Volume 1 Chapter 149.1

Volume 1 + Chapter 149.1: Important Information

Vivian had already completely made up her mind, no matter what Long Aotian said from now on, she would never believe him again.

This man’s words were never reliable, one slick line after another, always managing to use sweet talk to coax others into trusting him. She knew all too well how naive she had once been, to have actually believed his poisonous persuasion.

Now, all she wanted was for Long Aotian to stay as far away from her as possible. Better yet, she wished he would disappear entirely from her world.

In order to give him no chance whatsoever to continue pestering her, Vivian subconsciously quickened her pace, trying to shake him off. The more anxious she felt, the faster she walked, wishing she could immediately escape from this person who irritated her so deeply.

However, Long Aotian clearly had no intention of letting her go. Without the slightest hesitation, he sped up as well, closing the distance in just a few long strides and catching up to her almost instantly.

“Wait, at least listen to the intelligence I have before you leave. It won’t be too late then.”

There was a hint of urgency in his voice, yet it still carried that familiar frivolity and stubborn refusal to give up.

Vivian’s heart sank at once. She couldn’t help but accelerate further, trying to flee his entanglement, but Long Aotian clung to her like a shadow, showing no sign of backing off.

Once again, Long Aotian blocked her path. This time, Vivian had completely run out of patience. Her heart was filled with sheer disgust and intolerance.

There had once been a time when, in her eyes, Long Aotian was gentle and considerate, mature and steady in the way he dealt with others, someone who seemed to possess the bearing of a leader.

His calm and unhurried demeanor had made her trust him instinctively, even admire him a little.

Back then, Vivian truly believed that Long Aotian was someone she could rely on, someone worthy of entrusting herself to, someone with a promising future…

But now, that beautiful image has utterly collapsed.

The Long Aotian before her had become an existence she could no longer tolerate, like a strip of stubborn plaster stuck tight, impossible to shake off.

Every time he appeared before her, an indescribable sense of annoyance surged up in Vivian’s heart. She even began to think there was something wrong with him, as if he were a stalker, clinging to her relentlessly and denying her even a moment of peace.

Each time Long Aotian opened his mouth, the disgust in her heart only deepened, as though some powerful force were driving her away, urging her to flee as far as possible.

That last remaining shred of goodwill she once felt toward him vanished completely amid this endless harassment.

She began to reflect on herself, why had it taken her until now to finally see this bastard for what he truly was?

Had all that gentleness and consideration been nothing but lies?

It was as if she had suddenly awakened, realizing that her former innocence had allowed this man to toy with her at will.

Seeing the shift in her emotions, Long Aotian seemed to grow even more pleased with himself, his words taking on an increasingly provocative edge.

“Listen to me, right now is a rare opportunity for you, and also the Church’s chance to turn the tables.”

He narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone unhurried yet tinged with cunning. “You’re the Saintess, right? Usually forced to keep your head down under pressure from the imperial royal family. You’re clearly the Church’s Saintess, your status lofty and exalted, yet here, the respect that should match your identity is pitifully scarce. Compared to Saintesses in other nations, your existence here is practically just a mascot, hardly taken seriously at all.”

He spoke casually, yet every single word stabbed into Vivian’s heart like a sharp needle, making her emotions all the more turbulent.

Her steps faltered slightly. A surge of anger and bewilderment rose within her as she swept a cold gaze over Long Aotian, resentment flashing unmistakably in her eyes.

This bastard, how was it that everything he did could be so infuriating?

Blocking her path was bad enough, but he even dared to bring up her deepest pain, trampling straight into her emotional minefield and dancing on it without the slightest regard for her feelings.

This was truly… intolerable beyond endurance.

Vivian hated nothing more than being called a “mascot Saintess.” To her, the term was like an invisible shackle, crushing her until she could hardly breathe.

She held her identity as a Saintess in high regard and took pride in it, yet she had to admit that the status of the imperial Church was indeed inferior to that of other nations.

Even the Pope was little more than a symbolic figure, ostensibly supreme, yet actually wielding very little power. As for her, though elevated to the position of Saintess, she was always treated as an accessory of the Church, never granted any real authority.

That single sentence from Long Aotian was like a keen blade, effortlessly slicing open the deepest wound in Vivian’s heart, instantly igniting all her pent-up anger and resentment.

Her eyes filled with hatred and resolve in an instant. The last trace of restraint in her heart shattered completely. Without the slightest hesitation, she raised her arm, a flash of icy determination gleaming in her gaze.

“I’m telling you, the Emperor may already be dea—ugh!”

The very next second, a slap like thunder crashed into Long Aotian’s face, abruptly cutting off his words halfway through.

This slap was anything but ordinary. Vivian poured all her pent-up anger and grievance into it, compressing every ounce of her unwillingness and regret into that single strike. Magic reinforced the blow, imbuing it with explosive force as it lashed brutally across Long Aotian’s face.

She gave him no time to react. Like an unbridled wild horse, she surged forward with unstoppable momentum, violently sending Long Aotian flying.

His body instantly lost balance, and before he could respond at all, he was hurled straight into a nearby shop, crashing through its window with a deafening impact.

That slap was not merely a punishment dealt by Vivian, it was an eruption of all the emotions she had suppressed deep within her heart. Rage, resentment, regret, everything burst forth in that single instant.

The strike carried nearly destructive force, smashing viciously into Long Aotian’s face. He had been completely unprepared, meeting this sudden storm head-on, and suffered an extraordinarily severe blow.

Had an ordinary person taken such an attack, they would have been crippled long ago, perhaps even killed on the spot.

But Long Aotian was still Long Aotian. His physical resilience and vitality far exceeded that of normal people. His life was probably not in immediate danger, yet there was no doubt he had been gravely injured. The bones in his face were likely dislocated, perhaps even fractured outright.

Put plainly, he had most likely been disfigured. His face would probably bear permanent scars from this violent impact, damage not only to his body, but a devastating blow to his dignity and appearance.

Such an enormous magical disturbance immediately put the nearby Imperial Tribunal on high alert. Even the Imperial Knight Order responsible for street patrols sensed the abnormal fluctuation at once.

The Imperial Tribunal had already dispatched several elite squads to swiftly deal with the madman causing trouble at the palace gates, such incidents, by convention, demanded strict handling.

However, by the time they arrived in haste, the once-noisy scene was already deserted. The so-called madman had vanished without a trace. Thinking he had fled in advance, they were preparing to withdraw and begin a fresh investigation, when they suddenly sensed an even stronger magical surge erupting nearby, far more intense than before.

This was clearly no ordinary conflict, but an exceptionally powerful manifestation of magic.

Under imperial law, the casual use of magic in public streets was absolutely forbidden, especially in such a busy area crowded with people.

Let alone magic of such extreme lethality…

Every such fluctuation carried the risk of unforeseeable consequences.

When the Imperial Tribunal finally arrived and restrained both Long Aotian and Vivian, Vivian’s mood grew heavier and heavier.

Her eyes seemed hollow as she realized that her moment of impulse had brought her terribly serious consequences.

At some point, her wrist had been cut open. Fresh blood trickled down her fingertips, slowly dripping onto her pale skin, bringing with it a sharp sting.

She lowered her head to look at the blood, yet seemed barely aware of it, as if all her pain and burdens had pooled into those falling drops.

At the same time, Vivian’s eyes reddened, and tears of grievance slid down silently.

She felt as though she were living in a dream, and involuntarily thought of Eve. The warmest presence in her heart, once her only refuge, Eve had always comforted and protected her when she was at her weakest.

But now, Eve is gone. Those irreversible things she herself had done had become her deepest regret.

If Eve were still here, she would never have let Vivian end up in such a miserable state. She would have protected her from all this humiliation and harm. But now, Vivian could only bear everything alone, isolated and powerless.

“Miss, please do not resist.”

The Imperial Tribunal knight spoke with authority, yet there was hesitation in his tone. They had seen countless complicated situations, but a seemingly fragile girl erupting with such powerful magic was truly shocking.

What complicated their feelings even more was that the girl before them did not radiate the typical aura of violence. On the contrary, the vulnerability and helplessness in her eyes caused their resolve to waver slightly.

“You have violated imperial law by using magic in public, and this magic was extremely aggressive. We must now take you in for investigation. Please come with us.”

Their words were firm and unquestionable, yet their gazes could not help drifting to Vivian’s tears.

Her silent weeping and pitiful expression instantly softened the otherwise grim situation, adding an unexpected warmth to it.

She looked like a child lost in darkness, seemingly unaware of how serious her offense truly was. Even the knights, who normally handled arrests with rough efficiency, unconsciously eased their grip, a trace of pity stirring in their hearts.

“Where is your family? For example, where is your mother? You look like you might not be of age yet, we need to contact your guardian.”

As he deftly fastened the restraints around Vivian’s wrists, an Imperial Tribunal knight asked calmly, his tone almost devoid of emotion. Yet this seemingly ordinary question made Vivian’s entire body tremble violently.

She began to shake uncontrollably, her heart tightening sharply. That long-suppressed pain surged up once more, nearly suffocating her.

She lowered her head, unable to meet the knights’ eyes. Blood and tears mingled before her vision, blurring the world. She bit her lower lip hard, trying to keep herself composed, only to find that the helplessness grew ever stronger.

Family… mother…

Those words were like razor-sharp blades, stabbing straight into her heart.

She had not felt that warmth for a very long time.

In her memories, the mother who once gave her shelter and reliance was already gone.

And now, faced with the Imperial Tribunal knight’s question, she felt isolated once more.

“Family…”

Vivian’s voice trembled faintly in the air, as though it might shatter at any moment. She lowered her head, her gaze empty, as if she had returned to that moment of pain she could never escape.

Those heavy memories surged forth like a tidal wave, each one cutting deep wounds into her heart.

She herself had made the only person she loved disappear, personally sending her down an irreversible path. The guilt crushed her, leaving her unable to breathe, unable to face it at all.