The dark golden palace doors swung open, revealing a vast, empty hall within.
Pure white wool fabric, soft as snowflakes, was spread across the floor. Vivid red curtains, their edges trimmed with golden patterns, cascaded down from the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows like waterfalls.
This was the Empire's council chamber. On ordinary days, learned sages, cunning bureaucrats, and idealists would gather here to clash and compete, and the conspiracies and hidden blades born from such gatherings were far beyond what mere scenery could convey.
The air was suffused with the distinctive fragrance of ambergris incense. The rich yet not intoxicating scent seemed to pull Zuona's mind back to the past, transforming her once again into the innocent noble girl she had been as a teenager.
—Leilin had only held the capital for a short time, yet this palace seemed to carry a unique historical aura, as though centuries or even millennia of time had settled within the very air.
Before this distinctive atmosphere, even Zuona's bishop-level willpower wavered for a moment.
Tap, tap!
And in the instant that a gap appeared in her mental defenses, a steady yet ambitious stride suddenly reached Zuona's ears — like a massive battering ram delivering another devastating blow to the crack that had already formed in the wall.
A figure slowly entering the hall was reflected in Zuona's eyes.
The person wore a white robe, tailored with impeccable precision. His gait and posture alone exuded powerful confidence. Because his back was turned toward the light source, Zuona could not clearly make out his face — she could only feel that he seemed to be constantly radiating… light!
"Envoy from the Church of the Goddess of Wealth on the mainland — Gold Priest Zuona — greets Your Majesty, the Great Conqueror King…"
Zuona had already confirmed his identity in her heart and bowed deeply in respect.
"No need for formalities! After all, we've met a few times before…"
The other party's voice was unexpectedly young, and one that Zuona could never forget. She raised her head sharply. This time she finally saw Leilin's face clearly.
"It really is you!"
Zuona's tone carried both the confidence of confirmation and unconcealable shock.
Although the other party was a [Legendary
And what was even more critical…
"This feeling… a divine being! No! A demigod! Only a demigod could exert such tremendous pressure on me!"
Drops of cold sweat trickled down Zuona's cheeks. It felt as though even meeting his gaze was a grave blasphemy, forcing her to resume her previous bowing posture while her mind raged wildly.
"A [Legendary Wizard] in his twenties? No! He's already a [demigod]? How is that possible?"
As a bishop who had dealt with numerous churches and possessed extensive experience, Zuona quickly regained her composure.
After all, in the
Compared to him, Leilin's progress, though astonishing, was nothing remarkable.
As for the god of murder Sirik, Leilin did not think much of him. This kind of lucky deity had virtually nothing besides the bonus of [divine rank], making them the most susceptible to the influence and control of power. He was already half-mad — not a truly formidable enemy.
Moreover, Leilin had long offended him badly, killing one of his Legendary powerhouses. The enmity ran so deep it could never be resolved. This was one of the reasons Leilin had chosen [Slaughter] as his primary domain.
Suitability was one factor; the other was that he had already crossed Sirik, so he wasn't afraid of going further.
Compared to this, challenging another neutral intermediate deity — the Plague Goddess — would be putting the cart before the horse. Furthermore, the [Disease] divine domain had far fewer applications than [Slaughter] and offered much less room for growth.
With the speed of divine thought, all of these considerations were completed in less than a tenth of an instant.
Outwardly, Leilin, standing before Zuona, asked without the slightest pause: "Zuona! What is the purpose of your visit?"
Leilin was now a [demigod]! He carried the majesty unique to deities! Faced with this kind of natural awe, Zuona nearly dropped to her knees.
"I come bearing the sincerity of my Lord!"
But she was, after all, a priestess of the Goddess Wojin. A faint glow of divine power emerged from the holy symbol on her chest, and the released energy allowed Zuona to barely hold her ground.
"The sincerity of the Goddess Wojin?"
Leilin looked at the bishop-priestess before him, and a playful smile flickered through his now-golden eyes.
There was a time when, facing a bishop of this level, the young man would have needed to think carefully, weigh the pros and cons, and even sacrifice some of his own interests to win her over.
But now, Zuona could only kneel humbly before him, begging for his goodwill.
The line between god and mortal was so clear — and so intoxicating!
This brief silence made Zuona think Leilin was warming to the idea, and she immediately pressed on.
"I have observed that the gold and silver reserves on Bankenzi Island are extremely abundant. Your subjects even use pure gold bars as decorations! If these goods could be transported to the mainland — no, even just one-tenth of them — the profits would be unimaginable! The accumulated wealth could rebuild ten cities the size of Faolan City…"
It had to be said that in the face of enormous profit, those priests of the Goddess of Wealth completely changed their demeanor. They could cast aside their timidity and would even dare to deal with devils and demons.
Now, facing the [demigod] Leilin, Zuona's eyes seemed to blaze with flames, and from her pretty cherry lips poured the honeyed words of a devil.
"Trade? That's certainly worth considering…"
Leilin responded to Zuona on the surface, but his mind was occupied with other thoughts.
"A trap?"
"Still… given Wojin's alignment, there's a high probability she's genuinely maintaining neutrality. This time she's simply taken an interest in Bankenzi Island — and perhaps in my potential as well?"
Taking down [False
On the contrary, those Wealth Priests were routinely exposed for being blinded by gold, engaging in secret dealings with devils and even demons. Though every case was ultimately dismissed as mere rumors, Leilin could still keenly sense the truth behind them.
Compared to devils and demons, [False Gods] weren't all that evil or chaotic, were they?
And while Bankenzi Island's resources were currently sufficient for self-sufficiency, having access to the mainland's trade network as an infusion would certainly accelerate its recovery — and provide Leilin with more faith power as well.
"I can accept this trade arrangement. You can discuss the specifics with Tifa or
Leilin no longer bothered concealing his connection to the Church of the Great Serpent.
Or rather, even if the gods discovered that he was the Feathered Serpent God
Deities maintaining several incarnations or even assumed identities in the Material World was far too common throughout history.
"Additionally, my Lord has a few small requests. If Your Majesty could fulfill them, my Lord would certainly be willing to offer a great deal of something that would satisfy you…"
The trade proposal had clearly been nothing more than a cover. Only now did Zuona reveal her true purpose.
"Oh? Interesting. Go on…"
Leilin stroked his chin, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
…
A short while later, Zuona quietly departed with what she had come for, leaving Leilin alone in the great hall.
The glow of divinity flickered in his eyes. Leilin watched Zuona's retreating figure with a trace of pity.
Even the Goddess of Wealth had to abide by certain divine covenants and unwritten rules. There were many things she could not do and would not do.
And trading with [False Gods] was, of course, firmly prohibited.
That was precisely why Wojin had never appeared in person, sending only a bishop under her command — to serve as a shield when things went south at the critical moment.
If this Zuona didn't come to realize that soon, her fate would not be pleasant.
As for the Goddess of Wealth's commission, Leilin was quite interested.
"Help find a few items, and then exchange based on what's discovered?"
"Interesting… the Saffras Scepter?" An image of a staff instantly materialized in Leilin's mind, then quickly shattered apart.
"According to legend, this divine artifact has the power to prevent divine prediction and tracking. So that's true. The scepter itself could be hidden in any corner of the Material World — or perhaps it fell directly into the Hells or the Abyss. Even so, this is the most promising item among all the Goddess of Wealth's commissions…"
Leilin frowned, somewhat puzzled. "What is this woman really thinking?"
Unfortunately, she was a god of intermediate power. Converted into the Wizard World's system, that made her an eighth-level Rule Wizard — her thoughts were far beyond what the current Leilin could peer into.
"The only thing I can determine is that whether it's trade or searching for items, I can't stay on Bankenzi Island forever. I'll inevitably have to go to the mainland or even the Outer Planes. Is that her goal?"
Leilin couldn't help but speculate.
After all, he had no kinship with the Goddess of Wealth. He would never believe that she would suddenly develop a generous heart and come to help him out of nowhere.
"If that really is what I suspect…"
Leilin lowered his eyelids, concealing the dark glow within his pupils…