Chapter 07
Hera's physical body was not in the temple; only her soul remained.
None of the gods present dared to plead for Poseidon; he had brought this trouble upon himself.
With the soul separated from the body, the oppressive force only intensifies.
A wave of fear washed over Zeus, his breath caught in his throat, and he nearly dropped his spear.
She has actually reached such a level.
The source of a deity's divine power is judged by whether they fulfill their duties responsibly. The higher the degree of fulfillment, the higher and more unattainable the upper limit of their divine power.
“Hera, she has not even set foot on the sacred mountain herself, how can she be considered your servant?”
"Your protectiveness is a bit too inexplicable."
"Your soul must be suffering too. To do this for a mere slave is utterly foolish!"
Poseidon, enraged and humiliated, tore his clothes to shreds, leaving him completely naked.
In a sorry state.
The venom carried by the silver snake's sharp fangs seeped into his skin, blocking all his divine power.
He is a god, immortal, and Hera's actions are nothing more than humiliating herself.
For the sake of a lowly slave, he would actually turn against him, who was also a god.
“If it weren’t for your obstruction, she would have been the first servant to reach the Temple Realm.”
"Whoever wins this game is mine."
Why shouldn't I protect him?
The woman's voice was filled with unfathomable anger, which she was barely suppressing.
"The branding will disappear in three days."
"You'd better watch yourself."
With those words uttered coldly, the silver serpent dispersed like a tide, leaving behind only the gods staring at each other in bewilderment.
Hera's shrine is hidden in a hot spring valley, a remote and secluded mountain. The gods choose their shrines based on their own lifestyles.
Poseidon is the god of the sea and dwells in the seabed, while Demeter is the goddess of agriculture and her palace is built on the Polomei field. Each god has a palace that is most suitable for him.
Hera loved tranquility and lived in the hot springs before marrying Zeus. Her harshness, tyranny, and impartiality seemed to be the only words that came to mind when mentioning this god.
Yet she is also the most reliable; she has her own set of ways of dealing with people.
She will make her own judgment on who is right and who is wrong, and will not favor or misunderstand anyone based on a few words.
Although everyone feared her, no one ever questioned her impartiality in the clergy.
The god of marriage will always stand steadfastly by a woman's side.
Because there are already enough people standing on the other side.
Hera needs to protect their self-esteem and rights.
A tall, slender figure appeared in the wooden corridor. She walked quickly, heading straight for the inner room. Her soft blonde hair fell down, obscuring her face and making it impossible to see her expression.
The girl nestled in her arms.
The strong lines on the forearm of the goddess holding the girl, her well-defined knuckles and bulging veins showed her urgency.
As soon as I passed through the flower garden, I heard the "crunch, crunch" sound of a broom sweeping up leaves.
"Your Majesty Hera."
"What's wrong with you? And where did she come from?!"
The maid with dark brown hair, dressed in a pure white maid outfit, saw the newcomer, put down her broom, blinked her bluish-gray eyes, and walked towards her, looking surprised and with a whole host of questions in her mind.
“Poseidon used his divine power on her.”
"She is injured."
The divine language succinctly summarized the ins and outs of the matter.
Winslow seemed used to her aloof nature and wasn't annoyed, following closely behind Hera, muttering to himself, "Is this the girl His Majesty picked up?"
"She's really a beauty. Hiss, even the mighty sea god would be willing to lay a hand on a beauty."
"Haha, then Doreen and I will have company from now on."
"This is wonderful news! I must tell Doreen right away."
In the blink of an eye, the person disappeared, coming and going in a hurry.
The deity carried the person into the inner chamber of the deep hall and gently placed him on the bed. On the way, she had already used her divine sense to check Li Jia's pulse, and there was nothing seriously wrong, just that he was overworked and his taut string had snapped, so he needed to rest.
She reached out her fingertips and removed the veil, revealing her entire face in the inner room, making one understand the true meaning of "a humble abode shines with glory."
She was strikingly beautiful and alluring, with a deadly beauty that was unforgettable. Her appearance was stunning at first glance and would still be stunning at second glance.
Especially those red eyes, with slightly upturned corners, exuding arrogance and domineering charm; just one glance is enough to draw someone into a vortex from which they cannot escape.
Yet she possessed an extremely cold and aloof nature; in the books where the other twelve divine lords had all found lovers and even offspring, not a single word of hers was written.
Only when the gods are impartial can they maintain absolute justice and selflessness.
Even gods have feelings and selfish desires.
This is her vow to the sacred mountain.
Hera used her divine sense to probe her brain. She had read through the diaries of each of the ten candidates. The diary described Li Jia in just a few words: timid, weak, sensitive and taciturn.
She felt like a completely different person from the girl she saw today.
It was as if another person had taken up residence in her body.
Could it be... soul parasitism?
After the soul leaves its original body, it forcibly takes over the body of someone who has just died and is resurrected.
Hera had only seen this saying in ancient books; though rare, it was not entirely nonexistent in the world.
The secret methods recorded in ancient books all have some reason; their existence is justified.
Hera recalled the scene in Li Jia's memory where she saw her take poisonous herbs and lie under the moonlit tree.
Was it at that time that her body was forcibly taken over?
All the choices she made today seem to be aimed at her.
"It really makes me curious..." The usually stern and serious goddess curled her lips into a smile that only she knew.
Hera sat on the edge of the bed, watching the person on it, breathing evenly. She stared at her face, even scrutinizing the small mole behind her ear. She wanted to see how this person was different from the original Li Jia.
"Then let me see what you really are."
Whether it is a human or a ghost, a god or a demon, can be determined with a single investigation using the Soul Wandering Technique. If it is not the original owner, the possessor will surely suffer divine punishment—annihilation and vanishing into nothingness.
"Don't be nervous, relax... little girl."
Hera, a person who dared to choose her own path and overcame fear despite the pain, patiently recited a sentence.
Unable to uncover her background, her wariness wouldn't allow her to stay by his side.
The female voice, like a spell, pierced through the layers of dreams, stimulating Li Jia's cerebral cortex and making her shudder.
"Master! Master! Wake up! Wake up!"
The electronic voice was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan; if Li Jia didn't regain consciousness soon, it was even planning to use an electric current to wake her up.
The incessant crackling of electricity filled her ears. Finally, Li Jia slowly opened her eyes, her brows furrowed, seemingly reluctant to leave her beautiful dream.
In her dream, she hadn't even tasted the DQ matcha almond ice cream she just bought when the system woke her up. Still annoyed, she pouted.
The system was in a real hurry, and only stopped when it promised to compensate her with ten scoops of ice cream after she returned.
"The target has become suspicious that you are not the original female lead. She will use the Soul Search Technique to search your soul. If you are not the original female lead, you will be completely destroyed, and my mission will fail."
"If I fail this time, I'll have to go back to the factory and start over. Waaaaah TT▽TT It would be too embarrassing to go back to the factory at my age. The main thing is that you, Master, will also cease to exist. So I'm going to wake you up because I plan to help you avoid the search by the Soul Reaper."
"Helping you escape this calamity will consume a lot of my power. I will go into deep hibernation for a period of time. In the days to come, you will have to figure things out on your own."
"Remember! While I'm gone, Master, please don't do anything reckless. Just wait patiently for my return to assist you in your conquest!"
Before Li Jia could recover from her dazed state, the system suddenly crashed with a few seconds of static.
How could that be?
A hint of surprise flashed across Hera's eyes: "How could it be the same person?"
The girl in front of her seemed like a completely different person from the one she remembered in terms of personality, behavior, and way of doing things.
However, the Soul Wandering Technique showed that they were the same person, and her soul did not belong to another person.
Hera rubbed her forehead, completely baffled as to how someone could change their personality so drastically overnight.
Looking at the sleeping girl, the deity raised his hand and stroked her cheeks, which were gradually turning from pale to rosy, with his fingertips, and gently ran his index finger across her lips.
Speculation, friction.
Her cherry-like lips looked very appetizing.
Her throat bobbed involuntarily, and her deep, cold red eyes were no longer there, but were tinged with desire, with a surging tide hidden in them.
He chuckled softly twice: "Then stay by my side."
Hera removed the pinky ring from her left hand, placed it in her palm, bit her right middle finger, and dripped a drop of her blood onto the ring. The ruby greedily absorbed the blood, but she seemed oblivious to the pain, silently watching until it was completely absorbed.
Soon, an identical ring appeared in her palm. Hera picked up Li Jia's slender left hand and gently swiped it, leaving a drop of blood on her ring.
The ring was placed on her middle finger, and it was adjusted to fit the thickness of her finger, fitting securely at the knuckle.
Soul and body are connected.
The master-servant contract has been established.
From then on, if she was in ten parts pain, she would bear nine parts for her.
Her divine power was shared with her.
Protect her to the greatest extent possible.
The entire sacred mountain knows about this method, but no one has ever done it before. To risk one's divine power for a stranger is something no one would think of or be willing to do.
Hera was the first.
She didn't know why she did it. Perhaps she felt that since she was her first and only servant, it was only natural for her to take care of her.
Li Jia didn't know how long she had slept. The moment she opened her eyes, she almost habitually stretched out her arms and yawned. Her elbow touched something soft, and she shuddered, terrified.
Where is she now?
They met eyes that were both incredibly beautiful, their red pupils holding a hint of amusement.
"You're awake? Are you feeling unwell?"
Her voice was slightly cool. Li Jia looked at her and for some reason, she remembered the scene when they first met, when she touched her body. Her face turned red.
"My Lord, I'm awake. I feel fine, have a good appetite, and feel great."
Li Jia quickly switched roles, licking her dry lips, which were inexplicably peeling.
"Gurgle gurgle~"
Li Jia's stomach growled unexpectedly, and she scratched her head shyly, "I slept too long and I'm hungry."
Hera seemed amused by her and said with a hint of apology, "It was my oversight. Gods do not need to eat and do not experience hunger. I will have someone bring you some food now."
As she was about to turn and leave the inner room, Li Jia noticed the ring on her middle finger. She remembered that Hera also had one. Puzzled, she called out to Hera, "Your Majesty, may I ask how this ring ended up on my hand?"
“This is a master-servant contract. You have passed the test and become my only disciple.”
"Put this ring on."
The powerful and stern deity leaned against the doorframe, his mere admonition leaving no room for negotiation:
"You will die if you leave me."
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