Goddess Kaleidoscope

At this moment, the skinny old man appeared exceptionally tall and imposing in the eyes of the villagers, while the bandits who were about to rush up shuddered at the deafening shout of "Stab them!" and subconsciously took a half step back.

Although these scumbags are all desperate criminals and have no shortage of ruthlessness, they are genuinely hesitant when it comes to a fight!

Despite his hesitation, Old Luo was not Zhang Fei, who could scare away Cao Cao's million-strong army with a single roar. The bandits still broke through the courtyard gate.

As the two sides engaged in a chaotic battle, the villagers were clearly outmatched by the bandits. At this critical moment, the main gate of the temple suddenly opened, emitting a burst of intense white light.

The bandits rushing in were blinded by the sudden burst of light. Once their eyes adjusted, they saw a figure with flowing hair and beard emerge from the light. The villagers were astonished to discover that this was none other than the previously missing priest, Lu De. The old man had changed out of his dirty burlap robe and into a snow-white silk robe, instantly transforming his demeanor into one of sharp, imposing presence.

Upon seeing this, the bandits, though unsure of who the old man was, recognized his imposing presence as that of a true master, and thus hesitated to approach.

At that moment, a bandit archer who had already drawn his bow accidentally slipped and shot an arrow at Lude, but the arrowhead hit a transparent wall two meters away from him, only causing a few ripples.

Lude smiled and looked around, then took a step forward slowly. But this seemingly ordinary and simple action frightened the bandits, who quickly retreated to the gate.

Meanwhile, Zach and the others who were holding the line down the hillside also noticed the unusual situation at the temple. Buddy, with his sharp eyes, recognized Lud and pointed to the old man with his own "stage lighting effect," then said to Zach.

"Father, look! It's Priest Rud!"

"Is he Lud?"

On the hillside, Lu De, dressed in white, faced hundreds of fierce bandits wielding sharp blades. He remained calm and composed, showing no emotion. Although he made no move or spoke, he exerted immense mental pressure on the bandits.

Seeing this scene, Zach was also starting to have doubts. When he first heard Buddy say that there was a temple and priests in the village, belonging to a small sect called "Medicine God," he was actually quite dismissive. After all, he had been traveling the world for so many years and had never even heard of Medicine God. He figured it was probably not a big sect that could be brought to the forefront, and he would just avoid it when he robbed the village.

Now that we see it, it seems this place is hiding a lot of talent, with a great master living in seclusion and cultivating here. He made a mistake in his intelligence and stirred up a hornet's nest!

At that moment, the old priest on the hillside suddenly moved. He raised his priestly scepter high, and a burst of white light emanated from his body, making him appear like a small sun that was impossible to look directly at. Then, the old man suddenly slammed the scepter into the ground and roared in a voice beyond human comprehension.

"I bloom amidst carnage, like a flower at dawn! YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

Accompanied by a spell that the bandits couldn't understand at all (the first half was in Chinese and the second half was in English), a beam of light shot up from the scepter in Lud's hand, shaped like a hundred-meter-long sword piercing the sky.

Amidst this dazzling light, many villagers and bandits present were astonished to see another beam of light descend from the clouds onto the temple roof. A stunningly beautiful goddess with six pairs of pure white wings emerged from the light, looking down upon the masses below.

Having witnessed this incredible scene, Zach had no other thoughts left in his mind. He turned around, jumped onto his warhorse, and shouted urgently to Buddy, who was still standing there dumbfounded.

"Run! You silly boy!"

End of this chapter

The enormous sword of light shooting into the sky terrified the bandits. Some of them scrambled to escape, while others prostrated themselves on the ground, begging the gods for mercy with tears streaming down their faces, completely unlike their former fierce and wicked selves.

But this seemingly radiant and incredibly powerful giant sword did not fall. Instead, it slowly shrank and was eventually retrieved by Lude. The goddess who had been standing on the roof of the temple also disappeared along with the pillar of light. The old man flicked his sleeve, picked up his scepter, turned around, and walked back to the temple, ignoring the bandits who were fleeing with their tails between their legs.

Inside the temple courtyard, upon seeing Rudd return, the villagers prostrated themselves before him in worship. Rudd glanced at them and spoke calmly.

"Fellow villagers, get up."

"Your Highness, you...you just now..."

"I've broken my vow! I promised the goddess that I would not use any divine magic for three years after completing the trial she gave me. The three years haven't even passed yet... It's just a cruel twist of fate!"

Lude sighed deeply, a look of melancholy on his face.

Upon seeing this, the villagers felt ashamed, relieved, and guilty, since the priest had broken the rules and used divine magic in order to save them, which was why he had failed to complete the goddess's trial.

Fortunately, Lud's disappointment only lasted for a short while before he regained his usual approachable smile. He approached the two villagers who had been captured by the bandits and spoke to them in a kind tone.

"Children, let me see the injuries on your hands."

"Sir, we..."

"Since we've already broken the rule today, why not break it a few more times and indulge ourselves a bit? What do you guys think?"

"This……"

At Lud's insistence, the two villagers raised their missing fingers to show him. Without Lud reciting any incantation, he simply waved his hand, and a flash of white light appeared. New fingers grew back on the wounds of the two men's hands at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Newly grown ones may not be used to it yet, so move around more."

"Thank you, High Priest. Thank you, High Priest."

Overjoyed to have their fingers returned, the two villagers knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly to Lud in gratitude.

Lude turned to look at the others around him. Most of the villagers who had participated in the defensive battle were injured. Even the old village chief, Rom, had strained his back because of the "Child-Severing Spear" that had struck out earlier. He could barely stand up now with the help of his two sons.

Then Lude waved his hand again, and a burst of golden light instantly restored everyone present to full health.

"Thank you, High Priest."

"Thank the goddess, after all, this is the power she has given me."

After a brilliant sermon, Ludd won everyone's hearts and minds. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he strode back towards the temple.

Old Rom, whose back pain had subsided, quickly got up from the ground and told his son to lead a group to keep a close watch on the gate in case the bandits returned. He then followed Lud, his head bowed and his manner extremely respectful.

Inside the temple hall, the elderly, women, and children had just witnessed the high priest go back to his room to change into clean clothes, and then go out alone to scare away the bandits. Therefore, when they saw Lud return to the hall, they all knelt down in unison.

Rudd went straight through the hall to the back room of the temple and found Bank's daughter, Nina. Because the little girl was a suspected former refugee and had a persistent cough, many villagers disliked her. Rudd could only arrange for her and her two brothers to stay in a private room for the time being, and asked Aina to come and look after them often.

The children were bewildered when they saw Ludger arrive, unaware of what had just happened outside. Bank, who had come with Ludger, vaguely guessed what was going on, feeling both excited and somewhat apprehensive.

"If it's this gentleman, perhaps my daughter's illness..."

"Bank, I promised you that I would help the villagers through their difficulties and that I would treat your daughter after I completed my trial. Although I failed to complete the trial, I can still fulfill my promise ahead of schedule."

"Master Priest..."

Rudd raised his palm, and a ball of holy white light gathered in his hand. Bank noticed that Rudd's use of divine magic was completely different from the priests he had seen in Erwin, who would first loudly recite scriptures praising their gods, raise their hands in an exaggerated manner, and then a beam of holy light would descend and fall on his wife.

Compared to these low-ranking priests, Rudd used divine magic without reciting any incantations, and did so effortlessly.

Old Rom was astonished by the number of divine spells Rudd had used in just over ten minutes, from the initial defensive spell to the Holy Light Greatsword, and then to the successive healing spells. Old Rom had some understanding of the cult's hierarchical system, so his shock was understandable.

"A bishop? No! This must be at least an archbishop! Good heavens! There's such an important person living in this village, and he even did cupping for me!"

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Ludwig slowly placed his hand on Nina's chest, but just as he was about to touch her, the old man suddenly stopped.

This startled Bank quite a bit, and he almost knelt down in shock.

Fortunately, Lude only paused slightly, causing the bewildered Nina to turn around on the spot, and then placed his large hand on her back.

With the extraordinary power granted by divine magic, Lude's gaze pierced through clothing and skin, revealing his youngest daughter's internal organs. He carefully examined the condition of her lungs, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.

"Fortunately, it's not the worst-case scenario; it should be treatable."

Under the healing and nourishment of the divine magic, Nina quickly felt her chest become much lighter, and her breathing was no longer as heavy as before. Bank, standing nearby, was somewhat surprised to find that Lude's divine magic only affected a small area of ​​his daughter's chest and lungs, unlike his wife's treatments where golden light would spread throughout her entire body.

Soon, Lude withdrew his hand, and Bank, unsure whether he had succeeded, asked nervously.

"Your Excellency, my daughter, she..."

"She should be fine now, but since the child is still young, you should give her more nutrition."

Upon receiving Lude's affirmative reply, the man who had been like a block of wood when he first arrived in the village suddenly burst into tears, squatting down on the ground and sobbing uncontrollably. Nina didn't understand why her father was suddenly crying like a baby, so she went to him and gently touched his head with her small hand.

"Daddy, don't cry!"

Looking at the father and daughter embracing and weeping, and at the reappearance of the faint spots of faith on Bank's body, Lud's face showed a relieved smile. He suddenly realized that his role as a charlatan was not entirely meaningless!

End of this chapter

Having cured Nina's chronic illness, Lude asked everyone to leave, saying he needed rest after not sleeping for a day and a night.

After everyone left, Sister Aina suddenly and mysteriously slipped in from outside the door. When she saw Ludwig making the bed, she took off her shoes and crawled in without saying a word, just like a cat that had just been frozen outside.

Okay! She really did just come back from being freezing outside.

"Master! It's getting cold on the roof too!"

"Isn't this to scare away those bandits? And look how steadfast the villagers' faith in us is now."

"But you can't use up all the faith we've painstakingly collected in one go, can you? I feel like you've drained me dry!"

Aina, huddled in her blankets, pouted. Because of the intense, sleepless prayers of the entire village, Aina had gained a large amount of highly devout and high-quality faith in a short period of time, and finally gained the ability to use divine magic.

Upon learning of this, Lude immediately devised a brilliant plan to defeat the enemy, deciding to join forces with Aina to stage a grand spectacle of "a goddess descending upon my side."

Lude first went back into the house, took out the best outfit the old astrologer had left him, and put it on, cosplaying as Gandalf in his white robes. Then he had Aina put on her goddess's... Saint Cloth, and secretly climbed up the ladder from the backyard to the roof to wait for his signal before standing out and striking a pose to show off.

The performance proved to be a great success. The miracle caused the bandits to flee in panic, and the villagers bowed down in worship. Meanwhile, Lude took advantage of the time when Aina had completely handed over the right to use divine power to him, indulging in his own magical powers. The price was that Aina was once again drained dry, leaving her with absolutely nothing.

The bandits retreated and fled, and the villagers of Pine Tree Village stayed in the temple until dawn before returning to their village. They had experienced a terrifying night, but it also allowed them to witness a true miracle, leaving them with an unforgettable memory.

Thanks to the prior discovery of the traitor and subsequent meticulous preparations, the village suffered minimal losses despite the thieves. Only some houses sustained minor damage, and not a single person was injured or lost a single grain of food. On their way back to the village, the villagers even captured several wounded bandits who had been abandoned by their companions.

The villager, Rom, immediately ordered his men to arrest these unfortunate souls who had completely given up resistance, intending to use them to exchange for some reward money to make up for the village's losses.

Three days later, Pine Village finally received its long-awaited reinforcements. They were not guards from nearby towns, but rather knights from the Earl's capital who had come specifically to help. Their speed was actually not slow.

The first wave to arrive consisted of the Sun Knights of the Holy Light Church, a small squad of thirty riders. Although their numbers were not large, they were well-equipped and highly trained, with each knight equipped with three horses, specifically for long-distance raids.

When the knight squad arrived, they found Pine Village unharmed and almost thought the villagers had made a false alarm. But after asking around, they learned that the bandits had already escaped.

At Lud's request, the village didn't tell the truth about his heroic performance that night to the Sun Knights who had come from afar. Lud explained that he didn't want to reveal his identity and be disturbed; the goddess had given him a second chance in a dream the previous night, and he would stay in Pine Village for the next three years.

So the village chief, who also wanted to keep Lud, agreed immediately. He went from house to house and gave instructions to everyone in the village, and they prepared their testimonies in advance. They also secretly "dealt with" the captured bandits, since all they needed to collect the bounty was a head that could be seen clearly.

In the revised version of the story, the bandits were repelled by the combined efforts of over four hundred men, women, and children from Pine Tree Village. Because they had discovered the traitor within the village beforehand, they received advance warning and had ample time to prepare. They dug numerous traps throughout the village, thoroughly outmaneuvering the bandits.

Because the bandits were unaware of the village's situation, they assumed they had fallen into an ambush set by government troops, so they fled north in panic, thus saving the village from disaster.

As for Ludwig's role in this process, it wasn't completely hidden; it was only mentioned that he helped take care of the wounded.

The Sun Knights, upon hearing this, felt there was no problem, and indeed saw that the village was full of potholes and tripping craters, along with several bandit heads and some abandoned weapons, so they believed him without any doubt.

These Sun Knights stayed in the village for less than half an hour, bought some dry food and water from the villagers, and then set off again, continuing their pursuit in the direction the villagers pointed out the bandits had fled.

During the Knights of Light's stay, Rudd kept a distance behind the temple, observing them. He had to admit that although he had some grudges against the Holy Light Church behind these knights, he found it hard to feel any ill will towards these humble, polite, and so diligently pursuing the bandits.

However, this mutual respect soon became somewhat complicated with the arrival of the second reinforcement.

Less than half a day after the Sun Knight left, another group of knights arrived in the village, but this time they were the warriors protecting the faith under the God of War—the War Mad Knights.

This group was quite large, numbering over a hundred, but their quality was noticeably lower than the previous Sun Knights; even their armor styles were inconsistent. Several individuals with particularly ornate armor were clearly of noble birth, accompanied by numerous followers who acted as if they were on a wild excursion.

This group of people stayed in the village for two days, causing considerable trouble and chaos among the villagers. However, due to the high status of the other party, the villagers dared not speak out and could only silently endure it.

During this time, a few guys noticed the temple on the earthen slope and came over to take a look. However, Lude stopped them at the gate, refusing to let them step into his temple because there were ascetics in seclusion inside.