Chapter 970 — An Unstable Tilt
Blade of Dawn · Page 4 of 4
Then his eyebrows drooped, and he spoke as if with some regret, his tone like that of an ordinary old man rambling on. "But what has happened these years, my old friend? I can feel you drifting further and further from our Lord's path... You seem, intentionally or not, to be distancing yourself from your originally noble and righteous faith. Has something happened?"
Pei Yi frowned and did not speak.
Malum Dunite continued, "And that child Anluo has still not received baptism, has she... Old friend, Anluo is to be the heir of the Wendell family. You told me this long ago. How can the Wendell family have a member who has not received the Lord's baptism?"
Pei Yi finally could not help breaking the silence. "Your Excellency Malum, my friend, the Wendell family has indeed always piously served the War God, but we are not a family of clergy. There is no obligation, and no law, requiring every descendant of Wendell to receive baptism from the Church of the War God. Anluo has chosen a path different from that of her father and grandfather, and I approve of that path. I do not think there is anything wrong with it.
"Moreover, Anluo is twenty-five this year. She is a frontline commander capable of standing on her own. I do not believe we elders can still decide for her how her life should be lived."
Malum Dunite was silent for a moment, only staring tightly into Pei Yi's eyes. But soon he laughed, as if that imposing gaze had never happened. "You are right, my friend, right... Anluo is no longer a child.
"Still, I want to say one thing, Pei Yi. These years you have indeed drifted away from our Lord... Though I do not know what happened to you, this is not good.
"You have received baptism. You are a devout believer in the Lord, and the Lord once responded to you. This will not change merely because you have drifted away.
"Pei Yi, return to the righteous path. The Lord will be pleased as well."
Pei Yi's expression turned somewhat ugly, and his tone grew unfriendly. "Your Excellency Malum, I have urgent business tonight. If you wish to preach to me, we can find another time."
"Ah, urgent business..." Malum Dunite raised his head, glanced out the carriage window, and shook his head. "The direction of the Obsidian Palace. I think I know what your urgent business is... You are going to meet Luoyan Augustus again? Another sudden summons?"
Pei Yi immediately reminded him solemnly, "Your Excellency Malum, when addressing His Majesty, you must use an honorific. Even you should not call the Emperor by name directly."
"It does not matter. He and I are old friends as well. I called him that long ago," Malum smiled, but then shook his head. "It is only a pity that he probably no longer considers me an old friend... He even ordered the Lord's sanctuary sealed off, and placed me and my priests under house arrest..."
Pei Yi immediately corrected him. "That is not a sealing off. It is only an investigation. You were not placed under house arrest either. Those were protective measures taken to prevent further vicious incidents..."
He stopped halfway through his sentence.
The seat on the left was empty. There was no one there at all.