Villainous Emperor (13)
That voice fell silent for a moment.
“Are you sure you don’t want to cooperate with me?” That voice was full of temptation. “I can sense your excitement now. This goddess is injured and can only rely on you. Finally, you can be on an equal footing with her. You can cooperate with me, and then you can do more of what you want with her…”
“I know you are interested in my body,” Jiang Ruoyu was not surprised that this voice could understand her thoughts. But some things can only be imagined. All fantasies are based on Sister Xu Yi’s happiness and smoothness.
She would rather die than disobey Sister Xu Yi.
In an instant, Jiang Ruoyu’s mind was spinning at an unprecedented speed: This evil god has immense power and is fully capable of seizing her body, yet they repeatedly tries to persuade her…
This can only explain one possibility: If these “saintesses” are some kind of sacrifice, they must willingly offer themselves for this evil god to fully possess their bodies.
Jiang Ruoyu decided to take a gamble.
She took a deep breath and reached out to support the pale-faced Song Xu Yi. She decisively interrupted the voice, saying, “But if you harm Sister Xu Yi, I will never submit to you in my entire life.”
“What a deeply touching sisterly affection!”
That voice paused for a moment, unwilling and resentful, and then spoke with a strange tone. Immediately, Jiang Ruoyu felt something being nailed into her body, and she became extremely cold and rigid.
“I can stop this raging fire and promise not to harm your Sister Xu Yi. You are indeed smart, realizing that your body is the most suitable for me in a thousand years. It makes me increasingly reluctant to give you up.”
That voice seemed to fully read Jiang Ruoyu’s thoughts and continued in her mind, “But I’ll give you a chance to change your mind. You have lived as a pitiful person all these years, which is why you believe this goddess is your only option. When magnificent power is laid out before you, you will always make the right choice…”
“I will help you extinguish this fire as a condition. Even if you are not my follower, you must abide by the rules of the Hidden Moon Sect and serve me for the next five years! If you betray me, your body may forever belong to me…”
“Dare you take a gamble with me, little pretender?”
Jiang Ruoyu’s eyes flickered as she looked at Song Xu Yi who stood beside her, and finally nodded.
Just as Song Xu Yi was desperately trying to break free from her restraints, at that moment, the massive fire in the Jiang Kingdom’s Imperial Palace suddenly subsided. Soldiers rushing to rescue from all directions ran into the palace, quickly gaining control over the flames…
Despite suffering heavy losses, many people in the Jiang Kingdom’s palace managed to survive.
Song Xu Yi breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew her spiritual consciousness.
At this moment, the spiritual power she had been struggling to maintain had completely depleted. She didn’t know if it was her imagination, but she had a feeling that the barrier over Guozhou had deepened, becoming an impenetrable shield. The entire city was enveloped in an oppressive atmosphere, and Song Xu Yi’s spiritual essence couldn’t pass through.
Song Xu Yi realized belatedly that she seemed to have fallen into the trap of that evil god, and the massive fire in the Jiang Kingdom was very likely connected to this deity.
I was careless! I wanted to shake the foundation of belief in Guozhou, but I nearly had my back exposed to the evil god…
What kind of existence is this evil god of Guozhou?
“Sister Xu Yi? Can you take care of my mother for me in the future?”
Jiang Ruoyu suddenly spoke softly, interrupting Song Xu Yi’s contemplation.
As Jiang Ruoyu uttered these words, the voice in her mind sneered, “While I occupy your body, your mother will be my mother as well. I naturally won’t mistreat her…”
Jiang Ruoyu ignored her and stared at Song Xu Yi with unmoving eyes.
Only now did Song Xu Yi notice that Jiang Ruoyu’s face was equally pale, almost frighteningly so.
“Ruoyu, what’s wrong with you?”
“It’s nothing. I just suddenly thought of my mother. I’ve been away for so long, and I don’t know if she’s safe and well. I also remembered that I am my mother’s only child. If something happened to me unexpectedly, I don’t know how heartbroken she would be…”
A weak smile appeared on Jiang Ruoyu’s face, and for some reason, Song Xu Yi felt that this fleeting moment of Jiang Ruoyu looked incredibly sorrowful.
“Your mother is fine, she hasn’t encountered any disaster.”
“Ruoyu, you will be fine too. I will protect you.”
At such a young age, experiencing life and death situations, it’s inevitable to have random thoughts and worries.
Song Xu Yi felt that she could understand Jiang Ruoyu’s sudden melancholy, but she inexplicably felt uneasy. After some thought, Song Xu Yi furrowed her brow and gently checked Jiang Ruoyu’s pulse.
However, Jiang Ruoyu’s pulse was completely normal.
Is she just too tired?
Song Xu Yi furrowed her brow and naturally held Jiang Ruoyu’s hand, intending to channel her divine power into Jiang Ruoyu’s body as she had done before—
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Divine power can invigorate the mind, nourish the body, and alleviate physical discomfort. Over the years, with the nourishment of divine power, Jiang Ruoyu’s body had become stronger than the average person.
However, to Song Xu Yi’s surprise, Jiang Ruoyu discreetly pushed away her hand this time. Meeting Song Xu Yi’s bewildered gaze, Jiang Ruoyu curved her lips and said, “You also seem weak, sister. I don’t want you to worry about me anymore.”
Jiang Ruoyu was always considerate, and Song Xu Yi thought she had become more sensible. Seeing Jiang Ruoyu genuinely resisting her approach, Song Xu Yi didn’t insist and accompanied Jiang Ruoyu back to the inn.
Most of the women who advanced to the second round were joyful and smiling because they had made it to the next stage. In the eyes of the Hidden Moon Sect’s followers, they were already considered to have a divine connection. Even if they couldn’t become saintesses by passing the third round, they would still be able to hold important positions within the Hidden Moon Sect.
Both Song Xu Yi and Jiang Ruoyu were popular candidates to become the Saintess, attracting attention from all sides.
Song Xu Yi knew that the evil god had taken advantage of this opportunity to play a trick on her.
However, whether it was arrogance or some other reason, the evil god did not continue to target her.
After reflecting on the situation, Song Xu Yi decided to proceed with her previous plan: to gradually undermine the evil god’s stronghold within Guozhou.
This decision came from a chance discovery.
Because the entire city had an extreme belief in the saintesses, impoverished people who couldn’t afford medical treatment for serious illnesses would often make offerings to the Huai Tree Moon and earnestly beseech the diviners of the Hidden Moon Sect for guidance.
If the divination showed favorable signs, the people would exhaust their resources to seek medical treatment for the patients. If the divination showed unfavorable signs, most people would give up on treatment and begin preparing for funerals.
This worldview, where everything was determined by divine intervention, was too easily exploited, especially since the skill level of the diviners varied greatly, and there were many charlatans in the martial world attempting to deceive others.
Though the process might be extremely slow, it is not impossible to achieve.
This decision was prompted by a chance discovery.
Because the entire city held extreme faith in the saintesses, when impoverished people encountered severe illnesses without money for treatment, they often offered prayers to the moon under the acacia tree, pleading to the diviners of the Hidden Moon Sect for guidance.
If the divination showed a favorable omen, the people would exhaust their savings to seek medical treatment for the sick. If an unfavorable omen appeared, most of the people would give up on treatment and begin preparing for funerals.
This worldview, where everything is determined by divine intervention, is easily exploitable, especially since the skill levels of the diviners vary greatly, and there are many charlatans in the field who attempt to deceive and take advantage of others.
Song Xu Yi had personally witnessed a child who only had a common case of typhoid fever being diagnosed by a diviner as a terminal illness. The child’s parents, in front of their child, began mourning and preparing for a funeral.
Therefore, even though her divine power was weak at this time, Song Xu Yi had accumulated medical skills from her previous worlds. After some consideration, she decided to start holding medical consultations in the impoverished slums south of the city for the next three days.
Regardless of whether she could cure them or not, Song Xu Yi would make every effort to try. Thanks to her performance in the second round, the people of Guozhou recognized her and regarded her as half a Saintess. Casting aside their concerns, a constant stream of people came to seek treatment. From morning till night, Song Xu Yi was busy, barely having any time to rest.
Her efforts started yielding some results as the power of faith gradually flowed into her body, accelerating the healing of injuries.
Jiang Ruoyu had not been by Song Xu Yi’s side these past few days. She seemed a bit unwell, staying in her room to rest.
In the past, when Jiang Ruoyu didn’t feel well, she would always act cute and ask Song Xu Yi to come and look after her. Hearing Jiang Ruoyu intentionally say, “Oh, I’m feeling a bit uncomfortable and tempted to pretend to be sick, but Sister Xu Yi is so busy, I shouldn’t bother her. I’ll just sleep a bit more and rest,” Song Xu Yi decided not to disturb Jiang Ruoyu and let her rest.
Therefore, three days later, when Song Xu Yi saw Jiang Ruoyu’s paler complexion, she was momentarily stunned. Almost instinctively, she reached out and took Jiang Ruoyu’s pulse.
However, Jiang Ruoyu’s body appeared to be perfectly healthy and normal, except that her hands were unusually cold. Song Xu Yi wanted to channel some divine power into Jiang Ruoyu’s body, but as soon as her hand touched Jiang Ruoyu, Jiang Ruoyu grabbed her wrist. “Fu Sheng is here!”
The Purple Gold Cliff was not far from the inn, and Fu Sheng, with a solemn expression, decided to lead the ten selected Saintess candidates to walk up the Purple Gold Cliff. As the group made their way, they attracted attention, and wherever they went, people on the streets knelt down, exclaiming, “Greetings, Saintesses!”
For some people, this scene of thousands of people kneeling was truly moving, but Song Xu Yi paid no attention to it. She was solely focused on Jiang Ruoyu’s condition.
As they walked along the way, Song Xu Yi refrained from taking action since they were being observed by the people. When they arrived at the entrance of the Divine Power Testing Cave at the Purple Gold Cliff, Song Xu Yi couldn’t resist the urge any longer. She touched Jiang Ruoyu’s body and channeled divine power into her. However, as soon as the divine power entered Jiang Ruoyu’s body, it felt like encountering an endless whirlpool. Song Xu Yi couldn’t control her own power anymore, and the divine power continuously flowed into the vortex…
Song Xu Yi’s eyes widened in disbelief!
Suddenly, Jiang Ruoyu turned her face and revealed a chilling smile to her.
Song Xu Yi had never seen such an expression on Jiang Ruoyu’s face before. In that moment, Jiang Ruoyu merged completely with the Saintess Song Xu Yi had seen before, or even displayed a colder and more ruthless demeanor.
But in an instant, the force that was absorbing Song Xu Yi’s divine power came to a halt. Jiang Ruoyu grimaced in pain, furrowing her brows and closing her eyes.
“Is she possessed by the evil god?”
The system widened its eyes in horror and let out a scream. It never expected the world to take such a turn.
The system had been feeling at ease in this world because the way the villain looked at Xu Yi was identical to before. It thought that this world would follow a similar path as the previous one, and completing the mission was within reach. However, it never anticipated the sudden appearance of an evil god.
This evil god was not a minor villain; she posed a real threat to Xu Yi’s life!
Song Xu Yi’s heart sank to the bottom in that instant.
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She stared blankly at the Jiang Ruoyu in front of her. The young girl still possessed the exquisite beauty she had before, but there was a noticeable change in her overall demeanor. Although she was like a dazzling pearl, there was a faint shadow cast over her.
“Song Xu Yi.” At that moment, Fu Sheng called out Song Xu Yi’s name.
Song Xu Yi had no intention of entering the Divine Power Testing Cave.
It was her own doing to bring Jiang Ruoyu here, and now that she was in danger, she had to take her away. Moreover, Song Xu Yi had a strange feeling in her heart: once the young girl entered this cave, many things would change…
However, it seemed that the young girl was also engaged in a difficult struggle. Her facial expressions shifted from one of darkness to sadness, and finally, her expression became incredibly cold and indifferent. She no longer looked at Song Xu Yi but turned her head towards Fu Sheng. “I want to enter the Divine Power Testing Cave first.”
“Ruoyu, you—” Song Xu Yi reached out her hand, intending to stop Jiang Ruoyu. However, Song Xu Yi’s body was extremely weakened from having her divine power drained. As soon as her hand touched Jiang Ruoyu, a powerful force transmitted from Jiang Ruoyu’s hand. Song Xu Yi’s eyes widened, and in the next moment, she collapsed weakly to the ground.
Jiang Ruoyu’s gaze started to struggle again, and finally, she seemed to remember something. She turned back and once again lifted the fallen Song Xu Yi into her arms. Facing Fu Sheng’s probing gaze, she entered the depths of the cave.
“Why are you acting so contradictory?”
Once inside the Divine Power Testing Cave, Jiang Ruoyu helplessly watched as her own hands uncontrollably infused Song Xu Yi’s body with the dark divine power. She struggled with all her might, but she finally gained control over her body, only to find that Song Xu Yi had fallen into a deeper coma.
Jiang Ruoyu held the unconscious Song Xu Yi carefully in her arms, her eyes turning cold.
“You really think I don’t know?” The voice echoed from all directions within the cave. “You value this useless Goddess even more than your own life. Originally, you intended to commit suicide in this Divine Power Testing Cave!”
“If you had been willing to keep your promise, it wouldn’t have come to this!”
“It’s all because of this woman!” The intense resentment of the Mortal Realm mingled with the deep malice, surging in from all sides of the cave like a ferocious monster, as if it could engulf the two of them in the next instant.
“All of this was my plan, and it has nothing to do with her.”
Despite everything being exposed by the evil god, Jiang Ruoyu’s expression appeared remarkably calm.
“Let’s cut to the chase. It’s pointless to dwell on right or wrong at this moment. What do you want in order to spare her?”
“Ten years!” The voice laughed ferociously. “I want control over your body for ten years!”
Jiang Ruoyu remained silent.
She lowered her head and silently looked at the unconscious Song Xu Yi in her arms. She gently brushed aside the long hair on Song Xu Yi’s cheek, her trembling hand revealing her unsettled thoughts at this moment—
It was an action she had longed to do for a while, but she had always considered it sacrilegious. Yet now, the dream-like scenario had become reality, albeit under these involuntary circumstances…
But for the sake of Sister Xu Yi, she was willing to do anything.
“Good!” Jiang Ruoyu lowered her eyes and finally spoke softly. “You cannot harm my mother, and you cannot harm Sister Xu Yi!”
The evil god readily agreed.
“But I don’t trust you. I want to see you safely take her home,” Jiang Ruoyu spoke up once again.
The evil god seemed to have a remarkable amount of patience towards Jiang Ruoyu.
A cold snort echoed within the cave as the black mist enveloped them. When Jiang Ruoyu opened her eyes once again, she found herself in a picturesque place surrounded by mountains and clear water.
“This is her homeland, and her father is about to arrive!” The voice urgently resounded in Jiang Ruoyu’s heart as she noticed the longing in her gaze. Before she could fully see the approaching figure, she was abruptly pulled back into the cave.
Within the pitch-black cave, the voice sounded particularly impatient.
“I won’t meddle anymore. After all, she is a Nine-Tailed Fox Clan member. As long as she doesn’t provoke me, I won’t create unnecessary conflicts. She just needs a few years to recover and wake up…”
“Now is the time for you to lend me your strength!”
……
Countless black mists surged from all directions, engulfing Jiang Ruoyu. It felt as though every meridian in her body was being forcefully pulled. Jiang Ruoyu clenched her lips tightly, biting down until blood trickled out before collapsing on the ground.
Her soul was squeezed into a corner of her heart, and she clearly saw a pitch-black figure entering her body. In that moment of fusion, Jiang Ruoyu had a dream.
In the dream, she was a mass of ignorant and unconscious resentment, absorbing all the emotions of humans, gradually growing stronger with each passing day.
One day, she fought with a man named Jiang Bai, who possessed powerful magic. He called her the “Divine Attractor.” Being young and inexperienced, she couldn’t withstand Jiang Bai’s attack and ended up severely injured. The man imprisoned her in the Divine Sealing Tower.
Jiang Bai realized that she had developed consciousness. He then cut her in half with a single strike, separating the pure and benevolent part of her character and subjecting it to reincarnation, while the remaining larger portion remained imprisoned in the Divine Sealing Tower.
Thus, the half that underwent reincarnation purged its impurities and was reborn in the Imperial Palace of the Jiang Kingdom as Jiang Ruoyu.
However, Jiang Bai was unaware that as the first non-natal deity in the world, unless self-annihilated, the Divine Attractor could not be killed. All the negative emotions of the Mortal Realm converged, giving birth to a new Divine Attractor…
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Although the new Divine Attractor developed consciousness, she needed to attach herself to a human body. The most suitable host could only sustain her existence for a maximum of five years before she completely vanished.
Only the body of Jiang Ruoyu, who also originated from the Divine Attractor, had the highest compatibility with the new Divine Attractor. This is why the Divine Attractor displayed immense patience towards Jiang Ruoyu.
All the remnants of benevolence within the Divine Attractor were concentrated in Jiang Ruoyu, while the new Divine Attractor was consumed by greed and malice.
Although Jiang Bai did not anticipate that even the purest soul could be tainted by its surroundings, if Jiang Ruoyu, who suffered greatly in the original plotline, encountered the new Divine Attractor, they would naturally align and bring chaos to the Three Realms.
However, Jiang Ruoyu encountered Song Xu Yi.
Since the Divine Attractor is the embodiment of impure human emotions and can manipulate the people of Guozhou through emotions, why couldn’t Jiang Ruoyu, through her own will, consume and control the Divine Attractor in her mind?
After all, she originated from an even older Divine Attractor from a thousand years ago!
……
Jiang Ruoyu opened her eyes, calmed her gaze, and began to gradually invoke her primordial spirit based on the method she had learned in her dream…
At the same time, Song Xu Yi’s father discovered her unconscious body and spared no effort in using spiritual medicine to heal her. Eight years later, Song Xu Yi finally opened her eyes once again…
The author has something to say:
Well, as a considerate author, here’s a preview.
The next small world, He.
However, recently I revisited “To Live” and “Les Misérables,” cough, so the attributes of the next small world will be…