Chapter 037: Eloquence
“I have heard that the Holy Church of Light saves the world with benevolence and love. A long time ago, it started as a small organization and, after more than a thousand years, became the largest church on the continent. Therefore, I have always admired the great man who founded this faith, for building such a selfless organization for the world. As a member, Your Excellency must feel very honored, right?”
Chen Ran coughed inwardly. Honored my ass. I’ve never done a single decent good deed in my life. The charlatan identity I’ve taken on is just a front for a useless guy who’s here to fish in troubled waters.
Chen Ran’s eyebrows twitched, and he quickly answered with a righteous expression, “How should I put it? As a member of the Holy Church of Light, I feel proud, but not as honored as you say. We just do what we feel we should do: help others, help those in distress out of their predicament, and make happy people even happier. We also find satisfaction in our hearts. To be able to help others is our honor.”
“Your Excellency is too modest,” Elena said, her faint smile making her seem somewhat friendly. With her every move, Chen Ran’s gaze would involuntarily shift to some of the important parts of her body. Perhaps because she was leaning against the table to listen, her clothes were pulled tight, and her full breasts formed an exaggerated silhouette. The buttons on her shirt were strained, looking as if they could pop off at any moment, which made one’s imagination run wild.
Chen Ran suddenly felt that talking to Elena was a form of torture. Her charm seemed to be innate. Even without deliberately making any seductive gestures, she could always attract one’s gaze.
At this moment, Elena placed her hands on the table, her fingers intertwined, and rested her chin on them, looking like she was humbly seeking advice.
“Your Excellency High Priest, I have heard that the Holy Church of Light, located in the center of the continent, has always been a paradise on earth and one of the most beautiful cities for mankind. As a girl who has lived in Redleaf Town for nineteen years, I have never stepped out of this place. I have always longed for the outside world. I heard that the position of High Priest is also mostly held by those who have come from the church. Can you describe its beauty to me?”
“Miss, how should I put it…” Chen Ran had to start his vague fabrications. “The Holy Church of Light is indeed a perfect homeland. You can never imagine its magnificence. I think any words I use to describe its greatness and beauty would seem empty and superficial. This is something that you should probably see for yourself, miss. It would be better than a thousand of my words.”
Alright, I’ll just make it up like this for now. I’ve never been to that place either. It’s already quite an achievement to be able to make this up.
“Mmm, hearing you say that, Your Excellency, I’m even more curious. I will definitely go and see it if I have the chance,” Elena said, looking at Chen Ran with a smile. She continued, “I have some knowledge of the Holy Codex. In the forty-second volume of the Codex of Light, ‘The Eternal Chapter of Light and Darkness,’ it details the huge contrast between the two worlds of love and sin. I have a question. Since the Creator established the beautiful world of light, why did he also create an evil space of darkness? Wouldn’t it be better if there were no sin in this world?”
Chen Ran was dizzy. This girl was beautiful, but why was she so difficult to deal with? She had probably memorized the entire codex. If he spoke carelessly, his flaws would be easily discovered.
Chen Ran answered slowly and methodically, “Light and darkness are relative. A world with only light is never a complete world. And a world without conflict can hardly have a progressive civilization. The so-called gods and devils are more of a spiritual sustenance, but what truly determines light and darkness is the human heart. Where there are people, there will be light. Where there are people, there will also be darkness…”
For this, Chen Ran specifically gave a few examples.
“Greed is the original sin of the world, more or less hidden in the human heart. For example, fishermen. Their greed lies in wanting to catch more fish to be satisfied, and then they hope to catch even more the second time. Young people everywhere are also greedy. When they see their companions marry beautiful wives, they will hope to marry even better ones. Indeed, there is nothing wrong with this. But once the power of greed exceeds the limits of one’s own ability, a pathological development often occurs, giving rise to sin. Therefore, many times, one’s own eyes are not so real. No matter how holy a place is, there will always be dark corners. No matter how dim a place is, there will always be a glimmer of light hidden. This often requires a pair of discerning eyes.”
After saying all this in one breath, and seeing Elena’s thoughtful expression, Chen Ran couldn’t help but admire his own eloquence. He had always known he was good at talking nonsense, but he never thought that when he was serious, he really did have the air of a charlatan.
The moment he looked up, he inadvertently looked into Elena’s eyes and was captivated by something there.
Her blinking eyelashes were incredibly clear, setting off her beautiful, gemstone-like eyes. And you could never see their depths. Elena was pure, moving, and had a hint of charm and maturity rarely seen in a young girl, which was exceptionally attractive. And for such a girl to appear in a small town like Redleaf Town, with its rustic charm, felt very magical.
“Your Excellency High “High Priest, what’s wrong?” It seemed that he had been so focused on her eyes that he hadn’t noticed Elena had already come back from her thoughts. The faint smile on her face made Chen Ran feel embarrassed.
“Sorry, I’ve rarely seen such a beautiful girl. Your suitors in Redleaf Town must be numerous,” Chen Ran said, not trying to hide it too much. A deliberate cover-up was not as good as being direct, which made one seem more sincere. He just needed to be more careful in the future.
“Not at all…” Hearing Chen Ran’s praise, a faint blush appeared on Elena’s face, making her look even more charming. “I have a fiancé.”
“Then he must be very outstanding,” a trace of regret flashed in Chen Ran’s eyes. He guessed that anyone who saw something so beautiful in someone else’s hands would have the same feeling.
But Elena shook her head and said calmly, “He died a month ago.”
Then, she added faintly, “Just like the others.”
“Uh…”
He hadn’t expected this result. Chen Ran felt sorry for the deceased brother for missing out on a top-quality girl like Elena. But Chen Ran had another illusion, that such a girl seemed to belong to no one.
Of course, he still had to say the right thing.
“Sorry for bringing up a painful subject.”
“It’s okay,” Elena, on the contrary, was very open about it. “My fiancé was the son of the richest man in town. Actually, I had only met him a few times. This marriage was entirely arranged by my father, and I didn’t like that guy very much. So, it didn’t affect me much.”
“I see,” Chen Ran said, nodding in realization.
Just then, the sound of a door opening came. The mayor rushed in. Seeing that Chen Ran had just finished eating, he walked over enthusiastically.
“Your Excellency High Priest, sorry to have disturbed your meal. But every day in the town is very tense now. I hope you can cooperate with us to solve the town’s troubles as soon as possible.”
