Saint... Saint Weiyefu Church?
For a moment, Xialuote was dazed, hardly daring to trust her own memory.
She naturally knew what the name signified. Just as Saint Luoke meant so much to the city of Suxite, Saint Weiyefu was likewise the patron saint of this cathedral—and indeed of the entire Telier diocese. She might even have been an angel, someone who had once made monumental contributions to the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, which was why such a magnificent cathedral bore her name.
After coming into contact with the Beyonder world, Xialuote had learned that saints were not merely pious, morally upright clergy, but high-Sequence Beyonders who truly possessed power surpassing mortal limits. Since Saint Weiyefu had a cathedral in Telier, she might not have been just an ordinary Saint, but an angel who had once walked the earth.
Then could Lady Weiyefu be...? The moment the thought surfaced, Xialuote realized an inescapable flaw in her guess.
Saint Weiyefu Church, situated on Telier's central island, dated back at least a thousand years. Though the building before her had clearly undergone several expansions and renovations, its name and traditions of faith had continued unbroken.
Even if Weiyefu were truly a Saint or an angel, she could not possibly have lived from a thousand years ago to the present day. The Weiyefu she knew and the Saint Weiyefu who possessed the cathedral had to be nothing more than namesakes.
Moreover, among devout families, naming a child after a saint was hardly unusual. Far from being viewed as an offense, it represented the parents' wish that the child would receive the saint's protection and grow into an equally pious and outstanding person; the same was true of certain orphans taken in by convents... Xialuote nodded thoughtfully, feeling she had uncovered the reason why the nun was so devout and had advanced so quickly.
While she was lost in thought, the carriage drove out of the square before the church, crossed a relatively prosperous district on the north bank of the Sailunzuo River, and continued northward along a tree-lined avenue before finally stopping on a street close to the suburbs.
The Suolun household's residence in Telier was a three-story detached building. Its front directly bordered the street, while a wall at the back enclosed a modest courtyard containing stables, utility sheds, and a small gate for servants.
This layout somewhat resembled the Gusitafu residence in Suxite, yet it was much more compact. After all, this was Telier; even near the outskirts, land prices far exceeded those of Suxite. To maintain a complete garden and driveway at the front of the house would require not only purchasing the parcels of surrounding houses, but also spending substantial funds each year to employ gardeners and servants for upkeep—something a baron in precarious financial standing could not afford.
By the time the carriage came to a halt, the housekeeper and servants of the residence were already waiting at the entrance.
Some had departed Suxite ahead of their masters and arrived in Telier first, having finished cleaning the rooms, arranging daily necessities, and even purchasing fresh ingredients in advance; others were temporary hires brought on specifically for the baron and his daughter's trip to Telier.
Daily living hardly required so many servants, but His Lordship's dignity very much did... Xialuote mused cynically as she followed her father into the front hall, where wall lamps had already been lit and everything was cleaned spotless.
Of course, upholding such dignity came at a heavy cost, and a portion of the baron's massive annual expenditures went toward precisely these unnecessary matters.
Far more troublesome than hiring a batch of temporary servants was the fact that the King and most members of the royal family did not reside in the city of Telier itself. Instead, they lived at Baifeng Palace, more than two hours' drive from the city, making an audience with them no simple task.
This differed markedly from other nations. The royal palace of the Luen Kingdom was situated in Beikelande, while the imperial family of Fusake, the Aiyinho'en family, had long resided at Ao'ermier Palace in Shengmilong.
The Suolun royal family had originally been the same. The massive palace in the core of Telier had been built for that very purpose, and Red Swan Castle in the northwestern suburbs was another frequent residence. Yet several centuries ago, the royal family had spent exorbitant sums to build Baifeng Palace far outside the city. The vast majority of royals had gradually relocated there, visiting Telier only briefly for celebrations, coronations, and other momentous occasions, leaving daily state affairs mostly to collateral royal branches, ministers, and officials of various ranks remaining within the city.
It sounds as though they are hiding from something. Could they be worried about waking up one day to find themselves surrounded by angry Telier citizens? Given their practice of walling off the entire city to collect entry taxes, such a concern isn't entirely baseless...
Xialuote disparaged the royal family in her thoughts. After Laila led her into the washroom to cleanse herself of the dust and exhaustion of travel and she changed into a loose, comfortable home dress, she finally felt as if her body belonged to her again.
Yet before she could rest properly, her father summoned her into the study. Beside a desk strewn with various letters and invitations, he explained the upcoming arrangements to his daughter:
"It will be at least a week before we officially proceed to Baifeng Palace to see His Majesty. Before that, I will call on some old friends to reestablish ties.
"Do not go out casually without prior arrangement, and certainly do not do anything unbecoming of your status. Until His Majesty confirms your inheritance rights, do not attend balls or salons, lest people think you are eager to force your way into Telier's high society."
That suits me just fine; I have no desire to wear formal gowns every day and dance with strangers... Xialuote had no objections whatsoever and nodded obediently.
Lawuer gave her a suspicious look and paused a moment before continuing:
"Do not assume that just because no one knows you here, it doesn't matter. The city is full of secret agents who serve the crown directly. On the surface, they could be anyone, but in truth, they will report your every move."
The crown has its own secret agents? Xialuote was taken aback, but after a moment's consideration, she found it entirely reasonable.
To maintain its rule while preserving balance under the Church's influence, the Suolun royal family naturally needed secret organizations of its own beyond the army. These might even include Beyonders of the "Hunter" pathway, tasked with tracking, surveilling, and screening suspicious individuals.
Still, she had no intention of doing anything that would draw the attention of secret agents. At most, she would visit the church a few times to call on the "Purifiers," slip out at night to seek opportunities for acting, inquire about local Beyonder gatherings, and find a way to locate Hengli'aite. It would be even better if she could see her cousin Luoshali, who had helped her at a critical juncture.
Looking at it this way, there really are quite a few matters to handle... While nodding repeatedly to convince her father that she would obediently remain at home, Xialuote laid out her upcoming itinerary in her mind.
The most pressing task was naturally to report to the church so the local "Purifiers" could confirm her status as a peripheral member, and while she was at it, collect holy water to continuously suppress the negative effects of the "Dagger of Verdict." Going with her maid to Saint Weiyefu Church to pray would not arouse any suspicion, but when it came to matters concerning Beyonders and Sealed Artifacts, a solo visit at night was much safer.
For now, the very first order of business was to familiarize herself with this home—a place the original body had not returned to in years and she herself had never set foot in.
The residence had three floors in total, complete with a front hall, a grand drawing room, a parlor, a study, and bedrooms, as well as ample guest rooms for visitors staying temporarily. Its windows were wide and spacious, and its amenities were far more refined than those of the old house in Suxite. Its only shortcoming was the lack of a large garden, and the back courtyard felt somewhat cramped once carriages were parked there.
Dinner was prepared by a temporarily hired local cook. In addition to a veal stew, roast chicken, and creamy mushroom soup, there were several small pastries dusted with powdered sugar and filled with jam. Both the presentation and flavor were far more exquisite than the daily fare at the Suxite residence.
Sure enough, the capital really is different. No wonder most nobles prefer to leave their fiefs and live here... Xialuote devoured several pastries in succession, putting down her fork with an air of nonchalance only when she noticed Lawuer's gaze on her.
***
Once night had fallen completely, Xialuote changed into a brown dress whose hem was not overly wide, allowing it to blend into the darkness. She fastened the "Dagger of Verdict" and its leather scabbard embossed with the Sun Holy Emblem to her waist, draped a dark cloak over herself, and slipped directly out her bedroom window into the back courtyard. From there, she circled through the small servants' gate onto the street, checked her bearings, and headed down the road she had traveled earlier that day.
Telier at night remained bustling. Oil lamps along both sides of the main thoroughfare illuminated the road, carriages rattled past from time to time, odd noises drifted out of the alleyways, and most of the street-facing windows were lit.
Xialuote crossed an ancient bridge lined with houses on both sides like unauthorized squatter buildings and reached the island district in the center of the Sailunzuo River.
This was the earliest settled area of Telier and the original heart of the entire city. The imposing complex of buildings on the island's western side had originally belonged to the old royal palace; today, it had been converted into the Supreme Court of the Kingdom of Yindisi, symbolizing the kingdom's judicial authority. Near the riverbank stood a statue of the third king of Yindisi, Ede Suolun I, who had rebuilt Telier after it was devastated by war.
The other end of the island formed Telier's religious center, where the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun's Saint Weiyefu Church stood tall.
Seen from the front by day, the church's most striking features were its square, heavy twin towers, enormous circular rose window, and neatly aligned pointed arches. Yet when Xialuote came around to its flank and rear, she discovered that the building's style was not uniform. Flying buttresses extended outward from both sides of the rectangular nave, while around the semicircular apse clustered several chapels and ancillary buildings of varying sizes, topped with golden onion-shaped spires. It looked as though it had been constructed in phases across different eras, or partially destroyed and restored in an entirely different style.
To the rear flank of the church lay a cemetery enclosed by a low wall. Stone tombstones stood in dense rows, belonging partly to the church's clergy and partly to nearby believers.
As she passed the outer perimeter of the cemetery, Xialuote noticed someone lingering in the night. She quietly stopped in her tracks and looked toward the figure.
It was a woman bending down to set down fresh flowers, gently caressing a tombstone. Her back was turned, but her figure and hair color gave Xialuote an intense sense of familiarity.
After a few seconds, the woman turned around and walked out of the cemetery, weaving effortlessly through the dense tombstones unaffected by the dark. Not until she reached Xialuote did the latter clearly see her face, her eyes widening in astonishment.
It was Hengli'aite!
Chapter 54