In fact, when Han Jin led the army to attack the Beitman, Adolf had already turned the entire Holy Crown City into a parish. However, he did not expand to other satellite cities. No matter how radical his attitude was, he should always have some discretion in his actions. After all, Adolf was an old man who had experienced many vicissitudes of life. It was difficult to find someone older than him in the human world. He could not be as unscrupulous as a young man. If he really expanded the parish completely, it would be tantamount to pushing Han Jin to a dead end. Either he would fight with his back to the river, or he would completely surrender. There was no other way.
Moreover, the so-called Holy Crown City parish system was very incomplete. Under normal circumstances, the parish had a lot of power, parallel to the secular authorities. As for who was above and who was below, it was never fixed. It was completely dependent on the level of power, attitude, strength, and so on of the two contenders. For example, in Jeddis' former parish, Jeddis had the right to speak. No matter if it was a lord personally appointed by Nicholas or a general with thousands of troops, they all had to kneel down in front of Jeddis. In Iron Fist City, where Nicholas was personally in charge, another Archbishop of the Holy See, Zachary, was personally appointed as the parish bishop. However, Zachary was completely suppressed by Nicholas. It was not that Zachary was incompetent. If it were Jeddis, he would also not challenge Nicholas' authority. In the end, Zachary was so angry that he resigned as the parish bishop and proposed that the Iron Fist City parish and Jeddis' parish be merged into one, with Jeddis still as the parish bishop. Thus, the largest, most significant, and most prosperous parish was born. This was also the beginning of the complete falling out between Jeddis and Nicholas.
It was impossible for there to be no conflicts between the two systems. It was just a matter of who gave in more and who gave in less. Jeddis had the Pope above him, so he could not maintain his own opinions. He had to protect the Pope's authority and the interests of the Holy See.
In Holy Crown City, the most important reason why Jeddis could maintain his friendship with Han Jin was that Jeddis had completely given up his previous ideas. He had never fought with Han Jin. If he wanted to reestablish the Holy See, he would go to Han Jin, and then Han Jin would give him a piece of land. If he did not have enough funds, he would go to Han Jin, and then Han Jin would give him a sum of money. For anyone with ambition, this was unbearable. Territory and funds were the two lifeblood of ambition. How could they tolerate being held in the hands of others? However, Jeddis was willing to accept this. He would no longer fight for anything. As long as he accepted the existence of the Holy See and was free to spread the glory of God, he had nothing else to ask for. Han Jin said that the people had just settled down, and there were still strong enemies outside that posed a threat. It was not the time to expand the parish quickly, as it could easily cause chaos. Fine, he would wait patiently. Han Jin said that theocracy and secular power were two different things. The territory of Holy Crown City could recognize the God of Light as the only true God, but the Holy See could not interfere with the secular power, especially not in the name of reducing taxes. Fine, he only cared about spreading the doctrine, and did not care about anything else.
In the eyes of some radical priests, Jeddis was undoubtedly a shameful capitulator. Interestingly, among the Holy Knight and Cardinal Bishops, Jeddis had gained the support of the majority. Even the veteran Adonis stood on Jeddis' side. They all knew that the Holy See could not withstand any more twists and turns. More priests, under the influence of rigid doctrines, education, and various historical factors, had been spoiled. They believed that human beings must believe in the God of Light, and they were the bearers of God's grace, so they should be looked up to by all human beings, including lords and emperors. They should also accept people's contributions to the Holy See. Han Jin had conquered the Holy Crown City and then handed it over to the Holy See, which was the obligation of the believers. If he wanted to occupy the Holy Crown City alone and exclude the Holy See, then Han Jin would be a blasphemer who must be eliminated.
However, the Holy Crown City was different from the Southwest Region. The Holy See had not visited the city for a long time, which was equivalent to a desert of faith. Han Jin was so famous that many people speculated that his real strength had reached the level of Demigod. Moreover, the Holy Crown City was conquered by him. Although the priests arbitrarily treated the whole city as a parish and acted without authorization, they did not recruit many believers. It was not until the priests shouted the slogan of tax reduction that the civilians responded. However, half of the civilians still maintained a wait-and-see attitude. Even if the priests wantonly praised Han Jin and belittled Han Jin, the civilians did not dare to make a decision easily.
The Holy See was so powerful, how could it be driven to the Holy Crown City? Han Jin was so weak, how could he defeat the elders of Dragon City? That was a real Demigod Strongman!
The gate of the newly built Lord's Mansion was already crowded with people. There was no gap on the road that could accommodate more than a dozen Knights. However, the Knight Regiment of Faith of Amyger and the Knight Regiment of Shield of Freedom of Adonis were not involved. None of the Grand Cardinals were present, which meant that those who came here to make trouble belonged to the low-level priests and believers of the Holy See. It was not easy to establish a unified command.
Han Jin was standing in front of the window, overlooking the crowd from afar. His face was always calm.
"My Lord, so … Adolf already knows what we are doing?" Schumann frowned and asked softly, "Then why didn't he come out to stop us?"
"He can't know our specific plan. He just sensed it." Han Jin smiled, "After all, our reaction was too artificial, but …"
"My Lord, what do you want to say?"
"Have you ever seen a circus?"
"Yes, I have."
"In the circus, there are always some demon beasts that look very dangerous. In fact, the wildness of those demon beasts has long been worn away with the passage of time. Otherwise, how could they be whipped and teased by people? If they are released back into the forest of demon beasts, I guess … they will not be able to survive in the forest. "Han Jin said slowly," Not only demon beasts, but also human beings will degenerate! Adolf is an ascetic. Do you know what an ascetic needs the most? "
"What is it?"
"Loneliness." Han Jin smiled, "Only a long period of loneliness can make their souls purer, their faith firmer, and their strength stronger. A demon beast that has been lonely for decades suddenly returns to the herd … I guess, he will be more or less uncomfortable, because this is not the life he wants."
Schumann was silent, secretly thinking about Han Jin's words.
"Maybe that Adolf is really a wise man, but his wisdom is only in how to temper himself and how to perfect himself. It has nothing to do with human nature. Jeddes is busy dealing with teaching affairs and dealing with all kinds of people. In this regard, he should be far better than Adolf. Also, Jeddes knows me very well, hehe …" Han Jin smiled, "After Jeddes realized that we might be involved, he could vaguely guess my intentions, but Adolf couldn't, so he hasn't done anything yet."
"Jeddes guessed our intentions? Then he should have come out … Eh? My Lord, look over there! "Schumann shouted.
While Schumann was in shock, Han Jin saw the figures in the distance. Jeddes had come with Amijay, Adonis, Aude, and dozens of Light Knight.
"You really have a crow's mouth." Han Jin shook his head helplessly and took a few steps back, "Close the window. It won't be good if they discover us."
Schumann looked a little embarrassed. He hurried over and carefully closed the window, then asked, "My Lord, what is Jeddes doing here? Is he ruining our plan? "
"As the Pope, he can't remain silent." Han Jin sighed softly and said, "He tried his best to do what he should do, and the rest is up to fate. Hehe … Jeddes made a sad decision."
At this moment, someone knocked on the door. Han Jin said, "Come in."
The door opened, and Chipango walked in with a man in his thirties wearing a priest's robe.
Han Jin looked at the priest's robe and couldn't help but frown. He then gave Schumann a look. Schumann asked, "You weren't discovered? Why didn't you change your clothes? "
"No, I've been very careful." Chipango hurriedly said.
"My Lord, I also want to change my clothes, but there's not enough time." The priest said, "My brothers are still waiting for me."
"Is everything ready?" Schumann asked.
"Absolutely, my Lord." The priest was very respectful in front of Schumann and didn't dare to raise his head.
Schumann took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to the priest, "Read it quickly and burn it after you're done."
The clergyman took the letter and opened it in a flurry. He quickly read through it, then took out a flint and lit the candlestick beside him. He then placed the letter on the flame and really burned it.
"Okay, you can go now." Schumann waved his hand.
"Yes, my Lord." The priest bowed. Although he felt that there was a fourth person sitting on top of him, he didn't dare to raise his head and quickly left the room.
"This kid is very obedient in front of you," Chipango said.
"Hehe … that's because he doesn't know who you are. If he knew who you were, he would probably be too scared to walk." Schumann smiled, "I'm the Chief Sheriff personally appointed by my Lord. I'm in charge of people like him. Of course, he has to be obedient."
"He's very smart," Han Jin said softly. The priest didn't dare to raise his head. It was very likely that he had already guessed that the mysterious person who appeared was far more powerful than Schumann. He might even have guessed his identity.
"My Lord, you mean … to keep them?" Schumann looked shocked, "But … we'll leave too many traces!"
"No, you don't have to take care of him. Let's see what he's capable of." Han Jin said slowly, "If he can survive this chaos … this person will be yours. I know that Chipango isn't the only one who needs people. You need people too."
"Tsk tsk …" Schumann sighed, "He's just a little ruffian. God knows what kind of luck he has to be able to gain your appreciation?!"
"His background isn't important," Han Jin said.
"Yes!" Chipango nodded heavily, "My Lord's previous title was lower than yours. What does that mean?!"
"Yes." Schumann laughed, "You don't have a title yet. You're just a commoner. Don't I have to listen to you?" Schumann was very good at dealing with people. He knew that he had accidentally said something wrong and immediately tried to fix it.
"Haha …" Schumann's words made Chipango feel very comfortable. Naturally, he couldn't continue and laughed it off.
The atmosphere fell into silence. Schumann rolled his eyes and changed the topic, "It's a pity that the Lord's Mansion was just built. My Lord, you haven't lived in it yet, right? After this mess, there shouldn't be much left. "
"Can it be that big? Destroy the Lord's Mansion? " Chipango asked in surprise. He and Schumann were only in charge of their own parts and reported to Han Jin at the same time. He didn't know much about Schumann's actions.
"Of course. Do you know how many people they have? Seven to eight hundred. "Schumann smiled.
"So many?"
"It's not that bad. I've already thrown some extremely vicious and merciless fellows into prison." Schumann said, "I used to deal with them a lot. You see, my Lord trusted me and let me be the sheriff. I can't disgrace him, can I? I can't afford to offend those powerful professionals, but I can deal with those hooligans who have nothing to do. "
"Those guys all listen to you?" Han Jin asked.
"Yes, but they don't know that I'm the one behind this." Schumann said, "The whole city knows about my relationship with you. If I expose you, you won't be able to explain it."
"I'm curious. Those guys you mentioned … have all become priests?" Chipango shook his head.
"They also need to make a living." Schumann said, "They used to live in the corners of the Holy Crown City and made a living by swindling people. I can't disgrace you, my Lord, so of course I have to keep a close eye on them. Haha, they don't dare to do anything against the law and order. They don't have any ancestral property and don't want to work. What can they do?"
"The question is, why did the Vatican accept them?!"
"After Adolf came to the Vatican, he recruited believers everywhere. The Vatican is eager to expand its power. Why would they care about the quality of their believers?" Schumann laughed, "For those hooligans, they can at least make a living after joining the Church, right?"
Han Jin was a bit lost in thought. This kind of thing seemed to have happened in the history of another world.
"The Vatican is messing around like this. Sooner or later, something will happen." Chipango sneered, "Even without us, they will suffer."
At this moment, there was a rhythmic knock on the door. Chipango hurriedly said, "Mr. Winston is here."
Han Jin nodded and motioned Chipango to open the door.
Winston was dressed in casual clothes. He hurriedly walked a few steps and bowed to Han Jin, "My Lord, I'm ready. Do you have any other orders?"
"Pay attention to your own safety. Don't act rashly." Han Jin said, "You know, this time I need you to lose!"
"I understand! My Lord! "
"How many people did you bring?" Han Jin asked.
"About a hundred." Winston replied, "They are all soldiers selected from the First and Second Swordsman Regiments. Their strength is very ordinary. They were only responsible for transporting supplies and almost never had the chance to go to the battlefield."
"Hmm …" Han Jin nodded after a moment and said, "You can go."
"Yes, my Lord." Winston bowed again, then looked up at Chipango and Schumann with a smile and quickly walked out.
As soon as Winston left, there was a sudden commotion outside. Chipango curiously walked to the window and looked outside, then said, "My Lord, I'll go out and see what's going on."
"Okay." Han Jin said.
"My Lord, it seems that Jedis and the priests are arguing." Schumann turned around and said.
"Jedis?" Han Jin was stunned. He also walked to the window and looked into the distance.
After a while, Chipango hurried back. Sure enough, Jedis and the priests were arguing!
Han Jin went to fight the Beitman and took almost all the military forces with him, leaving a vacuum in the Holy Crown City. For the Church, which had many things to do, this was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to expand their power. If Jedis was in charge, he would have to consider Han Jin's feelings. In the end, there would only be two results: one was to do things step by step and not provoke Han Jin, and the other was to do nothing and wait for Han Jin to come back. But it was different for Adolf. For a believer who had been immersed in his faith for nearly a hundred years, it was an unbearable pain for him to suddenly walk on the edge of life and death. He wanted to restore the Church's prestige at all costs, and he was already very old and his time was limited. He could not wait for the Church to gradually recover its strength, so he used the most drastic method. First, he arrested Hallister to show his toughness, then he quickly expanded the parish to establish the established fact. If it were not for Han Jin's fame and the firm opposition of Jedis and Adonis, he would have already expanded the parish to all the satellite cities of the Holy Crown City.
No one knew whether Adolf realized that his unscrupulous recruitment of believers had left a hidden danger for the future of the Church. Perhaps he had no other choice.
But today, the hidden danger suddenly erupted. In the past, Jedis had a very high binding power over the Church. The three Holy Knights, the Knight Order of Light, the Cardinals, and all the bishops and priests would unconditionally obey Jedis's orders. Unfortunately, most of the priests and believers gathered in front of the Lord's Mansion were new, and hundreds of priests with ulterior motives were inciting them. Jedis's influence had been reduced to the minimum. He blocked the entrance of the Lord's Mansion and shouted for a long time, but still could not disperse the crowd.
Moreover, there was a secret information that was circulating among the priests. Lord Raphael had led his army to annihilate the Orcs. The army had suffered heavy losses, and Raphael himself was also seriously injured. If they wanted to do something, they had to do it now! If they waited for Raphael to recover, and if they waited for the army of the Holy Crown City to recover, it would be too late! In fact, many of the priests did not know what benefits they could gain by coming here to make trouble. Anyway, since everyone was here, they followed. Because they had not been in the church for long, they did not know Jedis's prestige and ability. Anyway, since everyone was making trouble, they followed suit.
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