Today is the day of the Faun's Blessing ceremony.
I lifted the curtain and greeted the temple guard who came to notify me, telling him to go back first, then I woke Mr. A.
"Stop sleeping, hurry up and change clothes!"
I reached out to shake Mr. A's body, but before my hand could touch him, Mr. A sprang up from the bed like a shrewd hunter.
This guy is indeed from the company; this reaction is clearly a habit left from long-term training.
I handed Mr. A the animal skin clothes of the temple guard that had been prepared beforehand.
After he changed, I applied the face paint that Hu Jialuo had asked for earlier, stroke by stroke, onto Mr. A's face.
After transforming Mr. A, I nodded with satisfaction.
"Now, no one will be able to tell your identity."
At this moment, Mr. A was wearing a beast-skin coat, a worn hunting knife, and his face was streaked with red, ferocious paint, looking like an old savage.
"Let's go."
I nodded and led Mr. A out of the tent to find Hu Jialuo and the others.
When I first woke up, it was just dawn. By the time we reached the temple guards' camp, the sun was already high in the sky.
"Commander!"
At this time, Hu Jialuo and Hutou had already led all the temple guards to wait at the camp entrance for my arrival.
"So early, are all the brothers gathered?"
I strode up to Hu Jialuo, a hint of satisfaction flashing in my eyes.
Whether I can return alive today depends on the performance of these temple guards in front of me.
"Today is your most important day, Commander, how could we be lazy!"
Hu Jialuo's tone was filled with longing and admiration. Indeed, to outsiders who didn't know the truth, receiving the Faun's Blessing was the greatest honor in the Du'an tribe.
"Alright, stop flattering me. You'll get this honor too if there's a chance. Now, let's depart!"
I skillfully painted a rosy future for Hu Jialuo, but felt a sense of melancholy.
Today is destined to be a day of earth-shattering change. Whether the High Priest succeeds in seizing the God of Gods or I help the Faun make a comeback, the Faun's Blessing ceremony will likely cease to exist in the future.
Our group marched towards the temple. When we set off, I had already arranged for Mr. A to blend into the temple guards' ranks.
Hu Jialuo, Hutou, and I walked at the front. Hu Jialuo appeared carefree, while Hutou seemed somewhat worried, as if he had already guessed something.
"Commander, is there any problem with the High Priest?"
As we walked, Hutou suddenly came up to me, his tone questioning.
Hutou does have some wit, but now that the arrow is on the string and must be loosed, I couldn't possibly tell him everything about the High Priest in public. Therefore, I just nodded slightly.
However, considering that Hutou had previously shielded me when the High Priest came to question me, I still gave him a subtle hint.
"There aren't any major problems, but if anything happens later, you must obey Hu Jialuo's command."
Hearing my words, a look of astonishment flashed in Hutou's eyes, and then he remained silent.
In the blink of an eye, our group arrived at the front of the temple.
Huh?
At the entrance of the temple, several Faun representatives stood there, seemingly waiting specifically for my arrival.
"Commander Batur, today's Faun's Blessing ceremony is of great importance. The temple's guards are all taken over by the Faun representatives today."
As expected, the leading Faun representative, seeing my arrival, walked up and spoke to me in a hoarse voice.
Damn it, resorting to sneak attacks?
Hearing this, my heart ignited with anger, and I retorted stiffly.
"As the Commander of the Temple Guards, how come I don't know about this? Moreover, guarding the temple has always been the responsibility of the Temple Guards. Why is it not needed today?!"
In the face of life and death, no matter is trivial. If the Faun representatives were to take over the temple's guard duties, then the moment I stepped into the temple, it would essentially be stepping into the gates of hell.
"Commander Batur, we are also acting under the High Priest's orders. We hope you will cooperate."
Cooperate? My life, how could it be in the hands of these neither-human-nor-ghost creatures!
"Alright, I will cooperate with you properly. Today, let the Faun representatives send someone to participate in the ceremony. I'll go back and have a feast with my brothers."
I looked at the Faun representative in front of me with a forced smile, my words full of threats.
"You!"
The leading Faun representative was clearly at a loss for how to deal with me, yet he dared not openly fall out with me. The situation was at an impasse.
"You guys do your best to protect the temple's safety. I'm leaving."
Saying this, I turned around to leave. The temple guards beside me also prepared to follow me back.
Just as the Faun representative was about to mess up, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind me.
"Batur!"