I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 352 - 352 351. The most supreme and honorable body_1

Chapter 352: 351. The most supreme and honorable body_1 Chapter 352: 351. The most supreme and honorable body_1 “To think that such filth would appear so close to the shipping lane. What has the Island Steward been doing all this time? What’s that, all the Island Stewards are dead? Well then, that’s no issue.”

A young and promising-looking man complained, and someone at his side whispered a few words in his ear before he waved his hand dismissively, then turned to look at a man and a woman standing in front of him.

“Lady Priestess, it is our negligence that has caused you trouble.”

Immediately, the man put on a pleasing smile and spoke to the woman who had donned a red and white witch costume.

“Having come this far, I presume certain individuals would no longer have the courage to make a move.”

The woman, Amber, said indifferently.

“Oh no, on the contrary, our Shrine Executive Officer would surely welcome Lady Priestess. Please rest assured; we will provide the most careful protection. From Qiushan Island to Harmony Island, you will definitely not encounter anything undesirable,” the man said with a smile.

“I am a priest dispatched by the Great Shrine of Harmony Island, Laika. From now on, I will arrange Lady Priestess’s itinerary. As for this esteemed mercenary, we are quite grateful for your escort to Lady Priestess. We will reward you with triple the agreed upon sum as a token of our gratitude.”

He intended to send Lu Ban away.

Although he did not know much about this mercenary’s background, having him travel alone with the priestess, a man and a woman together, even if nothing had happened, it would lead to gossip if others found out. To avoid trouble, sending him away was best.

“The task I accepted was to escort Amber to the Great Shrine of Harmony Island,” Lu Ban answered.

“Now, Mr. Mercenary, you need to understand your position. Some might see your journey together as an opportunity to cause a stir, which for the Great Shrine of Harmony Island would be…,” Laika tried to persuade, but Amber had already spoken.

“He will come with me.”

With that settled, Laika could only comply.

After all, if there truly were anything between them, it would be exposed during the election at the Great Shrine of Harmony Island.

As Laika left the room, Amber’s otherwise strict and tense posture suddenly relaxed.

“I don’t know when it started, but I’m no longer accustomed to this lifestyle,” she said with a tone of resignation.

“What will happen to Changfeng Island?” Lu Ban asked.

The island they were on, Qiushan Island, was the nearest to Changfeng Island; at night, the flickering lights of fire could be seen in the distance. These flames might become the story mothers on Qiushan Island tell their children who refuse to sleep, continuing until everyone here has moved away.

According to the experience of the Great Shrine of Harmony Island, the Pure Fire on Changfeng Island would burn for approximately ten years to completely consume the island, and then it would spread to the sea. In fifty years, Qiushan Island too would face the danger of purification by fire, and by then, all the people here would have relocated.

Consequently, the Qiushan Channel would be renamed, its route extended to steer clear of both Changfeng and Qiushan Islands.

Until one day in the future, when filth once again assaults some of the intermediate islands, and after a long drawn-out struggle between humans and filth, the shipping lane is permanently severed. The people of Sakura Island will have to take an even longer route to reach Harmony Island.

Lu Ban had also heard that some islands were even more tragic; they themselves had not been eroded or attacked by filth, but the islands around them had been polluted. Pure Fire gradually turned the surrounding sea into a sea of flames, leaving the island completely isolated from the outside world.

If the people on the island had not evacuated in time, they would experience a true slow death, watching the pale yet vivid fire – which was supposed to save them – consume their land bit by bit, until eventually, all was devoured in the end.

“The residents of Changfeng Island and its vicinity will be evacuated and relocated. The Island Executive Officer will take over here, warning the passing ships,” Amber said.

Amber spoke with a touch of melancholy.

“By the way,”

Seeing the shrine maiden like this, Lu Ban was reminded of something.

“That mother and daughter from before, the mother was devoured by Pollution, but the daughter survived, and her father was killed by Pollution that escaped to the sea.”

The little girl is now with Laika, being looked after by the Shrine Executive Officer.

“What if we take her to He Dao? Shouldn’t the shrine there take her in?”

Lu Ban suggested.

As an orphan, the little girl would only lead a sadder life if she stayed here, and her present situation was largely due to Lu Ban and Amber’s doing, so morally and logically, he ought to help her.

“Yeah, I’ll speak to the shrine about it, they’re short-staffed as it is, and it’s quite normal to recruit some shrine maidens to see if they can train.”

Amber nodded in agreement.

She suddenly laughed at herself in a self-deprecating way.

“I never thought I’d choose this path.”

Lu Ban watched the girl sinking into pensiveness, also finding himself at a loss for comforting words.

“It’s alright, when I saw those Pollutions killing people, devouring the land, I knew very well that I was born for this, and if I have this power, then I should use it. Everything is predestined.”

Amber, in turn, comforted Lu Ban.

“Besides, even if I become the Chief Priestess, we can still meet, right? By then I will be an incredibly exalted and dignified being, with no one allowed to defy my will. Getting you a sinecure in the shrine shouldn’t be difficult, and then you won’t have to wander anymore, you’ll be able to settle down properly.”

“That would be wonderful.”

Though Lu Ban could not cherish this fortune, the thought that at least Amber’s life would now pass with ease at the safest place on He Dao provided a final consolation.

The next morning, Amber and Lu Ban, along with Laika and the little girl, boarded the ship bound for He Dao.

Initially, Lu Ban was worried about whether the power-holders would intercept and kill Amber on the way there, just as they had tried on Qiushan Channel before.

But soon he realized that Amber’s actions on Changfeng Island not only did not engender resentment among the islanders, they had elevated her to a divine status; the way she moved freely amidst the Pure Fire, controlling the Pale flames, became widely known.

People began to call Amber the Shrine Maiden, seeing her as the earthly spokesperson for the gods, and whenever Amber’s ship entered a port, countless islanders would welcome her at the port. Everyone believed Amber was the most powerful shrine maiden ever who could inherit the Great Shrine of Harmony Island.

Under these circumstances, everyone’s eyes were on Amber.

The political maneuvering related to her was swiftly unfolding.

Moreover, after the previous assassination attempt, these power-holders were also astonished that Amber had remained unharmed even then. They wondered if there really was a destiny written in the stars for her, that she was meant to ascend to that position.

Some sought to curry favor with Amber’s family in advance, some still felt they were in the running, while others were undecided.

Amidst such checks and balances, Amber safely arrived at He Dao, the center of this world.

The legendary shrine was now within her grasp.

*

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