From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 86: The Church's Historical Revision

Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica.

Although the plan to travel to America had already been finalized, Pope Mario decided to first search through the Holy See's vast ocean of archives to see if they had missed anything. He wanted to ensure he wouldn't show any weakness during his upcoming conversation with Golden Hair.

He had no other choice. The materials sent by the other party were simply too overwhelming. The terrifying scenes, especially those of people killed by natural disasters, were astonishing enough to leave anyone breathless!

Not to mention the descents of angels and demons, as well as the records from the American Civil War, all of which indicated that the Church was supposed to be a formidable organization.

This only deepened the confusion in the hearts of the Church's members!

America was not some Promised Land, nor was it a sacred sanctuary overflowing with saints and ancient legacies.

Truthfully, whether it was Protestantism, the Catholic Church, or Eastern Orthodoxy, everyone knew it was merely a missionary destination. Aside from the nation itself being relatively powerful, it held no profound importance within the overarching religious hierarchy.

So why did so many extraordinary events occur there? And why were they all things the Church knew absolutely nothing about?

As the Pope acknowledged by all the Faithful under heaven, Mario couldn't shake the feeling that there might be some hidden Secret they were unaware of.

Thus, the Vatican's Catholic Church, which had remained dormant for a long time, initiated its first great purge in centuries under the Pope's single command: "Search."The last time this place was so chaotic dated all the way back to the Austrian internal conflicts in 1865, back when the Pope was still Pius IX.

And now, those special records from over 150 years ago were gradually being hauled out from the Vatican's subterranean vaults.

The records of successive popes, cardinals, and various deacons were meticulously reviewed, page by page.

To speed up the reading process, they even issued decrees to churches across all of Europe, summoning countless scholars and bishops to gather at the Vatican and sift through this immense sea of documents for the answers they sought!

Besides their own archives, historical records from surrounding countries were also sought out and scoured—though this was naturally limited to documents related to the Holy See.

Everyone became incredibly busy, including intelligence agents from various nations.

After all, the observant could always keep track of the recent events in America. Even though Golden Hair's Executive Order ensured there was virtually zero coverage of the matter on the global public internet, this information was being sold everywhere through secret channels and special frequencies for hundreds of thousands of dollars!

This naturally included several of the most powerful nations in all of Europe: England, France, and Prussia!

They were also gathering relevant intelligence. Naturally, they discovered the situation regarding the Church's recent meetings and directly dispatched their personnel over.

Their spies mingled among the Clergy, flipping through the seemingly endless piles of documents, a sight that left Bai Yang, who was watching from the sidelines, feeling rather amused.

They had originally come to investigate, but now they had all become free labor for the Church. Who knew what they were thinking in their hearts?

He tapped the documents in front of him, and a surge of special power seamlessly integrated into certain files.

It wasn't just these few pages; the files across the entire Vatican system were infused with his influence!

With the existence of The Core, interpreting these records and weaving in his own stories was as easy as flipping his hand!

In the future, no matter what situation arose, they would be able to dig up corresponding entries from these archives to serve as corroborating evidence.

"Alvin, I sense the location of the second fragment. It's further north!" Bai Yang declared after finishing his task. "Since we are here, let's complete what we must do first, and then we'll go find it!"

"Of course!" Alvin bowed respectfully. "Your will is the highest directive!"

Bai Yang had smoothly arrived at the Vatican by plane, but he almost couldn't maintain his composure the moment he arrived and saw the sheer number of spies.

The CIA, MI6, GRU, the French Seventh Bureau, the Prussian Foreign Intelligence Agency... Rather than a gathering of Clergy, it was more accurate to call this place a paradise for agents. They acted as if they were holding an open conference, murmuring among themselves about the Pope's recent bout of madness.

"Oh Lord, with so many documents, how long will it take to read through them all!"

"I know, my God! These archives are practically molding, aren't they? What is the Vatican thinking, investigating this stuff now?"

"Who knows? But His Holiness the Pope has been awfully active lately!"

They muttered to one another, but their hands didn't slow down, continuously pulling out and flipping through ancient records.

It had to be said that these archives were incredibly comprehensive. The reason the Catholic Church could establish such a firm foothold around the globe was because of their complete historical lineage. They could find corresponding documents, data, and even specific figures for every historical juncture.

Compared to the standard Clergymen, the agents possessed far sharper eyes. Soon, someone noticed something amiss!

In a document titled "The Holy See's 1866 North American Affairs Annual Report", someone discovered that the thickness of the paper was incorrect. The annual report, which should have been the thickness of a single sheet, was actually twice as thick as normal paper!

"What is this?" The agent who found the document muttered in curiosity. However, he didn't even have time to hide it for private study before the sharp-eyed spies around him immediately crowded over!

With such a commotion, let alone the spies, even the managing cardinal noticed something was wrong. Consequently, the document was swiftly confiscated right from under the agents' noses.

Sometimes, being too good at one's job wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Very quickly, this annual report was brought before Pope Mario. He held the thick page and read the records written upon it:

"Progress of the Holy See's Charitable Causes:

Newly built schools for the black community: 17

Baptisms of converts: 1,203 (at the New York Ellis Island Immigration Center)

Note: Washington D.C. has detained Southern military artifacts (including Robert E. Lee's ceremonial sword), violating the spoils-sharing convention."

"Hmm... this matter..." Mario had some impression of it. He remembered that this incident involved Pius IX, who had once publicly appealed for a "peaceful" resolution to the American Civil War.

The former Pope had even specifically sent envoys over just for the sake of so-called "world peace."

Mario looked at the discoverer standing before him and asked curiously, "Clergyman, what exactly is the issue with this piece of paper?"

The discoverer was originally an MI6 spy, but right now, he acted the part of a truly devout believer. He declared loudly, "Your Holiness, this paper is unusually thick. There might be something hidden inside. If you trust me, I can help you dismantle it!"

"Very well!" Pope Mario nodded. "I grant you the permission to do so!"

Under the watchful eyes of the Church's highest echelons, the cleric naturally didn't dare entertain any ulterior motives. He carefully took out a utility knife and meticulously sliced the paper open bit by bit, allowing a thin silver foil hidden inside to slowly flutter down.

This thin foil, along with the newly dismantled paper, was presented before Mario. It had the exact same format, but contained a completely different set of records:

[Vatican Secret Archives VII/66

Supernatural Aftermath Progress:

Purification of Mississippi River Blood Nests: ██ locations

Detention of Transformed Werewolves: 1,203 (transferred to the New York Ellis Island Special Monastery)

Issue: Washington D.C. refuses to hand over Robert E. Lee's blood-stained ceremonial sword, claiming it will be stored in the West Point Military Academy Hall of Honor. The sword contains a special virus, and the Holy See must maintain continuous surveillance.]

"My God!" Mario crossed himself over his chest, feeling as if he had been serving as a fake Pope all this time!

He stared at the cardinals before him and demanded once more, "Gentlemen, do you truly know nothing? Or is it that, because of my background, you have simply forbidden me from knowing?"

The numerous cardinals exchanged dismayed glances. How they wished that were true! But unfortunately, they possessed no more information than the Pope standing before them. It seemed they had truly lost touch with the Church of the past!

"I knew it. How could Pius IX have intervened in the American Civil War for no reason back then... This wasn't a civil war; it was a war between the Holy See and the darkness!" Mario hadn't actually expected them to tell him anything anyway. Instead, he took the document and handed it to the deacon beside him.

"Keep this safe. Now, we are ready to go to America!"

Previously, they knew absolutely nothing, so they naturally couldn't just strut into America boasting empty words.

But now, having confirmed that they had indeed participated in Transcendent affairs, Mario felt significantly more confident, even if he still didn't know the full picture!

They still possessed power and a profound legacy; it just hadn't been unearthed yet. There was no need to panic... they still had time!

The subsequent excavations would undoubtedly provide the Church with even more confidence!