Chapter 98: The Path Ahead, Unveiled
So, why would the Chaotic Witch, who was nailed to the moon, have descendants?
Even the Old Gods need to have children? The answer is a resounding no.
The descendants of the Chaotic Witch are referring to the blood she left behind as it scattered upon the earth.
When the Supreme Will killed the Chaotic Witch, it tore through her chest and shattered her heart. Fragments of her heart scattered from the heavens, finding their way into the possession of various races. During the age of the divine wars, humans sought any chaotic power they could to survive, even borrowing it through unknown means. They remain indebted to this day. The blood that surged forth from the shattered pieces of the Chaotic Witch's heart was secretly inherited by humans, and after a long process of evolution, witches were born.
In fact, apart from the witches, the shattered pieces of the Chaotic Witch's heart also catalyzed the emergence of at least thirty-seven different dark races. However, most of them have long gone extinct in history, either wiped out by the holy church or perishing amidst the twists and turns of history.
The witches, who originated from the Chaotic Witch, were the targets of persecution by the holy church and faced discrimination within the empire as well. This is because witches often struggle to control their powers effectively. Moreover, the Scarlet Curse has a stronger impact on witches, and those afflicted with the Blood Moon Disease are likely to transform into full-fledged witches. This means losing their self-awareness, becoming captives to the crimson moonlight, and eventually burning out, exhausting their magical and life energies until they fade away.
So, the descendants lived very difficult lives. Once their identities were exposed, they would easily face rejection and exclusion. They often had to stick together for support, but due to historical issues, they struggled to find a suitable place to settle down.
However, eradicating witches is extremely difficult because this lineage is not necessarily visible; it is like being colorblind to red and green, remaining invisible. Therefore, witches can emerge in the noble class as well as among the common people.
Before ascending the throne, Bai Wei had a phase of preparing himself, eagerly recognizing the hidden potential of the witches. He believed that they were naturally suited for espionage and intelligence work. With this perception, he extended an invitation, hoping to recruit witches with extraordinary abilities to serve as his own intelligence force…
You see, one must know that my expertise lies in gathering intelligence. Nurturing this particular aspect of my skills becomes essential.
Little did Bai Wei realize at that moment, this was a road full of obstacles and challenges that stretched far into the distance.
This was definitely not an easy task, as the witches had a strong aversion towards the aristocracy. Most witches were beautiful and possessed extraordinary powers, which both fascinated and terrified the nobles. It was not uncommon for some depraved aristocrats to indulge their desires in twisted ways. It was as if they enjoyed collecting specimens of fierce beasts, even going as far as using the colorful tiger skins as carpets.
In the black market, there was a crimson eyeball specimen tainted with the Scarlet Curse. It was incredibly beautiful and could be sold for a high price of over a thousand imperial gold coins.
The witches faced a harsh survival environment, with the nobility exacerbating the situation. As a prince, Bai Wei naturally found himself being seen as the epitome of cruelty and horror in the eyes of the witches.
Until he ascended to the throne as the emperor, Bai Wei's inner circle consisted of three witches: 'Gray Cat,' 'Snow Leopard,' and 'Maid'. They formed his covert team, although they couldn't be considered espionage agents yet. Despite their unwavering loyalty to Bai Wei, the opinions of these three individuals carried little weight in the broader context.
After the grand imperial ceremony, Bai Wei remained steadfast in his beliefs. With some extra energy to spare, he embraced his role as a mentor and began embarking on daring adventures, venturing in all directions, while also spreading the seeds of inspiration. This journey demanded great mental and emotional exertion, as he painstakingly united the scattered witch factions found throughout the empire, ultimately discovering the hidden enclaves where the oldest group of witches sought refuge in remote and impoverished lands.
Initially filled with hopes and dreams, but upon arrival, it became apparent that they were simply residing in the depths of the snowy mountains. They struggled every year to make ends meet, not only facing natural disasters and monstrous creatures, but also dealing with food scarcity. Many suffered from hunger and freezing to death. Despite such dire circumstances, they persisted for over a hundred and fifty years, enduring unimaginable hardships that can only be described as utterly tragic.
From this perspective, if it weren't for Bai Wei, the emperor, finding this group of people, they would have likely perished within twenty years
Bai Wei didn't intimidate this group of people with force, instead, he began discussing terms.
In exchange for providing them a place to stay and removing the effects of the Scarlet Curse, Bai Wei successfully recruited the witches to serve him.
The vast majority of living beings stood by Liliana's side, using their powers to fight on the battlefield. This would not only change the negative perception of witches, but also earn them respect and a rightful place in future alliances.
A small group of skilled individuals scattered across the empire, hastening the crumbling of societal foundations and disseminating information.
And these witches, they were the members of the Black Rose Order.
At its peak, there were over three hundred of them, and their actions greatly accelerated Bai Wei's progress in the later stages of overturning his own rule, shaving off at least a decade from his plans.
But the cost was also high. When the empire was destroyed, the Black Rose Order had dwindled to less than a hundred members, with more than half of the witches sacrificing their lives.
And eventually, as Bai Wei insisted, the witch operatives all resigned from the order, leaving behind only the necessary few-just five of them in total.
The witches' efforts had meaning, and Bai Wei fulfilled his promise.
Before he took his own life and that of the empire, the reward had already been paid.
He provided the witches with a place to choose freely where they could live. He prepared an escape route, funds, and even a steam-powered ferry to cross the ocean.
As for the Scarlet Curse, by bringing the witches under the rule of the Golden Throne, they erected a signal tower with the Golden Throne as its heart, which countered the influence of the Scarlet Curse on the witches.
The Golden Throne is not just a symbol of power, it's an incredibly powerful and majestic royal weapon.
It was so powerful that Bai Wei never dared to use this incredible power… he simply handed it over to the heavens.
As long as he sat upon it, he never seemed to know how to lose against Liliana.
He didn't know how to lose even when he wanted to be defeated.
Of course, without the Golden Power, without being of royal blood, the Golden Throne is nothing but a ruthless and cold toilet. No matter how many people come, it will drain your life within minutes, reducing you to ashes and flushing them away.
Bai Wei took the Golden Throne and sent it to the orbit between the Earth and the Moon. He fixed it there and regularly shielded and blocked the Scarlet Curse. Even if he died, the effects of the Golden Throne would still remain. And thus, the witches were set free from the torment of the curse and no longer had to suffer its pain.
In fact, it really worked.
However…
[Blood Moon Disease]
The appearance of these three words couldn't help but make Bai Wei feel doubtful.
Five hundred years passed, and Bai Wei couldn't help but wonder if all of his past efforts had been in vain.
It's impossible! That was the Golden Throne… It would just bounce the Scarlet Curse back, just like how the Divine Barrier of Shenzhou repelled the typhoon.
If the Blood Moon Disease were to recur, the most likely scenario would be that the Golden Throne had deviated from its course.
But who would do such a thing?
The Scarlet Curse was intercepted, benefiting not only the witches but also other races. The witches gained the most, but the effectiveness of the Scarlet Curse was weakened by at least ninety percent. Moreover, the Golden Throne was permanently fixed and could not be removed, unless the Pope of the Kingdom's Church decided to act foolishly. But that was unlikely, as even a slight touch would result in losing at least half of anyone's life. Would he really be that thoughtless?
Bai Wei looked up and of course, he couldn't see the Golden Throne.
"The onset of the Blood Moon Disease is mostly common in adult witches and young girls, specifically those who have not yet awakened as witches. It only occurs if they are continuously exposed to a highly concentrated Scarlet Curse."
"This is truly not normal," he exclaimed.
Bai Wei's face turned as still as water, and his eyes were filled with hidden turmoil.
Many years ago, he had made a grand promise, vowing to forever rid the witches of the burden of the Scarlet Curse. He pledged to rescue them from the clutches of the Chaotic Witches, and offer it as a reward for their valiant fight and sacrifice. It would be a deserved prize they had rightfully earned, not a mere gift from a monarch.
This was a sacred agreement, something pure and untouchable for both them and himself. It was a solemn promise that held great importance and could never be tarnished.
Unfortunately, now the dreadful Blood Moon Disease has resurfaced again, affecting young witches. It's truly heartbreaking to see the harm it causes to the innocent young ones.
Oh my goodness! How rude of her! Is she trying to slap me in the face?
Do I not have any dignity?
"Five hundred years have passed, oh, five hundred years have passed… Only five hundred years have gone by in such a short span."
"There are always some people who test my limits," he said. "I don't expect you to do great things, but I hope you can at least be decent human beings."
"In the past, people dug wells, and later generations filled them… Believe it or not, I really want to kill you all, no matter who you are."
Bai Wei's male fist had truly become strong.
This time, I was truly furious.
What can you do when you're feeling angry?
He held his breath.
I have already lost my kingdom, and even the Golden Throne no longer acknowledges me. What can I do now?
Weak, pitiful, helpless, and flirtatious, I'm collapsing inside because I lost the Golden Power and the Golden Throne. Frustrated, I'm crying and throwing tantrums, sobbing, feeling so miserable.
"In order to cure the Blood Moon Disease, the best way is to prevent it from happening. Once it does occur, the only way to completely eliminate the illness is through a specific method."
"It remained a mystery."
"It is best if the level of mystery is equivalent to that of the Scarlet Curse. If the higher-tier heroic spirits intervene, naturally, there would be no obstacles they cannot overcome."
"If it is lowered by one level, it can only alleviate the symptoms but cannot completely eradicate them."
"Sigh…"
Bai Wei felt utterly powerless. Where could he find higher-tier heroic spirits? There was only one in Yingzhou and one in the Ming Country. As for ordinary spirits, they were available, but it would take several years of practice for them to develop enough control not to shatter a person's soul. At this moment, Saki Jingūji was like a defeated and helpless clay figure in her state after unleashing the Blossom of Life Taker. She had no control over her limbs and was either completely mad or dangerously unpredictable.
"Looks like I have to rely on myself after all. There is still some time left until December, so I'll work hard. Maybe if I delve into my past lives a bit more, I might awaken the Heroic Spirit Principle… Even if I have lingering attachments and unresolved issues, I'll just have to face them head-on, no matter how difficult it may be."
Bai Wei walked under the moonlight, comforting himself with these words, "Just do good deeds, don't worry about the future… If, in the end, I still find myself helpless to solve the Blood Moon Disease, then it can only mean one thing… I am incapable of doing anything at all."
