Chapter 155: God’s Favor (4)

Chapter 155: God's Favor (4)

For so many years, no Divine Envoy had ever asked for compensation after assisting the residents.

Nor would the residents offer any proactively, primarily because the Divine Envoys enjoyed the best of everything in Qiming City. Whatever they desired was prepared by the divine servants; money was truly inconsequential to them.

Now, the fact that a Divine Envoy who was solicited for help was asking for compensation caught the NPC off guard, their first reaction was that he misspoke.

Qiang Dao'an displayed considerable patience, his extended hand even gesturing slightly, vividly illustrating through his actions that he hadn't misspoke - he indeed wanted compensation.

...Is this a joke?

"Divine Envoy..." the NPC's expression froze, then broke into a somewhat ridiculous smile, "My lord, you surely jest."

Even she couldn't believe the words she herself uttered.

At first glance, Qiang Dao'an seems to be a very stern person. Even dressed in a loose white divine robe, it seems to transform upon him, mysteriously appearing very well-fitted and impeccably tailored.

After she finished speaking, Qiang Dao'an indeed withdrew his hand.

"No compensation?"

"Ah..."

"I won't refuse to help." With these words, Qiang Dao'an turned and walked away without a second glance.

The NPC remained frozen in place.

The Divine Envoys have always warmly assisted the city's inhabitants, a tradition unbroken for many years.

This was the first time that a Divine Envoy, a messenger of the gods, demanded compensation and walked away directly without receiving it.

The NPC's gaze lingered on him as he left, unable to regain their composure for a long time.

Throughout the morning, while Wei Yuan and his group were actively assisting the city's residents and diligently gathering "divine power," Qiang Dao'an moved through the city, seemingly no different from the average Divine Envoy... well, not exactly, as he soon distinguished himself.

Qiang Dao'an now had a purse in his hand, a contribution from the only resident that morning who had desperately needed assistance.

In the morning, while each of Wei Yuan's group completed at least five or six tasks, Qiang Dao'an only completed this one.

Yet, if one were to overlook Qiming City, Qiang Dao'an had wandered through the broadest areas and interacted with the most residents among all the Divine Envoys.

It was understandable, as shortly after Wei Yuan and his group entered a neighborhood, they would quickly receive help requests from the residents.

Requests such as, "I want to move this cabinet over there, but I can't manage it. Could the Divine Envoy assist me with this?"

After receiving help, the residents would insist on detaining the Divine Envoys, showering them with a basketful of praises and kind words.

Under such circumstances, completing a task might take only a minute or two, but appeasing the enthusiastic residents could take up to half an hour.

Qiang Dao'an was different.

Upon hearing a request for help, he would extend his hand, "Is there compensation? If not, I won't help."

On average, he dealt with one request every ten seconds, traversing a block in less than five minutes.

Quickly, tales of him spread throughout the city's populace.

Rumors circulated that among the Divine Envoys, a black sheep had emerged, one who refused to help without compensation.

The only NPC that Qiang Dao'an helped was a coincidence; he was walking down the street when he heard a scream emanating from a house.

Qiang Dao'an knocked on the door, and a woman with a bleeding wound on her head bolted out.

Seeing him at the doorway, the woman immediately burst into tears, pleading, "Save me, Divine Envoy!"

Behind her, a man, slightly drunk, holding a bottle of wine, pushed open the door. Upon seeing Qiang Dao'an, he paused, then awkwardly scratched his head with a hint of embarrassment.

"Honorable Divine Envoy, I apologize, this woman has offended you, I'll take her back immediately."

"Wait."

The man paused momentarily, reacting somewhat sluggishly.

His domestic violence was no secret in the city, having been dissuaded by the divine envoys before.

But the compassionate deity cherishes all humans, the envoys would not punish him, at most, reprimand him verbally.

All he needed to do was to exhibit signs of repentance in front of the divine envoys and servants.

At this moment, as the man was about to speak, intending to display his remorse once more, the unfamiliar Divine Envoy before him simply directed his attention to the woman slumped on the ground.

"Do you require assistance, madam?"

The woman hurriedly nodded: "Yes! I do!!"

Even a temporary intervention that would prevent her husband from hitting her today would suffice.

"Compensation." Qiang Dao'an extended his hand.

"What... what kind of compensation?"

This Divine Envoy seemed somewhat different from those she encountered before...

Just as the woman harbored this thought, the Divine Envoy before her patiently elucidated.

"Asking for my help comes with a price. As long as you can afford it, I'll consider any request."

— Any request.

The woman stared at him, seemingly grasping a hint of something.

Under the deity's rule, Qiming City was a blissful, harmonious haven where, under the deity's gaze, everyone must feel happy and satisfied.

Naturally, a broken marriage would be proof of unhappiness; even thinking of "divorce" was forbidden.

Yet, at this moment, the Divine Envoy before her appeared both gentle and ruthless, suggesting that, as long as she was willing to pay the price, he could make anything happen.

"I... I want to break free from him!" The woman said, trembling all over, pointing at her husband who was in front of her.

She was this man's second wife; his previous wife was said to have died due to a severe illness, but the woman had witnessed her pitiable state at the funeral, clearly the result of a brutal beating!

But within Qiming City, murder was prohibited; anyone who defied the deity's will would face divine punishment. The man remained unscathed and alive, naturally, no one dared to accuse him of murder.

"If I don't escape him, I will eventually die..." tears streamed down the woman's face, "I am willing to give any form of compensation! Just to be rid of this man!"

Qiang Dao'an smiled, "As you wish."

Having said that, he extended his hand—

The abusive man had not yet registered what was happening, the alcohol numbing his senses, as he continued to jeer and threaten his second wife, whom he deemed completely incapable of opposing him.

"Compensation? What money do you have? You dare to think of getting away from me? Seeking death..."

A barely visible red thread shot out from Qiang Dao'an's hand, instantly piercing through the man's neck.

Until the moment of his death, the man had not realized what had transpired.

Under the rule of the benevolent deity, the divine envoys were known for their gentlest voices and mildest temperaments.

How could they... commit murder...

Only when the corpse heavily thudded onto the ground did the stunned woman regain her senses.

She stared blankly at the corpse in front of her, her expression a complex mix of an urge to smile and an urge to cry.

"He's dead... truly dead..."

He had finally died!!

From now on, she wouldn't have to live in perpetual fear of the next beating, whether or not she would survive to see the next year... but now that he was dead... what should she do?

The deity would punish her, wouldn't it??

But it was a divine envoy who had killed... why would a divine envoy commit murder??

The woman raised her head in a daze, looking towards Qiang Dao'an.

Qiang Dao'an stood there, blocking the sunlight that tried to reach beyond him.

His shadow cast upon her face, he simply extended his hand once again.

"Compensation."

"Comp... compensation, oh, yes... compensation..."

The woman, with faltering steps, managed to get up from the ground, walking back into the house, soon returning with a bag of money.

"This is all the money we have in the house..."

Qiang Dao'an opened the money bag, pouring out half of its contents.

"This will be sufficient."

With that, he turned around and left the room, leaving behind a woman who could no longer stand firmly, collapsing onto the ground, and a corpse lying rigid on the floor.

Handling all of this only took five minutes. Qiang Dao'an moved at a brisk pace, covering half of Qiming City in the span of a morning.

By the time they returned to the Divine Residence Tower at noon, Wei Yuan and the others were whispering animatedly about the gains of their morning, their faces tinged with a hint of excitement.

This excitement stemmed not only from the growth in divine power but also significantly from the gratitude of the citizens they had helped, bringing everyone a sense of psychological fulfillment.

More and more, they felt that Qiming City was truly wonderful, and that everyone was immensely blessed.

The moment Qiang Dao'an pushed the door open, the lively discussion paused and the room fell silent as everyone turned to look at him.

It was Wei Yuan who stood up, a hint of awkwardness evident in his demeanor.

"Brother Qiang, you're back? How was your harvest this morning?"

Without a word, Qiang Dao'an placed the bag of money he was holding onto the table.

Everyone exchanged puzzled glances. Being the closest to him, Wei Yuan opened the bag, unclear of its contents.

"Ah..."

They had been in Qiming City for quite some time now, with every need met, none of them had carried a single penny on them.

Where had Qiang Dao'an gotten this money?

Someone with keen eyes noticed a faint brown mark on the grey cloth bag, resembling a bloodstain.

Did... Brother Qiang rob someone?

Looking at the money bag, Wei Yuan inquired perplexedly, "This is..."

"Compensation."

Qiang Dao'an's response left the players feeling baffled.

However, it was evident he had his reasons, and though they didn't understand, no one dared to inquire further, leaving the room enveloped in silence once again.

In the morning, Qi Chanyang had been instructed to join Wei Yuan and the others in their activities, to observe Wei Yuan's condition without engaging in any task or earning divine power.

Qiang Dao'an suspected that something was amiss with Wei Yuan, possibly being the worst off among the players.

Throughout the morning, Qi Chanyang watched as Wei Yuan assisted the city's residents and basked in their enthusiastic praises, returning to the Divine Residence Tower with a buoyant disposition, constantly mentioning "deities" and the like.

Qi Chanyang felt something was off but couldn't pinpoint exactly what.

As Qiang Dao'an returned, Qi Chanyang glanced at the money bag on the table, a fleeting thought crossed his mind but wasn't captured distinctly.

Did Brother Qiang and Brother Jie have some sort of plan? What were they intending to do?

As Qi Chanyang pondered this, at that moment, the door swung open.

Jie Fangcheng briskly walked in, and once beside Qiang Dao'an, he flung himself onto a stool next to him. He reached into his pocket, pulled something out, and tossed it into Qiang Dao'an's hand.

"The daytime star never shone, so I broke it off."

Wei Yuan hastily craned his neck in curiosity towards what was in Qiang Dao'an's hand, only to freeze in astonishment a moment later.

In Qiang Dao'an's hand was a... candle.

Or rather, a candle fitted into a candlestick.

Early in the morning, the two had split up; Qiang Dao'an, the charlatan of a deity, went to the city to play the role of a God's favorite, while Jie Fangcheng headed to the easternmost temple to sprawl atop it, observing the occurrences during the day.

They had started their day quite early, but by the time Jie Fangcheng arrived, the candle, which was burnt to a third the previous day in the temple, had already been replaced with a new one.

Throughout the morning, residents continuously came to kneel before the statue, offering their prayers.

However, the residents' prayers were simply that—prayers, usually concluding within five or six minutes.

After praying, they would walk up to the statue, cut their fingers, and let drops of blood fall at the statue's base.

The blood vanished swiftly, as if it had never been there in the first place, leaving the statue in its pristine condition.

This phenomenon served as a testament to the residents' firm belief that "the gods are watching over Qiming City."

All morning, the stream of residents in the city was unending, and nothing else occurred until Jie Fangcheng returned.

Left with no other options, Jie Fangcheng decisively entered and broke off a wall-mounted candlestick along with the candle to bring it back.

The residents praying in the temple had never expected to witness such a scene in their lifetimes, watching him in dumbfounded silence.

The players hadn't anticipated this either.

"You... why did you take this?"

Before the question could fully hang in the air, the door to the Divine Residence Tower's hall was pushed open once again.

The chief deity servant, responsible for overseeing the players' daily lives, including meals and travel, was a prominent figure in the city.

Before the arrival of the god's favorites, the deity servants held the highest status in the city, typically selected from amongst the god-child's siblings.

Upon becoming a deity servant, they would receive the blessings of the gods, bestowed with divine power beyond the reach of ordinary people.

When Wei Yuan and the others first arrived, they had tentatively gauged that these deity servants were not particularly strong.

At this moment, the deity servant chief, who had always shown respect towards the players, was wearing a furrowed brow, her gaze fixated squarely on Jie Fangcheng.

"I heard from the city's residents that you, esteemed god's favorite, have taken a candlestick and candle from the temple?" Her expression held a hint of restrained anger. "The temple is the dwelling place of the gods, built entirely in accordance with the gods' will! It should not be damaged in the slightest!"

After saying this, she took a deep breath, "Even if you miss the gods dearly, it is not appropriate to bring items from the temple back here. Please hand the candlestick over to me, so I can return and reinstall it."

As she spoke, the deity servant chief began walking forward, followed closely by two aides wielding long spears.

Jie Fangcheng refused curtly and unequivocally, "No."

The High Priestess nearly crushed the longsword in her grip.

As she was summoning the patience to persuade him further, Jie Fangcheng spoke up, "If the deity is angry, let them come and demand it from me themselves."

The High Priestess froze for a moment before exploding in fury, "How dare you, a favored of the gods, show such disdain towards the deity! Even if you are the deity's favorite, this is suicidal behavior!"

Jie Fangcheng promptly drew his own sword.

"Enough talk, are you looking for a fight or not?"

His boldness caught not only the High Priestess but also the players off guard.

Wei Yuan, who was sitting beside him, tried to mediate, "Easy there, Brother Jie..."

The High Priestess could only glare at him angrily, the bones of her fingers whitening as she gripped her sword tightly, but in the end, she swallowed her boiling rage.

"Distinguished Envoy, the deity sees all and is omnipresent. They will punish anyone who disrespects their majesty!"

Leaving behind those words, the High Priestess, followed by two equally enraged temple guards, stormed off.

Once the three NPCs had left, a buzzing discussion erupted among the people once again.

"Brother Jie, what on earth are you guys trying to do?"

Jie Fangcheng glanced at Zhang Daoan, who chose not to explain.

Instead, he said, "I killed a civilian in the city, and they didn't question it at all."

The news of the domestic abuse victim with her door always left open, and the peeping onlookers quickly spread throughout the entire Qiming City.

But the High Priestess didn't come after Zhang Daoan returned, only rushing over when Jie Fangcheng broke off the candlestick.

Clearly, the life of a city resident was less important than a candlestick in the temple.

Zhang Daoan's words were cryptic, leaving the surrounding players to ask confusedly once again, "What do you mean? Brother Zhang, who did you kill?"

Wei Yuan couldn't help but shake his head again, feeling more and more as if a layer in his mind was holding him back. But this layer, like a protective membrane, seemed to make him forget painful memories, leaving only the pleasant and peaceful ones more vivid.

Hearing Zhang Daoan's words at this moment, Wei Yuan suddenly blurted out amidst his confusion, "Why kill a resident? In this city of happiness, murder is forbidden! Everyone has the right to reform, it's too cruel to punish someone who is about to repent!"

Although everyone seemed somewhat engrossed in their dreamlike state, hearing Wei Yuan's words made them pause collectively, their first reaction surprisingly being... he has a point, the compassionate deity would be saddened.

But beyond this fleeting thought, they were players after all and quickly shrugged off the notion.

"What are you talking about, Wei Yuan??"

Wei Yuan, who had spoken these words, suddenly regained clarity.

He let out a startled "ah".

Having cleared this stage many times, Wei Yuan instinctively sensed danger. Like a not fully sealed membrane revealing a tiny crack, the painful yet real memories in the game peeked through, giving him a rare moment of lucidity.

In that moment, Wei Yuan abruptly lifted his head to look at Jie Fangcheng.

"Something is off..."

But this rare moment of clarity lasted merely a blink; when Jie Fangcheng asked him “what’s off?” Wei Yuan opened his mouth, struggling.

Once again, his heart was engulfed by the euphoric sensation that lingered from the dreamland.

Qiming City truly was the best place... under the benevolent gaze of the deity, how could there possibly be anything amiss?

Wei Yuan stammered, "...Nothing."

Jie Fangcheng and Zhang Daoan exchanged a glance.

In the afternoon, everyone gathered together, once more utilizing their divine powers to search for the Godchild within the city.

Wei Yuan was the one who found the highest number of players yet again.

Three!

Now, they had located a total of fifty-two Godchildren, surpassing half the mark toward one hundred.

"Good job, old Wei! At this pace, won't we be able to gather all the Godchildren quite soon?"

A blissful smile spread across Wei Yuan's face.

"Indeed!"

Once all the Godchildren were gathered, he could dedicate them to the deity he revered... No, that's not right... Something’s wrong...

It was... they were supposed to return to the game with Qiao Mai, and then live together happily...

They needed to find the guild leader in the game; the guild leader had returned...

Wei Yuan couldn't resist shaking his head again, as if trying to dispel the confusion.

Ever since returning yesterday, Qiao Mai had been keeping a close watch on him.

Something was not right with Wei Yuan.

Qiao Mai noticed this and attempted to jog Wei Yuan’s memory repeatedly using their shared past recollections. It was somewhat effective, but as time passed, the effectiveness seemed to be dwindling.

At this moment, looking at Wei Yuan's slightly glazed eyes, even though her reaction had also become somewhat sluggish, Qiao Mai could not sense the impending danger, just like how one cannot be awakened by the pain of flames in a dream.

But her intuition was screaming at her that Wei Yuan needed help.

Who could possibly help him now?

Qiao Mai turned her gaze towards Jie Fangcheng and Zhang Daoan.

"Brother Jie, Brother Zhang," Qiao Mai spoke, her current state resembling that of inebriation, unable to fully comprehend her own actions. She voiced her intuition, "Something is seriously wrong with Wei Yuan. He really needs your help right now."