However, no amount of resentment could overcome the hunger in her belly.
Youyou pouted, then handed the soft, white mantou to Wuyou.
“Eat.”
Amidst the downpour, the young girl in the temple was the only bright light before her eyes. The female ghost’s eyes curved gently, as if lost in reminiscence.
Dressed in a splendid red wedding gown, she looked exceptionally bewitching and gentle.
“You should eat it, my lady. Wuyou isn’t hungry.”
Releasing what little goodwill she had left, the female ghost found that, without even realizing it, she no longer wanted to scare or harm this person.
From being filled with malicious intent at the very beginning to now harboring a desire to entice her, the female ghost gazed at Youyou, feeling as if she could never look at her enough.
“Oh.”
Her face flushing red under Wuyou’s stare, Youyou averted her gaze slightly and began to nibble on the mantou, one small bite at a time.
The taste, which wasn’t bad but wasn’t exactly delicious either, registered on her taste buds. Youyou was well-behaved and didn’t complain to Xixi. Instead, her lively, clear eyes darted about, curiously sizing up this strange and unfamiliar world.
The rain outside grew heavier, and the whole world turned exceedingly dim. Strangely, however, the dilapidated temple showed no signs of leaking. Only a faint, musty smell hung almost imperceptibly in the air, causing Youyou to knit her brows in discomfort.
‘Xixi, when will this rain stop?’
She quickly finished nibbling the two mantou. Youyou stood up uncomfortably, feeling itchy all over and wanting nothing more than to take a bath.
[…]
Of course, it all depends on the female ghost’s mood!
However, Xixi didn’t want her host to know these things. Just as Fu Shu was very familiar with Youyou’s limits, Xixi, as the system, also knew full well just how fragile her host was.
Those bloody, complex, and even heavy memories of experiencing death—Xixi didn’t need to think twice to know that her host wasn’t suited to remember them.
Otherwise, she might be crushed by the memories or driven mad by them.
It wouldn’t even have a place to cry by then.
Biting its fluffy cat paw, Xixi lay prone on a bed in the system space. Its white fur was fluffy and soft, and a stream of light flashed from time to time in its golden cat eyes: [I’m sorry, host, Xixi doesn’t know either. However, Xixi suggests the host get some rest quickly. Judging by the rain, it probably won’t stop anytime soon.]
‘Okay.’
She nodded to show she understood. However, looking at the filthy little temple, which was covered in dust everywhere, Youyou really couldn’t find a place to sleep.
Seeing the little girl’s predicament, the female ghost knelt on the floor, covering her lips to stifle a light laugh. Gracefully, she removed her red outer robe and spread it on the ground.
“My lady, you can rest your head on my lap. I just woke up, and I’m not tired yet.”
After dozens of cycles, the female ghost understood the little lady very well. This was a delicate, yet also very obedient and cute girl. The thought that she would soon die and could then accompany her for all eternity filled the female ghost with joy.
She eagerly used a control spell to make the girl lie down. The female ghost placed her hand on Youyou’s cheek, and a chillingly cold ghostly energy wantonly entered Youyou’s body.
The warmth that invaded her soul, and that sweet fragrance of blood…
The female ghost stuck out the tip of her tongue and licked her lips, having already resolved to devour this entire body.
Of course, that would be when the little lady died.
“Heh, but isn’t this all my lady’s fault?”
“If my lady hadn’t trespassed so brazenly, Wuyou wouldn’t have developed this covetous heart. Since my lady has brought Wuyou’s heart back to life, then my lady should stay and accompany Wuyou, alright? You must accompany Wuyou in every lifetime.”
“Wuyou doesn’t need to ask about my lady’s origins, nor do I want to know my lady’s mysteries. Wuyou only wants my lady to stay here, even if only as a soul, even if it’s just to repeat these current events, even if karmic fire burns my body for eternity, Wuyou is willing.”
Her voice, intimate to the bone, held a madness and obsession that could not be ignored. The female ghost’s cheeks were crimson, and her eyes were now completely filled by pure black pupils, making for an exceptionally terrifying sight.
In her deep sleep, Youyou only felt a bone-deep cold. She couldn’t help but let out a whimper, but in the next instant, she was pulled into a scorching hot embrace.
“There, there…”
Her ink-black hair moved without a wind, and the female ghost allowed the karmic fires of hell to burn her body, her expression filled with a smile as gentle as a breeze.
…
The Shengqi Continent[mfn](t/n: Shengqi Continent (聖啓大陸): Shèng Qǐ Dàlù. Sheng (聖) means “holy” or “sacred,” and Qi (啓) means “to enlighten” or “to begin.” The name translates to something like the “Continent of Holy Enlightenment.”)[/mfn] believed in and worshipped gods.
Nearly every city had a temple established within it.
The Temple was an extremely large and prosperous organization on the Shengqi Continent. It had countless members, and its power and influence surpassed even that of the many empires.
Within the Temple, the one with the highest standing was the Temple Master, and beneath him were the Twelve High Priests. The Temple Saintess, however, was not part of this hierarchy. Instead, she was the god’s representative in the mortal world, with a status comparable to that of the Temple Master.[mfn](t/n: in case that was a bit confusing, the hierarchy is: Temple Master (leader of the Temple) → High Priests (most likely ones who offer sacrifices → Saintess (technically since she’s the “god’s representative”, she isn’t within the chain of command/hierarchy, but she does get a great deal of status))[/mfn]
The main duties of the Temple Saintess were to listen to the prayers of the faithful, pray for the blessings of the world in the Temple, and collect the power of faith for the god.
However, no matter how strong a Saintess’s holy power of light was, she was still a mere human. The painful and chaotic prayers of hundreds of millions of people were something even the god itself could not handle.
How could a Saintess be expected to?
Thus, the Saintesses who could not bear the burden would break down within a few short years, a state commonly known as being “polluted[mfn](t/n: Polluted (被污染): bèi wūrǎn, is the term used when a Saintess breaks down from the mental and spiritual strain of processing countless prayers. It implies she has been tainted by the negative energy, pain, and chaos, rendering her “impure” and unfit for her holy role.)[/mfn],” no longer worthy of being the god’s representative.
And the Temple would naturally not spare these traitors to their god.
Those no-longer-pure Saintesses would be disposed of by the Temple’s priests using cruel methods—in other words, they were killed.
For example, being drowned in the waters of the Nine Nethers[mfn](t/n: Nine Nethers (九幽): Jiǔyōu. A term from Chinese mythology and Daoism referring to the deepest, darkest realms of the underworld. “Waters of the Nine Nethers” evokes a sense of ultimate, chilling damnation) [/mfn], and then having one’s soul cleansed by the karmic fire of hell[mfn](t/n: Karmic fire of hell (地獄業火): Dìyù yèhuǒ. An explicit reference to the fires of hell that punish sinners according to their karma. This is the same yèhuǒ (karmic fire) mentioned earlier, now specified as coming from hell.)[/mfn].
The people of the world inflicted their sorrows and suffering upon their god.
The god then transferred those things to the Saintess.[mfn](crazy, bum ahh god T^T) (poor Saintesses)[/mfn]
Generation after generation, the Saintesses of the Temple could not escape the fate of death. The previous Saintess, Na Lian, whose talent was unparalleled, held on for over a decade before she, too, failed.
The Saintess Na Lian’s holy power was formidable, and her intelligence was almost demonic[mfn](t/n: Intelligence was almost demonic (智多近妖): zhì duō jìn yāo. A common Chinese fantasy phrase to describe someone whose intelligence is so profound it seems unnatural or supernatural.)[/mfn]. As her sanity began to slip, she vaguely uncovered the secrets and plans the Temple had tried so hard to conceal.
When a Saintess became polluted, her holy white robes would gradually turn black.
Although Na Lian tried her best to hide it, the Temple authorities still noticed that something was amiss.
When the waters of the Nine Nethers touched her body and the karmic fire of hell burned her for ten days and ten nights, Na Lian, in her desperation, abandoned her physical body and everything else.
Using a forbidden curse, she walked the path of ghosts and demons[mfn](t/n: Path of ghosts and demons (鬼魔之道): guǐ mó zhī dào. This basically says that she has forsaken a mortal or holy path and embraced a forbidden, dark existence as a powerful undead entity.)[/mfn]. With her own power, she cursed the entire Holy City into a City of the Dead, trapping all intelligent beings within and forcing their souls to repeatedly suffer the torment she had endured.
The price was that Na Lian would have no future; her soul would be subjected to the burning of karmic fire and the tempering of the Nine Nethers every moment of every day.
Until her obsession[mfn](t/n: Obsession (执念): zhíniàn, is a key concept in East Asian folklore, especially concerning ghosts/dead ppl. It’s the powerful, lingering attachment or unresolved emotion that ties a spirit to the mortal plane and prevents it from moving on. Her torment is tied directly to the existence of this obsession.)[/mfn] fades and her soul dissipates.
“There, there…”
Unbeknownst to Youyou, the thin red robe she was wearing had also changed into the likeness of a wedding dress. After a night had passed, the curtain of rain outside gradually ceased, and a crimson sun began to hang high in the sky, looking as if it were about to burn.
“Hot.”
Youyou slowly opened her eyes, only to meet a pair of eyes that seemed to be smiling, yet not smiling.[mfn](t/n: kind of like an ambiguous smile/unreadable smile)[/mfn]
Her face flushed slightly. Youyou bit her lip, feeling timid for some reason.
“W-Wuyou?”
A feeling etched deep in her soul made Youyou inexplicably afraid of what was to come. But Youyou was naturally well-behaved; no matter how scared she was, she was incapable of doing anything to hurt others.
“My lady is awake?”
Leaning over, she gently planted a kiss on the corner of the girl’s lips. Wuyou smiled warmly, her incomparably beautiful face[mfn](t/n: Incomparably beautiful (傾國傾城): Qīngguó qīngchéng, literally means “topple cities and ruin states.” It is used to describe a woman of devastating, legendary beauty.)[/mfn] brimming with doting affection.
“It’s a beautiful, sunny day. Shall Wuyou take my lady out for a stroll?”
Youyou: …
“Why… do you keep calling me ‘my lady’?”
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