READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 3 Luojia: How did I become his encourager?
The Moningsta Family, also known as the Morningstar Family, is one of the newly rising families on the frontier and the wealthiest among them.
Inside the courtyard of the Morningstar estate.
Luojia waited quietly.
She slightly lowered her head, counting the number of fallen leaves on the ground, the hesitance showing under her silvery-white eyelids.
A week had passed since the sacrifice incident.
But everything seemed as if it had happened just yesterday, the fresh blood, the screams still vivid in her mind.
After parting with An Su, she had returned to the Church. She had sworn an oath not to report An Su, nor to reveal any details about the Mother Goddess's teachings; she simply said she had been playing at a friend's house for a few days.
Life at the Church remained uneventful, as if nothing had ever happened. Luojia had spent such a week in constant trepidation.
Until today, she finally made up her mind to visit the estate of the Morningstar Family.
If An Su had been completely beguiled by the Mother Goddess, then it was her duty to guide and stop him.
That was her responsibility and obligation.
The shadows of the gothic dome below fell sharply on the ground like swords, and rows of palm trees stood on either side of the courtyard, their scattered points of light twinkling between layers of leaves, the dense greenery seemingly about to cascade down.
"Ah... indeed, a nun from the Radiant Holy See."
The gatekeeping maid nodded, a look of surprise on her face, and asked again uncertainly.
"You truly wish to visit Master An Su...? You are Master An Su's... friend?"
"Yes, I am An Su's friend."
Luojia lifted her gaze, looking directly at the maid before her,
"May I?"
"Master An Su has no friends," the maid said with a flicker of revulsion and fear in her eyes as she mentioned the name. She glanced around before lowering her voice, "You know—the child of this house... he's a cursed monster."
"A cursed monster?" Luojia's eyes widened slightly.
"Since he was born, he has caused his mother's death. He came into this world with his mother's blood on his hands."
the maid whispered,
"Master An Su possesses a rare dark talent, which is why to this day, he is forbidden by the head of the house from practicing magic. Don't lie to me, you are definitely not his friend."
"No child wishes to befriend him—not to mention a nun from the Radiant Holy See."
The Radiant Holy See is one of the seven Orthodox Churches of Nether.
Only the most devout and noble children can join the Radiant Holy See.
No one holds any expectations for the young master of the Morningstar Family.
Upon hearing about An Su's background, Luojia was momentarily taken aback.
She had always thought the young master came from a privileged background and lived in luxury, but she had never expected such a past.
And moreover, the young master's reputation within the family was not good.
If that was the case, she was even more determined to persuade An Su to see the error of his ways!
Luojia made up her mind at that moment.
She could not let him stray further and further down the path of the Esoteric Religion.
"If you insist on visiting," the maid curtsied, "I will go and notify them."
After a while.
The maid returned and curtsied to Luojia again, "Please follow me."
Accompanying the maid, Luojia walked along the corridor into the interior, passing through the courtyard shaded by palm trees, then along a side path, walking further in. She noticed that the ambiance around her gradually turned more secluded and dilapidated.
The enormous palm trees were gone, replaced by ivy clinging to the inner walls, and the layered tendrils of the vines blocked out the sunlight. At the end of the ivy, there was a small gothic tower.
Gray and desolate.
A thick layer of fallen leaves had accumulated at the entrance, suggesting it seldom received visitors.
"I won't accompany you any further. You can go on by yourself from here."
The maid looked at the gray tower with a trace of aversion and said to Luojia.
Without company, Luojia felt her emotions growing more complex.
The image of that boy, sacrificing twenty-one Cultists in madness that day, was deeply etched in Luojia's memory.
But An Su had saved her.
The only thing Luojia knew was that An Su had saved her.
Therefore, she had to help An Su, to dissuade him from continuing down the wrong path.
She knocked on the somewhat heavy door of the gray tower—
Soon after, a cold yet clear voice came from inside.
"Please come in, Miss Luojia."
Luojia pushed the door open and saw the young master leaning against the window shutters, holding a thick volume, while the afternoon breeze gently rustled through the gaps in the ivy, tousling An Su's light grey hair.
He seemed different from what she had seen on that day, tranquil as the afternoon sun.
But Luojia knew that this was only a facade of the boy.
An Su put down his book, lifted his eyes, and gazed at Luojia, gazing at the future Holy Maiden.
"What is it that you need from me?"
"About the blood sacrifice," Luojia said softly, "I have never mentioned it to the Church."
"I see," An Su commented noncommittally.
The contract sworn before the goddess was protected by the divine.
"But regarding the blood sacrifice..." Luojia took a deep breath, "you cannot continue anymore."
"I know, this is only your first time, it was for self-preservation, and the sacrifices are all evil people... you even saved my life, I won't forget it."
Actually, it wasn't my first time... An Su remained expressionless.
In the game, I used the altar like a bank to farm money and skills... sacrificing tens of thousands whenever I was short on cash or skills.
The Mother Goddess was even affectionately referred to by An Su as the 'Bank Manager'.
Her tone became earnest,
"The Esoteric Religion is terrifying. I've seen many who have fallen, tasted the first sweet fruit and then wander further and further down the wrong path, sacrificing more and more people, even innocent civilians. You must have been blessed by the Mother Goddess by now, right? Once the Church learns of this, you will be sent to the guillotine..."
An Su listened in silence, the shadow of the window mullion covering his face, making it impossible to discern his expression.
"I will pretend I haven't seen this incident."
Luojia spoke sternly, "I will find a way to cover it up with the Church. Please give up the blessings of the Mother Goddess and return to the life of an ordinary person. The Mother Goddess will not bless you, She is an evil existence..."
To be honest, this Little Holy Maiden is quite considerate.
The oath included not reporting, but not helping to cover up.
"I know, it is cruel, you will hate me, you will think I am repaying kindness with enmity..."
Luojia continued to speak, but before she could finish, An Su interrupted her.
"You are right."
"I know it's hard for you to abandon your faith in the Mother Goddess... Huh?"
Luojia blinked, doubting her ears, and asked again, "What did you say?"
"You've convinced me!"
An Su took a few steps closer, drawing near to Luojia's cheek, his eyes full of sincerity,
"What I despise most in my life are evil cultists. They bully men and women, lord over others, and commit all kinds of atrocities, the worst of the worst. After reflecting over this past week, I have completely come to my senses."
Ah...?
I haven't even said anything yet.
Luojia clenched the prepared speech cheat sheet in her garment unconsciously: "Three Steps to Persuade An Su to Turn Around."
She was just at the first step of the baptism, enlightening him with reason.
According to the normal baptism process, shouldn't An Su be firm in his opposition, throwing her out of the yard, and then over the next few days, she perseveres relentlessly, the second step moving him with emotion, and eventually An Su is touched by her spirit and reforms, adding another redemption tale to the Church...
How is it that he was so easily persuaded!
What's more critical is... inside, Luojia felt assured that the young man before her spoke nothing but earnest truth from his heart.
"Those cultists are shameless, especially the followers of the Mother Goddess, utterly wicked!" An Su declared indignantly.
"Right, that's true," Luojia nodded in agreement.
"They love to slaughter civilians."
"Indeed," Luojia agreed.
"They also take away the children of civilians, snatch away men's wives."
"That's true," Luojia nodded again.
"They are extremely promiscuous, that Mother Goddess is just a well-trained breeding sow, having wild parties with her Archbishop every day!"
"That's right...." Luojia nodded, then immediately realized what she was saying, her pupils dilating,
"Eh? Is that so? The Mother Goddess Church doesn't even have an Archbishop, eh, wait, is that really happening?"
"That just shows your ignorance," An Su asserted firmly, adding in his mind, 'At least that's how I played it.'
Denigrating the Mother Goddess was no burden for An Su.
This was a region ruled by the Orthodox Church; no matter how much he cursed, the Mother Goddess could not hear him.
And even if She did hear, She wouldn't care.
After all, millions cursed Her every day.
"I know I have committed unforgivable sins..." An Su confessed sincerely.
"It's not that serious," Luojia's stern demeanor deflated a bit.
"I have blood-sacrificed twenty-one living beings," the young man said, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Those were evildoers, evildoers, and it was out of self-preservation, you are innocent!" Luojia blurted out, yet she sensed something was amiss.
—I'm here to stop this cultist, how has it turned into encouraging him?
"I know I can never fully atone for my sins, and in order for you to keep watch over me in the future, to ensure I never sacrifice innocent civilians... I swear to the goddess!"
An Su looked squarely at Luojia, declaring solemnly, "Please allow me to join the Radiant Holy See to atone for my sins!"
"Eh?" Luojia was bewildered.