Chapter 1053

After deciding on the next direction, Lu Mian cast his gaze outside the carriage window.

At this time, the rental carriage had arrived at the gray-white city wall that surrounded the whole of Trier, queuing to leave the city.

The church newly established by the "Fool" Church in Trier was located in the outskirts, close to the bend of the Selenzo River. The river surface was wide, transportation was convenient, and there were wharves and stations. It was a picturesque small town.

After Lu Mian arrived at this small town named Rambouillet, he found that it was not small at all. There were many steam ships at the wharf, and the streets and alleys were crowded with people, very lively.

Asking the carriage driver, Lu Mian roughly understood the reason:

Most goods, if they want to enter Trier, have to pay an entry tax, but the tax rate is different. Therefore, many things that don't need to be sold in Trier or transited through Trier are unloaded in Rambouillet and sent to surrounding towns, which made this small town gradually prosperous and also gathered many sea merchants, adventurers, and sailors, bringing the "Fool" faith.

Lu Mian heard Franca mention that the "Eternal Blazing Sun" Church had always wanted to abolish the entry tax to prosper commerce and increase circulation, but this tax was one of the main sources of income for the Intis Republic, and Trier's entry tax was equivalent to the sum of the entry taxes of several large cities, so the government couldn't give it up at all.

Lu Mian put on the wide-brimmed round hat, let the black veil hang down, and strolled around Rambouillet.

Soon, he found the "Fool" Church, now called Saint Lu Mian Church, but didn't rush in, just stopped on the street to admire the large glass windows and simple outer walls for a while.

"Hope one day, there won't be any clergy saying just be wronged, Saint Lu Mian..." After making a joke in a self-deprecating way, Lu Mian continued forward.

The mainstream faith of this small town was the "Eternal Blazing Sun," worshipping the patron angel of Trier, Saint Vief.

Lu Mian looked at the angel statue carved from white stone a few times and walked into a bar diagonally opposite the plaza.

The business of this bar was very good. When the weekend came, many Trier people would come over to enjoy various alcoholic beverages that didn't need to pay entry tax.

Just as Lu Mian pushed open the heavy wooden door of the bar, he felt eyes cast toward him, some surprised, some amazed, some greedy, some excited, and some like poisonous snakes slowly swimming on his body.

He then remembered that he was now a lady, a lady who radiated great charm even with a veil covering her face.

When I was a man before, I wouldn't be like this. At most, a thief would observe me to judge whether there was value and possibility of stealing... Sigh, there's no sense of harmony of "going home"... Lu Mian shook his head slowly and took a revolver directly from the "Traveler's Bag."

He reached out and pressed the door frame, pointed the revolver at the ceiling, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

"Bang!"

The bullet knocked down clusters of dust, and those people in the bar were like athletes who heard the starting gun, flying away in all directions.

This left a wide path for Lu Mian to the bar counter.

After the chaotic and noisy hiding scene subsided, Lu Mian lifted the "Bottle of Fiction," holding the revolver, and said in a cold but soft voice while walking toward the bar counter:

"I just want to drink."

He then sat on a high stool, knocked on the counter, and said to the bartender who was staring at him in a daze:

"A glass of 'Green Fairy'."

The bartender woke up and hurriedly poured a glass of absinthe for Lu Mian, adding a little lemon juice.

Lu Mian didn't take off his hat or lift his veil, slowly sipping the wine with bitterness and fragrance.

Others in the bar gradually returned to normal. In this small town where pirates and adventurers often appeared, they were already used to similar things, which was why they were so skilled just now.

Lu Mian listened quietly to their chatting and whispering, trying to discover useful intelligence from it, especially those pointing to the "Disease Sect."

But unfortunately, what he heard was mainly discussions about himself.

The most discussed was what a person of dual bodies was.

This was not lacking in artistic interpretation, such as "having a male body, but also a female side, is fire, and also frost," and not lacking in lewd and filthy ones, such as "swollen on top, hard on the bottom."

Lu Mian cast his gaze toward the drunkard who said the latter sentence.

His eyes, clear like a high-altitude lake, were like mirrors, reflecting the other party's figure.

The drunkard was using lewd movements to cooperate with the description just now, and suddenly felt intense pain in his chest and lower body, as if he was being burned by fire.

He screamed and fell to the ground, rolling in pain.

This made the people around him who were echoing that joke stunned.

After ten or twenty seconds, the drunkard finally came alive. He held onto the chair beside him and stood up tremblingly.

"What happened just now?"

"Sudden illness?"

"You should go to the clinic quickly!"

Those people around opened their mouths one after another.

The drunkard shook his head in a daze:

"Suddenly hurt just now, nothing happened now..."

As he spoke, he lowered his head to check his physical condition, and was surprised to find that his chest had swollen strangely due to unknown burning, and his lower body had become like stone, poking up his crotch.

Almost at the same time, the people around also discovered this situation.

"Swollen on top, hard on the bottom..." I don't know who repeated the drunkard's words just now.

This... The people around quickly moved away from this area, and cast defensive gazes toward the drunkard one after another:

It's him, it's him who insulted the Saint, it has nothing to do with us!

We didn't stand next to him either. When lightning strikes him, don't affect us!

In fear, everyone present couldn't help but have a thought:

Is the new patron saint of the "Fool" Church so effective?

Lu Mian withdrew his gaze and let the reflected figure disappear.

This was a small punishment and wouldn't affect substantial function or physical health.

For Lu Mian, insulting him didn't matter at all, he would just find an opportunity to play a prank, but insulting Aurore was not allowed.

Moreover, this was also an opportunity, an opportunity to reasonably use fear to spread faith.

At the same time, it could also digest the "Witch" potion.

Lu Mian looked at the absinthe in his hand and saw his face with a veil, appearing and disappearing in the liquid reflecting dreamy green light.

…………

The dark red wine swayed gently, and three wooden dolls with blurry faces were placed beside it.

Franca leaned back against the chair, leisurely admiring the blood color that had penetrated into the texture of the wooden dolls and the hair that had drilled into the gaps.

After watching for a few seconds, she turned to look at the three men standing in front of the desk and said with a smile:

"I only have two requirements for you:

"First, help me collect various intelligence, and second, abide by these thirteen rules I have formulated and treat those dancing girls and street girls well."

After Franca finished speaking, Jenna took the paper and read it out:

"First, no coercion;

"Second, ensure enough rest;

"..."

"Thirteenth, provide basic medical protection."

"We are gangsters, not doing charity!" The most hot-tempered one among the three blurted out.

Franca laughed:

"Right, I'm not doing charity either."

She then flicked a quiet black flame, letting it fall on one of the wooden dolls.

That wooden doll was immediately covered by black flames, burning quietly.

The gangster boss who spoke just now screamed, and strands of evil black flames erupted from his body.

He knelt on the ground in pain, his face twisted as he shouted:

"I, I was wrong.

"I am doing charity!

"I promise! I promise!"

Franca and Jenna didn't respond, watching silently until the gangster boss went limp on the ground, convulsing and dying.

Franca then looked at the other two gangster bosses and asked with a smile:

"Do you have any objections?"

"No." The two gangster bosses were now competing in the speed of shaking their heads.

After Jenna posted the paper with the thirteen rules on the wall, Franca stood up and said:

"Remember to read it every day. If there is any violation..."

Franca picked up the remaining two wooden dolls:

"You should know what they represent. This is the 'Witch's' curse medium."

After becoming a "Pleasure Witch" and being able to directly apply curses through mirrors, Franca no longer used similar black magic in battles, but mirror curses were real-time and couldn't be fixed. To control these two gangster bosses and make them obedient, she still had to take their blood and hair to make mediums similar to wooden dolls.

And for an "Unaging Witch," mastering this kind of medium could also affect the target's immediate family.

"Know, know." The two gangster bosses were now competing in nodding.

Jenna thought for a moment and said to Franca:

"Can I add a rule?"

"Of course." Franca smiled.

Jenna picked up the pen and added one more rule to the posted paper:

"Fourteenth, the annual interest rate of usury cannot exceed 36%, and no extra fees such as handling fees and service fees can be charged."

"Any problems?" Jenna turned and smiled.

The two gangster bosses who were asked didn't dare to have any objections.

Franca put away the two curse wooden dolls and said casually while walking toward the door:

"I know you have some supporters behind you. I don't care what they think, and it won't affect you fighting for territory and making money here. All I want are the two things just now.

"If your supporters behind you are not convinced, let them come and see this statue."

As she spoke, gray-white light spread and fell on the dead gangster boss.

The corpse quickly turned into a stone statue.

"Is this okay? If they want to be unfavorable to me, you will secretly notify me, right?" Franca looked back at the remaining two gangster bosses and asked with a smile.

The two gangster bosses first showed an uncontrollable expression of infatuation, then hurriedly responded:

"Will! Will!"

Out of the room, Franca walked toward the dancing girls and street girls waiting at the stairwell in fear.

"Boss..." some of the girls shouted happily.

Franca nodded gently:

"It will return to the way it was before.

"But I still want to say, this is not a long-term profession."

…………

Opposite the Old Pigeon Theater, Franca and Jenna sat on the row chairs, watching the audience and actors coming in and out peacefully.

"Not going over to say hello?" Jenna asked.

Franca smiled:

"Not going. Since they are living quite well, there's no need to go over."

"That's true." Jenna nodded.

Franca turned her head and said half-sincerely and half-jokingly:

"This is left for you. You will be the protector of actresses in the future."

After watching for a while, they returned to the luxury villa.

At this time, Lu Mian had already returned and was saying to Anthony:

"Help me collect intelligence on the 'Disease Sect'."

"'Disease Sect'..." Franca suddenly understood what Lu Mian wanted to do and smiled:

"I also have intelligence channels now. I'll let them pay attention!"