Chapter 138, Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Lost Manor
"You're back?" Cheng Yuzhou put down his book and got up to greet Li Yufei.
Li Yufei took off her shoes at the door and raised her head in response.
"How is it?" He bent down to get her slippers. "Is there anything else An'an needs?"
"That's pretty much it. I told her to come find me if she needs anything." Li Yufei slipped on her slippers and walked inside. "Anyway, it's just downstairs, I can just take the elevator up."
After meeting Wang An'an by the river, Li Yufei immediately settled her in her castle.
The tenants of this castle are completely different from those at the beginning.
She and Cheng Yuzhou still slept in a room on the seventh floor, while more than a dozen of Cheng Yuzhou's confidants and the ants who managed the castle lived on the second and third floors.
These ants appeared as waiters at the first ball. About six months later, Cheng Yuzhou's faith value exceeded 1000, and a new module appeared on his "Holy Covenant"—
Recruiting domestic helpers.
Similar to recruiting Golden Knights, but Golden Knights are limited to the Holy War period, while Helpers are available throughout the entire game, and like other items, they only consume Gray Faith.
They only have the ability to manage household affairs and defend themselves. Each ant costs 100 faith points, and each month thereafter, 10 faith points will be required.
This is a considerable expense.
Three years have passed, and most of the earliest tourists who entered the manor have reached 1,000 faith points, qualifying them to recruit servants, but only a very small number actually recruit ants.
Even Cheng Yuzhou only recruited five ants to be responsible for cleaning inside and outside the castle after he had taken over the entire castle.
He is wealthy; he has won the title of Radiant Sun Warrior seven times out of ten Holy Wars.
Since Li Yufei entered the manor, she has eaten less cheese than Cheng Yuzhou has.
He used half of the first-place prize for developing public works, such as building churches, local signaling, and transportation, and the other half for operating shops and residential areas.
In public construction projects, apart from those related to public welfare, other aspects such as public transportation also generate daily revenue for Cheng Yuzhou.
As the goddess's powers increased, the scale and profits of the shops also expanded.
The initial small wheelchair shop could only produce 1 faith point every two days; the large supermarket built at the beginning of last year can produce 3 points every day.
After acquiring the initial capital, Cheng Yuzhou's faith value increased rapidly, far surpassing others.
Four months ago, the goddess's power was enough to open up a top-tier hospital.
Initially, due to Song Xiaona's instigation, the hospital was delayed in opening. However, at the end of last year, several women in the manor became pregnant, and the construction of the hospital could no longer be postponed. Cheng Yuzhou immediately activated the project, and it has now been completed.
This hospital, which claims that prayer can bring health and freedom from pain, has had a dismal track record since its opening, but it is nonetheless deeply meaningful.
Two newborns were successfully born inside it.
New life has sprung up in the realm of ghosts and monsters.
Li Yufei remembers that Cheng Yuzhou was especially happy when their first child was born.
He smiled warmly, looking at the baby in his mother's arms, as if he saw some kind of hope, some kind of beautiful and vibrant future.
The newborn attracted everyone's attention, and Cheng Yuzhou immediately opened a large maternity and baby store and a children's clothing store. He instructed the store staff that all relatives of children under the age of six who came to buy goods should have their accounts recorded in his "Covenant". The same was true for the obstetrics and gynecology department.
This greatly reduced the pressure of childbirth. In the following three months, two more pregnant women appeared on the estate.
Childbirth shouldn't have come so late; it should have been rampant from the very beginning of the chaos.
In the first year of the ghost story, sexual and violent acts did indeed trigger riots.
After that, Cheng Yuzhou formed a security patrol team, which has now expanded to nearly a hundred people.
Unlike bus drivers who build churches and take believers to Mass, the work of the security team does not increase faith points, but there are quite a few people who want to join. Their purpose is not the goddess, but Cheng Yuzhou.
Unbeknownst to many, classes and factions had emerged among the people of the manor, and Cheng Yuzhou, who controlled 70% of the commerce and public construction, had absolute power.
The security force he assembled, a violent machine imbued with power, contained far too much significance.
People wanted to attach themselves to him, and he gained more stable power because of this group.
Now, Cheng Yuzhou is undoubtedly the highest-ranking manager of this manor.
He holds a vast amount of faith points, influences the outcome of holy wars, and has a large number of followers. Most importantly, he controls nearly 80% of the jobs that provide faith power.
He has complete control over this divine territory.
"What's wrong?"
Li Yufei sat down on the sofa and took the water that Cheng Yuzhou handed her.
She glanced at him and said reproachfully, "What else could it be? An'an ran here looking for me, how am I supposed to explain this to everyone?"
Cheng Yuzhou lowered his eyes, "I'm sorry... Feifei, it's all my fault."
Oh dear, here we go again.
“Never mind what I said,” Li Yufei quickly interrupted, “Let’s get down to business.”
She gestured for him to sit down. Cheng Yuzhou still looked dejected and ashamed. Li Yufei didn't want to waste any more words on the matter, so she simply lifted her legs and put them on him to comfort him.
The action had an amazing effect. Cheng Yuzhou didn't have time to feel guilty. His ears turned slightly red as he carefully lifted her knees and massaged her calves.
“When I was hiring assistants, An’an was the youngest, just turned 18,” Li Yufei said. “Of course I didn’t want students to work part-time, but she told me she really needed an income.”
When Li Yufei rebelled against her family during her university years, she also faced the predicament of losing her source of income.
She knew how difficult it was to find a suitable part-time job.
"Later I learned that she had a tough time because of some family problems. She was just a year away from graduating, but she ended up here because of me, and her life is ruined!" Li Yufei said anxiously, nudging Cheng Yuzhou, "How are we supposed to make it up to her?!"
Cheng Yuzhou quickly calmed her restless legs, "Has she talked to you about her ideals or life plans?"
"She said she wanted to stay in our city, get a decent, high-paying job offer, make a lot of money while she's young, and live a carefree life of financial freedom as soon as possible."
“I understand now.” Cheng Yuzhou pondered, “After her baptism tomorrow morning, I’ll have Marfen show her around the place, explain the rules of the manor, and then arrange a suitable position for her.”
"No need for muffins, I'll take her."
“Okay. As for accommodation, if she doesn’t want to live here, then we’ll choose a house she likes and buy it as an apology.”
He said gently, "If she is only pursuing a leisurely and wealthy life, then coming here may not be a bad thing."
"That's just something to comfort yourself with. Why should we make decisions for her?" Li Yufei pouted. "Anyway, An'an got involved because of me, so you have to help her with anything that happens to her from now on."
“Of course.” Cheng Yuzhou nodded. “I’ll also tell the others that she’s your cousin, um… how about that?”
"That's good," Li Yufei agreed. "Let's say it that way."
The next morning, Li Yufei regretted it.
She sat on the bed, half-asleep. Since entering the world of ghost stories, she hadn't attended morning mass for at least two years. What kind of bastard set the time, seven o'clock? Most electronics factories start work at eight o'clock these days, and even high school students' morning self-study starts at 7:20!
Cheng Yuzhou had already changed into his priest's robes.
He smiled as he looked at Li Yufei's seated posture, her body and soul seemingly separated, and couldn't help but go over and kiss her. "I'll have Mafen take care of An'an. Why don't you sleep a little longer? Mafen and I will take good care of her."
Li Yufei forced herself to look up first.
With her neck tilted back and her hair hanging down her face, she looked like a zombie about to charge forward in a haphazard manner.
It didn't start running.
Aside from zombies and self-disciplined vloggers who stage their own videos, who can actually get up and run at 6 a.m.?
"No, my conscience is getting me out of bed." She struggled to pull back the covers. "I have to be there for her baptism."
Cheng Yuzhou squeezed the toothpaste onto her toothbrush and said, "Having a superior like you is truly enviable."
“Of course, I’m not an annoying boss.” Li Yufei spat out the mouthwash, took the toothbrush, and comforted Cheng Yuzhou, “You don’t need to envy her. From now on, I’ll be your boss.”
Cheng Yuzhou smiled and said, "I am honored to have this opportunity to learn and work under you."
After Li Yufei finished getting ready, Cheng Yuzhou accompanied her to Wang An'an's room.
Last night, Li Yufei told Wang An'an the fact that she couldn't leave, and also showed her the video of the animal experiments that allowed her to leave the barrier.
A night later, Wang An'an still hadn't fully processed the matter, and when she saw Li Yufei and Cheng Yuzhou this morning, she was still somewhat absent-minded.
"An'an, tell me first, if you were to confess your shortcomings in front of the statue of a deity, what would you say?" Li Yufei asked her first.
She had mentioned baptism briefly yesterday, and Wang An'an hesitated, "I don't know... If I had to say, I might think that I was too narrow-minded and had too low a level of understanding in the past. I only focused on doing exercises and didn't develop any interests or special skills."
"You're already amazing; you started doing video editing in high school."
Wang An'an smiled and said, "It's all about working hard for three days and resting for two. If only we had been more serious back then."
Cheng Yuzhou pondered, "This should correspond to either Athena or Apollo."
He hesitated, feeling troubled, when Li Yufei pointed out the crux of the problem: "But there are just too many Athena and Apollo in the manor."
She turned to look at Cheng Yuzhou, "What cards did you say you needed at this stage?"
"Hera and Ares."
“Yes,” Li Yufei turned to Wang An’an and said, “Hera’s card skill is to open a shield, and Ares’s is to launch a strong single-target attack. An’an, do you want to provide support from the rear or fight on the front lines?”
"Huh?" Wang An'an was completely bewildered.
Cheng Yuzhou analyzed the pros and cons for her: "It's safer to have support from the rear, but the rewards won't be as high; fighting on the front lines will be more tiring, and there's a risk of getting minor injuries, but the rewards will be slightly higher."
However, the holy war itself does not increase faith points much; the so-called slightly higher reward is only one or two points.
Therefore, many people are still unwilling to rush to the front line.
The manor now only needs Ares, not Hera.
But since she is someone Li Yufei cares about, the manor should be able to accommodate one more Hera.
As Cheng Yuzhou expected, Wang An'an was not an ambitious person, and besides, she still didn't understand the situation and didn't know what the divine tablet was for.
“You can also watch a round of holy war first,” Li Yufei added. “Some newcomers will be baptized after watching a holy war. This will waste some time, because only by being baptized can you get your Covenant and thus gain faith points.”
Wang An'an didn't quite understand, and subconsciously relied on an acquaintance: "Sister Yufei, which one do you think is better?"
“I think you should just choose Hera,” Li Yufei said. “The divine card is important, but not that important. The most important thing is the faith value.”
"Okay, then I'll listen to Sister Yufei."
As Wang An'an spoke, her gaze couldn't help but drift towards Cheng Yuzhou.
Today, Cheng Yuzhou is wearing a priest's robe.
This priest's robe is truly outstanding. The black fabric is embroidered with 36 gold rose buttons, and the drooping Laba collar is dignified and intellectual. The gold and silver chains hanging from the waist accentuate the man's slender waist and legs.
Wang An'an was stunned by Cheng Yuzhou's appearance yesterday. As soon as he left, Wang An'an couldn't wait to ask Li Yufei, "Sister Yufei, how did you get together with the priest? And such a handsome priest at that!"
This isn't just asceticism, it's taboo!
Li Yufei rubbed her temples. "It's not what you think."
Initially, the clergy in the manor were large winged ants.
At that time, ants managed the manor, and people believed that eliminating all the ants would break the legend.
They cannot directly attack the ants, but according to the rules, when giving a confession in the confessional, the ant listening on the other side may be possessed by a demon.
Killing the enemy at this point will not violate the rules.
People relentlessly battled monsters day after day, until only one ant remained. Suddenly, the last remaining ant issued a new rule:
[10. The goddess needs ample service; when the number of servants falls below the minimum, replacements will be selected from among the most devout believers.]
Subsequently, Cheng Yuzhou, who had the highest faith value, was forcibly given the title of the new priest, responsible for the three daily Masses in the castle chapel, as well as presiding over executions, balls, and various other activities.
As they walked toward the chapel, Li Yufei explained to Wang An'an, "Now, only one of the original clergy ants remains. Besides Cheng Yuzhou, the priests of the other three new churches were also selected from among the believers—filled in according to their level of faith."
"Then what's the point of killing ants in the confessional?" Wang An'an asked, puzzled.
"It's a trap! Purely deceptive options." Li Yufei shrugged. "When Cheng Yuzhou was appointed priest, those who had been grinding monsters every day were completely dumbfounded. It was as if all their previous efforts had been wasted. Not all the rules here are correct; many are fake."
Li Yufei remembers that on that day, the group led by Song Xiaona, especially Song Xiaona herself, had an unusually interesting expression.
Song Xiaona had already figured out that the key was Cheng Yuzhou, not those ants, but it wasn't until Cheng Yuzhou was elected priest that she understood the purpose of this rule.
It wasn't a pure scam as Li Yufei thought.
If an ant is missing, the vacant position will be filled according to the ranking of faith value.
After becoming a priest, you can gain a huge amount of faith points every day.
A believer gains only 1 point for attending a Mass, while a priest gains 5 points for presiding over a Mass or organizing an event.
Furthermore, and most fatally, people cannot attack priests; attacking a priest in office will result in immediate arrest by the golden-armored knights.
Cheng Yuzhou often used the analogy of a "game" to describe this strange tale. If this really was a game, and everyone had to play a role, then without a doubt, everyone would want to be a priest—
From the very beginning, the position of priest was reserved for Cheng Yuzhou.
It wasn't just because of the power and wealth that came with the position, but also because in his heart, he was the only truly devout servant of God.
He should rightfully be Psyche's priest, but he cannot appear as a priest at the start of the game, or the chaotic and uneasy people will reject him like they would reject ants.
Cheng Yuzhou needs time to get people to accept him as a priest.
The confessional is that process.
Cheng Yuzhou used them to kill all the ants, thus legitimately rising to the top.
Becoming a priest not only gave him an impeccable shield, making him untouchable, but also granted him various privileges, such as the power to designate a list of nuns and deacons, and the authority to execute sinners.
Song Xiaona trembled all over when she realized what had happened.
The moment she was appointed the new priest and stood in front of the banquet hall receiving her sash, she saw Cheng Yuzhou smile in her direction.
A humble, grateful smile.
He thanked her for her generosity and for her great help.
This heartfelt gratitude made Song Xiaona feel more ashamed and angry than any sarcasm.
If Cheng Yuzhou mocks her with the same smugness as Li Yufei, then Song Xiaona will accept the victor's contempt.
But he isn't!
He doesn't care about the benefits of competition at all, and he won't be motivated to work hard because of her.
Without Li Yufei present, Cheng Yuzhou felt empty and numb. He smiled at her, simply because he realized that there were a few opportunities in front of him that could make him uncomfortable.
He did it on purpose, deliberately opposing the killing of ants, deliberately showing forbearance and disapproval!
He already knew these rules, and he suppressed a laugh as he watched her lead so many people to grind the demons for months, leisurely waiting for them to put him on the priest's throne!
She was completely manipulated by him.
After Cheng Yuzhou became a priest, there were only him and an ant among the clergy. With the holy war as the turning point, every round a clergyman would be possessed by a demon.
Song Xiaona could have used the confessional rules again to have Cheng Yuzhou possessed by a demon and then killed him quickly and legitimately.
But before she could act, the second church built by Cheng Yuzhou was completed and a priest was needed to take up the post immediately.
On the faith value ranking list, Cheng Yuzhou is next in line, and that's her.
Before Song Xiaona could even summon the demon, she became a priest herself, losing her right to confess as a believer.
She really didn't understand why Cheng Yuzhou didn't just kill her or brainwash and control her, but instead gave her a get-out-of-jail-free card—no, was she really not brainwashed by him?
Perhaps he has already brainwashed her, and she has long been controlled by him!
Is she really still herself? Is she really still the original Song Xiaona?
To prove that her thoughts had not been distorted by Cheng Yuzhou, Song Xiaona did something that broke the surface of human unity.
By becoming a priest, she gained the power to allocate resources.
After the holy war ended, people returned to reason, and many people admired her even more and became her followers.
Song Xiaona organized her men and led them to the confessional in the castle.
When a believer confesses, the local clergy must stay in the confessional to listen, which inevitably carries a certain chance of being possessed by a demon or killed by other believers.
This move was undoubtedly a declaration of war against Cheng Yuzhou; Song Xiaona's actions were a direct and decisive verdict:
She wasn't brainwashed by him; she wanted to kill him.
Li Yufei and Song Xiaona had a big argument about this.
From that day on, just like their suddenly broken relationship, the Cheng and Song factions became irreconcilable, and their friction continues to this day.
Song Xiaona's determination to kill Cheng Yuzhou grew stronger each day. Cheng Yuzhou could not ignore the believers in the confessional; once Song Xiaona entered the castle's confessional, he would have to appear.
To prevent Song's faction from infiltrating, he formed a security patrol team and hired ants to guard the castle gate every day, preventing believers from entering the confessional.
Currently, everything is fine.
"What if someone's faith level exceeds that of the priest?" Wang An'an asked.
“Then let him step down and make way for a more capable person,” Li Yufei said. “Besides Cheng Yuzhou and the priests of the Second Church…the priests of the other three churches have been changing positions frequently, with staff turnover almost every month.”
Wang An'an teased, "So, brother-in-law is really amazing?"
Li Yufei said matter-of-factly with a hint of pride, "Otherwise, why would he be your brother-in-law?"
"I can tell," Wang An'an whispered in Li Yufei's ear, "A lot of people have greeted you along the way, Sister Yufei, have you become the First Lady?"
"Why aren't you in a hurry at all? You even have the mind to gossip," Li Yufei said, puzzled. "Aren't you afraid of suddenly coming to a place like this?"
"I was scared, I was terrified at first," Wang An'an said. "But now that I know I have powerful backers here, I feel a little more at ease."
"What's the use? You'll never go out again; you'll be fighting demons for the rest of your life," Li Yufei reminded her.
"I don't quite feel like I've entered reality yet. Everyone here seems quite relaxed and carefree," Wang An'an pondered. "You say this is a horror story, but why do I feel like I've stepped into a paradise?"
“You’ve come at the perfect time,” Li Yufei exclaimed. “We suffered terribly back then. We didn’t even dare to sleep. Sixty or seventy of us were sleeping on the floor in the lobby.”
Wang An'an exclaimed in surprise: "That's so exaggerated?"
“You have no idea how helpless we felt back then. There was no one to explain the rules to us. Everything was unknown. We didn’t know what strange things would happen when we opened our eyes.” Li Yufei sighed and looked at her again. “Even now, I still get scared sometimes. It’s definitely not as safe as outside, but surviving isn’t a problem. I’m relieved that you’re so positive and optimistic.”
As they spoke, the chapel came into view.
Wang An'an looked inside and saw that all the seats in the two rows of thirty-eight rows were full, and there were dozens of people standing next to them who couldn't find seats.
She whispered to Li Yufei, "There are so many people here. Is it like a large lecture where you have to fight for a seat?"
“It wasn’t originally necessary. The castle and the second church’s chapel can hold three hundred people, and the other three churches can hold around two hundred,” Li Yufei explained to her. “The ‘door’ is opened about once every two months, and there are currently eight or nine hundred people in the manor.”
"Isn't that enough room?" How come there's no room left here?
Li Yufei smugly hummed, "The same class, different professors, the attendance rate is different."
"Miss Li?" Someone saw her and exclaimed in surprise, "You're here today too?"
This sound immediately drew everyone's attention, and several people in the front row stood up immediately, saying, "Madam, please sit here."
Li Yufei would never sit in the front row of such a boring class, even if the teacher was her fiancé.
But today Wang An'an is being baptized, so she needs to be closer to her.
Li Yufei then pulled Wang An'an to the first row, nodded to the two men who offered her their seats, and said, "Thank you."
The two men who offered them their seats chuckled, "It's been so long, isn't this the first time Madam has attended morning mass this year?"
“Yes,” Li Yufei pointed to Wang An’an beside her, “It’s my cousin’s baptism, I have to be there.”
"cousin?"
Wang An'an paused, then hunched his neck and glanced around.
Li Yufei's voice was clearly not loud, but in an instant, all eyes in the chapel were focused on her, as if they were actually on her.
Before the mass even began, people immediately started chatting enthusiastically around Wang An'an after hearing Li Yufei's words.
"Miss Li's cousin? What a coincidence, she's here too?"
"How old is your cousin? She still looks like a student. What's she studying?"
"It's a good thing it came to our area. If it had gone to the Second Church, we would have been in big trouble."
The overly eager attitude around her almost overwhelmed Wang An'an. She cast a pleading look at Li Yufei, but Li Yufei didn't receive it.
She lifted her skirt and sat down in the center, crossing her long legs, one hand resting on the Covenant, her ornate nails tapping lightly on the Covenant.
The woman next to her whispered to her, her gaze constantly drifting towards Wang An'an. Upon hearing this, Li Yufei immediately laughed.
Her smile was charming and elegant, giving her the air of a female gang leader.
Those sitting here are undoubtedly "Cheng School" members.
The number of Cheng's followers was far greater than that; those who were able to enter the castle were the most entrenched, while another two or three hundred people gathered in other churches.
Apart from the second church presided over by Song Xiaona, the Cheng and Song schools of thought have always been vying for the priest positions in the other three churches.
The existence of religion makes factional divisions even more distinct, and in such an environment, it is difficult to find a purely centrist.
In order to attend Mass and gain faith points, people must enter a church even if they do not want to join a group, and that is considered their choice.
Overwhelmed by the enthusiasm, Wang An'an felt a sense of familiarity, like returning to her hometown, even amidst the strange tales—especially like the day her college entrance exam results came out, when the whole village came to see her, the college student, and everyone wanted to say a few words to her.
She was nearly driven to despair by social anxiety until a small door on one side of the altar was opened, calming the panic-stricken college student.
As the long chimes rang out, at exactly seven o'clock, the morning mass officially began. Cheng Yuzhou entered the chapel with an ant-like nun and a male deacon.
A young man steps onto the altar, the light and shadow from the glass falling on the black priest's robe, the black and color blending together perfectly.
An indescribable quality permeated his surroundings; this unique aura compelled people to look at him, listen to him, and be unable to look away from him.
The youth placed the Covenant in front of the pulpit.
He stood before the enormous statue of Psyche, smiling serenely and gently: "Good morning, everyone, welcome to today's morning mass. The weather is beautiful today, so let us first give thanks to the beautiful, brave, righteous, resilient, and powerful Princess Psyche, and to the great goddess of soul and spirit for bestowing upon us this beautiful sunrise."
As soon as he finished speaking, the packed chapel, filled with over three hundred people, echoed his words in unison: "We are grateful to the beautiful, brave, righteous, resilient, and powerful Princess Psyche, and we are grateful to the great goddess of the soul and spirit for bestowing upon us the beautiful sunrise."
No matter how many masses she attended, Li Yufei always felt awkward and embarrassed.
She mingled in the crowd, making small talk, when out of the corner of her eye she noticed Cheng Yuzhou smiling at her from the altar.
He smiled gently and silently indulged her attempt to take advantage of the situation.
There was even a hint of self-satisfaction in that smile—
To claim credit?
What are you inviting? What merit?
Li Yufei was puzzled, but she was very familiar with Cheng Yuzhou's expression. He clearly felt that he had done something well and wanted her praise.
Li Yufei glared back. What was there to brag about? Did he really want to expose her?
Cheng Yuzhou was taken aback when she glared at him, but then his smile grew even wider.
The weather is so nice. The sun is so beautiful and dazzling today, casting a bright light on the world that sustains life.
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Author's note: Cheng Yuzhou: I want to give some praise.
Li Yufei: You look like a complimenter to me!
People in the manor: Where did you come from, girl? We came to this secluded place three years ago and haven't left since, thus cutting off all contact with the outside world. How's it going outside now? Has the price of gold fallen? Have housing prices risen? Have the wars in Russia and Ukraine, and in the Middle East, ended?
Wang An'an: I will recount everything I have heard (three days have passed outside).
Upon learning that □□ had become the US president again, everyone in Zhuang sighed with regret.
Actually, when I first decided on the title "My Ghost Story Boyfriend," I wanted to write about the kind of "ghost stories" that are Japanese urban legends. Peach Blossom Spring is a classic example of a "ghost story."
Before I started writing, I was worried that readers would click in and assume it was a "strange tale of rules," so I added more rule elements.
This is probably the fundamental reason why the rules for all three units appeared so late.
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