Chapter 305: The Dragon Lady’s Past
The dark scene twisted and morphed, starting with twinkling starlight, surrounded by a light that seemed infinitely stretched, creating a funnel-shaped space filled with countless colors. The Dragon Lady rose from the couch, already knowing what that Nightmare fellow was up to.
“You want to control me?”
“Well, perhaps that’s part of it. But mainly, I want to see your memories. After all, you’re the infamous Dragon Lady, the third most powerful being. Opportunities like this are too rare to pass up, don’t you think?” The Nightmare tore away her disguise completely, the trademark smile on her face sending chills down one’s spine.
“I have this little hobby of collecting dreams, especially those of people stronger than me. Want to know why I want to k*ll the Doctor? Because I want her dreams.”
“Please forgive my collecting obsession; it’s my motivation to keep on living.”
“People need to know the meaning of their existence—whether it’s making more money, getting stronger to see higher vistas, or, like you, pursuing familial ties.”
“Compared to you all, my reason to live is quite simple.”
“But today isn’t about that. Dragon Lady, I have a question I need you to answer.”
“You were once so crazy, vowing to k*ll the Doctor. So why did you change after coming to this world? Your transformation is massive! From the first day you came to my house, I’ve been observing you. There was a moment when I thought I had the wrong person. This gentle girl who jokes around and takes care of children—really, is she the same ferocious beast?”
“I’ve never heard of a ferocious beast who’s good at babysitting!”
The Nightmare stepped forward, her form ethereal, an indescribable murky aura rising from her, searching for the Dragon Lady’s deep-seated, unmentionable memories.
The vibrant, bizarre funnel world reverted to normal. With a ray of sunlight falling, the world regained its light.
It was an ancient village nestled in the mountains.
At first glance, the village seemed inexplicably eerie, like a heavy stone was pressing down on your chest, making it hard to breathe. The gloomy sky was drizzling lightly, and within that rain curtain, there were no peaceful cooking smoke, just the hushed whispers subtly echoing in the background.
These whispers seemed to be honoring some god, sometimes rising high, sometimes dipping low. Suddenly, a heart-wrenching wail shattered the silence, and from the direction of the whispers, it could be heard that the crowd had quickened their pace. What was once discernible became entirely incomprehensible.
“Eternal Life Village, no wonder,” the Nightmare stood beside the Dragon Lady, both their perspectives aligned with that of the former Dragon Lady’s.
Tap, tap, tap.
The sound of a wooden cane striking the stone tiles came from outside the door, followed by an aged voice, “Zhao Yi, I need to talk to you, open the door.”
‘Zhao Yi’ didn’t rush to open the door but hurriedly moved to unlock the side room, confirming that the person inside was still sound asleep. She carefully locked the door before finally opening the main door.
Standing at the entrance was an elderly man in a grey robe. He was very old and stooped, yet despite that, he towered over one at about six-foot-three. That dead grey face, lined with wrinkles and age spots, looked horrifying to ‘Zhao Yi’, especially those murky eyes that seemed lifeless.
With hands as dry as twigs, he lifted his hood and looked down at Zhao Yi, “The day of the sacrifice is tomorrow. I’m here to take her away. Don’t worry; offering her body to the god is her fortune. Being favored by the god is her blessing. You must believe that the Saintess has divine favor and will bring good luck to you, your family, and the entire village.”
“But she will d*e.” Zhao Yi’s voice sounded very youthful, definitely not over thirteen.
“No, she will gain eternal life.”
The clan leader said this with a seriousness that conveyed the weight of what he believed to be an important fact.
“Then I’ll never see her again, will I?”
“She will achieve eternal life.” The clan leader repeated this phrase.
At this point, the Nightmare could feel Zhao Yi’s emotions starting to swirl.
To her surprise, however, Zhao Yi suddenly said, “I remember, the Saintess was supposed to choose me, right? My sister is too young; the god might not be satisfied. An ignorant child could easily blaspheme the god. Instead, I’ll go tomorrow in her place! I also want eternal life!”
“I won’t blaspheme the god, and my sister can wait a few years. By the time she’s older, I imagine the god won’t be so impatient for just a few years.”
“Fruits must ripen to be delicious; unripe fruit, no matter how nice it looks, is always sour!”
Hearing such words from a child wasn’t surprising to the Nightmare.
The clan leader fell silent, pulled up his hood, and turned away, “Come with me.”
“I know where to go. Let me say a few words to my sister first.”
Zhao Yi was insistent, but instead of entering the room, she carved a symbol into the table with a kn*fe, hiding the room key inside an old jar.
The events that followed were straightforward—Zhao Yi was taken to a cave, where she signed a contract with the Ghost Gate.
Yes, the Ghost Gate.
After dealing with them for so long, the Nightmare could distinguish if it was the Ghost Gate or the Evil God; she was certain the contract she signed involved sacrificing half of her soul.
However, neither she nor the surrounding villagers knew this fact, believing instead it to be a pact with the Evil God.
It seemed there was more to the contract; the Nightmare witnessed an incomplete Evil God entering Zhao Yi’s body, leading to some terrifying transformations.
From here on, the Nightmare hastened the playback speed of the memory world.
From Zhao Yi’s first-person perspective, she watched as her body gradually morphed towards that of a crawling creature, sprouting scales, her eyes turning into slits, even shedding skin.
Zhao Yi had always feared reptiles. After surviving the sacrificial day without being killed, she wrote down these words in her later memories.
“I’ve had enough of the excruciating shedding, watching the scales flake off, starting from the edges, drying up like a filthy, torn outfit wrapped around me. It took every ounce of strength to peel it off completely; I never want to feel that cold, slippery sensation again in this lifetime.”
“Those d*mn reptiles and Evil Gods; one day I’ll k*ll them all.”
“I bet their flesh tastes terrible, full of the stench of rot.”
