Chapter 36: If the Divine Push Becomes the Emperor of the Earth, I Shall Die Without Regrets

"Gabriel Amos — did you determine years ago that Professor Vanstra was the [Silver Coin Messenger]?"

"Did you intentionally arrange for [Master Leipu] and your disciple to hunt down Professor Vanstra exactly when he was at his most vulnerable? What exactly are you plotting?"

The question from the leader of the [Order of the Holy Lance] was as sharp as her blade.

In an instant, Father Amos's fingers curled slightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

His lips moved, as if wanting to refute, but in the end, he only spoke stiffly: "Ms. Gwendolyn… you have misunderstood. I just wanted to act with caution, to ensure information would not fall into the wrong ears…"

"Caution? Does that include hiding the existence of the [Silver Coin Messenger] from the Church and letting him run wild at the [University of Rome]?"

Gwendolyn continued to watch him, her gaze and words gradually becoming severe.

"Finally, when Professor Vanstra collapsed on his own and his power was at its weakest, you used your position to package a crisis concerning world safety into a common witch-hunting mission and handed it to [Master Leipu] and your student… Is this also considered 'caution'?"

"This is not the only time you have hidden such things."

"The Church knows. In recent years, a Voodoo cult has clearly been hiding among the refugees from the Caribbean islands, and its scale is growing. Moreover, their secret leader likely possesses supernatural abilities that defy reason. The [Papal Privy Council] once suspected what it was. However, the [Exorcism Association]'s investigation efficiency regarding this has always been terrible."

"As a result, last night, you suggested that [Master Leipu] and Sister Elaine go to the underground library of [Castel SantAngelo] to find books. Earlier tonight, when the meeting was interrupted, we already received reports that [Master Leipu] had captured the Voodoo cult cadre who had infiltrated the underground library, along with a dozen Voodoo combatants."

Father Amos probably did not expect the Holy See to — especially so quickly — come to question him about this matter.

A thin layer of sweat seeped from his forehead. He instinctively reached out to touch his cross pendant, but his fingertips trembled for a moment before he could barely grasp it.

Gwendolyn watched his reaction quietly and finally sighed: "Father, I do not believe you betrayed the Church and the Lord, but what exactly are you plotting?"

What exactly was Father Amos plotting?

At this point, since his secret actions had been discovered, Father Amos actually wanted to ask — why don't you understand what I am trying to do?

His face remained pale, but after a moment of silence, the priest's eyes gradually became firm, as if making a final stand. He slowly raised his head, staring at Gwendolyn, his voice low and hoarse: "Everything I have done is to make [Qi Xing] the new [Silver Coin Messenger]."

The air instantly froze. The expression of the [Order of the Holy Lance] leader stiffened for a moment, then she narrowed her eyes, her brow revealing astonishment and anger.

"You are crazy, Gabriel Amos."

Father Amos did not avoid her gaze.

Instead, he took a step forward, his voice carrying a trace of resolute obsession: "I am not crazy, Gwendolyn, I just see more clearly than all of you."

"I have operated the [International Exorcism Association] for thirty-four years."

"In these thirty-four years, I have seen countless young people with even brighter futures, regardless of faith or race, striving for a better world. But what is the result?"

His voice grew lower, as if suppressing unspeakable anger.

"This absurd and lewd world has not changed in the slightest! The only thing that has changed is the length of the lists of the fallen and the missing!"

His eyes were full of pain and unwillingness.

"Our world is a valley of tears, and we are struggling in the decaying remains of the dead devil! Our enemy is neither any particular great demon nor any specific race or country — but this entire incomprehensible world!"

"Yet, what about our Church? What is it most concerned with? Economic crimes? Sexual minorities? Promiscuous, drug-taking teenagers?"

His voice grew hoarser, filled with anger and sarcasm that had clearly been suppressed for too long.

Gwendolyn stared at him tightly, silent, but her brow was already slightly furrowed. A moment later, she spoke, her tone low: "Gabriel, this cannot be your justification."

"Cannot? Why not?!"

But Father Amos's emotions finally exploded, his bloodshot eyes full of pain.

"Those children — those young people who truly fought for the world, they were brutally abused and died miserably one by one!"

"I saw with my own eyes how they were dismembered by demons to be used as human shields, and I saw their souls being torn out of [redacted] by evil spirits to be toyed with. They burned themselves, sacrificing their hope, dreams, and lives! But what did they get?!"

He stopped abruptly, took a deep breath, and his voice sounded as if it were squeezed from his throat.

"Nothing!"

The dim moonlight reflected the deep pain and anger in the priest's eyes. He looked down at his palms, as if wanting to grasp something, but in the end, he could only clench the void.

"I do not accept this result. I do not accept that their sacrifices are meaningless, I do not accept that this world remains the same, and I do not accept that we are just living meekly, waiting for the next [necessary sacrifice]."

"So, when I first saw [Qi Xing]'s combat records, when I discovered that he could return victorious from desperate situations every time, that he could break the enemy's vicious schemes, kill enemies, save people, and win every battle — I realized that [Qi Xing] could become that power, the power that can change the world."

"Sure enough, on the cruise ship, he succeeded! He subdued [Satan] and took a [silver coin] without signing a contract. And just as I expected, his vision is more than that."

"There are twenty-nine [silver coin]s scattered in this world. As long as they are all found and he masters them, he can become the ultimate absurdity that defeats this incomprehensible world — and my disciple will guide him, influence him, and let him use his power for the righteous path."

Perhaps for the first time in his life, he poured out these words from his heart.

Gwendolyn stared at the priest, her expression also complex.

Finally, she spoke, her voice extremely low, but every word like a blade: "You are truly crazy, Gabriel."

"You speak very eloquently, but if you truly have such realization, why didn't you tell them the truth directly?"

Father Amos immediately opened his mouth, as if wanting to refute, but failed to speak immediately.

So Gwendolyn continued coldly: "Since you think [Qi Xing] should become [that power]. Since you think the world must change, why not let him and Sister Elaine be fully prepared? Why wrap everything in lies and push them directly into danger?"

Her tone became increasingly sharp, her gaze as if wanting to pierce through Father Amos's soul: "Even if you really believe [Master Leipu] is so invincible — didn't your disciple almost die on the cruise ship?"

This remark finally hit the priest like a heavy punch, making his face turn pale and his eyes shift, as if recalling something he did not want to touch.

"If you truly believe in them, if you really hope they can change the world, why hide it from them? Or is it that you dare not let them know your plan?"

Gwendolyn did not stop.

Father Amos opened his mouth but could not make a sound.

"And how can you guarantee that [Master Leipu] won't do the opposite of what you expect later?"

"How many people in history have taken Judas's [silver coin] with good intentions, only to end in tragedy? Others also thought they were the unique exception. Why do you think [Qi Xing] is definitely that true exception? What do you use to guarantee that he won't become the next tyrant or demon king?"

The priest's eyes became dazed, as if he had been forced into a corner he had always been unwilling to face.

But Gwendolyn did not mean to stop at all.

Her tone was low, but carried deep anger: "You just said you didn't want [necessary sacrifice], but to wait for Professor Vanstra to self-destruct and weaken so that it would be easier for [Qi Xing] to hunt him down, how many sacrifices did you allow yourself?"

"Do you dare to say that those victims were not [necessary sacrifice]s created by your own hands?"

"You don't even have the courage to face the temptation of the silver coin yourself, yet you pass this risk onto a friend. Waiting for him to save the world, waiting for him to save you in the process—Gabriel, is this how a follower of Christ should behave?"

The moonlight illuminated Father Amos's increasingly pale complexion.

His shoulders were trembling slightly.

"Once the meeting resumes, I will confess everything voluntarily."

"That won't be necessary."

Gwendolyn's voice was chillingly calm.

"The actual outcome has long been decided, but the Pope still decided to give you one chance. That is why today's inquiry meeting exists. If you have sufficient awareness of your mistakes, there might still be room for redemption, but…"

There was not a hint of mockery in her eyes, but rather a touch of cold sympathy.

"But there are no 'ifs'."

"Father, there is still one [Silver Coin Messenger] whom you suppressed and withheld from reporting, intending to deliberately hand over to Qi Xing for hunting, who is currently hiding in Rome, bringing his subordinates and wreaking havoc somewhere."

"The only compensation you can make now is to assist Sister Elaine and [Master Leipu] in resolving this incident as soon as possible."

Father Amos looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with struggle and confusion: "Compensation…"

"Assist her in dealing with [Black Spartacus]—as quickly as possible. Lest a [Silver Coin Messenger] who has gradually become familiar with their own power causes irreparable, massive harm to the world again."

"After everything settles, you will voluntarily submit your resignation."

Gwendolyn's tone was firm and unquestionable.

"If you resign voluntarily, the Holy See will preserve your dignity, allow you to leave at an appropriate time, and let your apprentice Elaine inherit your [Association]—so that your thirty-four years of hard work will not be in vain."

On the other hand, this can also avoid making things too unseemly, lest it accidentally annoy [Master Leipu], who has already become a super Silver Coin Messenger.

Father Amos sighed deeply, his voice filled with profound powerlessness: "Is this… the Pope's will?"

Gwendolyn did not answer directly, just watched him quietly.

This silence itself was the most straightforward answer.

"If you insist on staying in this position, ultimately letting things develop to the point of convening a formal hearing—"

Speaking to this point, her voice paused slightly, and then her tone carried an unprecedented coldness,

"Then all personnel related to the cruise ship kidnapping case will be present. The conservatives are very curious about how you will explain the cause of their daughter's death to Ms. Wen Lan's parents at that time."

Father Amos's shoulders trembled slightly, as if he finally understood something.

Arrogance takes many different forms. Just as angels can fall because of arrogance, the best intentions can also cause blood to flow from other good people.

"I obey the will of the Church."

No words, no actions; the final sigh seemed to be a deep helplessness for everything that was already a foregone conclusion.

The commander of the Order of the Holy Lance turned and left, never looking back.

In Rome, Italy, in January, the winter night, wrapped in damp, cold air, quietly seeped into every stone brick and marble pillar.

Father Amos stood in the courtyard, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

— — Having finished speaking about that side, let's return to Qi Xing and Elaine.

They naturally did not know Father Amos's current situation, and currently did not know that the silver coin they snatched was actually secretly arranged by Father Amos behind the scenes. They were still busy dealing with the [Black Spartacus] matter.

Just as the commander of the Order of the Holy Lance said, hurrying to stop the next [Silver Coin Messenger] who might cause serious destruction is the most important thing.

In Italy in January, the sun sets around five o'clock.

Although it is only a little past six in the evening, the night has already fallen. The campus of the University of Rome is still brightly lit, but the cold has made the bustling square of the day become deserted.

The streetlights cast dim, yellow halos, illuminating the mottled stone roads. Occasionally, students hurry by, hands tucked into their coat pockets, shoulders slightly hunched, their footsteps appearing hurried due to the chill.

Crossing the campus square, next to the Department of Classics, is the building of the [International Exorcism Association]. The entrance to the building is an ancient arch, with intricate Latin inscriptions carved on the stone door frame, telling the history of the interweaving of academics and faith over the past thousand years.

Pushing the door open and entering, one is immediately met with a long table covered in parchment scrolls and old maps. The bulletin board on the wall is covered with reports on supernatural phenomena, demonic activities, and cult organizations from around the world, and even intelligence on cooperation with Shamanism, Taoist priests, and esoteric Alchemy.

Someone seeing this might ask—is it really okay for the headquarters of your mysterious organization to be located in a university?

However, in reality, it is indeed located here, and occasionally they even go to the Department of Classics to hold open lectures on Demonology, which the general public can attend.

Reality is just that strange.

But the general public would never guess what the scene inside the [Association] headquarters, just one door away, is like right now.

Dozens of Roman citizens suffering from withdrawal were carried in; most were just muttering to themselves or exhibiting delusional symptoms, a few were wailing in pain, scratching themselves, or attacking others—and two or three had their eyes rolled back, muttering in their mouths in a language that did not belong to this world.

This is practically no different from the results of drug addiction. How terrifying!

"Quick! Divide them into different symptom groups!"

A Catholic exorcist wearing a scholar's robe commanded loudly, and several monks and medical personnel immediately took action, classifying the patients according to their symptoms.

Perhaps because this is a consecrated place, some people showed rejection reactions, their bodies turning black, veins bulging, and ominous voodoo patterns appearing on their skin; others were merely in shock from withdrawal, their bodies stiff as corpses, lips purple, and their breathing so weak it was barely perceptible; still others had dull eyes, as if their souls had been devoured by something, staring blankly at the ceiling with drool dripping from the corners of their mouths.

A Sufi whirling dervish sat cross-legged, his robe spreading out on the floor like a flowing vortex. He closed his eyes, whispering ancient prayers, his fingertips gently flicking a string of prayer beads, and the surrounding air seemed to be purified by some sacred power; a patient who had been twisting in pain suddenly let out a wail, as if waking from a nightmare, tears streaming down their face.

A Tantric monk sat cross-legged next to a patient, the Gau box in his hand glowing slightly, fingers forming seals, chanting exorcism mantras, the vibrating sound echoing in the air. A patient suddenly vomited a pool of pitch-black liquid and instantly collapsed on the ground, but the expression of pain on their face gradually dissipated.

In another corner of the room, an alchemist of the Hermetic school was concocting a mysterious antidote. He used a small knife to scrape off a bit of gold powder, mixed it into a bottle of alchemical solution, shook it, and then dripped it into the patient's mouth. Soon after, the patient, who had been blue-faced and suffering from respiratory failure, suddenly opened their eyes, gasping for air, and their body began to regain warmth.

Everyone was in action, no one stopped; every faith, every skill, was moving for the same goal at this moment.

This place was not as solemn as a seminary, nor as quiet and academic as a mystery research institute. Instead, it was an operational center that crossed the boundaries of faith and culture, gathering the wisdom of the global forces of good.

This is the headquarters of the [International Exorcism Association].

Beneath the headquarters building, a prison that cannot be found by any divination magic or sensory psychic abilities, is where Voodoo Hot Girl Eva Sakura Laflore is currently located.

The [Association]'s Hermetic alchemist has already lifted the silencing curse on her. So Qi Xing can now interrogate her.

Before helping arrange this, Elaine still remembered that the Papal Privy Council had asked her to investigate whether the Vice President of the [Association] had fallen, so she calmly went to ask the staff member on duty: "Is Vice President Spina here today?"

However, the employee replied: "The Vice President is not on duty tonight; he has only been coming in during the day recently."

Alright. This didn't prove anything, so Elaine had to put this matter aside for now and help Qi Xing interrogate the captive first.

The Voodoo Hot Girl, who had been miserably torn apart by Qi Xing and knocked unconscious, just opened her eyes to see [Rep-Man] standing in front of her with a sinister smile, almost scaring her unconscious again.

Why the sinister smile? This is Qi Xing's heart of justice, which hates evil, expressing itself naturally—it's not strange at all!