Summoning the Goddess

Sword wind… What was he thinking?

Xia Lun lowered his head and stared at the utterly ordinary fine-steel longsword in his hand, as if he could still feel the bewilderment of his expectations being dashed when he swung it.

He could indeed unleash sword wind, but only when he was highly focused. How could it be as simple as casually swinging his sword and sending out a blade of wind?

Where had this inexplicable illusion come from?

The clash between this deeply ingrained “illusion” and the cold reality sent a chill down his spine.

Xia Lun felt that there really was something wrong with his mind.

Could it be that he had relied too heavily on the power granted by the Goddess, causing his control over that power to become disordered?

His chaotic thoughts buzzed inside his skull like a swarm of trapped bees.

It was possible.

The thought made his heart race. If the problem originated from the source of his power, then perhaps the only being capable of answering his questions was the one who had bestowed that source upon him.

Xia Lun decided to find the Goddess and get a proper explanation.

Wait… find the Goddess? There was something abnormal about that idea in itself. Was an existence like the Goddess really someone he could meet whenever he wanted? In the next instant, the sheer presumption of his own thought left Xia Lun drenched in cold sweat. The idea itself was absurd—almost blasphemous, or perhaps… insane.

Xia Lun swallowed. His condition seemed to be getting worse and worse.

“Musen… where’s the nearest church of the Goddess?” Xia Lun took a deep breath and asked Musen, who was driving the carriage. “We may need to change course and stop there.”

“What’s wrong, Xia Lun?” Liyana immediately leaned over and joked in an exaggerated tone, “What are you going to the church of the Goddess for? Don’t tell me some foolhardy evil spirit possessed you! Hahaha, what rotten luck it would have had—of all people, it chose you…”

“I feel like something’s wrong with me… It might be possible…” Xia Lun covered his forehead, his expression showing a trace of pain.

Upon hearing Xia Lun’s answer, Musen’s shoulders visibly tensed for a moment. His expression turned solemn as he realized how serious the matter was. He glanced back at Xia Lun, his voice heavy as iron.

“The nearest church of the Goddess is about ten kilometers from here… I’ll head there right away.”

He raised the whip high, and the horses pulling the carriage immediately broke into a gallop.

Liyana was thrown back into her seat by the sudden acceleration. She hurriedly grabbed the handrail, the joking expression on her face replaced completely by panic.

“Are… are you all right? Xia Lun, you’re not joking, are you? How could an evil spirit possibly dare possess you? Aren’t you a hero blessed by the Goddess?”

“Captain Xia Lun wouldn’t joke about something like this, would he?” Moke also looked anxious. He began rummaging frantically through the bags and packages piled in the corner of the carriage, while the clinking of bottles and jars rang out. They were all potions Miss An Koula had prepared for them.

Before long, Moke found a palm-sized glass bottle sealed tightly with a cork. The liquid inside was clear and transparent, reflecting a faint glimmer as it swayed.

“Found it! This is holy water we exchanged for at the cathedral after completing our last mission. It’s extremely pure! Try it and see if it works!”

“Thanks.”

Xia Lun accepted the holy water, pulled out the cork, and a faint, refreshing fragrance—something like a mixture of sandalwood and mint—drifted into the air.

Without giving it much thought, Xia Lun gulped it down.

Liyana and Moke exchanged glances, both of them clearly stunned.

Xia Lun shook his head. “It doesn’t seem to have done anything. I don’t know why, but I still feel… awful.”

“Um…” Liyana spoke timidly. “Xia Lun, that isn’t meant to be drunk. You’re supposed to rub it on your body.”

“Ah, really? No wonder it tasted a little strange.” Xia Lun looked at the now-empty glass bottle in his hand and sighed. Only after Liyana pointed it out did he notice the slight sourness lingering in his mouth.

“But it should work even better if you drink it. After all, it can purify you from the inside…” Moke nodded vigorously, as though trying to convince himself. In truth, he seemed rather uncertain as well. “Still, Captain Xia Lun doesn’t seem to be reacting at all. Perhaps he isn’t possessed by an evil spirit.”

“That should be good news, right? Maybe it’s some other harmless kind of ghost…” Liyana had no idea what was happening to Xia Lun, and her eyes were filled with worry.

“In any case, we may find out once we reach the church of the Goddess.” Moke stared at Xia Lun without blinking.

With Musen urging the horses onward at full speed, they soon reached the nearest church of the Goddess.

The church was not located in a large city, but in a remote little village.

The hurried carriage shattered the village’s tranquility. Several farmwives washing clothes by the stream looked up in surprise, while a few curious yet wary faces appeared in the doorways of the houses. The children hid behind the adults, staring wide-eyed at the unfamiliar carriage that had arrived in such a cloud of dust and with such imposing momentum.

After entering the village, the carriage headed straight for the church.

The church was not large. Only an elderly nun and two young novices were stationed there, and there was no male priest.

Still, though small, the church had everything it needed. There was a statue of the Goddess, and it was a place within the Goddess’s sight. That alone was sufficient.

Musen took the initiative to explain why they had come, and the nuns immediately vacated the church for them.

Liyana suspected that Musen’s appearance had frightened them. Perhaps they had mistaken them for bandits, which was why they had so readily lent out such an important place of worship… But there was no time to worry about that now.

Although Musen was built like a brawler, there was no doubt about his identity as a priest. He was fully capable of handling the crucial ritual himself.

In no time, Musen had prepared the ritual site and lit incense around the area.

Xia Lun sat cross-legged in the center of the formation, dressed in a robe. His leather armor, which had been inconvenient for the ritual, had been removed and placed on one of the church benches.

Liyana really wanted to joke that Xia Lun looked as if he were about to be offered to the Goddess as a sacrifice, but given the solemn atmosphere, she managed to keep it to herself.

“Xia Lun, I can summon the Goddess for you, but as for what happens afterward…” Musen looked troubled. Even when Xia Lun had said he wanted to speak with the Goddess, Musen had been utterly bewildered.

Even as a devout follower of the Goddess, he had only received a divine revelation once—when he awakened as a priest.

The Goddess would not simply descend whenever someone called out to her. Otherwise, even if she had countless avatars, she would never have enough time. After all, no one knew how many believers she had throughout the world.

“I know. Begin,” Xia Lun said, nodding at Musen.

Musen began to pray softly before the statue of the Goddess.

Almost as soon as Musen spoke the first line of the prayer, a sacred white light appeared before Xia Lun’s tightly closed eyes. It rapidly spread, soon filling his entire field of vision.