Chapter 24: Shining Night's Enchanting Smile
Intelligence can kill people, but it can also save people.
As Beichen said those crucial words, the one-sided chaos that had just appeared gradually calmed down. The humans showed expressions of great joy on their faces, and the weapons that had seemed extremely excited just now gradually calmed down.
The furious Ling Shuang strode towards her, but hit the protective wall made of red light two meters away from her, and then bounced far away as if she was electrocuted.
Following this scene, the crowd erupted in a commotion again.
Beichen looked at Ling Shuang, whose expression was distorted by shock, with cold eyes.
She knew that Ling Shuang would make a big move in this public speech, but she didn't expect that he would casually reveal such important information - he really didn't care about the life and death of humans. Even though she was fully prepared, she still underestimated Ling Shuang's cruelty.
Well, he can hurt even the person he loves the most like this, so what else can't he do?
She sneered inwardly.
Originally, although she had obtained two important pieces of information during her secret preparations during this period: the solution to the war resentment syndrome and the technology that allowed humans to kill enemies without weapons, she had not intended to make the latter public because it would further lower the status of weapons. However, now, it has become an important bargaining chip to save the situation.
Beichen looked at the person who provided her with this information - it seemed that this person had already known what Ling Shuang would do, otherwise he would not have specifically told her this information.
She looked at the noisy crowd below and sighed silently in her heart.
In the end, did she finally embark on the path she had been avoiding? From Moon Poison to War Grudge, it was indeed all caused by a single question she asked Atlas. Ling Shuang dared to stir up such a commotion because he had her, the legitimate Red Moon Priestess, in his hands, and he had nothing to fear.
Whether she likes it or not, she has indeed started the mission that the Red Moon Priestess must carry out - to destroy the era.
And then, after destroying the era, what happens? Is she just going to admit that she is indeed a shrine maiden?
Should I really act like a witch, accept the worship and fear of the masses, and become the mother of disasters that no one wants to see even in their nightmares?
How is that possible!!
At this point, it is too late to escape from one's identity and avoid the troubles caused by this identity.
So, she could only accept this huge change completely and then - change it.
Didn't the Red Moon Priestess destroy the era? Well, I'm going to change "destroying the era" to "guiding and protecting this era"!
She really didn't like getting involved in things that affected the world, because she felt that she was just an ordinary person and had no right to point fingers at the world. But now, the world urgently needed someone to stand up and serve as a pillar and fulcrum for survival to stabilize this deadlock that had become a mess.
And I, Xiang Beichen, am now the most suitable candidate.
Very good, Ling Shuang, since you insist on forcing me to choose the path──
If you have the ability to break the pattern, I have the ability to reorganize it. Although I am not omnipotent, I am different from you. I have the most precious asset that you will never have!
She opened her mouth and spoke in the center of the square that accommodated tens of thousands of people but was completely silent.
"People of Senagard, listen carefully. The cure for War Grudge is still blood. The blood of the Darkseid. Not much is needed, just ten drops."
Yes, she had discovered the method, because she was from Feinheim and knew about the "vaccine".
When she heard the description of the War Grudge Disease, she was a little puzzled. They both had a large amount of blood from two species fused together, so why would humans mutate and die because they couldn't withstand the poison, while the War Weapon only mutated into a Fallen Dark Seed and lived well? The reason was probably that the War Weapon's physique and vitality were higher than humans'. But no matter what, it was confirmed that the Fallen Dark Seed had withstood the damage caused by this mutation, so the Fallen Dark Seed itself was a vaccine library.
After coming up with this hypothesis, she asked Torahan to meet with Yaye and asked Yaye to find a way to contact the Fallen Dark Race in the epidemic area to secretly test this method, and it turned out to be successful.
For the first time, she proved with her own efforts that she could not only destroy the times, but also find ways to save and protect them.
"However, if, like the cause of the War Grudge, you kill the Darkborn due to greed and cowardice, and then develop another Fallen Grudge, I have no answers and will no longer accept your cries."
She deliberately used a condescending and imperial tone - although that was not her intention.
Since she appears as a witch, she must guard against all kinds of instigation, curses, and assassinations, and must be prepared to withstand all kinds of malice from anyone. She cannot explain and appease them one by one, so sometimes she uses absolute high-pressure violence to deprive the other party of the courage to attack, leaving a strong and inviolable impression in the other party's mind, which will bring a great degree of security to herself and them.
She no longer had the time to share her tenderness with outsiders - Ling Shuang's incident was the best lesson.
However, being hurt doesn't mean you can vent your cruelty on irrelevant people.
So, as she spoke, she smiled at the tens of thousands of creatures under her feet.
Although the small figure was far away from the crowd in the middle of the platform, the mysterious red light still clearly conveyed her expression to everyone's mind.
That smile, like a night-blooming cereus blooming in the darkness, suddenly illuminated the entire world.
It was a wonderful and natural demeanor composed of endless peace, unspeakable elegance, awe-inspiring solitude, and a sharpness full of tolerance. She just stood there with the corners of her mouth slightly raised. The brilliant brilliance oozing from her dark starry eyes suddenly warmed up the wonderful red light around her, and the black sky seemed to no longer reveal deathly silence, but brought a sense of tranquility.
"As for the method of defeating the possessed Moon Envoy without a weapon, the key item is the Protoss Core, which you frequently come into contact with. Soak a Protoss Core peeled from a Level 9 or higher possessed Moon Envoy in Protoss Ore Solution for a day. Then, embed it in a weapon made of ordinary metal, and you will have a weapon that can defeat the possessed Moon Envoy."
As she spoke, she smiled at the people in the audience, all of whom were so excited that their faces were red and their necks were thick. But with just such a gentle and humane glance, she successfully suppressed the crowd's commotion again.
Beichen smiled bitterly in his heart - sometimes, absolute power and pressure are really useful.
But even though she thought so, she didn't dare reveal any trace of it on her face, otherwise all her efforts would be in vain - now, she was the Red Moon Priestess who was trying to reorganize the era, not Xiang Beichen as an individual.
"So far, the information I have provided is enough to destroy this era. As for where things will go next, you will have to explore the answer yourself. Whether it will be destruction or rebirth depends on your own judgment."
After she said this, she glanced at the special seats under the stage. As if in response to her expectation, a man stood up and walked to the seat facing her.
"I have a question for you, Your Highness the Miko."
With a low but clear voice, the iron-faced man, Youyu's Dark Emperor, spoke in front of the eyes of everyone - and when Ling Shuang saw this scene, his already pale face turned even more deathly gray. He staggered a step and almost wanted to use the spirit crystal to "return home" and escape the scene, but seemed unwilling to do so, and stared fiercely at Su Mo's back, as if he was still expecting him to do something to turn the situation around.
But unfortunately, his expectations will eventually be dashed.
"I grant you the opportunity to ask questions, the honorable Dark Emperor from the ancient Divine Land."
"Miko, are you saying that your destruction of the times has ended here? I feel that this is just the beginning of all the chaos."
"This key is enough to destroy the original structure, but whether the future will be destroyed or reshaped depends on humans and the weapons themselves."
"I think we need some tips from you, Your Highness the Miko."
Su Mo showed a teasing and even mischievous smile at the corner of his mouth, and Beichen nodded to him in response and smiled faintly - as if to tell the world that the witch was not someone who could not be communicated with.
"The blood of the Darkborn is limited, the number of those who have died from war sickness is also limited, and the number of ninth-level star cores is even more limited. In my opinion, it is best for you to never dream of absolute opposition or pure independence. Even among the same species, mutual dependence and mutual support are indispensable, let alone between races with different characteristics that can complement each other."
"What the witch is saying is that although the world order has been disrupted, if we really want to follow this trend and turn the situation upside down, what awaits us is true destruction?"
"Whether this is true or not, if you are interested, you can try it yourself."
Beichen deliberately said this in a mysterious tone - some things could not be said too clearly, because she was, after all, the Red Moon Priestess who stood on the side of the destroyers. If her intention to protect this world was too obvious, she was afraid that Red Moon would notice - she was now releasing the power of Pandora's Box.
But the expressions of the important people in the special seats told her that they had understood the meaning of what she said.
Su Mo continued to speak in a lukewarm tone.
"Can I regard this great upheaval as a 'selected' test question given by you?"
"Of course." Beichen nodded with a smile. "Those who survived this Protoss Revolution have entered a new era with their own strength."
Su Mo raised his eyebrows.
"Then this revolution will only happen once? This 'chosen' upheaval will only happen once?"
Beichen did not answer immediately.
Her intuition told her that even though such a big incident had occurred, there were still many real dangers lurking beneath the surface, and perhaps some terrible situation would occur in the future.
But it doesn't matter. If the enemy comes, we will fight him; if the water comes, we will block it with earth. Since she has taken on the responsibility of the Red Moon Priestess, there is no reason for her to abandon it and walk away halfway.
"I can't guarantee that."
Finally, she said this ambiguously.
Su Mo laughed.
"One last question, Your Highness, what is your position in this revolution? Are you a high-ranking spectator, or are you struggling amidst this turmoil—Ash Tuling?"
The crowd exploded into a boiling noise again.
Yashu Tuling—this name had spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital during the previous martial arts competition.
The swift-killing White Shadow, who has a close relationship with Xiaxue, carries an extremely rare and top-grade Yeyue claw, is an important person of the Tu Lingzhun clan leader, a relative and friend of the two princes of Heyang, an acquaintance of King Sylvia, and the runner-up of the martial arts competition - he covers his face with objects all day long, is gentle yet fierce, simple yet mysterious.
It turns out that this already well-known name is the Red Moon Priestess who is known to everyone?
Many people immediately associated her with the leopard cat-like agile and light white figure, and then a subtle sense of peace gradually took over people's hearts.
It turns out that the Red Moon Priestess was once among us, active like an ordinary person right under our noses.
So, is this woman who is said to have brought about a great disaster - this girl who has provided so much important information in a row - really as evil and terrifying as imagined?
The miko responded to the people's delicate mood with a clear smile. She closed Pandora's Box, and the red light around her suddenly faded.
"I am Yashu Tuling. As a miko, I am forced to disrupt the times, but as a human, I have the right to protect, just like any other life in this world. I will watch as a miko, but I will also fight as a human—thus, I have my ambition. I will create a land. I hope that at least I can lead the people of this land to be 'selected' by the miko's standards and truly enter a new era."
She changed back to the normal way ordinary people address her, and as she spoke, she slowly raised her right hand and opened her palm towards the people below her.
"But I can't offer any guarantees, nor can I confirm that the territory behind me is completely safe. I can only promise one thing: until the end of time, I will persevere in the fight, without stopping. So, if you have the courage, the determination to step into a new era, even if it means bloodshed, then please follow me!!"
"good!!"
Su Mo laughed loudly, then waved his hand and gave Ling Shuang, whose whole body was cold, the last and heaviest blow.
Several guards behind him took off their cloaks and hats and walked to his side.
One was a tall warrior with gray hair and wolf eyes, holding a blood-red giant sword, followed by a young man holding a huge silver-white crossbow. One was a Star Vein Type with golden eyes in military uniform, holding a gorgeous and shining sniper rifle. One was a man in Tang suit with stunning beauty, who was casting a provocative glance at Ling Shuang, who looked as dead as a ash, with a half-smile on his face.
"I accept your instruction, Scarlet Moon Priestess Yashu Tuling! As proof, I will give you my five most capable generals—Gu Yinyue, Xiaoping, Xifeng, Naraka, and Longyun—as a token of my sincerity. I hope that in the days to come, we can join hands and fight the tide of time together, and make it to the end!"
"I accept your sincerity, Mr. Su Mo."
Although Beichen said the formal words of thanks, her eyes were already glued to the four men walking towards her. Her expression could no longer remain calm, and tears welled up in her eyes.
At this moment, the brothers Redis and Rui, who had been silent in their seats, slowly stood up at the same time.
"The new King of Heyang, Redis Cangqi Heyang, and Duke Rui Ziyi Heyang are also willing to accept the tuning of Your Excellency the Witch. Regarding the future situation, Redis hereby promises to give you a satisfactory answer."
Redis spoke loudly in his still cold tone, and Rui was behind him, showing Beichen a firm and bright smile.
"The Principality of Arcadia has chosen to accept the miko's attunement."
Immediately afterwards, Lingdir stood out with a noble and confident smile, and then signaled with his eyes to Changji Xuanming behind him to bring up a tray, and a document lay quietly inside - it seemed that it had been prepared long ago.
"Also, Arcadia is interested in establishing friendly diplomatic relations with the individual identity of 'Yash Tuling' and the military forces behind him. This deed to the Hyat Territory serves as our greeting gift!"
The Queen of the Underworld is indeed an extraordinary courageous person. Although people have witnessed the power of the witch and have also understood that the witch is not a cold-blooded destroyer, her identity as the Mother of Disaster is there. Allying with the witch means holding a hot potato at any time, and there is also the possibility of falling out with other neighboring countries. However, Lingdir still made such a gamble without batting an eyelid!
──Suddenly, many state officials who had originally planned to wait and see were shaken. After all, even a big country like the Principality of Arcadia bowed its head so easily, and even gave away such a large and fertile territory without changing its expression.
King Sazam on the side looked a little unhappy because Lingdir had taken the initiative to play the card he was going to play - "Give away territory" - of course, he still had to express his opinion where it was necessary.
"The Sazam Empire has chosen to accept the witch's tuning. As a token of our sincerity in forming an alliance, we are willing to offer the lifetime mining rights to a long-term Protoss mine."
"The Sylvia Autonomous Region has chosen to accept the miko's attunement."
Jialina followed closely, then winked at Beichen and pointed at Xiaxue beside her. She didn't have the right to give away anything within her domain, but at least she held the contractual rights to Xiaxue.
"The Kingdom of Sale has chosen to accept the witch's tuning..."
"The Valentine Alliance has chosen to accept the witch's tuning..."
"The Panatu Empire has chosen to accept the miko's tuning..."
"The Jiro Empire has chosen to accept the witch's tuning..."
"The Principality of Ishdar has chosen to accept the miko's training..."
At one point, almost all the country's leaders stood up and expressed their acceptance of the great revolution brought about by this turmoil - this also meant that in order to achieve their "selected" goals, they would readjust the relationship between weapons and humans to an acceptable level.
Each of these statements was like a sharp knife, cutting into Ling Shuang's heart. He could hardly stand steadily. Mo Ye and Ran Xiang supported him and whispered to him to retreat, but he just stared at Beichen's figure with red eyes.
She was accepting the goodwill from various countries with a smile. She didn't even look at him. She didn't even have the intention of scolding him in front of everyone or exposing his behavior - yes, her every move was saying that these were no longer important, and she had no need to take action to deal with him.
In front of her, he looked as ridiculous as a clown.
The ambition that had been painstakingly cultivated for several months was completely shattered in just a dozen minutes.
She was even unwilling to give him a look of triumph and satisfaction in revenge, as if he had become a complete outsider - yes, he was indeed an outsider. Now, what means and confidence did he have to go against her?
No, Xiang Ying—oh, she liked Xiang Ying so much, and Xiang Ying was still hidden in a secret room in the underground base—today was a crucial speech, and he couldn't bring such a defective product to the public, so he hid him. Oh, this Xiang Ying could be his last trump card!
However, just as Ling Shuang's face was about to reappear with a pathetic grin, someone flapped huge blood-red wings and landed on the platform.
──A mighty knight wearing red moon armor, holding a white sword in his hand, half-knelt in front of Beichen.
"The Crimson Moon Knight, Agaard Barumunk Celand, has returned to the service of the Witch with a hundred thousand Night-Trampling Iron Cavalry."
"Welcome back."
The witch looked back at Agard's pious expression with an extremely gentle and warm voice, took the sword he handed over, and carefully held it in her arms.
Xiang Ying finally returned to her side.
Ling Shuang's expression, which had been shaken by huge emotions, had returned to calm at this moment. However, as if this level of blow was not enough, another unexpected figure jumped onto the platform.
"Commander-in-Chief of the Night Cavalry Vanguard Battalion—Lahan Samel, pays respect to Her Highness the Witch."
The mercenary with red eye whites, known as Ghost Eyes, now changed into a set of jet-black light armor and half-knelt in front of Beichen with Yagard. The moment he lowered his head, Ling Shuang clearly saw him turn his head slightly and give Ling Shuang a pitying yet mocking smile.
Beichen had just nodded and greeted Lahan when someone in the square suddenly looked up, pointed at the sky and started screaming.
A large, dark mass of figures hovered in the sky above the square.
“Fallen Dark Seed!…It’s the Fallen Dark Seed…!!”
As if satisfied with the commotion, the man with long snow-white hair, blood-red eyes, and a sickle in hand, Yaye, who was hanging at the front of the Fallen Dark Race, laughed heartily, and then shouted loudly at Beichen on the platform:
"Vampire Scythe Yaye has brought nine thousand elite fallen dark species here to find a place to settle down. Red Moon Witch, do you dare to accept them?!"
"Dare!" Beichen looked up, laughing brilliantly, and opened his arms towards the figure in mid-air. "If you dare to follow me, I will definitely protect you! The brother of Vampire Scythe Yaye is the brother of me, Yaxiu Tuling!"
Oh oh oh──
In mid-air, the nine thousand Dark Race soldiers roared with joy like wild beasts.
“Woo—”
Ling Shuang was filled with rage, anger, pain, and grief. Finally, she could no longer bear it. A mouthful of blood rushed to her throat and then spilled out. Seeing this, Mo Ye immediately and decisively crushed the spirit crystal "Returning Home" and quietly disappeared from everyone's sight with Ran Xiang and Ling Shuang.
Beichen never looked in their direction again from beginning to end, but Su Mo gave a faint smile of ambiguous meaning in the direction they disappeared.
Oh, it’s too late to go back now, Ling Shuang, the leader of the Holy Church.
Now, your underground base that you were so proud of may have been turned into a pile of mud by that mad guy with his puppy?
"I see. What a brilliant Jedi counterattack!"
In the crowd, the Duchess of Latia named Su looked at Beichen and the group of people around her and chuckled.
"She's really not a simple character. I really have good judgment. What should I do? I don't want to be her enemy. So, please go back. She already knew you were safe, otherwise she wouldn't have taken action."
But the twins beside the Duchess, wearing clothes of two completely different main colors, one black and one white, just stared at the dazzling and eye-catching figure of the girl in the distance with a gloomy look, their eyes full of struggle and pain, biting their lower lips tightly, but not saying the word of leaving.
The Duke smiled and raised an eyebrow.
"I don't take in empty shells here. If you don't leave, don't blame me for starving you back to your original form and sending you back."
"We—"
Blackbane began in a hoarse and sorrowful voice, but he did not finish his words.
"Do you think you're dirty?" The Duke narrowed his eyes in a smile, then pointed his chin at the petite figure on the platform. "Do you think she'd be the type to balk at such a thing? Even the so-called "Fallen Darkborn," whom everyone avoids, she can welcome with open arms like this."
Seeing that the twins were still silent, she couldn't help but feel a little angry, then she stretched out her hands and slapped them hard on the back.
"Didn't you see she was waiting for you? Didn't you see the significance of her outstretched hands?! Why are you being so fussy?! Get out!!"
"Brother..."
"Let's go. Go back."
Su Jie lowered his eyes and spoke in a hoarse voice. Then, two figures, one black and one white, turned into two rays of light and rushed towards the platform. Finally, they turned into the form of hooks and appeared in the hands of Yaxiu Tuling.
The witch finally smiled her most brilliant and happy smile at this moment. Then she tightly grasped the claw in her hand, raised her right hand and pointed it towards the sky. Amidst the gusts of wind brought by the red light, she shouted loudly:
"To live and step into a new era──!!"
"To live and step into a new era!!!"
Tens of thousands of people in the entire square were impressed by the gentle yet sharp and tolerant aura that examined everything in the world, and responded in unison.
The holy lecture that should have brought about a bloody storm came to an end in this unexpected situation.
On this day, the power of the Red Moon Priestess officially stepped onto the stage of history, and several countries that would later sign alliance agreements with the Priestess's country—Arcadia, Heyang, Sazam...—also laid the foundation of their friendship with the Priestess on this day.
On the night of November 3367 of the Senagard New Calendar, the night of Blade Crying, history opened a new and magnificent page.
The public speech that led to all this was called the "Grubesia Incident," with bold, enlarged font and detailed descriptions.
It was recorded in the "New Red Moon Priestess Encyclopedia".
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