Chapter 633 - 406: The Truth

Chapter 633: Chapter 406: The Truth

"She was so fond of you. She was crying out your names as she died. You really should have seen her then, so pitiful it would break your heart." Hua Manzhu laughed mockingly.

Zhou Chen was silent for a moment, then asked calmly, "But she *is* you. Why would you be so cruel to yourself?"

"To be precise, she was only a part of me—and the part I despise the most."

As Hua Manzhu spoke, clusters of brilliant crimson Manjushaka sprouted from the ground. Their roots and stems spread, and in just a few seconds, they had carpeted the area around the Ritual Array in a gorgeous sea of crimson flowers. This startling expanse of red was like fire, like blood, like a wildfire in full blaze.

The Manjushaka, also known as the red spider lily, is the flower of Hell that blooms along the path to the underworld. It symbolizes the harbinger of death, the summons from Hell. For a flower like this, the deathly silent End Realm was actually fertile soil.

The crimson sea of flowers swayed without any wind. It looked peaceful and serene, yet it possessed a thoroughly demonic nature—alluringly beautiful and captivating, it drew in the hearts and minds of all who saw it.

This seemed to be Hua Manzhu’s Extraordinary Ability. She didn’t attack Zhou Chen, but merely protected the Ritual Array.

The moment the "Sin Beast" reached maturity, the ritual entered its most critical stage. Next, the Evil God would descend and be reborn, using the "Sin Beast" as its vessel.

Dupe had already helped fulfill all the preconditions for usurping the Evil God. Hua Manzhu only needed to wait patiently to complete this plan, decades in the making. Thus, she didn’t mind stalling for time.

"I split myself into four parts. As long as a single Clone survives, I can never truly die. Sasha was the embodiment of my childhood and the goodness in my heart. Besides her, you’ve met another me—the part of me that, utterly disillusioned with this World, became corrupted. She turned to the Abyssal Curse Technique and abandoned all moral principles."

Zhou Chen was suddenly reminded of an enemy he’d encountered in the central chamber of Soul Rest Cemetery. Among them was a Dark Nun who could use not only the Abyssal Curse Technique but also an Orthodox Secret Technique. Thinking back, he realized that nun had the face of Hua Manzhu.

The Dark Nun Clone had abandoned all moral principles, even using her body as a tool for Charm to enslave and control Ascenders... At that moment, a bolt of realization shot through Zhou Chen’s mind as he made a certain connection.

"You used some method to split yourself into a pure virgin, a devout believer, a traitor, and a sinner?"

These were precisely the four types of sacrifices mentioned in the ritual.

"That’s right," Hua Manzhu nodded. "And they also happen to be the four stages of my life."

"I was an abandoned baby, left at the doorstep of the Life Church by my own mother on a snowy day. Luckily, they found me in time, or I would have frozen to death. At the age of eight, I had a spontaneous awakening and became a Healing Ascender, which is how I joined the Life Church.

Due to my environment and upbringing, I was filled with goodwill toward the entire World as a child. Just like Erin, I hoped to use my Ability to heal more patients and save everyone from the torment of pain and suffering.

Later, I became a devout believer of the Goddess of Life, that bitch. After that, I became the Saintess of the Life Church, granted the title of one of the Earth Angels, and traveled to the most backward, squalid corners of the World, helping all who needed it. Back then, I was a saint through and through—kind, naive, pious, idealistic... I hoped to use my limited Power to bring warmth to more people, believing the World would become a better place... Heh, thinking about it now is fucking sickening."

An expression of utter disgust appeared on Hua Manzhu’s face.

"Even when I was just an acolyte, I witnessed the countless dark sides of society and the ugliness of the human heart in the hospital: contract killings, violent patient disputes, doctors secretly selling human organs, hospital executives exploiting the rank-and-file staff... I felt utterly helpless back then. I hated it all, but I was powerless to change anything, because that’s just how the World is. Where there’s light, there’s darkness. For every noble person, there’s a despicable one. For every gentleman, a villain.

Later, I went to the Dawn Church as an exchange student and listened to a speech by the Sun King, Noah. I was so inspired by his ideals and spirit that I resolved to become someone who could change it all.

After I became the Saintess, I actually succeeded. I changed many things and earned the adoration of countless people. But it was also during that period that I truly came to understand just how pathetic the World is, and how ugly human nature can be."

"The law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, social politics, the worship of money and power, bureaucracy... The whole of society is pathological!"

Hua Manzhu looked at Zhou Chen with a cynical smile. "Do you think this culture of using connections within the Life Church only started in recent years? No, it began long, long ago. As long as you can pull the right strings, an unqualified person can easily get into the Knight Hall or the Nun Hall. A single word from the right person can earmark a position that hundreds are vying for.

Those in charge rake in money through every channel, lining their pockets and living high on the hog. People without connections have no way to report them. Instead, they get a visit and are threatened into silence.

They never allow negative news that might tarnish the Church’s image to spread, even when those incidents concern the very fairness and Justice they claim to champion. Heh, there isn’t even any fairness to speak of within their own ranks.

On the surface, they’re sanctimonious, boasting about their mercy and benevolence, but behind the scenes, they engage in all sorts of appalling activities: forcing themselves on men and women, cultivating slaves, smuggling organs, assassinating journalists, colluding with officials, protecting corrupt enterprises...

These things happen in countless places all over the World, and they happen within the sacred walls of the Church, too. I realized that the Life Church began to rot from the inside a long, long time ago."

"I wanted to excise those malignant tumors, to cut away that rotten flesh. And guess what happened?"

Hua Manzhu burst out laughing. "My actions threatened the interests of too many people. All sectors of society moved to obstruct me. I faced unprecedented resistance. I was framed for countless things I’d never done, and the lies were spread far and wide. In just a few days, I went from the high and mighty Saintess to a pariah that everyone reviled. I was Deprived of my position as Saintess, and even my friends and my lover were assassinated."

"During my house arrest, I thought it all through. Love and kindness are useless. Only through brutal blood and fire can this World be set right!"

"So, you betrayed the Life Church and became the traitor."

Zhou Chen finished her thought, then sighed softly. "I remember now. About a decade ago, the incident you’re talking about did happen at the Life Church. It caused a huge uproar. Later, the Star Association intervened, and the Goddess of Life performed a Divine Descent. All the guilty parties received the punishment they deserved, but the Saintess from that time vanished without a trace. It was as if her very existence had been erased."

’If the Star Association and the Goddess of Life had just reacted a little faster back then, maybe none of this would have happened.’

Hua Manzhu just chuckled coldly. "Delayed Justice is worse than horseshit."