Chapter 106-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation
Ye Zheng maintained an impassive, cold expression on her face. Inwardly, however, she was surprised by Kiran's overly intense reaction. She had hinted that she was part of the experiment by using the Dragon Bone embedded in her body, making him believe she was an informer sent by the Sei Curia. In reality, this fabricated identity could be easily exposed, especially when dealing with Kiran, who was known for his cleverness and active mind.
But Kiran, after she revealed her identity, immediately converted his attitude. He not only believed her completely but also adopted a posture that could be described as fervent, as if he had witnessed the descent of a deity.
[Stream] repaired the deep wounds on her palm while keeping a watchful eye on his every move.
When Ye Zheng was intently staring at someone, her expression unconsciously softened, making her seem quite approachable at first glance. However, if one gazed into her eyes for a long time, they would discover a frozen land sealed by years of ice.
After calming down from his excitement, Kiran did not notice Ye Zheng's chilling eyes. Instead, he pulled a photograph from his embrace.
The man wistfully caressed the photo. Ye Zheng took a few steps closer. It was a picture of four people.
A family of three and Kiran.
"You had a very good relationship with General Steward Yuan's family."
Ye Zheng glanced over the photo, her gaze settling on the young girl in the bottom right corner.
"They were a respectable family, which is why I don't understand why things had to end up like this."
Ye Zheng subtly shifted her eyes, observing the emotions of the man beside her. The sadness and incomprehension Kiran showed at this moment did not seem fake.
"I devoted the better half of my life to Project Hope. After coming to the West District, Mr. Yuan has always cooperated with my work. I have no loved ones here, and my family far away in the upper district are unaware of my true duties. They couldn't understand me, and over time, the Yuan family became like my second home."
If this was his sincere feeling, then when he saw the file earlier and stared at it for a while, he probably saw the photo of the three members of the Yuan family and was emotionally affected.
Ye Zheng continued listening.
"Yuan Yuan was a very ambitious child, but unfortunately, her talent was insufficient. You should know that the experiment is very risky. The girls with higher talent are more stable after the Dragon Bone implantation."
"It's a pity this experiment has always been an imperial secret. High-talent girls always come from the upper district, and only a very lucky few among them get to learn about this plan."
Saying this, Kiran looked at the Saintess with approval.
"You are a great existence, volunteering yourself for this noble and dangerous experiment. I think that is why the God of Hope chose you, and not... them."
Ye Zheng merely smiled at his words, not elaborating—
She certainly couldn't elaborate, not just because talking more leads to more mistakes, but because Kiran's understated few sentences sent massive waves crashing in her mind.
Girls, is this Dragon Bone experiment only for girls? That seems inconsistent with what she has investigated. Also, Kiran's "them" seemed pointed, possibly referring to Sykes and... Percy?
From Kiran's perspective, Sykes is the 3S-rank Savior heavily supported by the Royal Family, so it's not strange that the Divine Sword chose him. But Percy is just a boy from the lower district with a noteworthy competition record.
Speaking of which, Kiran gathering her, Percy, and Sykes just now suggests that Percy is somewhat special in his eyes. Given Percy's status, a District Bishop shouldn't need to give him so much attention.
Looking at it this way, Percy must also be involved in the experiment.
"Ah, I've strayed too far."
"Yuan Yuan wished to join the Sei Curia's forces and protect the people like you, but her ability was too weak. How could I let her do something so dangerous? Her parents wouldn't agree either."
Ye Zheng slowly spoke, "So, you let her become stronger through the experiment?"
"Only that way would Mr. Yuan agree, and only then would she have the confidence to pursue her dream. I watched her grow up. I couldn't bear for her to become someone's wife at a young age and live a mediocre life."
Kiran looked at Ye Zheng, seeking validation, "You can understand Yuan Yuan and me, right? You also had Wen Jian implant the Dragon Bone in you."
Ye Zheng took a deep breath. She felt she couldn't stay here any longer, or she truly wouldn't be able to stop herself from killing the man in front of her.
"Did Yuan Yuan truly understand the experiment before participating?"
She demanded.
"Project Hope is the Empire's greatest secret. As the person in charge, I couldn't reveal too much, but I informed her of all the risks. That was her free choice."
"...My last two questions: How exactly did Yuan Yuan die? And what does Zhou Yun intend to do?"
At the mention of Yuan Yuan's death, Kiran tucked the photo away, turning his head to avoid the Saintess's gaze.
"Yuan Yuan lost control of her power during a rescue operation in a Demonic Domain. Her companions had no choice but to kill her... As for Zhou Yun, stimulated by Yuan Yuan's death, she wants to destroy everything."
The word "everything" covers a wide scope. Does Zhou Yun want to destroy Project Hope, the West District, or the entire Empire?
Ye Zheng recalled the woman who brought Annihilation. She felt it was necessary to negotiate with Zhou Yun again.
Even if he believed the lie she fabricated, Kiran was not honest. The man was so absurd it was laughable, because he had even deceived himself.
Ye Zheng planned to rest. She placed her hand on the doorknob, and as if remembering something, turned back to look at Kiran in the room.
The white-robed man was standing with his hands behind his back, looking thoughtfully out the dark window. The dim light illuminated his profile with an extraordinary gentleness. If he were to appear in a manga, his appearance and smooth-talking personality would certainly make his popularity not low.
"Kiran, Yuan Yuan didn't die because she admired me."
"She died because she believed in you."
Ye Zheng withdrew her cold, mocking gaze, turned, and left. The door closed behind her.
Kiran's body trembled in the room. He turned his head stiffly, staring at the tightly shut door.
The next day, morning.
The West District's cathedral, in terms of occupied area and design, was surprisingly not inferior to the grand cathedral in the upper district—this was Ye Zheng's main realization after walking around.
The central nave was the main area for receiving ordinary people, while the side aisles connected the transept, the altar, and the collections room for props. Behind it was a back garden with a bell tower. Based on Ye Zheng's familiarity with cathedrals, there should also be a basement here.
Ye Zheng hadn't found the basement yet when a nun approached her, conveying that the Bishop wished to meet her in the back garden's bell tower.
"Just me?"
The nun shook her head. "It seems there are two other adults."
Yesterday, Ye Zheng had dismissed Percy and Sykes with the excuse of needing rest. Today, Kiran wanted to gather the three of them again.
The Godsent Saintess who possessed the Divine Sword, the Empire's once-in-five-hundred-years 3S-rank Savior, the perfect replica of the God of Hope... Zhou Yun's words echoed in her mind again.
The nun led Ye Zheng to the back door, and looking at the thick fog outside the door, she hesitated and stopped.
Ye Zheng peered out the door. The slender bell tower was vaguely visible in the fog. She asked the nun to go back and stepped into the fog alone.
"Ye Zheng?"
In the haze, Percy's figure became clearer. He approached her.
"If you don't mind, let's walk together. It's dangerous in the fog," he said.
The Saintess nodded slightly, agreeing without a word.
For some reason, Percy sighed in relief. Even if they were no longer friends, at least they shouldn't be enemies.
He recalled his obsessive thoughts from a while ago. Since that incident, the Saintess Ye Zheng had become a distorted nightmare, preying on him.
But after entering the West District and seeing her in person again, he suddenly realized that there was no conflict between them, was there?
Percy paused, then continued trying to strike up a conversation: "Where's Sykes? Aren't you two moving together?"
In the blurred vision, the young woman beside him finally turned her head, her features becoming a little clearer. Percy heard her curious voice, "Why aren't Roy and Caleb with you? Your relationship is much better than mine and Sykes's."
A voice of displeasure came from the thick fog.
"It seems you are not too satisfied with our relationship, Saintess."
The blonde hair and red uniform were quite conspicuous in the fog. Ye Zheng watched the mass of low-spirited red and gold approach.
"No, I am quite satisfied with this purely cooperative relationship, Crown Prince."
Sykes's expression was a little odd. His golden eyes glanced at her. "I'm satisfied with this relationship too."
Ye Zheng gently raised an eyebrow. Judging by Sykes's reaction, he must have been informed of his emperor father's arrangement.
After this matter was over, she could find time to probe Sykes's attitude and try working through him.
If that failed, she wouldn't mind turning the wedding meticulously prepared by the adults into a funeral. This plan was actually the most interesting to her, but implementing it with her current strength and action points still carried some risk.
Percy cleared his throat. He answered the Saintess's question from before Sykes arrived.
"Bishop Kiran only asked to see me alone, so Roy and Caleb are waiting for me in the room... Lucy is missing. We came to the West District to find Lucy."
After speaking, Percy subconsciously observed Ye Zheng's expression. When she was Zhao Mei in the Cloud-Soaring Squad, her relationship with Lucy was the best. That kind of emotion shouldn't have been fake.
However, to his disappointment, Ye Zheng only frowned slightly and showed no further reaction to the news of Lucy's disappearance.
So he fell silent. The three walked in silence into the bell tower.
Pushing open the narrow door of the bell tower, the three squeezed into the tight space. A spiral staircase led to the top of the tower, and a white figure slowly descended the stairs.
"Good morning, children."
Kiran had soft blue hair. The faint light from the top of the bell tower shone on him, like an angel descending with a halo.
No one responded to him for a moment. Percy and Sykes felt a subtle shift in their feelings towards Kiran after yesterday's conversation.
They couldn't simply describe him as a good person, a bad person, an enemy, or a teammate. After Ye Zheng had pointed out his tactic of blurring the focus yesterday, the two young men also sensed the incongruity and unpredictable danger about Kiran.
"Good morning. May I ask if you have some important confidential matter that needs to be discussed in this specific location?"
Ye Zheng politely responded to him.
Kiran had already walked down the stairs and stood before the three, his eyes seriously scanning the young faces, as if looking at cherished treasures.
One of the man's hands suddenly braced against the wall. Ye Zheng's heart leaped, immediately sensing that something was wrong.
[Stream] instantly surged, almost wrapping around his hand, but the ground beneath them suddenly vanished. The three lost their footing and plummeted from the abruptly empty floor.
"Her target is you, so, stay in a safe place."
"Even if the entire West District is destroyed by her, preserving hope makes it all worthwhile."
The man's unreal voice echoed from above.
The three youths fell into a small, confined space with black, hard walls.
After picking themselves up from the unfamiliar floor, the three looked at each other in the darkness.
Even Ye Zheng, who had a deep understanding of Kiran, hadn't expected the man to imprison them for such a reason!
At the same time, a monster taller than the bell tower landed agilely in the back garden. Its massive form shook the ground for a moment.
The greater part of its body was a mighty black dragon, its wings folded as it quietly rested on the ground. But looking closely upwards, a minuscule woman's body was revealed at the very top. Pale skin was covered in large patches of black scales, and her eyes were entirely black, without a trace of white.
Author's Note: Can refer to Falin from Delicious in Dungeon, the combination of human body and dragon body.
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