Chapter 167-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation
Five days later.
"Miss Bai... Knight Bai, why are you here too?"
In the narrow alley, Percy looked in astonishment at Bai Muqing walking from the other end.
They had found some clues about the assassination attempt on Ye Zheng. A group of people had been constantly publishing articles targeting Ye Zheng in newspapers and publications. He suspected that the attack on Ye Zheng might be related to that group.
"That sentence, I should be the one asking you."
The young girl's white pupils looked straight at him.
Percy replied, "I came to visit the editor-in-chief of a newspaper office. That newspaper is backed by the Curia and has recently published many remarks unfavorable to Ye Zheng. We suspect that Ye Zheng's matter has something to do with the Pope."
"Maybe he wants to take this opportunity to bring down Ye Zheng."
Bai Muqing's expression didn't change, but her tone held a trace of puzzlement: "You, why are you helping Ye Zheng?"
"No matter what Ye Zheng's father did, she is innocent and shouldn't suffer this kind of thing."
Percy's voice was calm and firm, looking every bit the image of righteousness.
Bai Muqing's expression turned odd, her tone even more confused and puzzled, "Do you know the name of the person in charge of the Amber Lake project?"
"Is it called Liao... Liao Yan?" Percy asked hesitantly.
Bai Muqing gave a nearly imperceptible smile. She rarely smiled, and Percy didn't feel friendliness from her expression; instead, he felt like he had thorns in his back.
Soon, he realized Bai Muqing seemed to be mocking him. It was hard to imagine that such a cold person could also be sarcastic.
Bai Muqing didn't mean to be sarcastic or mock others; she genuinely thought Percy's way of thinking was strange.
He seemed to care and feel indignant about the Amber Lake accident, yet he didn't remember the direct perpetrator of this event.
His words tried hard to express that he didn't blame Ye Zheng because of the Amber Lake accident, yet he kept Ye Zheng and Ye Zheng's father on his lips at all times.
Ye Fanjing was guilty of negligence in supervision and suspected of accepting bribes, but the existence of the person in charge who actually embezzled the workers' resettlement fees and directly caused the accident was surprisingly less present than Ye Zheng.
Bai Muqing frowned and said nothing more, turning to walk into the alley on the right.
Forget it, Percy at least saved innocent people. Let's just assume his brain doesn't work well.
She was also here to find that newspaper editor. This newspaper had always been a loyal adherent of Saintess Ye Zheng, but these days the pen had turned, surprisingly deliberately pouring dirty water onto Ye Zheng.
The person behind the scenes had even bought off this newspaper office to smear Ye Zheng, clearly intending to dismantle Ye Zheng's supporter base.
After being assassinated, Ye Zheng was recovering at home. The Ye family had refused visitors recently for safety, so she could only investigate on Ye Zheng's behalf.
Bai Muqing walked faster and faster, and Percy followed behind. His goal was the same as hers, so Bai Muqing had no reason to stop him.
She stopped in front of a modest iron door, somewhat surprised. This house seemed ordinary, but even this door used extremely sturdy special metal materials, unlike a residence for an average person.
While Bai Muqing was pondering, Percy stepped forward and knocked on the door.
Bai Muqing closed her eyes; she could already "see" the person inside. It was a woman in her twenties or thirties, wearing a simple long dress, walking towards the door.
Percy waited patiently for a while. Just as he was about to knock again, the door suddenly opened, revealing a face wearing a friendly smile.
"Two little students, who are you?"
"Hello, I am Percy, and this is Miss Bai Muqing. Is it convenient for us to disturb you for a moment? We have some matters we want to ask you about, Miss Editor-in-Chief."
"My name is Wen Xin. You can call me Sister Wen or Auntie Wen."
The woman standing at the door welcomed the two young people in.
Percy walked into the tidy room, realizing in hindsight that the woman's reaction was a bit strange.
Not that he was narcissistic, but this Sister Wen was a newspaper editor-in-chief, and he possessed a certain fame in the Lower District, yet she didn't recognize his face, and didn't even have a special reaction after he gave his name.
Percy immediately became alert. He only took a symbolic sip of the tea the woman handed him.
Bai Muqing, on the side, drank a small half. After finishing, she asked straightforwardly, "Who is instructing you to attack Ye Zheng?"
Wen Xin's movements paused. Her eyes patrolled the two youths, and she raised her eyebrows subtly. "Attack? You've got it wrong. I wouldn't do such a thing."
Bai Muqing subconsciously thought the woman in front of her wanted to deny it. Just as she was about to take out the evidence, Wen Xin spoke again.
"These days, I have already received many complaint letters, and even letters with death threats. Many people feel we were bought off to deliberately slander the Saintess. Coupled with the Saintess's recent assassination, people are extremely angry."
When Wen Xin said "death threats," she smiled happily as if the person being threatened wasn't her.
"Your concern for the Saintess is worthy of affirmation, but... who can easily harm Saintess Ye Zheng?"
The air was silent for a moment. Percy's grip on the teacup tightened. Under the woman's tolerant and helpless gaze, his eyes widened as he realized something.
Bai Muqing stood up abruptly. She had figured it out—whether it was this newspaper office or this editor named Wen Xin in front of them, they had been Ye Zheng's people from the beginning!
It was Ye Zheng who was deliberately inciting remarks unfavorable to herself!
In that case, that assassination was very likely her arrangement too...
Bai Muqing's face darkened slightly. She didn't even care to say a polite goodbye and walked straight out, only to hear the sound of a key turning in the house's main door. The door was pushed open, and another young woman returned to the house.
"Wen Xin, Lady Saintess wants to... in the Lower District... You are?"
Running into a strange girl at home, the young woman's excited voice came to an abrupt halt.
"Zoya, tell me, what does Lady Saintess want to do?"
Zoya looked at the two youths who appeared in the room. She calmed down a little, but her voice held uncontrollable excitement.
"Three days from now, Lady Saintess wants to hold a public sermon at the Divine Plaza in the Lower District!"
Wen Xin didn't seem surprised. She smiled and nodded, "It seems there are new articles to publish."
Three days later, the empire's Friday. This day was destined to be a day worth remembering.
Pope Wen Jian was accused of being the murderer in a homicide case fifteen years ago and received a summons from the Upper District court. The Presiding Judge of the Ability Court would face an internal trial by the Ability Court on this day due to negligence and old cases from his term as High Judge.
However, the most eye-catching event was Saintess Ye Zheng's public sermon at the Divine Plaza in the Lower District.
Initially, many people implicated Saintess Ye Zheng because of Ye Fanjing's negligence.
However, after Ye Zheng was assassinated, many people sobered up amidst their shock. In the aftermath of this outrageous accident, it was actually the most innocent Saintess who paid the price. Was this really reasonable?
Aside from the recent disputes, Saintess Ye Zheng was the only Godsent in five hundred years of the empire to receive the acknowledgment of the Divine Sword and the Blood of the God. The incident of the monster killing people at Amber Lake made people even more fearful of the future. People needed fair punishment, but they also needed an inspiring banner.
Thus, Ye Zheng chose to hold a public sermon today.
Two maids worked together to put on a magnificent headdress inlaid with pearls and gemstones for her. The falling white veil obscured her long black hair. Ye Zheng lifted her cuff stitched with gold thread and gently touched herself in the mirror.
This was the attire from when she was ordained as the Saintess at fourteen.
The clothes had been altered to be larger; the dress was cut into a coat. After all, she was only 1.7 meters tall at fourteen, and now she had grown to 1.75 meters. It was impossible to fit into the old clothes.
The headdress and accessories hadn't changed. She had clearly grown taller and stronger, yet she felt they were extremely heavy, just like when she was fourteen.
Ye Zheng shook her heavy head, causing the maid on the side to laugh quietly. The Head Maid, who was getting on in years, sighed with emotion, "Nearly four years have passed. The day you were ordained, the day I dressed you up, feels like yesterday."
The younger maid wasn't interested in sentimental moments. She said grinningly, "Miss is the Saintess and won't marry. As long as you are still the Head Maid in the Ye family, you have the chance to take care of our Lady Saintess every day."
"I won't marry, and I won't stay in the Ye family forever, you know."
The little maid was confused. "Then where will you go?"
Ye Zheng stood up. She asked back, "If the Ye family is no longer here, where will you go?"
The old Head Maid's expression changed slightly. The little maid pondered carefully and answered hesitantly, "Find another job as a maid? Or possibly marry under my parents' arrangement?"
Ye Zheng blinked at her. "If there is nowhere to go, come find me then."
Ye Zheng went downstairs in her grand attire. People passing by revealed expressions of awe and admiration, only Shu Wan's face changed upon seeing her.
She stepped forward and grabbed Ye Zheng's hand, whispering urgently, "Zhengzheng, it's not suitable to dress like this today..."
Those people questioned her because of Ye Zheng's noble background. If she appeared in the Lower District dressed so magnificently, it would probably cause controversy again.
"It's fine, Mother. I have my own arrangements."
Ye Zheng comforted her. Her gaze touched the large, lustrous pearls adorning Shu Wan's ears, and she gently stroked them.
She suddenly asked, "Mom, do you like these earrings, this big house?"
Shu Wan froze for a moment, then gave a slightly tired smile. "I used to like them very much. Now that you mention it, I forgot I was wearing them."
When she first wore them, the slight pulling sensation on her earlobes made it hard to adapt, but later she got more used to it. It was as if they became a part of her; there seemed to be no difference between wearing them and not wearing them.
Shu Wan took off the pearl earrings. Her earlobes felt lighter. At this moment, she suddenly discovered that these ornaments didn't become lighter just because they were worn for a long time.
"Alright, I don't like them anymore."
When Shu Wan expressed her true feelings, her heart felt relieved as if a heavy accessory had also been unloaded. She suddenly understood what Ye Zheng was going to do.
Shu Wan's fingertips traced Ye Zheng's face. This face was no longer childish. She remembered when Ye Zheng wore this outfit at fourteen, she had privately complained that she looked like a large vase inlaid with gold and jade.
What did she say to her back then? It seemed to be things like "very beautiful," "endure it," "Mother, Father, and little brother are all proud of you."
The current Ye Zheng could handle this magnificent outfit with great imposing manner, more majestic than any noble in the Upper District, but she wasn't wearing them to conquer or handle them—
It was to tear them to shreds.
"Go break free from all this, Ye Zheng. The world is expecting you."
Rarely, there was no smile on Ye Zheng's face. Her pair of round, bright black eyes gazed earnestly at her mother. A moment later, she took her mother's hand and performed a kiss of the hand.
"I'm setting off."
Her voice was brisk as she turned and left.
Author's Note: Took the high-speed train for fifteen hours back to my hometown today, just typing intermittently on my phone on the train like this...
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