Cold sweat trickled down the Deputy Commandant’s temples. He wanted to invoke the Governor’s name to bolster his courage, but his throat felt as if it were being squeezed by something, and he couldn't make a sound.
The soldiers beside him had already quietly withdrawn their spears. They knelt on the ground with their heads bowed, not daring to look directly at the carriage.
In ancient times, knowledge was monopolized by the great aristocratic families. Most of these soldiers came from impoverished backgrounds and never had the chance to learn to read or write. Even a military order could scare them out of their wits, let alone the thought of defying a deity.
Shen Jue stood amidst the crowd, forming a sharp contrast with the refugees and soldiers kneeling around him.
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze piercing through the layers of plain white silk, trying to see the true face of the person behind the curtain.
However, no matter how hard he focused, he could only see a blurred silhouette sitting perfectly still within.
Mythical beasts, divine radiance, a floating carriage.
All of this was too inconceivable.
This was definitely not some cheap trick—at least, not any kind of trick within his realm of knowledge.
Could it be an illusion? He had once been ordered to lead troops to Wuling Prefecture to suppress a rebellion, where there were capable people calling themselves sorcerers who used sorcery to trap people in various false hallucinations.
Could the woman in the carriage also be a sorcerer?
Before he could figure it out, he saw his younger brother actually kneeling toward the carriage.
Shen Yu’s movement of dropping to his knees was very light and natural, as if he were doing something that was only right and proper.
“Shen Fuyan!” Shen Jue scolded in a low voice.
Shen Yu, however, was completely deaf to it.
He looked up, his gaze burning as he stared at the carriage that seemed like something from another world. The glow of the carriage reflected in his eyes, and his entire being seemed to be seized by some mysterious force.
The bells suddenly stopped ringing.
Silence fell over everything.
The two mythical beasts pulling the carriage bowed their heads together, their front knees slightly bent in a submissive posture of pilgrimage.
The carriage curtains opened without any wind.
The plain white silk slid slowly to both sides, like a white lotus blooming layer by layer.
First, a hand reached out from behind the curtain.
The hand was slender and long, translucent and white like jade. The fingertips were tinted with a soft pink, and a green jade bracelet on the wrist made a faint, crisp sound with every movement.
Then...
A figure slowly emerged from the carriage.
Her toes tapped lightly, stepping onto the void as if invisible stairs were supporting her feet.
With each step, a faint silver ripple spread beneath her feet, like a dragonfly skimming the water.
Before the ripple could dissipate, the second step had already been taken.
Everyone’s breath hitched.
Yun Shu glanced at the rapidly rising Shock Value.
Then, she walked down from mid-air step by step, unhurried and graceful, her skirts fluttering with an ethereal air.
She wore a white and green dress with her dark hair swept up in a high bun. A plain veil draped down from behind the bun, and she held a stalk of green orchid in her hand, her skirt trailing three feet behind her.
White as early snow, green as new buds.
A white silk sash was tied loosely around her waist, its hanging tassels swaying gently in the wind like willow branches brushing the water.
She was draped in a layer of gauze as thin as a cicada's wing, which bore faint orchid patterns that shimmered with her every step.
The gauze draped over her shoulders, its ends falling naturally, making her entire being seem as ethereal as mist and as illusory as a dream.
The Floating Dream Set, when worn as a complete outfit, came with its own glowing special effect. Especially when paired with the Trailing Flowing Clouds component, it produced water ripple effects under her feet when walking in the air.
This was a shocking entrance she had put together after trying various fashion combinations.
As it turned out, it really didn't disappoint.
The Shock Value she had spent was quickly being earned back.
But this wasn't enough.
The real show had just begun.
“Divine Lady... Divine Lady...” Cui Erlang lay on the ground in pain, his eyes filled with shame and self-reproach.
“I am useless... I failed to protect the Divine Seeds...”
The refugees around him also sobbed quietly.
The Divine Lady sighed softly. “You need not blame yourself. The sweet potato is a celestial item; planting it in the mortal realm is inherently against the heavens. It was destined to face this tribulation.”
“However, you protected them with your lives. Your sincerity is clear to see, and you have preserved a glimmer of life for these seedlings.”
She slowly raised the green orchid in her hand.
A speck of golden light condensed at the tip of the orchid’s snow-white flower, growing brighter and more intense until it silently dripped from the petals.
The golden light hit the ground and burst outward.
Wherever the radiance passed, the seedlings that had been trampled and broken actually stood upright again at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Broken stems reconnected, and torn leaves slowly unfurled, returning to a vibrant, living state.
Cui Erlang’s eyes widened, and tears burst forth. His lips trembled as he let out a sobbing sound from his throat.
“The Divine Lady is merciful... Thank you, Divine Lady...”
The Divine Lady did not stop there.
She waved the orchid again, and golden light flew from the flowers like silken threads, gently covering Cui Erlang.
In just a moment, his broken bones were miraculously mended. The bruises on his chest vanished before his eyes, and his torn flesh gradually healed...
The golden light continued to spread.
It fell upon every injured refugee.
Those who had been shoved, beaten, or wounded by spears healed one after another. Their wounds closed, and their pain vanished, as if those injuries had never occurred.
The refugees’ cries shook the heavens as they kowtowed incessantly.
“The Divine Lady is great and merciful...”
“Divine Lady...”
The Divine Lady withdrew the orchid and stood suspended in the void, her white veil fluttering gently in the wind and her light green silk rippling like clouds.
The brilliant sunset on the horizon made her figure appear even more transcendent, as if she did not belong to the mortal world.
【Shen Jue Shock Value +50】
【Cui Erlang Shock Value +100】
【Tang Gouzi Shock Value +100】
【...】
【Current Shock Value: 26,660】
Shen Jue stood where he was, watching this scene from afar, his body as steady as a pine tree.
His face showed neither the pious fanaticism of the kneeling refugees nor the bone-deep fear of the soldiers.
Those deep eyes held only a faint surprise and an unconscious sense of wonder.
Such a method of bringing things back to life was no longer something that could be achieved merely through cheap tricks and hallucinogens.
This mysterious woman before him was definitely no ordinary person; she possessed genuine ability.
If he could obtain her help, the number of casualties in future military campaigns would surely be greatly reduced.
“Host, the male lead just increased his favorability. His favorability toward you went from negative 20 to positive 20.”
“We hit the jackpot this time!”
The system’s excited voice rang in Yun Shu’s ear.
The corners of Yun Shu’s lips curved slightly, but she quickly suppressed it.
She turned around, her gaze falling upon the Deputy Commandant, as if she could pierce through all falsehoods and see through every human heart.
The Deputy Commandant suddenly felt a chill rush straight to the top of his head.
“Guo Pan,” Yun Shu called out his name. “Deputy Commandant of Xindu City, in office for seven years.”
Deputy Commandant Guo Pan’s face turned deathly pale.
He hadn't introduced himself; how did she know?
Could it be she really was a Divine Lady?
No, no, that’s impossible. The State Preceptor said that besides himself, there are no other immortals in this world.
This person must be a demoness playing god!
“Since you took office, you have embezzled a total of one thousand two hundred taels of military pay, pocketed eight hundred jin of disaster relief grain, seized fifteen qing of civilian land, driven seven citizens to their deaths, and raped three young women—the youngest of whom was only twelve years old.” Yun Shu’s expression was calm, as if she were reading from an account book. “In these seven years, a total of thirty-nine innocent souls have died because of you.”
The refugees’ eyes were filled with shock and rage.
Guo Pan’s face was now completely devoid of color.
He had clearly covered up these deeds very well; how on earth did this woman find out?
Fear and anger flashed across his face in turns, finally twisting into a nearly frantic, hideous expression.
“Witch! You must be a witch!” He roared at the soldiers kneeling behind him, “Get up, all of you! Whoever can kill this witch who deceives the public with her lies...”
“I will reward them with a hundred taels of silver!”
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