Chapter 178: Morbid

Inside a luxurious mansion, a lean young man was performing some kind of mysterious religious ritual.

"Those who believe in me shall attain eternal life."

He raised his hands high, holding a golden chalice, his expression radiating absolute sanctity.

Everyone who looked at him felt an irrepressible urge to bow down and worship him.

And before him, a group of devotees was indeed prostrating themselves in worship.

There were old and young alike, all kneeling flat on the ground with utmost reverence, looking as though they were paying homage to the one and only true god in this world.

The believers present here were all prominent figures in H City. They wore designer clothes and expensive watches, each worth a fortune.

Yet these grand figures, usually so dignified and respected in public, were currently sprawled on the floor like stray dogs, listening to the young man's teachings.

"O Lord who walks among mortals, please bestow upon us the holy water!"

The lead devotee first slammed his head against the floor three heavy, resonant times, and then drew a dagger from his waist.

*Slash—*

Without changing his expression, he sliced the blade across his arm. Immediately, a thick stream of blood gushed from the bone-deep wound.

Seeing this, the rest of the devotees also drew the daggers they had prepared in advance and hacked at their own arms, not even furrowing a brow.

Soon, the pristine floor was flooded with a massive pool of blood, soaking even the young man's shoes.

Logically speaking, people sustaining injuries this severe should be screaming in agony, but absurdly, these individuals seemed completely devoid of pain.

They knelt in silence one by one, staring unblinkingly at the young man before them. Their eyes were filled with adoration and joy, but utterly devoid of suffering.

"Ha! Since you implore me so earnestly, begging the one and only 'true god' of this world, I will make an exception and grant you the 'holy water'."

The young man burst out into laughter, his expression feral and unbridled, his eyes overflowing with ferocity and cruelty.

With a slight flick of his wrist, a massive... cockroach crawled out from his sleeve and onto his hand.

It was a cockroach the size of an infant's fist, shiny and oily, equipped with razor-sharp mouthparts.

In terms of size, rather than calling it a cockroach, comparing it to a large spider from a tropical rainforest would be far more fitting.

Its entire body radiated an ominous aura—gloomy, dark, and utterly nauseating.

If Chang Yu were present at the scene right now, he would undoubtedly have recognized the identity and origin of this cockroach instantly.

Because Chang Yu had only ever felt that exact same aura emanating from Calamity.

The cockroach pivoted its body, wiggled its oversized abdomen, and aimed it directly at... the holy chalice in the young man's hand.

With a soft *slurp* sound—

A yellowish, golden jet of liquid squirted out from the tail end of the giant cockroach, shooting precisely into the golden chalice.

In an instant, the sound of gushing liquid filled the entire room, resembling... someone relieving themselves into a chamber pot.

Soon, the chalice was filled to the brim with a yellowish-orange, glittering, wondrous liquid. The giant cockroach contentedly twitched its backside and crawled back into the young man's sleeve.

"Alright, the 'holy water' has been poured. Everyone, hurry up and drink it while it's warm."

The young man wore a sacred expression as he handed the cup in his hand to the lead devotee, who received it with trembling care and a face full of reverence.

"Thank you, the one and only true god of this world, for bestowing upon us the holy water!"

The lead devotee raised the cup, took a grateful sip with tears in his eyes, and maintained a blissful expression of lingering aftertaste.

He narrowed his eyes, his mind drifting into a blank void as he felt a deep sense of physical and mental well-being, panting heavily as though he had just inhaled some kind of narcotic.

"No matter how many times I drink this holy water, it is always so enchanting and unforgettable," he sighed with emotion.

With that, he reluctantly handed the cup to the next devotee.

That devotee took the cup with delight, drank eagerly without delay, and passed it along to the next person using the exact same method.

Not long after consuming the 'holy water', thick plumes of black smoke began to rise from the wounds on the devotees' arms. The bleeding abruptly stopped, and the injuries began to heal at an astonishing speed.

In a short while, the wounds on their arms were completely restored as good as new, without leaving even a scar, as though they had never been slashed by blades at all.

"Lord Sishé, I failed to find the person you asked me to investigate previously."

After the ritual concluded, the lead devotee stood before the young man with a flattering expression.

Compared to just moments ago, he now looked at least several years younger, all thanks to that cup of 'holy water'.

Although the 'holy water' looked like some unspeakable substance excreted from the backside of a giant cockroach—something quite repulsive to contemplate—its effects were remarkably potent.

The words Sishé had spoken earlier, "Those who believe in me shall attain eternal life," were no empty boast. He genuinely possessed the ability to restore one's youth and vitality.

As long as they drank the holy water from his hand, the believers could maintain their youth and vigor indefinitely.

Even a decrepit old man could instantly become energetic and full of life after drinking the holy water.

That substance was akin to a miraculous elixir of youth; whoever drank it would grow young again.

Over the years, the rapid expansion of the cult organization known as the "Zodiac" in such a short span of time was inextricably linked to this near-divine ability.

No one wished to grow old, least of all the wealthy and powerful.

They had fought through countless hardships to build their fortunes, yet they had not even finished enjoying their success when the realities of aging, sickness, and death threatened to strip them of all opportunities to relish life. Such a fate felt profoundly unjust to anyone who experienced it.

Therefore, when they heard that merely by worshipping a certain true god and joining a cult organization they could obtain a divine elixir capable of retarding aging, they swarmed in like sharks smelling blood, competing fiercely to join the organization.

To this end, they were even willing to wield their power and wealth in service of the cult in exchange for that miraculous medicine.

Thus, utilizing various extraordinary abilities at their disposal, the "Zodiac" convinced those ignorant the-rich-and-powerful that they were true deities from the heavens, possessing the power to grant immortality, and took the opportunity to firmly control them to run errands for the organization.

Over time, those ignorant wealthy individuals truly submitted to the profound and mystical supernatural powers of the "Zodiac," transforming into fanatical followers who performed their duties with absolute loyalty.

"The personal files of those two people have been classified as top secret, and I do not have the clearance to view them." This devotee leader, who held a lofty position in real reality, appeared utterly humble before Sishé at this moment.

Sishé shot the devotee leader a fierce glare with his cold, serpent-like eyes, his dissatisfaction radiating clearly. His naturally pale complexion flushed with bulging blue-green veins.

"What is the meaning of this? These are the people Chenlong wants investigated! If something goes wrong now, can you bear the responsibility?"

"Lord Sishé, please calm your anger." The devotee leader felt a bone-chilling cold wash over him under Sishé's gaze, breaking out in a cold sweat.

"This truly isn't my fault. My clearance level simply isn't high enough to access their files."

"Oh? Even your clearance level is insufficient to view them?" Sishé was genuinely surprised now.

This devotee leader's rank was high enough to place him in the top three across the entire H Province; how could he fail to investigate the files of two ordinary passersby?

Unless... those two fellows were not ordinary passersby at all.

"If even I cannot access their files, then I'm afraid only the highest-ranking secretary of the entire H Province has the clearance to do so," the devotee leader said tremblingly.

"Very well, I understand the situation," Sishé thought for a moment and said, "I will explain this to Chenlong."

"By the way, Lord Sishé, didn't you mention expanding the scale and number of our believers last time?" the devotee leader asked.

"I recently discovered a promising candidate. That person is a well-known real estate developer in H City, with a capital worth tens of billions.

"If we can incorporate him into our ranks of believers, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous boost to the organization."

"Handle these trivial matters as you see fit," Sishé waved his hand dismissively, seemingly uninterested in such 'minor details' as recruiting believers.

"Weren't you previously rewarded with a divine artifact? If that fellow doesn't know what's good for him, take some forceful measures to bring him into line."

At this moment, Sishé spoke the most cruel words in the most casual tone, exuding overwhelming dominance without a shred of Chenlong's low-key style.

After the devotee leader departed, Sishé retrieved a satellite phone and dialed a mysterious number.

"Hello, Chenlong, it's Sishé." The young man's voice was hoarse and cold—the kind of tone that instantly alienated anyone who heard it.

"Ah, Sishé. Have you made any progress on the matter I asked you to investigate?" Chenlong's voice was unhurried and cultured.

Rather than the leader of a cult organization, he sounded more like an exceptionally refined gentleman.

"I'm afraid I must disappoint you. My people found nothing, claiming that the files of both individuals have been classified as top secret, and their clearance was insufficient," Sishé said.

"Then stop pursuing it." Chenlong showed no sign of anger. "Situations like this generally involve people from the Disaster Investigation Bureau. Finding nothing is, in itself, another form of discovery."

"In fact, when I first saw them at Swan Castle, I had already vaguely guessed their identities."

"If they weren't people from the Disaster Investigation Bureau, how could they possibly emit that stench that I find so nauseating?"

"Shall I send someone to eliminate them then?" Sishé asked with a sinister undertone.

"Don't complicate things," Chenlong said. "They likely haven't discovered my identity; there's no need to make a fuss."

"Eliminating them will inevitably draw the attention of the Disaster Investigation Bureau, which risks exposing me."

"Yet a war between us and the Disaster Investigation Bureau is bound to happen sooner or later. Striking first is better than striking later." Sishé was not entirely devoid of understanding for Chenlong's well-intentioned caution, but as the radical faction within the organization, his perspective naturally differed from Chenlong's.

"Now is not the time." How could Chenlong not comprehend Sishé's little ambitions? He could only suppress the rising irritation in his heart and patiently explain.

"Our preparations are still insufficient. Exposing the existence of us gifted individuals to ordinary mortals too early holds no benefit for us."

"If we wish to become the actual rulers of H City, or even the supreme sovereigns of all H Province, what we must do goes far beyond merely displaying our supernatural abilities before the common populace."