Chapter 390: Special Rules
Little Yuliya left behind a golem for Huaxia Kingdom to study.
She herself entered a sleep pod, closed her eyes, and a layer of golden film shimmered across her body, making her final goodbyes before plunging into a deep slumber.
Up in a tree in the Carol realm, Yuliya opened her eyes.
She stretched lazily and peeked into her pocket at Little Li.
That little guy was still asleep.
After eating, he had just dozed off, carefree and worry-free—so nice.
Yuliya chuckled softly and shot off into the sky, heading further away.
After leaving the Carol realm, she found many desolate monster territories with no signs of human life.
More than half a month later, Yuliya finally discovered a human kingdom.
It was a tiny kingdom, with only a few towns, and from high in the sky, Yuliya could see the entire place in one glance.
Little Li woke up in the middle of the journey, then immediately went for some snacks, not to mention she often snacked herself.
Back and forth, they were burning through supplies a bit too fast.
She occasionally returned to the Golden City, but it wasn’t just for free food and drink, it was about sharing joy with the people.
But she couldn’t just keep partying, could she?
Who knows how long it would be until she encountered another human kingdom, so she decided to check this one out and stock up.
It was mainly for Little Li; the kid was barely a month old and in his growing phase.
Yuliya landed a little way off from the town and walked towards it.
The guards at the gate looked surprised and asked, “Adventurer?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
“No problem! It’s just that adventurers rarely come to our Zhidya Kingdom. They usually hang out in the more western Irros Kingdom.”
Yuliya thought for a moment about the terrain.
So there was indeed another kingdom further west, but she came from the east, so of course, she would pass through here first.
Not that many people typically ventured eastward, anyway.
Most people would think twice about crossing that vast eastern monster territory, as it would take months, if not more, even without considering safety.
“I happen to have a hunt over there, so I came here. I hope I’m not unwelcome?”
“Of course not! You’re very welcome!”
The soldier suddenly got a little enthusiastic: “Actually, whether it’s the cultural scenery or the convenience of going out, Zhidya is a great place. But, for some reason, not many adventurers want to come here.”
“It used to be better, but in the past decade or so, the number of outsiders has dwindled, and we’re quite troubled about it.”
“Oh?” Yuliya perked up, “It’s my first time here; I’m not very familiar with your situation. Can we chat a bit?”
“Sure! Please come in! I’m Mai Er; I’ll give you a little tour. Liao, you keep an eye here for a moment.”
Yuliya hesitated for a bit: “Can you… just leave like that?”
“It’s okay—there’s hardly anyone coming in and out of the city. Please, come in.”
Yuliya frowned.
This seemed a bit questionable; it looked like dereliction of duty. In the Jade Emperor Kingdom, that would be a serious offense.
But when she took a look around, she noticed it was indeed pretty vacant.
Outside the city, there wasn’t a soul in sight, despite it being the border.
Inside, there weren’t many people either; they were quickly conducting transactions before rushing off.
“What does our guest want to do first? Need a place to stay? I can recommend the most comfortable yet affordable inn.”
“Okay, let’s find a place to stay first.”
As Mai Er led the way, he started introducing Yuliya to the surroundings.
“My father says that long ago, our Zhidya was a bustling hub of travelers and tourists. Many adventurers like you would settle here, and quite a few locals became adventurers and moved on.”
“But since the last king took the throne, things began to change.”
“Was there any landmark action causing this situation?”
“Yes, many believe it has to do with the church. The king is a devout believer and established the Truth Church as the state religion. Some people might not be too keen on the teachings of the Truth Church.”
The church? Truth Church?
Yuliya furrowed her brows.
She wasn’t particularly opposed to churches; she just had some reservations.
After all, the objects of worship in churches were generally so-called divine beings.
But there was a slight distinction to be made between the divine beings here and the demons she often spoke of.
Essentially, the difference might not be significant, but in practice, the divine beings seemed more favorable towards the human race, while demons were likely the unsavory kind.
This probably had something to do with how they gained power.
Was it through rampant plunder or more gentle exchanges?
To form a formal church at least superficially suggested they treated humans decently.
Just to clarify, the Goddess of Life is excluded; she’s definitely a good entity… a good goddess.
The Goddess of Life’s church was all over the Jade Emperor Kingdom.
So, what was this Truth Church? Never heard of it.
“This is my first time hearing about the Truth Church. What kind of church is it?”
“Are you very interested, guest?” Mai Er asked excitedly.
“Uh… a little?”
With a sudden flourish, Mai Er clasped his hands over his chest and half-closed his eyes, saying, “The Truth Church is a congregation of pioneers seeking the truth. They teach people to pursue truth, goodness, and beauty, treating others sincerely and being honest with oneself.”
“Forgive my lack of knowledge if I can’t explain it clearly; I encourage you to visit the church to experience this beauty yourself.”
Oh no, this guy seems like a zealot…
But from what he was saying, it sounded like this Truth Church might not be half bad after all; seemed like a legit place.
“Well, unfortunately, it’s getting late. You can visit the church tomorrow before eight.”
“Alright, I’ll check it out.”
Afterward, Mai Er gave Yuliya some pointers about the lay of the land, where to buy what, then led her to the inn before taking off.
As soon as he left, the inn’s owner glanced back at his figure, then turned to Yuliya: “Did you come in with him?”
“Not really; I’m an adventurer from outside. Mr. Mai Er was just being friendly and brought me along.”
“I see.” The owner nodded, “Then that’s fine. But as an outsider… it’s best if you don’t stick around too long.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well… there are quite a few rules, and outsiders can find it difficult to adapt.”
“What special rules? Mr. Mai Er didn’t mention any to me.”
The owner hesitated for a moment, then a bit sheepishly said, “For instance, you can’t go out after dark.”
“After dark? What’s the specific time for that?”
“No specific time; you’ll figure it out.”
“…”
Yuliya was a bit speechless. Without a standard, how would she know when it’s considered dark…
But…
“Well, I’ll just make sure to head back early.”
“Oh, and another thing: you can’t lie; you must only tell the truth.”
(And there’s another chapter coming soon.)
