Early the next morning, Li Yuan set out.
The main temple of the City of Divine Grace was situated on the north side of the Central Plaza, occupying the most prominent position in the entire city. Over a hundred steps led up to the entrance, flanked by twelve massive white stone pillars on each side, their surfaces carved with radiant holy emblems in relief. The morning light filtered in from the east, bathing the entire temple in a soft white glow.
Numerous believers were already milling about the steps. Some carried fresh flowers and offerings; others brought their children, teaching them the proper etiquette for prayer in low voices as they walked. A few elderly people in coarse cloth robes knelt halfway up the stairs, prostrating themselves with every step they ascended.
Li Yuan stood by the edge of the plaza for a short while, his gaze sweeping from the temple entrance down to the base of the steps. He approached a middle-aged man who had just descended the stairs to strike up a conversation.
The man wore clean, deep blue cloth clothes and held a somewhat worn copy of the 《Holy Scripture of Light》. The edges of the pages were frayed from frequent use, marking him as a local who prayed often.
“Hello, I’d like to ask you something... Could I trouble you for a moment of your time?” Li Yuan asked politely.
The man looked up at him, sized up his attire, and gave an “I see” sort of smile. “From out of town? I can tell by your clothes that you aren’t local.”
“I’m a tea merchant from Kajinson,” Li Yuan admitted readily.
“That makes sense.” The man tucked the scripture under his arm and said casually, “What did you want to know?”
“I took a tour of the city yesterday and noticed that every temple here is dedicated to the God of Light. I haven't seen a single temple for any other god. Is it the same in the main temple? Does it only house the statue of the God of Light?”
The man’s expression shifted subtly at those words. He glanced left and right, as if checking to see if anyone was listening, before lowering his voice.
He took a couple of steps forward, gesturing for Li Yuan to follow him away from the stairs. Once they reached a less crowded spot at the edge of the plaza, he spoke again.
“This city was built specifically for the God of Light. Since the day it was founded, the temple established a rule—only the God of Light is worshipped here. Statues of other gods are strictly forbidden.”
Li Yuan was curious. “That’s quite a unique rule. I spent a few years in the kingdom, and the temples there usually house several deities—the God of Elements, the God of Harvest, the God of War, and others who oversee different domains. They all have their place within the same temple.”
The man nodded, his expression growing more complex. He hesitated, lowering his voice even further.
“I understand what you mean, but things are different here. Most locals don't believe in other gods; in fact, quite a few even despise them.” He seemed to realize he had said too much and waved his hand dismissively. “I can't say too much about the specifics. Just a word of warning—if you go inside to pray, whatever you do, don't mention the names of other gods. Otherwise, you’ll be kicked out at best, or thrown in a cell for several days at worst.”
“Thank you for the warning,” Li Yuan said with a slight nod.
The man waved it off as no trouble and walked away toward the east side of the plaza with the scripture under his arm.
Li Yuan watched him leave before turning back to the towering temple. The flow of people on the steps remained steady, believers with pious expressions disappearing one by one into the massive arched entrance.
He walked to a relatively quiet corner at the edge of the plaza. After ensuring no one was watching, he casually performed an invisibility hand seal. The light around him distorted slightly, and his figure vanished without a trace.
Then, he strolled boldly toward the temple's main entrance.
The interior of the temple was even more spacious than it appeared from the outside. The vaulted ceiling reached dozens of meters high, and sunlight filtered through stained-glass windows, turning into soft, prismatic beams that cast onto the white marble floor in the center of the hall.
The air was filled with a faint scent of frankincense mixed with the warm aroma of burning candles.
Slender stone pillars lined both sides of the hall, their surfaces entwined with intricately carved vine patterns. At the far end stood an altar raised several feet above the ground, covered in white linen and laden with fresh flowers and fruit offered by the faithful.
Over a dozen statues of the God of Light were arranged around the hall, each in a different pose and with a different expression. Some held scepters, some had their palms pressed together in prayer, and others looked down upon the world with compassion.
Directly behind the altar stood the largest statue, reaching ten meters in height. It depicted a female deity in long robes. Her face was dignified and gentle, her slightly lowered eyelids carrying a look of pity for the world. Her hands were held out in a hollow embrace in front of her chest, with a Holy Light Emblem carved from crystal floating between her palms.
Li Yuan paced slowly through the hall, silently spreading his Divine Sense as he went. The mana fluctuations of the priests were clearly discernible, mostly between Rank 3 and Rank 4. Two priests presiding over prayer ceremonies in the side halls were slightly stronger, around Rank 5.
Aside from that, there was nothing of note. The altar, the statues, the confessionals, the holy water basins, the storage rooms—he confirmed every location several times, and the conclusion was always the same.
This was just an ordinary, functioning temple.
He returned to the center of the hall and stopped, his brow furrowing slightly before smoothing out. He hadn't expected to find clues on the first day; this was merely a routine check.
He turned and headed for the exit. Just as he stepped out of the massive arched doorway and prepared to descend the steps, he heard a commotion nearby.
Several temple guards in silver light armor were dragging a youth out from a side door. The boy looked no older than sixteen or seventeen, dressed in very plain—one might even say ragged—clothes that were completely out of place in these surroundings. He struggled desperately, his feet kicking at the ground, but two adult guards held him by each arm, dragging him down the steps with ease.
One of the guards let go and gave him a shove. The youth stumbled for several steps before barely managing to steady himself, nearly falling to the ground.
“If you dare come back to desecrate the god, it won’t be as simple as being thrown out,” the guard said from atop the steps, looking down at the boy with a cold, hard tone. “Next time, you’re going straight to the dungeon. Do you understand?”
The boy's face flushed crimson, his fists clenched tightly at his sides as he forced himself to hold back his anger. He grit his teeth and looked up, shouting at the guard, “I didn't desecrate anything! I just want to see the High Priest! Tell him to give my sister back—!”
The other guard seemed to have lost his patience completely and took a step forward as if to chase him off. Sensing danger, the boy instinctively backed up a couple of steps and turned to run.
He hadn't gone more than a few paces when he collided with a loud thud into Li Yuan, who was walking down the steps.
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