Versatile Mage (Web Novel)

3038 Red Cardinals Gather

“People in foreign countries also place a high importance on burning the first incense,” a middle-aged man with an oriental face said to the crowd.

The first incense was the most pious, and the first person to climb up the Blessing Mountain in the Parthenon Temple would be favored by the Goddess.

The middle-aged man saying this was none other than Mo Jiaxin, who occasionally burned incense and worshiped the Buddha. He was used to being around people, especially ordinary people.

The Goddess Peak of the Parthenon Temple was extremely cold. Middle-aged women didn’t dance in the square, nor were there any old men drinking and playing chess. Mo Jiaxin could not get used to the atmosphere, so he did not want to stay longer. He only felt comfortable in lively places. He always liked to join in the fun.

He could have entered Blessing Mountain through the VIP passage and get a seat on the mountain. However, he was willing to go with the mountaineering army. It felt like a new year celebration when everyone went to the temple at midnight.

“A compatriot!” Someone seemed to have heard Mo Jiaxin speaking and responded.

Mo Jiaxin turned around and saw a blindfolded man in his thirties behind two or three people. He used a white cane. Even though he was blind, he appeared majestic. He seemed like someone who would not bend down to find his way.

Mo Jiaxin hurriedly stepped back to let the people behind him move ahead first.

“It’s hard to climb a mountain if you can’t see. Are you here to treat your eyes?” Mo Jiaxin liked to meet new people, so he walked amiably with this Chinese man.

“My eyes can’t be cured. You’re a funny man. You compared such an important day in Greece to the first incense,” said the blind man.

“Haha, I was just joking. If your eyes can’t be cured, why do you still climb the mountain?” Mo Jiaxin asked in confusion.

“I have something to do, but I can’t see. Can you help me?” said the blind man.

“Of course. We’re compatriots. Let me know if you have any difficulties.”

“I’m grateful.”

“What’s your name?”

“Jiang Bin,” said the blindfolded man.

“Looking at your demeanor, you look like a soldier. Were you injured on the battlefield?”

“If I say I was a knight, you probably won’t believe me.”

“You must have experienced a lot of things then. It’s alright. We can talk as we walk. The road is long. It will be much better to have someone to talk to.”

…

At the foot of Blessing Mountain, a woman in black linen climbed up the mountain with light steps. The top of Blessing Mountain was wide, and it was decorated in the style of an open-air ceremony venue. The six-color sun-shading sky gauze was spread on the top of the head of the mountain. It formed a beautiful sky gauze dome and covered the ceremony platform of Blessing Mountain.

The woman in linen looked around and noticed a lot of seats.

One after another, some special groups of people took their seats. They all had a certain status in this society, so they did not need to climb the steps like the believers at the bottom of the mountain. They had their VIP passage.

“We really have a seat of our own.” The woman in linen pointed at the seat in surprise.

The seats were neatly arranged and labeled with names. Those who found their seats showed smug smiles. After all, this was the first day of Goddess’s Blessing Praise, and those who could sit here were equal to the ancient officials and nobles who had a close relationship with the Goddess.

The first day of Blessing Day was also the commendation day. It was not an individual who was elected, but rather a huge and powerful group or empire. They needed to reward the heroes, continue to cooperate with foreign aid, and share benefits.

“Could it be a trap? After all, we still don’t know Ye Xinxia’s stance,” the woman, in black linen, asked.

A tall person with short hair and ear studs stood next to the woman in black linen. Their gender was obscured by their clean appearance. They had the gentleness of a woman and yet, a heroic spirit of a man. She was dressed in black, but the lining was red.

“If she wears the ring, it means she has met the Supreme Pontiff,” said the woman.

“Although the Supreme Pontiff is our last target—”

“Yan Qiu, how many of the Supreme Pontiff’s subordinates do you think are on this mountain, and how many of our own?” Salan touched her earrings.

“Over half of the members of the Black Vatican have submitted to us, but the influence of the Supreme Pontiff remains. It is still impossible to make a judgment until the end,” said the woman in black linen.

“I’m asking about the Red Cardinals,” said Salan.

“If we talk about Red Cardinals, there may only be three people standing on your side, and one of them is a newcomer supported by us,” said the Chief Extraditor, Yan Qiu.

“Didn’t you ask me last night why I believed in Ye Xinxia?”

“Even if she didn’t let the Black Druggist go, he would still return to the heavenly kingdom. We can’t trust her because of this and give her the list.” The Chief Extraditor, Yan Qiu, still felt that the decision Salan made last night was a bit hasty.

“Only Ye Xinxia can stop the Supreme Pontiff from hiding in the dark. If we don’t hand over enough benefits, we will never be able to meet the Supreme Pontiff,” said Salan.

The Chief Extraditor cared about every congregation. But to Salan, all the congregation were tools for her to achieve her goals. She couldn’t care less whether Ye Xinxia wanted to control all the Red Cardinals and the congregation or not.

Even Wen Tai did not have the ambition to rule both white and black. So what? Wen Tai had already failed miserably.

Wen Tai still had a lot of dark informants in this world, and they had probably told him that Ye Xinxia wore the Supreme Pontiff’s ring.

The Dark King must have gone mad! She stood opposite to what he expected of her. His purest daughter was now the head of the vicious Black Vatican.

If the pain in the Dark Plane did not make him taste the abyss of hell, this news, most likely, would make him scream hysterically. No matter where he was, he was in a hell of despair!

There was only one person left in Salan’s revenge plan. The previous Supreme Pontiff.

The cunning old fox deserved everything that Salan had to sacrifice! The old Supreme Pontiff had summoned all the Red Cardinals who obeyed her.

Ye Xinxia had become the Goddess and the Supreme Pontiff. Salan knew she was the only obstacle in her plan to rule both the black and the white.

The old Supreme Pontiff also made an all-out effort.

The two major forces of the Black Vatican would eventually fight to the death on Blessing Mountain. Would the ruler be the old Supreme Pontiff or Salan?

“My lord, you appear to have neglected one thing on purpose,” the Chief Extraditor exclaimed abruptly.

“Ye Xinxia would never do that. Before our congregants reveal their identities, they are only civilians and devout climbers. If she does that, it will be the same as massacring people on the first day of becoming the Goddess,” said Salan.

“You’re right. She can’t prove that we are members of the Black Vatican unless she admits to the whole world that she is the Supreme Pontiff. However, doing so is equivalent to destroying the Parthenon Temple and everything with it.”

“This happened because she has the Divine Soul. Wen Tai abandoned her. She had the Divine Soul, which makes her prone to manipulation by others. Either she obeys me or the Hall Mother. The Hall Mother is likely the Supreme Pontiff.” Salan seemed to have figured everything out.

Four people influenced Ye Xinxia’s fate.

Wen Tai asked Izisha to supervise Ye Xinxia.

Hall Mother had been supporting Ye Xinxia.

The Supreme Pontiff valued Ye Xinxia. She also forced Ye Xinxia to step into the quagmire of the Black Vatican.

Wen Tai was already out. People who wanted to control her now were Salan, the Supreme Pontiff, and the Hall Mother.

She did not have to fear the Hall Mother. However, everything would be unknown if the Supreme Pontiff and the Hall Mother were the same people. Salan must come clean with the old Supreme Pontiff.

All the Red Cardinals would also gather here today. The Parthenon Temple had been controlled by the Black Vatican. Since it was conferment, they had to decide who would receive the title.

Would it be the Supreme Pontiff or Salan?