CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 31: DONATION

The golden sunlight reflecting in Lana’s blue eyes made it seem as if specks of gold were hidden in them.

The atmosphere, however, stilled due to the word ’money.’

The kind smile on Monk Anaro’s face vanished instantly, and his hand, rotating the prayer bead, froze.

Before Lana could continue, Monk Anaro’s voice, laced with feigned gentleness, echoed, "Child, you shouldn’t harbor greed for money. Even though Lady Mathilda’s case may seem tricky, it can be solved quite easily. And even if you want to demand money, please present it to Lady Mathilda."

With that, he turned to leave. His steps were rapid, as if hounds were chasing after him, making Lana feel speechless.

’Looks like he misunderstood my words. But does he have to react so strongly?’

After recovering from her daze, Lana, with rapid steps, caught up with Monk Anaro and cleared her throat to grab his attention.

As a result... Monk Anaro sped even more.

Lana: Well, that was unexpected.

The second time, she caught up with Monk Anaro; she skipped all the formality and went straight for the topic.

"A man will donate you a huge sum. He is my special channel and is transferring money to me in the name of a donation. So when he does so, please..."

Monk Anaro’s step faltered. Lana could see tension leaving his body, feeling amused.

"... keep it aside." Finishing her words, Lana tried to gauge Monk Anaro’s reaction. Her silver fluttered in the air, while the gentle breeze seeping into the temple from the entrance added a touch of solemnity to the moment, as if the temple itself were leaning in to hear the rest of her sentence.

Monk Anaro’s fingers resumed their slow rotation of the prayer beads, though his brows remained faintly furrowed.

He turned his head just enough for the golden light falling through the temple’s latticed window to etch sharp lines across his ascetic profile.

"I see, you are planning to use the temple to make your black money into white."

Lana: !!

"No... no! You have misunderstood me! This is a pure white money monk! I don’t dare commit such blasphemy! I... I just don’t want my enemies to be alerted." Panic shot up in Lana’s mind, while she cursed herself for even coming up with such a plan.

Monk Anaro’s free hand touched his white beard with a thoughtful expression.

"Is that so? Still, I can’t help you, young lady. What if you have predicted the upcoming donation and claim it as your own?"

Lana took a deep breath; a solution formed in her mind, while her heart, hammering in her chest, calmed down.

"Why not test it? Use some lying-detecting skills on me. I can proudly say. The money is mine!"

Her words were full of loopholes.

Monk Anaro’s eyes flashed with a thoughtful glint. "You are indeed telling the truth, but... I still have to decline to help. Helping you without getting anything in return may cause you to gain a karmic..."

"How much?" Lana’s sharp voice cut through his slippery words. She would be a fool if she didn’t understand what Monk Anaro was hinting at.

"5% of whatever the amount is being donated." Monk Anaro’s amiable smile returned.

Lana swallowed back the curse rising at the tip of her tongue and forced herself to nod, "Alright."

"Deal." Monk Anaro gave a laugh laced with satisfaction and hummed a tune of prayer as he left with a spring in his steps.

’Just whose face had I seen after waking up that I am suffering so much loss? Oh! That’s Mr. Crow! Damn it! Once I have money, I will buy a Barbie mask for him!’

"Don’t you dare!" Mr. Crow’s voice, carrying dissatisfaction, echoed near Lana’s left ear.

Ignoring his protest, Lana left the temple and, sure enough, saw a sleek black right in front of the temple. The sunlight slid across the car’s polished hood like a ribbon of molten gold, dazzling Lana’s eyes for a brief second.

The driver, dressed in a tailored black suit, stepped out and opened the back door with a crisp, respectful bow.

’The world of wealthy people! Ah!’

Lana descended from the stairs and slid inside.

"Miss Lana." Mathilda, already seated in the backseat, with a tight expression, greeted in a forced, polite tone.

Lana paused ever so slightly, and a thoughtful expression flashed across her face.

’Someone seemed to have conducted a background check, huh?’

Yet Lana, with an impassive face, remained calm.

Her eyes, though, occasionally drifted to the golden fog tinged with the yellow scream of the meritorious deed done by Mathilda.

On the way, both parties remained lost in their own thoughts.

Since it was Lana’s first time exorcising a ghost as a mystic cultivator, her heart was hammering loudly.

It wasn’t her first time confronting a ghost, considering that she had been possessed so many times during her time with her teammates that she lost count.

Thinking about her teammates from a previous life, Lana’s expression softened.

’Once I gain power, I will take them under my wing!’

For now... Lana didn’t even think about helping them. The Almond family must be keeping an eye on her; it is better to stay low profile.

She wouldn’t be surprised if the Almond family knew about her visit to Fern’s family.

The car halted outside a modest villa. It wasn’t situated in some kind of high-end residential area, but the villa carried a dignity of its own.

The moss-softened stone steps, the wrought-iron gate veined with faint rust, and the flowering vines climbing along the walls lent it a calm, almost nostalgic charm.

Lana stepped out first, her silver hair catching the afternoon sunlight, glinting like tempered moonlight against the villa’s subdued tones.

Mathilda followed, her elegant heels clicking softly on the stone path.

However, Lana stayed rooted to the ground.

The modest villa was covered by a black fog heavily tinged with red fog. Her blue eye slowly glowed with a golden light, and the future itself seemed to unravel before her eyes.