Chapter 460: The Hanged Man

"Is this… death?"

Seeing the golden toad statue on the altar lose its golden luster and turn dull as a clay idol, the few people in the chamber filled with anticipation were stunned.

"How is this possible?!"

One middle-aged man with golden hair showed the most agitation; he stared at the now-cracked toad statue and said in disbelief:

"I investigated him thoroughly! Old Charles was just an ordinary man, with only an uncanny business sense—how could he possibly resist the Holy Spirit of the Scale Gold Sect? Something must have happened over there that we don't know about!"

"You don't know a lot of things!"

Gazing with deep sorrow at the shattered statue on the altar, an elderly man with a rose emblem embroidered on his chest slammed his fist on the table and roared at the middle-aged man with fury in his eyes:

"Thomas! We agreed from the start: once you toppled Charles Department Store, the Lyon family would join the York family in investing to expand our Masei family's department store.

We gave you shares in Rose Department Store! We invested money in the hydropower company! We even helped you undermine the municipal water dam! But Rose Department Store didn't grow—it's now on the verge of being crushed!"

Still not satisfied, the Masei elder pounded the table violently, losing all composure as he shouted at the golden-haired man:

"You said Old Charles's promotion had trapped too many people, and you had no good solution—only unconventional methods could fix it.

Fine! Use unconventional methods! I even brought you the Holy Spirit of the Scale Gold Sect! Is that unconventional enough?

You bastard said that once the Holy Spirit descended and caused a mass death event, you could pressure the city government into ordering the suspension of Charles Department Store's promotion under the guise of safety, cutting off its last breath…

But what happened? Tell me what happened! The Holy Spirit is dead!! How am I supposed to explain this to the Scale Gold Sect? You're fucking…!"

"Enough!"

As the elegantly dressed elder's words grew increasingly harsh, the golden-haired man's expression darkened; he glared back coldly:

"I'm human—not an omniscient god! How could I possibly predict such an improbable event?

Besides, I never wanted your Masei family involved—it was you who came crawling to us! And you were the one who summoned the Scale Gold Sect's Holy Spirit yourself!

Don't you remember? To summon that toad, you demanded countless favors from us! And yet it was killed without even making a sound! I think your so-called Scale Gold Sect is nothing but…"

"Enough, both of you."

Just as the conflict was about to erupt fully, a voice cold as ice shards rang out, halting the escalation.

"Mr. Thomas."

After calling the golden-haired man's name, the black-robed figure seated at the head turned and fixed him with a serious gaze:

"Though the Scale Gold Sect is no great sect, it ultimately answers to a True God. If you don't want endless assassinations from them, watch your words. And…"

Turning to the elderly man brimming with murderous intent, the black-robed figure continued in a voice so cold it made one shiver, emotionless:

"The Holy Spirit you summoned didn't die by murder—it encountered something incomprehensible, causing it to doubt the very beliefs it had held for so long, and thus collapsed."

After hearing the black-robed figure's judgment, the York family's representative, who had remained silent until now, asked in quiet astonishment:

"Just because it doubted… it died?"

"Not merely doubt—it could no longer convince itself… but you may understand it that way.

As Holy Spirits born of faith and concepts, their existence is the very aggregation of belief and rule. When they begin doubting what they once held sacred, they lose the meaning of their existence—and naturally, they cannot help but die."

Here, the black-robed figure shook his head and concluded with cold indifference:

"Only extremes are remembered. Only obsession dares to press forward. Only madness grasps greatness."

"To you humans, such extreme obsession may be hard to accept—but it is precisely this obsession that is the source of the Holy Spirits' strength, and also their most fatal weakness. If you still cannot understand, imagine them as the Hanged Man, who believes the sky is below and the earth above, and thus walks freely through the heavens.

But once they begin doubting those long-held beliefs, they destroy the very logic that lets them stand in the sky—and can only flail helplessly, falling from the heavens to die crushed upon the earth… Understood?"

"I think I understand a little…"

The York representative frowned, thought for a moment, then asked:

"So… what exactly did the Scale Gold Sect's Holy Spirit encounter? Can you guess?"

"I can guess something."

At this, the black-robed figure narrowed his eyes, expressionless:

"Elsewhere, it might be harder to guess—but since this happened in the Imperial Capital… the only person capable of utterly shattering a Holy Spirit's belief can only be one."

…

"Achoo!!!"

Strange… I still sneeze?

Slightly surprised, he rubbed his suddenly itchy nose, then sat upright in his office chair and curiously opened the file in his hands.

【Report on the Clearance of the Scale Gold Sect Holy Spirit Descent Incident】

【Incident Rating: Catastrophic】

【Incident Status: Cleared】

【Incident Officer: Li Ang Lyon】

【Used Anomalous Objects: Devil's Horn, Witch's Broom】

【Casualties: 1 minor injury】

【…】

Meanwhile…

"I'm so sorry! I'm truly, truly sorry!!!"

Looking at Li Ang, bandaged in thick layers and wearing a neck brace beneath his collar, the young woman with a doll-like face and a professional skirt bowed deeply to the floor, tears streaming as she wept:

"If only I'd inspected the money chest more carefully when it was made, and had the casing reinforced, you wouldn't have been injured by the falling gold wheel inside! Oh… it's all my fault…"

Uh… my injury really isn't your fault…

Watching the doll-faced girl sobbing bitterly, her eyes swollen shut, Li Ang—whose cervical vertebrae and ribs had been crushed by the gold wheel—could find no words.

If I recall correctly, during the Red Brick Hospital incident, when the God of Evil's Brain transformed the event into a gas pipe explosion, you were the one who took the blame for inadequate inspections and came crying to apologize.

And now, after the Holy Spirit descent incident was altered into a gold wheel collapsing inside the money chest and injuring me as I passed by—you're again the one taking the blame, coming here to cry and apologize.

Studying the girl before him, who was weeping so heartbreakingly, Li Ang could only grimace.

Girl… is your luck just that bad?

(End of Chapter)