Chapter 77-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation
Are you ready?
Everyone present was shaken to the core. The Saintess's face was still as gentle as the bright moon, yet when they looked at her, they felt as if they were being scorched, as if their very bodies and souls would be ignited by those deep, lustrous dark eyes.
Could they also be granted land for outstanding merit?
Could they also participate in the courts and the council?
Would they also have the opportunity to be recommended for higher positions?
If they wanted to obtain these opportunities, what price would they have to pay?
"I am ready!"
Aaliyah raised her hand above the crowd. Her enthusiastic and flippant smile was gone, replaced by a loud, clear declaration: "To offer courage and loyalty to the Saintess!"
The crowd was silent for a moment, then one after another, voices rose and echoed across the open ground.
"To offer courage and loyalty to the Saintess!"
Some followed out of faith, some submitted for personal gain. Yet, as everyone present looked at that tall, erect figure, a single, powerful thought filled their minds—she could give them what they wanted, be it faith, power, or anything they dared not even dream of.
Cheng Cheng silently retreated back into the excited crowd. Her sister, Cheng Che, stood beside her, looking at the Saintess not far away with admiration.
Cheng Che nudged Cheng Cheng with her elbow and whispered, "When we heard the Saintess was recruiting female knights, you looked way happier than me. Sometimes I really don't get what you're thinking."
"I admit she's kind and noble, different from the others in the Upper District. But that alone isn't enough."
Cheng Che teased, "Do you think it's enough now?"
"Well, I'm already here," Cheng Cheng muttered, turning her head away and crossing her arms.
Ye Zheng named this fifty-person team the Holy Journey Knights Order.
Fifty was just the beginning for the Holy Journey Knights Order. The first task Ye Zheng gave them was to investigate the people the Pope had come into contact with during his healing blessings in the Lower District.
Ye Zheng had Wende select a few people for the task. They were all ostensibly unemployed ability users who operated in the grey areas, like the sisters Cheng Cheng and Cheng Che.
They had previously engaged in illegal ability-related activities. Ye Zheng let bygones be bygones; she needed people like them, and often, they had few other choices.
In the lounge.
"Saintess, no suspicious individuals have been found nearby," Wende reported, leaning in to whisper in Ye Zheng's ear.
Ye Zheng nodded. She wasn't surprised by this result, but her vigilance was even higher.
The resources of high-rank ability users that the Pope and Sykes controlled were incomparable to hers. Their strange abilities were impossible to guard against. This was Sykes's territory; it would be very easy for him to set things up in advance.
However, since he had already gifted this place to her as a token of gratitude, then this was now the Saintess's territory.
"Wende, I see on the list that there are vision-type and space-type ability users. From now on, arrange for them to handle reconnaissance. Don't tire yourself out too much."
The broad-shouldered knight sighed. Wende's heart was far more delicate than her appearance suggested. "They just joined. Although I've done background checks on all of them, still..."
"Since they have sworn to offer me their courage and loyalty, I should repay them with trust."
Ye Zheng stood up from the high-backed chair and patted Wende's shoulder. "Relax. Whether it's loyalty or betrayal, there's always a way to resolve things."
If Sykes was truly monitoring her movements, she might even be able to use that to cause more trouble for the Pope.
Currently, the only ones who posed a fatal threat to her were the manga creator, who could go crazy with the plot, and Wen Jian. Once Wen Jian discovered certain things about her, with his suspicious and ruthless nature, he would undoubtedly move to eliminate her decisively.
What Ye Zheng could do was to place herself in a position that even the Pope couldn't easily shake before Wen Jian found out everything and came after her.
As a lifeform created by the previous Pope, what was Sykes's attitude towards the Sei Curia?
Ye Zheng had a gut feeling that when Sykes told her he "remembered many things," it was probably related to his own origin.
"Wende, no matter what they find, tell them not to make a scene."
She didn't mind revealing some of her investigation results to Sykes.
Taking advantage of the legitimate opportunity to visit the Lower District, Ye Zheng disguised herself and slipped out through a small side door of the training ground.
She came to Wen Xin's home again.
"How has she been lately?"
Ye Zheng picked up the tea Wen Xin had poured for her, and the two chatted in the living room.
The quiet woman shook her head, her expression a mix of helplessness and guilt. "She'll talk to me about her past life, things from her childhood, working in the factory, but as soon as the Pope is mentioned, she falls silent."
"Have you taken Zoya out at all?"
"No, she doesn't dare to go out."
Ye Zheng rubbed the teacup thoughtfully, then suddenly asked, "Have you told her what's been happening with the Pope recently?"
Wen Xin was taken aback. "She should know. I give her the newspaper every day to pass the time."
Ye Zheng nodded in understanding. She put down the teacup she hadn't touched and went into Zoya's room.
The young woman was sitting on a small sofa, holding a newspaper. Her complexion was rosier than the last time they met, but when she looked up at the person entering, her expression was still filled with obvious anxiety.
Ye Zheng pulled over a small stool and sat in front of Zoya. The low stool placed her at eye level with her.
She first surveyed the dim room, her gaze lingering for a moment on the heavy curtains that blocked out almost all natural light, where a small crack of light still seeped through. Then, she looked directly into Zoya's eyes.
"Do you want to go out?" the girl asked bluntly.
Zoya lowered her head, avoiding the girl's gaze. "Of course. No one wants to lose their freedom."
"It is the Pope who has imprisoned your freedom. You cannot see the light of day unless he is completely overthrown."
Zoya's voice held a trace of hesitation. "That's not possible. The Pope is so busy, how could he keep me in mind? He's in a lot of trouble recently, he's in no mood to remember me."
Ye Zheng laughed. "You have a point. He has no time for a missing test subject right now—no, to be more precise, a missing piece of Dragon Bone. He has plenty of test subjects."
Zoya's head shot up. "Impossible! I am the most important tes—"
The young woman suddenly cut herself off. She looked at the girl's smiling face and realized she had let it slip.
"You are the most important test subject? Then why are the people hunting you all trying to kill you? You admire the Pope, but he has probably forgotten your name."
"The name Wen Jian is most preoccupied with now is Sierra, the youth who ruined his carefully cultivated reputation of many years. A person like him doesn't remember favors, only those who obstruct him. Perhaps you could find another way to make him unable to forget you?"
Ye Zheng spoke quickly, and Zoya covered her ears as if she couldn't bear to listen anymore. "What admiration? What test subject? I don't know, I don't know anything! I swore an oath to him. If I break the oath and reveal his secrets, I'll be killed by the Oath-Binder's ability!"
"Are you all trying to get me killed!"
Watching her reaction, Ye Zheng knew she had guessed correctly. On one hand, Zoya was constrained by the Oath-Binder; if she revealed the secret she swore to the Pope to conceal, she would be instantly killed by this strange ability.
On the other hand, Zoya still harbored some special feelings for the Pope, the man who had helped her.
Ye Zheng raised an eyebrow, her tone rising. "Oath-Binder? As far as I know, that's just something the Pope made up to seem powerful. How could such an ability exist?"
"It's clear you adore the Pope, adore this man who not only used you as a test subject but also wants to kill you!"
Zoya couldn't take it anymore. She shot up from the sofa and grabbed the girl's shoulders. "Are you trying to call me a woman with no self-respect, controlled by love? If I were that foolish, I wouldn't have escaped on my own!"
"The Oath-Binder is real. He is monitoring my mind! The moment I think about revealing anything, I can feel death hanging over my head—"
Zoya clutched her head and sat back down, her face contorted in pain. "He's here... I can't say anymore..."
Ye Zheng's provocatively skeptical expression vanished. She reached out and stroked Zoya's head, [Stream] bringing peace to the suffering woman.
"I believe you. The Oath-Binder exists."
"Since you can speak of his existence, it seems your oath doesn't include him. Why don't you tell me about the situation when you met the Oath-Binder?"
Zoya felt a dampness in her hair, but it wasn't sticky. Instead, it was exceptionally refreshing and calming. The near-death feeling of fear dissipated, and she subconsciously obeyed the girl's words.
"I never saw him in person, but after I made the oath as the Pope instructed, I could feel the Oath-Binder's presence. Whenever I thought about anything related to the oath, the dread of death would envelop me. I became intensely aware that if I ever broke my oath, I would really die..."
Ye Zheng listened patiently, maintaining her posture of stroking the young woman's head. Only after Zoya finished speaking did she withdraw her hand.
"Thank you for telling me."
"I apologize for my rash judgment earlier. You are a woman with a free personality and noble dignity."
Ye Zheng gave a slight nod and left the room.
The young woman, left alone in the room, seemed to have been scalded by the girl's words. She trembled, a hint of shame appearing on her face.
Ye Zheng's trip confirmed one thing: the Pope was indeed using the Dragon Bone and [Hand of Spring]... no, it should be called [Mother of All Things], to conduct some unspeakable experiments, and many innocent people were involved.
Additionally, she had some new theories about the Oath-Binder's ability.
If breaking an oath would result in death anytime, anywhere, the ability would be far too powerful.
Moreover, if the ability user could bind a target with such a terrifying consequence without ever touching them, Wen Jian could probably even control the Emperor.
Therefore, Ye Zheng guessed that the so-called Oath-Binder merely inflicted a form of mental intimidation on the target. This would also explain why her own ability could so easily soothe Zoya's fear of "death."
However, a guess was just a guess. She couldn't risk Zoya's life.
A week later, the Saintess, who had been busy both openly and secretly, received a notice.
Following the deaths of two teams from the Upper District academies in a Demonic Domain a month ago, the Ability Tournament would officially resume next week.
All participating teams would gather once again in the Lower District to continue their struggle within the Demonic Domain, earning points for the competition. The one with the highest score would become the champion and receive the most generous and substantial reward in history.
[The spoiler has been updated! Quick, check your phone!]
The System's excited voice rang in her ear after a long silence.
"The spoilers are always about trivial plot points. They aren't very useful," Ye Zheng said lazily. She was wearing blue pajamas and leaning against the headboard, flipping through documents.
[This time is different! Not only can you see plot points related to yourself, but you can see the single most important scene from each chapter of the manga!]
Hearing this, Ye Zheng finally put down her documents and picked up her phone with interest.
Very good. Pushing the System once in a while is quite useful.
Author's Note:
Got emotionally wrecked by a game's story today. I struggled for a while to get my mood back in order to deliver this National Day update for you all. Happy National Day, my dears!
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