The commoners kneeling on the ground began to avoid her gaze. They all lowered their heads, clutching the hems of their clothes, their lips trembling, yet not a single word of “I will go” could escape them.
This was not cowardice.
It was the most primal human instinct: the fear of death.
No one had the right to blame them.
A long silence followed.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the crowd.
“I’ll go.”
It was a woman’s voice.
It was like a piece of wood suddenly added to a roaring brazier in the dead of winter; there was no earth-shattering sound, yet everyone heard that single, sharp crackle.
The crowd automatically parted to make a path.
A sturdy woman walked out, her sleeves rolled up to reveal two thick, powerful arms.
The thick layer of calluses at the webbing of her thumbs and forefingers made it clear that she was someone who performed heavy labor year-round.
“Though I am but a woman, I have followed my father in slaughtering pigs since I was a child. I have great strength. Let me go!”
Because she was built large and was quite unattractive, no man in Xindu City had been willing to marry her.
But her parents had never looked down on her.
Their family made a living selling pork. Their lives were plain and ordinary, yet exceptionally happy.
Once this calamity ended, she did not know if the three of them would ever be able to return to those peaceful days.
Likely not.
That was an evil dragon, after all.
It wasn't that she feared death; she only feared that if both she and her father died in this disaster, her mother would be left alone in the world. That would be far too cruel for her mother.
“Chunya!” a thunderous shout erupted.
Immediately following it.
A broad-shouldered man with a face full of stubble squeezed out from the crowd at the city gate.
He rushed to Feng Chunya’s side in a few strides and grabbed her arm. “Defending our home and country is work for us men! What is a young girl like you doing joining the fray? Go back! Go back to your mother!”
Feng Chunya, however, stubbornly refused to move.
“Father, the Divine Lady once said that a woman’s loyalty and courage are never inferior to those of men.”
She spoke each word with deliberate emphasis. “You want to protect Xindu City. I am your daughter, and the same blood flows in my veins. Naturally, I have the same thoughts as you!”
Feng Qingshan was momentarily stunned, his eyes reddening.
“Chunya, listen to your father and go back.” His voice trembled slightly. “If something happens to you too, how can your mother possibly go on alone?”
“Feng Qingshan, what kind of ominous talk is that?”
A woman dressed in coarse cloth walked over. She stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at her husband. “Our daughter has the courage to stand up and assist the Divine Lady in protecting Xindu City. Why are you dragging her down?”
Feng Qingshan shrank his neck back guiltily.
“I’m just worried…”
Before he could finish, he was interrupted. “You two just go with a clear mind. There’s no need to worry about me!”
She spoke lightly, but as she watched both father and daughter join the ranks at the city gate, her eyes still turned red.
Fearing she would be seen, she quickly turned her face away.
The group of two hundred was composed entirely of young and middle-aged men, with Feng Chunya being the only woman. However, she was tall and sturdy, standing half a head taller than the man next to her.
At this moment, those who had stepped forward to the city gate were all prepared to die.
Consequently, no one cared whether it was appropriate for a woman like Feng Chunya to stand among them.
At this very second, they all shared a single goal.
“We are willing to assist the Divine Lady in slaying the evil dragon and protecting Xindu City. We beg the Divine Lady to grant our request!”
“We beg the Divine Lady to grant our request!”
“We beg the Divine Lady to grant our request!”
The two hundred righteous souls knelt in unison to petition. There was no fear in their eyes, only an unwavering, forward-moving resolve.
The Divine Lady lowered her eyes slightly, gazing at them. “The spirit you show, fearing neither life nor death for the sake of the righteousness of your home and country, has been seen by me, and I am deeply moved.”
Courage is the anthem of humanity.
When a group dares to challenge an invincible, gargantuan entity without a single soul fearing death, then no matter what kind of battle they face, they already possess a fifty percent chance of victory.
In the near future, they would become her sharpest blade to cleave through this decaying dynasty and establish a new world where everyone was equal, sweeping away all obstacles so that her will could reach every corner of this world.
“I possess a treasure that can ensure your lives are not harmed when you enter the body of the black dragon to dispel the foul energy.”
She raised her hand, her pale, jade-like palm opening.
A scroll appeared out of thin air.
The scroll was only about a foot long, with light swirling around it. It did not seem to be made of any mortal material. As it lay quietly in the Divine Lady’s palm, it radiated a calm and ancient pressure.
Both ends of the scroll were wrapped in gold thread as fine as hair. Every strand glowed slightly, as if it were alive.
“Divine Lady, you must not!”
As that voice called out, a streak of snowy-white light flashed across the sky at extreme speed.
In the blink of an eye.
The light stopped abruptly beside the Divine Lady, transforming into a snow-white spirit fox. Its nine long tails spread out behind it like clouds, the tips shimmering with a faint lunar glow.
“Divine Lady, last time you exhausted your cultivation to reverse karma for them, you already incurred the displeasure of the Heavenly Sovereign.”
“You must not knowingly commit the same mistake again!”
The spirit fox’s words brought tears to the eyes of the people of Xindu, especially the soldiers who had participated in defending the city.
They had all speculated in their hearts.
Whether it was defying heaven to change fate or reversing karma, how could there not be a price to pay?
The Divine Lady’s hair turning white overnight had all been for them.
Emperor Ling of Yong viewed them as mere grass, yet the Divine Lady, who should have been high above, treated them like her own children. How could they not be moved? How could they not love and revere her?
The Divine Lady glanced at the spirit fox. “Say no more.”
The spirit fox still did not give up its persuasion. “This Mountains and Rivers Map is an ancient treasure the Heavenly Sovereign sought out for you. If the Heavenly Sovereign learns that you are using it to rewrite a mortal calamity, he will surely be enraged!”
Hearing the conversation between the spirit fox and the Divine Lady, the crowd collectively wore expressions of deep worry.
Though they did not know who this Heavenly Sovereign was, they could infer a thing or two from the dialogue.
The Heavenly Sovereign was surely an elder to the Divine Lady.
In the mortal world, if a junior made a mistake, they would inevitably face punishment from their elders.
It was likely the same in the Heavenly Palace.
“Divine Lady, we beg you not to violate the Heavenly Laws and burden yourself for our sake again.”
Someone started the plea, and others followed. “Divine Lady, you have already done enough for us. There is no need to suffer the Heavenly Sovereign’s punishment for our sake!”
Hearing this, the Divine Lady shook her head and said, “With great power comes great responsibility. Since I am a deity, I cannot sit by and watch mortals march to their deaths for the sake of all living beings.”
She tossed the Mountains and Rivers Map into the air.
The scroll slowly unfurled, growing as it caught the wind.
It continued to expand and extend, as if it were about to cover the entire sky.
Golden light poured down from the scroll.
Wherever the light touched, everything in heaven and earth seemed to be coated in a layer of faint gold.
“I shall wait here for your triumphant return.”
Feeling the warm golden light enter their bodies, the group of righteous volunteers looked on with tearful eyes. “We shall not fail the Divine Lady!”
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