Chapter 92-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation

After dealing with Ye Fanjing, Ye Zheng turned and went upstairs, pondering a question.

Ye Fanjing's sense of smell shouldn't be this poor. She had seized the glory the Royal Family had crafted for Sykes; could Ye Fanjing truly believe the emperor was as benevolent as he appeared on the surface?

He must be hiding something from her, such as having privately reached some kind of cooperation with the emperor regarding her.

The young girl's dark eyes grew colder. She had to investigate the situation clearly before her coming-of-age ceremony.

Standing in the center of the living room, Ye Fanjing stared at his daughter's departing back, the smile on his face deepening.

When he first heard the news from the emperor, he was initially in disbelief, followed by a wave of apprehension and unease that almost made him drop to his knees.

His Highness Sykes had returned in failure, yet Ye Zheng had obtained such a crucial item. This was something the small Ye family absolutely could not bear!

Not until he heard His Majesty graciously propose a solution, a method that would allow both the Royal Family and the Ye family to bathe in the divine radiance of the God of Hope.

A middle-aged woman with a weary expression walked into the living room, carrying a bowl of soup. Seeing Ye Fanjing standing there inexplicably with a strange, twitching expression, she showed no concern for her husband and only asked, "Where's Zhengzheng? Has she gone up already?"

After a moment's hesitation, Shu Wan asked one more question, "What happened? Zhengzheng seemed quite happy when she just got back."

"Of course she should be happy!"

Ye Fanjing patted his wife's shoulder with emotion, but she shrank back as if uncomfortable, shattering the harmonious family atmosphere.

Meeting her husband's reproachful gaze, Shu Wan forced an awkward smile. It had been a long time since she had any physical contact with Ye Fanjing. She didn't care about his mistresses outside, or even his children.

Shu Wan occasionally fantasized that an illegitimate son would inherit the Ye family's assets instead of Ye Di, or that the Ye family would one day collapse completely. Not only would she not worry about these possibilities, but she would even derive a sense of liberated pleasure from them—

But no matter what, it was best for Zhengzheng and little Di that the Ye family grew stronger and stronger.

"Sorry, I'm not feeling well. Did something good happen during Zhengzheng's competition in the lower district?"

Ye Fanjing lost his interest in talking with his wife. He replied perfunctorily, "Of course it's a good thing."

"Didn't you mention her coming-of-age ceremony to me before? You can start preparing for it now. I'll draw up the guest list, and for the rest, just make it as grand and expensive as possible. Don't be constrained by your lower district stinginess. Our Ye Zheng's coming-of-age ceremony is destined to be recorded in the annals of the empire's history!"

Listening to her husband's exaggerated words, the unease in Shu Wan's heart grew.

She had mentioned Ye Zheng's coming-of-age ceremony long ago, but Ye Fanjing had only suddenly taken it to heart today. It should be a good thing, right? Ye Fanjing was Zhengzheng's father, after all...

Shu Wan paced in the empty living room, deciding to find out for herself.

Lower district, inside a small tavern.

Lucy dusted off her boots on the doorstep, her gaze suddenly pausing on them. It turned out she was wearing the pair Zhao Mei had given her today.

Ever since she started wearing the boots from Zhao Mei, she had never worn small high heels again and had even bought several similar pairs for herself.

Lucy's head shot up, her nose feeling a bit sour. She shouldn't call her Zhao Mei anymore. Her name was Ye Zheng. From beginning to end, there was only Ye Zheng.

She lifted the door curtain. Her teammates were sitting around a table, and none of them looked pleased. The atmosphere was somber.

"I secretly brought a bottle of wine. Anyone want to try?"

Lucy placed the red bottle in the center of the table. Percy finally lifted his downcast eyes, staring blankly at the bottle.

"My dad doesn't allow me to drink before I'm of age. A little secret sip should be fine, right?" Caleb said hesitantly.

"You guys go ahead. I don't need alcohol to numb myself yet. It's just losing one traitor with ill intentions—cough, cough!"

Lucy pulled out the cork and shoved the bottle's mouth into Roy's, who choked and let out a whimper for help.

"No, Lucy, you can't still be thinking about her, can you? She played us like dogs!"

Lucy's face showed her usual energetic and cheerful smile, which, in the current heavy atmosphere, seemed rather eerie. "Nope, I just want to cheer everyone up. Adults say that once you down some wine, your troubles go away."

The teenagers fell silent at the same time. After a long while, Percy left the small room without a word and soon returned with three more bottles.

Under the astonished gazes of his companions, he took a large swig, choking and coughing for a while before saying in a hoarse voice, "Alright, I've forgotten. Lucy, I won't be troubled anymore."

Caleb and Roy exchanged a glance and also took a swig. Lucy, on the other hand, took a small sip. It was a bit astringent; she still preferred sweeter, simpler drinks.

Percy's vision began to blur. The red wine on the table seemed to be the same as the bottle he had brought to the rooftop that night.

Zhao Mei, no, Ye Zheng had told him that minors couldn't drink, and that it was better to confide in her than to drink.

What had he confided in her back then? Was every single sentence utterly ridiculous?

He had told her about his dream of being a hero, and she had shattered his hero's dream with her own hands.

Percy suddenly stood up. He looked at his companions, who were already a little drunk, and declared in a resonant voice, "I swore that I would take you all to a bigger stage, to lead the people of our hometown away from the disasters of the Demonic Domains. This, no matter what happens, will not change."

"The four of us in the Cloud-Soaring Squad will definitely fulfill this wish! We will never back down!"

"Never back down!" the other teenagers promised with equally solemn expressions.

Percy wanted to say more, but a notification sound came from his phone. He opened it to see his points updated to 330, an increase of 50. Their ranking was still third, but now only ten points behind the Royal Team—

Ye Zheng, in her capacity as Zhao Mei, as a member of the Cloud-Soaring Squad, had acknowledged the result of that Demonic Domain.

This was the last gift from Zhao Mei to them.

As if he could bear it no longer, Percy suddenly ran out of the small room. Seeing the bustling crowds on the street, he bent over, hands on his knees, and gasped for air.

He needed an explanation! Why did she do this? Why didn't she spare them a single glance after obtaining the divine sword? Why, when they were at their most ridiculous and wretched, did she suddenly toss them a match that could ignite a warm, illusory shadow?

It took Percy a while to straighten up, his reason slightly returned. But when he saw the large poster of the Saintess on the shop across the street, he staggered back a few steps in a daze.

The people who were saved in the Demonic Domain had witnessed the miracle firsthand. Even though the Sei Curia had yet to make any statement, the scene of Saintess Ye Zheng descending like a god had already spread throughout the lower district. Even a randomly picked newspaper praised the true Agent of the God of Hope. The headline was no longer the progress of the Cloud-Soaring Squad's competition, which had been both a burden and an inspiration to him.

"Even if you let me bear all the glorious duties to the point of being overwhelmed, it's not a problem, you know."

Those words, which had been exceptionally warm in the cold wind, had now become a haunting curse.

Percy clutched his head in anguish.

After Percy left, Lucy returned to her room. She picked up a pen for the first time in a long while, wanting to write a letter to her mother.

She wanted to tell her mother many things, like how she had promised to bring four friends home to play last time, but now there were only three—if possible, she still wanted to bring her along. As long as Ye Zheng was willing to come home with her, they were still friends.

Her biggest worry wasn't actually about the Zhao Mei-Ye Zheng affair. Lucy suddenly realized that everyone else had something they wanted to do, but her own goals were still vague.

At first, she wanted to find a very capable and fashionable boyfriend, but now she had lost interest.

Percy had a grand goal, Caleb actually wanted most to revive his father's school, and Roy was hiding some secret. He seemed to be from the upper district as well and must have his own great ambitions.

And then there was Ye Zheng. She was a difficult person to understand, but Lucy could see her formidable drive. She must have a goal she had to achieve.

So what about her? As Lucy, what did she truly want to do?

Lucy couldn't find an answer. She scribbled some things at random and sent them to her mother.

She looked forward to receiving a letter from her mom in a few days. Fortunately, there was prize money from the competition, so she deliberately chose the more expensive but faster mail service.

But a few days later, Lucy didn't receive a letter from her mother, but instead, tragic news from the West District.

The competition was still ongoing, but Ye Zheng had been leisurely recuperating at home for a few days. It was impossible for her to return to the Cloud-Soaring Squad as Zhao Mei to compete. As for the Royal Team, Sykes probably wouldn't want to see her, an eyesore, for a while.

The Sei Curia only gave its response three days later—the Pope told her to bring the divine sword to see him.

When Ye Fanjing learned that she had brought the divine sword back, he hastily enshrined it in a separate room and even wanted to assign people to clean it daily, but Ye Zheng stopped him.

She sealed the longsword in its scabbard and wore it at her side. Ye Zheng looked at herself in the mirror, never expecting to have a day where she would wear a sword. She wasn't very skilled in swordsmanship.

It didn't matter. This sword was never meant to be drawn anyway.

She had thrown the real divine sword away in the Demonic Domain, letting it vanish along with the domain—at least, that was the news from the Holy Journey Knights Order. They hadn't found any trace of the divine sword on site, and the broken, giant statue of the god had also disappeared.

Before setting out, Ye Zheng carefully reviewed the information Wen De had sent her one more time. It was about Wen Jian.

She had read Wen Jian's file many times. From the age of twelve, every position he was promoted to, the people who promoted him—Ye Zheng knew it all like the back of her hand.

But this time, she had people investigate Wen Jian's ability.

Everyone in the empire knew that the Pope's ability was the life-restoring [Hand of Spring], but Ye Zheng had already learned from Qin Lu that [Hand of Spring] was originally named [Mother of All Things], an ability inherited by popes of successive generations.

This meant that, besides [Hand of Spring], Wen Jian also had his own ability.

Logically speaking, Wen Jian hadn't been doing very well before the 'Blood Flower' Incident. His own ability was, unsurprisingly, mediocre and not worth mentioning.

However, the file surprisingly couldn't pinpoint his previous exact ability. Even Cheng Cheng and Cheng Che, two experts who frequented the black market, couldn't dig up Wen Jian's original ability.

Perhaps it was to protect the secret of the Pope's ability being passed down through generations that the traces were deliberately erased, but Ye Zheng felt it wasn't that simple.

She felt a trace of unease not having a clear grasp of her enemy.

She composed herself and stepped into the church, happening to run into an old man who was just coming out. With white hair and a kind face, it was one of the cardinals, Abel.

Abel smiled benevolently. "He is waiting for you. Go in, child acknowledged by the God of Hope."

Ye Zheng smiled and nodded, then stepped inside.

When she saw Wen Jian's cold face under the stained-glass dome, she knew that Abel hadn't brought him any good news.

The Pope was elected by the College of Cardinals through a secret conclave, requiring a two-thirds majority vote. As far as she knew, Abel had not been among the two-thirds who supported Wen Jian back then.

"What should I say? Ye Zheng, we truly are bound by fate."

"Or perhaps, there was never any fate, and everything since you became the Saintess was meticulously calculated by you."

Wen Jian's face relaxed into a helpless smile. "Back then, when I told you to remember my name, you really did remember it firmly."

Ye Zheng tilted her head slightly. "Calculated? A man in his thirties or forties being calculated against by a teenage girl? You overestimate me."

"Whether it was becoming the Saintess or inheriting the divine sword of the God of Hope, it couldn't possibly be something a teenager like me could control, could it?"

Wen Jian laughed, his eyes a bottomless pit of gloom. "Then what about Sierra? Don't even think about fooling me about what happened in the Divine Plaza."

"You disguised your identity to mix with a team from the lower district, directing and starring in a 'Saintess's Execution.' Is this something a child acknowledged by the God of Hope should do?"

Wen Jian's voice carried a hidden threat, but Ye Zheng just smiled nonchalantly.

"I did it."

"You can tell the entire empire that I staged this whole show myself, with the goal of exposing your evil deeds from back then."

Ye Zheng strode forward, her hand stroking the radiant sword at her waist, closing in on Wen Jian.

Wen Jian looked at the girl who was taller than him and subconsciously wanted to step back, but he forcefully suppressed the instinctive urge.

"Do you think people will despise me, this duplicitous Saintess, and sympathize with you, the schemed-against Pope?"

Wen Jian's eyes grew even darker.

"No, it will only tarnish the only good card the Sei Curia has left to play. Even if you don't care, what about the others in the Sei Curia? The cardinals?"

The middle-aged man listened to the girl's words, silent for a long moment before letting out a cold laugh. "I really can't get a handle on you."

The controversy surrounding the Pope had thrown the entire Sei Curia into a state of anxiety. Who would have thought that the one to restore the Sei Curia's reputation and public opinion now would be Ye Zheng?

"Ye Zheng, what exactly do you want? Revenge for what happened back then?"

A hint of indiscernible anxiety had crept into Wen Jian's tone.

"I just want to climb higher, and you are a hidden danger."

Ye Zheng chose her words carefully. She wasn't lying, just being selective in her expression.

She still remembered what Zoya had told her about the Oath-Binder. In the presence of an Oath-Binder, anyone who went against their word would suffer a fatal backlash. This was the important reason Zoya had been hiding it.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration crossed Ye Zheng's mind. The legendary Oath-Binder, Wen Jian's unknown initial ability...

"If you want to climb higher, I'm afraid the hidden danger is not me, but the Royal Family."

Wen Jian mocked, his gaze fixed on the calm-faced girl.

"You don't want to be stripped of the power, status, and honor you now possess by the Royal Family, do you?"

"What do you know?" Ye Zheng asked bluntly. Since they had already torn off all pretenses, there was no need for her to feign anymore.

"Hahahahaha... The emperor is the most cunning and ruthless person I have ever met. If you knew what he has done, you wouldn't think what I did was anything."

Wen Jian shook his head, looking at Ye Zheng as if she were an ignorant child.

"In the empire, it's very simple to strip a woman of her wealth, status, and even abilities."

"Ye Zheng, you chose to become a Saintess who serves the gods for life because you are also well aware of this, aren't you?"

Ye Zheng shut her eyes tightly. It was no surprise to her that Wen Jian had exposed the Royal Family's scheme.

To plunder everything she had through marriage—truly vicious and effective.

She was a Saintess and, according to Sei Curia regulations, could not marry. But to achieve his goal, the emperor would surely resort to any means necessary. Things would probably not be peaceful for her from now on.

"Wen Jian, you must use all the power of the Sei Curia to protect everything I currently possess."

Wen Jian laughed as if he had heard the most preposterous thing. "You just stabbed me viciously in the back, and now you're demanding my protection?"

"Ye Zheng, I admit you are clever and resourceful, but the world does not revolve around you!"

Not only would he not help her, but once the situation stabilized, he would find an opportunity to kill her. Ye Zheng absolutely could not be left alive!

She wanted to climb higher? How high? To the position of Pope?

Even though there had never been a woman in five hundred years—no, it should be said, apart from the very first one, no woman had ever become Pope!

Every Pope had to work their way up from priest, bishop, and cardinal, accumulating seniority and defeating countless others before they could ascend. Even setting aside her gender, Ye Zheng was still a child who hadn't even come of age!

It was preposterous.

"Wen Jian, the Royal Family didn't hold back in their efforts regarding your affair. Hating me alone isn't enough. Or are you too scared to move against the Royal Family?"

"Don't provoke me. When enemies destroy each other, I bide my time and build my strength. That is the smartest choice."

"Will Abel give you the chance to bide your time?" Ye Zheng asked abruptly. Wen Jian's face twitched, contorting for a moment.

Ye Zheng knew she had guessed right. A faint smile flickered in the girl's eyes. She didn't press the attack with words but instead deliberately frowned, revealing a look of hesitation.

"Your Holiness, we are both besieged from all sides right now. Creating more enemies for ourselves is not a wise choice."

"I know you're worried I'll act against you. I admit I had that thought before, but now I see clearly what the biggest obstacle is."

Wen Jian's gaze was cold and scrutinizing, a smile playing on his lips. "You want to ally with me against the Royal Family, but entrusting my back to a two-faced little girl like you is hardly reassuring."

"If you won't believe my words, then let the legendary Oath-Binder witness everything."

"Before the Oath-Binder, promise-breakers will die. We can swear an oath together."

Ye Zheng quickened her pace of speech, as if eager to persuade him.

Wen Jian was taken aback at first, seemingly not expecting Ye Zheng to bring this up voluntarily. People in the Sei Curia had always been terrified of the Oath-Binder's existence. It was a crucial part of consolidating his rule, and one of his proudest masterpieces...

"Are you sure? If you break your promise, you will die from the backlash."

"On the condition that you, Wen Jian, swear the oath with me."

An unusual white mist suddenly filled the air around them, like an invisible observer.

Wen Jian smiled, like a tolerant adult. "I naturally will not break my promise. I can promise not to harm you and to assist you. How about that?"

Ye Zheng's eyes lit up slightly. "I can also promise to never harm you."

"Not enough, Ye Zheng."

So Ye Zheng solemnly said, word by word, "I promise to never harm you, Wen Jian, and to be forever loyal to you."

After making the vow, Ye Zheng's body couldn't help but tremble, a chill running through her as if she were enveloped by a terrifying aura. However, she secretly let the [Stream] wrap around her arm and quickly recovered.

The mist also dissipated.

Seeing this, Wen Jian let out his first genuine laugh of the day.

It wasn't until Ye Zheng walked out of the Sei Curia and got into the car that she finally relaxed her expression, even letting out a laugh so loud that the driver in front turned his head in curiosity—

The young miss rarely laughed so happily.

God of Hope above, my sincerest apologies. She had lied in the church, Ye Zheng thought without much remorse.

She had finally figured it out. The Oath-Binder was Wen Jian's initial ability, and it didn't have any 'death to the violator' effect at all. It was probably just a mental-type ability, which was why the soothing effect of [Stream] could also work.

Given Wen Jian's baseline, if he had such a useful ability, he would never have been demoted to the lower district as an unknown priest back then.

Ye Zheng hadn't been sure at first, until Wen Jian himself readily made the oath, promising to never harm her.

Wen Jian would never let her go, and she would never let Wen Jian go either.

Now, Wen Jian didn't know that she had seen through the secret of the Oath-Binder. She, on the other hand, could use his psychology to her advantage.

However, the most troublesome matter at the moment was still the emperor's malicious scheme.

That kind of thing, they could forget about even thinking about it.

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