The Flat-Top's Helm

Deboning set down his travel bag, a grim expression on his face, and followed Du Chen out of the tent, arriving at the dry Moon Lake basin!

Du Chen was still clad in his customary white robes, but Deboning was utterly transformed. He had shed the black, tight-fitting combat suit he’d worn for years, replacing it with the black and gold robes of a Grand Pontiff. A silver sash cinched his waist, and a golden circlet adorned with black jade rested upon his head. This solemn and dignified attire, while somewhat at odds with his perpetually grim, cadaverous face, nevertheless commanded respect; wherever he passed, people invariably bowed in deference, hailing him as 'Grand Pontiff!' A surge of smug satisfaction filled Deboning’s heart.

Standing atop a small hillock overlooking Moon Lake, Du Chen appeared to be admiring the sunset, but his gaze was subtly fixed on the Aqua Envoys’ Camp. He teased, "After the Aqua Cloud Divine Envoy informs Margaret that I'm no longer a fool, how many will Water's Embrace Lake send to capture me!? I wager Margaret herself will lead an army to the very walls of my Durkes City! For I have proven that Du Chen, the Divine, exists!"

Deboning’s narrow eyes, too, flickered towards the camp. "These alluring women are indeed a grave nuisance!"

"Indeed! And the 'great' Marshal of the Fallen Gods is, naturally, an equally 'great' trouble!"

...

Du Chen continued, "Three days ago, the Pontiff manufactured an excuse to compel Teacher Zigurd to depart Eye of Heaven Forest with him ahead of schedule. This clearly shows his stance: he won't intervene, leaving us to contend amongst ourselves! That old fox is biding his time, unwilling to declare his allegiance too early. This isn't a bad thing for us; at the very least, he won't interfere with our handling of the Aqua Cloud Divine Envoys!"

Deboning withdrew his chilling gaze from the Aqua Envoys’ Camp. "How does Young Master intend to deal with the Aqua Cloud Divine Envoys?!"

"What do you think?" Du Chen grinned sideways at Deboning.

"I believe we cannot kill them. Otherwise, if Margaret finds her Envoys overdue, she will certainly send a search party, and we won't be able to evade them then either! But neither can we simply let them return. Or more Divine Envoys will swiftly arrive to apprehend you! Ideally, there should be a middle ground — allow them to return, but without betraying us... The Young Lady’s Spiritual Power might achieve this, but whether it can deceive Margaret's keen sight is another matter!"

"How can we know without trying?"

Du Chen, from a distance, defiantly raised his middle finger towards the Aqua Envoys’ Camp, yet maintained an expression of sacred refinement. In this world, no one understood the meaning of this gesture!

"Oh, that's right! Yesterday, I extracted a most intriguing piece of intelligence from Mas! Do you know why Donna and her group carried the map of Water's Embrace Lake with them, leading to Brockman ultimately stealing it?"

Du Chen retracted his finger and rubbed his nose, explaining, "Mount Tianshan, Auerbach Grand Canyon, even Celestial Capital, and Water's Embrace Lake! These 'Heavens Beyond Heaven,' lying outside the Three Continents, are not merely connected to us by a single lifeline. Beyond that lifeline, it is said there lies an incredibly complex labyrinth. Such is its complexity and peril, that without a map, even a deity would lose their way home!"

Deboning suddenly pressed his hand to the primordial sacred artifact at his waist. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He frowned, "So, Donna and her group can't go home?"

"Precisely. Donna and her companions are now stranded on the Three Continents, awaiting a new contingent of Divine Envoys to bring them home. Concurrently, they will continue collecting young girls... And judging by the Holy Church's records of Water's Embrace Lake's customs, the Divine Envoys sent to retrieve Donna will arrive in three months' time!"

Du Chen smiled kindly and amiably towards the Aqua Envoys' Camp. A picture of benevolence and nobility! Yet, both his middle fingers were raised high!

"Three months. Within these three months, we absolutely must ensure Donna becomes compliant, so she won't betray Francis to Margaret!" His right thumb brushed his nose, then, with an elegant flourish, he flicked his middle finger forward, sending a lotus blossom streaking forth. "Dus, keep a close watch on Donna! Report their movements at all times!"

...

According to the original plan, Du Chen was to travel to Battle God Isle after his visit to Eye of Heaven Forest. His primary objectives were two-fold: interrogate Jamis about the Painting God and complete his graduation trial. However, with Zigurd forcibly summoned by the Pontiff to the Holy Mountain of the Papal Curia, his mentor's absence naturally postponed Du Chen's graduation. He would now have to adhere to school regulations, awaiting January of next year to participate in the grand graduation examination alongside his fellow students. Since Jamis's secret map wasn't an overly urgent matter after all, Du Chen wasn't in a hurry to proceed to Battle God Isle. Instead, he brazenly decided to 'play a game' with Donna and her companions.

Turco Port, the sole gateway to Silvermoon Island. When Du Chen first arrived here, it was September, with autumn winds just beginning to stir and summer's heat still lingering. But upon his return, it was now mid-November, early winter, with fine snowflakes dancing in the sky.

Turco Port's dock was covered in a thin layer of white snow. Two welcoming Golden Sails of the Papal Curia docked almost simultaneously. Du Chen disembarked, and from a distance, cupped his hands in greeting towards Donna, who was disembarking on the other side, and smiled. "Divine Envoy Donna, what a coincidence! We arrive together, and now depart together! Pray tell, where do the esteemed Envoys intend to go next? Perhaps you might grace my Durkes City for a few days?"

Donna cast a cold glance at Du Chen and snorted. "Where I go is none of your concern, Francis. You'd best pray for your own good fortune!" She led the three Divine Envoys quickly onto the dock, striding past Du Chen with the same haughty demeanor as before! But she murmured under her breath, "Sisters, the Pontiff is furious because we contended with him over the new sacred artifact, and he's abandoned us with an excuse! We must be wary of Francis and deliver the news of his lucidity back alive!" She glanced back at Du Chen. "From now on, the four of us must not separate. We'll only travel on well-populated roads! It will be arduous, but we won't sleep at night; we'll travel through crowded areas!"

"Sister," one of the Envoys worried, "we have to wait at least three months, and during this time, we must search for new Divine Servants for our god. It's hard to guarantee Francis won't seize an opportunity!"

Donna waved her hand, her voice dropping even lower, her steps quickening. "Our god once saved Sun God Mikael's life. For this, Mikael's descendants – the Saint Dak family – have always respected our god! Now, we will seek out Mikael's descendants, have them protect us, and help us gather Divine Servants! It's only half a month's journey from here to the Saint Dak family estate. For these two weeks, we'll endure some hardship, forgo hiring carriages, and squeeze into a long-distance wyvern coach with the common folk. Once we reach the Saint Dak family, we'll be safe! Hmph, I don't believe Francis would dare make a move against us in broad daylight!"

With that, she stole a glance back at Du Chen. Seeing the handsome, golden-haired youth still smiling serenely at them, her heart inexplicably trembled. She pulled her three sisters and disappeared into the crowd, like frightened mice scattering. On the distant dock, Du Chen was left bewildered, caught between laughter and tears. Dus had already relayed Donna's words to him verbatim. But... Saint Dak! Damn it, ever since he refused Frinda's marriage proposal, his relationship with the Saint Dak family had plunged to an all-time low. While not yet enemies, they were certainly 'non-friends' who would meet with cold stares.

He absolutely had to act before the Divine Envoys reached the Saint Dak family! Otherwise, once they secured the Saint Dak family's protection, any move against them would be tantamount to declaring war on the Five Families of Fallen Gods!

At this thought, Du Chen turned to Deboning with a smile. "Brook, do try to smile a little! You are now the Grand Pontiff of Du Chen's Divine Cult, renowned across the Three Continents. You need a more approachable image!" Deboning forced a stiff smile. "Hmm, very good. Practice more in the future! Come, let us now openly spread our doctrine and gather believers!"

Not long after, a long-distance wyvern passenger coach departed from Turco Port's station. Just as the coach pulled out of Turco Port, four figures waved from the roadside, requesting to board: a burly man, a little girl, and two other eminent figures dressed as high-ranking Papal Curia clerics... Moments later, the coach's compartment, capable of holding over a hundred people, became boisterous, filled with a clamor of excited voices and incessant shouts of surprise!

"Praise the gods, are you not Grand Pontiff Brook, 'the Nether Blade'!? Oh, no, no, how dare commoners like us verify your identification!" "Heavens, this is unbelievable! A Titled Battle God is sitting in the same coach as us!" "Your Eminence, do you—do you accept disciples? Alas, you don't!? What? You'll select exceptionally talented believers from among the cult's followers!? Praise Du Chen, the Divine! What are the standards for joining our divine cult!?"

"Only upright character and willingness to do good deeds? Grand Pontiff, please accept me! I meet all your requirements!" Within mere minutes, Du Chen's Divine Cult gained over forty new believers. To be frank, these people cared little who Du Chen, the Divine, truly was; they merely sought to advance their prospects by following a Titled Battle God. Yet, this was sufficient, as long as it ensured they routinely performed good deeds, like helping old grandmothers cross the street. Du Chen sought little, truly very little!

Deboning conversed with these commoners, all the while diligently practicing his 'approachable smile'. Meanwhile, surrounded by a dozen truly devout religious followers, stood Du Chen, clad in the robes of a White-Robed Archbishop. Following Zigurd's instructions, Du Chen had not yet publicly announced his promotion to Godfather of the Shadow Temple. The believers listened with utmost piety and seriousness as Du Chen propagated the Divine Edicts of the new god—Du Chen, the Divine.

"Praise the good, punish the wicked! Du Chen, the Divine, decrees: those who do good shall receive My blessings; those who commit evil shall face My severe retribution..." The believers repeated the Divine Edicts incessantly. A sacred aura emanated from this cluster of people. However, at this moment, an elderly believer noticed several white-robed women near him, their faces etched with disdain, seemingly scornful of the new god!

The old man admonished, "Young ladies! One must be solemn and proper when listening to Divine Edicts! Even if you worship your own gods, you cannot wear such expressions when a cleric is spreading new Divine Edicts! I am decades your elder, so permit me to call myself 'Old Uncle.' Old Uncle advises you..."

These white-robed women were none other than the Aqua Cloud Divine Envoys. They intended to take the crowded long-distance coach to Saint Dak Fortress. But to their surprise, just before departure, Du Chen and his entourage caught up. And as soon as they boarded, they began spreading their doctrine, completely disregarding the Envoys! Donna immediately wanted to disembark, but by then, the coach had reached the outskirts. Below was empty, snow-covered land. With over a hundred commoners in the coach, she assessed the situation and dutifully remained onboard. At this moment, Donna's anger flared, being lectured by an old man who appeared a decade or more her junior. She wanted to lash out, but glancing at Du Chen, she held back—her very presence on the coach was to force Francis into not acting openly. If she harmed any commoner on the coach, he, as Godfather, would have the right to instantly declare her crime and have Brook slaughter all her sisters!

Donna was restraining herself, while Du Chen secretly smirked. "Ahem, Old Uncle, please calm yourself. These young ladies are still quite youthful, after all. We should all help them, not admonish them..." "You are absolutely right, young ladies, we will help you!" A dozen or so religious believers surrounded Donna...

The wyvern long-distance coach traveled through the southwestern mountains of the Aethelgard Continent, amidst heavy snowfall, with a cacophony of divine sounds swirling within the vehicle... But just then! *Crunch! Crunch! Crunch...* A crisp, rhythmic sound reached their ears. The preaching, the calls for new believers, the worship of Deboning inside the coach—the sounds of over a hundred people—could not drown out the distinct crunch of footsteps approaching through the snow!

Deboning, still practicing his 'approachable smile,' was the first to change expression. He subtly gestured for the surrounding believers to quiet down, listened intently for a moment, then frowned at Du Chen, saying, "The one approaching is no ordinary individual!"

Before Deboning could elaborate, Du Chen already sensed an overwhelming surge of killing intent emanating from the valleys on either side of the road, and from the path ahead of their coach! A faint scent of blood wafted through the air!

Donna's reaction was a beat slower. By the time she perceived the change in atmosphere, the scene outside the coach window had already transformed... The snowflakes, previously dancing in the cold wind, had all slowed down, as if the air in the valley had become viscous like oil! The snowflakes drifted slowly, yet uniformly, all pointing towards the wyvern coach!

Soon, the coachman screamed in terror from the driver's cabin, "Your Eminence Brook! Someone's ahead, he—he's piled snow into a wall across the road! Your, your Eminence, please!" The coachman didn't understand what the approaching person's aura truly represented—to an ant, a wolf and a dragon are one and the same! But years of coaching experience told him that serious trouble was brewing; this was a bandit's way of blocking the road! Chaos erupted instantly among the passengers inside the coach!

Du Chen parted the crowd and moved to the front of the coach. Deboning followed closely, and Aliza, carrying Beibei, trailed behind them. The four of them silently observed the figure approaching, stepping atop the snow wall...

Clad in the common cleric's robes of the Papal Curia, black boots, a white jade belt... And on his head, he wore a flat-topped military helmet, obscuring half his face. Amidst the swirling snow in the valley, it was difficult to discern his true features!

Du Chen glanced at Deboning, a wry smile playing on his lips. "This attire... doesn't it feel rather familiar?"

"Constantine was rescued by someone just like this!" Deboning slowly unfastened his primordial sacred artifact, gripping it firmly in his hand...