Chapter 185: The Truth of the Dragon Lady
The upside-down corpse slowly dissipated into strands of black smoke in the blazing flames. Chen Yunshi stood silently to the side, watching with wide eyes. She simply flicked a match, and that lifeless body ignited instantly like a stack of dry firewood, the blaze roaring and uncontainable.
In her daze, she thought she heard the sound of weeping—coming from the corpse before her.
The crying was not loud, but the despair and extreme pain it carried was unmistakable.
It was a whimper, the kind of sound that showed someone was too exhausted to cry properly, enough to break anyone’s heart.
The soul within the corpse was carried away by the flames, and the strands of black smoke represented the fleeing soul and the remnants of curses.
Chen Yunshi noticed the corpse’s hand slowly lowering.
She was finally free, after being hung up there for over a hundred years.
Without Qian Mu having to say it, Chen Yunshi already knew the excruciating torment this corpse had endured in life.
It was simple for a person to d*e and become an evil ghost—hate, resentment, far too much of it.
But who had ever heard of someone dying and turning into an evil god?
“All these years, why haven’t you let her down, freed her early?” Chen Yunshi’s gaze fell on Qian Mu.
“Free her? It’s not that simple. My dear master, my lovely host, listen to me: this corpse is truly my root. Burning her will have a huge impact on me. How could I let her go so easily?”
“So you’ve just been watching for all these years? Never thought about putting her down and settling things?”
“Of course I just watched! I won’t let anyone in this village approach here, at least not while I’m still the Godmother. Anyone who dares step in here will d*e.” Qian Mu shrugged and turned, linking her arm around Chen Yunshi’s.
It was obvious Chen Yunshi wanted to escape, but in the end, she let herself be held by Qian Mu.
“Anyway, I’ve suffered enough. If she’s hanging there, so be it—I won’t look.”
“Those three have all made their embryos look beautiful, but not me. I’ll do it this way, reminding me, torturing everyone in this village day and night.”
“Is that really how you think?” Chen Yunshi raised an eyebrow. “You think you can fool me? You, a pitiful evil god, want to pull one over on me?”
“Hehehe, can’t fool you.” Qian Mu tried to lean her head on Chen Yunshi’s shoulder. Chen Yunshi instinctively raised her hand to stop her, only to realize Qian Mu wasn’t solid, and her hand passed right through her face, still allowing Qian Mu to rest on her shoulder.
“I actually just have one thought, a simple yet immensely difficult thought,” Qian Mu said casually. “I want that monk to see her with his own eyes.”
“Now I’ve changed my mind. What’s the point of wasting energy on him? Cherish the people in front of you, don’t you think?”
“Eh.” Chen Yunshi made a disapproving noise.
“What’s with the noise?”
“Nothing, just thinking. You’re truly pathetic. After all that potential as a top-tier Godmother, you ended up being toyed with by a bald donkey. What a waste of your abilities!”
“I wasn’t a Godmother back then, just an ordinary little girl.”
“Excuses. You mean that monk is still alive, right?”
“Yes, yes, still alive. Blame it on my mercy.”
“Told you you’re useless, yet you won’t believe it. When we get back, you’ll see. Just wait until I take the number seven assassin’s head and place it right here where I’m standing, so he can decompose as he watches you.”
“Just you? ‘Number seven’—you’re probably scaring your pants off just thinking about it. You know, An Que is a big guy among the Gatekeepers now.”
“Qian Mu, just you wait.”
“You think Gatekeepers are so easy to deal with? Li Banzheng, the guy who built the previous village, used to be the head of the Gatekeepers.”
Bai Yu stood at the entrance of the Canglong Cave, arms crossed, listening in on the conversation between the two.
From where she stood, she could hear every word exchanged.
She certainly knew the ‘Number Seven’ undead. He was fond of summoning undead creatures for team fights—quite the coward and overly cautious, so they hadn’t interacted much.
She believed that his cowardice was merely a facade; if it were true, he wouldn’t have made it to the ‘Number Seven’ position in the first place.
Unexpectedly, he shared a fate similar to the Dragon Lady where both had shattered souls, but she was fortunate—she found the other half of her soul in Qian Mu.
Looking at Qian Mu’s dark misty figure leaning on Chen Yunshi, it resembled the relationship between a person and their shadow.
Who would’ve thought that a person and their shadow could fall in love?
“Dragon Lady, what do you think?”
“Let’s ask her a few questions. She definitely knows quite a bit. What she said seems right; her situation is basically the same as mine.”
“Is it a problem with the people or this place?”
If only the Dragon Lady’s soul was shattered, that could maybe be a special case, related to her constitution.
Currently, both Chen Yunshi and Qian Mu came from Eternal Life Village, and if two souls from the same place were both shattered, it likely wasn’t a coincidence.
“I suspect it’s an issue with Eternal Life Village.”
As the Dragon Lady spoke, the whispers between the two figures in the cave finally finished, as the upside-down corpse had burned down to ashes. Qian Mu’s essence visibly weakened, creating a strange sensation as if, for that moment, she truly fused with Chen Yunshi, becoming her shadow.
“This time, thank you,” Chen Yunshi said, nodding.
“I have something to ask you, let’s walk and talk.”
“Alright.”
Outside the Canglong Cave, Bai Shuang’er had already been waiting. She still looked like her enlarged form and approached Bai Yu, bowing her head in invitation to hop on.
Considering the Dragon Lady’s seriously depleted strength, Bai Yu didn’t refuse, sitting sideways on Bai Shuang’er’s back, holding onto her fluffy neck with one arm.
This seated position was purely because of her battle skirt; sitting astride wasn’t suitable, plus it would hinder movement. Now in this position, she could easily stand up when needed.
Chen Yunshi looked over at Bai Shuang’er, realizing Qian Mu’s power was still wrapped around her.
“Wow, what a beautiful big fox! But… why does it seem a bit familiar? Fox, have I seen you somewhere before?”
“Your Highness, I am Shuang’er.” The fox tilted its head, well aware of who Chen Yunshi was, having listened in outside the cave.
“Oh, I remember! You’re the little rascal who used to sneakily nibble on my offerings!”
“Eh, please don’t remind me, Your Highness. Back then, I had no wit, no understanding.”
“It’s alright; I’m not mad. I never cared much for those offerings anyway, so nibble away!” Qian Mu gently patted Shuang’er on the head with a hand made of black mist before quickly retracting it.
“Actually, there was a time I purposely left a lot of your favorite snacks on the offering table, eagerly hoping you’d come. A little creature like you is a fun sight amidst all this darkness.”
“Thank you, Your Highness! I’ve become this smart in just over a hundred years, all thanks to your enlightenment.”
“No thanks needed; I didn’t do much. You’re clever enough on your own, after all. I’m not a real god who is omnipotent.”
“Your Highness is too kind.”
“Hmm, anyway, now that you’re with Miss Bai Yu, your potential will definitely surpass the time you spent with me. A bright future awaits you!”
“Hehehe, but I’m still a mount, and I’m not sure if Bai Yu will accept me.”
With their banter, Qian Mu intentionally pushed for Bai Yu to take in Bai Shuang’er.
She had a fondness for this clever little fox—smart and kind, with no ill intentions, whose greatest wish was simply to live and thrive.
Comparatively, that was miles ahead of those greedy villagers.
At least her heart was pure.
Right now, the two Godmothers were reduced to their weakest states; as long as they were still breathing, a comeback was possible.
Eventually, the believers would be mostly wiped out, and naturally, they would turn their attention to such spirits as them.
Sending them out to lure people in, to become new believers.
Bai Shuang’er had offended these two sisters of hers, and at this time, staying would truly mean waiting for d*ath.
Bai Yu remained silent until Qian Mu coughed, “So, Bai Yu, about the soul situation, I don’t really understand it fully. What I can tell you is that Yunshi’s soul is indeed shattered, divided between yin and yang; she’s the Yang, and I’m the Yin.”
“I’m her shadow, and now I’ve been separated to become a completely new, independent being.”
“But this separation comes with a cost.”
“I take something from her in the process; I think you’re aware of this.”
“A broken mirror will never be complete, so I’m now trying to reconcile with her as best as I can.”
“Usually, a shattered soul breaks into two halves.”
“Since you’re alive, you belong to the Yang; the portion you split off is the Yin, but where it is—alive or dead—I don’t know. You have to be prepared that it might not be recoverable.”
“I’ll use myself as an example. I am Yin, an evil god. If I d*e in Eternal Life Village at the hands of my two good sisters, then Yunshi will never find me. Her life will be lacking.”
“Do try to find it; it will have benefits.”
“The feeling of having one’s soul completed is truly wonderful.”
“And I have a clue: evil gods come from the Ghost Gate. What’s behind the Ghost Gate, I don’t know. I am a primal evil god, unlike my sisters.”
“Moreover, it’s highly possible that the soul was torn from there.”
“The Yin must relate to ghosts and evil gods; otherwise, how could it be Yin?”
“When ghosts and evil gods get involved, I can only think of that place.”
“I said earlier I don’t know what’s behind the door—not because I haven’t looked, quite the opposite; I’ve been there. But there was nothing. I went in on this side and came out on the other, having seen nothing at all.”
“Your strength is greater than mine, and even greater than my older sister, Burning Heart.”
“If you have an idea, you can investigate. It will definitely be dangerous; I don’t need to tell you that.”
“And about Burning Heart, go see Gatekeeper An Que. If you can’t find him, there’s another method.”
“Eradicate Burning Heart’s will.”
The features on Qian Mu’s face were quite blurry, but it was apparent she smiled when she said this.
“Having Burning Heart on your soul right now is actually beneficial, provided you can erase her will. Once her will is gone, her power will serve as a remedy, completing your soul, and you won’t need to seek out your Yin anymore.”
“Of course, things taken by the Yin are definitely unrecoverable. But it’s fine, your soul will be completed. If you can’t retrieve it, then embrace the new!”
“Alright, that’s all I know about souls for now. I wish you both success.”
“Yep.” Bai Yu pondered, sitting on Shuang’er’s back, deep in thought as they reached outside the temple.
She was contemplating one issue and communicated with the Dragon Lady briefly.
When the Dragon Lady came close, she felt she was regaining her emotions.
And now being a ghost, since she was a ghost, wouldn’t she have a past identity?
A ghost’s identity aligns perfectly with what Qian Mu referred to as “Yin”.
So, could her new identity be the Yin aspect of the Dragon Lady?”
This idea was swiftly dismissed by the Dragon Lady for a simple reason.
She hadn’t just begun to feel that Bai Yu could restore her soul; she sensed it back when they were in the sc*m Game.
During the sc*m Game phase, Bai Yu and she had absolutely no connection, nor were they even from the same world.
Thus, her Yin aspect must belong to another ghost.
But that didn’t matter anymore; she couldn’t be bothered to search.
Lacking a soul, the pain resided in the absence of emotions—now that she was with Bai Yu and felt emotions, why bother searching for her Yin?
She would let fate decide; if she found it, she would devour it, if not, so be it.
She would never give up Bai Yu and Zhao Mingyue for the sake of some so-called Yin aspect; she’d have to be brain-dead to consider that.
Was her sister Bai Yu not more tempting than her Yin?
Qian Mu waved her hand, absorbing the remaining curses and malice from the temple, “What a treasure! Just lying around, waiting for me to take advantage of it.”
“Miss Bai Yu, you must have visited the temple before, right?”
Standing in the temple, looking at the four statues of gods reduced to rubble, she fell into silence.
No wonder her two sisters had come crawling to her.
The temple being in such a state meant they were truly out of options.
Gazing at a statue head on the ground with five pairs of eyes, Qian Mu felt a wave of relief wash over her.
Finally, she could escape this place.
To Eternal Life Village, she was bondage and darkness, but reversed, it was no different for her.
“Their embryos are right here, and I suggest we don’t destroy them. Just take them away.”
“With the embryos in your hands, you’ll have them by the throat.”
“These two embryos are quite adorable; just pop a soul in, and they can live.”
“Having them by your side, absorbing malice daily will only make you stronger.”
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And there’s more to come in the afternoon and evening.
Please support me, I’m kneeling here, sobbing!
