Chapter 655: Maya
What moved her even more was what she saw about one of the temple’s founders, a woman named Maya.
Maya had gone as far as donating almost everything she had accumulated throughout her life. She had even left instructions for her organs to be donated after her death and for the proceeds from anything that could be sold to be added to the charity fund.
The temple authorities themselves were equally sincere. They did not take even a single penny from the donations.
Every bit of the money collected through the charity events was given directly to disabled children and those who needed assistance.
When the vision finally disappeared, Lana slowly opened her eyes. A faint moisture remained around her lashes.
She looked toward Sophia. "It is genuine."
Sophia’s expression changed slightly before she pouted. "If that is the case, then why is it completely empty?"
Lana spoke softly. "It is most likely because it is still morning."
Sophia frowned. "I might have thought the same thing, but look at the condition of this place."
Lana turned her attention toward the temple. Only then did she notice something unusual.
The charity event had apparently been going on for the past five days, yet the entire place was remarkably clean.
There were no discarded offerings, no footprints covering the dusty floor, and no signs that large numbers of visitors had passed through.
It was almost as though nobody had visited the temple at all. ’That is strange.’
Lana frowned and walked toward the entrance. The moment Sophia saw her moving inside, she quickly grabbed her arm.
"Lana, we cannot go inside. What if we are late?"
Lana waved her hand dismissively.
"It will only take fifteen minutes, and there is barely any strict time restriction. We can arrive ten minutes late and simply tell them that we were in the bathroom."
Sophia stared at her in disbelief. "Only you could say something like that so casually."
Lana chuckled. The two soon entered the temple.
Inside, the atmosphere was unexpectedly quiet. The faint fragrance of incense lingered in the air, mixing with the coolness of the stone floor. At the far end, a temple priest was sitting quietly.
The moment the priest noticed Lana and Sophia entering, he immediately stood up. A welcoming smile appeared on his face as he approached them.
"Benefactors, have you come here to make a donation?"
Lana looked at the priest and asked, "Why is there no one else here? And how much money have you received in donations so far?"
The priest looked at her with a rather strange expression. Lana realized that her question had made her sound almost like a thug demanding an explanation, so she glanced toward Sophia.
Sophia immediately stepped in and smoothed things over.
"Please do not mind what she said. She simply wants to understand what is going on before she makes a donation. There is no need to worry. We are participants in the mystical cultivation competition."
The moment the priest heard that, his eyes brightened.
"Actually, this charity event used to receive a lot of donations. However, the donations gradually decreased as more temples opened nearby. Those temples began attracting most of the benefactors, and eventually, almost nobody came here anymore. That is why we do not receive much of anything now."
Hearing that, Lana frowned.
She had already established several charitable initiatives in the past and had always tried her best to help as many people as she could. The thought of a genuine charity organisation slowly dying because nobody was willing to support it made her feel uncomfortable.
She looked at the priest and asked softly, "Then how much money do you need?"
The priest shook his head bitterly. "We do not want money. That is precisely the problem, and it is also the reason why there are no people here."
Lana raised an eyebrow. "Then what do you want?"
The priest hesitated before answering. "At least one seven-thousand-year-old Ghost Essence Crystal."
Sophia frowned. "Why?"
The priest sighed. "This time, we wanted to help disabled people, so we contacted a superhuman who possesses a regeneration ability."
Lana’s eyes immediately brightened. "Wow, that is great. If that is true, those disabled people would finally be able to live normal lives."
The priest nodded.
"Indeed. However, that superhuman does not want money in exchange for his help. He wants either a seven-thousand-year-old Ghost Essence Crystal or a five-thousand-year-old one."
Lana and Sophia exchanged a glance. Coincidentally, the two of them happened to possess essence crystals that met those requirements.
Lana took a slow breath before looking toward the priest. "If that is the case, then how about this? We will donate one."
The priest’s expression immediately brightened. "Truly?"
Lana nodded. The priest’s face filled with gratitude. "Thank you, benefactor. Please write down your name and contact number."
Lana and Sophia wrote down their information. Once they finished, Lana paused and looked at the priest again.
"So, with one Ghost Essence Crystal, you will be able to help all the disabled children?"
The priest shook his head slightly. "No, that would not be possible. We need at least twenty or thirty such essence crystals."
Lana froze. "Then why were you asking for only one?"
The priest gave a helpless laugh.
"A person can, at most, possess one five-thousand-year-old or seven-thousand-year-old Ghost Essence Crystal. I do not want to be greedy and ask a single person for twenty or thirty crystals."
He glanced toward the temple behind him.
"Even if the life of one child is changed, it can have a huge impact on this temple. This temple is usually supported by people who once lived here and those who remember what this place means to them."
Lana fell silent. She stared at the priest for a few seconds before reaching into her storage space.
Then she took out several more crystals. One after another, seven-thousand-year-old Ghost Essence Crystals appeared in her hands.
She had accumulated most of them from the ghost market to the point that she had nearly swept away every suitable essence crystal available there.