Chapter 100: Gu Maiden (13)

Unable to resist, m577 typed: [Fr…fragile?]

How peculiar it sounded coming from the host’s mouth!

Tong Ling let out a soft humph, “Look at this desolate wilderness and secluded residence, with just a lone man and a single woman present. I possess no martial skills whatsoever, yet encountering a highly skilled man here— if I’m not fragile, who could be?”

m577’s virtual eyelids twitched: [What man? He’s a monk, a renounced ascetic!]

Tong Ling responded seriously, “Are you suggesting monks aren’t men? That borders on discrimination.”

m577 finally understood; clearly, the host had taken a fancy to this monk!

As m577 observed Buddhist Monk Chengming, even without hair, the monk was strikingly handsome…

“This… is truly sinful…” m577 sighed deeply. It felt genuinely unfortunate that such a virtuous and enlightened person like Chengming would fall under the host’s gaze.

Tong Ling realized Xie Xuefeng had sought external help after losing contact with her slave gu. Considering the characters who appeared in the original plot, she could guess with near certainty who had arrived.

In the original plot, Buddhist Monk Chengming did not actively pursue the female supporting character. He was a compassionate monk who abstained from committing acts of violence. However, he essentially functioned as her personal detector. After recovering some of the poison gu released by the female character, the Buddhist monk used them to track her down. This allowed others in the jianghu to learn her whereabouts, providing significant convenience for those hunting her.

As a mere tool-like presence, Tong Ling initially paid little attention to him until she saw his face.

“For such a character to be relegated to serving as the male lead’s pawn, your God’s script is truly excessive!” Tong Ling lamented with deep regret. “Whether it’s moral conduct, appearance, or martial prowess, how does the male lead compare favorably to him? In this jianghu, why has a hypocritical imposter become the Alliance Chief? Where is any semblance of chivalry?”

“This isn’t solely the God’s script; it reflects the natural progression of the small world,” m577 defended. “The male lead’s background and growth trajectory注定 him to become the new leader. Given that someone like the Buddhist monk has no selfish desires, assisting the male lead aligns perfectly with his nature.”

Tong Ling sneered, “Little M, as expected from a system created by the God, you still haven’t grasped the true nature of these small worlds even now.”

m577 was startled internally: [Bell Sister, what do you mean by that?]

“If this were the natural progression of the small world, the consciousness of the cannon fodder female supporting characters wouldn’t have awakened, and we wouldn’t possess the so-called ‘original plot.’ Why would a small world have an original plot to begin with? If every character is confined to their predetermined roles, performing only what they’re supposed to, can they truly be considered individuals?” Tong Ling’s eyes darkened, her tone filled with malice. “They are merely puppets, tools for the God’s amusement.”

m577 desperately wanted to refute her, but it didn’t know how to respond. Since its creation, its programming had always been to maintain the normal functioning of the small worlds according to the established plots…

“Why did your previous hosts refuse to continue working with you? The rewards offered by your God are abundant—He provides various artifacts, turning people into irresistible charmers or bestowing them with lucky golden fingers. Following the script should be simple; why would they not want to comply?” Tong Ling questioned.

The m577’s programming once again became disordered: [Their… their souls were damaged.]

“Yes, your system requires contracts with resilient spirits, but even those strong souls couldn’t withstand the torment within these small worlds,” Tong Ling speculated further. “What do you think happens to the original world’s souls? These small worlds have predetermined plot trajectories; when everything revolves around the male and female protagonists, God can maximize the gathering of soul energy. Once the plot reaches its conclusion, there’s a wave of reaping, and that small world is naturally abandoned.”

m577 was greatly alarmed by this host’s conjecture: [Impossible, we exist to maintain the stability of the small worlds…]

“The small worlds need your maintenance?” Tong Ling laughed. “In my home star system, U-A78, it functioned perfectly well without your intervention, didn’t it? Without any designated male or female leads, each person had their own life path. Isn’t that preferable?”

m577 fell silent, still unable to accept such a terrifying hypothesis.

“Do you know why your God didn’t choose my world as a testing ground?” Tong Ling whispered softly, “Because our world’s technology can detect the energy of foreign entities. He feared exposure of His true intentions and thus only creates scripts within technologically backward worlds.”

“Your God might have read too many clichéd stories; even the most exceptional individuals become mere stepping stones for the protagonist in those scripts…” Tong Ling chuckled, “I wouldn’t do that. I would help them find their purpose, allow them to enjoy life. Can you see anything wrong with this approach?”

Normally, m577 would have mocked its host for being shameless, clearly using grandiose justifications to mask her desire to seduce men. However, after hearing Tong Ling’s earlier words, m577 began doubting both the God’s missions and its own purpose…

“I will investigate the status of the small worlds where I genuinely completed tasks before,” m577 stated before falling silent.

The mental exchange between Tong Ling and the system took only a brief moment, equivalent to a few seconds of pause in the real world.

In those few seconds, Tong Ling approached Buddhist Monk Chengming and softly asked, “Why don’t you respond, monk? Are you mute?”

As she neared, Chengming heard the tinkling of bracelets on her wrists, accompanied by a peculiar, faint fragrance wafting from her presence. He composed himself, shook his head, and gently placed the insects from his palms before her.

Tong Ling raised her eyebrows slightly. “If you don’t speak, how can I understand your intentions? You’ve already harmed my precious bugs; do you think giving them back absolves you from compensation?”

Chengming sighed. This benefactor seemed utterly oblivious to the wrongfulness of her actions. By placing these venomous insects at the courtyard entrance, if anyone else had entered instead of him, they would have been invaded and endangered by now.

Considering that the insects had not yet harmed anyone, Chengming chose to release them back into the wild.

The venomous creatures leisurely floated up from Buddhist Monk Chengming’s palms and returned to Tong Ling’s side. She was astonished by the monk’s actions—this ascetic truly adhered to non-violence, even sparing her venomous insects. Where did such immense compassion come from?

Buddhist Monk Chengming was unlike anyone Tong Ling had encountered before. He possessed methods to counter poison and insects, along with a protective layer of true qi surrounding his body. Ordinary techniques for deploying her venomous bugs proved ineffective against him. With the Buddhist monk’s formidable martial prowess, Tong Ling found it not only impossible to attack but even difficult to touch him.

However, this didn’t mean she was entirely helpless against him. Everyone has their weaknesses, and Chengming’s was strikingly apparent—so much so that upon first seeing him, Tong Ling instinctively took him as one of her own.

Under the watchful gaze of the smiling woman, Chengming pressed his palms together and silently recited a Buddha mantra. The reason he hadn’t immediately subdued this benefactor upon entering was because he noticed her steps were unsteady, her limbs weak, and devoid of any inner strength. She was frail enough that even commoners from the jianghu could easily overpower her; hardly seemed like someone involved in martial affairs.

If not for the swarm of insects gathering around her, Chengming wouldn’t have lingered. This benefactor’s attitude towards him also felt…quite peculiar. Typically, members of the demon cult either hastily fled or tried relentlessly to assassinate him. Dealing with such individuals required no hesitation, but handling this particular benefactor…

Recalling Xie Tanyue’s agonizing torment from the poison, Buddhist Monk Chengming wasted no more time and prepared to subdue this female benefactor.

The task proved far simpler than he anticipated; it barely counted as apprehending someone. The woman willingly surrendered, allowing him to seal her major acupoints with his qi without any resistance. Throughout the process, the venomous insects remained obediently at a distance, never approaching him once.

She continued gazing up at Chengming with a radiant smile, her eyes devoid of discontent or resentment. Instead, there was something within them that Chengming couldn’t quite comprehend. Under her unwavering stare, Chengming felt inexplicably uneasy…

“Just moments ago, I mentioned you were a rule-abiding monk, yet now you’re already breaking them.” This was Tong Ling’s first experience being immobilized by pressure points. Feeling unable to control her body intrigued her somewhat. She rolled her eyes playfully and giggled, “Now that I’m in your hands, whatever you do, I must simply accept my fate!”

Chengming pursed his lips, momentarily unsure of how to handle this female benefactor.

Fanjing Temple was a place of purity; bringing Benefactor Tong inside would be against their principles. He also couldn’t entrust her to Xie Tanyue, as his aura reeked with excessive killing intent. Chengming dared not risk adding further sin to Xie Tanyue’s burden…

“Hey, Monk!” After standing still for quite some time, Tong Ling noticed that Buddhist Monk Chengming ignored her pleas. She called out, “Are you trying to make me stand here until I collapse from exhaustion? What a cruel-hearted monk you are!”

“Hurry and help me sit down or carry me indoors,” she implored. “My body can’t endure this torment.”

Chengming had never encountered such language before. Instantly, he lowered his head, silently reciting scriptures within his mind.

This female benefactor truly must be one of those enchantresses from the demon cult, spewing such…such shameless words without hesitation. No wonder Xie Tanyue described her as cunning, deceitful, and vile…

“Monk, I’m genuinely feeling unwell,” the woman cried again. “My chest hurts terribly, please come check on me…”

Unwilling to hear more of these words, Chengming swiftly raised his hand and struck another pressure point, rendering her mute.

With the woman silenced, tranquility immediately returned to the courtyard.

Chengming continued pondering, seeking a way to restrain Benefactor Tong without causing her harm.

“Ugh—” A muffled groan echoed out.

Chengming looked up and saw that the once spirited Benefactor Tong now had a face pale as paper, trembling uncontrollably. She glared at him with a mix of anguish and resentment before coughing up a mouthful of blood, her entire body swaying precariously.

Taken aback, Chengming realized he had merely sealed her acupoints, not inflicted any injury upon her. How could this be happening…?

There was no time to dwell on it. Chengming swiftly checked the woman’s pulse, his brow furrowing instantly.

Benefactor Tong’s pulse indicated…a backlash from a poison or curse!

If left untreated, she would likely not survive for long…

Already grappling with how to handle this benefactor, Chengming found himself faced with another dilemma. Saving her meant aiding a demonic enchantress who harmed Xie Tanyue, but letting her die went against Chengming’s conscience, unable to bear witnessing a life perish needlessly.

Ultimately, unable to withstand the guilt within, Chengming unsealed Benefactor Tong’s acupoints and gently guided her weakened form into the room.

After scanning the situation in the small world, m577 returned somberly from the vast data stream to the host’s consciousness sea. Upon reconnecting with its host, it was startled by the scene unfolding before it.

“[Wh-why are you embracing?!]” m577 had assumed that someone like Buddhist Monk Chengming would at least hold out for some time; how could he succumb so quickly to the host’s advances?

Tong Ling was too drained to engage with the system further. She deliberately activated the poison within her body, causing herself immense distress, confident that Buddhist Monk Chengming wouldn’t let her perish without aid. Having seized this rare opportunity, Tong Ling wasted no time. As soon as they entered the room, she clutched his monk robes and leaned in for a kiss on his lips.

The sudden embrace stunned Chengming; he never anticipated that someone near death from a venomous insect could still find the strength, under these circumstances, to…to do such a thing!

He tasted blood, devoid of any metallic tang, instead sweet like honey, combined with the soft sensation against his lips. In that moment, he intended to push her away but it was too late… He had broken his vows. Chengming’s inner turmoil surged, feeling utterly overwhelmed. All he could see was Benefactor Tong’s pale yet strikingly beautiful face, a faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Just before losing consciousness, she uttered her final words:

“You belong to me now.”