Side Story: Saint Lan (Part 3) - 10,000 Words Free for the Holiday

This bonus chapter, "Saint Lan," totaling 37,000 words, is now complete. Parts 1 and 2 were paid chapters, while this chapter's 10,000 words are free. Happy New Year and best wishes to everyone!

A few blocks away, in the lobby of the diplomats' ball, Katharine was still fast asleep, curled up in an armchair in the corner.

As the New Year approached, the crowds flocked outside to admire the spectacular fireworks display, then returned inside to continue their revelry. Several enthusiastic dwarves, their energy surging, swung their petite halfling partners, sending them spinning like tops, eliciting cheers. "That hair ribbon color looks familiar," a playful voice murmured beside Katharine, still half-asleep. "I bet it's not Janet this time," another voice chimed in.

Katharine was jolted awake. She opened her eyes and was shocked to see two faces wearing decorative masks—it was Xialike and Meiwu'er.

She sat up, using the armrest for support, and rubbed her slightly dizzy head. "Please!" she exclaimed, completely bewildered. "You're the Crown Prince of the Star Empire, why are you in a place like this?"

Xialike simply shrugged helplessly. This was originally his merchant guild's property, and he hadn't expected the first-floor lobby to be used as a dance floor on New Year's Eve. But this was actually a necessary business practice; maintaining good relations between the local management and diplomats from various countries stationed in the Holy City was immensely beneficial to the guild's trade expansion. He had just been upstairs discussing plans for a new trade route with the dwarves with the guild's management, a task that had taken him over an hour to complete. However, as he, wearing a mask, and walked with Meiwu'er through the still-noisy dance floor on the first floor to leave, his gaze inadvertently swept across a corner and caught sight of a figure curled up asleep.

"I recall one of the rules of the convent academy: underage cadets are not allowed to attend secular entertainment balls." "Xialike's voice carried a hint of mischief," he said. "Miss Katharine, does this mean I've caught you red-handed?"

Minors shouldn't drink alcohol either! Katharine thought to herself.

But she maintained her smile. "So, what can I do for you, esteemed 'merchant'?"

After a moment's hesitation, Xialike simply sat down in the empty seat next to Katharine, and Meiwu'er silently took his seat beside him.

"Beautiful lady, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"

Katharine's lips twitched involuntarily, barely suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. She could manage the simple formation dances during religious ceremonies, albeit with some difficulty.

If it came to ballroom dancing, which required precise footwork, Katharine was confident that if Xialike dared to dance, she could stomp his feet into pancakes. But these nobles were so leisurely; even she had the time to flirt! Katharine was seething with hatred; she herself was just a poor student who had to get up at eight o'clock tomorrow to work at church!

But given that "Belladonna's" temperament, would Saint Lan Cathedral still be able to operate normally tomorrow? Katharine had serious doubts.

"I refuse!" she replied firmly. "Go ahead and report me!"

Katharine quickly calculated in her mind: being caught attending the ball wouldn't be a big problem, after all, it was Queen Ghostly Flower's invitation, and it was during the New Year period, so the rules would usually be more lenient.

At most, they'll lose some disciplinary points and have to write a self-criticism!

"When I met you at the church this afternoon," Xialike's tone shifted, his gaze deepening, "The 'lady' you were talking to seemed to have quite a story to tell?"

"Excuse me, that was a 'sir'." Katharine remained unfazed. "I don't know the story you're telling me; he was just asking me for directions." While Xialike and Meiwu'er's strength is not ordinary, given the "Bay Owl's " audacious infiltrating of the church, how could someone of his level possibly see through it?

Katharine has absolute confidence in this.

"I didn't see anything amiss with that woman." Xialike smiled slightly, then suddenly leaned closer to Katharine, lowering his voice, "But you're standing too close to her!"

Katharine instinctively took a step back, her expression remaining completely calm. "I did that because the environment was too noisy."

"But you always carefully maintain a distance when talking to any other person of the opposite sex," Xialike's eyes gleamed with insight. "Even when facing that Feather Race youth, it's no exception—you instinctively resist getting close to any member of the opposite sex!"

Unbeknownst to her, she had been observed so meticulously by the other party! Katharine's heart skipped a beat, and she gripped the hem of her skirt tightly with her hands on her knees. The influence of the Divine Heart's "Chastity" made her instinctively keep a certain distance from all men other than her partner. She looked up at Xialike. This Crown Prince was indeed difficult to deal with, and his analytical ability was terrifying. He truly deserved to be the heir to the strongest empire.

Without real skills, one certainly can't hold onto this position!

Meiwu'er watched the interaction between the two silently, letting out a barely audible sigh.

"You're definitely making fun of me again!" Xialike gave the head guard a disapproving sideways glance. "Are you trying to say I'm bullying a little girl again?" "No, Master." Now that he was traveling incognito, Meiwu'er addressed him that way, but deliberately emphasized the word, "I just felt... If Miss Katharine were a few years older, would you still be able to bully her so 'easily'?"

In private, the two did not have many formalities and their conversations were very casual.

"But she's a minor now." "Xialike retorted confidently, "I'm not easily swayed. I'm going to 'coerce' this lady!" "So, what do you intend to coerce me to do?"Katharine sighed helplessly, picked up a dessert from the small table beside her, and slowly ate it with a small spoon. Having slept for several hours straight, she was a little hungry again.

A waiter carrying a tray of freshly baked hot food approached the table. He seemed a little sleepy, and suddenly stumbled, throwing the tray straight at Xialike!

Meiwu'er reacted with lightning speed! An invisible layer of Magic Power instantly condensed into a barrier, firmly intercepting the plate, while his other hand gripped the waiter's throat like an iron clamp!

Snap!

With a crisp sound, the scene before him shattered and vanished like broken glass! The waiter in front of Meiwu'er looked on in astonishment. The tray he had been holding steadily was now slipped from his grasp by Meiwu'er's sudden grabbing action and crashed to the ground with a thud.

It was an illusion! Meiwu'er realized instantly and turned his head sharply—only to see Katharine, who had just been eating desserts harmlessly, now holding a gleaming weapon pressed coldly against Xialike's neck!

Meiwu'er slammed his hand on the table in frustration.

The music in the hall was deafening, and the lighting was dim. Only a few people nearby glanced at it briefly before paying no further attention.

Katharine slowly withdrew her hand, picked up the small silver spoon again, and nonchalantly continued to scoop up desserts and put them in her mouth.

"I know," she said calmly. "Even if I had a knife, I couldn't break through your expensive runic armor." Xialike waved his hand, signaling the bewildered waiter to leave.

"I just wanted to tell you," Katharine said, slowly wiping her mouth with a clean handkerchief, "That I will not be bullied. I will not utter a single word about the question you asked, even if it kills me!"

"Interesting!" Xialike narrowed his eyes, his appreciation for the girl growing even stronger. He never expected that a boring celebration trip would lead him to such a treasure.

"No problem, I'll guess what happened myself!" A hunter's smile appeared on his face. He snapped his fingers, summoning the guild leader who was waiting in the distance. "Immediately record all the unusual events that have occurred in Radiant Holy City in the past two days, compile a brief report, and send it over!" A heavy carriage creaked and groaned as it drove out of the church square and stopped at the back door of Saint Lan Cathedral. The wheels rolled over a section of cobblestone road, the slabs groaning and warping, clearly indicating that the cargo inside was enormous.

The patrol team didn't pay much attention to this. Although most of the staff had left, a small number of people continued the final cleanup work in the darkness, moving various items back and forth.

Zijin jumped down from the coachman's seat and opened the back door of the carriage. Inside, besides two unconscious staff members, was a whole carriage full of unexploded ordnance.

To smuggle the annihilation alchemical explosives into the church area, Zijin came up with this method of hiding them in the forest. The guards would carefully check for any suspicious dangerous items mixed in, but no one would suspect that these were explosives in themselves and that they didn't actually contain explosives.

Or rather, it wasn't ordinary explosives.

Zijin raised her hand, and several round firework shells floated up and obediently drifted behind her, leading her into the church through the back door. Along the way, she easily dismantled all the security arrays.

She used her Omniscient Vision to investigate the guards' positions, only to find that although these figures, who should have been on guard, were still standing at their posts, their eyes were vacant, like puppets.

"Hi?" Zijin walked up to a guard and tentatively greeted him.

"Hi!" the guards responded stiffly, their voices flat and monotone. Each of them had a vine around its neck that emitted a faint glow.

Zijin whistled and continued forward. She passed through the dimly lit corridor to the side wing, where she found the guards were also unconscious. The difference was that they had actually been knocked unconscious and stuffed into a hidden corner. All that remained were a few roughly sculpted clay figures. Very well, even fellow travelers are joining in the fun?!

Zijin was extremely surprised. Who was so audacious as to dare to provoke the Temple of Light?

Zijin quickly arrived at the empty and solemn central hall. She looked up at the statue of the Heavenly Father of the Gospel suspended under the dome, and her eyes flashed with runes. Sure enough, she caught sight of a hazy, furtive, short figure busy above the statue.

She and some others indeed clashed on the most valuable target!

Zijin noticed something unusual: the statue of the Heavenly Father of the Gospel, which should have floated on its own using divine power, was now suspended from the roof beam by several steel cables. But this didn't stop her from eliminating her rival first.

Zijin drew a short walnut staff from her robes; its tip gleamed faintly. Her voice echoed in the silent hall, "Good evening!" "Fighting won't do us any good, Belladonna." The man's hands continued to rapidly dismantle the complex protective array on the dome. "How about we each do our own thing? We'll call it even for you bombing my bank!"

"The sorcerer Saxon?" Zijin recognized the other party's identity.

That's quite a clever plan!

She sneered inwardly. A relic of the Heavenly Father of the Gospel's caliber was a hot potato—you might steal it, but you might not have the life to keep it. Saxon's willingness to act clearly indicated that he was taking advantage of Zijin's revenge plan.

When the church is destroyed, the traces of his actions will be erased by the annihilation bomb, and she Zijin, will bear all the blame. What a perfect dream!

"If we were to fight, it wouldn't just alert the church guards; the Pope and ' The Radiant Chanter ' Hector would also come," Saxon continued, trying to dispel Zijin's hostility. "You see, this is a win-win situation..."

"Okay!" Zijin agreed readily, without any hesitation.

The bank bombing can be forgiven. But the goblins stealing her box of explosives, plus now intercepting and abducting the Heavenly Father of the Gospel —that will definitely be settled later! "How did you arrange those guards on the side like that?" Zijin asked while placing bombs near the church's critical load-bearing structure. "That method doesn't seem like your usual style."

"The side?" The trickster Saxon looked bewildered. "I only dealt with the guards at the main gate." He looked in Zijin's direction, puzzled. "Didn't you do it—could there be someone else skilled?"

Zijin was utterly speechless. The Saint Lan Cathedral was usually peaceful and quiet, but when she tried to cause trouble, all sorts of people popped up, from those who were just picking peaches to those offering freebies!

Zijin was so angry she gritted her teeth. She had gone to great lengths and put in so much effort to plan the bombing of the church; did she think it was easy for her?

"In a place like this, who could be a Saint Rank figure who could take down the guards so silently as I could?" Saxon muttered to himself as he hung upside down from the dome, busy with his work.

As Zijin returned to the carriage to continue moving the bombs, she was shocked to find several more figures in the shadows of the carriage.

She sighed deeply and rubbed her throbbing temples. "What are you all up to! I'm going to charge you, 10,000 gold coins each!" "Deal!" Xialike responded immediately, decisively.

Meiwu'er with a hint of helplessness, "I'm just a bodyguard, am I even considered a head?"

"I'll give you a 50% discount!" Zijin waved her hand, but then suddenly felt she hadn't offered enough. "Am I losing money like this?"

However, there is still a key issue that needs to be addressed first.

Zijin's gaze shifted to the third figure. "Katharine, please explain why you brought them here?"

The girl was still wearing her gorgeous ball gown, with only a thin cloak wrapped around her, and she was shivering slightly in the early morning wind.

"I'm innocent! Your plan was entirely guessed by Prince Xialike himself," Katharine quickly explained, her tone extremely aggrieved. "And I didn't bring them here—I was practically dragged here by these two!"

Just fifteen minutes ago, after receiving a summary of recent events compiled by the Chamber of Commerce, Xialike actually managed to deduce from those seemingly unrelated fragments of information—bank explosion, abnormal security, the escape of the fake saintess—that "Bay Owl" was planning to attack Saint Lan Cathedral tonight!

"How did you do that?" Zijin asked incredulously after hearing the story. "What kind of reasoning ability is that? It's amazing!"

"Of course not," Xialike frankly admitted, a smirk playing on his lips. "I was just putting on an act for this lady."

"Huh?!" Katharine's expression froze instantly, staring at Xialike in disbelief.

She had just been in the Chamber of Commerce hall, listening to Xialike Like slowly and meticulously explain everything, and her understanding was almost shattered!

"The ' Faithful Safekeeping ' goblin bank is our guild's main competitor," Meiwu'er explained. "So, immediately after the explosion, we found the surviving goblin employee, and then followed the trail to Bulukake."

"Then we spent a hundred gold coins," Xialike continued casually, "That guy named Bulukka managed to expose his teacher Saxon's whereabouts completely!"

"Look," he said, spreading his hands towards Zijin, "All that reasoning ability is no match for just throwing a hundred gold coins at me!"

Katharine gritted her teeth in anger, her gaze sweeping over Xialike as if considering finding a real knife to stab him.

"Alright," Zijin resignedly patted the carriage, "What exactly are you trying to do? All the guards inside have been taken down by all sorts of powerful figures; the infiltration is practically perfect!"

"I just want to go to the Pope's study on the third floor." "Xialike shrugged," he said, "Let's see what secret agreements he signed with those old foxes today." Zijin kicked the heavy carriage impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense and come help move the bombs! They're so heavy!"

"Not bad!" Xialike gazed at the magnificent cathedral before him, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I've disliked this big stone building for a long time!"

As he spoke, he casually rolled up the sleeves of his elegant formal attire. Meiwu'er silently sheathed his sword, and the two of them began to unload the heavy, dud fireworks from the carriage.

Working together, the four quickly placed dozens of heavy bombs on the selected load-bearing points.

"Happy New Year!" Zijin waved to Xialike, then jumped into the driver's seat and drove the carriage quickly into the night. "She abandoned me!" Katharine said in disbelief.

"Following the Belladonna is the most dangerous thing," Xialike said. "She can survive many situations, but you might not."

"Alright, we have a way to keep you safe," Meiwu'er said. "Let's go."

Katharine complained a little, but still followed Xialike and Meiwu'er straight to the third floor. The heavy lock was easily broken by Meiwu'er's Magic Power. There was no need to worry about leaving a trace now, since this place would soon be covered in children's pink.

The guards in the corridor were just like those elsewhere, some entwined in a slumber by glowing vines, some replaced by rough clay figurines, and some stabbed in the back with a curved blade.

Xialike glanced at the adjacent exhibition hall and saw that the walls were empty; the artworks had vanished. Passing the second-floor chapel, the wooden box carved with animal patterns in the center had also disappeared.

"Looks like it was those three's doing," Meiwu'er whispered. "The desert and the forest, and that sallow-looking goblin." "Plus the super-support Scholar Bay Owl, it's no wonder this church was bombed!" Xialike shook his head with a sigh. "With that kind of lineup, no one could withstand it!"

The three of them found the secret agreements signed with other powers in the Pope's study without much effort. Having obtained what they wanted, Katharine even discovered another interesting list, which she proudly presented to the two of them.

They quickly evacuated this place that was about to turn into a sea of fire.

At four in the morning, a series of ear-piercing roars suddenly shattered the Holy City's slumber!

The ground throughout the entire city trembled violently.

As the load-bearing stone pillars crumbled and collapsed under the force of annihilation, the magnificent, mountain-like walls of the Saint Lan Cathedral peeled away layer by layer like melting wax, crashing down with dust and debris, shattering into pieces on the ground.

The towering, enormous dome let out a chilling groan before finally collapsing completely, crashing down with unparalleled force, scattering and spreading in a vast cloud of dust.

Finally, in the farthest corner of the church, a lone stone pillar miraculously survived the disaster. It stood stubbornly, supporting the few remaining meters of broken wall, enduring the licking flames, as if demonstrating resilience.

"It didn't completely collapse!" Zijin sat on the carriage in the distance, gazing at the wreckage, and pouted in dissatisfaction. "Looks like I'm still not skilled enough at handling these kinds of explosions."

A short figure descended silently from the heights like a ghost, landing lightly nearby. Zijin lazily lifted her eyelids. "Good morning, Saxon."

"Good morning!" Saxon stretched, his face beaming with barely suppressed elation. "Thanks to you, this one deal is enough for me to retire from crime and live a carefree life for the rest of my days!"

"No problem." Zijin said calmly, and with a flick of her wrist, the ancient walnut wood staff slid out from under her clothes. She jumped off the carriage, knelt on one knee, and planted the end of the staff into the soft soil beneath her feet!

Saxon was taken aback by this sudden action; it was hardly the starting stance for a fight. He instinctively leaped back a few steps, a faint Magic Power glow of alertness rising around him.

But suddenly, a large clump of vines, as thick as an arm and emitting a faint glow, burst forth from the soil beneath his feet like a giant python awakening, tightly coiling around him!

A sneak attack?!

Saxon's alarm bells rang. The figure that had been shredded by the vines had disintegrated; it was merely a realistic shadow he had projected. He scanned his surroundings in astonishment. The speed and precision of that attack were beyond the capabilities of an ordinary combatant!

Sure enough, the next instant, four hard hooves, enveloped in a silvery-white light and carrying the force of the wind, slammed down on his head! Saxon rolled away to dodge.

Boom!

Soil mixed with pebbles stirred up by Magic Power flew into the sky! As the dust settled, the elegant divine beast, Queen Ghostly Flower, with a spiral horn on her forehead, was revealed!

On her back, she carried the excitedly waving hooves of Qiluomilan.

"Go, Mom!" the little unicorn shouted excitedly.

"Ghostly Flower!" Saxon scrambled to his feet, spitting out the mud from his mouth. Two curved swords, gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light, slid into his withered hands. "How could you possibly pinpoint my location?!"

"I was just lucky, I was just guessing." Ghostly Flower's voice was like a clear spring, as she blatantly lied.

Saxon didn't believe a word of it and quickly considered all the possibilities. Soon he realized something, looked down and checked his whole body, and sure enough, he found a trace of dust emitting a faint ripple on his clothes.

"You've tampered with the Heavenly Father of the Gospel to get me infected with this!" He immediately understood the reason, "But what the hell is this?"

This powder is clearly used to track him. If it were just a standard tracking dust device, he would have spotted it immediately!

"It's my newly formulated, enhanced version; I haven't had a chance to publish it yet." Zijin smiled gently, her staff, planted in the ground, rapidly channeling Magic Power. "Don't worry, I'll include your name in the acknowledgments of the paper!"

Saxon nearly coughed up blood; being "thanked" by Bay Owl was definitely not a good thing!

The unfortunate assassin organization that participated in her assassination attempt was listed in the "Acknowledgements" section of her paper, "On Becoming a Necromancer Even with Zero Modeling Experience," thanking them for providing experimental skeletal materials.

Saxon's figure blurred, instantly splitting into more than a dozen afterimages, which pounced on Youhua like Ghostly Flower, while his real body mingled among them, trying to confuse the crowd and take the opportunity to escape!

Queen Ghostly Flower revealed a disdainful smile, and the single horn on her forehead shone with a pure light. More vines as tough as iron sprouted from the ground! These vines spread out in all directions, centered on Saxon, leaving the sorcerer with nowhere to hide.

The goblin was unable to resist being entangled. The vines immediately unleashed tremendous force, pulling him down sharply and slamming him to the ground with a thud. The vines continued to gather, binding him tightly.

"Yay!" Qiluomilan clapped her hooves.

"I'm sorry," Ghostly Flower said with a smile, "My two gestures earlier were just to ask you to move to a more convenient spot."

Without the ability to conceal their whereabouts, even a dignified sorcerer is nothing more than a fish to be slaughtered.

Saxon struggled to his feet and was about to unleash a torrent of curses when he was horrified to discover that, centered on the spot where he had fallen, a complex magic circle, pre-buried underground, was beginning to emerge.

As the Magic Power of the Zijin was continuously poured in, one ring after another of dazzling runes lit up, the light constantly flowing!

His face was deathly pale, and he roared hoarsely, "You... you've been plotting against me from the very beginning!"

"You just realized that?!" Zijin's staff erupted with a dazzling light as she channeled the last of her Magic Power into the core of the magic circle. She stood up. "Otherwise, why do you think I'd choose to store my things at that infamous goblin bank?"

"Damn it!" Saxon roared, "What have I done to you?"

"Thirty years ago, I deposited twenty gold coins in your bank," Zijin sneered. "You overcharged me by six copper coins for safekeeping!"

Upon hearing this, Saxon nearly fainted from anger.

The magic array on the ground reached its maximum operation. A transparent power, almost tangible, surged forth, stripping away and gathering certain obscure concepts from the surrounding void, forcibly infusing them into Saxon's body!

Magic Array; Academy Spell; Transplant Flowers and Graft Trees!

Looking at the somewhat bizarre magic circle before her, Ghostly Flower exclaimed sincerely, "The things you and Chloe create are always so amazing!"

"You!" Saxon's face turned ashen, and he collapsed to the ground, completely limp. He now understood the spell's malevolent effect: from this moment on, all tracking, prophecy, and causal tracing spells aimed at the true culprit behind the Saint Lan Cathedral explosion would be irrevocably drawn to him, Saxon, like a magnet! Ghostly Flower gracefully retracted her vines. "Trickster, have a safe journey. I won't see you off any further!"

"Goodbye, Uncle!" Milan on his back also bid a cheerful farewell.

Saxon struggled to his feet, his eyes burning with the flames of humiliation and despair. He wanted to roar, to curse, but in the end he only stomped his foot hard, turned abruptly, and transformed into a blurry gray shadow, fleeing desperately towards the outskirts of the Holy City!

Pope Augustus of the Temple of Light and Hector "Radiant Chanter" are nearby! This group, enraged by the destruction of their core building, will surely give him a good beating if they catch him!

Even if he were spared interrogation, given the goblin sorcerer's infamous reputation, no one would believe him even if he revealed the whole truth. They might investigate Bay Owl and Ghostly Flower with some skepticism, but Saxon would definitely be executed on the spot!

With things having come to this, Saxon had no choice but to flee at all costs—this was the elaborate scheme tailor-made for him by Bay Owl and Ghostly Flower!

As the magic circle calmed down, a faint light emanated from Zijin's palm, and she began to collect the reusable materials within it. Pieces of crystal-clear material and alchemical metal pieces engraved with runes were drawn by an invisible hand and fluttered into the cloth bag in her hand.

"Leaving the city these next few days won't be so easy," Queen Ghostly Flower strolled over. "You should stay with me for a while. Once the search loosens up a bit, I'll arrange for you to leave."

No one would easily search the residence of a powerful delegation, especially one personally overseen by the Queen.

"With that massive ' Lighthouse ' of Saxon drawing all the attention of our pursuers, we'll have plenty of opportunities to leave unscathed." Zijin finished dismantling the magic circle and erasing any traces of the spell. She jumped onto the carriage shaft, dusting her hands off. "Those people from the Temple of Light won't be able to catch that slippery goblin anytime soon!"

"That's about all the Saxon can do." Ghostly Flower scoffed. "As for you, your knack for causing trouble is exactly the same as your mother Atiya's back then. You're such a worry!"

"It's as if you were just a bystander this time," Zijin stretched. "Where are we going to hide the things now? Lead the way!" Soon, guided by Ghostly Flower, the carriage entered a secluded area. Several carriages were already parked there, and several elves were digging a deep pit. They carefully wrapped a large number of precious paintings that had been taken from the church in thick oilcloth, placed them in the pit, and then carefully covered them with soil. Finally, everything on the ground, including the vegetation, was restored to its original state.

After tonight, the entire area of Temple of Light will be under martial law, and all kinds of checks and searches will become extremely strict. But whether it takes a few days or a few months, as long as the blockade is lifted, they will be able to calmly and secretly transport these "treasures" buried deep underground out of the Temple of Light's territory. Zijin raised her hand, and a heavy wooden box carved with strange animal patterns floated out of the carriage, hitting the ground with a "thud" and stirring up a cloud of dust. It was obviously not light.

"Help me bury this one too," Zijin said to the elves.

"Isn't this... the coffin containing the saint's remains?" Ghostly Flower recognized the box, her tone tinged with surprise. "What are you going to do with the saint's remains?"

"It's not the remains of a saint," Zijin explained. "When I found it, it was empty. I just thought it was big and sturdy enough to hold some odds and ends."

There were indeed quite a few valuable "odds and ends" inside the Saint Lan Cathedral. Zijin casually rummaged through the chest, filling the enormous wooden crate to the brim. As they spoke, Zishanna quietly drove an inconspicuous carriage into the open space. She approached Queen Ghostly Flower and whispered, "Your Majesty, the 'harvest' hidden by Saxon has also been found!"

Zijin's newly developed tracking dust was incredibly effective, and Saxon party were completely unaware as they left. Not only was he perfectly framed, but the "spoils of war" he had painstakingly smuggled out of Saint Lan Cathedral were also followed by the elves and wiped out in one fell swoop.

The elves immediately began unloading. The carriages were filled with sacred artifacts inlaid with gold and jewels. They skillfully wrapped them carefully in absorbent and shockproof fine-mesh cloth, then securely packed them into specially made wooden crates, and finally buried them underground.

At the very bottom of the carriage was the statue of the Heavenly Father of the Gospel. This was much easier to deal with; the elves worked together to push it into the dug pit and then simply filled it in with soil to bury it.

"These things are yours," Ghostly Flower said to Zijin. "However, this Heavenly Father of the Gospel is a fake—it's suspended by steel cables, not the real one." "It doesn't matter," Zijin waved her hand dismissively. "It has a lot of good stuff on it; even if you smash it up and sell the materials, it'll be quite valuable!" At eight o'clock in the morning, on the open ground of the annex area behind Saint Lan Cathedral.

The area was under heavy guard by the Holy City Guard. All personnel in the buildings that escaped the attack last night were driven to the square and questioned one by one, explaining their movements the previous night.

"Your Excellency," a priest hurried in and whispered, "Graduating student Katharine Aosha has been confirmed not to have been in her designated room all night."

The bishop frowned, preparing to report and arrange an investigation, when he saw a luxurious carriage, escorted by a group of knights in bright armor, slowly approach the edge of the square and come to a steady stop.

The guards accompanying the carriage quickly stepped forward and deployed the ladder.

The emblem of the Star Empire on the carriage gleamed in the morning light, and with this pomp and circumstance, the visitor must be of extremely high status.

The bishop, not daring to be negligent, straightened his robes and stepped forward. Sure enough, the carriage curtain was lifted, and Crown Prince Sharico of the Stars Xialike descended with composed steps. "Your Highness!" the bishop bowed. "I'm very sorry, we are conducting an internal investigation, and it is inconvenient for you to enter." "It's alright, I was just giving someone a ride back." Xialike's tone was casual, and he turned and elegantly extended his arm. A fair hand emerged from the carriage and gently rested in his palm. Then, Katharine, wearing an exquisite evening gown and with beautifully shaped legs, stepped out, her head bowed, and alighted from the carriage.

The dress was off-the-shoulder, and the carriage was warm and cozy. Suddenly exposed to the crisp morning air, Katharine involuntarily shivered. Xialike very naturally took the thick velvet cloak handed to him by a servant and gently draped it over her shoulders, appearing extremely protective.

Witnessing this scene, the bishop immediately understood that Katharine's whereabouts last night were self-evident.

This is undoubtedly a serious violation of church rules and should be severely punished according to the law. But the person she violated the rules against is none other than the Crown Prince of the Star Empire! Therefore, in order to maintain "good relations" between the powers, the Church not only cannot condemn this link, but will probably have to treat this "auntie" well!

"Katharine!" the bishop said, trying to sound gentle. "We've arranged temporary accommodations for you. Please go with this priest. You'll only need to answer a few simple questions afterward."

A priest immediately stepped forward and gestured to Katharine to follow him in a friendly manner.

However, Xialike raised his hand to stop her. He leaned close to Katharine's ear, as if whispering tenderly, reluctant to part.

"Very well!" Katharine practically gritted her teeth, her voice barely audible to the two of them, "Now I'm your mistress!"

"Otherwise?" Xialike responded in a low voice, "Do you want you to come back covered in suspicion, dragging us all down with you?" "Tell me, what are your conditions?" Katharine asked resignedly, "I don't believe you'd help me for no reason."

A faint smile played on Xialike's lips. "It's simple, become my Crown Princess."

Katharine was furious and, without hesitation, raised her slender middle finger at him as a response to his teasing.

She stopped looking at him, lifted her elaborate skirt, and walked with her head held high toward the waiting priest.

"See her off, and while you're at it, arrange the secret contact method," Xialike whispered, quickly instructing Meiwu'er behind him.

Meiwu'er nodded silently, picked up a gorgeous handbag inlaid with fine pearls, and quickly followed Katharine.

"Are all you nobles so indiscriminate in your choices?" Katharine complained as she walked, her tone clearly showing her displeasure. "They even set their sights on someone like me, a mere daylily, and resort to such despicable tactics as offering me the position of Crown Princess to lure me in?"

"Miss Katharine," Meiwu'er's voice was calm and even, "you are far from being described as 'starving.'" He glanced back slightly at Xialike in the distance, "Although this prince is indeed 'ravenously hungry'!"

"Heh heh!" Katharine let out a short, cold laugh. "People like you can be 'hungry'?"

"Well... that's a long story." Meiwu'er showed a rare hint of helplessness.

"Do you think I'd believe a single word you say?" Katharine stopped and took the ornate handbag Meiwu'er handed her. She opened it and saw her own drab, coarse cloth satchel lying safely inside.

A message appeared in the bag. "Welcome to 83 Nim Street!"

The text then vanished quickly, as if it had never existed.

"Goodbye!" Katharine closed the bag and draped it over her shoulder.

"Goodbye." Meiwu'er stopped. "Next time, we'll treat you to drinks."

"I would be very grateful!"