Chapter 23: Have a house?
Luze found several messy manuscripts on the table in Old Neil's bedroom. A note enclosed among them contained the name of the Hidden Sage:
"The embodiment of spirit and number,
The source of all knowledge,
The hidden sage of the wilderness."
To prevent any unforeseen consequences, he simply read the name silently in his mind in Rune. The spiritual power of the secret praying man reminded him that this honorific name must be genuine.
The messy manuscripts recorded some strange rituals, including a secret ceremony to pray to the hidden sage for knowledge, and a ritual that was recorded in particular:
"Life is forged."
"The required materials include: 100 ml of water from the Elven Spring (Sonia Island's Golden Spring), 50 grams of Star Crystal, half a pound of gold, 5 grams of phlogiston, 30 grams of hematite, and a large amount of human blood."
Human blood
Lu Ze's heart tightened. As he continued to read, he discovered that Old Neil had written a note behind this line: "You can consider drawing my own, accumulating it over and over again, and preserving it with ritual magic."
Fortunately, he was not crazy enough to sacrifice others alive.
Lu Ze thought to himself, collected the manuscripts, and prepared to show them to everyone.
Just as he picked up the note with the words "Hidden Sage" written on it, he suddenly hesitated, then put it in front of him and read it carefully.
After studying for a while, Lu Ze had discovered that one of the abilities of the Secret Prayer was the ability to quickly memorize various rituals. Once he carefully read through them, the relevant procedures and prayers would be deeply engraved in his mind, allowing him to easily recall them when needed. So, after just one reading, Lu Ze could be said to have memorized the Hidden Sage's honorific name and some of the rituals associated with Him.
Why did he record the name of this evil god? Lu Ze himself couldn't explain it clearly, he just felt that it might be useful in the future.
It's best not to use it when it's needed.
He took the manuscript, walked down the stairs step by step and returned to the living room.
————
The next afternoon.
"Oh--"
Lu Ze yawned loudly, and his eyes were a little wet.
Although he had a short nap in the morning, he still felt a little tired and looked very listless when surrounded by a group of colleagues.
The lounge was packed except for Leonard, who was guarding the Chanis Gate, and Luo Yao, who was guarding the armory. They all knew about Old Neil's situation, and since the captain and Ms. Daly were accompanying the senior deacon, and Luo Yao was also busy, everyone had no choice but to come to him to find out what was going on.
Lu Ze had no choice but to yawn as he recounted the entire story, omitting the parts that were inconvenient for others to know. When everyone heard the whole story, they all sighed.
Luo Shan's eyes dimmed, and after a while she spoke softly:
"The captain told me that when Old Neil was young, he had a beloved lover. Just when they were about to get engaged, the woman unfortunately fell seriously ill and eventually passed away. He was deeply saddened by this and almost collapsed."
It seemed that the ritual of life refining was prepared for this purpose. Everything Old Neil did was to resurrect his lover.
Lu Ze understood something.
He rubbed his fingers subconsciously. The wound he had cut with a knife yesterday had healed, and his skin was intact, as if he had never been injured.
"It's really sympathetic."
Cornley White sighed. He was a bit short, but very energetic. After hearing Old Neil's story, he seemed to sympathize with him. Lu Ze recalled that Cornley also seemed to have a fiancée who was about to get married. No wonder he felt the same way as Old Neil.
"The death of a loved one is always sad."
"I decided to leave work early today and spend more time with my family," said part-time writer Sigar Teong in an infectious voice.
Well said. Lu Ze couldn't help but nod. After hearing Old Neil's story, he really wanted to go back and see Cecilia soon, chat with her, and have a meal with her. He noticed that Klein beside him was also thinking about it, obviously thinking about his family as well.
"Is Old Neil going to be okay?"
At this moment, Frye suddenly spoke up and asked the question that no one wanted to discuss.
Everyone was silent for a moment and turned their eyes to Lu Ze.
How would I know?
Lu Ze grinned. "To be honest, I'm not sure, but if Old Neil didn't hurt anyone, at least his life can be saved, right?"
As if to verify his words, the door of the lounge was opened from the outside and Dunn Smith strode in.
"team leader!"
"Hello, Captain."
"Captain, how is Old Neil?"
Everyone stood up and greeted Dunn, asking worriedly.
Dunn's face was covered in fatigue. He glanced around at everyone and forced a smile. "Old Neil has passed Lord Krestel's review and doesn't need to go to the Inquisition. However, as punishment, he will be taken to Backlund's church for work. From now on, he can only spend the rest of his life confessing to the goddess and cannot leave."
Everyone sighed again, partly because Old Neil had finally saved his life, and partly because he still inevitably suffered punishment.
"Then isn't Old Neil still imprisoned?"
Luo Shan said unwillingly.
"It's already very good that I was able to avoid losing control and save my life."
Dunn said lightly, then turned his gaze to Lu Ze, "Lu Ze, come with me."
"Okay, Captain."
Although he didn't know what Dunn asked him to do, Lu Ze still trotted out of the lounge and followed Dunn into his office.
"Old Neil is very grateful for everything you did to save him. To express his gratitude, he gave you the house he left in Tingen City."
After entering the office, before he even sat down, Dunn gave him a shocking piece of news.
"ah?"
Lu Ze said blankly.
Dunn continued, "The house in the suburbs is relatively cheap, but since it's a large single-family home with a garden, its total value is over 900 pounds. He has given me full authority. Once the transfer agreement is signed in a few days, the house will be yours."
"Wait a minute Captain, is this appropriate?"
Lu Ze couldn't help but interrupt him and said, "A house worth 900 pounds, and Old Neil just gave it away?!"
His weekly salary was 6 pounds, which was already very high, but if he wanted to buy this house, he would have to work for 150 weeks without food, drink or accommodation, which would take about two or three years to save enough money. Moreover, he had a younger sister to support, plus daily expenses, so buying a house was a distant prospect.
Who knew that after one night, a house would fall from the sky and soon become his?
"It's inappropriate if you don't accept it."
Dunn said calmly, "Old Neil will have to spend his days in Backlund's church. Neither the house nor even the money will be of any use to him. You saved his life, prevented him from losing control, and saved him from the tragic situation of not being able to return to the embrace of the goddess even after death—this is a priceless redemption. If you don't agree, he will never have peace in his future."
Under Dunn's unquestionable tone and Old Neil's sincere gratitude, Lu Ze finally accepted this unexpected gift. Even at this moment, he was still dizzy and filled with a sense of unreality.
"One more thing, Lord Krestey has left."
At this time, Dunn brought up another topic, "Actually, he originally came to see you."
The Hidden Sage's honorific name is a reference to another fan fiction - Wilderness Pilgrimage.
Stopped