Chapter 2792 A Cycle Of Harvest
2792 A Cycle Of Harvest
Hearing the Saintess' words, Lin Mu instantly realized the answer.
"They… turn to dust," he muttered.
He thought back to the houses filled with nothing but dust. He had assumed it was the result of two weeks of abandonment.
But now…
It felt like a horrific truth had just been laid bare.
"Indeed. Unlike normal cultivators, who would rapidly age upon reaching the end of their lifespan, mortals would simply turn to dust—their bodies unable to withstand the weight of time," the Saintess confirmed.
"Then all the disappearances were someone cannibalizing the people?" Lin Mu asked. "And considering the fact that they're trying to suppress the matter—with the Archbishops and even the Cardinal involved… it's them, isn't it?"
"They're definitely involved," the Saintess replied, "but they aren't the ones who would've carried this out directly."
"They aren't?" Lin Mu was surprised.
"To people of their status, the 'commoners' they would cannibalize are far too beneath them. The benefit gained from doing so would be minimal at best," she explained. "For them to gain anything of value, they'd have to consume someone at least one or two ranks below them."
"Then… a priest?" Lin Mu's eyes widened.
"Possibly," the Saintess said, nodding. "But even priests are just sheep being fattened for slaughter. Once there are enough of them, the higher-ups will consume them too."
"And they just keep doing it… until the top dog gets its fill," Lin Mu muttered darkly.
"Yes. And I wouldn't be surprised if the priests and other lower-ranked members don't even know they'll be subject to the same fate," the Saintess added. "You only need to look at the ages of the high-ranking clergy to see how long they've been sustaining this cycle."
"That's right…" Lin Mu recalled a book he had read detailing how long the Archbishops and Cardinals had held their positions.
They almost never changed for tens of thousands of years—with the Pope having ruled for an almost unknowable length of time.
"This is bad… Not only are they slaughtering their own people, but they're allowing this cycle to continue just for their own gain," Lin Mu said, his frown deepening. "Why hasn't the Immortal Court done anything about this?"
"They've never had real evidence before," the Saintess said. "They don't even know for certain that the people here follow the Dao of Faith. If I recall correctly, this world hasn't existed for very long."
She paused, then added, "At the very least, I haven't heard of this world before—so it likely came into being less than a million years ago, if not much more recently."
"The celestial who owns this world… does he permit this?" Lin Mu asked, dreading the answer.
"He does. It's all intentional," the Saintess replied. "He is the apex predator in this world. When the Pope and the others grow strong enough, he will harvest them too."
"And when they're gone," she continued, "he'll start the cycle all over again."
"Is this celestial watching us right now?" Lin Mu asked, suddenly feeling wary. He was starting to question whether his plans could even proceed under such scrutiny.
"He isn't," the Saintess assured him. "This is probably just one of many worlds he owns. He would be more focused on the ones closer to ripening. This world is nowhere near that point."
"That's… a relief," Lin Mu said, letting out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
"But you still need to be very careful. You cannot stay here long. You need to escape as soon as possible," she warned.
"That's my intention," Lin Mu nodded. "I don't plan on staying in this world any longer than I have to."
"But…" A shadow passed over his face. "They won't let us go so easily, will they?"
"They won't," the Saintess confirmed. "They're likely planning to use all the foreigners as scapegoats—making sure they're implicated so that the Immortal Court cannot act. You'll have to break out."
"The teleportation gate… Looks like we'll have to forcefully use it," Lin Mu said, eyes narrowing.
"Yes. But I won't be able to help you this time," the Saintess warned. "I can't use Celestial Qi here—it already belongs to another celestial. I only have a small amount left from before, just enough to keep myself hidden."
"That's fine. I'll figure something out," Lin Mu replied. "And I'll have to act quickly. Getting rid of Bernard was just a band-aid solution."
"Whatever you have to do, do it without hesitation," the Saintess said firmly. "This is not the time for mercy or peace."
She paused, then added, "And you don't have to worry about backlash. Once the Immortal Court learns the truth, they'll mount an offense of their own."
"That's good to hear," Lin Mu said. "We just need to reach the teleportation gate… and hijack it."
"This is the extent of the help I can offer," the Saintess said. "I'll have to retreat now. But I'll be watching."
SHUA
With that, her presence vanished.
Sound returned to the world around him.
Lin Mu could hear the wind again—the distant footsteps of patrolling guards, the faint rustling of trees.
The clock was ticking.
He closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts. Then, he opened them again with renewed resolve.
The first step was clear.
He needed to gather intelligence.
Lin Mu quickly made his way to the buildings of the highest importance within the capital city, the churches.
He hadn't seen what was inside them, so needed to check them out first.