Huo Shi knelt on the ground.
After hearing Fang Xin's question, he knew that if he didn't obey Fang Xin at this moment, his soul would undoubtedly be scattered.
"Because our Huo family was once considered a first-class prominent family, but later, during a power struggle, we were almost wiped out. The root of that power struggle was caused by someone named Fang! So, when I see anyone named Fang, I eliminate them all!"
"What did that person named Fang do?"
"He was the chief of the Four Great Divine Generals of the Divine Court! But I know I was wrong now. From now on, I will only target his descendants and be absolutely loyal to you! Please don't scatter my soul!"
Fang Xin raised an eyebrow, "Then that's probably not going to happen?"
"Why? Why do you insist on scattering my soul?" Huo Shi was already a little deranged.
"Because I am the grandson of the person named Fang you just mentioned!"
Huo Shi's already pale face became even paler, his lips trembling, on the verge of tears.
"Was the war you just mentioned the struggle between the Reformists and the Royalist Faction within the Church?"
"Yes!"
"So, your Huo family was part of the Royalist Faction back then?" Fang Xin asked again.
"Correct!"
Fang Xin steered the conversation back to the topic he most wanted to ask about, "How much do you know about Nili Hall?"
Huo Shi's expression changed again, "You! How do you know about Nili Hall?"
A small ball of black energy emerged from Fang Xin's fingertip and landed directly on Huo Shi's soul, instantly igniting black flames.
Huo Shi wailed in agony.
Fang Xin was expressionless, "I'm asking you a question. Since when do you ask me questions?"
Huo Shi quickly said, "Nili Hall was a human trafficking organization from the last century!"
"Where is Nili Hall currently active?"
Huo Shi's body trembled, and his soul had weakened a bit under the burning black flames, "I don't know exactly where Nili Hall is active. I'm just a runner. But what I do know is that Nili Hall and the Eternal Night Army are inextricably linked!"
Fang Xin stared at Huo Shi, "Didn't they say that the sister of the Palace Master of Nili Palace had a relationship with your Pope back then?"
Huo Shi shook his head painfully, "That woman was promiscuous and rumored to have had relationships with many people. Indeed, there were rumors that she had a relationship with the previous generation's Pope! But I was just a runner in the Church, and I didn't dare to inquire too deeply into such matters."
"My parents' car accident was done by Nili Hall, wasn't it?"
Huo Shi looked up, his expression terrified, then he trembled and nodded, "Yes!"
"Many years ago, Nili Hall also killed other people, right?" Fang Xin asked again.
Huo Shi nodded again, "Yes!"
"Has the Church found any clues?"
Huo Shi's body trembled, "I have no right to know any of what you're asking. If you want to know the specific details, perhaps you can ask someone! Miss Chu! Miss Chu's father was one of the key people in charge of your parents' case! He must know many of the details!"
Hearing this answer, Fang Xin paused, "When you went to my aunt's house before, were you looking for something my parents had researched?"
"Yes!" Huo Shi looked up cautiously at Fang Xin, "I had no choice but to kill your aunt?"
"No choice?"
The black flames burned even more intensely, and Huo Shi's screams were even louder than before.
"I was just following orders! And the person who truly ordered the arrest of your aunt's family was Mr. Chu! That is Chu Xinyao's father!"
Fang Xin was stunned, "Did he know that was my aunt's family?"
"He knew!"
"What is his position in the Church?"
Huo Shi's body trembled uncontrollably, "He is the Dean of Light Academy under the Church's jurisdiction, and also a candidate for the next Pope! He is also the Chairman of the Light Council! And concurrently the Governor-General of the Light Legion's Imperial Guard! He controls one-sixth of the Church's military power!"
This series of titles completely baffled Fang Xin.
Previously, Fang Xin had asked Chu Xinyao what her father specifically did.
Chu Xinyao hadn't explicitly said it at the time, and Fang Xin had also thought that Chu Xinyao's father held a high position of power within the Church.
He hadn't expected the position to be so high and the power so great.
This was basically considered second only to one person and above ten thousand in the Church.
No wonder Chu Xinyao never paid attention to the show-off Prince Qin Junhao before. No matter how rich Qin Junhao's father was, how could he compare to Chu Xinyao's mother's wealth and her father's power?
Chu Xinyao's father's level of power was considered among the top echelons in the entire Dragon Nation.
Huo Shi looked at Fang Xin's expression and fawned, "Miss Chu Xinyao likes you very much, and Dean Chu only has this one daughter, whom he dotes on greatly. What's more, it's a foregone conclusion that Chu Xinyao will become the new generation's Light Goddess of the Church. If you can be with Miss Chu, your future is bright. Of course, it's best to get Dean Chu's approval. This way, with Dean Chu's protection, the Church won't target you. But you don't have any proper background. Dean Chu is a very realistic person, unless you and Miss Chu make things irreversible!"
Fang Xin slapped Huo Shi, "Why are you talking so much nonsense? Am I the kind of person who lives off a woman?"
Huo Shi covered his face and bowed, "No! No!"
"Why didn't Xiao Chu come to the God and Demon Ruins?"
"Miss Chu has a noble status. She has personal protection and doesn't come with us!"
Fang Xin stared at Huo Shi, "Who gave the order for you to come in and kill me this time?"
"It was Jiang Shouguo, that is, Yang Haosi's maternal grandfather, the one you killed earlier! Yang Haosi's mother, Jiang Suqing, became Yang Yanbin's mistress. Even after she took the main position, Jiang Shouguo felt it disgraced the family and disowned Jiang Suqing as his daughter. However, Jiang Suqing and her brother still kept in touch, and Jiang Shouguo still acknowledged his grandson, Yang Haosi. You killed Yang Haosi earlier, and Jiang Shouguo was very angry! He is an elder in Dean Chu's faction, and his power is not small. He has decision-making power in many matters, so he arranged for people to kill you!"
"Damn it, it's all family-based cronyism, isn't it?"
Huo Shi forced a smile, "Isn't that how this world has always been?"
"Your Church is watching me very closely. Could your Dean Chu not know about Jiang Shouguo's decision to send you to kill me?"
Huo Shi instinctively licked his lips, "I don't know about that! Maybe he knew, maybe he didn't!"
Hearing this ambiguous answer, Fang Xin just smiled. Yang Haosi had been dead for so long, and the other party's desire to kill Fang Xin certainly wasn't a day or two old. If Dean Chu didn't even know about this, then his control over his subordinates needed to be improved. If he knew and still turned a blind eye... Fang Xin grinned.
He checked the time. Huo Shi would not be killed for now. Keeping him would, firstly, allow Jiang Xiaocha to vent her anger, and secondly, allow him to inquire further about the internal situation of the Church. He would be sent to his death when he had no more use.
For now, it was better to meet up with the people Kou Tianlin arranged and go wander around that forbidden area to see if he could bring out the body of the Eternal Night Army's fallen senior from the forbidden area.
He plundered all the corpses on the ground and picked up the compass that could temporarily obscure the rules. This item had no significant effect on him, but it did on others. Many high-combat individuals had also infiltrated the God and Demon Ruins.
After killing so many people in one go, Fang Xin's strength had improved again, and the combat power of his Slaughter Talent had increased significantly. The sixth Ring of Slaughter had completely solidified.
The main reason was that these few Church members were all of a higher cultivation level than Fang Xin, but upon arriving here, their combat power was suppressed by the rules of this place. So Fang Xin had a full feast in one go. Moreover, his Light Attribute Talent had also improved, and the seven Divine Springs floating above the Divine Spring were noticeably larger than before.
He put away his spirit beasts and Soul General.
Fang Xin looked at the map and sped towards the forbidden area.
More than twenty minutes later.
Fang Xin held the jade token Kou Tianlin had given him earlier. The small dots on the jade token were getting closer.
A sound vaguely came from behind the mist. Listening closely, it was a rough male voice.
"Zhu Jie, that kid Second Brother Kou was looking for isn't going to show up, is he?"
A volatile female voice followed, "What are you rushing for, you idiot! Not even roasted chicken can shut your stinking mouth!"
The male voice chuckled dryly, "Zhu Jie, before I came in, I heard people say that the Church organized a squad of over a dozen people, specifically targeting that kid! All of them were level five combat power or above! Even when suppressed by the rules here, they still have level five combat power! I'm just worried that kid might get killed by those Church people!"