Villainous Emperor (9)
In the next couple of days, Jiang Ruoyu behaved very well and calmly. She was polite and thoughtful, no longer speaking recklessly or staring directly at Song Xuyi. The interaction between her and Song Xuyi seemed to return to how it was when they first met.
This state finally allowed Song Xuyi to relax a bit.
Since they were about to head to Guozhou, an unpredictable journey awaited. Song Xuyi wanted to use her divine sense to scout ahead in Guozhou. However, she unexpectedly found that her divine sense couldn’t penetrate the borders of Guozhou — it seemed like there was a barrier enveloping Guozhou, preventing any outsider from spying.
Unwilling to accept this, Song Xuyi tried teleporting into Guozhou, but she still couldn’t get in.
Originally, Song Xuyi didn’t think much of the trip to Guozhou, but now she couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy…
Usually, this kind of rejection of foreign spirits only happens when followers are extremely devoted to a certain belief and are very xenophobic.
However, the people of Guozhou come from a very mixed background. There are the original people from Jiang, the later arrivals from Dong, and those from other tribes who moved there…
Could it be that Guozhou’s worship of the Yin Shen has become so fanatical that the whole region has become dominated by the Yinyue Sect?
Song Xuyi became cautious. After thinking it over, she decided to speed up her journey to Guozhou. Her plan was to first blend in with the common people and observe for a while before making any moves.
Originally, Song Xuyi intended for Jiang Ruoyu to enjoy the sights along the way and learn to care for the people’s lives, so she wasn’t in a hurry to rush the journey. But now, seeing the situation change, Song Xuyi had to make new plans.
At night, when Jiang Ruoyu wanted to enter the city to rest, Song Xuyi stopped her.
“You go rest in the carriage; I’ll drive.”
Song Xuyi closed her eyes and cast a spell. The horses, guided by an invisible rein, slowly pulled the carriage deep into the forest. Then, with a gesture from Song Xuyi and a surprised look from Jiang Ruoyu, the carriage suddenly lifted off, soaring into the sky.
The carriage sped through the night sky carrying the two of them. The wind made the curtains of the carriage flail with a ‘whoosh’ sound, and a rushing breeze brushed past their cheeks. Song Xuyi tilted her head back, thoroughly enjoying this feeling of freedom and exhilaration.
At some point, Jiang Ruoyu had come to the side of the carriage. When Song Xuyi turned her head, she saw Jiang Ruoyu’s astonished expression.
Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze looked quite strange. It seemed like she was watching the scenery speeding by under the night sky, but if you looked closely, there was something in her eyes deeper and darker than the night itself.
However, ever since deciding to keep a safe distance from Jiang Ruoyu, Song Xuyi rarely paid attention to Jiang Ruoyu’s increasingly refined features and didn’t notice the peculiarity in her eyes. She just assumed that Jiang Ruoyu’s surprise was due to being amazed by the magic Song Xuyi had shown.
This was the first time Song Xuyi had displayed her magic in front of Jiang Ruoyu. Previously, Song Xuyi avoided doing so, worried that Jiang Ruoyu might become overly enamored with power.
Song Xuyi pressed her lips together, pretending not to notice Jiang Ruoyu’s astonishment, nor did she explain her intention for having Jiang Ruoyu drive during the day. She simply closed her eyes and lay back against the carriage mast.
She could feel Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze on her, but it was not intrusive, filled instead with caution and curiosity. And before long, Song Xuyi once again heard Jiang Ruoyu’s inner voice…
“Is this the magic of the gods? Goddess Sister, you’re really amazing! Can humans learn this magic…”
“No,” Song Xuyi replied immediately, not surprised at all by Jiang Ruoyu’s admiration and pursuit of power. The answer was a firm no.
It’s not that Song Xuyi was targeting Jiang Ruoyu specifically, but this world was simply like that: since the beginning of time, there has been a “natural chasm” (a fundamental divide) between humans and gods. The gods are high above, born with spiritual bodies, while humans, even if they can cultivate, can never become divine.
“Is there really no way at all?” Jiang Ruoyu was very persistent about this, looking earnestly at Song Xuyi and asking again, “Sister, you know I’m not afraid of hard work.”
Seeing Song Xuyi look over, Jiang Ruoyu unconsciously straightened her back. But meeting her hopeful gaze, Song Xuyi still shook her head: “Throughout history, no one has ever been able to cultivate into a god. Besides, the gods aren’t as powerful as you imagine. Instead of wanting to become a god, it’s better to become an outstanding human, which will give you a greater sense of fulfillment…”
“Do gods have weaknesses too?” Jiang Ruoyu seemed extremely interested in anything related to gods and asked again, “In my mind, gods are powerful and mysterious, just like you, Sister, who can do anything—”
“Whether human or god, no one is perfect; even the strongest has weaknesses.” Song Xuyi glanced at Jiang Ruoyu, thinking about the possible challenges they might face in Guozhou and recalling Jiang Ruoyu’s obsession with power from the original story. With the intention of giving Jiang Ruoyu a heads-up and teaching her something, Song Xuyi couldn’t help but speak: “I can’t speak for other gods, but for me, the worship and faith of the people are my sources of strength.”
“Most of the people in Jiang worship me, and I can draw power from their faith at any time. Even the most powerful god in the heavens, if they came to Jiang, I could stand against them. But as soon as I leave the worship of the people and enter a place where they don’t believe in me, I might be defeated in just a few moves. And without their faith, I could revert to my original form or even be killed by a strong opponent…”
Song Xuyi originally thought Jiang Ruoyu knew this. After all, years ago, her father was endangered in Jiang because his opponent used the power of faith to severely injure him. After the ancestor of the Jiang family saved him, he explained the reason for his injury. This “bond between guardian deity and faith” was passed down through the royal family.
But Song Xuyi forgot that Jiang Ruoyu was an unfavored princess. What other princesses heard as bedtime stories, Jiang Ruoyu didn’t know. After listening to Song Xuyi, Jiang Ruoyu’s eyes widened, and there was an unintentional hint of worry in her gaze toward Song Xuyi.
Seeing Jiang Ruoyu like this reminded Song Xuyi of the shy and adorable little girl she once was.
“Worried about me, huh?” Song Xuyi couldn’t help but laugh, half-jokingly patting Jiang Ruoyu’s shoulder. “You know, I might just disappear one day. Life is unpredictable, and instead of chasing eternal life, it’s better to do everything you want in this limited time and have no regrets…”
“What do you think, Ruoyu?”
Song Xuyi’s intention was to encourage Jiang Ruoyu to be good, but she didn’t expect Jiang Ruoyu to both nod and then shake her head after hearing her words.
“I’m worried about you, Sister,” Jiang Ruoyu said seriously, meeting Song Xuyi’s puzzled gaze. “I know life is full of surprises, and you never know when someone might not be here anymore—”
“But as long as I’m alive, Sister, you’ll never lose the faith and worship of the human race.”
At that moment, the horses moved across the forest canopy, with a moon as big as a silver plate appearing almost within reach. In the bright moonlight, Jiang Ruoyu’s usually sharp and delicate jawline looked unbelievably beautiful. Her eyes shone more brightly than the stars behind her, filled with certainty: “Because for my whole life, Sister, you’ll be my one and only to worship!”
“That’s not necessary.”
Song Xuyi’s gaze lingered on Jiang Ruoyu’s astonishingly beautiful face for a moment, stunned. Once she snapped back to reality, she avoided Jiang Ruoyu’s eyes, feigning calmness as she closed her own eyes and urged her to rest: “It’s late. You should go rest. Tomorrow, I’ll need you to guide the horses.”
The young girl was always obedient. Hearing the rustle of clothes around her as Jiang Ruoyu finally entered the carriage, Song Xuyi slowly exhaled a breath of relief.
“Ah! System, she’s really so beautiful!”
On the outside, Song Xuyi appeared calm, but inside she couldn’t help but scream, her mind replaying the image of Jiang Ruoyu under the moonlight:
A fourteen-year-old girl with features like a painting, dressed in all black with a cool demeanor, sitting by the carriage shaft with her clothes fluttering in the wind. Just one glance at her incredibly striking appearance was enough to make anyone’s heart skip a beat, making her seem more like a goddess than Song Xuyi herself.
“So young and already so captivating. Even I, who watched her grow up, almost couldn’t resist. I can’t imagine what she’ll be like when she grows up,” Song Xuyi thought, clutching her chest where her heart was racing, unable to stop worrying: “I wonder what kind of person will be worthy of her in the future…”
“There will always be someone,” the system replied in that familiar, world-weary tone it had used for decades, as if it had seen through all worldly matters.
Song Xuyi wasn’t sure why the system had become like this, sometimes feeling it was trying to “become a fortune teller” (acting wise or mysterious), but then again, it seemed unlikely. The system had always been focused on contacting the main god and seemed very confident in Song Xuyi, rarely speaking to her directly.
“If all else fails, you can ask Jiang Ruoyu’s mother,” the system continued in that lazy tone, speaking slowly, “Her future is naturally her mother’s concern—”
“But in my view, as long as she genuinely likes someone, it doesn’t matter about status or societal prejudices,” the system added meaningfully, giving Song Xuyi a knowing look. “After all, fate is predetermined; some things can’t be forced, and some ill-fated ties can’t be severed no matter what—”
“I certainly won’t be the one to break up lovebirds,” Song Xuyi declared confidently, agreeing with the system’s words. She then teased the system with a smile, “I just didn’t expect you to care so much about Jiang Ruoyu, considering she’s the villain in the story—”
In response, Song Xuyi received a chuckle from the system.
The system seemed to be recalling something, gritting its teeth as it dropped the line, “No reason, just used to it!” Then it went back to trying to contact its main god, ignoring Song Xuyi.
Song Xuyi didn’t know what had upset the system, privately guessing it might have remembered some heartbreak from the past. Being considerate, she decided not to provoke it further. She also didn’t want to open her eyes and see Jiang Ruoyu’s face, which was so pretty it made her dizzy. Taking a deep breath, Song Xuyi decided to focus on exploring the situation in Guozhou.
However, Guozhou wasn’t easy to penetrate.
Initially, Song Xuyi’s divine sense couldn’t get into Guozhou. But she was always patient, and after pondering for two days, on the third day, the impenetrable barrier finally loosened a bit, allowing a thread of her divine sense to enter Guozhou.
Guozhou’s night was even more lively than the day.
Even though it was already late at night, Guozhou City was still brightly lit and bustling with people, as if there was a parade with floats.
From the discussions among the people, Song Xuyi learned that inside the heavily draped float stood the current Holy Maiden. With the five-year term of the Holy Maiden coming to an end, it meant that she would “become a flower in the night” (an expression suggesting she would fade away or be sacrificed) before a new Holy Maiden took her place.
Listening to the people’s discussions, Song Xuyi felt her heart tighten—how could a person turn into a flower? What did they intend to do to this girl?
Song Xuyi’s divine sense entered the drapes, and indeed, inside stood a young woman.
The woman’s features looked somewhat familiar.
Time was running out, and Song Xuyi didn’t have a moment to figure out who the woman resembled. She instinctively wanted to reveal herself a bit to persuade the woman to escape, but before she could do so, the woman’s gaze turned heavily toward Song Xuyi.
“A god has actually come,” the woman suddenly grinned with an eerie smile.
Sensing trouble, Song Xuyi hurried to escape, but in that instant, a dark, overwhelming pressure came crashing down like a mountain—
This is…
As intense pain hit, Song Xuyi’s eyes widened in disbelief. She hadn’t expected this mortal woman to possess a divine presence that only gods could have!
The author has something to say:
System: I’ve figured it out~
LP: Re-translated on December 04, 2024
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