Chapter 267: The Pride of Silvermoon (Part 2)

Wu Qingsong attended a few of Morin’s sermons at the new Silvermoon settlement. Although the wolfpeople, out of gratitude or respect for him, tried to appear as if they were listening intently, he could see their subtle yet deeply ingrained resistance.

Morin preached to them many times, but aside from a few children, most couldn’t even recall what he’d spoken about. The only thing they seemed to have picked up was learning to sing the hymns. It was a small gain that did little to shift their beliefs.

Wu Qingsong tried talking with a few of them to understand the issue. While they treated him with humility and respect, he could clearly sense their ingrained sense of superiority over Morin and Alice, the two rabbitfolk, whom they openly looked down on.

“Angus, how did the houndfolk come to accept Morin and Alice as priest and saintess?” Wu Qingsong asked.

Houndmen and wolfmen have similar strengths, perhaps the houndmen were slightly weaker, but the difference shouldn’t be that big. If the canines could accept rabbitfolk preaching to them, then why couldn’t the werewolves?

“Sir.” Angus thought carefully before answering. “I think the difference is that our lives were much worse than those of the Silvermoon. Our physical strength and combat skills may be far greater than the rabbitfolk’s, but there wasn’t much difference between us in terms of status. Before being recruited, both we and the rabbitfolk were poor, struggling with hunger and hardship. Also, the elves shattered our ancestral beliefs long ago, unlike the Silvermoon wolfpeople, who still hold theirs strongly. For many of us, the god Xuanyuan, who created our ancestors, feels far closer to us than the elves’ god of war or god of fire.”

Wu Qingsong nodded thoughtfully.

When creating Xuanyuan’s image, he and Morin had chosen something intentionally vague. As the common creator of all beastfolk, Xuanyuan was depicted not as a specific figure but as a formless, human-shaped light, allowing each believer to imagine him in their own way.

“And you, Angus? Do you believe Xuanyuan exists and that he’ll bring a bright future for everyone?”

“Of course!” Angus replied. “I believe, sir, that your presence is the embodiment of Xuanyuan’s will in this world. With your leadership, we will surely bring a bright future to all beastfolk.”

His response sounded a bit influenced by Alice’s teachings, though not as exaggerated.

Wu Qingsong sighed slightly.

It seemed he couldn’t expect too much from the Silvermoon Wolf Clan for now. He would have to take things slowly. Religious faith cannot be forced, nor was there any reason to try. If they didn’t believe, they didn’t believe. Even with a knife to their throats, the outcome would be the same.

What he needed were devout believers, not pretenders.

This might seem like a form of persuasion, but to him, these people trusted him, and he was willing to give them the best support he could. Compared to those illusory, even exploitative religions, he felt he had nothing to be ashamed of.

The rabbitfolk, ratfolk, houndfolk, and deerfolk were open to this new faith because it offered them something they had longed for. The wolfpeople, however, resisted because it didn’t bring them anything of value—or at least, it didn’t give them any sense of hope for change.

The rabbitfolk, ratfolk, and deerfolk wanted stable, peaceful lives and fair treatment. The hunting dogs longed for prosperity and respect, with opportunities to use their strengths.

But what did the Silvermoon werewolves desire?

A free life? Power? Or perhaps the hope of restoring their kingdom?

These were things he couldn’t give them—not now, at least, and not in the near future.

In that case, he’d have to take a different approach.

“Nina, among those who came with us, are there any orphans who’ve lost their parents?” A new idea gave him a sudden clarity. “If possible, could we entrust them to the church for care and education? You could serve as their guardian and teacher. I believe they would have better living conditions and access to education here than in the valley. Of course, it’s entirely up to them. No pressure.”

“I’ll ask them what they think,” Nina replied, nodding.

But she interpreted his suggestion differently. To her, it seemed Wu Qingsong was disappointed in the Silvermoon Wolf Clan and had decided to start with the younger generation, who would be easier to influence.

This was indeed a potential solution and one that could have a quick impact. Whether the wolfpeople agreed or not, she resolved to bring all the children here, let them be baptized by the church, and spare them the interference and biases of their parents.

But she hadn’t anticipated the strong opposition.

“Your Highness, don’t you see? They’re trying to uproot Silvermoon’s heritage!”

“We absolutely can’t let this happen!”

“It’s absurd to say that wolfkin was created by Xuanyuan!”

“Our ancestors will punish us for this!”

The wolfpeople all began speaking at once.

“Everyone.” Nina had to cut in. “Isn’t it good for these children to have better food and to learn useful things?”

“They’re not doing this out of kindness! If we send our children over there, will they still be Silvermoon’s children when they return?” one werewolf shouted. “Your Highness, it’s because you trust others too easily that Silvermoon is in the state it’s in today.”

Nina felt as if a knife had struck her heart, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe.

“What did you say?”

The wolfman realized he had overstepped, lowered his head, and fell silent, but an older wolfman beside him stepped forward to defend him.

“Your Highness, you’ve always told us that the Silvermoon Wolf Clan has survived because of our unyielding spirit. That no matter what hardships we face, we never bow, we never surrender. So why are you now choosing to bow to this necromancer? If we abandon our faith and start worshipping the god of another race, will the Silvermoon Wolf Clan still endure? If we’re willing to let ourselves be overtaken, then what was the point of all these years, all these generations fighting against the elves? Your Highness! We have suffered a bitter defeat, but as you’ve always told us, as long as any of us are still breathing, the Silvermoon will shine on us, and the Silvermoon Wolf Clan will endure. Why give up on that now?”

“Your Highness, do you really believe in this Xuanyuan?” asked another elder. “If you believe in him, then we’ll believe as well. Please, tell us honestly, do you truly believe our ancestors were created by this god we’ve never heard of? Do you really accept their absurd claims?”

His words left Nina speechless.

“Is this how everyone feels?” she finally asked in a low voice after a few seconds.