Chapter 146, Chapter Forty-Seven: The Lost Manor
Bang--
Dean closed the door to the Second Church chapel, turned around and ran towards the altar. "How are you? Are you alright?"
Li Yufei ran all the way to the corner of the wall in front of the altar and carefully put Song Xiaona down.
With floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides, Dean drew the curtains to block out the outside view.
Song Xiaona was pale, clutching her chest tightly, her back soaked with cold sweat.
"Isn't the prayer working?" Dean asked anxiously.
Li Yufei was furious. "It must be that damned black smoke; it's eroding her body!"
"It's your shoulder that's hurting me!" Song Xiaona couldn't help but growl. "Can't you change your position?!"
Unfortunately, it always happens when her breasts are swollen before her period.
Her breasts weren't just ordinary swellings; they were filled with nodules from years of work and the anger caused by Li Yufei. As she swayed and bumped against Li Yufei's shoulder, Song Xiaona wished she could faint.
"I'm already being very kind by taking you with me," Li Yufei said, feeling wronged. "What girl could carry you for three kilometers like I did?"
“Three kilometers?” Dean looked at her with surprise and admiration, then advised, “Indeed… Xiaona, you can’t be too picky.”
He might not even be able to carry Song Xiaona for a three-kilometer sprint.
Song Xiaona rubbed her chest, really wanting to kill those two idiots.
She was in so much pain that she could barely speak. She threw the dagger in front of the two men and said, "Do it yourself."
"Wait, wait," Dean waved his hand. "I'm still not quite sure what happened."
“The barrier is sealed off. Death is the only way to leave here.” Song Xiaona interrupted Dean, who was about to ask a question. “I don’t have time to explain. Believe it or not, just guard the door and stay away from us.”
After punching Cheng Yuzhou, Li Yufei carried Song Xiaona, who was being attacked by black smoke, and ran all the way.
They returned to the Second Church, intending to go to Song Xiaona's room, but encountered Dean on the way.
Dean, puzzled, stepped forward to ask what was going on.
Song Xiaona was attacked by black smoke and bumped and jostled on Li Yufei, making it impossible for her to speak properly;
Li Yufei was anxious and exhausted, her mind was in turmoil, and she couldn't explain anything while running away.
The two women spoke vaguely, which made Dean even more worried, and he ended up running with them in a daze.
Song Xiaona's residence was a bit far away, and even Li Yufei was finding it difficult to walk there.
Considering the risks of prolonged exposure and her own severe chest pain, Song Xiaona decided against returning to her room and allowed Li Yufei to enter the nearby chapel instead.
As the first person Song Xiaona knew to have been brainwashed by Cheng Yuzhou, Dean was very wary of him.
However, when selecting the action team, Li Yufei discovered that Dean only had two black and red lines in his soul, an astonishingly rare number.
After the failed assassination attempt, Dean did not exhibit any unusual behavior. Based on this, Song Xiaona tentatively gave him some trust and did not avoid him.
"It's not a matter of whether I believe it or not." Dean was dumbfounded. "Seriously? Suicide? Xiaona, where did you hear about such an extreme method?"
"I don't have time to waste with you." Song Xiaona looked sharply at Li Yufei. "You saw it yourself, Li Yufei, I can't kill you. Try it yourself."
"Huh?" Li Yufei was stunned.
"Don't dawdle! Cheng Yuzhou could be here at any moment!"
"Okay!" Li Yufei understood the urgency of the situation, so she grabbed the knife and pointed it at her heart.
"Hey!" Dean exclaimed in shock, "Are you really going to do this? Are you sure you're all mentally sound?"
The tip of the knife trembled uncontrollably. Li Yufei simply pressed the knife against the fabric in front of her chest. Her breathing became rapid, and her pupils contracted several times.
"Hurry up!" Song Xiaona urged.
"I know, I know, don't rush me!" Li Yufei's chest heaved violently, her clenched teeth chattering.
She looked at Song Xiaona tremblingly, "You're coming right away, right away! I, I, I'll go first—"
The tip of the knife suddenly thrust downwards.
Clang!
"Ah!" Black smoke emanated from Li Yufei's ring finger, knocking the dagger away the instant the blade pierced her skin, leaving Li Yufei's hand holding the dagger numb from the shock.
“It’s happening again,” Song Xiaona said gravely. “Can’t you even do it yourself…”
The knife was knocked away, and Li Yufei collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted.
Her survival instinct made her feel fortunate, but the thought that she couldn't leave the ghost stories unless she died made her anxious again. "What on earth is this?"
“It seems that Cheng Yuzhou left a defense mechanism on you.” Song Xiaona frowned. “That’s not surprising. There are too many dangers in ghost stories, and you are the kind of person who often forgets to pray before meals. You really need to have some insurance.”
Li Yufei guiltily looked away.
By the way, did she pray before lunch today...?
"He really left no room for you, he even prevented suicide."
"What should I do? Am I not going to die now?"
Before Song Xiaona could answer, Li Yufei immediately picked up the knife and handed it to her, saying, "Then you go first, you go first!" Every person who can leave is a person who can leave.
"I'm leaving. Do you know what to do next?" Song Xiaona asked.
In response, she received Li Yufei's charming, beautiful, yet bewildered and confused fox-like eyes.
"I'll take care of Cheng Yuzhou," she said, patting her chest.
"How do you solve this? Do you have a way to break his brainwashing? Or can you defeat that black smoke he's shrouded in?"
"..." After a two-second silence, Li Yufei pushed the dagger into Song Xiaona's hand. "Yes, I have a way. You can go first."
Song Xiaona asked in a deep voice, "Are you sure you have a way?"
"OFC, we're confident!"
Song Xiaona sighed, “It’s no secret that your head is empty. If you answer honestly, no one will laugh at you.”
Li Yufei stared at her intently.
What nonsense! Hasn't she made fun of her enough already?
I wonder if Cheng Yuzhou's protection has a limit on the number of times it can be used.
Ordinary injuries are currently ineffective against Li Yufei. Cheng Yuzhou has even considered self-harm, so jumping off a building, drowning, and burning are unlikely to work. It's best not to waste time on such ordinary attempts.
The divine tokens and sacred artifacts only work against demons, and even Cheng Yuzhou was excluded from the targets;
The Queen of the Underworld's box could potentially kill him, but Li Yufei rushed out while the box was still in Cheng Yuzhou's bedroom.
The second church and the castle are almost diagonally opposite each other. It would take too long to get there, and Cheng Yuzhou would definitely intercept them halfway.
With all roads blocked, Cheng Yuzhou naturally wouldn't leave any safety hazards that could harm Li Yufei.
Song Xiaona pondered for a moment.
After a moment, she slowly stood up, leaning against the wall. "I have an idea."
She walked toward the lecture platform of the altar, but her knee trembled as she took a step, and she stumbled. Li Yufei quickly steadied her.
She saw that Song Xiaona's pale, bluish face was covered with tiny beads of sweat. The night wasn't very hot, and the sweat looked like cold sweat.
Li Yufei felt a little uneasy. "Hey Song Xiaona, are you really okay? Why are you sweating so much?"
"It's hot." Song Xiaona brushed her away.
She went to the lecture stand, where a stack of blank copies of the Covenant was piled up.
It's not a big deal if someone loses their Covenant; any priest can replace it.
Song Xiaona picked up a book, and upon opening it for the first time, the blank "Covenant" automatically inherited her data.
She turned to the last page, and unlike other people's covenants, the priest's covenant had a module on the appointment of nuns and deacons.
Each priest has four slots, and Song Xiaona's slot is already full.
She crossed one out and added the three characters "Li Yufei" after it.
"What do you mean?" Dean asked in surprise. "Yufei is going to join our Second Order?"
“It’s the Second Church.” Song Xiaona didn’t like this nickname that was circulating in private.
But people like it.
Many people privately call Song Xiaona "Second Regiment Commander".
"Are you really going to join us? Is she divorced?" Dean was just joking, but when he turned around, he noticed that Li Yufei's wedding ring was gone.
"Where's the ring?" he exclaimed. "Are you really divorced?"
“I gave it to your regimental commander to show my determination.” Li Yufei said, pursing her lips. “By the way, Song Xiaona, after we go out… give me back the ring, okay? I don’t mean anything by it, I just want it as a keepsake.”
Song Xiaona put down her pen.
At that time, Li Yufei was blindfolded and did not know that she had thrown the ring away to distract Cheng Yuzhou.
"We'll talk about it after we go outside." She didn't need to know anymore.
“Li Yufei,” Song Xiaona turned to her and said, “I have appointed you as my nun. You will stay in the confessional in a moment, and I will arrange for someone to confess to you.”
"Huh? What, what do you mean?" Li Yufei couldn't keep up with her train of thought.
Song Xiaona sighed, wanting to scold her for being stupid, but she didn't have the time.
Dean was shocked: "You don't mean to turn Yufei into a demon, do you?"
"Besides using magic to defeat magic, what other way is there?" Song Xiaona asked. "If normal methods can't kill you, then we can only resort to unconventional means."
Li Yufei realized her train of thought and exclaimed in shock, "Song Xiaona, you're really quite clever sometimes."
"If you had half my intelligence, we would have been out of here long ago!" She wouldn't have to worry about leaving her here alone.
"Stop talking nonsense." Song Xiaona glanced out the window. "You two go to the confessional, I'll go get the others."
She didn't know how much of this black smoke remained; she needed to gather a sufficiently high level of faith power.
"What if it doesn't load today?" Li Yufei worried.
After humans became priests, the confessional was almost completely sealed off. She hadn't seen a clergyman possessed by a demon for a long time. Would it be so easy for her to have nightmares?
Song Xiaona glanced out of the corner of her eye at the Psyche statue beside her.
She licked her chapped lips: "That depends on whether the goddess is willing to bless us."
If she can't summon the demon before Cheng Yuzhou arrives, she should stall for time as much as possible, and while he deals with the people from the Second Church, she should go and retrieve the Queen of the Underworld's box.
"I put it in the cabinet next to the bed."
Now that we know the location, there's no need to say anything more to Li Yufei.
Li Yufei wouldn't let her go to Cheng Yuzhou's bedroom alone; she either had to go together or go by herself, but Li Yufei was the key person.
If she runs back to the castle, she will undoubtedly be walking into a trap.
If Cheng Yuzhou's target is her, then it's better to place her in the Second Church to attract Cheng Yuzhou and ensure that the castle is empty.
There were only two of them, and they had to fight the demon and retrieve the box at the same time to have any hope of success.
In order to hold off Cheng Yuzhou as much as possible and to gather enough faith power to resist the black smoke on Li Yufei's body, Song Xiaona needs as many people as possible.
The three split up. Song Xiaona went to organize the group, while Li Yufei went into the confessional and Dean confessed to her first.
Entering through the back door of the confessional and sitting behind the wooden planks in the small room, Li Yufei no longer felt much tension about being possessed by a demon; she only felt that everything around her was incredibly surreal.
Despite being with Cheng Yuzhou for so long, Li Yufei rarely expressed her admiration for him. After all, in the first few years of their acquaintance, Cheng Yuzhou was always pale and small, miserable and pitiful, like a white pear blossom under a rainstorm.
This fragile impression remained in Li Yufei's mind, deeply rooted and indelible, but she actually understood that Cheng Yuzhou was an outstanding and exceptional person, the most elite in every aspect among all the people she knew.
It's already incredibly fantastical that someone as powerful as Cheng Yuzhou could be killed by two children with firecrackers.
The current series of strange events is even more fantastical, leaving Li Yufei suddenly bewildered as to where she is.
What's wrong with this world...?
What kind of strange tales are these? What about "the swallow that pioneers ghost stories"? What about "the world's henchmen"? What about negative and positive emotions? It's all a jumble of nonsense. Who can understand these things?
What's even more outrageous is that they searched for the exit of the ghost story for three years, but never thought that they could just walk out directly!
Li Yufei had little interest in exploring the unknown, so she put aside those inexplicable fantasy settings for now. What angered her was Cheng Yuzhou's actions.
She had no time to dwell on the crimes Cheng Yuzhou had committed; she only cared about one thing—
It's been three years, why won't he discuss it with her?
Why did he hide it from her? Why did he lie to her?
He just doesn't trust her?
He was so stubborn, refusing to listen to any of her ideas?
Since he wouldn't compromise for her, she wouldn't consider his thoughts either. From now on, they would go their separate ways. He could either wander around and cultivate in this manor or hurry up and be reincarnated. She didn't want to see him at all!
Li Yufei crossed her arms and sat resentfully behind the wooden board.
Where is the demon? The demon! Even if Cheng Yuzhou can be inhuman, she won't be anymore; she's going to become a demon right now!
"Um... Yufei, is she still there?" Dean entered just then and called out tentatively, "Yufei? Yufei—"
"Stop shouting, it's me again!" Li Yufei kicked the wooden board with her toe. "Go outside and come back. There are no demons this time."
"It's not as easy as it seems," Dean thought. "Is it possible I need to confess?"
Perhaps the devil will only appear when believers begin to confess.
Li Yufei was in a bad mood and, suppressing her irritation, said stiffly, "Fine, go ahead and sue."
"Um, suddenly I don't know what I should repent for."
"Then think about it!"
She tried her best to control herself, but the anger in her voice still simmered. Dean touched his nose, no longer daring to provoke her. "Okay, okay, let me think about it."
The small room was quiet for a while. Li Yufei's mind was filled with reviewing the details of Cheng Yuzhou's deception of her. Thinking about those things, she also remembered the fights she had with Song Xiaona in order to protect Cheng Yuzhou.
She refuted Song Xiaona with such conviction, and supported him so wholeheartedly—
He's a beast! Cheng Yuzhou is a real beast! How could he do this to her?!
Li Yufei became increasingly annoyed and angry the more she thought about it.
She didn't care about the black smoke or the brainwashing anymore; she had to beat him up before leaving, or she'd never be able to swallow this insult for the rest of her life.
“Actually, it’s quite interesting,” Dean said at that moment.
"Huh?" Li Yufei asked in surprise, "What's so interesting?"
"I'm talking about these three years."
Are you sick in the head?
“Haha,” Dean chuckled, “Think about it carefully, only three days have passed outside, and nothing has been delayed.”
“Speaking of this—Yufei, do you remember? The first year the new recruits came in, they said two days had passed outside; the second year they said two and a half days; and the two new recruits this time said only three days had passed.”
"The flow of time is decreasing, while our speed is increasing. Perhaps this is related to the goddess's growing power?"
Dean pondered, "At this rate, even if we spend our entire lives here, it will only take half a month, maybe even just a week? A completely new and exciting life every half month seems pretty worthwhile, and we'll even become young again once we leave. Of course, that's assuming we can actually get out of here."
Li Yufei raised an eyebrow, "...Is that what you think?"
"Yes, half a month for thirty years, it's a win no matter how you look at it. Life here isn't so bad either, there are green mountains and clear waters, and we have plenty to eat and drink. The only concern is that if I go out again after a few decades, I'll forget all my professional skills. But with a few extra decades, I can also learn a new technology here."
"You're really optimistic. What if we can't get out?"
"Really?" Dean hesitated. "Cheng Yuzhou's goal is just to exploit our emotions. He should let us go after we turn seventy, right? Otherwise, we'll be useless to him if we die of old age."
This was something Li Yufei had never imagined.
Cheng Yuzhou is unwilling to release them now simply because they still have value;
But if a person is about to die, he might be willing to relent and let them out.
"But after being separated from your friends and family for decades, don't you miss them?" she asked.
“It’s not like we’ll never see each other again,” Dean said with a relaxed attitude. “Once I’m done here and go out, it’ll only be half a month for them. Our team’s closed training sessions often last at least three months, so they’re used to it.”
Li Yufei was stunned.
After sitting in the dimly lit, quiet room for a while, her breathing calmed down a bit, allowing her to think about Dean's words.
Cheng Yuzhou's death was too sudden, leaving an indelible impression on Li Yufei during that period.
She disdains to call it trauma, but perhaps it really is a kind of trauma.
The thought that other people's families and loved ones were in the same situation as her filled Li Yufei with uncontrollable rage and made her unable to forgive Cheng Yuzhou.
But as Dean said, their situation seemed to be quite different from hers.
“Fortunately, tourists here probably don’t have anything particularly urgent to do, so being delayed for a few days isn’t a big problem,” Dean said. “I’m not entirely clear on the specifics, but I just wanted to let you know that at least I’m not in a particular hurry, so you shouldn’t feel so much pressure. What’s that saying again… ‘Things should be handled with care’? Anyway, you two should calm down first; killing yourself is too extreme.”
He still disagrees.
“You’ve been brainwashed,” Li Yufei said curtly. “These words must have been edited in your head by Cheng Yuzhou.”
"Haha, maybe so." Dean scratched his face. "Then why don't you reconsider? With Xiaona here, I can't object, but turning into a demon just seems too bizarre. Do you really want to turn into a giant scallop and be killed by us?"
"..." Li Yufei was eager to sit down, but after hearing what he said, she fell silent again.
No…no! She would rather die than become a slimy, fishy scallop! And there were two rows of densely packed blue eyes on the hem of her skirt!
After a moment of silence, Li Yufei's muffled voice came from behind the wooden board: "Did you bring a knife?"
"Huh? What do you need a knife for?"
"I'll cut off the smoking finger, maybe then I can commit suicide."
"Hey, calm down, sis!"
"Who are you calling 'sister'?!"
"Okay, okay, calm down, little sister." Dean turned his head. "Someone's coming down the hallway."
Just as Li Yufei was about to ask if Cheng Yuzhou had arrived, there was a knock on the door behind her, and Song Xiaona's voice came through, "I've called all the people I trust, nine in total, they'll be lining up to swipe their cards at your door in a bit."
It was Song Xiaona's people who arrived. Li Yufei breathed a sigh of relief. "Why did you call so many people?"
"Who knows how much black smoke is on your hands?"
Dean heard Li Yufei's voice, "Is that Xiaona talking to you?"
Li Yufei hummed in agreement, then leaned against the door behind her and said, "Alright, Song Xiaona, everyone's here, there's nothing more for you to do. Hurry up and leave, I'll handle the rest."
Are you sure you can die successfully?
"Yeah, I'm sure I'll die." That sounds so strange.
"Since you're so confident, I can wait until you die before I die myself."
"What's wrong with you?" Li Yufei asked, puzzled. "Can't you just go die already? Why do you have to hold my hand and walk down this flowery path with me?" It's a path lined with spider lilies.
A faint sigh drifted in from outside the door, "Li Yufei, the reason you're so eager for me to die is that you're not confident either, and you know this is unlikely to succeed."
Li Yufei was speechless.
The chances of getting a demon in such a short time are extremely slim.
Li Yufei knew this, and Song Xiaona knew it too, so she had to stay here. If she couldn't make it in time for the demon to appear, she would have to take advantage of the time while Li Yufei and the others were holding off Cheng Yuzhou to retrieve the Queen of the Underworld's box.
This was a life-or-death step, and she couldn't trust anyone else to do it; she had to do it herself.
"Alright, enough nonsense. If things get bad, I'll take the opportunity to kill myself. If you have nothing better to do, why don't you pray to Aphrodite and ask her to send a demon quickly?"
“…” Li Yufei lowered her eyes.
She pressed herself against the door and saw light coming out from the crack underneath.
Light shone through the crack in the door on the left, while the right half was black—the color of Song Xiaona's pants.
It was far from a time when she could relax, yet she sat down on the ground.
Looking at that half of black, Li Yufei suddenly recalled a sunset many years ago, when only a touch of red remained in the setting sun, and the blue-purple evening glow shone into the glass window of the dance studio.
That day was a Saturday. Song Xiaona called the members of the dance club over and started training at nine o'clock in the morning, with only one hour for lunch and rest in between.
Even the most energetic junior high school girls can't keep up with the jumps after practicing for a while.
They successively expressed their desire to end the relationship.
Fourteen-year-old Song Xiaona locked the front and back doors, forcefully compelling everyone to continue.
"Captain, I really can't jump anymore." The girls supported themselves on their knees, some sitting, some lying down. "My feet hurt so much, they're all scraped."
Song Xiaona walked up to her and looked down at the girl's calves.
After a moment, she tugged at the corners of her mouth and said softly, "Then do you want me to help you get a pair of painless prosthetics?"
She suddenly turned around, her young age exuding a sharp aura, "Get up, all of you, keep jumping! Let's see who dares to sit down!"
But now she sat down.
In that match, No. 3 Middle School once again lost to the long-established champion school team.
When changing into her dance shoes before going on stage, Li Yufei noticed that Song Xiaona's feet had calluses mixed with broken blisters.
After losing the competition, Song Xiaona left the club, and her dancing career was abandoned. Li Yufei, who no longer had to see her, danced happily by herself.
Li Yufei pressed herself against the door, staring at Song Xiaona sitting on the floor through the crack, and blurted out, "Song Xiaona, why are you always going against me?"
Aside from dance, their lives never intersected.
The competition between them is actually very limited, and they are not even in the same field.
Song Xiaona dislikes Cheng Yuzhou for always being superior to her, so why does he target her so much?
Song Xiaona's voice, tinged with anger, came from outside the thin door panel, "Li Yufei, do you think we're so idle that we have time to reminisce about the past and confess our feelings here?"
"I'm asking what's wrong!" I'm fed up with this piece of crap. How can someone be so annoying from the moment they open their mouth!
Enough with the small talk. Ignoring the pointless sentimentality, Song Xiaona gave the order directly: "Have Dean leave and bring in someone else."
People waiting in line came in one after another. At first, Li Yufei would come in to check if there were any changes in her body. But after less than ten people, she lost patience, crossed her legs, rested her chin on her hand, and stared blankly into space.
When will demons finally appear?
Is some kind of catalyst needed? Should we really pray to Aphrodite?
She tried reciting:
The devil is coming... the devil is coming—the devil, return!
"Cheng Yuzhou is here!"
A loud alarm interrupted Li Yufei's mental process.
"Cheng Yuzhou! It's Cheng Yuzhou!" "Miss Song told us to stop him!"
Li Yufei jumped to her feet, and Song Xiaona's sharp shout came from behind the door, "Don't move! He doesn't know you're here. Going out will only expose you."
Upon hearing this, Li Yufei froze again.
Yes, who would have thought she would become Song Xiaona's nun? Even if Cheng Yuzhou is no longer human, he probably wouldn't immediately think of such a bizarre thing.
"Listen up, Li Yufei." The black stripe under the door was gone, replaced by the sole of a running shoe.
Song Xiaona's voice drifted into the dimly lit confessional, "Unless I call you, never open the door. If Cheng Yuzhou comes looking for you, don't go with him. Try to stall for time and wait for me to come back to you."
"What do you mean?" Li Yufei couldn't sit still any longer. "Song Xiaona, where are you going?"
Just listen to me!
Her voice faded into the distance. Li Yufei grew anxious, pressed the doorknob, and pushed the door open: "Wait, where are you going...?"
She paused abruptly.
The door was locked from the outside.
She can't get out.
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