A living group of inquisitors.
Simply priceless!
In the early days of the Golden Age, all the power of the Order, the Holy City, the nations, and even the human world were used to create a miracle in order to open up the dark world.
Each one of them can be called an elite and genius in the human world, and the funds and materials spent to create them far exceed their weight in lapis lazuli.
Spread light into the dark world, open up the wasteland into fertile soil, and shine human civilization into the deepest part of the darkness...
They had been a myth until the "Great Retreat" when the natural disaster struck.
Ye Qingxuan never thought that the Ministry of Doctrine of the Faith still preserved their existence!
Even if they are no longer the strongest group of the first generation, but even if they are the last generation before being disbanded, even if they have nothing, are old and dying... they still have the power of the past!
It is not a piece of music that can destroy mountains and rivers with the power of one person compared to a thousand, but something more essential, something that only the Inquisition can survive and can continuously create a legacy of new judges.
"Elder Stone, you should know that I am here to restore the Inquisition."
Ye Qingxuan looked at him and said in a solemn voice: "I promise you in the name of the sword holder that if you help me save Angel, then I will give you all support on behalf of Angel and provide you with everything you need. Material resources and talents. Regardless of the attitudes of the countries and the Holy City, I will re-establish the Inquisition. The four hundred organists I brought this time are enough to re-establish a new 'Witch's Hammer' and a new Knight of Inquisition... I can guarantee that you will establish your own armed group in the territory of Angru. It will not be controlled by anyone except me, not even the emperor of Anglu. Just like the 'Chainsaw Monks', As long as you follow me, I can give you the status and treatment they received in the land of Canaan.”
silence.
In the silence, there was only the noise of the group of old people fighting outside the curtain.
Shi Dong lowered his eyes, seeming to be considering, but also looking like he was in a daze, just looking at the air in front of him, even though it was empty.
After a long time, he made a voice:
"I see."
But he didn't say anything else.
Ye Qingxuan frowned.
"Elder Stone, I feel that the guarantee I can give is all sincerity and what I can give. I don't like pretentious negotiations and trivial arguments. If you expect a higher price, please Forgive me for not being able to do anything.”
Stone sighed.
He raised his fingers, scratched his sad face, and spoke with a metal voice box: "Mr. Ye, do you know what my original position was in the Inquisition?"
Ye Qingxuan remained silent waiting for an answer.
"Accounting."
Stone smiled, "I'm an accountant."
Ye Qingxuan was stunned.
"Sorry, Mr. Ye, I am not a purification knight or a judge, I am not even a monk or a priest." Shi Dong chuckled, as if he had been expecting Ye Qingxuan's shocked look:
"As early as the year before last, the last great knight died. The only one who survived was me, the accountant."
"Do you need an accountant? Mr. Ye, an accountant who can do accounting, lend money, and avoid taxes for you?" He said, "I promise, I am the best one. I even used the name of the Holy City to make war loans and bonds to the emperors of various countries, ruthlessly taking away huge amounts of interest every year from their hands, turning all those countries into inquisitions, witch hammers and money printing machines for the Knights Templar... But you Is this the kind of person we need?”
Ye Qingxuan was silent.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Ye. Our time has passed, please don't force others to do anything."
"Have you never thought about re-establishing the Inquisition? Elder Stone."
Ye Qingxuan looked at him and asked word for word: "Never?"
Stone laughed to himself.
"I am very old, Mr. Ye."
Stone said softly, "I am already two hundred and thirty years old, and few people can live as long as me. In order to survive, I gave up a lot of things."
He stretched out his hand, opened the curtain, and showed Ye Qingxuan the noisy scene outside the curtain. He pointed at the old men who were slightly younger than himself: "Look, they are still dreaming of unrealistic dreams. And I am already alive." I just want to die."
His words were full of exhaustion from the heart, and he showed his ugly face to the young man in front of him without concealing it: "What you just said is very good, all good, and they are all very precious opportunities, but for me It’s… worthless.”
Worthless.
Ye Qingxuan closed his eyes.
In the long silence, there was only the noise outside the curtain and Ye Qingxuan's deep breathing.
After a long while, he raised his eyes again, looked at Shi Dong, and asked word by word:
"You think I am not qualified to be the Grand Inquisitor. You are telling me these words to ask me to give up my ideas. You would rather bury the Inquisition in a grave than deliver it into my hands. Because in your opinion , I am not qualified to inherit your property at all, right?"
Facing the young man's sharp eyes, Shi Dong smiled.
He nodded.
He expressed his attitude without any disguise.
"you're right."
"Who do you think is more qualified than me?"
Stone shook his head.
"It's not because of that, Mr. Ye, it's not like that."
His voice was hoarse: "If you had not brought this holy belt here today, you would have seen me in the welcoming line the first moment you arrived on the island. Next, I will ask you to help us rebuild the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , praying for Angel’s help and strength, and at all costs, even if he kneels down, even if he turns everyone into Angel’s mercenaries, he must continue to pass on the Doctrine of the Faith... "
He said, "You want our music, our technology, our manpower, I can give you all of that. But that's not what you're here for, right?"
He raised his palm and held the sacred belt in his palm:
"You want it, you want the Inquisition, but this can't be done."
Shi Dong said:
"—Absolutely impossible."
"Why?" Ye Qingxuan asked: "Because Michelle died because of me?"
"of course not."
Stone seemed to have heard a joke: "There are so many people in the Doctrine of the Faith who have died because of others. It's not like the Grand Inquisitor has never killed his own people. Don't talk about Michelle. Even if you kill me, you will kill me." No one will say anything if their bones are crushed into ashes and thrown into the sea to make fish bait. But, Mr. Ye, you have to understand - 'Grand Inquisitor' is more than just a title. It is the belief of many people, do you understand? This It’s a name that many… people who have died sacrificed and fought for at all costs.”
Ye Qingxuan listened quietly and nodded:
"So I don't deserve it?"
Shi Dong waved his hand, "Do you know what a natural disaster is?"
Ye Qingxuan couldn't help but want to laugh.
No one in this world knows what a natural disaster is better than myself.
But Shi Dong looked at him:
"I know your resume and deeds. In this aspect, there are only a handful of people in the world who can compare with you, even among the great inquisitors in the past. But Mr. Ye, you know that for ordinary people , what is a natural disaster?"
Ye Qingxuan was silent.
"Big, terrifying, powerful, immortal... Do you know how ordinary people feel when facing natural disasters?"
Stone asked: "When you see an existence beyond human imagination, you feel the despair and powerlessness from the bottom of your heart. After beyond the ordinary perspective, you have thoughts and doubts about the meaning of human existence, ridicule and guilt for your small self... Can you feel it?"
"Can you face a natural disaster?"
Shi Dong's voice continued: "It's not you alone, but a group of people, thousands, tens of thousands, with those who admire you, those who trust you, those who do not hesitate to entrust their lives to you. The person in your hands..."
"Can you lead such people? Give them the courage to fight against endless monsters and impossible natural disasters to fight for that glimmer of hope."
He looked at Ye Qingxuan, and the metal vocal cords made a hoarse sound of steel friction: "Then, can you ruthlessly issue the order to annihilate their entire army for the sake of victory? Can you do it at any cost, even if you bring down all the countries? Go into the abyss, use all human beings as bets, and make a huge gamble with this world?"
He asked, "Can you?"
Ye Qingxuan was silent.
"This is a war, Mr. Ye, a war between humans and non-humans. A war that started in the Dark Ages, continues to the present, and will continue into the future."
"—Blow its horn. This is the essence of the Grand Inquisitor and the Inquisition."
After a long silence, Ye Qingxuan smiled, seemingly laughing at himself:
"Is this the kind of leader you want? What you want... is this?"
"Mr. Ye, I have already said: I am old, so old that I just want to wait to die."
Stone closed his eyes tiredly, "I just want to have a burial place in the future. I can die in the hands of the enemy in a glorious war and leave my remains on the battlefield. Can you help me find it?" Is that a battlefield? Can you find that battlefield that is worthy of us spilling blood, suffering pain, sacrificing our lives, and setting our souls on fire?"
In the long silence, Ye Qingxuan suddenly laughed.
Smile easily and happily.
"Then, let me change the conditions."
He looked at the old man in front of him and said calmly:
"-Is it enough for you to die on the way to the Eastern Expedition?"
Dead silence.
Deathly silence fell suddenly.
In an instant, it seemed as if even the sound of breathing had disappeared.
Even the group of old people who were intoxicated in the battle flag deduction and their sweet dreams stopped abruptly. Everyone turned back stiffly and stared at Ye Qingxuan.
The old and turbid pupils were shining with red light.
Like an unquenchable flame in the embers.
Fanatic and dangerous.
Burn this guy who made a joke of their unforgettable dream of victory to ashes!
It's also like being full of longing, longing for the possibility that is so far away that it almost doesn't exist.
"Eastern Expedition?"
Shi Dong no longer fell asleep. He opened his eyes. The old man's laziness and politeness faded away, replaced by an iron-like ferocity.
He looked at Ye Qingxuan: "You mean the Eastern Expedition?"
"That's right, the 10th Eastern Expedition."
Ye Qingxuan said: "The real Eastern Expedition, the real pioneering, fight all the way to the easternmost edge of Asgard, rebuild the White Stone Fortress, and penetrate the dark world."
"you can do it?"
Shi Dong leaned forward, dragging the heavy restraints, and looked at Ye Qingxuan, as if holding a sword, his eyes became cold:
"Can you do it? Ye Qingxuan!"