Traveling through the second dimension, the joy system encourages me to laugh heartily!

The air was filled with a complex aroma—the minerality of sulfur, the herbal notes of lavender and rosemary, the smoky scent of burning rare sandalwood, and a subtle, sweet, exotic floral fragrance. These scents blended together to create a unique atmosphere that was both sacred and relaxing.

Of course, there were also those "glowingly white and enchanting sights"—since it was a large public bath, nuns were naturally bathing there. They varied in age, from young nuns to mature priestesses, but without exception, they all possessed outstanding beauty and graceful figures. Bathed in the misty steam and soft light, they were completely naked, conversing quietly or praying silently, creating a visually striking scene.

But Chen Ming simply stood calmly near the entrance of the bathhouse, his weathered eyes oblivious to the beautiful scenery.

It's not that he's lost his aesthetic sense, but rather that his tastes have become too discerning.

Before he awakened the system, as a young man experiencing the repression of the stars, he would have been thrilled and captivated by this scene.

But now, he has met many stunning beauties: from understanding canaries to mysterious magicians, from noble and elegant princesses to valiant female warriors...

His aesthetic standards have long been elevated to the extreme; he only likes pretty girls who have zero power bank accounts!

Although these nuns kept by the higher-ups of the Yalan Cult were good-looking, they were too numerous to be of any interest to him.

Chen Ming calmly checked the time; there were still 55 minutes until Yalan Jialula's bathing ceremony was to begin.

He chose an excellent vantage point with a clear view of the entire bathhouse, and then began to wait patiently.

As time went on, fewer and fewer nuns entered, while more and more left. When the last group of nuns left in their bathrobes, the entire public bath was finally empty.

Only the water in the bathtub was still flowing, fresh water pouring in from above and old water draining out from below, the rising steam slowly swirling beneath the starry dome. The magic lamps also automatically dimmed, creating a more private and tranquil atmosphere.

In the distance came the faint sound of bells—the cathedral's chimes, announcing the start of the bathing ceremony.

Just then, Chen Ming's keen hearing caught a light footstep coming from the private passage on the east side of the bathhouse, gradually approaching.

Then, the person he was waiting for appeared.

The first thing that catches the eye is a head of long, pale hair, like a waterfall woven from moonlight, cascading down to her waist.

Next was the same pale skin, not a sickly white, but a lustrous, ivory white that seemed to radiate a faint glow from within.

The girl wore a thin, close-fitting silk robe that subtly outlined her slender and graceful figure. The robe was extremely simple in design, without any superfluous decorations, except for the golden emblem of the Yarlung religion embroidered on the collar and cuffs.

Her face was as exquisite as a work of art sculpted by the gods: her pale eyebrows were long and thin like crescent moons, and beneath her equally pale eyelashes were a pair of red eyes. Her nose was straight, and her lips were a pale pink. Her entire facial contour was soft yet three-dimensional.

What is most striking is the aura she exudes: a pure sense of holiness, as if she were not an ordinary being, but a sacred being who had mistakenly entered the human world.

This outfit reminded Chen Ming of the goddess he had met when he first arrived in World 1.

Clearly, Yalan Garula is deliberately imitating the goddess's appearance and temperament.

But now is not the time to worry about appearances.

Just as Yalan Gabriela stepped into the center of the bathhouse and was about to loosen her robe belt, Chen Ming made his move.

As the space rippled slightly, his figure appeared silently behind Yalan Garula, his left arm encircling her slender waist, while his right hand swiftly and precisely covered her mouth, preventing her from screaming.

"Ugh! Ugh...!!"

The sudden attack plunged Yalan Garula into extreme panic.

She instinctively struggled desperately, trying to break free of her restraints, but Chen Ming's arms were like the strongest shackles, completely immovable. So she tried to mobilize the power within her body to fight back, only to find that her magic power was like a stone sinking into the sea, completely suppressed by some more powerful force field.

It was obvious that someone would scream and cause a commotion if they suddenly appeared behind him in the bathroom, so Chen Ming was forced to choose this crude method.

To clarify, he was truly forced into this situation. Although the touch on his arm was indeed soft, he was completely calm and had absolutely no lustful thoughts at that moment!

After subduing the girl, he whispered in her ear:

"I am Chen Ming, and I have come to rescue you at the request of Niman."

These words were like a magic spell, taking effect instantly.

Yalan Garula's body stiffened visibly for a moment, then relaxed at an almost visible speed.

She stopped struggling, and her rapid breathing gradually calmed down. Chen Ming could feel that the previously tense lip muscles under the hand that was covering her mouth relaxed.

Clearly, she recognized the voice—the two had spoken before in the Holy Land of the Royal Capital, and she had already memorized his vocal characteristics.

Seeing this, Chen Ming continued to instruct, "I'll release you now, but please keep your voice down so that your entourage outside the bathhouse doesn't notice."

Upon hearing this, Yalan Gabriella immediately nodded vigorously—a gesture that subtly contrasted with her sacred image and was somewhat endearing.

After confirming that she was calm enough, Chen Ming slowly released his restraints on her. He first removed his hand from her mouth, then released his arms from her waist, and took a half step back to give her a safe distance.

Having regained her freedom, Yalan Gabriella turned to face Chen Ming.

Even in the dim light, Chen Ming could see the complex expression on her face—the fear had not completely faded, but it had been replaced by a strong sense of trust and hope.

"Thank you for coming to save me," she whispered her thanks.

Chen Ming noticed that she was carrying a small wicker basket containing bath products, a silver comb, a mirror with an intricately carved handle, and...

A complete set of cosmetics, including perfume, whitening cream, lipstick, etc.

This may seem illogical, but upon closer examination, it is necessary for a shrine maiden, who needs to maintain a perfect image in public, to touch up her makeup even after a private bath.

However, these items now have a more important purpose.

Chen Ming quickly adjusted his plan. Instead of using the spray paint he brought, using Yalan Gabriela's personal items would avoid looking unnatural.

He pointed to the light pink lipstick and instructed, "Thank me later. I'll take you away from here. But before we leave, please use the lipstick to write on the wall—'I'm going to the Goddess's side!'"

Upon hearing this, Yalan Jialula looked puzzled, but still obediently did as Chen Ming instructed.

She took the lipstick out of the basket and walked to the relatively flat stone wall on the east side of the bathhouse. The light pink writing gradually took shape on the gray-white stone wall.

“This is just a small trick,” Chen Ming explained, “but it’s much easier to arrange it as a miracle brought by the goddess than to let the people of the Yalan Cult think you were kidnapped. Besides, if the world thinks you were abducted by thugs, it will damage your reputation…”

Yalan Gabriela suddenly realized, and her gaze towards Chen Ming held a mixture of gratitude and admiration. She clearly hadn't expected this angel, renowned for his strength, to be so meticulous in handling details.

In fact, this arrangement was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. Chen Ming had already agreed on a complete plan with Niman: after he rescued Yalan Garula, the clergymen planted by the Lomalin family in the Holy Land would begin spreading the news that "the goddess has summoned Yalan Garula to the divine realm." The rumors would spread like wildfire, becoming wider and more detailed, until they eventually became accepted as fact.

In this way, the demons could not incite the people on the grounds that "the witch has been kidnapped," and the church leaders could not conduct a large-scale search.

As for Yalan Garula herself, she can temporarily retire on the noble grounds of being "summoned to the realm of the gods," and return in glory on the day of the final battle!

As Yalan Gabriela finished writing that line of light pink characters on the wall, Chen Ming went straight up and pulled the girl into his arms.

Immediately afterwards, a pale blue halo enveloped the two of them, and the surrounding scenery blurred like a faded oil painting. Everything was stretched into thin strips of color in an instant before disappearing completely.

Almost at the same instant, a new vision began to coalesce and take shape.

They appeared in a villa in Space City, which was about the same size as the maids' quarters. There were many such empty houses in Space City.

"We've arrived, you can let go now."

Chen Ming's voice, tinged with a hint of teasing, snapped Yalan Gabriela out of her brief daze.

She then realized that, due to nervousness, her arms were still tightly wrapped around Chen Ming's waist.

The girl hurriedly let go of his hand, took two steps back, and a faint blush rose on her fair cheeks.

Because her backward movement was too hasty, her white hair fell out... no, it wasn't actual hair falling out, but rather the entire wig shifting.

The meticulously woven silver-white wig slipped off her head, revealing the slightly disheveled red hair underneath, which gleamed warmly under the lamplight.

Yalan Garula immediately squatted down and awkwardly picked up the wig.

There was another thing that embarrassed her.

During their embrace, Chen Ming's dark coat came into contact with her bare skin, leaving some white stains on it.

Clearly, her skin color, like her hair color, is fake!

Yalan Gabriela raised her head, her beautiful eyes filled with trepidation, awaiting Chen Ming's reaction—surprise? doubt? or anger at being deceived?

After all, she was known to the world as the "most approachable goddess," but now it has been discovered that she was a complete fake from head to toe.

Chen Ming was not surprised by this. In order to calm the girl down, he directly materialized a cup of herbal tea with a calming effect for her.

"Let's have something to drink first."

His voice remained calm, as if what he had just witnessed was nothing out of the ordinary.

Yalan Gabriela took the teacup, feeling just the right amount of warmth on her fingertips.

She took small sips, the sweet aroma of vanilla and honey melting in her mouth, a warm current spreading from her throat throughout her body.

"...Aren't you going to ask about my hair and skin color?"

Chen Ming, who was also holding a cup of tea, smiled slightly upon hearing this: "Then I'll trouble you to clear up my doubts."

His natural attitude actually eased the burden in Aylan Gabriela's heart.

"Please wait a moment."

As she spoke, the girl got up and walked to one side of the living room—where there was a sink and a mirror.

Yalan Gabriella looked at herself in the mirror for a few seconds before starting to remove her makeup.

The whitening cream gradually faded away like melting snow, revealing the true skin tone underneath—it was quite fair skin, but no longer the otherworldly white of a goddess, but rather a human skin tone with a faint pinkish tint.

After removing her face makeup, she then cleaned her neck, collarbone, shoulders, and arms... She did it very carefully and openly, as if she didn't need to hide any secrets from Chen Ming.

This prompted Chen Ming to use the system's identification function out of curiosity:

【Name】：Miral (Yalan Carola is the title of the past priestesses)

Age: 17

Height: 169 cm

[Weight]: 58 kg

Overall Appearance: 93

[Power Bank]: 0

[Status]: Because I learned from the goddess that you have come to save the world, I trust you completely and am currently very relaxed...

[Favorability]: 100

Chen Ming raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked at the maximum favorability rating. This girl trusted him almost unconditionally; it seemed the goddess had indeed revealed a lot of information to her.

After removing her makeup, Mirle turned around to face Chen Ming.

She was completely different from when she was in the holy land—she had lost that aloof and holy air, and gained a vibrant, youthful energy. Her red hair cascaded over her shoulders like flames, creating a striking contrast with her fair skin, resulting in a breathtaking beauty.

She began to explain, “As the goddess’s representative, Yalan Carolra is required to resemble the goddess as closely as possible in appearance. Every previous priestess was obligated to paint herself completely white, including wearing a white wig and applying a special whitening cream… This is known only to a very few people—including the priest and a few archbishops. To the outside world, everyone believes that Yalan Carolra was born this way.”

Chapter 331: Last Hope

Chen Ming nodded thoughtfully: "I see. That's why the Yalan Church created a bathing ceremony so that witches can bathe alone."

After all, people of high status would often bring maids into the bathhouse to serve them.

Not to mention a noblewoman of Yalan Garula's caliber, who should theoretically have maids protecting her at all times.

But to maintain the lie of 'being born this way,' one must have completely private time, unseen by anyone, to tidy up the disguise...

“You’re right. The weekly bathing ceremony is ostensibly to ‘enhance the connection with the goddess through holy water’, but in reality, it’s the only time I can be completely alone and return to my true identity as ‘Mirel’. Only in that one hour can I shed all pretenses and face myself as I truly am.”

There was a hint of weariness in Mirle's voice, but it was quickly replaced by composure: "This is the price one must pay to become Yalan Carola..."

Chen Ming said sympathetically, "You've had it tough too."

Mirle smiled upon hearing this: "I was already prepared. After all, all I need to do is listen to the Goddess's voice and relay it to the vast number of believers, and I can live a life far more comfortable than most people. I have a magnificent palace to live in, exquisite food to enjoy, and countless people to respect and love me... These rewards are already more than enough."

From her words and demeanor, it is clear that she was not born into a noble family.

Therefore, he doesn't have that innate aristocratic air, but rather a kind of down-to-earth simplicity from a commoner background.

"Whatever makes you happy."

Chen Ming took a sip of tea, then changed the subject, "Let's get back to the main topic. I heard from Niman that the leader of the Yalan Cult was switched by the Demon Clan, but how did you find out?"

This question made Mirle's expression serious.

Her fingers tightened slightly as she held the teacup, a flicker of fear crossing her red eyes, and she spoke:

"...Uh, because the goddess borrowed my body to talk to the demon who was playing the role of the cult leader. I was conscious during that time and I remember the content of the goddess's conversation with the demon."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming did not show any surprise on his face.

As a transmigrator, he possessed a deeper understanding of the goddess of this world than the native inhabitants. As far as he knew, the goddess worshipped by millions was fundamentally not humanity's protector or partner, but rather the ruler of this world!

If we use the structure of a modern company as an analogy, then the deities who absorb the power of faith behind the scenes are like the company's shareholders; while the goddess who directly manages the operation of the world and maintains the basic rules is like the company's CEO.

Shareholders are concerned with investment returns—in this world, that is, the growth and stability of the power of faith.

The CEO is responsible for ensuring the company operates normally, maintaining order, and handling various emergencies.

From this perspective, it becomes understandable that the Demon race, as special employees of this "world company," would meet with the CEO to discuss work arrangements and performance indicators.