Chapter 503
"What miracle? What are you talking about?"
"Sister, didn't you miss the Inauguration Ceremony for the statue yesterday? News just came from Yucatan that a statue of Yelagond appeared overnight in Silverheart Lake, and its appearance and posture are very similar to those in the ancient texts!"
According to our investigation, the last train yesterday arrived at noon. Apart from that, no other large construction vehicles went to Silverheart Lake.
This statue that appeared out of nowhere is a miracle bestowed by Lord Yelagond! I guarantee it will become the most eye-catching spectacle in Scherzag from now on!"
Seeing her sister's fervent emotions, Tatos felt something was amiss and decided to go see for herself.
Miracle?
Ha, you really have a lot of clever ideas.
She suspected that the statues that appeared out of nowhere were the work of Enciodis. Whatever his ulterior motives, it would greatly benefit Scherzag's fame.
Tatos decided to go to the Silverheart Lake, but wouldn't expose Enciodis in public. Miracles are beneficial to everyone, so she'd accept the favor for now.
At this moment, Saintess Enia came before the statue in Yelagond and proclaimed this miracle to the believers:
"Yelagond loved the people of Scherzag, just as He had for thousands of years. Not wanting us to waste our energy building idols, He personally performed a miracle here."
Ladies and gentlemen, in response to Yelagond's grace, the Manjuin has decided to take the lead in reducing taxes for three years.
As soon as he finished speaking, the people of Scherzag who had gathered in front of the statue cheered.
As Enia gestured, the room fell silent, with only her voice echoing through the air:
"It has been a year since Manjuin accepted foreigners' faith in Yelagond. The development of Scherzag today is inseparable from the efforts and dedication of everyone present and all the people of Scherzag. I believe that Yelagond has seen all of this."
In the future, we will face an even more complex situation than we are now, and Scherzag will encounter more crises and challenges. But please believe that Yelagond has not abandoned this land, much less its people who live on it and love Him. It will become the anchor of faith for all those who revere Yelagond.
I hope that devotion to Yelagond need not be bound by formalities. I believe that true faith resides in the heart of every Scherzag person. Now, please join me. Under the gaze and witness of this idol, let us pray that Yelagond bestows its blessings upon Scherzag!
The cries of Yelagond's name merged into a sea of shouts. Countless people and believers of Scherzag followed the Saintess, kneeling before the idol.
At this moment, Shi Lei was not on the balcony, but instead used the excuse of needing to urinate to come to Yal's room.
From the moment he arrived at Silverheart Lake, he noticed that the people inside were different. If it were anyone else, they might not have noticed anything amiss. But Shi Lei had encountered many Great Beasts and was quite familiar with this aura.
"You must be Yelagond?"
"..."
Yal did not answer or make a sound.
Shi Lei knew the Great Beast inside was listening, and expressed his expectations to it:
"Don't worry, I have no ill intentions this time. I'm just here for sightseeing and will be leaving soon. You may have your reasons for not wanting to show yourself, which I completely understand. I've heard from the locals that you have performed miracles to protect the people many times. I hope you will continue to protect Scherzag well in the future. If you ever encounter someone instigating an unjust war that you cannot handle, you can come to Liyue City to find me."
After saying this, he turned and left, calling on everyone to prepare to leave Silverheart Lake and fly to their next destination Kazimierz.
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Chapter 577 Four People in Uniqlo (4K)
Seeing the distinguished guests depart, Enciodis naturally couldn't ignore it. He took his trusted confidant Noxis, codenamed "Lingzhi" on Rhodes Island, and personally saw them off.
After finishing his sparring session last night, Jian called Enciodis and said he was going into seclusion for intensive training. He knew he couldn't dissuade him, so he could only let the other party do as he pleased.
Now, hearing that the guest was leaving, he tried to persuade him to stay:
"Mister Zhongli, are you leaving so soon? Why don't you stay a few more days? I'd like to take you to the Sacred Mountain to see more of the Scherzag cuisine."
"Thank you for your kindness, but we won't trouble you any further."
"Mister Zhongli, look at you. I'll book all the sleeper tickets for you on the train right away, and there will definitely be no repeat of what happened last time."
If a stranger were to suddenly intrude on the train to the Sacred Mountain, it would greatly spoil the mood. Enciodis, as a good host, would naturally make proper arrangements.
Due to its geographical location, Scherzag is situated in the snow-capped mountains. Normally, one needs to take a train to the foot of the Sacred Mountain first, and then transfer to another train to enter Kazimierz.
But who Shi Lei? If he encounters a road that is impassable or he finds it too troublesome, he will simply fly over it. He doesn't care how high the mountains are or how winding the roads are.
Faced with Enciodis's enthusiastic invitation, Shi Lei grinned and politely replied:
"Seeing you off is fine, but you don't need to take the train. I have something I'd like to discuss with you privately. Let's go, say goodbye to your friends first, and leave after you're done."
He led his group to the Doctor and Amiya at their private residence, said goodbye, and left the scene.
Shi Lei wanted to say goodbye to the four Great Beasts of Alty, since they would have to deal with the crisis of Sea Creatures together in the future. But when he used his Psychic Power to scan them, they were already gone.
It is estimated that they received their performance fees after yesterday's Inauguration Ceremony and then hurriedly left Silverheart Lake.
As for why he was in such a hurry to leave, it was probably because of his girlfriends. Since they left without saying goodbye, there was no need for him to chase after them.
As they left the mansion, seeing Enciodis accompanied by Lingzhi, Shi Lei spoke up to remind him:
"You don't need to bring anyone else. I want to talk to you about something private. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. It's just that some things aren't suitable for too many people to be present."
Although Enciodis had his doubts, he still obediently told Lingzhi not to follow.
Shi Lei stepped across the frozen surface of Silverheart Lake and headed northwest toward Kazimierz.
When Texas and the others heard him say he wanted to talk to Enciodis, they deliberately slowed their pace, keeping a distance of twenty meters from the two, and did not go forward to join the fun.
If Shi Lei thinks it's worth listening to, he'll naturally tell them to follow. It's best to avoid asking about things they shouldn't hear.
Shi Lei crossed the frozen surface of Silverheart Lake and stopped at the shore. He turned back to look at Enciodis:
"Although I cannot deduce the final product from the equipment, it is highly likely to be a missile weapon or a launch silo."
In remote areas like Scherzag, developing a few weapons isn't a big deal. But whether they're used for self-defense or invasion often depends on the Ruler's decision.
Upon hearing this, Enciodis's face turned deathly pale.
Fortunately, the snowstorm in Scherzag had made his face pale from the cold, so it wasn't too noticeable.
Enciodis had never mentioned what happened in the Underground Space to outsiders. Unsure if they were deliberately trying to trick him into revealing information, he feigned ignorance and said:
"Mister Zhongli, I'm so sorry. There are some things you're saying that I don't quite understand."
Shi Lei smiled and got straight to the point:
"There are only the two of us here, so there's no need to hide anything. You should know better than me what you're doing in the space under the ice. I reinforced it for you last night, using the same Snow Rock material as the statue. This is to prevent any avalanches or earthquakes from exposing the Underground Space to the public."
Enciodis broke out in a cold sweat, knowing that some things could no longer be hidden. He lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong, unsure of how to respond.
Shi Lei gazed into the distance and said earnestly:
"The people here are all very simple and honest. I hope the country doesn't have so many ulterior motives either. Whatever research you're doing underground, as long as you don't start a war, I can turn a blind eye and pretend I didn't see it."
If I find out later that you are expanding your territory and waging unjust wars, even if Yelagond is on your side, I will still come to intervene."
At this point, Shi Lei reached out and patted Enciodis on the shoulder, as if he had some expectations for him.
He immediately reached out and created Rock platform out of thin air.
Without needing his prompting, Texas and the others carried their luggage and souvenirs up the platform. Shi Lei was the last to step onto the Rock platform, bidding farewell to Enciodis.
"The mountains and rivers remain unchanged, and we'll meet again. Please feel free to visit Liyue City sometime in the future."
After saying that, he manipulated the Rock platform to rise into the sky and rendezvous with the land vehicle that had been hovering several thousand meters above the ground. They prepared to depart from here and fly directly into Kazimierz.
As he watched the Rock platform shrink smaller and smaller in the air, Enciodis felt his clothes were almost soaked through his back.
Regardless of the Doctor's assessment, nothing compares to the awe-inspiring sight of witnessing this scene firsthand. A powerful being capable of breaking through the Sky Curtain is likely far stronger than Ragond.
Mister Zhongli's words were clearly a warning to himself. He hoped that their weapons development was solely for self-defense and not for other purposes. If they truly harbored such ambitions, they should stop now.
Enciodis looked up at the Rock platform hidden among the clouds, a complex expression on his face.
The flight from Silverheart Lake to Kazimierz is only a few hundred kilometers as the crow flies. We set off at midday and arrived at the Grand Knight Territory's Cavaleria before sunset.
Shi Lei landed outside the Mobile Cities and switched to the land vehicle he had purchased in Syracuse. After passing through the checkpoint, he arrived at the Jade Chamber warehouse he had set up in the city.
I hadn't been to Kazimierz for several months, and the place was already overflowing with brewed beer. Each bottle was sealed in a round wooden barrel, allowing it to be stored for a long time.
Currently, only two people have the keys to the Jade Chamber warehouse. One is Shi Lei himself, and the other is Rebecca, a former intern agent at the Commercial Union.
This little girl from the countryside, Kuranta, accepted Shi Lei's investment. Together with the villagers, they used the money to grow hops and brew beer to pay off their debts.
Although the brewing technique was passed down to Liyue, the yield of hops in the cold environment is not ideal.
Every time Shi Lei passed through Kazimierz, he would take some beer from the warehouse. Rebecca would find that after it was emptied, she would continue to send beer there until it was full.
In commercial hubs like Cavaleria, gambling and shopping are the two driving forces of the economy.
Since the downfall of the Commercial Union, the Knight Competition' Games have been managed by the Supervision Committee.
Thanks to their swift and decisive actions, Black Whistle and match-fixing have virtually disappeared. In addition, they have even set up Infected Knight Special.
While there are still quite a few people betting on predictions, it's not as frenzied as before.
The seeds of suspicion have long been sown, causing gamblers to exercise restraint before going all in.
Shi Lei has saved countless families and is very satisfied with the changes in Kazimierz.
Considering it was already past 5 p. m. and most government offices had closed, Shi Lei decided to postpone his trip to the Supervision Committee and instead take everyone shopping in the city center.
In his earlier years, for the convenience of purchasing, Shi Lei opened an account in Kazimierz. He exchanged high-purity Pure Gold with local banks and deposited a huge amount of money.
He will pay for today's expenses.
Shi Lei is a pragmatist and doesn't have much he wants to buy. But this family trip includes many women, so there are a lot more things he wants to buy.
Texas not only picked out clothes for herself, but also for Surtr, Lisa, and others. Even Lappland, whom she always looked down on, got a free outfit.
Interestingly, they didn't even glance at the jewelry stores they passed. With pieces made by Shi Lei, ordinary poems no longer caught the eye of Mudrock and the others.
Texas found it quite pleasing to hear Lappland calling her "sister-in-law" so affectionately. The group strolled around the Shopping Plaza until six o'clock, then randomly entered a restaurant for a meal.
Unlike the food in Scherzag, which is mostly cooked in ovens, the cuisine here is diverse. You can even find dishes from Yan, a country A Thousand Miles Away.
However, the flavor has been modified, and it's nowhere near as good as the hearty dishes made by Mudrock.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they carried large and small shopping bags and prepared to return to the warehouse of Jade Chamber.
Shi Lei planned to visit the Infected Community under the Blood Knight's jurisdiction that evening and bring some gifts. He would then go to the Supervision Committee business the next morning.
Liyue City lacks the technology to manufacture items like cables and communication base stations. Such a large procurement volume cannot be handled solely by Trimon. Kazimierz, as a frequent partner, is a good procurement channel.
For a transnational project spanning thousands of kilometers, the sheer volume of cables alone would be staggering. Shi Lei would first ascertain how much inventory Kazimierz had and try to acquire as much as possible.
Just as everyone was about to leave the square, Mudrock and Xi came over and took Shi Lei's arm, seemingly reluctant to leave.
"Honey, give the keys to them. The three of us want to shop around with you a little longer."
Upon hearing Texas's suggestion, Surtr and Lisa readily agreed. Exusiai and Lappland wanted to stay, but ultimately obeyed and left.
Shi Lei had no idea what they were up to, so he stood there waiting for the three of them to reveal the answer.
After Lisa and the other three left, he went to the lingerie store in the Shopping Plaza, surrounded by his girlfriends.
Goodness, so that's what it was.
Shi Lei only knows how to unbutton clothes with one hand and doesn't know much about styles and materials. Seeing this, he said he couldn't offer any advice, as all three of them looked good in anything.
Texas, Mudrock, and Xi exchanged a knowing smile. They pulled Shi Lei inside, having him use his Jade Shield to create a barrier outside the fitting room. Within the confined space, they carried out what was forbidden during the verification process.
As the saying goes, there is true meaning here, but I have forgotten the words to express it.
Shi Lei had other plans for the evening, but now his plans were completely disrupted, and he was forced to postpone them.
Considering the tourists coming and going outside, he left with his girlfriends half an hour later. If there was anything he wasn't satisfied with, he could make it up to them at the Happy Pot that night.
When the four returned to Jade Chamber, it was already 8:30 PM. Exusiai stared at Shi Lei as he returned, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
The next morning, Grand Knight Commander Russell of the Supervision Committee received a report from his staff.
Ever since they learned that Jade Chamber was Zhongli's property, they had assigned someone to keep an eye on it. The person in charge of surveillance finished work at five o'clock yesterday and only notified them this morning when they noticed something was wrong.
Before Shi Lei could even reach the headquarters of the Supervision Committee, Iolete Russell personally led a small team to the Jade Chamber warehouse to see if there was anything they could do to help.
A month ago, a huge hole was punched in the sky.
Through various channels, the high-ranking officials of Kazimierz gradually pieced together the horrifying truth about what had happened in Londinium.
This all-powerful Mister Zhongli not only pierced through the Star Pod to return from the outside, but also ended the protracted war between the Sarkaz and Victoria.
It is said that he single-handedly beheaded Regent Theresis, the Blood Demon Great Lord, and the King of Scavengers, among other Sarkaz leaders, and recruited more than 30,000 Sarkaz soldiers, shocking the high command of Kazimierz.