Chapter 304: Chapter 161: No Way!
Humans, for the most part, follow the crowd.
As social animals, contact with those around us is inevitable, and the pressure from groups and the pursuit of a sense of belonging also force people to change their own views and deliberately cater to others.
Even for those well-read and knowledgeable professors and scholars, it is unavoidable.
Not to mention, the carving technique and expressive imagery of the [Sheep Deer Statue] itself have their merits.
Under the frenzied pursuit of the noble class in Neum City, which symbolizes power and wealth, ordinary people, even those who were initially indifferent, will gradually change their minds under the repeated impact of public opinion.
As for the “smart people” with enough thinking ability and firm beliefs, who are not carried along by the masses, it is naturally impossible for them to publicly oppose the trend just to show their difference; they often just quietly observe.
Xia Nan had never met Jamie’s mentor and was unsure which category the other belonged to.
But since the statue itself did not show obvious anomalies and had been circulating in the city for a long time, with many high-level professionals having come into contact with it.
It was understandable that the other party didn’t believe a “country” adventurer who had just arrived from River Valley Town like himself was anything special.
To some extent, the intense reaction of Jeff’s family was abnormal.
If it weren’t for the encounter in the “Fairy Wind” general store and the eerie description on the attribute panel, which made Xia Nan confirm the [Sheep Deer Statue] had something peculiar about it.
He might have thought he was overreacting, wantonly consuming Jeff and others’ trust in him.
Now, the wooden sculpture was sent back to Jamie’s mentor, and the surface crisis was resolved along with it.
Next, it was the Moon God Church’s turn to handle it.
They didn’t let the group in the hall wait too long.
Just after Jeff arrived, accompanied by the gentle footfalls coming from the inner hall.
Led by the nun, a middle-aged man wearing a priest’s robe appeared in their view.
He had an ordinary appearance, with a gentle smile on his face and no remarkable features on his face, with some fine wrinkles visible around his eyes.
He looked like just any middle-aged man you might see on the street.
But unlike most humans in Pan Yun Province, this human Priest had striking silver hair.
It wasn’t the kind of aged color that naturally occurs with time, nor was it an unsightly color that went against one’s image after being dyed with special coloring from a barbershop.
Instead, it was a more natural hue, reflecting the moonlight, unconsciously aligning with his identity as a “Moon God” Serenne Priest.
The pure white robe had silver trimmings on the edges, with a smooth and soft texture, clearly expensive, yet perhaps due to the rushed nature of the late night, it had no other obvious decorations.
A necklace with a Holy Emblem was hanging around his neck:
It was a pair of human female eyes surrounded by seven silver stars in the darkness.
The necklace swayed slightly with the body’s movement, giving a sense of being watched when facing the Holy Emblem in the night.
Xia Nan couldn’t help but look away, not daring to look again.
“Lord Isidor, these are the gentlemen.”
The nun stopped and introduced the group to the Priest named “Isidor.”
“I already know the situation.” The silver-haired Priest’s smile was gentle, showing no annoyance at being disturbed during the night, having already learned of the situation through the nun.
“Rest assured, under the moonlight, the goddess’s holy radiance illuminates Neum.”
“Nothing will happen.”
His speech was calm and firm, paired with his role and attire as a Priest, and complemented by the grandeur of the current cathedral surroundings.
It made people naturally inclined to trust him.
It was clear that as soon as he finished speaking, the last trace of anxiety among Jeff and the others dissipated.
The Divine, and their representatives in the mortal realm, inherently hold an indisputable authority and extremely high status when it comes to supernatural powers for the people of this world.
After comforting Jeff and others, the Priest turned to Xia Nan, smiling as he spoke:
“Regarding the situation you mentioned… although it’s somewhat embarrassing, I also recently, through some channels, had close contact with several statues.”
“I did not notice the unnatural erosion of the mind as you mentioned, and the goddess has not given any warnings.”
“I can certainly understand your feelings and greatly encourage the act of reporting such situations potentially involving ‘Cultists’ or ‘Evil Gods’ to us or the Law Enforcement Officer.”
“But…”
The Priest’s expression showed a hint of hesitation, his tone noticeably lowered, deliberately lowering his posture, and he said softly:
“I heard you are an adventurer.”
“No offense meant, in fact, I have many friends who have worked or are working in this field, but you should also be aware.”
“Being in a high-pressure environment filled with danger for long periods, frequently battling with brutal demons, is a massive drain on both body and mind.”
“Before I came to Neum, I had received many professionals exhausted by their adventurous lives.”
“They might be reliable teammates within their groups, qualified parents within their families, but at other times…”
“If I may be frank, they may not count as ‘normal people’ in a universal sense.”
The Priest leaned in a bit closer, his voice lowering further.
“If you feel overly fatigued after adventures, or sense some psychological issues arising.”