Chapter 189

In the Pope’s Palace, after finishing her morning prayers, Ye Zheng received a high-ranking noble who had a land dispute with the Church. After briefly discussing a solution and sending the other party away, she lowered her head at her desk and began handling other matters.

As a newly appointed Papess, even just the transfer of responsibilities kept her extremely busy. Fortunately, she had intentionally observed the activities of various Church departments in the past and was already familiar with the internal power structure, so she adapted quickly. This allowed her to immediately begin cleaning things up.

The corruption inside the Church was shocking — selling clerical positions, imposing heavy taxes, wasting public funds, forging fake holy relics, and more.

The empire was very familiar with Saintess Ye Zheng. In everyone’s eyes, the Saintess was a selfless, kind, and loving chosen one of heaven. But what kind of person was Papess Ye Zheng? Many people were watching closely with raised heads.

Especially certain people in the Upper District. The Papess’s authority could move too many interests. They were hiding in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity.

Ye Zheng lowered her eyes. The document in her hand was an investigation report about a certain bishop in the Upper District who had neglected his duties. The investigators were requesting a Church tribunal.

She picked up the seal and stamped the document with the Pope’s mark, approving the request. The tribunal would be held that very same day.

The Saintess’s mercy did not belong to parasites. Ye Zheng would show them that the new Papess would bring down a storm of thunderous measures!

Once these parasites were cleared out, the people would live more easily, and even stronger public support would gather around her. Moreover, after they were gone, she would have space to promote her own people.

Ye Zheng had never forgotten the words she once spoke when founding the Order of Sacred Conduct—

“I can’t definitively tell you that you will definitely receive treatment completely equal to that of the Holy Temple Knights.”

“The only thing I can guarantee is that wherever I can reach in the future, I will bring you there with me. I will be the reachable, even surpassable, dome above you.”

Now she could confidently tell them that they would soon receive treatment equal to, or even surpassing, that of the Holy Temple Knights. And more and more companions would walk upward together with them.

Ye Zheng held the bright red seal. The flickering light in her eyes burned even brighter than the seal itself. This was power. Things she once had to carefully plan for could now be done with a single stamp.

She could appoint bishops according to her will, manage dioceses, control Church councils and their resolutions, and even mobilize the Church’s military forces.

Perhaps because there were too many things she could now do as Papess, Ye Zheng couldn’t immediately find the clearest goal or the most precise path forward.

Her short-term goal was to kill Sykes and break the death ending. Her long-term goal was to destroy the dragon bones and prevent the apocalypse.

Her ultimate goal was to build a relatively fair and stable society — one without Aberrant Realm invasions, without severe oppression, and without unreasonable “settings.” A society where talented girls like her mother could fully express their abilities.

Ye Zheng vaguely understood in her heart that with her personal strength alone, she could only achieve the first two goals. The ultimate goal was not something she could accomplish by herself.

But she only needed to keep moving forward on the path of light. More and more people would follow behind her, and someone would surely continue the road she could not finish.

A faint, almost imperceptible sigh suddenly echoed in her mind.

“Mercè?”

『Mhm, it’s me.』

“I remember you said that to conserve energy, you usually stay dormant within your consciousness. Why did you suddenly wake up today?”

『I thought you might need help, whether it’s getting familiar with 【Mother of All Things】 or adapting to the Papess’s work.』

Ye Zheng smiled. “I can handle the Papess’s duties for now.”

“You saw from my memories how I won those people over and brought them under control, didn’t you? I suspect every Papess after me has relied on the same methods. That’s why they’ll inevitably support whoever inherits 【Mother of All Things】.”

Ye Zheng’s expression grew serious. She naturally understood the methods Mercè was referring to. The healing power of 【Mother of All Things】 was so overwhelming that it could practically drag someone back from the Reaper’s grasp. Even those seated at the very top, drowning in wealth and authority, couldn’t escape the lingering fear of death.

Five hundred years ago, it was precisely by depending on this ability that Mercè had united the scattered factions, established the Church of Hope, and risen as its very first Pope.

Because of that, even if Old Colonna knew she was the one who had killed Riley and Wen Jian, he still had no choice but to support her ascension to the papacy. She had already obtained the preliminary inheritance, and only by becoming the Pope could she fully claim the complete power of 【Mother of All Things】.

It probably wouldn’t be more than a few days before Old Colonna sought an audience. She had heard long ago that he suffered from a terminal illness, yet when she last saw him, he’d looked perfectly healthy and full of vitality, something that was undoubtedly due to the many benefits he’d received from 【Mother of All Things】.

“But I despise them,” Ye Zheng said, her tone light as she spoke those stubborn, almost capricious words. “I don’t want 【Mother of All Things】 to bestow its blessings on them.”

She heard Mercè let out a quiet laugh, as if she were watching a student throw a small fit. Her voice became slower, more patient.

“Temporary compromise and feigned obedience can carry us much further. Today, you must use your ability to aid and placate them, so that tomorrow, you can raise your hand and send them to the gallows.”

“You’re only an SS-class ability user, and your era has constructed even harsher barriers against women, yet you’ve still become the youngest Papess in history. I believe you understand this principle better than I do.”

Ye Zheng rested her chin against one hand, her gaze turning thoughtful. “I understand. For the sake of long-term benefits, temporarily aligning with enemies is indeed a useful strategy.”

She had done exactly that before. At different points, she’d cooperated with people like Wen Jian and Sykes.

But now, she was no longer beneath anyone. She hadn’t gone through all that effort to become Papess just to pretend to get along with people she detested. Besides, Mercè had ultimately died at the hands of her enemies within the Church, which only proved that the methods of the first Papess had contained serious flaws.

A faint glimmer of sly cunning suddenly flickered deep within Ye Zheng’s eyes.

“Mercè, did you ever try to use 【Mother of All Things】 to... control them or threaten them?”

“From what I understand, 【Mother of All Things】 can do far more than just heal. It can create all kinds of strange and unnatural creatures. Is it possible that it could also induce certain illnesses, or perhaps produce something that would compel others into obedience...?”

“When I’m dealing with enemies, I much prefer using threats and control instead of granting favors.”

Mercè fell silent for a brief moment before letting out a soft sigh. “Let me help you become familiar with it first.”

“【Mother of All Things】 is a miraculous ability. The way its power manifests depends entirely on the wielder’s imagination and intent.”

Ye Zheng felt a hint of surprise. Could it be that 【Mother of All Things】 produced entirely different effects depending on who wielded it?

“Let me guess... in your hands, it might simply become a weapon of mass destruction.”

Marcy’s tone carried a trace of gentle, well-meaning teasing.

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　　A flock of crows circling high in the sky swept past the towering palace gates and the exquisitely carved fountains before settling upon the spires of the grand castle. Their short, piercing cries left everyone within the castle feeling uneasy and irritated.

The blond Crown Prince nearly crushed the documents in his hand into fragments. He suddenly loosened his grip, and the torn scraps of paper drifted down to the floor, where a photograph of a young boy lay ripped cleanly in half.

“Brother, please, don’t be angry just yet. We still can’t be certain that this 'Roy' is Father’s illegitimate—”

“Get out!”

The blond princess’s shoulders trembled as she shrank back. She hastily offered a bow toward her enraged brother before quickly retreating from the room.

Sykes slammed his fist hard against the wall beside him.

For a long time now, he had already begun to suspect that he wasn’t the heir the Emperor truly favored.

The Emperor had always appeared almost entirely compliant with his wishes, sending heirs of great noble families like Yu Tianming to accompany and assist him, and sparing no effort in shaping a glorious reputation for him among the common people as their savior. And yet, Sykes could clearly sense that there was almost no warmth in the Emperor’s gaze whenever he looked at him.

Ever since Ye Zheng had accidentally triggered fragments of his memories, he had grown increasingly certain of one thing. His father, Emperor Havel, had been using him all along. He had been using the “monster son” he himself had created. If he hadn’t accidentally discovered that Heath was investigating the Emperor’s illegitimate children on behalf of her jealous mother, he would never have followed that trail, and he certainly wouldn’t have uncovered such intriguing information.

That man named Roy from the Cloud Soarers was the Emperor’s illegitimate son.

But that alone wasn’t enough to astonish him. What truly shocked him was the fact that the Emperor had been monitoring Pei Xi through that illegitimate child. Could it be that Pei Xi was also the Emperor’s child? Sykes almost let out a laugh at the thought, but his expression darkened in the very next instant.

Both he and Pei Xi were products of the Hope Project, yet Pei Xi didn’t seem to be a Dragon Bone creation. He was different.

That difference might be exactly why the Emperor had been watching him and secretly protecting him.

The newly appointed Papess, Ye Zheng, had already issued a warrant for Pei Xi’s arrest, yet the Emperor was covertly sheltering them. Judging from the fact that Pei Xi was still at large, the Imperial Family currently held the advantage. Sykes clenched his fist tightly. It seemed that this time, he would have to lend Ye Zheng a hand.

He absolutely couldn’t accept that the eighteen years of his life had merely served as a stepping stone for someone else!

Heath carefully closed the door, as though she feared even the slightest sound might provoke the person inside. She hadn’t gone far along the corridor before she encountered a young man wearing glasses.

“Princess Heath.”

Yu Tianming stopped where he stood and greeted her with courtesy.

Heath cast off the timid demeanor she had displayed moments earlier and responded to Yu Tianming with a smile.

Yu Tianming suddenly adjusted his glasses. “Your Highness, this way... were you just coming from your brother’s room?”

“Yes,” Heath replied, a bitter frown brushing her lips. “It seems my brother has found out about Roy’s existence. For some reason, the investigation traced back to me, and he summoned me for questioning.”

Yu Tianming’s expression shifted subtly. He sank into thought for a brief moment, then glanced along the empty corridor. After relaxing, he began offering her a few words of reassurance.

Before Sykes left for the Western District, the second prince, Raymond, had already been imprisoned for attempting to harm the Crown Prince. Yu Tianming had still been wavering over whether he should try to mend ties with Sykes when, quite unexpectedly, he learned that the Emperor had a child outside the palace, one he cherished deeply.

The Emperor had even dispatched the only princess to visit and care for that younger brother who had been cast aside.

In order to secure more leads, Yu Tianming swiftly formed a connection with Heath. Her full brother, Raymond, had been utterly ruined because of his actions against Sykes, while Yu Tianming himself had just been abandoned by Sykes; both of them were hoping for the rise of an heir other than the Crown Prince.

He hadn’t anticipated that the Emperor truly held other intentions.

“It’s alright. The Emperor’s stance is what matters most. The Crown Prince wouldn’t go so far as to trouble his frail little sister; he wouldn’t be so devoid of grace, would he?”

As Yu Tianming reminisced about their earlier days, a note of uncertainty crept into his voice.

Hearing this, Heath’s smile blossomed once again. The two exchanged a few polite words, but at the sound of approaching footsteps, they quickly parted and headed off in opposite directions.

After returning to her bedroom, Heath shut the door firmly. Her exhausted body leaned against it as her smile disappeared, replaced by a look of anxious panic.

She hurried over to the table, poured herself a glass of water, and drank it in one go. Little by little, her racing heartbeat began to settle.

She had successfully made sure her brother would see the documents concerning Roy and Pei Xi. With his temperament, it was only a matter of time before he made his move.

Furthermore, his target wouldn’t be limited to Roy and the others; it was obvious he had already begun to resent his father. The more chaotic things became, the more chances she would have, to rise through the turmoil.

Yu Tianming was becoming increasingly entangled with her. As long as she didn’t let him discover any flaws, by the time he realized what was happening, he’d already be unable to break free from her faction.

And then there was Ye Zheng… for the sake of her own ambitions, Ye Zheng would inevitably lend her assistance when the time came.

“Calm down, Heath.”

The blonde princess clutched her pounding chest, reminding herself there was nothing to be afraid of.

When she had provoked and tempted Raymond into making a move against Sykes, she had nearly ruined everything because she couldn’t keep her nerves in check.

Fortunately, Raymond had been a fool.

Fortunately, Ye Zheng had arrived a step too late and failed to uncover the arrangements within the hunting grounds in advance.

Although Ye Zheng was her friend, the two of them harbored ambitions far too lofty and solitary. It wasn’t possible for them to share a friendship where everything was laid bare; at most, there existed an occasional, unspoken understanding between them.

Ye Zheng had already come this far. She would understand her.

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Authors Note  

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 Heath is the type who carries out major schemes while appearing timid and hesitant.