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Chapter 26 Your Fate is in Your Hands
"If you had surrendered sooner, you wouldn't have ended up like this. Goodbye, you little thief."

The witch drew her dagger, watched Chen Xuan fall to the ground, and then walked toward Joan of Arc.

"Your Excellency, Envoy!" Joan of Arc exclaimed in alarm.

"He's not an envoy at all, not even a Catholic," the witch shook her head regretfully. "I suggest you give up resisting... that way, when I'm later convicted of being an evil witch, you can be exonerated and remembered as a French hero. If you insist on resisting, you'll be committing treason..."

She suddenly noticed that Joan of Arc's expression had changed.

From surprise, grief, and hesitation, she became incredibly devout.

...it was as if she had seen the God she believed in with her own eyes.

Could it be?

The witch whirled around, and a flash of sword light swept past. Even though she jumped back quickly, she was still a beat too slow!
The sword of energy sliced ​​through her body from the middle, cutting open her abdomen like a hot knife through butter!
Fresh blood immediately gushed out.

Her face turned pale instantly, and she stared in disbelief at what was behind her.

Chen Xuan stood up again!
"How...is this possible?"

He should have stabbed himself in the heart!
What exactly is his ability?
An immortal body?!

In Chen Xuan's eyes, however, the scene just now was quite different—as the red-haired witch teleported behind him, another voice entered his mind, containing only three simple words: "Done."

Then he saw the other man pull out a dagger and stab it into thin air. It was as if another Chen Xuan was standing there, and he himself had become a phantom. This strange phenomenon not only happened to the enemy, but also to Joan of Arc. From the latter's astonishment to her fanaticism, Chen Xuan could fully imagine the scene of his "resurrection".

What kind of magic is this?

"The Eight Gates Formation. Those who fall into it and cannot extricate themselves will have their life, death, sorrow, and happiness all controlled by a single thought." Liu Shuyue's voice came again, as if she had read his thoughts. "It is a kind of talisman technique. Although it is a bit troublesome to set up, once the formation is complete, one will be invincible. Her life is yours."

Looking at the witch kneeling on the ground, Chen Xuan raised three qi swords and aimed them at her again.

That sword strike clearly damaged her internal organs. Now, let alone dodging the sword, even moving her position significantly could worsen the wound and cause her intestines to spill out.

Ultimately, we still had to come to this point.

Chen Xuan took a deep breath, preparing to thrust out the Thousand Thoughts Sword.

The red-haired witch gritted her teeth, slammed her hand on the ground, and vanished without a trace. In her place appeared a metal cylinder the size of a tree stump, which was making a constant dripping sound.

This is—a bomb!?

Yes, since she can switch places with specific objects, as long as she prepares one outside in advance, wouldn't that mean she always has a way out?
Using a bomb as an escape route is too ruthless. This cylinder is filled with high explosives, powerful enough to turn the entire dungeon upside down!

"Jeanne, Liu Shuyue, run!" he warned sternly.

Just then, an invisible hand grabbed him.

"Open the door!" Liu Shuyue shouted, and a towering wave suddenly surged from a cell!

"let's go."

Chen Xuan had no idea what was happening or where the water was coming from, but at this critical moment, he could only trust the other party. He grabbed Jeanne, who was rushing towards him, with his other hand, and let Liu Shuyue drag him into the water. In the surging water, he could vaguely see a dark hole in the stone wall of the cell, from which water was gushing out.

As he passed through the cave entrance, the light suddenly became extremely dim. Then he felt himself rising rapidly. After a dozen seconds, he finally broke through the water and breathed fresh air again!
"Cough cough...Where is this?" Chen Xuan looked around and found that the dungeon and castle were gone. All around him was a lake with rippling waves, and above him was a dazzling starry sky.

Suddenly, a muffled sound came from afar, like a thunderclap in dry land.

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw many lights shining in that direction.

"Could the explosion have come from the palace?"

"More or less." Liu Shuyue also revealed herself at this moment, but compared to Chen Xuan, her hair was perfectly in place and there wasn't a drop of water on her body, obviously she had used some kind of water-repelling technique. "This technique can be used for both offense and defense, advance and retreat. Since you said you wanted to run away, I opened the Rest Gate. It looks like it sent us to a lake near the dungeon."

Can you really traverse several miles in the blink of an eye...?

It seems that the art of talismans is a high-level skill with a wide range of applications.

"I didn't expect that person could escape the Eight Gates Formation in an instant even with their mind taken away. The magic outside the Abyss Sea is indeed not to be underestimated." Liu Shuyue glanced at the bewildered Jeanne. "Fortunately, the guest was rescued safely, so the trip was not in vain."

Crazy Thursday...

Judging from her nickname and weaponry, she seemed to be from his own time. But how could such a person exist in the world he knew?
“That’s true,” Chen Xuan said, suppressing his doubts. “Let’s go back to the shop first; Gildre is still waiting there.”

……

"...Lady Jeanne...I'm so glad you're alright!" Upon seeing the girl return safely, the general, who had been anxiously pacing at the shop entrance, rushed over immediately, his face full of joy. "That damned evil witch didn't torture you, did she?"

Joan of Arc shook her head. "I've heard everything from Your Excellency the messenger. You've been working tirelessly to rescue me. Thank you."

“You are the commander-in-chief of the entire army, the saint who saved the motherland. It is only right that I do these things!” Gildre quickly waved his hand. “The soldiers on the front line are waiting for your return. As long as you declare yourself innocent, they will definitely stand firmly on your side!”

"I……"

"Are you worried about the evil witch? No matter how many devilish tricks she employs, she can't possibly control all the troops at the front lines simultaneously. If we all rise up together and earnestly persuade His Majesty, he will surely change his mind—"

“No!” Joan of Arc interrupted decisively. “What’s the difference between that and treason? The front-line troops are meant to fight the British; I have no right to command them on my own!”

“That witch… she probably won’t show her face again,” Chen Xuan suddenly said. “Although she escaped, her injuries are practically the same as being dead.”

Whether she will die is hard to say, but if the other party really comes from the same world as her and their purpose is to make Joan of Arc die as recorded in history, then her mission has been a complete failure, and the fabricated identity of the witch has become meaningless.

He simply couldn't understand it. He had worried about the disruption of history, and had even researched the matter extensively. The results showed that Joan of Arc's fate hadn't changed at all; she was still defeated and captured near Compiègne. This meant the two worlds' saintly maidens were not the same, so why would anyone care so much about her death?
Moreover, Crazy Thursday seems to have a better understanding of the abilities than he does.

Who is she?

“But if one witch falls, another may appear,” Chen Xuan continued. “They are the minions of hell, and as long as their goal is not achieved, they will keep emerging.”

Joan of Arc said worriedly, "This is what I'm worried about too..."

"I have a suggestion that might be useful."

"Your Excellency, please speak."

He casually patted the young girl on the shoulder, "Why don't you just retire?"

"Retired...from the military?"

“How could we?!” Gilles de Rais immediately objected. “Lady Joan of Arc is the banner of the army, the beacon of the soldiers. We must not lose her!”

"Which is better, her death or her death?" Chen Xuan countered.

“Uh…” Gildre choked.

“Does the fact that she’s no longer the commander mean she can’t be a pillar of support, guiding you to continue fighting? The most important thing is that she lives well.” He analyzed slowly, “The witch’s goal is to get rid of Joan of Arc, and some nobles in the palace also dislike Joan of Arc. Rather than letting her continue to stand in the spotlight as a target for all sides, it’s better for her to retire and protect herself. The dungeon has most likely been blown up and flooded. Anyone with normal thinking would think that Joan of Arc is dead, so we might as well use this plan to deceive the devil’s pursuit.”

“Besides, retirement doesn’t mean abandoning worldly affairs. If the British army comes back, she can always come back.” Chen Xuan looked at Joan of Arc. “However, this is just a suggestion. The final choice is yours.”

Joan of Arc considered the matter carefully for a long time before smoothing her furrowed brow. "This is indeed the most appropriate way to handle it. The country will not lose strength due to internal strife, and my fate of being murdered by the witches will satisfy all parties."

“My lord…” Gildre’s face showed pain, but compared to completely losing the Saintess, this was already a good outcome. “I understand. Your will is my mission, and I will help you arrange your retirement.”

"I'm counting on you, General."

Finally, Joan of Arc took Chen Xuan aside and, after a moment's hesitation, asked in a low voice, "Your Excellency, may I ask the Almighty a question?"

"What you want to ask is whether what the witch said is true?"

Joan of Arc's eyes widened. "You...you knew all about it?"

Your face is so clear, it's no wonder I can't guess. Chen Xuan nodded slightly, "God has already given me a revelation."

The girl unconsciously clenched her hands in front of her chest.

“She said if I continued to live… the motherland would fall into decline, the army would be in disarray, and the fragmented resistance would be defeated by the British invaders. My mission ended after the recapture of Orléans and Reims; everyone needs a sacrificed saint to unite the people…”

Her voice grew softer and softer until she lost her voice altogether.

Although she could suppress her doubts with anger towards the witches while in prison, that didn't mean she could completely put those thoughts out of her mind. Jeanne Darc was always a sincere and passionate person who would seriously consider every issue.

"The answer is not important."

She was stunned for a moment, "Not...not important?"

"Yes, so-called prophecies are all just guesses about the future," Chen Xuan said with a smile. "And what the future will ultimately become depends entirely on the people of this world. It has infinite variations and cannot be summarized by a single prophecy. In other words, as long as you have the will to make it happen..."

He opened his arms to the girl, saying, "Then destiny is in your hands."

(End of this chapter)