Four Split Personalities

"Wang Yu is... also a Favored of the Dark Goddess Delia, right?"

Xia Lian stared intently at Motan, her expression exceedingly serious and earnest.

"Yes."

Motan nodded without hesitation, solemnly saying, "She not only carries the Dawn Divine Favor of the Goddess, but also the Dark God’s Blessing from that one."

The Elf Holy Woman looked at him in utter surprise, never expecting that he would straightforwardly disclose such information. She knew well that the Goddess of Dawn and the Goddess of Darkness were historically at odds, not to mention the relationship between their followers; they despised each other intensely. If it became known that Yu Chen was also favored by the Goddess of Darkness, the consequences would be unimaginable, to the extent that the Church of the Dawn could not possibly tolerate her presence, and there was even a substantial likelihood that they might directly ’purify’ her.

[Hei Fan surely understands this; then why would he tell me so frankly?]

Xia Lian gazed puzzlingly at the calm young man in front of her, even forgetting to continue the conversation.

Normally, given his psychological makeup, Motan should have been quite nervous, but instead he was very calm. He noticed that Her Highness the Saintess seemed a bit puzzled, so he explained attentively, "You needn’t overthink. The reason I am telling you the truth isn’t because I want to absolve myself of responsibility or earn merit with a tragic sacrifice, nor is it... well, nor is it that I don’t care about her enough. It’s simply the best choice after weighing the pros and cons."

"Why?"

Xia Lian looked down at the seemingly sleeping girl, asking softly, "I am the Saintess of the Church of the Dawn, utterly loyal to Our Lady without the slightest dilution. Even if I am somewhat unconventional, I still discern right from wrong and weigh matters carefully. Are you so sure I will protect Wang Yu to the end?"

"Um, yes."

Motan nodded emphatically.

"I the hell..."

Xia Lian’s face stiffened, then she turned her head with a forced smile and glared at Motan, "What makes you think that? Could I not suspect that Wang Yu was sent by the Dark Night Sect to cause trouble?"

"Um, you wouldn’t."

"You bastard..."

"Cough cough, mind your language, Your Highness."

"Mind your uncle’s language! Do I not seem like someone decisive in killing?"

"Um, no."

"You go away! Just go away!"

The Elf Holy Woman, furious, pointed at the chapel door and shouted, "Get out before you piss me off to death!"

"Oh..."

Motan said nothing more, promptly turned, and walked away.

Sure enough, two seconds later, Xia Lian’s angry voice followed him, "Come back here, the biggest mistake I made today was thinking I could tease you with this matter."

Motan turned back to see that she had even pulled out her cross, and he immediately shrank his neck and tried to appease her with a smile, "Er, next time I promise to play along, let’s put that weapon away for now; Our Lady wouldn’t want to see bloodshed here."

[But I do want to see you dressed as a woman...]

Motan: "???"

Xia Lian, with a sour face, put down the cross and asked irritably, "What are you blanking out for?"

"Nothing... nothing..."

Motan chuckled awkwardly, stealing a glance at the Statue of the Goddess of Dawn at the center of the room, his mind filled with mixed feelings.

Xia Lian sighed, pulled a cushion closer and sat cross-legged on it, then threw another one to Motan, "Sit."

Motan obediently sat down.

"Let’s talk seriously, why were you willing to tell me the truth."

Xia Lian carefully adjusted her skirt and asked earnestly, "From my analysis of you, that question should have made you very nervous."

Motan smiled wryly and shook his head, "You are right, I do tend to get flustered easily, and my psychological quality isn’t that robust, at least in most cases."

Xia Lian arched an eyebrow and shrugged, "So, this isn’t ’most cases,’ huh."

Motan gently nodded, turning to glance at Yu Chen’s profile, "Correct, it isn’t. Although I have been constantly uneasy since she was brought here, it doesn’t mean I will lose my composure. In fact, from the moment we departed from Misha County, I have been thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

"A lot of things, but mostly about Yu Chen’s health and the potential consequences of her being favored by the Goddess of Darkness."

"It seems her real name is indeed ’Yu Chen.’"

"Yes."

"And you?"

"Motan."

Motan smiled slightly, spreading his hands, "But if possible, you should still call me Hei Fan in front of others, and I will also try my best not to mispronounce this young lady’s name."

"Nice name."

Xia Lian whistled playfully, winking, "Then, can I assume that Feather Song and Cordova, as well as all those who acted as liaison officers during the battle in Misha County, also have another name?"

Motan nodded, still frank, "Yes."

Xia Lian ’hmm’ed, then leaned her chin on her hand and fell into thought.

"We once promised that after the incident in Misha County, we would give you an explanation."

Motan didn’t allow Xia Lian too much time to think and took the initiative to start speaking, "This should also be one of the main reasons you called me here today. As for the earlier topic... well, I think you were already concluding when you asked me ’Is Wang Yu a Favored of the Dark Goddess Delia?’ You are a Favored yourself, and as a core member of the Church of the Dawn, you definitely have a profound understanding and awareness of Dark Divine Power. Based on this, I had absolutely no need to lie, because you already knew the answer, and if I am not mistaken, under the Pope as well as some high-ranking members of this sect, they probably also know this."