[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ring-of-fate":3,"chapter-the-ring-of-fate-the-ring-of-fate-chapter-44":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Ring of Fate",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2298013,4496,"Chapter 44: Eavesdropping","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-44",44,"\u003Cp>To investigate without triggering anomalies and causing the cycle to restart prematurely, Lu Mi could only consider starting from the fringes of the problem and advancing step by step according to circumstances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His initial plan was to visit the parish priest’s mistresses this afternoon, using eavesdropping and coaxing to see what they knew; if he gained nothing or lacked opportunity, he would go to the church to see if he could encounter the parish priest and speak with him face-to-face about village life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi’s first target was Sibyl Berry, who was both the mistress of Father Guillaume Béne and the sister of the shepherd Pierre Berry, closely linked to both major anomalies—perhaps she knew something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Lu Mi’s friend Little Guillaume, that is, Guillaume Berry, and Pierre Berry were distant cousins, with different hair colors and living separately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sibyl Berry was twenty-four years old, already married, and her husband was Jean Morin, a middle-aged man nearing forty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had remained single for over thirty years and managed to marry Sibyl Berry only because he asked for no dowry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sibyl Berry was willing to bring minimal property into the marriage; Lu Mi suspected it was because she had already become the parish priest’s mistress and needed a husband to serve as father to any unborn illegitimate child, while the priest secretly promised her something in return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Intis culture was open and illegitimate children common—many husbands or wives, though angry, still kept their partner’s illegitimate children at home, since it meant gaining a free male or female servant with no claim to property—the “Eternal Sun” Church forbade its clergy from marrying or having children, so they often found cheap fathers for their illegitimate offspring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi arrived at Jean Morin’s house, a low, modest dwelling on the edge of Cordu Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was entirely gray-white, single-story, with the bedroom directly behind the kitchen and the other side connected to the cellar, which stored wooden barrels and also served as the living and dining area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no bathroom—just a shed built behind the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi didn’t knock; he slipped to the side of the house and crouched beneath the bedroom window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, someone was seated; Lu Mi could hear their breathing and deduce their approximate height from it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, light footsteps moved from the kitchen to the bedroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without calculation, as a “Hunter,” Lu Mi’s mind naturally estimated the weight of the person making the footsteps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was likely a woman—probably Sibyl Berry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Lu Mi’s memory, Sibyl Berry had smooth black hair she never pinned up like other women, simply letting it hang loose or tie into a ponytail, giving her the air of an unmarried girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her features weren’t striking, but soft and rounded, full-bodied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Jean Morin, who had been silent in the bedroom, spoke in a dull tone:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did the parish priest come by this afternoon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice matched his demeanor—quiet, the kind of man who sat under the village square’s elm tree, answering only one word after four or five others spoke; his black hair was often unkempt, his brown eyes dull, his beard unevenly shaved, giving him an overall gloomy air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He came,” Sibyl Berry’s voice still carried a touch of youthful clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was born that way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jean Morin fell silent again, then asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you do it with him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did,” Sibyl answered calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jean Morin fell silent once more; only when Sibyl moved toward the kitchen did he say:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have nothing to say about the priest, but you must watch out for other men—especially Pato Rousseau.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pato Rousseau was the husband of Madeleine Béne, whose wife was also the parish priest’s mistress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, beneath the window, Lu Mi inwardly whistled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a tangled web!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his estimation of the parish priest’s lust: he’d visited Sibyl Berry just this afternoon and was scheduled to meet Madame Poulais tonight—truly a model lover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he devoted even half this energy to church affairs, combined with his own cunning and skill, he could have long since advanced in rank and become an Exalted One.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Rank in the “Eternal Sun” Church: First Rank is Doorkeeper, Second is Chanting Priest, Third is Hymner, Fourth is Acolyte (also called Assistant Priest), Fifth is Sub-Deacon, Sixth is Deacon (also called Priest, Pastor, or Cleric), Seventh is Bishop (also called Archpriest or Presbyter in some regions), Eighth is Archbishop, Ninth is Cardinal; the Pope is not part of the clerical ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Sixth Rank upward, they are called Senior Clergy; according to Aurora, they likely possess supernatural abilities. The lowest rank, Third, mainly handled church chores and ritual assistance; for the past few centuries, it had become nominal, no longer considered a true clerical position. Fourth-rank Acolytes were usually recent seminary graduates; Fifth-rank Sub-Deacons could represent a true priest in managing a rural church.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cordu Village followed the same pattern: a Fifth-rank Sub-Deacon served as parish priest, a Fourth-rank Acolyte as assistant priest, plus a few menial servants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guillaume Béne needed only one more promotion to become a true priest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand,” Sibyl Berry replied simply to her husband’s warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jean Morin changed the subject:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Has your brother Pierre returned from his grazing rounds?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, he’ll assist with an important ceremony soon,” Sibyl replied casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ceremony? Lu Mi’s eyelid twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jean Morin pressed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Lenten Festival?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. A divine ceremony,” Sibyl answered impatiently. “Don’t ask. You’ll find out when the time comes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jean Morin grunted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Praise the Sun!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sibyl made no reply, left the bedroom, and entered the kitchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi instantly concluded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sibyl knew something of the secret dealings between the parish priest and the shepherd Pierre Berry, but her husband Jean Morin was completely unaware!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ceremony she mentioned was not the “sacrifice” of Lent—it likely involved the Twelfth Night!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a small gain, Lu Mi left the Morin house and headed toward the two-story building where Pato Rousseau and Madeleine Béne lived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Sibyl, Madeleine Béne had brought her own property into marriage, and Pato Rousseau had also received his share from his family home, so they could afford a relatively decent house and had over twenty sheep entrusted to shepherds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi didn’t know when Madeleine became the parish priest’s mistress, but he knew that in the past year, before he began seeing Madame Poulais, the priest had favored Madeleine most—perhaps the taboo of her status ignited some flame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Pato Rousseau, with his gentlemanly mustache, paced the kitchen, asking Madeleine, who directed the maids:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When will you invite the parish priest over again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face glowed with eagerness, hoping to curry favor with Cordu Village’s real power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madeleine glanced at the servant girl—Pato’s father’s illegitimate daughter, who cooked—and replied with a subtle tone:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know. It depends on his mood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And his physical condition, right? Lu Mi muttered silently from his hiding spot outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve been going to church often lately—why not ask him casually?” Pato Rousseau refused to give up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Often to church? Lu Mi frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were the priest’s group plotting secretly inside the church?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly disrespectful to the “Eternal Sun” and Saint Sis…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening a while longer, he walked toward the church at the village square’s edge, hoping to speak face-to-face with the parish priest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he arrived, Father Guillaume Béne was already gone; only Assistant Priest Michel Gariq stood before the altar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was an outsider from Dariel, a graduate of Bigor Seminary, sent last year by the bishop to assist Guillaume Béne; he was routinely excluded and only handled registrations for funerals, weddings, and births.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the last cycle, Lu Mi had visited the church and found the parish priest leaving; the priest told him to return the next day for prayer, denying Michel any chance to hear confessions or prayers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michel was tall—not shorter than Lu Mi had been before (due to the “Hunter” potion, Lu Mi felt he’d grown two or three centimeters, nearing one meter eighty), a slender, slightly awkward young man with light brown curls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Michel Gariq in his white robe with gold trim, Lu Mi opened his arms wide:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Praise the Sun!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the greeting, he fixed his gaze on Michel, watching how the assistant priest reacted to the “Eternal Sun” ritual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he hesitated even slightly, Lu Mi would know he’d been corrupted by the priest’s circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michel Gariq immediately mirrored the gesture:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Praise the Sun!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He showed no hesitation; his hazel eyes brimmed with joy and anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Madeleine Béne’s words, the priest’s group often met here; as assistant priest, Michel must have noticed something? Lu Mi didn’t ask directly, glancing around:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is the parish priest not here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He left some time ago,” Michel replied. “Three outsiders came looking for him fifteen minutes ago and couldn’t find him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assistant priest’s gaze was eager, as if asking whether Lu Mi wanted to confess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering the parish priest might have circled back and hidden in the church, waiting for Madame Poulais to bring dinner—and possibly eavesdropping now on his conversation with Michel—Lu Mi sighed deliberately:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then forget it. I’ll come back tomorrow to pray.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michel’s eyes instantly dimmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi turned and left the church, planning to wait until night deepened before quietly visiting Michel’s residence to see if he could extract useful information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the sun sinking behind the hills, he returned home and asked Aurora, who had set the table:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you noticed anything?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora nodded slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides the anomalies you mentioned, I’ve noticed something odd about Assistant Priest Michel Gariq.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?” Lu Mi didn’t hide his surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1599,"2026-06-20T06:22:34.374Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","86687d18d65e5b942be97aed65a1a10396d72bd1e043123b108f09d8c328baa3","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-45","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-43",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ring-of-fate-cover.jpg"]