experiments on him after he became Vampire; instead, he granted him ample freedom.
However, to this day, he has repaid kindness with enmity, attempting to save the Church by betraying Adam.
Yalian III frowned, his cloudy eyes fixed on Archbishop Duoxia's face.
Suspicion, shock, incomprehension, memories, relief—a series of emotions flashed through his mind, finally settling on the secret conversation he had with Archbishop Duoxia when his father was still alive.
Yalian II once said that Archbishop Duoxia's ideas had gone too far, and he wanted to use non-interference to ensure the perpetual continuation of the Church.
This is a good thing; it's a real good thing for their imperial power.
The Holy Lord Church believed in God and the existence of Heaven and Hell, which he believed could restrain the behavior and thoughts of the people, make them endure suffering, and at the same time, find solace in their spirituality, thus achieving the effect of maintaining imperial rule.
Although Yalian II ultimately failed to keep his promise to Archbishop Duoxia due to his fear of the Papal State ' Holy Judgment Order, now is clearly an excellent opportunity.
For the Yalian Imperial Family, the threat came not only from the Church, but also from Vampire like Norton who called themselves the Blood Clan.
Destroying the Old Faith would eliminate the threat of the Church, but the Vampire would be impossible to control. It would be better to preserve the Old Faith, which would both maintain the imperial rule and allow the use of the holiness of God to eliminate the Vampire, completely eradicating this disgusting creature and ensuring it could never rise again.
Moreover, even if the Old Faith is destroyed, there will New Faith. If we consider it from the perspective of ideological enslavement, destroying the Old Faith will not only bring no benefits, but will also allow the New Faith to grow stronger. When its followers are numerous, it may immediately rise up and become a second Papal State.
Therefore, it would be better to leave the Old Faith to compete with the New Faith, thereby ensuring the separation of faiths.
Just as the power delegated by the emperor to his ministers requires them to be mutually restrained and antagonistic, so too do two or even more religious sects compete with each other in order to maintain an unchanging order.
Yalian III's eyes darted around as he considered a solution.
As a member of the royal family, the concept of balance was almost ingrained in his very being.
After a moment's thought, Yalian III finally nodded slightly and said, "Alright, Archbishop Duoxia, I promise you that once the Holy See is destroyed and the Vampire cholera disappears, then the old... Holy Lord Church will be the orthodox sect officially recognized by my Boya Empire."
From this point on, you may freely pass on your Holy Lord Church, but you will no longer have the power to rule.
Vampire and the Holy See are our common enemies. Don't let me down.