Howling City was split into two layers.
The inner layer was Howling Castle, the residence of the Earl of Blue Mountain. It was built entirely out of thick granite and was even taller than the city walls. It had watchtowers and blockhouses. Once a battle broke out, it could immediately be armed to the teeth.
During the Blueblood Civil War, Howling Castle had set a record of defending against an army of ten thousand with just one hundred people, and persisted for an entire year!
Outside of Howling Castle were the residences of commoners and free citizens. The entire outer layer of Howling City was divided into four districts. The eastern district was for scholars, mercenary leaders, small merchants, craftsmen... these free citizens mostly lived in small, exquisite villas with one or two gardens.
The western and southern districts were where the poor lived. These two districts were also the most chaotic. Some black markets and slave shops also operated here.
As for the northern district, it was where the church was located.
Wu Ming wore a white shirt and starched black trousers with a crossguard sword hanging from his waist. His deerskin boots stepped on the cobblestone ground, producing a crisp sound as he slowly arrived at the northern district.
The church's building was vast and majestic. It had a pointed top and was very gothic in style.
Dang dang!
At this moment, in the plaza, the sound of a copper bell rang out. A group of ragged, ragged, and mostly barefoot poor people gathered together, waiting with a bit of longing on their faces.
Clang dang!
The church's gate opened and a group of priests poured out to maintain order.
"The Lord comes from chaos and brings light to the world!"
A red-robed bishop with white hair and a compassionate look on his face began his daily preaching and almsgiving.
A few strong men carried a pot out, and inside it was a thin oatmeal porridge. The nannies at the side carried a basket, and after lifting the white cloth, one could see pieces of black bread quietly lying there.
Many of the poor subconsciously swallowed their saliva and squeezed forward.
If it weren't for the row of strong priests and a few armored Honorable Knights, they would have rushed forward and started a fight for it.
"No rush! One by one! "
The red-robed bishop maintained order. "Women, the elderly, and children first!"
He took a spoon and scooped a spoonful of oatmeal into every dirty wooden bowl, broken basin, and even his hand. The wet nurse next to him cooperated and gave him a piece of black bread. It was neither too much nor too little, but it was enough to survive for a day.
"The Lord says, we must love the world, just as the world loves us …"
Watching the cardinal preach tirelessly and lead the crowd in prayer, Wu Ming watched politely from the side, but his eyes were filled with confusion. "This church..."
In his eyes, the entire church was gray and gloomy, without a trace of spiritual light.
Furthermore, he did not sense any extraordinary aura from the Cardinal. It was as if he was just an ordinary mortal old man.
The only ones that caught his attention were the Honorable Knights.
These Honorable Knights were also known as Church Knights. They were real knights who had been selected by the church system and had gone through holy oil and rituals!
Of course, they had the strength of knights, but due to the restrictions of the church, no nobles were willing to confer them with fiefs or fiefs. Thus, they had the strength of knights, but not the substance of knights. The church claimed that they had dedicated everything to the supreme Lord, and that it was the church's glory, bestowing upon them the title of Honorable Knights.
However, in Wu Ming's eyes, they were just a group of high-level thugs trained by the church.
"But there's one thing that's the same. Giving aid every day … This church really has a lot of money …"
Wu Ming stroked his chin, thinking more at once.
There were only three forces in the Wind Firefly Plains that held the secrets of the advancement of knights. If the small nobles wanted to remain neutral and did not want their knights to be too deeply infiltrated by the counts and viscounts, they had no choice but to seek help from the church.
For this, they had to pay a large sum of money.
Needless to say, with the church's propaganda, there would always be a group of free people and even small nobles who hoped to find spiritual comfort from the scriptures and chose to be baptized. They would receive large amounts of donations every day, so naturally, they were overflowing with wealth.
The Honorable Knights' armor was bright, and their crossguard swords were decorated with gems and gold. They had an extraordinary luster, and Takur immediately paled in comparison.
After the crowd dispersed, Wu Ming came to the door of the church.
"Strange brother, where are you from?"
The Cardinal looked a little tired and was praying, but he immediately noticed Wu Ming.
"My name is William, and I come from the town of Niyah!"
Wu Ming stared at the statue in the middle of the church. It was a tall figure with perfect muscle lines, but it did not have a face.
From its body, Wu Ming vaguely felt a bit of extraordinary power, but it was hazy, with a feeling that it was right, but it was not.
"What god do you believe in?"
The Cardinal's expression was somewhat solemn as he asked slowly.
"I believe in the spirit of nature!"
Wu Ming answered without blinking.
The belief system in this world was still relatively primitive. Many gods did not have specific names, and even primitive beliefs such as ancestor worship and nature worship existed.
Moreover, because the power of the church was suppressed by the nobles, it did not develop to the extent of religious persecution. Otherwise, Wu Ming would not have so casually called himself a heretic.
He asked again, "Why do gods have no appearances?"
"Because our Lord was born from chaos. He is the God of all, the God of Domination, and the spirit of nature is also a carrier of his great power!"
A voice came from the side, answering Wu Ming's question.
"Archbishop!"
The Cardinal immediately bowed his head respectfully.
Wu Ming looked at the person who was walking over. He was dressed extremely simply. He only had a linen robe draped over him. His feet were bare and there was no decoration at all. He looked no different from a poor old man by the roadside.
But on him, Wu Ming clearly felt traces of extraordinary power. "A real priest?"
But after hearing the archbishop's answer, he was immediately speechless.
With such a doctrine of the One God, the Supreme God, it was no wonder that the church was so unpopular and even boycotted by the nobles.
The nobles' enfeoffment was, in fact, a division of power. They were the masters of their respective territories and could do whatever they wanted in their territories.
But the theory of the One God, the Supreme God of the church, in the modern world, was naked unification! Unless there was a king who aspired to unify the entire continent, no nobles would openly support it.
"Praise the Lord, I see the return of another brother!"
The archbishop smiled. "We are brothers of the same church. Are you here to find spiritual comfort, or something else?"
"In fact, I am an adventurer. I am confident that my skills have reached the peak, but there is no way forward!"
Wu Ming said frankly.
"You want to become a knight?"
The Cardinal shook his head. "I'm very sorry, unless you are conferred and recommended by the nobles, pay 500 Gold Delong, or swear to renounce everything and join the church to become a glorious knight, we cannot provide you with any help according to the agreement!"
He was very familiar with these words, and it was unknown how many people he had said them to.
"I see, sorry to disturb you!"
Wu Ming bowed slightly. "I will donate one Gold Delong to the church!"
He took out a gold coin and handed it to the Cardinal, looking a little disappointed as he prepared to leave.
"Wait!"
At this moment, the archbishop suddenly said, "Dear child, the door of the church will always be open to you!"
"Thank you!"
Wu Ming was stunned, then immediately bowed again and left the church.
"Archbishop?!"
The Cardinal looked at the old man with some surprise.
The old man's expression also seemed to be a little confused. "I see a layer of fog on him, as if he is carrying a revelation from the Lord..."
"Lord?"
The Cardinal was excited and a little ashamed. "What oracle did you receive?"
"God loves the world, but will not interfere with it easily. He will only give you hints in the smallest of details... Feel it, listen to the whole world..."
The archbishop's eyes rolled back as he said slowly.
...
"To obtain the holy oil, one must join the church or the nobles?"
Wu Ming walked out of the church, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "If that's the case, where did those wandering free knights come from?"
Although there was a contract to abide by, he did not believe that the nobles and the church were so impeccable on the surface.
No matter how precise and perfect the rules were, they still needed to be obeyed and maintained.
As long as there were people, there would be loopholes.
"In the black market, there must be clues about the holy oil, or even sales..."
Almost without thinking, a thought appeared in Wu Ming's mind.
"Of course... before that, I still need to visit a few more scholars, I need more knowledge!"
...
Three days later, in the East Sector, inside a villa.
"Honorable Scholar Lu Lun, I followed the route you provided and found poor Mr. Evans in a wolf's den. I'm very sorry!"
Wu Ming said to a pale old man as he placed a bloodstained leather armor and a ring with a strange pattern on the table.
"This is indeed Evans's ring... Oh! My poor little fellow! "
Scholar Lu Lun looked at the ring carefully, rubbing it against his chest, and tears suddenly appeared at the corner of his eyes.
"No matter what, I still have to thank you! Brave adventurer! "
After some time, Scholar Lu Lun's voice could be heard. "You will get what you deserve!"
He got up and placed a key and a small bag of gold Delong in front of Wu Ming. "Seven gold Delong, as well as the right to read all the books in my study for seven days, are all yours!
"I'll let Gavin tell you the rest!"
Scholar Lu Lun leaned back on the recliner, obviously exhausted.
Wu Ming bowed and left. He found the old butler Gavin and went to Lu Lun's study.
The brass key was inserted into the keyhole, making a crisp sound. Immediately after, the door opened, and a few rows of quaint bookshelves appeared in front of Wu Ming.
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