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After the speech, Zandik was accused of being a "heretical sect" and was exiled by the Church.

After Zandik was exiled, the Council of the Church reopened the investigation into the archaeological expedition and discovered that the cause of death of one of the victims, the "Life Theory" leader Thoshad Sohre, was mechanical asphyxiation caused by human intervention. Sohre was Zandik's partner in the expedition.

Zandik stated in his report that Sohrab was seriously injured in a mangled tiger attack during a field expedition. At the time, the Colossus of the Ruins was being activated, and he was too busy shutting down the mechanism to attend to Sohrab, thus missing the opportunity to save her.

Based on the suspicious circumstances surrounding Sohrab's death, the Council of the Church deduced that Zandik likely violated the instructions of the sage Shanama, secretly researching the mechanisms of the colossus in the ruins, and accidentally triggering the mechanism, causing the colossus to activate and resulting in a major casualty incident for the expedition. Sohrab witnessed this, and Zandik brutally murdered her, then disguised the attack as a wild animal to evade responsibility.

As a result, the young genius of the Church of Christ became a murder suspect, was permanently expelled from the Church of Christ and wanted by the Church, and then disappeared without a trace.

Nasita had seen a photo of Zandik in the file from his student days—a young, handsome, and unruly man with light blue curly hair and a disdainful smile always on his lips, very similar to the man in front of her.

In addition, the bird-beak-shaped mask on his face is also closely related to Sumeru.

—The beak is a symbol of the "King of Ibis," one of the "Seven Pillars of the Red King."

The "King of Ibis" is named Tut, and is revered as the "Secretary of All Secretaries," representing the "wisdom" of the "Red King."

It is said that this "King of Ibis" invented desert writing and various magical techniques on the orders of the king.

Even today, desert tribes still retain the belief in the "King of Ibis." The Double-spotted Long-winged Ibis, which inhabits the oasis, is also known as the "Sacred Ibis." The desert people believe that they are the guardians of the Red King's tomb and possess sacred power to ward off disasters. When they encounter the "Sacred Ibis," they will even bow and kneel before them.

These characteristics led Nasita to connect the person in front of her with the "exiled" in the archives.

Of course, she wasn't entirely sure, since the "Exiles" incident happened over four hundred years ago, and all those involved had passed away. The only ones who might remember such a thing were long-lived demon gods.

Upon hearing Nasita's question, the masked man lowered his hands and looked at her with great interest—the android produced by Zhidong had suddenly gained self-awareness and could ask him questions, which he considered a topic of great research value.

A contemptuous smile played on his lips: "The 'outcasts' of the Church of England... Heh."

Even after being branded a "heretical sect" and forever banished from the spiritual realm of seekers of knowledge, he only jotted down two thoughts in the margins of his research notes:

【I. The prediction is true: Based on the style of the Church of Jesus, the research will not be able to achieve a breakthrough.】

II. However, being expelled is still a loss. A good research environment is necessary.

In his view, the expulsion from the Church was merely a case of mediocre people being unable to tolerate the brilliance of geniuses; after all, under the radiance of geniuses, ordinary people could only feel ashamed. No longer bound by the so-called "Orders," all he gained was "freedom."

Moreover, people soon followed the rumors of "heresy" and found the "exiles" hiding in the desert.

The person who sought him out called himself "the First Fool".

The "First Fool" came to him hoping that he could create qualified soldiers for the Winter Solstice Kingdom, the so-called "optimized people".

This simple subject held no appeal for him, so he made a request of the "original fool": "Only 'optimized humans'—if your country can provide enough resources and allow enough time, I can even create what you call 'gods.' What do you say?"

In the scorching, dazzling desert, he looked inquiringly at the envoy from the Winter Kingdom: Will you call me a "monster" or a "madman" like the people of the Church? Or will you drive me away with sticks and pitchforks like the people of my homeland...?

but……

“Very good. Then, we are companions.”

The "first fool" accepted him without hesitation, along with his ideals and ambitions.

"As for how to address you, how about this—"

Out of astonishment, and because the title bestowed upon him was so ironic, the "Exile" at that time once burst into laughter. The smile on his face then was perhaps exactly the same as it is now.

“That was hundreds of years ago,” the man wearing the bird-beak mask said with a smile. “These days they usually call me ‘Doctor.’”

Chapter 105 The "Passionate" Crowd

Nasita felt cold.

The chill came from right in front of her, from the place closest to her.

The traveler Ying, who had a sweet smile, was kind to people, and always gave the impression of being carefree and not taking anything to heart, suddenly unleashed an unimaginable surge of murderous intent.

If there is any real killing intent, it will make everyone within three feet of Ying's body feel a bone-chilling cold.

She heard Ying's voice: "You are the 'Doctor'... the 'Doctor' who created the 'Evil Eye'!"

Nasita understood the emotion in Ying's voice—an emotion called "hatred".

Yes, Ying and "Doctor" have a grudge.

Although it was their first meeting, the "evil eye" created by the "Doctor" killed Hotaru's friend Teppei.

Not just Zheping.

There are also Nagatoshi's parents, and those "experimental subjects" in the "Evil Eye Factory"... Having witnessed the horrors in the "Evil Eye Factory," no one with a conscience could forgive "Doctor," the culprit.

On the day she razed the "Evil Eye Factory," Ying secretly vowed that she would kill the "Doctor" to seek justice for Teppei, for Nagatsugu's parents, and for the victims of the Hisaki Village massacre!

In the next instant, Ying's body transformed into purple lightning, and she charged forward with her sword in hand.

The steps of the Order of the Cavalry are very long, about forty or fifty meters long, but at Ying's speed, it would take at most three seconds to insert "Mist Cutter" into "Doctor's" chest.

When faced with an opponent who wanted to kill him at first sight, the "Doctor" responded with a mocking smile.

Because... there is a "human wall" between her and the "Doctor".

Kumari, the little girl who had been guiding Ying and the others, suddenly blocked Ying's path. She opened her arms wide, her face full of smiles, as if she wanted to ask the "great hero who saved Sumeru" for a hug.

Not only Kumari, but all the Sumeru people who had been clapping and cheering earlier spontaneously gathered around her. Everyone smiled and opened their arms, shouting the hero's name as they surrounded her—it seemed as if they wanted to lift her up high together.

Ying dodged and weaved through the "human wall," but there were just too many people, and all paths forward were blocked by the enthusiastic crowd.

Outside the "human wall," Paimon, seeing his assault stalled, paced anxiously, "Ah... what do we do? They're just ordinary people..."

Without harming these "enthusiastic fans," there seems to be no way to break through.

Moreover, because of the delay caused by the people, Ying's surprise attack failed to achieve its intended effect. "Doctor" was clearly prepared and would not give her another chance to get close.

Speaking of "what to do"... Paimon suddenly remembered their "external brain".

By the way, Han Fulai hasn't said a word the whole time?

Since the "Doctor" appeared, Han Fulai seems to have remained silent... How could he possibly stay completely silent under such circumstances?

Paimon instinctively turned his head to look.

In her memory, Han Fulai had been standing next to her the whole time, and that was indeed the case—the burly, bearded man with a dark face was still standing silently beside her, seemingly indifferent to everything that was happening in front of him.

Paimon was a little anxious and wanted to pat him, but his little hand landed on "Han Jiangxue's" shoulder and he missed.

Was the "Han Jiangxue" beside her just an illusion?

At the same time, a blood-red spear whistled through the air and struck the back of the "Doctor's" head.

It was Han Fulai's salt-stained gun.

Ying attracted the "Doctor's" attention from the front, which was the perfect opportunity for him to make his move.

Releasing illusions, activating "Hidden Form and Concealed Radiance," manipulating Salt Aegis to launch a sneak attack from behind... Han Fulai had mastered this set of operations to an extreme degree.

This tactic proved highly effective when Inazuma dealt with the "scattered soldiers" and Fuchigami.

But a "doctor" is different from others.

The "doctor" did not turn around.

He doesn't have eyes on the back of his head either.

However, Han Fulai's shot struck something hard, producing a loud "clang".

What blocked the Salt Sorrow Spear were two cone-shaped constructs that shimmered with an unusual luster.

Han Fulai had seen such a construct once before in Inazuma—the "constant mechanism array" in the Desolate Sea Palace was composed of such constructs, which could combine into various different shapes, making them incredibly versatile. As long as the energy core was not damaged, these constructs could operate autonomously indefinitely according to their built-in programs.

Most importantly, these constructs are made of extremely strong and hard materials, so they are not inferior even to weapons forged by demons.

The "Doctor" still wore a contemptuous smile, his eyes behind the mask casually glancing at the crowd in the distance.

Among the enthusiastic cheering crowd, there was a dark-faced man dressed in Sumeru robes, but his eyes showed no fanaticism, only calmness and sharpness.

The second executive officer of the Fools, "Doctor," is facing off against a man known within the Fools as "Sukabri."

This was also their first meeting.

One side wears a mask, while the other uses a fake face.

"Doctor" stared at Han Fulai, his gaze carrying a hint of coldness: "I've already experienced Secretary Yue Haiting's methods once in Qingxupu. After that, I specifically strengthened the defense against long-range sniping... Failed research records always pave the way for future success, don't you agree, Deputy Minister Han?"

"Failure is not always the mother of success, especially in scientific research." Han Fulai shook his head and said, "I've heard that many people have lost their lives due to failed experiments. Well, especially someone like you who doesn't seem to like following experimental procedures."

“Oh.” The “Doctor” nodded noncommittally. “I do hate rules, because rules are for mediocre people. Doing whatever you want is the privilege of geniuses.”

Han Fulai didn't reply, but simply waved to recall the Salt Sorrow Spear. At the same time, he stepped back to distance himself from the Sumeru people around him—those people had already begun to surround him, and he didn't want to have any physical contact with these obviously abnormal people when he didn't know the situation.

Meanwhile, the Sumeru people surrounding Ying had gradually narrowed their "encirclement".

Not only Ying, but Paimon and Nasita were also surrounded by people.

The four of them slowly retreated until they finally sat back to back together.

Han Fulai clasped his hands together, and a golden jade shield opened, separating the "enthusiastic" crowd.

"The people of Sumeru City... what have you done to them?"

Nasita questioned the "doctor" standing above the steps, separated by a throng of people.

The "Doctor" raised his hand and pressed it near his ear. A green light shone, revealing the outline of the "Void Terminal".

"I simply modified the 'Void Terminal' slightly to allow it to project information into the subconscious. Now, the enthusiastic public believes that this traveler and her companion are the heroes who just saved Sumeru. Heh... The experiment was a success, and now, they seem to be unable to contain their enthusiasm."

Chapter 106 Fear [4k]

As the "Doctor" said, the crowd surrounding the four people was overly "enthusiastic"—the smiles on their faces had somehow become ferocious, their mouths were wide open to reveal their gleaming white teeth, and their hands, which had been raised high in enthusiastic cheers, had turned into claws, constantly scratching at the golden shield in front of them.

If it weren't for the shield of the jade tablet, this group of people would probably have swarmed them and torn them apart with their teeth and nails like wild beasts.

“They’re practically like zombies…” Han Fulai muttered.

These people who had lost their minds did indeed resemble the zombies he had seen in horror movies before.

Paimon seemed somewhat surprised by his words: "A zombie? Does Seven Seven bite too?"

"Uh...not like Qiqi..."

Han Fulai was somewhat impressed by Paimon. In this situation, she still had the mood to talk about these things. Should he praise her for having a big heart or say that she was missing a screw in her head?

Of course, as a non-combatant, Paimon can't really do anything but complain.

Moreover, she and Yingmei have traveled extensively and have seen many storms, so these ordinary people in front of her should not be considered a threat to her.

Let alone ordinary people whose minds are controlled, even if zombies from those horror movies appeared, Yingmei could cut from the south of the city to the north with just a sword. Paimon would at most ask her if her hand would get tired...

Ying then lowered her voice and suggested to Han Fulai, "Use your shield to clear the way, and let's rush through together."

This is undoubtedly the best way to break through without harming these ordinary people.

With Ying's skills, breaking through the encirclement wouldn't be difficult. She could just punch her way through, controlling her strength to avoid injuring anyone too badly.

However, this group included not only young adults but also the elderly and children, making it easy to accidentally injure someone in the chaos, especially since the "doctor" could have taken advantage of the confusion to attack her while she was trying to break through.

Clearly, the "Doctor" wouldn't care about these people's lives or deaths; she would be afraid of accidentally harming innocent civilians, but the "Doctor" wouldn't.

Han Fulai's jade shield can separate the "human wall" while protecting her as she rushes to the "Doctor's" side.

"Doctor," judging from this code name, you know he's not an executive officer from the martial arts faction. His fighting style is extremely despicable, and he only dares to swagger around behind a "human wall." It's just that the strange cone-shaped mechanism floating around him looks a bit troublesome.

However, Ying believed that as long as she could get close to her, everything would be fine.

However, Han Fulai shook his head: "It's meaningless. The best opportunity was just now. I tried it, and he's not an opponent that can be easily defeated. Besides, don't underestimate 'Doctor'. After all, he is the second seat of the Fools."

The "sensory mimicry" device on the "Golden Apple Islands" is related to the power of the Grass God. Since Han Fulai knows that the matter of Sumeru is related to the Fools, he will certainly make preparations.

Based on his memory of the game's background, as well as the information provided by Ningguang and Yelan, there are two Executors in the Fatui who are skilled in mechanical engineering: the Second Seat "Doctor" Dottore and the Seventh Seat "Puppet" Sandone.

If he encounters the Fool's Enforcer who is in charge of this matter at the Sumeru Meeting, it is very likely to be one of these two.

The Fatui Enforcers are ranked according to their strength. The sixth-seat Enforcer he fought, "Scattered Soldiers," and the eighth-seat Enforcer, "Lady," whom Luminous had fought, both possessed demigod-level strength. The seventh-seat Enforcer, "Puppet," was roughly equal in strength to these two—in other words, he was no match for him.

So he secretly hoped that the person who came to Sumeru was a "puppet" and not a "doctor".

Unfortunately, he has never been very lucky.

As the second-in-command of the Fools, "Doctor" is said to be as powerful as a demon god.

The reason it is only "said to be able to rival the Demon God" is because the "Doctor" has very few, if any, records of his actions. At least, Ningguang and Yelan could not find any records of his actions.

This "Doctor" has always been in charge of logistical and scientific research work within the Fatui, which is very much in line with his code name. For example, he studies the remnants of the demon god and the "Evil Eye". When completing the tasks assigned by the Winter Queen, he usually sends his subordinates to do them and rarely faces the enemy personally.

The most credible account at present is that the "Doctor" went to Mondstadt a year ago and subdued the dragon Usa, which had plagued Mondstadt for thousands of years.

This one incident alone is enough to prove the "Doctor's" abilities.

It's important to know that the dragon Usa is a powerful monster that fought against Barbatos, the god of wind, and Vanessa, the first Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. Before Dvalin was driven mad by Dullin's poisonous blood, the term "Dragon Scourge" was used by the people of Mondstadt to describe the dragon Usa.