CH-032

Five hundred silver coins was an astronomical figure to Shu Li.

In Savoie pastoral district, 500 silver coins was directly equivalent to a full year and a half's wages for an ordinary carpenter — or even more.

"Perhaps the people in Carson City have higher incomes and simply haven't realized how little money we have here," Elder Yager said after hearing the news, looking considerably more worried than before.

For an apprentice in Carson City, the minimum monthly wages at a shop were at least 40 silver coins. For a skilled artisan working independently, monthly wages ranged between 60 and 100 silver coins; and for a senior master craftsman, monthly wages could reach as high as 500 silver coins.

That was why, even though many people found the religious interference of the church in Carson City tiresome, they were still willing to live there. The income was high, the life was rich, and yet it didn't carry the same threshold for survival as the larger, more distant cities.

Shu Li hadn't dealt with the church's face before, and now seeing them so brazenly set a price like this, he was already dreading the interactions ahead with the ecclesiastical church district. Because Elder Yager's letter was also a reminder of something: every year, each pastoral district had to provide a "yearly tithe" to their parent ecclesiastical district.

The tithe was an annual payment made by each pastoral district to the district cathedral according to a fixed amount specified in the ecclesiastical agreement — formally called "ecclesiastical tax" or "ecclesiastical offering."

Savoie pastoral district had never paid a tithe before because Elder Yager had not taken on priestly responsibilities, and thus had no authority to collect donations or offerings from the faithful. While the district did have two thin fields counted as church income, the Carson City cathedral had never really had much interest in rye and cabbage.

Now that Father Alistair had taken his post, as per regulations, he was required to submit 100 silver coins as an annual tithe.

From the perspective of economics and management, collecting a tithe was somewhat like a subsidiary company submitting part of its profits to the parent company in exchange for future services or brand support.

But from Shu Li's personal, practical perspective, this was simply forcing someone to work harder and get a business running — while also asking for a wildly exorbitant sum.

Even if Shu Li went and became a carpenter as an apprentice, he wouldn't earn 100 silver coins in a year. And even if he did, could Shu Li really go an entire year without eating or drinking?

No wonder Father Symeon had been nothing but skin and bones — it turned out the Carson City cathedral had been draining him dry.

Shu Li was inwardly furious but, as the pillar of strength for the entire pastoral district, maintained a perfectly calm composure on the outside.

In any case, the 100 silver coins was a matter for the end of the year. First, the more immediate problem of the duke's wedding gift needed solving.

"Is it absolutely mandatory to participate?" Shu Li looked over the invitation, saying, "I don't see how everyone in every pastoral district can suddenly produce that kind of money."

Besides, how was it that the church was collecting the gifts on their behalf? Weren't they just going to pocket part of it? He couldn't figure out what the church people intended to do.

Elder Yager, seeing that Shu Li's intention toward this wedding was not particularly strong, couldn't offer any particularly constructive suggestions and admitted honestly: "I don't know what would happen if we didn't participate..."

Having said that, Elder Yager suddenly thought of something, and his expression darkened somewhat.

Shu Li wasn't one to miss such details and asked: "What's wrong?"

Elder Yager met Shu Li's gaze with some evasion, but didn't try to conceal it — though his voice carried hesitation: "I remember a time when a priest in another pastoral district didn't submit his tithe according to the ecclesiastical church's requirement, and the Carson clerical personnel brought down an absolutely terrifying punishment. It was said to be a fate worse than death."

Hearing "fate worse than death," Shu Li's mind jolted to attention: "Can church clerical personnel actually administer private punishment?"

He tried to search his memory for relevant knowledge or plot points from the novel, but unfortunately the novel always focused on the opposing side of the church from the male lead's perspective, and the relevant rules and details were hard to find.

"Corporal punishment is actually the minor version," Elder Yager clenched his fist, as though feeling the punished priest's pain personally, and said gravely: "Any opportunity revoked, and apparently in the end, he was expelled from the church."

"...?" How wonderful. To Shu Li, being fired from a company just meant finding another, easier job elsewhere.

But Elder Yager was far too distressed. Shu Li could only bow his head and heave a deep sigh: "Isn't this like making a small child leave their parents and their home? That punishment is too heavy."

Elder Yager nodded repeatedly: "Exactly." Then he looked at Shu Li with firm resolve: "Father Alistair, don't worry. I won't let you suffer like that. You might not think much of me now, but I do have money! Give me a little time — I'll try my best to gather the funds within three days."

His rough hands rubbed together, startling Shu Li. The last time he'd seen that gesture was in his previous life, when Shu Li had watched a person take a loan from loan sharks, essentially selling themselves just to make ends meet.

If Elder Yager's family had money, they wouldn't be eating rye bread and peas every day.

Shu Li didn't call out Elder Yager's performance, but instead reached over and clasped the elder's hands: "No — I came from the big city, you know, and I have money on me. Handling 500 silver coins will, admittedly, cause me some difficulty, but for someone like me—"

"Look at me — have you ever seen me stressed about money? Don't I spend generously?" When it came to spending money, Shu Li had always been free with it — whenever a child wanted something, he was always willing to buy it, not wanting them to feel that lack of money made life a hardship.

To him, life experiences were more important than money. In university, whenever a chance to travel came along, he would willingly drain his savings to have a good time. After coming back to school, he might live on nothing but cafeteria steamed buns and pickled vegetables for days, and wouldn't bathe in hot water unless the cold became unbearable — since cold water cost nothing.

Shu Li continued: "When I mentioned this to you, it wasn't to ask how to raise 500 silver coins. It was because I'm not very familiar with church administrative matters and simply wanted to hear about the situation from you, that's all."

Hearing Shu Li say this, Elder Yager settled somewhat. After all, their priest was always measured and sure in the way he handled things. He simply wasn't aware that Shu Li had internally already given up on this matter.

"But speaking of which," Shu Li, seeing Elder Yager had taken it in, quickly changed the subject: "Can the priests in the other pastoral districts actually pay 500 silver coins for this gift?"

Shu Li had no knowledge of the other pastoral districts, but he felt certain that the neighboring Stonehollow pastoral district was just as broke as he was. Last time, the food Shu Li had eaten at Father Symeon's home had apparently been pooled together by Father Symeon's relatives, and his personal fortune was a bag of last winter's sprouting potatoes.

Elder Yager also fell into thought: "I don't know... it seems really difficult to gather... even the 100 silver coins for the annual tithe each year barely scrapes by."

Shu Li tapped his index finger lightly on the table, revealing a pensive air: "When was the duke's first wedding? About eleven years ago, or twelve?"

Elder Yager had a fairly clear memory of major events: "Eleven years ago — it was a big event for the entire Northern Lands. At the time the ruler was sixteen, and after the wedding he inherited the duke's title."

Although he knew this was a Western fantasy setting, to have such early marriage and childbearing in his own vicinity still gave him a small shock.

After processing this for a few seconds, he asked again: "Was it also a touring wedding ceremony between ecclesiastical districts at the time?"

"Yes, it was a big event." Elder Yager suddenly remembered something, and his face lit up: "I recall now! I remember that when the priests went to Carson City to attend the wedding at the time, there was no requirement to bring gifts. But at that time, one priest voluntarily offered a blessing gift, and the duchess then had gifts of ten gold coins sent to all the clergy as a return gift."

Ten gold coins equaled one hundred silver coins. A windfall!

Shu Li's eyes lit up at once: "I see."

He had a rough idea now of why the church required a 500-silver-coin gift.

There was a commercial mastermind lurking in the Carson City church.

What they wanted wasn't for the district priests to truly provide a 500-silver-coin gift. The emphasis was on the "gift" itself — if they truly wanted 500 silver coins, they could have said so directly, rather than leaving the interpretation to the priests or to the church themselves. After all, the gifts weren't delivered directly to the duke's home — they were cataloged and received by the church.

First: it made the duke's wedding gifts sound more impressive. After all, even with every pastoral district priest being as poor as they were, they were still doing their utmost to present their gifts to the duke — a show of how seriously they took this wedding and how sincere they were.

Second: it gave the new Duchess the opportunity to send a return gift. Since there was already a precedent of a return gift from the first wedding, even if the duke hadn't particularly cared, the new Duchess — being the daughter of the Archbishop of the Grand Cathedral, second only to the Pope — would certainly have been willing to spend money on behalf of the faithful. The church clergy, as the representative recipients, would then distribute one-tenth of what was received back to each pastoral priest.

In other words, this notice appeared to be addressed to the priests on the surface, but it was in fact also nudging the new Duchess. What a scheming approach — what an expert at shearing other people's wool, whoever that person was!

Shu Li suddenly became curious about whoever had come up with this idea — not about their character or moral standing, but purely curious about who had conceived it.

"Is there anyone particularly well-known among the Carson City clerical personnel?" he asked.

"There are quite a few well-known ones in Carson City." Elder Yager didn't know which one Shu Li meant, but seeing Shu Li's suddenly cheerful smile, he unconsciously smiled along: "What's the matter, Father Alistair?"

"Because I've realized that this notice wasn't truly asking the priests to prepare a 500-silver-coin gift. The emphasis in this is on the 'gift' itself — if they truly wanted 500 silver coins in cash, they could have said so directly, couldn't they? Rather than leaving the interpretation in the priests' hands, or in the church's hands. Because our gift wasn't delivered directly to the duke's home — it's being cataloged by the church..."

"I don't quite understand," Elder Yager shook his head. "What do you mean?"

Shu Li casually picked up a wooden cup from the table. "For example, let's say this gift is worth 500 silver coins."

Elder Yager's eyes went wide: "What? This — how could this possibly be 500 silver coins?"

"Why couldn't it be?"

Shu Li said gravely: "Please listen —"

"This wooden cup originates from Savoie pastoral district — a remote, devout, and serene mountain sanctuary. The wood was harvested from ancient trees that have borne the weight of a hundred years of history, sheltering generations of Northern Lands residents and pilgrims. During the carving process, only the very first dewdrop of the morning from the pastoral district was used to dampen the wood grain, allowing it to naturally close, with the blessing of the divine already within it. Throughout the seven days and seven nights of its crafting, the most devout carpenter of the pastoral district continuously murmured prayers, and from it, only a single cup was completed. The cup's design is without decoration — symbolizing the believer shedding all desire, transcending the world of vanity."

Elder Yager stared in shock at his own water cup.

He said nothing, because Shu Li had not finished.

Shu Li continued: "Touch it."

Elder Yager drank from this cup every day — what it felt like, he knew better than anyone. Yet with Shu Li's words still in the air, he found himself carefully reaching out and brushing just the pad of his fingertip against the cup.

"You can feel that the cup is cool and smooth as moonlight on flowing water to the touch. Hold it long enough and it grows warm and settled — it even retains the warmth and prayers of its holder. It is not merely a cup, but a vessel for faith, a point of spiritual reliance, a medium of communication. It appears to be a mundane object — and yet it is not mundane at all. Five hundred silver coins is the price to filter out those who truly appreciate it."

"Elder Yager, how much do you think it's worth now?"

Elder Yager looked at Shu Li with expectant eyes, hesitated at length, and said honestly: "Father Alistair, is it all right to deceive people like this? I know this was made by my own hand and isn't worth even a copper coin. The wood was just randomly picked up on the mountain."

"......" Shu Li was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help laughing. "This is just an example — you can cooperate with me a little. After hearing what I said, do you feel it's worth something?"

Elder Yager looked at the cup again, and honestly admitted: "I do actually feel like it's become something impressive."

"Then let's return to reality," Shu Li continued. "You also know that among the pastoral district priests, there are certainly those who can't produce 500 silver coins, and certainly more than one. Would they really be penalized? Would they go so far as to penalize all those hardworking priests? Who would then manage the pastoral districts for them? I don't think they'd be willing to go and do the work in the villages themselves. So if the Carson City church people said what they said, it was definitely for their own reasons."

And attending the wedding, he most likely wouldn't lose out — there would be something to gain. Shu Li was now thinking about how to benefit from the church in a way that brought him an extra bonus.

Elder Yager also worked it out: "So even if we can't provide a gift worth 500 silver coins, it's actually no problem?"

Shu Li nodded: "Correct."

Hearing it confirmed gave Elder Yager the deepest peace of mind. After receiving confirmation, he couldn't help pressing his hand to his chest and letting out a long breath: "Wonderful — that's more than enough!" Then he immediately added: "But even if a 500-silver-coin gift isn't required, Father Alistair shouldn't just bring anything — it wouldn't be appropriate to be too casual about it. After all, it is the duke's wedding."

Shu Li laughed at this: "I wouldn't go that far. I was only giving an example just now."

That was just a moment of wit. Whether it could actually work depended entirely on how the listener responded. In the novel, such tricks only succeed either because the author makes all the supporting characters lose their intelligence, or because the plot happened to set up the other party's weakness or pressure point so that they were compelled — willingly or not — to accept it.

In reality, and in most cases, it came down to the other party's reaction. If someone thought you were talking nonsense, no matter how sincere you were or how silver-tongued, it was still nonsense.

Just look at Bian He, who offered up the Jade of He to the King of Chu three times — and had both feet cut off for it.

That was reality.

Seeing that Shu Li had no intention of taking shortcuts, Elder Yager put his mind at ease again and asked curiously: "So who will Father Alistair take to Carson City this time?"

That was indeed an important point to discuss. Shu Li responded quickly: "It's the busy harvest season now — you should all be too occupied to break away. I'll go by myself, shall I?"

Elder Yager's thinking was different from Shu Li's. To him, Shu Li was both their backbone and their support — while at the same time, Shu Li was still a young man unfamiliar with the worldly workings of the church, who often needed someone to explain the church's rules for him. He was a novice priest in many respects.

He worried Shu Li might be taken advantage of in Carson City and said: "Let's have Raymond accompany you."

Shu Li replied: "According to the letter, I'll be staying in Carson City for at least six days and five nights. With the journey there and back, it'll take over a week."

Shu Li felt he was an adult and didn't need someone looking after him. Besides, one more person attending the wedding didn't mean one more gift.

"I've already made up my mind."

Once Shu Li had made a decision, he generally wouldn't let anyone change it, so the moment those words fell, Elder Yager knew there was no room for negotiation.

Elder Yager could only bow his head and say: "Then as Father Alistair says."

Shu Li also couldn't stand watching people be unhappy in front of him, so he added: "Elder Yager, your task now is to go ask your family if there's anything they want from Carson City. If there is, tell me — I'll bring it back for you when I return."

"I'll go tell them." Elder Yager agreed, though he seemed somewhat distracted.

Shu Li noticed his mind wasn't quite on the matter, but felt the old man wouldn't do anything out of the ordinary, so he let him go off and mull it over.

By the time of departure, Shu Li would know.

*

The wedding was set for July seventh, a Monday.

The date had been specially chosen to avoid the fasting period. This way, for the faithful, they could begin celebrating on Sunday July sixth and revel through to Tuesday July eighth before finally dispersing.

Priests had to arrive in Carson City by July fifth at the latest. This would give the church time to arrange wedding attire for everyone, schedule rehearsals, and assign duties for the wedding. Because once the wedding concluded, priests from every district would need to jointly preside over a thanksgiving mass, again blessing the newlyweds and entreating the Lord's grace.

That thanksgiving mass alone would take three days. Because during that time, it was necessary to also respond to those outside visitors who had arrived from afar and been unable to attend the wedding ceremony in person.

Shu Li didn't yet know what he would be doing — in any case, he would obediently follow the organization's arrangements.

On July third, he saw Raymond come leading an ox cart to see him off. Naturally Elder Yager's whole family was there as well.

"......" Shu Li refused: "I've already borrowed an ox cart from Finnian's father — you don't need to come send me off."

As previously mentioned, this was the harvest season and also the second planting period — the time when oxen were most needed. Shu Li didn't want to waste the resource. His reason for going to borrow the ox cart from Finnian's family was because theirs was the village elder's household, with idle livestock resources available for villagers to use at ordinary times.

This time, hearing that Shu Li wanted to borrow an ox cart for the trip to Carson City, Finnian's father, Band, agreed without a moment's hesitation. He was also going to Carson City to sell goods. Recently, word had spread that goods were selling well in Carson City at prices higher than usual, so Band intended to haul the village's agricultural produce there and make some money for the villagers on their behalf. While the village head was away, his deputy would help manage things.

Elder Yager knew Shu Li wouldn't agree, and pushed Herens forward instead: "Then take Herens along. He doesn't need to participate in farming — he's a hunter, and he can definitely protect you. Carson City is lively, but incidents of harm do happen there — very frightening!"

Shu Li shifted his gaze to Herens, noting the small cross around his neck — the very one he had given him. "Do you want to come with me?"

Herens called out: "If Father Alistair needs me, I would be very happy to!"

But Shu Li didn't actually want to bring Herens — it felt like proving that he needed someone to take care of him, like a child. However, Elder Yager was so insistent, and rather than having the old man tied up in knots over it, it was simpler for Shu Li to give in himself.

"Let's go then!" Shu Li quickly adjusted his mood. "One more person, one more companion — the journey won't be dull."

Herens, seeing Shu Li say it like that, immediately raised a smile: "Thank you! I'm really looking forward to it."

Those words lifted Shu Li's mood further. Because he normally disliked inconveniencing others, being in a situation that was mutually beneficial made him feel very comfortable.

The road to Finnian's home was as usual covered by Raymond driving them.

Shu Li arrived to find Finnian already there. He knew that if there was a chance to tag along for some excitement, Finnian would never pass it up.

Sure enough, Finnian had long since nestled himself into the ox cart waiting for Shu Li's grand arrival, sitting in the driver's seat in a pose that said he was ready to go at a moment's notice. The moment he saw Shu Li, he raised the reins in his hand, tilted his chin up with an air of authority, and said: "Father Alistair, allow me to drive you to Carson City today."

Shu Li was amused by the performance: "Haven't seen you in a moment and you've already grown quite capable — you can even drive an ox cart now."

"How is that hard?" Finnian said smugly. "As long as I've watched something once, there's nothing I can't learn."

Before Finnian could continue boasting, his father Band, afraid Finnian would actually take the reins and show off, drove him out of the driver's seat: "Finnian, stop causing trouble. Get in the back — if you keep this up, I won't take you to Carson City."

Finnian immediately became disgruntled, frowning: "I've done so much hard work for you all week, and you're not letting me come just because I sat in the driver's seat? That's way too unfair. I'm not getting down!"

Band glanced with embarrassment at Shu Li and Herens: "I'm sorry — you've seen me make a fool of myself." He then began pulling at Finnian's arm in the driver's seat, trying to make him behave.

But when Finnian dug in his heels, there was no making him back down.

Shu Li felt the way the father and son interacted was actually quite typical. Because the child was the father's child, the two had similar personalities and thus easily clashed. Many families were like this — parents loved their children, children depended on their parents, but precisely because their personalities were so alike, they ended up in more conflict than in other relationships.

It was evident that Band and Finnian both had a stubborn streak. Band the father couldn't tolerate unnecessary troublemaking, while Finnian was prone to taking his father's casual remarks literally. Both sides dug in easily.

Herens, watching with some concern, asked: "Should I help resolve this?"

Shu Li shook his head: "It'll be over soon."

Sure enough, after bickering a while, Band whispered a few words in Finnian's ear, and Finnian beamed with delight and settled into the back seat.

No one knew what Band had promised, but the secret didn't last long — not three minutes after setting off, Finnian leaned over to Shu Li's ear and whispered: "My dad agreed to let me attend your open-air mass at the church. I'll definitely go to support you. That way you don't have to worry about other priests having their faithful rallying around them while you stand there all alone with nobody caring."

Finnian's grin was radiant.

And not forgetting to secure his own interests in the same breath, Finnian added: "But when you see me, you definitely have to take extra care of me — bring me lots of good things to eat. That way I'll definitely keep going to see you."

Herens and Band, sitting in the driver's seat, turned to see Finnian whispering in Shu Li's ear, and couldn't help saying: "I feel like Finnian is ready to join the church any time now."

Band couldn't even bring himself to turn and look at what foolish expression his fox-like son was probably wearing right now. He just sighed to himself and shook his head: "...There's nothing to be done about it — can't manage the boy... At least Father Alistair is genuinely a good man."

"He certainly is!" Herens immediately gave this assessment his full-throated endorsement: "Our Father Alistair is the best priest I've ever met. Joining the church isn't a bad deal — Mr. Band, you should get more acquainted with him too, and you'll understand."

Band was suddenly reminded of why people said you shouldn't get too close to missionaries.

Their evangelizing was truly relentless!

"I'm not joining the church," Band refused firmly.

"That's all right — you can simply get a light sense of it. In truth, having faith is also a way of giving one's heart a quiet place to rest. Sometimes praying is like confiding in the person closest to you. It's actually a very effective way of relieving the worries in one's heart."

The roar of Band's inner silence was deafening.

*

As evening approached, their group arrived in Carson City.

Even though the sun had already set, the square was still a flowing stream of people, with no sign whatsoever of the market winding down.

Just as their cart arrived, they were met by cavalry on patrol.

"I am Band Schneider, coming from Sunna Village in Savoie pastoral district to attend the market. The goods on the cart are my merchandise." Band negotiated swiftly.

Herens beside him likewise gave a brief account of his identity.

The leading black cavalry captain listened while keeping his peripheral gaze fixed on the two individuals playing card games on the cart. Without sparing Band so much as a glance, he waved toward the cart and called out coldly: "The people in the cart, get down first — we need to inspect the goods."

The card game hadn't yet produced a winner, but the one who heard the sound first stowed the cards without haste. Once the game was put away, the young man jumped off the cart first, extended a hand casually, and helped the child down steadily from the cart using his support.

The black cavalry captain's brow involuntarily furrowed.

Being on duty under the blazing sun all day was already tedious and draining. Now, approaching dusk with the shift change still some time away, the black cavalry captain's fatigue had reached its peak.

And now someone had to dawdle without a care in the world.

So, impatiently, he spurred his horse toward the young man and the child. The hoofbeats clattered and stopped with a dramatic final stamp — the horse's two front hooves raised and then came crashing back down, kicking up a cloud of dust. It was clearly an act of intimidation. With the hooves stopping barely half a meter from the two, most people, uncertain whether cavalry had any regard for the risk, would retreat instinctively out of fear — and some might even collapse to the ground.

This was a common trick cavalry used to bully commoners.

Before the black cavalry captain could look down and demand that they identify themselves, the young man who had quickly moved the child behind him looked up toward the captain.

Those lake-gray eyes held not a trace of warmth, like the twilight of the deep sea — one glance and it felt as though cold seawater would swallow you whole.

The young man said coldly: "Who are you? What's your name? Who gave you permission to do this?"

The black cavalry captain had barely met that gaze for an instant before his head rang as though struck by a heavy blow. There was a nagging feeling of familiarity — as though he'd seen this person somewhere before — and yet he couldn't place it. He found himself unable to assess whether the other's tone was polite or not; all he felt was a strange, inexplicable sense of oppression.

It was the familiar cadence of upper-order authority — inviolable.

The rebuke in the other's voice slid across his nerves like the edge of a blade. The black cavalry captain didn't know whether to avert the light or the gaze, and found himself stepping back involuntarily — retreating from the young man's edge.

In the end, even though the cart wasn't really inspected — the other cavalry barely swept their eyes over it and waved them through — Shu Li was left feeling slightly out of sorts.

City people really had no manners. There ought to be a reporting mechanism for this sort of thing.

Finnian, for his part, had nothing to be unhappy about — he had already begun excitedly calculating what they'd do that evening: "When can we go out and play?"

Band had been silent for most of the journey aside from his self-introduction, and now that Finnian had finally spoken up, Band took the opportunity to make his own position heard loudly and clearly: "We did not come here to play!"

Finnian let out a disgruntled "hmph."