The rain stopped,
The cold of early spring gradually dissipated, and the tender yellow buds of the small potted flowers by the window broke out.
There was a long line in front of the bookstore.
The employee shouted with a smile, "There are still many books. There's no hurry,
There's no hurry! "
The long line slowly wriggled, and finally, it was the turn of a man in his thirties at the front of the line.
He pointed at the book and asked the employee, "Is this book selling well?"
The employee looked at him in surprise. "You don't know why you're here to buy it?"
He said to the employee, "In the past, there weren't so many people buying books. I was curious, so I queued up. "
Not everyone was literate. Not everyone had the time to buy an impractical novel.
Therefore, those who entered and exited the bookstore,
Were nothing more than the first two levels of monks and nobles,
Plus the rich people in the third level.
The person behind him was impatient and shouted at the top of his voice, "Are you going to buy it or not? After all this time! "
The man heard this,
He turned around and glanced at him.
His big, soft nose drooped on his pale face, showing a kind of disgust,
His gaze was fixed on the person,
But it was like a predator staring at a rotten rat,
Sinister and cold.
The person who spoke was so scared that he took a step back. The man turned around,
He touched the money,
He took a few books of "The Society Monastery" and disappeared into the alley.
He carried the paper bag with the book and turned left and right, bypassing a few alleys,
The man was at a hidden small door,
He entered the church.
The church was now full of high-ranking clergy. The Cardinal sat on the stairs with his eyes closed, resting.
As soon as he came in,
The buzzing in the hall stopped.
Countless pairs of eyes stared at the paper bag in his hand.
The Cardinal opened his eyes,
He asked, "Is it selling well?"
The man lowered his head. "Most of the bookstores in Bona have been emptied of stock. I heard that there are people in India in an emergency. "
A short man,
Strolled in with shifty eyes and shrunk his neck in front of many high-ranking clergy. "The Rose Theater, the Bramble Bird Theater, and the Phantom Theater are all full. The performances have been booked until next month."
The Red Cardinal looked down at him.
The short man swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "... even the street dance plays are being performed."
A bishop opened a small window on the west side of the church, near the civic quarter.
Outside the window painted with the image of an angel, there was a street dance troupe. An actress with heavy makeup had already put on a rough black robe that resembled a nun's.
Many men without trousers followed the troupe, squeezing to watch the play.
On both sides of the street, the blackened windows and doors were pushed open. Inside, women wearing headscarves were also watching the dance on the street, wiping the corners of their eyes with their hands that smelled of vegetable seeds.
The door of the birdcage shop, with its low eaves and dim light, was open. The shop owners were murmuring and cursing with interest. When they were happy, they threw a copper coin at the actress.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the splendid church was like the sky before the rain, so oppressive that nothing could be heard except for the heavy breathing of God's shepherds.
"Why?" The cardinal in red sighed. "Why?"
A priest close to the Cardinal answered cautiously, "Yes, Sir.
"The lambs of God were momentarily lost …"
But everyone present knew that without Allan I's acquiescence, such plays and novels could not be performed openly in the Royal Theater and sold on the streets.
The Cardinal had already opened the book, and with his old voice, he read: "'There seems to be a faint white shadow in the hands of that young man.'"
He coughed a few times, like a helpless old man seeking an answer from a young man, half sighing, half angry: "Momentarily lost? What is this white shadow? Tell me, what is it? "
The bishops present had been ordered to watch this play a few days ago.
The high-ranking clergy of the church, who could be called Luster, or even the group of people with the highest literacy level in the whole of Tessie, most of them understood this metaphor.
But they did not dare to say it out loud.
The church was silent for a moment, only the Cardinal's constant coughing could be heard.
After a while, people heard him seem to have recovered. "When His Holiness the Pope sent me to stay in Luster, he said: 'Bless the lambs of God, be eternally blessed by His Holiness.'"
"His Holiness Allen, is the leader of the second level. You cannot disrespect the first level like this. "
The Cardinal glanced around kindly. "A small warning. His Holiness will understand our sincerity in not wanting to implicate the second level. "
The statue in the church lowered its eyes, majestically and benevolently looking at its shepherd.
"No matter what 'faint white shadow' it is, let it remain faint forever."
*
A group of policemen walked past her window with nervous expressions.
Lin Daiyu closed the window and was a little surprised: "The security in Bona seems to have been strengthened recently?"
She did not think too much about it, because she had accepted an invitation from the bookstore owner to discuss the next printing of "The Social Monastery". She hired a carriage.
"To the bookstore."
"Yes."
After passing through the market, the residential area, and a few turns, there were fewer and fewer people.
Lin Daiyu was casually looking out the window when she suddenly felt that something was wrong. She had only been to the bookstore once, but with her memory, it was impossible for her to forget the road she had taken.
She calmed down and nonchalantly told Coachman: "Turn right at the intersection ahead."
"Miss," Coachman's accent was a little strange, "You should go straight to the bookstore."
It was not a Bona accent.
"I said turn right, so turn right. I have something to do. It won't be too late to go to the bookstore later."
Coachman replied: "Okay." Suddenly, he waved the whip in his hand and slammed it hard on the horse.
The horse was frightened and went crazy. It raised its hooves and neighed, twisting crazily.
The carriage swayed violently from side to side, as if it was about to fall.
Lin Daiyu held the handrail tightly to balance her body. She knew that something was wrong, but she could not push the door open. She gritted her teeth and tried to push the window, intending to escape through the window.
When the window loosened, she had just leaned half of her body out when the horse whined and fell down with a loud crash.
Bang.
The carriage crashed to the ground and she was thrown out. Her head hit the citron. After a sharp pain, the world suddenly turned dark.
*
"Didn't the Royal Palace keep an eye on Anna?!" Bard's face turned pale, "Why didn't they stop her from getting into the carriage?!"
Annie's face was solemn, and she whispered: "I just found out. The Royal Faction kept it from Allan I. They meant that if Anna died in the hands of those religious lunatics, it would be easier for Allan to take advantage of the public's feelings. "
"What about our men?"
"I've already arranged for them to go. But we were too late. When we got there, we only saw an empty carriage. "
"I think the Royal Faction are also lunatics!" Bard asked with a sullen face, "What about Ernest and the rest?"
"They went. But I'm afraid it's too late. "
Bard sat down dispiritedly and covered his face, "If anything happens to Anna, I won't be able to face her uncle even if I die."
"Don't worry so much." Annie thought for a while and suddenly her eyes lit up, "Oh right! After 'Guang' came back, he seemed to have heard the news and rushed there even earlier! "
Bard suddenly looked up.
*
In the darkness, there was a voice that was so loud that it was almost crazy.
"… Just watch, everyone who insults God will be judged in front of God!"
Hot …
So hot …
Her forehead was throbbing with pain. The light was dazzling, and her limbs were tightly bound and slightly numb.
She tilted her head to avoid the dazzling light and slowly opened her eyes.
Bright sunlight suddenly pierced her eyes, and a mass of black robes knelt on the ground. There were even more black-robed monk soldiers driving away the scattered worshippers from afar.
A little further away, there was a magnificent building – a church.
She wanted to move, but she couldn't move at all. She turned her head with difficulty and found that she was tied to a cross-shaped gallows. There was a pile of firewood under her feet.
A sinister and fanatical face was holding a barrel of oil, which was being brushed and poured on the firewood under her feet.
The one holding a torch, wearing a gorgeous white robe embroidered with golden threads – seemed to be a bishop of the church? They were climbing the stairs step by step.
What are they doing?!
When the sinister man saw the bishop, he knelt on the ground, "The punishment of exterminating sinners in the old code, please begin."
Exterminating sinners?
They want to burn her to death!
She had seen this in the ancient books, the church's method of exterminating heretics in the last century.
Bona was the most virtuous place, and the church wanted to carry out this evil in broad daylight!
Lin Daiyu felt her blood run cold, and opened her mouth to say, "I am His Majesty's guest …"
The white-robed bishop ignored her. His smile was a little strange. It was not a "human" smile, and there was no emotion in it. It was just that the arc was the arc of a smile. His eyes looked at the world, but did not put anyone in it. Only the loving image of God on the church was printed in it.
This was the smile of a fanatic.
She knew that it was useless to say anything to these people.
But, what about the police? What about the guards?
Her mind suddenly became clear.
No wonder the police and guards of Bona had been frequenting her apartment recently.
It seemed that Allan I had already known.
But, they didn't inform her. They even let her go out alone and get into such a carriage …
The white-robed bishop was chanting the scriptures devoutly.
"The raging fire, reveal God's face.
Your glory is to purify the hearts of people. "
In the distance, there were some faint figures running over, and they seemed to be wearing the clothes of the palace soldiers.
"The raging fire, reveal God's grace.
Your glory is to purify evil thoughts. "
The white-robed bishop raised the torch under the fanatical gaze of countless black-robed clergy.
Those figures were getting closer and closer. The leader seemed to be Hathaway.
As soon as the dry firewood covered in oil touched the torch, the flames suddenly exploded on the dry firewood and gradually leaped up the steps, and the sparks had already leaped onto her skirt.
"From now on, all living beings are blessed by God …"
Whoosh —
Poof!
The white-robed bishop's eyes widened, and the sharp arrow pierced through his chest, bringing out a mist of blood.
He fell head first into the flames.
Lin Daiyu could only vaguely see a horse flying out through the distorted heat waves, and someone on the horse drew a bow and shot an arrow, quickly approaching. A cold light flashed, and her limbs fell from the rope, and the skirt that was stained with sparks was cut off.
She fell into someone's arms.
A clear voice like the flowing moon cleared the surrounding heat and came from above.
"Close your eyes."
She was in a daze, and subconsciously followed the voice and closed her eyes.
A hot wind flashed in front of her, and the horse neighed. Bang, bang, bang. Gunshots were heard everywhere.
The horse seemed to be galloping, and the wind rushed to her face. In the smoke and the screams around her, she strangely smelled a faint floral fragrance.
Although it was faint, it was endless, and for a moment, it covered the pungent smell around her.
Before she had time to think, her body was empty, and she fell into another's arms. The faint floral fragrance went away.
Ernest's shouting voice came into her ears, "'Light', don't be so rough with a lady! Anna, are you okay? "
She suddenly opened her eyes, only to see that she was surrounded by Crémont and the others.
Under Crémont's unbearable gaze, a young man with a gloomy and gentle face neatly took out his gun and shot a few black-robed priests who were close to him. He completely cleared the corner and said impatiently, "They're here. Don't be long-winded, let's go. "
Hubert lowered his voice, "Allan I and Hathaway are here. You're safe. Stay in this corner, and we'll withdraw first. "
Then, he quickly disappeared into the thick smoke with Ernest.
On the platform, thick smoke billowed, and tongues of fire rose everywhere. The black-robed monk soldiers and the soldiers brought by Allan I were already fighting. Allan I was followed by a few guards, and he personally galloped to this side.
One of the knights behind him was the familiar Sir William. He had already hurried to her, "Miss Anna, are you okay?"
Allen, on the other hand, was riding on his horse. He glanced around sharply and stared at her, "Who was near you just now? Did you see them?"
"I don't know." Lin Daiyu forced herself to say that. Suddenly, her body shook. Her tense mind and the continuous physical attacks she had suffered finally flared up together after she relaxed slightly.
Seeing that she was dispirited, Allan I had no choice but to shut his mouth and instructed William, "Send her out of here. Hathaway's carriage is waiting not far away. Hand her over to Hathaway. "
On the field, Allan I personally arrived and brought a large group of fully armed guards. The chaos on the field gradually subsided.
Allan I reined in his horse and strolled to the white-robed bishop's corpse. Finally, the red-robed archbishop, who had been silent all this time, came out of the church with a calm composure. He was surrounded by attendants, "I didn't know that Your Majesty would come in person. However, I wonder why Your Majesty interfered with our execution? "
"You wanted to kill an honored guest of the royal family. You kidnapped her in broad daylight, set up a platform in public, and carried out atrocities. You ignored my orders. You still ask me why? "
"Your Majesty," The red-robed archbishop shook his head, "You are wrong. The Holy Bible clearly states that a church punishing a sinner who blasphemes God is in accordance with the laws of any country in Tessie. This is a divine law that is above all national laws. "
Whoosh.
"Your Excellency!" The priests behind the red-robed archbishop shouted.
The knight, who was only loyal to the Emperor, had a snow-white sword at his waist, which was placed across the red-robed archbishop's neck.
Allan I said, "I will not protect a guest and offend the Holy Bible. However, I cannot chill people's hearts. Therefore, tomorrow, I will have to trouble you to attend a trial. "
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