Su Cheng: "..."
Su Cheng: "I told you not to pull me."
She was still dizzy. Feeling that she wouldn't be able to stand steady even if she got up, she had refused his help.
Xiao Yun looked down at her hand, and then at the butterfly tattoo on his own chest. His expression became somewhat subtle, hard to tell if he was annoyed or just speechless.
He suddenly raised his arm.
Su Cheng quickly ducked her head and stepped back.
Xiao Yun: "?"
Xiao Yun: "What are you doing?"
Su Cheng had already crouched down. "Sorry, I thought you were going to slap me. Plus, I'm still a bit dizzy."
Xiao Yun: "..."
He gave a light scoff. "If I wanted to beat you up, I wouldn't even need to use my hands. Alright, if you're fine, stand up and sign the non-disclosure agreement."
Saying so, he tossed a roll of parchment to her.
Su Cheng rested for another half minute until her dizziness faded. She stood up, read it carefully twice to ensure there were no traps, then pricked her finger and dropped some blood on the signature line.
The contents simply stated that she could not reveal the details of the exam to outsiders.
"These scrolls have been blessed by the Favored of the God of Contracts. Once you sign your name, you are bound by its restrictions and cannot violate its terms. Otherwise—"
The red-haired man said flatly, "You should be well aware of the consequences, right?"
"...I don't really know much about all that," Su Cheng said as she signed the scroll. "Anyway, I won't go around blabbing. So, is the duel next?"
Xiao Yun took the scroll back and said in a businesslike tone, "Welcome to the Secret Academy. The duel is canceled because your competitor has died."
Su Cheng deliberately put on a look of astonishment.
"His attendants couldn't determine the cause of his death," Xiao Yun continued, "so they came running to ask us. But according to the academy's rules, nothing that happens here will be made public. So, you can rest easy."
Su Cheng pinched the scroll. "Rest easy? Rest easy about what?"
Xiao Yun looked at her and gave an evasive answer, "An earl's son is dead. They will certainly investigate it. Even if they can't get information from us, they have other means—"
After leaving the testing room, the mages in the lounge outside all cast admiring glances her way.
Su Cheng guessed they had some way to watch the assessment process inside the room.
Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly saw a familiar figure squeezing out of the crowd with a face full of excitement.
Su Cheng: "...Uncle?"
Lin Zhen had arrived at some unknown point. He was specially dressed in formal attire, looking as if he were heading to a banquet.
Su Cheng was a bit bewildered. "I thought they didn't let parents in—"
"Indeed," the grand mage who had guided her earlier said, "but yours is a special case."
"Chengcheng!" Lin Zhen came over and grabbed her hand. "Congratulations on your admission! I knew you'd have no problem. But right now, you need to make a trip to the temple."
"The temple? The Church's temple?"
"Yes," Lin Zhen nodded repeatedly. "A priest just found me and said that His Grace the Archbishop wants to see you."
Su Cheng: "?"
Generally speaking, standard parishes formed by small to medium-sized cities and their affiliated towns and villages were governed by bishops dispatched by the Church.
Golden Amber City was the largest city in the southern borders of the empire, making it a crucial strategic location.
Therefore, the grand parish centered around this city, encompassing the surrounding cluster of secondary towns, was overseen by an archbishop.
The archbishop had supervisory authority over the bishops of the standard parishes below and reported directly to the College of Cardinals in the Holy City, making him an unquestionable high-ranking cleric.
One step higher would be a cardinal, a rank capable of crowning a king.
The entire Church only had twelve cardinals, all of whom practiced year-round in the Holy City. The Pope was often chosen from among them.
The status of the Archbishop of the Golden Amber City temple was self-evident. In a sense, he was even more powerful than the lords enfeoffed by the kingdom.
Thinking of this, Lin Zhen was filled with excitement.
As a member of the merchant guild, he also dealt with the Church's clerics in his daily life, sending generous gifts during festivals and holidays.
But he could only ever come into contact with mid-level clerics. As for figures at the archbishop level, his family simply had no opportunity to establish a relationship with them.
Now that his niece had become a Favored of the Gods, everything was different!
As for how the Church learned the news—
There were numerous experts in the temple, so it wasn't surprising that they had detected the aura of a deity. What's more, both the God of Law and the God of Contracts were major deities within the God of Light's faction.
The Church was an organization of believers in the God of Light. In the end, they were all considered to be on the same side.
The lounge also fell into silence.
The mages of Cross Star Academy had varying expressions as they sized up this rather unique new student.
The academy's admission standards were rigorous; every student could be considered a peerless genius on the outside, but this one seemed a bit too special.
The mages exchanged glances.
It wasn't their first time in Golden Amber City, and they were very familiar with the situation here. They knew exactly who this Archbishop was.
Su Cheng wanted to say something more, but Lin Zhen had already pulled her away. They walked all the way out of the guild and directly boarded a carriage parked outside.
The carriage quickly left the noisy crowd and drove into the quiet upper district, heading upward along a wide white stone avenue.
Holy knights standing guard appeared on both sides of the road, along with some believers arriving on foot, clearly on their way to the temple for worship.
Su Cheng leaned against the window and looked out.
The temple was massive in scale, its cluster of palaces truly magnificent. Dominated by pale marble, its grand domed arcades were adorned with gleaming gold, and sky bridges crisscrossed high above.
The figures of clerics came and went, and the tall tower in the center of the temple loomed faintly in the mist.
The carriage arrived at the plaza where believers gathered. Worshippers were everywhere, bathing in the brilliant sunlight as they knelt devoutly in prayer.
"Uncle," she turned to look at Lin Zhen, "did they say what they wanted me for?"
Lin Zhen shook his head. "They probably discovered your identity as a Favored. But that's just my guess. Don't be nervous. Oh, right, I think I heard someone say that His Grace the Archbishop is also a Favored, though I don't know if it's true or which deity chose him..."
The Church did indeed have many Favored, but only relatively speaking. The population of this group itself was very small.
Su Cheng stepped out of the carriage. Several holy knights immediately came over to confirm her identity, then led her toward the temple.
From the plaza to the main worship hall, there was a long and wide staircase forged from pure white jade, densely packed with silhouettes.
Many people kowtowed with every step they took, repeating the motion tirelessly. They muttered low whispers, their faces filled with fanatical devotion.
This path was known as the Pilgrimage Road. Jade statues stood on both sides, their stalwart bodies holding up the corridor, while the towering ceiling above was painted with scenes of ancient battlefields.
As Su Cheng walked past the worshippers, she couldn't help but slow her pace, looking up at the sculptures.
They wore different garments, yet all possessed an imposing and highly majestic aura. Merely gazing at them from the front was enough to make one feel a profound sense of insignificance.
The craftsmanship of the statues was extremely exquisite, capturing the facial features, the texture of the hair, and the lines of the muscles of each person to the utmost perfection.
Thus, they accurately restored the flawless beauty and artwork-like bodies of the deities.
Su Cheng glanced around the feet of the statues but couldn't find any corresponding introductory steles.
The holy knights waited beside her without urging her. Seeing this, they immediately understood that she was definitely not a believer and it must be her first time here.
"These are the Seven Gods of Glory—"
A holy knight introduced softly.
Su Cheng suddenly understood.
The Seven Gods of Glory were the minor gods under the God of Light, and also the God of Light's top enforcers.
These people were all warriors from ancient wars.
Because of their outstanding achievements, firm faith, and formidable personal strength, they were chosen by the God of Light, granted godhood, and able to ascend to the divine realm.
"...His Highness the God of Labor."
The holy knight said, bowing his head slightly to show respect.
Su Cheng sized up the statue closest to her.
—This was the most simply dressed among the minor gods.
She wore a crown of fern leaves, with a gentle brow and a resolute expression. Her braided hair was pulled up high, and she wore a short shirt and sarong, revealing her well-defined arms, with no other accessories on her body.
One of the statue's hands was held flat in front of her chest, holding a saw blade, a pair of tongs, and a spindle, while the other hand hung by her side, holding a short-handled sickle in its palm.
Su Cheng nodded thoughtfully and couldn't help but continue forward.
They passed by the other statues one by one, and the holy knight introduced them one by one.
"...His Highness the God of Courage."
This statue was fully armored. The armor was magnificent and exquisite, with complex carvings, and half of the face was covered under the face guard. There was a lion head decoration on the shoulder, and the exposed muscles between the arm guards were knotted, giving off an imposing aura.
She held long blades in both hands, one sword slanting downwards and the other pointing straight ahead, as if issuing a challenge to an enemy.
"His Highness the God of Mercy—"
That statue had lowered brows and eyes, with hair falling like a waterfall. He wore a crown shaped like thorns, and the robe slung diagonally across one shoulder revealed half of a strong chest.
His right palm was held up, while his left hand rested lightly on a codex engraved with wheat ears and herbs. On that gentle and handsome face, his expression was compassionate and his eyes were tearful.
The holy knight paused.
"...This is His Highness the God of Purity."
Su Cheng couldn't help but perk up.
The God of Purity had a role in the early and middle stages of the novel.
In order to steal a certain important secret treasure, Lin Yun sneaked into the church's temple, but ended up getting lost and straying into a hall.
Inside was the statue of the God of Purity.
—She represented a clean soul and flawless faith, as well as a firm spirit and undistorted truth.
It was said that she sheltered all devout believers. The book described her human form as beautiful and holy, with a majestic, arrogant, and inviolable temperament.
Lin Yun was stunned by the statue, said some filthy words, and even groped it randomly.
The God of Purity was thus enraged. At first, she sent believers to kill him, severely injuring the male lead, and later she simply took action herself.
Judging from the spoilers, she killed the male lead several times later on, and Lin Yun completely relied on his halo to resurrect, otherwise he would have been dead long ago.
The comments were polarized on this. Some people hoped she would die quickly, while others were howling for the protagonist to quickly push her down and "defile" her godhood.
But the author seemed to be deliberately keeping them in suspense, having written millions of words without writing any of this.
"Wait," Su Cheng looked around and blinked blankly, "Which one did you say is His Highness the God of Purity?"
The holy knight was a bit baffled, "The one in front of you."
Su Cheng: "?"
Su Cheng looked up.
The statue in front of her was extremely tall, with a towering figure like a mountain. Thick curly hair was tied up high and fell down. Under the shadow of the brow bone, the eyes were as deep as dark pools, and the eyelashes were layered.
From the forehead to the bridge of the nose, from the cheekbones to the jaw, every contour was flawlessly beautiful, and the whole face exuded a soul-snatching beauty.
He wore a gorgeous half-armor robe, with a turned-up collar covering the side of the neck, revealing only a sliver of skin in the middle of the neck.
The arm-length gloves had complex patterns, wrapping from the fingertips to the elbows. Through the sleeves covered with thin armor, the bulging muscle contours of the upper arms could be seen.
The robe clung tightly to the lean and sturdy body, with the buttons fastened to the very top, exuding a strange sense of asceticism.
The waist seal was exquisitely carved, cinching the lean waistline, and the shin-guard leather boots wrapped around the slender and sturdy legs.
—Compared to his other colleagues who either bared their chests and backs or exposed their arms and legs, this one's clothing could be described as airtight.
The statue's expression was calm and solemn, looking straight ahead, with both hands slightly slanted and spread out, suspended in front of him, as if to give a hug, or as if to stroke the top of a believer's head.
Su Cheng: "..."
Su Cheng silently looked at the statue's Adam's apple.
Then her gaze moved down.
Although he was dressed heavily and covered tightly, these strong body lines were all presented in fine detail by the craftsmen.
She looked at those broad, powerful, and solid shoulders, and the full chest that seemed ready to burst out—
It really looked very nice to touch.
Su Cheng thought a bit confusedly, suddenly feeling that something was wrong.
She tilted her head and took a few steps to the side, "...Were the eyes of this statue looking towards us from the very beginning?"
Su Cheng said as she looked at the holy knights beside her, only to find that they all had looks of horror on their faces.
The surrounding believers raised their heads, all dumbfounded, as if they had also turned into clay idols and wooden sculptures.
The eyes of the statue suddenly lit up.
Su Cheng: "?!"
Lin Yun harmed me!
In the deep eyes of the stone statue, two balls of white flame rose and flickered.
That flame was pale and flawless, burning and rolling fiercely, like two turning eyeballs.
The whole sculpture seemed to come alive because of this.
An invisible coercion spread out along with it, like an invisible tide, sweeping across the broad corridor full of stairs.
The surroundings instantly fell into chaos.
Some believers retreated in fright, some slumped on the steps, and others prostrated themselves on the spot, chanting messy prayers.
The patrolling, guarding, and passing clerics nearby were all dumbfounded at this moment, casting shocked glances.
"?!"
Su Cheng retreated in disbelief and almost tripped over the steps. Fortunately, the holy knight beside her supported her.
That statue seemed to have been injected with vitality, and even turned around to look at them.
But it was still a sculpture, without muscles and nerves, and without any expression.
It just looked at them quietly like this.
But for some reason, she could still see an emotion akin to anger on the handsome and cold face of the statue.
Perhaps more than just anger.
It looked as if it wanted to smash her into pieces.
"...No! I didn't do anything!"
Su Cheng felt very wronged.
After all, she hadn't put those thoughts into action, and she didn't want to do that at all.
Amidst the chaos, the flame in the statue's eyes extinguished, and it returned to its posture of looking straight ahead.
There were still some people around kowtowing continuously. They looked extremely excited, even tearful, banging their heads against the jade steps.
Su Cheng took a few deep breaths before recovering, feeling that everything that happened today was incomprehensible.
She thanked the holy knight who supported her, "Are all the statues of the God of Purity... in male form?"
The Holy Knight's expression was complicated, and the look she gave her even held a bit of disgust.
Su Cheng: "?"
Did you misunderstand something?
The Holy Knight sighed, "Yes, as far as I know, at least in the Church's temples, they are all male figures."
"Furthermore," she added, "...that was likely a warning just now. Miss, you must not harbor blasphemous thoughts in front of the divine statues."
Su Cheng frowned.
Blasphemous?
Did it mean that the deity had sensed her thoughts about touching the statue?
No.
Lin Yun actually put her hands on it, while she hadn't taken any action at all.
If these deities could easily pry into her thoughts, wouldn't they have seen all the information about her transmigrating into a book?
If that were the case, punishing her disrespect wouldn't be the most pressing matter right now, would it?
Or could they only sense a portion of it? Were the parts related to Lin Yun automatically shielded?
Su Cheng: "...Are these statues sealed with some kind of magic? If someone harbors strange thoughts nearby, it reacts?"
She couldn't help but step further away as she spoke.
The Holy Knight's face completely deadpanned, "So do you still have strange thoughts right now?"
Another Holy Knight quickly smoothed things over, "The statues in the temple are naturally not ordinary items—"
Otherwise, what if heretics snuck in to cause destruction?
There was no shortage of experts among those people. If they were pure stone statues, they could easily smash them, and wouldn't the Church's prestige be swept away?
The latter Holy Knight didn't explain clearly, only vaguely glossing over it, "If someone harbors malicious intent and deliberately blasphemes, they will most likely trigger the restrictions before they can even make a move."
Su Cheng actually understood.
It wasn't something that could be stated plainly, otherwise it would make it seem like the Church's people were very lax and easily infiltrated by heretics to cause trouble.
The Holy Knight paused for a moment, "Of course, there is another situation. If one catches the favor of a deity, the statue will also react."
Su Cheng stared at her in shock.
What did that mean?
Bearing an 18+ curse and having exchanged blood with a succubus just yesterday, the God of Purity wouldn't possibly choose her as a favored one, no matter who else they picked!
The first Holy Knight looked up at the ceiling, "I think she just has strange thoughts. Didn't you see the look in her eyes just now?"
The Holy Knight who spoke second nudged her with an elbow, "You have to leave her some face."
Su Cheng's forehead was covered in dark lines, "I'm still right here, you know."
The first Holy Knight glanced at her, "And I wish you had never come."
Su Cheng: "..."
The two speaking Holy Knights were both squad captains. Their subordinates surrounded them, several of them holding back laughter, while a young one raised a hand to cover their mouth, coughing continuously.
Su Cheng opened her mouth, feeling entirely unable to defend herself, "Can't I, can't I just appreciatively sigh in my heart? After all, he really is—"
She didn't finish her sentence. As if thinking of something, she quickly looked at the statue again.
The Holy Knights all kept their eyes straight ahead. Some couldn't help but take a few steps back, while others frowned and looked at her with eyes full of condemnation.
"If you weren't a guest of His Eminence the Archbishop," a Holy Knight gripped the hammer at her waist, "I would have already—"
"Oh right," Su Cheng realized, "I still have to go see your Archbishop. I can't delay any longer, I'm leaving."
She gave a dry cough, bounded up the steps two at a time, and exerted the fastest speed an ordinary mage could muster, running straight into the temple as if terrified the statue would come alive and chase her down.
The Holy Knights watched her back speechlessly.
"...Captain," someone asked their superior in a low voice, "Is she a Favored of the Gods?"
The squad captain nodded then shook her head, "I'm not sure, but I guess so."
If not, why would His Eminence the Archbishop personally receive a second-tier mage?
Especially since this mage didn't seem like a devout believer at all, and even her personal qualities and character were somewhat worrying.
As clergy, even if they hadn't interacted with the Favored of the Gods, they knew a bit more about them, so they understood that this group was very special.
Because of a certain trait, they intersected with the will of the deities, thus becoming a reflection of the gods in the mortal realm, a vessel echoing their authority.
The so-called trait often referred to their temperament and way of thinking being different from ordinary people.
In other words, there was a large number of lunatics and psychopaths among them.
Others might envy the Favored of the Gods, but the clergy's attitude towards this was very subtle.
They had heard many tales of the Favored.
In comparison, the little girl just now was already considered a rare, normal person.
As for the matter with the statue—
In a sense, it was indeed human nature.
The squad captain sighed, called a few subordinates over, and quickly chased after her.
She would have been happy to slack off, but the paths in the temple were complex. The kid probably didn't know the way and wouldn't be able to find His Eminence the Archbishop.
This corridor led straight to the temple's worship hall. The Golden Amber City temple was massive, at most only slightly inferior to the one in the imperial capital. There were dozens of worship halls open to believers alone.
These halls were gathered under a giant circular dome, connected by multiple corridors, with many small prayer rooms in between.
These were all public areas. Along the way, one could see many Holy Knights on duty.
Su Cheng got lost as she walked.
She stood at the corner of the corridor, looking around.
A Holy Knight standing guard nearby couldn't help but ask, "Where are you going? If you are here for worship—"
"I have a date with your Archbishop," Su Cheng said casually. "Excuse me, where is he?"
The vicinity was quite quiet. Even though this sentence wasn't loud, many people heard it.
The passing clergy, believers, and that Holy Knight all looked at her as if studying a monster.
They had just heard about the commotion in the corridor, saying that the divine statue had moved, but they weren't clear on the specifics, let alone that the protagonist of the incident was right in front of them.
Su Cheng blinked, "Just point me in the right direction."
"Where do you think you are?!" the Holy Knight said angrily. "His Eminence the Archbishop is not someone your kind—"
While they were talking, a few people walked out from the corner ahead. Among them was a temple priest, accompanied by a handsome young man dressed in white.
"...Mr. Murong," the priest sighed, "His Eminence the Archbishop is still in a meeting."
Her tone carried a comforting intent, but her expression was somewhat indifferent, clearly not taking the matter to heart.
The young man in white beside her was exactly Murong Yue.
At this moment, his brows were tightly knit, his expression serious. "When will it end?"
If he hadn't wanted to visit the Archbishop of the Golden Amber City temple, he wouldn't have come here rashly.
With his status and rank, it was enough for the temple to send a priest to receive him, which was already an unimaginable privilege for ordinary people.
But he still wanted to see the Archbishop.
As an imperial noble, Murong Yue was well-informed. Before arriving in Golden Amber City, he already had some understanding of the powerful figures here.
The Archbishop of the temple here was also the highest ruler of the entire archdiocese, and was himself a Favored of the God of Light.
—This identity is extremely rare throughout the entire Holy Church; only a very small number of top-tier clerics hold such an honor.
This also means that His Grace, the Archbishop, possesses healing abilities that surpass the limits of the vast majority of clerics.
This is also a manifestation of the divine power of the God of Light.
"Apologies, Mr. Murong," the priest mused, "I cannot answer this question, as I am not privy to the contents of the meeting."
A hint of mockery flashed through her eyes.
He is merely a fifth-tier warrior. What does it matter even if he is the son of a marquis?
Does he really think the Archbishop is someone he can see whenever he pleases? Even if his father were here, he would have to obediently submit a formal visiting card in advance and wait for the Archbishop's summons.
And even then, it is not a hundred percent guaranteed that he would be granted an audience.
"However," the priest said calmly, "the power of a God's Favored is, in a sense, an extension of the deity's authority and will."
She paused slightly. "You previously asked whether the injuries caused by a God's Favored could be healed by holy magic. This question is highly complex and depends on the specific circumstances..."
Murong Yue naturally had not gone into too much detail with her, so he was not surprised to hear such a perfunctory answer. "If His Grace the Archbishop concludes his meeting—"
As he spoke, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.
Murong Yue: "?"
He saw Su Cheng standing ahead, talking to a paladin.
The latter was glaring angrily at the girl.
Immediately after, a squad of paladins hurried over from a short distance away. Led by a squad captain, she inserted herself between Su Cheng and the paladin.
"My lady."
The squad captain raised her hand and looked helplessly at the girl beside her. "You went the wrong way. His Grace the Archbishop has just finished his meeting and should be waiting for you already."
The surroundings instantly fell dead silent.
The nearby clerics all stared at them in shock.
They had all heard Su Cheng's words just now, and at this moment, they could not help but be dumbfounded.
Did this young girl really have an appointment with His Grace the Archbishop?
A second-tier mage?
Let alone someone at the apprentice level, even a magus-level mage might not necessarily have the opportunity to meet the Archbishop.
That was the highest-ranking cleric in the entire grand diocese of Rosean!
"Alright," Su Cheng felt a little embarrassed. "Then I will have to trouble you to continue leading the way."
The squad captain shook her head and, along with a few of her subordinates, guided her toward another corridor.
Murong Yue stood in the back. Because of the angle, Su Cheng did not see him at all.
He watched the young girl's slender back fade into the distance.
At the end of the corridor was a massive worship hall. Su Cheng followed the squad captain through a side door and exited through another side door, only passing by the back rows of the congregation during the process.
The hall was as magnificent as a grand theater. Thousands of believers knelt in silent worship, gathered layer upon layer in a truly awe-inspiring scene.
In the exact center of the hall stood the statue of the God of Light. Sunlight streamed down through the dome, bathing the snow-white jade in colorful splendor, which in turn radiated a dazzling golden light.
Su Cheng cast a glance from afar and was nearly blinded by the glare.
From her angle, she could only tell that the statue was exceptionally tall, its back appearing incredibly imposing.
But all statues of deities looked like giants. Even the ones with noticeably slimmer builds looked full of oppressive weight simply because the statues were so massive.
Speaking of which...
Had she really offended the God of Purity?
That fellow was not exactly magnanimous.
Not to mention the matters related to Lin Yun, which was practically him bringing it upon himself, but even from some other events, one could tell that the minor deity was not someone to be trifled with.
Su Cheng's mind was in a tangled mess when she was caught off guard by the voice of a paladin beside her.
"Pardon my intrusion," a youthful-looking knight asked curiously, "are you a God's Favored?"
The squad captain said nothing but silently glanced at her, clearly wanting to know the answer as well.
Su Cheng looked at them, meeting pair after pair of eyes gleaming with gossipy curiosity.
Su Cheng: "...It was His Grace the Archbishop who invited me here. Did he not explain the reason to you?"
"Of course not," the paladin replied with an odd expression. "Given who His Grace the Archbishop is, why would he explain things to us? We are merely here to run errands."
Su Cheng actually did not want to go around telling everyone she was a God's Favored.
Setting aside other things, the power of the God of Contracts was inherently suited for tricking people. But if others were on guard, they would not easily make promises to her.
That would make it very difficult to turn them into oathbreakers.
Just like that young earl earlier; had he known she was a God's Favored, he absolutely never would have agreed to anything with her.
But then again, that group of people from Nanhe Academy had already witnessed that scene with their own eyes.
So her identity as a God's Favored could not be kept a secret anyway, unless she slaughtered everyone involved.
Setting aside whether they deserved to die, the sheer difficulty of executing such a plan was completely beyond her limits.
Various thoughts tumbled through Su Cheng's mind. "...I am."
The paladins looked at one another, exchanging excited glances.
"I knew it! This is my first time seeing a living God's Favored!"
"Well, I saw one from afar before, but it is true that this is my first time speaking to a God's Favored!"
"Wow, I wonder whose Favored she is," someone muttered. "It could not be His Highness the God of Love, could it?"
"No, no, no," another person curled their lip. "The Favored of the God of Love are never so—"
Remembering that the girl had caused the statue of the God of Purity to react abnormally, he swallowed the word that had rushed to his lips, managing to hold back evaluations like superficial or vulgar.
"Hmph," another sharp-tongued paladin said grumpily, "The God of Carnal Lust and the God of Desire are the ones who like this kind of person—"
"Silence!" The squad captain immediately frowned. "Do not mention those fallen gods here!"
Su Cheng looked at them in silence.
The derogatory terms used by the clerics, such as fallen gods, evil gods, or wicked gods, often referred to the God of Darkness along with his subordinate gods and allies.
After the complete rupture between the God of Light and the God of Darkness, the flames of war ignited in the Divine Realm, burned through every plane large and small, and eventually swept across the northern and southern continents.
The deities of the Divine Realm were the first to take sides; very few were able to remain neutral.
The vast majority of gods made their choices, either actively or passively.
As one of the principal gods, the God of Love became an ally of the God of Light, while his twin blood relative—the God of Desire—defected to the God of Darkness.
Later, the God of Light selected seven warriors from among his believers and elevated them to become the Seven Gods of Glory.
And during the years when the continental war fully erupted, there were also many powerful individuals among the followers of the God of Darkness who died in battle.
Seven of them possessed such formidable power that their souls did not dissipate even after their physical bodies were destroyed.
They were chosen by the God of Darkness to ascend to godhood, becoming the Seven Gods of Sin known today.
—Pride, Wrath, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Envy, and Carnal Lust.
Among them, the God of Carnal Lust possessed a divine mantle seemingly similar to that of the God of Desire. Of course, as a minor deity, his power was inevitably inferior to that of a principal god.
Not to mention compared to an ancient deity like the God of Desire.
However, generally speaking, both the Seven Gods of Sin and the Seven Gods of Glory ascended from humanity, so their overall strengths were roughly equivalent.
Over the past millennium, the battles between the two sides had been countless, with each experiencing its share of victories and defeats.
Simply because he had received a special blessing from His Holiness the God of Light, among these fourteen lesser gods, in terms of sheer martial prowess, the God of Purity should be the top tier.
He alone had a true track record of fighting against multiple opponents at once.
"Wait," Su Cheng suddenly thought of a question. "Your imaginations are running a bit too wild. Unless I'm a complete idiot, if I really were a favored one of those gods, how would I dare to show up here?"
In the Northern Continent, the favored ones of the God of Darkness and his subordinate gods were all judged as heretics by the Church.
So once discovered by the Church, there were basically only two outcomes.
Depending on your abilities: those with skill escape, and those without lose their lives.
Generally speaking, if a deity from the God of Darkness's faction chose a favored one in the Northern Continent, the chosen person would usually receive relevant revelations.
These people would try to stay as far away from the Church as possible.
But different deities had different personalities, so this wasn't absolute. Among the heretics secretly executed by the Church, it wasn't as if there were no favored ones of the gods.
"Just joking with you," the squad captain sighed. "Compared to those people, you aren't really anyth—"
She stopped talking, probably feeling that since it concerned the God of Purity, it wasn't appropriate for her to speak up for this child, but a hint of disgust still showed on her face.
Su Cheng tilted her head in feigned confusion.
"It's nothing," the squad captain scoffed lightly. "I was just thinking of the followers of the God of Desire and the God of Carnal Lust, especially the latter—"
The divine domains of these two deities were not the same.
The former referred to desire in a broad sense, while the latter referred to literal lust, the pure pleasure of carnal desires.
But their believers and favored ones shared an equally unhinged madness, having committed all sorts of absurd, abstract, and horrifying deeds.
Let alone in the Northern Continent controlled by the Church, even in the Southern Continent where the God of Darkness's forces ran rampant, these people were considered notorious.
However, as an ancient major god, the God of Desire was elusive and rarely manifested in front of people; the most recent record of him was from hundreds of years ago.
Therefore, his followers were also relatively low-key.
The God of Carnal Lust was different.
Su Cheng blinked. "She—"
"It's a he," the squad captain corrected. "You've never learned anything about the deities, have you, mage?"
Su Cheng: "..."
It was all the original novel's fault!
Like the God of Purity, the God of Carnal Lust was also female in the original novel. She was a human woman before ascending to godhood, and always appeared in a female form after becoming a god.
At least, that was all Lin Yun ever saw.
So what exactly was the rule behind these gender-bends based on?
The previous gender-bend of a romantic rival cannon fodder made sense, as a fiancee became a fiance. That was understandable.
What about the other cases?
If it was about people who had slept with the protagonist, that wasn't right either. The God of Purity in the original novel had never slept with the male lead.
She had skipped chapters while reading, so she couldn't be sure about other characters, but the God of Purity definitely hadn't. There was even a bunch of people in the latest comment section bitterly complaining about it.
Su Cheng: "Sorry, I really know very little about these things. How about you educate me a bit?"
The squad captain sighed. "I really shouldn't be discussing the deeds of these filthy fallen gods in the holy temple, but according to the rules, I also cannot refuse the requests of the esteemed favored ones of the gods."
She hesitated for a moment, thinking that the little girl in front of her knew nothing, and began to briefly explain from the beginning.
"...During his years as a human before ascending to godhood, the God of Carnal Lust was merely a high-ranking member of the God of Darkness's Eternal Night Secret Cult. He was captured during the war of the Siege of White Night."
The squad captain paused slightly. "Do you know about the Siege of White Night?"
Su Cheng nodded. "The war between the God of Light and the God of Darkness that spread across the continent? I've read a bit about it in the history books."
Generally speaking, the Church received instructions and, led by some of the deities, launched a massive encirclement and suppression campaign against the God of Darkness's secret cult.
The conclusion of the Siege of White Night was the expulsion of the Eternal Night Secret Cult from the Northern Continent.
But this was not the end; it was merely the prelude to a millennium-long struggle between the two sides.
This war could be called unprecedented. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, and a double-digit number of deities ascended during this period.
"What are you talking about!"
A Holy Knight said sternly, "The villains of the Eternal Night Secret Cult committed countless crimes, their monstrous sins too numerous to record! The holy war initiated by our predecessors was to purify this land!"
Su Cheng: "......I just stated what was recorded in the history books, it's not like I wrote them. Fine, fine, don't glare at me like that, I don't intend to argue with you."
This war contained all sorts of conspiracies and hidden truths, but because she had skipped chapters, she only read half of it, and she hadn't paid much attention to the plot when reading the novel anyway.
But even so—
Su Cheng still knew exactly what kind of piece of work the God of Light was.
This guy was a two-faced schemer, appearing benevolent and pure on the surface, but ruthlessly sinister and unscrupulous behind the scenes.
Moreover, her superficial act was also to gain more believers and acquire more power of faith.
Now she had basically mastered her divine powers. Her strength could only be rivaled by the God of Darkness; even if the other major gods teamed up, they wouldn't be her match.
So now she had tossed the Church's affairs aside. She outwardly claimed to be busy dealing with numerous threats, but in reality, she was off plotting other conspiracies.
At least, that was how it seemed from the spoilers in the comment section.
Furthermore, at this stage, the God of Light was still putting on an act. Even though she rarely appeared on the continent, she was still pretending to be a merciful supreme god who cared for all living beings.
Later on, when she no longer wanted to act, she would show a completely different face.
With a single thought, she might incinerate an entire country, reducing billions of pagans to ashes in holy fire. She might also fight the God of Darkness and shatter half the continent, causing an unknown number of deaths.
In the original novel, the male lead was played for a fool by her, and the comment section was polarized into three extremes.
Some said that judging by the author's masochistic tendencies, this person was definitely the main heroine, it was just a matter of when they would sleep together.
Others cursed, saying why would an erotica need a main heroine, and just hoped she would die quickly, even threatening that if the author didn't kill her off, they would take a knife to the author's door and stab them.
There were also people who routinely spammed the comment section with unhinged remarks like Master level, Step on me, Your Holiness, and I want to be her dog.
"You really are...!" That Holy Knight was still a bit indignant and looked very dissatisfied. "If you weren't a favored one of the gods, we would have already—"
Su Cheng couldn't be bothered to listen to his rambling. "Everything you say is right, okay?"
After saying that, she pulled the captain sister back to telling her the story.
"Well, getting back to the topic," the squad captain sighed helplessly, "after the God of Carnal Lust was captured... they subjected him to torture and tormented him to death."
"He deserved it!" that radical Holy Knight snorted coldly. "He was a running dog of the fallen gods, and even when he was a human, he was covered in sins—"
Su Cheng listened in silence.
These settings were exactly the same as the original novel.
It seemed that apart from the gender-bending, nothing else had changed.
...Why on earth was that?
She looked back on all her experiences since transmigrating, and the mysteries in her heart only continued to grow.
"Later, the God of Darkness resurrected him and granted him godhood. He became even more reckless and unbridled, appearing publicly in the halls of the Holy Church multiple times to desecrate the statues of the deities, and his followers eagerly followed suit."
The squad leader hesitated for a moment and did not continue.
Su Cheng, however, knew what she had left unsaid.
...Some people who wanted to become the Blessed, who wanted to be chosen by the God of Carnal Lust, would deliberately imitate the deity's actions, destroying the temples of the Holy Church and defiling the statues of the gods.
Of course, most of those who did this met a miserable end; only a very few managed to escape.
However, several gods under the command of the God of Darkness had appeared in the temples of the Holy Church, openly provoking the God of Light and his followers.
It was just that most of them wouldn't bother desecrating the statues.
They would either smash the temple to dust with a single punch, slaughter everyone present, or use their power to corrupt the believers.
"...In front of the statue of His Highness the God of Purity, no matter what you are thinking, I believe you will not put it into action."
The squad leader said in a low voice, "So those thoughts are wrong, but as long as you can restrain yourself, you are different from those fallen villains."
Su Cheng really didn't know how to answer.
"Apologies, Lord Blessed," the squad leader pursed her lips. "I have no right to say these things to you. It's just that you look about the same age as my daughters, so I couldn't help but speak out of turn."
As she spoke, she looked at her subordinate beside her, casting a warning glance.
The holy knight who had been agitated just now also restrained himself and bowed his head in apology to Su Cheng.
"I am sorry, my Lord. Please forgive me if I have offended you, but no matter what, please understand that the fallen ones of the Southern Continent and the evil gods they worship are all our enemies."
"...Of course," Su Cheng tried her best to sound sincere. "I think so too."
No matter what she actually thought, she had to put on a show on the surface, otherwise even her identity as a Blessed might not be enough to protect her.
After all, the God of Law and the God of Contracts were both allies of the God of Light, and their favor was not something that couldn't be taken back.
But as long as she grasped the right limits, it would be fine.
The Holy Church itself was divided into various factions, and there were even people who could use the power of darkness.
"Please step this way."
Su Cheng sorted through this information, her mind in a mess, as she followed the holy knights through another prayer room.
She realized they were taking a shortcut, probably afraid of keeping His Grace the Archbishop waiting too long, so she didn't voice any objections.
However, after passing through a few small halls, she found that the figures of the holy knights had suddenly disappeared.
"?"
Su Cheng looked around.
She stood in a silent, empty hall. Ripples of water undulated on the copper-colored walls, and over a dozen stone pillars cut through the enameled stained glass windows.
In the center of the hall stood a majestic and magnificent statue, about seven or eight meters high, of a winged pegasus.
Its entire body was as white as snow, shimmering with wave-like phosphorescence. On top of its head was a long, pointed horn covered in spiral patterns, and its mane flew in the wind.
The wings on the sides of the horse were incredibly broad, its strong muscles full of a sense of power, and its slender limbs wore gilded bracers with relief patterns.
The statue held its head high, its front hooves raised in the air, looking as if it would leap up or flap its wings and fly away at any moment.
It stood amidst a patch of scarlet grass leaves, with dark red brambles growing near its hooves, making it look as though it was treading in a gurgling pool of blood.
Su Cheng: "..."
For some reason, she actually thought this horse was very handsome, and even started to let her imagination run wild.
—Did this thing have a gender?
No.
She seemed to be influenced by some kind of power; now she would have impure thoughts about anything she saw.
Su Cheng clutched her head and slowly backed away, only to find that the door behind her had closed.
The world before her eyes began to turn red.
She saw the arched dome split open, and deep red vines hung down from the cracks, weaving into a curtain that looked like blood vessels, with glowing red berries at the ends.
The vines were like a network of veins growing from within the temple, enveloping the entire space in a halo the color of pigeon blood.
"Look at you—"
She heard an incredibly melodious male voice.
It was as if some kind of barbed mollusk was crawling along her cochlea and into her brain.
It also felt like vines stretching and spreading under her skin, the lingering resonance of the voice bouncing between her nerves.
"Even if you truly desire it, what's the problem? Hypocritically suppressing your true self under the shackles of morality and rules—"
Those syllables seemed to be melting and devouring her.
An unnamed power wrapped around her, causing her to fall endlessly.
"Humans are afraid of being judged, afraid of being rejected, afraid of being labeled as 'wrong' and 'alien', so perhaps your rationality is nothing more than a disguise for your fear."
Su Cheng's pupils quaked.
These familiar lines triggered her memories.
In the original novel, when the God of Carnal Lust made his first appearance, he had said something similar to the male lead.
"But I think there is something far more moving to you than this stupid donkey—"
Amidst the pervasive blood-red hue, Su Cheng saw the figure of a young man.
His thick, long black curly hair was half-loose, and he wore a loosely draped crimson robe. His skin, bathed in the soft dark red light, glowed with a pearlescent luster.
The fabric, like a thoroughly burned sunset, wrapped around his well-defined shoulders.
The gold brooch on his left shoulder had slipped down to the crook of his arm, exposing his lean chest in the red-mist-filled hall, casting a strange crimson flush over his snow-white skin.
Between the folds of the robe, one could faintly glimpse the sunken shadow where his waistline narrowed, like a dangerous abyss that invited eternal damnation.
Su Cheng almost found it hard to breathe.
His eyes were like obsidian burning in flames, the edges of his irises haloed with a bizarre pale gold, like cracks scorched by the fire of lust.
The curve of his lips was full, the corners slightly turned up, like petals stained with pomegranate juice, blooming into a honey-colored vortex when he spoke.
A silver-white chain wrapped around his waist, and a dangling moonstone, like a teardrop, swung dangerously below his navel.
The legs revealed through the slits at the hem of his robe were like shining white jade pillars, the muscle lines undulating like quicksilver as he walked.
Exquisite silver rings hung on his ankles, and tiny bells shook with his steps, occasionally bumping against his protruding ankle bones or brushing across the bare tops of his feet.
"Ah, my brave girl—"
The vines by his side grew wildly, filling this eerie red space. They pulsated like blood vessels, and also resembled countless hunting snakes.
"You should learn to face your desires."
The man casually plucked a crimson berry from a branch.
The fruit was fully ripe, its skin bright red with a hint of purple. The belly of it split open in a tiny cross pattern, oozing an amber juice like mead.
His slender fingers sank into the plump flesh of the fruit, the juice tangling into a sticky river between his fingers, dripping down drop by drop.
The sound of water echoed in the silent hall.
Su Cheng: "..."
Then she heard her own heartbeat.
The sound grew louder and louder, frantically pounding against her chest.
Her throat suddenly became dry, but the act of swallowing only triggered a deeper thirst.
It was as if a barren wasteland had taken root in the throat, aching for some nonexistent nectar, desperate to be quenched and nourished.
"Look into your heart, at your craving. It is so intense, so pure—"
The man turned his head to kiss the fruit, then casually tossed it to the ground.
The translucent flesh, resembling a delicate carmine jelly, burst open as it was crushed beneath smooth, bare feet.
The splattered juice bloomed like purplish-red fireworks.
He continued walking forward. The soles of his feet, stained with the berry's juice, dragged across the floor, tracing winding, blood-like tributaries in his wake.
