A Simple Ceremony

It had to be said, the other self truly understood Xie Shenhong.

For the note contained yet another message.

[If you wish to better alter the kingdom’s future destiny, then heed my words.]

Truthfully, this felt akin to the typical scenario in cultivation novels where an ancient monster, desiring to seize the protagonist’s body, incessantly threatened them into action.

Regrettably, he was no protagonist; he possessed no counter-measures, and furthermore—

‘If you can truly grant my wish, then taking everything from me would be of no consequence.’

Xie Shenhong was prepared to sacrifice himself.

Yet, the golden pocket watch, its time depleted, offered no response.

Its hour hand remained fixed at the three o’clock mark, utterly unchanged.

He couldn’t help but sigh, burying all his worries deep within his heart for a time, before collapsing into sleep.

Waking once more to the insistent blare of his alarm, it was already six o’clock the following morning.

He swiftly prepared breakfast, returned to his room to style his hair into low twin pigtails, donned the Crimson Sea uniform, and then transformed.

‘This… why me?’

Today marked the induction ceremony for the Crimson Sea Knights.

She was to attend in her Hai Zhu form, accepting the oaths of the new members.

But Xie Hai Zhu couldn’t fathom why her other self hadn’t emerged.

After waiting for a while, realizing she hadn’t ‘blacked out’ or switched consciousness, Xie Hai Zhu reluctantly attempted to teleport once more.

And, without surprise, she failed.

‘I… I truly am useless.’

This time, however, the situation was much improved; she had arrived at an deserted street corner near headquarters, needing only to fly the rest of the way.

Before she could act, she sensed someone approaching.

Moreover, the magical fluctuation was strikingly similar to the one from last night.

‘Greetings, Lady Hai Zhu.’

Having cast a concealment barrier and illusion magic, Li Tianming approached, dropping to one knee.

For reasons unknown, despite Li Tianming’s impeccable demeanor, which was even more respectful than Lyte’s, Xie Hai Zhu felt deeply displeased.

But Xie Hai Zhu’s heart remained profoundly displeased.

‘You’ve worked hard.’

‘To serve Lady Hai Zhu is this subordinate’s honor!’

It was precisely this; every time she heard it, Xie Hai Zhu found herself immensely irked.

Especially when Li Tianming spoke those words, it always felt as though her own will was being erased.

‘There’s no need for such formality; rise.’

‘I am your knight; this is my duty!’

Far from rising, Li Tianming even bowed his head deeply.

It was as if he were repenting and atoning.

Considering the need to maintain the Saintess’s inherently aloof image, Xie Hai Zhu abandoned the thought of persuasion, preparing instead to fly to headquarters as originally planned.

‘Lady Hai Zhu, please allow me to presumptuously mention something.’

Li Tianming, still with his head bowed, suddenly called out to her.

‘What is it?’

‘Our knight uniforms are imbued with numerous enchantments.’

‘I know… ah.’

Xie Hai Zhu suddenly understood what Li Tianming was trying to say.

The knight uniforms, issued uniformly by the Knights, were not only enchanted with basic defensive magic but also imbued with many convenient spells.

For instance, they offered dust-repellence, waterproofing, and temperature regulation… and the female uniforms, in particular, had sacred light or shadow magic cast beneath the skirts to prevent accidental exposure.

Indeed, Li Tianming was reminding her not to forget to take such precautions while flying.

If her other self were still controlling the Hai Zhu form, this reminder would be superfluous; at that time, let alone accidental exposure, even if she were simply drinking tea nearby, no one would notice.

However, the current Xie Hai Zhu had neither performed these actions nor possessed such awareness.

‘To actually forget something like that… I truly am terrible.’

With a soft sigh in her heart, Xie Hai Zhu expressed her gratitude:

‘I understand, thank you.’

‘This subordinate is humbled; alleviating Lady Hai Zhu’s worries is this subordinate’s duty!’

‘Why does he speak in such a manner?’

Xie Hai Zhu cast a deep gaze at Li Tianming, ultimately choosing to silently fly towards her destination.

The more she spoke, the more mistakes she would make.

She was not the original Hai Zhu.

Nor was she that other self, so beloved and trusted by Lyte.

She could not engage in actions that might tarnish their image.

For a useless person like herself, the only thing she could do was nothing at all.

With these thoughts, Xie Hai Zhu’s mood improved considerably.

Consequently, she failed to notice that the moment she soared into the sky, the red-haired youth slowly rising below watched her with eyes brimming with resentment and loathing.

****

Upon returning to headquarters, Xie Hai Zhu still hadn’t ‘blacked out’.

Nor did she feel the surge of cold energy as she had during her very first transformation.

Thus, she welcomed the opening of the induction ceremony.

However, no sooner had she settled into her seat than she realized something was amiss.

‘Are there… perhaps too many people?’

The induction ceremony was held in the Crimson Sea headquarters’ grand meeting hall, which boasted a thousand seats; normally, it would never be filled to capacity unless all five major knight orders convened simultaneously.

Today, however, not only were people bringing in small stools to sit in the aisles, but even the corridors outside the entrance were packed, with more individuals continuously arriving.

Fortunately, though Xie Hai Zhu couldn’t unleash her full combat prowess, her divine sense and perception still operated at the War Duke level, allowing her to quickly ascertain the situation from the murmurs of the crowd.

It turned out that over the past five years, a considerable number of people had suspected the previous Hai Zhu was merely an impostor or a puppet, though most had simply pretended not to know.

With Hai Zhu having single-handedly dismantled the Patriot Society and displayed her War Duke strength, new rumors had inevitably begun to circulate.

These rumors claimed that Hai Zhu had previously sustained injuries, necessitating the use of an impostor to deceive the public, but now, having fully recovered, she was once again able to resume her activities.

Regardless of the rumor’s origin, a vast number of people had readily accepted it.

Especially since Hai Zhu had been so eager to undertake her inspection tour just days prior… to those with ulterior motives, unaware of the truth, this was merely a strategic move to build momentum for her grand return.

For a time, whether out of genuine concern for the Saintess’s recovery or driven by ulterior motives, people flocked to the induction ceremony, eager to catch a glimpse of the ‘true Saintess’ returning after a five-year absence.

Xie Hai Zhu instantly felt an immense surge of pressure.

Yet, it wasn’t the overwhelming scene that intimidated her, but rather the apprehension of whether she could adequately portray the role of Saintess Hai Zhu.

‘At times like these, I truly have to admire my other self.’

She simply couldn’t bring herself to act without forethought, to simply do as she pleased.

Even though she knew well the adage, ‘the more you think, the more mistakes you make.’

‘It’s about to begin.’

Duanmu Yun said softly, then stepped forward to deliver the opening remarks.

Much like during the inspection tour, most duties didn’t require Xie Hai Zhu’s direct involvement; her role was akin to that of a principal at a graduation ceremony: smilingly affixing the order emblem to new members, offering a word of encouragement, and then accepting their oaths of allegiance.

Despite this, as she watched the exhilarated new members approach one by one, Xie Hai Zhu unconsciously sharpened her focus to the utmost.

She did not wish for them to be disappointed.

‘Lady Hai Zhu, I will certainly work hard!’

A girl slightly older than her, brimming with vitality, declared after completing her oath.

‘Indeed, the future of the kingdom rests with you.’ Xie Hai Zhu offered a faint smile.

‘Yes!’

She descended the stage excitedly, while a chorus of surprised and envious whispers rippled through the hall.

Clearly, people had interpreted Xie Hai Zhu’s brief smile as a sign of favor.

Xie Hai Zhu finally understood why the Saintess was often called ‘aloof’ by outsiders.

Once in a position of power, whether one wished it or not, an inadvertent frown or smile could effortlessly alter someone’s fate… thus, the Saintess could only remain as cold as ice, maintaining distance from ordinary people and concealing her true thoughts within her heart.

Ah, being a Saintess was truly difficult.

Xie Hai Zhu found herself increasingly admiring the original Hai Zhu and her other self.

Neither of them was someone she could ever compare to… Just then, Xie Hai Zhu spotted Lyte sitting in a corner.

He was looking around anxiously, seemingly searching for something, his face etched with worry.

Finally, unable to restrain himself any longer, he pushed through the crowd and exited the meeting hall.

‘Oh no!’

Xie Hai Zhu instantly understood what Lyte intended to do, but before she could intervene, a clear cellphone ringtone echoed through the hall.

The entire meeting hall immediately fell silent.