Chapter 121: The Folks

He did not act like an old man at all. Instead, he moved as swiftly as Father Barin, an old acquaintance of Lin Qi. Father Mai snatched the Gold Note from Lin Qi’s hand in a flash and held it up to his eyes for a careful look. He skillfully rubbed his fingers over several special hidden marks on the Gold Note and took a deliberate sniff of the unique fragrance of the ink. Nodding with satisfaction, he smiled at Lin Qi and said, “May the Deity bless you!”

Lin Qi bowed deeply to Father Mai with humility and respect, saying politely, “The light of the Deity shines upon all of us.”

Father Mai smiled even more happily. He pulled out a Holy Cross Emblem carved from old oak from his sleeve and handed it to Lin Qi. Lin Qi’s eyes flickered. The emblem, no larger than a baby’s fist, had a simple and robust carving style, and it emitted a faint, strange glow. A deep, white light seemed to radiate from it. Holding the emblem in his hand, Lin Qi could feel a power that was not particularly strong but exceptionally pure.

A black silk thread was attached to the emblem. After thinking for a moment, Lin Qi hung the emblem around his neck and bowed to Father Mai once again to express his gratitude. He sensed a power from Father Mai that originated from the same source as the white light of the emblem. It was clear that Father Mai had crafted this emblem himself.

Father Mai’s strength might not be very great, but he was clearly a man of firm faith. His Divine Power was weak, but its quality was extremely high and pure. A Holy Cross Emblem made by such a devout Clergy member had all sorts of wondrous effects. Lin Qi naturally decided to wear it at all times—at the very least, encountering Ling in the middle of the night was now highly unlikely to happen to him.

Father Mai cheerfully tucked the Gold Note into his sleeve. Clasping his hands behind his back, he happily chatted with Lin Qi and Enzo about everyday matters.

A mere one thousand Gold Coins—in Dun Er Ke, those spoiled young masters might spend tens of thousands on a single meal or a night of pleasure, and the true powerful Nobles in charge might toss out hundreds of thousands in a single game of cards. But in a simple and honest small town like Light Town, one thousand Gold Coins was undeniably a huge fortune.

To put it in perspective, Father Mai’s small, earth-and-wood structured Church could now be completely renovated after the spring arrived. It could be transformed from a less sturdy earth-and-wood structure into a fully stone one, and its size could be expanded by at least three times.

Currently, the Church only had a prayer hall, a confession room, and a small courtyard for Father Mai’s daily living. But with these one thousand Gold Coins, the prayer hall could become larger, the confession room could be built more solemnly, and additional functional buildings could be added. Even Father Mai’s own small courtyard could have a few more rooms to accommodate more people.

With the expanded scale of the Church, Father Mai could even apply to the upper Church for three to five young Clergy members to join. As a result, the influence of the Light Town Church could multiply several times over, and the light of the Deity would naturally shine upon more of the simple common folk.

The one thousand Gold Coins provided Father Mai and this Church with a tremendous opportunity for development. So, without hesitation, Father Mai gifted this Holy Cross Emblem, which he had worn since joining the Church, to Lin Qi. Father Mai did not say it explicitly, but the sentiment required no further words.

After talking with Father Mai for a full ten minutes, Lin Qi and Enzo finally hoisted the chest and entered the town. Father Mai watched the tall, straight backs of the two with a smile, vigorously rubbing his slightly reddened nose. “That little rascal Enzo, he’s found himself a good friend. Well, may the Deity bless you both. Hmm, once spring comes, I’ll need to find a reliable team to help me build the place!”

Holding six bottles of Rum, Father Mai hummed a hymn as he walked into the small Church. At that moment, his heart was filled with satisfaction and joy. A mere one thousand Gold Coins—for a simple, humble low-ranking Clergy member like Father Mai, it was already more than enough to make him feel as if he lacked nothing.

Light Town was neither very large nor very small. The entire town had a population of about five to six thousand. Around three thousand people lived in the town center, while the rest were scattered across the surrounding hills, farmlands, Grassland, and forests. The town center had two main streets that crossed perpendicularly, forming the busiest part of Light Town.

Walking along the main street, Lin Qi and Enzo trudged through the snow. The crunching sound under their feet caught the attention of the residents along the road. From time to time, someone would open a window or a door to peek outside. Some people, upon seeing Enzo, offered only a brief, indifferent greeting, while others warmly came out to welcome him.

It was clear that those who appeared cold toward Enzo, their eyes filled with jealousy, were the ones living in relatively better conditions. Their small houses were clearly well-maintained, and their clothes were quite new. On the other hand, those who stepped out to warmly chat with Enzo wore tattered clothes, often patched, and lived in small, run-down houses.

Soon, more than a dozen middle-aged men and women gathered around Enzo. They greeted him warmly and asked why he hadn’t returned to Light Town for the New Year. A few runny-nosed children clung to Enzo’s legs, babbling unintelligibly.

Enzo’s usually stern and rigid face, cold as ice, instantly melted. He hurriedly answered the questions from the middle-aged folks while repeatedly patting the children’s heads. He set the large chest down on the ground and pulled out fine hams, sausages, and fragrant wine, distributing them to the adults. Generously, he said, “Uncles, aunties, these are small gifts for you. Take them, take them. You wouldn’t refuse a gift from Enzo, would you?”

The uncles and aunties did not put on any airs. They happily accepted Enzo’s gifts. When Enzo pulled out a large bag of candy made from milk and cocoa powder, the children surrounding him erupted into cheers. Enzo laughed heartily as he handed out the candy, and the children jumped for joy like Fanatic Believers witnessing the arrival of a Deity. Their laughter instantly shattered the tranquility of Light Town.

Especially when Enzo took out handfuls of Silver Coins and distributed the shiny coins to the children, not only did the kids laugh, but the uncles and aunties also smiled with a mix of delight and unease. Everyone’s faces flushed red. They felt incredibly happy about Enzo’s generosity but also a shy embarrassment.

Enzo did not give the children too much money. This was not the Imperial Capital or Dun Er Ke. He only gave five Silver Coins to each family’s children. But in Light Town, five Silver Coins could still go a long way. If he had given them Gold Coins, it might have brought them trouble instead.

Amid the continuous sounds of laughter, Enzo, accompanied by the crowd, visited the homes of the uncles and aunties who had once fed and clothed him. He distributed the gifts he had brought to everyone.

Today, Light Town was destined to be filled with joy.