Chapter 54: Divine Authority

Is she really looking for me?

Could it really be such a coincidence?

The Black Dragon was greatly intrigued. If this person truly was a follower of the Goddess of Love, things would indeed become very interesting.

“Huang Ze… I don’t know anyone named Huang Ze,” Gao Ying replied calmly, her expression unchanged. “You must have dialed the wrong number.”

“That’s impossible!” The girl on the other end of the line spoke urgently. “This number was given to me by the Goddess herself—her guidance assured me I could reach Huang Ze through it. Please don’t try to deceive me.”

The Goddess!

Gao Ying’s face changed, but her voice remained composed. “The Goddess? Which goddess are you talking about?”

“Sister, reckless worship of deities is against the law, and it’s very dangerous. Please don’t ruin your own life!”

“I know, I know. I’ll be more careful in the future.” The girl quickly answered, then pleaded, “But could you help me contact Huang Ze now? I have something very, very important to discuss with him!”

“…I’m sorry, I told you—I really don’t know any Huang Ze!” Gao Ying feigned impatience as she responded, while signaling a nearby staff member to report the situation so they could trace the caller’s identity.

After all, anything related to the Black Dragon, no matter how small, required diligent attention.

“That can’t be! The great Freya would never lie, nor would she ever make a mistake!” The girl’s voice grew louder and her emotions more agitated. “Sister, please stop pretending to be ignorant, or you’ll only harm yourself. The great Freya will surely punish and curse you, making you a lone soul forever!”

How dare she curse me like that!

Gao Ying almost lost her composure in fury and was about to launch into a tirade, but she caught the curious look from the Black Dragon, clearly watching the situation unfold. She quickly regained control and, with curiosity, asked,

“Freya? You’re a follower of the Goddess of Love?”

“That’s right!” The girl replied proudly. “I’m not just her devoted follower—I am her chosen saint!”

Saint…

Gao Ying pursed her lips. “Why did Freya send you to find Huang Ze?”

“Of course, to invite him to join me in receiving Freya’s blessing!” The girl answered without hesitation. “Freya herself told me that Huang Ze is her holy son and the one destined for me. It’s only natural that we should be together as soon as possible!”

Is there truly divinely ordained love?

Gao Ying felt a strange discomfort. She glanced at the Black Dragon, who remained sprawled and unmoved, showing none of the excitement one might expect from being favored by a deity. Her heart eased somewhat, and she continued,

“That’s quite romantic… Are you truly Freya’s follower, and did her guidance really lead you to Huang Ze?”

“Of course it’s true!” The girl replied seriously. “I’m Freya’s most devout follower—how could I joke about something like this?”

“But Freya’s divine power… isn’t it unable to affect our country? How did you manage it?”

“Gold, naturally… I specifically went abroad to offer one hundred pounds of gold to her!” The girl’s tone was full of pride.

…Wow. She’s really wealthy!

Even with her excellent upbringing, Gao Ying couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

One hundred pounds of gold was worth over twenty-five million summer coins, and gold was strictly regulated in the country. Just gathering that much was a challenge, let alone transporting it abroad.

This woman’s family was surely exceedingly rich and influential.

“Don’t you know that smuggling so much gold abroad… is a serious crime?”

“I know.” The girl answered quickly. “That’s why I need to contact Huang Ze as soon as possible—so we can run away together!”

Gao Ying realized then that the girl on the other end was a bit naïve and foolish. After thinking for a moment, she couldn’t help but ask, “Since you’re Freya’s saint, you must know a lot about her, right?”

“Of course! She adores and favors me above all.” The girl replied. “What do you want to know? Do you want to join the Church of Love too?”

“I am a little tempted…” Gao Ying pretended to be interested, hoping to relax the girl’s guard, then asked, “But first, I need to clarify something.”

“Go ahead.”

“How exactly does Freya exercise her divine authority?”

“What do you mean?”

The girl seemed puzzled.

“I mean… How does Freya help her followers find their other half? Does she use big data?”

“Big data?” The girl sounded even more confused.

“Yes.” Gao Ying replied earnestly. “Think about it—Freya, as the goddess of love, must have a very broad following. Her followers likely number in the tens of millions. Handling each follower’s romantic concerns would be an enormous workload! Even as a goddess, I doubt Freya could manage it all herself…”

“So, I wonder if she has a massive database and uses special algorithms to match people’s fates?”

There was silence for a while, then the girl furiously shouted, “You heretic! How dare you question and blaspheme Freya!”

“I’m not!” Gao Ying protested innocently. “I’m simply following a spirit of inquiry, trying to resolve a question that’s troubled me for a long time. Even if Freya were here in person, I’d still ask her… How can honest questioning be called blasphemy?”

“You’re quite something!” The girl laughed angrily, nearly grinding her teeth. “I’ll remember you. Just wait—I’ll report your blasphemy to Freya and have her curse you to be loveless forever… No, to encounter scoundrels for the rest of your life!”

“Oh dear… how vicious. I’m so frightened.” Gao Ying replied with mock sweetness. “Aren’t you Freya’s saint? How can you be so petty… Is the Goddess of Love really so poor in judgment to choose you as her saint?”

“You…”

“Yes, I am a saint… I am a saint… I must not get angry!” The girl took several deep breaths, finally regaining composure. “You nearly made me lose my head. I almost forgot my true purpose. Sister, I am here to find Huang Ze. Would you please help me contact him?”

“I’m sorry…” Gao Ying was about to refuse again, when she suddenly recalled the Black Dragon’s earlier advice—such matters should be decided with its consent. She pursed her lips helplessly and looked at the Black Dragon, silently asking for its opinion.

The Black Dragon shook its head.

Gao Ying’s question had struck a chord with the Black Dragon as well, prompting a profound doubt: How exactly does the Goddess of Love exercise her divine authority?