Chapter 270-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation
In the middle of the night, Wu Shu slowly opened her eyes under the dim light. She wiggled her stiff fingers, her mind a haze. Her weakened right hand groped toward the edge of the bed—then suddenly, the back of her cold hand met a warm touch.
A hand?
Wu Shu's eyes went wide, her pupils finally focusing.
"You're awake. How do you feel?"
Ye Zheng, seated at the head of the bed, set down her book and took Wu Shu's outstretched hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Ye Zheng, you... my hands..."
Wu Shu pushed herself upright, staring in disbelief at the hand Ye Zheng was holding.
Then she looked at Ye Zheng. Ye Zheng was studying her hand with an expression of genuine fascination, her dark eyes gleaming with curiosity—a bit like a cat. She examined and turned it over for a while before gently setting it down.
"All better. There shouldn't be any lasting effects."
Wu Shu stared blankly at both hands. She clearly remembered charging at that mechanical monster under Wen De's cover.
The creature's entire body bristled with spinning, razor-sharp gears, and a metal wind-up key protruded from its back. Her hands had already gripped the key, and Wen De's Bone Blades were jamming the monster's nimble mechanical arms. At the very moment of success, a spinning gear slashed toward her at blinding speed.
It was so fast that even Wu Shu couldn't react in time. Searing pain and the weightless sensation of plummeting hit her simultaneously.
Wu Shu had bitten through her lip. With her last ounce of strength, she blinked above the monster, used her falling body weight to stomp down on the key and wrench it in the opposite direction—then lost consciousness entirely.
In the small house, sitting up in bed, Wu Shu caught sight of Wen De standing guard at the door and quickly pieced together what had happened afterward.
Wen De had finished off the Demonic Domain, found the Dragon Bone, and Ye Zheng had rushed over after receiving the news.
Wu Shu flexed her fingers in disbelief, marveling in silent astonishment. Her lost arms had clearly been shredded layer by layer through the monster's gears. How could they possibly be back on her body, good as new?
Though many people sang Ye Zheng's praises to the heavens, some of it was admittedly overstated—like the "healing saint" title that had first resounded across the Empire. Impressive in volume of healing, perhaps, but the quality hadn't reached A-rank ability user standards.
Having observed Ye Zheng closely ever since crossing paths with her at the ability tournament, Wu Shu was certain of this.
Even accounting for power growth through practice, this degree of improvement was staggering. Her healing ability had jumped from A-rank to at least double-S-rank. It was simply inconceivable.
This kind of healing—creating something from nothing—Wu Shu had only ever heard of in legend. They said the first Pope of the Church of Hope had possessed such miraculous power.
"Your Holiness, you really are full of surprises."
Wu Shu broke into a grin and placed her hand on Ye Zheng's shoulder. There was no flippant amusement in her eyes—only sincere, weighty emotion. "Thank you."
She looked around the unfamiliar room. "Thank you for being willing to come all this way for me."
The longer an injury went untreated, the lower the chances of healing it. Wu Shu didn't know the current time, but she knew—Ye Zheng must have set out the moment she received word.
Ye Zheng lowered her head with a soft laugh, gracefully accepting Wu Shu's gratitude, though she felt such words were no longer necessary between them.
She looked Wu Shu over from head to toe, confirming that not only had her spirit returned, but her body was in good shape as well. Only then did she stand and gaze out the window. Deep within the night sky, the first light of dawn was already glimmering.
"Let's go—while it's still dark."
Ye Zheng's voice was barely a whisper, her dark eyes deeper than the night itself.
Wu Shu swung herself out of bed. Her body felt the lingering heaviness of extreme fatigue, yet not a trace of weakness showed on her face—as though she had merely taken a nap and was brimming with energy.
She followed behind Ye Zheng and inadvertently met Wen De's gaze. Wen De looked away and walked ahead in silence.
Wu Shu raised an eyebrow slightly. She wasn't surprised that Ye Zheng had come—what surprised her was that Wen De had chosen to notify Ye Zheng rather than simply patching up the wounds and bringing her back.
After all, Wen De knew better than anyone the risks of Ye Zheng traveling to the Middle District in person. No one was more unwilling than Wen De to see Ye Zheng put in danger.
"Has the Dragon Bone been taken care of?" Ye Zheng asked quietly.
"At daybreak, it will be shipped to the lower district along with the timber." Wen De replied.
The three walked along the grey, deserted street. Neatly trimmed flowers and grasses on either side hung with glistening dewdrops, sending forth a fresh, damp fragrance. A sliver of pale light crept up the horizon, gradually stained with red. Ye Zheng savored the moment with half-closed eyes. She rarely had the chance to quietly watch a sunrise. This trip had been well worth it.
She even felt like humming a tune. She had a premonition that this was the last moment of peace for some time to come.
She breathed a silent sigh. Her pace quickened—like dance steps keeping time with a melody. She raised her hand, and a glint of light flickered at her fingertips, looking at first glance like a branch chasing a dewdrop.
Wu Shu's brow creased. She turned to look at the flower beds lining both sides of the street. Blood was seeping out from beneath them, about to drip onto the main road—when, miraculously, it reversed course and flowed back in.
The air remained fresh and fragrant, as if nothing had happened at all.
The Assassins the Emperor had sent were no amateurs. Yet before Wu Shu had even sensed their presence, Ye Zheng had dispatched them with a flick of her fingers—silently and without a trace.
Wu Shu watched Ye Zheng's back ahead of her. She was even more formidable than at the coming-of-age ceremony. Her water ability no longer seemed to require large volumes of water—any stray droplet could become a lethal weapon.
Ever since killing Sykes, Ye Zheng seemed to have stepped onto a path approaching divinity.
Was that a good thing?
From the perspective of a subordinate—yes. From the perspective of a friend—she found herself grappling with feelings she couldn't quite articulate.
On the horizon, the sun's outline grew sharper. Wu Shu felt the faintly cool warmth on her skin and let out a long, deep breath.
Well, since the Emperor had already discovered that Ye Zheng had come to the Middle District, there was no need to hide anymore. They might as well enjoy the moment.
*
Inside the palace, the Emperor sat at his desk. Sunlight from outside the window slowly crept up his rigid body. His face betrayed no emotion whatsoever—like an ice sculpture that refused to melt.
Ye Zheng had gone to the Middle District.
He received no further reports. Perhaps the people sent to tail Ye Zheng would never return. But that didn't matter—he already had his answer. He knew exactly what Ye Zheng had gone to do.
It had to be for the Dragon Bone. Besides the Dragon Bone, the Middle District held nothing worthy of her personal visit.
—This madwoman hadn't given up on the Dragon Bone at all!
What was she thinking? What possible benefit could resurrecting the demon dragons bring her?
A vein throbbed at his temple. He even began to suspect that Margaret's soul might, like his own, be hidden away in some corner—orchestrating an elaborate scheme to strip him of everything!
"Don't... push me..."
This world existed for him. That conviction seemed to be imprinted in his mind from birth. Though he couldn't explain its origin, he was certain it was the reason he was here.
Suddenly, urgent knocking came from the door.
Sitting alone in the palace, the man was seized by an uneasy premonition.
The Emperor commanded the visitor to enter. The reporting Knight rushed to the desk, bowed hastily, and only then spoke:
"The North District—during the operation to expel Sierra, Dragon Bone has been discovered."
"The Dragon Bone is currently exposed in the outskirts of the North District. Both sides are locked in a standoff over it. Sierra has seized the Dragon Bone while the North District's forces have her surrounded. The outcome is still uncertain."
Having finished, the Knight finally had a moment to swallow. He stole a glance at the Emperor's expression—and immediately averted his eyes in alarm.
*
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