I am the Clone of a Death Row Inmate-Chapter 107: God of Evolution

The public security officer’s gaze fixed on the spot Liou Wenxin was pointing to. Confusion, then shock, spread across his face.

"Why do you suspect this car? Do you think... this is related to the Evolution Divine Teachings?"

The vehicle Liou Wenxin had singled out was a black commercial van. Its owner was a monk of the Evolution Divine Teachings who worked at the Temple of Evolution in Dongping City.

"Because it’s the only vehicle in the records with a connection to a major power. Plus, it’s a van; it could fit several children and the criminals without being cramped."

The public security officer didn’t fully understand, but Su Ze did.

Liou Wenxin had suspected the sick children were abducted for mutation experiments and had said that only a major power would have the resources and facilities for such tests.

And the Evolution Divine Teachings was just such a power.

The public security bureau decided to trust Liou Wenxin’s judgment. Using surveillance footage from various locations, they did their best to retrace the black van’s movements over the past five days.

Five days ago, around the time the children disappeared, the van happened to pass the orphanage. It was moving very slowly, making it impossible to tell if it had stopped in a surveillance blind spot.

Afterward, the van drove to the Dongping City Temple of Evolution. It didn’t leave the temple until nighttime, when it returned to the owner’s home.

Over the next few days, the van showed no unusual activity, repeating the same simple route back and forth between the Temple of Evolution and the owner’s house.

Nothing in its movement patterns seemed out of the ordinary.

Su Ze said, "If the children were picked up by this van, they were probably taken to the Temple of Evolution. As for whether they were moved elsewhere after that, there’s no way to know."

Liou Wenxin pondered for a moment. "Let’s go take a look."

"To the Temple of Evolution?" Su Ze hesitated, then shook his head. "You’re too conspicuous. If we go to the temple together, we’ll definitely arouse their suspicion and won’t find anything. Sending a public security officer would be even worse; it would just tip them off. I have a better person for the job."

Liou Wenxin’s beautiful eyes lit up. "Mr. Ya?"

Su Ze nodded. "Great minds think alike."

The missionary work of the Evolution Divine Teachings had not gone smoothly in the Dongli Kingdom. The people of Dongli generally believed in fate, not gods, so very few of them worshipped the God of Evolution.

As a result, the Evolution Divine Teachings had not thrived in Dongli, its success paling in comparison to its prosperity in the Luofan Country.

In the Luofan Country, even the most remote small towns had several Temples of Evolution. But in the Dongli Kingdom, even the most bustling capital city had only a single temple, with few followers and a deserted entrance.

Su Ze and Liou Wenxin were both quite famous in the Dongli Kingdom now. For the two of them to visit the temple would be too conspicuous.

Mr. Ya, however, was a perfect fit. He had the appearance of someone from Luofan, so it would be perfectly normal for him to visit a Temple of Evolution to worship.

Su Ze immediately called Mr. Ya.

The call connected, and Mr. Ya asked, "Boss, what’s up? Are we going dancing again today?"

"No," Su Ze said. "Mr. Ya, do you believe in the God of Evolution?"

"Like hell I do!" Mr. Ya spat, grinding his teeth. "He’s a false god made up by a bunch of swindlers to fool people. My parents were devout followers of the Evolution Divine Teachings. And what happened? Did their god protect them?"

"Good. Head over to the Temple of Evolution in Dongping City and wait for me."

...

「Dongping City, outside the Temple of Evolution.」

Looking at the grand, imposing Temple of Evolution from a distance, he saw that its entrance was deserted. A long time passed before he saw one or two people go in or out.

Su Ze couldn’t help but sigh. "This is a world away from the Luofan Country!"

In the Luofan Country, the Temples of Evolution were incredibly lively. During holidays like the God’s birthday, they would be so packed with people you couldn’t even squeeze inside.

Hearing this, a public security officer chuckled. "It’s not that we citizens of the Dongli Kingdom are all richer than those in the Luofan Country, but we’re practical. No matter how poor we are, we think about how to work hard for a better life, not place our hopes in handouts from a god."

Su Ze nodded and looked at Mr. Ya beside him. "In a minute, we’ll go in one after the other. I’ll go first and draw their attention. You find a chance to slip into the inner parts of the temple and see what you can find."

Mr. Ya lifted his chin. "Leave it to me. There’s no place in this world I can’t sneak into."

The public security captain handed a walkie-talkie to Su Ze and another to Mr. Ya. "We’ll be right outside. Notify us immediately if anything happens."

Liou Wenxin also warned them, "Be careful. Your safety comes first."

Su Ze set off first, walking toward the Temple of Evolution. It was his first time visiting one, and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of novelty.

Over a dozen imposing pillars supported the entrance. Stepping through the main gate, the first thing he saw was a Blessing Well. The well was dry.

Followers of the God of Evolution could toss valuables into the well to show their reverence and sincerity to the deity, as well as to pray and make wishes.

A monk in a white robe walked out. This was the standard uniform for the clergy inside the Temple of Evolution. He smiled at Su Ze. "Esteemed Divine Beneficiary, are you here to pray for blessings or to worship the god?"

The Evolution Divine Teachings referred to all Evolved as "Divine Beneficiaries." They believed that the Evolved had received the grace of the God of Evolution, which allowed them to evolve.

And this monk had clearly recognized Su Ze and knew he was one of the Evolved.

Su Ze said, "To worship the god."

"Please, follow me." The white-robed monk led Su Ze toward the main shrine behind the Blessing Well, where the statue of the God of Evolution was enshrined.

"This must be your first time visiting our Evolution Divine Teachings, Your Excellency?" the white-robed monk asked with a smile. "Have you perhaps encountered some difficulty recently and require the guidance of my Lord?"

Su Ze nodded, feigning distress. "I do have a problem that I hope the god can answer."

"As long as you are sufficiently devout, you will surely receive my Lord’s grace."

Finally, they entered the shrine, and Su Ze saw the statue of the God of Evolution for the first time with his own eyes.

The God of Evolution was depicted as a monster, part man and part beast. It had a human head and torso but no hands, only countless octopus-like tentacles. Its left leg was a massive, thick hoof from some unknown animal, while its right leg was a bird-like claw.

Its facial features also seemed to be cobbled together from various animals: the eyes of a fish, the trunk of an elephant, the ears of an ox, the mouth of a horse...

’It was a complete and utter Frankenstein’s Monster!’

Su Ze wasn’t the only worshipper in the shrine. Two others were already there praying, but they had no monk accompanying them. Clearly, not everyone received the same treatment as Su Ze.

Just then, Mr. Ya also walked into the shrine. The white-robed monk glanced at him but paid him no mind.

The white-robed monk’s attention remained on Su Ze. He picked up a round, smooth "God Stone" and said to Su Ze, "Hold the God Stone and kowtow with devotion. You may be able to communicate with the deity."

’Kowtow?’

Su Ze shook his head. ’A man’s knees are worth their weight in gold.’

’I haven’t seen any gold, so why should I kneel?’

Seeing that Su Ze was unwilling to kowtow, the white-robed monk wasn’t surprised. "For one with a divine nature, it is possible to be summoned by the deity without kneeling. Your Excellency may as well give it a try."