"Since Reverend has already accepted her payment, shouldn't she start working?" The pope's eyes were slits. He was smiling, yet not smiling. Claire raised a brow. Of course Claire understood what the pope meant. Claire had already used the gift of the goddess and it was time for her to reciprocate.
"Your holiness, what can your servant do for the Temple?" Claire sighed in her heart. Afterall, she did take their stuff and the sly old fox did do her a huge favor.
"Haha, of course…" But before the pope finished, footsteps sounded at the door, followed immediately by knocking.
"Come in." The pope seemed to know who it was.
As the door opened slowly, Leng Lingyun and Liu Xueqing appeared. As they walked in, when they saw Claire, their eyes flashed with shock. Claire turned to see the two. After a slight nod, just when she was about to turn back, she noticed what they were holding.
Each person was carrying a box, one large, one small.
"Was it resolved?" The pope smiled at the two. Although he was asking, his gaze was certain and he was satisfied. The two had never disappointed him.
Liu Xueqing glanced at Claire and hesitated. Leng Lingyun was unexpectedly frowning.
But the pope smiled and nodded at Liu Xueqing. "Don't worry, Claire is now a priest of our Temple, not an outsider."
A complex emotion flitted across her eyes, but she still opened the box. Leng Lingyun's eyes were also filled with ambivalence. He wanted to say something, but was halted by the pope's knowing gaze.
When Claire saw what was inside the box, she stiffened.
Inside the box was a glass bottle containing two bloody eyeballs! With black irises! And a handful of black hair!
Claire felt her blood run cold. Her gaze rested on the bottle and the black hair, unable to look away. Her heart hardened, her fist clenched. Her palms were already drenched in cold sweat.
An ineffable light flashed through the pope's gaze when he saw Claire's expression. "Has the traitor, the fallen knight Shack, been executed?" he asked softly.
"Yes… " Leng Lingyun said slowly. He sighed in his heart. Naturally, he understood what the pope intended. But wasn't the pope a little hurried? Was it fine for Claire to be exposed to this so soon? Wasn't it too early to test Claire's opinion of the Temple?
Peering from the corner of her eye, Liu Xiuqing saw Claire's face pale slightly. "Those who betray the goddess of Light, betray the Temple of Light, can only die. He also eloped with the filthy woman of Darkness, adding to his sins."
Claire's gaze shifted to the box Leng Lingyun was holding. Did the large box Leng Lingyun carrying contain the head of the fallen knight?!
Claire recognized that it must have been the two ill-fated lovers they had saved in the valley! Unfortunately, they had not escaped the clutches of the Temple of Light. How cruel, they had actually pulled out her eyes and ripped out her hair! Claire clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles whitening and cracking softly. She trembled slightly, her complexion frighteningly pale.
The Temple of Light! The Pope! The Pope whose every word was supposedly filled with virtue!
The pope strode forward indifferently. He inspected the items in Liu Xueqing's box, nodding praisingly. "You two have done well this time, exterminating the fallen and scum so the Light will once again shine – "
The pope's words were cut off abruptly. A terrifying power had suddenly burst forth.
The pope and Liu Xiuqing turned in shock to see Claire's entire being glow with golden light, her gaze completely icy. The wild power was being released by Claire!
Liu Xiuqing's eyes flickered excitedly. Was Claire going to attack the pope? Did she want to die? The pope stared in shock at Claire, who was on the verge of exploding. The atmosphere was so tense, it was a string that would snap at any time! But before the pope could make a move…
"Claire!" Leng Lingyun hollered. With this one yell, the atmosphere instantly dispersed.
Claire came back to her senses and the golden glow faded. Her clenched fists slowly loosened. She glared coldly at every individual, then turned away and opened the door. She walked out without a word and slammed the door behind her, leaving the room in dead silence.
The three were left frozen, each with a different expression.
"Your holiness, isn't Reverend's attitude crossing the line?" the Divine Princess asked. Because Leng Lingyun was there, her tone was somewhat kind.
The pope's eyes slitted and he remained silent. Leng Lingyun looked at the pope. Although he did not say anything, the pope understood the meaning in his eyes.
"Xueqing, you may leave." The pope gave Liu Xueqing a nod. "I have a few questions for Lingyun."
Liu Xueqing's eyes flashed with unwillingness, but in the end, she left without a word.
After the door closed, the pope turned to face Leng Lingyun. "Lingyun, if you have anything to say, say it now."
Leng Lingyun spoke directly from the heart. "Your holiness, your actions are too hasty."
The pope let out a sigh. "Yes, I too realized I was too hasty. However, I did not expect Claire's strength to grow so quickly in the short time she was gone!"
"Her potential is truly astonished," Leng Lingyun agreed softly.
"Perhaps that was why she was chosen by the goddess." The pope stroked his chin and leaned back in his chair. "She is different from you two. She has only entered the Temple recently and grew up in the Hill clan, which supports the crown."
"Yes, your holiness. Please give her time to adjust."
"Haha, I will. However, Leng Lingyun, this seems to be the first time you have shown so much care to anyone other than Xuanxuan." The pope smiled faintly.
Leng Lingyun froze for a moment, then shook his head. "Your holiness, I just…"
"You just want to say you do not wish for the Temple of Light to loose such potential?" The pope was smiling, but his meaning was clear.
Leng Lingyun fell silent. He knew saying anything else would only worsen the situation.
"Alright, after settling this matter, you can go visit Xuanxuan and comfort our priest," the pope instructed. He was smiling faintly, his expression ambiguous.
"Yes." Leng Lingyun replied. His expression had never changed.
Now, only the pope was left in the room. He slowly approached the window, sighing softly as he gazed out. The goddess had decreed adding Claire into the Temple, but was this the correct path? The pope couldn't help but be worried recalling Claire on the verge of exploding. It was only for an instant, but the aura Claire had emitted was so powerful. What would happen if they continued to let her grow? Would she be help or would she be danger?
At this time, Claire was hurrying out of the Temple, her expression heavy as she walked to Camille's house.
She kicked open the door with a loud bang. The door creaked as it swung on its hinges, thoroughly broken.
"Who?! Who would…" Camille started yelling, but then he saw Claire storm in, her expression dark.
"Claire, you're back. But what's with your face, why are you so angry? Were you kicked out?" Camille's voice was gentle, handsome, but his venomous tongue had not changed.
"Camille, you are the number one scholar in the capital, correct?" Camille had already surpassed his master who was supposed the number one scholar.
"Haha, of course," Camille answered lazily.
"Then let me ask you, when the world worships a horrible, shameless, unfair, vile being, what do you do?" Claire sat down on the sofa, emitting a murderous aura. Her gaze piercingly cold.
"Since when were you so righteous?" Camille joked, smiling.
But Claire's gaze remained icy. Camille finally realized the situation was not simple.
"Claire, I do not know what occurred, but if what you said is true and the entire world worships that being, then they must be extremely powerful. If you want to overthrow them, you must have the power and status to crush them, crush them underfoot," Camille answered, his expression solemn, his tone heavy. It was extremely rare for Camille to be serious.
But after hearing Camille's serious words, Claire suddenly stood up and started laughing. The more she laughed, the more crazy her laughter became. But the laughter was filled with realization, domination, and endless confidence.
Camille was at a loss for words. Only after a long time was he able to sputter, "Cl-Claire, are you ok? Did you go crazy?"
"Nonsense, you're the one who's gone crazy!" Claire glared.
"Then what are you doing?" Camille tilted his head, not understanding.
"How did I not realize!" Claire's eyes hardened, becoming more and more icy. "There will come a day when I become powerful enough to pull her off that throne and beat her up!" Claire humphed coldly. This one sound was filled with wild power, so much so that Camille's ears vibrated and his sight went dark for a moment. Camille thought to himself nervously, Claire's strength had grown a lot again.
"I'll look for you another day." And with that, Claire stood up and left