Chapter 115: Divine Retribution

A short while later, there was another knock at the door. When Sun Licheng opened it, he found Little Cabbage standing there.

He ushered her into the room, and before she could even sit down, she said to him anxiously, "Boss, let's just hand over what the Goddess of the Silver Moon wants. The opposition is far too powerful; we cannot defeat them."

Sun Licheng could only offer a wry smile. He gestured for Little Cabbage to sit and began to explain. While the Goddess of the Silver Moon had her eyes set on the treasures of the Goblin Empire, Sun Licheng suspected that she also had her sights set on him personally.

He had considered handing over the Heart of the Deity and everything else, but upon reflection, he was certain the Goddess would never let him go. Even if she didn't kill him, she would imprison him for life. Rather than living such a wretched existence, he would prefer to die in battle.

"Yes, Boss, you're right. The Goddess of the Silver Moon won't let us go. Don't worry, I will stand firmly by your side. If we are to die, then we shall die together."

Hearing Sun Licheng’s explanation, Little Cabbage spoke with firm resolve, the light in her eyes shining as brightly as two large sapphires.

Moved by her response, Sun Licheng patted her shoulder and said, "Thank you for your support. Go and tell everyone the news; let them think it over carefully."

The next morning, Mr. Handy and Green Dragon brought ten tribe members before Sun Licheng’s main hall. It turned out that as news of the Goddess’s impending attack spread, panic had broken out within the tribe. These ten individuals had attempted to flee under the cover of night, but they had underestimated Mr. Handy, who had been prepared and apprehended them immediately.

"How should I deal with them?" Sun Licheng pondered, and he soon had his answer.

"Let them go."

Sun Licheng waved his hand, issuing the order to Mr. Handy. Facing an invincible deity, any punishment meted out to these deserters would severely damage his remaining morale. Since they had known each other for a time, it was better to part ways amicably, honoring the remnants of their past bond.

The goblins, who had expected certain death, were stunned to be released so easily. They knelt and kowtowed in gratitude.

After some thought, Sun Licheng had Mr. Handy summon everyone in the tribe to the small plaza. Once they had gathered, Sun Licheng ascended the high platform and addressed them. His message was simple: if anyone wished to leave, they could do so now, but they must leave their weapons behind and swear in the name of the God of Oaths that they would never reveal a single secret of the tribe.

Having finished his speech, Sun Licheng ignored the crowd's reaction and stepped down from the platform. Outside the tribal encampment, the noise was constant. Soon, Dogmeat ran back to report that the caravans of various tribes had already begun to evacuate.

Hearing this, Sun Licheng mocked himself: "I truly am a fool. I worked so hard to gain the status of the Moon Alliance, only to remain an outsider in the end. So be it. If the heavens want to rain and mothers want to remarry, let it be; I will let everything take its course."

Looking at the gray, overcast sky, Sun Licheng thought of the Silver Moon Tribe, the Moon Goddess Tribe, and the Moonstone Tribe. These were the tribes closest to him; he wondered what they were thinking now.

In the council hall of the Silver Moon Tribe, the elderly matriarch Eve sat in the seat of honor with her eyes closed, while the young girl Christina sat by her feet, acting spoiled. "Grandma, please help Brother Sun Licheng," the girl pleaded.

Nearby, Vol said, "Can we choose not to participate in the attack on the Flower-Planting Tribe? Sun Licheng has helped us greatly and even saved my life."

"Foolish!" the matriarch roared in anger. Glaring at Vol, she scolded, "The siege of Sun Licheng is a divine decree from Her Majesty, the Goddess of the Silver Moon! As subjects of the Goddess, how dare you defy her?"

Before Vol could respond, Isidore entered. "Matriarch, the caravan has returned," he reported.

"Did Sun Licheng give the caravan any trouble?" Eve asked.

Isidore shook his head. "The Flower-Planting Tribe showed no reaction at all; the caravan returned quite smoothly." He then began to report on other matters.

Seeing her grandmother ignoring her, Christina stomped her feet and ran out of the council hall. Worried about the great danger facing the Brother Sun Licheng she adored, she acted on impulse and ran directly to the altar of the Goddess of the Silver Moon.

"Great Goddess of the Silver Moon, please spare Brother Sun Licheng! I will surely persuade him to hand over what you require. Please, do not attack the Flower-Planting Tribe." Christina knelt before the altar and began to chant, praying to the Goddess.

At that moment, the Divine Kingdom of the Goddess of the Silver Moon and the Spring was a scene of frantic activity, with everyone preparing for the impending war. Olavia, who had been responsible for overseeing the sanctuary, had been called away and had transferred her duties to another angel. This angel had been known for her fiery temper while alive, and even now, her personality had not improved.

Seeing the sanctuary light up, she walked to the pool. Upon hearing Christina’s prayer, she became enraged. "Wretched goblin, the eradication of Sun Licheng is Her Majesty's will. To defy it makes you unworthy of being a believer. Such insolence must be severely punished."

The angel finished speaking harshly and waved her hand, unleashing a divine spell.

Christina, still praying, saw the light on the altar flare up. Thinking her prayers had been answered and that her Brother Sun Licheng was saved, her face lit up with joy. However, the light from the altar suddenly shot toward her forehead. Christina felt the world go black, and she collapsed to the ground.

When she opened her eyes again, she found that her once-smooth, delicate hands had become as rough as tree bark. She touched her face with trembling fingers and let out a scream that could pierce eardrums.

The scream quickly drew the members of the Silver Moon Tribe. Matriarch Eve pushed past the pointing goblins and saw an elderly, wretched-looking goblin female slave kneeling before the altar, screaming hysterically. She was about to order the tribal warriors to discipline this unruly slave when the clothes on the slave made her freeze.

"Christina?" Eve asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

"Grandma! It’s me! I’ve become a monster!" Christina sobbed, throwing herself into her grandmother's arms.

"You foolish child, was it worth it for a Sun Licheng?" Eve said, stroking her granddaughter's hair as her own heart felt as though it were being torn apart. At that moment, she was filled with hatred for Sun Licheng, wishing she could tear him to pieces.

Just then, Vol, who had been alerted by the commotion, pushed through the crowd to his mother’s side. He was stunned by the tragic state of his daughter; this was no longer the saintess known throughout the Moon Alliance for her beauty, but an ugly monster.

"Vol! You scoundrel! Do you see? This is the consequence of your disrespect toward the Goddess," Eve scolded, looking up at him while cradling her broken granddaughter.

Before Vol could answer, the matriarch continued, "In this attack on the Flower-Planting Tribe, you must be the first to charge in and capture Sun Licheng with your own hands. Only then will you receive the Goddess's forgiveness, and only then will Christina’s beauty be restored. Otherwise, she shall remain like a goblin slave, a monster for the rest of her life."

Looking at his ugly daughter, Vol nodded grimly, his eyes filled with agony.

"Goddess of the Silver Moon, can you tell me why it has come to this?" Vol cried out in his heart.