Chapter 39: The Orphanage of the Holy Child 06

Chapter 39: The Orphanage of the Holy Child 06

As Qin Fei spoke, the nun was still immersed in her overwhelming fury.

Her sturdy frame pressed tightly against the edge of the torture bed, she ignored Qin Fei completely, lowering her head to search intently for something within the hidden compartment beside it.

A variety of bizarre and unfamiliar torture devices clanked noisily onto the ground as the nun discarded them one by one, each impact sending shivers down their spines.

Her pent-up anger, fueled by Qin Fei's words, burst forth without hesitation as she sneered, "No one will believe a word from the mouths of deceivers like you."

Qin Fei's reaction was swift.

Unfazed by the nun's mistrust, he threw his head back and replied with an even more resolute tone, "I swear upon my faith, dignity, and honor that the truth is far from what you claim!"

"..."

With each word "belief," he spoke with unwavering conviction, presenting a coherent argument.

His steadfast demeanor was so resolute that it left Sister Della somewhat bewildered.

Raising her head from amidst the pile of torture devices, she asked,

"Are you not homosexual?"

Perhaps taken aback by Qin Fei's heroic and candid expression, as if he were embracing martyrdom, she began to scrutinize his face with suspicion.

Qin Fei maintained his composure. Despite being tightly bound by restraints and iron chains, his expression remained calm and unflustered. "Of course not."

Sister Della scoffed. "Then are you heterosexual?"

Qin Fei blinked. "Not that either."

"You're lying!" Sister Della's voice sharpened. "You're neither this nor that; you're just a shameless liar!"

"How could I be a liar?"

Qin Fei lay on the execution bed, his eyelids slightly lowered. The gentle flutter of his lashes cast a shadow over his face, giving him an enigmatic depth that involuntarily drew all attention to him.

"I dedicated myself to the benevolent Lord the day I chose to become a missionary, excluding the sacred bond of marriage from my life's path," Qin Fei declared firmly.

This was the identity Qin Fei had fabricated for himself in those crucial thirty seconds of life and death.

He couldn't explain directly.

The nun might not believe him.

And even if she did, she might not spare him.

He needed to find the vulnerable spot in this mad and obsessive nun's beliefs.

He had to erect an impenetrable wall, built upon faith, between them.

"Long ago, I meticulously planned to conceal my true identity and infiltrate this—"

What could this be?

Qin Fei blinked.

A black-hearted cathedral?

A prison?

A detention center?

What if none of these fit?

Not a moment of hesitation showed on Qin Fei's face as he smoothly continued:

"I have infiltrated this mad and wicked place, beneath the shroud of eternal darkness, to spread the light, hope, and love of our Lord."

"If I speak any untruth, may the Lord mete out punishment upon me."

Qin Fei's tone was exceptionally devout, showing no trace of insincerity despite his current disheveled state.

A flurry of question marks instantly flooded the live stream chat.

"Ha, I'm dying here! How can the host just make things up like that???"

"What's this about a missionary? Is there such a setting in this instance?"

"Bullshit! It's obvious my wife is trying to sweet-talk someone again."

"Hell, if you guys didn't say anything, I'd almost believe it. He does look incredibly devout."

"..."

Viewers who had left during Qin Fei's unconsciousness were now returning at a rapid pace, akin to a rising tide.

At the torture device, the nun looked over with a mix of skepticism and curiosity.

Could it really be true?

But the nun still harbored a doubt.

"Why did you touch the back of Candidate Number 10 in the corridor just now?"

Qin Fei: "!?"

When did he touch Xiao Xiao's back?

He clearly only ducked behind him for a split second!

Qin Fei finally fully understood the origin of this unforeseen calamity.

It was all because he was excessively cleanliness-conscious.

Qin Fei wore a pained expression. "I've never done such a thing. I was just helping Number 10 get rid of lice."

Lice?

Sister Della was taken aback.

The conditions in the prison cell were indeed filthy, so it wasn't uncommon for there to be cockroaches, rats, lice, or fleas...

Despite Qin Fei's exceptional oratory skills, mere words couldn't convince the nun.

"What proof do you have?"

The nun stiffened her neck, maintaining her dignified posture, still towering above him.

If... she meant "if".

If this person was truly a missionary sent to spread the Lord's will, as he claimed.

Then her behavior would indeed be quite disrespectful.

What should she do...

"My crystal-clear heart can attest for me," Qin Fei replied with a shamelessness that could serve as a textbook example.

Though in reality, the role he was playing was supposed to be that of a devil...

Black crystals are still crystals, right?

Qin Fei didn't feel like he was doing anything wrong at all.

He was far from being a devout believer with an unyielding spirit; faced with the threat of life and death, he would switch sides in a heartbeat.

Besides, he was convinced that Satan wouldn't mind.

After all, for a devil, deceit and double-dealing were as common as daily bread.

Qin Fei's masterful acting managed to sway the nun's opinion slightly.

But only just a little.

"Black Nun Della: Affection: 5 (The nun suspects you're a fraud, but she has no evidence.)"

Though it was a small increase, Qin Fei was already quite content.

At the very least, his life was temporarily safe.

The rest will depend on his continued performance.

"Damn, that was impressive!"

The spectators on the other side of the screen were astounded by Qin Fei's bold move.

"Della hates homosexuals the most. I've watched a few matches before, and every time a homosexual was caught by Della in the Inner World, their fate was grim."

"Although this streamer wasn't originally portraying a homosexual character…"

"It's the first time I've seen Sister Della grab the wrong person. The streamer really has had some bad luck."

...

Within the light screen, Sister Della, who had made a mistaken capture, was grappling with an inner struggle of extremes.

Emotionally, she had been swayed by Qin Fei's persuasion.

But rationally, she kept reminding herself not to trust a single word from these deceitful individuals who lied through their teeth.

After a long while, she lifted her head.

"Since you claim to have come here for missionary work."

A self-assured smile tugged at the corner of her lips, clearly convinced that she had hit upon a brilliant idea:

"What is the first sentence in the Old Testament?"

In the live broadcast hall, the viewers who had just been on the edge of their seats for Qin Fei instantly erupted in ridicule.

"I swear, I'm done with this. How can the nun only ever ask this one question??"

"Am I justified in suspecting that the nun can only recite this one sentence herself?"

"Let me think back... last time, the time before that, and the time before that – every time, in different places, and with different people, this nun has asked the same question."

"System! Call the system! Shouldn't our NPC be updated by now??"

"But even so, there have been plenty of streamers in the past who couldn't answer this one sentence."

A whisper was heard from the audience.

After all, not everyone was religious.

Although "the first sentence" sounded simple, there were still many who were unaware of it.

Qin Fei knew nothing about Sister Della's performance in previous dungeons.

Unlike the audience with their complicated thoughts, he was merely quietly surprised.

Testing him on the first sentence of the Bible was like asking someone how to spell "abandon" during a college English proficiency test.

It was... rather merciful, wasn't it?

If Della had asked something else, Qin Fei might not have been able to answer.

But he was confident in this question.

Because the first chapter of the first book in the Old Testament was clearly printed in the Bible anthology he had obtained when he first entered the dungeon.

Despite Qin Fei's quick scan through the book, it was more than enough for him to commit its entire content to memory.

— Especially the first line.

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

The youth chuckled softly, his eyes gazing at an empty spot in the sky as if his beloved Lord was right there, smiling down upon him.

Though the nun had only asked for the first sentence, Qin Fei didn't stop after reciting it. He continued on.

"The earth was without form and void..."

As Qin Fei read on in a smooth and orderly manner, Sister Della's gaze toward him softened increasingly.

When Qin Fei reached,

"God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them."

Upon finishing this verse, Sister Della finally waved her hand, signaling Qin Fei to pause.

The nun's hostility had dissipated, and her tone when addressing Qin Fei was unprecedentedly gentle, as if she were speaking to her own sibling.

"You, who are so well-versed in the Bible, must undoubtedly be one of the Lord's faithful apostles. That cannot be wrong."

The nun declared with unwavering conviction.

At the same time, the number on the favorability bar above her head suddenly soared.

"Black Nun Della: Favorability 20 (The nun has been successfully convinced by you; everything you said has deeply resonated with her)."

Qin Fei: "......."

Her thought process was really straightforward, without any subtlety at all.

Her judgment of someone being an apostle of the Lord was just as unreliable as her assessment of someone being homosexual.

Nonetheless, these matters didn't concern Qin Fei. As long as the nun believed in him, his objective was achieved.

Sister Della stepped forward, a set of keys jingling in her hand with each step she took. To Qin Fei, the sound was like celestial music.

Closer!

Even closer!

The key is almost in the lock on his neck!

Freedom is within reach.

Yet, right at this exhilarating moment, Number Two, who was lying on the adjacent bed, suddenly regained consciousness.

Compared to Qin Fei, Number Two lacked composure. The instant he woke up, he began to struggle wildly, ignoring the fact that his limbs were securely bound.

His skin rubbed against the rough metal chains, instantly turning into a bloody mess.

"Ahh! Aahhh!"

Number Two screamed at the top of his lungs.

"What's happening? Why am I here?! Let me go, let me go!"

The jarring noise caused both Qin Fei and the nun to frown simultaneously.

Neither of them had the leisure to pay attention to Subject 2.

However, allowing him to howl incessantly was truly disrupting their mood.

"I believe an adequate injection should calm him down," Qin Fei suggested with icy detachment.

The nun concurred.

The long needle gleamed ominously as it pierced into Subject 2's neck, eliciting a blood-curdling scream reminiscent of a pig being slaughtered.

Qin Fei observed coldly.

After a dozen seconds, Subject 2 quieted down.

His neck seemed to lose all support suddenly, his head lolling limply to one side, with suspicious moisture lingering at the corner of his mouth.

His appearance was terrifying, but the nun seemed accustomed to it.

She reached out to check Inmate 2's breath and nodded at Qin Fei, "He's still breathing."

Qin Fei blinked nonchalantly, "That'll do."

This scene almost made the viewers in the live stream burst into laughter.

"F*ck me, these two who claim to be believers of the Lord really resemble devils."

"Just now, with the nun piercing the needle and the host watching with a smile, they looked like two psycho killers."

"God would probably shout 'Oh, bloody hell' if He saw this scene."

"And how did their roles suddenly switch? The nun has to report to the host even when she's injecting someone. I'm speechless, haha..."

...

In the live stream, the nun had already turned around.

Having dealt with Obstacle Number Two, she finally had the chance to have a proper conversation with Qin Fei.

She unfastened the chains binding Qin Fei, her gaze filled with an irrepressible, fervent adoration, as if she had discovered a priceless treasure.

The nun clasped her hands together in front of her chest, asking reverently and cautiously,

"Esteemed Preacher Sir, may I ask if you could share with me your experiences on your journey?"

Qin Fei: ...

That was quite a difficult question.

But it wasn't something that stumped him.

Although he himself had never engaged in the holy and meaningful act of "preaching," he knew of others who had.

"Alright."

With his restraints already loose and lying on the ground, Qin Fei propped himself up to sit, speaking calmly and deliberately.

"That's quite a long story."

"Many years ago—what? How many years exactly?"

"I've lost count now… Ah, yes, don't let my youthful appearance deceive you; I'm actually 52 years old this year."

To prevent the eccentric Sister Della from accusing him of seducing men later, Qin Fei promptly shielded himself with an age-related excuse.

Live Stream Comments:

"??????????"

"?????"

"What a nutcase, hahahaha! Look at you, where does 52 show?!"

"The streamer is probably protecting himself from the nun! This nun is too unpredictable; he must be afraid she'll go crazy again when he whispers to his teammates next time, hahaha."

"Stop pretending! A 52-year-old can still be gay!"

...

"Really?" Sister Della clearly found it hard to believe.

However, Qin Fei's skill in lying with a straight face was unparalleled. "Of course."

The young man waved his hand and said with unbridled arrogance, "I know I look young, perhaps eternal youth is God's reward for me."

He gestured for the nun not to interrupt him anymore.

"That year, I took a ferry to the mysterious East."

"To better communicate with the locals, I gave myself a catchy name."

A mysterious and delighted smile curved the young man's lips. "Matteo Ricci."

If needed, he could probably add Johann Adam Schall von Bell and Giuseppe Castiglione to the list.

For the next forty minutes, under Sister Della's intermittent questioning, Qin Fei narrated the entire history of modern China without pause.

Due to Sister Della's insatiable interest, the narrative was interwoven with an American conquest of Native Americans, as well as the translated versions of Xu Fu's eastern voyage and Zheng He's expeditions to the South Seas.

In summary, by the time Qin Fei finished his eloquent storytelling, Sister Della's gaze was filled with nothing but admiration.

Her favorability meter towards him skyrocketed to 68, and she promptly helped him down from the dirty, bloodstained iron bed.

"I never would have imagined that someone as great as you, a missionary, was hiding right beside me," Sister Della praised fervently. "Mr. Qin, sir!"

Mr... sir.

Qin Fei's facial muscles twitched momentarily before returning to normal at lightning speed.

No big deal, as long as the nun didn't make things difficult for him, he wouldn't mind being called grandpa.

"What are your plans now?" the nun inquired.

Qin Fei replied, "Of course, I'll continue to keep a low profile and stay here."

With a sincere expression, he said, "I haven't been able to enlighten these sinful souls with the Lord's boundless love yet. I won't give up until I achieve my purpose!"

Nun Della was deeply moved and nodded repeatedly. "I'll send you back right away!"

At the same time, a system notification suddenly sounded in Qin Fei's mind.

"Congratulations, Player Xiao Qin, for completing the hidden mission: Devil's Daily Temptation. Current mission progress: 60%. Keep up the good work!"

What was this?

Qin Fei raised an eyebrow and, in a split second, grasped the meaning.

The Devil's "daily" temptation.

It was highly likely related to the rule that one must complete something they needed to do before the bell rang each day.

Qin Fei had no idea how long he had been unconscious in the punishment room, but he guessed it was already past midnight, making it the second day.

His nonsense to Sister Della had initially been a ploy to save his life, but unexpectedly, it had helped him complete half of the mission.

The remaining half should not be too difficult to resolve.

All he needed was another opportunity to continue charming others.

Just as Qin Fei was pondering this, the system notification sounded again.

"Congratulations to Player Xiao Qin for triggering the Wheel of Fortune feature for the first time!"

[The Wheel of Fortune for Player Xiao Qin has reached 100,000 gold coins for the first time! System Reward: One Honor Medal! Your excellence is evident to all!]

Qin Fei was taken aback.

Wheel of Fortune?

He had heard a bit about this during his rest days in Central City.

It seemed that most of these activities took place in mid to high-level dungeons.

He hadn't expected that even an E-grade dungeon would have players engaging in it.

Since the NPCs couldn't see, Qin Fei casually opened his character panel in the dimly lit corridor.

The base Sanity value still remained at 100.

Due to the online audience count reaching 30,000, it had now upgraded to 100 plus 98.

As for Mental Immunity, it was still represented by three question marks.

Speaking of which, Qin Fei's Mental Immunity was marked as "System Statistical Error" on his panel. During his days of rest in Central City, he specifically went to the Personal Information Management Office to inquire about it.

Oddly enough, after waiting in line for half a day at one of the self-service terminals, when it was finally his turn, the screen displayed that he had "No Access to View Personal Information."

How absurd was it that he didn't have the authority to view his own information?

Logically, he should have sought assistance from the service counter staff, but a nagging intuition told him that something was amiss.

Qin Fei decided to let it be.

Perhaps, someday, when he advanced to a higher-level world and gained a deeper understanding of the core mechanics, everything would become clear.

Continuing to scroll down, Qin Fei finally laid eyes on that hard-earned honor medal.

It was a golden medal suspended at the lower left corner of the personal panel.

Qin Fei raised his hand, pretending to cover his mouth to cough while secretly using his fingers to zoom in on the medal.

He finally read its contents clearly.

In the center of the imitation pure gold medal was a five-pointed star pattern, with details of the betting event inscribed beneath it.

"Betting pool for Player Xiao Qin: Wagering on whether the streamer can retain his ** and reach a total turnover of 100,000 yuan. Congratulations to Player Xiao Qin!"

Qin Fei: ...

No wonder.

He had been wondering how, during his time in the punishment room, the viewers could still manage to open a betting pool for him.

So this was what they were betting on?

With a wager of 100,000 yuan, just how idle were these viewers?

Indulging in others' life and death every day was one thing, but toying with their...

Qin Fei's face darkened to the point of near coal-black.

He promptly closed the attribute panel without a second thought, no longer bothering to glance at it.

Sister Della held a candelabrum aloft, guiding them both through countless twists and turns under the faint glow of the flame. Eventually, they returned to the initial corridor.

The cells on either side of the hallway were quiet. Most players seemed to be asleep, lying motionless on their filthy, disheveled beds. Perhaps the nun had administered something to them again.

Only Xiao Xiao was awake.

Upon hearing the commotion in the corridor, he immediately stood up to look. Seeing that the nun had returned with Qin Fei, his face lit up with unbridled joy.

"Esteemed Elder Qin," Sister Della bowed respectfully to Qin Fei, "I'll see you off here."

Qin Fei nodded in acknowledgment, his response perfunctory.

Xiao Xiao, hiding behind the cell door and peeping, was left with a question mark above his head.

What unexpected incident had occurred during the few hours of Master Qin's absence that made Sister Della suddenly hold him in such high esteem? Why was she addressing him as "sir"?

Did his brother Qin look like someone associated with the word 'old' in any way?

Xiao Xiao was utterly perplexed.

He felt lost.

Outside the door, after bidding Qin Fei farewell, Sister Della handed him a set of keys she carried with her.

"In case of emergencies, these might come in handy," she instructed.

At this moment, Qin Fei was still unaware of what kind of "emergencies" she was referring to. Nonetheless, he didn't inquire further, accepting the keys with a nod. "Understood."

After finishing her words, the nun turned and left.

Qin Fei, on the other hand, promptly opened the door to Xiao Xiao's cell once her figure vanished.

"What's wrong with all of them?"

Closing the door, Qin Fei unceremoniously plopped down onto Xiao Xiao's bed.

Still in a daze, Xiao Xiao rubbed the back of his head and replied, "They... were all given sedatives."

The players had, one by one, inexplicably become agitated not long after Qin Fei left.

Some paced back and forth as if searching for something;

Others started pounding on the walls for no apparent reason;

And there were even those who began talking nonsense.

The entire area was in chaos.

Perhaps due to the commotion they caused, the guards soon returned and administered a sedative to each person.

Qin Fei grasped the key point: "Did everyone exhibit unusual behavior?"

Xiao Xiao nodded: "Everyone seemed strange. A few didn't show it as obviously as those talking nonsense or pounding on the walls, but they still seemed off."

Their gazes when they looked at one another were fierce and malicious, as if they were ready to lunge forward with knives at any moment.

Qin Fei furrowed his brow.

So that's how it is...

If that was the case, his previous assumption that only a small portion of the players had hidden identities might have to be reconsidered.

But if everyone had a hidden identity, then it meant that everyone needed to complete hidden missions.

So why hadn't the players after No. 16 gone out yesterday afternoon and evening?

Having progressed this far in the scenario, Qin Fei could already guess some of the hidden identities of the others.

Number Two might have had a compulsion for overeating.

Number Thirteen, always at the water bar, could be an alcoholic.

And Number Six, who started the live stream with violence, was likely some sort of aggressive character.

However, all players from Number Seventeen onwards didn't exhibit any obvious abnormalities.

Qin Fei's fingertips tapped gently against the bed frame.

Perhaps, their true identities were deeply concealed.

The missions could also be extremely challenging.

That was why they had collectively chosen to give up on the first night.

Qin Fei lowered his gaze, temporarily unable to grasp the underlying logic.

He changed the subject, "What about you?"

He asked Xiao Xiao, "Have you experienced any abnormalities?"

Xiao Xiao shakes his head. "No, there isn't."

He found this about himself rather peculiar.

When those people first started behaving wildly, he initially thought there might be something wrong with the instance dungeon environment.

Gradually, everyone around them descended into madness, but Xiao Xiao remained entirely unaffected.

While those people were going mad, Qin Fei obediently stayed aside, so the guards naturally overlooked him when rounding up the others. Eventually, they locked him up in a cell just like everyone else.

After Xiao Xiao finished speaking, he asked in confusion, "Big Shot Qin, what's going on with them?"

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Qin Fei pushed the rag-like blanket to one side and spoke leisurely, "Have you ever played Silent Hill?"

Xiao Xiao was taken aback. "Yes, I have."

Not only had he played the game, but he had also watched the movie. Those faceless nurses were indeed a part of his childhood nightmares.

Realizing this, he suddenly understood, "You mean we're currently inside the inner world of the church?"

Qin Fei nodded.

Aside from its more intricate interior structure, everything else in this new church—the nuns, the guards, every single detail—was identical to the Radiant Church they had previously been in.

Only now, it was transformed from purity and holiness into darkness and gore.

Qin Fei placed his hands together, speaking with solemnity, "There's something I must tell you."

He looked straight into Xiao Xiao's eyes, "Since there is an inner world, naturally, there are also inner personas."

"All 24 Holy Infants in this instance, except for you, possess a hidden identity."

"This hidden identity reflects their most authentic self, the darkest and most wicked desires of their soul."

"They can see their inner persona in the bedroom mirrors in the outer world and communicate with it—except for you."

Xiao Xiao: "?"

"Why am I the only one?" He asked eagerly.

Was he some sort of chosen one in this instance?

"I believe your identity is rather unique, which is why you don't have an alter ego," Qin Fei said, biting his lip and looking slightly embarrassed.

"If I'm not mistaken, the role you're playing might be... a"

The young man's lips brushed together as he nonchalantly spoke words that were both deadly and heart-wrenching:

"A fool."