Chapter 007: The Price of Blood

Soft sunlight streamed through the colorful stained glass, casting a gentle glow throughout the chapel. The light was bright yet not harsh, filled with an atmosphere of extreme sanctity.

A unique banquet was taking place in this chapel. A long table was covered with white cloth, and each person had a small glass in front of them filled with half a cup of mead. Next to each glass was a tiny piece of meat, but few people touched it.

This was a ritual in the Holy Church second only to baptism—the Eucharist. If not for the arrival of Grand Knight Joshua, none of those present would have been qualified to partake in this meal, though it was merely ordinary bread and wine.

Everyone wore a solemn expression, with no one daring to say a word more. Holy hymns whispered softly in the air, and the light from the altar made one feel compelled to worship.

Finally, it was over. The one who presided over this sacred ritual was, of course, Priest Du Fan in his white robes. He slowly descended from the altar, his face beaming with a dazzling holiness.

Joshua, sitting at the back, smiled slightly upon seeing Du Fan come down and said, “Priest Du Fan remains as devout as ever. Without your prayers at the capital’s altar, even the holy light seems much dimmer. The believers in the capital long for your return. How are you preparing, Du Fan? Lord Anthony is extremely eager for your return.”

George and Allen beside him were momentarily stunned and about to speak.

But Du Fan waved his hand slightly and said, “Lord Joshua, since you’ve brought it up, under any circumstances I should return to the capital at once. Yet, alas, even though I wish to leave now, I cannot!”

Joshua frowned slightly and asked, “Oh! Is there anything more important than Lord Anthony’s summons?”

Du Fan slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again. He gazed at the grand knight before him and sighed softly, saying, “Lord Joshua, I suppose Lord Xiao Yulong has already informed you of what’s happened in Moduo these past days?”

Joshua nodded. “Is that what worries you? Rest assured, as long as I’m here, no one will dare to harm you!”

Du Fan smiled faintly and said, “Lord Joshua, I suppose you’ve misunderstood me. I’m not worried that someone else will try to assassinate me. Even if I die from an assassination, it doesn’t matter much… There’s only one thing I’m concerned about…”
Joshua asked, “What is it?”
Du Fan looked up at the statue above him and said calmly, “If I die, it means nothing. But I, Du Fan, am a White Robe Priest of the Holy Church. You must be well aware of the purpose of my journey to the North. Yet on my way back, some people keep interfering with my plans— the night attack in Rui Gen City, the rebellion in Moduo Square, the assassination attempt at the Governor’s residence… Each time, it was aimed at me personally. I believe I’ve never done anything to deserve such hatred, yet someone wants to prevent me from leaving the North at all costs. Lord Joshua… what do you think they’re really targeting?”
Joshua’s expression remained unchanged. “No matter what they’re targeting, it means nothing in front of me.”
“That’s not true,” Du Fan said softly. “Perhaps we can ignore it, but Lord Joshua, since these things have happened, they might already be spread throughout the empire. I may be just a minor figure, but I’m still the third young master of the Green family and a White Robe Priest of the Holy Church. If I do nothing after being the target of repeated assassination attempts, how can I preserve my own dignity? How can the Green family preserve its dignity? How can the Holy Church preserve its dignity?”
A slight change appeared on Joshua’s face as he frowned slightly. “So, Du Fan, what are you suggesting…”
“The Lord said, ‘I will avenge those who hate me’…” Du Fan stared at Joshua intently. “If others want my life, how can I not take theirs in return?”
“But…”
“There’s no ‘but’…” Du Fan smiled faintly. “If Lord Joshua is still worried, let it be this: if anything happens as a result, I, Du Fan, will take full responsibility.”
Joshua closed his eyes slightly, as if seeing that holy figure before him. “On this journey to the North, let everything go as he wishes!”
Suddenly, he shuddered. Lord Anthony! Could it be you had already predicted that Du Fan would make such a request?

At this thought, Joshua no longer hesitated. He nodded slightly and said in a cold voice, “Very well. If Young Master Du Fan insists on it, as you wish. I, Joshua, will step back for now. From this moment on, whatever you ask, just speak up!”
Du Fan smiled slightly and said, “Then thank you, Lord Joshua, for agreeing to this!”
Joshua nodded again. He placed a hand on the Holy Cross Sword at his waist, turned sharply, and slowly walked away. His armor and sacred combat energy made him appear extremely divine.
Several priests who had participated in the ceremony saw this and quickly followed after him. Du Fan suddenly said loudly, “I’m sure you all understand that you didn’t see or hear anything about today’s events, right?”
The priests trembled and then quickly retreated.
Only Du Fan, George, and Allen remained in the cathedral.
Allen frowned upon seeing this and said, “Third brother, no matter who we have to deal with, with the three of us here, there’s nothing we can’t handle. Whoever in the North wants your life, I guarantee they’ll die without even a proper burial.”
Du Fan smiled slightly and said, “Second brother, it’s not like that. Although I know that with the strength of the Northern Legion, it would be easy for them to avenge me, there are many things better left to others. I think Eldest brother understands this better than I do.”
George laughed and said, “It seems our third brother isn’t an ordinary person after all… Second brother, he’s right. Given his current status, being the third young master of the Green family is secondary; rather, his identity as a White Robed Priest of the Holy Church is extremely important. We just need to remember that what was assassinated here is not only the third young master of the Green family but also a White Robed Priest of the Holy Church.”
Allen was stunned and asked, “Eldest brother, what exactly do you mean?”
“Don’t you understand?” George replied calmly. “Who do you think in the North would dare to attack our third brother? If it were just one faction, that would be fine, but I’m afraid there are other forces involved. Anyway, it’s perfect if the Holy Church takes the blame for this. We might even use the Holy Church’s power to eradicate half of the problems in the North.”
Allen said, “Could it be the Belinger family who wants the third brother’s life?”

George and Du Fan exchanged a glance and both smiled. After a moment, Du Fan said in a low voice, “Elder brother, although there’s nothing wrong with this, why do we have to target only those who have done such things for revenge? At a time like this, under the guise of revenge and using the name of the Holy Church, even if we manage to uproot half of that large group in the North, nothing will happen. Are you planning to miss such a rare opportunity?”
“I see,” Allen nodded, but soon frowned and said, “That’s not right, third brother. Joshua is definitely not a fool. If we had this plan, how could he not understand?”
Du Fan nodded. “He will naturally understand, but he should understand even more that if things don’t go as I want, I can cause him a huge problem at any time. And if I’m right, Lord Anthony must have hinted to him that he should follow my lead this time…”
With that, Du Fan smiled coldly again. “Besides, this time I’m not just trying to teach the Belinger family a lesson—I want them to understand that those who dare to attack me, Du Fan, must pay a price, a price soaked in blood…”
George let out a soft sigh. He naturally understood Du Fan’s meaning. Given his third brother’s nature, the Belinger family was likely to suffer heavy losses this time…
Du Fan looked at his eldest brother and suddenly smiled. “Elder brother, how’s progress on the list I gave you?”
George sneered. “What else could there be? I’ve already sent people to investigate these people’s backgrounds. If there’s the slightest doubt, I’ll have them arrested right away. Given the current situation, no one would dare defy the Northern Army.”
Du Fan frowned. “Why investigate? Just arrest them all at once. I doubt that girl would dare to deceive me on such matters. I’ve already rescued her accomplices and sent people to bring back all the servants captured by Governor Brandon. If she dares to lie to me, I’ll show her what it’s like to see her own people die right in front of her.”
George sighed slightly. “Third brother, one should always leave a backdoor. What if a few of these people are innocent? As long as I have people watching those on the list, even if we don’t arrest them now, will they dare to cause trouble later?”