Chapter 161: Teacher Yu Mo
The heretical church, Star Society, held secret gatherings at regular intervals, where some members would exchange information and participate in rituals.
Yu Mo, led by Peruth, arrived at the meeting place, an old forest manor that was half-collapsed. From the outside, it appeared desolate and dilapidated, with not a single light visible.
Upon entering, the interior transformed instantly—bright lights illuminated a space lavishly decorated, resembling a grand hall.
The gathering had already begun. When Yu Mo suddenly appeared, dozens of people turned to look at him simultaneously.
Almost everyone had used magic to conceal their faces, as did Yu Mo. The members of the Star Society sensed an unfamiliar magical aura from him, deepening their curiosity, but they were not particularly alarmed.
This place was special; without the guidance and permission of that esteemed person, no one could enter.
“A new recruit?” someone asked.
Yu Mo naturally found a place to sit. “Yes, it’s my first time here today.”
Given that followers of the moon tended to undergo gradual changes in their mental state, most of them appeared quite “unique.”
This uniqueness was evident in their lack of concern for others. Even though they shared the same faith, there was little intimacy between them.
Moreover, they often behaved in an eccentric manner. Whenever the topic of the moon came up, a kind of madness seemed to pervade the atmosphere.
Soon, no one paid attention to Yu Mo anymore. He sat at the corner of a long table, listening to their discussions while coldly observing each person.
Peruth followed closely behind him, but apart from Yu Mo, no one else could see him in his hidden state.
The full moon had the greatest influence on the moon’s followers. As the moonlight streamed down from above, everyone present seemed overly excited.
The initial order quickly broke down. People began arguing, which soon escalated into a full-blown fight.
On one side, people were arguing and fighting, while on the other, a group gathered to praise the moon.
Someone set up a ritual altar on the spot, cutting themselves with a knife, shouting that they were offering their life as a sacrifice.
Others were giving impassioned speeches, proclaiming that they would lead everyone to spread the message of the moon’s salvation in the future.
It had the feeling of a madhouse—an asylum without any supervision.
Amid the shouting, cursing, and chaos, Yu Mo didn’t even frown, remaining calm and completely out of sync with the rest of the crowd.
Peruth, who was leaning on the back of Yu Mo’s chair, was the supposed “manager” of this “asylum,” yet he stood there, like an outsider, watching the chaotic scene unfold.
“Aren’t you going to do something? Just going to watch?” Peruth suddenly asked, eagerly waiting for Yu Mo to do something interesting.
A faint thread of malice, which had been hidden beneath his mild demeanor, began to show.
He didn’t seem to care much about the Star Society. It was as if he was just looking for a bit of amusement for himself.
The biggest lunatic here is the cardinal, Yu Mo thought to himself.
“Do they act like this every time?”
“Ah… I wouldn’t know. After all, I haven’t been here in a long time.”
Peruth spoke apologetically. It was normal, after all, to abandon a toy once it no longer held any interest.
Finally, Yu Mo made a move.
A completely new binding spell, enhanced by the full moon’s light, enveloped everyone, isolating them in another world.
Peruth, who stood behind Yu Mo, was also trapped in this spell. He noticed that this binding magic was far more complete than the one in the temple library—nearly perfect.
To confine so many people at once required an enormous amount of magic, but the space seemed stable, supported by an abundant flow of power.
If Yu Mo hadn’t deliberately hidden his abilities before, this would mean he had made tremendous progress in just two days.
No matter the possibility, Peruth had to be impressed by him.
“Begin,” Peruth heard Yu Mo’s voice as if it came from the moon.
As the master of the binding spell, Yu Mo appeared above the space, his cold voice reaching everyone’s ears.
This was a rule-based binding spell, meaning the caster could set specific rules. The more complex the rules, the deeper the caster’s understanding of them needed to be.
Only by completing the caster’s requirements, according to the rules, could the binding be undone.
Alternatively, one could rely on powerful magic to tear through the binding and escape.
Peruth could certainly do that, but his curiosity about Yu Mo’s rules grew immensely, so he accepted the challenge willingly.
Yu Mo paid only brief attention to the Star Society members before focusing on Peruth.
The cardinal didn’t seem to be trying to force his way out, which was good.
However, after Peruth examined the rules Yu Mo had imposed, he too fell silent, eventually giving him a curious, complicated glance.
“What is this?”
Though spatially distant, the two communicated on another level.
“This binding spell, I call it… the ‘Law Exam,’” Yu Mo calmly explained.
Compared to a real law exam, this one was much simpler. At least, he had only included criminal law and civil law, far less than what his former students had to memorize.
Everyone trapped in this binding would have to thoroughly study and recite the criminal and civil law he provided, then pass two exams.
The exams consisted of multiple-choice questions, analytical questions, and essay questions, with each exam having 100 questions and a total score of 150 points.
Only by scoring full marks on both exams could they escape the binding.
“An interesting set of rules,” Peruth remarked as he scanned the “materials” provided in Yu Mo’s consciousness and looked over the exam papers he had prepared.
The first one started answering the questions.
The esteemed cardinal, with his photographic memory, quickly finished the exam and confidently submitted his paper.
“It’s quite interesting, but not too difficult,” he smiled slightly.
Yu Mo, however, graded the exam without hesitation and deducted twenty points from the cardinal’s score.
“You didn’t pass. Please continue.”
Peruth: “…”
“Why? Where did I make a mistake? I don’t understand,” the cardinal inquired.
“Please continue reviewing the material,” Yu Mo responded.
He had anticipated that Peruth wouldn’t pass easily. Even if he could remember the legal statutes, the complex analytical questions would inevitably expose his superior and arrogant mindset.
Yu Mo was a master at crafting questions, with an endless supply of teaching materials in his mind. He even prepared several extra exams for Peruth.
Meanwhile, the other members of the Star Society were transitioning from an abnormal frenzy to a more typical kind of madness.
They clutched their heads, unwilling to study the complicated legal texts.
“What is this? I don’t want to study! I won’t!”
“Who did this? Let me out!”
“How am I supposed to remember all this? And these questions—what are they? I’m not doing this!”
In the rule-bound magic array, time stretched infinitely, and the torment on the individuals multiplied accordingly.
Some couldn’t handle it and tried to attack the magic array, attempting to force their way out.
As Peruth, deep in thought, compared his mistakes with the new questions from other exams, he raised his hand to reinforce the binding spell, compelling the Star Society members to abide by the rules.
—If he was following the rules, how could he tolerate others breaking them?
After completing over a dozen exam papers, Peruth finally grasped the psychology of the question maker and eventually scored a perfect mark.
The two peculiar “rule books” left a lasting impression on him.
He didn’t leave the binding spell but instead approached Yu Mo, the exam papers in his hand dissipating into a cloud of smoke.
“Will doing this achieve anything?” he asked.
“To calm them down,” Yu Mo replied.
“That’s all?”
“What other reason could there be?”
Peruth glanced at those scattered around, painfully reciting rules and struggling with the questions. “Are you trying to brainwash them, dear Eloren? I’m afraid it won’t work—the power of the moon has already altered their minds.”
“If once isn’t enough, I can do it a few hundred more times,” Yu Mo responded, appearing heartless and cold.
The knowledge he had stored in his mind wasn’t limited to just criminal and civil law—he had an endless array of material at his disposal.
Besides, his goal wasn’t to turn them into model students, but to leave a lasting impression, subjecting them to habitual oppression.
Once that was achieved, he could have a group of useful assistants.
Since the cardinal had personally delivered such promising candidates to him, it was only natural for him to “educate” them and then bring them under his control.
He was in dire need of helpers.
Every Star Society gathering ended in chaos, and afterward, the members, still bearing the identity of moon worshippers, would go out and stir up trouble.
Their past deeds included, but were not limited to, attacking nobles, setting fire to the royal palace, destroying statues of the God of Light, infiltrating temples to assassinate priests of the Light—always causing some kind of trouble.
But this time, when the sun rose, a group of Star Society members, as if their bodies had been drained, hurried away from the meeting place, utterly exhausted. Each one fled like they were escaping a disaster.
No one had the energy to cause trouble. Their minds were filled with strange legal statutes and exam questions.
Yu Mo sat in the old manor, which was slowly becoming brighter and quieter, as the gentle sunlight swept over his body.
After staying up all night, there was a faint trace of weariness on his face.
Peruth touched the now-cold teapot and lifted it to pour Yu Mo some tea. As the teapot tilted, the water gradually became hot, releasing steam.
Moments earlier, dozens of Star Society members had been freed from the binding spell, their eyes vacant. Yu Mo had announced that from now on, he would take over the management of the Star Society, replacing “that person,” and required all members to gather next time for another round of such “tests.”
Everyone’s expressions darkened considerably.
They had all thought this was just a show of force from the new manager, but they hadn’t expected it to be ongoing torment.
“I guess a lot of them won’t come back next time. What will you do then?” Peruth asked, intrigued.
“I’ll bring them back and assign them more tasks and exams,” Yu Mo replied, as if it were a simple matter, but his words sent a chill down the spine.
“I’m very curious to see what you’ll turn them into,” Peruth said with a light cough. “But I’ll be quite busy, so I won’t attend next time.”
Yu Mo sipped the hot tea, a hint of amusement in his eyes as he replied, “Of course, I understand. You can leave it to me.”
Peruth looked at him, both regretful and satisfied.
He had originally thought Yu Mo wouldn’t be able to handle the Star Society, but Yu Mo’s approach had completely exceeded his expectations.
Not needing to step in to help was a slight disappointment, but seeing Yu Mo exhibit a more intriguing side than he had imagined left him satisfied.
“I’m growing more and more curious about where you come from.”
“I think the Cardinal would prefer to discover that answer on his own,” Yu Mo said, holding his tea, his dark eyes swirling like vortexes in the rising steam.
Morning had arrived, yet he still exuded a mysterious aura, as if cloaked in the night.
Peruth stepped closer to him, lifted Yu Mo’s hand, and kissed it lightly. “In my view, Eloren, this test was even more impressive than the last.”
“I look forward to seeing you again, Eloren. I wonder what experience you’ll bring me next.”
