Chapter 19: The City Lord Has Defected Too?
The clamor at the entrance of the Water God Cult seemed to have been hit by a pause button.
Just as Furina had finished giving Huo Yuhao his "extra lessons" and strolled back to the front yard contentedly, wondering whether to slack off or pretend to care about cult affairs, a powerful surge of spirit power swept in from the street corner like dark clouds pressing down!
The originally long queue instantly fell into a commotion, and the crowd panicked and moved to both sides, clearing a path.
There stood City Lord of Thunder City Lei Bao, a powerful Spirit Emperor with immense prestige in the city. Clad in military attire with a face as grim as still water, he approached with a dragon-like stride. Behind him followed a squad of personal guards from the City Lord's Mansion, their armor bright and their Killing intent surging. Their synchronized steps clattered against the bluestone pavement with a heart-palpitating rhythm, looking aggressive and possessing a fierce aura.
The wealthy merchants and nobles who were still queuing or had just finished registering turned pale in an instant.
They had just been groveling before the Water God Cult, only to be caught by their true superior the next moment. This was a blatant "betrayal"! Each one was so scared they pulled in their necks, wishing they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. They scrambled to hide deeper into the crowd, terrified that the City Lord would remember their faces and settle scores later.
"It's over, it's over... The City Lord is truly enraged!" "He's definitely here to cause trouble for the Water God Cult! Will we be implicated?" "If I had known, I wouldn't have come today..."
Whispers and panic spread through the crowd. Everyone thought that Lei Bao had finally reached his limit and was going to personally crush this emerging cult that challenged his authority. Even some followers of the Water God Cult looked nervous and subconsciously huddled together.
Neuvillette sensed it immediately. He appeared silently at the courtyard entrance, standing at the very front.
His posture remained as upright as a pine tree. His azure eyes calmly watched the approaching Lei Bao and his guards, as if the person before him wasn't a Spirit Emperor expert full of Killing Intent but just an ordinary visitor. However, the invisible aura of order around him had already spread, faintly contending with the pressure brought by Lei Bao.
Furina also frowned, muttering to herself, "This old guy finally can't help but make a move? Tsk, what a pain..."
She took out her Divine Artifact, Splendor of Tranquil Waters. She hadn't used this thing yet, so it was a good chance to test its power.
At the same time, she secretly gathered her spirit power, her spirit rings faintly appearing beneath her feet. She opened the system mall interface, planning to buy some things for fighting to prepare for any potential conflict.
Mademoiselle Crabaletta clicked her pincers and moved to one side of the entrance. Gentilhomme Usher's tentacles swayed slightly in an inconspicuous spot. Surintendante Chevalmarin floated a bit higher, and the surrounding air seemed to become more moist and heavy.
The atmosphere was tense, as if a single spark could ignite the entire scene.
However, what happened next made everyone's eyes widen and their jaws drop in shock.
Lei Bao came to a sudden halt about five paces away from Neuvillette. The guards behind him, surging with Killing intent, also stopped in unison, their movements clean and sharp.
Then, something even more unbelievable happened.
This Spirit Emperor expert, whose word was law in Thunder City and who possessed a hot-tempered and iron-fisted character, looked past Neuvillette and accurately locked onto Furina behind him. Then, under everyone's astonished gaze, the grim anger and majesty on his face melted away like snow, replaced by an extremely complex expression—a mix of deep anxiety, a hint of imperceptible shame, and an earnestness akin to grabbing a final straw in near-despair.
He took a deep breath, as if having made a monumental decision. In front of everyone, he actually bowed his back—which he never easily bent—toward Furina!
"Furina... Your Excellency the Pope." His voice was loud, but it had lost its former dominance, carrying instead a heavy, even somewhat raspy tone. "Before... I, Lei Bao, was blind and offended you! Today, I, Lei, have not come to seek trouble!"
The entire place fell silent; one could hear a pin drop. Everyone wondered if they were hallucinating.
Lei Bao straightened up, looking at Furina with burning eyes, his tone becoming even more urgent and pleading: "I implore you... I implore the Water God's grace to save my son, Lei Ke!"
His voice revealed a father's profound pain: "Three years ago, while hunting for a spirit ring, he was attacked by a thousand-year-old Dark Golden Dreadclaw Bear. To cover his companions' retreat, he had... had an arm torn off! Although he narrowly escaped with his life, he has been despondent and withdrawn ever since, no better than a cripple! I have searched for famous doctors and sought out healing Soul Masters, but all were helpless!"
He grew more agitated as he spoke, his fists involuntarily clenching until his knuckles turned white. "I heard that Your Excellency the Pope possesses mysterious and unfathomable powers that can cause the Rebirth of severed limbs! I, Lei Bao, hereby swear! As long as you can save my son and restore him to his former self, I, Lei Bao, am willing to lead the Thunder City Lord's Mansion and my entire family to join the Water God Cult, becoming the Water God's most loyal and devout followers! From now on, all affairs of the Water God Cult in Thunder City will be the affairs of my City Lord's Mansion! I will dedicate all my resources to help the Water God Cult grow and prosper here, with no ulterior motives!"
These words were like a bolt from the blue, leaving everyone present utterly shell-shocked!
The hiding nobles and wealthy merchants were dumbstruck, unable to believe their ears. The always strong and domineering City Lord had not only bowed his head but was pleading so humbly? He was even willing to convert his whole family and offer up all the resources of Thunder City? All for that young city lord who was said to have been crippled for three years?
The followers also looked at each other, feeling both a sense of pride and finding the whole thing too incredible.
Furina was also stunned. She had anticipated various conflict scenarios and even thought of several escape plans if she couldn't win, but she never expected the other party to come... seeking medical help? And with such a near-surrender level of total submission?
She blinked, looking at this Spirit Emperor expert who seemed to have aged several years in an instant, his eyes filled with a father's anxiety. She then thought about that Fourth Soul Skill, which had a huge cost but Heaven-Defying effects... Hmm, it seemed... this deal wasn't a loss? In fact, it was a massive profit?
She cleared her throat, trying to put on the dignified air of a Pope, her gaze swept over Lei Bao and his guards, who also looked expectant and nervous, and then at the shocked onlookers.
"City Lord Lei," her voice regained its usual clarity, carrying a well-measured sense of divinity. "The Water God is merciful and graces all things. Saving the dying and healing the wounded is one of our cult's core tenets."
She paused, and seeing the burst of ecstatic light in Lei Bao's eyes, she slowly continued, "However, performing such a miracle consumes a great deal and requires sincerity. Can your words just now be taken as truth? If you go back on your word after he is healed..."
"Let heaven and earth bear witness! I swear by my Martial Spirit!" Lei Bao almost shouted. In his excitement, six spirit rings suddenly rose and then quickly retracted. "If I, Lei Bao, have spoken a single lie or regret this later, may I suffer spirit power backlash and die with my Martial Spirit shattered!"
For a Spirit Master, this was the weightiest of oaths.
Furina nodded and finally showed a faint smile. "Very well. In that case, bring your son. Remember what you said today."
Hearing this, Lei Bao was so moved that his eyes reddened slightly. He cupped his fists heavily. "Thank you, Your Excellency the Pope! I will go and bring my son at once! From now on, whatever the Water God commands, everyone in Thunder City will obey!"
After saying that, he didn't stay for a moment longer. He turned around immediately and left hurriedly with his guards, leaving behind a crowd of dumbfounded spectators and a massive change that was about to sweep through the power structure of Thunder City.
Neuvillette watched Lei Bao's retreat, then looked back at Furina, who had a slight smile and was clearly in a great mood. A thoughtful light flashed in his eyes. He probably hadn't expected an anticipated conflict to end in such a way.
As for Furina, she had already begun calculating in her heart how to more quickly fleece... ah, no, develop the grand cause of the Water God Cult now that she had the City Lord's Mansion as a subordinate. As for the treatment? Anyway, once the Soul Skill's cooldown was up, she could use it. It was a guaranteed profit!