Chapter 53
In the dream, time felt like it stood still.
Wen Xin and Xiao Qi had held each other for an unknown length of time. Long enough for the little fox to be comforted and eventually become aware of his surroundings again.
—Wasn’t this all happening too fast between them?
Xiao Qi narrowed his eyes, staring at Wen Xin with a hint of jealousy. “Are you this nice to everyone you just meet?”
His tone was sour.
Wen Xin was silent for a moment before responding, expression unwavering. “Of course not. Isn’t it just that I feel like I’ve known Your Holiness forever?”
Xiao Qi hadn’t remembered that “known forever” was a line he had used before. Hearing Wen Xin’s explanation, his spirits lifted, and he smiled again.
Seeing the light return to the boy’s face, Wen Xin couldn’t help but feel his heart soften.
“It’s really nice talking with you.”
Xiao Qi’s face tensed slightly as if something had come to mind. “About what happened before…”
Wen Xin didn’t need specifics to know what Xiao Qi was referring to. He stayed silent for a moment, then smiled, ruffling the little boy’s hair. “It wasn’t your fault. Why keep thinking about it, hmm?”
Xiao Qi disliked death, and one of the strictest teachings in the religion he created was the prohibition against killing for amusement.
If it hadn’t been for the pockmarked-faced man acting on his own, colluding and misleading City A, things might not have spiraled out of control. Perhaps Wei Xin could have used Zhang Quanyong as leverage to negotiate with Wen Jin Feng for mutual benefit or even form an alliance.
These details had been shared by the red-robed figure during the journey, hoping to dispel some of Wen Xin’s reservations about the Wei Xin Cult.
Wen Xin, having observed the overall atmosphere of the cult, and had no reason to doubt the red-robed man’s words. Even in the disciplined training camp, there were always a few unruly individuals. It was even more likely in a group of tens of thousands.
More than anger, Wen Xin felt heartache. It was hard to imagine how the small, cheerful creature who once watched cartoons would bear the burden of tens of thousands.
But so many people had died. To avoid igniting a war between two factions, someone had to step forward and give people an explanation.
At that moment, Xiao Qi didn’t know that Wen Xin had already decided to shoulder the blame for him.
All Xiao Qi knew was that Wen Xin had forgiven him. He nuzzled Wen Xin happily. “You’re so nice!”
His voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of cheerfulness.
Wen Xin noticed that Xiao Qi wasn’t even pretending to act tough anymore. He tapped the boy lightly on the forehead as a reminder. “Why do I feel like you’re only a teenager?”
Xiao Qi pouted. By human standards, he was only a teenager, still young. Wasn’t it normal to be a little clingy with someone he liked?
Knowing that Wen Xin doted on him, Xiao Qi confessed, “This is what I originally looked like. I really am young.”
Seeing Xiao Qi’s unabashed demeanor, Wen Xin couldn’t resist teasing him. “So you were lying to me before?”
Xiao Qi froze. He stammered, “Not exactly… It’s just that with my current age and appearance, it’s hard to command respect, so I needed another face.”
Afraid that Wen Xin would ask others about this and reveal the truth, Xiao Qi put on a serious face. “This is our secret. Don’t tell anyone.”
Wen Xin nearly laughed at how earnestly Xiao Qi acted. He mirrored the serious expression. “Alright, I won’t say a word.”
Xiao Qi sighed in relief.
Then Wen Xin asked playfully, “Aside from this, you haven’t lied to me about anything else, right?”
Xiao Qi hesitated. “…No,” he said solemnly. “Why would I?”
Wen Xin studied his expression closely. “Really? Swear—”
Before he could finish, Xiao Qi stood up abruptly, pressing his hands over Wen Xin’s eyes. “It’s late. You should rest. I won’t disturb you anymore.”
“Sweet dreams, Wen Xin!”
Once again, they didn’t have a fully honest conversation. Wen Xin sighed inwardly, smiling slightly as he let the topic drop.
He couldn’t bear to push too hard.
Wen Xin’s voice was gentle. “Alright. Sweet dreams to you too. Rest well.”
Xiao Qi nodded quickly. “Yes, yes!”
With the same carefulness as when he brought Wen Xin into the dream, Xiao Qi wrapped the young man’s consciousness with his power and sent him back out.
Now, Xiao Qi knew which type of dream could either disturb a human’s rest or not. So, he added a touch of calming energy to Wen Xin, easing the fatigue and letting him dream in peace.
Only after doing this did Xiao Qi truly relax, shifting into his fluffy form and rolling around in the dreamscape.
It was a relief that Wen Xin wasn’t mad.
“Right…”
After some rolling around, Xiao Qi shook out his fur and returned to his youthful appearance. But now his face lacked the softness it showed in front of Wen Xin. It was cold and stern.
“There’s still one thing left to resolve.”
With a wave of his hand, the serene courtyard dissolved into darkness. In its place appeared a dim, silent prison cell.
A man with disheveled hair was chained there, heavy iron chains extending from rings embedded in the rough, mottled walls and binding his limbs.
Xiao Qi walked toward him. Sensing movement, the man looked up, his dull, lifeless eyes twitching madly as recognition set in.
“Your Holiness, exalted Pope—”
The man lunged forward, trying to grab Xiao Qi’s leg, but the chains clanked and held him back, binding him in place.
Pale-lipped, he knelt and bowed repeatedly.
“Your Holiness, Your Holiness, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have gone against your wishes!”
If Wen Xin were here, he would be shocked to see that the man before him, battered and broken, was the pockmarked-faced man, whom he had once killed.
Xiao Qi was unmoved, his voice cold. “When have you ever followed my wishes?”
Without any visible action, the pockmarked-faced man screamed, clutching his left hand as it twisted grotesquely, bones cracking audibly.
“No! Spare me! Please, spare me!”
No matter how he pleaded, the hand continued to contort unnaturally, the cracking sounds intensifying.
Xiao Qi watched impassively, speaking slowly. “Before I left home, I promised a good friend that I would return clean. If my true nature ever overcame me, I would deal with myself.”
“I would rather die than return to Wen Xin covered in filth.”
The pockmarked face man’s hand was crushed under Xiao Qi’s foot, eliciting another agonizing scream.
Xiao Qi’s expression remained cold as he spoke softly.
“I fought my nature 157 times. Do you know what that means? The hardest time, I bit off my own paws, and it took a week for them to grow back.”
“I fought so hard to be able to proudly tell Wen Xin that his little fox didn’t turn evil and even saved many lives.”
Pressing down harder on the pockmarked face man’s hand, Xiao Qi’s words were filled with fury. “But you ruined it all!”
“I’m tainted because I saved you, and you tried to kill Wen Xin! You killed so many people!”
“I told you not to kill, not to touch those hallucinogens. Why didn’t you listen, huh?!”
Soon, the pockmarked-faced man could no longer speak. He lay on the ground, barely breathing, the silence around him suffocating.
The other members of Wei Xin Cult had been pulled into the dream after Wen Xin left. They trembled, their eyes wide with terror as they saw Xiao Qi’s blood-red eyes. No one dared to make a sound.
Xiao Qi raised his hand, and a black void appeared behind the pockmarked face man. A massive claw emerged, dragging him into the darkness despite his screams.
Xiao Qi wouldn’t let him off easily. A quick death was too kind and wouldn’t serve as a warning to others.
If mental conditioning failed, fear would be branded into everyone’s hearts.
But this dark, ugly scene must not be seen by Wen Xin.
Xiao Qi closed his eyes briefly.
“Cardinal Shi, tomorrow, send word to Wen Jin Feng in City A. Tell him the traitor has been dealt with, and as an apology, we’ll send Zhang Quanyong to them.”
The red-robed man was Cardinal Shi. He felt a pang of anxiety but spoke up. “But, Your Holiness, Zhang Quanyong is tied to—”
“You mean the zombie vaccine?” Xiao Qi’s lips curled into a cold smile. “It’s useless. They won’t succeed.”
Before Cardinal Shi could grasp the deeper meaning behind Xiao Qi’s words, the fox said coldly, “Besides, I don’t care about the vaccine.”
Vaccines were for humans. A mutated being like him had no need for one.
He should have thought that way long ago.
Xiao Qi looked at his hands, his tone falling. “So dirty…”
Hearing this, every heart in the room, including Cardinal Shi’s, clenched tightly.
They could hear the dejection in the boy’s voice.
Xiao Qi had used that tone before, bearing the weight of mental conditioning for thousands of followers. The strain subtly affected him.
But never had it sounded this genuine.
If the pockmarked-faced man’s betrayal made Xiao Qi regret founding the Wei Xin Cult, and regret becoming Pope, it would be more terrifying than his rage.
The cult members were anxious, yet none dared move under Xiao Qi’s cold gaze.
Only Cardinal Shi gathered his courage and asked, “Then, Your Holiness, since Wen Xin came for Zhang Quanyong if we send Zhang Quanyong back, will Wen Xin…”
Before he could finish, Xiao Qi’s melancholy vanished, his voice firm. “No! He stays!”
Cardinal Shi blinked slowly, exhaling.
Good, no one was taking Wen Xin away. Otherwise, there’d be a fight.
Thanks to Wen Xin, their Pope could find his spirit again.
Suddenly, Cardinal Shi remembered something important.
If Zhang Quanyong left, would Wen Xin choose to go, too?
A sense of urgency filled Cardinal Shi.
They needed a way to make Wen Xin stay.
*
Early the next morning, Wen Xin, still half-asleep, heard shuffling outside the door.
He thought something had happened and opened his eyes to see a line of servants pouring in—carrying basins, towels, and breakfast trays.
One cleared their throat. “Time to assist Mr. Wen with dressing—”
“…” Wen Xin. “??”
Meanwhile, a group of mercenaries had arrived at the Wei Xin Cult’s base.
They had heard rumors about the mysterious cult and planned only a brief stop for supplies.
But perhaps affected by Xiao Qi’s influence, they found themselves relaxing and chatting.
“Who is this Wen Xin, anyway? All the big powers are scrambling for him.”
“Who knows? They say he was in City A, but by the time people got there, he was gone. Even City A is searching for him.”
One of the cult members who had been among the five hundred escorting Wen Xin back overheard and instinctively asked, “Did you say Wen Xin?”
The mercenaries’ instincts sharpened. That single question had them narrowing their eyes at the cult member, suspicion brewing.
