Chapter 748: Choice

Hearing Emperor Siqi's words, Bai Lingmiao's hands slowly tightened. Her expression grew exceptionally grim, and her body seemed unsteady.

The Pure Land of Emptiness truly existed; the Unborn Mother herself had affirmed it. Her family members were now living there, leading carefree lives. She firmly believed that after her death, she would be reunited with them. However, when this deeply held belief was pitted against the lives of 1.8 million people, Bai Lingmiao's heart began to wrestle with inner conflict.

"If the Pure Land of Emptiness is real, then death is merely relocating to live elsewhere. If so, why... why am I so resistant?"

Meanwhile, Emperor Siqi continued to press his advantage. "Miss Bai," he urged, "think carefully. Sacrificing just over a million elderly, weak, sick, and disabled individuals can later yield nine million devout believers. When has a deal ever been so guaranteed to profit? You see, this way, I win, you win, and the Unborn Mother, far away in the Pure Land of Emptiness, also wins. No one loses. What is Her Holiness hesitating for?"

Hearing this, Bai Lingmiao took a deep breath. Her hand, which had been trembling slightly over her chest, suddenly dropped. She seemed to have made a certain decision.

"Your Majesty, is this a business deal? Is this how you calculate such things?" Bai Lingmiao exclaimed, recalling everything about Niuxin Village. "Do you know that they are all human beings, living, breathing people? Even if they are disabled or broken, they are still living, breathing people! Do you know how many people will grieve their deaths? Do you know how painful it is to lose loved ones?"

Emperor Siqi and the stout general beside him were clearly astonished. They had not expected the leader of the White Lotus Cult, known for its human sacrifices, to utter such words; it was as if the sun had risen from the west.

"And Your Majesty!" Bai Lingmiao continued after calming herself. "A large portion of those 1.8 million are your own subjects. Have you not considered them even for a moment?"

Hearing such absurd words, a hint of suppressed anger appeared on Emperor Siqi's face. "Hmph! Why should I consider them? Do you know how much I've sacrificed for this position? I earned all of this through hardship! My greatest concern is the stability of my empire! Without an empire, I, the Emperor, would merely be a deposed ruler. As for the common people, they are merely grass growing on my land. Even if they are cut down, they will always grow back after some time."

Hearing this, Bai Lingmiao clenched her fists. Her sharp nails dug into her palms, but she still did not release her grip.

"Your Majesty!" Bai Lingmiao's voice sharpened. "This woman cannot obey! They are not grass! They are human beings! They cannot die like grass! When they die, everything is gone!"

"Hmm?" Emperor Siqi seemed somewhat puzzled. "What? Have you still not understood? They aren't truly dying. According to your own teachings, they are all going to the Pure Land of Emptiness. How can this be? Could it be that the esteemed White Lotus Saintess truly believes there is no Pure Land of Emptiness, that it's all a lie created by the Unborn Mother to make you believe in her?"

Bai Lingmiao took a few deep breaths, gradually suppressing the anger in her heart. "Your Majesty! The Pure Land of Emptiness exists! But the Unborn Mother has a holy decree! Self-sacrifice goes against divine will! Those who commit it cannot enter the Pure Land of Emptiness after death!"

"Absurd! Why have I never heard that your White Lotus Cult had such a teaching before?" Emperor Siqi's brows gradually furrowed, feeling that she was rejecting him.

"This woman is the White Lotus Saintess, so naturally, I have direct communication with the divine. If my Unborn Mother said it, then she said it! This matter is non-negotiable!" After speaking indignantly, Bai Lingmiao stood up and prepared to leave.

"Wait!" Emperor Siqi stood in front of Bai Lingmiao again. His expression was one of suppressed anger, and some dragon scales began to appear on his body. "You'd better think carefully, Miss Bai! You'd better think carefully about who you are opposing!"

Bai Lingmiao, who had kept her head bowed, slowly raised it. The corners of her mouth turned slightly upward, and her entire demeanor began to change. "Your Majesty, the land of Siqi is still occupied by the Fa Cult. If you truly have the ability, why don't you reclaim the lost territory yourself? Oh, that's right, you were saved by us from the Fa Cult back then."

Bai Lingmiao used her fingers, tipped with black nails, to poke the dragon robe on Emperor Siqi's body. "This woman is from Daliang, not Siqi. Moreover, you are currently an emperor of a fallen state. A grounded phoenix is no better than a chicken. I am opposing you directly; what can you do? Your Majesty, send your troops to suppress the White Lotus Cult... Ah, what a pity, Your Majesty, you don't have a single soldier under your command now, only a bunch of old eunuchs."

Bai Lingmiao glanced disdainfully at the stout general beside her, who still held his saber hilt but had not drawn it. She let out a scoffing laugh. "Still trying to put on airs with me? You're so short-staffed that you'd bring out such a character to meet people."

Emperor Siqi trembled with rage, but he dared not do anything to Bai Lingmiao. Regardless of whether he could defeat her, he could not afford to antagonize the force that had helped him reclaim his empire.

Bai Lingmiao walked out of the grand, three-courtyard compound. The expression on her face gradually softened as she silently walked through the chaotic city.

The voice of the Second God echoed in her mind: "What are you truly thinking? Do you believe in the Pure Land of Emptiness or not? You're confusing me."

Bai Lingmiao didn't know; she could no longer concern herself with her own affairs. She realized that at some point, the lives of millions of people had come to rest solely on her decision. If she wished, she could genuinely order these people to die. Unconsciously, her power had grown to such an extent, and this invisible pressure made her feel very anxious.

Bai Lingmiao continued walking, observing the myriad lives of the White Lotus followers within the city. Under the shadow of war, the common people's lives were naturally not easy. Yet, people always found ways to make their lives as good as possible, to eat a little better and live a little better. She had seen such scenes before, but what she saw now seemed subtly different from what she had observed in the past.

A group of people by the roadside were gathered around a large black pot, from which white steam was rising. They held long chopsticks, eager to begin. This was called 'folded-up vegetables' (Zheluo Cai). Some people would collect leftover food and scraps, pile them together, and sell them by the street. No matter what you picked up, it cost one copper coin per chopstickful. Despite how unclean it seemed, the more chaotic the times, the more this business thrived. Often, people would even line up early to ensure the good pieces weren't picked away, because only here could one eat meat or greasy food for the least amount of money.

A girl, appearing to be only thirteen or fourteen years old, with a white lotus drawn on her brow and patches on her clothes, clutched a copper coin in her hand. She hesitated for a long time before finally dropping it into the bowl where money was collected.