Absolutely not to be burned at the stake

[Selection C completed. Reward: Talent Spell - Divine Voice.]

[Levi Payne, Summoner of Catherine, the Alchemist Goddess, Apprentice Divine Sorcerer, divinely endowed with the talent: Arcane Exploration. Mastered innate spells: Origin Fire and Divine Voice.]

【体质：10。精神：13。力量：7。敏捷：8。专注：11。感知：9。】

As Pok rolled on the ground, his breathing gradually weakened. At this moment, Pok's two subordinates finally came to their senses and prepared to run away in terror.

"stop."

Just as the two were about to run away, a clear shout rang in their ears, like a divine judgment, making them tremble and dare not move.

"You two, get rid of him."

Li Wei glanced at Poker, who was no longer moving, and the flames began to die down. He said something in a low voice, then turned to support his mother, who was almost collapsing. He looked at his sister, who was too frightened to speak, and smiled gently, "Mother, Leah, it's alright. Let's go inside."

Martha looked at her son as if she were seeing him for the first time.

Those familiar features were now enveloped in a radiance that felt both strange and reassuring to them. In Little Leah's misty eyes, fear gradually gave way to an indescribable dependence and adoration.

Li Wei, supporting his family, pushed open the creaking wooden door and entered the dimly lit but temporarily safe home. Outside, only the charred corpse remained, along with a seed of "awe" silently spreading in the deathly silence.

Li Wei knew that the news would spread like wildfire throughout Shadowtown.

He declared his existence and power in the most direct and brutal way, clearing away some prying and spying, which should reduce a lot of trouble.

When Old Man Payne received the news from the cornfield and rushed home, he saw only two of Poker's men, their faces pale, carrying a large, charred corpse away from the gate of the yard.

Judging from the charred corpse, it must be the butcher, Poker.

Stunned, Payne's father suppressed his shock and hurried inside amidst the complex envious glances of his neighbors.

He saw his son smiling at him, a silver-white holy emblem shining brightly on his chest.

The family shared a meal of white bread, a treat reserved for Christmas, with honey that only the gentlemen of town could afford. Leah's little face lit up with a smile: "The honey is so sweet, and the white bread is so delicious!"

Martha and Payne, standing nearby, couldn't help but smile lovingly at their daughter's appearance.

Leah squinted her large, slightly misty eyes at Levi: "Brother, you've really become a priest?"

"Well... from now on, I'll be in charge of the church." Li Wei smiled slightly.

"And... what about Father Hansen?" Old Man Payne looked cautiously at his son, whose face seemed to have become much fairer and more handsome, with a hint of awe in his eyes.

Although he was his own son, his son had now become a venerable priest and possessed such powerful divine arts; naturally, he could no longer be the honest and simple-minded Li Wei of the past.

"Bishop Hansen has received divine grace and needs to seclude himself for a long time to cultivate himself." Li Wei scooped up a spoonful of soybean soup and took a sip. It was slightly salty but warm. It wasn't particularly delicious, but it was quite comforting.

Martha looked at her son and said, "Then... you'll be replacing Father Hansen from now on?"

"Yes." Li Wei looked up at the window; it was already dark. Then, he used the last piece of bread in his hand to wipe the soup off the plate, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly.

He wiped his hands with the linen cloth, reached into his pocket, took out a money pouch, pulled out a few silver crowns, placed them on the table, and pushed it to Martha: "It's going to get colder soon, so buy more white bread and some cloth so Aunt Rena can make a few cotton-padded jackets."

Martha's eyes widened as she saw the few shiny silver crowns her son pushed over. The family scrimped and saved, and at the end of the year, they could only save two or three silver crowns.

"So much money? Is it enough for you?"

Payne's father, standing nearby, wasn't too surprised. He just glanced at Li Wei and said cautiously, "We don't need that much at home."

"The priest's salary is not low, and besides, I don't have to spend any money at the church."

Li Wei smiled, then stood up, looked at Lia, and said, "When spring comes, I'll save up some more money and take Lia to the Great Mountain City to see a doctor and see if her eyes can be cured."

Upon hearing Li Wei's words, Martha and Payne's eyes lit up instantly.

As darkness fell, it grew quite cold outside. Li Wei tightened his coat, then turned back to wave to Martha and Old Man Payne before heading towards the church.

Just as I stepped out of the small courtyard, I saw my neighbor, Aunt Megan, passing by with a bucket.

Upon seeing Li Wei, Aunt Megan hesitated for a moment, then quickly put down the bucket in her hand, raised her hand to her forehead, and bowed respectfully: "Good night, Father."

"Good night, Megan." Li Wei nodded slightly and walked away slowly.

After Li Wei stepped past her, Aunt Megan put down her hand, picked up the bucket, looked back at the dignified and upright figure walking slowly, a trace of emotion flashing in her eyes, and murmured, "Little Li Wei, he really has become a priest."

In a secluded little courtyard not too far from here.

Barton Ironrock gripped the hilt of his sword tightly with his calloused, knuckle-thick hands. His face was ashen, and the hideous scar on his jaw was twisted even more horribly by the tension in his jaw muscles, resembling a dying centipede.

Before him lay the charred remains, no longer recognizable as human.

The air was filled with a nauseating, pungent stench of burning flesh and grease.

"Say it again." Barton's voice sounded like it was being forced out from between his teeth as he stared at Locke's men. "From beginning to end, not a single word is to be missed."

"Captain...it really is...it's Levi...it's that little bastard from the Payne family...he, he just raised his hand...and Brother Poker...and it caught fire!"

The burly man beside him, now pale as a ghost, added in a trembling voice, "It's...it's divine punishment! He said...he said, 'In the name of my Lord, those who do evil shall be punished by fire.' Captain Patton...that Levy, he really has become a priest!"

"A priest? A spineless coward like a chick, can he really become a divine sorcerer?"

Barton grunted and kicked a nearby rock so hard that it broke into several pieces.

Despite his angry curses, the charred corpse and the terrified state of his two subordinates forced him to confront this absurd yet undeniably real truth.

"Hansen... that old bastard Hansen..."

Barton abruptly stood up, a fierce glint in his eyes. A terrifying thought formed in his mind: "Could it really be him? Did he give Levi some holy artifact? Or... that golden light in the church that night... really was..."

He dared not think any further.

If Li Wei has indeed obtained some kind of divine grace, even if it is only the lowest level of divine magic, it means that the balance of power in Shadow Town has begun to tilt unpredictably.

"Clean this place up! And shut your mouths tight! If even a word of what happened today gets out, I'll chop you all up and feed you to the dogs!"

Barton glared fiercely at his two useless henchmen, then turned and strode toward the most magnificent town hall in the town center.

Instead of going through the main gate, he went around to the back of the town hall, where there was another stone-built house. He gently knocked on an inconspicuous, heavy wooden door covered with iron sheets.

The door opened silently a crack, and the person inside, carrying a lantern, looked around before opening the door. He slipped inside, and the door immediately closed behind him, shutting out the light and sound of the outside world.

Inside the gate was a sizable courtyard. Dim oil lamps hung on the walls, their flickering light casting huge, distorted shadows onto the mottled stone walls, making him look like a man-eating demon.