Boundaries

Watching the woman emerge from the flames, King Drupada couldn't help but glance at his daughter a few more times. He had to admit she possessed a certain divine quality. He stretched out his hand and said to Bai Mo:

"I should have punished you, you arrogant fool, but I never expected you would even be willing to sacrifice your own merits."

"Don't just talk the talk, walk the walk." Bai Mo shrugged at the King Drupada, glancing at Draupadi, the absolute central figure in the Mahabharata. In a way, Draupadi's experience was a microcosm of the oppression of women in India.

He might offer some assistance, such as erasing the words of the King Drupada. The blessings of parents are extremely powerful, often representing an unchangeable destiny.

In terms of quantity, Bai Mo's Power of Merit definitely exceeded that of this fire sacrifice, but in terms of priority, Bai Mo was still clear that he, a stranger, was still inferior to the King Drupada.

We'll just do as much as we can.

King Drupada was clearly displeased by Bai Mo's words. He frowned and said coldly to Bai Mo, "Don't even think about challenging the power of the Kshatriyas, Brahmin."

"Ha, what is a Kshatriya? Is it one who protects his people by force, or one who is born noble? Oh, you are clearly the latter—not only did you suffer a defeat, but you also expect two underage children to avenge you."

Upon hearing this, King Drupada flew into a rage. He drew his sword from his waist, exuding a sharp aura. But facing the king's fury, Bai Mo simply extended his fingers and gently pinched the blade.

The precious sword that had accompanied the King Drupada instantly turned into molten iron.

"I don't want to fight here. It would be pointless for me to let you fail again. I've done what I can here, so it's time to leave."

Don't forget my warning, King Drupada! Because of your own selfishness, you have humiliated your former friends and lost half your kingdom. Now, how much more will you pay for this selfishness?

They are not tools; parents should not impose their own unfulfilled desires on their children.

Then, he flicked his sleeve and prepared to leave with Kama. Kama's expression was somewhat subtle. He glanced at Draupadi with amusement before following Bai Mo away.

Draupadi and Dhrishtadyumna watched Bai Mo leave, neither of them able to do anything to the person who had bestowed their blessing. Draupadi helped the King Drupada up and asked with concern, "Father, are you alright?"

"Get away. What I need is dignity and strength, not your concern. Can your concern help me defeat my enemies? Be a good princess, Draupadi."

The King Drupada spoke irritably to Draupadi, while Dhrishtadyumna walked over, picked up the sword hilt from the ground, and handed it to the King Drupada, his eyes seemingly burning with light.

"There's no need to worry, Father. From now on, I will be your sharpest sword."

"Very good, very good, my son Dhrishtadyumna, only a son can bring a father such joy."

And so, King Drupada left with Dhrishtadyumna's help, leaving Draupadi standing there, somewhat embarrassed. But a figure quickly came to her side and comforted her, saying, "It's alright, sister. Father suffered a great defeat and is in a bad mood. Come on, let's go see your palace first, and I'll pick out a few clever servants for you."

My name is Shikhandini, and I'm your eldest sister.

It seemed there was still some affection within this family, Draupadi thought gratefully to the Shikhandini. The two then left the fire festival site. During this time, Draupadi glanced at Bai Mo's seat; the food there had long since gone cold, and not a single bean had been touched.

Bai Mo and Kama returned to their temporary residence. He looked at the Yuga clock in his hand; the hands had moved a little further, reaching the second yuga. This meant that the Dharma of the world had now returned to over 50%.

Karna's transformation, the killing of the Yao Lian, and Draupadi's current protection may have already had some effect.

"Next, it's time for Arjuna to make his move. Let Krishna. Once Sweetness City is completed, the seed will have sprouted."

Bai Mo smiled slightly, and Kama narrowed her eyes at the sight, but then abruptly asked, "Master, what's your opinion on that child?"

"Who?"

"It seems you don't care much, Draupadi. What do you think of that woman? I guess that King Drupada will still treat her as a tool. People who are obtained through sacrifices will generally not rebel against their fathers no matter how much they are bullied."

How about I pull some strings and let you have another daughter?

"I care about this too, Bai Mo. What do you think? Please tell me, it's very important to me, otherwise you can sleep on the living room sofa from now on." Shi asked in his mind, her gentle tone carrying an unyielding determination.

"Haha, stop joking." Bai Mo was taken aback by the two people's questions. He shook his head and explained, "A daughter isn't something you can just find someone you like and that's it. Calling her a 'female' is more like it."

But regardless of the approach, it takes time to build relationships. If I were to treat Draupadi like a daughter simply because she's obedient to me, wouldn't that be using her?

Besides, having a daughter is too far removed from my life; I'm not even married yet.

Bai Mo said irritably, looking at the distant sacrificial fire, and shook his head helplessly, "Draupadi's life is terrible, and it's very important. We should help her out, both for public and private reasons. Besides, that King Drupada is probably eager to marry her off. She won't stay in Kingdom of Panchala for long."

In the Mahabharata, Draupadi is the shared wife of the Pandavas, which seems quite shocking to Bai Mo. However, the reasons behind this are very complex. According to the records, it involves her previous life. Because she made five vows to Shiva, Shiva gave her this fate.

Furthermore, there is another theory that it was ordained by the Sage Vyasa, an emanation of the author of the Mahabharata, who would connect the Pandavas, which symbolize the Dharma.

However, it's clear that many things have deviated from the original plan. For one thing, Karna's original fate has been drastically altered. Furthermore, according to the accounts in Chaldea, Karna is not the same person as in the original Mahabharata.

Even Ritsuka confidently assured him that Karna was highly regarded by those Saint-type Servant.

However, Bai Mo had long since come to terms with such things. If the Qin Shi Huang became an immortal and King Arthur became a woman, what else was impossible?

Therefore, given Draupadi's deep personal involvement, Bai Mo, as a precaution, only planned to lend a helping hand as an unknown, well-meaning person.

"Speaking of which, where is Krishna? I don't think I saw him at all during the entire ceremony."

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door, and a maid stood in the doorway, carrying some fruits and vegetables. She looked at Bai Mo and said timidly, "Um, Your Excellency, Miss Draupadi asked me to bring this. She said that you didn't eat anything at the fire festival, and it would be a disgrace for the host to leave a guest on an empty stomach."

besides..."

After a while, the maid finally mustered up her courage and said, "The princess said, please don't be angry because of King Drupada..."

Seeing this, Bai Mo Kama stopped the previous topic. He gestured for the maid to put the fruit down, then took out a fruit and threw it to her.

"Thank you for your trouble. Don't worry, I'm not going to get angry over something like that. Go back now, and be careful on the way. Don't let the guards find out, or your master won't be happy either."

The maid took the apple and fled as if her life depended on it. On the way, she realized the fruit was strangely heavy. After trying it, she discovered it was full of gold.

"Wow... she's truly an immortal! I'd better serve her well; she's blessed by an immortal, she's definitely a lucky person."

As the maidservant jogged through an alley, she saw a drunken man lying on the ground. He looked at the palace maidservant he had abandoned, a hint of resentment in his eyes.

"I was merely fulfilling my duty, my king. Why have you abandoned me? I have performed hundreds of sacrifices for you. Drona has conquered my homeland, yet I have chosen to follow you."

This man was the chief priest of the fire ritual. He was in a terrible state at the moment. Without a doubt, he had lost his position in the heart of the King Drupada after this fire ritual, and he probably wouldn't be able to hold the position for long.

What the king bestows, the king may also take back at any time.

He recalled the words the Wooden Pillar King said to Derona: "My soldiers guard me day and night, but they are not my friends."

"Alas, we are ultimately not of the same status. What should I do in the future? Should I go and seek refuge with Drona? But who would want a priest like me, despised by the gods?"

"Why go to another whirlpool? In the distant Khandava Forest, a city that treats everyone equally has been established. You should go there."

A man's voice rang out; it was Krishna, who sat atop his chariot, a large pestle beside his legs, and smiled as he looked at the high priest.

On the other side of the river, Ashwatthama angrily said, "Father, that King Drupada actually held a fire sacrifice, asking for a warrior who can kill you. Such a person is not worth showing mercy to. Please give the order, I will go and attack him immediately!"

But Drona shook his head and laughed, "No need for that. Just prepare a chariot for me, and I'll go see my old friend tomorrow."