Lord of Prayer

What to do?

It seemed like there were a million different options, but in reality... the moment Li Xiye made her move, only one real choice remained.

Faced with the sudden ambush, Zhou Chen recovered from his momentary stupor and began to tease her:

"So, should I have you invent a perpetual motion machine, or maybe solve one of the great unsolved problems in mathematics?"

Li Xiye’s eyes crinkled in amusement. "Those things are beyond the scope of my Ability, so they’re invalid. You have to make a wish that’s easier to grant."

’A wish?’ Zhou Chen couldn’t help but laugh. ’Me, the great and powerful God of Wishes, having to make a wish to someone else? Who would have thought?’

He gazed at Li Xiye and found her gazing back. They were so close that each could feel the other’s breath growing warmer.

In those azure eyes, there was no longer any coldness, none of the soul-shaking, imperious majesty or stern dominance she usually held. There was only his own reflection and endless tenderness.

"Xiye..." Zhou Chen said suddenly.

"Hm?"

"It must have been hard for you all those years, right?"

"It wasn’t too hard, really. I actually enjoyed exploring. It allowed me to see how vast and magnificent the World is, to learn about different cultures and local customs, and to broaden my horizons... Besides, with my natural talent, all it took was a little effort to raise my power level," Li Xiye chuckled softly.

"If you really want to talk about hardship... I think missing you was the hardest part. I’d dream about you from time to time, and every time I woke up, it felt like I’d lost something important. It was a terrible feeling.

They say you should never meet someone too breathtaking when you’re young, or you’ll spend the rest of your life unable to forget them. It turns out that’s true.

But luckily, I’ve got you now."

"Speaking of which, why didn’t you continue your Advancement?" Zhou Chen voiced a question he’d always had. "With your Ability, sixty years should have been enough time to become a Crowned King or even a Demigod, right?"

Li Xiye reached out and pinched his cheek. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-two."

"If I hadn’t hibernated, I’d be almost eighty this year. Heh, an eighty-year-old grandma. What do you think of that?"

"Once you’re a Crowned King, age is no longer an issue. They’re predicted to live for several thousand years. Look at Lin Yun. She’s over a hundred and still holding concerts everywhere. I saw she even went to hang out in Akihabara a few days ago. As long as your heart stays young, you’re forever young."

"Yes, for a Crowned King, age isn’t an issue. But sixty years is too long. I didn’t want to wait that long. Hibernation was so much better. I just take a few naps, wake up, and I can see you."

Li Xiye looked into Zhou Chen’s eyes and told him seriously, "More than immense power, I just wanted to see you sooner. You’re my number one priority.

Zhou Chen... I love you. You know that."

The sudden confession stunned Zhou Chen, and his face visibly flushed red.

Li Xiye was instantly amused. She reached out and kneaded Zhou Chen’s burning cheeks, bursting into delighted laughter. "You can get shy too? Hahaha, where’s my phone? I need to get a picture of this..."

"Stop messing around..."

Zhou Chen quickly grabbed Li Xiye’s wrist. They struggled playfully for a moment, and then somehow, their fingers involuntarily intertwined, clasped tightly, and hung suspended in the air.

It was the final spark that lit the fuse. They gazed at each other silently for a few seconds, then, as if by unspoken agreement, moved closer and shared a passionate, irresistible kiss.

Their clumsy technique could not hide their fiery passion as they stole each other’s breath. In that warm, wet softness, it was as if a tingling electric current had erupted, instantly spreading through their entire bodies. It shook their reason, intoxicating them and making them forget everything else.

In that moment, time stood still.

After some time, they parted.

"You’re blushing," Zhou Chen said, a faint smile playing on his lips. "It’s cute."

"Cute? Are you sure?" Li Xiye touched her own hot cheek. She couldn’t remember ever being called that before. The word had never seemed to apply to her.

"I’m sure. The infamous Tyrant, blushing from a kiss. If that’s not cute, what is?"

"You. I think you’re provoking me." Dazzling azure lightning flashed in Li Xiye’s pupils. She seemed to transform back into the imperious Tyrant, looking down on him with cold disdain. "I’m going to have to teach you a lesson."

Too bad for her, Zhou Chen sealed her lips with his in the next instant, leaving her to make only muffled sounds. All that majesty vanished in a flash.

Through the shared senses of the Bonds Ring, they could both feel the irrepressible fire in each other’s hearts.

"Erin went to the Life Church to study. She’ll be staying there for a few days..." Li Xiye said softly. "Let’s go to the bedroom..."

"Mm..."

·

What is happiness?

Li Xiye had heard this question countless times during her many years of travel.

What is happiness, really?

Is it good health, a life without worry for food or shelter, immense wealth, limitless luxury, fame and success? Or is it possessing supreme Power, attaining a Divine Position, and ruling over everything in existence?

She couldn’t say for sure, because everyone defines happiness differently.

To the disabled, happiness is a healthy body. To the poor, it’s a life without want. To a scholar, it’s having their work passed down through the ages. To the power-hungry, it’s ascending to a high position. To the weak, it’s possessing Power...

Everyone has their own vision of happiness.

For Li Xiye, the happy life she yearned for was simply being with Zhou Chen.

But cruelly, this was reality—cold, ruthless reality. For most people, happiness was an incredibly distant dream.

The disabled remained disabled, the poor remained poor, the weak remained weak... It was as if some kind of Curse existed upon the World, ensuring that those who yearned for something could never obtain it.

The road to so-called happiness is never bright and gentle. It is cruel and desperate, filled with thorns and suffering. Most people go their entire lives without finding the happiness they seek, only able to walk toward their end in mediocrity and regret.

It was precisely because she understood this that Li Xiye pushed herself twice as hard, shedding unseen sweat and enduring unknown hardships, all to get closer to the happy life she craved.

The pursuit of happiness is destined to be an arduous path. Whenever Li Xiye faced a desperate situation and felt like giving up, she would remember the short summer that changed her life.

The memory alone would bring a smile to her face. As long as she was filled with anticipation, she could overcome any hardship.

Now, she had finally found her happiness.

In their fiery embrace, Li Xiye laughed with pure joy.

’This is happiness.’

·

·

「The next day.」

「Star Association.」

Jiang Che scrutinized Zhou Chen with a suspicious gaze. She felt that something about him was different, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.

"Is there something on my face?" Zhou Chen touched his cheek. ’There shouldn’t be anything, right? I even wished away the hickey on my neck before I came. That would’ve been a bad look.’

Jiang Che didn’t answer. Instead, she pulled a few files from her drawer. "I’m planning to choose a new Secretary."

"Huh?" Zhou Chen was stunned. "What about me?"

"Think about it. As my Secretary, have you ever actually fulfilled your duties? Most of the time you’re completely unreliable. You don’t take your job seriously, you’re always slacking off, and when you ask for time off, you take a whole month. In the end, I’m the one who has to handle all the work..." Jiang Che’s gaze grew colder as she spoke. "What use do I have for a Secretary like you?"

"Er..."

Zhou Chen averted his gaze guiltily, at a loss for words.

’She has a point!’

’If I were in her shoes,’ Zhou Chen thought, ’and I had a subordinate who slacked off this much, I probably would’ve had an aneurysm from anger by now. But if that subordinate also happened to be a miracle worker... that’s a different story. Mmm, Jiang Che must have other plans for me.’

"I plan to promote you to Special-Grade Operator of the Star Association," Jiang Che said.

Only the leader of the Star Association’s Special Operations Team can appoint a Special-Grade Operator. It’s an extremely high-level position, on par with the Team Leader. Since the Special Operations Team Leader is equal in standing to the President of the Star Association, it means that, in a way, a Special-Grade Operator is also on the same level as the President.

Special-Grade Operators have one unique characteristic: they take orders only from the leader of the Special Operations Team and can ignore commands from anyone else. Because of this, the position has a simple, straightforward nickname within the Star Association: the "Exclusive Tool."

"A Special-Grade Operator, huh? Sounds pretty good. I just work when there’s a job to do and get to slack off otherwise," Zhou Chen said, breathing a sigh of relief. As long as Jiang Che wasn’t firing him, he was fine.

"More or less."

"In that case, let me help you scout out a new Secretary."

Zhou Chen began flipping through the personnel files. Before long, he saw a familiar name.

[Name: Lin Ya

Age: 18

Extraordinary Ability: Crimson Armament

Personality: Timid, introverted.

Biography: ...]

’Lin Ya is a good candidate,’ Zhou Chen mused. ’She’s a member of the Round Table Hall, a Fanatic of the Lamp God, and she also works at Father Daun’s orphanage in the real world. Her character seems fine, and she’s trustworthy.’

"What about this Lin Ya?"

"She’s a decent choice. A little timid, but compared to you, she’ll definitely be much more obedient," Jiang Che said cuttingly.

"Let’s go with her, then. We might be able to build a connection with Father Daun... Besides, the other recruits are the bottom of the barrel. Seriously, one of them has an Extraordinary Ability for rapid pinky-nail growth."

Zhou Chen’s expression turned strange. "And this other one, with an Invisibility Ability where the user also goes blind... What’s the point of that?"

Jiang Che sighed. "What can I do? Good Abilities don’t exactly grow on trees."

She paused, then said, "Father Daun won’t interfere in Lin Ya’s choice, but she might not want to work for me. That’s why I need you to help investigate a cold case to earn her trust."

"Hm... Lin Ya’s family matter?" Zhou Chen guessed immediately.

"That’s right. What happened to her family wasn’t an isolated incident. There were many similar cases back then, but they were quickly suppressed by the Life Church, and all related files were wiped clean. I’m sure there’s something suspicious about it.

Isn’t Erin at the Life Church right now? You can use that connection to look into it. You might be able to dig something up.

Of course, the fact that the Life Church deleted the files means they don’t want this getting out. Just do a preliminary investigation. Don’t dig too deep.

I want Lin Ya as my Secretary mainly to forge a connection with Father Daun and the Dawn Church. It would be great if we can, but it’s no big deal if we can’t. So whatever you do, don’t get yourself into trouble. The potential reward isn’t worth the risk."

"Alright, I get it. Leave it to me."

Zhou Chen patted his chest, full of confidence.