Chapter 838: The Lost Seraphic Lord

There was no loss, which meant that what he saw today was the fourteenth Longinus. Someone had made a connection from an alternate dimension and obtained a Longinus.

David Croddor’s heart roiled with turmoil.

He had nearly committed an unforgivable sin, but it also proved that the Chinese man was certainly extraordinary; he was not an ordinary person at all.

A deliberate concealment combined with a misunderstanding had involved the Church in this mess.

Poor old DuPont was still lying in the hospital, under 24-hour monitoring with electrodes all over his body, still in a coma.

His trusted aide, Clark, remained gravely injured and had not awakened, completely unaware that one of the important items they exchanged was now missing and unaccounted for.

Not long after, several phone calls came in.

Father Will from Las Vegas and several hospital executives from the North American diocese were heading to Los Angeles, instructing David Croddor to treat the Chinese man well.

This directive confirmed David’s suspicions; perhaps this Dragon Knight Morin was indeed a significant figure. He quickly felt like he was on wheels, turning to chase after Lin Mo and Qi Fei, wanting to arrange for Lin Mo to stay at the best luxury hotel in Los Angeles. He promised that during Lin Mo’s time in Los Angeles, all expenses would be covered by the Church.

“David, what’s going on? Didn’t you already apologize?”

Qi Fei and Lin Mo completely couldn’t understand David Croddor’s sudden enthusiasm. Did he want to get beaten again?

“No, no, Miss Qi Fei and Mr. Morin, please don’t misunderstand; I reported today’s events truthfully to the North American diocese and the Church headquarters. They scolded me severely, insisting that I apologize properly and treat you well. Some church executives from the North American diocese are on their way to pay their respects to Mr. Morin as a gesture of apology from the Church!”

As David spoke, tears filled his heart; such was the knightly virtue of honesty. He never expected to one day throw his own integrity on the ground like this.

“Hey? Lin Mo, it seems you’re quite famous! You even get all your meals and lodging covered, and the Church people want to meet with you. Are you perhaps an angel or some kind of deity in disguise?”

Qi Fei was confused. She didn’t know that Lin Mo had even had contact with the Church. Little did she realize that she shared a connection with that “contact,” having formed an unbreakable bond at a small church they passed while on the run.

This little twist was something even Lin Mo was oblivious to.

Without the Light Mirror Technique to expand his vision, there was not much difference between the Dragon Knight and an ordinary person.

“Not at all! I don’t know any religious people; I only believe in Mao Zedong! Mr. Croddor, there’s no need for that. I have to catch a flight back home! My flight is tonight, just in time to avoid jet lag.”

If the people from China’s intelligence department heard Lin Mo say this, they would probably shed tears of emotion—wealth cannot corrupt, power cannot bend; truly a good comrade!

There’s an old saying: flattery comes with ulterior motives!

While the holy knight David Croddor appeared entirely sincere, Lin Mo didn’t believe that such a grand "meeting" was merely for an apology.

Moreover, he didn’t suffer any losses; rather, it was the holy knight and the two bodyguards who left in a state of disarray after their earlier commotion. Why would the old one come forward now?

Unsure of any hidden agenda, Lin Mo grew vigilant and directly declined David Croddor’s generous invitation.

“Mr. Morin…” David Croddor still wanted to keep trying, but seeing Lin Mo’s expression darken again, he smiled ruefully and fell silent.

“There’s no need to say more. As for the Church people, I don’t wish to meet them. I’m going to the airport now, and anything else is none of my business.”

The Dragon Knight belonged to the country’s strategic armed forces, never to any religion, whether it was the Su Lan Empire or this world.

Thus, even if he enjoyed the worship of the Divine Court, Lin Mo would never acknowledge the Church. David Croddor was surprised by Lin Mo’s reaction; the other party clearly was not appreciative of his efforts.

David felt regretful for being too impulsive and offending Lin Mo severely.

He could only watch as Lin Mo and Qi Fei hailed a taxi and quickly dispatched this unfortunate news.

Even though Lin Mo was just making a brief stop in Los Angeles to see him, Qi Fei was already quite satisfied.

With a hint of regret, she shared a kiss to bid Lin Mo farewell but could only watch him enter the security check area, hoping for their next reunion.

Make more money to buy this man a plane, so he can fly freely wherever he wants, as he will always return to his own airport.

The Longinus spear, which many forces intentionally forgot, was insured for a high amount and transported by special personnel to the airplane’s cargo hold, leaving mainland America with the flight.

When several important church figures from the North American diocese arrived at Los Angeles International Airport, unfortunately, the Boeing 777 bound for Shanghai Pudong International Airport in China had already taken off.

“David Croddor, you have messed this up. Knight Helen will take over your duties in a week. You should return to the Church to face the consequences, and I hope you can reflect on this. Do you have any objections to this handling?”

Father Will, who had met Lin Mo once and facilitated the connection between Qi Fei and the Church, did not come across as just an ordinary priest. He stood straight, his old body holding firm as he calmly announced the punishment.

“I have no objections and willingly accept the punishment, seeking the Lord’s forgiveness. Thank you, Archbishop Will!”

The holy knight David Croddor bowed his head and knelt before Archbishop Will, fully accepting the punishment without complaint.

He anticipated a long time filled only with coarse bread, salt, and water, away from the hustle and bustle of the big city for his penance in the Church.

“Archbishop Will! We arrived too late! Is what David said true? I still have doubts, though. I do not doubt you, my Archbishop,” a priest in a black robe glanced at the brightly lit Los Angeles International Airport with a long sigh.

“Father Allen, David is an honest child, and his two bodyguards would not lie. I believe you’ve seen the radar detection video clips from the internet. Can an ordinary human accomplish such feats? Even with specialized training from a young age, it wouldn’t be easy to achieve this effect. It was simply a small display of the Lord’s power in the mortal world; it’s such a pity we missed the opportunity by just a little.”

Father Will, now promoted to archbishop, shared the sorrow with everyone, knowing they had missed an important individual for the Church.

In fact, only a select few within the Church knew of the Seraphic Lord’s arrival, and the discovery of the fourteenth Longinus earlier that afternoon further validated this.

In the top-secret files sealed within the Church, the true identity of the Longinus was not just the weapon that killed Jesus, but one of the testimonies marking the boundary between God and the Devil. According to legend, there was not merely one nor a dozen, but a true Longinus spear alongside one hundred and eight sub-spears.

Unfortunately, the Church and diocese lacked sufficient influence to summon back the departing aircraft; otherwise, they would go to great lengths to ensure its return. However, the series of consequences that could arise was difficult to predict.

Father Allen continued to propose, “Archbishop Will, we could try to enlist the help of the Chinese diocese. After all, it is their local territory.”

“The Chinese diocese? No, no. That’s merely a nominal Chinese diocese; in reality, it doesn’t belong to our Church. Their ‘diocese’ is the government, and even if they were willing to help, they probably wouldn’t have the capability. Moreover, they don’t have their own knights.”

Will shook his head. On the opposite side of the Pacific was a completely different nation; the Church’s influence there was almost minuscule, and dealing with them was often quite challenging.

One of the accompanying church personnel, Bishop Thomas, spoke up: “Let’s discreetly send someone to investigate! Knight Jones from the holy knight order is an expert in this area. He was formerly employed by the United Kingdom’s MI6 and is quite skilled in investigation and intelligence collection.”

The priests and bishops exchanged glances and nodded. It was best to leave professional matters to professionals.

The last investigation yielded no results due to interference from both the Chinese and American governments, but this case was a personal affair, so it likely wouldn’t be as tightly controlled by both governments. They should be able to gather some information.

“Alright, inform Knight Jones and let him lead the team to China. It’s best to split them into two groups: one overt and one covert. Be extremely careful not to provoke the Chinese. That young man may be a soldier, and angering either the government or the military would surely lead to losses. If we can get in touch with him, we must handle it cautiously and form a friendship. There’s no need to rush; he is young, and we have plenty of time. We can afford to wait until he retires and then think of a way to have him become a knight of our Church. I look forward to that day in my lifetime; this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could truly spread the Lord’s glory across every inch of this star. Amen.”

Archbishop Will gently closed his eyes, recalling the three pairs of enormous light wings he had personally witnessed. “Lord, have you sent your Seraphic Lord to the mortal realm?”

“We will surely bring the lost Seraphic Lord back into the embrace of the Lord, we must!”

“Amen!” All the bishops and priests simultaneously crossed themselves, kissing the silver cross icon.