Storm of Gods

Chapter 79 The Archbishop's Love
Not being able to enter the sacred land didn't affect Li Xin's mood too much. Compared to his own experiences and misfortunes, was this even a big deal?

In the afternoon, Li Xin quietly waited on the roof of the city hall with six red carp. The spot was quite comfortable for sunbathing, with a good view, allowing him to steal a half-day of leisure.

In the past, he would always stay home with Xueyin on Sundays if he had nothing to do, which was also the happiest time for Xueyin. But not now, because there are tutoring sessions on Sundays, and Li Xin has been kicked out. With him around, Xueyin simply cannot concentrate. Although Lin Fei was very diligent when they were in the dungeon, she could only build a basic foundation in that environment. Xueyin is a clever little girl, but her grades have nothing to do with being clever.

Lin Fei racked her brains to help Xueyin keep up with the progress of Grace Class. Fortunately, she had Aunt Kongxiang and many teachers' resources. In addition, Lin Fei had some extra money. Dance was just the first step, so she arranged everything.

As he was leaving, he saw Lin Xueyin looking pitiful and longing, but unfortunately, Li Xin couldn't save her.

I went to the Night Watch this morning. Although Li Xin's contribution was not made public, the Night Watch still knew about it. Li Xin was the one who was able to expose Mondlier, this big fish, and even the real hero who captured Fimimi earlier. Although everyone knew that Li Xin had basically left the Night Watch, no one treated him like an outsider when he came here.

This major case is now closed. Mondlier has been executed, and his associates and henchmen have been rounded up. The Night Watch, the Knights, and the City Guard worked together, with the Night Watch taking the lead, so there were no survivors. However, there is still a lot of follow-up work to be done.

Everyone was busy working overtime, and of course, they were excited about it. This was a great pleasure for all the night patrolmen. Not everyone was like Luo Jin, who was full of bitterness and resentment all day long, with one job after another.

Li Xin originally wanted to help, but there wasn't much work to do. Casey had instructed not to assign tasks to Li Xin, and everyone understood. They also felt sorry for him, thinking it was a waste of talent for Li Xin not to be a night patrolman. He was born for this job. But then they thought about it again, and with his abilities at his age, wouldn't he have a brighter future doing something else?

Luo Jin went out on fieldwork. Basically, Lao Luo is either working or preparing for work. He's a typical 007 fanatic. Casey dressed up but came up empty-handed. When she saw Li Xin, she couldn't help but complain.

Luo Jin is too indifferent to social etiquette. The papal bull for the chief bishop's promotion to archbishop has been issued. The formal investiture ceremony will be held in Longjing during the year-end review. With the bull, he is now a proper archbishop. The archbishop invited a small gathering of relatives and friends, including Luo Jin. Old Luo went on a field trip, so Casey had to take his place.

This kind of replacement isn't something anyone can do. The Casey family is a direct descendant of the Earl of Grenfell, and their status is sufficient. However, the Earl of Grenfell, as an old noble family that supports reform, needs to maintain a proper distance. Grenfell won't go, but sending Casey would be a very good option.

Li Xin, who had freeloaded lunch, took a nap on the roof of the city hall while watching the fish, enjoying a rare moment of leisure on the weekend, as the city hall is closed on weekends.

The fish was found by Qi Badao. Li Xin calculated that the guy's debt for food wasn't enough to cover it. He also adjusted the flute in the morning. He had done his best with his current skills. As for whether Miss Aries liked it or not, there was nothing he could do.

I've heard that flutes can be made from precious metals like gold and silver.

At this moment, a courtyard near the church was very lively. This was the residence of the chief bishop, now Archbishop Matthew. The property belonged to the church and could not be described as luxurious, but spaciousness and simplicity were the basic requirements, and the lawn in the courtyard was also very neatly trimmed.

The Luna Church is one of the Seven Gods, a legitimate church, and is also extremely wealthy. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been chosen by Luthor back then. In comparison, Matthew's status is considered frugal, and Matthew himself doesn't really care much about material possessions.

There were both luxurious and ordinary carriages outside, but not many. If it were a grand event, all the prominent figures in Tianjing would have to come. Matthew didn't care about formalities, but it wouldn't be good to do nothing for a promotion like this. At this level, being aloof and unsociable was definitely not an option. The people who came were all close associates from within the church or the city hall.

For example, Earl Locknan, the new class of nobles and the church rose together in Lilong and had a lot in common. Luo Xue also came along. She was very familiar with Archbishop Matthew when she was very young. More than ten years have passed and the archbishop has hardly changed. In fact, with Matthew's qualifications and abilities, he could have been promoted to archbishop long ago.

The Church of the Moon is facing a strong challenge from the Hall of Hundred Martial Arts. This is not a local issue, nor is it solely Matthew's responsibility. The Church is facing challenges in various places. Of course, Matthew's mild-mannered nature has indeed caused some dissatisfaction from the Vatican.

One of the main excuses that had prevented him from being promoted for so many years was his wife. Matthew's wife was a widow. The preachers of the Luna Church did not prohibit marriage, and most churches did as well. However, the Luna doctrine required chastity. From faith to family, a widow was obviously against the doctrine. Ordinary believers would not have very strict requirements, but as the chief bishop, this matter was not easy to talk about.

At the time, it caused quite a stir among the higher-ups in Tianjing, who were not very optimistic about it. But years later, those who were laughing at the situation have become the laughingstock themselves, while Matthew and his wife are still living in harmony.

The current church and the Night Watch are all imbued with Matthew's temperament. Luo Jin is Matthew's most outstanding disciple. They don't care much about the opinions of the outside world. And thanks to this achievement, Matthew has finally been promoted to the position of archbishop that he should have had long ago.

Everyone present was a close friend, and the church members provided hospitality. Matthew and Locknan discussed business. At their level, there was little private time; every action had a deeper meaning. There were some things Matthew and Locknan needed to discuss, such as the assets left behind by Mondlil. The Lin family's assets had grown significantly in his hands over the years, with holdings both inside and outside the city. Excluding the Zhao family, the remaining assets were those belonging to the mayor, Locknan, and Grenfell. However, Matthew held the most say in how to divide them.

Luo Xue accompanied the Archbishop's wife for afternoon tea. Lady Elizabeth was probably in her early thirties, but looked only in her twenties. Her skin was exceptionally fair, and she wore a high-necked long dress that covered her completely. She wasn't strikingly beautiful at first glance, but she was very pleasing to the eye, possessing a certain charm that Luo Xue couldn't quite describe, one that lingered in the mind from time to time. Perhaps aware of her less-than-ideal background, the Archbishop's wife rarely went out, seldom attending gatherings, gradually minimizing her negative influence on the Archbishop. In fact, everyone in this circle knew that Matthew had never cared. Given his status, if he were to make a decision, he wouldn't need to consider others. This was probably a two-way street.

Although she was talking to her father, she could still feel the archbishop's gentle gaze from time to time, and the two were happy just by exchanging a knowing glance.

Luo Xue was very confident in her looks and temperament, but compared to Eliza, she felt powerless. Eliza possessed a femininity that many girls envied, gentle and tender, with eyes full of affection. However, her health seemed to be poor, her complexion was slightly pale, and she gave people a feeling of wanting to protect her.

Eliza listened to Luo Xue talk about life in the Order Academy and the pressure she faced, "Sister, this Four Nations Tournament is very difficult. Although we are playing on home turf, I don't have any confidence at all."

Having Li Xin as an asset gives them confidence, but it only allows them to save face; victory is still a long way off. Giving them another two years would give them a much better chance.

Eliza smiled. "Do you know how many people envy you? You are a role model for us free women. As long as you have faith, you can accept any outcome."

"But I can't accept it. I don't want to lose, and I don't like losing!" Luo Xue said firmly. What's the point of the process if there's no result?

Eliza was a good listener, and Luo Xue enjoyed talking to her. They discussed the current situation and rivals facing Black Rose. Eliza would occasionally ask a few questions. Her daily life consisted of tending the garden. The archbishop's house had no servants, which was unthinkable in other places. Eliza handled almost everything at home by herself, and she was content with this life, treating her home like a home.

Every now and then, relatives of the guests would come to greet them. These ladies were all dressed very elegantly, but they had no advantage over the simple Eliza. They were all overshadowed. Eliza was not the kind of person who could intimidate others with her temperament or aura. She was like a quiet and beautiful harbor, carrying dreams, which made mature men unable to extricate themselves.

The men present all understood this point, except that she was the archbishop's wife, and while she might have been a bit impulsive at times, they were all very self-aware and polite now.

"Sister Elizabeth, Luo Xue," laughter rang out, and Elizabeth and Luo Xue both smiled.

"Casey, why are you so late?" Luo Xue said. "Today is a big day. Oh, where's our head of discipline?"

Eliza had already poured tea for Casey; there were only three seats available, and the other one was for Casey.

Casey sighed, "Old Luo is away on a business trip. Sister, could you ask the archbishop not to assign him so much work?"

Eliza smiled sweetly, looking at Casey with affection, "This has nothing to do with Matthew. You know best what kind of person Captain Luo is. I specifically told Matthew to invite Luo Jin to create a good atmosphere for you, but he still didn't come."

Elizabeth should be a generation older in terms of seniority, but they are all in different positions. Because of Luo Jin, Casey and Elizabeth are more familiar with each other.

“Casey, you can’t blame me for this. As the archbishop, I can’t control him at all,” Matthew said as he walked over, gently taking Eliza’s hand and looking at his wife with concern. “Eliza, if you’re tired, go inside and rest. I’ll take care of things outside.”

Eliza gently withdrew her hand, giving a slight reproach as if scolding Matthew for being so affectionate in front of outsiders. She smiled and said, "I'm fine. It's rare for Cassie and Luo Xue to keep me company while I chat. You go and do your work."

Matthew nodded and smiled, "Casey, come over more often. I've been promoted to archbishop and you and Luo Jin haven't come to curry favor with me."

Both Casey and Luo Xue couldn't help but laugh. Casey was genuinely envious. She had always been inspired by the love between the Archbishop and Elizabeth and believed that one day she could melt the heart of that blockhead, Luo Xue.

The archbishop went to greet the other guests, and Casey couldn't help but sigh, "I'd be grateful if Old Luo was even half as good as the archbishop."

Luo Xue couldn't get a word in edgewise. At this stage, she was focused on her own ideals and had no interest in or understanding of this matter. She admired Grand Consul Luther more and longed for freedom and glory, believing that women could also create their own careers.

(End of this chapter)