Chapter 248-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation
"Ye Zheng, do you have any idea what you're doing? You're shattering five hundred years of hard-won peace!"
Bai Yi burst into the palace hall, his voice a sharp rebuke.
He had considered the possibility of Ye Zheng striking back, but never in his wildest imagination had he expected her to know the deepest secret of the Royal Family and the Bai clan—let alone expose it before the entire nation!
He knew the Emperor had gone to painstaking lengths to ruin Ye Zheng's reputation, even setting up additional public Projections at the last minute.
Now every last one had become Ye Zheng's boomerang—and every throw was lethal.
…No, there was still a chance. Ye Zheng had been fabricating evidence all along. The Dragon Bone in the South District was clearly buried in the city center. And as for the white bones Sierra had brought, there was no direct proof they were Dragon Bone.
If they denied everything and then produced evidence of the forgery—and followed the original plan to reveal the existence of the demon dragon's host—there was still room to maneuver.
Bai Yi racked his brain for a way out, but the moment he met Ye Zheng's half-amused gaze, his heart sank.
"Peace? You mean the fragile illusion of tranquility, built on the suffering and endurance of the majority?"
Bai Yi fired back heatedly, "We lied—but the truth would only make this world worse! The doomsday catastrophe is on its way. What you've done won't bring unity—it will bring civil war…"
"If this nation fractures and weakens because of your recklessness today—if it stands helpless before the coming disaster—"
"Ye Zheng, you will be the people's sinner!"
The thunderous accusation reverberated through the hall. Ye Zheng rested her head on one hand, savoring the word "sinner" as if she found it entertaining. She let out a soft laugh.
Ye Zheng didn't bother refuting him. She rose and walked to Bai Yi's side, dark eyes dancing with light amusement.
"Before I become the people's sinner—"
"I will have swept you into history's dustbin."
Boom! Flames scorched the vaulted ceiling crimson. Bai Yi erupted in fury—fire shot up directly from beneath Ye Zheng's feet, and the terrifying heat incinerated the nearby walls in an instant.
Ye Zheng stood calmly amid the blaze. Her short black hair drifted in the flames, every strand gleaming and utterly undamaged—on closer inspection, they even shimmered with a watery sheen.
Bai Yi stumbled back, staring at her in disbelief. His expression was even more extraordinary than when he had heard her declaration moments ago.
The middle-aged man seemed to age a decade in a heartbeat. He murmured, incredulous, "Ye Zheng… what are you?"
His attack had not been impulsive. Killing the Pope would bring enormous trouble, true—but nothing was more troublesome than Ye Zheng's continued existence.
For the sake of this nation, for the duty on his shoulders—even if it meant bearing infamy, being spat upon, sacrificing his life… he had to seize this chance and kill her!
And yet—why couldn't his flames, renowned throughout the Empire and supposedly infallible, so much as singe the hem of her clothes?
"Who are you, really?" he pressed, almost delirious.
"Your Holiness!"
A group of people burst into the Pope's inner chambers. The elderly nun at their head took one look at the burning flames, eyes darting, and bellowed in her aged voice, "Someone, quickly! Duke Bai is attempting to assassinate Her Holiness!"
The cry shook the entire Papal Palace. Footsteps converged from every direction.
The flames gradually died down. Even as he was led away, Bai Yi still could not fathom how someone like Ye Zheng could exist.
Watching Bai Yi cuffed in specialized restraints and escorted out by knights, Ye Zheng's expression remained placid from start to finish. The old nun attending her was equally composed—not a trace of the earlier alarm.
Ye Zheng ran a hand through her hair. [Stream] had receded, but a cool dampness still clung to her skin.
Perhaps if Bai Yi had pressed on a little longer, he might have burned through the water membrane. But even so, it would not have changed his fate.
"I thought you'd kill him on the spot. You certainly had a legitimate case for self-defense."
The voice of Marcy, the first Pope and an authority on Imperial law, spoke up suddenly in her mind.
"His strength no longer poses a threat to you."
"That's true." Ye Zheng's eyes curved. "But I have other, more useful plans for him."
Marcy let out an "Ah" inside her head, as if something had just clicked. She laughed. "For a moment I almost thought you were showing mercy because of a certain young lady."
"But then again, you didn't hesitate with your own father, so of course you wouldn't spare Bai Yi over something like that."
Ye Zheng gazed at the charred wall, thinking of what lay ahead. Her tone softened slightly. "This is the punishment they deserve. I won't waver."
"As for Muqing… I may feel somewhat sorry, but that's all I can offer."
*
The lower district. A main street in the South District.
"Ahhh—help! Someone help!"
"Why the hell are these monsters inside?! Where did everyone go?!"
The South District's most luxurious hotel swayed on its foundations. Guests scattered in all directions. A terrifying dragon coiled atop the building, surveying the chaotic district below with a deep, resonant bellow.
Sierra stood on the dragon's back, arms folded, red eyes narrowed to slits. Wind whipped her golden hair into disarray. Her expression was thoroughly sour.
She had ordered the creatures to smash through the wall, but they had broken free of her control at the last moment, nose-diving into the ground in front of the wall with the Dragon Bone in tow. Then they had flown frantically to this part of the district, ignoring her completely—like dogs that couldn't understand human speech. Infuriating.
Sierra observed the Dragon-Bodied Humans' movements from her vantage point. Her irritated face slowly gave way to a contemplative look.
She didn't like using her brain—that was a weakling's way of cheating. But that didn't mean she wasn't smart, or couldn't think.
Besides her control-type ability, only one thing could draw them like this—Dragon Bone.
They had veered off course mid-charge, most likely because they had caught Dragon Bone's scent. And now they had flown here and refused to leave—which meant there might be Dragon Bone buried right beneath this area!
The realization delighted her. Sierra leaped off the dragon's back. Black wings unfurled to catch her, gliding downward.
The dragon touched down. Sierra hopped off and casually lopped off the head of a screaming, fleeing priest in passing.
The terrified expression froze in place. The severed head hit the ground, dilated eyes reflecting Sierra's figure as she dropped to the ground, pressed her ear flat against the earth, and listened.
"Can't feel a thing."
Sierra stood and scratched her hair. Her brow furrowed, then relaxed. In the end, she chose to trust her instincts.
"The Dragon Bone is definitely down there."
Sierra was mulling over how to break through the ground and dig deep when a quavering voice shrieked at her.
"It's—it's Sierra! She's inside!"
"Quick, quick—someone kill her!"
Sierra tilted her head, puzzled. All she wanted was to find the Dragon Bone here as fast as possible. Why were these people lining up to die?
At the southern edge of the district, the Holy Journey Knights Order had cordoned off the white remains outside the wall, barring anyone from getting close.
In a quiet, deserted corner, Wu Shu handed the bone back to Wen De.
"I never imagined Knight Wen De's ability could be used like this."
Wu Shu marveled.
There had been no Dragon Bone buried under the ground outside the wall at all. Wen De, hidden behind the wall, had activated her ability—bone blades piercing through the earth and growing outward past the wall, creating the illusion of "accidentally unearthed Dragon Bone."
Wu Shu didn't yet know the public's reaction, but she guessed the effect had been decent. After all, what Dragon Bone looked like or whether it was real didn't matter—the truth Ye Zheng had spoken was what truly counted.
Wen De nodded at the compliment, her tone measured and composed. "This time, it was your ability that made the difference. On behalf of Her Holiness, I thank you."
Wu Shu studied Wen De for a moment, then clapped her hard on the shoulder. "Why thank me?"
"Does Ye Zheng always speak to you this formally when you do things for her?"
Wen De blinked. "I'm a subordinate who follows her. Of course she doesn't need to—"
Mid-sentence, she grasped Wu Shu's meaning. She looked at Wu Shu for a long moment, then dipped into a slight bow. "My apologies. That was presumptuous of me."
Wu Shu laughed and slung an arm around Wen De's shoulders like an old friend. "Come on—I just don't like people being too formal with me."
Faced with the sudden warmth, Wen De managed an awkward smile—but deep down, she was happy for Ye Zheng.
Wu Shu knew too much, and she was shrewd and sharp. Wen De had felt suspicion, even wariness—there had been a fleeting moment when she had seriously weighed the pros and cons of dealing with this woman.
But on second thought, doing so would be an insult to both Ye Zheng and Wu Shu.
Wen De had watched Ye Zheng grow from a belittled, manipulated young Saintess into a revered, powerful Pope. She was confident she understood Ye Zheng better than even Madam Shu, her own mother—and she ached for Ye Zheng more than anyone over the hardships of her journey.
That was precisely why she should feel confident and proud on Ye Zheng's behalf. Ye Zheng deserved all the trust and devotion this world could give.
*
The dignitaries who had attended the Imperial Palace luncheon had witnessed the plan unravel and the Emperor's sudden breakdown. The meal ended in farcical chaos, and they left the palace in bewilderment—only to learn from their frantic servants, once home, what had actually happened.
"…That is the situation, Prime Minister."
The old man's hand froze around his teacup. It was a long moment before he came back to himself and gulped down a large mouthful of water, as if to steady his nerves.
He choked suddenly, coughing uncontrollably. A servant stepped forward to pat his back—but the old man caught, out of the corner of his eye, the cold, suppressed expression on the servant's face.
Ye Zheng had risen from Saintess to Pope at a young age, and he had never considered her a threat. The Empire had seen Pope after Pope come and go; Ye Zheng was simply one with a slightly unusual background. He was no Colonna—that skittish, dim-eyed old fool who startled at everything.
But now, this veteran Prime Minister felt a profound sense of danger.
He pushed the servant away with trembling hands, then ordered the butler to have him removed from the household.
More than the lie-versus-truth about Dragon Bone, what stunned him was Ye Zheng's audacity.
In a mere ten minutes, Ye Zheng had shaken an entire nation's trust in them!
The seasoned Prime Minister's clouded eyes rolled as he calculated. Even thinking with his toes, he could guess how furious the commoners were right now. And it wouldn't be limited to the lower district—even the normally docile Middle District would be seething.
At a time like this, the best move was to push someone forward to take the blame and quell the anger. That way, the commoners on his own lands wouldn't get out of hand.
A glint of cunning flashed in the old man's eyes. They knew nothing about any of this. The Aston Royal Family's sins were the Aston Royal Family's to answer for.
Given the magnitude of the fury, it would probably take His Majesty himself stepping forward.
*
As evening fell, the Emperor sat quietly upon his throne, staring into the empty palace in a daze.
Word had just arrived: Bai Yi had been detained by the Sei Curia on charges of attempting to assassinate the Pope. The campaign against Sierra had ended in utter defeat.
Worthless—every last one of them! Why was he surrounded by nothing but useless fools?!
The Emperor's hands clenched the throne, veins bulging. His face twisted into something feral—a caged beast shackled to its seat.
It was just one insignificant lie she had exposed. What did it truly matter where Dragon Bone was buried? If Ye Zheng thought this alone could strip him of his throne, she was utterly deluded!
But if she really did push him into a corner with no way back…
A smile crept across the man's face—wild, reckless, with nothing left to lose. His golden eyes blazed.
If this world didn't belong to him, then what was the point of this world existing at all?
*
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