Chapter 69
Xia'er seemed to have thought of something. She looked at the troubled Ai Wei Na and asked, "Do you know how their special brainwashing technique works?"
Having experienced it herself, Xia'er wanted to know if Ai Wei Na had any way to break free from it.
In Xia'er's eyes, Ai Wei Na was like a magical cat with a bag of treasures, seemingly able to pull out some extraordinary artifact or a remarkable item with unique abilities at any moment.
Like the hair dye potion from before.
"I don't know the specifics of their brainwashing methods," Ai Wei Na shook her head. "But when I left my family, I did receive an item that has some resistance against brainwashing."
Ai Wei Na reached into her collar, following the silver chain around her neck, and slowly pulled out a peculiar pendant that rested against her heart.
It was a delicate golden cage pendant, inside which was an irregular black object.
"This is the 'Substitute Saint Remains,' and it’s not exactly a sealing item," Ai Wei Na explained to Xia'er. "If you drop a drop of your blood inside, your consciousness will briefly swap with the remains, and then you'll switch back in a few seconds."
"Once your consciousness returns, everything in your mind that doesn't belong to you—including deep hypnosis, order contracts, and mental imprints—will be locked inside the remains. It will bear the negative effects for you and allow you to perceive what has influenced you."
"I use this remains once a week to ensure that I'm not being controlled without my awareness. Right now, I estimate I only have enough left for about a day."
Hmm?
Xia'er suddenly realized something was off.
This Substitute Saint Remains... could allow a person to eliminate negative mental states after use and become aware of the differences in their thoughts and actions?
Could it even temporarily resist the influence of the Eye of Order contract?
"Speaking of which, I actually haven't used the Substitute Saint Remains this week..." Ai Wei Na said, her hand deftly gripping the golden cage.
The sharp hooks inside pricked her finger, and a drop of blood flowed into the black substance, causing alarm bells to ring in Xia'er's mind.
Oh no!
No wonder Ai Wei Na had so readily signed an unequal contract with her for a month! It turned out she had a way to eliminate the influence!
Ai Wei Na had hidden quite a bit during their previous conversation in the simulation, and it seemed she had also played tricks during the contract signing!
In the center of the golden cage, the black substance ignited with a faint purple flame.
Suddenly, Ai Wei Na's body slumped as if losing control, leaning toward Xia'er, who had to reach out to support her.
What to do?
Before she could react...
At that moment, Ai Wei Na slowly regained consciousness, catching a whiff of the sweet scent of a girl nearby... She seemed to realize something, abruptly sitting up straight and scooting a few inches away on the sofa, looking down and saying, "I... I didn't mean to! Using this makes me lose consciousness for a few seconds..."
"But thankfully, it seems my behavior during this time has been normal, and there are no signs of being controlled by the Saintly Church."
Ai Wei Na said, looking up at Xia'er, who wore a puzzled expression, and asked, "What's wrong, Xia'er?"
She...
Wasn't aware of the contract's existence?
But the contract had already taken effect. Why didn’t she realize that she might have been too close to Xia'er while unconscious? Didn’t she feel any aversion to those memories?
If she wasn’t aware...
That meant, even without the contract, Ai Wei Na wouldn’t reveal her secrets or reject her touch?
Clearly, Xia'er had done some outrageous things under the guise of the contract, even tearing her clothes and biting her! Was Ai Wei Na really not bothered at all?
Was this... a friendship wasted?
While Xia'er was lost in thought, Ai Wei Na had already stood up. She looked at Xia'er and said, "Xia'er, if what you said is true, and She Lun is indeed backed by the Saintly Church, then this matter is beyond our control."
"The Saintly Church operates on a one-way communication basis. If that follower who knows our identities reports this matter during the next contact, we will end up on the entire Church's wanted list... Do you have any evidence to prove that this is a scheme orchestrated by the Saintly Church?"
"If you do, I can report it to the Goddess of Salvation in advance, hoping they can help us deal with that cultist."
Waiting for the Church to act...
Xia'er didn’t know if there would be enough time, nor did she have sufficient evidence to prove anything.
She also wasn’t sure how many cultists on Ji Di's side were aware of these matters.
Should they eliminate Ji Di before their next contact?
Ji Di was a second-tier "Missionary," and Xia'er would need at least second-tier extraordinary abilities to have a solid chance of getting rid of her.
"The 'Judgment' potion..."
Xia'er stood up and quickly ran toward her room, with Ai Wei Na following closely behind, unsure of what Xia'er was planning.
Once inside her room, Xia'er grabbed the potion bag Ai Wei Na had given her earlier, opened it, and took out a scroll that detailed the "Judgment" revival ritual.
As Xia'er unsealed the scroll and unfurled it, she read the requirements for the ritual.
【The soul of judgment must be cast with the blood of heretics.】
【Eliminate fifty traitors, heretics, and blasphemers, and after interrogating at least one second-tier heretic and passing judgment, drink the potion at the right moment.】
The moment Xia'er finished reading, the paper ignited and quickly turned to ash.
Kill the traitors? Heretics? Blasphemers?
Were they the heretics in the eyes of the Goddess of Salvation? Or the heretics in the eyes of the Saintly Church?
If uncertain... it would be safer to eliminate them all.
"Ai Wei Na."
Xia'er turned to look at Ai Wei Na, who had followed her in, and asked, "Can I ask you for a favor?"
"What is it?"
"Can I borrow your 'Substitute Saint Remains' for a bit?"
Xia'er’s plan was simple.
Not knowing which side to target, she would just eliminate them all.
In her mind, a plan formed; if luck was on her side, she could complete it in just two simulations.
She could gather all the information while performing the "Judgment" revival ritual.
Chapter Sixty-Seven: How Ruthless I Am.
"Xia'er, do you have any thoughts?" Ai Wei Na asked, watching Xia'er as she studied the "Judgment" revival ritual.
Since she met Xia'er, Ai Wei Na had always felt that Xia'er was a person with a plan, someone who would execute her own strategies, even if they were quite risky.
Just like the ambush against She Lun before.
When Xia'er proposed carrying out the execution, Ai Wei Na thought her plan was a bit too reckless, but Xia'er insisted on not letting "Crown Guard" Ni Ya face She Lun alone, as if she understood the consequences of such a confrontation.
A joint execution was indeed the method that left She Lun with the least chance of resistance—one person restraining while the other executed in an instant—Xia'er’s actions flowed as if rehearsed.
So, when Xia'er suggested that the Saintly Church might be behind She Lun's promotion, Ai Wei Na first sought Xia'er’s opinion.
"And you? What do you plan to do?"
Xia'er countered, wanting to know how Ai Wei Na, or rather the Russell family behind her, would act upon learning this information.
After a moment of thought, Ai Wei Na replied, "I will first send a confidential letter to the Church to alert them to investigate. If the Church doesn’t take any action within two days, I will choose to temporarily leave Bole City and head to An Su."
At this point, Ai Wei Na shook her head helplessly and said, "Things have escalated to this point; it’s beyond my control."
Report first, and if that doesn’t work, leave this dangerous place...
If it were Xia'er, she would probably make a similar choice.
However, Xia'er wouldn’t wait; she would submit the report and then directly escape Bole City with Li Qi, rather than waiting two days for a response.
After learning from Xia'er about the cultists hiding in De Dun Manor, Ai Wei Na bid farewell and left Xia'er’s guest room, leaving behind the "Substitute Saint Remains."
Ai Wei Na didn’t seem too worried about being brainwashed by the cultists, as she had "Crown Guard" Ni Ya protecting her 24/7. If anything went wrong, Ni Ya could directly take Ai Wei Na to safety.
Though not particularly strong in combat, the "Crown Guard" was the best at protection, at least far more useful than a "Substitute Saint Remains" that required active use.
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