The Shepherds Are Dense – Chapter 211

Chapter 212
The New Grand Arbitrator, Lixia
Princess Isabel eventually changed Lixia into new clothes.
Although the reborn Lixia was somewhat resistant to wearing clothes meant for a little girl, she happily went to look in the mirror after being dressed.
“I rarely wore dresses when I was little; I always wore pants,” Lixia said, wearing Isabel’s pale yellow nightgown as she walked between them. “It’s mainly because I was very active back then. There were no girls my age in my village, so I often played with the boys.
“Sometimes we’d go fishing, sometimes we’d steal bird eggs. We’d trek over mountains and reach very, very high peaks, and then we couldn’t get down—some people even accidentally fell and broke their legs. By the time we slowly slid down, our clothes and pants would be tattered.
“I even snuck out of my house in the middle of the night to explore the graveyard with my friends in the early morning. I also secretly threw stones to break the church windows just because that priest was always very stern with us…”
These were stories that she, as Meg, had never told anyone. Yet now, with “Meg is dead,” she started talking incessantly. It was as if she were reminiscing about something, or commemorating something.
After all, from today onward, Meg would no longer be seen. Only the reborn Lixia remained.
Because of this, Lixia didn’t want Meg to be completely forgotten—even though Meg was respected and valued by the people of Avalon as its strongest individual, few truly understood what kind of person Meg was.
In the perception of most people, Meg was merely a guardian, an invincible symbol.
She had no descendants and no family left. Her old friends, partners, colleagues, and even her first love had almost all died of old age. The few friends who remained, who were still alive, were also on their deathbeds.
She no longer had any personal memorialists.
Therefore, at least “Lixia” herself must not forget that Meg had once existed.
The contract she signed with the Ring Heavenly Envoy was imprinted in her heart, constantly reminding her—she could not stop progressing out of complacency. From now on, she would be reborn again and again, gradually shedding all traces of her old self until even the outline of a human completely disappeared.
But unexpectedly, she didn’t feel nervous or sad about it. Instead, she felt somewhat eager.
Perhaps, from some point onward, she had a strong tendency towards the Transcendent Path.
If not, she wouldn’t have fallen in love and married a Fiend as a Supervisor back then…
Lixia quickly composed herself from this subtle mood—after all, she had been “Meg,” with a resolute and strong spirit.
“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go see Sophia first!”
Lixia’s face once again wore that carefree, uninhibited happy smile. “I’ll treat you to something delicious later!”
Compared to just moments ago, this smile now held an extra layer of pure innocence. Lixia was clearly adapting quickly to her new body.
“Just to be clear,” Eivass said, settling into his wheelchair with some helplessness, “I won’t be eating fried chicken in the morning.”
She still had to maintain her image in front of outsiders… this had saved him several times.
“Oh, you make it sound like I only know about fried chicken,” Lixia said indignantly. “I usually wander around Glass Island when I have nothing else to do. I dare say most people don’t eat as well as I do.
“I know exactly where to buy delicious food and good wine—although I don’t smoke myself, I occasionally buy cigarettes for Arius. I even know his private collection of tobacco shops.”
As she said this, Lixia looked somewhat troubled. “But with a body like this, it might be inconvenient to buy wine and cigarettes. I wish I were seventeen or eighteen…”
“Maybe you’ll get older after a few more rituals,” Eivass said casually, trying to comfort her.
Lixia was simply too talkative. At first, he would politely respond, but when he realized she could keep talking even if he didn’t respond at all, he decided to rest.
The old Meg had a loud voice, and the current Lixia inherited this trait. A child’s voice is sharper and more penetrating, audible from afar. Thus, guards and servants soon came to investigate.
When asked kindly, Lixia simply pointed at Isabel and let her handle it. For those who approached with aggression, she would simply say, “【Get out of the way】, you have no business here,” and dismiss them.
She had no intention of hiding her identity; rather, reverting to youth was outlandish enough.
The all-too-familiar Dragon Blood Edict made people stop trying to block her—it was futile anyway. Among the guards who tried to stop them was even a Fourth Tier Arbitrator. Yet, Lixia glared at him, called him by name, and dismissed him.
The other party was initially concerned about the Queen’s safety, suspecting that Isabel and Eivass were being held hostage. But after hearing the familiar Dragon Blood Edict and being scolded in a familiar tone, he immediately understood Lixia’s identity. The frown on his brow relaxed, and he smilingly let them pass.
Thus, a strange scene unfolded in the Silver and Tin Hall: a little girl nobody recognized, accompanied by Princess Isabel, who rarely left her room, rampaged through the Royal Palace without anyone daring to stop her. Most strangely, she had two horns on her head, appearing not human.
Queen Sophia was already very old, and her woken senses were shallow and short.
At this time, she had already finished breakfast and was in her study, wearing her glasses and working.
Lixia entered the Queen’s office without an appointment or knocking.
But Sophia was not alarmed. Upon seeing Lixia, the Queen’s gaze immediately focused on the dragon horns on her head.
Queen Sophia looked at Lixia with some hesitation, then glanced at Eivass and Isabel, who had followed in and settled into wheelchairs, and finally Lily, who was leisurely trailing behind.
“Guess who I am?” Lixia said with a grin.
Looking at the girl’s familiar yet unfamiliar smile—a mischievous and arrogant smile that somehow couldn’t be disliked—Sophia smiled helplessly. “You’ve gotten younger… Meg.”
“Tsk, that’s boring. How did you know it was me? Is it because little Isabel is here?” Lixia sounded disappointed.
“In your eyes and brows, I can still see traces of your youth,” the old woman said with a kind and gentle smile. “Come, girl. Let me hug you?”
“You actually remember what I looked like before…” Lixia muttered softly.
She herself had forgotten what she used to look like.
There were no cameras in that era, and she couldn’t afford a painter to create a portrait of herself. What was past was past and would never return.
Somewhat surprisingly, Lixia did not resist Sophia’s request for a hug.
She leaned in and hugged Sophia tightly.
“I can smell your old person’s scent now; I couldn’t smell it before… Is it because my own smell is too strong?” Lixia whispered. “It’s like an old book taken from the Basement, or like an old house covered in dust. There’s an aura of being gazed upon by amber.”
“This is what it means to be old. This is the scent of Death,” Queen Sophia said calmly, her eyes downcast.
Her eyes were slightly swollen and purplish, and the skin on her face had lost its elasticity.
“How should I address you?” Sophia asked gently. “Still Meg?”
“Lixia,” Lixia replied. “My name now is Lixia—Eivass gave it to me. He performed the ritual for me… In terms of rebirth, he can be considered the parent of this body. It’s undoubtedly reasonable to be named by one’s parents.”
“A very beautiful name, Lixia. Much better than your old name,” Sophia nodded.
“Meg” meant pearl.
A treasure born from pain, it indeed fit Meg’s life. But sometimes Sophia wondered if it was precisely because of that name that Meg had encountered such a fate.
“Aren’t you envious?” Seeing Sophia so calm, Lixia felt some regret. “I was hoping to properly stop you.”
Sophia simply held Lixia, patting her back as she spoke softly, “I don’t particularly mind dying. Death is merely the beginning of another journey… The Crown Lord has confirmed my promotion to Apostle. I am still in the Material Realm only because I cannot let go of Avalon.
“It still has too many problems, and Isabel is still too young and completely unprepared. It is not yet time for me to die; I can hold on a little longer.
“—But that’s just holding on. Relying on the priests’ treatments can prolong my life as much as possible. To invert the means and the results would be foolish.”
“That’s wonderful,” Lixia said, sounding both envious and regretful. “Then it seems we must part ways after all.”
“I believe you will also be promoted as an Apostle of the Crown Lord,” Sophia said seriously. “You are the only person I have ever met to receive the favor of the Silver Crown Dragon. You are His favorite… and now, you even have draconic features.”
“Because I can’t let go of Avalon either… It’s like my child,” Lixia sighed, hugging Sophia back. “If I die, Star Antimony and Iris Flower will likely make a move immediately. That’s why I wanted to advance before. But now is a better opportunity.
“Announce it, Sophia. Say that Meg is dead… she died of old age, and Lixia has succeeded as the Grand Arbitrator. That should make them want to make their move.”
“Not bad, this plan can work,” Sophia agreed, nodding. “Give them a good shock, and they’ll be much quieter.
“Then I’ll announce your death today… When do you want to hold the funeral?”
“Don’t hold one. Keep it secret, don’t announce it. That will be more believable,” Lixia said with a laugh. “Watching my own funeral, that’s too absurd… I wonder how Sherlock managed to hold back.”
“…But will the Star Antimony people believe it?” Princess Isabel couldn’t help but ask her grandmother. “Meg… oh, Miss Lixia told me. The enemy they faced wasn’t strong to begin with.”
“It’s not about whether they will believe it, but rather that some of them will *hope* it’s true,” Eivass, sitting beside Princess Isabel, shook his head and said softly. “Even if the intelligent ones among them know it’s a trap, they won’t be able to stop those who want to court disaster.”