"Francis, are you pleading for him?" Ferdinand said, "You are a kind person, but Frith has committed a crime and must be punished. This is the code of law of the Holy Church, and no one can defy it!"

"But, but I heard there is a redemption fee!" Du Chen timidly spoke out his true intention.

"Yes, according to the Code of Law of the Holy Church, Redemption Clause 13 states that descendants of the Legendary fighter god can redeem themselves with gold coins for crimes committed, except for treason and blasphemy against the Holy Church. However, Frith is not a descendant of the titled fighter god!"

Du Chen anxiously said, "But Clause 16 also states that if I choose to forgive Frith, he can redeem himself through other means!"

Ferdinand smiled and nodded slightly, "You have a good understanding of the code of law, that's good! Kind child, do you truly choose to forgive Frith?"

"Yes!" Du Chen said firmly. At the same time, he began to calculate in his mind. Frith is the son of the Imperial Minister of Finance! The redemption fee will definitely not be small.

At this moment, Frith also saw a glimmer of hope for survival and shouted, "I am willing to pay the redemption fee, no matter how much. My father is the Imperial Minister of Finance! I can even divert the empire's military funds to redeem myself!"

Poor child, in his anxiety, he blurted out the truth!

"Frith, if you dare to say such things again, I will send your father to the stake as well!" Ferdinand was displeased and gave Frith a cold look. "Take him away, imprison him, and inform his father after the Imperial banquet is over!"

Frith was taken away, but he had a relaxed expression on his face. No matter what, being able to save his life was a good thing.

"Thank you for upholding justice, respected Father!" Du Chen bowed and expressed his gratitude.

"Protecting humanity is the duty of every fighting god, and as the Father of the Lanning Empire Diocese, it is my responsibility. Moreover, you are the descendant of the Holy Radiance Fighter God, and our ancestors were once the closest comrades-in-arms!" The old priest liked Du Chen's proper etiquette, as well as his kind and friendly demeanor. He touched Du Chen's forehead and said, "I am Ferdinand, bestowing blessings upon you, Francis, Sigru, Kain!"

Du Chen didn't understand the specific meaning of the old priest's blessings, but since he was the religious leader of the Lanning Empire, his blessings must have some benefits! Thinking this, Du Chen respectfully bowed again and said, "Thank you for your blessings, Father!"

"When you give, you will certainly receive. You don't need to thank me, it is what you deserve!" Ferdinand removed his hand from Du Chen's forehead, clasped his hands together inside his sleeves, and smiled. "Recently, many people have told me that you are a kind child who has helped many impoverished people. Now the people of South City call you the 'Virtue of St. John's City'!"

"Thank you for the praise, but I believe that you, Father, are more deserving of this reputation!"

Ferdinand smiled, not particularly delighted by Du Chen's flattery.

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"Alright, you can go home now. However, come to me tomorrow morning. There are two things: first, discuss the amount of the redemption fee, and second, although that masked fighter god saved you, he stole the holy artifact of the Krisen family. I need your assistance in investigating!"

"Okay, I will come on time!"

Du Chen walked out of the cathedral with a hidden smirk. That masked fighter god was nothing but a fabrication, completely made up by him.

At dawn on God's Peace Day, he had spent the entire night with Frith, but the income was good. It was much faster than stealing money. Taking advantage of the empty streets, Du Chen reached into his pants and took out the holy artifact, smiling faintly. "I knew it, no one in the church would make me take off my underwear. Ah, hiding stolen goods in my pants is really safe!"

...

When he returned home, Du Chen suddenly noticed that there were many people gathered in front of the estate's square. His father, Angus, his second brother, Charlie, and many family warriors were kneeling and performing prayer gestures in front of a statue.

Steve, who had left happily last night, was also there, looking around. He was the first to spot Du Chen and shouted in joy, "Francis, you're finally back! What did you do last night? Come and pay respects to our ancestors!"

Angus glanced at Du Chen and sternly commanded, "Come here, kneel down, and apologize to our ancestors!"

Today was September 13th, 1277 in the Fallen God Calendar, the God's Peace Day. It was said that this day was established to commemorate the fighting gods who died for the survival of humanity in a battle over a millennium ago. Every year on God's Peace Day, when the sun rises, humans pray and pay respects to the spirits, seeking their peace.

The ancestor of the Holy Kain family, Sigru, had died in that battle, so God's Peace Day was not only a festival but also a day to worship ancestors for the Holy Kain family.

Du Chen hurriedly ran over and respectfully knelt behind his father, facing Sigru's statue.

At this moment, Charlie said coldly, "Francis, how dare you be late for the God's Peace Day ancestor worship? Is there anything you're afraid to do?"

"Alright, little brother is back on time!" Steve tried to mediate.

Du Chen glanced at Charlie with a sideways glance. He can no longer tolerate his second brother. If it weren't for him last night, Du Chen wouldn't have encountered danger. If Du Chen didn't have the Lotus Inner Energy, he might have been indirectly killed by Charlie. "Second brother, it's because of you that I came back late!"

"Me? What nonsense are you talking about?" Charlie angrily retorted.

"Last night, you refused to bring me back, and as a result, Frith..."

Du Chen recounted the modified events and then looked at Angus, waiting for his judgment.

Angus looked at his three sons and calmly said, "The sun has risen, let us first pay respects to our ancestor Sigru!" As he spoke, he took the lead in kowtowing.

After three kowtows and nine prostrations, the Holy Kain family recited a prayer together, which essentially extolled the achievements of Sigru. It spoke of how thousands of years ago, when humanity faced the threat of extinction, the powerful fighting gods united to confront the mighty demon race. Sigru, the ancestor, valiantly sacrificed himself in a battle, never yielding until death.

After reciting the prayer, Angus ordered the others to return to the estate and then turned to his three remaining sons. "Charlie, what you did last night was wrong!"

Upon hearing these words, Du Chen felt a warmth in his heart. Although this father was cold, he still reasoned.

However, Angus's next words made Du Chen furious. "Steve, you are also at fault. You shouldn't have taken Francis to the banquet! Francis, in the future, try to stay home as much as possible to avoid bringing shame to the family! And Frith, let him do what he likes, why do you bother with his affairs!? Do you know that last night's incident could potentially strain the relationship between the Treasury Department and the Command Department? The military expenses of my legion under my command may also be reduced!"

"So, you're saying that I did something wrong by saving someone?" Du Chen stared fearlessly at Angus and angrily retorted, "I am not a politician. I don't care about military expenses, finances, and all these messy matters. All I know is that saving people is not wrong!"

"You dare to talk back?" A glint of severity flashed in Angus's eyes, and he slapped Du Chen across the face with a "smack."