Chapter 59: The Truth of the Matter

Chapter 59: Chapter 59: The Truth of the Matter

"Master, the video was initially uploaded from a small city called Yama in the United States. The filming location was in a forest."

"The United States, huh..."

Shen Yun’s ominous premonition was finally confirmed.

The newly appeared Bronze Hall...

It was in a foreign country!

And highly likely in the United States!

"What were you trying to say earlier?" After a moment of silence, Shen Yun looked at Vierlia again.

"I can’t remember," Vierlia said expressionlessly.

"You’re at least over a hundred years old." Shen Yun frowned, somewhat baffled. "How can you be as childish as a little kid? I thought you already understood your current status as a criminal!"

SWOOSH!

The howling of the wind suddenly flashed past.

By the time Shen Yun came back to his senses, Vierlia was already holding a silver spear nearly two meters long. However, she didn’t seem to have any intention of attacking; she was merely gripping it.

"First of all, I am only twenty-three years old." Vierlia gave the spear a slight shake, looking somewhat embarrassed and annoyed. "Secondly, the reason I surrendered wasn’t just because I couldn’t beat you, but more so because I didn’t want the situation to escalate, understand? In terms of speed alone, I have absolute confidence that I would never be caught."

For a dignified Queen to resort to threatening to run away, she was clearly quite angry. After all, she had the intention to cooperate—she didn’t truly plan on being a prisoner in this Otherworld.

Lying on the ground, Alberta watched the scene unfold. He clenched his fists. If he were Her Majesty Queen Vierlia’s Paladin, he would fight for her dignity right now even if it meant his death.

But he was not.

"...I see. However, I also have absolute confidence that I would catch you," Shen Yun fired back without losing the slightest bit of ground. For someone he hadn’t fought yet, it was all about competing in imposing aura. He immediately followed up with a suspicious look. "Besides... are you really only twenty-three?"

Without the fortuitous encounters of Spiritual Qi revival and the reshaping of the Heavenly Dao on Earth, becoming a Golden Core at twenty-three was truly extraordinary.

"You’re really... too much!" Vierlia glared fiercely at Shen Yun. She took several deep breaths to calm herself down, though her cheeks still puffed out slightly.

"Master, if you want to flirt with the beauty, it’s best to stay a little further away," Little Nine’s voice chimed in with a hint of jealousy. "At this distance, if she were to suddenly launch an attack, I might not be able to protect you from getting hurt."

"...Ahem." Shen Yun coughed dryly, his gaze turning serious. "Although I can’t completely trust your words right now, tell me what you know first. What’s this about Black Magic and the Demon King’s resurrection?"

"We come from another world." The spear in Vierlia’s hand shrank continuously. With a reach, she hid it behind her hair. "The Demon King was a Black Mage in the Divine Realm who appeared eight hundred years ago... A realm transcending your world’s Golden Core Realm. He brought immense disaster to our world, but was defeated and sealed by another Divine Realm powerhouse..."

Listening to Vierlia’s narration, Shen Yun gathered a general understanding of what had transpired.

Their world had suffered the devastation of the Black Mage eight hundred years ago. Although they were victorious in the end, the elderly Guardian had also sacrificed his life.

That Ludwig was a fanatical worshipper of the Demon King. According to Ludwig, he had successfully resurrected the Demon King. For this reason, several Saint Realm powerhouses on the continent had pursued and attempted to capture him to uncover the truth.

Then, he escaped to this world.

Shen Yun thought, "If it’s true... A powerhouse surpassing the Golden Core Realm... That’s quite bad."

"We discovered the entrance to your world... three days ago," Vierlia finally concluded. "You have a brilliant civilization and a prosperous society, but at the same time, the desires of the people are exceedingly strong. This is exactly the breeding ground for Black Mages."

"Does cultivating Black Magic cause people to fall into depravity?" Shen Yun easily thought of such a concept.

"Exactly." Vierlia nodded gently, her long golden hair swaying behind her. "It amplifies the desires in one’s heart. You can tell from Ludwig, can’t you? He’s already over three hundred years old!"

Vierlia deliberately emphasized the phrase "over three hundred years old."

Even someone over three hundred years old acted like that. She was only twenty-three. So what if she was a little immature?

"If it merely amplifies desire, it has nothing to do with depravity." Shen Yun shook his head. He suddenly looked at Alberta, who was still lying on the ground with his eyes closed. "If Black Mages amplify desire, what about Paladins?"

"Paladins... are naturally different." It was Vierlia’s first time hearing someone link Black Mages with Paladins, but she still explained, "Paladins are taught endurance, selflessness, and devotion from a young age. Every Paladin is a highly respected existence... Alberta... he is too."

That hesitation at the end was truly a bit subtle.

Shen Yun roughly understood. Whether it was Black Mages or Paladins, it was actually a comprehension of the Heavenly Dao—an attribute of Divine Thought. It was just that one advocated yielding to desire, while the other advocated controlling it. As for which was better, it was really hard to say.

"Black Mages or Paladins, none of it matters," Shen Yun said sternly. "However, right now, both you and that Ludwig are suspected of violating our laws. Now, I require you to cooperate with me and bring Ludwig to justice."

"Which means..." Relying on the powerful effect of the Elf Mother Tree’s blessing, Vierlia successfully understood Shen Yun’s words. "You agree to cooperate?"

Shen Yun did not give a definitive answer until the very end. Instead, he brought the two of them back to the hotel.

"A Queen from the Otherworld?"

The other three Golden Cores were all taken aback when they heard the explanation. After all, they had just learned of the existence of the Otherworld today, and now, a brand new Otherworld had popped up. One that seemed to be of the Western fantasy genre.

"I’ve already consulted the Spiritual Power Special Service Bureau. If we process Vierlia’s identity through official channels, it will be very troublesome." Shen Yun had communicated with them earlier and now relayed the outcome. "The same goes for this incident’s impact on the global landscape. The current consensus is that it’s best to keep this contained and resolved within the scope of a civilian incident. How is John doing right now?"

"In this poor monk’s experience, he must be trapped in a philosophical dilemma," Master Yu Yifan said. "He has sealed off his five senses and is completely immersed in his own world. It is very difficult for outsiders to do anything."

"I see... As long as he’s not dead, it’s fine," Shen Yun noted clearly. "Because of the subsequent Black Magic attack, we are the ones in the right regarding tonight’s events. Furthermore, the video that the Otherworld Black Mage posted online has also caused panic in the West. They might not necessarily unite and go all the way down the path of confronting us."

These were also the analyses Little Nine had made by combining the reactions of various countries.

After all, Shen Yun and the others had already adopted a cooperative stance. The benefits of China’s inheritance were clearly higher than this Black Magic, which had no known productive value.

Not to mention, the mastermind behind the scenes seemed to be playing the role of a completely incompetent teammate.