When Su Cheng woke up, it was morning again.
The morning light spilled into the room through the half-open French windows, illuminating the elegantly furnished room and coating the gilded wallpaper and wall frames with a layer of luster.
A bead curtain hung halfway down the arched window. The crystal beads swayed in the wind, filtering the rose-colored morning mist in the garden into a hazy, colorful halo.
Roses, lilies, and irises stretched their petals, and dewdrops rolled down the tips of their leaves.
In the center of the courtyard, a white marble fountain was bubbling, the sound of the water clear and melodious. A few pigeons rested by the pool.
"...Good morning, Your Excellency."
A young man carrying a tray entered the room and bowed to her elegantly.
"Her Eminence the Archbishop ordered me to bring you breakfast."
This person was also dressed as a cleric, looking like an ordinary priest.
Su Cheng immediately knew she was in the Church's territory, and couldn't help but recall what had happened previously.
"The Archbishop," Su Cheng thought for a moment, "Is it Her Excellency Johnson?"
The priest nodded. "Yes."
He didn't look at all surprised as to why she could immediately call out the Archbishop's surname.
The Church had its own way of zoning areas.
Centered around the capital and radiating outward to dozens of surrounding towns, it formed the empire's largest diocese, the Belia Diocese.
Its Archbishop, Flavia Johnson, had served in the Holy Knights for many years, and later served as the head of multiple dioceses, making her highly experienced.
Now she was the Church's highest representative in the imperial capital. It was said that she was very familiar with the Emperor himself, and was also a member of the imperial privy council.
Moreover, she was a favored one of His Highness the Sun God.
The two main gods, the Sun God and the Moon God, were quite different from the other main gods.
The other main gods were allies of the God of Light. Perhaps in reality they followed his lead because they dared not disobey this supreme god, but nominally they were indeed just allies.
But the Sun and Moon Gods truly took orders from the God of Light.
Because the source of their power shared the exact same attributes as the God of Light. It was said that their powers were bestowed by the supreme god.
Compared to the other lesser gods, the only difference was that these two were stronger as main gods.
Therefore, the favored ones in the Church almost entirely belonged to either the Seven Gods of Glory or the Sun and Moon Twin Gods, though the latter were fewer in number.
In short—
This Archbishop was extremely famous. Anyone with even a slight understanding of the empire's inner circles would definitely know of her.
"Thank you." Su Cheng took the exquisite silver tray. "My friend, Miss Ferguson, is she awake? Or do you not know?"
"You are welcome," the priest said with a smile. "Her injuries have recovered. She even came to see you last night."
The porcelain plate held honey toast, its golden and crispy crust garnished with sliced almonds. Next to it was a three-compartment jam dish containing strawberry, blueberry, and marmalade, the fruit chunks plump and translucent.
The bowl contained milk oatmeal, which was still warm and fragrant. In the crystal cup was freshly squeezed orange juice, and in the corner of the tray sat a plate of fruit—sliced honeydew, grapes, and snow pear.
Su Cheng took a bite of the bread. "...Every time I eat at the Church, I have the urge to join them on the spot."
The priest looked at her in surprise, seemingly unsure if it was a joke or serious, and either way, it seemed to astonish him.
"Why have I been lying down for so long? I remember I wasn't injured, right?"
"I am sorry, I do not know, Your Excellency."
Su Cheng didn't make things difficult for him anymore.
She quickly finished the delicious breakfast and left the room. Outside was a semi-open corridor, where purple wisteria climbed the pillars and the dome, weaving into a magnificent waterfall.
Three young blondes were standing under the corridor, talking.
They were all tall and extraordinarily handsome. Their upright figures were outlined by gorgeous uniforms. The scene looked extremely pleasing to the eye.
The three turned their heads one after another.
She had met two of them before.
"Good day," Su Cheng first greeted the stranger. "Your Excellency Johnson, thank you for the breakfast."
Flavia smiled at her. "Good morning. How did you sleep?"
This highest official of the Church stationed in the imperial capital also had the good looks of blonde hair and blue eyes. Now she looked to be in her prime, and appeared very friendly.
"Pretty well," Su Cheng looked at the other two. "Speaking of sleeping—"
Her gaze immediately stuck to one of them and didn't move.
A few seconds passed.
Su Cheng coughed lightly and greeted the other person first. "Your Excellency White."
Zane smiled at her. "I hope your journey was smooth."
Su Cheng then looked at those pale golden eyes again. "Mr. Ian, long time no see."
The young man with blonde hair and golden eyes nodded to her. He didn't look excited or surprised, his posture as reserved as ever.
Su Cheng hesitated to speak, feeling as if many words were blocked in her throat.
The two of them had only met once, and that was in the temple of Golden Amber City, where he came to instruct her on how to improve her spiritual power through practicing magic.
At that time, she was so amazed by his appearance that she even awkwardly spilled her juice.
Now—
He looked a bit cold.
Although he seemed to have this kind of personality, Su Cheng didn't expect him to act very enthusiastically.
Su Cheng braced herself and first exchanged pleasantries with Flavia.
This Archbishop was not young. Let alone being her grandmother, she was more than old enough to be her cheap uncle's grandmother.
Her words were gentle and considerate, without the slightest overbearing arrogance. It felt like she was caring for a junior, yet she could also make people feel respected.
With just a few words, she could coax someone into total disorientation.
Although she knew that archbishops had this kind of ability, and this one who could hold office in the imperial capital must be an outstanding figure among them, Su Cheng was still a bit dazed.
She wished she could acknowledge her as a godmother on the spot.
The two talked for a while, and Su Cheng basically figured out the situation.
—The reason she had slept for most of the day was entirely due to her previous excessive overexertion.
The monster's strength was far stronger than she had imagined, and the attacks it launched were not something a body of her strength could easily withstand.
She took a blow from the monster, exhausting all the battle aura in her body.
This kind of exhaustion was not just the bottoming out of physical strength from ordinary training.
It was because of external stimulation.
Under the reaction of the body's survival instinct, all of her battle aura was squeezed dry, including the part deeply integrated with her body.
This caused her to need sleep to recover.
Su Cheng was very surprised.
She could feel that her condition was quite good. Her battle aura was abundant and circulated smoothly. If she compared it carefully, the total amount of battle aura was even a bit more than before.
In fact, every cultivation session could bring a slight increase, especially for someone at her stage.
But the vast majority of people would find it hard to feel this kind of improvement. It often took months or even a year or two to see clear progress through comparing actual combat results.
Now that she could feel it herself, it meant that this progress was by no means minuscule.
"It is like spiritual power training. Every time you endure the pain of overexertion, you can always take a step further."
The Archbishop in front of her explained briefly.
Of course, spiritual power was easy, or rather relatively easy, to reach this level. Battle aura was different.
"Not every type of battle aura can do this," Flavia said with a smile. "It has to do with its attributes, the method of cultivation, and the characteristics of the aura itself."
Under such circumstances, some battle auras wouldn't be drawn out to protect the body. Instead, they might become completely disordered within, leading to ruptured meridians or even death.
The archbishop didn't ask too many questions. He simply expressed his admiration and left them to catch up.
With that, he departed.
Su Cheng watched her leave before turning her gaze to the two blond men. "...So, gentlemen, why are you in the imperial capital?"
Zane glanced at Ian. "Our reasons for being here aren't entirely the same. I'm merely here to attend a meeting. Heretical activities have already surfaced in multiple locations across the Northern Continent."
Su Cheng immediately thought of the Goler family. "Actually, it's not a recent development, is it?"
Her words were slightly impolite, considering that family's actions had spanned decades and were tied to the bribery of clerics in the local temple.
Zane, however, showed no signs of anger. "That matter was indeed my oversight, but I'm not talking about a similar incident—"
"Oh," Su Cheng blinked. "That monster... I saw the mark on his chest. Is it related to a specific deity?"
Zane gave a slight nod. "The Secret Cult of Eternal Night has dispatched a group of dark sorcerers to infiltrate the Northern Continent, disguised as engravers."
In name, they provide engravings to improve a person's elemental resonance level. In reality, they use special techniques to inject the blessings of the gods under the God of Darkness into their bodies.
This is vastly different from being a Blessed One.
But it still grants people power.
However—
Setting others aside for the moment, the power of the Gods of the Seven Sins cannot be triggered by just anyone.
"They still require suitable candidates, though the requirements aren't as strict as those for a Blessed One. As long as there's a slight match, it's enough, even if it's just for a fleeting moment."
Zane thought for a moment. "Listening to your classmate's description of the situation, it might be the influence of the God of Envy or the God of Wrath. As long as the person's emotions are in an overly intense and extreme state for a short period, they can unleash the corresponding power. But you must understand, the Blessed Ones of these two minor gods are not simply prone to jealousy or anger, and the same goes for the other minor gods."
Su Cheng nodded. "I understand. It's like how there are plenty of lustful people out there, but very few can truly become the Blessed Ones of the God of Lust."
Ian slightly raised an eyebrow. On that handsomely ethereal face, his expression became somewhat subtle.
Su Cheng had been secretly keeping an eye on him. Seeing this, she couldn't help but say, "Do you have anything to add?"
"I have heard," Ian said mildly, "that there is someone standing before me who once had such an opportunity."
Su Cheng frowned. "Is that why you're being so cold to me?"
She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.
What kind of nonsense was that!
It made it sound like she cared a lot about his attitude. Alright, maybe she cared a little, but it definitely wasn't a very important issue.
Zane almost silently took a step back.
Su Cheng didn't notice the archbishop's expression, nor did she see the conflicted look in his eyes that screamed he wanted to flee the scene.
She was still looking at Ian.
The latter's reaction was quite calm. He didn't look embarrassed, annoyed, or disdainful; instead, he showed a hint of confusion.
"Am I being cold?"
The beautiful young man with blond hair and golden eyes spoke softly, his voice as melodious as heavenly music. "What kind of reaction do you think I should have to receive the opposite assessment?"
Su Cheng had a feeling this was a trap.
She pondered for a moment. "Perhaps... smile more? Give me a warm hug? After all, I just narrowly escaped death?"
Ian raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you want?"
"I didn't say I wanted that!" Su Cheng immediately retorted. "I'm just giving examples, providing answers that might help you understand better. Don't get it twisted!"
Ian gave her a half-smile. "Alright, now I know. I should also thank you for your explanation."
Su Cheng still felt like he was being sarcastic.
She subconsciously looked toward Zane.
The archbishop was somehow already three meters away from them.
Su Cheng: "?"
She vaguely remembered that they were only an arm's length apart just a moment ago, right?
Su Cheng suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.
But since things had already come to this, she had to pretend nothing happened. "...So, in the Northern Continent, or rather the Silver Moon Empire, there have already been multiple similar cases?"
"Yes," Zane nodded slowly. "So far, five people have died from physical collapse following a burst of power."
Not everyone can maintain that state for long; the duration is directly related to one's strength.
"Aside from that, there are those with stronger control who can revert from that 'monster' state back to human form, and even escaped pursuit once."
"Oh, sounds like they were eventually caught. Did you interrogate them for any important information?"
"They were indeed influenced by heretical powers," the archbishop shook his head slightly, "but they don't know what it is, and those engravers are hard to track down."
Su Cheng, after all, was not a cleric. She knew there were some things she shouldn't ask too much about; the Church definitely had its own internal plans for this.
If they discovered more involvement from the forces of the God of Darkness, they might even have to seek guidance from the God of Purity—or the God of Light himself?
At some point, Zane quietly left.
He might have said his goodbyes, or perhaps he hadn't.
In any case, by the time Su Cheng looked up, he was already gone.
She had no choice but to look at the only person left. "So, are you also here to attend the meeting?"
Ian crossed his arms and met her gaze. "Or perhaps to show my coldness to a certain brave warrior who just narrowly escaped death."
Su Cheng: "...Are we never going to let that joke go?"
The blond young man lowered his eyes to look at her. His eyes, like a sunken lake in the twilight shadows, seemed to faintly stir with a ripple of emotion.
Su Cheng met his gaze. "What's wrong?"
"When we last parted, you mentioned the imperial capital," Ian said mildly. "When I came here, I also wondered if I would see you, but the way we met was unexpected—"
He paused. "You were lying... in your companion's arms, looking as if you were about to die."
Su Cheng gave a light cough. "But it was just exhaustion, so I'm actually fine, right?"
"...And the aura around you is somewhat different from the last time."
He continued on his own, speaking in a tone where his emotions were difficult to discern, looking as though he wasn't particularly pleased.
It was as if this fact made him uncomfortable.
Aura?
Su Cheng rolled her eyes around, almost blurting out to ask if he was a beastman—the kind with a keen sense of smell who could pick up scents ordinary humans couldn't perceive.
It was just that, from his appearance, he possessed no beastman characteristics whatsoever.
Some beastman half-bloods might be like that, but such half-bloods were practically indistinguishable from humans.
Anyone who still retained sharp senses and inherited certain beastman traits would generally show some signs of it in their appearance.
On second thought, the Church was full of experts. There were many with high combat power, but also many who mastered all sorts of bizarre spells. Who knew what was up with the guy standing in front of her.
Seeing the way he spoke with those two archbishops, he clearly wasn't just an ordinary priest.
"For instance?" Su Cheng asked uncertainly. "How was I last time, and how am I now?"
Ian tilted his head slightly. "Chaotic. I can feel that you have 'interacted' with more people, but that does not matter—"
He curled the corners of his lips into a smile, revealing shallow dimples on his cheeks.
This smile was still utterly breathtaking, like the morning sun piercing through the clouds and pouring over a frozen, snow-covered wasteland.
"I can perform another purification for you."
The blond young man stared at her intently. "You must know that a terrible aura still lingers on you. Certain heretics might mistake you for one of their own because of it."
Su Cheng naturally assumed he meant the monster from earlier.
Her injuries, both internal and external, had naturally healed completely, but this so-called aura was another matter entirely.
After all, she was not a cleric. Those who possessed the power of light would be much more sensitive to dark attributes.
"Alright," Su Cheng nodded. "What do I need to do?"
The blond young man raised his hand slightly, a faint golden mist shimmering between his slender fingers.
His fingertips brushed past the side of her face, slipping just beneath her ear. He was incredibly close, yet accurately and completely avoided touching her skin.
It only left behind a scorching heat.
He lifted her hair with exceptionally gentle movements, the curly black locks flowing through his fingers like water.
Ian lightly caressed the silky strands, his fingertips weaving through them before landing on the black necklace resting by the girl's neck.
The pendant dipped into the collar of her shirt over her chest, its faint outline visible through the thin fabric.
"Some powers can parasitize any part of your body—"
He lowered his eyes and watched for a moment.
"The hair."
His fingers still had not touched her, merely twirling those strands of hair.
Su Cheng could feel the heat radiating across her skin. For a fleeting moment, she even felt cold, longing for more—for a real touch.
Yet Ian seemed to maintain his politeness, keeping that final sliver of distance.
"The torso."
He extended his arm, his fingertips landing on the back of her collar. Sliding slowly down along the thin fabric, a scalding sensation burned all the way down her spine to her tailbone.
His broad palm suddenly covered her lower back.
But it was still separated by that layer of clothing, never fully pressing against her bare skin.
"Or even more hidden—"
The heat began to burn further down.
He continued in a calm voice, "...damper places."
