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Although Du Cheng intentionally took the whip lash, he didn’t mind pinning the blame squarely on Kaman.
Grimacing dramatically, Du Cheng raised his head with exaggerated agony, pointing accusingly at Kaman and shouting, "Kaman! How dare you strike a descendant of the Holy Radiance Battle-God, the son of the Deputy Chief of the Imperial Command! I'll have you burned at the stake!"
Kaman regretted his impulsive action instantly. He never imagined that Francis, a noble, would willingly shield a mere commoner. Even though the strike was accidental, it would certainly require tedious explanations to the Church.
Yet being publicly berated by the so-called "disgrace of the Saint-Cain family" was unbearable for him.
Kaman cracked his whip angrily, "Francis! I, Kaman Saint-Aluman Crisson, descendant of the Storm Battle-God Aluman, formally challenge you! If you still have any honor as a Battle-God's descendant, submit a duel request to the Church!"
"Hmph!" Du Cheng snorted disdainfully. He knew better than to accept a duel against a second-level warrior. "Kaman, you truly have no shame. You know I cannot cultivate battle qi, yet you provoke me into a duel? Everyone here today—" Du Cheng swept his hand across the gathered crowd, "—has witnessed your shamelessness!"
"You...!" Kaman's face reddened with humiliation, unable to find a suitable retort. Frustrated, he hurled his whip aside.
Old Matthew regained his composure and looked at Du Cheng's wounded back with tear-filled eyes, his voice trembling, "Praise be to Master Francis, whose virtue matches that of Sigrew himself!"
The onlookers echoed Matthew’s admiration:
"Who said he's the shame of Saint-Cain? He's no fool at all!"
"Such nobility to protect commoners!"
"Truly, he embodies the virtues of the ancient Battle-Gods!"
Du Cheng smiled inwardly, knowing his actions were primarily motivated by progressing the Lotus Sutra rather than altruism.
As praise grew louder, Kaman became visibly distressed, snapping back, "Francis! My artifact disappeared after our clash yesterday—you're the prime suspect!"
The stolen artifact was indeed in Du Cheng's pocket, but he feigned righteous indignation, "Kaman, accusing a descendant of Sigrew? You insult the honor of the Holy Radiance Battle-God himself!"
"Master Francis is innocent!" people in the crowd shouted in support. "Don’t falsely accuse him!"
Infuriated, Kaman swung his whip at the crowd, silencing them, but his accompanying officer intervened cautiously, "Master Kaman, your Horned Warhammer is a third-level plant-type artifact. Only a ninth-level Heavenly Warrior could forcibly claim it. The Saint-Cain family has no such warrior."
Kaman glared at the officer but knew he was correct. Reluctantly, he conceded, "Fine. I must find my artifact. I’ll settle this another day, Francis!"
Yet Du Cheng continued provocatively, spreading his arms, "Suspect me? Feel free to search me here and now!"
Kaman scoffed, knowing this would violate Church laws. "I'm no fool! You're incapable of even basic qi cultivation—stealing my artifact? Dream on!" With that, he stormed off with his men.
Privately amused, Du Cheng realized his superior lock-picking skills from Earth gave him an unprecedented advantage here. Maybe he could even start an underground trade in stolen artifacts.
But suddenly, an intense itching and burning sensation overtook his backside. Unable to publicly relieve the discomfort, he clenched his teeth, enduring silently. His pained expression, however, only garnered further sympathy from the crowd, making Kaman appear even crueler.
Unable to tolerate it further, Du Cheng excused himself hastily, promising Matthew, "I'll ensure your compensation tomorrow!"
As he hurried off, Matthew proclaimed passionately to the onlookers, "You see? Master Francis isn't Saint John's fool—he is our city's virtue! Wait… is he rushing to the toilet? Perhaps he has stomach issues?"
Du Cheng hastily ducked into a public restroom, quickly inspecting his bare backside. Joy surged within him—one lotus flower had fully bloomed!
"Finally, I've reached the first stage of the Lotus Sutra!" Du Cheng celebrated.
Reflecting on the numerous small kindnesses and the significant sacrifice of his previous life, coupled with today’s brave act, Du Cheng felt both pride and exhaustion. Yet, satisfaction warmed him. The Lotus Sutra measured only his good deeds, disregarding any mischief he committed. That allowed him some freedom to enjoy life.
Suddenly, the itching ceased, replaced by a gentle warmth spreading through him, reminiscent of inner qi from martial arts stories.
Could this be the benefit the old Taoist promised from reaching the first lotus stage?
Du Cheng smiled, anticipation rising within him as he felt the mysterious qi awakening within his body.
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