Chapter 008: Secrets

This Chenchen can sometimes seem extremely shrewd, but on other matters, she appears completely ignorant.
Hearing her ask this, Du Fan couldn’t help but smile and explained, “This is what’s called showing weakness to others. As you know, I’ve only been practicing various cultivation methods for three months. Although we killed that Elvis not through any legitimate means, if others found out, they definitely wouldn’t think so. Those guys—once they realize that someone who’s only practiced for three months can defeat a level-six powerhouse, just imagine how many people would become interested in my cultivation techniques. By then, we’d really have nowhere to hide. And…”
“And what?” Chenchen asked.
Du Fan shrugged and said, “I’m not afraid of trouble, but I also don’t like trouble to find me. So, even though we killed Elvis, I don’t want anyone to know about it. No one should think I could kill him. That’s good—at least after he goes missing, no one will come looking for us. How much trouble can that solve?”
“Enough about this,” Du Fan said with a faint smile. “Just now, seeing how worried Kris looked, I guess Elvis must also be one of those responsible for this mission. Since no one’s bothering us right now, we might as well figure out what benefits we can gain from that secret.”
“A lot,” Chenchen nodded firmly, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
……
Gods do exist in this world.
This is the first sentence written in the Holy See’s “Sacred Canon,” and no one dares doubt its truthfulness, for the miracles on the Roland Continent have proven this for years.
Moreover, doubting this sentence is undoubtedly blasphemy against the gods. In the presence of the Holy See, all blasphemers will be tied to the execution platform and burned to death alive.
And the secret Du Fan obtained from Elvis is closely related to these so-called gods.
Firstly, it must be known that there isn’t just one deity on the Roland Continent. Besides the Light God worshipped by most humans, there are also the God of Darkness, the Gods of Nature, the Gods of Elements, and various other peculiar deities. Though their numbers vary, one cannot deny their existence.
Of course, above all these deities stands the Supreme God, without a doubt.

As for the existence of gods, on the Roland Continent, it can be traced back to times with no historical records. In any case, for the people of the Roland Continent, the gods are eternal.
But those eternal gods occasionally make mistakes, as if their heads have been kicked by pigs.
For example, the secret Du Fan knows now is the result of a major mistake committed by some unknown god.
This unnamed god seemingly built his divine palace on the Roland Continent, but for some reason, it was abandoned shortly after its construction and was only discovered occasionally years later.
The one who discovered this was Aldas.
At first, Aldas didn’t realize that the ancient ruin he stumbled upon was actually a palace of the ancient gods. However, after consulting ancient texts at the Roland Academy, he understood this.
Yet, for some reason, this secret was accidentally revealed, and the person who knew it was Professor Bruce.
Besides being a powerhouse at the peak of level nine, Bruce was also a great historian. After various speculations, he believed that the palace likely contained something belonging only to the gods, such as divine artifacts.
However, entering the palace wasn’t easy. Although it was abandoned, the divine power bestowed upon it by the unknown god years ago had not diminished at all. Due to this power, those who could enter the palace had to meet strict requirements.
Perhaps to prevent mortals from understanding the true nature of power, those whose strength was close to or above the saintly level couldn’t enter the palace. Moreover, the palace was full of traps and might even harbor terrifying creatures.
So, for those with too weak strength, entering the palace was tantamount to seeking death.
After much thought, Bruce concluded that only his excellent student Aldas, whose strength was exactly at level eight, was the best candidate to enter the palace. That’s why he made things difficult for Du Fan during the recruitment exam—actually to “please” his student and get Aldas to agree to explore the palace.
But now, not only has he failed to avenge Aldas, he has also lost a student. It’s hard to say whether he should be considered unlucky or unfortunate.

For Du Fan, why Bruce was targeting him no longer mattered; what mattered was the legendary artifacts rumored to exist inside, which made Du Fan’s mouth water continuously. Legendary artifacts—such extraordinary existences that are hard to come by! But with his current strength, it was impossible for him to enter and seize them on his own. Though artifacts were great, losing one’s life for them wouldn’t be worth it. This was the so-called secret known to Du Fan and the others. Even with Chenchen’s indifferent personality, she was excited for a long time after learning about this secret. “Alright,” Du Fan clapped his hands. “The situation now is that, with our combined strength, even if we’re lucky, we wouldn’t dare to mess around in that sacred palace. But with such an opportunity, it’s necessary to find a good helper.” Chenchen asked doubtfully, “What kind of helper?” Du Fan smiled mysteriously and said, “In a place like a sacred palace, who is the most important? Of course, it’s the Holy Church. And I’m the most promising priest in the Holy Church. Think, if I sell them this secret, how many levels could I rise?” … The duke’s hall in the Green family was brightly lit. There weren’t many items in the spacious room—aside from various weapons hanging on the walls and a large red carpet on the floor, there was only a set of sofas in the center of the hall. A person dressed in a dark red robe sat there with folded hands, the robe completely covering their face, making it impossible to see what they looked like. Although the servants nearby were full of confusion, none dared say anything. Across from him, Du Fan sat with a faint smile, twisting a wine glass in his hands as if it were extremely interesting and piqued his interest. Or perhaps he had already made up his mind: if the person across from him didn’t speak, he definitely wouldn’t either. Finally, the seated person couldn’t bear the atmosphere any longer and spoke up, “The Green family truly lives up to its reputation. I’ve been to many noble families—most of them are frivolous and incompetent, with decorations that are all luxurious yet outdated. But your Green family truly shows the spirit of warriors. Old Count Green truly lives up to his reputation.”

Du Fan smiled faintly and said, “Sir, you must be joking. The Green family has never had much money. The limited resources they do have are all invested in the army in the north, which is why they have had to maintain this style for years. This has long become a joke among the nobles in the capital. Why bring this up?”
The man seemed unprepared for Du Fan’s response and smiled awkwardly. “Priest Du Fan, that’s not what I meant. I was just expressing my true thoughts.”
Du Fan made a dismissive gesture and said, “Heh, I know you didn’t mean that. But after sitting here for so long, you must be tired too. What brings you here? Has the Holy Church rearranged my schedule to bless the faithful?”
“No,” the man replied in a low voice, then turned to look at the servants around. “Could we…”
Du Fan nodded and waved his hand, signaling the servants to leave. Soon, only the two of them remained in the empty hall.
“Alright, sir. What exactly do you want?” Du Fan asked.
The man smiled faintly. “I’m here on behalf of Archbishop Anthony to ask—how did your duel with that Elvis turn out?”
Du Fan snorted coldly. “I didn’t expect Archbishop Anthony to care about me. Didn’t he just let the people from Roland Academy bully me, one of his own? Why does he care now?”
The man seemed embarrassed. “Well… Du Fan, you should know who Bruce is. Even with Archbishop Anthony’s power, it’s not easy to confront him. But Anthony still cares about you. That’s why he specifically ordered me to protect you from afar. As long as Bruce’s men show any intent to attack, I’ll definitely step in to stop them.”
Du Fan frowned. He had already known that Roland Academy had a close relationship with the Holy Church, but he didn’t know exactly how deep it went. Hearing this from this man, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled. “What exactly is the relationship between Roland Academy and the Holy Church? And who exactly are you, sir?”