Chapter 100-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation
"What a pity." The puppy was drawn quite cutely, why did she cross it out?
Ye Zheng smiled and put the letter away.
Sierra's reply sounded like a refusal, but Ye Zheng felt no disappointment. She guessed that despite what Sierra said, she would honestly show up in the West District.
The manga spoilers revealed signs of monsterification on Lucy, coupled with the Pope's secret experiments in the West District, which might contain many uncontrollable and unkillable monsters. Sierra's control ability would be very useful.
The only thing to worry about was preventing Sierra and Sykes from running into each other. Sykes would definitely not let go of Sierra, who once controlled him like a mutant beast, and Sierra was a fearlessly mad personality.
The thought of this situation gave Ye Zheng a bit of a headache. She suddenly asked, "System, in the original plot, did Sykes go to the West District?"
[In the original plot, after the situation in the West District further deteriorated, Sykes, as the Crown Prince and the Empire's only SSS-rank ability user, also went to the West District.]
"So, my actions made Sykes move ahead of schedule."
[That's correct, and Sierra would not have appeared in the West District in the original plot.]
"That's great, the plot is bound to become much more interesting than before."
Ye Zheng remembered a reader on the forum who said, "The creator should kowtow to her" (a popular phrase expressing extreme admiration for her ability to create a plot twist), which was indeed not without reason.
Two days later.
With banners fluttering, Sykes stood in full formal attire upon the tall city wall. Below the wall, knights were lined up in a neat and imposing formation. His measured voice echoed through the silent and solemn atmosphere.
"Today, we stand here, for our common home and faith, about to embark on a journey to the West District..."
"...For the great reunion and co-prosperity, I, Sykes Aston, promise this will be a triumphant journey, bound to destroy the West District Demonic Domain and reclaim the land and its people!"
Ye Zheng stood not far behind Sykes, listening to him deliver the speech she had written. She thought, somewhat inappropriately, that it must have been difficult for him to memorize so many words.
The knights below the city wall seemed to be infected by the Imperial Heir's determination, and they chanted in unison with a powerful clanging sound, "Reclaim the land and its people!"
The atmosphere instantly surged. This scene was also simultaneously cast via a Projection Stone to all districts, ensuring that people in the upper district, Middle District, and lower district could all witness the Crown Prince's towering figure, calming the frightened populace and making them trust the Empire again.
"It's very well written, but it's a pity that Sykes is the only protagonist today. That's really unfair to you, Saintess."
"Holding the Divine Sword, you have more right than anyone to stand in the front position, don't you?"
Ye Zheng stood with her hands behind her back. She slightly turned her eyes, glancing at Yu Tianming who had walked up beside her. His smile was somewhat strained and gloomy.
The Emperor was reluctant to let her appear before the public and once again snatch away the royal glory that Sykes represented. However, this action necessitated bringing her, the Godsent (The Godsent), along to appease the public.
Ye Zheng didn't care about this opportunity to speak. The Royal Family's posturing was rather meaningless. Instead, she looked at Yu Tianming with interest.
"Compared to that, it's most unfair that Sykes didn't bring you along this time."
Yu Tianming always stood by Sykes's side; he was the Crown Prince's most important right-hand man. Everyone defaulted that once Sykes inherited the throne, Yu Tianming would inevitably become the Empire's second-in-command. However, Sykes's action this time left Yu Tianming behind, which was food for thought.
Ye Zheng patted Yu Tianming's shoulder. "Thank you for your hard work. I will look after His Highness the Crown Prince for you during the upcoming mission."
"Ha, I'm much obliged then."
Yu Tianming was already unable to force his lips to curl up. He was still unwilling to accept that so many years of lying low had been completely wasted. What exactly was Sykes thinking? Did he believe that this person, Ye Zheng, was more loyal and reliable than him?
He withdrew his gaze from Sykes's back and looked at Ye Zheng. Ye Zheng met his gaze and politely smiled and nodded at him. Her excessive calmness and politeness, on the contrary, made it seem extremely provocative.
Yu Tianming almost choked on his breath. He had originally wanted to speak a few more words to Sykes—even if he wasn't brought along, at least caution him about Ye Zheng, which would count as fulfilling the scarce sentiment they shared over the years.
When he walked up and saw the white-robed Saintess guarding Sykes's back, her black hair fluttering like a banner, he immediately understood he had no chance.
Thinking of how he had once even wanted to manipulate Ye Zheng into becoming his own influence, he actually felt a bit envious of his own naivety back then.
"Saintess, I believe that you and His Highness the Crown Prince will surely bring good news to the Empire. You are the hope of the Empire. I wish you a safe journey."
Yu Tianming did not linger any longer. He turned and descended the city wall, reminding Ye Zheng that she and Sykes shared a common interest, which he considered the last thing he would do for Sykes.
He adjusted his glasses. The sadness in his eyes only flashed for a moment. Right now, the Emperor seemed dissatisfied with Sykes, and this time, not even the Royal Knight Order was dispatched. Unbinding himself completely from Sykes might not be a new opportunity.
Ye Zheng hadn't expected Yu Tianming to still harbor that slight bit of affection for Sykes, even if it was just a tiny bit.
She let out a light laugh. Yu Tianming staying by Sykes's side would have been very troublesome.
Therefore, in the intelligence she 'inadvertently' revealed to Sykes, she mentioned the Yu family's dealings with the Sei Curia (Sei Curia) in passing, making it appear highly suspicious and conspicuous amidst the Sei Curia's mysterious activities in the West District.
If Yu Tianming had access to this intelligence, he could easily prove his innocence, as the Yu family's dealings with the Sei Curia were indeed just normal exchanges.
Unfortunately, the now-intelligent Sykes already had less trust in Yu Tianming, and the rift between the two would only grow wider.
[You're so bad. Their relationship was very stable in the original plot, and they had quite a few CP fans.]
The System sighed with a hint of schadenfreude.
"Bad? It's precisely because I'm kind that I'm using this method to drive a wedge between them."
Ye Zheng blinked her black eyes in disagreement, defending herself in her mind.
Otherwise, she could have resolved him after Sykes took Yu Tianming into the West District together, taking advantage of the chaotic and dangerous situation—of course, that had been her Plan B.
"Let's go."
A low voice, tinged with fatigue, came over.
Sykes had finished his speech. He turned around, rubbing his forehead with a dark expression. Gone was the solemn seriousness from the speech; his face was so poor he looked like he had just gone through a major battle.
Ye Zheng walked over to the railing and looked down at the lined-up knights. This formation was much grander than the last time Sykes rashly entered the Blood Flower Demonic Domain.
"Are you not going to dispatch the Royal Knight Order?"
"They need to guard the safety of the upper district."
Sykes seemed reluctant to bring up the topic, and he walked down the stairs with a cold face. He suddenly remembered something, turned to look at Ye Zheng, and said in a cold tone, "Don't forget, you need to help me with the treatment today."
"Mhm, let's do it on the train then."
The situation in the West District could not be delayed any longer. Crown Prince Sykes would depart today with the fully prepared personnel.
The Imperial Central Station, as the transportation hub of the Holy Sei Empire, connected the passage routes between various districts. Most notably, it was a Spatial Demonic Domain that had been successfully controlled and put into use for daily life. The power of the Demonic Domain could be utilized to quickly reach any station.
The only drawback was the overly high cost. The Empire was already considering laying ordinary tracks to replace this peculiar spatial train.
Ye Zheng sat in the train compartment, only she and Sykes were present.
Sykes closed his eyes. His tightly furrowed brow revealed impatience and pain. The gentle flow of water could not alleviate the pain in the slightest. Countless fragments flashed through his mind, but he could not piece together a complete image.
He suddenly opened his eyes, panting. Ye Zheng withdrew the water flow upon seeing his reaction.
Since she had accidentally helped Sykes recover some memories in the Blood Flower Demonic Domain last time, Sykes had required her to assist him with treatment regularly.
"Was the treatment effective this time?"
Ye Zheng asked softly.
Sykes shook his head with a terrible expression and closed his eyes again, leaning against the chair back to rest.
Ye Zheng raised her eyebrows, unsurprised. It was normal for Sykes not to remember; she hadn't treated him seriously at all this time, merely going through the motions.
Even if she helped Sykes retrieve his lost memories, would Sykes honestly tell her what he remembered? Would the restoration of his memory necessarily benefit her actions?
It was better for her to investigate what exactly happened to Sykes on her own.
"Take your time, Your Highness, there's no need to rush."
The girl comforted him, her black eyes soft and bright, appearing especially sincere.
Sykes opened his eyes and looked at her, which counted as a response. His tendency towards violence had lessened significantly compared to when they first met, making him truly look somewhat like a reliable and steady Crown Prince.
Ye Zheng felt utterly unmoved. She was clear that Sykes's nature had not changed one bit, and the continuously expanding hunting grounds were the best proof.
The train gradually arrived at the station amidst a stable rumble.
Ye Zheng alighted from the train. Today, she wore a white shirt and a gray vest, with black trousers tucked into long boots, and her long hair was braided and hung down her back, giving her a calm temperament.
More like a scholar coming for an inspection than a warrior. Only the sword at her side held an elusive sharpness.
Wherever she went, those who knew her identity couldn't help but cast their eyes toward the sword at her side.
The low-key black scabbard concealed the legendary Sword of the God of Hope, which looked like an ordinary longsword, yet everyone who looked at it felt a deep sense of respect and solemnity arise within them.
Due to its remote and underdeveloped nature, the Imperial Central Station had no train connection to the West District (lower district). This was merely the South District station near the West District.
It would still take at least half a day before she could enter the West District.
Meanwhile, Wen De and the others, and Sierra, would be even slower.
This time, the Royal Family had politely declined her request to bring her own Knight Order, but Ye Zheng was not so obedient.
Ye Zheng followed behind Sykes, feeling a rare sense of urgency. She lowered her eyes, silently quickening her pace.
She didn't know when Lucy would be in trouble, so she could only find her as soon as possible.
"Calm down, don't let your hands shake, aim carefully at the prey..."
On the misty hill, a middle-aged man was pressing on a young boy's shoulder, his gaze fixed on the moving shadow in the white mist.
"It doesn't matter if the white mist blocks your view. We are the natural hunters on this land. The sound of the wind, the tremor of the earth, they all tell you the direction of the prey. Feel them with your heart."
Under the middle-aged man's patient guidance, the boy closed his eyes. His hand jerked, and a bullet flew out from the hunting rifle toward the distance.
The shadow moving down the hill collapsed.
The middle-aged man cheered, then quickly covered his mouth, excitedly whispering, "Well done! From now on, you are also a guardian hunter of this land!"
The boy shyly rubbed his head. "My ability is vision, plus the prey's color was very conspicuous this time, that's why it went so smoothly. I'm still far from your level, Uncle Li."
The middle-aged man patted the boy's shoulder approvingly. "Don't underestimate yourself. If it weren't for you being able to track prey even in the fog, who knows how many monsters would have escaped to harm ordinary people."
The two cautiously walked down the hill, approaching the motionless prey.
When the boy saw the prey's appearance clearly, he didn't know what to do with the hunting rifle in his hands. He had never seen such a cute prey.
He stammered, "Uncle, is it really a monster? It doesn't look much like the others before... more like an ordinary person?"
The middle-aged man looked at the boy with amusement. "You really are young. I used to be this soft-hearted too."
The man squatted down, parting the monster's orange-colored long hair, and pointed to its unfamiliar face.
"I can tell you for sure, in this area, all unfamiliar women are monsters."
"If you don't act, everyone in our village will die!"
The boy was shaken by the middle-aged man's intense tone and woodenly nodded.
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