Chapter Eighteen: The Holy Knight

Internet Publishing License Number: Xiang B2-20100081-3
Internet Publishing Qualification Certificate: New Net Certificate (Xiang) No. 11
Network Cultural Business License: Wen Wang Wen [2010] No. 128

A winter rain had just passed, and faint wisps of fragrance drifted above the city of Fragrant Leaf. The damp, muddy roads had been restored to cleanliness and order by the workers, and the city was enveloped in the jubilant anticipation of the approaching grand festival.

Xiu Yi stood alone before a small lake on the outskirts of Fragrant Leaf City. The climate and soil here differed greatly from those of the world he once knew; though it was the depth of winter, the lake remained unfrozen, and fish still frolicked merrily beneath the surface. Occasionally, one or two would leap up, shooting jets of water at him.

He scattered the breadcrumbs from his hand with abandon, watching the swarm of fish scramble for the feast. His calm eyes, however, were sharp and unyielding.

Above him, Hong let out a piercing cry in response to Lü’s call—a signal that someone was approaching in the distance, and likely the very person Xiu Yi had been waiting for.

With a single gesture, Xiu Yi summoned a wind lark, sending it fluttering toward the outskirts. Though merely a basic spell, the wind lark was immensely practical. Its advantage lay in its minimal drain on magical power, so he never had to worry about running out. While it couldn't evade the notice of high-level mages, it was often more effective than advanced spells against ordinary folk.

Through the eyes of the wind lark, Xiu Yi observed a man clad in the garb of a commoner galloping down the road atop a horse.

Yet, to Xiu Yi, the man radiated suspicion. For instance, how could an ordinary commoner be riding a horse reserved for relay stations?

With a light wave of his hand, Xiu Yi intoned, “O omnipotent spirits of the wind, let me sense your presence; heed my call…”

A whirlwind of wind element swept violently down the road, raising clouds of dust. The running horse reared in fright, and before the rider could react, a blade of wind whistled through the air, striking the back of his head and sending him tumbling to the ground.

The man lost consciousness as he hit the earth.

Only then did Xiu Yi stroll toward him. He rummaged through the man’s bag and found a letter.

Xiu Yi noted the letter was sealed by magic—a forced opening would cause it to ignite and burn itself to ash.

With a frown, Xiu Yi took a vial from his ring and dripped a potion onto the seal. Alchemists, he had to admit, were truly the most versatile of mages. Without allegiance to any particular school, they employed unique means to accomplish anything any mage could, including disabling magical seals on letters.

The letter was written by Bernard Brownie, the patriarch of the Brownie family, addressed to his younger brother:

“My dear brother, the man you sent has arrived. Upon investigation and verification, it is highly likely that this person is currently the Empire’s most wanted fugitive, Xiu Yi Glare. Your subordinate has rendered a great service to the family. According to what I have gathered, Xiu Yi Glare is far more than a mere murderer; otherwise, His Majesty would not have dispatched the Earth Warrior Chackley, nor ordered a nationwide manhunt. I believe his existence is tied to some critical state secret. Moreover, judging by Lord Chackley’s attention, this man is even more dangerous than you estimated.

Based on my information, Xiu Yi Glare became the Empire’s most wanted because he possesses a spatial artifact containing a vast hoard of items belonging to top-tier alchemists—items that are intimately linked to the Empire’s very rise. This rumor is not yet confirmed.

The current agent in charge of the case, Lord Rashel, is a highly experienced investigator. Your subordinate’s report has confirmed his deduction that Xiu Yi Glare is indeed in Vansa. However, I doubt entrusting this matter to him will bring us any benefit. That fellow wrongly deduced that Xiu Yi would return to Southwell Town, but in fact, he lingered in Vansa. This is a heaven-sent opportunity. I need you to find a way to confirm whether Xiu Yi Glare truly possesses the spatial artifact and its contents. If confirmed, immediately mobilize the family’s warriors to capture him—no matter the cost, those treasures must be obtained. The operation must be carried out with absolute secrecy. Once the capture begins, slaughter all who interfere and destroy the bodies—leave no trace. But if Abrit intervenes, abandon the plan at once.

Lastly, thank you for caring for Took.
Your elder brother, Bernard Brownie,
at Old York City, Vansa.

P.S. I will help delay Rashel here, buying time before he can reach Fragrant Leaf. I admit, this is a perilous decision, but when circumstances demand risk, we must be brave for the family’s sake. The family’s revival depends on you! May the gods bless you and the Brownies.”

Softly folding the letter, Xiu Yi’s expression darkened.

So Chackley, too, had joined the hunt for him? Clearly, the man was unwilling to let secrets slip from his grasp.

And what of Bailey and the others—were they involved as well?

So, the old hound from Deep Harbor was named Rashel. The name sounded familiar, though Xiu Yi couldn’t recall where he’d heard it.

The old hound was no simple adversary, seeing through the illusions Xiu Yi had set, deducing that he’d taken a trove of materials from Purgatory Isle, and even guessing he possessed a spatial ring…

After reading the letter, Xiu Yi was momentarily dazed.

There is always gain and loss. Though Rashel had indeed fallen for Xiu Yi’s ruse, he had been spot-on regarding the spatial ring and the stolen materials—something Xiu Yi hadn’t anticipated.

After a moment’s thought, he used a cleaning potion to gently erase the words “But if Abrit intervenes, abandon the plan at once.” Then, with a pen he carried, and imitating Bernard Brownie’s handwriting and tone, he replaced it with: “Even if Abrit intervenes, the plan must proceed to the end.”

He owed this skill to his student years—since elementary school, he’d learned to forge his parents’ handwriting for absence notes to teachers. Before college, he’d even wondered if his future would depend on faking wills for others, never imagining it would prove so useful here. Though he wasn’t yet fluent in this world’s script, changing a few words posed no risk of discovery.

Once finished, Xiu Yi resealed the letter and tucked it back into the messenger’s pouch.

Seeing the unconscious messenger was otherwise unharmed and would soon wake, Xiu Yi turned and left.

On his way back, he saw Lanti approaching.

The young girl had clung to Xiu Yi these days, her budding love making her ever more radiant.

“Fink.”

Her lovely face was bright with a springlike smile as she ran to him, threw her arms around him, and planted a sweet kiss. “I knew you’d be here. You always like to hide outside alone.”

“I just don’t enjoy being surrounded and questioned by a crowd, like I’m some rare animal on display,” Xiu Yi replied with a smile.

News of Clarice’s peril and Xiu Yi’s intervention, as well as the troupe’s performance of Turandot at the Lanya Grand Theatre, had spread throughout the troupe. People speculated that gaining entry to Lanya must have something to do with Xiu Yi.

Some believed he was the scion of some great noble house; others whispered he was a mage, especially after rumors about the incident with the Carmel family. The endless speculation wearied him, and, needing time to cultivate, he often slipped outside whenever he could.

“Oh, that just means you’re talented—you’re attracting everyone!” Lanti teased, clinging to him.

“And what sort of talent do you mean?” Xiu Yi asked mischievously.

Lanti tilted her head cutely, thought for a moment, then replied with utmost seriousness, “In every way.”

“That may be the sweetest compliment for any man.”

“Maybe tonight… you’d like the three of us together…” Lanti offered, her voice alluring.

“Oh, Lanti, I’m not sure I could handle that.”

“I don’t care,” she whispered, nibbling his ear, arms around his neck. “Tonight, I’m going to drain you dry.”

Her seductive words made Xiu Yi lose all restraint; he seized Lanti and pressed his lips to hers with passion.

Lanti laughed and playfully slapped at him, but let the boy’s lips wander to her most sensitive places.

As they frolicked, the sound of horses’ hooves approached from afar.

Looking up, they saw a formidable company riding into the city, led by a tall knight clad in sacred armor, a crimson cloak across his shoulders, wielding a lance imbued with holy magic.

The knight cast a cold glance at the playful pair and gave a low snort. “O you lost in the sea of desire, awaken soon and embrace my Lord’s light.”

He raised his lance, releasing a blaze of holy radiance.

“Purify the unclean!”

The light descended upon Xiu Yi and Lanti.

Lanti was terrified, but Xiu Yi grabbed her. “Don’t move—it’s not an attack spell.”

The light exploded above their heads, raining down in luminous drops, bathing them in an instant.

Lanti felt as if her entire being had been thoroughly cleansed—her mind and spirit refreshed. The distant knightly company appeared like deities descending to earth. Overcome with reverence, she fell to her knees before them.

Xiu Yi knelt on one knee as well.

The knight commander gave a proud, chilly snort and led his retinue into the city.

Only when the knights had vanished from sight did Xiu Yi gently tap Lanti’s shoulder, awakening her from her trance.

“Oh my, that was…”

“The Sacred Knights. That spell the captain used should be the ‘Purification’ spell—one of the holy magics. It cleanses the impurities of the soul, bringing inner peace. Hmph, quite the trick,” Xiu Yi said coldly.

When that Purification spell had struck him, Xiu Yi sensed that, on the surface, it was the church’s way of cleansing hearts—but Lanti’s reaction revealed it also contained a hypnotic suggestion.

Those under its influence would feel their desires vanish temporarily and develop a reverence for the caster.

That was why Lanti had unconsciously knelt, forcing Xiu Yi to follow suit.

No wonder the Church of the Holy Spirit reigned as the foremost religion of the northern continent. Even the coronation of the Lances Empire’s monarch required the church’s blessing. The Pope’s authority even exceeded that of kings. With ‘Purification’ alone, the church recruited vast numbers of followers every year.

Yet, according to Xiu Yi’s knowledge, in all the magical systems of the continent, only soul magic possessed hypnotic powers. How then did holy magic wield the same force?

He realized that, when the knight captain cast Purification, he had sensed a faint fluctuation of soul power.

Could it be that holy magic also drew upon the power of the soul?

The implication was chilling.

Soul magic was forbidden across the continent, yet holy magic was the church’s pillar in the fight against evil.

If anyone dared claim that soul and holy magic were siblings, the entire continent would rise in fury.

Lanti exclaimed in wonder, “The Sacred Knights? Why are they here in Fragrant Leaf?”

Gazing at the departing knights, Xiu Yi replied coolly, “They’re likely just passing through. That was the Radiant Order—perhaps heading to cleanse some heretical region.”

The Sacred Knights were the church’s elite fighting force. Unlike ordinary warriors, each Sacred Knight was not only a formidable fighter but also wielded divine magic.

If magic could still be studied and understood, divine magic defied all explanation.

Unlike magic, which required talent, divine magic demanded only piety toward the church and deity. Each year, the Church of the Holy Spirit selected devout youths from among its followers for training at the headquarters in the Grabys Mountains.

Yet fewer than one in ten would emerge as Sacred Knights from the church.

It was these few who made up the church’s most powerful force—the Sacred Knights.

At present, the Sacred Knights numbered about thirty thousand, divided among three orders: the Guardians, the Glorious, and the Radiant. Each order comprised ten companies of a thousand knights each. The Guardians protected the church, the Glorious were stationed at local churches, and the Radiant undertook missions abroad.

This company in Fragrant Leaf belonged to the second company of the Radiant Order.

Though only a hundred strong, even the weakest among them matched a level-four warrior. Given their ability to cast holy magic, their combat prowess rivaled that of fifth or sixth-level fighters.

The presence of the Sacred Knights cemented the Church’s splendor across the northern continent, making it one of the three great churches and its master.

A Sacred Knight company of a hundred was rarely deployed lightly. What kind of heretic could warrant such a force?

Could it be some foreign cultists had come here? Xiu Yi was baffled, unable to fathom the reason.