Chapter 135 - 134: You Are Too Naive

Chapter 135: Chapter 134: You Are Too Naive

’No wonder we haven’t made any progress finding the Angel’s Heart. It turns out we aren’t pure enough...’

The young women were lost in self-doubt, beginning to examine themselves.

"When the world tells you that Moonlight Water is unclean, you despise yourselves for it. You don’t even stop to think if something is wrong with that notion. No one resists this injustice."

Li Ye glanced at the girls, who were clearly moved by his words, and continued to fan the flames. "But this is a perfectly normal thing. Without it, you aren’t even complete women.

I don’t know in which era this wicked idea became popular, but in the Ancient Era, no one thought this way.

You meekly accept your lot, believing whatever others tell you without a thought of your own. How could you possibly sense the Angel’s Heart like that?"

"Your Grace, we..." Elsa frowned, about to argue, but Li Ye cut her off.

"Believe in yourselves. Have self-respect, self-love, self-reliance, equality, and universal love." Li Ye looked at her, then his gaze swept over the others’ faces as he continued, "Form your own judgments about everything. Have the courage to accept new things, break the shackles society has placed upon you, release your inner selves, and let your souls become pure.

When that happens, perhaps the Divine Fragment will come to you on its own.

Just like how a unicorn will approach a pure maiden of its own accord. Of course, by then, maybe you yourselves will have become Angels."

"Your Grace, is what you’re saying really true?" Laila felt an unprecedented sense of comfort and had already recovered from her shyness. Her whole demeanor became much livelier.

Perhaps because she had experienced an indirect, intimate contact with Li Ye, she instinctively wanted to get closer to His Grace, Aragon.

"Of course." Li Ye smiled and nodded at her. "If you could go back to the past with me, you would definitely love the Ancient Era. Every single person in the Ancient Era strived to pursue their true selves. They lived purely and cleanly, never allowing dark and filthy things to cling to their hearts..."

Purely?

Cleanly?

A flicker of conflict crossed Elsa’s face. She looked at Li Ye, took a deep breath as if she had made up her mind, and said, "Your Grace, you must be careful. Marshal Luo Ao has never truly believed in your identity. He sent me to test you, to find a flaw that proves you aren’t Gandalf’s disciple."

"I also received such an order," the Elf Archer, Philry, said quietly, looking at Elsa with a start.

"Me too," Joey said.

"You all..." Elise looked at the others in surprise.

"Elise, you are the closest to His Grace, so the Marshal didn’t trust you." Having spoken her mind, Elsa seemed to relax completely. She looked at Elise and said, "His Grace, Aragon, is a great man. I shouldn’t have doubted him."

"Actually, I’ve known all along." Li Ye interrupted them with a smile. "Otherwise, why would I answer every question you asked? You should know, I was willing to beat up the Alliance Marshal just to defend my dignity. I’m not that easy to talk to."

"You knew?" Elsa asked, stunned.

"I’m just unfamiliar with this world, not an idiot." Li Ye chuckled. "Luo Ao is the Alliance Marshal. He bears the fate of humanity on his shoulders; it’s only normal for him to be suspicious of everything. If he weren’t, I’d have to wonder how he got to be Marshal in the first place.

You, on the other hand, confessed your purpose just because I said a few words. You’re a bit too naive. If I were really a bad person, you would have already been easily used by me."

"Your Grace, you’re not a bad person," Elsa said, her face flushing.

"That’s right, how could Your Grace be a bad person when you’re so considerate of others?" Laila’s mood sank. "No great figure has ever considered our plight with Moonlight Water. They only see us as unclean. You and your teacher, Gandalf, are both great men."

"My teacher is, but I am not yet. However, I will be one day." Li Ye gazed into the distance, his eyes deep and resolute. "I will do everything I can to save this world and change this world.

Though I am fated to return to the past, I am just a humble Forbidden Mage. Going back doesn’t guarantee I can prevent the fall of the Gods.

So, while I remain in this world, I hope to do my utmost to make it a better place. I hope that one day, after I have left, you can continue to bring beauty to this world..."

At seventeen or eighteen, an age full of romantic aspirations and dreams for the future, the young women were instantly moved by Li Ye’s speech.

Their eyes sparkled as they looked at Li Ye, their gazes filled with adoration.

"Your Grace, Aragon, I wish to follow you and change this world together with you," Elsa said resolutely, puffing out her chest.

"Me too." Laila stood together with Elsa.

"And me," Elise added, not to be outdone.

"And me..."

"Me too..."

...

The twelve young women stood in a line, each declaring her loyalty to Li Ye.

’Young people are so easy to fool!’

Like Stars Surrounding the Moon, everyone was expressing their genuine feelings.

Li Ye smiled and nodded, his gaze sweeping over each of their young, delicate faces. "Good. For this world, for my beliefs, and for yourselves, let us all work hard together."

"Yes, let’s work hard together," the group of young women chorused.

"Your Grace, rest assured, I won’t tell the king what you’ve said," Elsa said.

"No, you can tell anyone everything I’ve said," Li Ye corrected her. "There is nothing that cannot be said to others. Besides, it’s not like we’re doing anything wrong.

The reason my teacher became a person respected by every race is that he possesses a great character.

He had the courage to sacrifice himself, always put himself in others’ shoes, and to save the world, he even died several times..."

"Died several times?" Joey’s eyes widened as she asked in disbelief.

"I forgot, your world doesn’t have Divine Spirits." Li Ye smiled. "Gandalf is a Maia. When he walks the Mortal World, he must borrow the shell of a Mortal.

But a Mortal’s body restricts a Maia’s power. So, my teacher experiences hunger and pain, and he can feel human emotions.

Once, when my teacher was walking the Mortal World in a female body, he experienced the inconveniences women face, and that’s why he created the Purifying Cloth through Alchemy.

And his so-called deaths were merely the deaths of his human bodies. His soul would return to the Celestial Kingdom and descend again by borrowing another human body.

But I can’t do that. I only have one life. If I die, I’m really dead..."

"Your Grace, Aragon," said Elsa, "I won’t let you die before I do."

"Your Grace, you are humanity’s hope. We will do everything in our power to protect you," Joey said. "If we encounter unavoidable danger, you can abandon us at any time to save yourself."

"I understand how you feel." Li Ye smiled. "But those who follow the way of Gandalf never let the weak stand in front of them.

If one day, I truly stand by and watch someone die, it can only be because I’ve discovered a Child of Destiny and am letting them undergo their own trial.

A fledgling must first endure the elements before it can face the storm and soar through the sky."

"Your Grace, we also need to grow," Elise said. "In fact, when I met you, I was already on a mission, facing danger alone."

"Yes, I know. I will respect everyone’s destiny." Li Ye smiled and took out the roll of paper again. "But right now, you need to take care of yourselves."

With that, he tore the roll of paper into sections and gave one to each person. "The Purifying Cloth can not only absorb Moonlight Water, but it can also be used to clean dirt and wipe your hands. When you don’t have a Mage to heal you, you can use it to bandage wounds. You can even use it to wrap food to keep it from getting damp..."

"The Purifying Cloth has so many uses? It’s not just for women?" Elise asked in amazement, stroking the soft paper.

"Of course. There’s nothing it can’t do, only things you haven’t thought of." Li Ye ignored the roll of paper that had started clamoring in his mind again and said with a smile, "It’s a Holy Artifact. The functions of a Holy Artifact are never singular."

"It’s so soft." The cat-eared girl, Polly, pressed her face against the paper roll. "So comfortable."

"Of course, it’s softer than anything." As the first to use it, Laila had the most right to speak.

"Your Grace, can the Purifying Cloth really bandage wounds? Won’t it absorb all the blood?" Philry asked.

"When I say bandage, I mean to bind. All of a person’s blood flows from the heart," Li Ye explained. "When you’re injured, binding the wound on the side closer to the heart will reduce blood loss." He pulled off a section of the paper and tugged it forcefully. "It’s very sturdy. In the Ancient Era, it had a wide range of applications. Soldiers on the battlefield even used it to wrap corpses."

SIGH!

The roll of paper heaved a heavy sigh, too weary to even retort. In the end, it couldn’t escape the fate of being a burial shroud.

"Wrapping corpses with a Holy Artifact?" the Earth Mage, Aina, asked in surprise.

"Of course," Li Ye said. "White represents purity. Soldiers believed that wrapping a corpse with it would purify their soul, making it easier to enter the Celestial Kingdom and avoid being lured away by an Evil God."

"Were there many Holy Artifacts in your era?" Elise asked.

"They were inexhaustible. The more people used it, the faster it regenerated." Li Ye showed the group the roll of paper, which had already restored a section.

The roll of paper could already repair itself, but the process was very slow. After Laila used it, its Demon Qi increased by a fraction, and its recovery speed quickened significantly.

"It really is a Holy Artifact! I was worried it would run out!" Laila said in astonishment.

"The only true Holy Artifact is this roll in my hand. In my era, High Level alchemists could replicate it, but the copies lacked the Rebirth ability," Li Ye said. "When we see the king, we can have him gather alchemists to study it and mass-produce it. It shouldn’t be too difficult."

"So, we were fortunate enough to use the true Holy Artifact?" Elise’s eyes lit up. She looked at the roll of paper, her legs unconsciously pressing together, and her voice trembled with excitement.

"Yes." Li Ye smiled and nodded. "The more people use the Purifying Cloth, the faster the Holy Artifact’s recovery ability becomes. This is the power of faith. You can even use it every day, for anything."

"I couldn’t bear to," Elise said, carefully folding the piece of paper she was given and tucking it into her pocket. "I’ll save it for the most important moment."

"Elise, the more it’s used, the faster the Holy Artifact recovers." Li Ye shook his head. "If you hide it away like a treasure, it loses the meaning my teacher had when he created it. When you run out, you can always get more from me."

"Alright!" Elise nodded.

"Your Grace, may I report what you’ve said to the king?" Elsa was still dwelling on the earlier matter. "I feel that letting the king understand your identity and your heart would be more beneficial to our cause."

"Of course. You can tell my story to anyone. If possible, I want the name Aragon to resound throughout the world," Li Ye said. "Just like my teacher, Gandalf."

"Yes, that day will surely come." Elsa nodded affirmatively. "You already possess a great character and a heart of gold."