Chapter 37: Your Purity Is Insufficient!
"It is already the final stage."
"Soon, very soon…"
"This land of wickedness shall be cleansed by the wrath of the divine."
In the shadow-covered warehouse of Far East University, the only visible beam of sunlight shines upon the courtyard.
Professor Heihe fervently gazes at the writhing ebony entity in the pool.
It is as though it has congealed like a quagmire, yet undeniably possesses vitality.
The ritual is known as "Summoning of the Malevolent Deity."
However, destined to fail it is, for it lacks the sacrificial offering.
However, even a failed ritual can be harnessed, and even if the malevolent deity's will manifests only in a fraction, it is enough to leave remnants in the physical realm, capable of unleashing devastation.
The fanatical devotees of the malevolent deity feverishly gaze upon the increasingly animated remnants of the maleficent entity.
However, his gaze was abruptly interrupted by a peculiar sound that resonated unexpectedly.
"Someone is coming, go… kill him," Professor Heihe said to the woman dressed as a janitor.
"Yes," the malevolent deity's devotee smiled, retrieving a sharp deboning knife from a nearby bag.
She turned and rushed out of the warehouse area.
Soon, the sound of metal collision could be heard, resembling some discordant jazz music.
It lasted for less than a brief ten seconds, immediately ceasing its activity.
The character who was about to take the stage for a performance was still warming up their voice, but suddenly their singing was abruptly interrupted, and the microphone was unplugged.
Zi zi zi… The piercing metal scraped against the ground, emitting fragmented sounds that grew closer and closer.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the warehouse, polite knocking sounds of "thump, thump" could be heard.
The young man walked in, carrying a Han sword in his hand. The blade was partially stained with blood. He tossed the deboning knife towards Heihe, and the weapon slid to his feet.
"Sorry for the inconvenience."
"Now… should we follow the procedure or proceed directly?"
Bai Wei sized up the mastermind behind the scenes and inquired politely.
[Heihe Shun]
[Associate Professor of Jurisprudence at Far East University]
[Senior Evangelist at Gospel Church]
[Purported Believer of the Sinister Deity]
[Comprehensive Level: 27]
[Vitality: 73%]
[Anomalous Index: 65%]
[Friendly Tip: High level of danger, but in a vulnerable state]
He is intentionally bleeding himself, which is the direct cause of his weakened state. The Sinister Deity particularly favors offerings from the material world, especially those of flesh and blood. Therefore, followers are both subjects and ingredients, and it is not uncommon for them to sacrifice themselves in summoning rituals.
"You are not a resident of Yingzhou," Professor Heihe said in a deep voice.
"I am a person from the Ming Country."
"Then you shall go, this matter has nothing to do with you," the missionary's gaze returned to the fragment of the Sinister Deity.
"Oh, alright. My apologies for the interruption," Bai Wei turned around and exited the warehouse.
Three seconds later, he walked back in and said, "Did you think I would simply nod and bid farewell like that?"
"If you don't leave, you will die here," Professor Heihe said expressionlessly. "My revenge is solely directed towards Yingzhou. It has nothing to do with you. Why risk your life for those people? It's simply not worth it…"
"Ah?" Bai Wei crossed his arms and glanced at the rapidly decreasing health bar of Professor Heihe and the summoning ritual that exceeded a fifty percent increase. Calmly, he said, "It seems you have many stories to tell… Let's follow the procedure first. Go ahead and tell me, why do you hate Yingzhou so much?"
Let's try some talk therapy first and wait until the enemy becomes weaker.
"Ah, there's nothing much to say," Heihe's voice became hoarse as he said, "All I want is to seek revenge upon this decadent nation, this country where the common people struggle for breath under the dominance of the wealthy and noble elites."
"As an associate professor at Far East University, you can consider yourself a successful individual, having already placed one foot into the upper echelons of society."
"Hehehe…" Heihe chuckled hoarsely, "This identity, it's just a title. I've assumed a false name and hidden myself for decades to acquire it, all for the purpose of unleashing divine wrath upon this world today."
"…" Bai Wei glanced around and said, "Are you the only one here?"
"There were originally many like-minded individuals, but unfortunately, some perished along the way, leaving me to carry out the task personally," Heihe continued to drain blood, his voice growing weak and tired, but the ferocity in his eyes intensifying.
"You are yourself a native of Yingzhou, yet you despise this place?"
"It is precisely because I am a native of Yingzhou that I detest the decadent system of this country!" Heihe roared fiercely, "Damn shogunate! Damn samurais! Damn hereditary local aristocrats!"
He vented his emotions, his voice resolute as he said, "I am the illegitimate child of a prominent local aristocratic family. My father was the heir of a high-ranking official in the shogunate. He didn't want to inherit the family business, so he escaped and found love in a small fishing village with my mother. It was only after that, I came into existence. However, our happiness didn't last long… That high-ranking official eventually found them and forced my father to kill me and my mother."
"He said, 'The noble bloodline must not be tainted…'"
"My father refused to submit and, facing the threat of self-destruction, coerced the other party into making concessions, allowing me and my mother to escape with our lives."
"This is temporary."
"After my mother and I returned to our hometown, what followed closely behind were the envoys nurtured by the shogunate officials, that group of 'swordsmen'."
Speaking of this, Heihe let out a hoarse, sardonic laugh, the laughter sharp and sounding like weeping.
"Two individuals, they slaughtered the entire fishing village, 173 people… just to ensure they would forever remain silent."
"I crawled out from amidst a pile of corpses."
"From that day on, every night I could dream of their wailing cries on the verge of death, crying out for me to avenge their grievances and seek retribution!"
"Even until now, I can still hear… they are right beside me, unable to find respite even for a moment."
The middle-aged man's expression contorted, covering his ears, as if possessed by madness.
"So, I intend to seek vengeance."
"Destruction is the only fitting outcome they deserve."
"The Shogunate, the Court Nobles, and the Swordsmen, are classes beyond the reach of the law, incapable of being judged."
"After years of teaching the law, I realized they would forever remain invisible, transparent individuals. Hence, I have decided to abandon this path and embark upon a swifter, more convenient route."
He raised his hands high, fresh blood gushing from the wound, flowing onto his garments, staining them crimson and highlighting his pale complexion drained of color.
"I shall demolish this Far East University, and make them suffer to their very core. I shall ensure the extinction of their entire generation of elites!"
"So does the great god wish it so!"
"It is, watching over my magnificent revenge!"
With fervent cries invoking the name of the malevolent deity, the inky pool before him witnessed the stirring of tendrils, resembling sludge, coming to life.
Heihe fixed his gaze upon Bai Wei and said, "Do not attempt to impede me. Return, go back to your country, and never set foot here again!"
The young man of the Ming Country, who was being stared at by the missionary with fierce gazes, responded with indifferent attitudes.
"Mmm…"
"Alright, alright…"
"Yes, yes, yes…"
After giving a perfunctory response, he finally lifted his head and glanced at the blood indicator above his opponent's head… [60%].
He also glimpsed at the progress bar of summoning the Evil God… [80%].
"Are you done talking?" Bai Wei tapped his ear. "Oh, sorry, I know at this point the villain always loves to incessantly spew garbage, like a never-ending vomit bin. So, I only listened to a small portion of it… Actually, I'm not very interested in your past, it's just a trivial matter to me."
The perfunctory attitude made Heihe's expression contort, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Trivial matter… What do you care, calling it trivial! This is a sacred revenge!"
"Don't be angry, don't be angry… It's bad for your health," Bai Wei shook his head with a sigh. "It's just the truth, you know. I've seen many people who are worse off than you."
The missionary covered his face and roared, "Arrogant villain, you person from the Ming Country, what can you possibly understand!"
Bai Wei maintained a smile, "I understand very well, I comprehend… I have witnessed too much of what you have gone through, to the point where I feel numb."
"Shut up!" Heihe exclaimed in frustration.
"Is getting so angry just because someone disagreed with you warranted?" Bai Wei shook his head. "I have no intention of judging whether your path is right or wrong, but speaking objectively, I must say, your so-called 'revenge'… is like child's play, hitting back when hurt, overly immature and superficial… You lack depth!"
The missionary, thoroughly enraged, picked up the deboning knife from the ground and exclaimed, "You person from the Ming Country!!"
"Come." Bai Wei straightened his body and flicked his blade with a hint of triumph, "As someone who used to take the lives of the imperialists, allow me to escort you on this journey!"
