Chapter 81: The Next Day
The next day, evening.
Ji Ma sat upright at a wooden table in the Dream Palace. As her inspiration sparked, a figure appeared at the table, gradually becoming clearer, revealing the silhouette of George.
George accepted her dream invitation.
He was still wearing his armor, sitting in the chair opposite Ji Ma, greeting her, “Good evening, Ji Ma.”
“Good,” Ji Ma pointed to a large chest of gold coins on the table and said, “You can count and see if I embezzled anything.”
“Documents.”
Ji Ma pushed the document given by the temple to George.
After examining it carefully, George traced numbers on the table with his finger, nodding and saying, “That’s right, it’s real.”
“Do you think I would trick you?”
“I don’t think so, but the document says I need to account for the money.”
George stood up and, in front of Ji Ma, reached into the chest full of gold coins and started counting them, saying to Ji Ma, “Lend me a scale.”
Such a miser.
Ji Ma lifted her finger, and a small scale appeared beside George.
George scooped the gold coins into his hands, placed them on the balance, weighing them and calculating the amount. He was very serious, carefully adding weights to make the scale balance fairly.
Ji Ma lifted her finger, and the balanced scale tipped suddenly. Supporting her chin with her hand, she said, “Hey, how about a proposal?”
George looked at her.
Ji Ma smiled, her tail’s tip pointing at her face, “How about a hundred for one?”
“You’re not a whore.”
Ji Ma’s tail drooped, pointing at her chest, “Then fifty?”
“Ji Ma.”
“Eh~.” Ji Ma sighed and gritted her teeth, “Twenty-five, no, twenty, can’t go any lower, or I’ll touch the bottom line of a succubus. I won’t be able to hold my head up in front of my colleagues.”
“Stop messing around, Ji Ma.”
“I just want gold coins.” Ji Ma looked at the massive amount of gold in front of her and said, “If I sell you once each morning, noon, and night, I’ll have everything.”
“Please have some self-respect.”
Ji Ma said softly, “If it’s free, then I have to have self-respect, how strange.”
George simply ignored the sharp-tongued Ji Ma, and after counting the gold coins, he said, “Not a single one missing.”
“From your tone, it sounds quite rare.”
“Although I know you wouldn’t embezzle, I still think it’s rare.” George sealed the military expenses sent by the temple, “Looks like I’ve misunderstood you again. I thought you’d hold back some money in other areas.”
“You only just found out.”
Ji Ma pointed to the side where a row of mannequins stood wearing armor, with a rack of new weapons behind them. Those were all planned items exchanged with points from the temple.
“Not bad, thanks for your hard work.”
“Your armor won’t be ready for another month or two from the temple,” Ji Ma said. “The reason is simple. Your status has been downgraded, so you need to queue. If you ever decide to fall, be sure to let me know in advance.”
George chuckled, “What are you planning to do?”
“Buy some food, drinks, fireworks, and of course, a banner that reads, ‘Congratulations to George the Hammer on his Fall,’ so we can celebrate together.” Ji Ma said, “And I’ll prepare three to five beautiful maidens to let you fully experience the joy of falling. Saintess Jenna will not escape either; she certainly wouldn’t give up on redeeming you, so we might as well invite her too.”
If it weren’t for George understanding Ji Ma’s character, he would have scolded her seriously long ago.
“You seem very happy?”
“Of course, I can brag everywhere when I go out. Did you see it? The hero has fallen because of me, and that’s a big reputation to have.”
“Too bad you’ll never see that day.”
“Don’t speak too soon, what if?” Ji Ma said, “Just imagine, when the time comes, you’ll be abandoned by everyone, and only the most wicked succubus will stick by your side—how touching.”
“You’re lying again.”
“Not romantic at all,” Ji Ma said. “Alright, that’s enough for today. I need to go to sleep.”
“Wait.”
“Want to come at me? Not tonight, hurry up and leave.”
“Isn’t that my armor?”
George pointed to one of the mannequins.
The mannequin was wearing a sturdy bucket helmet and a smooth, curved full plate armor, with the pattern of a hammer stamped on the shoulder armor. The armor was decorated with intricate designs etched using acid craftsmanship. To Ji Ma, this armor seemed outdated, lacking reinforcement bars, making it clear that it was the cheapest among the three sets.
“Of course it’s yours. Did you think I would personally pay the dwarves to buy a set for you?”
“So the temple agreed to let you take my collection?”
“Of course! If you didn’t have armor to wear and accidentally got stabbed through by a lowly beast, wouldn’t my investment be wasted?”
George felt that something was off but before he could voice it, Ji Ma stood up, her straight legs accentuated by her tight pants, outlining her beautiful leg curves. She patted George on the shoulder, saying, “Sorry, I misunderstood you.”
“Ah?”
“I thought you were foolish enough to silently contribute for so many years, donating all your income, ending up impoverished and living in a shabby stone hut.” Ji Ma said, “I didn’t expect you were just saving money to order armor, and there’s even a set made of fine gold. Truly extravagant.”
George asked, “Have you seen all of it?”
“Of course, I observed very carefully. After much deliberation, I finally picked this set of armor that suits you best (the cheapest).” Ji Ma tapped on the full armor of the mannequin and said, “Although the bucket helmet design is behind the times, unlike the Sha Laire helmet that can’t be lifted for better visibility, its defense is amazing, just right for someone as strong as you. Besides, you control the light; no matter how narrow the observational gap is, it won’t block your view…”
“Though it lacks any reinforcement bars, it’s easier to maintain…”
“This armor has a style reminiscent of the Baroto knights’ nation. In the future, you’re likely to fight alongside Baroto knights, and this armor will help you blend into the nobility.”
Everything Ji Ma said was the truth. Although George felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding, he believed Ji Ma had good intentions for him.
He said, “Thank you for your efforts.”
“It’s nothing; just don’t hold on to my corner next time.”
George’s face slowly turned red, even for him, it was hard to remain composed in front of Ji Ma’s quick wit.
Since everything had been counted, George let Ji Ma help him put on the armor. After donning the bucket helmet, he felt much more comfortable. Using his dream as a point of anchor, Ji Ma leaped to George’s location, opened the “entrance to the Dream Palace,” and moved all the supplies to the real world.
After finishing everything, Ji Ma waved goodbye to George, saying, “See you, I’ll come back after you meet with Archbishop Gregory. I have to go now.”
“Good night, Ji Ma.”
Ji Ma jumped into the entrance of the Dream Palace and disappeared. A sense of loneliness inexplicably filled George’s heart, like a mischievous child forced to return home after the playground closed.
George did not feel sleepy. Under the watchful gaze of the startled horned child, he pulled open the tent flap.
Outside the tent, silvery moonlight fell from the sky, illuminating the quiet little military camp. He walked around outside, nudging a dozing guard, and passed by Eve Frostleaf’s silver tent. A light was on inside the silver tent, casting Frostleaf’s graceful silhouette onto the tent’s fabric, clearly showing her pointed ears.
George slowed his pace and continued at a normal speed.
He had discussed with Eve Frostleaf before that, at least in front of the elven maidservants, there should be no sign of closeness.
Ever since parting ways that day in Ji Ma’s Dream Palace, Eve Frostleaf had stopped chatting with him, reverting to her former cold demeanor. She spoke to him only three times a day, just like before, as if overnight he had become a passerby.
He suddenly lost the mood to enjoy the bright moonlight, heading straight back to his tent. George did not notice that behind him, the light in the silver tent dimmed as well.
After returning to his tent, George moved quietly, trying not to disturb his attendant—the horned child. He quietly took out a few pieces of parchment from his dimensional bag and unfolded them skillfully.
Those were letters confiscated from the Lake Goddess Church, a letter from a mother to her child. George stared at the letter, motionless, like a statue.
…
…
A few days later.
In the Dream Palace.
Ji Ma was casually dressed, wearing only a loose nightgown and black stockings, lazily lying on a reclining chair.
As she opened her mouth, Liansi nearby fed her peeled lychees.
Today Ji Ma was in a good mood. Things were progressing smoothly over at Xiya, having pawned two sets of armor for a large sum of money, most of which Ji Ma invested in Jenna’s father, Caslan. That guy better not lose money—on the other hand, if he could lose money even running a casino, he might as well jump off the second-floor balcony of the Marin City stock exchange.
The remaining amount, minus expenses for alchemical materials and various delicacies, Ji Ma spent extravagantly for enjoyment.
The lychees she ate today were proof. The weather had cooled down, and it was no longer lychee season. Only the high elves, adept at indulgence, could use alchemical soil and magic to cultivate lychee trees in the gradually cooling season. Most of these lychees were meant to supply noble old customers, and only a very few were shipped thousands of miles to Marin City in ice-filled boats to become food showcased by the wealthy.
Of course, Ji Ma wasn’t that indulgent. After buying five lychees, she used divination to determine their source, then jumped through dreams to the high elves’ island to get them directly from the “supplier.”
“Spit.” Ji Ma spat out a pit, accurately landing in a distant garbage bin. “Not very sweet, and small.”
Still not as delicious as the lychees cultivated in modern times.
In front of Ji Ma, the dining table was adorned with three exquisite dishes, and she was waiting for her invited guest to arrive.
Today’s good mood was two parts due to food and eight parts due to the guests who would be arriving.
Ji Ma’s inspiration sparked, and a blurred white figure appeared at the dining table, becoming clearer.
With an oval face, long golden hair styled into an updo, eternally surrounded by a white halo, and a bosom that was quite impressive, it was Saintess Jenna.
Ji Ma hurriedly got up from her reclining chair and exclaimed, “Sister Jenna, you finally came! I’ve been waiting eagerly.”
Jenna appeared tired as she said, “The situation is worse than expected… Can’t say much more.”
