Chapter 705: The Scale Gold Gathering (Part 2)

"Welcome! Welcome, both of you!"

Seeing the glowing badges on Li Ang and Tom's chests, the priests guarding the outer perimeter of the gathering hall recognized the golden cat paw emblem unique to "major clients," and their smiles bloomed brighter than trumpet flowers in full bloom.

After actively opening the gate and clearing 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?

Startled by the priestess's question and utterly confused, Li Ang did not immediately ask for clarification; adhering to the principle that silence prevents exposure, he offered a gentle smile instead. Tom, beside him, smoothly took over and replied with a cheerful grin.

"We are all beings nourished by rice, brothers and sisters sustained by sunlight and fields—there is but one choice… Kindly guide us."

"You are too kind. As fellow brothers and sisters of black scales and white spots, it is my duty."

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

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

As his hand rested on Li Ang's shoulder, the lazy youth's lips did not move as he explained.

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

'The Serpent Spirit was born from a farmer's prayer—that snakes would hunt pests, mice, and birds in the fields to protect the rice, but never harm the farmer himself—thus, the Grain Spirit who walks beneath the rice stalks.'

'The Singer in the shadow of the bright moon refers to the toad that croaks loudly at the reflection of the moon in water—that very toad you killed and turned into a Holy Spirit pendant—its prayer was to eliminate pests like mosquito larvae, ensuring a safe and bountiful harvest.'

'As for the Sentinel who treads within the night's veil, it naturally refers to the cat that prowls at night to guard the granaries, symbolizing the protection of grain from theft and waste—perfectly matching the cat's behavior of hunting rats in the granary.'

So that's how it is…

After roughly understanding the "code," Li Ang asked, puzzled:

'Given this origin, these three Holy Spirits of the Scale Gold Faith should be benevolent spirits born of noble 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 Krolak 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 production protects wealth. The toad that nurtures harvests nurtures wealth. The cat that guards granaries guards wealth. All three became perfectly aligned with the True God of the Scale Gold Faith's "Wealth" domain.'

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

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

{Through the account of Tom Leinas, Level One Cleaner of the Cleanse Bureau's Virgin Branch, you acquired extensive intelligence on "Wealth-Exchange Golden Toad," "Fate-Exchange Black Serpent," and "Fortune-Exchange Flower Cat." The Yisehuizhang "Materialist Soul (Crimson)" has been activated.

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

…

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived."

As the system's mechanical tone ended, the dark tunnel reached its end. The guide priestess pushed open the small door at the tunnel's terminus, gestured them forward, and smiled.

"Once you crawl through here, you enter the Secret Shrine of the Serpent Spirit. Other brothers and sisters seeking homage 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 no more than half a day."

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 running out of her immortality's uses—the half-day limit was likely the remaining time before her rebirths were fully "spent," and even that was a conservative estimate; the real time might be far 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 tunnel's end.

"Sss?!!!"

Looking at his own long, crimson body and 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 body and red-blue markings slithered over, coiling its tail to gently brush against the small red snake. Tom's familiar voice echoed in Li Ang's mind.

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

'Holy Spirits are not True Gods—they cannot simultaneously link to so many fragmented souls. The shrine's power temporarily aligns the believers' spirits with the Holy Spirit's form. Once we leave, we'll return to normal.'

'Also, don't speak aloud.'

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

Tom?

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

'You're asking what we should do next?'

Nod.

'First, we go where the snakes gather. Find the High Priest of the Serpent Spirit. Only those blessed by the Holy Spirit can actively commune with it within the shrine.'

After peering out from beneath the woven canopy of rice stalks and surveying the field, the lazy youth's spotted snake form spoke:

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

Staring at the small red snake's tail, which bore a single reversed black-and-white scale, the spotted snake tilted its head, bewildered, and flicked its tongue.

Wait… what side are you even on?

(End of Chapter)