Outside the house at that moment, Xie Zhili and Song Yingyue exchanged a glance. At the same time, they formed hand seals and chanted in low voices:
“Golden dragon coils upon the earth, rock mother forever steadfast.Ley lines intertwine, bind demons and restrain evil.”
As the final word left their lips, a fierce gust suddenly rose around them, sending their robes fluttering wildly.
A golden hexagonal formation slowly emerged from the ground, spreading outward like ripples until it enveloped the entire courtyard.
Xie Zhili looked toward the room’s door. “Now, it all depends on Junior Brother Yu.”
The night was dark as spilled ink, and thick fog stretched endlessly.
Tong Huanyou looked around and noticed tiny floating wisps drifting through the air like willow catkins.
The rustling of leaves swaying in the wind echoed faintly around her.
Curious, she carefully felt her way forward. The mist gradually thinned, and the surroundings slowly came into view. Once again, she found herself standing at that cliffside.
But unlike before, the ruined Buddha statue that had once been covered in moss was now radiating a gentle golden light, like a beacon deep beneath the sea, filling people with an inexplicable sense of peace.
The golden Buddha sat serenely atop a lotus pedestal. Its voice was ethereal and pure, utterly free of worldly impurity, like the secret whispers of the stars themselves.
Tong Huanyou froze briefly, awkwardness written all over her face. Rubbing the tip of her nose, she said:
“Well… actually, my beliefs are kind of mixed. I believe in Buddhism, Daoism, and Christianity.”
After saying that, she tapped both shoulders, poked her forehead, and silently muttered, “Amen.”
The golden Buddha: …
Blinking innocently, Tong Huanyou asked again, “Will that affect whether my wish comes true?”
The Buddha completely ignored her previous words. Its calm Zen-like voice rang out once more:
“Lost soul, speak unto me your final wish.”
Tong Huanyou pinched her chin and thought for a moment before replying:
“Then can you make Yu Qingci fall in love with me?”
The golden Buddha answered, “Naturally. Once you enter beneath the River of Forgetfulness, all worldly bliss shall be granted to you.”
As it spoke, the Buddha slightly turned its body. Behind it, what had once been a bottomless abyss transformed into a dazzling white pathway stretching directly toward the heavens.
Tong Huanyou asked cautiously, “You mean… I have to walk that road?”
The Buddha replied, “Indeed.”
She frowned. “You can’t just grant my wish right now?”
The Buddha paused briefly before slowly saying, “Only upon entering the realm of ultimate bliss can wishes become reality.”
Tong Huanyou instantly sensed something was wrong. If she stepped onto that path, she might disappear just like the girls before her.
The thought made her deeply uneasy.
That black-hearted bastard had promised he’d come in and protect her—so where the hell was he now?
Seeing her hesitate, the Buddha tempted her once more:
“Ultimate bliss is boundless. Do not hesitate.”
Tong Huanyou swallowed nervously before forcing herself to say:
“You can’t even grant my wish immediately, and you still expect me to follow you to paradise? Even scammers know to hand out candy first before tricking people. Your… professional skills really aren’t very good.”
The moment those words fell—
The golden Buddha slowly opened its tightly shut eyes.
Its previously benevolent expression vanished instantly, replaced by something sinister and grotesque.
“Mortal… how dare you show contempt.”
At the same time, the surrounding light gradually dimmed.
A willow tree suddenly burst from the earth. Yin winds howled violently as the branches swayed like restless ghosts.
Tong Huanyou stared at the terrifying transformation around her. Her hands trembled uncontrollably, cold sweat soaked her back, and her legs shook as she stumbled several steps backward.
In the next moment, the Buddha’s golden glow completely faded, reverting back into the crumbling stone statue. Around the willow tree, graves began appearing one after another.
Tong Huanyou immediately realized disaster was coming and instinctively turned to flee.
Just like before, thorny vines suddenly exploded out from the graves, weaving together into a dense net that lunged toward her with terrifying speed.
Panicked, she ran wildly while screaming:
“Yu Qingci! If you don’t come now, I’m seriously going to die! Help!”
She dodged frantically as the thorns slashed across her skin. Even within the dream, the piercing pain felt horrifyingly real.
“Ignorant human.” The eerie voice echoed through the air.
“You’re the ignorant one! You’re just some lonely wandering ghost—you’re not even human!” Tong Huanyou shouted back stubbornly while running.
Large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Her steps became heavier and heavier, and her breathing grew increasingly ragged.
“Hehehe…”
Clearly, the evil creature had been enraged by her insults.
More and more thorny vines surged forward, denser than before, charging like hunting leopards before instantly wrapping themselves around her body.
Tong Huanyou struggled desperately, but the more she fought, the deeper the thorns pierced into her flesh. Breathing became agonizingly difficult.
No matter how she struggled, it was useless.
The vines were stained crimson with her blood—a horrifying sight.
Her brain began to starve of oxygen, and her consciousness slowly blurred. Gritting her teeth tightly, Tong Huanyou forced herself to stay awake.
No. She absolutely could not die.
She had no desire to reload another death save point again.
Immediately afterward, she silently activated the Demon-Stilling Talisman in her mind. A string of glowing electronic code instantly appeared in her hand, and she slapped it onto the vines.
The thorny vines froze at once.
Though they stopped tightening, she still couldn’t break free.
Just as panic began overtaking her, she caught sight of a figure hidden within the darkness nearby.
If not for the faint cold glint reflecting off the sword at his waist, she might never have noticed him at all.
The figure seemed to realize she had discovered him and finally strolled lazily out of the shadows.
In a relaxed tone, he said:
“I truly underestimated Miss Tong’s abilities. To think you could actually immobilize this evil thing.”
Tong Huanyou: She had a whole string of curses she didn’t know whether she should say.
“Um… could you maybe save me first before saying all that?” she asked through gritted teeth, forcing down the urge to punch someone.
There was only one minute left!
Big brother, if you don’t save me now, I’m going to reload from a save point again!
Yu Qingci raised a brow and let out a mocking laugh. With two fingers pressed together, the longsword at his waist shot from its sheath and swiftly severed the vines.
The moment she regained her freedom, Tong Huanyou immediately sprinted toward Yu Qingci.
Because right now, this black-hearted man was the only person who could protect her.
Besides, she still had Song Yingyue as leverage, so Yu Qingci definitely wouldn’t truly kill her.
In ten days, he would know whether she could suppress Song Yingyue’s cold illness. Until then, Yu Qingci could afford to wait.
Looking at the terrified woman whose legs had nearly given out beneath her, Yu Qingci sneered coldly.
“If you want someone to save you, then learn to control your mouth. Stop saying such disgusting things.”
Tong Huanyou hadn’t even caught her breath before those words nearly choked her.
Apparently, he had overheard all the nonsense she’d said to the evil spirit earlier.
So he’d deliberately stood there watching her suffer…
Silently, she rolled her eyes in her heart.
Just as she was about to explain herself, the thorny vines suddenly began moving again, slowly creeping toward the two of them.
Before either could react, the vines wrapped themselves around Tong Huanyou’s ankle once more.
The powerful force instantly threw her off balance. She stumbled forward and instinctively grabbed for something to steady herself.
Unfortunately—
What she grabbed was Yu Qingci’s pants.
Startled, Yu Qingci reflexively reached down to yank up his trousers, but the force dragged both him and Tong Huanyou to the ground as the vines pulled them backward.
“Let go of me!” Yu Qingci roared in humiliation and fury.