### Chapter 7: Temple of Destiny (2)
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The statue of the Goddess of Destiny was enveloped in a delicate yet clear light of pale green,
like the verdant branches she held, symbolizing a never-ending flow of life intertwined with destiny.
The temple had stood in the Imperial Capital for nearly four thousand years, and people had almost forgotten the statue’s existence. But at this very moment, countless pedestrians on the streets all looked towards the temple, the mysterious glow emanating from the goddess statue instilling a deep-seated fear within them.
Those who still worshipped the gods immediately dropped to their knees and bowed towards the temple.
Meanwhile, many Followers of the Church of Light turned their backs to the temple, one hand busy drawing crosses across their chests, silently chanting,
“The heretics’ last struggle—light will surely descend upon the world!”
At that moment, in front of the temple, numerous individuals, drawn back to the faith of the Goddess of Destiny by the statue’s miraculous display, rushed up to the mountaintop. They gathered with the few remaining white-robed figures, holding hands in solidarity around the statue, nearly a hundred strong, frustrating the Church of Light’s meticulously planned operation.
The Bald Bishop gritted his teeth and exclaimed, “The process of light conquering heresy is bound to be fraught with difficulty! The heretics’ resistance will never wane just because we uphold justice and light!
Devotees of the gods, this time we shall temporarily avoid their sharp blades,
but at the next judgment against heretics, they will taste the flames from hell! Only hellfire can cleanse the inherent sins of those heretics!”
“Hells’ fire!”
“Hells’ fire!”
The cultists screamed while backing away,
and soon, the group vanished from the temple entrance.
Just then, the pale green light surrounding the statue gradually dissipated, transforming into sparkling dots that re-consolidated into the verdant leaves.
It was as if the Goddess of Destiny had manifested just to drive away the Church of Light.
Trissa and Adeline couldn’t help but glance at Lin Nan, who remained unperturbed, appearing completely detached from the situation.
But the two women knew full well that had they not happened to be there today, those fanatics from the Church of Light might have genuinely succeeded in demolishing a symbol of the empire’s legacy spanning thousands of years.
Once the statue of the Goddess of Destiny was destroyed, the Church of Light would advance at breakneck speed, unstoppable in their expansion.
Even more terrifying was the fact that amidst this absurd conflict between the two factions, they hadn’t seen a single sighting of official military or guards.
Logically speaking, as the iconic structure of the Imperial Capital,
the statue of the Goddess of Destiny, regardless of historical or cultural significance—religious factors aside—should have been meticulously protected.
But throughout it all, the official forces had never made an appearance, as if the Church of Light’s actions had received tacit approval from the authorities.
This was undoubtedly a dangerous signal.
But regardless of anything, the Church of Light’s attempts had suffered a disgraceful failure due to Lord Lin’s intervention.
If they wanted to plot their next move, it would at least take a few days.
At that moment, Trissa noticed Lin Nan’s gaze had been fixed on the group of guards surrounding the statue since the Church members had left.
Following her line of sight, she spotted a woman with wine-red hair, wearing a white robe with one sleeve drooping, the elegantly crafted robe awkwardly styled like a samurai uniform.
She was the one who initially negotiated with the followers of the Church of Light!
Who is she? Could it be…
Before Trissa could react, Adeline suddenly stepped forward.
With her natural charm, she blended seamlessly into the group of believers guarding the statue in just a few words.
Trissa awkwardly halted; she couldn’t pull off Adeline’s entirely unguarded stance and tone.
During this time, Adeline pointed at Trissa,
and the white-robed woman promptly stood up and bowed to her. Trissa quickly shook her head, indicating no need for thanks.
After all, they had all witnessed Trissa clashing with the Church of Light over the statue. Nowadays, there were fewer and fewer people in the capital willing to stand up to the followers of the Church.
She deserved this gratitude.
After a while, Adeline returned to report her findings.
“Lord Lin, Lady Trissa, she is a priestess of the Temple of Destiny, named Samantha.”
“Samantha?” Lin Nan softly repeated.
“Yes, my lord, but the Temple of Destiny currently has only her remaining as the priestess.”
Lin Nan sighed, “If the Four Warriors could see the Temple of Destiny reduced to this state, I wonder how they would scold their unfilial descendants.”
Trissa added, “The Church of Light is so arrogant; they will surely face their retribution.”
“Come on, let’s go inside and take a look.”
Lin Nan gestured towards the temple entrance.
But just as they were about to step into the temple, a few hooded figures from the Church suddenly appeared at the doorway, blocking their way.
“Heretics are not allowed to enter the Temple of Light.”
“Temple of Light? Isn’t this the Temple of Destiny?” Trissa was ready to explode.
Nothing seemed to go her way this afternoon; she feared she was diminishing her standing in Lin Nan’s eyes for no good reason.
After all, her father Monroe was a key minister beside the Emperor, and she was a rare genius from the Harpist Academy, yet with two halos hovering over her head, she was still being constantly obstructed by these insufferable Church of Light followers, giving her no face whatsoever.
“Sorry, but starting just now, this place has been renamed!”
The Bald Bishop rudely emerged from behind the door, beaming with delight as he glanced at the once-fabled woman of the Imperial Capital.
“Lady Trissa, allow me to remind you, joining the Church of Light is the rising trend in the political scene. If your esteemed father continues to delay, it might just lower his standing in the Emperor’s eyes. Should he be implicated, I fear the prestigious Monroe estate will collapse!”
Trissa stared at the pompous Bald Bishop in front of her,
who casually criticized as if the Monroe family had committed an unforgivable crime and was on the brink of complete ruin.
At that moment, Lin Nan stepped in front of the trembling Trissa.
“Your Excellency Bishop, may I ask which divine entity the Church of Light worships?”
The Bald Bishop proclaimed with his head held high, “Naturally, the one and only deity, the God of Light!”
“As beings living in the sunshine, there’s nothing wrong with believing in light, but… if the God of Light were to know that you have resorted to such despicable and shameful acts in order to develop followers, do you think the God of Light would punish you? Or would he simply turn a blind eye? If that’s the case, wouldn’t light be transformed into darkness? Are you not worshipping a cult instead?”
Lin Nan remarked coolly.
The Bald Bishop’s face turned crimson with rage, “What a silver-tongued human!
How could your lowly race ever comprehend the vast and profound teachings of the God of Light? While we believe in justice, the skies of justice are sullied by too many heretics. If we do not eradicate them completely, how can we talk about light?”
“The Goddess of Destiny has blessed the empire for four thousand years, and it has remained prosperous.
Hah! The entire world is about to perish! Only the Church of Light can save the empire!”
The Bald Bishop fervently raised both hands, as if an extraordinary event would happen in the sky at any moment.
Lin Nan felt a jolt of realization; he was beginning to understand how the Church of Light was able to rise so rapidly.
