In the Infinite Worlds, I Just Want to Be the God of Wealth – CH60

Chapter 60

For a fledgling church in its early stages, the two eternal problems were always: how to get enough money and enough people.

At first, what they needed weren’t devout worshippers, but more people who had at least heard the god’s name, more people who knew they existed, to show off the doctrine and mission of their god. But in an era where new churches were springing up constantly, trying to get recognition from people was harder than reaching the heavens.

And yet, Lu Chuan just happened to come up with a good idea.

“Indulgences?” The bishop muttered the word several times. “Can they really absolve sins?”

“As long as our Father God is willing to put just a little power into them, enough to make people believe indulgences have power, that’s all it takes.” Lu Chuan’s quiet voice was more tempting than the devil’s. “Those wealthy nobles won’t be stingy with such a small sum of money, and even commoners can afford to buy them.”

“But selling such things… it will definitely draw heavy criticism.” The bishop’s heart was already moved, but he still spoke stiffly, unable to get past the barrier in his conscience.

After all, if they sold these, they’d be cursed to death.

Even their own believers would insult them.

“Isn’t criticism exactly what sparks wide-scale discussion?” Lu Chuan laughed inwardly. This bishop wanted everything—safety, efficiency, and a good reputation. But in a battle of faith between churches, which was really a life-or-death struggle, how could you possibly have all three?

Modern people all know: black fame is still fame.

Countless celebrities, influencers, and internet stars stir up trouble in the early days precisely to attract insults.

Discussion brings attention.

Criticism brings controversy.

If you’re just a small church, how can you stand out unless you play some unusual card?

“Perhaps you should first pray to Father God for guidance.” Lu Chuan stepped back, his face full of apparent disappointment. “In Father God’s eyes, only you are the most devout. Compared to you, we are far inferior.”

“You work hard too—one day Father God will see you.” The bishop’s heart soared, eager to rush off and pray immediately. But deep down he had already decided—he knew Father God would approve.

Looking at it this way, this little lord wasn’t bad at all.

Smart, capable.

Yes, ambitious—but without ambition, who would join a little church like theirs?

The foolish and mediocre had already filled enough churches.

And so, Lu Chuan smoothly infiltrated the church.

He kept quiet for a while.

Because he had to help the bishop sell indulgences.

And truth be told, indulgences were devastatingly effective among those quick to believe in gods.

Why would ordinary people turn to faith in the first place?

Because their lives were miserable, and they hoped for a better afterlife.

With indulgences, they could absolve their sins.

And each one was cheap—anyone could skip a meal or two and afford one.

The rich could buy tens of thousands at a time without blinking.

Quantity was the only difference.

And these indulgences really did carry a trace of divine power.

Not that it did much—at most, they glowed faintly in the dark.

But for people used to praying without ever getting a response, even this tiny “miracle” was precious.

Very quickly, indulgences began to sell in droves.

Even though mainstream churches furiously denounced them, burning indulgences on discovery and punishing those who traded them, it couldn’t be stopped.

On the contrary, the more they cracked down, the more people bought.

Rumors even spread that indulgences must work—why else would the churches be so panicked, afraid the faithful would run to better gods?

This rumor was a dagger to the heart.

But it spread far and wide.

Even reaching the ears of other players.

“What’s going on with these churches? With so many gods, which one are we supposed to protect?”

“Damn it, I knew it—choosing the ‘righteous’ faction wouldn’t be smooth sailing.”

“We need to increase our investigation. Figure out our true resurrection target. And indulgences—we have to dig into that too. Something feels off.”

…

Though the righteous faction had more players and were placed close together by the system to coordinate easily, balance came at a price.

The opposing faction had fewer players but higher levels.

The righteous faction had the numbers, but most were fragile, casual players. To balance it out, the system placed them closer, giving them a chance to unite against the stronger opposition.

But the reality of humanity is: the more people there are, the harder it is to agree.

Just like now—the righteous faction was already fighting bitterly over which god they were actually supposed to revive.

When Messiah first heard of indulgences, he froze.

This wasn’t the kind of thing the god he had a divine marriage contract with would create. Must have been cooked up by another player.

“So clever. I heard Lu Chuan was the financial director of the Star Guild—could it be him?” Messiah had only spoken with Lu Chuan once over the phone, but he still paid close attention to him.

On forums and gossip posts, every move Lu Chuan made at Star Guild had been dug up.

Especially the accounting scandal—endlessly analyzed, and a major reason many believed Starry Shasha was one of his staunchest supporters.

Messiah had read Lu Chuan’s intel before, so upon seeing this tactic, he immediately thought of him.

Shen Li and Starry Shasha, on the other hand, knew at once: indulgences were 100% Lu Chuan’s doing.

Especially Shen Li—he was stunned. Even locked up, he still kept hearing about indulgences. Other prisoners talked about it daily, and even the guards were secretly buying them.

At the same time, they confirmed Lu Chuan must be inside that indulgence-selling church, and in no small position.

Because with his money-grubbing personality, he’d never be content with a low rank.

Still, Shen Li felt reassured to have news of Lu Chuan at such a critical time. That was Lu Chuan’s skill—after doing a few dungeons together, people instinctively trusted him.

Because he never lost, and always stayed true to himself.

Just seeing his confident, proud expression was enough to believe he’d pull off another miracle. And with him around, things never seemed so impossible.

That was something only those who had run dungeons with Lu Chuan could understand.

Outside voices were loud and hostile, and inside the church, dissent also grew.

Some devout believers thought selling indulgences insulted Father God. Others believed it spread His glory. The congregation was in turmoil.

This was when Lu Chuan stepped up to win hearts.

To the bishop, he was the trusted adviser who had given the idea, deserving of more power to work harder for the church.
To the congregation, he was the good man who had persuaded the bishop and received Father God’s blessing.

“I tried to stop him, but the bishop only wanted to spread Father God’s name. His intentions are good.”

“Of course I won’t oppose you. I only pity that your loyalty goes unseen by Father God.”

“It’s fine. I know you do it all for our church.”

…

In the midst of unrest, Lu Chuan recruited followers left and right. In a short time, he had won over countless believers. Some even urged him to overthrow the bishop and take charge himself, though for now he kept them quiet.

“I don’t want to be bishop. I just hope the bishop can hear our voices.” His humility and refusal only made people believe more firmly that he truly cared for the church.

But of course, that wasn’t true.

Lu Chuan’s thinking was completely different.

#888 asked him about it.

“This church really has a god. If I became bishop, I’d be right under that god’s nose. Why rush? And with indulgences stirring up trouble, other churches will only see us as a thorn in their side. Isn’t it better to let this bishop take the heat?”

Lu Chuan’s plan was to lay low and grow.

When this bishop eventually got killed by rival churches, then Lu Chuan could raise his hand and rally the flock. That would be striking without lifting a finger, a righteous cause, standing on the moral high ground.

He would never allow himself to be stuck in the weaker moral position.

#888 finally understood Lu Chuan’s deep schemes and shelved his flattery for later.

But the widespread success of indulgences had already drawn the attention of many churches to the little one where Lu Chuan now resided.

A church war was on the verge of breaking out.

But now, after gaining both money and popularity through the sale of indulgences, the church was rapidly expanding, and divine miracles were appearing more and more frequently.

Lu Chuan noticed that the aura of power around the bishop was also growing heavier. Once just a frail old man, he now looked more like a man in his prime—his body taller, stronger, even more imposing.

It seemed this church’s god really did have some substance.

“Vice Bishop Lu, your recent performance has pleased Father God greatly. He has bestowed divine blood upon you. From now on, you will truly be one of His people.” The bishop now carried an air of mystery about him—but Lu Chuan knew this was nothing more than a fool bewitched by divine power.

Inside a crystal vial rolled a single drop of blood, alive as though it were a creature.

The bishop wanted him to drink it.

[Host, that isn’t divine blood.] #888 quickly warned, [A god capable of forming physical matter is one who has already fully revived. Divine blood is far too rare to be given away so casually.]

“Of course I know. How could this possibly be divine blood? More likely, the bishop doesn’t want to waste my talents, but still wants control over me. My guess? Something like a slave contract. Drink it, and I’ll be unable to defy his orders.” Lu Chuan saw through it instantly.

[What?! Host, then you absolutely can’t drink it!] #888 panicked.

“What’s wrong, Vice Bishop? You don’t want Father God’s blessing?” The bishop gave him a chilling look, while several church knights nearby gripped their weapons.

Heh. The church had only just risen, and already they were putting on airs, even dressing up knights like the real thing. Truly shameless.

Lu Chuan cursed inwardly, but outwardly he wore a devout smile. “How could that be? I’m simply overjoyed—stunned speechless—that Father God would gift me such precious divine blood. My gratitude and love for Him can’t be put into words…”

“Then drink it.” The bishop’s smile widened. “I will protect you, and you too will remain forever young, like me.”

As if I need your help—I’m still in my prime.

Lu Chuan accepted the so-called divine blood and asked 888 silently in his mind: “System, drinking this won’t kill me, right?”

[Host, don’t worry. We have the God of Wealth’s coins. They can block any backlash—just spend a little money.] #888 wasn’t concerned. Their skills hadn’t been upgraded for nothing.

“…No, don’t waste money yet. The bishop still needs me alive. He won’t risk killing me now. Using a skill at this point is too wasteful. Save it for when the gods actually go to war!” Lu Chuan quickly stopped him.

He’d only just patched up his deficit—who knew how much more he’d have to spend?