A Disciple’s Loyalty and a Saintess’s Past

After the High Priest escaped, Xie Haizhu immediately unfurled a three-dimensional map that had expanded to cover an entire province. Yet, she found no trace of his shadow anywhere. She sighed inwardly, then turned to check on the condition of everyone present.

Naturally, Xie Haizhu hadn’t been idle during the High Priest’s chanting. She had cast defensive magic on all her companions in the area.

However, the opponent’s suppression magic had directly penetrated both the defensive barrier and their magical energy, acting upon each person without obstruction.

Had it not been for the fact that no one was in mortal danger, and her concern about any hidden countermeasures the High Priest might possess, she would have intervened much sooner. Now, while she felt no regret, a sense of pity lingered.

That individual was undoubtedly a crucial figure for their future fight against the Demon Race. Xie Haizhu had been vexed for a long time by her inability to inform others about the Demon Race, yet this encounter had only served to unlock the single word ‘Demon Race.’

Quickly composing herself, Xie Haizhu gently stroked Rayne’s head, whose spirits had visibly plummeted even further.

“Don’t be so disheartened. You can still speak of what you desire; I may not necessarily refuse.”

“No, I have no right to speak,” Rayne replied, shaking his head.

“Why? You shouldn’t harbor much loyalty to the Empire, should you?”

Rayne was clearly different from the Imperial soldiers whose families had been threatened earlier. While he had diligently carried out his mission, he had immediately chosen to surrender when the situation became untenable.

There was nothing inherently wrong with that. Many people despaired in the face of Xie Haizhu’s overwhelming power. Yet, what he revealed was less despair and more disappointment.

Then, he had suddenly broken free from his predicament, followed Xie Haizhu, and appeared ready to confront the High Priest.

Given such behavior, it would be utterly preposterous to call him a loyal subject of the Empire.

Moreover, the Kingdom was not entirely ignorant of the Empire. In fact, a significant portion of Duanmu Yun’s usual work involved dispatching people to the Empire to gather intelligence.

Over the past half-month, among the knowledge a Saintess should possess, which Xie Haizhu had been studying, was intelligence on the Empire. Therefore, after witnessing Rayne’s combat style, she immediately understood his identity. So, she mused:

‘You wish for my help to cure the Thunder Battle Lord, do you not?’

‘The Thunder Battle Lord was one of the seven Battle Lords during the Empire’s invasion of the Kingdom ten years ago.’

‘Excluding the Emperor, four of the other six had died by Saintess Haizhu’s sword. Another was the Imperial Prime Minister, who was severely wounded protecting the Emperor, proving his unwavering loyalty. Upon his return, the Emperor enfeoffed him as a Count, and he still holds his post, enjoying an exalted status within the Empire.’

‘Only the Thunder Battle Lord, once hailed as the Empire’s foremost genius below the Emperor, was scorned by the populace upon his return.’

‘The reason was simple: three of the four who died had covered the Emperor’s hasty retreat. The fourth was killed by Saintess Haizhu when they breached the Vermillion Bird Royal Capital.’

‘The Thunder Battle Lord, however, was different.’

‘Unlike the Battle Lord who died attacking the west gate, the Thunder Battle Lord, who entered through the north gate, first defied the Emperor’s command to massacre the city. He harmed no Kingdom citizens, spared soldiers who surrendered, and even intercepted other units pursuing Kingdom citizens who fled into his sector.’

‘After the Battle Lord attacking the west gate fell, the Thunder Battle Lord immediately chose to retreat and even advised the Emperor to withdraw his troops.’

‘Later, Saintess Haizhu slaughtered 400,000 soldiers with a single sword stroke, causing various losses among the seven armies. Only his division remained unscathed.’

‘Most importantly, while everyone else was covering the Emperor, he was wounded protecting ordinary soldiers during their retreat.’

‘Thus, it was a consensus within the Empire that the Thunder Battle Lord had colluded with the enemy and betrayed the nation.’

‘However, since the Emperor himself had promoted him, directly killing him would cause the Emperor to lose face. Therefore, the Emperor banished him to the impoverished northeastern region bordering the Han Kingdom and the Vermillion Bird Kingdom, leaving him to fend for himself.’

‘As the Thunder Battle Lord’s disciple, Rayne naturally suffered constant suppression from various factions within the country.’

‘Yet, like a mirror image of his master, Rayne grew stronger with each suppression, repeatedly shaming his detractors. Finally, half a year ago, even the Blade Battle Lord could no longer sit idly by and personally moved against Rayne.’

‘However, the Blade Battle Lord’s full-force slash, an act of bullying the weak and disregarding his own reputation, was blocked by Rayne.’

‘While Rayne’s reputation soared, it also solidified the Empire’s desire to eliminate him as soon as possible.’

‘Under such circumstances, Rayne’s participation in this mission, especially facing Saintess Haizhu directly, seemed unwise no matter how one looked at it.’

‘If he succeeded, it would prove Saintess Haizhu was in poor condition, delighting the Empire. But Rayne would gain nothing and would be encircled and killed by the swarming Kingdom army.’

‘If he failed, the outcome depended on the situation. If Rayne was killed, it would simply be an assassination by proxy, with no loss to the Empire. If he wasn’t killed, it would confirm his betrayal of the Empire, potentially even serving as an excuse to sanction the Thunder Battle Lord.’

‘Aside from these, the only scenarios favorable to Rayne would be if he sought to defect through this opportunity, or secretly collude with Haizhu for some clandestine transaction.’

“As expected of esteemed Haizhu, truly nothing escapes your notice,” Rayne said, bowing his head deeply. “But this is already an impossible feat.”

Rayne was well aware of the Empire’s intentions. He could have avoided their trap, for even though the Empire was corrupt and plagued by internal strife, Xie Haizhu’s emergence had united them against a common external threat.

While many people were displeased with him, there were also many who held him in high regard.

Thus, he could have remained hidden in the Royal Capital or merely performed intelligence-gathering work along the border. Yet, he refused.

He valued his venerable master’s health and reputation far more than his own future. Therefore, after learning about Xie Haizhu’s physical condition, he sought a miraculous elixir that could aid her.

He intended to present the medicine in exchange for Xie Haizhu’s help, should the rumors about her condition prove true.

Unfortunately, Xie Haizhu had merely been acting initially; her actual strength was far greater than three Blade Battle Lords combined.

However, to give up was not in Rayne’s character. Considering the High Priest’s dangerous nature, he had followed them, prepared to intervene and rescue Xie Haizhu if the situation turned dire. Should the High Priest go mad and attack Xie Shenai, he could also offer assistance.

He would then seek Xie Haizhu’s aid in return for his gratitude.

Yet, the High Priest had suppressed him the moment he made his move. In the end, Rayne could do nothing, earning no ‘credit’ whatsoever.

He had merely been spared by Xie Haizhu, just as his master had been.

Of course, given his abilities, he could still defect if he truly wished to, but—

“It seems you have no intention of betraying the Empire.”

“My sincerest apologies, esteemed Haizhu, my master said he would not betray the Empire.”

Rayne’s words caused Xie Haizhu to pause slightly.

It was not difficult to discern Rayne’s loyalty to his master from his statement, but the issue was that she sensed an answer embedded within it. After careful consideration, Xie Haizhu decided to speak candidly:

“Forgive me, I don’t know what you are referring to. The rumors are true; my condition is indeed somewhat poor. I no longer remember the events of that time.”

Rayne’s expression shifted to surprise, then he lowered his head and recounted the events to her.

It turned out that the Thunder Battle Lord’s conscientious and righteous conduct during the invasion war had indeed moved Saintess Haizhu.

“It would be too great a pity to kill you here. Your abilities should be used elsewhere. Become my subordinate.”

After speaking these words, Saintess Haizhu sealed the Thunder Battle Lord’s power and imparted a set of magic cultivation methods, instructing him to start his training anew.

“Loyalty? You clearly defied your liege’s command, did you not? In my eyes, you are clearly the kind of person who values the populace more.”

“Righteousness? Let me tell you this: this entire war is nothing more than child’s play. The true enemy is not here, but in the north. Not the Han Kingdom, but further north. There are stronger, more terrifying enemies there.”

“Only by offering your strength can you save more people.”

“There’s no need to rush. You have plenty of time to consider. Reply to me in ten years.”

“Until then, this seal shall be your trial.”

Upon hearing Rayne’s recounted words, Xie Haizhu was filled with astonishment.