Chapter 158 King's Game: The Papacy's journey to Aethergard is long and arduous...
This time, Ji Yang's presence lasted for a full ten days.
During these ten days, under Ji Yang's guidance, Jiang Nuoer's originally clumsy moves became smoother, her arm when swinging the sword gained more strength, and her blue-gray eyes gradually developed a focused and determined light.
However, as Jiang Nuoer grows up, Jiang Yang, as Jiang Nuoer, spends more and more time appearing every day.
At first, it was ten minutes longer, then it gradually accumulated to half an hour longer, and by the tenth day, I was able to stay awake for three hours straight.
On the tenth night, Jiang Nuoer obediently climbed into bed in the side hall.
As usual, Ji Yang turned off the light. He turned his head and saw that Jiang Nuoer had closed her eyes and was breathing steadily, as if she had fallen asleep. He suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind and, as in the past, prepared to make do with the night in the chair.
But shortly after he closed his eyes, he suddenly felt a distinct burning sensation in his arms.
It was that glass mask.
He frowned as he took out the mask. In the moonlight, a faint shimmering light flashed across the surface of the mask, but the heat came and went quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it returned to its original smooth texture.
Ji Yang was puzzled. He carefully put on the mask, but everything was normal. No urgent messages came, and there was no special power fluctuation.
strangeness...
He checked it twice more, but found nothing amiss, so he had no choice but to take off the mask and put it away again.
Ji Yang lay back down in the chair, unaware that the moment he took out the mask, Jiang Nuoer, who should have been fast asleep on the bed, trembled her eyelashes and quietly opened her eyes, taking in all his movements.
Jiang Nuoer's body stiffened, then she tried her best to relax and return to a sleeping state, but her small hand hidden under the quilt quietly clenched.
...
The next morning.
Ji Yang awoke with a start, feeling intense unease. He could faintly hear unusual noises outside the palace, all of which indicated something was amiss.
He sat up abruptly, his gaze shifting to the empty bed on one side.
"Jiangnuoer?"
"Yangyang?"
He called out, his voice echoing in the overly quiet hall.
No one answered.
He walked quickly to the window, pushed it open, and saw a large crowd gathered in the square.
The magnificent papal banners fluttered in the wind, and hymns and cheers mingled, as if some grand celebration was taking place.
He reached into his clothes, and the mask was gone.
This means that time has jumped again, but it's still uncertain what stage it will reach this time.
He stepped out of the side hall and stopped a low-ranking priest who was hurrying past with his head down. He asked in a deep voice, "What's going on outside?"
The priest was startled when he was stopped, but after seeing that Ji Yang was dressed in extraordinary clothes, he quickly bowed respectfully and said, "Your Excellency, today is the day His Holiness the Pope accepts a new member."
"Recruitment Day?"
"Yes, sir."
The priest's face revealed a subtle yet obsequious expression: "Princess Yueweiya voluntarily offered herself as a sacrifice to serve His Holiness the Pope. Today is the day to welcome her into the main hall. This is a grand event that the Holy See has not seen in a hundred years, showcasing His Holiness's glory. From now on, there will be a new consecration ceremony every month on this day."
Yue Viya? A voluntary sacrifice? Recruiting new members?
With a buzz in his head, Ji Yang instantly understood.
While the Pope and high-ranking clergy outwardly practice celibacy, it is not uncommon for them to engage in sordid affairs, such as keeping lovers in private.
But to do it so openly and blatantly was unprecedented, practically tearing away the last fig leaf of the Vatican.
So what about Yue Weiya...?
Was he sacrificing himself to exonerate his tribe, or was he forced into it? What exactly happened during this period?
Countless questions swirled in his mind. Ji Yang forced himself to calm down. The most urgent thing was to find Jiang Nuoer or Jiang Yang.
Where is Prince Jiang Nuoer?
Ji Yang asked directly, and the priest was taken aback, seemingly not expecting this "lord" to suddenly ask about that unpopular hostage.
The priest tried to recall, then pointed uncertainly to the lower-lying buildings to the west: "He should... still be in the hostage residence in the West Palace, right? After all, he shouldn't be qualified to participate in today's celebration."
He chuckled softly as he spoke, as if he had thought of something amusing.
Ji Yang said no more, and without even bothering to maintain his composure, he strode off toward the West Palace.
Jiang Yang appeared at this time.
The two sat down together, and Jiang Yang succinctly explained the new situation that had arisen recently.
Six months have passed.
"Yue Viya approached the Pope voluntarily in order to obtain evidence."
"Princess Rafina was supposed to be next month, but Sirius discovered Jiang Nuoer's physical characteristics and moved Jiang Nuoer's date forward."
“I suspect that Jiang Nuoer did it on purpose. The day you left, he found out that you were the Pope and didn’t practice his sword for a long time.”
Ji Yang: "So, how are things between you and him?"
"He should be awake for about twelve hours."
Ji Yang: "I need to see him."
"But didn't you notice?"
Jiang Yang sighed. Ji Yang looked at him in confusion, so he simply took Ji Yang's hand and poked it into his face: "This face is looking more and more like me."
Jiang Nuoer's blue-gray eyes were gradually replaced by black eyes, and her facial features and lines gradually revealed a clearer jawline.
Ji Yang finally understood where the unease in his heart came from. This was not like "sharing a body," but more like a slow covering. Jiang Yang was gradually replacing Jiang Nuoer.
To be precise, this was the very reason why the Tower initially brought them into this trial.
Devour.
Ji Yang's fingertips trembled as he looked at the face, his throat tightening and he almost couldn't speak: "So, for the next recruitment day, will it be you... or Jiang Nuoer...?"
"No...nothing is allowed..."
"I'll go get the papal mask; I'll be the pope."
Ji Yang trembled as he got up to leave, but Jiang Yang jumped off the chair and chased after him to stop him: "It's no use."
"After you left, I tried to steal masks twice. It worked for a while, but then I couldn't change my ways."
Last time, to ensure that his departure would not lead to more serious consequences, Ji Yang tried to have Jiang Yang steal the Pope's mask.
The operation went smoothly, and he was relieved.
But now Jiang Yang is telling him that this method is no longer feasible. Is there really no room for maneuver at all?
"Then I'll kill the Pope."
"I've tried it too."
Jiang Yang felt helpless, and this wasn't the first time.
It's meaningless. They need to follow the rules of the trial, and obviously killing the Pope is not one of those rules.
Ji Yang clutched his hair in pain, and Jiang Yang raised her hand and tugged at his other hand that was hanging by his side.
"Come down, lower yourself a little."
Upon hearing this, Ji Yang crouched down to be at eye level with Jiang Yang, but his annoyed mood did not ease much.
Jiang Yang gently ruffled his messy hair: "Don't worry, it's okay, let's try something else."
Ji Yang rested his head on Jiang Yang's shoulder and murmured weakly, "Yang Yang, I don't know what to do."
Jiang Yang didn't speak, but her small hand followed the ends of his hair to the back of his neck and gently pinched it: "Don't blame yourself, it's not your fault."
The heresy was not Ji Yang's fault, the no man's land was not Ji Yang's fault, and Jiang Nuoer's fate was even less Ji Yang's fault.
After all, sending Jiang Nuoer to the Holy City had nothing to do with Ji Yang from the very beginning.
Ji Yang simply couldn't bear it.
Jiang Yang couldn't bear it either, which is why he did his best to save Jiang Nuoer.
“There’s still a month left. We’ll figure out a way slowly. If that doesn’t work, I’ll get close to Sirius for Jiang Nuoer.”
After all, he's a player; it's better than letting a child face it.
"No... there must be a way..."
“There definitely will be…” Ji Yang suddenly raised his head: “I need to go back to Aethergard.”
If you can't kill the Pope by yourself, then how about overthrowing the entire Papacy?
Even if they can't overthrow him, how can Sirius force Jiang Nuoer to become his "mistress" if Ethergard intervenes?
The Papacy is far from Asgard, and the round trip would take at least 28 days, leaving only one month.
Ji Yang's eyes were firm: "I'll set off now."
Jiang Yang stroked his chin thoughtfully: "Aren't we going to wait for Jiang Nuoer?"
"It's too late."
"Okay, I'll wait for you to come back."
...
One month later.
Recruitment Day.
The process began at dawn. Jiang Nuoer was dressed in a gorgeous but frivolous gown, like an exquisite offering, and was taught various etiquettes.
He silently accepted the gazes that ranged from pity to mockery to curiosity, his nearly black eyes mostly staring blankly into the distance, as if his soul had already been ripped away by compromise.
As night fell, he was taken to the bedroom specially prepared by the Pope, where all the noise was finally shut out.
Inside the hall, red candles burned brightly, and the air was filled with a rich, sweet incense. Jiang Nuoer sat alone on the edge of the large bed, her fingers tightly gripping the silky sheets beneath her, her body trembling slightly.
Suddenly, his trembling stopped, and when he looked up again, the emptiness and fear in his eyes were replaced by an extremely sharp calmness.
It's Jiang Yang.
He quickly scanned the palace, which was decorated like a newlywed's bridal chamber, and a sarcastic smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
He walked to the table, poured himself a glass of cold water, and drank it all in one gulp, barely managing to suppress the nausea surging in his heart.
Ji Yang hasn't returned yet, so he'll have to take Jiang Nuoer's place.
Just then, a sudden voice rang in my mind: "Why are you helping Jiang Nuoer?"
It was Jiang Nuoer's voice.
Jiang Yang was taken aback. This was the first time Jiang Nuoer's consciousness had spoken to him so directly while he was in control of the body.
He gave an irrelevant answer, explaining on behalf of Ji Yang: "Ji Yang is not the Pope."
"I know."
"But I don't understand why you're helping Jiang Nuoer?"
Jiang Nuoer was fixated on the answer to this question, and Jiang Yang inexplicably detected a familiar tone in his fluctuating voice.
Before Jiang Yang could find the right words, Jiang Nuoer continued, "Is it because you're here that he's putting in so much effort?"
"no."
Jiang Yang answered without hesitation, "Because he's your brother."
Yao.
However, Ji Yang never admitted it to Jiang Nuoer. Jiang Yang didn't know the reason, but she didn't want Jiang Nuoer to misunderstand Ji Yang.
Moreover, this problem is difficult to explain.
Jiang Nuoer chuckled: "Okay, that's enough for now."
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