Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Love Thy Neighbor (2)
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The Dragon God Festival came to a successful end.
But the Merfolk Church was still busy.
Because they had to produce their planned merchandise as quickly as possible.
“Making and selling statues and portraits?”
The Church Leader answered Seoran’s question politely.
“Yes, exactly. Here’s a prototype, so please take a look.”
Seoran examined the statue first.
It was a delicate piece made from glowing coral the size of a palm.
There were two types: Earth Mother God statue and Dragon God statue.
To Seoran, they looked just like figurines.
She set the statue down and looked at the portrait.
The portrait was housed in a small stone frame.
Like the statues, there were two types.
Thanks to the foldable stand, it could be displayed upright.
Seoran asked,
“Do many believers buy these?”
“Of course, they sell out instantly.”
“Did you sell them during the Previous Dragon God’s time too?”
“Yes.”
“Then it shouldn’t be a big deal. You don’t need my permission for these sales from now on. Go ahead and handle it yourselves.”
Seoran replied nonchalantly.
She had been swamped lately stamping documents.
For reference, Damcheong was on strike, exploring the Dragon Palace.
The Church Leader, having received sales permission, withdrew.
Merchandise sales began the very next day.
As soon as the store opened, the doors of the new merchandise shop swung wide.
Merfolk believers, who had lined up since the day before, poured in like the tide.
An employee carrying stacks of merchandise asked,
“What merchandise would you like?”
“Two Dragon God portraits and two statues, two Earth Mother God portraits and two statues, please!”
“Please pay over here.”
The paying customer moved to a nearby cushion.
And bowed deeply with reverence.
The employee handed over a well-packaged box.
The buyer carried the box containing the merchandise home respectfully.
“Next customer.”
The next merfolk in line said immediately,
“I’ll take five of each!”
“I’m truly sorry, customer, but on launch day, it’s limited to two per type per person.”
“No helping it... Then give me those.”
“Yes, understood. Please bow here.”
Payment, one bow, receive box, quick return home.
The buyer hurried home at maximum speed without shaking the packaged box.
Not just them—everyone around was scurrying back on foot, wiggling their hips in haste.
The family welcomed the returning merfolk home.
“Well done, son!”
“Bringing back the merchandise so quickly!”
“As expected of my little brother!”
“Brother, I want to receive the divine presence soon too!”
The merfolk man who had lined up all night said,
“Because it was launch day, I couldn’t buy as many as our numbers. It was limited to two per type. I’ll have to come back later.”
“Such a shame.”
“For now, let’s display them in the living room so everyone can worship.”
“Brother, I want to open the box!”
“Little one, you have to bow first.”
The merfolk family bowed cheerfully and opened the box.
Removing the padding for damage protection revealed the merchandise.
The formerly empty shelves now adorned with the figures brought satisfaction.
The merchandise shop was packed with people every day.
First-time buyers, repeat buyers, and those who upon reflection felt their shelves were still empty and came for a third purchase.
Merchandise sold out as soon as it was produced, so the shop’s inventory always hovered near zero.
Buoyed by their fervent followers, the Merfolk Church began diversifying their divine character merchandise.
They no longer needed additional permissions.
Hadn’t they already been granted full authority over merchandise production?
The sales method for the merchandise was also overhauled on a grand scale.
Introducing a creative business model.
Even the stores were split into Dragon God specialty shops and Earth Mother God specialty shops.
The catchphrase was ‘Let’s Love’.
“A new ‘Love the Earth Mother God’ small flag has been released! As you all know, the Earth Mother God’s symbolic color is yellow! Stock is almost gone!”
“I have to get that one!”
“Starting today, the ‘Love the Dragon God’ glowing coral stick is on sale! The Dragon God’s symbolic color is blue! A limited-time item available only now!”
“Take my money quick!”
The phrase ‘Let’s Love’ swept through the underwater city.
An era had dawned where everyone talked of love.
Naturally, fateful encounters proliferated.
A man proposed to a woman while handing her merchandise.
“Pray by my side forever!”
“Yes! Let’s worship together!”
On their wedding night, the couple contributed to rising water temperatures.
A portrait hung on the bedroom wall as well.
The images of the Earth Mother God and Dragon God watched over them.
They were devout believers obedient to the divine words.
*****
While playing god, autumn arrived.
But the love craze showed no signs of cooling.
Instead, marriage rates, birth rates, and seawater temperatures only soared.
As if they’d turn every coral white.
That was when Seoran doused the mood with cold water.
Not out of worry for coral bleaching, but simply because she missed the faces of her Black Bamboo Sect family.
“It’s about time I went home.”
A young merfolk attendant asked,
“Aren’t you already in the Dragon Palace?”
“I mean the land.”
“Gasp!”
The young merfolk attendant was shocked by the harsh reality.
Seoran felt uneasy too.
From the Merfolk Church’s perspective, they were endlessly waiting for gods who might never return.
But neither she nor Damcheong could stay cooped up in the Dragon Palace forever for the merfolk.
Damcheong might live freely as she pleased, but Seoran had her life goal of sect succession.
Seoran began to worry.
Returning to land without a proper alternative would be like scamming the church out of their offerings.
Conversely, holing up in the deep sea to keep playing god would be scamming the Black Bamboo Sect out of their support.
No matter what she chose, she’d be a scammer in an extreme dilemma.
Unable to decide, Seoran asked the attendant,
“Where is Lady Damcheong?”
“Pardon?”
“Where is the Dragon God?”
This time the attendant understood.
“In the collection warehouse.”
“I see, got it.”
Lately, Damcheong had been engrossed in the collections left by the Previous Dragon God.
Seoran headed to where Damcheong was.
Intending to discuss the return issue together.
The Dragon Palace was great in every way, except its labyrinthine layout.
Searching for someone was such a hassle.
Huh? Searching?
Seoran stopped right there.
A brilliant idea had struck her.
*****
Seoran immediately summoned Damcheong and the church’s high-ranking officials.
And outlined her plan in broad strokes.
Damcheong, listening intently, asked on behalf of the group,
“So, you’re saying we should make the merfolk come to us?”
“Exactly!”
The holy pilgrimage was the essence of the brilliant idea.
Seoran and Damcheong would return to the Black Bamboo Sect first.
Instead, the core of the plan was for the Merfolk Church to visit the Black Bamboo Sect regularly.
In this way, the Black Bamboo Sect becomes the holy site, and the visiting merfolk become pilgrims.
This way, the Earth Mother God and Dragon God wouldn’t need to visit the distant deep-sea Dragon Palace periodically.
And the Merfolk Church wouldn’t suffer endless waiting in the gods’ absence.
It was the best solution satisfying everyone.
Damcheong raised an objection.
“But wouldn’t only the pilgrimaging merfolk suffer?”
“Lady Damcheong, you still don’t understand the merfolk well.”
“Me?”
“Yes, look behind you.”
Damcheong obediently turned her head.
And was shocked.
The church high-ranking officials, who had seemed drowned in sorrow on the verge of death, were beaming.
“We go to where the gods reside?”
“Whenever we want?”
“What do I do, I can’t breathe...”
“A pilgrimage... It’ll be too much fun.”
Even arduous journeys were just new content to them.
Damcheong persisted with counterarguments.
“Th-then, what about transportation? Merfolk can’t survive long away from water, and we must avoid the eyes of worldly mortals. How would they travel undetected that vast distance from the sea all the way to the Black Bamboo Sect?”
“They don’t need to walk.”
“Then swim, you mean?”
“Yes.”
Damcheong, about to refute again, suddenly shut her mouth.
Swimming across the vast land.
Something she’d grown rapidly accustomed to lately came to mind.
“Perhaps, a canal?”
Seoran nodded.
The plan was simple.
Build a canal from the eastern coast of Gun Country.
Go straight to the mountains near where the Black Bamboo Sect is located.
The Merfolk Church just needs to swim along the canal traversing the land to reach their destination.
This solves all problems.
No merfolk will dry out mid-pilgrimage.
There’s plenty of water in the canal.
No worry of detection by mortals either.
They’d cling to the canal bottom to travel.
It was truly a perfect plan.
The Merfolk Church joyfully began planning.
‘Operation Name: Holy Pilgrimage
Starting Point: Underwater city where the Merfolk Church headquarters is located
Waypoint: Gun Country ruled by the Seaside Gate
Destination: Western Yang Country where the holy site Black Bamboo Sect is located
Method of Travel: Canal’
The merfolk tribe slumbering in the deep sea had awakened.