The Price of Prophecy and the Unfinished Legacy

Xie Haizhu had previously surmised that the original owner had likely informed Duanmu Yun and others about the Demon Race.

The Demon Race, it seems, is a mutation of demonic beasts that emerged two millennia ago. Fifteen hundred years past, humanity had once believed itself to have utterly vanquished these creatures, thereby ushering in a flourishing age of magic.

Yet, a mere five centuries later, the Demon King was born, plunging humanity into a millennial struggle against the Demon Race. Though humans maintained a long-term advantage during this arduous period, they eventually succumbed to defeat.

The primary reason for their downfall was the Demon Race’s evolution: from self-propagation, they advanced to converting slain humans into demons, and ultimately, to…

What she had never anticipated, however, was the sheer detail of the information Duanmu Yun and the others possessed, save for a few omissions.

“But you needn’t worry,” Duanmu Yun had said. “The Demon Race is only expected to arrive on this continent in about ten years. We still have ample time to prepare.”

They had, however, gravely miscalculated the Demon Race’s arrival—not ten years from now, but a mere three.

“This… was all told to you by my past self?”

“Yes,” came the reply. “But regarding your past, we cannot disclose too much to you.”

“Why?”

Frankly, Xie Haizhu had never understood why Duanmu Yun and his companions spoke in such enigmatic terms.

For instance, concerning the restoration of her memories, a direct explanation would undoubtedly be swifter, yet they consistently refused.

Even a matter as monumental as the Demon Race was only revealed now, and even then, with reservations.

It felt as though they weren’t confronting a catastrophe that threatened to annihilate nations and species, but rather playing a game, simply waiting for something. Had Xie Haizhu not been in her current state of icy calm, she might have erupted in a furious interrogation of Duanmu Yun.

“Have you ever heard of a ‘self-imposed restriction’?”

“I have.”

“For you to discover all of this on your own is precisely your self-imposed restriction.”

Xie Haizhu swiftly processed this information in her mind, then considered a possibility.

“Sometimes, when I try to speak about certain sensitive topics, I suddenly feel my heart clench as if someone is squeezing it, causing immense pain. Could this be…”

“Precisely. That is the price you pay for violating your self-imposed restriction.”

After her attempt to inform Duanmu Yun that the Demon Race would attack in three years failed, Xie Haizhu teleported out of the office.

‘Her plan to earn Duanmu Yun’s greater trust had failed…’

‘Still, it was not entirely in vain.’

Seeing that Xie Haizhu could utter the word “Demon Race,” a visible flicker of anticipation crossed Duanmu Yun’s face. It was not difficult to guess that a small spark of joy had ignited within him.

The problem was, Xie Haizhu once again found herself unable to comprehend the original owner’s circumstances.

All indications suggested that the original owner was a human survivor from the Divine Dragon Continent.

They possessed immense power and had brought advanced technology and artifacts from the Divine Dragon Continent.

Yet, upon arriving on the Europa Continent, instead of uniting the three major kingdoms, the original owner chose to side with the insignificant Vermillion Bird Kingdom within the alliance of smaller nations. They then expended considerable effort to elevate the Vermillion Bird Kingdom into one of the three major powers.

Despite this, they did not press on to conquer the Empire and unify the three kingdoms. Instead, they perished five years ago, their soul scattered.

Such passivity in governing the nation hardly resembled the actions of a sage who had come to establish a base for humanity’s counterattack against the Demon Race.

This, in itself, was quite peculiar.

Xie Haizhu, having inherited this body, could have continued the original owner’s work. Yet, for some unknown reason, the original owner seemed to have foreseen her arrival and imposed numerous restrictions upon this very body.

As a result, five years had passed, and the Vermillion Bird Kingdom had made no further preparations against the Demon Race. They hadn’t even adequately guarded against the Empire.

Honestly, Xie Haizhu strongly disapproved of this entire series of actions taken by the original owner.

However, her own knowledge was simply too sparse. To accomplish more, her only recourse was to find a way around the original owner’s self-imposed restrictions and seek out the crucial information left behind.

From the current situation, it seemed highly probable that this vital information was stored within Saintess Peri.

Thus, Xie Haizhu swiftly teleported back home. After informing Xie Shenai that she would be cultivating and then erecting a barrier, she began her attempt.

She intended to see if there were any parts of her body that could be unsealed.

Yet, the moment she directed her spiritual sense inward, she lost consciousness.

More accurately, her entire being felt as if it had plummeted into a black hole of the mind.

****

When she awoke again, Xie Haizhu found herself in a dense forest in the wilderness.

‘No, this is a memory.’

For some reason, the answer materialized in her mind the instant the question formed.

‘Can I move freely?’

‘No.’

As if in a dialogue with herself, she provided her own answer.

Gradually, she noticed her self-awareness beginning to merge, as if becoming one with the protagonist of the memory.

Of course, that “protagonist” was still her.

Or rather, the “Xie Haizhu” of the past was the original owner.

What was peculiar, however, was that while she experienced the original owner’s feelings from a first-person perspective, she simultaneously possessed a third eye, allowing her to observe herself from a third-person viewpoint—a perspective she could not control.

Yet, this strange dual perspective brought no discomfort. Instead, it further synchronized her consciousness with that of the past Kang Wang.

It was then that she realized this memory was from five years ago, during the Eastern Expedition. Under the cloak of night, with Xie Shenhong’s clone left behind at the camp, she had ventured into this desolate place to perform a secret art she had just mastered: precognition.

Yet, its principle was not inherently magical. This form of precognition utilized a theory akin to Laplace’s Demon.

By knowing everything on the planet, one could then deduce future events.

Ultimately, it was successful.

Yet, not entirely so.

To be precise, omniscient precognition was beyond her capabilities.

She could only achieve limited foresight.

Extremely limited, in fact.

So limited that it merely revealed auspicious or ominous outcomes.

“Next, I will encounter a pink-haired girl,” the original owner murmured. “Saving her will be beneficial for defeating the Demon Race in the future, but it will bring great misfortune to my subordinates.”

After a moment of hesitation, she still chose to save the pink-haired girl.

For the sake of defeating the Demon Race.

For the sake of more humans.

For the greater good.

All other things… could be sacrificed.

“No, wait a moment!”

Xie Haizhu couldn’t help but shout, but her voice failed to reach the phantom of the past. Instead, her synchronization rate rapidly plummeted.

Swiftly, she felt as if someone had suddenly grabbed her by the collar and lifted her, pulling her backward into the black hole in the sky.

Her consciousness was then interrupted once more.

****

Opening her eyes again, Xie Haizhu found herself back in her room. She quickly checked the time.

‘Going back and forth, the time elapsed was… zero?’

She couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Even as a tactic, losing consciousness was extremely perilous. However, if it was merely mental acceleration on a spiritual level, then there was little to worry about.

With the safety concerns addressed, Xie Haizhu began to organize the information she had just gleaned. The fragmented events concerning the original owner during the Eastern Expedition could now be strung together into a coherent narrative.

For the future of humanity, the original owner had made a prediction. After much deliberation, she chose to save Xie Shenai, sacrificing the lives of her subordinates. Later, when confronted by Li Tianming’s accusations, her mind shattered from overwhelming guilt, leading to…

‘The original owner’s mental fortitude… was far too fragile, wasn’t it?’

Having reached this conclusion, Xie Haizhu let out a soft sigh.

While regret lingered, she knew that if the original owner had not perished, she would not be here now.

All she could do was complete the original owner’s unfinished tasks: to protect the kingdom and safeguard humanity.

As for the original owner’s remarkably poor mental fortitude, could it be the price for using the Saintess Puppet? With so little information, Xie Haizhu dared not make any firm assertions.

However, she was certain she would never succumb to such despair as the original owner had.

Because—

“We are different.”

Recalling the figure of a certain golden-haired youth, Xie Haizhu couldn’t help but smile faintly, her eyes brimming with hope for the future.

****

Simultaneously, thousands of kilometers to the west, within a clandestine meeting room…

A group of hooded figures had gathered there.

The Empire’s Prime Minister, standing at the very center, cast off his hood and raised an arm towards the assembly.

“Gentlemen, the time is nearly ripe,” he declared. “It is time to annihilate the arrogant Vermillion Bird Kingdom!”

“Fear not, for we, possessing the technology of ancient civilizations, are invincible!”

“Exterminate the witch, and unify the three kingdoms!”

The crowd responded with fervent shouts, their faces beneath their hoods filled with fanaticism and indignation.

In their eyes, there was nothing but conquest and tyranny.