Chapter 110: Gu Maiden (23)

Recalling common tropes from wuxia literature, Tong Ling began, “You’ve come.”

Xie Xuefeng tightened his grip on the sword hidden within his sleeve. “I have indeed.”

Tong Ling was momentarily speechless.

It connected perfectly! This felt like the showdown between the protagonist and the ultimate boss!

Tong Ling quickly composed herself, maintaining her persona as a besotted villainess. “I’ve been waiting for you to end my life.”

Xie Xuefeng’s voice resonated with righteous determination. “The moment you unleashed your poison upon innocent lives, you should have anticipated this fate.”

With self-derision, Tong Ling replied, “I acknowledge my wrongdoings and am willing to face the consequences.”

Xie Xuefeng sighed. “If that is so, I will grant you a swift death.”

Tears welled up in Tong Ling’s eyes. “Xie Lang, will you remember me?”

Xie Xuefeng did not answer. Instead, he raised his concealed blade, Snow Essence. Since Xiling possessed no martial skills and offered no resistance, killing her would be effortless for him.

Xie Xuefeng had long decided to take her life, and now that Xiling willingly accepted death at his hands, there was no need…for hesitation.

Xie Xuefeng suppressed the inexplicable emotions surging within him. He aimed his sword at Xiling’s heart, ready to strike, when suddenly his wrist went numb, and the blade fell from his hand. Before his eyes, Xiling swayed twice and collapsed.

Recalling the look in Xiling’s gaze, he couldn’t resist wrapping his arms around her slender waist. As soon as he touched her body, his heartbeat thundered louder than ever before. It was as if only now did he fully grasp how crucial this woman standing before him truly was. Yet…

Xie Xuefeng checked for Xiling’s pulse and breath, but found neither. How could there be no sign of life? He clearly hadn’t killed her; why would she…

With a bewildered expression, still grappling to understand what had happened, Xie Xuefeng was overwhelmed by the jubilant cheers and clamor surrounding him.

“The demoness is dead! Xuezhu-gongzi has slain the fiend—truly cause for celebration!”

“Diancang Sect supports Xuezhu-gongzi as the new Alliance Chief!”

“The Tang Sect concurs!”

“Hua Jian Sect agrees!”

The crowd pulled Xie Xuefeng aside, and at some point, Medicine Sage from Medicine King Valley had taken Xiling from his arms.

As congratulations filled Xie Xuefeng’s ears, he turned to look at Xiling only to hear the Medicine Sage utter, “What a pity.” Then, overcome by darkness, he fainted.

When Xie Xuefeng next awoke, he found himself dressed in vibrant red wedding attire, facing a hall full of guests and a veiled bride. His memories were still frozen at the moment Xiling collapsed. The mere thought of her sent a stabbing pain radiating throughout his body. With a hoarse voice, he asked, “Where is Xiling?”

“Are you talking about that demon cult enchantress?” The veiled bride approached him, smiling. “She’s long dead, Xuefeng~ Today is our wedding day; why would you think of her now?”

“Our wedding?” A headache throbbed in Xie Xuefeng’s head, and the way this “woman” addressed him made every hair on his body stand up. “What wedding?! I’m not getting married!”

It seemed as though the guests couldn’t hear him, continuing their congratulatory remarks unabated:

“Young Lady Meng and Xuezhu-gongzi make such a perfect couple, truly heaven-sent!”

“What ‘Xuezhu-gongzi’? This is Alliance Leader Xie Feng, the one destined for love with Young Lady Meng!”

“Wishing Alliance Leader Xie and Young Lady Meng a lifetime of devotion and everlasting unity!”

“Miss Meng?” Xie Xuefeng took two steps back, suddenly realizing why he felt such intense aversion to this “woman.” “I won’t marry her! I never said I would!”

Who was behind this? How had he ended up at this wedding for no apparent reason? Who was this Miss Meng—Meng Qing or that second young master of the Meng family? Regardless, Xie Xuefeng wanted nothing to do with marrying either!

Just as he made to leave, someone pulled him back. The hand restraining him belonged unmistakably to a man, its knuckles sharply defined. At the sight of those fingers, Xie Xuefeng’s stomach churned anew.

This was… Meng Lianzhou!

Xie Xuefeng looked up and saw the bride lift her veil, smiling sweetly as she said, “Xuefeng~ how could you leave before the ceremony is over? You’re not going anywhere.”

“Meng Lianzhou, have you gone mad?!” Xie Xuefeng exclaimed, furious and shocked. “Get away from me—I’m not marrying anyone! Get lost!”

He tried to shove aside the man beside him, but his acupoints had been sealed. For the rest of the wedding, he felt like a puppet, controlled by others to perform the marriage rites before the assembled guests.

The crowd below turned a blind eye, their joyous expressions sending chills down Xie Xuefeng’s spine. Overwhelmed with anger, he collapsed once more.

When Xie Xuefeng opened his eyes again, he found himself under a red bridal veil. Struggling, he realized he was once more tied to the bedpost—the past repeating itself…

If their previous wedding night had been a nightmare for him, then this time…this time it was a cruel and terrifying reality!

Xie Xuefeng’s chest heaved uncontrollably, as if veiled by a layer of blood-red haze. Hearing movements from the bed, accompanied by whispers of tender endearments, he called out, “Ling-er, is that you?”

Xie Xuefeng knew with certainty that he hadn’t been afflicted with the slave charm; his mind remained clear. Yet, he couldn’t suppress his feelings for Xiling. “Are you still alive?!”

He strained to control his emotions, trying desperately to ignore the sounds he didn’t want to hear. Compared to those, what mattered most was…that Xiling might still be alive!

The woman turned to Meng Lianzhou and asked, “Didn’t you mute him?”

Meng Lianzhou replied, “Since he fainted, I figured there was no need.”

“Never mind, he can’t do much anyway. Let him be,” she giggled. “Lian-er, your health isn’t good. Once the Medicine Sage arrives, he’ll help adjust your condition.”

“You think I won’t last?” questioned Meng Lianzhou.

Meng Lianzhou’s voice dripped with feigned gentleness. “Is my consideration so thorough that it makes you underestimate me?”

The woman gasped, and from then on, Xie Xuefeng had no desire to hear anything further.

It felt as if someone had thrown him into a furnace; his entire body trembled with agony.

“Ling-er, Ling-er…” Xie Xuefeng frantically slammed against the bedpost, pleading in desperation, “Are you deliberately punishing me? I was wrong, I understand now—I do love you. I don’t want anything else, not even the alliance leadership or marriage contracts. All I want is you! Ling-er, I only want you!”

The woman sneered, “Xiling is dead, so why howl here, Xie Xuefeng?”

“She isn’t dead! She isn’t!” Tears streamed down Xie Xuefeng’s face. “Ling-er, I know it’s you. The Medicine Sage saved you, didn’t he?! It doesn’t matter as long as you’re alive—how could I ever want to kill you? I couldn’t bear to!”

Xie Xuefeng wondered how he had been blind before, failing to recognize Xiling’s goodness. With her deep love for him, why would he have forsaken her?

“Ignore him, don’t let this man spoil our mood.”

A precious bead streaked through the air, precisely striking Xie Xuefeng’s mute acupoint. He tried yelling but found himself silenced, causing his tears to flow even more uncontrollably.

Xie Xuefeng repeatedly slammed his head against the bedpost, blood streaming down from his forehead. The physical pain paled in comparison to the agony within his heart; he regretted it, truly regretted it…

When Meng Lianzhou finally released Xie Xuefeng from the bedpost, he stumbled around the room searching for the woman’s presence. “Ling-er? Ling-er, where did you go?”

Meng Lianzhou, still dressed in women’s attire, had untied him firmly and now supported his arm, guiding him outside. “Xuefeng~ Are you confused? There’s no Ling-er here.”

Upon stepping out, the servants and maids greeted them in unison, “Greetings, Young Master and Madam.”

Meng Lianzhou distributed rewards to everyone but didn’t bother tending to Xie Xuefeng’s wounds, leading him away from the Xie residence without delay.

With an empty stomach, Xie Xuefeng felt nauseous yet couldn’t even vomit. He walked aimlessly, sensing malice in every gaze directed at him, while all around exclaimed, “Alliance Leader Xie and the Madam are so deeply in love!”

Meng Lianzhou echoed their sentiment, saying, “Xuefeng and I will never be separated!”

Hearing this, Xie Xuefeng doubled over and coughed up a mouthful of blood. “This isn’t what I wanted… This isn’t what I wanted…”

“Xuefeng, how can you be so greedy?” Meng Lianzhou shoved Xie Xuefeng aside with disdain. “You’re the Alliance Chief, married to me, the most beautiful person under heaven. What more could you possibly desire?”

Indeed, he was the Alliance Chief, but not a single soul respected him! And this “wife” had stolen away his beloved woman—what did he have to be satisfied about? Should he be content knowing he’s been cuckolded?!

“Don’t embarrass yourself out here; pretend to be happy if you want to survive!” Meng Lianzhou scolded in a low voice. “Otherwise, don’t blame me for taking matters into my own hands!”

In a daze, Xie Xuefeng allowed Meng Lianzhou to lead him through the city, receiving congratulations from all directions. As he contemplated his predicament, Xie Xuefeng began with a soft chuckle that escalated into maniacal laughter, “Ha ha ha ha…”

“What’s wrong with you?” Meng Lianzhou cast a bewildered glance at Xie Xuefeng. “Have you gone mad?”

Xie Xuefeng wished fervently that he had indeed lost his mind; perhaps this entire world was insane. “I need to see her…” He knew only Xiling could change his situation. “I must see her!”

“You won’t be seeing her,” Meng Lianzhou replied coldly. “Never again.”

As soon as m577 broke through the God’s restrictions on it, it promptly exclaimed, “I can dismantle the equipment now!”

In recent days, m577 had been preoccupied with its tasks and hadn’t even had time to check on the host’s situation. It only knew that the plot should have been progressing smoothly; their lack of expulsion by the God indicated that the host was handling the plot missions well. However, upon seeing the completion indicator displayed on the plot monitoring device, it couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, “You’ve already completed your task?”

It had assumed its data analysis would outpace the host’s progress, allowing it to take care of this world’s mission without burdening her. Yet unexpectedly, it failed to provide any assistance…

“Wait, give me a moment to say my goodbyes.” Tong Ling understood the urgency to dismantle the equipment and knew they couldn’t delay, but she still had some words to share, which wouldn’t take long.

m577 eagerly awaited, rubbing its metaphorical hands: “Sure, I’ll wait for you!”

At present, Tong Ling was still at the Meng household. Sitting beside her, the fairy-like beauty Meng Qing peeled grapes with slender, delicate fingers. One by one, translucent berries were placed into Tong Ling’s mouth. As she savored their sweet-tart flesh, Tong Ling said to Meng Qing, “Don’t just feed me; Qing-er, you eat too.”

Meng Qing pursed her lips and smiled, a slight blush gracing cheeks as luminous as jade. “Ling-er, from now on, can we always be like this…together?”

After Luo Qinghe orchestrated Tong Ling’s fake death, she moved into the Meng residence. Apart from leaving for a day during Xie Xuefeng’s wedding, she had spent these recent days accompanying Meng Qing.

Meng Qing was gentle and virtuous. Despite being separated for so long, upon reuniting, she uttered not a single complaint against Tong Ling. Moreover, since Xie Xuefeng used Meng Qing’s name for his marriage, Tong Ling felt indebted to her. Thus, she often sought to spend more time with Meng Qing.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to stay much longer.” Tong Ling didn’t deceive Meng Qing. Standing up, she embraced Meng Qing tenderly and whispered, “Qing-er, I have to leave.”

The flush on Meng Qing’s face quickly faded. She had known they would part eventually, but it seemed far too soon—much too soon…

Meng Qing didn’t try to persuade Tong Ling to stay; some things couldn’t be forced. She only asked, “Can you return?”

”…Not necessarily.” Tong Ling had no idea what schemes the God might concoct, so she didn’t want to give Meng Qing any false hope. “Qing-er, your affection for me stems entirely from the Lust Gu. Once I leave, it will dissipate, and you’ll realize that I’m not worth remembering.”

“I understand…” Meng Qing’s voice was barely audible. “I know you’re part of the demon cult, and I also know you can cast curses. This state of mine isn’t normal—I shouldn’t…shouldn’t like women…”

“This is my fault,” Tong Ling said as she took Meng Qing’s hand. “I just wanted to tell you that whoever you love is fine. You shouldn’t be confined within this tiny room. You have loving parents, a caring elder brother, or perhaps even an exasperating younger one—with them, you can live the life you desire.

“Qing-er, don’t let yourself be trapped!”

Meng Qing nodded, stepping away from Xiling’s embrace and turning her back. “I will be perfectly well, Ling-er. Don’t worry about me. Perhaps someday…we shall meet again.”

Whether it was due to the Lust Gu or not no longer mattered. Meng Qing knew that without Xiling, she would never have had the chance to live her own life. She had never regretted meeting her…

Tong Ling didn’t say more; instead, she opened the window and addressed Sanar, who was waiting outside, “Sanar, carry me one last time.”

Sanar gazed deeply at the priestess, feeling this might be their final farewell… Was the priestess leaving him as well?

Uncertain of what to say, Sanar silently crouched down. As the priestess leaned onto his back, he supported her with even gentler movements than before… If only he could hold on to her forever. He truly wished to disregard everything and take her away, returning to their village where they could settle down together. There, he would devote his entire life to caring for her.

“Can you take me with you?” Sanar did not use his lightness martial arts this time, carrying the priestess steadily as they stepped away from the Meng residence.

Tong Ling gently patted Sanar’s head but did not respond verbally.

Returning to her consciousness sea, Tong Ling spoke to the system, “Take apart the equipment! Have you cleared out the items from the shop?”

With great enthusiasm, m577 replied, 【Done! Bell Sister, do you want the Protagonist’s Aura or Flirtatious Charm aura?】

Tong Ling smiled, “I don’t need those. Give me a prop cigarette instead.”

M577 swiftly lit the cigarette for its host and handed it over: [Just wait five seconds, and this device will be completely destroyed!]

Tong Ling gazed at the green display screen, her eyes flickering with intermittent light.

These were the longest five seconds Tong Ling had ever experienced. Fortunately, her luck held out; after the countdown, all tasks on the screen cleared, replaced by static-like specks resembling falling snow. M577’s fluffy body transformed into a stream of data, darted into the screen, and made goofy faces at Tong Ling: [Bell Sister, Bell Sister, wasn’t I awesome?]

With a wave from Tong Ling, m577 hurriedly scampered back into her arms.

“Yes, you’re amazing, but…”

Before Tong Ling could finish, an irresistible force ejected both her and the system from the small world. Then… a monotone electronic voice began to sound:

[The numbered m577 Female Supporting Character Role-Playing System has openly sabotaged monitoring equipment, stolen God-tier artifacts, and performed unauthorized actions in other small worlds. Identified as a traitor, initiating purge procedure…]

Tong Ling’s eyes hardened. “Run!”

m577 hastily initiated a space-time leap with its host, not daring to pause for even a moment: [Wahhh… Bell Sister, can we really escape?]

“You’ve already cracked the God’s Marketplace, so what do you have to fear?” Tong Ling encouraged, “Just keep running!”

“Or maybe put on the Lucky Halo?” Tong Ling joked.

m577 continued leaping through space-time for a while, finally pausing once it confirmed no “Eliminators” were pursuing them: [Did we manage to escape?]

Tong Ling felt this situation shouldn’t be so straightforward, especially as her intuition sounded alarm bells. “Something’s wrong, quickly defend!”

Trusting its host’s commands without question, m577 instantly replicated the God’s defensive functions without hesitation. As blinding streams of data struck it, m577 remained unscathed.

Perhaps realizing they couldn’t harm it, those data streams transformed their format. After pinpointing the spatial coordinates of m577 and Tong Ling, they hurled both into a small world.

[Elimination plan failed. Punishment replaced with Survival Challenge.]

[Wishing you both… a pleasant journey.]

Throughout the entire process, m577 protected its host’s spirit diligently. Only after they safely landed in the new small world did m577 slowly exhale with relief.

“A survival challenge?” Tong Ling found this intriguing. “How does God intend to punish us?”

Quickly absorbing information about the small world, m577 responded weakly: [Bell Sister, I will swiftly analyze the structure of this world and guide us out!]

[This is an infinite-flow setting, the most challenging environment for cannon fodder to survive. The God aims to discipline you through this means, as without you, my system becomes useless.]

[Here, even the slightest misstep could cost your life, and each death inflicts damage on your soul. Bell Sister, I’ve loaded the God’s defense mode onto your soul, ensuring that death won’t harm you anymore!]

Tong Ling chuckled, “With such massive cheats at my disposal, can’t I just go all out and have fun now? Besides, since our limitations are gone, who says cannon fodder can’t make it till the end?”

m577: [But it’s extremely dangerous here. Why don’t you select some items from the System Store? It would make things safer!]

“That would be too boring.” Gentle worlds lacked challenge, and Tong Ling was seeking something more thrilling.

Recalling the host’s performance in other small worlds, m577’s previously chaotic data stream suddenly calmed down. This was its Bell Sister; rather than worrying about her, it should be concerned for the others in this small world!

With determination, m577 said: [I’m going to analyze the small world now. Bell Sister, feel free to reach out if you need anything!]

Once it completes analyzing the small world, not even God could trap them anymore. Then… then they could freely roam the universe together without any issues!

The thought sounded quite romantic! M577 chuckled giddily at the prospect.