Chapter 77: Malicious Lies Deserve Condemnation

No matter how eloquently that exorcist raved on, his words dazzling and persuasive, the townsfolk below merely pointed and whispered among themselves. Not a single person stepped forward to engage with him. They already held their own faith; it was difficult for them to believe in another deity. This was not the ignorant, backward Middle Ages—people’s beliefs had grown more scientific, and they no longer placed their trust in a motley pantheon of spirits and monsters, but in a single God.

“It seems business isn’t so easy these days. Makes sense—still peddling superstitions in this age, just how dim-witted can you be?” Lin Xiao shook his head, watching the exorcist with amusement. When he saw the crowd’s indifference, the man immediately changed his approach:

“Paradise! The gods created paradise for us and guide us toward it. As long as we have faith, the gates of paradise will open to us.

In the beginning, humankind had nothing but suffering in their bodies and hatred in their hearts. They wounded each other in endless strife, unable even to die, trapped in eternal mud and despair.

Then the omnipotent gods created a beautiful paradise—a place of eternal spring, rich with fine wine and delicacies, where people lived in harmony and peace.

But humanity stole the forbidden fruit and was cast out, left to wander a barren earth, tormented by sickness, hunger, hatred, war, and death.

Now, as the shadow of apocalypse gathers above our heads, humanity’s fate teeters on the brink of annihilation. Who knows when nuclear fire will rain down from the sky, burning our cities, destroying our bodies, annihilating our civilization? The end is near.

Yet only faith in the divine, only entry into paradise, only the laying aside of hatred and strife can bring true and lasting peace—only then can we escape the reckoning of the end times.”

Upon hearing these words, many in the crowd began to waver. It was the Cold War, and though the world was not on the knife’s edge of global conflict as before, the specter of war still loomed over everyone. No one could say when the world might be reduced to rubble by a hail of nuclear bombs.

Lin Xiao pondered. This exorcist was no mere charlatan; after a persuasive speech, he had managed to sway many hearts—people were actually beginning to believe him. It was true: eloquence was invaluable. Without it, deception was never so easy.

Seeing that he was about to breach the crowd’s defenses, the exorcist resorted to a final, shocking act. Suddenly, he drew a dagger, rolled up his left sleeve, and with the blade in his right hand, he carved a twisting line into his arm—a serpent winding across his skin.

Blood gushed forth, bright as fire. The townsfolk shrieked in terror, and chaos erupted in the square.

At that moment, the exorcist raised his arm high and cried out, “O divine one, heal your most devoted servant! Let our dull eyes witness your miracles!”

A faint gray light suddenly descended from above, enveloping his wounded arm. The gash from the dagger slowly closed, healing until not a trace remained.

“A miracle! It’s a miracle!” the crowd screamed again, this time not in fear, but in awe and fervor. Having witnessed the miracle with their own eyes, they finally believed the exorcist’s words.

Wailing sirens cut through the uproar. A police car pulled up at the edge of the crowd. The door swung open, and Lin Xiao saw Chief Hope step out, pushing his way to the front and approaching the exorcist.

“No unauthorized preaching here. You need a permit,” Chief Hope declared. America allowed freedom of religion, but that didn’t mean anyone could preach without approval; the government had to ensure it wasn’t a cult.

“Foolish man! Can you block the light of the divine? Can you strip us of the right to believe freely, as Rome once expelled Jesus? You cannot.

As a member of the United States, I have the right to preach. This is a right bestowed upon us by the gods!” the exorcist shouted. A ripple of invisible force spread out. Lin Xiao, ever perceptive, noticed the townsfolk’s eyes growing vacant. Many raised their fists and began to shout in protest.

“Is this... mind control?” Lin Xiao realized at once what was happening—he had suffered at this exorcist’s hands twice already, and nearly caused Zoe serious harm the night before. The exorcist was using mind control, manipulating the crowd.

Ordinarily, with his abilities, he couldn’t have influenced so many at once. But thanks to his earlier speech, many in the crowd’s defenses had already been breached; subconsciously, they accepted his words. All he needed was a little push, and the masses grew frenzied.

A dozen townsfolk surged forward, surrounding Chief Hope. He quickly raised his hands, trying to calm them. But under the exorcist’s influence, the crowd had lost their senses—they shoved and jostled the chief, intent on driving him away.

To protect himself, Chief Hope had no choice but to draw his sidearm and fire a warning shot into the air. Under normal circumstances, this would have scattered the mob. But now, riled up by the exorcist’s spell, the gunshot only inflamed them further. The exorcist seized the moment and shouted:

“Believers, kill this policeman! He is an enemy sent by the devil. Kill him, and paradise will be ours—we will once more enter the embrace of the divine!”

His words poured oil on the flames. The situation exploded—dozens lunged at Chief Hope, trying to seize his gun and slay the small town’s protector.

“No, don’t do it! Chief Hope didn’t mean to frighten anyone!” someone cried, bursting into the crowd. It was Joey from the supermarket. Seeing the chaos, he rushed to help.

But the crowd had lost all reason, their eyes empty, waving their fists and shouting slogans like fanatics. Two women seized Joey, pinning his arms as he watched helplessly while the mob surged toward Chief Hope.

The chief held his gun aloft, but did not dare fire. So many innocents were present—if he pulled the trigger, the consequences would be disastrous. Yet if he didn’t, he risked being torn apart by the frenzied crowd.

It was a terrible dilemma.

The exorcist watched with a cold sneer. Inciting the crowd to murder the chief served two purposes: it bound them irrevocably to him, and with the town’s protector gone, preaching would be easier. If higher authorities investigated? The law could not punish a mob, and he had ways to slip away—at worst, a few scapegoats would suffer. For the gods, their sacrifice was justified.

“Deceiving the people is a crime punishable by death! What kind of god requires blood sacrifice—this is no god, but a demon!” A thunderous voice rang out, shaking everyone to their core. Lin Xiao strode down from his car, roaring at the maddened crowd.

At the same time, he clasped his right hand behind his back, quietly activating his purification skill.

The purification skill could not only heal injuries, but also awaken the mind—as he had proved the previous night when treating Zoe.

An invisible wave swept through the square. The townsfolk, caught in their frenzy, were jolted awake by the purification skill. One by one, their eyes widened, faces filling with confusion, as if waking from a nightmare and realizing how close they had come to disaster.

The tide had turned. The exorcist, seeing his plans unravel, wasted no time—he leapt from the platform and sprinted away, fleeing with all his might.

“Think you can run? Let’s see if you’re faster than me.” Lin Xiao dashed after the exorcist. This man was a dangerous threat; if allowed to escape, who knew when he might return to sow chaos? He had to be brought to justice.