PSW - Chapter 130
Chapter 130
Yu Yinan had a good night's sleep.
When she woke up the next day, her whole body felt comfortable, and her mind was clear and refreshed. After waking, she stared blankly at the slightly dim bedroom ceiling for a while before realizing she had fallen asleep after drinking the potion.
How long had she been asleep? Yu Yinan wasn't sure. The bedroom curtains had been thoughtfully drawn, but because the fourth great rain hadn't ended yet, the sky was too gloomy for her to guess the current time. She felt the other side of the bed; it had long since lost its warmth. Zheng Yi must have been up for a long time.
The potion… right, the enhancement potion. Yu Yinan sat up straight. She extended her arm and tried clenching her fist. Her physical fitness… seemed to have genuinely improved quite a bit. But a simple test like this wouldn't reveal much. Not wanting to delay any longer, Yu Yinan quickly dressed and got up. Zheng Yi wasn't in the room at the moment. Perhaps she had gone for another walk in the rain? Such a torrential downpour was indeed well-suited for Zheng Yi to improve herself.
Yu Yinan didn't dwell on it. She casually grabbed a jacket, threw it on, and was about to head out to find Zheng Yi when her hand, resting on the doorknob, paused for a moment. She turned back, tidied her somewhat messy hair, and forced herself to calm down a little. Then, she picked out a fresh set of clean clothes and walked into the shower.
…Although she really wanted to see Zheng Yi right away, it was still very necessary to manage her appearance. Rushing out in such a hurry would be too damaging to the Saint's image, wouldn't it?
At that moment, Zheng Yi was having a simple conversation with Si Zhuangjing. The model used in Zhongshan would work just fine—for example, a prayer session held once at the beginning of each month to provide her with a steady stream of piety, and something like The Saint's Bible, compiled by Yu Yinan. As for the rest… Zheng Yi didn't manage the operational model of the base. As long as Si Zhuangjing didn't go too far or use her power to excessively oppress ordinary people, as long as she could lead everyone in the base to survive, that was enough.
She would stand behind Si Zhuangjing and was willing to shelter her under the divine title of the "Saint God." Zheng Yi also informed Si Zhuangjing about holding a divine ceremony to grant her a unique communication mark in front of everyone.
"But I… I'm not sure I can do it well." Zheng Yi's requirements were too simple, and she was letting go too completely. But now that the responsibility for all of Xuancheng had fallen to her, the apprehension in Si Zhuangjing's heart grew stronger and stronger. She would certainly do her best, but she didn't think she was particularly outstanding or all-powerful. She wasn't even sure if they could safely get through the approaching extreme cold period.
Especially after Zheng Yi and the others left… Si Zhuangjing wasn't certain if the attitudes of the other ability users would change. Even her former colleagues, those who, like her, had been considered Wu Banhuai's trusted subordinates, Si Zhuangjing could sense their dissatisfaction, or perhaps resentment, about her taking control of Xuancheng.
After all, they had once been on the same level. Now, her strength hadn't changed, yet she stood in Wu Banhuai's position. And the only reason was that she had been the first to speak up voluntarily.
Perhaps they felt it was unfair, or that the "god" was being too flippant and casual. But even if they were dissatisfied and resentful, they couldn't possibly direct those emotions at Zheng Yi, so they were naturally aimed at her.
"You're afraid of their jealousy?" Zheng Yi looked at her, her dark eyes staring straight ahead, leaving Si Zhuangjing with nowhere to hide.
"…Yes. I'm not as strong as them. If they team up, I won't be able to beat them." In her heart, Si Zhuangjing hoped that Zheng Yi and Yu Yinan could stay. They were too strong, too formidable, as if they were omnipotent.
"Then let someone else do it," Zheng Yi said with a light laugh. "To me, it makes no difference who controls Xuancheng. You can't count on me, you know~"
"Are you afraid the responsibility is too heavy, or do you feel too much pressure protecting so many ordinary people? Or is it that your former comrades are eyeing you like tigers? It's been a few days now, what have you felt? You seized this opportunity, and from the moment you took over, it's not so easy to walk away unscathed. Even if you voluntarily relinquish power now, what kind of attitude do you think… the next leader will have toward you after I leave?"
Si Zhuangjing stood there, speechless. Zheng Yi's tone wasn't harsh; it could even be described as gentle. She delivered her string of questions very softly, which gradually calmed Si Zhuangjing's heart. She looked at this smiling girl, at this god… For Zheng Yi to say so much to her showed that she… she must appreciate her somewhat. Si Zhuangjing hadn't actually expected Zheng Yi to be willing to say so much to her.
"…" Si Zhuangjing fell silent for a moment. "If… if I want to make an example of someone, if I want to kill… an ability user who is devout to you but dissatisfied with me… is that okay?"
"You are the administrator of Xuancheng," Zheng Yi said. "I forgive you."
"I will do a good job," Si Zhuangjing replied. "I will make you satisfied."
"Choose a place to bestow the mark upon you," Zheng Yi said softly. "I will grant you a blessing: for one month, within a hundred-li radius, you will be impervious to wind and cold."
"Yes." Si Zhuangjing didn't dare to look directly into Zheng Yi's dark eyes, but hearing these words, she couldn't help but be moved. She bowed her head. "Thank you…" for choosing her, for being willing to give her this chance.
But Zheng Yi didn't accept her bow, simply turning and walking away with extreme casualness. Si Zhuangjing watched her departing back, her gaze lowered slightly, but she quickly pulled herself together. She stood up and only turned to go back to her room after watching Zheng Yi leave.
Forgiveness, huh… Si Zhuangjing's eyes gradually brightened. She thought of the one or two ability users who, despite trying to hide it, had still shown her malice. A murderous intent flashed in her eyes.
Well then, she hoped those people had some self-awareness and wouldn't do anything they shouldn't. The god, after all, would not forgive their sins again.
[You must have seen what she was originally getting at, right?] Zero One couldn't help but ask curiously. [I thought you wouldn't bother comforting her with those words.]
'She just wanted a sign of my stance,' Zheng Yi said casually.
As before, though the intensity of the downpour varied, it continued without ever stopping. The dense, dark clouds hung over the entire sky like an oppressive black curtain, so gloomy that not a single ray of light could be found.
Zheng Yi strolled through the curtain of rain as if holding an invisible umbrella; not a single drop touched her.
"Zheng Yi!"
Amidst the pouring rain, a cluster of firelight pierced through.
Upon seeing Zheng Yi, Yu Yinan broke into a run. A long trail of flames coiled around her body. She came before Zheng Yi and excitedly grabbed the tail of the flame, presenting it to her. "Look! This is what I condensed."
"A fire rope?"
"…" The words "fire dragon," which had been on the tip of Yu Yinan's tongue, got stuck in her throat. She was choked up for a moment. "Y-yes. A long strip burning like this, glowing in the rain. It's very warm and beautiful. And because its surface area is so large, it's a real test of my mental power to condense it."
"The potion's effect is amazing. I feel… I feel like my whole body is filled with power. My mental strength has improved a lot too! Also, I seem to have better control over the temperature of the flames. It probably won't be long before I can condense that super-high-temperature fire blade!"
"A potion this… this precious, and you just gave it to me… I'm really, I'm so happy." Yu Yinan excitedly expressed her feelings to Zheng Yi. Her eyes sparkled with an intoxicating light, her cheeks were flushed, and her entire being radiated joy.
She felt that she was the special one. She was being favored.
Zheng Yi listened quietly until she finished, then gently raised a hand to take Yu Yinan's. "It's because Jiejie is talented that the potion had such a good effect."
"Even without the potion, with Jiejie's hard work, you would have reached this level of strength very soon. It just brought that time forward a little."
"I'm very happy that Jiejie likes this gift, too~"
Rain fell on Yu Yinan, quickly turning into puffs of white steam that rose into the air. But after Zheng Yi took her hand, the invisible umbrella seemed to extend over Yu Yinan as well, sheltering her completely.
Yu Yinan was so moved by Zheng Yi's words she didn't know what to say. When she felt Zheng Yi's action, her first instinct was to explain that she didn't need it, that she wanted to be in the rain, to feel that pain, to let the rain temper her body.
But she didn't say it out loud. She squeezed Zheng Yi's hand, feeling its warmth, and couldn't resist lifting it to her lips, placing a light, devout kiss on the back of it.
"If you want to leave this place, don't worry about the extreme cold period. We can set off anytime," Yu Yinan said softly. "I can do it now." It might be a bit strenuous, and she might overexert her energy, but Yu Yinan felt she could endure it. As long as Zheng Yi wanted to, there was no need to stay here any longer.
They could go to Pujie, to Changping, to any place Zheng Yi wanted to set foot, whether they had been there before or not.
"Jiejie, you're too excited," Zheng Yi's voice held a hint of helplessness as she said softly, "Let's wait a few more days."
"I haven't given the mark yet. Besides, I want to set up a simple barrier for them, to give them a month to help them get through this extreme cold period."
"A barrier?" Yu Yinan blinked, guessing this was another one of Zheng Yi's abilities. She didn't press for details about what the ability was, only asking with concern, "Will it consume a lot of faith points? Will it have any negative effects on you?"
"It won't have any effect. And the consumption… isn't that great."
The people of Xuancheng had once believed in the god Wu Banhuai spoke of. Since she had taken the place of that non-existent god, she had to show a real miracle and grace, right? Besides, all these Saint Points had to be used eventually.
Wu Banhuai's death and the revelation of the divine deception had, after all, caused considerable turmoil in Xuancheng. The temperature was already very low, though it hadn't started to freeze or snow yet. Si Zhuangjing had taken over in a hurry, time was tight, and there might be things she couldn't attend to. An extreme cold period of unknown duration would be an unbearable nightmare for ordinary people.
"As a god, it's only natural to save the world's people, you know~"
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