Chapter 197 Chapter 198 The Failed Bid
Saint Jenna turned her head and saw it was Ji Ma, immediately saying:
“Ji Ma, stop this riot at once; too many innocent people are getting hurt.”
“You call your ‘childhood friend’ to bring out that thing that can see the truth, and then throw away that cursed necklace around your neck,” Ji Ma said. “I’ll stop the riot immediately.”
Saint Jenna tightened her grip on the necklace and said:
“I need it, and you do too. Ji Ma, your soul injury—”
“I’m not sick, thanks.”
Jenna looked carefully into Ji Ma’s illusionary eyes and said with professional terminology:
“You’ve overused your extraordinary abilities, your magic power is exhausted, your mentality is unstable, and there are initial signs of losing control. Ji Ma, I beg you, please stop.”
“Lady Saint, I’m in a much better situation than you.”
After Ji Ma said that, a hint of obsession flashed in her golden eyes as she stared at Young Master Ise: “My request is that simple; why are you so stubborn, Ise? Aren’t you afraid of death?”
“You need to let go,” Young Master Ise said to Jenna. “Jenna, she doesn’t care about you at all. Do you want to be troubled by the past for the rest of your life? We are all extraordinary beings and know how dangerous inner demons can be for a transcendental person. Helping me would save Marin City, and also redeem the succubus.”
“Get lost, you lustful lower body animal. Isn’t Marin City already ruined by you?”
Have you forgotten the crying mother? Have you forgotten those innocent people?…
The voice of questioning from the necklace echoed again.
Jenna pressed her forehead and raised her hand, shouting, “Stop! Stop!”
Both sides shut their mouths.
“I’ll open an honest field,” Jenna said. “I need to clarify things, and this is also the teaching of my God.”
After saying that, Jenna prayed and chanted a spell, with a light like the aurora spreading from her as the center, enveloping Ji Ma’s illusion and the carriage.
Ji Ma muttered, “Great, the second competition to see who can make the big-breasted, brainless saint feel more guilty has begun.”
Young Master Ise pounded his chest and spoke clearly as if giving a speech:
“As long as Jenna returns with me to my home and retrieves an extraordinary item that can trace the truth of the past, understand the knots in our hearts, it would be even better if we could heal the scars on my face. Then, together we will stop the riot in Marin City.”
Jenna asked, “Will you do your utmost to stop it?”
“Even if it means losing everything I have.”
“If after understanding the knots in our hearts, what will happen? Will I be tormented by inner demons and eventually have no choice but to submit to you?”
“Dear Jenna, I won’t hurt you; your prejudice against me is too deep.”
Ji Ma coldly said: “Sweet-talking, just ask him directly, does he think he has a chance to sleep with you, yes or no.”
Jenna looked at Ise.
“I refuse to answer such vulgar questions,” Ise said, “and isn’t your most important task right now to stop the riot in Marin City as soon as possible? Succubus, you can’t stop the riot, can you?”
Jenna then looked at Ji Ma, her gaze very clear, signaling that it was your turn now.
“Actually, I am an undercover agent sent by the Demon King Marus to the human world,” Ji Ma suddenly said, “to monitor the hero while creating chaos as much as possible so that his army can bring doom to the world.”
Jenna’s eyes widened, and the incantation master instinctively reached for the holy scriptures tied around his waist with chains, while Van Helsing remained calm and didn’t pull the trigger.
As soon as Ji Ma finished speaking, the blue light beside her vibrated and turned red.
“Actually, my true form is a two-meter tall, 20 cm** demon man. I can twist the head of this pretty boy Ise off with one hand.”
The blue light became even redder.
Ji Ma looked regretful: “It seems I can’t bluff.”
Van Helsing lowered his silver crossbow and said: “You startled me.”
“Don’t try to change the topic,” Ise pointedly remarked, “yes or no?”
“Of course not,” Ji Ma said. “After setting the fire, the arsonist can’t tell the fire to stop burning and expect it to extinguish itself.”
Young Master Ise said: “Did everyone hear that? The succubus has been lying all along.”
Jenna said: “Ji Ma…”
“But I can use external forces,” Ji Ma raised her hand, pointing outside the city. “There is a fully armed imperial army outside, mainly infantry, with crossbowmen, priests, and some cavalry. As long as I stop, they will rush into the city; how can there be a riot that can’t be stopped?”
“According to the agreement from a few years ago,” Young Master Ise interrupted, “unless the city council officially requests aid, and I remember this very clearly, as I led the signing of the document with the emperor. The city council would never take the risk of losing the title of ‘Free City’ by inviting the imperial army in.”
Ji Ma retorted: “Is it because they need to pay taxes?”
Ise didn’t answer.
“The reason they won’t approve is that they think the riot won’t affect themselves, right?” Ji Ma laughed. “If Young Master Ise’s mansion were ablaze, wouldn’t everyone be frightened enough to seek help from the imperial army?”
Young Master Ise looked at Jenna and said: “Jenna, what crime have I committed? Do you treat former patients this way?”
Jenna turned her head, looked at Ji Ma, and shook her head, saying: “Sorry, Ji Ma, I can’t do that.”
Ji Ma knew that in terms of guilt, Young Master Ise was clearly at the advantage. He held two major pieces of “guilt leverage”: the “Marin City riot” and “breaching the medical contract,” especially the Marin City riot.
It was indeed troubling; for the saint, the lives of others were heavy.
“Think it over, Sister Jenna,” Ji Ma showed a pleading expression. “Are you really going to let George be betrayed by the one he loves?”
Jenna shook her head and said: “Ji Ma, you are too paranoid. I won’t betray him. Trust me, my love for him is no less than his for you.”
As she said this, she stepped onto the carriage’s footboard, and Young Master Ise revealed a faint smile.
That little smile was so glaring in Ji Ma’s eyes. She felt like rushing up to bite off his ear and tear his face apart.
She was breathing heavily, her chest subtly in pain.
Perhaps Jenna was right; she was close to losing control, possibly had already lost it. But so what?
Ji Ma displayed a cruel expression and said:
“If you don’t agree, more people will die because of you.”
Jenna stopped in her tracks.
Ji Ma smiled:
“I will fan the flames, guiding their greed, and control the rioters. I’ll first let the rioters surge towards ordinary homes where they only have militia to protect their neighborhoods; the rioters can easily rob them clean, and then I’ll tell those who have nothing to use their hands to steal stuff to make up for their losses. The number of rioters will swell like a snowball, growing larger and larger.”
“Don’t look at me in doubt; I have practical experience from Shalin City.”
“Of course, the Lady Saint also has ways to stop it,” Ji Ma smiled and said. “As long as you throw a light ball at the rioters on the street, like before with the green-skinned ones, setting all those rioters I’ve incited on fire, the light ball rolling down the street will leave countless charred corpses behind. Everything will be all set, right? Isn’t that more people dead than if Ise’s whole family dies?”
“If I’m not dead, I’ll regain my strength and find another city to strike and kill. You’re welcome to target me; I can survive for a long time and have plenty of patience. There will always be another city showing weakness, and I will seize the opportunity to ignite the negative desires in people’s hearts and let them slaughter each other.”
“We’ve fought together, Jenna; you know I have rich combat experience, being a cautious and meticulous person afraid of death. How many people will die because of your foolish kindness today? Ten thousand? Twenty thousand? A hundred thousand? How about we have a bet?”
Jenna stared blankly at Ji Ma and said: “No, it’s impossible.”
With a smile, she looked up at the blue light and said: “Everything I said earlier was the truth.”
The blue light did not fluctuate or turn red.
“Ji Ma! You are too cruel.”
“Cruel?” Ji Ma gasped, her eyes turning red. “Yes, I am cruel. Ise will not back down, and you will yield to him. Do you think I’m easy to deal with?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Your actions imply that.”
“Ji Ma, you can’t do this.”
“Then burn Ise!”
Young Master Ise interjected: “The succubus has lost it; Jenna, who do you trust more?”
“Shut up, kid.” Ji Ma glared at Ise: “Don’t think you can sit back and watch; after today, I will be the first to make a move against your whole family. I have a long life and plenty of time. Jenna, how do you choose?”
“I…” Jenna hesitated, placing her foot down. She looked at Ji Ma, who bore a cruel smile, her originally cute little tiger teeth now seemed like the fangs of a monster, appearing exceedingly strange.
Has she always been like this?
Jenna couldn’t help but shiver.
Yes, that’s right. Moral coercion, who doesn’t know how to do that?
Ji Ma appeared unconcerned; even if Jenna’s goodwill towards her vanished, it was better than watching Jenna climb into another man’s bed.
“God,” Jenna crossed her hands and pressed against her forehead, “what should I do?”
“Whoosh.”
A silver crossbow bolt pierced through Ji Ma’s chest. She widened her eyes, looking angrily and incredulously at Van Helsing on the carriage top, and the next moment, she shattered and vanished.
“Van Helsing! What are you doing?”
An angry voice from the incantation master came from inside the carriage.
Van Helsing smiled faintly and said: “Of course, I’m playing God, giving the Lady Saint a choice; the succubus’s threat is hollow and powerless. I assure you, as long as I focus on hunting her, she won’t survive for three days.”
The blue light surrounding him turned red and vibrated.
“Okay, I admit I was a bit impetuous and accidentally pulled the trigger.”
The red light turned back to blue.
“By Sigmar,” the incantation master couldn’t even catch his breath, “how do you have a witch hunter like you?”
“Please?” Young Master Ise gestured for Jenna to proceed.
Jenna didn’t touch his hand but sat opposite him in the carriage, guarded, saying: “I really dislike you, Ise.”
Ise just smiled and said: “That’s fine; as long as you look at me, I’m satisfied.”
“Thud, thud!”
Van Helsing on the carriage top kicked the carriage body hard with the heel of his boot, “Coachman, hurry up and drive; the flashy playboy below is once again spouting cheesy lines—it’s really annoying.”
“Go.”
The coachman flicked the whip, and the carriage moved slowly.
A group of cavalry protected Young Master Ise’s silver carriage, clearing the way for him.
_______
There will be another update tonight.
