Twenty minutes later, the woman left with her son, her heart overflowing with joy.
Almost instantly, the surrounding residents swarmed toward her.
They were all local residents, so they knew her situation well.
In the early years of the war, her husband had died in the aftershocks of a ninja skirmish.
Left as a widow with an orphan, they could barely afford to eat.
Misfortune always strikes the vulnerable; a few days ago, her son suddenly developed a persistent high fever. Although she sought out the town's doctor, she lacked the money for any effective treatment.
In her desperation, she could only bring the child to this newly built temple to try her luck.
After all, someone who could easily subdue the monster Jugo was definitely no ordinary person.
"How was it? Did those outsiders really cure the child?"
The residents gathered around her.
She was somewhat dazed. Since her husband's death, never had so many people spoken to her at once.
The woman looked back at the church. The warm, soft light glowing through the rainy mist acted like a beacon.
She smiled.
Her bright smile almost seemed to disperse the storm clouds. The child in her arms suddenly opened his eyes and let out a giggling laugh.
"The Great Lord has driven away the illness from my child's body!"
"Praise the Great Lord!"
The woman held her child, her expression filled with intense fervor.
People nearby reached out to touch the child's forehead and gasped in disbelief. "He's better! He's really better."
"It seems that god truly possesses great power..."
Someone stared at the glowing church, their heart stirring with desire.
If the god could cure a child's illness, then fulfilling other wishes should also be possible, right?
"Keiko, did that priest take any money from you? Or did he ask you to do something else?" someone asked.
They all knew Keiko's financial state. Since she had no money, the things a woman could offer were very limited.
Sensing the filthy thoughts in their minds, Keiko snorted coldly. "The Lord's great power is beyond your imagination. Do not use your disgusting thoughts to speculate about the Great Lord."
With that, Keiko held her child and walked away with her head held high.
Her story spread through the entire town in no time.
Many people ran directly to her house to investigate the situation. Faced with their inquiries, Keiko could only tell the truth. "I said I could offer my life, but the merciful Lord said it was unnecessary. He only asked for an arm..."
"Then why is your arm still there?"
The people looked at Keiko's arm and asked impatiently.
Keiko looked at her own palm and smiled mysteriously. "Otherwise, why would he be called the merciful Lord? Perhaps it was just a test for me."
The others looked at each other. According to this logic, did it mean one could share the Lord's blessing without paying any price at all?
The hearts of the townspeople began to waver.
In the middle of the night, a figure burst into the church.
The Lord's blessing once again enveloped a commoner.
This time, it was a ragged, obese middle-aged man.
"How may I help you, sir?"
Simu still wore an impeccable smile. Combined with the warm and soft environment of the church, it made people instinctively want to trust the man before them.
"Um, I heard the Lord can fulfill people's wishes. Is that true?"
The middle-aged man spoke tentatively. He knew this man possessed powerful strength, so he did not dare to be too reckless.
Simu smiled faintly. "Of course. The Lord's light shines upon every person in the world."
Hearing this, the man felt more settled. He hesitated before opening his mouth. "It's like this... my business investment failed. I need a sum of money to tide me over. I wonder if the Lord could lend a hand?"
"Of course."
Simu unhesitatingly pulled a stack of banknotes from his trench coat. Every single one was in the denomination of 100,000 Ryo.
Seeing the silver, the middle-aged man's eyes went straight. It was as if he were seeing salvation itself. He couldn't stop swallowing his saliva.
Just as he reached out to take it, Simu pulled it back.
"Sir, the money can certainly be given to you. But what do you intend to offer the Great Lord?"
The man froze for a moment. He recalled what Keiko had said; this was just a test. No matter what he offered, the merciful Lord wouldn't actually take it!
Thinking of this, the man said decisively, "I can offer the Lord my everything!"
"Your... everything?"
The smile on Simu's face grew even wider.
"This small amount of money isn't enough for you to offer everything. Just your body will be enough. How about it?"
The man nodded without hesitation. It was a hollow promise anyway; if he wanted the body, let him have it.
"I am willing!"
"It is a deal."
As the words fell, Simu handed the silver to the man.
Upon receiving the money, the man unhesitatingly kowtowed several times toward the statue. Then, he braved the rain and rushed outside.
As for offering his body, he had long since tossed that thought to the back of his mind.
Seeing this, Jugo, who had been standing aside watching, finally couldn't help himself.
"Lord Kamizuki, I know this man! He is a gambler through and through, not a businessman at all! He will definitely take that money and gamble it away!"
Hearing Jugo's words, Simu's expression did not change.
Instead, Hidan spoke first. "Kid, you still don't understand this guy. I bet from the moment we stepped into this town, everyone here was under his surveillance. Do you think he wouldn't know that guy is a gambler?"
"Then why..."
Jugo found it difficult to understand. Why give money that could support dozens of people to a gambler?
"This is merely a transaction. Now, his body no longer belongs to him. It belongs to the Lord."
Simu adjusted his glasses and looked at Jugo with a smile. "You didn't actually think the transaction I mentioned was a joke, did you?"
At that moment, Jugo's heart suffered a terrifying shock.
"You mean..."
Simu laughed. "Relax. What I want you to see is far more than just this. You just need to watch quietly."
Jugo was forced to shut his mouth, continuing to stand in the corner of the church like a statue.
As Hidan said, Simu naturally knew the man's identity. He even knew that the man had already arrived at the casino with the money. Likely, he would be kicked out again before long.
But what did that matter?
As Simu said, this was just a transaction.
Once the story of the gambler spread, even more people arrived at the church in secret.
There were poor people wanting to rise to the top, prostitutes wanting to restore their virginity, avengers wanting to kill their enemies, and gamblers wanting to make a comeback...
In the end, the church became the hottest attraction in the entire town. Almost everyone flocked there.