Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Jing Jiu turned to walk back to the praying hall and sat down next to the female priest.
The starlight seemed to have followed Jing Jiu to the praying hall, making it appear brighter.
The water in the green ceramic bowl by the female priest emitted a faint glow, resembling a condensing glass. A few flower petals were drifting irregularly.
The three girls suppressed their emotion of astonishment and anxiety and knelt down before the female priest under her guidance.
The line of the female priest’s sight traveled from their heads to their feet slowly, as if she intended to discover everything about them through her profound and intelligent eyes.
The three girls were fully aware that the successor of the female priest would come out in the next moment; they looked at her nervously in different moods.
To their surprise, the female priest didn’t announce the successor; instead, she looked at Jing Jiu.
Jing Jiu asked Zong Lizi, “Are you sure you want to be a female priest?”
Zong Lizi understood what he meant and couldn’t restrain herself any longer. She lifted her head and stared at his eyes blankly, remaining silent for a long time.
Jiang Yuxia and Hua Xi also understood his intention and lifted up their heads in shock. They didn’t expect the female priest to listen to this youth in blue clothing for the choice of her successor.
After a long while, Zong Lizi took a deep breath, as if she was to answer the question in the final test. “Do you really wish to have a child?” she asked while staring at Jing Jiu.
Jing Jiu didn’t give more thought to this question and replied casually, “No.”
Zong Lizi felt relaxed instantly after hearing the answer. The expression on her face was like the ice being melted by the spring sun and a blooming spring flower as she said, “I want to then.”
No matter who he was, he must be the most outstanding figure under this patch of the starry sky. If she intended to follow him, she had to become a female priest to be qualified.
“That’s it then,” the female priest said with a faint smile.
In fact, the successor of the female priest had been decided ahead of time.
It was determined the moment Zong Lizi decided to participate in the primary selection.
Jing Jiu was just to make the final confirmation in an attempt to prevent her from regretting the decision.
Though Zong Lizi was mentally prepared for the outcome, she was nevertheless astounded when she heard her decision and couldn’t utter a single word for a while.
Hua Xi was a very clever girl and understood what the female priest meant. But she was still at a loss, wondering if the decision should be so simple. She looked at Zong Lizi and commented, “Big sister, you’re really amazing.”
Jiang Yuxia was, on the other hand, the most pleased person, and she acted in the most calm manner. “Congratulations!” she said to Zong Lizi with a small smile.
…
…
It was quiet inside and outside the praying hall. The tens of thousands of inhabitants who had a wild festival on the prairie the whole day remained silent at the moment. They looked at the magnificent building in the distance quietly, waiting for the outcome.
The main preacher came out from the praying hall, the scroll with crystal as its axis and golden cloth as its canvas in his hands unfolding slowly.
Seeing this, the crowd began to get agitated, but soon they quietened.
The important figures like the governor and the director of the base stood on the square outside the praying hall listening to the decree of the female priest quietly, so did the crowd as big as a sea behind them.
When the people heard the name that was not unfamiliar any longer, they still couldn’t help but feel astonished, wondering if it was her indeed.
The underground neighborhood had finally produced a female priest!
After a brief moment, the cheers went up.
The likes of the governor applauded in tandem. Mr. Xia, who stood in a corner expressionlessly, clapped his hands a bit rigidly.
The head of the Mo clan stood in a place farther away. His daughter was weeping in his chest. He showed a gloomy expression on his face, and a hint of hesitation was revealed in the ends of his eyes.
The battleships that had flown to the edge of the atmosphere flashed the light beams all at once. The light beams were used according to the ancient battlefield to celebrate the occasion.
Soon after, countless fireworks were shot up from various places, illuminating the night sky. The people started celebrating in a frenzy again.
The fireworks were prohibited in the underground districts aside from the surface of the planet. However, the police couldn’t stop the inhabitants from expressing their enthusiasm even though they had put more policemen on the streets. The fireworks could still be seen once in a while coming out from the metal cliff walls.
Most of the neighborhoods in Shou’er City were exposed to the open sky; so it was not dangerous to display the fireworks there. The fireworks could be seen in the sky throughout the city. The highest fireworks were almost as high as the mountain range on the crust of the planet.
There was chaos in the canteen of the New Era Institute. All the tables and chairs were lying on the floor. Many male students called each other to go to the grocery store and buy alcohol to drink.
The dean of the Administration Office responsible for disciplining students went to the president for advice. The fat president was wiping the sweat off his face with a handkerchief. “How can you discipline them at such a joyful moment?! What do you wish to do?” he scolded the dean while waving his hand impatiently.
The girl by the name of Lu Shuiqian had left the campus. She headed toward the row of trees along the path on the lawn. Judging by her back figure, she appeared quite lonely and desolate. Judging by the direction in which she headed, was she…also a person living in the underground neighborhood?
The Mingshen underground neighborhood was being occupied by an exultant crowd. The boss of the gaming parlor announced that it was free for everyone to get online that day. The owner of the barbecue stall was carried by a group of people to another neighborhood; the foods left in the stall were naturally shared by many people. Several middle-aged men who had seldom left their apartments stood by the stall calling their neighbors to come over and enjoy the free foods. Mr. Dan was still asleep under the table while holding a bottle of spirits; his face under the crooked glasses was full of wrinkles and smile.
…
…
The deck at the back of the praying hall was the only quiet place throughout the planet.
Standing by the railing of the deck, Jing Jiu looked at the occasional fireworks in the sky over the prairie. His face was illuminated by the fireworks but didn’t show any emotion.
He was not surprised by the outcome. Zong Lizi was advised by the main preacher of Shou’er City to participate in the selection of female priest to begin with. The reason the main preacher had done so was…because Zong Lizi was someone living with him. As such, the female priest would naturally choose her as her successor.
The fireworks suddenly became dense in the sky over the prairie; the light beams flashed more violently, and the cheers in front of the gate of the praying hall echoed in the sky.
Zong Lizi was standing on the high stone platform, receiving the greetings from those important figures and the populace.
The female priest came to the deck. She didn’t dare sit next to him. She halted half a step behind him and said softly, “The reason I chose her is because she is dear to you. I believe she is special.”
“Do you have a second thought now?” demanded Jing Jiu.
“That child is really ordinary in talents, be it the Cultivation or learning. Though she has improved amazingly when she was with you lately, she is still not outstanding enough. At least, she is not as outstanding as that child Jiang Yuxia.” The female priest continued in a humble tone, “But I don’t dare doubt your judgment. It’s just that she is really ordinary.”
Looking at the fireworks in the night sky, Jing Jiu thought that they were nevertheless the fireworks no matter which one was more beautiful than the others in the sky and that there was no point in concerning oneself with such a thing.
The female priest added, “The praying hall checked a few days ago and found that she and the chairman of the Twirling Rain Company have no kin relationship.”
“Yes, I know,” said Jing Jiu.
“Now that she is my successor, there will be no consequence when this is revealed; but I still can’t figure it out.”
The female priest continued, “She is quite ordinary, in terms of appearance, bearing, temperament and talents. And her parents were not special either. But you’re willing to let the divine miracle happen to her and have cured her illness…Why?”
Jing Jiu turned around and gazed at her. “She is truly ordinary, but it doesn’t matter.”
The female priest thought she understood him. “Yeah,” she commented sentimentally, “if she were a true genius, she wouldn’t need the guidance of God.”
“No, that’s not the reason,” said Jing Jiu. “I happened to meet her in this world. I don’t care if she is a genius or an ordinary person.”
The female priest thought that she understood him. She left after flashing a faint smile.
Indeed, God doesn’t care about the matters of this sort.
…
…
The fireworks were too bright. The light beams from the battleships passed through the atmosphere and mixed with the smoke and dust stirred up by the frenzied party on the prairie, making the air even murkier.
Jing Jiu disliked those battleships, nor did he like such a feeling. He turned around and left the deck.
Jiang Yuxia and Hua Xi were still kneeling in the back hall. Though the two of them didn’t become the successor of the female priest, they, as the candidates in the final list, would partake a suitable duty. The whole of praying hall was busy at the moment; nobody had time to take care of them. All they could do was stare at the flower petals in the water of the green ceramic bowl in a stupor. Seeing Jing Jiu walk out, the two of them couldn’t help but feel nervous.
He who could determine the selection of female the priest was not an ordinary person, and he must be more powerful than all the important figures on this planet.
Who was he then? Hua Xi didn’t dare to ask. Jiang Yuxia felt more relaxed after she had finally put down the burden of inheriting the female priest, and had more courage today. “How are you!” she said to Jing Jiu earnestly.
Jing Jiu ignored her.
Jiang Yuxia had similar experiences before, so she didn’t feel frustrated. She went on, “We’ve met a few times at the University of Stargate.”
Jing Jiu of course remembered her. However, due to his experience with Bai Zao, he had made the decision on the lawn the other day that he wouldn’t talk to this girl with black hair no matter what.
The room was quiet; the noises of the fireworks could be heard coming from the other side of the deck.
Hua Xi glanced at Jiang Yuxia sympathetically. She approached Jiang Yuxia and held her hand and squeezed it slightly in an effort to comfort her.
The noises of the fireworks grew sporadic in the sky over the prairie until they had totally disappeared. It seemed that the excited crowd had left the human world.
The battleships had returned to the space. The important figures participating in the celebration had gone back to their respective manor houses and official mansions by riding the flying devices. The crowd had gradually dispersed.
The whole world had eventually quietened. The female priest led Zong Lizi back to the back hall.
Zong Lizi didn’t show any excitement on her face, save for the tiredness and bewilderment.
She had suddenly become a most respected figure on this planet from a poor girl in the underground neighborhood. Anyone under the circumstances would need some time to get used to it.
Seeing Jing Jiu, her eyes beamed. As she was about to talk to him, the hurried footsteps came from the outside of the gray screen.
A figure was cast on the gray screen, followed by a voice, “Trouble in the outside of the praying hall.”
The speaker was the main preacher of Shou’er City, the most trusted subordinate of the female priest.
The night wind blew over from the deck, bringing in some cold intent. It was deathly quiet in the hall.
They all understood what he meant.
Did someone intend to make a fuss on the day when the new female priest had just been selected?
Did someone dare show disrespect to the female priest on this planet?
Hua Xi displayed a fearful expression in her eyes. Jiang Yuxia held her tightly in her bosom, patting her back.
Zong Lizi looked at Jing Jiu and restrained herself from talking to him.
It was then that the girls witnessed a scene they hadn’t expected to see.
The female priest bowed to Jing Jiu and said in a humble tone, “People are foolish; please have pity for them.”
“I’ll kill as few as possible,” said Jing Jiu.
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