The Villain Saint is my secondary account

The path in the cave seemed to lead to a deep underground place, and there were some strange symbols on the surrounding stone walls, which made her realize that this place might not have been built recently, but was some kind of ancient ruin.

Chapter Thirty: Two Groups of Dark Shepherds

"So this isn't even a temporary camp?"

Ye Xiao seemed to understand something. "The Dark Shepherds were heading there from the beginning?"

"I did see other Dark Priests in those ruins. They even directed a group of pirates to move and lay stone bricks. I was walking on the path at the time."

Effie continued, "The attire of those Dark Shepherd followers is similar to that of the Dark Shepherds who brought me here, but they don't quite look like they're part of the same group..."

"Why do you say that?"

“I heard them arguing.”

Iphie scratched her head. "At the end of the cave path is a hall that is somewhat similar to the Dark Shepherd stronghold we had in the Mansa Islands. There is also a black statue of the sun god in the middle."

"I and a group of pirates were asked to line up in front of the statue, apparently for some kind of ritual... It was then that I saw a man in a priest's cloak in the corner of the hall, seemingly arguing with our group of Dark Shepherds' female leader."

"The part of the man's face that was visible from under his hood at the time is somewhat similar to the portrait you showed me."

Ye Xiao stroked his chin, sorting out his thoughts, "In other words, after the Dark Shepherds' ship sank in the Mansa Islands, they went to the cave in the western part of Freeport to replenish their supplies, and encountered another group of Dark Shepherds there."

"Ah."

"Then you and a group of pirate prisoners were taken to their shrine for some kind of ritual, where you happened to see another group of Dark Shepherd priests arguing with the leader of the Dark Shepherds of the Mansa Islands, and that Dark Shepherd priest looked very similar to the person in this portrait."

"Yes Yes!"

Ifi was pleased that Ye Xiao understood her unclear explanation.

...But isn't this person in the portrait Aslan's prince? How did he become a priest of the Dark Shepherds?

Ye Xiao frowned. "Are you sure it's the same person?"

"Well, I... I can only say it's very similar."

Iphie shrugged, "The distance was too far and the light was too dim at the time, so I can't say for sure."

This kind of response is the most troublesome. Ye Xiao crossed her arms, somewhat helpless.

Iphie has always had a lisp, making her descriptions vague in many places. In addition, she has some intriguing questions about her, so it's hard to say whether she might be lying or simply experiencing memory loss.

This makes it difficult to distinguish between true and false intelligence.

But Fisher said she could "sense" Prince Aslan's aura from Effie. Considering this, there is a good chance that the person Effie met was indeed Prince Aslan, so she might not be lying.

But if we follow Iphie's words completely, how could they have left any trace of each other when they were so far apart?

"What exactly did that ceremony involve?"

Ye Xiao asked again.

“We were asked to recite some prayers, and then believers would sprinkle water on us, as if we were being baptized.”

Effie recalled.

“…That’s all?”

Ye Xiao was taken aback.

"that's it."

Iphie nodded firmly.

Why go through all that trouble to gather a whole group of people just to pray? Ye Xiao was increasingly confused. There should be a reason behind these actions; they shouldn't be meaningless.

“After the ceremony, early this morning, I and the pirates were sent out, supposedly to attack the Holy Temple forces in the forest, but we ran into you instead.”

Effie continued, "You know what happened next."

"Wait a minute, they sent you out? Aren't you a prisoner of war? Aren't they afraid you'll run away if they send you to fight?"

"I don't understand why either,"

As Iphie spoke, she shuddered. "At the time, I saw that the pirates with me were fighting desperately, so I thought, why don't we wait until they start fighting and find a chance to escape?"

"Unexpectedly, a ferocious monster suddenly emerged from a nearby tree and wiped out all the pirates in one fell swoop. Just when I thought I was going to die, it suddenly transformed into a maid and dragged me in front of you..."

Ye Xiao had witnessed Fisher's strange abilities before, so he wasn't too puzzled. He was more concerned about the pirates that Effie had described.

"Those pirates were prisoners just the day before, but after being sent out to fight, they've become so... loyal?"

"Ah, loyalty, indeed, I kind of feel that way too now that you mention it."

Iphie nodded in realization, "Back then, they were all fearless when facing the Templars, charging forward like they were on steroids."

brainwashing.

Ye Xiao immediately realized this. It was obvious that the Dark Shepherds of Freeport were capturing pirates and brainwashing them, using them as cannon fodder in their fight against the Holy Temple.

The ritual that Iphi mentioned probably served this purpose.

But why is Effie completely unaffected? She doesn't even seem to have experienced the brainwashing ritual, so much so that her description of the ritual's effects is unclear.

Could it be because of the Holy Box?

Ye Xiao scratched her head, but if she really possessed the Holy Box, wasn't the Dark Shepherd's attitude towards her a bit too casual?

This is a very puzzling point. If Effie didn't have the Holy Casket, why was she sensed by Agnes and Theresa at the same time, and why was she immune to the effects of the brainwashing ritual?

But if she has the Holy Box, why does the Dark Shepherd seem completely indifferent to this guy? From the whole description, it seems like she was just brainwashed like an ordinary prisoner and then thrown out as cannon fodder. Even after being captured by Ye Xiao and his group, they haven't sent anyone to look for her.

The more I think about it, the stranger it seems, the more bizarre the whole thing becomes.

"Um, sir, I... I've said all I can say. Can you let me out?"

Seeing that Ye Xiao remained silent, Yi Fei tentatively asked, somewhat timidly.

"Hmm... I'm afraid you'll have to stay for a while longer, sorry."

Before figuring out what kind of holy casket this guy was carrying, Ye Xiao really couldn't let him go. "Besides, if I let you out now, you'll be hunted down by the Holy Temple anyway. It's safer here. You should be able to connect to the system forum, right? Use that to pass the time for now."

"Ok."

Ifi looked somewhat disappointed, probably because she thought she was finally going to be free based on Ye Xiao's attitude, but it turned out she would still have to go back to being a prisoner.

She had lost count of how many days she had been a prisoner.

"Don't worry, I'll help you get your freedom as soon as possible. Also, let's add each other as friends. My ID is Night Snack. Later, I'll use the image crystal to take pictures of the Dark Shepherd's Cave and ask you to help me find the way. If you need anything here, just send me a message."

"Okay."

After fumbling around awkwardly for a while, Effie finally managed to send a friend request.

Player "Effie" has requested to add you as a friend.

……

Ye Xiao then used a portal to return to Freeport.

Fisher stood there like a statue, eagerly awaiting his news.

Ye Xiao then briefly repeated Ivy's words to Fisher, and as expected, the latter looked confused after listening.

"If you're confident in the aura you sense, you should still make a trip to the Dark Shepherd's Cave."

Ye Xiao patted the other person on the shoulder, "I can't guarantee I'll find it, but at least I tried, right?"

"No way, are we going west again?"

This news was devastating for Pastor Chloe, who was planning to go back to the city and enjoy a nice bath, only to hear that she had to go to the deep mountains and forests again.

"This time... let's split up."

Ye Xiao waved his hand, "The search for the prince is rather mysterious, so I don't really recommend that you come along."

Anyway, the route back to the city has been opened. This involves the Dark Shepherd and that fake "Lydia," and that level is still dangerous for Chesia's team now.

"Mr. Ye, are you also going to search for Prince Aslan?"

Chesia asked with some concern.

"That prince has nothing to do with me. I'm more concerned about what the Dark Shepherds are doing."

Ye Xiao explained, "In short, this trip has been very enjoyable for you all. Let's take a short break and see each other again in the city sometime."

"Sigh, it's time to say goodbye, meow."

Xiaozao held the bread she had pulled out from who-knows-where and sighed in disappointment.

"Okay... be careful, Mr. Ye, and Fisher too."

The succubus waved goodbye with a hint of reluctance, "See you later."

Chapter Thirty-One: Theresa's Scheme

After parting ways with Chesia, Chloe, and Xiaozao, Big Tooth was also sent back to the city by Ye Xiao on the mission of reporting to Decari.

Furthermore, since Effie had already been found, there was no need to put Agnes at risk anymore. Although she was not likable, she was not someone to be sent to her death. Ye Xiao simply used a spatial portal to put her into Ella's dungeon as well.

"Waaah... Don't abandon me... I'm sorry..."

Without Ye Xiao holding her hand, Agnes seemed quite frightened, but this was a psychological issue. To prioritize safety, Ye Xiao could only say that he couldn't help with her psychological concerns.

Because of the complex terrain, Tuolin, a villager from Shuizhong Village, would still stay behind to help guide the way, but if they encountered danger, Ye Xiao would throw him into the spatial portal immediately.

The remaining members of the team consisted only of Ye Xiao, Fisher, Greta, Torin, and a black dog that perhaps shouldn't even be considered human.

"Wait, why should I go with them?"

The black dog protested, "You can't even imagine how powerful that thing is! I don't want to go to that kind of hellhole!"

"Because you have no choice."

Ye Xiao vetoed the black dog's protest.

After the members were identified, the next step was to develop an action plan.

Without a doubt, the most direct way to figure out the Dark Shepherds' purpose is to visit their stronghold.

However, even with the use of brainwashing techniques, the other party still acted very cautiously.

[Effie: Before being sent to the battlefield, we were all shackled, blindfolded, and locked in iron cages. Then we were put on a oxcart or something like that for transportation. When we arrived at our destination, they opened the cages and removed our restraints.]

Fortunately, this doesn't mean Ye Xiao and his group have no way of finding the Dark Shepherd's hiding place.

He observed through the crows that after the Boromeo family reorganized their army, they actually camped in place and had no intention of retreating.

Clearly, the fact that the Holy Grail's signal had become distant and elusive did not deter Theresa from retreating.

They traveled across the ocean, mobilizing thousands of people to chase them here, but not only did they fail to obtain the Holy Casket, they were also ambushed and several of their compatriots were injured or killed by heretics. To return in such a disgraceful manner would be a disgrace to their family's reputation.

At the very least, those heretics who dared to challenge the authority of the Holy See must pay a bloody price for it.

Based on what he knew from his previous encounter with Theresa, Ye Xiao could guess what that strong-willed woman was planning.

However, this is a good thing. In this way, Ye Xiao and his group only need to follow secretly from behind, while the Holy Temple army fighting against the Dark Shepherds will have to consider many more things.

……

At this moment, in the temporary camp of the Holy Order, the banner of the Boromeo family was fluttering in the wind, embroidered with the sun, a symbol of light, and the pure white trapezoidal base, a symbol of the casket; the two combined form the coat of arms of the Boromeo family.

A crow flapped its wings and quietly landed on the roof of the most luxurious tent in the camp, listening intently to the sounds coming from inside.

"...Young Miss, the Holy Box is missing. Should we really continue?"

An aged voice rang out, clearly belonging to the family elder who had always been by Theresa's side.

"Elder Cassius, things have come to this point. If we return empty-handed, the family's reputation, which was once disgraced by my good-for-nothing sister, will be completely destroyed."

This time, it was Theresa who spoke up.

Her tone was calm and aloof, with a hint of arrogance befitting someone in a high position: "The military and financial resources that the family has invested in this voyage are real. How can we withdraw our troops just because the Holy Box's perception has changed, and let the heretic who is likely the culprit escape right under our noses?"

"But that giant tentacle that appeared first... as you saw, is not something an ordinary army can withstand. If those heretics have the means to summon more of those monsters, and if there are many of them, it will be very difficult for us to fight them with our current forces."

Elder Cassius tried to comfort him with conservative words.

In reality, it is unknown how many Dark Shepherds are on this island, where they are hiding, and how much strength they possess.

This ambush demonstrated that the enemy lurking in the shadows was far more formidable than imagined. Even a powerful force like the Holy Temple would likely face disaster if it launched a rash attack without sufficient intelligence and with the enemy possessing all the advantages of timing and location.

Family honor is important, but to take greater risks to attack a target with uncertain returns is reckless. If we lose, then we'll be in the same boat as Agnes, with no one to laugh at us.