Chapter 036: Doctrines of the Holy Codex
He had a wonderful night’s sleep. Perhaps it was because the bed was too comfortable, but Chen Ran slept for a full twenty-plus hours, right until dawn the next day, before stretching and rolling out of bed, full of vigor.
He walked to the cabinet by the bed and looked in the mirror.
Seeing the somewhat defined abs on his stomach and his rather flavorful biceps, Chen Ran was stunned for a moment.
As his level increased, the power gained from the blood essence had also improved his body. He found that even without specifically working out in a gym, his body was still changing with the energy he could feel.
He remembered that when he first arrived, his body was soft, with no muscles on his stomach, just skin and bones, a perfect fit for an otaku’s image.
The experiences in the jungle had not only tempered his character, but the large amount of blood essence he had absorbed had also imperceptibly changed him a lot. For some reason, he felt that he looked much better, and his posture seemed straighter. He even seemed to have grown a little taller.
His body was indeed much more well-proportioned, but his face was still the same, unchanged, except for being a little tanner than when he first arrived. He didn’t seem to have become any more handsome.
“Forget it. A face is something you’re born with. I’m not some pretty boy selling my ass. Why would I need to be so handsome?”
After comforting his weak heart with this Ah Q-style reasoning, Chen Ran changed into a clean priest’s robe.
Looking at himself in the mirror, calm and sharp, he did have a bit of a holy charlatan’s air. This demeanor was not something the pig-face he had seen the other day could compare to. In terms of image, his own bearing was definitely much more righteous.
He adjusted his collar, his every movement precise. He nodded in satisfaction. To make himself less likely to be exposed, he felt he should first study the contents of the book.
He took out the stolen goods from his spatial ring. The first thing Chen Ran opened was the codex, which weighed a full three jin. On it were written the fhree large words “Codex of Light,” which probably contained doctrines and the like.
He opened the first page of the hardcover book. A line of thick text immediately caught his eye.
“The Sacred and Demonic Edict: Once an obsession takes root in the heart, one will inevitably spend their entire life in its pursuit. To be born for it, to die for it. If this is destiny, it cannot be defied. Embark on an unseen journey where the end of the road is the end of life. This, precisely, is God’s guidance…”
The meaning of this passage was simple, but Chen Ran felt that it hinted at something, yet he couldn’t quite grasp it. He figured that these were, after all, things described by charlatans, deliberately made mysterious and profound, mostly used for brainwashing, so there was no need to study them seriously.
In the first few chapters of the book, this codex roughly described the church hierarchy that Chen Ran needed to know.
In the so-called Holy Church, there was a strict hierarchy. The lowest rank was the ordinary congregation, then the clergy of the Holy Court. For their priest class, there were roughly three categories: Discipline Priests (with some offensive capabilities), Holy Priests (mostly for buffs and support), and Shadow Priests (mostly for debuffs). Starting from the lowest official rank of Priest, the next tier was Low-rank High Priest, Mid-rank High Priest, and High-rank High Priest. Above that were Grand High Priest, Bishop, and Cardinal. Equivalent to the rank of Cardinal were the special ranks of Holy Child and Holy Maiden. At the very top was the Pope himself.
As for the rank of Church Knight, he only glanced at it briefly and didn’t plan to memorize it in detail.
Based on the description, Chen Ran calculated the role he could play. He found that, according to the description, and excluding the fact that he had no offensive capabilities, he could already be classified as a Mid-rank High Priest. If he leveled up a few more times, he could even impersonate a Grand High Priest. As for the rank of Bishop and above, one had to be personally appointed by the Pope. Those people were mostly important figures with well-known names, and their attire was custom-made. Impersonating them would be easily exposed. He figured that when his abilities were stronger, he would take the opportunity to impersonate a Grand High Priest. Oh ho ho ho.
The rest of the book was mostly doctrines and some classic stories. Chen Ran lost interest after a few glances and felt sleepy again. He never thought that there would be something in this world more boring than memorizing English words. He was not interested in the benevolent and loving edicts in it.
Alright, he had roughly finished reading the book, and Chen Ran had a clearer understanding of his own position.
Just then, his stomach rumbled. He then realized that he hadn’t eaten for a day (he had slept for nearly a day). It was time to replenish some energy.
Chen Ran went downstairs, asked the mayor’s family maid, and then went to the dining room to see if there was anything to eat.
Unexpectedly, he met the young girl Elena, whom he had seen yesterday, at the dining table.
The young girl smiled and greeted Chen Ran.
“Good morning, Your Excellency High Priest. You look well today.”
“Not at all…” For Chen Ran, who had slept for more than twenty hours, this “good morning” made him feel extremely ashamed. He sat down at the table, ready to eat. Although the beauty opposite him was also a feast for the eyes, he managed to restrain his lecherous nature. He properly picked up a piece of bread from the table, used a knife to spread some jam on it, and then put it in his mouth.
Perhaps he was really hungry, or perhaps it had been a long time since he had eaten authentic human food. In the dense forest, Chen Ran had only eaten fruits and roasted meat to fill his stomach. Now, the sight of dried meat made him want to vomit. He was very fond of these coarse grains now.
Chen Ran picked up slice after slice of bread and ate with a good appetite. He also drank several glasses of milk and was satisfied with being full. It was only when he remembered there was someone else opposite him that he looked up and saw Elena watching him eat breakfast.
“What, you’re not eating?”
Having a beautiful woman he was not familiar with watch him eat felt strange when he noticed it.
“Mmm…” Elena blinked, her eyes flashing with an alluring charm. She smiled and pointed to the empty plate and the glass milk jug that had only one mouthful left.
Chen Ran’s face turned red. It turned out that he had eaten everything…
“Um, sorry, I was a little hungry today and ate everything without realizing it…”
“It’s nothing,” Elena said, shaking her head indifferently. “I wasn’t very hungry to begin with, and I’ve already eaten a little. Besides,” she smiled again, “if Your Excellency High Priest is still not full, I can have the maid make some more for you. I can’t bear the responsibility of neglecting Your Excellency High Priest.”
“Look at you. Actually, I’m just an ordinary person like you. I’m not much older than you. I just happen to be in the clergy,” Chen Ran said. In his heart, he couldn’t help but add the word “impostor.” He then continued, “It’s shameful to say, but I was in a hurry when I came and was on the road the whole time, so I was exhausted when I arrived. I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you, miss.”
Elena shook her head and smiled. “Your Excellency High Priest is busy with your duties. It is I, a girl who stays at home all day waiting to be married, who should be ashamed. Because I rarely go out, I know nothing about places other than Redleaf Town. I wonder if I could ask you a few questions, Your Excellency?”
