Alone, Beautifully – Chapter 69

Your Preference (3)

“Speak out.”

“I can feel it, the wind element is friendly to her. She must be a saint born in the storm. No, not just the wind, but also fire, water, and thunder. All the elements I have seen and known revolve around her… She is naturally meant to belong to our Storm Temple.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? It’s broad daylight, didn’t you see she also used the light healing of the Sun God? Pure golden healing magic, this is a color that only the Pope can use. Her divine power is not only abundant but also pure. My god above, I have never seen such an outstanding saint. I have a premonition that she will surely gain the favor of the gods.”

“Are you sure you want the saint chosen by the gods to choose only one temple? I mean, isn’t that too wasteful? Perhaps… we should change the rules.”

“The Temple of Wisdom is indeed the most understanding. I agree with your point—”

“Why not honor her as the saint of the six temples and grant her the freedom to walk in the temples? She can learn any divine magic she wishes. After three years, when the temple selects the maidens to serve the gods, she can make her choice then. How about that?”

“I agree.”

“I agree.”

“Fate will guide her to the side of the Goddess.”

“All things in the world must receive the radiance of the Sun God. Choosing the Sun Temple is choosing the light.”

……

While Xu Jiao and Lilith were communicating, the temples that were ready to compete for her had spontaneously reached a reconciliation. Regardless of Xu Jiao’s final choice, she would essentially be a saint shared by the six temples.

This scene is one for the annals of continental history. Reviewing the records of the shrines of the Miracle Continent, aside from the six gods who descended to earth to spread the true teachings of the one true God, this saint will be the most honored person on the Miracle Continent from past to present, with a status even equal to the six popes who can directly hear the gods’ decrees.

After all, the popes can only mobilize personnel within their own faith, whereas she can move freely among the six temples.

At the same time—

Lilith’s timid and hesitant answer also sounded: “I… I want to receive the Sun God’s grace.”

Her life for the past ten-plus years was like that of a rat in a gutter, beaten wherever she went, most familiar with the sound of various whips and sticks swinging through the air.

She never gave up praying for a single moment.

Lilith imitated the townspeople, praying before meals, before sleep, and attending services at the church on weekends. But the church was so bright and clean that she didn’t dare to go in. The guards pointed their spears at her, warning her not to enter desecratingly dressed like that.

But from then until now…

Her life hadn’t changed one bit.

Except for today.

Because she saved a pretty girl she had seen a few times, she finally received the gods’ mercy. She could finally walk in the sunlight, clean and upright, no longer needing to hunch over to avoid an unexpected beating from who knows where.

Lilith longed for the sunlight too much.

She wanted so badly to walk in the sunlight like a normal girl, even if her clothes weren’t as beautiful as flowers, at least they would be clean and neat. She could laugh freely and experience the boys’ gentlemanly and polite invitations, instead of their teasing, mockery, and bullying.

She wanted to be as bright and dazzling as this sunlight.

Xu Jiao heard her wish and responded without the slightest hesitation: “As you wish.”

Andrew, the cardinal from the Sun Temple, revealed a satisfied smile. He stroked his beard. Although he had already reached a unanimous agreement with the other temple bishops, now inviting the saint into the golden carriage to take her back to the temple was also an utmost honor.

It vaguely seemed to surpass those competitors around him.

Thinking of this, he also gave Lilith a gentle smile and, in a tone he had never used before with an ordinary person, said to her: “Good child, the Sun God will respond to His loyal followers.”

“You will receive the reward you deserve.”

The temple is not all superficial.

Cardinals like Andrew and Beyoncé hold certain positions within the temple and are able to learn and use the temple’s divine arts. Although they select some talented children each year to study in the temple and become its future successors, this does not mean they completely abandon those without talent.

The old foxes in the temple are very clever. They are skilled in rhetoric and know how to make the people in their territories willingly pay taxes and tributes, remaining devout and loyal to their gods. First, they not only select individuals with divine affinity from among the nobility and royalty, but they also set up simple selection institutions in places like Stry Town at regular intervals.

Anyone interested in the temple and willing to dedicate their life to serving the gods can get a chance.

Especially newborns born during that time can have their divine affinity tested for free.

Of course.

That’s not all.

Sometimes, the temple, in order to win over some nobles or lords among the common people to gain opportunities for proselytizing¹ and developing more followers, will bring out their ultimate bargaining chip.

For instance.

A good thing that can improve one’s constitution.

Different temples have different names for it. The Sun Temple calls it holy water, the Storm Temple calls it water of nature, and the Fate Temple calls it water of reincarnation… Essentially, it involves finding a person with pure and abundant divine power, gathering as much divine power as possible, turning it into liquid form, placing it in a cup, and diluting it at a ratio of about one to a thousand. When common people drink it, it can strengthen their bodies and prolong their lives.

At a ratio of about one to a hundred, it can increase a person’s affinity for divine arts.

The effect is similar to the marrow-cleansing pill in cultivation novels; it all depends on how it is used.

Andrew’s meaning in his words was very clear. He didn’t mind giving a little reward to the perceptive Lilith, such as making her an affinity holder of the Sun’s divine arts, bestowing upon her a bit of the grace of light.

Lilith didn’t understand, but Xu Jiao did.

However, she said nothing and just bowed to Andrew. Following his guidance, she entered the carriage of the God of Light. Seeing her take Lilith with her, Andrew didn’t go inside but instead sat by the door next to the guards.

The golden horse suddenly seemed to come to life, breaking free from its statue-like state. It neighed towards the sky, raised its front hooves, and then pulled the carriage back into the sky, like a light arrow.

The Miracle Continent is very, very vast.

The temple is located at the very center, and this Stry Town is in a remote place in the upper left corner of the map. Even if the golden carriage travels day and night, it would take two or three days to return to the temple.

This is also why, despite the fact that the incarnation of the deity descending onto the continent was sensed by the temples immediately, it wasn’t until the incarnation was being burned as a heretic that the bishops from the temple arrived late.

Because it was too far away.

If someone of low status comes, it wouldn’t show respect to the saint. If someone of high status comes, they have to set off from the central temple day and night, and using the teleportation array is too dangerous, because the farther the distance, the easier it is for the teleportation array to transport living people… missing some parts.

……

The inside of the carriage is unexpectedly spacious, giving one the feeling that although it is small, it is fully equipped. There are soft gold-threaded cushions, golden soft curtains surpassing any silk fabric Lilith had ever seen, and luxurious carved tables and chairs that match perfectly. Even the teacups for afternoon tea and the small golden sugar spoon are exceptionally exquisite. The carriage windows are open, but the breeze coming in is just right.

The entire room is so exquisite it feels like it was conjured by magic.

Lilith slightly parted her lips in surprise. After entering, she was attracted by the interior’s opulence and instinctively forgot the principle of not looking around, staring blankly at everything, as if she didn’t know where to settle her gaze first.

Xu Jiao casually found a place to sit down. Seeing her reaction, she wasn’t at all surprised. Instead, she patiently explained to her: “This is maintained by a light magic array, so the water in the carriage will automatically boil because there is a small constant temperature magic array here. There is also a small teleportation array here, so once the snacks are finished, fresh ones will appear…”

“There is a defense magic array by the window, which can block the cold wind from outside and also protect the carriage from attacks…”

Actually, when Xu Jiao was setting things up, she didn’t do it so meticulously. But for some reason, when her gaze followed Lilith’s and focused on those items, this knowledge automatically appeared in her mind.

Including the patterns of those hidden magic arrays.

Extremely ornate and complex.

But in her eyes, they were perfectly clear.

Just like how she could effortlessly hear the voices of people in this world, even now, while sitting in the carriage, the thoughts of Andrew and the guards outside the door sounded as loud as a megaphone amplifying in her ears.

And also those praying voices.

As long as Xu Jiao slightly shifted her attention, she could hear their content.

“O Sun God above! Please bless my relationship with Aili to be long-lasting and never discovered by her husband…”

“Beautiful and kind Goddess of Wisdom, your most noble follower Aili prays to you. I am willing to offer all my wisdom in exchange for your protection. Please guide me. How can I choose between Tom, Jason, and Jeffrey? They all love me so much, and I don’t want to break any of their hearts. I am so troubled. Please, Goddess of Wisdom, answer your lost lamb’s prayer…”

“Storm God, please have mercy on your people. He is willing to offer you everything, including his body. Please, with your fiery body and strong force, accept him fiercely!”

See.

By accident, I would hear these strange things.

Xu Jiao raised her hand to press her temple, and her voice unconsciously stopped while she was talking to Lilith. This puzzled the pretty little blonde girl, who cautiously looked up at her face, then blushed and lowered her head, not daring to look more, as if afraid of desecrating something.

Her voice was soft, with a touch of concern and probing: “Are you… not feeling well somewhere?”

“My mother often had headaches, and I would massage them for her. If you don’t mind, would you like me to try?”

Of course, back then, Lilith had only learned to read people’s expressions and gauge her strength based on her stepmother’s every subtle expression because she was afraid of being beaten. She was forced to acquire this skill. However, now, for the first time, she felt grateful, grateful that she could do such a small, insignificant thing for this wonderful person.

Xu Jiao didn’t actually have any headache, as this body’s constitution was very strong.

But seeing Lilith trying so hard to please her so cautiously, she suddenly remembered Shen Yelan and Xia Jingzhe. Because she had repeatedly rejected these unnecessary acts of kindness, they later ended up blackening.

Lilith was the same.

She was eager to prove her usefulness to Xu Jiao because she feared being abandoned and despised. Like a drowning person clinging to a piece of driftwood, she didn’t want to let go.

Xu Jiao could have chosen not to be this piece of driftwood, but this time…

She took the initiative to come closer.

“Okay.”

She said.

Light blossomed in Lilith’s eyes. She carefully avoided touching the obviously expensive cushions and pillows, walked to Xu Jiao’s side, and when she leaned over, her hands hovered in the air.

Just as her fingertips touched Xu Jiao’s temple, Xu Jiao suddenly raised her hand and pulled her arm, effortlessly pulling her to sit on the soft golden cushion. Then she rested her head on Lilith’s lap. Perceiving Lilith’s stiffness, Xu Jiao calmly said:

“You can start.”

Lilith nervously swallowed a gulp of saliva.

She glanced at Xu Jiao’s face with closed eyes, her gaze drifting away for a long time. After a while, she mustered up the courage, raised her hand, and gently pressed Xu Jiao’s temple, exhaling the breath she had been holding little by little.

The atmosphere in the carriage became exceptionally quiet, and the rhythmic massage almost lulled one to sleep.

Xu Jiao didn’t know when she had opened her eyes. She suddenly grasped Lilith’s wrist and asked, “Do you have any wishes?”

Lilith stared at Xu Jiao’s fingertips holding her wrist, and the slightly warm temperature of her palm. Her gaze flickered for a long time, not knowing where to place her eyes. She asked with burning cheeks, “Wh-what?”

Xu Jiao looked up at her from below, staring intently into her eyes, and slowly asked, “Is there anything you really want, or someone you wish to obtain, or something else?”

Very strange.

Outside, the thoughts of Bishop Andrew and the guards were still crystal clear. But why, when she was beside Lilith, could she not hear any of this person’s other thoughts?

Clearly, she had prayed to the gods before, hadn’t she?

As long as believers hold reverence for the gods and always place their faith in them, as long as they are still on this continent, as long as they are still alive, no matter where they are, if their will to pray is strong enough, the gods can hear their voices.

Among these, the three types of voices that are closest to the gods, have the strongest divine power, and the most intense prayer will, are the ones that Xu Jiao can capture as the most noisy.

Andrew belonged to the second type.

Those previous strange love polygons, likely belonged to the first and third types. These people were either directly chattering to the statues of the gods or had an intensely strong will.

But now, Lilith is closest to the person who is clearly God’s incarnation. Why can’t Xu Jiao hear any of her inner thoughts?

Moreover.

When she is beside her, even other voices automatically become blurred and indistinct for Xu Jiao, as if something is separating them.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t feel sleepy so quickly.

When Lilith heard her question and felt her gaze on her bright face, her face turned so red it seemed like it might bleed. Her light golden hair made her look as cute as a doll, and her sapphire blue eyes were like bright mirrors, reflecting Xu Jiao’s beautiful visage.

She hastily exchanged a glance with Xu Jiao, then lowered her eyelashes and softly replied, “…No.”

At the same time, another sentence with the same tone appeared in Xu Jiao’s mind: “I want to stay by your side.”

Xu Jiao inexplicably felt a sense of relief.

It seemed she had overthought it.

Lilith simply didn’t have many thoughts.

It wasn’t that there were no inner voices.

Thinking this, a hint of a smile appeared in her eyes. She raised her hand and gently hooked Lilith’s chin, her voice completely different from before, filled with the world’s most irresistible charm:

“Really?”

“A good girl shouldn’t lie under the Sun God’s power. I’ll ask you again, do you have any wishes?”

“Tell me, and I will fulfill them for you.”

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LP: Sorry, I was sick ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ – ˵ ) ✧

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1. Proselytizing: The act of trying to convert someone to a different religion, belief, or opinion. It often involves actively advocating or promoting one’s own religious faith or beliefs to others in hopes of persuading them to adopt those beliefs.