The effect of the Houste Hound was not clearly explained by the General last time; he merely stated that this two-headed dog can test lies and consumes gold each time.
Baiyu was speculating at this moment.
Could this two-headed dog only test the lies in the questions posed by the questioner, without detecting the lies from the speaker themselves?
The atmosphere was very tense.
The Evil God known as the Fifteenth Black Moon is little known, and as for things like the Black Moon Mark and Black Moon followers, they are even more concealed.
It’s a normal reaction for ordinary people not to know, and Baiyu’s response was appropriate.
Time passed minute by minute.
Houste Hound was still licking the gold in August’s hand, both heads hung low, with no unusual reaction.
A weight lifted from Baiyu’s heart.
This thing turned out to be somewhat inflexible, but as a living Divine Artifact, Houste Hound lacked thought and operated according to its unique program, much like a precise lie detection machine.
Baiyu wasn’t surprised that he could pass .
If they were interrogating a criminal now, August would be able to severely question the other party, asking "Yes or No!"
With the help of Houste Hound, if the other party dared to change the subject, they would essentially confess, allowing for a definitive answer.
But Baiyu was not a criminal.
He was a contributor to saving Linjiang City this time.
A newly elevated noble.
A genius within the royal family, the top scorer of the Fengye District college entrance exams.
Each of the above reasons made August unable to continue pressing; if he continued questioning more sternly, it would no longer be just an inquiry but an interrogation.
Even holding the title of one of the Three Holy Swords of the Steam and Mechanical Church.
He had no need to do such a thing.
"Haha, the Black Moon Apostle is a member of the secretive Black Moon Association. Although this secretive group has not committed large destructive events, they frequently cause minor disturbances.
They often kill people.
This group worships the Black Moon, which is symbolized by the black round moon hanging over Linjiang City this time. Kaz was able to summon the Black Moon with the help of the S Level Sealed Object Eye of True Wisdom, correction, it should be the Eye of the Black Moon. Kindred Extraordinary materials are always mutually attractive."
August smiled and explained.
Baiyu’s expression remained unchanged, showing indignation on his face: "So that’s how it is. These Black Moon Apostles must be eradicated; rest assured, if I find such people, I will immediately report them to the Church."
"Thank you, Baron, by the way, your ennoblement ceremony will be personally hosted by Baron Nanmu, and various Imperial awards will be given at that time."
August bid farewell with an elegant smile, and together with Yuwen Ba, the three exited the church.
Only Baiyu remained in the side hall.
He sat in a chair and frowned.
"Things are not looking good."
"Back then, I killed Tong Hui to eliminate the threat and root out problems to prevent her from further harming me. I didn’t actually care about the Black Moon Mark at the time."
Baiyu calculated in his mind.
He reckoned that the Black Moon Mark might not be a bad thing.
Without the Black Moon Mark, the disaster would have been very risky this time. He also realized that the Black Moon Mark is the key to entering the Black Moon Divine Country.
With the mark, one can navigate freely in the Divine Country.
Based on Pang Fei’s later description, the little girl he encountered was most likely once blessed by the Black Moon God and was a Gatekeeper in the Divine Country.
Without the mark, he wouldn’t have been able to pass that barrier.
Pang Fei fell into that area where the little girl resided.
"In the future, I must be more cautious. Extraordinary means are plentiful; if it wasn’t Houste Hound today, but another lie-detection ability, all of my secrets could be exposed."
Baiyu deeply furrowed his brows.
Currently, it seems he has gained great benefits, but he has also become entangled within the Empire’s system and involved with the Third Prince.
To focus on studying and indulge in research as before will be much more difficult now.
Low profile, patience, development.
This is the correct path, yet all recent events have deviated Baiyu from his originally planned trajectory.
He must bring it back.
He needs to be reborn and walk the path of learning and becoming stronger, fighting and killing is not the ultimate way, pursuing inner peace and a quiet life, discreetly developing himself should be the goal.
Thinking , Baiyu left the church.
In the following days, because August remained active in Linjiang, Baiyu did not entertain other thoughts.
This Judge from the Steam and Mechanical God Church clearly harbored hostility towards him, probably due to political reasons concerning the Third Prince, or maybe because of the Legendary Ship, or perhaps Baiyu’s Extraordinary Abilities had attracted August’s vigilance.
Within the East Prosperity Empire, only two Churches are officially recognized, the Steam and Mechanical God Church and the Holy Light Church. Both are almost equally influential in various aspects within the Empire.
And their relationship is not harmonious.
They maintain a maximum level of non-interference with each other, frequently competing for resources, followers, and faith. This is common.
What evokes hostility from August toward Baiyu can only be these reasons.
"I must find a time to visit Meng Lei."
Baiyu remarked in his heart.
A week later, the summer vacation had already passed halfway.
The celebration feast originally planned for Baiyu, the top scorer at Linjiang First Middle School, was shelved due to the Black Moon incident and became an afterthought.
Whenever Jiang Gan thought about it, he felt a pang of regret.
The school had painstakingly cultivated such an outstanding student, the champion of the martial arts college entrance exam in the entire district. With strong publicity, how much could the enrollment rate of the next year at Linjiang First Middle School increase?
Jiang Gan could only think in vain.
One is due to the Black Moon incident; Linjiang City suffered severe damage and needed full revitalization.
The other is Baiyu himself disagreed.
This vice principal could no longer dare to offend his precious student; in other words, Baiyu effortlessly resolved the crisis at Linjiang First Middle School, while Pinghong Middle School, which proposed reallocation of teaching resources, because Linjiang First Middle was the top scorer in the district’s college entrance exam, didn’t dare to utter a single word.
Baiyu, when refusing the celebration feast, also declined all event invitations, endorsements, and advertisements seeking him, rejecting them all.
Regarding the Black Moon incident.
All credits, actions, outer honors, etc., Baiyu handed over to Senior Qiong Yue.
And the actions of the Senior.
They indeed lived up to the title of hero.
Afterward, the name Qiong Yue quickly resonated throughout the Empire, with national mourning, and all social media platforms filled with topics commemorating the Imperial hero.
The whole nation was in a solemn atmosphere, mourning the warriors who sacrificed in the disaster.
August boarded the train back to Zenith City, while Yuwen Ba personally directed the post-disaster reconstruction affairs of Linjiang City.
And Baiyu, after finally dealing with classmates’ gatherings and inquiries, freed himself from August’s threat, returned home, and began exploring changes in the learning space.