Chapter 28: You, an Elf?

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"A special offer, thirty thousand gold coins," the priest behind the window said as he took the application form Renata had just filled out, pointing at the box beside him.

"How much?"

Renata was a little dazed—thirty thousand gold coins, that was already an amount beyond what a family could spend in a lifetime.

Even for over ten thousand gold coins, many mid-sized merchant associations might not even have ten thousand gold coins in total liquidity.

Only those massive, transnational businesses like the Flowing Silver Auction House might have tens of thousands of gold coins in cash flow.

As for Renata... Even though she now had the wealth her entire clan had saved over hundreds of years, it only amounted to six or seven thousand gold coins.

"This...?"

Lyle, standing to the side, looked utterly confused. He found everything in front of him absurd.

Not to mention, why didn't such an important application require any tests and only needed a form to be filled out?

The Temple of the Gods was obviously a church-like organization, so why was it so full of the stench of copper and greed?

It looked more like a merchant guild than a holy sanctuary.

"You want to ask why this Temple of the Gods is like this, completely different from the headquarters you went to when you were chosen as a hero?"

"Want to know? I'll tell you,"

'Okay',

Lyle nodded. "Go ahead, I would really like to know why the Temple of the Gods here is like this."

"Well, actually, out of all the Halls of the Gods, only the branch in Adventurer City is like this,"

Jiang Cheng explained with a snap of her fingers.

"Then, why—"

"Don't rush,"

Jiang Cheng interrupted Lyle's question with a smile.

"It's because Adventurer City is also the world's largest city of commerce. Seventy percent of all expenses across the world's Halls of the Gods are covered by the profits of just this one Hall."

"So,"

Lyle seemed to understand a bit, "you're saying they have no choice—they're just trying to make enough money? But—"

"No,"

Jiang Cheng cut him off again, saying,

"What I mean is, these people really know how to spend money—they must live outrageous lives."

"Huh?"

Jiang Cheng looked at Lyle's startled expression with a smiling gaze. Mm, that's right—only by dispelling all glamour, even ceasing to care about humanity, could he become the true hero she hoped would survive to the end.

Integrity, kindness—all those so-called heroic traits; whether he had them or not, it didn't matter.

Meanwhile, her avatar was still confronting the opponent.

"Ha, kill me? Are you nuts?" the avatar said with amusement.

"You dare kill the only Saintess?"

Jiang Cheng narrowed her eyes, wondering where the other's confidence came from.

But this avatar was inconvenient for battle and would suffer backlash if it died, so for now, she could only play with words and see if it had any effect.

"Heh, a Saintess?" the thug sneered. "Let's talk about it if you really are one."

What did that mean?

But before Jiang Cheng could figure it out, the thug charged her, radiating immense intimidation!

In that critical moment, Jiang Cheng had to forcefully use their link to draw on her power.

"Ugh..."

In the side hall, Jiang Cheng suddenly clutched her head in pain.

"Jiang Cheng, are you listening?"

Seeing Jiang Cheng suddenly lower her head, Lyle moved closer and steadied her swaying body.

"Mm,"

Jiang Cheng nodded, lifting her head. "Go on."

"This..."

Lyle looked into her eyes—those pure, luminous golden eyes were now shot through with blood.

"Are you okay? Did someone just use a mental attack on you?"

Lyle asked with concern, glancing warily around.

"I said go on, don't mind me,"

Jiang Cheng said. For some reason, Lyle felt like she was angry.

Looking down, he saw Jiang Cheng glaring at him with bloodshot golden eyes.

"..."

Lyle paused a long while before finally saying, "All right."

For some reason, he really didn't dare refuse Jiang Cheng in this state.

"I was just saying—should we pool some money together to help her?"

Lyle asked.

"Pool our money?"

Jiang Cheng sneered. "You're a hero, not a tycoon. Sure, the Temple of the Gods gives you twenty thousand gold coins a year."

"But..."

Jiang Cheng gave him a cold look. "Do you even have ten thousand gold coins left? I doubt you even have eight thousand left, do you?"

"I have seven thousand left,"

Lyle checked his gold card and finally answered after a pause.

"Heh,"

Jiang Cheng's gaze grew colder. "Giving it away to the poor again? I remember there was a bug disaster on your way here, but it shouldn't have cost so much. Five thousand gold coins should have been enough."

"You spent eight thousand rescuing the slums in Adventurer City? Are you crazy? I seriously don't get it—what's the point of saving those doomed poor people?"

Jiang Cheng got more agitated as she spoke, her eyes growing colder. "It's always like this—risking everything for so-called justice, even your own life. Disgusting."

"Um..."

Lyle said awkwardly, "Four thousand gold coins of that was for the Sword in the Stone you told me to buy."

"Oh."

Hearing this, Jiang Cheng immediately deflated, suddenly unsure what to say.

"Uh..."

Fortunately, another sharp pain struck her brain. Even with her tolerance, the pain from her brain made her sway.

"Jiang Cheng?"

Not wanting her avatar to get hurt again, Jiang Cheng closed her eyes without speaking, poured all her focus into controlling the avatar, and let her own body collapse into Lyle's arms.

"Jiang Cheng? Jiang Cheng?"

Lyle held Jiang Cheng in panic, holy light shining from his hands as he prepared a healing spell.

"This woman—why has she suddenly become stronger?"

The thug's exoskeleton leg pistons whirred as he stomped the floor, jumping backward.

In the next second, a formless blade flashed through the spot he had just occupied.

Now, the avatar was carrying a deep wound, her left arm powerless and limp, a gash nearly splitting her apart.

Jiang Cheng's headaches just now were caused by the feedback from the avatar's severe injuries—the price of the divine art.

"Tsk, if I'm going to focus completely now, I need to get serious."

Although forcibly using her main body's power caused agony throughout her body, it didn't matter.

Only pain could make her feel she was still alive.

Curling her lips in a smile, Jiang Cheng raised her hand and crushed her useless left arm.

With the surge of agony came dozens of mechanical arms that suddenly appeared behind the thug.

Before he could react, several arms seized him in a death grip.

"Hehe."

Jiang Cheng laughed out loud, planning to viciously torture the thug in front of her.

She watched as several free mechanical arms rose, slowly approaching each part of the thug's body.

"Stop! Stop it!" the thug cried out in terror.

Divine casters were also the best interrogators—this was a saying throughout the continent.

These people who played with pain knew better than anyone how to inflict it, which was exactly why he was so afraid.

But obviously, Jiang Cheng wouldn't listen. Those mechanical arms moved ever closer.

"I knew you arrogant and disgusting immortals had nothing good planned!" the thug roared. "You, disguised as a Saintess, disgusting, despicable elf!"

"If I die, the guildmaster will tell the hero who you really are!"

"Eh?"

The mechanical arms froze. Jiang Cheng tilted her head, a glint of coldness flashing through her narrowed eyes.

"How much do you know?"

A wave of unprecedented, intense crisis gripped her—Jiang Cheng felt her heart pounding wildly.

Things, it seemed, were beginning to get interesting.

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