154: It’s a pity that we met too late!

The scenery around the park bench began to change, and the crowds of people who had just been playing and laughing all disappeared.

An invisible large hand gripped Shen Qingzhu's throat, and Shen Qingzhu felt as if his throat was about to be crushed.

The cartilage around his windpipe made a clicking sound.

"Yi... Yu... Sir..."

These few words were squeezed out of Shen Qingzhu's mouth, as if he had used all his strength.

"You're not lying to me, are you? Shen Qingzhu?" Whisper stared at the flushed Shen Qingzhu, his tone extremely cold.

"No..."

Shen Qingzhu could barely breathe; the vision in his eyes was gradually being eroded by darkness, just before he was about to lose consciousness.

Whisper suddenly let go.

"Huff huff huff!"

Shen Qingzhu fell from the bench to the ground; he propped up his upper body with both hands, panting heavily.

Amidst his gasps, a faint smell of blood mingled with his breaths.

"Cough cough cough!"

After a good while, Shen Qingzhu stood up from the ground.

Whisper nonchalantly fiddled with the ring on his hand and slowly said, "You passed the test."

So, that guy was testing him just now?

A hint of lingering fear rose in Shen Qingzhu's heart; indeed, there wasn't a single normal person in the Ancient God Church, and he was no exception.

"I thought Song Zhong would play tricks on you! You've worked hard just now."

"Whisper Sir, I will always stand by your side." Shen Qingzhu placed his right hand on his chest, his tone devout, as if nothing had happened just now.

"Good! You did very well; from now on, stay by Song Zhong's side and work."

"Oh, right!" Whisper suddenly called out to Shen Qingzhu, "You just said you wanted to use the opportunity of attacking the Zhaijie Institute to get rid of Song Zhong?"

"That's right!" Shen Qingzhu nodded, "I don't know what trump card he has, or what makes him confident enough to attack the Zhaijie Institute, but we have many resources we can mobilize."

"Firstly, the Zhaijie Institute not only has human ceiling experts and many masters stationed there, but the surrounding military weapons are also countless. From my current observation, Song Zhong seems to have no other personnel besides those two zombies under his command."

Shen Qingzhu explained Song Zhong's situation.

"Of course! That's why he didn't refuse my help," Whisper said. He understood everything Shen Qingzhu was talking about.

"So, if he wants to take action, he will inevitably use our people."

Shen Qingzhu glanced at Whisper's expression and found that he had no intention of interrupting.

"Since the Night Watcher's efforts to capture us have intensified, why can't we guide the Night Watcher towards the Zhaijie Institute?"

"If we can attract a special team, the situation will be even more favorable to us."

After Shen Qingzhu finished speaking, he stood aside, waiting for Whisper's reaction.

After a moment of silence, a sharp glint burst forth from Whisper's eyes. He stared at Shen Qingzhu, making Shen Qingzhu feel a little uncomfortable.

"Why are you doing this?"

Whisper himself was a cunning person, so he didn't quite believe in feelings like loyalty; otherwise, he wouldn't use contract scrolls to control his followers.

Shen Qingzhu took a deep breath, and then, as if having made some kind of decision, he said, "Because I want to be above everyone else, second only to one."

"Above everyone else, second only to one?"

Whisper narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Shen Qingzhu. "What, are you not satisfied with your current life?"

He hadn't expected Shen Qingzhu, this naive young man, to have such great ambition.

Unexpectedly, Shen Qingzhu shook his head. "I'm not dissatisfied with my current life, but with the current state of the Ancient God Church."

Whisper's eyebrows raised; Shen Qingzhu's words struck a chord with him.

His dissatisfaction with the Ancient God Church, or more accurately, with Yue Huai, had been building up in Whisper's heart for a long time.

He never imagined that among the entire Church, the one who truly understood him would be a follower converted from a Night Watcher.

This world was truly wondrous.

Although a feeling of regret at not having met sooner arose in Whisper's heart, his expression remained unchanged.

"Shen Qingzhu, I realize I truly underestimated you."

Shen Qingzhu saw that Whisper indeed found these words very agreeable, so he continued:

"Although I haven't been in the Ancient God Church for long, this precisely gives me a sensitivity that others don't possess."

"Other followers have been in the Ancient God Church for too long, they've even become numb. They haven't noticed that this ship, the Ancient God Church, is too old, too corrupt!"

A fervent glint flickered in Shen Qingzhu's eyes. "The Ancient God Church needs a reform, and this reform needs a baptism of blood!"

"Hahahaha!"

Whisper suddenly burst out laughing. "Shen Qingzhu, do you know what you're saying? I finally understand why you abandoned the Night Watcher to join the Ancient God Church. You, a person like you, are a heretic!"

"However, I like heretics! I never thought you'd be such an interesting fellow." Whisper greatly praised Shen Qingzhu. Why hadn't he met this guy sooner?

"But what do you mean by 'second only to one'? Our Ancient God Church has four Ancient Gods!" Whisper continued to ask.

"In my opinion, a powerful organization only needs one leader!" Shen Qingzhu said, "Four is too many!"

Whisper's pupils contracted slightly. "You, you're truly audacious!"

"Whisper Sir, looking at the four Ancient Gods, Yue Huai and Qian Mo hardly ever move, and Song Zhong has only just joined. In terms of seniority and foundation, only you are the strongest."

"In the current Ancient God Church, who doesn't know that you are the true Ancient God fighting the Night Watcher on the front lines? As long as you raise your arm, thousands upon thousands of followers will surely respond!"

Whisper couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth. "Is my prestige really that high?"

"You don't move around among the lower ranks, so of course you don't know how grand your image is in the hearts of the followers." Shen Qingzhu began to add fuel to the fire, his face not even turning red.

"Alright, alright, but this matter is of great importance, we cannot act too hastily; we still need to proceed step by step." Whisper reminded himself not to get carried away, that one must eat bite by bite and walk step by step.

"Let's start by getting rid of Song Zhong first!" Whisper calmed his excited mood and said,

"Actually, what you proposed, I had already thought of."

"I have planted an informant in the Zhaijie Institute. He will relay the news of the attack on the Zhaijie Institute to the Night Watcher's higher-ups on the eve of Song Zhong's action."

"At that time, the Zhaijie Institute will be heavily guarded, ensuring that Song Zhong will go but never return."

"At that time, that place will be Song Zhong's tomb!"

Whisper told Shen Qingzhu his plan.

Shen Qingzhu's face showed an "astonished" expression. "Whisper Sir's foresight is divine; Qingzhu is not even a ten-thousandth of Sir's!"