A Deeper Sin

The Atonement Talisman, a miraculous item, was invented by a wise individual from the Church after the Land Island War, when the Church's tax revenue plummeted. This palm-sized piece of paper, too coarse even for wiping one's backside, printed with a few words of Deity's teachings and some indecipherable runes, became the Church's most powerful money-making tool over the past thirty years.

The cost of an Atonement Talisman was incredibly low, with a dozen able to be printed for a single copper coin. Yet, the lowest grade Atonement Talisman sold for ten copper coins, a profit margin of over a hundred times that drove the entire Church into a frenzy. The wise and virtuous person who invented the Atonement Talisman is now one of the Church's renowned Bishops, holding the reins of the Church's entire financial operations, a position of immense power and influence.

One Atonement Talisman could absolve a certain amount of sin. If one purchased enough Atonement Talismans, all sins could be completely washed away, ensuring that upon death, one would ascend to the divine kingdom instead of falling into hell, living in eternal happiness under the protective radiance of the great gods.

And since humans generated new sins daily, according to the Church's propaganda, every citizen should ideally purchase one or two, or even three to five Atonement Talismans daily to cleanse the sins they committed that day. Just like Lin Qi, after selling six Stabbing Swords that day, he used his last twenty copper coins to buy two Atonement Talismans from Father Balin.

Lin Qi didn't actually believe in the efficacy of the Atonement Talisman; he merely sought peace of mind.

But how could ordinary mortals understand this? They devoutly used their hard-earned copper coins to purchase various Atonement Talismans, and vast sums of money continuously flowed into the Church's coffers. The Church rapidly became the wealthiest power on the continent after the war.

Father Balin produced a thick stack of Atonement Talismans in front of these Dragon Cavalry and Copper Hats. Under the combined pressure of secular power and Overgod authority, the minds of the Dragon Cavalry and Copper Hat were blank, completely losing their ability to think normally. They obediently took out all the money they had on them and each bought a large stack of Atonement Talismans.

Father Balin nodded with satisfaction. He patted the few remaining Atonement Talismans in his hand and said proudly, "So, your sins for today are cleansed. But remember, do not commit the same sin next time. You interrupted my prayer scroll copying and wasted Purification Holy Water, I will send a bill to the security department and the Dragon Cavalry headquarters."

Mr. Grong puffed out his chest. He glanced at Lin Qi's broken wooden door and then at the Dragon Cavalry and Copper Hat with ashen faces. He didn't want to go too far. After all, unlike Father Balin, a representative of divine authority with powerful backing who could disregard the strong backgrounds of the Dragon Cavalry and Copper Hat, Mr. Grong was just a secular person and didn't want to push things too much.

Clearing his throat, Mr. Grong was about to say a few conciliatory words when Lin Qi subtly approached him, his arm lightly brushing against Mr. Grong's wide robe. Mr. Grong immediately sensed that his right outer pocket felt slightly heavier, a sensation identical to when subordinates secretly slipped coins into his pocket, begging him to do favors.

Clearing his throat again, Mr. Grong reached into his pocket and felt a crystal vial with a strangely familiar texture. Mr. Grong's heart pounded violently. It was that miraculous potion, the one that could make an old tree sprout anew. Mr. Grong coughed a couple of times, nonchalantly pulled out a white handkerchief to wipe his nose, then put the handkerchief back into his pocket and said slowly, "Then, there is only one problem left!"

Gazing sternly at the Dragon Cavalry and Copper Hat whose faces had turned pale, Mr. Grong said coldly, "The door you damaged must be replaced, and you must be fined triple as punishment. You stormed onto campus and disrupted normal teaching order; each person will be fined one gold coin as a penalty. You frightened the students on campus, so you must give each student in this dormitory building who was disturbed by you ten silver coins as compensation for emotional distress."

Counting on his fingers for a moment, Mr. Grong nodded thoughtfully, "Considering you were acting under orders, hand over fifty gold coins, and this matter will be considered settled!"

Mr. Grong felt that he needed to recoup some of the thirty gold coins he had spent on a bottle of the miraculous potion early yesterday morning. Thirty of the fifty gold coins would be his, the remaining twenty would be used to repair Lin Qi's door with negligible cost, and the rest would be his reward for intervening on Lin Qi's behalf this time.

For a dignified Empire noble, the Dean of Fifth University, and a prominent figure who might one day succeed to the position of Chancellor, to stand up for a student against the Dragon Cavalry and Copper Hat required some compensation for his troubles, otherwise it would be an insult to his status.

Lin Qi stood by Mr. Grong with a humble smile, just like any innocent and well-behaved student should. He blinked his innocent eyes, looking at the ashen-faced Dragon Cavalry and Copper Hat with a mixture of fear and confusion, as if wondering why these burly men representing the state's authority were after him.

The Dragon Cavalry and Copper Hat turned as pale as corpses. A fine of fifty gold coins?

They had worked hard all morning to apprehend Lin Qi, and the total benefits they had received were only ten gold coins. Now, after having exhausted all their possessions to buy a pile of worthless paper that would be accused of blaspheming Deity even if used to wipe their backsides, they were being fined fifty gold coins?

A thin Copper Hat, pushed to the brink, glared with rage. He mustered his courage and shouted angrily, "Your Excellency, we were merely acting under orders!"

Mr. Grong was also furious. These sinners who violated the last article of the Empire's education law, blasphemed Deity, and interrupted prayer scroll copying dared to speak to him like this? He angrily brandished his cane, about to display his authority, when Lin Qi suddenly interjected nonchalantly, "Since you were acting under orders, the primary responsibility does not lie with you!"

With a hint of compassionate mercy, a smile almost saintly, Lin Qi gently said to the thin Copper Hat, "Then, respected officer, please tell me, who ordered you to arrest me? Who confidently told you there was sufficient evidence to accuse me?"

Lin Qi said profoundly, "You were merely acting under orders; even if you violated the Empire's law, you have already cleared your guilt. But the one who ordered you to arrest me is the true sinner! A deeper sin lies with him, and he must be punished!"

The Dragon Cavalry and Copper Hat fell silent simultaneously, their eyes flickering as if hesitating.

A deep, powerful voice suddenly rang out.

"Yes, I admit my mistake."