Chapter 182: Section 183: My Downfall
Jia Sha was so certain, it inevitably aroused some suspicion among Zhenjin and the four Guardian Knights.
Zi Di felt a sinking feeling, and sneered on the surface, “Heh. Priest, you want to struggle, just based on this unilateral claim?”
“I have evidence!” Jia Sha snapped.
“First, you possess level 18 clearance. This clearance is not simple, it doesn’t just come from making deals with a War Merchant or reaching a certain volume of trade. I’ve found out that there are fifty levels of clearance, and level 18 is already quite high, at least a partner level. So, the relationship between you and the War Merchant isn’t that simple!”
“Second, you just admitted that Zhenjin’s substitute was custom-made from the War Merchant. Zhenjin once confessed to me, so I know the first time he saw the substitute was in the warehouse on the dock. Before that, you could not show Zhenjin his substitute. This means that you picked up the goods from the War Merchant and then transported them to the dock warehouse. I guess you had already set foot on Mysterious Monster Island before this, bringing Zhenjin’s substitute back to the dock.”
“You also said, this is all your speculation.” Zi Di shook her head.
...
“Do not worry, there’s a third point. After the shipwreck occurred, you disappeared. Most of the survivors landed on the nearest beach to the sunken ship, but you were nowhere to be seen. Why was your landing point so far from the sunken ship? After falling into the water, why didn’t you swim towards the nearest beach, instead choosing a farther one?”
“What’s so strange about that? I was swept away by the waves,” Zi Di said indifferently.
Jia Sha’s gaze grew even sharper, “Heh heh heh, how convenient an excuse! The fact that it rolled off your tongue proves you were well-prepared to handle such an inquiry.”
“But if it were the waves’ doing, and you were helpless, then it’s even stranger. Why did you land on this island with a group of people following you? Why did you conveniently manage to keep Zhenjin’s substitute in good condition? Do you perhaps worship the Sea God, and received His favor, not only being swept to the shore by the waves, but also having a group of people, who just happened to be yours, follow you to protect you?”
Zi Di scoffed, “Aren’t you lot also together? Then, can I also suspect that you, along with the Guardian Knights, orchestrated the shipwreck?”
“No, clearly, Priest Jia Sha used Divine Arts, uniting all the Guardian Knights. During the time on the ship, the Guardian Knights stayed close to the priest,” Zhenjin shook his head, denying Zi Di’s suggestion. He began to look at his fiancée in front of him with a gaze filled with suspicion and uncertainty.
Zi Di’s expression darkened.
“Ha ha ha!” Jia Sha laughed loudly, “Holy Temple Knight, it seems you are not so foolish.”
“I can thus ascertain that after the shipwreck, you gathered a team, used a small boat to land, departing from a place you were relatively familiar with. You came prepared!”
Zi Di retorted, “If I were prepared, I certainly wouldn’t choose such a landing point. It’s a huge flaw. It’s easy for you to notice; wouldn’t others see it too? Would I expose myself so easily?”
“Therefore, you intended to land on Mysterious Monster Island, and you did prepare, but the timing was too rushed, your preparations insufficient. This was probably because your act of causing the shipwreck was a spur-of-the-moment decision!”
“Your original plan was to meet with Zhenjin and head to the Wilderness Continent to assist him in competing for the position of White Sand City Lord.”
“But when the Pig Kiss reached the disaster site, you discovered a shocking change on Mysterious Monster Island!”
“The Blood Light Sanction Court’s elite team raided the underground alchemy factory; they and the War Merchant nearly perished together. Since you had level 18 clearance, you were aware of this situation. You decided suddenly to land on Mysterious Monster Island!”
“From your perspective, if the War Merchant were severely injured, you could perform a rescue, which would result in a huge merit. If the War Merchant died, you could immediately take over all his assets. If the Blood Light Sanction Court succeeded, you could pretend innocence and see if there was an opportunity to destroy any evidence of collusion between Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce and the War Merchant.”
“But when you decided to act, you realized you couldn’t go public and had to move in secrecy. Another problem was that you and Zhenjin had planned to head to the Wilderness Continent.”
“The competition for the City Lord of White Sand City mattered for your future. But the War Merchant and Mysterious Monster Island represented an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime. A gamble, and perhaps your entire life could change overnight!”
“I must admit, you have a spirit for adventure. In fact, if you could really make it here, you might indeed have a chance to inherit the War Merchant’s assets promptly.”
“Unfortunately, your team was too weak, unable to even cross the jungle. This might have been because you underestimated the dangers of Mysterious Monster Island, or perhaps because of the previous fierce battle when the War Merchant activated all defensive measures, releasing countless man-made magical beasts. At the most critical moment, your life was nearly lost, forcing you to hurriedly awaken the substitute. The substitute’s memory was also hastily imbued, leading to your subsequent experiences.”
Zi Di’s gaze flickered as she countered, “Then why would I want to kill the captain? If I really wanted to land on Mysterious Monster Island, I wouldn’t bring more people ashore, right? After discussing with Zhenjin, couldn’t I just have secretly left with a landing boat? Why bother to go further and kill the captain, causing a shipwreck, letting more people land on Mysterious Monster Island?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of Zhenjin and the four Guardian Knights dramatically changed.
Seeing the change in their expressions, Zi Di’s own face abruptly paled.
In that critical moment, she had made a monumental blunder!
Jia Sha, thrilled, his pupils dilated, stared fixedly at Zi Di, “Did I say it was you who killed the captain?”
Zi Di did her best to cover up her mistake, shrugging as she said, “What’s there to be surprised about? You accuse me of causing the shipwreck, so the captain must have been the biggest obstacle. His mysterious death occurred just before I could preempt what you’re about to accuse me of!”
“Indeed, worthy of being the Chairman of a guild, truly eloquent! Unfortunately, I know why you killed the captain!” Jia Sha said.
“Because you discovered that the captain of the Pig Kiss was against you!”
“In reality, he was one of Fen Yi’s men. Fen Yi is one of the competitors for the position of White Sand City Lord. It was only later that I realized my travel arrangements were actually a man-made coincidence. The captain, loyal to Fen Yi’s family, was tasked with investigating my information and, if possible, was to show goodwill towards me in Fen Yi’s name.”
“The reason you boarded the Pig Kiss was to get close to me. The captain might not have discovered Zhenjin, but he discovered his fiancée—that’s you, Miss Zi Di.”
“Of course, the captain would be against you. For some unknown reason, Miss Zi Di, you figured this out. If you had left secretly, it might have triggered the captain’s pursuit. This would have caused significant trouble for your landing on Mysterious Monster Island. So, you simply caused a sea disaster and killed him!”
“So how did you come to know of this, priest?” Zhenjin turned and asked Jia Sha.
Jia Sha smiled slightly, “Because Xi Suo is the captain’s son, and he surely knew his father’s allegiance. However, struggling to survive on Mysterious Monster Island, he chose to side with your substitute. Of course, he thought the substitute was the real Holy Temple Knight.”
“He confessed to me, extremely worried. He truly sided with the substitute but also feared that the substitute would discover his father’s allegiance in the future.”
Zhenjin then came to a realization.
Zi Di countered, “The captain of the Pig Kiss was powerful. I am just a low-level mage who has just started out. How could I have killed him without making a slightest sound?”
Jia Sha scoffed coldly, “That I do not know. You are a mage, and mages have countless means at their disposal. You are also proficient in potions; there must have been various ways.”
“In any case, after you killed the captain, you went on to destroy the Pig Kiss, breaking it in two. You led a team of the most loyal and reliable people to land on Mysterious Monster Island.”
Zhenjin and the four Guardian Knights all looked towards Zi Di.
“Zi Di, quickly tell me this isn’t true!” Zhenjin’s voice trembled.
Zi Di sneered, “So, in the end, all of this is just your speculation.” Sёarch* The N??elFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
“Ha ha, of course I can prove it.” Jia Sha laughed loudly again.
Divine Arts—Detect Lies!
The next moment, the divine art cast by Jia Sha enveloped Zi Di.
“Now, if you are being wrongfully accused, Miss Zi Di, you can prove it yourself!” Jia Sha took a deep breath, his expression utterly calm.
Zi Di fell into a deadly silence.
Jia Sha’s complexion changed, slowly shifting from calm to excited.
He couldn’t help but be excited!
At the final moment, at the brink of potential defeat, he still grasped the last chance for victory!
Indeed, it was all just his conjecture.
He had merely seen a possibility.
But now, he had succeeded!
Zi Di’s silence said it all.
His remaining divine power was extremely scarce, just enough to perform a minor divine art of detecting lies.
And it was this seemingly ordinary divine art that changed everything!
Zhenjin and the Guardian Knights’ expressions grew increasingly ugly.
“I almost got used by her!”
“Such a wicked woman, so beautiful on the outside, but so dark inside.”
“So many people have died because of you, you should be hanged!”
“Tell me, Zi Di, why did you do this?!” Zhenjin stepped in front of Zi Di, emotionally questioning her.
Zi Di sighed, shaking her head, “You don’t need to know so much.”
Zhenjin continued to question, “You orchestrated the shipwreck without even informing me. You disregarded my life and death, you abandoned me, it’s unreasonable!”
“We were engaged, the engagement was announced. By orchestrating the shipwreck without informing, you essentially attempted to harm me in secret, violating our engagement, which should result in death by contract backlash. Why are you still alive?”
Zi Di responded with silence.
Jia Sha then said, “It’s simple, I speculate that it was the War Merchant who interfered, altering the engagement. He’s an Alchemy Grandmaster, a Legendary Mage!”
Zhenjin narrowed his eyes, staring at the Zi Di in front of him, beginning to exude a dangerous aura.
The fact had already proven Jia Sha’s speculation—Zi Di betrayed him and yet did not suffer the backlash of the engagement.
Jia Sha continued, “Think more, Holy Temple Knight. Why did Miss Zi Di choose a substitute after causing the shipwreck, instead of you?”
“Speaking of which, this substitute really looks a lot like you. If it wasn’t for you revealing it yourself, I would have been kept in the dark too.”
“Your substitute is different from ordinary Beastification People, he is very special. It is likely that the War Merchant personally modified him.”
“I’m afraid, Miss Zi Di truly intended to replace you with that substitute!”
These words made Zhenjin’s body and soul tremble, followed by an icy chill erupting from the depths of his heart, rapidly spreading through his body.
“No, that’s not possible!” Zhenjin clutched his head, his pupils shrinking to their smallest in horror.
“I am to compete for the position of the White Sand City Lord, my identity will be strictly scrutinized. If I become the City Lord in the future, I will undergo even more rigorous scrutiny!”
“Scrutiny includes checking the bloodline, as well as memories, and Divine Arts inspections,” Zhenjin instinctively retorted.
Jia Sha scoffed, “Look at these man-made magical beasts, all these are proving that the War Merchant has reached the peak in the field of Life Alchemy. Bloodline checks are no issue for him. Think about your substitute, Holy Temple Knight, displaying precise talents, even surpassing yours. Did I hear that he could even perform the Hundred Needle Wind Combat Skill?”
“And memories… that’s even less of a problem. Haven’t you used the Memory Crystal before?”
“As for Divine Arts inspection, this indeed is a huge barrier. But for the War Merchant, I think it’s not a big problem. Look, what is this big clam?”
Jia Sha gestured with his eyes.
Zhenjin’s body and mind shook again, murmuring under his breath, “Mermaid’s Fairy Tale!”
The Pearl Bubbles generated from this Divine Artifact could even deceive gods, an exceptional disguise in the world.
At that moment, Zhenjin finally recognized his real situation.
“I didn’t expect that a deadly snake was lurking by my side!”
Beyond horror was boundless rage.
“You damn woman, you actually wanted to endanger my life!”
Driven by emotion, Zhenjin drew Silver Lightning and stabbed toward Zi Di.
“Spare her life!” At the crucial moment, it was Jia Sha who called out.
Zhenjin’s wrist flicked, and Silver Lightning nearly grazed Zi Di’s heart as it passed through.
Jia Sha shouted, “Don’t be impulsive, Holy Temple Knight!”
“My Divine Power is no longer sufficient, I can’t invade the rights alone. But my spirit has always been entangled with Zi Di’s spiritual power. Her spirit has been recognized by the Tower Spirit, I am trying hard to adjust my own spirit, to pretend to be her. Only this way, I can regain control of the teleportation rights and more.”
“Of course, it would be best if Miss Zi Di could cooperate nicely.”
Zi Di scoffed coldly, “You’re dreaming beautifully.”
As she spoke, she once again stirred her spirit, fiercely attacking Jia Sha.
Priest Jia Sha suddenly had blood dripping from his nostrils, his head spinning.
“Very well!” Jia Sha clenched his teeth, persistently enduring, “Torture her, torture her viciously!”
Obedient to the command, Zhenjin kicked Zi Di, flipping her to the ground.
Then, the Silver Lightning in his hand gently stabbed down, piercing Zi Di’s shoulder, temporarily pinning her to the floor tiles.
The intense pain caused fluctuations in Zi Di’s spirit, Jia Sha seized the chance to counterattack, steadying his position.
But Zi Di’s spirit still strongly resisted, “Let’s die together!”
“You want me to die? Why? What right do you have! Have I ever mistreated you? I have always treated you sincerely!!” Zhenjin roared, his anger extreme.
His Silver Lightning continued to stab down, soon creating several small blood holes on Zi Di’s body.
Silver Lightning kept provoking, Zi Di’s hands and feet were broken, unable to exert force anymore.
The immense pain made the girl’s body convulse.
But she clenched her teeth hard, surprisingly not uttering a single cry of pain.
This strong demeanor only made Zhenjin hate and rage more, he inflicted even more malicious torture on Zi Di.
The Magic Robe could not resist the sharpness of Silver Lightning, Zi Di’s ears and fingers were cut one by one, her arms and legs had skin sliced off piece by piece, exposing the fresh red muscles beneath.
Soon, a pool of blood accumulated under Zi Di.
The four Guardian Knights watched, feeling a chill in their hearts.
Zhenjin was proficient in martial arts, his means of torturing and interrogating people were exceedingly skilled, he had a thorough understanding of human anatomy, Zi Di endured great pain, yet did not die immediately.
Moments later, Jia Sha suddenly shouted, achieving a breakthrough in the spiritual duel.
He began to regain previously lost privileges, advancing victoriously!
Zi Di’s spirit continuously receded, collapsed, her once bright Purple Crystal-like eyes dimmed.
Waves of black and gray spread in her vision.
“I didn’t expect that this would be my end…”
“I have ultimately failed.”
Death’s breath overwhelmingly approached.