The Benefactor

With a gentle incision, Du Chen lightly cut a small piece of Steve's skin, inserting a shrunken lotus before healing the wound with Holy Light. "Dus, you will temporarily reside within my brother's body. Should he ever face peril, use the Precious Lotus Scripture to rescue him! If I ultimately fail to clear his name, and he is condemned to the execution pyre... you know what must be done!"

"Understood! I am your final recourse, the ultimate trump card to ensure Steve's survival!"

Du Chen drew a deep breath. The putrid stench of the Death Row Cells, coupled with his brother's forlorn state, pricked at his nostrils. Gritting his teeth, he turned and departed the grim confines.

After a brief wait inside his carriage before the Tribunal of the Department of Rites, Ilan, having handled the follow-up affairs, hopped aboard. "My Lord, everything has been arranged. No one in Lanning knows you met with Steve today!"

Suppressing the profound weight on his heart, Du Chen composed himself, allowing a smile to return to his face. He clapped Ilan on the shoulder. "Excellent, Ilan, you've done exceptionally well! I won't forget what you've done today!"

"It was merely my duty, My Lord. You praise me too highly."

"I speak nothing but the truth! To ascend from a mere scribe to an Inquisitor in a single year – your capabilities are truly astounding!" Du Chen extracted several vouchers from his belt pouch and pressed them into Ilan's hand.

"My Lord, what is the meaning of this? It is Ilan's honor to serve you..." Seeing the Red Sand Gold Vouchers in his hand, and the exorbitant denominations inscribed upon them, Ilan swallowed hard, the words of refusal caught firmly in his throat.

Du Chen chuckled. "These are but a few Gold Coins. You and I both understand the true nature of Lanning's officialdom. While the Holy Church may be grooming you, wouldn't it be better to have some extra funds at your disposal to grease a few palms and curry favor? Don't refuse; my elder brother will likely be here for quite some time, so please, look after him for me!"

With that, Du Chen donned his dark robe, disembarked, and walked away.

Ilan stared at the vouchers in his hand, then laughed derisively at himself in disbelief. "A 'few' Gold Coins? If these 'few' Gold Coins were melted down into gold Bricks, they'd be enough to crush me! Indeed, Francis's reputation as Lanning's wealthiest man is well-deserved!"

"Huh? Wait a minute!" Ilan suddenly jolted to attention. "Francis went bankrupt for his territory ages ago! All his money... wasn't it all from the Holy Church!?"

Using the Pontiff's money to win over the Holy Church's agents certainly brightened Du Chen's mood! Yet, recalling Steve's state just moments ago, he found it impossible to genuinely smile.

His elder brother wasn't framed; he had openly confessed to the crime in a relatively lucid state. To overturn a case under such circumstances would be a task harder than scaling the heavens!

But what of it? Even if his elder brother truly did kill Salon, does that mean there's no solution? Twisting black into white, conflating right and wrong – isn't that precisely what Du Chen, the Divine, excels at, especially in Guiding Towards Goodness!?

Du Chen touched his nose, a smile that Cassian once labeled the 'Symbol of the Devil' playing on his lips. After leaving the administrative district, he shed the inconspicuous dark robe that had concealed his identity and returned to Saint Bovin Square in the Central Royal District, greeting commoners with a friendly smile along the way.

"Isn't that Brother Crusoe? Has your father's illness improved?"

"Oh, it's Lord Francis! You've returned to the city? Is it for your elder brother...? Hehe, thanks entirely to your Charitable Foundation, my father is doing much better now!" The commoner, once aided by Du Chen, was hurrying westward. Upon seeing Du Chen, he immediately stopped and saluted him with fervent respect, as if encountering a beloved relative.

"Oh, that's good to hear! You've heard about my elder brother's situation? There's nothing to hide; my brother committed a crime, and I trust His Majesty will handle it fairly. Though my heart aches, I cannot disregard the laws of the land! I've come to the Imperial Capital to report on my duties!" If such words had come from the mouth of any other noble, they would likely have drawn quiet curses of 'hypocrisy' and 'affectation.' But uttered by Du Chen, the commoners genuinely believed him! What could be done? Du Chen had, through countless deeds, etched the equation 'Francis = the kindest soul in the world' into the very bones of the Imperial Capital's common folk!

Du Chen suddenly noticed that not only was Crusoe, whom he had just greeted, heading west, but many others — commoners, nobles, and officials alike — were also rushing in the same direction. Westward lay the Aristocratic Quarter of Saint John City!

"What... what's all this about?" Du Chen asked, pointing curiously at the throng.

"Don't you know, My Lord? In the square named after your ancestor, Sigurd, the Divine, Lord Arges... uh, I can't quite explain it myself. You should hurry and see; it's the busiest place in the Imperial Capital right now!"

What new trick was Arges up to? At this moment, it would only be logical for him to be calculating how to betray Steve for personal gain! Du Chen, his mind brimming with questions, hurried towards Sigurd Square.

Divine statues! So many divine statues! Sigurd Square was packed with them, a dense forest of effigies, easily a hundred or more!

As a square named after a god and the very façade of the Saint Sigurd Cain Estate, Sigurd Square was certainly vast enough to accommodate thousands. Yet, at this moment, it was so packed that a needle couldn't drop, making it seem as if the enormous square urgently needed expansion!

Du Chen was blocked by the surging crowd upon reaching the street intersection; he couldn't squeeze through. He could only watch the towering divine statues from afar. Fortunately, soon after, several priests invited him into a nearby tall building, from which vantage point he could finally discern the situation.

Ferdinand, Porter, Deboning, and Harry were all in the high-rise. Upon seeing Du Chen ascend, Porter asked, "What's the situation with Steve?"

Du Chen shook his head. "It's dire! Let's discuss it later. Why are all of you here?"

Porter pointed at the divine statues below, stating with surprise, "We just heard news from the Grand Cathedral that Arges is holding a public ancestral veneration ceremony, petitioning the spirits of his ancestors to forgive Steve's sins and permit him to enter the ancestral tombs after his execution! Lo and behold, for this, he's brought out divine statues of every ancestor of the Saint Sigurd Cain family, from Sigurd, the Divine, down to his own parents, and even your mother, Phil's, statue has been brought forth!"

'Has Arges lost his mind? Is he perhaps worried the family's divine statues are growing mold, so he brought them all out to air them?' Du Chen merely thought this to himself, not voicing it aloud, as such words would be highly disrespectful to his nominal ancestors.

Silently cursing Arges a few times, a flash of insight struck Du Chen: Arges's actions were far from simple!

Ferdinand, meanwhile, chuckled. "My young brother, do you comprehend Arges's intentions? Haha, truly interesting. This audacious yet cunning maneuver doesn't seem like something Arges would devise! I'd wager it's the handiwork of that old fox Antoine; he simply adores such tactics!"

Just as I thought!

Du Chen scoffed. "I understand now! This multi-pronged pressure tactic is indeed beyond the capabilities of Arges, a mere Martial General!" He stared at the statues. "My return was to leverage the commoners and the Holy Church to pressure Bargnar. Arges's current move is to use the nobles and the military to pressure Bargnar! So... Arges intends to protect my elder brother!? How odd! Has he had a change of heart? He doesn't strike me as someone who values familial affection that highly!"

Harry was completely bewildered. He thought to himself, *To earn my Master's regard, I must study more!* Pulling Porter aside, he implored him for an explanation.

Porter let out a low chuckle and explained, "Arges's ancestral veneration is merely a facade; in truth, he is begging for help! Observe the nobles gathered in other pavilions and on their carriages..."

Pointing casually to a noble, Porter continued, "Godfather Ferdinand just informed me that elderly gentleman is a retired military General, a First-Class Marquis! Arges's father saved his life on the battlefield back then! How do you suppose that old lord will feel now, seeing Arges kneeling before his father's divine statue, earnestly pleading for Steve's pardon!?"

"He'd certainly feel a sense of unease and, if it's within his power, would have to offer assistance!"

"And look at that old lady in the carriage. By lineage, she's Arges's paternal aunt. Her son is currently the Commander of Lanning's Sixth Legion. Godfather Ferdinand says Steve's predicament this time is too great, and her son originally had no intention of getting involved. But now, if this lady sees her own elder brother's Spirit Tablet and thinks of her elder brother's eldest grandson facing execution, do you think she'll persuade her son to intervene?"

"There are simply too many similar situations..." Porter chuckled to Harry. "Arges's actions serve two purposes: Firstly, to pressure Bargnar and convey a clear message – the venerable Saint Sigurd Cain family, with its vast influence spanning millennia and disciples spread across the land, will only permit Steve's death if the entire family is uprooted! Secondly, he is pressuring those fence-sitting nobles. Without today's display, those nobles could find excuses to shirk responsibility and remain uninvolved. But by holding this ancestral veneration today, he is openly broadcasting a cry for help to all of Lanning! Those nobles who wish to abstain must either pretend not to see and sever ties with the Saint Sigurd Cain family, or they must lend aid!"

Harry interjected, "But nobles value their prestige! Having witnessed this firsthand, even if they're unwilling to fully commit, they'll have to offer some assistance for appearances' sake! Hehe, Harry understands now! Furthermore, Arges is also telling those commoners who resent Young Master Steve, 'You may resent my son, but don't forget, our ancestors are divine...' This is precisely the multi-pronged pressure Master spoke of! Oh, Steward Porter, please allow Harry to commend your sagacity!"

Porter was dumbfounded, then chuckled. "Don't be silly. I am not your Master, nor do I deserve the word 'sagacious.' Save such words for your true Master!"

Arges's maneuver greatly pleased Du Chen, and he happily settled in to enjoy the spectacle.

However, on the other side of Sigurd Square, a thousand meters away from Du Chen, three figures appeared! This distance exceeded even Harry's keen sense of smell!

One was a girl of fifteen or sixteen, another a young woman of eighteen or nineteen, and the third a robust man in his forties or fifties. One of these three was deep within the crowd, while the other two were squeezing their way in. All were dressed as ordinary commoners, with unremarkable appearances, blending seamlessly into the throngs of the square, much like a common family – a father with his two daughters – out to enjoy a public spectacle.

However... the eighteen or nineteen-year-old young woman moved swiftly through the dense crowd, like a fish gliding through water. Not a single person in the tightly packed throng, where chests pressed against backs, managed to touch her, and no one noticed her unusual agility!

The young woman reached the girl from behind, tapped her, and whispered, "Sulan, how did you manage to slip away to watch the spectacle in the blink of an eye? Come on, we're about to depart for the Desolate Lands."

Sulan darted her tongue out playfully – a characteristic trait of her serpentine race! "Miss Helen, Sulan has never seen human festivities before! Besides, this is Francis's home!"

Helen frowned. "What if it's Francis's home? The divine being who saved us repeatedly isn't the *true* Francis; he merely borrowed that idiot's identity... Come on, Father is getting impatient!"

Sulan darted her tongue out again. "Master Ted is here too? Let's hurry!"

She and Helen turned, squeezed out of the crowd, and approached Ted. Helen said, "Father, we can depart now... What are you, what are you looking at?"

"It's her! Helen, look at that statue at the very end!" Ted, slightly entranced, subtly pointed out a statue to his daughter.

Helen exclaimed upon seeing it, "It's a striking resemblance! Father, that statue of the lady at the very end is identical to the woman who saved us that time! But... she's clearly not dead, so why would someone erect a Spirit Tablet for her already!?"

Ted shook his head slightly, his gaze deep and fixed on the statue. "How peculiar. If this were merely a coincidence – that there's a deceased lady within Saint Sigurd Cain Estate who looks identical to our benefactor – it still couldn't be such an uncanny resemblance!"

"Indeed!" Sulan nodded repeatedly. "Master, look at the aura of that statue! It's clearly our benefactor! Master, wait here, I'll go find out who that lady is!"

Ted sighed deeply. "Alas, two years ago, that lady saved our family and even sent us to the Three Continents, yet she refused to reveal her name. If this statue truly is her, and we can finally learn her name today, that would be wonderful!"

Helen nodded in agreement.

Soon after, Sulan returned, urgently stating, "Master, Miss, I've found out! That statue is Arges's wife, Francis's mother, Phil!"