Chapter 269: Operation

Chapter 269: Operation

The current investigation confirmed that the video of the three exorcists attacking Wen Ying was not forged and indeed took place. However, the identities of the trio were suspicious. There was no information about them in the church's records, nor could they be found in the national citizen database. It was verified that, despite their Asian appearance, they held Asaphian citizenship.

The Disaster Countermeasures Department's response more or less boiled down to this. Not to mention Wen Ying, even an uninformed ordinary person would find it ripe for conspiracy theories upon reading it.

Just the fact that they were Asaphian citizens was enough to spark speculation. With the recent incident at Asaph Academy and the church headquarters located in Asaph, it was hard not to draw connections.

In one day, the church had ample time to erase the records of its three members.

Upon seeing this response, Wen Ying grasped the hidden meaning behind the Disaster Countermeasures Department's announcement - their lips curled upward in a small smile.

The implicit message of the notice was that the incident had nothing to do with the official authorities, and all fingers pointed to the church.

They managed to convey this while maintaining friendly relations with the domestic church, as if to say, "Look, we've even stated that those three have no connection to you."

It was unknown how the church headquarters would interpret this.

Regardless, there was no way he would let go of the big fish that had bitten onto him.

The demons maintained silence, not responding to the Cataclysm Department's inquiries.

Wen Ying put on his outdoor attire. Seeing that he was about to leave, Wen Qinxue said, "Remember to take care of yourself."

"Relax, Mom. The ones who should be worried are the Church," Wen Ying waved nonchalantly, unfurling his bat-like wings and flying out the window.

The exorcists lurking outside were quickly left behind by Wen Ying. After reporting that they had lost track of him, various departments within the Flower-Blooming Country's Church went on high alert, especially in places where those three exorcists might reveal information.

To be cautious, they dispatched their skilled Church members, who knew many secrets. They wouldn't stumble unless they encountered the Devil Mirror Demon.

During the day, the Church hurriedly moved files and certain laboratory creations that couldn't be exposed to light.

Most importantly, they had imprisoned a portion of exorcists to extract their blood for the Church elders' use of magic power.

Ye Wang followed closely behind Wen Ying, with dozens of demons trailing them.

Wen Ying had set today as the deadline for his response to the Cataclysm Department, as during the day, he had dispatched the Devil Judges to lie in wait at various Church locations.

"Lord, it's true that the Church in Jingwang City is secretly moving things around."

"The Church in Xiaxia City is secretly moving large wooden crates."

"The Church's residence in Longquan Village has reported several missing individuals, with sounds of weeping heard."

"..."

Messages from various local Inquisition branches regarding demonic activity were being sent to Wen Ying.

Ye Wang said, "My Lord, the Church members probably aren't oblivious to the fact that we're monitoring their movements during the day. Could it be that what they're showing us is just a decoy?"

"It doesn't matter. That wasn't my objective in the first place."

Ye Wang was taken aback.

Kirishino, who had a knack for subtly belittling Ye Wang while trying to curry favor, said with a hint of flattery, "They failed to predict your predictions, and thus the Church members stand no chance against you. I share none of Lord Ye Wang's concerns."

Ye Wang sensed something off about the words, and looked at Kirishino with a skeptical gaze. It wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume ulterior motives behind this guy's actions.

The Inquisition demons were mobilized across the entire Flower Planting Nation, and the Church, sensing the impending danger, indeed grew vigilant.

"Does he truly take us for fools, attempting to rattle our nerves and expose our vulnerabilities?"

"A mere inexperienced brat."

In Acefa, at the headquarters of the Church, a group of elderly gentlemen exchanged words in an opulently decorated room.

"It's unexpected that he'd reveal his identity so openly. We've been outmaneuvered."

"He must have been planning this all along."

"He won't find any proof. No matter how many suspicions arise, without evidence, our public relations team can easily diffuse the situation, and people will soon forget."

"Our top priority now is to have Lord Wu Mixiu descend into the mortal realm."

"It's time to execute the next plan. Send a few individuals to pose as demons from the Devil's Legion and kill ordinary people."

Unbeknownst to slumbering folks, events unfolded across the nation under the cover of darkness. Covert operations and clashes emerged in various corners of the Flowering Nation.

In a room at the Calamity Department, Yan Liwen was still awake, facing Lai You, who had been dispatched by the Association, with several young men standing by their side.

Yan Liwen gripped the teacup's handle, his tone hesitant yet grave. "Shouldn't we really try to stop this?"

Lai You was not tense. "It's good to test the depth of the Church's power. We'll have to confront them sooner or later anyway, with so many parasites within our own country."

"And we should also let that young man vent his frustration," Lai You continued. "I never would have guessed that his parents were ordinary humans. He's much more friendly towards humans than most demons. We can try to win him over and maintain as much stability and peace between the two worlds as possible."

After some thought, Yan Liwen felt it was a fair trade to sacrifice the already corrupt Church for Wen Ying's favor.

The disaster response teams across the country noticed the rising conflicts and inquired about how to handle them. Yan Liwen instructed them to observe for now.

Those who received this response pondered its implications.

Small-scale disturbances broke out across the nation, with fierce battles over goods transportation and border crossings occurring under the windows of sleeping people, filling the air with tension.

Wen Ying, the demon himself, personally arrived at the Church's location in Ping'an County. He forcefully barged in and seized the authority card of the current councilor, then opened the Church's personnel files to browse through them. The councilor stood by, too afraid to resist.

As dawn approached, Wen Ying's phone rang, displaying an unfamiliar string of numbers on the screen.

He answered immediately, asking, "Have you found it?"

A playful and flamboyant laughter echoed from the other end of the line: "I~ foun~d~ yoo~"

Wen Ying's smile instantly turned sly as he forcefully suppressed his overly excited tone, making his voice sound low and melodious: "You're simply amazing—"

"Is there a reward?"

"Witnessing your disappointment, Yun Lao, is regretful. But the rewards come from the Devil King himself."

On the other side of the phone was Yun Lao, currently in Asapha.

Wen Ying's smile blossomed silently, his lips curving up almost to match the soon-to-rise sun.

His true purpose wasn't the vengeance the Church assumed, but the vessel for the angel, Wu Mixiu, to descend into the human world.

Now, Yun Lao in Asapha had roughly located the vessel for Angel Wu Mixiu.

"Aww—" Yun Lao's disappointed cry was deafening, "You're really not interested? I can take more punishment than a hellhound."

Wen Ying replied, "It seems you have a misunderstanding about me."

"There's no misunderstanding, I have a keen eye for magic," Yun Lao's voice curled up delightfully. "Play with me, it'll be loads of fun~"