Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
Chapter 397: The Lewd Old Priest
He finished reading the intelligence scroll. His gaze returned to Shanna. To his surprise, this follower of the God of Deception had not engaged in any wicked deeds using her Deception Spell. Furthermore, she had only recently become a follower of the God of Deception. It was on the very day Bishop Onions had threatened her and tried to force her to submit to him. The girl had somehow found a divine artifact, established a connection with the will of the God of Deception, and completed the baptismal rite herself.
However, Shanna’s existence was a ticking time bomb. No one knew if this girl would cause trouble with her Deception Spell in the years to come.
“When Bishop Onions coerced you, why didn’t you seek the Lord of Dragonflame City?” Xi Wei inquired, controlling Shanna.
“I’ve known about Onions’ actions for a long time.” Shanna looked up, her expressionless face continuing, “Those female priests disappeared one after another, but the people around them acted as if they couldn’t see it. They just wanted to stay out of it. I could only trust myself. No one knew if the City Lord was in league with Onions.”
She cast a cold glance at Yogg-Saron, causing the Lord of Dragonflame City to look awkwardly at the sky. Since taking charge of Dragonflame City, he had indeed neglected the pleas of ordinary citizens, which seemed to have damaged his reputation among them.
“But you are the King of the Wintery Empire,” Shanna’s gaze shifted back to Xi Wei, her tone changing. “I’ve heard your story, so I believe you are trustworthy. That’s why I insisted on framing Onions in front of you.”
Xi Wei rubbed his nose, thinking to himself, *how honored*. But immediately, he recalled the old priest who had suffered greatly and been publicly humiliated by the girl, and asked, “So, why did you prank Father Briar?”
“That old man often dropped his Gospel. And it was usually in front of young female priests,” Shanna pouted. “That day, I saw with my own eyes how this old man used the act of picking up his Gospel to peek up the skirts of the female priests. Such a lecher. If I hadn’t considered that he never shortchanged the priests, I would have made him pull his own intestines out!”
The surrounding priests and followers were dumbfounded to hear such vulgar words coming from a delicate and petite girl. Even Xi Wei secretly clicked his tongue. However, he found it hard to imagine that the seemingly respectable and kind-faced old Father Briar had engaged in such sordid behavior. This made him cast a meaningful glance at old Father Briar.
“You, you’re spouting nonsense!” The old priest Briar’s face turned red under the questioning and disgusted gazes of the surrounding people. He pointed a trembling finger at Shanna, almost poking her face. “I’m old, my hands and feet aren’t steady. The Gospel always falls to the ground. What… what’s wrong with me picking up my Gospel?”
“Are you really just picking up your Gospel?” Shanna sneered. “Do you dare to swear an oath to the Goddess of Abundance?”
“I, I…” Old Father Briar was speechless. The skin on his face, like an old tree’s bark, turned even redder. He cautiously glanced at the Wintery King, whose expression was peculiar, then at the surrounding onlookers – believers, priests, and ordinary citizens. For a moment, he felt utterly ashamed. He dared not swear to the Goddess of Abundance. No matter how lecherous he was, his belief in the Goddess of Abundance was sincere. After all, the Goddess of Abundance had long and shapely legs. Just looking at her statue made him feel he could live at least ten more years.
The matter had been exposed. Briar, unable to catch his breath, felt a rush of blood to his head and fell backward to the ground with a “ga” sound. Two knights stooped down and swiftly pressed hard on Briar’s philtrum, but the old priest was unresponsive, as if he were dead.
“Your Majesty, he’s fainted,” a knight reported.
“Your Majesty, it seems that old Father Briar did indeed peek up the skirts of the female priests. How should he be punished in such a situation?” Yogg-Saron rubbed his hands together with some difficulty. “It seems our Wintery Empire’s laws do not have any relevant records for this.”
Due to the requests of many readers, the VIP member ad-free function is now available. Click to view.
“Throw him in jail for a while,” Xi Wei mused, stroking his chin. As for how long he should be imprisoned… The old priest wasn’t inherently evil. He was a decent clergyman and usually took the initiative to help the poor and beggars. Although he had foolishly chosen Onions as his successor and had the blemish of peeking up skirts, his crime was not punishable by death. A minor punishment would suffice.
“Imprison him for half a month. Don’t let him die,” Xi Wei declared. At that moment, he saw the old priest’s slightly knitted brow relax instantly, but he was too lazy to expose it and continued, “Provide him with two meals a day. After his sentence is served, give him a plot of land and a mud hut.”
“Yes,” Yogg-Saron nodded. The guard knight beside him immediately recorded the Wintery King’s words. In the future, similar matters would be handled according to the Wintery King’s instructions.
Now that all the criminals were dealt with and everyone had found their place, the priests in the shrine would be appointed by priests personally assessed by Yogg-Saron. The priests recruited by Onions through abuse of power would all be sent back. As for the women who had died, those with families would receive compensation from the Lord of Dragonflame City. The solitary ones would be given a proper funeral and buried near the newly built castle in Dragonflame City.
The difficulty now facing Xi Wei was how to arrange for Shanna, a follower of the God of Deception. If Shanna were a villain like Ul’lar, he would undoubtedly lock her up and have her hanged at a later date. But Shanna had done nothing wicked. In a sense, everything she had done was an act of punishing evil and promoting good. Xi Wei could not kill her in the cradle just because she had the potential to commit crimes; that would violate the laws of the Wintery Empire. But he also had no way to remove the divine mark on Shanna. It was the acknowledgment of a deity to a follower, a bestowal of power. Unless she were killed, it could not be taken away.
“Your Majesty, I suggest we take her into the Grey Hawk organization,” the grey-robed person beside him suddenly offered. He had long noticed Xi Wei’s frequent glances at Shanna. For those in their profession, the ability to observe subtle expressions was a basic skill. He instantly understood Xi Wei’s dilemma.
“But she knows Deception Spells. Can you control her?” Xi Wei frowned, feeling it was unreliable.
“Please rest assured, Your Majesty,” the grey-robed person bowed slightly and smiled. “Deception Spells are not omnipotent, after all. Their casting requires many basic conditions, and our Grey Hawk organization has various conditions where truth and falsehood are hard to distinguish. Her Deception Spells will have little effect on us. She doesn’t even know my true identity. If you are concerned, you can send someone to monitor her for a period.”
“In that case…” Xi Wei nodded in realization. “She belongs to you.”
“Hey! You haven’t asked for my opinion yet!” Shanna frowned and struggled with all her might.
“Then what is your opinion?” Xi Wei turned and asked.
“Hmph… Is the Grey Hawk organization a military force under your command?”
Xi Wei: “Yes.”
“Then, I am willing to join,” the girl said, biting her lip and nodding solemnly.
Due to the requests of many readers, the VIP member ad-free function is now available. Click to view.
