Chapter Forty-One: Purple

In the cramped space, everyone around was startled when Chen Ming suddenly spoke. Mlis surveyed the surroundings, finally fixing his gaze on one spot.

There, in a corner where the alley met another street, two shadows emerged from the darkness.

"Who goes there?" Mlis shouted, and some guards stepped forward at his command.

But when the figures became clear, he paused in surprise—for it was a young girl and an elderly man who stepped out from the shadow.

"Please, do not attack, honored Priest. We mean no harm," the girl exclaimed anxiously to Chen Ming as she saw the guards closing in.

"Mlis, let them come over," Chen Ming said, watching the two across from him.

He glanced above the girl's head and saw a faint golden aura of fate shimmering there, surrounded by a thin red mist that gathered like a cloud.

He was slightly surprised. Though such a sight was no longer remarkable to him, its sudden appearance still caught him off guard.

"What is it you want?" he asked, his smile gentle and warm.

The two relaxed slightly when they saw Chen Ming made no move to drive them away. Upon hearing his question, the girl stepped forward, her expression unflinching despite the weapons subtly pointed at her.

"Honored Priest, we wish to hire you," she said, looking directly at Chen Ming.

"How dare you!" Mlis and the others were immediately enraged, their expressions turning hostile toward the pair before them.

In the Northlands, priests held revered status. As one closest to the gods, even the lowest-ranked priest was beyond the reach of foreign hire, let alone a red-robed priest.

The girl and the old man looked somewhat helpless at the guards' anger, but seeing Chen Ming's calm demeanor, a flicker of hope returned to their eyes.

"Sir, we are compelled by desperate circumstances. Please, consider our request," the old man said earnestly, a hint of fondness in his eyes as he glanced at the girl beside him.

Chen Ming observed them in silence, then said, "There's no need to hire me."

But as he noticed despair growing in their eyes, he suddenly smiled. "However, I happen to be traveling south. If circumstances allow, I might consider journeying with you."

He looked again above their heads; a cloud of black fate pressed down, nearly overwhelming the last strand of gold holding them up.

"Are you being hunted?" he asked softly.

Their faces changed dramatically. The girl stepped back involuntarily, then, seeing the azure divine sigil on Chen Ming, calmed herself and exhaled.

"Yes," she sighed, then met his gaze. "Since you can see it, I won’t hide the truth."

"A group of bandits have set their sights on our cargo. I hope you can escort us on the road—not far, just as far as the southern part of the Principality of Roya."

She paused, her face earnest. "Please believe us, the reward will more than satisfy you."

The girl appeared to be seventeen or eighteen, her features gentle, her pitiful expression evoking a desire to protect her.

Yet beside Chen Ming, Mlis frowned, sensing something amiss. He turned to Chen Ming, hesitated, then held his words.

Chen Ming, however, nodded to him, signaling his understanding.

Gazing again at the girl's fate, he saw the blackness thickening, ready to snuff out her last glimmer of destiny.

"These are no ordinary bandits," he thought to himself.

Nevertheless, seeing the golden thread above her, he smiled and nodded. "Very well."

The two were overjoyed.

After agreeing on a place to depart the next day, Chen Ming led Mlis and the others away in silence.

On the way, Mlis spoke up, "Sir, perhaps you should not have agreed. Those two seem odd—there may be trouble."

Chen Ming shook his head. "They lied about one thing."

"The bandits are not after their cargo, but after them personally."

Mlis was stunned. "Then, sir, you—"

Chen Ming smiled faintly and said nothing more.

Seeing this, Mlis kept silent as well, but his wariness toward the two strangers grew. In the Northlands, followers of the God of Nature often harbored animosity toward those from the southern city-states, for reasons of faith and history alike.

In the past, southern merchants frequently came to the North, secretly capturing tribesmen as slaves, and the principalities often sent armies to suppress the region. Such hostilities endured until Chen Ming’s awakening changed the balance just over a decade ago. Though commerce has softened relations, old grudges linger—except toward southern believers in the same god, there remains a latent enmity toward outsiders.

The group traversed the narrow streets until they reached a church where a beautiful white-robed priestess stood waiting. Her eyes brightened when she saw Chen Ming.

"Honored Priest, I am Jelina. At the chief priest’s command, I have come to welcome you," she said, bowing deeply, her eyes shining.

"Thank you," Chen Ming replied gently, smiling.

The priestess blushed at his handsome features. "Please, follow me," she said.

From a corner of the church, a white-robed priest watched Jelina with a playful expression. "So even Jelina can be moved—who would have expected it? I always thought she had no interest in men."

"She simply hadn’t met anyone who could stir her heart," replied another at his side.

"With her pride, how could she look at her peers? Now that she’s met someone exceptional, of course she’s moved," he said, gazing at Chen Ming’s youthful face and sensing the immense divine power within him, sighing softly.

Whatever others might have been saying behind him, Chen Ming neither knew nor cared. Since reaching the fourth rank, his divine essence had grown, and the prayers of the faithful were ever clearer to his mind. But even so, he could not—or would not—listen to every heart at every moment. He was not so idle.

He followed Jelina, leaving the others to rest, and entered the church with her alone.

The church was large, filled with the fresh, tranquil air of nature, putting visitors at ease.

At last, they reached a great hall, where Jelina stepped aside after glancing once at Chen Ming.

Ahead was an elderly priest in a red robe, his hair and beard white, exuding kindness and a natural aura.

Chen Ming looked at him and saw that within him flowed a vast, warm divine power, nourishing his body. Above his head, a deep red thread of fate quivered, slowly being transformed by a profound and mighty force, with a faint trace of gold beginning to show.

"Welcome, priest from afar," the chief priest greeted Chen Ming with a surprised look, then smiled.

Chen Ming nodded in response. "Greetings."

After the pleasantries, he asked, "May I know what the chief priest wishes of me?"

The elder shook his head with a smile. "I hear you are planning to travel south?"

Chen Ming nodded.

"In truth," said the chief priest kindly, "the light of our God has yet to shine in the South. It is difficult for us priests to travel there."

"That is exactly why I intend to go," Chen Ming replied with a smile. "The light of the God of Nature has not yet spread among the southern city-states, so I will journey there to bring it."

This was a tradition. Every priest, upon promotion, would choose a land untouched by their faith to preach, becoming the chief priest of that region. It was both a custom and a way to earn the god’s favor. Those who succeeded would receive greater blessings, their divine power growing swiftly.

This chief priest had done the same, building up a town of ten thousand believers and now on the brink of a higher rank.

Sure enough, the old priest’s eyes shone with nostalgia at Chen Ming’s words, and he sighed softly.

"I have been spreading the faith here for over a decade. In that time, some believers have arisen in the South. Seek them out—they may be able to help you."

Chen Ming thanked him with a smile.

They spoke at length. The chief priest soon realized that this young visitor possessed an astonishingly profound understanding of the divine, and his respect for Chen Ming grew.

After some time, Chen Ming left the church with Mlis and the others.

Outside, several figures waited, among them two girls who stood out.

The older girl let out a visible sigh of relief as Chen Ming emerged.

It was the girl from before, now accompanied by several others, including a small girl in worn clothes, who stood quietly and somewhat apart.

Above her head, thick black fate shrouded her, and at its center, a faint trace of purple appeared.

At that, Chen Ming was taken aback.