Chapter 303

"Welcome! Welcome, both of you!"

Seeing the shimmering badges on Li Ang and Tom's chests, the priests guarding the outer perimeter of the sect's core area recognized the golden claw emblem unique to "Major Clients," and their smiles bloomed brighter than open trumpet flowers.

After personally opening the gate and stepping aside to clear the path to the core area, the female priest bowed deeply and smiled warmly at Li Ang.

"The Grain Spirit who walks beneath the rice stalks, the Singer hidden in the shadow of the bright moon, the Sentinel who treads within the night's veil… Which of them do you wish to pay homage to?"

Grain Spirit? Singer? Sentinel?

Slightly startled by the priestess's question, Li Ang had no idea what she meant—but adhered to the principle that silence prevents exposure, offering only a gentle smile. Tom, beside him, smoothly took over with a cheerful reply.

"We are all beings nourished by rice, siblings raised by the light of heaven and the bounty of the fields—there is but one choice… Kindly guide us."

"You are too kind. As fellow brothers and sisters of the black-scaled, white-spotted, it is my duty."

After completing the "password" exchange with Tom, the female priestess—whose neck bore snake-like scales—asked no further questions. She turned and entered the gate, leading Li Ang and Tom down a slimy, cold, damp corridor.

'Her question just now was asking which of the three Holy Spirits we follow.'

As his hand rested on Li Ang's shoulder, the lazy youth's lips never moved as he explained.

'The three Holy Spirits of the Weighing Gold Sect were once messengers of the God of Agriculture and Livestock, before being taken and transformed by the sect's True God.'

'The Serpent Spirit was born from a farmer's prayer: that snakes would hunt pests and thieves among the fields—rats and birds that steal grain—but never harm the crops themselves. Hence, the Grain Spirit who walks beneath the rice stalks.'

'The Singer in the moon's reflection refers to the toad that croaks loudly at its own image in water—that very toad you killed and turned into a Holy Spirit pendant. It embodies the wish to eliminate pests like mosquito larvae, ensuring a safe and bountiful harvest.'

'As for the Sentinel who treads within the night's veil—that is the cat, active at night, guarding the granaries. It symbolizes the protection of grain from theft and waste, perfectly matching the cat's natural habit of hunting rats in the granary.'

So that's how it is…

After grasping the meaning of the "password," Li Ang asked, puzzled:

'Given this origin, these three Holy Spirits should be benevolent spirits born of pure hopes.'

'But I've seen that toad—it felt nothing like that. It was cruel, evil, a malevolent spirit. What happened?'

'A great deal happened.'

Tom nodded.

'Since the Kingdom of Krok began selling steam-powered farm machinery, many who once toiled on farms and lands lost their identity as farmers. The God of Agriculture and Livestock's power weakened drastically.'

'Rice, in a sense, symbolizes wealth. The serpent that protects rice protects wealth. The toad that ensures harvests nurtures wealth. The cat that guards granaries defends wealth. All three of the God of Agriculture's messengers align perfectly with the True God of the Weighing Gold Sect's "Wealth" domain.'

'So he took advantage of the God of Agriculture's weakness and seized them, transforming them into his own Holy Spirits.'

'As for why these three originally benevolent spirits, born of pure wishes, became so cruel and twisted now… perhaps wealth drives people mad?'

Through the account of Tom Leinard, Level-One Cleanser of the Cleansing Bureau's Branch Office, you gained extensive intelligence on the "Wealth-Exchange Toad," "Life-Exchange Black Serpent," and "Fate-Exchange Flower Cat." The anomalous badge "Materialist Soul Crimson" activated.

Having understood the activation rules of the "Wealth-Exchange Toad," "Life-Exchange Black Serpent," and "Fate-Exchange Flower Cat," your resistance to these anomalies has greatly increased—you can now fully shield against deeper influences.

…

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived."

As the system's mechanical tone ended, the dark corridor reached its end.

Pushing open the small door at the corridor's end, the guide priestess gestured them forward with a smile.

"Once you crawl through here, you enter the Secret Shrine of the Serpent Spirit. All other worshippers are already waiting inside."

"But you've come at an unfortunate time—the Serpent Spirit is currently absent, delayed by certain matters. Yet according to his prior divine decree, he will return to the shrine to receive your homage within half a day at most."

Half a day?

Hearing the priestess's words, Li Ang turned his head slightly and met the lazy youth's gaze.

If he understood correctly, those "certain matters" referred to Emma, trapped—and the half-day limit was likely the exact time remaining before her immortal body's resurrection count was entirely "used up." Even that was a conservative estimate; the real time left was probably shorter.

They had to move faster.

Either find Emma within half a day—or create a disturbance large enough to force the serpent to return on its own.

Having reached silent agreement through eye contact, Li Ang and Tom politely bid farewell to the guide priestess, then crouched low and crawled through the narrow door at the corridor's end.

"Sss?!!"

Staring at his own long, crimson body, then at the towering golden plants around him, Li Ang's eyes widened in shock—or rather, his cold, vertical pupils dilated.

"Sss."

A hiss echoed—a spotted snake with a white base and red-blue markings slithered over, curling its tail to gently brush Li Ang's body. Tom's familiar voice echoed directly in Li Ang's mind.

'Don't panic. We haven't truly become snakes. This is merely a spiritual manifestation, designed to facilitate worship.'

'Holy Spirits aren't True Gods—they can't directly link to so many chaotic souls at once. The shrine's power temporarily aligns the worshippers' spirits with the Holy Spirit's form. Once we leave, we'll return to normal.'

'Also, don't speak aloud.'

'All spirits inside the shrine are temporarily linked. You still can't mask your mental fluctuations—speaking would be like shouting your thoughts to everyone here. You'd be exposed.'

Tom?

Watching the spotted snake—white base, red-blue spots, like a die—Li Ang calmed down, nodded to show he understood, then carefully maneuvered his tail into a clumsy "?" shape.

'You're asking what we do next?'

Nod.

'First, we go where the snakes are thick. Find the Serpent Spirit's High Priest. Only those blessed by the Holy Spirit can actively communicate with it inside the shrine.'

Peering out from beneath the canopy of rice stalks, the lazy youth's spotted snake form said:

'Help me look—any Serpent Spirit High Priest has received a blessing. Their tail bears a single black-scale with white markings, growing backward. Find that reversed black-and-white scale, and we've found… uh…'

Staring at the small crimson snake's tail—where a single reversed black-and-white scale gleamed—the spotted snake tilted its head, blinking in utter bewilderment as it flicked its tongue.

Wait… what side are you even on?