Chapter 58

Ye Zheng looked down at the scrap of cloth on the ground and recalled that Bai Muqing seemed to have an elder brother serving in the Royal Knights.

“I’m here to find someone. My brother followed Sykes and went missing.”

Bai Muqing spoke briefly and to the point. Ye Zheng noticed that her complexion was paler than usual, a faint but oppressive gloom lingering around her.

She did not press for details. Instead, she took a small spray bottle from her backpack and applied it to Bai Muqing’s exposed neck and arms. Bai Muqing stiffened instantly.

“What are you doing?”

“There are red welts forming on your arms. You cannot underestimate the flying insects here.”

As she spoke, Ye Zheng pulled out black arm sleeves and a hat, putting them on the stunned Bai Muqing. The once immaculate white attire was immediately thrown into mild disarray. The severe, ascetic nun-like figure now resembled nothing more than a helpless ordinary youth.

“…Why do you carry so many strange things?”

“After coming in, I actually felt it still wasn’t enough.”

Ye Zheng did not answer the question directly. She sensed the fluctuations of Bai Muqing’s power in the surrounding area and asked instead,

“Have you found any trace of your brother?”

Bai Muqing had already deployed her ability, 【Divine Domain】. Every movement of wind through the grass, every subtle disturbance in the forest, was within her perception. Yet she shook her head and withdrew the ability.

“There is someone to the southwest. I do not recognize them, but they are close to death.”

Ye Zheng followed the direction Bai Muqing indicated. The trees there grew even denser and darker, utterly silent.

“Then I will go take a look. I hope your brother remains safe.”

She set off toward the soundless forest. Moments later, another set of footsteps followed.

Turning her head, Ye Zheng saw Bai Muqing walking beside her. The girl’s profile was slightly lower than her own. Only her pale lashes were visible, trembling faintly.

“Aren’t you going to look for your brother?”

Bai Muqing’s expression remained heavy, but there was no trace of hesitation.

“I know why you came here.”

Ye Zheng raised an eyebrow. Even she herself found it difficult to neatly summarize her reasons for entering this Aberrant Realm.

“As the Saintess, and as a knight, you came out of duty. To save people.”

Bai Muqing had learned from her parents that Bai Mulin had not been required to accompany Sykes into the Aberrant Realm. With his family background, not even Yu Tianming would have dared to force him into such danger. Bai Mulin had volunteered of his own accord.

As for Ye Zheng, there was no need for further explanation. By her usual standards, she would have strongly opposed Sykes’s approach. Yet she had still entered, pressured by both the imperial family and the Church.

All for the sake of helping the lower-district team succeed, to bring tangible benefits to the common people at the bottom of society. She had even risked herself to support the Cloud Soarers under the false identity of “Zhao Mei.” Truly worthy of being called a Saintess, a proxy of the divine.

Beneath the seemingly empty expression of the white-haired, white-eyed girl, powerful emotions churned.

She wanted to save her brother, but it was not as simple as rescuing one person. She was not merely Bai Mulin's sister, nor just the Bai family’s daughter. She was Bai Muqing, the most powerful female ability user of the younger generation, a rare genius.

“Ye Zheng. I will act together with you until I find my own duty.”

After leaving those words behind, Bai Muqing lowered her head and walked ahead. Ye Zheng had no choice but to quicken her pace to follow.

Who, exactly, was accompanying whom?

Amused, Ye Zheng spoke to the system in her mind.

“Bai Muqing seems different. I can’t say exactly how, but it feels like a change worth being happy about.”

『In the original plot, Bai Muqing’s goal was to defeat you. She believed you were unqualified to be the Saintess. Many readers supported her view. But now, it seems everything has shifted.』

“So did she defeat me?”

『No. She was defeated by Pei Xi, who was protecting you. After that, her interest shifted from you to Pei Xi.』

Even the system found this portion of the original plot rather absurd. Having observed Ye Zheng and Bai Muqing’s interactions for so long, it knew their relationship could not be reduced to something so shallow.

It expected Ye Zheng to be displeased by this revelation. Yet beneath the brim of the black hat, her green eyes remained calm, carrying faint amusement.

“Muqing really does have that problem. She seems aloof and proud, but she never truly knows what she wants. So she ends up following others.”

“But she’ll figure it out eventually.”

The Bai Muqing walking ahead suddenly stopped. Ye Zheng ducked beneath a slanted branch and lifted her gaze.

The faint sound of rushing water reached their ears. Twisted trees concealed a river not far ahead. Ye Zheng narrowed her eyes slightly. The water did not appear clear.

She pressed forward.

The river soon came fully into view, mottled with streaks of red. Pushing aside tangled branches, Ye Zheng froze. The sudden openness before her eyes brought no relief, only a chill that crept up her spine.

The opposite bank was also lined with trees, but they were shorter and thinner. Their trunks and branches glowed with a tender red hue, like half-cooked flesh. Their roots intertwined, half-exposed above the water’s surface.

Rows of human figures stood upon those tender red roots, suspended above the rushing river.

The two youths stood silently at the riverbank.

Corpses hung from the trunks. Their stiff, pale faces were eerily serene. Some wore knightly uniforms, others tattered civilian clothes, some barely covered at all. Class and status no longer mattered. All stared toward the opposite shore with dark, vacant eyes, as though patiently awaiting passage.

“One of them is still alive.”

At Bai Muqing’s words, Ye Zheng examined each face carefully. Her gaze halted at the girl on the far right. Tender red branches were wrapped around her neck, and her fingers twitched faintly.

Bai Muqing continued calmly,

“We need to cross. A detour would take too long.”

She could sense the soul’s aura on the opposite side fading rapidly. Any delay would cost the girl her life. Bai Muqing closed her eyes. She could only activate her ability one more time. Perhaps she could manipulate the water to carry them across.

“Muqing, let’s go.”

Just as Bai Muqing began gathering her power, the hem of her clothing was suddenly tugged. She opened her eyes. Though she could not see, she sensed an abnormal change in the river ahead.

Ye Zheng could not fully grasp how Bai Muqing perceived the world through her ability. She could only guide her carefully as they stepped onto a bridge formed in midair.

The raging current, carrying sand and debris, condensed into a narrow water bridge linking the two banks. This Aberrant Realm was perilous, but for Ye Zheng, it was also a place where her ability could shine.

Bai Muqing crossed the bridge with complicated emotions and finally asked,

“Your ability…”

She stopped herself abruptly. Ye Zheng clearly intended to keep it hidden. Otherwise, how could no one know that the Saintess was not merely a healer, but also a master of water control?

In an empire where talent was supreme, hiding one’s strength was almost unthinkable.

“You’re very strong.”

After a long pause, Bai Muqing finally spoke the words she had held back for so long. She turned her face away, awkwardly concealing her expression. Perhaps even her own prideful strength paled in comparison to the girl beside her.

Ye Zheng was mildly surprised. All she had done was form a small bridge. It was hardly worthy of such recognition. She shook her head regretfully.

“If I were truly strong, this entire river would have been drained for us.”

Bai Muqing stared at her in disbelief.

This river ran through the entire Aberrant Realm. If Ye Zheng could truly drain it one day, “strong” would be a laughably insufficient word. Even Sykes would fear her. Just how high were Ye Zheng’s standards for herself?

Silently, Bai Muqing set herself a new rule. 

Never be satisfied with her current strength.

After stepping down from the water bridge, Ye Zheng immediately held her breath. The stench of decay was overwhelming.

She avoided the corpses’ unnaturally peaceful faces, focusing instead on the tender red branches. They pulsed faintly, as though breathing. She led Bai Muqing forward until they reached the surviving girl.

Bai Muqing drew a knife, attempting to cut the branches around the girl’s neck. Her wrist was suddenly seized. Ye Zheng examined the branches closely. They resembled blood vessels. Tracing them back, she saw countless similar branches extending deeper into the forest, intertwining like a grotesque circulatory system.

Something terrifying lurked at the core. Ye Zheng took the knife and made only a shallow cut.

A slurry of tender red liquid seeped out. Frowning, Ye Zheng pressed her fingers against it, sending fine streams of water inside. The branch weakened, loosening its grip. The girl slid down, and Bai Muqing caught her.

“Run… run quickly…”

The girl clutched Bai Muqing’s hand weakly.

“Even… even the Crown Prince… couldn’t escape…”

Her pupils dilated, and she lost consciousness. The two youths exchanged glances, both filled with gravity.