Chapter 36: Proposed Solutions

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Knock, knock.

Lucia held her head high and strode into the administrative hall outside the Imperial Study with firm, measured steps.

The administrative secretary, the personal secretary, the press secretary…

A host of senior officials in crisp uniforms sat in orderly rows behind a single, uniform crescent-shaped desk, like the gears of a precision instrument, each absorbed in a mountain of intricate work.

The air was filled with the busy rustle of turning pages, the tapping of keyboards, and the low murmur of communications.

Without so much as a sidelong glance, Lucia walked straight toward the door of the Imperial Study—the entrance to the very heart of power.

The administrative secretary nearest the door immediately rose and hurried forward to meet her. With a respectful bearing, he said, “Commander Lucia, please wait a moment. Allow me to announce your arrival to the Sage.”

Under normal circumstances, announcing visitors to the Sage was the responsibility of Gao Jinzhong, chief steward of the Imperial Study.

When Gao Jinzhong was absent, that duty fell to the administrative secretary of the Imperial Study.

In an ordinary household, it hardly mattered who pressed the doorbell.

But here, things were different. Beyond this door sat the Sage, the embodiment of the Empire’s supreme authority.

Of course, the importance of this position did not lie in holding the “key” to deciding who could see the Sage. It lay in the ability to make one’s voice reach him.

Even a single sentence announcing a visitor’s name would pass directly into the Sage’s ears.

If one could leave even the faintest impression in the Sage’s mind, it might become the opportunity that carried one effortlessly to the heights of power.

Although the administrative secretary spent every day in this “front hall” of the Empire’s center of power, the stringent rules of the Imperial Study stood like layer upon layer of barriers. The vast majority of matters had to be relayed through Gao Jinzhong.

Thus, the moment when he pressed the bell and announced a visitor became his only chance to let his voice briefly resonate beside the Sage’s ear.

He drew a deep breath, respectfully pressed the doorbell, and announced in a clear yet restrained voice, “Your Majesty, Commander Lucia requests an audience.”

The instant his words fell, the heavy wooden doors before him slid silently apart, revealing the brightly lit interior of the Imperial Study.

Unable to resist, the administrative secretary cast a swift glance inside. Barely concealed envy flickered in his eyes.

What an honor—and what a symbol of power—to share a room with the Sage.

Even in the administrative hall outside the Imperial Study, so long as the Sage was seated within, their own status and prestige rose accordingly.

After all, throughout the Empire, from governors to magnates, there were countless people eager to examine the Sage’s every movement under a microscope.

…

The wooden doors closed soundlessly behind Lucia.

She strode to the broad crescent-shaped desk and came to a halt upon the soft wool carpet.

Clenching her right hand into a fist, she struck it heavily against her heart and lowered her head slightly.

“Your Majesty, this humble officer begs leave to inquire: have you reached a decision regarding the disposition of the captured demonkin?”

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At her words, Bai Yujing raised a brow, a hint of amused interest appearing in his eyes.

“Judging by your tone, it seems you have some thoughts on how these demonkin should be dealt with?”

A faint, nearly imperceptible blush spread across Lucia’s fair cheeks. She glanced awkwardly at the seated Sage, then lowered her voice.

“This humble officer believes that those demonkin who have slaughtered innocents and committed countless crimes should naturally be punished without mercy. But for those whose circumstances are understandable, might we consider extending them aid?”

She paused, then summoned her courage and continued.

“For example, the demonkin I personally captured. He did not undergo the transformation willingly; he was forcibly transformed by an extraterrestrial demon. Nor did he drain the life essence of innocent civilians. The people he preyed upon were criminals who deserved their fate.

“I have heard that he has an elderly mother, nearly two hundred years old, who depends upon him for support. His wife is also heavily pregnant. Even when we fought, he repeatedly held back and never used his full strength.

“For a demonkin such as this, would executing him outright not be excessively harsh?”

“That was merely a false appearance he deliberately assumed at the end of his road, in order to survive,” Nanguan Rin replied softly.

“Anyone parasitized by a demonic seed has had their humanity utterly eroded. In essence, they are no longer human. No matter how they behave, it is all false.”

Lucia argued on principle, “But his concern for his mother, his wife, and his unborn child was certainly not feigned!”

“That only proves he was lying.”

Nanguan Rin’s voice remained gentle, yet held an unshakable conviction.

“Because true love does not exist in this world.”

She had always believed that what people called parental love was merely an appearance built upon the condition that a child live up to their expectations.

Once a child strayed from the path their parents had laid out for them, tenderness could turn into violence—even murder.

She herself was living proof.

Nanguan Rin had once been the prized disciple of the Elder of the Celestial Lake in the Heaven’s Gate Sect.

Her master had treated her harshly and never spoken a word of concern to her.

She had never resented him. She believed that he was so severe because he loved her.

That was, until she personally executed ten spoiled heirs who had abused their connections and brought disgrace upon the sect’s laws.

The master who had shown her such “devoted care” had turned on her in an instant, berating her for having no authority to pass judgment and condemning her methods as cruel.

But if the Heaven’s Gate Sect had truly enforced its laws impartially, how could it have tolerated such evil and forced her to act?

Her defense earned her only a verdict from her master:

“You are young, yet already vicious and ruthless. One day, you will become a great demon.”

Then came a merciless palm strike that sent her plunging from a precipice thousands of yards deep.

Nanguan Rin had never imagined that she would die at the hands of the master she revered.

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Fortunately, Heaven had not abandoned her. After her fall, she landed in a cavern dwelling left behind by the Golden Light Benefactor and inherited his teachings and legacy.

Thereafter, she traveled throughout the Divine Land. Everything she saw and heard, each event without exception, confirmed her conviction.

There was no love in this world—only desire concealed beneath layer upon layer of disguise.

Even after she later read the memories of the fishing enthusiasts from Blue Star and gained an understanding of this new world, her beliefs remained unchanged.

The Han Empire founded by Bai Yujing had certainly surpassed every dynasty she had ever known and could well be called “perfect,” yet corrupt officials and man-made tragedies still existed within it.

At its root lay the same truth: deep within the human heart there was only desire, never pure love.

She believed that only by implanting love deep within the soul, allowing it to completely overwhelm the instincts of desire, could one create a truly pure and flawless spirit—and thereby eradicate all darkness from the world.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Love obviously exists. Can you not feel the love your parents have for you?”

“Lucia, if you refuse to believe me, I can temporarily alter your temperament with magic and let you see for yourself whether your parents and closest friends would reject you because of your ‘change.’”

Nanguan Rin’s voice was frighteningly calm.

“I…”

Lucia nearly agreed to the cruel test on the spot.

Clang!

Bai Yujing bent one finger and lightly tapped the smooth surface of the crescent-shaped desk.

The sound was not loud, yet it instantly brought the confrontational atmosphere to a standstill.

“That is enough.”

Bai Yujing’s face was expressionless.

“Both of you, say no more.”

Lucia swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue.

Bai Yujing’s gaze swept over them both before he spoke in a deep voice.

“It is true that they did not seek the transformation of their own accord. Those demonkin who have harmed no innocent civilians may be dealt with leniently, but they must not be released. As for those who wantonly drain the life essence of others, they must be punished severely.”

Nanguan Rin reminded him at an opportune moment, “So long as they remain alive, they must periodically consume life essence to maintain their form. Otherwise, their bodies will rot, and they will eventually lose their minds.”

“Life essence naturally cannot be supplied to them.”

Bai Yujing’s gaze sharpened.

“I intend to have the Imperial Academy of Sciences devote its full efforts to researching the demonkin physique and seek a viable means of freeing them from their dependence on life essence.”

He paused. Then, a meaningful smile suddenly curved across his lips as he turned his gaze toward Nanguan Rin.

“Conveniently, this will also allow Me to see with My own eyes whether your avatar and Bentley have managed to produce any results during this time.”