Divine Revelations and Pragmatic Deals

Adair recalled Lifa’s earlier, unusually volatile demeanor, and a wave of sympathy washed over him. “No wonder she was so irritable last time. Is that foolish goddess beyond saving?”

“She can be saved,” Goddess Ye Xi quickly assured him. “The one who opened the passage doesn’t want the higher-ups to investigate too deeply. Such matters are intolerable within our system, and they will pursue it relentlessly. Therefore, he will actively help conceal Lifa’s situation, perhaps even more diligently than we would.

“Our only task is to retrieve these otherworldly objects before they significantly impact this world’s civilization. With a few minor adjustments on my part, the higher-ups can simply overlook it.”

Adair teased, “Oh, my, my. Your image as an impartial, iron-faced enforcer has shattered before me.”

Goddess Ye Xi blinked. “I merely understand the importance of adaptability. Being too rigid only leads to complications. It wasn’t Lifa’s fault to begin with; one could even say she bore the blame for our oversight.”

“From your tone, it sounds as if you’ve already determined who it is.”

Ye Xi smiled impishly. “For now, it’s just my speculation and a woman’s intuition. Without concrete evidence, I can’t act. While my authority is considerable, that person’s influence is equally significant.”

Adair placed his hands on his hips and sighed. “So, our actions are needed to make them reveal a weakness?”

“Precisely. Their objectives are intricately linked to your world. That cult must be a force they’ve cultivated. As long as you continue to clash with them, I doubt they’ll remain indifferent.”

Goddess Ye Xi’s smile turned grim. “Thinking back, those troublesome obstacles thrown my way were likely their doing, designed to keep me preoccupied and unable to interfere with their plans. But this time, I will watch them relentlessly. As for making them expose themselves, that task falls to you.”

Adair was unnerved by her chilling laughter and instinctively took a few steps back.

“What are you afraid of?” Goddess Ye Xi asked, displeased. “Is my laughter truly that unpleasant?”

“No, no, not at all! It’s absolutely heavenly!” Adair quickly deflected the potentially perilous question. “You still haven’t explained the Current World Crystal. Why would something you created appear in our world?”

“I haven’t violated any rules, you know. That was created a long, long time ago. I merely hid it there and didn’t take it with me. After all, it is *our* world.”

Adair looked at the goddess before him, astonished. “You’re from our world?”

“Indeed. The Current World Crystal is a treasure my companions and I left for this world before our departure, hoping it could one day avert a tragedy.”

Adair’s eyes lit up, realizing its immense value. He immediately asked, “Are there more?”

“No, only that one. You’ve used the Current World Crystal yourself; you must know how powerful its effects are, capable of twisting time and causality. My companions and I went bankrupt creating it.”

“What a shame.”

Adair felt a pang of regret, extinguishing his fanciful hopes. He then asked, “Speaking of which, is there truly no way to resolve the effects of the Desire Amplifier? If an unforeseen situation arises, say, a loved one is affected, must they simply be killed?”

Goddess Ye Xi was silent for a long moment. “That’s not necessarily true. Every world possesses its unique powers and civilizations, which means the solution to the Desire Gene Amplifier will differ from world to world.

“Your world might harbor a power that counters it, but this would require a certain amount of luck.”

Adair scratched his head, finding hope preferable to despair. “I see. It seems entrusting this to the Grand Cathedral is indeed necessary. I imagine they have a sophisticated institution capable of analyzing this fleshly mass.”

“The Grand Cathedral? How nostalgic. How have they developed? They haven’t become corrupt, have they? While I apologize for doubting the hard work of an old friend, too many churches have forgotten their original intentions and strayed into wickedness.”

Sweat beaded on Adair’s forehead. What era was this goddess from, to be old friends with the founder of the Cathedral? Her age…

“Oh, my, why the silence? Are you perhaps thinking something impolite?”

Goddess Ye Xi offered a ‘kind’ smile. “I can perceive your thoughts within this space.”

“Ahem, let’s discuss the Grand Cathedral instead.” Adair felt a profound disdain and condemnation for this space that utterly disregarded personal privacy, but recognizing the power imbalance, he wisely changed the subject.

Adair shared his impressions of the Grand Cathedral. “My interaction with the Grand Cathedral hasn’t been extensive, but from the beginning, the strongest impression they’ve left on me is their pragmatism. They worship many gods yet place no undue hope in them. They are like the protectors of this world’s Dao.

“Religiously, they guide people toward positivity, and actively, they strive to resolve major international conflicts and anomalies. They seek renown, not for greed, but to better uphold their mission. Just like the Ailanthus flower they truly revere, they aren’t bound by worldly opinions.

“Instead, they possess sufficient resolve to seek ways to guard the light amidst darkness. They have upheld their righteousness for tens of thousands of years without faltering, which I believe is truly remarkable. This is all of my current understanding.”

Goddess Ye Xi smiled. “That’s wonderful. My old friend would be very pleased to hear this. He was a remarkable individual, and the religion he founded has lived up to his hopes.”

Adair noticed a detail and asked, “By your tone, it sounds as if something happened to him.”

Goddess Ye Xi gave a bitter smile. “You noticed. He passed away not long after we left this world. At that time, the order beyond our world was still chaotic. Although some Saints, with great foresight, established the World Management Bureau under immense pressure, the Bureau’s prestige and power in that era were insufficient to quell all the chaos. The Bureau itself was constantly exploring and adapting.

“My old friends and I joined the Bureau, becoming pioneers of that era. I was fortunate enough to survive, while they died on the path of martyrdom.”

“I apologize. I brought up a painful memory.”

Goddess Ye Xi spoke with renewed resolve. “It’s alright. The order my old friends sacrificed their lives for—I will never allow anyone to wantonly destroy it!”

Adair yawned. “Bravo, bravo. If there’s nothing else, may I return?”

Goddess Ye Xi’s eyes widened. “Hey, hey, hey! I just spoke with such passion, and you’re completely unmoved! Are you a devil?!”

Adair’s lips curved upward. He stretched lazily, a confident smile gracing his face. “Of course not. But rather than mere words, I prefer to express my respect through actual deeds. I will do everything in my power to protect the world our predecessors safeguarded.

“To truly contribute my strength when things I cherish are threatened—that is why I am so determined to become stronger. Though I am still useless now, I promise I will not disappoint you.”

Goddess Ye Xi offered a genuine smile. “I’m counting on you.”

“Leave it to us. But one thing at a time, even if it’s an obligation, shouldn’t you offer some kind of reward? A goddess’s blessing sounds rather nice, for instance. How about a few more of those resurrection buffs?”

Adair’s demeanor instantly shifted, transforming into a cunning scoundrel shamelessly demanding benefits.

Goddess Ye Xi: ‘(－_－｜｜)’

She half-suspected Adair had multiple personality disorder; his shifts in temperament were far too rapid.

Goddess Ye Xi spoke faintly. “I cannot do that.”

“Huh?” Adair asked, confused. “Why not?”

“To put it simply, granting appropriate blessings still interferes with the world, though the interference is minimal and its impact negligible. However, with something like resurrection, one or two times is fine, but too many times and the effects will gradually accumulate. Then it’s no different from a violation.”

Adair seized upon the key phrase. “One or two times is fine? Oh, I’m not greedy. Hurry and give me that remaining one!”

Goddess Ye Xi: “…”

“Sigh.” She let out a breath. “You truly are opportunistic. Fine, I’ll give you one more time, but no more.”

“Don’t worry, I’m a very contented person.” Adair felt relieved, having just secured another life.

Goddess Ye Xi retorted, “I certainly haven’t noticed.”

Suddenly, Adair remembered something important. “Ye Xi, how has your investigation into that matter been progressing? Any leads?”

Goddess Ye Xi scoffed. “What a heartless man, only now remembering his little girlfriend.”

“We’re not at that stage yet. Stop teasing and just tell me.”

Goddess Ye Xi stopped teasing Adair and stated directly, “Things are going rather smoothly. Although the person we’re looking for has died, her soul, being exceptionally noble, ascended to Heaven. However, arranging cross-world communication is a bit troublesome; there’s a lot of paperwork. Damn it, my authority is so vast, yet I still have to go through all this trouble for such a minor matter. I really wish I could just use a backdoor.”

Adair retorted mercilessly, “Hey, hey, hey! You were just proclaiming your commitment to upholding order, fairness, and justice, and now your thoughts have suddenly become corrupt. Wait, and also, Heaven actually exists?!”

Goddess Ye Xi clutched her head and exclaimed, “Argh! You’re not the one doing the work; you have no idea how cumbersome the procedures are! Never mind, I’ll draft documents as soon as I get back to simplify these redundant processes. At the next assembly, I’ll fire all those good-for-nothing bastards who only know how to argue and occupy positions without contributing!

“Of course Heaven exists! Heaven and Hell are the biggest supporters behind the World Management Bureau. Many worlds have tales of angels and demons precisely because their influence extends beyond a single world.”

“???” Adair was somewhat bewildered. “Heaven, as a representative of positive images, I can understand, but Hell is also a shareholder?”

“Of course. They are giants entrenched outside the worlds. Many employees within the World Management Bureau are angels and demons. Angels are inherently kind, but they can be rigid in their work and have a bit of a潔癖, making them less effective than demons.

“As for demons, saying they are evil isn’t quite accurate; they simply lack concepts of good and evil, acting as they please. But one thing admirable about them is their commitment to contracts. Demons adhere to contracts with an almost obsessive devotion; they would absolutely uphold a contract even if it meant risking their own souls.

“The demons in the World Management Bureau have all signed contracts, so there’s no need to worry about them causing mischief, though some of their dark humor is genuinely annoying. Actually, Hell’s reputation has been unfairly tarnished; it’s not a paradise for villains. Hell is simply the demons’ world, and because their civilization is highly developed, they possess the ability to traverse worlds, just like Heaven.

“The reason villains go to Hell is because the negative emotions demons favor are more intensely manifested in such individuals. In Hell, they serve as demon slaves and laborers; they certainly aren’t enjoying themselves.”

“Angels and demons don’t fight each other?”

“They used to dislike each other and often brawled, but in reality, they all have reincarnation methods and are almost impossible to truly kill. It was common for the same few individuals to fight for thousands of years until they grew tired of it. After the World Management Bureau was established, the employees working there handled legitimate matters, and they lost interest in fighting. Lately, they’ve rather enjoyed sharing a drink or two together.”

“So, God and Satan also truly exist?”

“The One God and Absolute Evil, you mean? They do exist, but their last official appearance was in a very ancient era. Now, like the founders of the Bureau, they are rarely seen.”

Adair felt like he was uncovering massive secrets, though they weren’t particularly useful. He glanced at the dispirited Goddess Ye Xi and chuckled mischievously. “Indeed, the most effective way to promote institutional reform is to let the leaders themselves experience the feeling of being asked to ‘prove your father is your father.'”

“Hmph!” Goddess Ye Xi pouted. “These procedures weren’t originally created to cause trouble; they were meant for strict scrutiny. However, as the Bureau developed and the situation stabilized, they gradually became redundant. Do you have any other questions?”

“No, wait, one more.”

Adair shamelessly added, “After you return, could you research any other useful blessings that don’t violate the rules? It’s not easy for us to meet. Next time we do, hit me with a few dozen sets so I can experience the protagonist’s halo for a while.”

Goddess Ye Xi’s mouth twitched. “Get lost.”

“Remember my resurrection!”

Adair roared this last sentence just as he completely vanished from the pure white space.