Chapter 15

Translator: Exodus Tales

Editor: Exodus Tales

“…”

Fang Zheng didn’t know what to say as the girl suddenly hugged her own head in defense. He thought about it and extended his hand helplessly. He couldn’t just watch her stay like that the entire time. 

“You alright?”

“Ah…”

The girl’s body trembled again after hearing his voice. She slowly looked at the extended hand and hesitated before bravely taking the offer. Fang Zheng helped her get up.

“I… I’m really sorry, I’ve embarrassed myself…”

“No, it’s nothing…”

“Then… Well, please wait…”

Taking deep breaths, she put on her hood again, seemingly relieving her tension. She went to the bookcase again and took out a heavy book, spreading it on the table before taking a quill. She seemed to be making the drawing gestures on the ball, and a mysterious blue energy came floating out of it. With the guidance of her quill, the energy started forming more odd runic symbols on the white paper. It was the shape of a cross, with a circle on the outmost area. On it was another circle that seemed like more ancient text. Fang Zheng didn’t understand what was being written, but with his memories he could tell that it was the so-called language of the stars. The legends said that when the Goddess of Laws created this world, she stabilized it by giving each star their meaning and this text could only be read by the gods, not humans.

“The barrenland… The reformed star…”

The girl muttered to herself in a low voice, and even Fang Zheng couldn’t understand what she was saying. However, she slapped the book closed soon after, taking out a silver badge and putting it in front of his face before raising her quill to tap the ball again. A similar mysterious energy came out and was sucked into the silver badge. Following this, the orb dimmed down once more.

“Alright, mister, please take care of this badge. It has taken your starprint.”

He didn’t know if it was because her face had been exposed, but the girl’s voice was no longer that fake deep voice, now sounding rather pleasant instead. However, Fang Zheng understood right away why she had disguised herself. This girl’s voice really had no aura to it, and she talked as if she was begging or pleading weakly.

A cute voice like that paired with her face was always great and pleasant, but as a member of government staff, she didn’t give off enough authority. 

“Thank you.”

He took the badge and closed his eyes, sending his own energy into the badge. Soon, a black starry sky came before his eyes, with one of the patches of stars shining brilliantly. In the middle of it was one that shined the brightest.

This was his star of fate, but…

Fang Zheng compared the starprint of the original owner’s body in his memories, and nodded, satisfied. He was no astrologist, and he couldn’t understand these signs, but if it were just comparing two star maps, Fang Zheng could manage that. Clearly, the two stars were in completely different spots, and at least from Fang Zheng’s view, there was no similarity.

So he could continue with the plan after all.

He smiled as he put the badge away, looking at the girl before him.

“Miss, I have a tiny request.”

“What is it?”

The girl tilted her head curiously as if suddenly realizing something.

“That… That I can’t do, my teacher said I can’t eat with strangers…”

“…”

Fang Zheng really wanted to say that she was overthinking, but actually, if it weren’t for all the trouble he had to deal with, he really might have asked her out for lunch or something… But that was for another day.

“Well, you see..” Fang Zheng cleared his throat and cleared those thoughts away.

“I’m planning on going to the temple, and I hoped that you could prepare a letter for me.”

“Temple? Letter?”

The girl blinked before realizing what he was saying. 

“Are you planning on joining the Church?”

“Yes.”

Fang Zheng let out a breath of relief. This girl may seem like a clutz, but she was still a normal person. Usually, people didn’t need special letters or anything to go pray at the temple, but Fang Zheng wasn’t there to pray for the forgiveness of the Goddess, nor was he planning on visiting the monuments or anything. It was as plain as text; he was going to join the temple.

Of course, any seclusive religion had a certain process that was strict when it came to accepting members. The Holy Country was no different. With Fang Zheng being an outsider, joining the Church meant that he needed to apply to be an Intern Knight.

But that was no great title. While the title of knight by itself was strong, Intern Knights were basically the same as the intellectuals in his old world. They had to shoulder the command of God, going to the cruelest and poorest of places to defend the innocent and battle evil. At the same time, they had plenty of different enemies, like the natives, or bandits from the mountains, let alone the evil cultists who were everywhere. Dead spirits and other chaotic beings were included as well.

Of course, danger had its merits. If those interns came back alive and complete their missions successfully, then they’d become full-fledged Knights of the temple. If they were able to succeed in some big achievement during the process, they may even become a Great Knight or a Knight Captain, with their own territory and troops.

For the nobles, though, they didn’t need to do much to get that, as long as they didn’t mess up too much. They’d have a powerful section in their resume, and it’d help their futures as well.

Normally, though, only the lower nobles would choose this path. After all, it was no simple path, and those who left the comfy beds and their women wouldn’t be able to adapt to the wild and dangerous lives out there.

Fang Zheng watched as the girl took a piece of paper and wrote something on it before using both hands to lift the seal stamp, trying her best to stamp it on before packaging it tightly and handing it to him.

“Please take care of this, sir.”

“Thank you, miss.”

Fang Zheng took the envelope and put it away, giving her a light smile.

“If you have time, let’s go get something to eat next time.”

After that, he left with a smile without waiting for an answer.

The most dangerous place was the safest place.

As Fang Zheng left the bureau and entered the temple with no resistance, he wondered if that really was a truthful saying.

Compared to the almost empty bureau, the security around the temple was much stronger, with sentries every couple of steps. He could see fully armored warriors standing guard and patrolling, but even so, the heavily armed guards didn’t pay one shred of attention to Fang Zheng. It was as if they were stone statues. Perhaps they didn’t think a wanted fugitive would just waltz in this holy ground like that.

It seemed like all intelligent life thought that way in any world.

“I come from the White Silver Country.”

Fang Zheng said as he found a priest of the temple, telling him what his intentions were simply as well as showing the letter that the girl helped him write. 

“I’ve come here to look for the guidance of the Goddess of Law.”

“I understand.”The priest was an elderly, white-haired man. He evidently had done this for nobles like Fang Zheng more than once. Firstly, he opened the letter and looked through it carefully, looking at the name and signature and seal before nodding to him.

“Come with me, child.”

With that, he left and went to the inner hall. Fang Zheng followed silently, and the two went through the doorway and into the inner area, where the old man stopped in a holy emblem formed by marble stone. He turned back to him.

“Step up, young man.”

“Alright.”

Fang Zheng’s hand lightly held onto his sword handle. He even felt his palms secreting cold sweat. This was the last step, and the most important one. He’d prepared himself well for this test.

He knew what this was, and so did everyone else on this continent. The cultists themselves knew it best.

Everyone had to be responsible for all their actions. Their movements would be extended to the peak of the thread of fate, like how the ink would always stain the sheepskin scroll. No one could twist what had happened in the past, and history itself would remain unchanged.

That was the eternal law.

Fang Zheng understood that if he were to step on this platform, the radiance of law would start its search the way a virus killer would. It would determine whether he was a plague, an enemy of the law.

Or, in other words, a part of those filthy cultists.

All of this would be determined by the star of his soul.

While Fang Zheng was sure he was no cultist, who knew how accurate this thing would be?

After all, a virus killer on your computer didn’t clean out every single virus for certain.

He had to hope that this firewall was an accurate one, at least better than that old one he had on his computer.

With this thought, he took a deep breath and walked onto the platform.

In the next instant, a pure radiance descended from the sky and enveloped his body.