A world polluted by evil gods (13): Drop vest ¹x1

The news of Chu Feng’s upcoming marriage wasn’t deliberately kept secret. The enforcers in the Legion who knew his identity quickly heard the good news and flocked over to offer their congratulations.

In the Legion, there were too many lunatics and people who died suddenly. Very few had happy families or stable romantic partners outside; being single or estranged from family was the norm. That made it all the more precious that Chu Feng had found true love and was getting married. Many were genuinely happy for him, as this was a rare and joyful event within the Legion—of course, if they knew Chu Feng’s fiancé was actually the commander, their reaction wouldn’t just be happiness—they’d go absolutely crazy.

The deputy commander and Igor were among the few who knew Si Qi’s true identity. The deputy commander, while surprised, wasn’t exactly shocked to learn the real relationship between the two, and took it quite well. Igor, on the other hand, took a while to process it. Once he did, he went straight to Chu Feng and said with concern, “Everyone in the Omniscient Church knows who you are, and you’ve caused them plenty of trouble… They’ll definitely try to mess with you on the day of the banquet. You need to be prepared.”

He was green with envy on the inside but dared not reveal Si Qi’s real identity. Throughout the conversation, he didn’t mention the other person involved in the marriage, only saying, “To prevent anything bad from happening at your engagement party, I’ll organize some people from the Legion to help out. What do you think?”

Chu Feng thought Si Qi would definitely be happy to have Legion members attend their engagement party and agreed without hesitation. “Of course, that would be great.”

Igor emphasized, “But you need to be mentally prepared. You know how unruly the enforcers are—they don’t respect anyone except the commander. Maybe they’ll behave for your sake and listen to you, but your fiancé… well, you know.”

Chu Feng understood Igor’s subtle warning—he was telling him to protect the commander and make sure those fearless, reckless enforcers didn’t accidentally offend their “well-behaved, cute, and innocent” commander. He got the message and replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll protect him well. I won’t let anything happen to him.”

Seeing Igor’s strange expression—probably thinking, “You’re only saying that because you don’t know Si Qi is the commander”—Chu Feng smiled and said, “He’s the most important person to me. His honor matters more than my life.”

Igor paused briefly, then gave Chu Feng a thoughtful look. Neither said anything more.

Igor then turned and issued a task: a group was needed to help maintain order at Chu Feng’s wedding. Many in the Legion immediately raised their hands to volunteer.

To join the fun (ahem, to ensure the next commander’s wedding goes smoothly), the enforcers all brought out their unique skills and talents to compete for a spot.

One claimed to have excellent eyesight—not only could they spot enemies from kilometers away, they could also see every detail on a piece of silverware and polish it spotless. Another claimed to be a wine expert, having infiltrated noble manors and royal cellars, tasting all sorts of fine wines and being able to name any vintage in the world, making them the perfect candidate to serve drinks. Someone else claimed to have spent eighteen years making egg pancakes, even going so far as to contract all the chicken farms and seasoning factories in the Imperial Capital just to make the most delicious egg pancake in the country…

Because these people were too impressive, many enforcers—who were good at nothing besides fighting, killing, and dealing with forbidden objects—were left disappointed after being rejected. Watching those “skillful” (questionably so) individuals win the chance to personally attend such a rare wedding, they were filled with envy and secretly plotted to get them out of the way so they could take their place.

After many individuals with impressive but ultimately insufficient skills were selected, a series of unfortunate “incidents” prevented them from arriving at the venue on time. The enforcers who had secretly sabotaged them confidently stepped in wearing perfectly fitting uniforms, taking their places without shame. As a result, every single person attending Chu Feng’s engagement banquet ended up being one of the Legion’ top-tier powerhouses—with personalities messier than the last.

Among them, Mory was a special case. He hadn’t gone through any selection process and was attending the banquet simply as Chu Feng’s long-time friend.

The two reunited after months apart. Seeing that the dangerous allure Chu Feng once carried had indeed disappeared, Mory smiled teasingly, “Didn’t think we’d get the chance to see each other again.”

The last time they parted, Mory had hastily left the Imperial Capital under the excuse of a sick family member, due to the irresistible and dangerous charm radiating from Chu Feng. Before leaving, he even introduced Chu Feng to the next Guardian Knight—Si Qi.

Bound by confidentiality rules, Mory never revealed Si Qi’s true identity (who was also a member of the Legion), and now said cheerfully, “Since I no longer need to keep my distance from you, I can finally return to work in the Imperial Capital. You know, the food here’s way better than back home.”

Chu Feng smiled and poured him a glass of wine. “Thank you for protecting me all these years.”

“No big deal,” Mory replied as he accepted the glass with a grin. “You’re a great guy. It’s been a pleasure working with you. Even without orders, I’d have helped you anyway.”

He gestured with the hand holding the wine glass toward the group of enforcers who clearly didn’t belong at a formal banquet and said with a chuckle, “Look at this extravagant lineup. Aside from the commander, only you could pull this off.”

Just as he said that, Mory noticed the marquis and marquise approaching with stormy expressions. Grinning mischievously, he said, “Of course, from a commoner’s perspective, you’re in big trouble. Good luck explaining things to your future in-laws.”

Chu Feng: “……”

Watching Mory slyly slip away with his wine glass, Chu Feng braced himself and stood his ground.

To be fair, the couple weren’t particularly harsh people. In fact, they were known as charitable and kind figures in the Imperial Capital. But this time, Chu Feng had seriously messed up something that involved their precious son, which understandably left them fuming.

“I’m more than happy to provide jobs for the disabled. If they’re willing to work properly, I’d gladly let them help—but do they look like they’re working properly?” the marquise whispered harshly to Chu Feng. “This is an important occasion between you and Xiao Qi. If it goes badly, do you know how upset he’ll be?”

Chu Feng understood their feelings and said apologetically, “I’m sorry. I’ll make sure they—”

Suddenly, Si Qi popped his head in from the side. “Daddy, Mommy, what are you talking about?”

Caught off guard, Chu Feng turned to see Si Qi dressed in a matching groom’s outfit. He looked pure and adorable, like an angel descending to the mortal world. Chu Feng’s heart skipped a beat, and he completely forgot what he was saying.

The marquis and marquise were equally stunned and delighted by their youngest son’s appearance. “Oh, darling, you look amazing! You must be the most handsome groom in the world!”

Si Qi smiled sweetly. “Really? Brother said the same thing… Brother Chu Feng, what do you think?”

Chu Feng’s ears turned red as he stammered, “You really look beautiful. Very, very beautiful…”

Seeing his awkwardness, Si Qi’s lips curled in joy, eyes glowing with happiness.

Watching their son so full of joy, the marquis and marquise could no longer bring themselves to scold Chu Feng. They instead told Si Qi, “Good child, today is your big day. Enjoy it to the fullest.”

“But don’t overexert yourself. If you feel uncomfortable, you must tell Daddy, Mommy, your big brother… and Chu Feng.”

With mixed feelings, they reluctantly added Chu Feng’s name at the end and left the young couple some space, turning to greet the guests.

Whether they noticed how many prominent figures at the event were showing surprising deference to those seemingly unimpressive helpers is another matter. Meanwhile, Si Qi was gazing at Chu Feng with sparkling eyes, saying dreamily, “Brother Chu Feng, you look so handsome today.”

Chu Feng, blushing, replied, “You look even better than me…”

Si Qi asked, “Did you invite these waiters, Brother? You’re so thoughtful~”

Chu Feng smiled. “As long as you like them.”

“Of course I like them!” Si Qi leaned closer, hugging Chu Feng’s arm. Surrounded by guests casting envious looks at Chu Feng, Si Qi asked, “Are they all your friends?”

Chu Feng: “Sort of. They’re my coworkers.”

Si Qi: “Oh, coworkers? You really have a wide circle… By the way, did that superior you always mention come today? I want to meet him.”

Chu Feng: “…Why do you want to meet him?”

Si Qi answered casually, “No reason. Just thought you seem to care a lot about him…”

Chu Feng: “…” He was still jealous at a time like this! Jealous of himself! This level of seriousness… truly worthy of the Legion commander.

Si Qi added with a faintly sour tone, “I even saw the duke’s daughter here—the one who said I wasn’t good enough for you, Annie. And you told me you were busy with work and couldn’t hang out, but actually you were walking her home…”

Despite the jealous tone, Chu Feng only felt sweetness—his cold, powerful commander was jealous, possessive, and didn’t want anyone else close to him. That just proved how deeply he loved him. Chu Feng really was a lucky guy.

So he leaned down and kissed the little one’s forehead, saying in an indulgent tone, “Don’t worry. I love only you. You’re my everything, and I’ll spend my whole life protecting you.”

Si Qi, who had been planning to sulk a little longer, instantly gave in. His face turned red to his neck, his blush as rosy as an apple—sweet enough to make anyone want to take a bite.

As they passed Chu Feng, a few Legion members stole glances at Si Qi, murmuring with interest:

“So that’s the type Chu Feng likes, huh.”

“I used to think, with how close he was to the Legion commander—and carrying a sealed object with seductive powers—that maybe the commander had already claimed him. Guess I was wrong.”

“They’re total opposites! That little guy’s like a bunny, not at all like our commanding officer—so fierce and powerful!”

“Speaking of, didn’t the commander come today? I thought he was pretty fond of Chu Feng.”

“Maybe he’s here and we just don’t know. He does always wear a mask.”

“Let’s just watch who Igor hangs around. That’ll tell us.”

“Enough! No guessing what the commander looks like! If the enemy uses a sealed object to expose him, what then?”

At that, the joking, laughing enforcers immediately fell silent and straightened up. No one mentioned the topic again, nor did they go looking for Si Qi’s whereabouts.

They watched as the guests gradually arrived and the engagement banquet officially began on time. Standing in a corner of the banquet hall, some whispered among themselves, “How’s the security outside?”

“The Omniscient Church scum who can’t stand to see others happy are definitely going to cause trouble.”

“They probably figured out that Chu Feng is the next Legion commander. Of course they want to take him out early…”

“They’ve already targeted our families before. A bunch of rats crawling in the gutters!”

With such attention from the enforcers, the believers of the Omniscient Church certainly didn’t disappoint.

After the news of Chu Feng’s wedding spread, the group—who had always seen him as a thorn in their side—couldn’t bear to let him peacefully enjoy the happiest day of his life. They banded together and infiltrated the area near the banquet, planning to launch a sudden terrorist attack once the banquet began—turning a celebration into a funeral.

But Chu Feng was extremely cautious. Defensive lines had been set up hundreds of meters away from the banquet hall. Many of the infiltrating believers were quickly detected by the enforcers, triggering intense clashes. The sound of battle roared in the distance but was reduced to a faint rumble by the time it reached the banquet hall, having no effect on the lively, festive atmosphere inside.

Igor took on the role of field commander. Though he couldn’t bear to see the person he secretly loved for years marrying someone else, he was still willing to cut through all threats for that person’s happiness behind the scenes.

Perhaps due to his bad mood, his attacks were more brutal than usual. Many enforcers were surprised, wondering: Is Igor really that close to Chu Feng? He’s taking this more seriously than a direct order from the Legion commander.

Just then, a massive explosion thundered from the southeast. The deafening boom sounded like the end of the world. Panic erupted among bystanders, some falling to the ground and screaming, “Is it an air raid?! A bomb?! Are we under attack?!”

Igor’s heart skipped a beat. He instantly turned toward the direction of the explosion. The next moment, an enforcer with blood on his head came charging over, shouting with all his strength, “Zone 3 has been breached!! At least hundreds of enemies—hundreds!!”

A dreadful premonition flooded Igor’s mind. Without hesitation, he bolted toward the banquet hall, just in time to see the elegant, century-old building erupt open with a deafening blast. Smoke and debris flew in all directions. Shadowy figures stormed into the building, wielding blades and all kinds of forbidden objects…

Igor’s pupils contracted sharply. He roared, “Stop them!!”

One of the attackers dragged a half-dead believer and threw him at Igor’s feet. Igor pulled out his Truth Gavel and demanded, “How many of you are there?!”

The believer was barely hanging on, more dead than alive, but his expression was one of crazed ecstasy.

He made no attempt to hide anything. On the contrary, he radiated the hysteria and peace of someone whose wish had finally been fulfilled. With a mad look, he said to Igor:

“All of us! Every last one!!”

“The true god is descending upon this world! The end has finally come!!”

“Everyone will enter the kingdom of the divine—only those who believe in the true god will be granted eternal life!!”

“Oh god, please take me! Let me become your flesh, your nourishment—let me remain by your side forever!!”

The enforcer beside Igor, already fed up with the lunatics, ruthlessly stomped on the believer’s face and growled to Igor, “The Omniscient Church has gone mad! Are they declaring all-out war?!”

Suddenly, Igor recalled recent operations carried out by the Legion. A tight knot formed in his chest. “The Scroll… It must’ve sensed we were about to seal it and stirred these people into a suicidal last stand!”

The Omniscient Scroll was the church’s most important “relic.” Its abilities resembled those of the Mirror of Truth, knowing everything in the world. But unlike the mirror, which had restrictions, the scroll could freely absorb the “tributes” gathered by believers, unleashing its full powers. What it knew would be at least as much—if not more—than the mirror.

So it made perfect sense for the scroll to foresee its impending demise. To avoid being sealed by the Temple knights, it likely “told” the believers to protect it—possibly even inciting them to launch a preemptive strike on the Legion.

To prevent the scroll from being taken and to stop the church from being wiped out, they struck first—just as they were doing now.

Within moments, Igor had pieced together the likely motive behind the attack. He no longer treated the situation as a routine threat and ordered his subordinates to contact all Legion members outside for emergency reinforcements. Then, with the enforcers guarding the perimeter, he charged into the banquet to protect Si Qi—

Their Legion commander could no longer withstand even the slightest shock. Any upheaval would only hasten his demise.

He arrived just after the believers had broken in, and chaos had already erupted inside.

Just moments before, the innocent guests had been enjoying a leisurely banquet, secretly speculating why a bunch of crude lowlifes were getting the attention of so many important figures. Then a thunderous explosion rang out nearby, and a mob of armed assailants stormed into the banquet, slashing at everyone in sight!

Screams and cries filled the hall. Many guests saw the attackers—dressed in uniform black robes like cultists—wielding strange and terrifying weapons that destroyed everything they touched with terrifying ease.

As the thought “These people are transcendent beings!” or “I’m going to die today!” flashed through their minds, these pampered nobles saw the attackers rush at them. Tears streamed down their faces, and they fell to their knees, wailing:

“Don’t kill me! I’ll give you money—everything I have! Just spare me!!”

The next second, just as a blade was speeding toward a noblewoman’s neck, a sharp “clang” rang out—blocked midair by a dinner knife. The noblewoman, face pale as a sheet, looked in horror at the scene before her. Her eyes darted to the one who had saved her: it was the same waitress who earlier had tried to hand her clean utensils, only to be mocked and coldly rejected for supposedly spreading germs.

Tears streamed down her face, gratitude welling up—only for the words to catch in her throat as she watched the waitress snap the very same napkin she had used to wipe the silverware. With a flick, it hit the attacker like a corrosive poison, melting half his skull.

The corpse wobbled before crashing to the ground, and whatever feeling of gratitude or guilt the noblewoman had vanished instantly. She dropped to her knees and screamed in horror:

“UURRGHHH—!!!”

The waitress gave her a look of mild disgust, neatly dodged the puddle of vomit, and resumed fighting the other cultists, wielding her sealed artifact.

Guests hiding in the corners, unable to escape, were utterly dumbfounded. They huddled behind flipped tables and chairs, peeking out to observe the chaos, only to see the same disabled and grotesque individuals they had mocked now displaying shocking power—no, “shocking power” wasn’t enough to describe it.

Many of the young ladies and gentlemen who had never seen a forbidden object or a real transcendent being in action were now completely stunned, mumbling to themselves:

“They… they really are transcendents… They’re transcendents—there’s really such power in this world…”

Someone with quicker thinking than the rest shouted:

“Why are beings this powerful pretending to be waitstaff and gathering here?!”

“Were they hired by that foreign merchant? Is he also a transcendent being?!”

Immediately, people scrambled through the battlefield to find the Marquis’ family. They spotted the famously kind couple surrounded by a group of supernatural fighters, being protected at the center. Standing beside them was their youngest son—who looked like he’d been scared to tears—and the “merchant,” his face cold and eyes sharp.

“It’s him! I knew it!”

Seeing Chu Feng’s calm and collected expression, everyone instantly understood—and gasped in disbelief:

“Oh my god… He actually commands this many transcendent beings. They’re fighting for him. Who is he?!”

“He can’t be just a merchant. Maybe he’s the head of the Temple Knights!”

“The Temple Knights?!”

“They’re the only ones in the Imperial Capital who could command so many transcendents. He must be one of the top brass!”

Someone else suddenly recalled how all the influential guests at the banquet had been gravitating toward the “waitstaff” earlier. Now piecing things together, they muttered with regret:

“No wonder all those bigwigs were so respectful toward them… They must’ve recognized who these people really were!”

“I should’ve known the Marquis couple had discerning eyes—they wouldn’t approve of some smooth-talking nobody. Their future son-in-law was never going to be someone ordinary. I should’ve seen it sooner!”

Meanwhile, the very same “discerning” Marquis couple were anxiously shielding their youngest son, carefully covering Si Qi’s eyes to keep him from seeing the bloodshed. Faces filled with disbelief, they watched several transcendent beings speaking to Chu Feng with deep respect, asking how he wanted the situation handled…

With a trembling voice, the Marquis finally said:

“Y-You… Chu Feng… who exactly are you?”

Notes

1. A vest means a person having another hidden idenity ↩︎