Destiny in Your Hands

"If you had surrendered earlier, you wouldn't have ended up like this. Goodbye, little thief."

The witch drew her dagger and watched Chen Xuan fall to the ground before walking towards Joan of Arc.

"Envoy!" Joan of Arc cried out in alarm.

"He's not an envoy at all, nor even a believer of the Lord God," the witch said, shaking her head regretfully. "I suggest you give up your resistance... This way, when I'm later condemned as an evil witch, you can still be vindicated and live on in history as a hero of France. If you insist on resisting, it will only solidify your treason..."

She suddenly noticed a change in Joan of Arc's expression.

It shifted from surprise, grief, and hesitation to immense piety.

...As if she had seen the Lord God she believed in with her own eyes.

* * *

Could it be?

The witch spun around sharply. A beam of sword light swept past. Even though she leaped back quickly, she was still a beat too slow!

The qi sword entered her body from the middle, slicing through her abdomen as easily as a hot knife through butter!

Blood immediately gushed out.

Her face turned pale, and her eyes stared at the figure behind her in disbelief.

Chen Xuan had stood up again!

"How... is this possible?"

She had clearly pierced his heart!

What kind of ability did he possess?

Was it immortality!?

In Chen Xuan's eyes, the scene had unfolded differently—as the red-haired witch teleported behind him, another voice echoed in his mind, uttering just three simple words: "It's done."

Then he saw her pull out a dagger and stab at the empty air beside her. It was as if another Chen Xuan stood there, and he himself had become an illusion. This anomaly wasn't just happening to the enemy; it was also happening to Joan of Arc. From her transition from shock to fanaticism, Chen Xuan could fully imagine the scene of his own "resurrection."

"What kind of spell is this?"

"The Eight Gates Formation. Those who fall into it and cannot escape have their life and death, sorrow and joy, manipulated by a single thought," Liu Shuyue's voice came again, as if reading his mind. "It's a type of talisman art. Although it's a bit troublesome to cast, once the formation is set, one can stand in an invincible position. Her life is yours now."

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

That blow had clearly injured her internal organs. Now, let alone dodging the swords, even a slight shift in position could widen the wound and cause her intestines to spill out.

It seemed they had to reach this point after all.

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

The red-haired witch gritted her teeth and slammed one hand onto the ground. In the next instant, she vanished from her spot, replaced by a metal cylinder the size of a tree stump, which began to tick ominously.

This is—a bomb!?

Right, since she can swap positions with specific objects, couldn't she just prepare one beforehand outside, giving her an escape route anytime?

But using a bomb as an escape route is too ruthless. This cylinder must be filled with high explosives, powerful enough to blow up the entire dungeon!

"Joan of Arc, Liu Shuyue, run!" he warned them sternly.

Just then, an invisible hand grabbed him.

"Gate of Rest, open!" Liu Shuyue called out crisply. A torrent of waves surged out 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 her. He grabbed Joan of Arc, who was rushing towards him, with his other hand and allowed himself to be pulled into the water by Liu Shuyue. In the surging current, he vaguely saw a dark opening appear on the stone wall of the cell, from which the water was gushing out.

Passing through the opening, the light suddenly became extremely dim. Then he felt himself rapidly ascending. After more than ten seconds, he finally broke through the surface of the water, breathing fresh air once more!

"Cough, cough... Where is this?" Chen Xuan looked around, realizing that the dungeon and the castle were gone. They were surrounded by a rippling lake, with a brilliant starry sky overhead.

Suddenly, a muffled thud echoed from far away, like a clap of thunder on dry land.

He followed the sound and saw numerous lights flickering in that direction.

Could that explosion have come from the palace?

"Something like that," Liu Shuyue's figure appeared beside him. However, compared to Chen Xuan, her hair was perfectly neat, and there wasn't a single drop of water on her, clearly indicating she had used some kind of water-repelling technique. "This technique can be used for offense, defense, advance, and retreat. Since you said you wanted to run just now, I opened the Gate of Rest, and it seems to have sent us to a lake near the dungeon."

Crossing several miles in the blink of an eye...

It seems talisman arts are indeed a versatile and superior secret technique.

"I didn't expect that person to escape the Eight Gates Formation instantly even with their mind controlled. The magic outside the abyssal sea is indeed not to be underestimated," Liu Shuyue glanced at the bewildered Joan of Arc. "Fortunately, the guest was rescued safely, so it wasn't a wasted trip."

Crazy Thursday, huh...

Judging by her nickname and equipment, she seems to be from the same era as me. But how could such a person exist in the world I know?

"Indeed," Chen Xuan suppressed the doubts in his heart and said, "Let's head back to the shop first. Gilles de Rais is still waiting there."

"Lady Joan of Arc... I'm so glad you're safe!" Seeing the young girl return safely, the general, who had been anxiously pacing by the shop entrance, rushed forward, his face filled with 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 Envoy. It's you who has been running around to save me. Thank you."

"You are the supreme commander, the Saintess who will save our homeland. Everything I do is my duty!" Gilles de Rais quickly waved his hands. "The soldiers on the front lines are all waiting for your return. As long as you declare yourself innocent, they will definitely stand firmly by your side!"

"I..."

"Are you worried about the evil witch? Even with all her devilish tricks, she couldn't possibly control all the troops on the front lines simultaneously. If we all rise up together and strongly persuade His Majesty, he will surely change his mind—"

"No!" Joan of Arc interrupted decisively. "What's the difference between that and rebellion? The front-line troops are meant to fight the English. I have no right to deploy them privately!"

"That witch... shouldn't appear again," Chen Xuan said suddenly. "Although she escaped, her injuries are no different from being dead."

It was hard to say for sure if she would die, but if the other party truly came from the same world as him, and their goal was for Joan of Arc to die as recorded in history, then her actions this time had completely failed, and the fabricated identity of "witch" had become meaningless.

He just couldn't understand it. He had also worried about disturbing history, so he had specifically researched for a while before. The results proved that Joan of Arc's fate had not deviated at all; she was still defeated and captured near Compiègne City. This meant that the Saintess from the two worlds was not the same. Why would someone still care so much about her death?

Moreover, the "Crazy Thursday" seemed to understand his abilities better than he did.

Who exactly was she?

"However, one witch has fallen, and perhaps another will appear," Chen Xuan continued. "They are the pawns of hell. As long as their goal is not achieved, they will always emerge endlessly."

Joan of Arc worried, "That's also what I'm concerned about..."

"I have a suggestion, which might be useful."

"Please, Your Excellency."

He casually patted the Saint Maiden's shoulder. "How about you retire?"

"Re... tire?"

"How can that be!?" Gilles de Rais immediately objected. "Lord Joan of Arc is the banner of the army, the lighthouse for the soldiers. We absolutely cannot lose her!"

"Which is better, that or her dying?" Chen Xuan retorted.

"Uh..." Gilles de Rais choked.

"If she's no longer the commander, can't she still be a spiritual pillar, guiding you to continue fighting? Her living well is the most important thing, isn't it?" He analyzed bit by bit. "The witch's goal is to eliminate Joan of Arc, and some nobles in the palace also dislike her. Rather than letting her continue to be a target of various forces by staying in the spotlight, it's better to retire and protect herself. The dungeon was most likely blown up and flooded. Normal thinking would assume Joan of Arc is already dead, so we might as well play along and deceive the devil's pursuit."

"Besides, retiring doesn't mean completely withdrawing from world affairs. If the English army attacks again, she can always make a comeback," Chen Xuan said to Joan of Arc. "However, this is just a suggestion. The final choice is yours."

Joan of Arc considered it carefully for a long time before smoothing her furrowed brow. "This is indeed the most appropriate course of action. The country will not lose strength due to internal strife, and the outcome of me being harmed by the witch will satisfy all parties."

"My Lady..." Gilles de Rais looked pained, but compared to losing the Saintess completely, this was already a good outcome. "I understand. Your will is my mission. I will help you arrange the retirement matters."

"I'll leave it to you, General."

Finally, Joan of Arc pulled Chen Xuan aside. After hesitating for a moment, she asked in a low voice, "Your Excellency the Envoy, may I ask the Almighty Lord a question?"

"You want to ask if what the witch said is true?"

Joan of Arc's eyes widened. "You... know?"

It was written so clearly on your face, it would be strange not to guess. Chen Xuan nodded slightly. "The Lord God has given me revelation."

The girl's hands involuntarily clasped tightly in front of her chest.

"She said that if I continue to live... our homeland will fall into decline, the army will be demoralized, and the fragmented resistance will be defeated by the English invaders. My mission ended after recapturing Orléans and Reims. Everyone needs a sacrificed Saintess to unite the hearts of the people..."

Her voice grew softer and softer until she fell silent.

Even though she could suppress her own doubts with anger towards the witch while in prison, it didn't mean she could completely dismiss these words. Joan of Arc had always been a sincere and passionate person who thought carefully about every issue.

"The answer is not important."

She blinked. "No... 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 the present. It has infinite possibilities and cannot be encompassed by a single prophecy. In other words, as long as you have the will to achieve it..."

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