Day Five.

"We are believers, we are the devout; the devout cannot only take, they must give!"

"Give! Give!"

"All who give will receive blessings from the Lord!"

At the morning assembly in the thirty-six districts, the thirty-six newly appointed priests loudly proclaimed:

"All who give shall receive!"

The gathered crowd exchanged glances, having enjoyed four days of stability and the holy meal. Many of them had gradually begun to believe in Emper Xiang and Chen Xiang, but to ask them to give?

This was...

Many people fell silent.

"I! I want to give!"

A voice rang out clearly from the crowd. People turned to look, and indeed, it was a scruffy-looking homeless man.

Though the homeless man wore a pure white ceremonial robe, tattered clothes still peeked out beneath it. His spirit was full, but his emaciated form revealed the signs of hunger.

"Is that Li Rong'en? I know him; he's been picking up garbage near my home for over ten years."

"A homeless man wants to give? What can he offer? Bedbugs and lice?"

"I know him too; twenty years ago, he was a professor at a regular university. If I remember correctly, he had a family crisis; none of his three sons and one daughter were his biological children. After that, he became homeless."

Li Rong'en, the homeless man, ignored the hushed whispers around him and walked firmly in front of the priest.

He sincerely knelt down:

"I have wandered for seventeen years, never having eaten a full meal, not even once."

"In these past few days, I have had sweet holy meals every day, and the brand-new white robe has transformed my broken, shattered life, as if there is light."

"I have nothing to offer; I have no material possessions,"

he said earnestly, "the only thing I can offer is my humble, insignificant soul. Will the Lord accept the soul of a homeless man?"

The priest stared at him for a long time before finally speaking:

"Offering one's soul is an act of a saint, and you are not a saint."

He intended to refuse, his ears twitching slightly, but then he changed his mind:

"However, although you are not a saint, you wish to offer your soul. What differs your sincerity from that of a saint? The Lord says..."

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"Granted."

The priest used his silver staff to draw an irregular circle on the ground, encircling the homeless man within it.

He sprinkled silver powder, took out candles, and placed them at eight points around the circle, then lit them.

Misty blue smoke rose, accompanied by a faint fragrance, as the priest spoke solemnly:

"Your name is Li Rong'en?"

"Yes, it is."

"Li Rong'en, I ask you one last time: Do you truly wish to offer your soul to the great Lord? From this moment, you will lose your personal freedom and become a warrior on the front lines of the holy faith. After your death, you may exist in paradise, but your soul may also scatter."

"Will you accept?"

The homeless man adjusted the pure white ceremonial robe, which he had carefully maintained over these days and was still spotless, and declared firmly:

"I am willing."

Not far away, Chen Xiang observed everything with a slight nod. A wisp of black flame floated out, and the prepared pigs were reduced to white ashes.

"Good!"

The priest's figure suddenly rose high, raising his silver staff. The shadows near the grand altar writhed and retreated, and there was light in the sky!

"What is that?!"

A civilian exclaimed, pointing to the sky.

Many people looked up at the heavens, and amidst the rolling clouds and mist, a gigantic misty head seemed to form!

The cloud-formed head appeared to gaze down at the scene, surrounded by radiant light and burning black flames!

In the next moment,

The flames twisted into a massive black dragon, and amid countless awe-filled, fearful, and astonished gazes,

the black dragon descended with the clouds, seemingly touching the forehead of the kneeling homeless man.

"This is a divine gift!"

The priest's voice rose high, and the black dragon, as if siphoning, completely entered the homeless man's body.

He collapsed to the ground, convulsing and crying out in pain.

A quarter of an hour later, when he rose again, his pure white ceremonial robe fluttered without wind.

He lifted his head and raised his hands:

"I... I feel power filling my body!"

The priest said solemnly:

"You have offered your soul to the Lord; you have become a loyal warrior of the Lord, and you shall be bestowed the name Knight. You will become a sharp spear, piercing the hearts of all heretics!"

"The Emperor is watching you."

The homeless man joined his hands together, raised them above his head, and took a deep breath. As the storm swept through, he shouted:

"Praise Emper Xiang!"

It was as if a hundred people echoed him, like the ringing of a great bell and the beating of a great drum, like thunder erupting from the ground!!

The homeless man's voice created visible ripples in the air, accompanied by waves of force that surged outward, deafening!

Some were blown to the ground by the gale, some stared blankly at the thunderous homeless man, and some prostrated themselves on the ground.

"This is... a miracle!"

"Praise Emper Xiang! Praise Emper Xiang!"

More and more people knelt down, more and more became devout, more and more raised their hands above their heads in praise!

Not just in this district.

Similar scenes unfolded in the other thirty-five districts.

As Day Five approached evening, the number of believers increased.

"All who give will receive divine gifts, whether today or in the future."

Mori respectfully said:

"Nothing can inspire devotion more than a miracle; it brings people closer to faith and success."

Chen Xiang nodded slightly, glancing at the report noting the loss of forty-seven thousand pigs, and smiled gently.

"It's time for a name."

"What?" Mori asked, puzzled, not daring to lift his head.

"The church needs a name,"

Chen Xiang said as he walked to the window, gazing at the white and red moons above, and then recalled the pure white mist.

He said softly:

"Order."

"The church will be called Order."

"The thirty-six individuals who voluntarily offered themselves to receive divine gifts today will be the first knights of the Order Church. Let them be called the Pure White Knights."

"Pure white means order; wherever they go, chaos will cease, darkness will retreat, and pure white will be the only thing."

"The first little fellow is named Li Rong'en, right? Grant him armor, give him a warhorse, and forge a long spear and a heavy shield for him. He will be the first knight commander."

"I will faithfully convey your orders and fulfill your words." Mori bowed as if he were a true cleric before his lord.

Chen Xiang nodded slightly.