Born with a divine stick

  The young captain also had a discerning eye, and upon seeing the aura on Du Fan's body, he couldn't help but exclaim: "Bright Light Aura!"

  Du Fan was slightly taken aback and said: "I didn't expect you to still recognize me. So, are you going to hit me or not?"

  The young squad leader's eyes were filled with suspicion and uncertainty, he naturally understood that the one who would use Holy Light was undoubtedly a member of the Sacred Theocracy. Most people in the Gavin Empire were followers of the God of Light, and although this young squad leader was usually arrogant and domineering, if he were to be told to fight against the Temple Knights of the Sacred Theocracy, he really wouldn't have the motivation to do so.

  The soldiers following him also turned pale, and now they were all secretly rejoicing in their hearts that they hadn't taken action at the beginning. They had long heard that the Temple Knights were highly skilled, if they took action, how they would die was not to mention, just offending the Temple Knights, even if they were from the Northern Legion, they would still be executed on the execution ground.

  Du Fan saw the little captain soften up and no longer had the intention of taking action, so he smiled and retracted the fighting spirit from his body, sat back down again, and looked at the little captain with a smile: "You guys have probably done quite a few things like bullying men and dominating women, right? Doesn't your superior take care of it? Or if I had time to go talk to Old Duke Green, then the military discipline of this Northern Army would be slightly better?"

  The young squad leader broke out in a cold sweat, hesitated for a moment, before saying: "This...this noble sir, none of this has anything to do with the Duke. It's just the private actions of us lower-ranking people. If you want to settle accounts, then put it all on my head."

  Du Fan smiled and said, "This is what it means to be a soldier. With only a few coins in your pocket each month, you're always fighting for the empire against external enemies and monsters. It's no wonder that some of you have become arrogant and overbearing. I understand this, but at the end of the day, soldiers are still soldiers, and their duty is to protect their country and families. Whether it's the nation or the family, ultimately, it's about protecting these ordinary people. What you're doing now, doesn't it deviate from your original intention when you first became a soldier?"

  The squad leader was stunned, recalling how he had once devoted himself to the military with passion and enthusiasm, all for the sake of protecting his homeland. Thinking about his actions in recent days, he felt a sense of confusion and looked at the Temple Knight (Dufan didn't explain, so this guy just assumed Dufan was a Temple Knight) with a holy smile on his face. At that moment, he couldn't help but feel that he had done many wrong things, and he couldn't bear to look up, hanging his head in shame.

  Du Fan saw his appearance, and the smile on his face became even more sacred: "Since you already know your own thoughts, these things will not be done in the future. Who is flawless? I also consider past events as if they had never happened. As for what happens in the future, it depends on yourself."

  The squad leader was even more grateful in his heart, with his hands clasped together in front of his chest, a look of great enlightenment on his face.

  Several people on the side, although they were all from the Sacred Court, were moved by Du Fan to tears at this moment. This Du Fan priest was indeed famous for nothing, and at a time when life and death were almost intertwined, he could still move his enemies with emotion, this sincerity, this skill, can be said to be unparalleled in the world.

  Du Fan saw that the young captain was also moved by himself, so he helped him up and let him gather all the soldiers together to warn them seriously. Then, he changed his tone and asked about the local customs and conditions around here.

  At this moment, Du Fan and the young captain were sitting opposite each other. The young captain pulled out a map of the Northern Country from his bosom and placed it on the table, pointing to a location on the map: "Respected sir, if I remember correctly, the place you're looking for should be here. From Wood Town, head northwest for three days and nights, and you should arrive. There's a small mountain there, but in the midst of ice and snow, that small mountain is like a world from the south. The locals say that place is the devil's lair, I don't know where you're going or what you're doing?"

  Du Fan smiled and said, "Since that's the devil's lair, we'll naturally go seal them away. Otherwise, if those things escape from their lair, won't the northern part of the Gawen Empire be in chaos? This time, no matter what, I must thank you. If it weren't for you, we might not have found this place."

  That squad leader bowed repeatedly and said it was right to contribute for the sake of the God of Light.

  As he was leaving, he not only handed over the very detailed map, but also slapped Tommy hard on the face, which was also a way to vent his anger for Du Fan and others.

  In this way, under the astonished gaze of the townspeople, Du Fan and his party walked out of Muttown without a scratch, and in the eyes of the people, they had offended these arrogant northern troops and nothing had happened, which was also an extraordinary achievement.

  On a small hill north of the wooden town, there is a fairly open space, with dozens of tents pitched on the ground, which also blocks more than half of the cold wind.

  It was already late at night, and except for a few Temple Knights who were keeping watch, most people had fallen asleep.

  In the center of this temporary camp, a bonfire was burning fiercely. Above the bonfire, a small iron pot was cooking something, and waves of meat fragrance wafted out, making one's mouth water.

  Du Fan sat by the fire, holding the map and studying it intently. Chen's head poked out from his collar, watching his movements, and couldn't help but ask in her mind: "Du Fan, what are you doing with that thing?"

  Du Fan sighed and said in a low voice, "It's not just about arranging an escape route. We both thought this trip to the Temple of God was too simple. In fact, we should have known that since this temple has been standing on the Roland continent for thousands of years and no one has discovered it until now, it must be in a very dangerous and mysterious place. In such a place, I'm afraid we can only save our lives but not use them... and..."

  "And what?" Chen said.

  "Moreover, if I'm not mistaken, Bruce should be on his way by now. Given our speed, even if we manage to arrive a step ahead of him, it won't be long before the conflict is inevitable. But as for what happens after that, I have no idea. To put it bluntly, my strength is just too weak. If only I were a bit stronger, why would I need to fear that old scoundrel Bruce?"

  Meow meowed loudly and said: "Don't forget about me."

  Du Fan smiled lightly and said, "Yes, I almost forgot. If it were you, wouldn't there be a way to make Bruce unable to return alive? Never mind, let's not think about that for now. Let's think about what preparations we should make first in the next few days."

  Chenchen still wanted to say something, but she suddenly shrank back into Du Fan's clothes. Before leaving, she seemed to have taken a glance at the back of Du Fan's body.

  Du Fan put away the map in his hand and looked back, only to see a figure approaching him from behind. When he saw her clearly, Du Fan couldn't help but stare blankly. He never expected that Tasia would appear at this time.

  Du Fan had only exchanged a few words with this icy beauty, the most famous in the Imperial Capital's circle, and now that he saw her again, he didn't know what to say, so he just nodded slightly as a greeting.

  Tasia still had that cold expression, she walked to Du Fan's side and sat down. After a moment, she said: "Du Fan, do you know that you were deceived by the young captain of your Northern Army today?"

  Du Fan smiled faintly and said: "Oh?"

  Tasia said: "I've met countless people in my life, and I can be considered a discerning person within the Sacred Temple. Perhaps it's because Dufan is inexperienced and couldn't see it, but that little team leader was glancing around nervously while listening to your teachings. I reckon he's both afraid of the Temple Knights' power and doesn't dare offend anyone from the Sacred Temple, which is why he acted like that. Although he said many things to your face, what he'll do after we leave is what's truly strange."

  Du Fan nodded and said, "Indeed, in his eyes, I'm telling him these things, it's inevitable that he thinks I'm being overly pedantic. To put it bluntly, at this moment, he might still think of me as a fool who can be bought off with a map and a moderate-sized secret from the Northern Country, thus offsetting his crime of colliding with the Temple Knights. This deal is quite profitable for him."

  Tasia was taken aback for a moment, and she looked at Du Fan with curiosity, saying: "Since Mr. Du has already seen through this point, why..."

  "Why not confront him directly?" Du Fan said, "To be honest, I don't just want to confront him, I also want his life. The person who disgraced the Northern Legion, how can I let him off lightly? However, what a pity, now is not the time for us to do such things. Our first goal is the Temple of God, before we achieve this goal, no matter what happens, we will be powerless. As for the Northern Legion's affairs, when we return to the Imperial City in the future, I will naturally take care of it myself. This point, Miss Tasia doesn't need to worry about it."

  Tasia raised her head and glanced at Du Fan a few times. This young master Du was not simple, with one set of words on his face and another behind his back, grasping the essence of being a sly person. As someone from the Divine Prison, Tasia understood the usual behavior of the priests in the Church. Seeing how Du Fan, at such a young age, seemed like an old sly person who had been in the Church for decades, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This guy was indeed born to be a sly person. It seemed that the task entrusted by Lord Nio wouldn't be so difficult to complete after all.