Chapter 77: Business with the Sanctuary (Part 1)
The enchanting black-haired woman, exuding charm from head to toe, was Ji Ma. She wore light brown tight pants and riding boots, dressed for easy movement in autumn, just like any competent female traveler would—except for the tight pants.
However, this ordinary outfit was unexpectedly attractive on her. The pants were so snug that they perfectly outlined her legs, drawing the attention of nearly everyone like a spider’s web.
Ji Ma had long gotten used to the gazes of passersby. She carried a patched leather backpack, neatly packed with everything she needed for her communication with the Sanctuary: George’s credentials, bills, battle reports, and so on.
All of this was prepared by George in advance, in case Ji Ma had a disagreement with the Sanctuary.
As she exited the tavern courtyard, a wide, muddy stone road stretched out towards the distant White City. The city walls were built of white marble, and perhaps due to divine blessing, under the midday sun, the entire city seemed to be enveloped in a holy white light.
Ji Ma stood by the roadside, gazing steadily at the White City.
She felt an ominous sensation, as if the city were rejecting her, expelling her. Just looking at the city gave her the feeling of being chased away. Ji Ma, knowledgeable and reflective, deduced that the Sanctuary must be using some kind of “expulsion spell” to deny her entry.
The “expulsion spell” could make a designated person find it hard to enter a certain place, causing them to unwillingly leave. Even with a strong will to force their way in, they would feel nauseous and retch.
Ji Ma believed that the Sanctuary would not rely solely on one “expulsion spell” against her; the divine protection of the White City would surely have more functions and be stronger.
She tried to take a step forward, and the bad feeling in her heart turned into mild nausea. Even from so far away, it had an effect; it seemed very difficult to get in.
A sound of hoofbeats came to a stop behind her. A man wearing a feathered hat dismounted from his horse. Ji Ma, who always had trouble remembering faces, recognized him immediately—it was the one who had just criticized her at the table. By his age, he should likely have a family.
He asked uneasily, “Ma’am, are you really the succubus Ji Ma?”
“Yes,” Ji Ma replied. “I remember you called me a whore just now?”
“I sincerely apologize; that person made baseless accusations.” The man in the feathered hat regained his composure. “Seeing you in person, I believe there must be more to this, especially when you stood gazing at the White City with such sorrow in your eyes. If you truly are a criminal, you should be filled with hatred.”
Ji Ma suddenly recalled a serial killer on Earth who gained sympathy from many viewers for his handsome appearance.
“I think you lack a good mount to enter the White City.” The man in the feathered hat patted his fine horse. “To express my apologies, you can ride my steed, but it’s afraid of strangers, so I can only hold the reins.”
Tsk, trying to flirt with me.
“Apology isn’t enough.” Ji Ma pointed at the White City and said, “How about this: I have a silver metal badge in my backpack as a credential. Just say that the Paladin George has urgent business to report, and then hand over the backpack to the Sanctuary.”
“And what about you, Ji Ma?”
“I’ll ride your fine horse to pass the time,” Ji Ma said. “Remember to run fast; my time is precious.”
The middle-aged man in the feathered hat felt it was utterly absurd, just about to retort: “You really are—”
Ji Ma’s lips curled slightly into a smile as she said, “You did call me a whore, which is quite impolite.”
The man’s eyes warmed at the sight of Ji Ma, who suddenly appeared incredibly beautiful and noble in his eyes. Reflecting on his earlier use of the coarse term “whore” to describe this angel who seemed to have descended to earth, he deeply regretted his words and was eager to prove himself.
“Please give me the backpack; I swear I will run to deliver it to the Sanctuary.”
Ji Ma threw the patched leather backpack to the man in the feathered hat and said, “You should run as fast as you can; it’s good for your health to run more at your age.”
“Okay!” The man, moved to tears, felt he could atone for his past insults. Ji Ma even cared about his health; what a kind woman indeed—it was a blessing in his life.
Thinking this, he took the heavy backpack and, despite having previously claimed he wouldn’t act like a “tail-wagging dog,” he now ran faster than a dog toward the White City.
“Nice, not much slower than a horse,” Ji Ma remarked as she sat astride the middle-aged man’s steed, watching him run toward the White City a kilometer away. She sighed, “There are still many good people in this world.”
“De.. demon.”
An incoherent voice trembled from behind.
Ji Ma pulled the reins and looked back. She saw four or five people gathering behind her, among them “that person.” Ji Ma fixed her gaze on him. He was stepping back in fear but didn’t want to take his eyes off Ji Ma’s face.
Ji Ma smiled slightly and said, “I think you are also a good person, aren’t you? Hmm, let me see what good deed you can do. If you report me to the Sanctuary, we can split the bounty; how about an 80-20 split? I take 80, you take 20. What? You want a 50-50 split? You truly are a good person; hurry and catch up to him. Think of it as exercising; just don’t ride the horse; it’s not good to mistreat animals.”
“That person” tore down Ji Ma’s bounty notice and ran toward the White City, turning back to shout, “Thank you!”
“There are still many good people in this world.”
Ji Ma sighed, flicking the reins and riding fast toward an open area by the roadside. After riding for about twenty minutes.
A group of knights in white armor, wearing barrel-shaped helmets, galloped from the city gate towards Ji Ma. They surrounded her and the leader, a man, stopped a full five meters away. “Succubus, you are not allowed to leave until the expert group arrives.”
“I came here to wait for them,” Ji Ma replied, pulling the horse to a stop. “Could you enlarge the perimeter? I still want to ride my horse.”
“Not possible.”
“Thanks,” Ji Ma ignored them and circled around on her horse.
“Everyone disperse! All men must maintain a distance of five meters from her! Keep five meters apart!”
The white-armored knights scattered as if facing a formidable enemy. Ji Ma laughed with delight; had it not been for considering George, she would have chased them playfully, like chasing a kitten.
Riding around in circles was not just for fun.
The rhythmic sound of hooves helped Ji Ma think better. The wind blowing against her aided her breathing and kept her mind alert.
This time, she came to the Sanctuary not merely for “official business” but also for herself.
First, to extract as much money from the Sanctuary as possible. At present, she had only about twelve hundred gold coins; aside from being hunted by enemies, it was rare for someone as strong as she to be so poor.
Second, her ability, “Potion of Encapsulation,” could indeed “store” others’ extraordinary abilities for future use. However, it involved a risk of failure and required cooperation from the other party. Currently, the only ones who could freely deploy their extraordinary abilities for her use were George and Jenna. To encapsulate someone’s extraordinary ability, specific materials were needed.
For instance, to “encapsulate” the extraordinary abilities of George and Jenna, she would need some glowing, positive-energy alchemical materials.
After pondering deeply, it was clear that such materials were plentiful within the Sanctuary. She had asked George, who recalled a few but noted that they required points for exchange and were not sold publicly.
“Succubus!” A heavy female voice interrupted Ji Ma’s thoughts. “I am Judge Whitemite, responsible for negotiations with you.”
A woman wearing a solemn red hat, with a scepter at her waist, rode a stout horse toward Ji Ma. Beside her was an elderly man dressed as a scholar and a blank-faced paladin; aside from them, there were only guards. It was clear that the Sanctuary took her arrival very seriously and had dispatched quite a company.
“The Sanctuary places high importance on this matter, but before formal negotiations begin,” the female judge reined in her horse, “I must charge you with the abuse of extraordinary abilities, alluring and enslaving others.”
“Evidence?”
“There are testimonies. A stranger, having seen you only once, lent you a horse and even helped you by running errands. It’s obvious that you must have used extraordinary abilities.”
“The horse was borrowed for fun. They are good people; is it strange that they like to help me?” Ji Ma replied. “There’s a saying: beautiful people encounter many good individuals.”
“Coincidentally, a paladin capable of detecting lies is also present. You just need to answer with a yes or no.”
“I, Ji Ma, have certainly not used allure.”
The female judge exchanged a glance with the blank-faced paladin, who nodded.
“Truth? That’s impossible.”
“Evidence speaks volumes; is that not the rule of your Sanctuary? Are you really going to rely solely on words for your case?”
At that moment, a light brown carriage adorned with silver patterns pulled by four white horses approached.
“Since you cannot enter the White City, let’s negotiate in the carriage. It’s set to a truth-telling stance inside.”
“Will my safety be guaranteed?”
“Guaranteed.”
“I want to ask, is there any device or item inside that would trap me or even kill me?”
The female judge replied, “Yes.”
Ji Ma couldn’t help but laugh: “You in the Sanctuary are quite honest.”
“What a fuss; clearly, you’ve spent so long with a servant of the God of Dawn.” The female judge’s tone grew mournful. “It seems the model of White City, the most righteous and talented paladin, has been corrupted by you. You’ve forgotten how honest he was before.”
“Will my safety be guaranteed?”
“In the carriage, neither side is allowed to use extraordinary abilities to interfere. If you seriously violate, for instance, by intending to kill or control others, we will consider whether to use the magical devices inside the carriage depending on the severity of the situation,” the female judge said. “That’s roughly the regulation; if the rules are violated, we can only resort to violence. Before talking, we’ll provide you with a twenty-page rulebook.”
With that, she tightened her face and displayed an unyielding expression.
According to the expert group’s discussion and reviewing the documents, a unanimous conclusion was reached: if there was no absolute guarantee that the succubus would not use extraordinary abilities, negotiations would lean heavily in favor of her.
As for whether the suspicious succubus believes that, they deemed it a manageable risk.
The female judge had prepared many arguments in her mind, intending to persuade Ji Ma to enter the carriage.
However, Ji Ma smiled and said, “I agree.” After all, I’m not a real person right now.
The female judge was slightly surprised, but it was just for a moment. She dismounted, saying, “Let’s go.”
Ji Ma walked alongside the female judge toward the carriage. Behind the carriage, several cargo carts approached, clearly meant for transporting coffins.
The interior of the carriage was sprinkled with a faint blue light, which would turn red the moment a lie was illuminated.
“Sit.”
The female judge took her seat opposite Ji Ma. She raised her slightly wrinkled face and said, “I have been a judge in the White City for six years. Each trial, I recall the teachings of the deity, praying to Him that I remain impartial, uphold principles, and act fairly.”
“I’m just a little more than one year old succubus,” Ji Ma replied, feeling that things might be difficult.
The calculations she made in her mind would likely be hard to execute.
