Chapter Two: The Pope
The rejuvenated Lianxi pounced on Ji Ma’s face, making adorable purring sounds and rubbing against her cheek.
“Good girl, you’re such a nice cat, little Li. It’s been a long time since we met.”
“Meow! Meow!”
Lianxi, as a cat, climbed onto Ji Ma’s head, even the Demon King’s crown made way for her. She gracefully breathed while lying firmly between two horns, her cat head held high, tears continuously falling from the corners of her eyes.
Two well-meaning individuals, unable to resist the charm of the Everlasting Chosen Ji Ma, one male and one female, now only thought about how to please the beautiful being before them.
Ji Ma pulled out a handful of roasted melon seeds she had casually taken, cracking them while asking,
“Tell me, who is the boss of Baicheng now?”
“What should we call you? Please allow my impertinence.”
“I am the Everlasting Chosen, the ender of worlds, the doomsayer.” Ji Ma cracked a seed: “So, I grant you permission to call me Wang Dali.”
The two said in unison, “Wang Dali?”
They couldn’t understand the abrupt logic of her statement. Hearing the term “Everlasting Chosen” made their faces pale slightly.
“Wang Dali? Truly a mysterious and exotic name.”
Ji Ma said, “Mm, yes, yes.”
Lianxi raised her head even higher, as she was the only one present who knew.
“Everlasting Chosen? Madame Wang Dali, are you joking? You don’t look like a demon lord spreading death and distortion.” Ji Ma felt that she was constantly emanating corruption in this area, unable to be blocked or isolated, as the corrosion radiated from her at an average distance of ten kilometers. All she could do was try not to harm those around her.
Staying here for over a month, ensuring various corrosions from the Four Gods took turns rectifying things.
Ji Ma said, “Mm, yes, yes.”
At this moment, the sound of bells rang. All the bells in Baicheng were struck, and the emergency department received a terrifying message.
“Baicheng is being corroded!”
This was a holy place.
“Impossible?”
All the pure crystals had shattered!
The source? Where is the source?
It’s everywhere! This is not ordinary corrosion.
Why did the emergency alarm ring?
Dong dong dong… dong.
The main cathedral’s bells rang out fifteen times in succession, the highest level of alarm, requiring everyone to be fully armed. Everyone’s faces changed dramatically, and they hurried to grab weapons. Some disbelievers, upon seeing colleagues rushing out, quickly joined the armed ranks.
Residents were evacuated and guided to sturdy shelters. Several horse-drawn carriages sped down the streets towards Ji Ma. Below, holy warriors raised the emblem of the God of Dawn, shouting:
“O God! Please open the eyes of the lost lamb.”
Only then did the two well-meaning individuals come to their senses, momentarily stunned, witnessing the alert in Baicheng, with people panicking yet orderly fleeing, time seemed to stand still.
“Lady Wang Dali, are you really the Everlasting Chosen?”
Ji Ma flicked her tail, saying, “Of course, do you think I’m joking?”
The other party nearly fell from the roof.
“Don’t look at her!”
The other companion closed his eyes, covering them: “Let’s go down slowly, don’t look at her, she will devour your heart and soul, leading you to ruin.”
Ji Ma ignored them, cracking seeds while sitting on the roof, amusedly watching the two “blind” individuals cautiously climb down.
Their speed was slow, trying hard to remember where the ladder was.
The carriage rushed in, almost whipping its tail, several holy warriors donned in full armor leapt off the carriage, weapons drawn, pointing towards the Everlasting Chosen.
Ji Ma roared, “You! Demon— In the name of the God of Dawn, this is the Everlasting Chosen! You better come down!”
This shout startled the well-meaning individuals, causing one to slip and fall, clutching his companion’s leg.
Since they helped Lianxi, Ji Ma snapped her fingers, and the stony ground became soft as cotton, catching the two well-meaning individuals without them even landing on their bottoms, quickly escaping.
Another righteous holy warrior bravely stepped forward, wielding a longsword, with several parchment scrolls adhered to his chest with wax. He was a resolute man, and raised his multi-barreled firearm, pointing it at Ji Ma, shouting:
“In the name of the sacred! Everlasting Chosen! Daring to invade the cathedral must be washed away with bullets.”
“Multi-barreled firearm? Looks nice.” Ji Ma, despite being on the roof, spoke softly but clearly: “You can try shooting.”
A drop of cold sweat rolled down his face; he did not dare shoot. Such a major issue required higher orders.
His superior was also confused and went to consult a higher-up. The higher-up consulted the higher-up’s higher-up…
By the time Ji Ma finished her seeds, the city defense forces had surrounded the building tightly, various flags waving, the noise never stopping.
“Priest! Priest! Someone here has been enchanted!”
“Quick! Drag him away!”
“Holy artifact, use the holy artifact.”
It was as busy as though a battle was about to begin.
“Is it really that slow?” Ji Ma, having finished her seeds, flicked the seed shells off her skirt, shielding her eyes from the bothersome sun, looking into the distance, unable to spot her beloved.
According to Eve Frostleaf, everyone was busy with their own affairs now, George was in Baicheng, and Jenna was in Marin City; they would occasionally gather.
Down below, suddenly an excited cheer erupted.
“Saint George! Saint George has come.”
“It’s the Pope!”
“We’re saved!”
The morale below surged.
Did two big figures just arrive?
Ji Ma looked towards the troops making way. Scanning the armored figures, she saw no sign of George among them. One by one, she searched but did not find George.
The frontline parted, and two page boys held the holy sword, walking alongside the Pope. Beside him was a priest holding sacred incense.
The Pope wore a triple crown, draped in a golden cloak adorned with holy tales, and underneath, a white robe. Ji Ma’s gaze finally fell upon his face—strange yet familiar.
Familiar, as it was George’s face.
Strange, as she had never seen George with such an expression, holy and solemn, radiating the authority accumulated from years of high status.
Ji Ma looked into his azure eyes; the previous sense of understanding was gone. Even with just a movement of his eyes, Ji Ma could sense what he wanted to say by combining it with his expression.
There seemed to be a barrier standing between them.
I have been asleep for over sixty years; for a long-lived elven kind like Eve Frostleaf, this isn’t long. But for humans, it has been a very long time.
Thinking this, Ji Ma suddenly felt the barrier between them thickening.
George took the holy sword from the page boy and solemnly stepped forward, saying, “Everyone need not fear, the Everlasting Chosen Ji Ma, you have violated the Baicheng public security regulation Article 5, specifically stating… all demons are not allowed to suddenly appear in Baicheng… a minimum fine of 10 silver coins must be paid.”
Seeing George wearing the triple crown and hearing his words, Ji Ma gradually couldn’t help but laugh, finding it increasingly amusing.
“Ha ha ha.” She laughed, covering her belly, “Ha ha ha.”
“Ahem, also violated…”
Ji Ma rolled down from the roof, amidst the gasp of onlookers, turning at the last moment and landing on her feet.
“Alright, I plead guilty; it’s one gold coin then.”
Ji Ma tossed a gold coin, covering her chest, saying, “Such righteous words, truly difficult for me to counter. I shall surrender.”
