Chapter 539 On the Same Path
“Don’t reject my offer first,” said the woman in white. “If you really care about her, you should listen to me and avail yourself from this war.”
“Why?”
“I appreciate your bravery, standing up for your friends and all. Unfortunately, not everything in this world can be shared. Sometimes you have to learn to bear it all alone. Certain paths are tailored for only a single person, and some battles are meant to be faced by one alone by design. This is her battle, not yours.”
“Which side are you from?” asked Zhang Heng, a deep frown forming across his forehead.
This was a question he’d been wanting to ask since a long time ago. The woman in white said that even if Arc of Light was willing to accept the truce, she wouldn’t. Zhang Heng initially thought that she must have had some conflict with Shen Xixi, but now, that didn’t seem to be the case. Based on what she said, it was apparent she was complimenting Shen Xixi. However, she stopped Zhang Heng from finding the person hiding in this hotel.
Clearly, she did not want the war to end.
“I do not take anyone.’s side. I am not Arc of Light, nor am I from the union,” said the woman in white. “I am just walking my own path.” “Don’t you think your path is domineering? Why do you have to worry about how others will choose their path?”
The woman in white smiled, “I can ignore how others choose their path, but I have to take care of that child because she walks the same path as me.”
Zhang Heng raised his eyebrows, “Are you not human?”
Although the woman in white’s narrative was somewhat cryptic, Zhang Heng managed to figure out the reason behind it.
“Are you choosing an agent by using this method?”
“Your observation is very keen, but unfortunately, you do not travel the same path as me.” The woman in white said lightly, “You are a righteous man. The fact you shot before trying to talk made me realize you are the kind who sides righteousness if it doesn’t hurt your interest. You have no other faiths or beliefs in your heart.”
“Righteousness? Are you Themis or Astria? No… you are Justitia!”
Zhang Heng finally determined the identity of the lady in white.
When it came to the god of justice, Zhang Heng first thought of Themis, the goddess of justice that maintained law and order in ancient Greek mythology. She was the second wife of Zeus, and she was the one that maintained Olympus’s order. On almost all the statues dedicated to her, she had a serious expression on her face, with a tray in one hand and a scepter in the other. As for Astria, she held lightning and a torch and was the goddess of the stars and purity.
The most famous goddess of justice, however, was Justitia. She was a goddess created by the ancient Romans who combined all the gods that were related to justice in Greek mythology. She held a sword in one hand and a scale in the other. Simultaneously, she was blindfolded, symbolizing how she would always pursue the truth and not be blinded by her senses. Although the lady in white was holding only a sword with no scale and she wasn’t blindfolded, she still stood out among the moral beings. Based on what Zhang Heng remembered, Justitia was a goddess who liked white since it symbolized her flawless morality and her upright nature.
During the Renaissance, statues of Justitia decorated almost every courthouse. Even today, there were many statues of Justitia outside the courthouse in Europe. There were virtually no legal practitioners who did not know her name, an indication that this woman was different from the small-time gods almost eliminated by time. Although Justitia was an ancient god, she was considered to be among the most powerful deities. Her true strength should be comparable to that of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Zhang Heng was not sure if he could defeat her, and obviously, Shen Xixi’s being favored by the Goddess of Justice was something he’d been expecting. Just like what Justitia said, Shen Xixi was destined to take this path, and Justitia should have paid attention to her for some time now. Her perseverance, intelligence, and strength made her the perfect candidate as Justitia’s agent.
“Since she is yours, why are you stopping me?” Zhang Heng looked into Justitia’s eyes and asked.
“Everyone has a righteous seed in their heart, but itis hard to grow this seed into a towering tree. Challenges and difficulties are the best nutrients for the seed’s growth. The road to light is destined to be full of thorns. I shall see if she possesses enough courage to carry out her beliefs,” proclaimed Justitia sternly. “As I said before, this is her war, and it has nothing to do with anyone else. In fact, I was the one who convinced Arc of Light to go to war with the union.”
“So, everything that is happening right now is to test her? For that reason, you did not hesitate to cause the two major forces to be at war and make the innocent pay with their lives?!” Zhang Heng shook his head. “What kind of justice is this?”
“You misunderstood me. Although I started this war between the union and Arc of Light, it was actually inevitable. This is a conflict of interests between two parties. Arc of Light’s leader is a typical businessman and will always make the most rational choices. In a way, you two share many similarities. This city reached its limits when it accommodated the two major forces. There is absolutely no space for a third party to interfere with the battle. Whether it be today or tomorrow, the battle between Arc of Light and the Union was bound to happen anyway.”
“Then, why not do it tomorrow? Even when the union grows, and even if they still cant fight Arc of Light, at least they won’t collapse just like that.”
“What’s the point? Arc of Light will be the eventual winners, and by that time, I am afraid that they would have fought a few battles. Thousands of players will be involved, and it will eventually evolve into a long-term war. Many more will be injured and die, and more people like you who have nothing to do with the war will be dragged into it as well. So, why not just let the union disintegrate today?”
“So you want Shen Xixi to surrender?”
“I don’t want her to admit defeat,” Justitia shook her head. “I want to watch her fight for justice in her heart. Even if her strength is weak and her hope is slim, that doesn’t mean she will lose the battle. Justice does not mean victory. Although we all firmly believe that the light will eventually come to us, we must venture into the darkness before that. This is her darkness and her dawn.”
After hearing this, Zhang Heng was silent for a moment before finally putting down the CS5. Justitia thought that she had managed to convince Zhang Heng to walk away from this battle. So, she put a smile on her face. A few seconds later, she saw Zhang Heng taking out two Nepalese sabers from his backpack.
He held them in his hands and said, “I don’t think that someone like Shen Xixi needs you to arrange her path. She is not trying to get anyone’s approval. You and she have nothing in common. She is warm-blooded, and you are a reptile.”