Chapter 34: Universal Church Saint

Early morning, Duan Wenxuan woke up at home. After exercising briefly, he opened the small gate to return to the Fourth World. With the next world yet to be activated, Duan Wenxuan planned to focus on developing this one. However, considering the extreme danger of the Fourth World, he typically slept in reality and returned early each day.

“Sir, here is your breakfast.” At eight o’clock in the morning, as Duan Wenxuan emerged from his room, the maid served him breakfast consisting of two slices of bread, a piece of grilled meat, and a cup of tea. Occasionally indulging, Duan Wenxuan found it quite satisfying.

After finishing his breakfast, Duan Wenxuan’s hired butler brought him the newspaper along with an invitation letter. The new neighbor who had recently moved in appeared to be part of the relatively affluent middle class, based on the servants he employed. As such, nearby residents wanted to invite him to their gatherings.

Most people living in this area were striving hard to attain noble status, even though the Emperor’s influence was limited in the Northern Province. For ordinary individuals, nobility symbolized prestige and honor. Being within the same social tier, these neighbors willingly interacted and shared resources to some extent.

“No need, I won’t attend. However, although I’ve brought sufficient funds from the Southern Province to sustain my living here, I must plan for the future.”

The butler, Mr. Steele, was a man in his fifties who had previously served two noble families with impeccable reputation. He had also amassed considerable connections, which is why his monthly salary was the highest among all the servants.

“Does the gentleman intend to establish an enterprise?” Steele understood the unspoken implication.

“Running a factory isn’t necessary; management isn’t my forte. Instead, I plan to purchase some estates and simply grow crops for sale later on.”

“I see. This afternoon, I will inquire about suitable options for you, sir. Do you have any specific requirements?”

“Any remote locations would be acceptable. If the estates already have established farmers or free citizens, I am willing to accommodate them. However, there’s one condition: I hope that the estate’s farmers do not follow any small religious sects, including the Night Cult.”

Steele momentarily paused but quickly comprehended Duan Wenxuan’s concern.

Duan Wenxuan hailed from the Southern Province, where beliefs were relatively unified, predominantly following the Light Church. Upon moving to the Northern Province, he likely did not wish to change his faith.

The Northern Province was quite tolerant regarding religious beliefs, and Steele himself was non-religious. Thus, for Duan Wenxuan’s sole request, he remained composed and responded, “Certainly, sir. Please allow me some time.”

Steele acted swiftly. The very next day, he introduced Duan Wenxuan to a young noble heir. The heir appeared carefree and had an air of decadence about him.

Indeed, this noble scion was notorious for his extravagance. After inheriting his share upon the division of family assets, it took him only two or three years to nearly squander everything away. Consequently, he began eyeing his rural estate as a potential source of income.

Rural estates were not particularly expensive, given that even with Nightwatcher protection within cities, monsters still posed threats. Without such safeguards in the wilderness, the situation was even more dire. However, the young noble refused to lower his asking price, leading to months of delay until virtually no one showed interest anymore. If not for his pride, he might have considered reaching out to previous prospective buyers, wondering if they would reconsider at a reduced cost.

With Duan Wenxuan’s arrival, their interests aligned immediately.

This time, the young noble didn’t dare to be difficult, fearing he might lose his last remaining client. As a result, he offered significant concessions on the price. Once the deal was finalized, by midday, the noble heir exchanged funds at the bank while Duan Wenxuan headed straight to his new manor.

The journey to the manor required traveling outside Westphalia, making it quite a lengthy trip. By the time they arrived, it was already evening.

The manor covered approximately 150 square kilometers, an enormous expanse of land. However, the Fourth World’s agricultural techniques were not advanced and bordered on primitive. Consequently, for a typical farming family, at least 200 acres were needed just to sustain their livelihood.

Currently, the estate housed around a thousand farmers. A small portion consisted of free individuals with their own plots of farmland, which they had purchased within the manor. The majority, however, rented their farmland, with all income from cultivation going directly to the estate owner. These tenants barely managed to secure enough food and basic necessities.

The noble youth, having taken his money, showed no concern for these farmers. If Duan Wenxuan disapproved, he could easily replace them. Many villages were willing to collectively relocate to estates because, as private properties, some estate owners even hired freelance professionals to handle monster incidents, providing greater safety compared to many isolated villages.

Upon entering the manor, Duan Wenxuan felt a sense of novelty. However, with nightfall approaching, it wasn’t suitable to further explore the estate today. Thus, Duan Wenxuan decided to rest overnight at the estate owner’s residence.

After closing the room door, Duan Wenxuan immediately returned to the modern era.

While Duan Wenxuan enjoyed a good night’s sleep, for the manor’s farmers, it was a sleepless evening. The previous estate owner had almost neglected the troublesome yet low-yielding manor, which surprisingly made life bearable for the farmers with minimal oppression.

However, Duan Wenxuan’s arrival signaled a change of ownership. Tomorrow would be the day of judgment for all the farmers, directly affecting their livelihoods, naturally causing them to toss and turn throughout the night.

The next morning.

Duan Wenxuan arose early, and along with him, the butler, coachman, and notary who arrived last night partook in a breakfast consisting of fried eggs, boiled milk, and bread rich with the scent of wheat.

After breakfast, the butler summoned the farmer overseer. In front of everyone present, the notary displayed the deed and relevant documents, following which the overseer, upon receiving instructions, sounded the gong to announce the change in manor ownership to each farmer.

Although there were indications last night, today marked the true confirmation.

With these formalities completed, the notary, gifted some eggs and smoked meats from the butler, bid farewell to Duan Wenxuan with a smile. Only then did Duan Wenxuan have the opportunity to inspect his newly acquired manor.

Upon a brief tour, Duan Wenxuan discovered that this manor was akin to a small village. Apart from the cultivated farming areas, it also included grain storage warehouses, livestock pens, a small textile workshop, food processing facilities, and even a blacksmithing forge for crafting agricultural tools and knives.

These were unexpected surprises, but Duan Wenxuan also had his fair share of concerns.

One major issue was the poor hygiene conditions within the manor. Primarily, the techniques for composting and fertilization were not yet mature, leading to limited application. However, Duan Wenxuan did not underestimate the wisdom of this world’s inhabitants; he suspected that some estate owners might consider composting technology as a specialized method to increase yields, unwilling to openly teach it to others.

Additionally, the field cultivation appeared disorganized, with little planning evident. Beyond the cultivated areas, paths between fields and small roads were neglected, overrun by weeds, creating a chaotic appearance.

After circling around the residential area where the farmers lived, it became clear their living conditions were abysmal. With constant year-round labor and most of their income being exploited, they had no means to improve their surroundings.

The steward took these conditions in stride, accustomed to seeing similar situations in other estates.

However, Duan Wenxuan was different. Upon returning, he swiftly devised plans. First, he organized the farmers to rebuild their houses uniformly, but their progress was painfully slow, almost making Duan Wenxuan roll his eyes.

To expedite matters, Duan Wenxuan hired additional workers to construct the main roads within the cultivation manor while simultaneously pushing for extensive toilet construction and promoting composting practices.

Most importantly, near the estate owner’s residence, Duan Wenxuan sought out specialized architects from this world to build a church. When he presented the design blueprints, the Westphalian architectural firm was genuinely astonished.

“Which deity will this church honor?” one of the architects curiously asked.

The style of this church starkly contrasted with that of the Night Church. Instead, Duan Wenxuan’s design featured stained glass walls, bas-reliefs, and pointed arches, all deviating significantly from both the Night Church’s and Cult of Light’s architectural norms.

But that wasn’t crucial; what mattered most was the emergence of a wholly new architectural style evident through these few design drafts. The entire church exuded a profound religious atmosphere.

Standing on the vacant land where the church would be built, Duan Wenxuan gazed with distant reverence, “The Universal Church.”

The butler and construction workers were taken aback; they had never heard of this sect, assuming it to be a new, small religious group—a common occurrence in the Northern Province.

As they observed the serene young man, whose demeanor carried both detachment yet seemingly compassion for all living beings, his shadow stretched long in the morning light, as if stepping forth from divine illumination.

“I am the saint, come for the world.”

Steele now understood why Duan Wenxuan wanted to purchase the estate—he intended to establish faith in a brand new ‘god’. Implementing this in Westphalia would likely face challenges, given that the Night Church dominated the region.

Small churches thrived in remote rural areas.

“This is truly a great deity,” one of the construction workers praised, primarily impressed by the genius design of this god’s church. Of course, it could also be attributed to the exceptional talent of the chosen saint.

In the Fourth World, things once again settled onto their normal course. Although the church was not yet completed, the entire manor’s farmers had already followed Duan Wenxuan in embracing the Universal Church. Duan Wenxuan began selecting certain individuals, aiming to cultivate his own ‘professionals’. Once established, these devoted professionals of the Universal Church would continuously source mutant matter and unique items for him.

Otherwise, he would have to actively seek out scattered gates and personally explore each opened world, which would be overwhelming. Especially now, with only a few worlds accessible and some lacking significant value, it raised concerns about managing more in the future.

A few days later.

In the bustling Fourth World, Duan Wenxuan returned to the real world and embarked on his journey towards the Li Kingdom.

He took a flight, as he still had insufficient gates available. However, he had retrieved the gate placed in the outskirts since it was under constant surveillance; leaving it there would have been wasteful.

This arrangement proved quite convenient. Wherever Duan Wenxuan went, he typically positioned a gate at a hidden exit location. Whether heading directly home or back to a station, it would take mere seconds.

Let’s not digress too far. The Li Kingdom is located east of Hanming Country, with their territories sharing a border, making the distance between them relatively short. However, the Li Kingdom is not particularly large. In Hanming Country’s history, during periods of strong dynastic power, there were instances where the Li Kingdom was conquered.

Unfortunately, the Li Kingdom was indeed quite remote and bordered by the sea. Hanming Country, located inland, had historically not excelled in naval warfare during its dynastic era. Consequently, due to its distant location, ruling over the Li Kingdom proved challenging, ultimately leading to its restoration as an independent nation. In modern times, the Li Kingdom has a small territory with a sparse population, yet relatively speaking, its economy is highly developed.

At that moment, Duan Wenxuan rubbed his temples, feeling slightly overwhelmed. Previously, he was a hardcore otaku who rarely ventured outside, making air travel somewhat uncomfortable for him. Unable to take a nap, Duan Wenxuan decided to pull out a thick book on Li Kingdom’s religions from his backpack and began reading slowly.