“No, I didn’t!” At dawn, a scream from the room pierced the sky. She was pulling her hair out, strands falling to the ground, and banging her head against the bed frame, seemingly oblivious to the pain. “Doll, doll, it’s your Brother Ye,” Xia Yu Ye embraced her tightly to prevent her from hurting herself. Upon waking, scenes from the previous day flashed through her mind – so many people, she had killed them with her own hands. She remembered clearly how bloodthirsty she was yesterday, unable to control herself. “No, you’re not, you’re not my Brother Ye. Baihua, Baihua…” She pushed away from his embrace and ran wildly outside, opening door after door, searching frantically. Hearing her cry, “No, you’re not, you’re not my Brother Ye,” his heart ached, a pain only he could understand…
“Goddess, calm down.” Fire Fox tried to stop Xiaotu’s frantic actions. “Where’s Baihua? Where’s Baihua?” She grabbed Fire Fox’s sleeve, desperately asking about Baihua’s whereabouts. She refused to believe it; it must have been just a nightmare since she entered the palace. Baihua couldn’t be dead, couldn’t be! “Xiaotu, Baihua isn’t dead, he really isn’t. He’s just temporarily returned to the God Realm, he’ll come back.” Wang Xie consoled her with a gentle lie, coaxing her like a child. “Baihua isn’t dead, isn’t dead,” she murmured to herself, gradually calming down. She kept telling herself that Baihua had gone to the God Realm and would return…
The pain was felt by everyone present; seeing the once lively and adorable goddess now act like a madwoman was heart-wrenching. Tears welled up in their eyes… What could be done? They were helpless. The beautiful young man, Shui Mi Tao, furrowed his brows, biting his lips to keep the tears from falling…
Chapter 42: Baihua
“It hurts, it really hurts…” The screams of agony continued, as if the pain of flesh being torn from bone hadn’t ceased. With a thud, she fell to the ground, the pain sweeping over her entire body, rolling in the dust, her white clothes now stained. The pain was unbearable, a pain no one could comprehend, and her heart ached too, for reasons unknown, a pain no one could understand.
“If I could, I would bear all this pain for you, but I can’t. Why must the heavens torture us so?” He roared, his heart breaking more at her suffering. He dared not approach, knowing she despised him, unable to embrace her for she would struggle like mad, resisting his touch. Footsteps sounded outside.
“Little girl, Baihua is back.” A familiar voice echoed from above, full of tender affection. That familiar white figure, the doting smile at the corner of his mouth, an unparalleled beauty. Seeing him, Xia Yu Ye wasn’t surprised, but rather, he understood. The face so close wasn’t the pale face that haunted his thoughts… His heart relaxed.
“Baihua.” Without hesitation, she threw herself into the arms that carried the scent of flowers. “A dream, it really was just a nightmare, as long as you’re safe.” Was she deceiving herself? So be it. Let’s consider it all just a dream.
“Be good, change your clothes, let’s go have some snacks.” He lifted her up gently, his movements soft, coaxing her. She trembled in his embrace, still in pain, but her heart was no longer lost, no longer empty, no longer in pain. Watching her nestle obediently in another’s arms, seeing her relieved smile, watching her body tremble from pain, Xia Yu Ye could only give a bitter smile – “Heaven’s wrath can be endured, but self-inflicted torment cannot.”
In the bathroom, she shed her clothes stained with filth; bruises covered her body, remnants of her madness. The warm water slowly enveloped her, easing the pain slightly, while large hands roamed over her, applying ointment. Her eyes closed, she drifted off to sleep in the water, the pain in her heart subsiding, the physical pain easing.
Outside, the group gathered, discussing strategies.
“Is this really the best way?” Wang Xie asked weakly, standing in the corridor.
“It’s the only way to keep the goddess conscious; otherwise, the poppy will succeed. The three divine artifacts have now merged into her body, temporarily suppressing the rebirth of the poppy,” Elder Yin explained helplessly.
“But why is she in so much pain?” For two days, she was either unconscious or tormented by pain. In a small pavilion, under a light drizzle, the atmosphere was filled with melancholy.
“It’s inevitable; the three divine artifacts have penetrated deep into her marrow, suppressing the demonic nature.” Such pain would likely persist for some time.
“For now, let Shui Shui impersonate Baihua to stabilize her mind, otherwise, Ling Ying really won’t hold up.” Yesterday, Shui Shui had requested to impersonate Baihua to keep her calm. Everyone was shocked but saw no other option.
“Are we just to watch her suffer day by day, slowly turning into a demon?” No one could answer, for this was something only she could overcome – whether to become a demon or a god.
“Living is exhausting, isn’t it?” A seductive voice echoed, and upon opening her eyes, she found herself surrounded by darkness, the air thick with the scent of blood.
“Who are you?” She tried to speak, but no sound came out.
“Ha ha, who am I? I am you, and you are me.” The echo lingered, “I am you, you are me.” She knew exactly what she wanted to say. A red figure stood near, with what looked like a person lying on the ground. The red figure flashed by, appearing face-to-face, and she was shocked to see it was her own reflection, so familiar, yet with a cluster of black poppies on the forehead, exuding an enchanting beauty devoid of sweetness, a face identical yet radiating a completely different aura. The figure buried its head in her neck, tongue licking, sending a tingling sensation, yet it was ice-cold.
“The taste of blood, truly delicious.” There was a warm sensation on the neck, without any hint of pain, yet the clear feeling of blood draining was unmistakable, as was the sound of heavy breathing. “For centuries, I have been asleep for centuries, and now that I can finally see the light of day again, how could I possibly miss such a great opportunity?” With a burst of manic laughter, the scent of blood grew stronger, and the sensation of moisture on the chest confirmed the blood was flowing. “In the darkness, I am the master. Can you feel it? The demon race is slowly awakening and will soon replace the impure lineage of demons. Believe me, in the not too distant future, the entire world will be ours. Ling Ying, just wait. Just wait.” The voice faded into the distance. She wanted to call out, but no matter how hard she tried, the words were stuck in her throat. What did she mean by that? What was the real meaning behind her words? She sensed danger, felt panic, her body trembling slightly. Who was this person, and why did she feel so familiar yet so foreign, as if this person was originally a part of her? “Can I really not escape this fate…?” A sigh was heard, and ahead, a beam of light appeared, revealing a woman in silver attire.
Chapter Forty-Three
