Storm of Gods

Chapter 132 Cooperation with Young Master Simmons

The agreement with Daenerys Targaryen was satisfactory to both parties, and Li Xin had finally gained a foothold in Heldan. His primary task now was to produce a news story within a week that would satisfy President Ma Zhe. Li Xin could sense that the other party had only taken him in out of politeness. Despite his friendly attitude, he would be kicked out if he failed to deliver results.

St. George's Cathedral is the largest church dedicated to the Earth Mother in the St. George district. Devout believers pray here every day, and it must be packed with people on Sundays, so Li Xin chose a weekday.

The church is made of a type of stone similar to white marble, which is very smooth and white. It is built up piece by piece, and the simple and elegant carvings fully demonstrate Heldan's artistic heritage. Even in the immigrant area, the church's grandeur is not diminished.

At the top of the Vatican is a statue of the pure white Mother Earth. Like the Li Long, the statues of gods only have outlines and no faces, but when you look at them, you will naturally feel a sense of beauty and awe, as if they have a specific appearance but you can't remember it.

Li Xin stood quietly below, gazing up at the statue of the Earth Mother Goddess. He seemed to have no affinity with the Moon Goddess. Matthew's actions back then were probably genuine, so Li Xin wanted to see if he had any connection with the Earth Mother Goddess. Usually, someone in his situation would have a powerful patron to rely on. He was currently in the process of finding a powerful patron and wanted to find someone to belong to as soon as possible.

Inside the church, some believers of the Mother Goddess were praying, their prayers potentially concerning health, harvest, and children. As it was an immigrant area, it was home to residents from all over Daoyuan. Before the reforms of Grand Archon Luther in Lilong, Heldan was a coveted gold rush destination for people from all over.

Li Xin found a place to sit down. The symbol of the Earth Mother Goddess was a circular ring engraved with runes. The believers inside were very devout. Only with enough devotion could one receive a response from the god. Among the gods worshipped by various countries, the Earth Mother Goddess seemed to be the most idle.

"Great Mother Earth, please listen to the call of your devout people. Please grant me wealth, however much, I will accept it with gratitude and joy."

Li Xin likes gods who have time, so he also calls out to them devoutly. When he first came here, he was very wary of this kind of prayer. After all, you don't know what the object of your prayer is, or whether the attention you get will be what you expect. But in all his years of understanding, the responses from gods or this kind of power are mostly positive, especially from the main gods. Otherwise, so many people wouldn't have prayed to them for thousands of years.

The people here are simply on a different path of civilization; they are not fools. On the contrary, they have summarized a series of knowledge on how to acquire hidden powers.

Perhaps with higher levels of power, there will be other understandings that I don't currently know, but receiving some favor is not a bad thing.

Li Xin's attempt was naturally cautious; the Moon Goddess and the Earth Mother Goddess were both gentle and compassionate deities, which he liked.

The moon goddess Diana holds the power over night, calamity, and secrets, while the earth goddess Lisanna holds the power over the earth, fertility, and wealth—both are quite practical powers. No wonder Montalette is so rich; worshipping such a god naturally ensures both prosperity and wealth. It's incredibly satisfying! I wonder how they distribute these powers. As Li Xin pondered this, he drifted off to sleep and sat devoutly for the entire morning.

Even as my stomach rumbled loudly, I received no response.

I also learned from Casey that the best way to gain divine favor is through baptism by a bishop. The higher the bishop's rank, the greater the chance of gaining attention. In fact, Matthew's rank and power are already quite strong. In this respect, the division is the same in all countries' papacy. The pope is the highest leader of the entire church, and below him are the cardinals, also known as cardinals, who are directly appointed by the pope and have the authority to lead various departments of the papacy and many important dioceses in various countries. Gods like the moon goddess and the earth goddess have a huge influence not only in Lilong and Montaleta, but also in many small countries.

The titles of Patriarch, Metropolitan, Archbishop, and Chief Bishop mainly differ in the size and importance of the city or region they govern. Personal cultivation plays a role to some extent, but it is not the whole story. If it weren't for Elizabeth, Matthew would probably not only be an Archbishop, but could even have become an important Metropolitan. His marriage to Elizabeth is considered a stain by the Vatican, but even so, he eventually became an Archbishop. His cultivation, qualifications, and abilities are actually quite strong.

If it weren't for Luo Jin, ordinary people would never be able to access such a level, let alone be baptized. This baptism is a true baptism, which will most likely bring divine favor. Awakened individuals will have fewer misfortunes on their future cultivation path, while ordinary people will receive blessings of health and longevity. This is real and tangible. The bishop who performs the baptism also needs to expend his own willpower.

Therefore, a true baptism, the kind that isn't just a formality, is not something a bishop would easily perform.

There are many rules and details that can only be learned through personal experience. Stepping out of the Vatican and basking in the sunlight, Li Xin composed himself. Sometimes he really wished that Lao Luo would be a little more selfish.

It seems the Earth Mother Goddess didn't see his extraordinary nature. Shouldn't someone like him be loved by all gods and admired by all flowers?

Returning to the Carp Dragon Inn with a hint of resentment, Dragon Mom rushed over with a beaming smile, "Young Master Ashin, why are you so late? Young Master Simmons has been waiting for you for ages."

Simmons came alone. He hadn't slept all night, pondering for a long time what Li Xin was up to. It was none of his business. If he wanted to get rid of him, there was no need for such trouble. So why not become friends instead of enemies or strangers?
The George family is now in a very awkward situation. They have gambled heavily on the Church, but at their current level, they are at best just a supporting role in this battle for glory, a stepping stone to have their honor taken away. Why not give it a shot?
“Boss lady, let me and Brother Li have a private chat,” Simmons said with a smile. Daenerys was still captivated by Simmons’ good looks, and upon hearing this, she immediately slapped her thigh, “Okay, okay, young master Simmons, I’m the boss, not the boss’s wife. Young master Simmons, you two can chat at your leisure. If you need anything, just call out, and I’ll be waiting outside.”

Simmons waved his hand, about to speak.

“Mother Dragon, young master Simmons, who is as independent as an eagle, is fine with you. You go about your business. By the way, have those thugs quieted down yet? They're not really going to tear this place down, are they? Where am I going to sleep?” Li Xin asked.

Daenerys Targaryen paused for a split second, then her massive body trembled with a look of grievance. "Sigh, better not to say anything, lest it spoil Master Simmons' mood..."

Simmons was both amused and exasperated. "Brother Li, are you referring to those same people from last time?"

Daenerys nodded quickly, "Yes, they came and vandalized the place again, and threatened to burn it down. They also... they were lewd... I went to the city hall to complain, but nobody cared."

Simmons flinched slightly, then nodded. "I understand. It won't happen again."

Simmons said no and he really meant it. Doing Li Xin a favor was a good start to the deal. The Black and White Society was really uncooperative. Since they knew he had been there, they still dared to cause trouble. This kind of thing would never have happened in the George family in the past. It is a fact that their dominance is weakening.

"The eagle..."

"Brother Li, Brother Li, don't be like this. I can't even speak properly when you're like this." Simmons smiled wryly. He hadn't thought much of it when others said it before, but hearing it from Li Xin's mouth made his hair stand on end.

"Haha, Simmons, what do you want?" Li Xin got straight to the point; this guy was easy to talk to.

Simmons explained the details of the War of Glory against the Earth Mother, saying, “It is held every five years in our kingdom and is one of the most important festivals in Montaletta. For those of us who walk the path of knighthood, it is likely the only opportunity in our lives to gain a great deal of pure glory.” Simmons looked at Li Xin.

Seeing that he didn't react, he continued, "Even if there are such opportunities in the Four Kingdoms Tournament of Tianjing, they are extremely rare. But the Battle of Glory is different. Acquiring such power is equivalent to laying a solid foundation. For the advancement of divine relics, the foundation is very important."

Simmons spoke somewhat cryptically, but he made the key point clear. He wouldn't hide anything about this. The reason he wasn't specific was that only one person achieves mastery every five years. Their George family had never produced one, but those who survived all reached extraordinary heights.

Li Xin was certainly aware that if what Simmons said was true, then the difficulty of the matter was unimaginable.

Simmons continued, "For our George family, this is both an opportunity and a test. The family is betting on the Holy Zealots College, but if we don't achieve good results in the War of Glory, it will be a major blow to the family's honor and status."

Simmons spoke frankly about his thoughts. He knew that playing tricks on Li Xin would only backfire, and he also hoped to gain genuine support. Regardless of the final outcome, it would be good for both his family and himself to make the acquaintance of such a powerful figure.

"What do you want me to do?" Li Xin asked.

"Brother Li, I want you to join the Holy Zeal Academy and help us improve our combat strength!" Simmons said eagerly. "I know there are many strong opponents, but facing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I want to take a gamble and stop being so cowardly!"

(End of this chapter)