3032 Who Is Lying?
The Black Druggist had been put into a hood. The kind of hood usually used for condemned prisoners. He could breathe, but he could not see anyone outside the hood.
The knights thought that the Black Druggist was a scum who had no right to see the Goddess.
The Black Druggist was plump. He was forced to fall on his knees below the observatory. He did not mind the knights’ rude behavior. Instead, he let out a strange laugh.
“You may stand down now,” said Ye Xinxia.
The knights looked surprised. They could not afford to leave the highly dangerous person alone with the Goddess.
Still, Ye Xinxia insisted for them to leave. Certain words were not meant to be heard by them, including her loyal knight, Hua Lisi.
Everyone left.
Only Ye Xinxia and the Black Druggist were at the observatory.
The Black Druggist did not hear anything. He only heard footsteps. He heard the crisp sound of heels. The Black Druggist couldn’t help but become agitated.
In his deepest memory of fear, he remembered the sound of heels. It was the sound of footsteps that terrified him so much as if someone had sucked his soul away.
“No, you don’t have to remove my hood…” The Black Druggist stopped laughing. He bowed down and dared not show any disrespect to the person before him.
“As the key man of Black Vatican, you could have kept yourself in the dark. Why did you show up?” asked Ye Xinxia.
“I did what I was supposed to do. The Mad Poppies are the perfect masterpiece that I leave for this world. It’s about time to sacrifice my humble skin. I should return to the heavenly kingdom of the Black Vatican,” replied the Black Druggist, respectfully.
“Do you know who I am?” asked Ye Xinxia once again.
“I…” The Black Druggist hesitated.
Salan’s former subordinates were aware that Ye Xinxia was Salan’s daughter.
Salan was born in the Black Vatican. After she got together with Wen Tai, she gradually distanced herself from the Black Vatican. Still, some of the members in the Black Vatican followed her. If Salan supported Wen Tai, they would do the same. They would also kill Wen Tai if Salan wanted to.
They had seen Ye Xinxia before. She was either curled up in Wen Tai’s arms or strived to hold Salan’s hand.
He remembered Salan disliked Ye Xinxia’s delicate look when she was young. Although Salan knew Ye Xinxia could not walk, she forced her to.
The Black Druggist disrespected the Parthenon Temple. He even dared to spit on Wen Tai’s grave. However, he dared not be rude to Ye Xinxia.
In fact, even as the Black Vatican’s former subordinate, the Black Druggist was unsure if Salan had abandoned her daughter or if Salan was actually training her daughter. No one could speculate what Salan wanted to do.
At that moment, the Black Druggist’s admiration for Salan only grew stronger.
If Ye Xinxia was part of them, then the Black Vatican had taken everything that belonged to them! The Black Vatican had never had a more glorious era than today!
“I’ll kill you. Before you die, you must do something for me,” said Ye Xinxia to the Black Druggist.
“The pleasure is mine.” The Black Druggist seemed to have ignored her first sentence.
Ye Xinxia stared at the Black Druggist. Even though his head was covered with a hood, she sensed that he simply did not care about his life.
Killing this type of person was tantamount to freeing him from his sinful life.
“I want to see her,” Ye Xinxia said to the Black Druggist.
The Black Druggist’s body trembled slightly. Of course, he knew who Ye Xinxia wanted to see.
Ye Xinxia was referring to Salan.
The Black Druggist was the only one who knew where Salan was. Only he could make the real Salan show up.
It seemed like Ye Xinxia had already figured out that the Daughter of the Fire Soul was not Salan’s true self.
After all, they were mother and daughter. Even Hall Mother, Pamise, had mistakenly thought that the woman who had transformed into the Daughter of Fire Soul and stood on the Golden Sun Tyrant Titan’s shoulder was Salan. However, Ye Xinxi was aware that the woman was just one of the thousands of Salan’s replacements.
The “experts” assigned to go after Salan would eventually die tonight. They had fallen into Salan’s other trap.
“I would like to serve you, but Lord Salan instructs that if you really want to see her, you must wear the ring. You have to find the ring yourself. It’s still in someone else’s hand,” said the Black Druggist.
“She still refuses to believe in me, huh? I killed Izisha,” refuted Ye Xinxia.
“Izisha should have been killed years ago. You should be aware that there’s nothing she fears more than your inclination toward your father. She needs you to take a stand first. Otherwise, she will continue hiding in the dark and destroy everything that you and your father have been protecting,” said the Black Druggist warily.
The Black Druggist was respectful to Ye Xinxia. But he still did not know what her stand was.
It was true that the Black Vatican and several Red Cardinals had interfered in the election. They pushed the envelope and helped Ye Xinxia to ascend the throne of the Goddess.
But was Ye Xinxia the true lord of the Black Vatican?
If she didn’t put on the ring, the Black Vatican’s former subordinates and all the Red Cardinals would never support her.
“I’ll put on the ring. I need the allegiance from the Red Cardinal, church patriarch, Chief Extraditor, Blue Deacon, and the Black Clergy,” said Ye Xinxia to the Black Druggist.
“Lord Salan only has one request. You must wear the ring. Once you wear the ring, all your wishes will be granted.”
The Black Druggist’s face lowered to the ground.
…
The Black Druggist was taken away.
Ye Xinxia returned to the Hall of the Goddess. As soon as she entered through the door, several female servants stared at her.
Ye Xinxia was puzzled.
Even though she had become the Goddess, it was just a title. Did it cause a drastic change to her appearance too?
“My lady, you can walk!” said Fiona in excitement.
Ye Xinxia froze in place. She had been walking all the way from the Goddess Peak. She hadn’t even noticed!
She had walked like a normal person. She did not look like she had been relying on a wheelchair or the help of others in the past few decades.
Ye Xinxia forced out a smile.
Fiona walked to her side to help her. She was worried that Ye Xinxia would feel tired after walking for so long.
When they passed by the antechamber, they heard a banshee-like scream. The scream echoed throughout the antechamber. While the other female servants and sages may not hear the scream, Ye Xinxia heard it very clearly.
“Who is being held down there?” Ye Xinxia pointed to the underground cell.
“It’s Mera. She still curses you. We should cut her tongue,” said a female sage who had taken over Parina’s place.
“Let me check on her,” said Ye Xinxia.
The female sage wanted to follow Ye Xinxia. Ye Xinxia waved her hand, and the female sage stopped in place and quietly retreated.
Ye Xinxia went down the dimly lit staircase. Although the basement gave off an air of dryness, it was cool.
The basement was used to lock up female servants and sages who had committed sins. It was designed nicely. However, everyone was aware that once they were locked up in the basement, it would be no different from being put behind the bars. They would not be allowed into important positions anymore.
Mera’s swears grew increasingly louder under the basement cell. Her voice echoed. A faint light fell on her. She had been removed from the clothes that belonged to a female sage. She looked no different from an ordinary woman.
Her hair was unkempt, and her voice was a bit hoarse. Still, she cussed at Ye Xinxia for being a scheming serpent. She said Ye Xinxia was hypocritical. She screamed about Ye Xinxia being the dirtiest human in the world.
Ye Xinxia heard everything. She arrived at the entrance.
As soon as Mera saw Ye Xinxia, Mera charged at her. But the moment Mera touched the light pillar cage, it scorched her hand. She grimaced in pain and rage.
“You’re a vicious woman! You did everything to gain the position as the Goddess. You colluded with the Black Vatican to get the position for yourself!” Mera rebuked.
“Didn’t you say I’m the Supreme Pontiff? If I’m the Supreme Pontiff, why do I have to collude with the Black Vatican? They work for me,” said Ye Xinxia.
“You’ll go to hell! You will!” shouted Mera.
Ye Xinxia did not say anything. She stood at the entrance. Mera cursed her endlessly. She cursed Ye Xinxia with all the swear words she knew.
Meanwhile, Ye Xinxia stood there and listened to Mera until she lost her voice.
It was already very late at night. Mera found that Ye Xinxia remained indifferent to her words. Just like Izisha. No matter how much hard work and sacrifice Izisha had put in for Parthenon Temple, she still lost to Salan. Thinking of this, Mera collapsed. Her rage turned into tears, and she wept. She felt numb with helplessness.
Ye Xinxia watched Mera’s every move.
Mera did not understand why Ye Xinxia continued to stay in the cell.
Ye Xinxia was already the Goddess.
She should be enjoying everyone’s flattery out there.
“There are some things I didn’t get to talk about with Izisha, but I think speaking to you will be the same as speaking to her,” said Ye Xinxia.
Mera looked at Ye Xinxia. She did not understand what Ye Xinxia wanted.
Ye Xinxia placed a wooden chair by the cell door. She sat sideways on the dirty chair. She looked at the gray walls.
“Izisha was very clever. She saw through Salan’s plan. She never stopped believing that I was the Supreme Pontiff. But she neglected one thing,” said Ye Xinxia.
Just then, Mera turned to look at her. It was clear that her curiosity was piqued. ‘Did Izisha miss out on something?’
“How exactly did the Golden Sun Tyrant Titan resurrect from the dead?” whispered Ye Xinxia.
“Hah! You don’t have to be so pretentious. You’ve won the election. There’s no one around. Admit it! You’re the only one in this world who possesses the Resurrection Divine Art.” Mera gave Ye Xinxia a disgusted look.
“I wasn’t the one who resurrected the Golden Sun Tyrant Titan from the dead,” said Ye Xinxia.
“You’re still lying! You lied to many people!” said Mera.
“There are no other people around. As you said, I’ve won the election, so there’s no need for me to tell lies,” said Ye Xinxia.
Mera stared at Ye Xinxia. ‘Was there truly a need for Ye Xinxia to lie at that moment?’ She didn’t think so.
If Ye Xinxia was not the one who resurrected the Golden Sun Tyrant Titan from the dead, who else could make the emperor-level Tyrant Titan reappear in Athens? The Black Vatican did not have such divine art!
And Izisha did not have the ability to do so, either.
Ye Xinxia did not resurrect the Golden Sun Tyrant Titan from the dead…
That meant the other person had been lying!
