Chapter 148 Chapter 146 Foolishness (Part 2)
George retorted, “But not ninety percent of Salin City. I’ve met some people here, and many of them are good-hearted.”
Ji Ma smiled, “That couple just now said they had no slaves. Was that true or false?”
“False.”
“Do you remember the boatman we met on our first day in Salin City? He complained that you defeated the Demon King and struck at Salin City’s unique trade of selling women, which made everyone sad. The common folk just want to live good lives, and you won’t let them.”
“Is a good life supposed to be built on the trade and enslavement of others? That’s wrong.”
“The common folk don’t have your high moral awareness. As long as they can live good lives, they would support you wholeheartedly, even if it meant killing others, stuffing them into houses to poison them, or using their fat to make soap… as long as the knife isn’t on their heads.” Ji Ma said, “Let me tell you a story I just made up. In a mountain village, there were many bachelors, so they bought women from traffickers to bear offspring. When the sheriff tried to rescue the women, it’s obvious the whole village would block him. The difficulty is almost the same as saving you. The sheriff eventually saved all the women; how many people do you think he offended in the village?”
George sighed, “Ninety percent. You’re right, in this sinful city, everyone is guilty. It’s normal for them to fear me and oppose me. But so what? I am a paladin, and I must do some right things.”
“Why do foolish things?” Ji Ma looked at George and felt he was becoming more stubborn. “You save people, and you have to put your life at risk. The ones you save won’t thank you; they’ll curse you and slander you. There’s no benefit at all.”
“Do you genuinely think that way?”
Ji Ma steeled herself and didn’t want to play along anymore, saying, “Yes, it’s not only foolish but extremely foolish.”
“Have you thought, if there were no foolish people in the world, perhaps you wouldn’t have escaped the demon’s claws today?”
“When you make a fool of yourself, I feel quite happy. So, I don’t want to see you be a fool for others, as they won’t be as ‘grateful’ as I am.”
“Look, this city is burning; how many people need a fool?”
“What does it matter to me if others live or die?”
George remained silent, his blue eyes looking a bit disappointed at Ji Ma through the visor of his helmet.
He must be very disappointed, haha. He thought he had changed me, only to realize his education is of no use at all…
In her heart, Ji Ma was already prepared for George to reprimand her.
George just sighed and said, “I don’t intend to convince you. There are some right things in the world that I must do. Ji Ma, you can leave now. If you forget how to use the scroll, I can teach you.”
This is really hopeless. I was going to look for an opportunity to reveal the secret passage in my treasury. Is it too much to just take the money and go? Why must I get involved with this city? Let the Shadow King and the Great Benefactor fight it out.
Ji Ma shook her head, “I won’t leave.”
“In a bit, when I save people, I won’t be able to protect you. It will be dangerous to follow me.”
“No, it’s safer beside you.”
Ji Ma was very resolute. She didn’t believe it was as simple as the Great Benefactor wanting only a room full of obsidian after contacting the demon race; there must be a backup plan. “I can protect myself and even help you save people. Trust me, even though being the flower of Salin City might bring you a lot of trouble, my usefulness far outweighs that.”
“Don’t you think this is foolish?”
I never thought I would one day do something so foolish.
Ji Ma said, “It’s better than being a burden, right? I am your loyal slave; you can’t just abandon me.”
George shook his head, turned around, and rummaged through the saddlebag of the celestial warhorse, saying, “If you can join in doing good deeds, that’s naturally great.”
He pulled out a silver bracelet from the saddlebag, wide, about half a finger’s width.
“What’s this?”
“I borrowed money to buy it for you.”
“That’s really valuable. I guess when you sneak away, you’ll want to find a mage’s apprentice just to ask for this.”
“Very smart.”
Of course.
Ji Ma flapped her wings and said, “Let me guess again. This thing that ruined your reputation among the female mages must have some important use.”
“Correct.”
Ji Ma snapped her fingers and said, “I understand. Its function is to let your warhorse gallop on the water. Did I get it right?”
“Wrong.” George handed it to Ji Ma and said, “It’s a gift for you.”
“Oh.”
Ji Ma took the silver bracelet, feeling its warmth, and examined it closely. It was about half a finger’s width. “Is this a gift for me?”
“Yes.”
“What can it do?”
“It can hide your horns, wings, and tail. You said you wished you didn’t have to stuff your tail neatly every time you go out.”
Did I ever wish for that? I don’t even remember.
Ji Ma was stunned for a moment and then recalled that she seemed to have complained about it before. But she had many complaints. Complaining was merely venting her emotions; she didn’t expect George to actually remember.
Ji Ma lowered her head and said, “Thank you. I thought you borrowing money was just an excuse.”
After saying that, she felt she had said the wrong thing, being ungrateful.
George said very seriously, “No, I remember everything. I will definitely return it to you in a few days.”
Ji Ma nodded happily, “Great!”
After saying that, she eagerly wanted to put on the silver bracelet.
“I’ll teach you how to use it.” George took the silver bracelet and told her the activation incantation, “Lockta, remember. Whisper it, and you can make the bracelet open.”
As soon as George finished speaking, the silver bracelet ‘opened,’ stretching into a silver strip.
George continued, “Then place your wrist on it, and it will wrap around.”
Ji Ma placed her slim, white wrist on it, and the silver strip coiled around her wrist, transforming back into a silver bracelet. Ji Ma turned her head and found that her little wings had disappeared. When she reached out to touch them, she could still feel the wings. The texture was hard, and it felt like there was an invisible force field protecting her wings.
She turned her head and asked, “Is it a force field armor?”
“Yes, the protective strength is equivalent to a piece of chain mail.”
Ji Ma said, “Very practical.”
Even though she had a protective force field provided by her “superb charm,” her physical body was fragile. Her small frame couldn’t wear armor, which was a hassle. The force field armor complemented her extraordinary charm, making it very useful and long-lasting.
Ji Ma was very happy, her playful side awakened. She faced the silver bracelet and softly said, “Lockta.”
The silver bracelet loosened; she turned her head and saw her wings.
She smiled, finding it quite fun. Holding the silver strip, she thought it didn’t look good on her wrist, so she put it on her left arm instead, and her wings vanished again.
Ji Ma’s tail instinctively wanted to wag happily, but it couldn’t move because it was coiled around the hidden blood goat’s cup under her skirt. She felt an itch inside, wanting to do something to express her joy, so she lifted her head and gave George a smile, “George, these days I’ve been locked in the basement, trained by several female teachers. Guess what I’ve learned? If you take off your helmet, I’ll tell you.”
George said, “Let’s leave those dark memories in the past, shall we?”
“How boring,” Ji Ma pretended to sigh dramatically. “The experiences of these past ten days have greatly traumatized my delicate heart…”
George stood still and said, “Hearing you lie, I feel relieved for the first time.”
“Ah,” Ji Ma said, “fine, I exaggerated. But it had a huge impact on my views about sex, especially from a bed technician named Litis. It was truly unbearable to recall.”
George’s heart softened because this was the truth.
Ji Ma was still a child, and these dark experiences over the past ten days must have left her with profound emotional scars, urgently needing someone to confide in.
He took off his helmet and asked, “Go on.”
“I learned this.”
As Ji Ma spoke, she suddenly leaned forward, placing her hands on George’s shoulders, tiptoeing, and lightly kissed him on the cheek like a chicken pecking for rice. His cheek felt hot, and there was a bit of sweat, the smells of blood, strong oil, and peach blossom filled Ji Ma’s nose. She took a gentle sniff; it was George’s scent.
George’s wooden face showed a moment of distraction, just like a passerby on the street mesmerized by Ji Ma’s beauty.
“This is called a thank-you kiss; Litis taught me,” Ji Ma said with a smile, trying to maintain an innocent expression so George would think she was being playful.
But her heart uncontrollably thudded, and her small face flushed with peach blossom color.
George, a little incredulously, touched his cheek and said, “T-thank you.”
After saying that, he immediately put his helmet back on.
I must be crazy to have taken the initiative to kiss that dead virgin. This impulse must be the accursed allure of being a succubus—happy and wanting to have sex… Ah, sacrificing a little isn’t a big deal. This clueless dead virgin with no romantic experience must be tied tightly to me, becoming an even more loyal wooden man.
I really have the potential to be a green tea.
Just as Ji Ma adjusted her mindset, she heard an angry roar.
“Damn it! How long are you going to leave us hanging, you dog man!”
The two looked over and saw the butcher with both hands on his head, staring angrily. In Ji Ma’s eyes, the light green vortex of fury represented in his chest was notably prominent. The remaining crouching thugs with their heads covered were similar.
They must have been influenced by the vortex of desire in the sky, which allowed them to overcome their fear of the strong and curse aloud.
George said, “Sorry to keep you waiting. Now I will interrogate you. Do you admit to trying to rob this cart?”
The butcher growled, “Yes, just like when you ran away, you robbed a cart and burned an innocent beautiful female mage’s apprentice along with it.”
“That’s slander.”
“Who knows what’s true or false?”
“Before you robbed us tonight, did you commit similar criminal acts?”
“No,” the butcher said, his neck turning red with anger. “This is all thanks to you. If it weren’t for you robbing our flower of Salin City and burning our town, the city wouldn’t be in such a bad state, causing us to harbor ill thoughts and want to steal? Our sins are partly your fault.”
“You are slandering me; I did not burn the city.”
“I know. You must have colluded with the slaves; they burned the city, and you pretended to be the good guy, brainwashing us with religion. Hey, smart people can see through these little tricks.” The butcher, with a hoarse neck, said, “I admit my guilt; I’m a man and dare to face the consequences. If you have the ability, judge me according to the laws you speak of—fairly!”
Ji Ma understood why the butcher was so unafraid. He knew that George, with his stubbornness, would definitely follow the “law” and act with civility, and since he “didn’t deserve the death penalty,” he was free to rant.
“Brother Butcher is right.”
“Well said.”
“Okay, my ruling is as follows.” George said, “You must assist me in maintaining order and preventing more crimes to redeem yourselves.”
The butcher’s broad face turned red, and he opened his mouth to shout. Ji Ma secretly gave a thumbs up; the butcher suddenly felt all his anger doused with a bucket of cold water. The courage inflated by anger was like a balloon that had been popped, and his mind cooled down.
What am I doing? If he gets angry and can’t control his hands, won’t I be asking for death?
He cowered.
Ji Ma handed the heavy two-handed sword to George, saying, “Here, it’s also great for spanking.”
As soon as George gripped the hilt with one hand, he saw the butcher suddenly kneel down and say, “I’m sorry! I was wrong! Please give me a chance to redeem myself!”
George:?
He gave Ji Ma a doubtful glance.
Ji Ma shrugged, “Some people, when you are tough with them, they soften up.”
“Too exaggerated.”
“There are all kinds of birds in the forest.”
