Chapter 49-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation

 Ye Fanjing stared at his daughter's departing back, suddenly wondering why Ye Zheng was going out at this time. The ability competition had been suspended due to the accident, and the entire upper district was in a state of panic.

She's probably going to a Sei Curia event. This daughter of his is quite dedicated to being a Saintess.

Having come home late last night with a hangover, Ye Fanjing's head was still throbbing. He had planned to go out again this morning to make some rounds, but after hearing Ye Zheng's promise, he couldn't help but slack off. After all, who could be more useful than powerful figures like the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister? If he were to request an audience, these people wouldn't even bother with him.

The middle-aged man's handsome face was a bit swollen, but he seemed exceptionally energetic. He pressed on his throbbing temples. He didn't know if it was due to the hangover or excessive excitement, but he had a premonition that fate would definitely favor him again this time, just like the night his older brother fell into the water...

Ye Zheng had the butler prepare the car. Sitting inside, she slowly admired the gentle morning of the upper district.

Beneath the prosperous and warm surface, the empire's world of fame and fortune was turbulent with undercurrents. If that group of high-status children returned safely this time, many people related to the competition would inevitably be demoted. But if they all perished inside... there would probably be a major reshuffle.

Many people wanted to seize the opportunity to rise. Ye Fanjing's supposedly clever plan was not something others couldn't think of. His competitiveness was not strong, but as his daughter, she would fulfill his wish.

But after fulfilling his wish, how long could this mediocre man stay in his position? Would another, bigger storm come and drag him down to the bottom? ... Ye Zheng let out a short laugh. She was very clear about the answers to these questions.

Even if others didn't stir up any more trouble, Ye Zheng was quite confident in her own ability to cause it.

Ye Zheng gently rested her chin on her hand, her cold pupils reflecting the constantly receding scenery outside the window.

As for Ye Di, just let him go guard the Crown Prince's hunting grounds.

She heard that because the Crown Prince was away, the exotic beasts there were very restless. Ye Di's ability was perfectly suited to suppressing the rampaging monsters. She just didn't know if the strength he boasted about all day would be enough for him to maintain his dignity in front of those exotic beasts.

Even if Ye Di wanted to back out later, she would pin her brother down in the hunting grounds. This would also conveniently let the readers assume that Zhao Mei and Ye Zheng are siblings, which would explain their similar abilities and appearances.

For this reason, Ye Di was not suitable to appear in the manga again before his identity was exposed.

Ye Zheng caught a faint reflection of herself in the car window and was suddenly reminded of a similar face. The smile on her lips faded slightly—she had made arrangements for herself, her father, and her brother, but she had no idea how to arrange things for her.

The car stopped at the Sei Curia. Ye Zheng gathered her long hair to her chest and lifted her skirt to get out.

The hem of her white dress disappeared into the sacred doors of the cathedral. The Ye family's driver knew he had to come back to the Sei Curia tonight to pick up the young lady, but he didn't find it troublesome. He genuinely marveled at the young lady's piety; she had just returned home and was already throwing herself back into the work of the Sei Curia. If he had such status and position, who would still want to work?

Ye Zheng smiled and greeted the other clergy members. Besides praying to the God of Hope, the Saintess occasionally had to handle some paperwork.

She quickly finished the work left over from before the competition, said goodbye to her colleagues very naturally, and left the main cathedral to get into another car.

*

The lower district was gloomy and rainy. The blood-colored Demonic Domain, which had not dissipated for a long time, glowed with an ominous red light in the dim weather. Everyone was on edge, and the streets were nearly empty of pedestrians.

Black leather boots stepped onto the water-logged street. Above them were sleek black clothes and pants that outlined the girl's slender and elegant figure. A very low-held black umbrella almost completely hid her face, revealing only her pale lips and fair jaw.

In a world of water, Ye Zheng didn't need her eyes to see the way.

Wen De, also dressed in inconspicuous black, followed behind her. His tall frame was draped in a cloak, without an umbrella, his steps steady.

Pitter-patter.

From somewhere, messy footsteps splashed through small puddles, disturbing the flow of water on the ground. No one paid attention to this extremely subtle change.

Ye Zheng lifted the black umbrella, revealing a fair face that looked exceptionally cold and white on the gloomy street. Her pale lips parted.

"Found them."

The girl's voice fell as coldly as the fine rain.

"Damn it!"

Raindrops continuously pelted his body, but the agile man didn't care. He squatted on the eaves, his eagle-like sharp eyes locked on the panicked figure of a woman in the alley below, cursing impatiently under his breath.

This woman clearly looked so ordinary and weak, her movements completely random, yet she always managed to inexplicably dodge his attacks. No wonder the Pope had sent them.

The throwing knife left his hand again. The woman fleeing in the rainy alley, as if she had eyes in the back of her head, dodged it clumsily. The man on the eaves didn't rush to move. He had already cornered the woman in this place. His partner would, as expected, appear at the other end of the intersection to block her.

The next moment, the desperate woman indeed ran into a black embrace. The man had just breathed a sigh of relief when his eyes widened again, staring at the black-clothed person who had appeared at the intersection.

That was not his partner!

His Adam's apple bobbed. Just as a shout was about to burst out, a thick smell of blood choked the words he was about to yell for his partner.

He opened his mouth and spat out a large mouthful of blood. Looking down, he saw that at some point, a white, blade-like object had pierced his chest.

The man wanted to turn and see who had killed him, but his body swayed, and he missed his footing on the eaves, falling down.

In the instant he hit the ground, the man's eyes were wide open. He didn't get a chance to see his killer, but he clearly saw the black-clothed person at the intersection.

A bit familiar, he thought in his fading consciousness. A fair and beautiful face, long black hair, a pair of seemingly compassionate eyes.

The black-clothed person approached him and squatted down, and that familiar face became clearer.

No, impossible. Upon realizing who the black-clothed person was, the man's eyes bulged with agitation. His body twitched like a dying fish. The name was almost on the tip of his tongue, but he would never have the chance to say it.

Ye Zheng studied the dead man's face, her gaze meticulous and calm.

"Not from the Sei Curia."

"Should be the Pope's privately kept hounds."

Wen De, having retracted her Bone Spurs, jumped down from the eaves and frowned at the young woman huddled in the corner.

"My lord, what should we do with her?"

Wen De didn't know who this woman was, or why both the Pope and the Saintess were looking for her. But since the Saintess was unwilling to say, she wouldn't ask. As the Saintess's knight, she was already used to this young lord's mysterious style.

Ye Zheng turned her head to stare at the trembling young woman in the corner. Her terrified expression was exactly the same as when she was being mutated by the insect eggs in the Demonic Domain.

"We parted in a hurry last time. What is your name?"

The young woman's pupils trembled. It seemed she hadn't recovered from the chase just now, and she also seemed to fear the gently speaking girl before her.

Of course, she remembered this face. It was this girl who told her there was a way to save her from that horrifying insect body. The girl had even shown her a path, letting her ride an exotic beast to escape that area.

The young woman's pale lips moved. Just as she was about to say something, her vision suddenly went dark, and she lost consciousness.

Ye Zheng withdrew the hand that had struck the woman's neck and handed her over to Wen De.

"I can feel it. There seem to be more of his people nearby. Let's retreat."

The Pope was suspicious. Even though she had deliberately misled him at the time that this woman had already mutated into a monster and been killed by them, he still sent many people to search the lower district.

From this, it could also be proven that this woman was very important to him. Or perhaps more accurately, the dragon bone fragment carried inside the woman's body could not be lost.

Unfortunately, he would never guess that the dragon bone in the woman's body had already become hers.

"Shall we take her to that place?"

Wen De was referring to their small base in the lower district.

Ye Zheng hummed in agreement. Besides that place, there was nowhere else to hide this woman.

This woman held the secrets of the Pope and the dragon bone, and she had to find them out.

Wen De fell silent for a moment, then took the initiative to say, "My lord, if you want to hide this woman for a long time, you might need someone to look after her."

"Wen Xin's home is not far from here."

Ye Zheng paused, thinking of that well-read yet timid and self-deprecating woman. She had followed her arrangements and written a fatal article for her husband. She wondered if being alone now made her happier than her previous life.

She looked at Wen De and shook her head.

"This is too risky. I can't arbitrarily involve her in this."

The usually silent knight suddenly chuckled, her eyes holding the tolerance of an elder. "How do you know it's 'arbitrarily'? Perhaps she is very willing."

"Wen Xin is my older sister. I think she would be happy to."

Ye Zheng hesitated for a moment. Feeling the approaching presence, she immediately made a decision. "Then let's go to Wen Xin's place first."

Wen De lifted the unconscious woman, and the two of them moved quickly through the complex and narrow streets. Ye Zheng sensed the movements of people nearby through the water on the ground, perfectly avoiding anyone suspicious.

Ye Zheng was a little distracted, thinking that it was surprising Wen De would bring up Wen Xin. The relationship between the two sisters didn't seem very good.

At the time, it was she who had proposed finding someone in the lower district who was both literate and tight-lipped. Wen De had been silent for a long time before mentioning her sister. That was when Ye Zheng learned that Wen De had an older sister.

However, after getting to know Wen Xin, Ye Zheng quickly understood why Wen De's relationship with her sister was mediocre.

The two shared the same bloodline, but their personalities were worlds apart. Wen Xin had conventionally entered a secular married life, while Wen De had silently embarked on a path that Wen Xin could not understand.

Ye Zheng still remembered Wen Xin seeking her out for a private talk back then. In a terrified and timid voice, she had said she could serve her, only hoping that the Saintess could help her younger sister find a good home, instead of living like a man. After all, this world would never truly cherish her as it would a man.

Lost in thought, the two arrived at a familiar door. Wen De, still carrying the young woman, knocked.

Wen Xin, wearing a slightly faded blue dress, opened the door in surprise and quickly welcomed the two—no, three—guests inside.

Ye Zheng had just sat down when she heard Wen De speak bluntly, "Wen Xin, we want to hide someone at your place. The Sei Curia's people are after her."

The woman with a low ponytail brought over a pot of tea. Upon hearing this, her hand holding the teapot trembled. Ye Zheng thought she was flustered and worried because she heard "Sei Curia," but when she met those suddenly bright eyes, Ye Zheng knew Wen De was right.

"Really, you're really entrusting something like this to me? The Saintess trusts me so much... I thought I was useless."

Wen Xin put down the tea set and sat down on a chair, a bit awkwardly, but the timid feeling from before was gone.

Ye Zheng noticed that the room, and Wen Xin herself, looked much neater and tidier.

As expected, women live better without men.

"After that incident, I've read all the articles you published under your own name. You're a popular writer now, you don't need me as a reader." Ye Zheng said with a teasing smile.

But Wen Xin shook her head very seriously.

"The Saintess is different."

She was incredibly grateful for the choice Ye Zheng had given her back then.

After her husband died in prison because of that article, many people in this area mourned this "hero." Wen Xin was surprised by her own cold-bloodedness. Not only was she unmoved by her husband's death, but she also felt a sense of relief.

Seeing those people mourn him even made her want to vomit. He had no heroic spirit at all, he only beat his wife. He had no literary talent either, only plagiarizing his wife's work.

Driven by this feeling of indignation, Wen Xin began to write under her own name. The magazines that were previously unwilling to accept submissions from women made an exception because of her status as the "hero's" widow. After all, the matter of that guy's "sacrifice" was a hot topic in the lower district, and the magazines were fighting for the gimmick.

At first, she wrote articles mourning her husband to get the magazines to accept her work. Later, after building a reputation and establishing a stable relationship with the editors, she began to publish a variety of articles, such as praising the Lingyun Squad, eulogizing the deeds of the Saintess, and subtly criticizing reality.

People gradually separated her from the identity of a widow and saw Wen Xin's own talent.

But she felt it wasn't enough. Even though she was living a life she couldn't have imagined before, she greedily wanted more.

Even a mediocre and vile person like her husband could be remembered as a hero, and she even had to hold her nose and praise him to be accepted by others. Why couldn't she become a more significant, a greater person than him?

Wen Xin stopped fidgeting with the corner of her clothes, sat up straight, and looked seriously into the Saintess's probing eyes.

"My lady Saintess, please believe me. I will not let down the opportunity you have given me."

Author's Note:

Because Zheng is hiding too many things, her style of doing things is quite lone wolf-like. But she will slowly build connections with others, and more and more people will come to understand and help her.

← Previous Chapter Next Chapter →