The Creators: From Night City

Page 455

The hum of the sidecar motor is a silent defense.

"Cults must be eradicated!" Boss Jiang was practically gritting his teeth.

“It’s proper, Mr. Sabur. I had my colleagues do some research before I came. This ‘Silent Monks’ is registered with the city hall.”

Jiang Bing almost jumped off the car.

The sidecar crossed the Huanjing Creek and arrived at the Iris Cemetery area, where many newly built wooden houses had sprung up near what was originally a cemetery for soldiers who died in the war.

Small vegetable plots are arranged in a row, the wet soil clearly indicating that they have just been watered, and the vegetables in the fields are growing very well, showing that the owner has put a lot of care into them.

Dozens of houses are lined up in a row, making it look like a small village, no different from other places in the West.

Of course, this must take into account all the believers kneeling in the square praying.

Religion arises from humanity's blind worship, deconstruction, and conjecture of the unknown and incomprehensible phenomena.

Faith, on the other hand, originates from human desires.

They yearn for their dreams to become reality, for their desires to be fulfilled, for the unattainable to be realized, for them to learn from the virtuous, and for the gods to show them mercy.

The weak naturally have an instinctive tendency to follow the strong; this is the instinct for the continuation of genes at work.

However, religion and faith are often inextricably linked to ignorance and rigidity.

As Jiang Bing and Arthur entered the square, an old man was loudly reciting the doctrines and prayers of the 'Silent Monks'.

"May the will of the Black King be done on earth as in eternal rest."

The old man was dressed in a black robe and held a parchment book in his hands, which was printed with the iconic infinite spiral of [Anti-Entropy].

“My dear fellow monks, look at the drooping ears of wheat in the field—that is the grace of our Father, the Black King.”

He is not the terrifying lord of the underworld, but a merciful reaper wielding both the staffs of life and death. He weighs souls only to prune the overripe fruit of the tree of life, but mercifully lends a helping hand to the diseased stems.

The old man was so emotional that he couldn't help but cough as he spoke.

“Those city buildings, the abundant fruits in the fields, the long roads, the rumbling steel, the life-saving medicines—all these creations are the gifts of the ‘Black King’.”

The priest coughed twice and continued his sermon.

"He looked down upon the earth, soothed the sins, and made this lawless wilderness a kingdom of order."

All living beings are able to provide for their own needs, and food, clothing, shelter and transportation are all provided by grace and obtained cheaply.

Those who aspire to greatness should ascend to His guard, His blade, the 'angels' He uses to punish sinners, who will always be by His side!

This part is clearly about the 'Black King's Apostles,' which is also what the prostrate believers care about most.

This speech caused a disturbance among the believers, who were also dressed in black robes.

“We should heed His admonitions and exhort Him.”

The old man stepped aside to make way for the statue behind him.

Unlike the sculpture sculpted by Jiang Bing himself in the 'Black King Chapel' on Kasika Island, this statue, though rough and simple, is sculpted with a sense of 'divinity'.

He holds a scroll in his left hand and a sword in his right, his head is lowered, his face is blurred and painted black, but his eyes, painted with yellow paint, are particularly striking, as if he is looking down on all living beings from the sky.

The old man continued to guide the believers in praying toward the statue of the god.

"By the Black King!"

The believers immediately echoed in unison.

"By the Black King!"

"On top, on top, on top my ass!" one of the people who had broken down shouted angrily, his voice dominating the entire room.

Chapter 924 I really should control you

"Name?"

“Andrew Hages”.

"age?"

"48"

Jiang Bing looked up at the other person's wrinkled, 'worn-out' face and could hardly believe that this old-fashioned, almost dead-looking person was only 48.

"You're quite old," Arthur sneered from the side, while the many believers dared not speak out against him.

"Where is your hometown?" Jiang Bing continued his interrogation.

"New York"

"Profession?"

Andrew looked up cautiously at the man standing next to the pulpit, then at the burning icon behind him, and finally chose to compromise.

"As you can see, I am a priest."

"I'm asking about your identity before you became the priest here," Jiang Bing said impatiently, tapping his cane on the table beside him.

Andrew had no choice but to raise his face again, and hesitated for a long time before revealing his answer.

"Still a priest."

"Hey~" Jiang Bing almost laughed out loud.

"Who did you work for before?"

“Holy Father Jehovah.” Andrew still maintained his respect for his former boss.

"The priest was doing just fine, why did you suddenly decide to switch jobs and make such a fuss?"

"I will proclaim the mercy of my Lord, and let all believers bask in His glory." Andrew's face was full of fanaticism, he was a typical fanatic who had his mind completely absorbed in religion.

"Your Lord, Your Lord, did anyone allow you to preach? You're even basking in His glory. If you can shine, then you're basking in His glory." At this moment, Jiang Bing's mouth was full of honey, and he was extremely sarcastic.

"Look at this land of yours, a desolate wilderness, a poor and remote place, you're basking in glory without even a flashlight." Jiang Bing became more and more angry as he spoke, and almost wanted to pick up a stick and hit the other person on the head.

Logically speaking, for a fanatic like Andrew Haigs, this was the time for him to rush up and punch Jiang Bing, using violence to defend his faith and using struggle to correct the blasphemer's thoughts.

But the priest, like a startled rabbit, glanced up at Jiang Bing on the platform, then quickly lowered his head again.

"You're right."

Jiang Bing almost strained his back from the other party's reaction.

Is there something wrong with your attitude? Where did your enthusiasm go?

Jiang Bing narrowed his eyes slightly, and as the pale golden light spread, he saw through the other party's superficial thoughts.

"So you went to the 'Black King Chapel' and saw that statue?" Jiang Bing rubbed his eyes speechlessly.

“Yes,” Andrew replied meekly.

The 'Black King Chapel' houses a statue of the 'Black King' sculpted by Jiang Bing himself. It is the only statue sculpted in his original appearance. Logically speaking, as the headquarters of the 'Apostles' and the location of the torch-lighting ceremony, it can be considered a 'holy site'. Ordinary people simply have no chance to enter.

Therefore, the priest in black robes in front of us is probably no ordinary person.

"You recognized me?" Boss Jiang's tone softened at this moment.

Andrew, sparing with words, replied, "Yes."

"Alright, that's enough for now. Let them go, and have Jamie Gillis stay."

The old priest obediently complied with all their requests, while the believers glanced at the burning statue and Jiang Bing with surprised and suspicious eyes, and then dispersed with inexplicable expressions.

Jamie Gillis was a fairly young man with freckles all over his face, messy short hair, and a rosy complexion.

Although he didn't recognize Jiang Bing, he knew Arthur Morgan very well.

"Arthur, what are you doing here?"

“Your sister is very worried about you, Jamie. She came all the way to Saint Denis by herself to bring you back.”

“Why are you looking for me? I’m doing just fine here,” Jamie said, spreading his hands.

“Here are my compatriots, my guides who answer my questions, and my faith.”

“But your sister isn’t here. You can’t just leave her without a word, and then not even reply to a single letter. Your family is waiting for you to come home,” Arthur advised.

"Home? Where do I have a home anymore?"

“My gambling father gambled away the entire family’s fortune long ago, and I’ve been homeless for a long time, Arthur.”

"On the contrary, I can find my home here. I will grow under the guidance of the 'Black King,' hone my physique, and eventually become a holy person like the 'Apostles' on Kasika Holy Island."

Arthur, who works every day on Kasika Island, was completely bewildered.

"Casica Holy Island?" Jiang Bingjiang, who was standing to the side, also looked at the priest with a puzzled expression.

“Your apostles are stationed there, and the common people naturally revere them,” the priest said in a charlatan-like manner.

"So what is this place?" Jiang Bing asked.

"It's just a place of monastic life. The believers here are all homeless people. We are gathered together because of our reverence for the 'Black King'."

“If I hadn’t just checked your file and the registration information for this ‘Secret Order of Tranquility,’ I would probably have really thought you were a cult leader, Andrew Haigs.”

Jiang Bing browsed through the personnel files sent by the 'domain' from a dimension invisible to ordinary people.

"After all, it only cured your tuberculosis; most people wouldn't have the idea of ​​creating a church."

The priest bowed his head respectfully. “This is a miracle, Your Excellency. My wife and children died of tuberculosis. Without you, I would have gone with them long ago. When your servant brought me back from the land of death, I realized that my mission for the rest of my life is to proclaim your fame and let more unbelievers bask in your glory.”

'Then you should study medicine,' Jiang Bing thought to himself.

"So you opened this crash course for clergy?"

"It lasts for two or three seasons?"

“It’s all I should do,” Andrew Haigs said with an air of pride.

“I really have to control you, Andrew, and of course, Luo Yu who signed off on your approvals. You two really need to take some moral education classes.”

“I understand, Your Majesty, but despite your vehement denial, your status as a deity is undeniable.”

"I am not a goddess!"

"That is natural, but in the eyes of us humble believers, your power is omnipotent, your mercy saves lives, your divine kingdom has taken root and sprouted on this vast land, and your actions and the power you possess are undoubtedly those of our God."

Trying to argue with an angry wife, a shrewish son, a gambler who's lost everything, a Cadillac owner outside a bathhouse, or a self-righteous fanatic is the most unwise thing to do.

Therefore, Jiang Bing did not argue with the other party, but instead informed Gloria about the matter, asking her to conduct a thorough investigation from top to bottom and screen the entire [Anti-Entropy] first.

As for this 'Quiet Monastic Association', someone will naturally come to verify it later.

While religion cannot be prohibited, it absolutely cannot be ignored; at the very least, ignorance and madness must not be mixed in with it.

This is Jiang Bing's bottom line.

Meanwhile, the argument between Arthur and Jamie Gillis next door finally came to an end.

Jamie was eventually persuaded by Arthur's subtle threat, "If you don't go back and meet your sister, believe me, I'll have someone deal with you."

Chapter 925 Credit Banknotes

Arthur seems to possess an innate widow-like charisma.

Throughout his life, he was always either fetching water for widows, donating money to widows, teaching widows how to hunt, or helping widows find relatives and ask for money. He was destined to be connected with widows in this life.

Mary Lington was definitely a charming widow.

Above-average looks, dignified demeanor, refined speech, polite manners, and gentle demeanor—definitely the ideal type for a boorish old bachelor like Arthur.

The key point is that the other party is also considered his 'white moonlight'.

Jiang Bing only glanced at him from the side, but he knew that Arthur was probably done for this time.

Jamie Gillis, the "older sister," is still a child at heart. After being away from home for so long and separated from her family, she naturally couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions upon seeing them again.

The two embraced and wept for a long time. Once they calmed down, Mary immediately invited Arthur and Jiang Bing into the house for a chat.

To be honest, it's clear that Mary inherited a considerable fortune from Mr. Lington. The houses she temporarily rented in Saint Denis were all detached houses, only slightly worse than the ones Jiang Bing rented back then.

Faced with the invitation, Arthur hesitated, but his best friend, Mr. Sabur Lerek, was not about to miss this great opportunity to watch the drama unfold, and without a word, he squeezed through the door.

Arthur had no choice but to keep up.

Jiang Bing nodded and greeted Mary Lington with practiced ease, then plopped down on the sofa without any hesitation, watching the two of them.