Brand, standing behind the door, was quite surprised:

"Hervig is dead?"

Before Han Wanghuo could answer, he laughed loudly:

"What a pity, I have already become a 'Dark Wanderer'. Otherwise, I should have a drink of the finest wine produced in Initial City to celebrate."

Was Hervig so annoying? Long Yuehong was taken aback as he eavesdropped.

Brand quickly suppressed his laughter and said with a hint of a sigh:

"Since entering this room, I have never left.

"Song the Warden can attest to this."

Song He nodded:

"Taking an oath to become a 'Dark Wanderer' means belonging to the darkness from now on, far away from the mortal world.

"This is a vow made before the Grand Arbiter. Breaking it is equal to blasphemy. I believe Brand would not do such a thing."

He paused for a moment and added:

"My room is just a little further ahead. I didn't notice Brand leaving."

He was using his own reputation as a guarantee.

And he was one of the most reputable people in Redstone Town.

"Then I have no problem." Han Wanghuo chose to believe him.

Tan Jie remained silent.

Brand behind the door took a breath and slowly exhaled:

"There are many people who hate Hervig. It wouldn't be too strange for an Awakened to emerge among them by chance.

"In addition, Dimarco in the underground also has suspicion.

"Leave, I can't control my emotions anymore."

Han Wanghuo glanced at Tan Jie. Seeing that he had no objections, he said:

"Let's go back to the hall first."

Under Song He's guidance, they gradually moved away from the room where Brand was practicing in seclusion.

Jiang Baimian looked back and saw only silence behind the dark red wooden door, without any sound.

Entering the hall, Buzz was the first to exclaim:

"I didn't expect Brand to have done those things back then. Awakened are really terrifying."

As Hervig's confidant, he also knew quite a bit about Awakened, but he had never understood them so deeply as he did today.

Song He looked at him and nodded slightly:

"You continue to look for Viyel."

Buzz wasn't stupid and understood that the Warden didn't want him to hear the following conversation. So he waved to Shang Jianyao and said with a smile:

"I must win against Viyel this time."

After speaking, he put on that iron-black mask.

"Good luck!" Shang Jianyao responded sincerely.

He didn't hide his urge to participate.

After Buzz left the hall, Song He switched to Ashlander language and said to Tan Jie:

"You can come to Brand for revenge at any time, but you need to inform me in advance."

"Okay, Warden." Tan Jie replied calmly, "I need to go back and discuss it with them."

Song He turned to ask:

"When did you awaken?"

"More than a year ago." Tan Jie answered frankly.

Shang Jianyao interjected curiously:

"Isn't the price you paid the lack of emotions?"

"How many times have I told you, you can't ask what price an Awakened paid!" Jiang Baimian immediately scolded, "He clearly had emotions when facing Brand just now."

*Team leader, I think you're singing a duet with Shang Jianyao...* Long Yuehong muttered inwardly.

He glanced sideways at Bai Chen and noticed that this petite companion had a hint of a smile on her lips.

Tan Jie was silent for a few seconds and said:

"The price I paid won't be targeted by anyone. You can discuss it freely.

"What I gave up was the ability to make expressions."

"No wonder..." Shang Jianyao struck his left palm with his right fist.

He immediately became enthusiastic and actively offered advice:

"You can carry a bunch of masks with different expressions. When you need to smile, wear a smiling mask, and when you need to cry, wear a crying mask."

This was the best idea he could come up with after racking his brains, combining it with the customs of Redstone Town.

Jiang Baimian instantly thought of a term from the Old World:

Emoji.

Although the definition of this term was quite different from the situation described by Shang Jianyao, she felt that there was some degree of similarity between the two.

"I don't have a mental illness." Tan Jie politely rejected Shang Jianyao's suggestion.

Shang Jianyao said with shining eyes:

"You are indeed good at 'provoking'!"

A slightly strange look appeared in Tan Jie's eyes, and he ignored this guy.

Seeing that this Ashlander was answering every question and was quite friendly, Jiang Baimian decided to remind him:

"I heard that as an Awakened's abilities become stronger, the price they pay will also increase. Not being able to make expressions seems harmless now, but it will be hard to say in the future."

"That's right." Warden Song He affirmed.

He looked at Tan Jie, who wasn't wearing a mask, and said:

"You should have come to the church earlier to listen to the Bishop's sermon.

"This can allow you to grasp a lot of common sense about Awakened and avoid unnecessary risks.

"It's easy to run into problems exploring on your own."

Seeming to feel Song He's friendliness, Tan Jie was silent for a moment and said:

"At that time, the impact of the previous cases hadn't faded. I felt that the church was protecting the Red River people and didn't want to expose its secrets."

"Fortunately, you don't have any abilities related to fear. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to explain Hervig's death." Song He sighed kindly.

"Why?" Shang Jianyao's curious expression was covered by the monkey mask.

Song He glanced at him, smiled, and didn't answer.

*So this is the secret knowledge of the Vigilance Church...* *People with the ability to "provoke" can't awaken "extreme fear" at the same time? Or is this a result derived from the vague mapping of corresponding prices?* Jiang Baimian couldn't care less about "scolding" Shang Jianyao. Her mind raced, analyzing.

Song He looked back at Tan Jie and said peacefully:

"Since you are already an Awakened, you can choose to become a cleric of the church, or you can maintain your current state. This will not affect you from listening to the Bishop's sermon and mastering the corresponding knowledge."

Hearing this sentence, Shang Jianyao raised his hand and then put it down, looking very hesitant.

Tan Jie thought for a few seconds and responded:

"I will consider it."

After dealing with Tan Jie's matter, Song He turned to look at Han Wanghuo:

"Is there any movement from the Fishmen and Hill Giants?"

Han Wanghuo nodded solemnly:

"I sent people to scout. They show signs of uniting.

"Before I came to the church, I had already arranged for the town guards to set up the first and second lines of defense."

Song He nodded lightly and sighed:

"Actually, such a large city ruin and so much farmland waiting to be reclaimed, accommodating a few more sub-human races wouldn't have too much of an impact on the lives of the townspeople. Unfortunately, the hatred between the two sides has already been forged, and it has become stronger and stronger by being watered with blood."

Noticing the gazes of Long Yuehong and Bai Chen, Song He laughed self-deprecatingly:

"Before the Grand Arbiter, all beings are equal. As a cleric of 'Dark Maiden', Fishmen and Hill Giants can also become qualified believers in my eyes.

"However, I am a bit timid and dare not enter sub-human settlements alone to preach."

Han Wanghuo was silent for a few seconds and said:

"I heard that when you first came to Redstone Town, Warden, it was even more chaotic here, with gunfights almost every day. You are not timid at all."

Song He laughed loudly:

"At that time, I was young and brave, and I had just believed in 'Dark Maiden'. I was single-mindedly trying to show my piety. But now, there is a saying that the older you are in the world, the smaller your courage becomes."

Ending the topic of sub-humans, Han Wanghuo and Tan Jie bid farewell and left.

As the Old Task Force followed them out, Shang Jianyao suddenly turned his head:

"One last question, why is Viyel still in the church?"

He paid special attention to this "hide-and-seek champion".

Song He knew that they were relic hunters from outside and didn't find it strange at all. He replied:

"This is the reward for the winner of each Mass ceremony: he can live in the church for a period of time, bathing in divine grace and listening to the teachings."

Jiang Baimian, wearing a delicate monk mask, raised her eyebrows.

Shang Jianyao said the last question and left without lingering, turning around and leaving Vigilance Church.

"I'm going to the Ashlanders' side. How about you?" Han Wanghuo stopped in front of his dilapidated off-road vehicle and asked Team Qian Biao.

Tan Jie stood beside him, watching with no expression.

"We will continue to investigate Hervig's death." Jiang Baimian replied.

Han Wanghuo nodded:

"Then be careful. Fishmen and Hill Giants may attack the town at any time."

"Thank you." Jiang Baimian responded politely.

Watching Han Wanghuo and Tan Jie drive away, the Old Task Force got into their jeep.

Jiang Baimian sat in the passenger seat, motioned for Bai Chen to start the car, and said, "Hmm,"

"It seems that it's unlikely that Hervig was killed by An Hebass's side."

Long Yuehong didn't ask why and tried to understand the captain's thinking:

"Because An Hebass didn't seem very active in silencing Buzz?"

"That's right." Jiang Baimian affirmed, "If An Hebass really killed Hervig, then he would definitely want to get rid of Buzz and others quickly, and wouldn't allow any risk of the secret being exposed. But when we took Buzz to the church, we didn't encounter any ambush. After a while, Lopez came with his men belatedly.

"This shows that An Hebass must have been uneasy because of Hervig's sudden death, so he sent his men to ask Buzz and others about the specific situation."

Bai Chen, who was driving, looked ahead and said:

"Now it's more like what Brand said, that Hervig's enemies or Dimarco's people did it."

Jiang Baimian nodded lightly and sighed:

"Forget it, this is not the most important issue to focus on now.

"The current focus is on what to do with that batch of arms?

"If An Hebass really donates them to the town guards, will it count as us completing the mission?"

Long Yuehong said hesitantly:

"It shouldn't count."

"As long as An Hebass doesn't explicitly say that it's the batch of arms that Hervig lost, it definitely won't count." Bai Chen made a definitive answer.

And An Hebass isn't stupid.

Jiang Baimian gritted her teeth:

"Do we have to think of a way to get that batch of arms and complete the mission first?"

Long Yuehong thought for a while and said cautiously:

"Under the current circumstances, the town guards of Redstone Town really need this batch of arms."

"No problem. After we get half of it, we will donate this half and the materials we have saved up to the town guards, and agree that after initially solving the problem of the Fishmen and Hill Giants, they will retire a military exoskeleton to us. By then, the sub-human groups will be severely damaged, Redstone Town will have no external enemies for a while, and there will be plenty of time to get a new one from United Industries. This is An Hebass's chance to atone." Jiang Baimian said her plan, "Perfect!"

Shang Jianyao nodded heavily:

"An Hebass is going to donate that batch of arms anyway. There is no substantial difference for him to donate them to the town guards or to us."

"Besides, An Hebass may not be willing to donate to the town guards. He may have other solutions." Jiang Baimian clapped her hands and said, "Let's go to the Lakeside Villa District and find a chance to complete the mission."

Shang Jianyao echoed excitedly:

"Make trouble! Make trouble!"

ps: Two updates today, please vote for the monthly ticket~