The Price of Salvation

What did that mean?

Li Tianming simply couldn’t comprehend Dongfang Qinglong’s words. More precisely, he had never imagined that the esteemed Saintess, the savior of the nation, could be swayed by a few casual remarks from him.

In fact, his purpose in coming to apologize was primarily to ease his own conscience.

He had even mentally prepared himself for Xie Shenhong to have no recollection of him.

What he hadn’t anticipated was that Xie Shenhong truly didn’t remember him.

She had forgotten everything, even their shared past.

“It’s all because of me?”

“I’m not certain, but you… you were likely the catalyst for her decision.”

Li Tianming was frantic.

He demanded to know why Dongfang Qinglong hadn’t sought revenge, why he hadn’t punished him.

“Because it was her wish… she specifically instructed us not to blame you, not to harm you.”

Li Tianming crumbled.

He longed to rush to Xie Shenhong, to apologize ten thousand times, a thousand times, until she relented, until she was restored to her former self.

But Dongfang Qinglong prevented him.

“Please, don’t agitate her any further… If you truly wish to do something, then simply do not appear before us again. I fear I might not be able to resist disobeying her request otherwise.”

Ultimately, Li Tianming was sent away.

On his way, Li Tianming was consumed by guilt and profound confusion.

Yet, shamefully, life had to go on.

Cowardly as he was, he chose to bury himself in work, hoping to forget everything.

However, he soon realized that Saintess Haizhu had become an inescapable presence for every individual in the kingdom.

He couldn’t forget his actions for a single moment.

Moreover, seeing his subordinates still carefree, and the citizens with faces full of hope for the future, his guilt deepened, and his worries intensified.

He lived in constant dread that he might wake up one day to find the entire world aware of the Saintess’s absence, followed by a full-scale imperial invasion, leaving countless lives devastated.

After some time had passed, he heard news from the capital that the Saintess was still active.

At once, he thought of the Amaterasu Doll, immediately understanding that Dongfang Qinglong and the others were merely buying time.

She was no longer able to leave the temple; she could only sustain her life within its sacred walls.

She was using the last vestiges of her life to perform her final service for the nation.

Li Tianming suddenly realized he still loved Xie Shenhong.

This love was unrelated to romance or gratitude; it was a pure, unadulterated affection.

He resolved to do everything in his power to save her.

He sought out Dongfang Qinglong.

Dongfang Qinglong looked at him, his gaze devoid of its former hostility and murderous intent, now filled only with weariness.

“Do you know? In the temple, the Saintess will lose her life, but you will gain eternal life.”

Li Tianming was stunned.

“Why?”

“It was the pact she made with the deity long ago.”

Dongfang Qinglong’s eyes dimmed, and he spoke in a low voice: “I once asked her why.”

She merely smiled and said, “Because, it is my destiny.”

Li Tianming felt a bone-chilling cold.

He couldn’t comprehend it, much less accept it.

“Is there any way I can save her?” Li Tianming asked.

Dongfang Qinglong shook his head. “There is no way. No method remains.”

“No, there must be!” Li Tianming insisted, his voice raw.

Dongfang Qinglong looked at him, a complex expression flickering in his eyes. “Perhaps… perhaps there is still one way.”

Li Tianming seized his arm, asking urgently, “What way?”

“That is… you become a new deity,” Dongfang Qinglong replied.

Li Tianming froze.

“By becoming a deity, I can save her?”

“Yes.”

“How does one become a deity?”

“By sacrificing yourself,” Dongfang Qinglong stated.

Li Tianming fell silent.

He knew, of course, what sacrificing himself entailed.

It meant his death.

Was he willing to die to save Xie Shenhong?

Without hesitation, he nodded. “I am willing.”

As if Dongfang Qinglong had anticipated his answer, he gently patted Li Tianming’s shoulder. “Very well, come with me.”

Deep within the temple, Li Tianming beheld a massive altar.

Upon it, Xie Shenhong lay still, her face pale yet serene.

She resembled a sleeping angel.

Li Tianming walked to the edge of the altar, gently stroking Xie Shenhong’s cheek. “I’m here.”

Dongfang Qinglong watched him from the side, silent.

Li Tianming closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then ascended the altar.

He felt a potent force surge into his body.

His physical form began to transform.

His consciousness blurred, yet his heart swelled with peace and joy.

He knew he was becoming a deity.

He knew he could save Xie Shenhong.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself hovering in the air above the temple.

He saw the entire kingdom spread out below, the distant mountains and rivers, and all its people.

He felt omnipotent.

He saw Xie Shenhong; her eyes were open, and she was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

“Xie Shenhong,” Li Tianming whispered.

A flicker of confusion crossed Xie Shenhong’s eyes, then a sweet smile bloomed on her face.

“Li Tianming,” she said.

Li Tianming flew to her, gently embracing her.

They embraced, suspended in the air, at the heart of the temple, beneath the gaze of the entire kingdom.

In that moment, they were eternal.

****

And so, he began to pray.

He prayed for their success, for Xie Shenhong’s recovery.

Four years passed with his prayers.

Xie Shenhong did not recover.

Rumors of the Saintess’s deteriorating condition even reached the borders, spreading into the Empire.

The border’s former confidence vanished, replaced by daily, suffocatingly intense training.

Although this only strengthened the Empire’s belief that something was amiss, Commander Pa’s attempts at clarification proved ineffective, instead giving the impression of a blatant cover-up.

What was even more despairing was that this situation was unfolding across every corner of the kingdom.

Li Tianming profoundly understood Xie Shenhong’s immense importance to the nation.

At the same time, he grasped the depth of his own unforgivable wickedness.

Just as the people were on the verge of being crushed by the final straw, a glimmer of hope appeared.

After five long years, the Saintess once again truly wielded her full combat prowess.

The entire world breathed a sigh of relief.

But Li Tianming did not.

Because Dongfang Qinglong had contacted him.

“What do you need me to do?”

he asked.

“I wish to give her a potent remedy.”

He agreed without hesitation.

Indeed, it was more than just agreement; it was born of eagerness and profound yearning.

For the past five years, not a day had passed without him contemplating atonement.

For even after forgetting everything, Xie Shenhong remained the Saintess dedicated to her country.

She was still the Saintess who served the nation.

She continued to make immense contributions to the kingdom’s development.

Had it not been for the unforgivable sin he committed, the kingdom would likely be in a far better state now.

It was all his fault.

He had lacked proper judgment.

His disrespect toward her was the sole cause of these events.

“Greetings, Esteemed Haizhu!”

Thus, when they met again, he swiftly knelt, showing the utmost reverence.

At the same time, he bowed his head deeply.

This was to conceal the fury etched upon his face.

Yes, indeed.

Fury.

Especially when he saw that she, having forgotten everything, still strived to embody the role of the Saintess.

Especially when he saw that she, just like before, still wished to handle many matters personally.

His rage intensified.

He was furious at his own incompetence, furious at the mistakes he had made in the past.

What he found most unbearable was this:

Facing such an unforgivable sinner as himself, the Saintess actually sought to comfort and console him.

She even intended to treat him as a friend, unaware of the heinous deeds he had committed.

He could no longer remain composed.

“It is an honor for your subordinate to serve Esteemed Haizhu!”

“Your subordinate dares not presume!”

He was utterly undeserving.

He had no right whatsoever.

Fortunately, he was too incompetent.

So incompetent that his heartfelt acts of reverence were mistaken for mere formalities.

So incompetent that his concern and consideration were perceived as deliberate provocations.

He even managed to anger her.

But this was precisely what he desired.

Her displeasure, disgust, and hatred… to him, these were all forms of salvation.

They were the rightful consequences for a sinner like him.

If his death could bring about her full recovery, then he would face it without a moment’s hesitation.

Regrettably, he was also utterly incompetent in other areas.

Even when he intended to abandon the port without her intervention, he ultimately found himself waiting for her rescue.

He still needed her to help resolve the problem.

“Oh, oh, oh, we won!”

“That substitute did a great job!”

“Well done.”

Cheers erupted all around, the faces of the people filled with joy and praise.

Yet, in this particular scene, their shouts were jarringly discordant.

‘What substitute? This is the true Saintess!’

‘And she acted forcefully, despite not having recovered her full strength and being in poor condition!’

‘Do you even realize how perilous this battle was?’

‘Do you know how much the Saintess struggled, how difficult this was for her?’

‘Do you understand how shameless and despicable it is to do nothing yourselves, yet complacently wait for her to save you?’

Li Tianming roared inwardly, cursing them in his heart.

He gritted his teeth, his face contorted, as his fingernails dug deep into his palms, drawing blood.

How desperately he wished to go and alleviate the Saintess’s burdens.

But he could do nothing.

He could only remain with these useless people.

What was more despairing was that misfortune rarely came alone; it always struck in succession—

“Report, Commander! We’ve found survivors… They are suspected Sakura Nation remnants!”

Following the port officer to the dock, he quickly saw Hijikata Toshizo lying on the ground, receiving emergency treatment from a healer. Alas, his injuries were too severe; he was clearly on the verge of death.

However, upon seeing Li Tianming, Hijikata Toshizo’s eyes lit up as if experiencing a final burst of vitality. With his last breath, he stammered, “It was… the Heavenly King… Faction…”

“The Heavenly King Faction’s doing?” Li Tianming was astonished. He had assumed it was retaliation from the surviving Western Faction against the Shogunate Faction, but he never would have guessed the Heavenly King Faction, previously the least significant in intelligence reports, was behind it.

“They… the Empire… colluded… avenge… me…”

The word ‘avenge’ remained unspoken as Hijikata Toshizo drew his last breath. Even if he had managed to say it, Li Tianming couldn’t have helped him, as there was too little information about the Heavenly King Faction.

‘No…’

If their power was far greater than he had imagined, then their next target could only be…

Li Tianming immediately called someone.

But the call went unanswered until it automatically disconnected.

His heart sank completely.