Chapter 620: Chapter 168: Meeting at Last Behind Enemy Lines (Requesting Monthly Votes)_3

The old priest said again, “The Lord’s call grows more urgent.”

Below the stage, voices loudly chanted in unison, “The Lord’s call grows more urgent! The Lord’s enemies grow more insane! If family obstructs me, they stand against me! If friends dissuade me, behead and shed blood to discern the loyal from the treacherous! Remember well the Lord’s teachings, devoted hearts can offer devotion!”

Each time the old priest started a song or a poem, the believers below could follow with a hymn or a verse.

Their voices were unified, filled with passion, fervor, and exhaustion.

It seemed they could not scream out all the praises in their hearts loud enough.

Among them, there were naturally some who were out of tune, merely moving their lips without making a sound, blending into the crowd just to make up the numbers.

Sadly, everyone else was too excited, too spirited, and these people went unnoticed.

“Are these people here just to share in the gains?” Xu Shu wondered, growing even more curious about what exactly this so-called “Qiansui juice” was.

This was the largest Esoteric Buddhism gathering he had seen so far!

Xu Shu swayed along with the logistics team, circling around the hall.

He quickly realized that his destination was the square stage at the center.

That was right behind the old priest.

There, a huge coffin was enshrined.

Given its size, it might better be termed a sarcophagus.

Could “Qiansui” be inside?

Xu Shu speculated.

The logistics team moved forward, skirting the edge of the hall, changing direction, and began heading towards the stage.

Just then, Xu Shu suddenly flowed out from the bucket.

Silent and unnoticed, he arrived behind a believer who was loudly praising the Lord and crawled under his clothes.

“I praise the Lord, for I am sinful and the Lord has forgiven me! I praise the Lord, for I—ah! Uh, uh~”

The man suddenly stopped because he felt something sticky wrapping around his neck, choking him.

He had once felt fear, but gradually he could no longer think;

He had once screamed, but gradually he could no longer make a sound.

He was strangled to death by the liquid Xu Shu, his life drowned out amid the escalating praises.

Slurp!

His clothes bulged like a snake and quickly returned to normal, heaving and spreading across his body.

Underneath a white sack, a pair of bright eyes shone.

“I, too, praise the Lord,” Xu Shu said with a smile.

He killed the man and took his place.

It was quite convenient for Xu Shu that the cultists wore hoods; now no one could recognize him.

Where did the man’s body go?

Narrow Sleeve Guanyin burped, emitting a satisfied noise: “Gurgle gurgle, belch.”

Then came the timid words of Ji Yu’s sister, conveyed through gestures to Xu Shu’s ears: “Sir, Sister Corpse Dog thanks you, Sister Corpse Dog is very pleased with this place, Sister Corpse Dog wants to eat more.”

Yang God·Corpse Dog, Yang God·Purification, they feasted flawlessly.

Xu Shu lowered his gaze, expressing his stance silently, then also raised his hands, opening his mouth as if to speak, but making no sound.

A woman beside him, her voice hoarse from shouting, paused to drink some water, looking somewhat displeased at Xu Shu: “Don’t be so perfunctory, you must submit to the Lord, serve Him faithfully, and only then can you approach the Divine Kingdom!”

“…” Xu Shu was speechless.

“I’m talking to you, standing before the Lord, we must wholly submit to Him!” the woman scolded.

Xu Shu felt awkward.

Great, this woman seems to think she’s his wife!

At that moment, pushing carts and hauling buckets, the logistics team brought fresh flesh to the front of the priest, like generals who have won a great battle.

The old priest paused, touched their heads tenderly and lovingly, and said, “Well done, the Lord will remember your sacrifices, the Lord says, those who work for me should not go hungry. Stick around today, join us for the holy communion.”

The logistics team members were instantly overjoyed, kneeling on the ground, kowtowing, kissing the priest’s shoes, and crying out, “Praise the grace of the Lord.”

“Um.”

The old priest nodded and continued, “Let’s end today’s praise here, and next, we’ll receive the blessing from Qiansui.”

As he finished speaking, the shouts from below surged even louder, “Praise my Lord! Praise my Lord!”

Pairs of eyes, fervently fixed on the old priest.

And the coffin behind him.

The old priest opened a door beside the stage and let the logistics team bring in the fresh blood meal.

Gurgle! Gurgle!

A series of teeth-gritting scraping sounds echoed, but the surrounding crowd was not afraid at all; they were filled with excitement and anticipation, waiting for Qiansui to finish its meal, waiting for it to bestow blessings on behalf of the Lord.

Sister Corpse Dog and Ji Yu were also very satisfied.

They had eaten another, devoured “Xu Shu’s” wife.

There was no helping it, she was too annoying. Whenever Xu Shu kept silent, she would come and push him. Seeing that their identities were about to be exposed, Xu Shu could only send her to reunite with her husband.

He hoped they wouldn’t argue in the Divine Kingdom of the Lord.

Xu Shu was now somewhat curious about what “Qiansui” really was. With such a classically styled coffin, it gave the impression that there was a thousand-year-old zombie inside?

This thousand-year-old zombie and the “Praise the Lord” cultists here, didn’t their styles clash somewhat?

Finally, “Qiansui” finished its meal.

Creak creak~

Creak creak~

The coffin board kept shaking, and one after another, strands of black viscous fluid, like live slugs, spilled over from the edges of the coffin, dripping continuously.

This was the “Qiansui Juice.”

The believers cheered loudly; they could hardly wait to throw themselves at it and drink heartily, but they dared not behave recklessly.

The old priest waved his hand, summoning the “Lord’s attendants” nearby. They pushed a cart and collected all the spilling black blood into a large iron barrel.

On the outside of the large barrel, there was a tap.

They opened the tap and using dark thumb cups, filled each small cup and started moving around the hall, distributing “Qiansui Juice” circle by circle.

Xu Shu watched; their manners were all very polite, very aware of gratitude, addressing each other as brothers and sisters.

This didn’t surprise him, as almost all Esoteric Buddhisms stress that believers are all one family.

At that moment, Xu Shu noticed that the old priest seemed tired.

Right now, as everyone awaited the Lord’s grace, no one cared about him anymore.

He walked down from the stage by himself, looking quite weary, and he happened to walk up to Xu Shu and into a small compartment behind him, where he sat down on a long bench inside to rest.

He was too tired, so tired that he couldn’t be bothered to lock the door properly, leaving a gap the size of a palm.

Xu Shu shifted his sight, glanced at him, and thought about whether to switch identities again. He just didn’t know if he could play it well, as he was also unfamiliar with their rules and might give himself away.

While he hesitated, the old priest felt a bit stuffy and leaned against the wall, removing the white burlap sack he was wearing on his head.

The old priest breathed heavily, one of his eyes rolling upwards and the other downwards, moving quickly then slowly.

The old priest’s expression bore no trace of fervor.

He seemed to be pondering, filled with conflicts, doubts, regrets, joys, helplessness, curiosity, murderous intent, compassion, and despair.

Xu Shu had never seen so many expressions on one person’s face all at once.

Like himself right now, his expression was only one — his face was completely stiff.

His heart almost uncontrollably leaped out of his chest.

His legs nearly started running involuntarily.

His eyeballs were about to fall out right then and there!

This old priest wasn’t old at all.

He was Yu Mingluan.

This old priest was Archbishop Yu Mingluan!