CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32 FOUR ROOKIE EXORCISTS

"Alright, Bishop Connell, you’ve successfully persuaded me! When does the teaching assignment begin?" Resigned, Chu Feng could only accept the task.

"Chu, that’s the spirit of a qualified bishop! Your students should be arriving soon. There isn’t much going on these days, so you can take a look around." Having said that, the silver-haired Bishop Connell left with a satisfied smile.

Watching the bishop’s retreating figure, Chu Feng shook his head and sighed inwardly, Truly worthy of the ancient Holy See! They’ve already devised a training system for Exorcists and even put it into action so quickly. It looks like I’ll have a good opportunity to understand The Holy See’s Exorcism methods this time!

The next day arrived, but, predictably, Chu Feng’s students hadn’t shown up.

Sometimes, one has to admit, once an organization grows large, its efficiency can indeed slow down considerably!

With nothing better to do, Chu Feng wandered aimlessly around St. Louis Cathedral, watching the countless devout believers and tourists, feeling utterly bored.

Although it seemed increasingly certain that the "Lord" Bishop Connell spoke of truly existed, Chu Feng wasn’t yet inclined to offer his faith.

Bored, Chu Feng slowly walked out of the cathedral, contemplating whether to go out for a stroll when Bishop Connell’s elderly figure suddenly appeared before him.

It was almost the same scene as yesterday, with Bishop Connell and an ordinary-looking Asian man just stepping out of that familiar car.

It seemed Bishop Connell was introducing something to the man.

"Bishop Connell, what’s this?" Chu Feng asked, a look of dawning comprehension on his face as he chuckled and approached them. "Have you recruited another bishop for the Religious Tribunal?"

"Chu, let me introduce you!" Bishop Connell said, his smile unwavering upon seeing Chu Feng. "This is Chen from Canada. He’s also Canada’s strongest Exorcist. You two should find time to exchange ideas!"

"Chen? Hello!" Chu Feng said. "So, you’re also one of the bishops of the Religious Tribunal?"

"Hello. My name is Chen Cheng, a Canadian of Chinese descent," Chen Cheng replied, shaking Chu Feng’s hand briefly. "Indeed, I recently accepted Bishop Connell’s invitation to become a bishop of The Holy See’s Religious Tribunal."

A hint of surprise also touched Chen Cheng’s face. So, this was what the re-established Religious Tribunal was like. He likely hadn’t known.

At that moment, Chu Feng was deeply shocked by The Holy See’s strategy. Using the name of the Religious Tribunal, combined with the status of a Holy See bishop, to recruit powerful Exorcists from all countries... Even if they couldn’t gather all of them, very few people could likely refuse the title of bishop and an annual salary of fifty million US dollars!

"Bishop Connell, may I ask," Chu Feng inquired, his face etched with astonishment as he looked at the old man, "which brilliant mind in The Holy See devised this plan?"

"Heh heh, Chu," Bishop Connell chuckled, a hint of mystery on his aged face, "it doesn’t really matter who thought of this plan. The key is having the audacity to break from convention!"

"Well, I believe I’ve already witnessed The Holy See’s audacity!" Chu Feng exclaimed, his tone filled with admiration for their boldness.

"Chu, Chen, I think you two can start preparing," Bishop Connell announced. "I’ve received word that your students will arrive here tomorrow morning!"

"Okay, no problem!" Chu Feng, who had been bored stiff, was actually eager to begin.

"Wait! Bishop Connell," Chen Cheng interjected, clearly bewildered. "The students you mentioned are...?" How could students suddenly appear when I’ve only just arrived?

"Bishop Connell, why don’t you explain it to our new friend here first? I’m off," Chu Feng said quickly, seeing the old man’s gaze turn towards him. He sensed trouble and beat a hasty retreat back into the cathedral. After all, he had no interest in playing commentator.

「Another day passed in the blink of an eye.」

Finally, Chu Feng and Chen Cheng’s students arrived.

St. Louis Cathedral was closed to the public today, so there were no worshippers or tourists. The empty cathedral was quiet, imbued with a sense of solemnity.

Chu Feng and Chen Cheng stood before four young priests.

"Chen Cheng," Chu Feng said to Chen Cheng beside him with a smile, speaking in their native tongue, "it seems pretty obvious. We each get two greenhorns!"

"Mm, looks simple enough!" Chen Cheng replied. His accent was slightly unusual, but one couldn’t demand perfection from a Canadian of Chinese descent.

"Bishop, we are not greenhorns!" a voice with an even stranger accent suddenly interjected from the group.

Looking towards the sound, they saw a priest with brown hair, standing on the far left, staring intently at them.

But Chu Feng and Chen Cheng showed not the slightest hint of embarrassment. Instead, they looked at the Chinese-speaking priest and chuckled lightly.

"Apologies, Father," Chu Feng stated, his earlier light chuckle gone. "In our view, an Exorcist who has never killed a Bizarre or a Dark Creature is, indeed, a complete greenhorn."

The young priest stepped forward, about to retort, but then he remembered the undeniable fact of their lack of combat experience. He could only fall silent and step back, crestfallen.

"How about this: I’ll take the two on the left, and you take the two on the right. What do you think?" Chu Feng suggested to Chen Cheng, seeing the priest had no further comment.

"Sure, let’s do that!" Chen Cheng, also mentoring novices for the first time, shrugged with an air of indifference.

"Okay, you two, come with me!" Chu Feng called to the pair on the left and started walking deeper into the cathedral.

Soon, under Chu Feng’s guidance, the three of them stopped beneath a large crucifix.

"Gentlemen, I presume you already know who I am," Chu Feng began. "Now, tell me your names so we can get acquainted."

Hearing Chu Feng, the priest who spoke Chinese immediately stepped forward. "Bishop, I am Antonio Dans, from the Scottish Church."

"Alright, Father Dans," Chu Feng acknowledged. "Your Chinese isn’t bad."

Chu Feng then turned his gaze to the other priest, who stood quietly to the side and had a somewhat flat nose.

"I am Inigo Rojas, from St. John’s Cathedral," this priest stated his name readily before Chu Feng could ask.

"Okay, now that introductions are over, grab your equipment. It’s time for us to depart," Chu Feng announced.

"What?" the two priests exclaimed, caught off guard by the abrupt turn of events. Isn’t there supposed to be a teaching phase first?

"Please hurry, you two!" Chu Feng urged, noticing after walking a short distance that they were still frozen in place.

"Oh... Oh, right! Coming!" the two priests stammered, hastily grabbing their suitcases and hurrying after him.

They boarded a car The Holy See had prepared earlier, and the three of them set off for the priests’ trial grounds.

「Meanwhile, in a villa on the outskirts of Paris,」

the vampire Karen Family was enjoying their lunch: a young, beautiful white woman.