Chapter 156 The King's Game: The reason why the treasure is afraid is because...
The air was stagnant in the cramped, confined room.
Ji Yang stared at the bound Sirius, crouched down, and asked with piercing eyes, "How much do you know about the recent heretical activities in the Holy City?"
Earlier that morning, the messenger came to fetch him to handle official business, and he received the secret report presented by the high priest in the Pope's study.
[An abandoned monastery in the southwest of the holy city has been discovered, suspected to be a heretical altar. Faint fluctuations of dark energy remain, and anti-holy light markings have been left at the scene.]
Below the gold-stamped parchment is a bizarre symbol that forcibly combines the distorted crest of the moon goddess with the royal emblem of Asgard.
But what concerned him most were the pieces of evidence presented along with the secret report.
A loose, milky-white button found at the edge of the altar was exactly the same as the one on Jiang Nuoer's clothes.
He visited Jiang Nuoer once in the afternoon. Jiang Nuoer was placed in a side hall by him and did not leave.
So, why did that button end up in the monastery?
Or perhaps, in the child's original trajectory, something happened while he was locked in solitary confinement that led to this situation?
A chilling thought came to mind: if that's the case, is there absolutely no chance to change the final outcome?
That's why he came to find the real Sirius to learn some information.
When he appeared in the Holy City, Sirius was just about to wake up and was about to call his servants to attend to him when Sirius was knocked unconscious, tied up, and locked in a solitary confinement cell.
He then donned the mask symbolizing the Pope and successfully replaced Sirius.
Sirius spat, his long-standing pampered arrogance mixed with the anger of imprisonment, his composure completely gone, his face contorted.
"Heretics? Hah... What can those fools hiding in the temple do besides shout 'heretics'?"
Sirius tried to straighten his back and maintain his last shred of dignity. He laughed hoarsely, his voice like a broken bellows: "The Papacy? Hmph! If it weren't for me... they'd be nothing but a bunch of ignorant, lowly commoners deceiving themselves!"
Ji Yang calmly scrutinized him, his heart filled with anger.
The Holy Light Church, which has ruled the continent for hundreds of years, has a sixth pope who is such a good-for-nothing who has been emptied out by wine and women, speaks vulgarly, and has only power and pleasure in his eyes, without any faith.
However, Sirius's words also confirmed his previous guess.
The Vatican is now outwardly strong but inwardly weak, its internal structure completely corrupted. Its so-called authority is nothing more than a fragile shell maintained by inertia.
Judging from Sirius's words, it seems that he tacitly approves of the existence of heretics.
Ji Yang suddenly chuckled sarcastically, his tone deliberately provocative: "That's not necessarily true. Unfortunately, I'll soon wipe out these heretics."
"You dare!"
Sirius, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, roared wildly.
Ji Yang took a step closer, his deep and clear voice striking Sirius's ear: "Why wouldn't I dare? Don't forget, I am Yao."
Many legends about Yao still circulate in mainland China.
"What do you know! The Holy Light is beyond the comprehension of ants like you!"
Sirius's eyes were bloodshot as he roared as if terrified that some truth would be revealed: "When my lord descends, the entire continent will tremble under the true holy light!"
"You, Aethergard, dare to betray the Church! The fate of the Moon Goddess will be the fate of Aethergard tomorrow!"
So that's how it is...
After getting the answer he wanted, Ji Yang stuffed the cloth back into Sirius's mouth, ignoring the trapped beast-like whimpers coming from his throat, and turned to leave the musty and despairing solitary confinement room resolutely.
The iron gate slammed shut behind me, as if completely separating the two worlds.
As night deepened, moonlight spilled into the corridor, casting his long, thin shadow. He leaned against the carved window sill, a vague outline forming in his mind.
In order to maintain its glory, the Holy Light Church colluded with heretics and framed the Moon Goddess Tribe a hundred years ago.
A century later, they tried to frame Ethergard using the same method.
The most crucial element was the use of Ethergard's youngest prince, Janor.
What about his father and mother? He hasn't returned home for many years. What is the reason between his father, mother, and Jiang Nuoer?
When it comes to family members, Ji Yang finds it difficult to rationally consider these contradictory issues.
Or rather, he was more afraid of facing an answer that he couldn't objectively accept.
He faced the window and pushed it open a crack. All was quiet except for a gentle breeze that soothed his heat.
If Jiang Yang were here right now, that would be great.
Before the trial, Jiang Yang offered, "I'll go with you."
His first instinct was to refuse.
But Jiang Yang then said in a serious tone, "If you leave me alone in this no man's land, I'll worry about you."
“I’d rather we both get into trouble than see your name grayed out on the list.”
So he agreed.
He and Jiang Yang turned the key together and opened the door.
Actually, there seemed to be clues from the beginning. Blackrock City was suddenly unlocked in the Wastes, and the panel notified us of the group request at that time.
Before they arrived here, all they knew was that they needed a key to get in; they had no other information whatsoever.
Not only that, this time when I entered, there was no interface, no trial loading, no missions, and no completion.
Ji Yang wasn't even sure if he was on trial, let alone whether Jiang Yang had gone to trial with him at that time.
He searched the Vatican all afternoon but couldn't find Jiang Yang. It was good that he wasn't in trial, but if Jiang Yang was simply not at the Vatican...
He couldn't help but feel a little worried.
The night before, he was still thinking about waiting for a chance to leave the city to find Jiang Yang, and about bringing Jiang Nuoer shoes when he woke up. But when he opened his eyes the next day, three months had passed, and Jiang Yang had appeared.
...
Ji Yang followed suit and bound Sirius, who had just finished his morning prayers.
Sirius doesn't remember him.
Outside the training hall, the hostages gathered in twos and threes. Ji Yang, wearing the Pope's mask, almost instantly locked onto that familiar figure.
Jiang Nuoer stood alone in the shadows of the corner.
Her once chubby face had thinned considerably, making her blue-gray eyes appear even larger, but they had lost the innocent radiance of three months ago, leaving only a silent stillness that didn't suit her age.
Jiang Nuoer was timid before, but now she is withdrawn. This is the first change in Jiang Nuoer.
The reason was... that little white dog died...
He kept the little white dog in a side hall, saving most of his meager daily food rations specifically for the dog.
Until that day, after his evening training, he was greeted by the cold world outside the disciplinary hall, and a lifeless body that had long since ceased to exist.
He held the dog's corpse and cried, while Raymond and the others pointed at him and laughed.
"See? I knew he must have raised this beast."
Friction between the proton clusters was constant, with Raymond always leading the bullying against him.
He was isolated and targeted, which was fine, but why couldn't they even spare a dog?
Jiang Nuoer gently put the dog down, his hands covered in still-dry blood. Then he clenched his fist and swung it at someone's face for the first time.
As expected, he was easily overturned and trampled underfoot by Raymond.
He was put in solitary confinement, in a truly cold and icy cell.
However, this punishment did not teach him a lesson. After he was released, he continued to make attacks again and again, only to be defeated time and time again.
The treasure trembled in his arms.
The book says, "The reason the treasure was afraid was because the hands holding it were trembling."
He could not be afraid, but what awaited him later was more than just confinement.
Yue Weiya persuaded Jiang Nuoer, and she became the only one in the proton group who was still willing to talk to Jiang Nuoer, even though Jiang Nuoer became less talkative.
Worried that there wouldn't be enough time, Ji Yang, after recalling the past three months, briefly met Jiang Nuoer outside the training hall and immediately instructed the messenger to take Jiang Nuoer to a side hall to wait for him, while he hurriedly went to another sleeping quarters.
A moment later, they met in the side hall. Ji Yang had already taken off his mask and was holding a small leather package in his hand.
When Jiang Nuoer saw him, her thin body tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment, and a very complex emotion flashed across her large eyes.
There was surprise, bewilderment, and a hint of resentment that was quickly suppressed.
But Jiang Nuoer quickly regained his stagnant composure, and even subconsciously took two steps back when Ji Yang approached him.
Looking at Jiang Nuoer's wary expression, Ji Yang felt a sharp pang in his heart. Sirius didn't remember him, but Jiang Nuoer did.
He handed it over, his voice softer than ever: "Here you go."
Jiang Nuoer turned her hands behind her back and did not take it.
Ji Yang opened the package directly. Inside was a pair of brand-new, exquisitely crafted little boots, clearly Jiang Nuoer's size.
"I promised you."
Jiang Nuoer's eyelashes trembled, and his gaze lingered on the boots for a long time before slowly lifting up. He looked up at Ji Yang and said in a very soft voice, "You lied to me."
You said you'd come tomorrow.
Ji Yang bent down and put down the agreement. He couldn't explain the absurd jump in time, so he could only choose the most honest part: "Something suddenly happened that I couldn't control. I didn't mean to lie to you."
"oh."
Jiang Nuoer responded, but it was impossible to tell whether she believed him or not.
He lowered his head, looking at the pretty little boots, and murmured very softly, as if casually, "You didn't come... and the puppy died..."
"...sorry."
Jiang Nuoer's eyes were red; he hadn't cried in a long time since the puppy died.
"Will you still leave without a word next time?"
He mustered his courage to ask, but the little expectation in his eyes vanished when he saw the struggle and difficulty on Ji Yang's face.
Seeing Jiang Nuoer's dejected look, Ji Yang felt a pain in his breath: "I'm sorry, I can't promise you."
Jiang Nuoer's shoulders trembled slightly, a numb resignation in her voice barely audible: "Yes, Jiang Nuoer understands."
Ji Yang took a deep breath, squatted down to be at eye level with Jiang Nuoer, his gaze steady and firm: "But, while I'm still here, I want to teach you some things."
"What?"
"I want to teach you swordsmanship."
"Practicing swordsmanship...?"
Jiang Nuoer murmured, her eyes suddenly lighting up: "Like my brother?"
Ji Yang looked at Jiang Nuoer, his deep eyes reflecting her small and fragile image: "Yes, if you learn well, you can protect yourself even when I'm not around. Are you willing?"
Jiang Nuoer nodded forcefully, almost with all her might.
His throat tightened, preventing him from making a clear sound, but his eyes, now filled with renewed determination, had already given their answer.
Ji Yang knelt on one knee, lifted Jiang Nuoer's ankle, pinched the heel of the old leather shoe and gently removed it, then took the new pair and put them on for him.
Jiang Nuoer could no longer hold back and broke down in tears, shouting at the top of her lungs, "I've been looking for you for so long, but I couldn't find you."
"They all bullied me and even locked me up in solitary confinement, just me!"
Ji Yang reached out and pulled Jiang Nuoer into his arms, and the child's tears quickly fell in large clumps onto his shoulder.
"sorry."
"Don't cry anymore, okay?"
"It was my fault."
The child sobbed as he accused, "I don't even know your name!"
"My name is Ji Yang."
"My name is Jiang, Jiang Nuoer."
He cried until he hiccuped, and Ji Yang patted his back to help him catch his breath: "Alright, alright, don't cry anymore. I'll teach you swordsmanship."
"Then let's practice now!"
Jiang Nuoer was quick to withdraw, her face full of fighting spirit.
...
With Ji Yang around, Jiang Nuoer, under the pretext of being "confined," no longer had to go to the disciplinary hall, and the two began practicing in a side hall.
Ji Yang chose a short sword for Jiang Nuoer that was easy to carry. The blade gleamed with a cold light. It was not light for Jiang Nuoer, but he held it tightly, his little face full of seriousness.
"I'll teach you from the very basics, as far as you can learn."
Ji Yang stood behind him, his large hand enveloping his small hand, adjusting his sword-wielding posture, and guiding him to feel how to exert force and control the angle.
Jiang Nuoer's gaze gradually hardened, and following Ji Yang's guidance, she swung her first sword.
Throughout the day, apart from meals, Jiang Nuoer barely rested and was still working hard right before going to bed. In the end, Ji Yang had to force her back to bed.
Because he was still unsure about what would happen the next day, Ji Yang did not leave rashly and prepared to spend the night in a chair.
In the darkness, he heard Jiang Nuoer suddenly speak anxiously, "Brother Jiyang... are you still there...?"
"Um."
He responded.
"Thank you, brother."
...
Ji Yang rubbed the corner of his eye.
"You did a great job today. Someone bullied you while I was away. Wait for your brother to come back and get revenge for you."
Before the expected separation could arrive, Ji Yang was awakened by a rustling noise.
It was still dark.
A blurry figure crawled out of bed. He opened his eyes and saw "Jiang Nuoer" running towards him without even putting on his shoes.
Jiang Nuoer, mistaking him for still asleep, called out in a soft voice, "Ji Yang! Ji Yang!"
"I am Jiang Yang."
[Trial observation is in progress...]
[Trial observation link successful]
[King's Game Trial Open]
[The observation room function cannot be activated during this trial.]
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