Deity Investigation Report

Chapter 298 Loyal Believers
"The Mechanical Buddha, the Pillar of Civilization, the Key to the Future, the Soul of Machinery, the Electronic Secret Society, Professor Philar, and a scientific giant whose name alone suggests immense power, though I hadn't heard of him before..."

"All seven major religious orders have appeared in the Baila Mountain region!"

"This is tantamount to declaring war on Qinggang, especially since they've already obtained the key to build the portal between reality and illusion, which I personally downloaded..."

"..."

At this moment, Hou Zhizhu was already beginning to feel a sense of despair.

These secret cults are quite powerful. If they join forces, they already have the strength to attack Qinggang City. If they also build the Gate of Illusion and Reality, how big of a problem will that be?
They've all gone mad, they're all fucking insane...

Wasn't that mysterious big brother supposed to be very powerful? Where has he gone now?

His mind was in turmoil, and Hou Zhizhu dared not do anything. He just sat blankly in front of the mechanical Buddha, his eyes tightly closed, as if he were oblivious to everything around him.

To outsiders, this person favored by the gods seemed truly extraordinary.

With his mind solely focused on the gods, he neglected even the important matter of everyone busily constructing the Gate of Reality and Illusion.

Even his brows were furrowed, as if he were pondering a profound and difficult question. Little did anyone know, Hou Zhizhu had only one question on his mind: 'If they truly manage to build the Gate of Illusion, should I atone with my death?'

"My old friends, we finally meet again in the land of no top."

When the High Priest of the Mechanical Buddha, Songchai, saw the other six auxiliary altars being built so quickly, his expression suddenly became exceptionally gratified.

This at least illustrates two points: first, these secret cults have already accepted the Bronze Codex and are willing to fight against Qinggang City and those above them in order to build the Gate of Reality and Illusion.

Secondly, they willingly served as assistant priests, thus acknowledging the status of the mechanical Buddha.

All the hard work paid off.

The "topless land" he spoke of was a concept only those in these mysterious organizations could comprehend. As believers in the Bronze Script, they usually hid and concealed themselves. Even when they met, it was mostly in the deep underground, in dark and deserted places, like rats in a sewer.

Today, they can meet publicly in the town square of Bailashan, which is incomprehensible to outsiders, but they believe it is a meaningful thing.

"Ten years ago, we started to feel a sense of relief, just waiting for the day when we could finally hold our heads high."

As the High Priest of the Mechanical Buddha, Songchai, turned around, several figures walked in from the edge of the town. On the left was a short man who sighed, "I never expected that it would be the Mechanical Buddha's people who would be the first to step forward."

He is the High Priest of the Mechanical Soul, and also one of the oldest and most senior orders among the Bronze Orders.

"To you all, I am merely a beginner, and I dare not be arrogant."

The priest, Songchai, also bowed very low, gently bowing his head to them: "When an opportunity arises, one should always be bold enough to try."

"However, to summon the Gate of Reality and Illusion, three high priests are needed. I am duty-bound to take one of them, but I wonder how the other two will be chosen?"

These words immediately caused many people around to change their expressions slightly, and they secretly observed each other's faces.

The position of chief priest is extremely important.

If the altar of the auxiliary priests represents the seven forces that participated in the construction of the Gate of Reality and Illusion, then the three positions of the chief priest not only represent the voice of the Bronze Church after its upgrade, but also the three slots for dialogue with history after the completion of the Gate of Reality and Illusion.

This is a chance to directly confront the bronze civilization at its most prosperous period in history. Who knows if they will directly impart some high-level knowledge or authority?
This could allow them to leap across different levels of life and reach unimaginable heights.

"I think we're not fools."

In the oppressive atmosphere, a tall old man entered the town from the east side of the path and slowly spoke, revealing himself to be the grand priest, a pillar of civilization.

The pillars of civilization are rarely active, remaining hidden in the real world, but their strength is extremely high, reaching the level of two divisions of golden cells, and naturally they carry great weight: "In times of crisis, everything should be left to the capable."

"Your Mechanical Buddhas have presided over this sacred ceremony, so it is only natural that you should serve as the chief priest. No one dares to object. But what about the others? How will two out of six be chosen?"

"Should we rely on strength, ability, or a battle before the sacred texts are even written?"

"Ha, if that's really the case, then we'll probably become a laughing stock in the world before we even witness the restoration of the bronze inscription."

The answer is simple.

"Everything is still uncertain. We are still short of many of the materials needed to build the Gate of Reality and Illusion. If we want to win people's hearts, we should see who can solve more problems and then take the remaining two positions of high priest. Is there any other way?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately agreed and even nodded secretly.

"The mechanical Buddha's desperate gamble is admirable. His ability to seize the Baila Mountain region's industries from the An family of Qinggang and solve the most difficult problems at once is an extremely brilliant move."

"But now all that's lacking is the living bronze puppet, isn't it?"

"We come from a small place, we have neither living bronze puppets nor are we willing to lag behind others, so are we completely out of the running?"

The speaker was a middle-aged woman wearing a half-mask, with metallic-like patterns on her skin; she was the High Priestess of the Key to the Future.

She was quite frank, raising a rather blunt but very practical question.

Upon hearing her words, Professor Philar, who was dressed impeccably, also nodded in agreement. The four of them were the ones who had come. The Electronic Secret Society and the Scientific Giants were relatively shallow in their connections and did not seem to aspire to the position of High Priest, nor did they even show up.

"Who says the problem of the Living Bronze Puppet is the only one that hasn't been solved?"

Upon hearing her words, the mechanical Buddha priest Songchai smiled and said, "The living bronze puppet is only one aspect; there are also some special metals that have not yet been delivered, and Qinggang's attitude needs to be considered as well."

"And the most important question is, what should we do if the heir is unwilling to show up?"

"Heir?"

When Song Cai mentioned the other names, everyone seemed thoughtful, but when the topic of the successor came up, their expressions suddenly changed.

No one was in a hurry to answer, and the atmosphere became somewhat silent.

"This is indeed a very important matter..."

After a long while, the short old man who had appeared first finally whispered, "Are you sure he's in Qinggang?"

Songchai nodded slowly.

This is why the Mechanical Buddha went all in to come here, and why these religious groups responded to his invitation.

The short old man's gaze swept over the faces of those around him, and he slowly spoke: "Then he can hear our voices, but how to get him to show himself, and how to persuade him, will be a problem."

High Priest Songchai nodded slowly, his gaze turning to Hou Zhizhu: "I have chosen a chosen one of the gods."

"What we need to ask now is everyone's opinion!"

"..."

The others immediately focused their attention on Hou Zhizhu, their expressions clearly fluctuating, but they had obviously understood the intention of High Priest Songchai.

After a long silence, the high priest of the Order of the Mechanical Souls suddenly chuckled and said, "What kind of successor are we talking about? But what meaning has it ever had for inheriting the Will of Bronze? It's just a means for the descendants of knights to control us."

"For two thousand years, because of him, we have never had a moment's respite. Now that the opportunity has come, we must bring this successor here and persuade him to stand on the side of the Bronze Script believers..."

"or……"

He didn't say the rest, but a cool glint flashed in his eyes.

Hou Zhizhu, who was staring blankly at the mechanical Buddha, lost in thought, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, a cold shiver slowly creeping up his tailbone. "The old guys have met; then, no one can stop what's happening here..."

At the same time, Anwei, who had been keeping an eye on the commotion at Bailashan Square, was wondering if they might start fighting over a disagreement.

The result was disappointing; these scattered Tongwen religious groups did not quarrel at such a crucial time.

No wonder they're all mechanical engineers; they're certainly rational enough.

But now that everything has started in an orderly manner, shouldn't my own plan also begin?
She stood on the balcony, slowly turning her gaze away from the square in Bailashan Town and towards the telephone in the bedroom.

About two seconds after her gaze fell on the phone, it suddenly rang.

In the entire town of Bailashan, all electronic signals have been hijacked. Unauthorized calls cannot get through, and those that do get through are definitely being monitored.

But Anwei listened to the phone ringing incessantly, remained silent for a few seconds, then chuckled, walked into the room, answered the phone, and heard a cold laugh from the other end:
"My dear sister, your performance in the Baila Mountain region has greatly displeased your father..."

Anwei's expression turned cold upon hearing his voice: "Whether he's satisfied or not, I'm doing my best. Do you think I'm just like you and that good-for-nothing brother, just loafing around and waiting to die?"

"You should perhaps be more polite to me; after all, I am your elder brother."

The voice on the other end of the phone turned slightly colder as it said, "Of course, I am also the future heir of the An family."

"What right do people who can't share their father's burdens have to talk about who should be the heir?"

Anwei's voice was full of disdain: "I built up the businesses here in Baila Mountain from scratch, it has nothing to do with you. And that celebrity investigator that Father has been suspicious of, I've been tracking him here all along. What have you done?"

"I've always kept my distance from the Disaster Management Bureau, so I would never interfere with those investigators' affairs, but..."

The voice on the other end of the phone couldn't help but burst into laughter: "My men just ran into our convoy by accident. For safety reasons, I checked it out and found some illegal documents. Quite interesting..."

Upon hearing this, Anwei's expression changed drastically: "You dare to rob me?"

"This isn't the first time I've robbed someone, why are you reacting so strongly?"

The voice on the other end of the phone chuckled, "And it's not just me; even your younger brother cares about you, his older sister. He went to check the other two convoys. Heh, just talking about these contraband items, tell me, what do you think their reaction would be if they were handed over to the disaster management bureau?"

"What will Father's reaction be?"

"..."

Anwei's voice was cold, his anger barely contained: "I advise you to withdraw your men and ensure the convoy arrives at Baila Mountain on time..."

"My dear sister, sometimes, those who are ignorant and arrogant need to be taught a lesson..."

The voice on the other end of the phone seemed to relish her anger: "Furthermore, the An family stands shoulder to shoulder with Qinggang and will absolutely not flirt with those mysterious organizations. So, thank you for your trouble..."

"...Take on more responsibilities!"

"..."

"Miss, something terrible has happened! The things have been stolen..."

Just as Anwei angrily hung up the phone, her assistant rushed in, her face full of panic: "It's the eldest young master and the third young master's doing again. No matter what you're doing, they always like to come and compete for it, but this time is different..."

"If that batch of supplies can't arrive, not only will the Bronze Scripture be affected, but you, Miss, will also be affected..."

Anwei suddenly looked at her: "Didn't I keep you watching them and change the route?"

"I……"

The assistant, panicked and distraught, said, "I'm short-handed. I could detect that they sent security company people, but they didn't follow the planned route. By the time they reached the dock, my men had no time to hide the cargo..."

"I will go and explain to Priest Songchai!"

Anwei slowly stood up, her face ashen, as if she were shrouded in a deep sense of defeat.

The assistant couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her when he saw her like this.

Miss has always been like this. She is not favored at home and has a bad relationship with her brothers. Even the master only relies on her ability to do things and uses her as a tool.

However, when assigning tasks to her, they never take responsibility for her actions. Once they discover her arrangements at Baila Mountain, they'll probably use that opportunity to pin everything on her and make her a scapegoat...

When Anwei arrived at the center of Bailashan Square, facing the sacrificial altar, he was filled with remorse: "This trouble was caused by my own actions, and I am willing to bear the consequences."

As if due to the series of mistakes made with the investigator and in the transportation of materials, she seemed to have lost her previous arrogance and was now very sincere.

“If this was not Miss Anwei’s intention, then there is no need to apologize!”

Priest Songchai was not affected by the sudden news. Instead, he exchanged a glance with Professor Philar beside him and said softly, "However, now is the most critical time, and we do hope that Miss Anvi is someone we can trust."

Anwei took a deep breath and said earnestly, "I will prove that I am trustworthy!"

"In that case, you are still our friend."

Priest Songchai nodded slightly and said to the people around him, "The seven altars of the assistant priests have been completed. There are still eighteen hours until midnight, and we have a lot to deal with."

"Gentlemen, I think we should begin this most important step?"

"..."

The others exchanged glances, then nodded slightly, and slowly walked to Hou Zhizhu's side.

Hou Zhizhu was already anxious, but he didn't dare to look around carelessly. When he heard footsteps, he finally mustered up the courage to turn his head, and then he froze.

He saw that all the important figures, including the High Priest Songchai, whom he rarely saw on ordinary days, had come to his side, forming a circle around him and looking him over with smiles on their faces.

"Child, you are a lucky one..."

The priestess Songchai smiled and stood quietly to one side, looking at Hou Zhizhu with a gratified gaze.

Beside him, the high priest of the pillar of civilization slowly extended his palm toward him, and the others did the same, one palm after another reaching out toward the pillar of homage, as if constructing a cage.

Hou Zhizhu cried out in alarm, abandoning all pretense and instinctively trying to jump up and flee.

He knew, of course, that if he fled, he would be exposed, but who cared about that at the moment?

Unexpectedly, due to overwhelming fear, his body stiffened instantly and became unresponsive. He simply sat on the ground, letting these hands, accompanied by various powerful spiritual forces, envelop him, seemingly accepting it calmly.

The priestess, Songchai, was very satisfied: "As expected of the person I chose..."

"it is as expected……"

Anwei, who was standing not far away and looked somewhat guilty, felt the surrounding spiritual energy intertwining and beginning to form a terrifying field. His gaze turned slightly cold.

"There are no true fanatics, just a bunch of ambitious people..."

"That heir was hiding, thinking himself clever, perhaps even believing that the appearance of the Bronze Script believers would be his chance to escape from Blue Harbor and the Abyss Studio, but little did he expect..."

"...This is actually his death day!"

(End of this chapter)