How the Savior is Forged

Just as Du Chen was summoned by a servant to Yonker’s study, Chief Butler Keane, who had been engrossed with the Family Grand Ceremony lately, knocked and entered. “Patriarch, you wished to see me?”

Yonker, eyes still fixed on a book, glanced at Keane’s ceremonial attire and instructed, “Francis will arrive shortly. I’ve arranged a banquet for him in the side hall, and I wish for you to serve. Go and change your attire first!”

Keane was taken aback. He was the Chief Butler, typically only called upon to serve when entertaining kings or empresses. For an ordinary family dinner, any junior butler would suffice. It seemed the Patriarch intended to discuss matters of utmost importance with Francis tonight; otherwise, his venerable self wouldn’t involve the Chief Butler in orchestrating the banquet’s flow!

Lost in thought, Keane dared not hesitate. Just as he was about to leave to change, he heard the Patriarch add, “There are two types of wine in the cabinet to your left. Take out one bottle of each, and use them during the wine inquiry ritual later.”

Keane was stunned again, then startled. That cabinet housed the Patriarch’s most confidential items; to touch anything within it invariably signified an event of profound importance to the family’s future!

What exactly did the Patriarch intend to discuss with Francis tonight?!

Soon, Keane had everything prepared. The two bottles of wine Yonker had specified were brought out. But as Keane glanced at the liquid within the bottles, he froze for the third time. He asked, a blush of shame creeping up his neck, “Patriarch, this Keane is incompetent. I cannot discern the origin of these two wines. Please enlighten me!”

At noble banquets, there was a ‘wine inquiry ritual’ where guests were asked their preferred wine, and the characteristics of each vintage were presented. As the Batuk Family’s Chief Butler, meticulously attentive to etiquette, Keane’s skill in tasting and discerning wine was unrivaled across the Three Continents. Yet, even with such expertise, Keane could not name these two wines. The situation grew increasingly unsettling!

The Patriarch lifted his head slightly and said indifferently, “The red is called Romart, and the blue is Fordelyn.”

Keane looked at Yonker with confusion. “Patriarch, this Keane has never heard of these two wines. Please tell me their origins, lest I commit a gaffe during the wine inquiry.”

Yonker smiled faintly. “You need not know the origins of these two wines. Tonight, do not fear making a gaffe during the banquet; simply follow my lead.” Keane, after all, had been the family’s old butler for several decades, loyal and reliable, wielding great authority. So Yonker explained, “Tonight, I will use these two wines to test Francis. As for what I’m testing, you need not ask.”

Keane dutifully closed his mouth, yet his thoughts buzzed with questions: What could two mere wines possibly test?!

The Patriarch set down his book, a faint smile playing on his lips as he gazed at the two bottles. During his discussion with Annie that morning, it had been clear: Francis and the Savior had only two possible connections—either the Savior had impersonated Francis, or Francis bore a striking resemblance to the Savior. The crucial point in both scenarios was age. Hmph, Francis, you’d never guess that the most ordinary ‘wine inquiry ritual’ at a banquet is actually a test of your age…

What a profound pity, squandering two millennia-aged vintages!

*Knock! Knock!* A servant outside reported, “Patriarch, Duke Francis has arrived!”

“Show him in!” As Du Chen gracefully entered, the Patriarch suddenly noticed that his perception of this young man had changed. Before, he’d seen him as a cunning little fox, shrewd and calculating, but now… why did he exude an aura of sacred nobility?

Was it an illusion, or merely a psychological effect from knowing about the Savior? Yonker felt a strange stirring within him!

After a string of superficial pleasantries, Du Chen was escorted to the banquet table in the side hall. After a brief exchange of words, Yonker gave a subtle glance, and Keane pushed the wine cart forward, bowing as he asked, “Your Grace, Duke, I have prepared Fordelyn and Romart. Which would you prefer?”

Yonker’s face remained expressionless, yet his hawk-like eyes flickered with subtle, almost imperceptible glints as Keane presented the wines, secretly observing Du Chen’s reaction!

“Butler Keane, you are too kind!” Du Chen pursed his lips. As a petty thief, what did he know of wine tasting? He’d simply pick one at random. But just as he was about to speak, Snoopy, nestled within the Precious Lotus Scripture in his ear, roared, “First, pretend to ponder! Grandpa has something to say!”

Du Chen’s lips trembled slightly as he feigned contemplation over which wine to choose. He heard bunny-grandpa speak in his ear.

“Francis, there’s something amiss with these two wines! Romart wine is the Executioner’s Wine used by the Fiendkind’s Supreme Liaison Council to execute human Lieutenant Generals and above during the War of Fallen Gods. During that war, very few human generals of Lieutenant General rank or higher were captured, so this murderous fiend wine was brewed in extremely small quantities. Even I, your grandpa, only saw it once when I transformed into a Fiendkind General to steal intelligence back then!”

Du Chen rubbed his nose. Would an ordinary banquet truly serve such a murderous Fiendkind wine?

Snoopy continued, “And Fordelyn wine is even more ancient; it was the Valiant’s Nectar for heroes of Einz City-state before they set off to battle during the Heroic Era, equally rare! Do you understand Yonker’s meaning now? If you choose Romart, a wine steeped in the blood of human heroes—a wine no Godslayer hero would ever choose—it would prove you are definitely only nineteen years old and absolutely cannot be the Savior who is over a thousand years old! But if you choose Fordelyn, Yonker will further discuss this wine with you, and thus be able to judge if you are the Savior!”

Du Chen’s heart lurched. So the test wasn’t in words, but in small, almost unnoticeable details! Thankfully, he knew Yonker intended to scrutinize his age and had specifically woken Snoopy to place him in his ear before leaving, adding the Sound-Proofing Secret Technique… Had it not been for this, even if he had known Yonker was testing his age, he would have already failed!

Yonker, that stubborn old codger, is truly formidable!

At that moment, Snoopy chuckled, “Grandson, if you want Yonker to believe you are the Heroic Era Savior impersonating Francis’s identity, then choose Fordelyn and put on a nostalgic act to prove you didn’t just choose ignorantly. That’s guaranteed to thoroughly bamboozle the old mule!”

Du Chen offered a faint smile, looking at Keane, who was preparing to serve drinks. “Thank you, Butler Keane. I’ll have… Romart, please!”

Romart?

Upon these words, a ripple of varied reactions coursed through the room.

Yonker’s expression remained unchanged, but in his heart, he thought: *Hmph, under no circumstances would a Godslayer hero ever choose Romart, a fiend wine stained with the blood of comrades and kin! So Francis must have chosen randomly out of ignorance. This means Francis is simply nineteen-year-old Francis, not an impersonation by a mysterious Savior who has lived for thousands of years!*

Meanwhile, Snoopy said anxiously, “What are you doing? Don’t you want to fool the old geezer anymore?”

As everyone pondered, their thoughts diverging, Du Chen had already taken a glass of Romart wine from Keane’s hand. Smiling faintly, he transmitted through his Divine Sense to Snoopy: “Your old methods of bamboozling are long outdated. Watch me, grandpa, I’ll show him the newest approach…”

With that, Du Chen picked up the wine glass and stood, facing south, gently pouring the wine onto the ground. Yonker’s face instantly darkened. Such an action was extremely disrespectful to the host. “Francis, what is the meaning of this?!”

Du Chen put down the wine glass and sighed mournfully. “To be honest, this glass of Romart wine was poured out for my god, Du Chen!”

A glint flashed in Yonker’s eyes. “Oh? Why?”

Du Chen didn’t answer. Solemnly, he took all the Romart wine bottles from Keane’s cabinet and poured them all out. Keane was furious at the sight, but constrained by etiquette, he could only endure it. Only then did Du Chen speak mournfully, “Romart wine is the Fiendkind’s Executioner’s Wine! And my god Du Chen’s brother—Zarilanka—perished precisely under the Romart’s blade… Alas!”

A long sigh utterly disarrayed the Patriarch’s thoughts. *Damn it all, Francis didn’t choose ignorantly! It’s because Du Chen, the Divine, had a relative die under Romart wine. Francis, as Du Chen’s Divine Envoy, pouring out Romart wine to honor the deceased is only natural and righteous. This is what a Divine Envoy of Du Chen should do, and it also aligns with noble status! But… if Francis knows the symbolism of both wines, then my conclusion is overturned. Francis could still be the impersonating Savior!*

At this, Du Chen bowed again and continued, “Patriarch, I will not speak empty words. I never personally met Prophet Zarilanka, nor do I hold much reverence or affection for him. But everything I have today was given by my god, Du Chen. If I were to see the blood-wine that killed my god’s brother and not pour it out, how could I face my god, Du Chen?! I hope the Patriarch will forgive me!”

Yonker offered a peculiar smile. “Your actions are entirely proper. If I were to blame you for this, wouldn’t I be unreasonable? However… Prophet Zarilanka? To which war zone did this Prophet belong back then? And on which floor of the Papal Curia’s Enshrinement Temple is he now enshrined?” As a scion of Marshal Batuk, Yonker naturally knew all the Godslayer prophets, but he had never heard of a ‘Zarilanka.’ Curious, he casually posed a perfectly logical question.

But Du Chen thought: *Zarilanka? Bullshit, I didn't even know who he was ten seconds ago!* Yet, with a slightly embarrassed expression, he said, “Prophet Zarilanka belonged to the Einz War Zone, but he was not well-known. He has no divine position within the Papal Curia’s Divine Temple…”

The Patriarch snorted dismissively in his heart. *Needless to say, Zarilanka must have been an unknown minor general of the Holy Alliance, who possessed only a rudimentary grasp of astrology. Such minor generals were innumerable during the era of Fallen Gods; it’s only natural that I wouldn't know of him!*

But then Du Chen, as if noticing the Patriarch’s disdain, quickly eager to vindicate Zarilanka’s reputation and save some face for Du Chen, the Divine, added, “Patriarch, please do not misunderstand. My god’s brother once offended several Eminences. Those politicians used the charge of ‘propagating disaster theory and disturbing military morale’ to ostracize him, which is why his life was so mediocre… In truth, my god’s brother was skilled in astrology; in terms of ability, he was qualified to be enshrined in the Papal Curia’s Divine Temple!”

To Keane, these were just typical noble platitudes for saving face. But when the Patriarch heard the keywords “disaster” and “offending Eminences,” his heart gave a violent lurch!

*Ancestral warnings stated that the Savior foretold The Great Catastrophe, but the Marshals didn’t believe him, misunderstood him, and even harmed the Savior! Could it be… Zarilanka is the Savior mentioned in the ancestral warnings?!*

At this, Yonker’s fingertips trembled slightly. Following Du Chen’s words, he probed, “I see. Political affairs are inherently dirty, but ‘propagating disaster theory and disturbing military morale’—that charge is truly ridiculous! Did the Holy Alliance’s Military Tribunal really believe it so readily back then?”

*Old geezer, that’s precisely what I was waiting for!*

Du Chen smiled wryly. “According to my god, those politicians narrated it with such plausible detail. They claimed, ‘Zarilanka proclaimed the world was about to end, instigating generals to rescue it from this so-called catastrophe. Think about it, wasn’t this helping the Fiendkind disrupt the Holy Alliance’s military deployment?! And Zarilanka remained unrepentant even unto death! Even after being convicted, he still widely proclaimed that even if his attempt at salvation failed, astrology told him that in the future, his successor would complete the great work of salvation! A successor? Hmph, how is that different from the claims of those heretical cults!’…”

Yonker suddenly felt his pores open, his body trembling as if struck by lightning. *Successor, successor… Damn it, Annie and I both overlooked a third possibility for the Savior!*

The Patriarch, having lived over a hundred years, possessed emotional control far surpassing ordinary people. Almost instantaneously, he returned to normal, so much so that even Du Chen did not notice his abnormal state. But Dus said, “Francis, the old geezer just trembled a moment ago. Your words worked!”

Du Chen laughed inwardly, yet helplessly continued, “Alas, such convincing claims, coming from the mouths of Eminences, meant the Military Tribunal naturally believed it! As a result, my god’s brother lived a life of depression and unfulfilled ambition, ultimately perishing under the Romart’s blade… Never mind, Patriarch, let’s not dwell on this. Let’s talk business. What did you old man want to see me about tonight?”

Yonker had originally intended to extract benefits, but the three words “successor” felt like a crushing thousand-catty weight pressing upon his chest. He clenched his fist, then chuckled, “This old man merely wished to ask: Is there a possibility of cooperation between our two families?”

Forget extracting benefits, forget revealing Margaret’s impending arrival. Patriarch Yonker did not utter any of these previously planned matters. Instead, he dutifully discussed a series of cooperation plans with Du Chen—very fair plans!

It was nearing dawn when the banquet dispersed. Yonker waved his hand at a bewildered Keane. “Go, continue presiding over the grand ceremony!” After Keane left, he tapped on the table. “Annie, did you hear everything clearly?”

Annie emerged from the partition with a wry smile. “Grandpa, your granddaughter just thought of a third possibility!”

“Speak!”

“The ancestral warnings were fragmented and ambiguous; they did not mention the Savior’s name, nor could they confirm the Savior’s ultimate fate. Can we not assume that the Savior is not a single person, but a mission passed down through generations? Or simply put, our ancestors did indeed encounter a Savior back then, but that Savior has died, and his mission has been passed down, until today, to Francis?”

After a pause, Annie summarized, “Then the complete ancestral warning should be: Several Marshals back then didn’t believe the Savior’s prophecy and even persecuted him, leading the Savior to die consumed by resentment! Later, the ancestors discovered the prophecy was true and began to regret, entrusting us, their descendants, to find the Savior’s inheritor, and then follow the inheritor to avert The Great Catastrophe—and the figure revealed in the vision was not actually the Savior, but the appearance of the inheritor!”

Yonker retorted, “But the Emerald Seal was forged a millennium ago. How could the ancestors have known the appearance of an inheritor a thousand years later?”

“Grandpa, there are too many explanations for this! At the very least, since the Savior could predict The Great Catastrophe, couldn’t he also predict the inheritor’s appearance and tell the ancestors in advance? Or perhaps, the Savior’s inheritance is not just the mission, but even the appearance can be passed down—each generation of Saviors essentially has the same appearance. This situation is very common in Battle Qi Inheritances. And…”

After listing several possibilities, Annie frowned slightly. “Grandpa, regardless, the ‘inheritor’ theory can prove that the Savior is Francis himself, who is nineteen years old!”

Yonker fell into a profound silence, and Annie, too, frowned, unable to speak.

After a long while, Yonker asked, “So how should we treat Francis? Should we truly follow him?”

“Your granddaughter dares not leap to conclusions, Grandpa. Our Batuk Family cannot presumptuously draw conclusions on its own. It would be best… for our Five Families of Fallen Gods to discuss it together!”

“Hmm, Grandpa also intended to summon the Family Heads of the Five Families for discussion! However, a Secret Convocation of the Five Families isn’t something that can just be convened; it will take at least ten days to gather all five Family Heads…” Yonker slapped the tabletop with a resounding thud. “Fine, let Francis stay peacefully in Emerald City for ten days. If Margaret comes, I, Yonker, will bear the brunt of it for him! I refuse to believe Margaret would truly dare to completely turn against our Five Families of Fallen Gods!”

…

On the way back to his bedroom, a faint, knowing smile played on Du Chen’s lips.

As he neared the door, Snoopy suddenly shouted, “Brilliant! Grandson, you are truly a master! My old methods of bamboozling people are indeed outdated!”

“You understand now?”

“I understand. A low-level swindler tells others a lie! But a cunning swindler provides others with a line of thought, letting them deduce the answer we want themselves! The most admirable part is that you didn’t mention anything about ‘the Savior’ all night. Everything you said was unverifiable ‘nonsense’ from the mouths of the dead. If one day the truth came to light, the Batuk Family would have no excuse to trouble you; they could only blame themselves for thinking incorrectly!”

Du Chen used a Secret Technique to transmit his voice into Snoopy’s ear. “None of this is the most important part. Tonight, I actually only did one thing—make the Batuk Family believe that Francis himself is the Savior, not someone impersonating him, and certainly not just having a similar appearance! The difference between these three interpretations… is significant!”

Snoopy pondered carefully, nodding repeatedly. “I see, although the Batuk Family now believes you are the Savior, they still harbor doubts. It’s impossible for them to immediately follow you, but they will help you! To follow, to merely help—the chasm between them is vast!”

Du Chen smiled. “For now, help is enough. Sooner or later, they will follow me!”

For he would never give up saving the Life Tree, and thus the ultimate act of Great Benevolence in saving the world! So, why should it not be so for him to describe himself as the Savior? Though the goal of this ‘Savior’ is merely to secure his wife!

…

The matter with the Batuk Family had reached a temporary conclusion. Now, they just needed to find the fourth family and devise a way to unite against Margaret. This time, Margaret had dispatched Xue Ji, Sword Slave, and Dragonfinch; it was a direct confrontation with Du Chen! Du Chen could have simply made a clean getaway with Green Cloud, avoiding this conflict! But if he fled, could Durkes City escape? Even if Du Chen was willing to abandon Durkes City and take his entire family to a distant land with Green Cloud, when would this life of a hunted cur ever cease!?

So Du Chen no longer hid. Or rather, the Arcane Artifact of the Fifth Trigram imbued him with ample confidence, daring him to confront Margaret head-on. *If I can’t defeat you, surely I can still outrun you?!*

Moreover, the most important reason Du Chen had to stay in the Emerald Sea was… Xue Ji, who went missing here, had still not been found!

Over the past few days, Du Chen had secretly and repeatedly urged Gode to expedite the search, but the Great Triangle Navy not only returned empty-handed from the ocean but also yielded no results after an extensive, large-scale search of nearby land. Just as Du Chen’s anxieties deepened with each passing day, a situation that might not be considered entirely unexpected swept him back into a flurry of activity.

On the fourth day after The Grand Wager, a Batuk family servant urgently sought Du Chen. “Your Grace, Grand Duke, the cavern where the prior incident occurred had claimed more lives. This time, our family suffered significant losses. And since you were the only one who returned alive after entering the depths of the cave, the Patriarch wishes to invite you to the northern cliff. He is already there.”

Had the Super Fire-Elemental Aberrant Beast struck again?