222: No chance to reach heaven, no chance to reach hell

Even his suicide failed. Wolf King Baker finally accepted reality, though he didn't forget to drag the Vampires down with him.

Xu Le patted the Wolf King's front leg and gave a warm reminder: "In the future, remember to lie down when you're next to me."

After all, it wasn't easy to pat the head of a three-meter-tall giant wolf.

Because it was Spu's body and mana controlling the Wolf King, and Xu Le's Divine Soul was not involved, the Wolf King did not enjoy the [All Ascend to Heaven] bonus.

There were disadvantages, but also benefits. Even if the god of light came, he wouldn't be able to see the relationship between the Wolf King and Xu Le (as opposed to Spu). There was absolutely no risk of being seen through.

The group walked toward Dark Moon Castle. That was the Vampires' base, where it was said no fewer than triple digits of ordinary people were imprisoned to have their blood drawn to satisfy their stomachs.

The massive fortress was hidden among the trees; even at noon, not much sunlight could reach it.

Looking at the lush green trees around them, Xu Le rubbed his chin. It really wouldn't be easy to catch all the flying Vampires in one fell swoop.

Andre suggested, "Your Highness, why don't we return to the Holy See and bring more priests back? With a demon-subduing formation of over a hundred people, we will surely be able to wipe out the Vampires."

Xu Le shook his head and refused. "The news of the wolf tribe's destruction won't stay hidden for long. If we go back for reinforcements, by the time we return, the Vampires in the castle will likely have all fled, and those imprisoned would be in grave danger."

Killing the Vampires in the castle was simple; the key was to do it reasonably without exposing his main account.

Xu Le circled around and found a cliff at the back of the castle. It was likely built that way for fear of sneak attacks by the wolf tribe, but it was also a good escape route.

After a lap, Xu Le already had a plan... Danny was the leader of the Vampires, with over sixty Vampires under him, making him a local tyrant of sorts.

However, he had suffered a great loss last night, losing nearly twenty subordinates, and the rest were in a state of panic.

He had a dream. He dreamed he was caught by that priest from last night—the one who looked good but had a black heart—who nailed him to a cross and then pushed him into the blazing sun to be burned alive.

"No, I have to move. I have to leave tonight!"

The moment he woke up, Danny felt a tightness in his chest, as if something big was about to happen. He immediately began packing his things.

Boom, boom, boom... Several loud bangs echoed as several windows were blown apart, followed by a surge of Holy Light pouring in.

Light!

The white Holy Light was sacred and beautiful, comparable to the midsummer sun outside the window. Even a distant glance would brighten one's heart.

But he was a Vampire. Vampires hated sunlight, and they hated Holy Light even more.

As the white Holy Light shot into the room, it began to diffuse.

"Holy! Light! Burst!"

Danny's teeth itched with hatred. He rushed out of the bedroom, only to find the hall equally filled with Holy Light. Several of his subordinates were wailing as they were burned to ashes by the Holy Light.

Run, run, run!

Danny fled toward the exit facing the forest. Although it was noon, the woods were shady, and it was far from the direction where the Holy Light was shining. It was the best path for survival.

Several subordinates had the same idea and were huddled at the exit, not moving.

"What are you doing?"

"Sir, the window is blocked! We can't open it!"

"Useless! Let me do it!"

With a powerful punch, Danny sent the entire window flying. Two subordinates, showing no sense of honor, actually tried to escape first.

"Damn it, it's necessary to enforce the house rules!"

Just as Danny was thinking this, he saw his two subordinates' hearts pierced by sharp wolf claws, and then they were burned to ashes by the blazing sun.

"Baker, damn him! He's actually collaborating with a priest. A scumbag of the demon world, a disgrace! After he dies, even Lord Satan won't take his Soul!"

As Danny thought, the castle's escape routes converged in his mind. He soon thought of a window that was exposed to sunlight but not far from the forest.

He didn't believe that even this place would be guarded.

He punched the window away, and just as he flew out, he saw a greatsword glowing with Holy Light.

The sword came out quickly, the movement looking as if it had been practiced thousands of times. In just one encounter, his head flew off.

In the last second of consciousness, his flying head saw his subordinates dying miserably at the hands of other humans. The one killing the most was the Wolf King, Baker.

"Who exactly is laying this trap? Their calculations are so precise. I curse him to be despised by both the god of light and Satan, with no hope of entering Heaven in this life, and no hope of going down to Hell..."

By the time Xu Le led the group into the castle, the Vampires inside had almost been wiped clean.

"This way!"

The Wolf King sniffed the air and ran forward quickly, like a righteous vanguard.

In the dungeon.

Dozens of commoners watched everything numbly until they saw Xu Le's snow-white priest robes, which finally sparked a glimmer of hope.

Their clothes were relatively clean and tidy, suggesting they were bathed regularly, but every one of them was skin and bones, looking like they suffered from long-term malnutrition.

They were Blood Slaves enslaved by the Vampires.

"The Vampires outside have been cleared out. Everyone is free!"

As Xu Le's voice fell, everyone's eyes filled with excitement. They knelt on the ground in unison, shouting excitedly.

"The god of light is eternal! May the Priest live forever!"

"Thank you, Priest!"

"Oh God, you have finally noticed your lost sheep!"

"..."

Looking across, there was only one young man of seventeen or eighteen who did not kneel.

His eyes were like cold stars, his face like it was carved by a knife. His simple clothes could not hide his ethereal temperament.

He walked up to Xu Le with neither servility nor arrogance and extended his right hand.

"Jason Jean. Priest, I will repay you."

Xu Le nodded but did not take the extended hand. Instinctively, he somewhat disliked the person in front of him.

A flash of surprise and embarrassment crossed Jason's face, and he withdrew his hand somewhat stiffly.

Xu Le ignored him and turned to check the rest of the loot.

Unlike the wolf tribe, the Vampires considered themselves aristocrats. They kept the castle in perfect order, and the air was even filled with a faint fragrance.

Xu Le walked into the study.

There weren't many books, but they were well-maintained. A few even looked to be hundreds of years old, perfect for Xu Le to study.

He was fed up with the long, neurotic passages in the Holy See's books.

"(The Light) God created the world, and light reaches every corner..."

"(The Light) God is the only True God in the world. All demons are suppressed in Hell, experiencing darkness, pain, and despair for eternity. Only by believing in (the Light) God can the Soul be liberated and ascend to Heaven..."

There were almost no books about geography or history; they were all filled with frantic praise. He wasn't even sure if the god of light himself would dare to acknowledge those words.

After repeatedly instructing Andre to take good care of the books, Xu Le went to the Vampires' treasury... The Blood Slaves were released from the dungeon, and one by one they rushed out of the castle, weeping with joy as they looked at the sun and the trees.

A gray-robed, white-haired old man suddenly appeared beside Jason. His appearance was very abrupt, yet no one around noticed his presence.

"Your Highness the Son of God, the feeling of being ignored isn't pleasant, is it? Please do not waste any more pointless time in places like this. The billions of citizens of the Beidian Continent are waiting for you to save them."

"Heh, are they really waiting for me to save them?" Jason gave a self-deprecating smile and shook his head. "Even if they are, wait ten years. In ten years, I will personally repay Priest Spu, and then I will personally Seal Satan."

He emphasized the word "personally" very heavily, as if he were stressing something.

The old man acted as if he didn't hear the deeper meaning and said to himself, "Ten years is too long. The citizens of the Beidian Continent cannot wait."

"They'll have to wait even if they can't!" Jason was like an angry lion, jumping up excitedly and glaring at the old man.

The people around looked at Jason. Seeing him shouting at the air, they shook their heads in pity. "His shell was saved from the darkness by Priest Spu, but his heart has already fallen. What a pity."