The reception room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The golden light had already dissipated. A thick, metallic stench of blood filled the air. The carpet and chairs were stained red, scattered with shreds of flesh and bone fragments.
The young students who had come along had either fainted or were barely managing to stay on their feet. Having never witnessed such a gruesome scene, they couldn't help but gag out loud.
Su Cheng: "..."
She too was being tormented by a strong wave of nausea.
Although she had killed Lin Yun with her own hands earlier, the bloodiness of slitting a throat with a wind blade could not even begin to compare to the carnage before her right now.
However, her overwhelming emotion was shock.
Deep fear surfaced on the faces of the academy elders.
"A God's Favored?!"
The gazes they directed at her were full of absolute terror.
Every day, countless merchants held up contracts, hoping for the protection of the God of Contracts.
Countless prisoners and judicial officials also swore oaths in court, demonstrating their sincerity and faith to the God of Law.
Yet, how many of their pleas ever elicited a response from the deities? How many ever managed to summon a divine manifestation?
Only a God's Favored could summon them in such a manner.
No wonder!
Presenting a gift to the Holy Church was nothing but an excuse. What kind of precious treasure could the mere Lin family possibly offer? Let alone something that would warrant a personal visit from the Legion Commander?
There could only be one reason!
A God's Favored.
Whether due to their character, temperament, deeds, or other traits, individuals who earned the favor of a deity became a God's Favored.
It was common knowledge that all humans could cultivate battle aura to become warriors. Even those with the worst talent simply needed more time.
A smaller fraction of humanity could resonate with elemental spirits to become elemental mages.
These were the ways humans acquired power.
And they were relatively common.
Beyond these, however, existed mysterious realms that ordinary people could never reach. To touch upon them, an ordinary person required either special guidance or the blessing and favor of a deity.
Among the deities of the Divine Realm, the two Supreme Gods, the dozen or so Major Gods, and the dozens of Minor Gods all possessed distinct divine personas and wielded specific authorities.
They could select their Favored and bestow blessings upon them within the domains of their authority.
Races like demons, for instance, were the favored kin of the God of Darkness. Every demon was naturally born with the blessing of the dark attribute.
Consequently, high-level demons were all masters of dark magic.
However—
The human race was not the favored kin of any specific deity. Humans who managed to become a God's Favored were incredibly rare.
Yet, once someone became a God's Favored, the power they wielded and its maximum potential far surpassed anything that could be achieved through arduous cultivation.
Elder Li, just moments ago, was the perfect example.
He was a Seventh-Tier Battle Sovereign, but even an Eleventh-Tier Battle Saint would have met the exact same fate.
When it came to the domain of their patron god's authority, a God's Favored could channel divine power—a force that no mortal race on the continent could possibly withstand.
As for why he died, it was likely because he harbored some blasphemous thought. Though hidden from others, it could not be concealed from the gods.
"You are actually a God's Favored?!" another elder muttered. "Why didn't you say so earlier..."
If she had only said so earlier, who would have asked to break off the engagement?!
A God's Favored held a transcendent status. That identity alone was enough to be granted a noble title, though most refused the empire's peerage because they were either elusive wanderers or had been recruited by the Holy Church—
No wonder!
Dawn broke on everyone's faces as they realized that her relationship with the Holy Church probably stemmed from this very fact.
And to think, she was actually favored by two Major Gods!
The elder didn't dare complain to Su Cheng, but he couldn't help glancing at Murong Yue.
Murong Yue's brows were tightly knitted.
He understood what the elders were thinking. Some of them wanted to marry into his family and naturally hoped he would break off the engagement.
But there were also those who genuinely had his best interests at heart. They had felt Su Cheng wasn't good enough for him, despising her lack of ability and low status, and were now regretting it after discovering she was a God's Favored.
However, he didn't share their sentiments.
He had broken off the engagement because he truly wanted to devote himself to cultivation, not because he wanted a different fiancee.
Even if someone of comparable strength or a higher tier were to propose to him right now, he still would not accept.
Even knowing that Su Cheng was a God's Favored, he felt no regret.
But—
He couldn't help but look at the bloodstains and gore on the floor.
That was just Elder Li's personality. He had always been deeply concerned with his pride and possessed a fiery temper. Even when instructing him in martial arts, he had said some harsh things.
Murong Yue didn't like the senior, but he never expected something like this to happen.
Yet, this was divine punishment.
Even if the Emperor himself were here, he would merely kneel and offer his thanks for the grace.
If he hadn't come to break off the engagement, if he had firmly refused to let them accompany him to the Lin Manor, Elder Li wouldn't have died.
Murong Yue stood up abruptly, his face icy cold. "...Since that is the case, we will take our leave."
Su Cheng remained seated, her tone equally cold. "Take care. I won't see you out."
The academy elders stood up one after another and woke those who had fainted. No one dared to blame her for her poor attitude; in fact, they didn't even want to look at her for a second longer.
The accompanying students covered their mouths and fled the room.
Little did they know that her mind was racing just as fast as theirs. Most of them probably assumed she had done it on purpose, deliberately demanding a written contract so she could draw upon divine power!
For the moment, no one suspected that she had only just become a God's Favored.
How old was she, anyway?
If this were truly her first time, she would definitely be jumping for joy!
The group quickly departed. The head of the Lin family remembered that he should see them out, but he was currently drenched in cold sweat and could barely stand, so he simply slumped back into his chair.
The rest of the Lin family members were even more terrified, their faces pale as sheets. Some were just waking up, looking completely bewildered.
Many others were frantically racking their brains, wondering if they had ever offended this niece of theirs in the past.
Then, one by one, they stood up and excused themselves.
Lin Zhen forced himself to rally his spirits. He was just about to issue a few words of warning, but they were already scared out of their wits, swearing profusely that they would never speak a word of this outside.
He watched his relatives leave, then turned to look at his niece, his expression a mix of confusion and excitement. "What on earth is going on?"
Su Cheng did not answer immediately.
This nominal uncle of hers was a typical merchant. He had some affection for his sister's child, but not a whole lot.
In the original novel, after the broken engagement incident, Lin Yun and Murong Yue had a falling out. Once the people from Nanhe Academy left, Lin Zhen had severely scolded his nephew, expressing extreme dissatisfaction with the male lead.
This was because Lin Zhen had no desire to offend those people.
And now?
Su Cheng looked at her thoroughly confused nominal uncle. "It is exactly as you saw."
In truth, her heart was full of questions as well, but on the surface, she remained calm and composed, as if everything was under her perfect control.
Lin Zhen was truly bluffed into believing it.
The main reason was that his niece suddenly becoming a God's Favored was simply too unexpected. It was even more shocking than if she had become a mage.
Elemental mages were few in number because most people were not resonators.
But if you really looked at the numbers, out of a hundred people, at least three to five would be able to resonate with some element, even if there was a high probability it would be a low-grade resonance.
If they wanted to learn magic, they still could, though they might just linger around the first or second tier for the rest of their lives.
However, among the population of an entire city, there might not even be a single God's Favored.
This was someone chosen by the gods!
"So," Lin Zhen began cautiously, "does your magic have something to do with this as well?"
Su Cheng gave a bitter smile. "Please don't ask, it's very complicated."
Lin Zhen immediately thought of a deity's blessing or something similar, and suddenly, everything made perfect sense.
"Say no more!" He hurriedly waved his hands. "I won't ask any more questions!"
Matters involving the gods always carried numerous taboos.
Having worked in the Chamber of Commerce for many years, he had heard all sorts of bizarre and mysterious rumors.
Setting everything else aside, everyone knew at least one universal truth.
Whenever something was related to the divine, one should never dig too deeply; otherwise, it would easily invite disaster.
Lin Zhen couldn't help but beam with joy. "You've been smart since you were a child. I knew you would achieve great things. If you ask me, breaking off this engagement was a good thing. You are a God's Favored! What kind of man won't you be able to get in the future? That guy's talent is decent, but it's not like there aren't better ones out there!"
"Mhm," Su Cheng murmured, getting a headache from his rambling. "I originally wanted to ask you to warn the rest of the family—those who weren't present—not to bring up my engagement with Murong Yue outside anymore—"
A flash of fear crossed Lin Zhen's eyes. "Those who just left will definitely warn their children. As for the rest, I will go and tell them."
Su Cheng looked at the contract in her hand with a complex expression, then gently rolled up her sleeve.
On her fair, slender arm, a golden gavel mark emerged, flashed for a few seconds, and then vanished.
A moment later.
Another pattern, a black scale, appeared in the palm of her hand.
They symbolized the favor of the God of Law and the God of Contracts, respectively.
As long as she willed it, these two emblems would appear.
...Could it be that losing the bracelet—thereby losing a cheat item—resulted in receiving another kind of compensation?
The Law of Conservation of the Protagonist's Halo?
In the original novel, Lin Yun becoming a God's Favored was a plot point that happened hundreds of chapters later, and it was a deity from the Dark God's faction who had chosen him.
"...Uncle." Su Cheng stood up. "I want to go out for a walk, and also check out those schools that are recruiting students."
Lin Zhen didn't dare to contradict her at all now. Hearing this, he nodded subconsciously, then fussed over her for a bit, asking if she wanted to rest first.
Su Cheng shook her head slightly. "I'm not tired."
A deity's manifestation did not mean the deity had actually descended.
They might be watching this place from the Divine Realm, or they might not be looking at all.
If it was the latter case, it was usually because something had happened that touched upon the scope of their authority, thus causing their power to be displayed.
For example, the God of Contracts could punish oath-breakers, and the God of Law could penalize lawbreakers.
—But there were many people who broke oaths and laws, and not everyone could be punished by the deities; or rather, the vast majority would not be.
As for Elder Li, it was most likely because he had harbored some blasphemous thoughts.
If it had been any other time, it might have been fine, but that exact moment was when she was chosen as a God's Favored, and the deities' power had manifested accordingly.
If he had any further thoughts and happened to be within the area of effect,
Spring Sun
he would have touched upon certain laws.
Such a punishment did not consume the physical energy of the God's Favored herself.
Therefore, she didn't feel tired either.
Su Cheng looked again at the blood and fragments on the ground.
It was impossible to tell that this pile of gore was once a human being.
The voice of her nominal uncle sounded in her ears again, asking if she needed a carriage.
The servants also swarmed up; someone handed her a sun hat, and another offered her a purse of money.
Su Cheng silently put on the hat and pocketed the money. "Thank you. I won't need a carriage. I just want to go for a walk."
In the outer garden, she encountered several young masters and ladies of the Lin family again.
Their expressions were all somewhat peculiar; they seemed to want to say something but were too apprehensive.
"Don't look for trouble," Su Cheng looked at them expressionlessly. "I don't want a second person to die here today, so please stay away from me."
Those people looked at each other in dismay.
Even if they weren't clear about what had happened in the reception hall, everyone had seen the people from Nanhe Academy leave with dark expressions, even to the point of fleeing in panic.
Immediately after, the elders of the clan left one after another, and a few conveniently dragged away their children who had come to watch the spectacle, all looking grim.
Now the rumor had spread throughout the estate that the former good-for-nothing had suddenly become a mage.
For a moment, no one dared to step forward.
Su Cheng left the estate smoothly.
The Lin family estate was massive, located in the Upper District. Outside, the streets were lined with buildings, and the roads were clean and tidy. On a slightly distant high ground, the architectural complex of the Church's temple could be seen.
In the center, a snow-white spire pierced the clouds, refracting a colorful halo in the sunlight and exuding an awe-inspiring aura of holiness.
When she walked out of the main gate of the estate, she couldn't help but take an extra look.
In the Northern Continent, the prestige and influence of the God of Light's Church had reached its peak.
Their temples could be found in every city, and believers were present in all human settlements. The coronation ceremonies for the emperors and kings of the empires and kingdoms could not proceed without the clerics of the Church.
She left the quiet affluent district and entered the bustling, noisy commercial street.
Pedestrians rubbed shoulders on both sides of the street, and customers constantly went in and out of the shops.
Golden Amber City was located on a major transportation route in the southern border of the empire, so the figures of travelers, merchants, and mercenaries of various races could be seen throughout the city.
Humans accounted for more than half, and the rest were mostly beastmen and half-beasts with different characteristics, as well as some dwarves.
Occasionally, elves could be seen. They were similar in height to humans but had pointed ears; their appearances were noticeably more beautiful, and their footsteps were lighter.
Su Cheng walked forward with the flow of the crowd.
The major academies of the empire recruited students in the spring and autumn seasons, and the spring recruitment was held in the southern border.
There was no fixed start date; it was just during this period from late spring to early summer that those recruitment teams would gather in Golden Amber City, the most prosperous city in the south.
Students who wanted to participate would also rush over from all directions, so the city was at its most crowded during this time.
But Su Cheng didn't go out for this.
In the early stages of the novel, the male lead joined a mercenary squad. There was a mysterious heterodox mage in the squad who, after discovering the curse on him, said they could try to help him suppress it.
It was just that the specific casting method was very troublesome, and some extremely expensive materials had to be collected.
Lin Yun hadn't accepted Murong Yue's compensation gift, and there were many places where he needed to spend money, so he had always been very poor. Reluctant to spend the money, he shelved this matter.
Su Cheng wanted to find that mage.
Judging from the timeline, that mercenary squad should have arrived in Golden Amber City by now, and they would stay here for a while.
"Hunting mission, starting reward of three gold coins, need a fire mage..."
"D-rank escort mission, base pay of ten silver coins per day..."
At the intersection of the Upper District and the Middle District, the Mercenary Guild building stood on the south side of a large square. Many people were already shouting in front of its doors.
Various colored banners hung upstairs, representing some well-known mercenary groups. Some were permanently stationed here, while others were stationed short-term.
Whenever a banner was hung out, it meant they were willing to accept missions.
However, only mercenary organizations of B-rank or above could hang their banners in a major city like Golden Amber City, and ordinary people couldn't afford their commissions either.
Most of these clamoring mercenaries in front of the guild were not of high rank.
The reason they were shouting outside was either because they were in a hurry or because they wanted to save money, as posting notices inside the guild required paying an advertising fee.
Next to the guild's main entrance, there was an enclosure covered by a magical barrier, where a few medium-sized magical beasts were resting.
They were all herbivores—winged elks, pegasi, and bighorn sheep. They had very docile temperaments and didn't react at all to being watched.
Even when a passing little boy kept smacking the barrier with his hands, the magical beasts inside remained completely unfazed. The grazers kept on grazing, and the dozers kept on dozing.
As Su Cheng entered the guild, a noisy atmosphere rushed toward her. Hundreds of people were gathered in the hall, and long queues had formed in front of the service counters.
The notice board on the wall displayed general regulations as well as specific rules of the local guild, right next to a wide variety of quest bounties.
There were also wanted posters for fugitives and heretics, some of which bore the Holy Church's Golden Sword emblem.
On another wall, there was recruitment information for various mercenary groups.
Some were looking for temporary collaborators to complete specific quests with them, while others were seeking permanent members to join their ranks.
With a quick glance, it was clear that recruitments related to mages were the most numerous.
Theoretically, anyone in this world could be a warrior, but the proportion of mages was much smaller.
This meant that in the vast majority of teams, mages were a minority.
In the original novel, the male lead also relied on his status as a mage to earn the qualifications to join that mercenary squad. Naturally, his magic had been taught by the cheat-like old man.
"...Black Flame Mercenary Group, recruiting elemental mages with special abilities for cooperative quests. Specific requirements and remuneration negotiable in person. Location: Conference Room 319."
Amidst a slew of flashy notices, Su Cheng found this particular one.
Right.
It was them!
They had indeed arrived in Golden Amber City.
Every member of the Black Flame Mercenary Group had an extraordinary background, though they were currently just pretending to be ordinary mercenaries.
Lin Yun joined Black Flame a few days after the broken engagement incident. He had come to the guild for something else and unexpectedly ran into this group.
The male lead had even face-planted straight into the captain's cleavage.
Su Cheng straightened her clothes and made sure the glowing sigil of her apprentice mage badge was on full display.
She went up to the guild's third floor and, following the room number on the notice, found a conference room just before the turn of the corridor.
Many mercenaries paid to rent rooms in the guild as temporary bases. It was also convenient for others, who could come straight up after seeing the notices downstairs.
On the door of Room 319 was a sticker of a black flame mark. It was the emblem of Black Flame, signifying that they were renting this room.
In the original story, Lin Yun didn't meet them today, so Su Cheng wasn't sure what would happen.
She vaguely recalled the composition of this mercenary squad.
—A white-haired vampire assassin who loved physical affection, a secretly passionate mage who enjoyed researching obscure spells, a pure and healing-type elven archer, and a swordswoman captain who loved to drink and had a bold, yet understanding, big-sister personality.
The latter two were quite easy to get along with.
Su Cheng didn't want any awkward incidents to happen, nor did she want to bump into any part of anyone's body, so she moved very carefully. When she pushed the door open, she didn't dare to step in right away.
She stood at the doorway and peeked inside. Only after confirming that there was no one right by the door did she slowly take a step forward.
"...Pfft."
A chuckle came from inside the conference room.
Su Cheng took off her hat and stepped into the room. The first thing she saw was a long circular table with a few chairs scattered nearby, and a messy pile of documents stacked on top.
A silver-haired young man was sitting on the edge of the table. His face was pale and handsome, and his expression was teasing. "Miss, don't be so nervous. We don't eat people."
His skin was very pale, like a marble statue, yet he had a pair of vibrant crimson eyes that looked like two balls of burning flames.
He wore a fitted silver-grey leather armor that accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His leather boots reached just past his knees, wrapping tightly around the straight, powerful lines of his calves.
The young man propped one hand beside himself, his long legs swinging in the air. His fingertips tapped lightly against the tabletop. The sharp, cold lines of his silver gauntlets looked like a bird's pointed beak.
Su Cheng: "?"
She stared at the silver-haired young man's Adam's apple for a few seconds.
"What's the matter?"
Another person in the conference room spoke.
The man was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, tilting his head slightly to look over.
He wore a top hat, and his dark golden curly hair was tied into a low ponytail. His mage robe was black and red, with gold and red silk embroidery on the cuffs and hem. He was holding a scroll in his hand.
The five fingers gripping the scroll rod were slender with distinct knuckles, and the veins on the back of his hand were slightly raised.
The blond man tossed the scroll aside. It hit the wall with a crisp sound. "An elemental mage?"
Half of his face was obscured by his raised collar. Beneath his golden hair, she could only see his prominent brow bone, the high bridge of his nose, and a pair of deep blue eyes.
Those eyes were cold and sharp, like a lone wolf on the wilderness.
Su Cheng snapped back to reality. "Yes..."
The blond man looked at her calmly. "Your mercenary diary."
This was standard procedure.
A mercenary diary was the symbol of every mercenary's identity, recording the various quests they had completed.
They assumed she had come in response to the recruitment notice to be a temporary teammate for a quest, so naturally, they needed to verify her identity first to check her track record and see if she had any dark history.
Su Cheng face-palmed. "Sorry, this is actually my first time at the guild. I forgot that I don't actually have a diary yet. I'll go register for a mercenary identity right now."
She hurriedly turned around and was about to run out, but someone happened to push the door open and walk in.
The two of them collided head-on.
Unable to dodge in time, Su Cheng bumped her head right into the newcomer's chest.
Amidst a slightly cool sensation, thick and robust pectoral muscles smashed into her face, the full and springy muscles pressing against the bridge of her nose.
The metal buckle of a leather strap brushed against her cheekbone, bringing a faint sting of pain.
