Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
“Is that the Underworld Monarch Frog, too?” Mo Fan asked, pointing at the deathly light in the night sky.
“I told you it’s none of your concern!” Blue Bat seemed a little angry.
However, she was not suspicious at all. Those that were capable in the Black Vatican were normally inclined to act as they pleased.
“I’ll take that as a yes then! I’m looking forward to it!” Mo Fan exclaimed.
“Looking forward to what?” Blue Bat asked in a confused voice.
“Aren’t you looking forward to seeing what kind of ceremony our Master Cold Prince prepared for us? Aren’t you interested in what the Underworld Monarch Frogs are pulling?” Mo Fan asked like a typical maniac.
“I guess,” Blue Bat answered casually.
Mo Fan had yet to recover his strength, due to his injuries. It was unlikely he could stop the Underworld Monarch Frog.
Mo Fan was confident that there was more than one Underworld Monarch Frog. The members of the Black Vatican were sent to different locations to summon the Underworld Monarch Frogs!
Each Underworld Monarch Frog had around two thousand Yoked under its command. These Yoked were a lot stronger than ordinary undead. They were like an army of undead marching toward the Central Plain.
The Yoked already posed a great threat to the Central Plain, but Mo Fan was more worried about whatever existed at the end of the chains that the Underworld Monarch Frogs were tied to. Mo Fan had yet to see any true authority of the Black Vatican. He was sure people like the Chief Extraditor, Unas, and the Cold Prince were responsible for this conspiracy. These Blue Deacons he had stumbled into were just a minor part of it.
It was like the chains around the Underworld Monarch Frogs. The Yoked were leading at the front, followed by the Underworld Monarch Frogs that were mostly still in the Underworld. There was something even deadlier behind the Underworld Monarch Frogs!
Mo Fan could not afford to expose himself yet. There was more than one Underworld Monarch Frog. Taking one of them out would only delay the Black Vatican’s plan a little. It was meaningless.
Northdeer was not a codename he had randomly come up with. As a matter of fact, it was an important agent that Leng Qing had managed to identify inside the Black Vatican. It was not just a person, but a codename. The people of the Black Vatican knew the codename, and it seemed to be quite reputable.
Leng Qing had managed to learn the codename. She could have used it to escape the hunt, but she chose not to. When Mo Fan was pursuing the Shepherd and Cheng Ying, the person with the codename noticed Mo Fan and identified himself as Northdeer. To successfully infiltrate the Black Vatican, Mo Fan had gone all out and killed every member of the Black Vatican sent by the Chief Extraditor, including the Shepherd, Cheng Ying, and Northdeer!
Mo Fan was truly worn out after the battle, but he had purposely endured the pain from the pecking of the condors…
There was more than one Underworld Monarch Frog. The Shepherd and Cheng Ying were only a part of the conspiracy. Mo Fan knew the risk of being exposed if he used the codename Northdeer and infiltrated the Black Vatican, but he had no choice but to take it!
The trail that Leng Qing followed had ended at the codename Northdeer, so Mo Fan had no idea where to start. The dangers waiting ahead were completely unknown. Mo Fan had no choice but to continue with his disguise until he learned the Black Vatican’s final plan…
Luckily, the Cold Prince’s way of doing things was not as confusing as Salan’s. Even if Mo Fan managed to disguise himself as a Blue Deacon when Salan’s conspiracy was in motion, it was very likely that he would still have no idea what she was up to, since the key to her conspiracy was a cold rain that could occur at any time!
“I feel sorry for these people. Look, that farmer doesn’t even know where he should be going,” Blue Bat said mockingly, staring at one of the farmers.
Mo Fan was surprised after he took a glance at the farmer.
“Is your job just to stand here and watch?” Mo Fan asked.
“I told you it’s none of your concern!” Blue Bat snapped.
“Let’s take a look over there. Maybe a little accident is going to happen,” Mo Fan said, pointing at the vague deathlight in the distance.
Blue Bat hesitated for a while before nodding.
The two approached the deathlight. The Ritual was being conducted behind a barren hill. It was impossible to tell the difference between the deathlight and the night sky without taking a close look at it.
Mo Fan picked up an unpleasant scent after crossing the hill. It was most likely the unique smell of the Dark Beast Monsters and Cursed Beasts, a stench that gave him an urge to massacre them all on the spot!
Mo Fan and Blue Bat continued on. Since they were both Blue Deacons, the Black Clergy at the entrance fell to their knees and submitted to them. The strong disparities between the ranks in the Black Vatican were similar to feudalism!
Mo Fan played the part of Northdeer, who was known for his strange behavior, perfectly. When he walked past, he stomped on the head of a Black Clergy whom he found to be an eyesore, slamming the Black Clergy’s head to the ground.
“What are you doing?” Blue Bat said disgustedly.
“Didn’t you see? Everyone else’s heads are almost sticking to the ground, but his was still ten centimeters above it. He doesn’t respect us enough,” Mo Fan replied indifferently.
The rest of the Black Clergy immediately dropped their heads lower after witnessing Mo Fan’s violence. They did not even dare to look at Mo Fan’s shoes.
The face of the Black Clergy whom Mo Fan had stomped on was covered in blood. He did not dare say a single word or resist despite the grudge he was holding.
“When you’ve reached my rank, you can step on whoever’s face as you please, including mine…” Mo Fan let out a hollow laugh and strutted past the Black Clergy.
Blue Bat was left speechless. She waved her hand, signaling one of her men to carry the injured man away.
—
As they kept going, they finally saw more Blue Deacons. Countless curse marks were floating in the air behind the barren hill. They were aligned in a strange Star Palace and assembling a gate connecting the different dimensions.
The gate was still being constructed. It looked like a magnificent project. Mo Fan had already seen something similar being done by the Shepherd and Cheng Ying, whom he had conveniently killed.
However, someone had Summoned an Underworld Monarch Frog before them. Mo Fan was unable to stop it. He could only inform Zhao Manyan urgently, hoping that the fortress could stop it…
“You seem to have left your post?” a hoarse voice spoke up.
Mo Fan saw a Blue Deacon talking to him. He immediately recognized the man as the Blue Deacon who was with Blue Bat previously by his voice. His rank seemed to be a little higher…
The man looked at Mo Fan and chuckled when he saw his scarred face, “How does it feel to have your face destroyed?”
“Not too bad, at least Blue Bat still thinks I’m charming!” Mo Fan chuckled back.
They were both Blue Deacons, so it was unnecessary to be courteous to one another. Since the man had agreed to take him in, they were now associates, even though the man was still in command.
“We’ve investigated the village. There isn’t anyone suspicious,” Blue Bat said.
“Violet Ghost.” The man reached his hand out like a gentleman.
“Northdeer.” Mo Fan placed his hands behind his head. He completely ignored Violet Ghost’s friendly gesture.
“I know…” Violet Ghost stared at Mo Fan closely. He seemed to be a little suspicious.
Violet Ghost was obviously a lot more scheming than the naive Blue Bat. He did not trust Mo Fan fully. He might believe Mo Fan was Northdeer, but he was used to suspecting everyone around him after so many years. It had helped him to expose many people who were trying to infiltrate them. Violet Ghost had been entrusted with the task of ferreting out the spies among them for a long time. He tortured them for years…
“How’s the progress?” Mo Fan asked.
“Better than your group; at least we won’t be wiped out,” Violet Ghost glanced at a few of the Mages who were setting up the magic formation.
These Mages were sacrificing their souls to open a gate connected to the Underworld. It was necessary to sacrifice a few lives. These Mages were extremely fanatical. They were willing to sacrifice themselves for the Church, in exchange for a formidable status in the kingdom of the dead!
The truth was, most Blue Deacons did not believe in the idea. They only believed in the Red Cardinals; the Disciples and Clergy were under their control, people whom they could order around like slaves!
The Blue Deacons treated their own lives preciously, but they were crueler than anyone!
“We can only blame it on the Shepherd for being an idiot. He didn’t even know he was being followed. Luckily, the Chief Extraditor was able to predict it…” Mo Fan said.
“Oh? So you’re one of the Chief Extraditor’s men? What is he called?” Violet Ghost squinted and asked.
“You really got me there! Maybe I’m from the Enforcement Union, since I really have no idea what his name is, but that would also mean everyone here is from the Enforcement Union, since none of you know his name either…” Mo Fan replied.
“I’m not asking for his name!” Violet Ghost snarled.
“Oh, Crimson Ghost,” Mo Fan replied casually.
Violet Ghost was startled. He soon burst out laughing. His doubts were all gone.
Mo Fan was relieved when he saw the man lowering his guard.
Luckily he had learned the Chief Extraditor’s codename when he was eavesdropping on the conversation between Cheng Ying and the Chief Extraditor in the cave. Otherwise, his identity would definitely have been exposed by the suspicious Blue Deacon!
“Are you one of the Chief Extraditor’s men too, Violet Ghost?” Mo Fan asked.
“Yeah, I’m one of the Seven Ghosts,” Violet Ghost said.
The Cold Prince had Seven Ghosts under his lead. Among them, Crimson Ghost was the Chief Extraditor, while Orange Ghost, Yellow Ghost, Green Ghost, Blue Ghost, Indigo Ghost, and Violet Ghost were all Deacons and Great Deacons, their power slightly higher than the normal Blue Deacons.
“No wonder you’re ranked the lowest…” Mo Fan chuckled when he saw the proud look on Violet Ghost’s face.
“What did you just say!?” Violet Ghost’s expression shifted. A murderous aura burst out of his body like a storm.
“Calm down. I’ll tell you something to thank you for saving my life,” Mo Fan continued.
“Humph, if it’s some kind of nonsense, I’ll feed you to the condors and make sure not even a single bone is left!” Violet Ghost promised.
“I saw an old farmer roaming aimlessly around in a panic, yet he seems to be heading this way. Are the men that you’ve arranged to be on guard just for display?” Mo Fan inquired.
Violet Ghost looked at Blue Bat. The woman nodded, indicating that she had seen the old farmer, too.
“Is there something wrong about him?” Blue Bat asked.
“He’s from the Enforcement Union!” Mo Fan stated.