Xing Tie: Wait a minute! How come Weng Xing has two saviors?

Wherever the beam of light passed, dust billowed into the sky, and buildings collapsed like sandcastles!

Tibo: Σ( ° △ °|||)！ “What…what is that?!”

At the same time, Xia Die was looking down, carefully placing her small hands, which were wearing special gloves, in front of her, while muttering, "Careful, careful... I can't touch anyone..."

Only after confirming that her hands were "safe" did she raise her head. The next second, her purple eyes widened instantly.

What came into view was not the magnificent and sacred holy city I had imagined, but a shocking scene of ruins and devastation.

The smoke of battle had not yet cleared, and ruins were everywhere. The intense aura of death assaulted her senses, and she almost instinctively opened her own death domain.

However, the expected countless bewildered, tormented, or angry souls did not appear.

The area was completely empty, with only a few twisted, insane fragments of souls exuding intense malice lurking in the corners, cursing or laughing idiotically.

(Golden Finger: Ribbit! Why don't you guess why it has teeth?)

Xia Die tilted her head in confusion, then looked at Ti Bao, whose expression was grave: "Teacher Ti Bao? Janusapolis... has it always been like this... um... 'battle-damaged ruins' style?"

"What kind of battle damage style?! Xiaodie! Something terrible has happened! That beam of light..."

Tibo's childish voice trembled slightly, "Quick! Activate your domain and soothe as many of the spirits you can sense as possible! We need to fly up there immediately and check the situation!"

“But… there really aren’t any wandering spirits…” Xia Die was even more confused, her little hands twisting together anxiously.

She was somewhat at a loss when she encountered such an illogical event so soon after joining Ohma.

Then... Bai Mo, who had just returned from the temple and was on his way to find Xi Lian, bumped into a wall of people.

A large group of Janusapolis residents surrounded Tibo and his companions, some expressing their grievances, others offering their respect, and still others seeking refuge...

What? The Holy Maiden has arrived! Fairness is restored! The Holy Maiden has arrived! Janusapolis is saved!

Tibo was driven crazy by the noise, but the one who suffered the most was Xiadie.

Her face was deathly pale, and her body was stiff as a board. Her little hands, blessed by death, were like a hot potato—if she put them down, she was afraid of accidentally touching someone; if she raised them, it would look strange. Clenching them tightly was not an option, and letting them go was not an option either.

She was trapped in the center of the human wall, unable to move an inch, even breathing became difficult, and her mind was filled with "Don't touch me... please don't touch anyone...".

It was Tian who spotted Bai Mo, this oddball, while flying in mid-air. "Tian! That person looks just like the little Bai from the oracle!"

The crowd turned around in unison, following the direction Tian pointed.

Bai Mo walked from the direction of Temple Mountain, carrying a broken longsword riddled with nicks and its blade soaked in dark red and molten gold blood.

His clothes were stained with large patches of dried and fresh blood, and he exuded a chilling aura that seemed to have just flowed from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

Chapter 19 Golden Finger: Author! What have you done to me now?!

crowd:"……!"

A deathly silence instantly replaced the noise.

The crowd that was desperately pushing forward just a second ago was suddenly thrown back more than ten meters by an invisible giant wave. With Bai Mo as the center, they were instantly pushed back!

In the middle of the crowded street, a large vacuum zone was forcibly cleared out by "awe" and "fear".

Only Tian, ​​standing bewildered at the edge of the vacuum zone, and Tibo and Xiadie, finally able to catch their breath but even more tense at the center of the vacuum zone, remained.

"Teacher Tibao!" Almost instinctively, Xia Die stepped in front of Tibao. Her small hands, which had been carefully folded, were now slightly raised, palms down. An invisible yet chilling aura of annihilation began to permeate her body—her power of death was being fully mobilized.

Her purple eyes were fixed on the blood-red figure radiating a terrifying aura. Her voice trembled slightly, yet remained exceptionally firm: "Please step back! This person... is extremely dangerous!"

Bai Mo looked at the three familiar figures... He flipped his wrist and, with a "clang," plunged the broken sword in his hand, which was soaked in golden-red blood, into the stone slab at his feet.

He then took two steps back, a gesture that clearly indicated he had no intention of fighting at that moment.

But this by no means represents trust. None of the invisible buffs he possessed—agility, strength, precision, spiritual power, energy… even levitation and wind control—had been removed.

He couldn't, and would never, easily entrust his life to a group of people who looked familiar but whose backgrounds were unknown. To gamble? That was the most foolish thing to do.

Just then, High Priest Vittorio, leaning against the wall and panting, caught up.

"Bai Mo! You...you don't even consider...the walking ability of this old man...these old bones of mine?" He complained breathlessly, finally managing to catch his breath and lift his head—

Σ(OдO|||)！ ！ ！

The sight before him terrified him! Bai Mo and the envoys of Ohm were locked in a tense standoff!

Especially that little girl with purple hair, the aura of death emanating from her sent chills down his spine!

"Bai Mo! Bai Mo! Calm down! They are not the enemy!" Vittorio practically lunged forward, standing between the two sides, waving his hands and shouting urgently.

“These are distinguished envoys from the holy city of Ohma! And these two are Lady Tirisippius!” He pointed to Tibo and Tian.

Then he quickly pointed to Xia Die, "This is... uh..."

“My name is Xia Die, Lord Vittorio.”

"Oh, thank you. She is Xia Die. They are Golden-blooded allies who came here specifically to protect Miss Xi Lian in response to a divine decree!"

He immediately turned to Tibo, who was equally wary, and put on a sincere smile, speaking rapidly: "Respected Lady Tirisippius! It's a misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding! This Lord Bai Mo is by no means an enemy! On the contrary, he is Miss Xi Lian's most steadfast protector!"

The upheaval in Januspolis today stems from his willingness to wage war against the two corrupt factions of Helios and Ascalon, who occupy the area, in order to protect Miss Xilian!

"The beam of light you just saw... cough... was the work of Lord Bai Mo..." Vittorio's voice trembled with lingering fear, but more so with an urgent desire to mediate.

The tense atmosphere finally eased slightly after Vittorio's rapid-fire explanations and assurances.

Xia Die carefully withdrew the pervasive power of death, her small hands neatly folded in front of her again, but her eyes still warily glanced at Bai Mo.

Tibo's expression relaxed slightly, her sharp gaze scrutinizing Vittorio before turning to the expressionless Bai Mo, as if assessing the credibility of his words.

Tian tilted her head curiously, looking at Bai Mo and then at the broken sword stuck in the ground.

The ensuing chaos gradually subsided under the guidance of Vittorio, the "highly respected" (at least in the eyes of ordinary people and lower-ranking temple staff) high priest.

Bai Mo was not a bloodthirsty demon king. He couldn't be bothered with the priests and guards in the temple who didn't wield weapons to block his path of revenge.

At this moment, under Vittorio's command, the survivors began to painstakingly clean up the mess.

Under Vittorio's decisive leadership, the vast wealth of Helios and the Ascalon family in Janusapolis was swiftly seized and recovered by the Temple authorities.

When these ill-gotten gains were exposed, especially when the family granaries, piled high with grain, were forcibly opened and brought to the light, the entire city fell into a deathly silence, followed by a surge of furious anger.

"This...so much grain?!"

"Enough to feed the whole city for three years... or even longer!"

"But we...we were starving before! My child..."

"Those beasts! They watched us starve to death while they hid the grain until it molded?!"

Vittorio stood at the entrance of the granary, looking at the overflowing and even rotting grain inside, his old face so gloomy it could drip water.

He took a deep breath, and his voice, amplified by a spell, resounded throughout the entire area: "The Temple has failed in its duty and is ashamed before its people! This grain is the very wealth of Janusapolis! From this day forward, it will be distributed fairly according to household registration! The Temple will use all the ill-gotten gains of Helios and Ascalon to compensate the wounded and rebuild their homes!"

The news spread like wildfire throughout the city. Anger was gradually replaced by a complex emotion, tinged with a sense of relief at having survived a catastrophe.

Furthermore, with Tibo, the former "saint" of Janusapolis, actively assisting Vittorio in pacifying the people and allocating resources due to her natural "prestige" and image of justice, the chaotic Janusapolis finally saw a glimmer of hope for the restoration of order.

Of course, there was another reason: Bai Mo's devastating pillar of light destroyed countless buildings and carved deep trenches, yet strangely, it didn't affect a single innocent civilian. It was as if that destructive power had eyes, precisely avoiding all non-combatants.

(Golden Finger: This is of course because of me~...? What the heck, meow~? Author! What have you given me this time, meow!!!)

Inside the dilapidated yet miraculously intact "Lianmo Bistro," the atmosphere is completely different from the bustling reconstruction outside.

Xi Lian was gently poking Tian's soft, bouncy cheeks with her fingers with great interest. Each time she poked, Tian would puff out angrily and try to dodge, but Xi Lian would pull her back with a grin. Then she whispered something in Tian's ear.

“So…” Tibo sat to the side, watching the two frolicking, her brows furrowing slightly in a cute way. She looked at Bai Mo, who was sitting in the corner choosing a suitable longsword, and asked the question that had been bothering her all the way.

"Lord Bai Mo, Miss Xi Lian told us that you have a... um... brother who is indeed the Golden Descendant foretold by the oracle. But you yourself seem... not to be?"

Chapter 20 Xia Die: Caw! Xi Lian? Don't come any closer! (Revised)

She unconsciously tapped her chin with her fingertip. "But the original text of the oracle reads: 'All will part from one man, and that man alone will witness miracles.'"

...But could this 'one person'...refer to twins who are blood-related and look identical...considered as 'one person' in some mystical sense? After all, oracles are sometimes full of metaphors."

Bai Mo paused in his hand as he selected the longsword, then glared precisely at Xi Lian, who was poking Tian's cheek, his eyes filled with helplessness: "What brother? Who told you that?"

His tone was somewhat stiff and dismissive, "What you're doing with my brother is your business."

He chose his own path, and he'll walk it himself. But don't try to pin the 'savior' label on me. I have no interest.

"But Little Whitey!" Taking advantage of Xilian's distraction, Tian finally broke free from her "clutches" like a slippery little fish.

She darted to Bai Mo in one stride, tilted her little face up, and her deep blue eyes were full of pure curiosity and certainty. "Little Lian told me everything!"

She said you also have half a "Saviour" card! An Oracle card! Right? So you and your brother together make a complete "one person"!

Bai Mo looked at the small, vibrant, yet completely innocent face so close to his.

The rebuttal that was about to escape his lips against the absurd nickname "Little White" ultimately turned into a barely audible sigh and was swallowed back down.

He simply pulled Tian onto his lap.

(Ahoge: Hey! I'm up again!)

He once again cast a death stare at Xi Lian, the instigator, his eyes conveying a clear message: You wait.

When Xi Lian received Bai Mo's gaze, she was not afraid at all, but instead playfully stuck out her tongue at him.

She silently thought to herself: I'm sorry, Xiaobai Mo~ But if you always keep everything to yourself, you'll never make any good friends, right?

Having successfully achieved her goal, Xi Lian was satisfied. Her cunning gaze, like a searchlight, slowly moved towards the last target in the room—

The purple-haired girl who had been as quiet as a quail since she entered the room, was trying to shrink herself into a corner with her hands tightly folded on her knees, as if afraid of touching something she shouldn't: Xia Die.

A smile, full of curiosity and playfulness, appeared on Xi Lian's lips.

Xia Die: Why do I have such a bad feeling...?

Before Xi Lian's "malice" could completely engulf Xia Die, she made her move first.

“Lord Bai Mo,” Xia Die’s voice was soft, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, as she took a deep breath. “Could you… come out and speak with me?”

Bai Mo's gaze shifted from Tian, ​​who was nestled quietly against his lap, to Xia Die's face. Her eyes were unusually firm, even carrying a sense of desperation.

(What's wrong with this girl? Her eyes look like she's about to die...)

After a brief hesitation and a slight frown, he nodded and gently placed Tian on his lap to the side.

Seeing Bai Mo agree, Xia Die's tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly. She silently turned around and walked first towards the moonlit courtyard outside the door.

Inside the room, Xi Lian's gaze dimmed slightly as Xia Die left, but then she turned to Ti Bao.

"Lady Tirisippius..."

"Xiao Lian, just call me Teacher Ti Bao," Ti Bao replied gently.

“Yes, Teacher Tibo,” Xilian quickly corrected herself, “I’ve heard that you are the former saintess of Janusapolis, and that ‘Return of Time’ spell…”

“I’m sorry,” Tibo gently shook her head, interrupting Xilian’s hopes, “*We* don’t know this spell either. But…”

The door closed behind him, shutting out the sounds inside.

Bai Mo's tall figure stood under the corridor, the moonlight outlining his cold and hard features.

He looked at the purple-haired girl in front of him, who was carefully twisting her fingers. "What do you want?" His tone was as calm and direct as ever.

Xia Die's body shrank almost imperceptibly, as if she had been stung by that blunt tone.

She forced herself to raise her head and meet Bai Mo's gaze, her voice remaining politely respectful, yet trying to convey her resolve:

“Lord Bai Mo…I…I want to know, why…why did you kill those soldiers? Even…” Her words trailed off, her fingers clenched tighter, her knuckles turning white.

Bai Mo's brows furrowed instantly. "Stop! Stop! Stop! You're not trying to say I shouldn't have killed them, are you?"

Xia Die was taken aback by his sudden surge of power, her breath catching in her throat, but the urgency and determination in her eyes did not diminish; on the contrary, they intensified.

"No, it's just... Lord Bai Mo! Life is the most precious thing! Once lost, it's..."

“Precious?” Bai Mo’s voice deepened. “Have you ever considered that if I didn’t kill them, I might be the one who dies?”

"Or are they people I need to protect? The moment they brandished their weapons, I had no intention of leaving any survivors."

He took half a step forward, his tall figure casting a shadow in the moonlight that enveloped Xia Die.

"You think that a group of people who want to kill you should be forgiven? You're really naive."

Xia Die was forced to take a small step back by his imposing aura, her face appearing even paler in the moonlight, but her eyes grew even more determined and bright.

She straightened her back, her voice soft yet clear: "Lord Bai Mo, you may have misunderstood. I know you should have acted against them in that situation! But besides killing them..."