LWGP - Chapter 242
Chapter 242: Praying to Buddha
But his Master had returned from her advanced studies, overflowing with domineering aura. As her one and only direct disciple, he had to express his earnest filial piety.
"Master, Master, you just got back. How are you feeling now? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"
Wang Shu was the first to speak, his voice filled with a treacherous, fawning submissiveness.
Wang Jiu: "Yes."
The moment she said yes, many people subconsciously covered the spot over their main arteries.
Even Qing He frowned and pinched the spot where her blood had just been drawn.
This Wang Jiu was ruthless enough to turn on her past collaborators.
How vile.
Could it be that she wanted to draw blood a second time?
"Where, where?" Wang Shu continued to play his role as the filial disciple.
"A little small."
Many people didn't quite understand Wang Jiu's faint words. Only Xie Lu and Qing He froze for a moment, then subconsciously... glanced at a certain place.
You Ziyi and the others were usually imposing figures, but today, in a place gathered with high-level officials and powerful figures, they had long since retreated to the sidelines. They were already injured and being treated, had been scared witless by Wang Jiu, and then had their blood drawn. At this moment, they were exceptionally weak.
In their weakness, they sensed something and were stunned. You Ziyi was the quickest to react, glaring at Xie Lu, with whom he had some rapport, "Fuck, Xie Lu, what are you looking at us for!"
He tightened the large bath towel wrapped around his lower body, and finally, under everyone's gaze, his face turned red as he silently hid behind his team captain, Qin Feikong.
Fortunately, this atmosphere was ended by a single sentence from Qing He.
"Are you alright now? Can we go to the meeting?"
She was not one for idle chatter. Since Wang Jiu was fine, they had to get back to business.
Everyone was eager to get to business, lest Wang Jiu decide to settle old scores. Thus, they all took their leave one after another, and in a flash, the place was empty. Roy had disappeared at some unknown point.
Now, only the few from Gobi remained.
"Mm, you guys go ahead. Don't let me disturb you," Wang Jiu said casually.
Was that something a human would say? Leaving just like that, dumping a massive territory on her without even a salary, and now that you're back, you still want me to work for you?
Qing He's impression of Wang Jiu had never changed. "What, you still want to exploit me?"
Wang Jiu: "If you think this is exploitation, that's fine. It's better than you thinking I'm forcing you."
The line was very overbearing-CEO, old and greasy, but combined with her previous act of killing someone without a second thought and her usual style, it actually fit quite well.
In any case, Qing He met her gaze for a moment, then stood up, her fingers releasing her sword. She said faintly, "It would be good if you could always be this arrogant. I'm just afraid you'll do something stupid again."
Those words... were quite sincere.
Just as this person outwardly disdained Wang Jiu's poor moral compass and lack of righteousness, feeling she had misjudged her, she still considered her a friend.
When a master spy who never spoke her mind finally did, it meant she was serious.
Qing He genuinely hoped Wang Jiu would be extremely cautious from now on.
Traveling through a spacetime tunnel was something one should only do once in a lifetime.
It was not to be done unless absolutely necessary.
Wang Jiu understood. She lowered her eyes, her soft green hair slightly obscuring her expression.
"Don't worry, I won't."
Qing He gave her a deep look, and it was unclear whether she believed her or not. In any case, she flew towards the Huaxia building.
Xie Lu also left with her, which surprised Wang Shu. He had personally witnessed how Xie Lu had exhausted his mind and energy, putting all his thoughts into the territory during this time. Because Wang Jiu was gone, although Qing He could hold down the fort, she was an outsider after all. Plus, many other kings from the second spacetime had returned, and some of them targeted Qing He, who couldn't possibly handle everything. In the end, it was Xie Lu who used his connections in the central government to apply pressure from above, protecting Gobi and allowing it to continue its rapid, powerful development.
He had silently guarded Wang Jiu's territory for her.
So why was he leaving now?
It was Bai Bai who saw it clearly. "He definitely doesn't know what to say to Ancestral Grandma next. Straight guys are all like this."
Come to think of it, that seemed right. Xie Lu's face had been very red just now.
Did he see something?
What else could it be? Lao Wang had reconstructed her body. How it was reconstructed, what it was reconstructed into... he saw it.
No wonder he was so flustered.
Wang Shu slapped his forehead and looked at Wang Jiu.
"Master, what are you going to do next?"
"Take a bath, go to sleep."
The cooperation between the Ninth and Third Districts, the invasion of the Undead Race, the future development of the two districts, the future of humanity—none of this had anything to do with Wang Jiu.
Wang Jiu went straight back to the residence officially arranged for Gobi, a large villa with no shortage of rooms. Wang Shu followed along, taking the opportunity to send a private message to Qing He and Xie Lu as he left.
Wang Shu: I'm going back to the residence with Master. Master needs my care. Thanks for your hard work.
Xie Lu: Mm.
Qing He didn't reply, ignoring him completely.
Wang Jiu changed her clothes. She didn't rush to do anything to the Bloodthirsty Beast, because she first had to determine her own current situation.
Only the final step remained in saving the Old Lady. There was no room for error, especially errors originating from herself.
She had cleansed and reconstructed her physical body, but the hidden danger lay in her spiritual body.
Previously, in the spacetime tunnel, she hadn't just been making a risky return; she had also wanted to use the tunnel's destructive power to completely eradicate its existence.
But in truth, in the end, she didn't even know if she had succeeded.
In any case... she took off her clothes and looked at her back thoughtfully.
At this moment, Xie Lu, who was sitting in the conference hall continuing the meeting, was also a bit distracted. He was thinking about what he had seen earlier.
Wang Jiu's back... was smooth and flawless, without the slightest trace of that sacrificial totem.
Did this mean that her return from this tribulation was a blessing in disguise, that she had completely gotten rid of that hidden danger?
In the room, Wang Jiu put her clothes back on, pulled out the strands of hair tucked under her collar, her expression unruffled. She simply picked up the ancient Calendar.
The soul that had been attached to it was now gone, but it indicated that this ancient Calendar had once been used by that entity.
Its contents should be authentic.
Wang Jiu went out the door, sat on the balcony, and opened it to learn about the history of the Primordial Spirits, and also the history of the Black Witches.
Initially, it was just a matter of understanding, supplementing the knowledge Wang Jiu had received from the Fourth Spacetime. But she hadn't expected to see such a passage.
—Black Witches, a classification of Witches, slaughter living beings, sacrifice flesh and blood, and are deeply stained by karma; these are the Great Witches.
This was the opening preface, introducing the Black Witches. Wang Jiu already knew this and didn't pay it much mind, but as her gaze casually swept further, she froze.
There was a lot of text that followed, and two paragraphs caught her attention.
—Great Witches, especially those called Emperors, slaughtered excessively, devoured the flesh and blood of living beings, and enslaved the souls of the dead to forge their Dao. The deep resentment of the dead accumulated over time, gradually creating another world and giving birth to strange spirits, which became the Ghost Race.
—The Ghost Race are the natural enemies of the Witches, locked in a life-and-death struggle. They hide deep within the Ghost World, gnawing at the world boundary markers day and night. Every three hundred years, they break the seal to emerge and seek revenge on the Witches.
—The Black Witch Emperor Yin Lao is the enemy of the entire Ghost Race, and also the karmic evil of the latter's Dao.
This was new information. Wang Jiu truly hadn't known this before. Speaking of which, the Ghost Race was basically a victims' alliance.
She wondered if she could make use of them.
Her finger tapped on the name Yin Lao, her brow slightly furrowed.
"Is the Ghost Race also one of the races in the current game system?"
System: "Don't even think about it. It's not a game race because it has no HP. It's a purely soul-type existence. During the period when the Primordial Spirit Race was facing destruction, it even went to war with the Witch Race several times. Speaking of which, if it weren't for the threat of the Ghost Race, the Witch Dao would have long since been promoted to the number one Dao lineage of the Primordial Spirit Race. After all, before the Black Witches split off, the Witch Race once threatened the lineage of the Primordial Spirit Founder—of course, the Founder had already fallen by then, otherwise the Witch Race wouldn't have risen later."
Wang Jiu ignored the System's cold water and just continued to ask, "How long until the three hundred years are up?"
Her eyes were filled with cruelty, probably thinking about slaughtering the Witch Race.
The System was silent for a moment, then said, "There are still 230 years."
Wang Jiu: "..."
Fine, no hope there.
Just then, Wang Shu called out from downstairs for Wang Jiu to eat. Wang Jiu closed the book and got up to go down.
Speaking of which, Wang Jiu really wasn't used to the food from the Fourth Spacetime, so her appetite was good today. Wang Shu was quite pleased with himself, asking with feigned modesty, "Master, is it good?"
"You want me to praise you?"
"No, no, I was just afraid it wouldn't suit your taste."
"Mm, it's delicious."
"..."
Wang Shu was drunk with joy, his mouth hanging open. But then he seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
Wang Jiu finished eating and put down her bowl and chopsticks.
Wang Shu finally mustered the courage to ask her, "Master, this time..."
Fine, he still didn't dare to ask. The Old Lady was Wang Jiu's taboo, too dangerous.
He was scared.
Instead, Wang Jiu stood at the door, looked at the only mountain in sight, and asked, "Is that Jincheng Mountain? Is Baipu Zen Temple still there?"
Wang Shu was stunned. He craned his neck to look. "I think so. When we first arrived, a few old Beijingers told us to go take a look."
"Did you go?"
"No, none of us believe in Buddhism. Why would we go?"
"Come here."
The Wang Shu who had asked "why would we go" trotted obediently after Wang Jiu to Jincheng Mountain. Gun Gun and Bai Bai followed as well.
Soon, Wang Shu understood why his Master had brought him along.
As a tool to pay for incense oil.
Wang Shu: "..."
Even now, Gun Gun was still a little afraid of Wang Jiu, following Wang Shu's every step and occasionally stealing cautious glances at Wang Jiu walking ahead.
They could clearly fly up, but this person was slowly climbing the mountain steps. Was it because she was wearing a dress?
Speaking of dresses.
"Master, the clothing industry has developed a lot now. Even in our Gobi, there are many new styles. But the capital and Hong Kong are still the most developed regions. You were away for a while, so I helped you pick out some and saved them. Oh, right, Sister Lin and Xuejing also picked some for you."
Although her methods were domineering and cruel, everyone knew that Wang Jiu was a person who was quite refined in her private life, particular about her food, clothing, housing, and transportation. So, it was still possible to curry favor in this regard.
Wang Shu privately messaged some pictures of the clothes to Wang Jiu.
After looking at them, Wang Jiu's disdain was direct. "They don't suit me, but they suit you."
She disdained both the dresses and the person.
Wang Shu: /(ćoć)/~~
Master was still Master, devoid of emotion.
However, Wang Jiu still received many dresses, because Lin Guiwan and the others didn't say much and just sent them directly to her mailbox.
Ah, as expected, the aesthetic sense of beautiful women was worth looking forward to.
Wang Jiu accepted these beautiful clothes while looking at the curling sandalwood smoke visible ahead.
There were few people on the road, but Wang Shu was talkative, and with Gun Gun and Bai Bai's banter, the journey was never quiet.
Until Wang Jiu stood in the secluded courtyard of a Buddhist temple.
An old and ancient ginkgo tree, its canopy elegant and graceful, seemed to exude a quiet suppression. Strangely, the hall before it enshrined a wrathful Vajra.
The beauty of nature, the severity of faith.
A conflict of motion and stillness, a paradox of life and death.
But on the surface, it was beautiful. Many people used to take pictures here, especially young people.
Wang Shu inexplicably felt that this place was a bit unusual and couldn't help but fall silent. Bai Bai and Gun Gun didn't dare to make a peep either.
As for Wang Jiu, from the way she familiarly walked here, Wang Shu knew she used to come often.
He didn't know who she came with.
It was probably no one else.
Lao Wang wasn't the type of person to bring an ex-husband, ex-boyfriend, kept celebrity, or ambiguous partner to a temple to pray and offer incense.
After an unknown amount of time, Wang Shu finally spoke up. "Master, did you bring her back?"
Wang Jiu turned her head, glanced at him, and actually gave him a smile.
"Mm."
A soft response, accompanied by a smile, gentle and seemingly content.
He thought he had seen his Master smile before, but now he felt that this time, it was real.
Wang Shu understood—Master was happy. She was really happy.
Perhaps he would get to meet that Old Lady, the one who only lived in the memories of many.
As if thinking of something, Wang Shu asked Wang Jiu if she wanted to draw a fortune slip.
"No."
A strange person. Coming to a Buddhist temple but not drawing a fortune slip, she must not be a sincere person.
"Can I go then?" Wang Shu asked. Wang Jiu glanced at him. "Weren't you a non-believer?"
Wang Shu blushed and gave a popular internet phrase as an answer: "Since we're already here."
Wang Jiu was noncommittal and let him go. So Wang Shu took a panda and ran off. Bai Bai lagged behind a bit, glaring at Wang Jiu. "It's been so long, Ancestral Grandma, don't you have anything to say to me? It was one thing when Fatty Wang was here, but now that they're gone, you can show some affection."
Wang Jiu looked down at it and offered a gentle, delicate sentence, "Still so black, huh?"
Fuck!
Bai Bai glared angrily and ran off in a huff. It was going to draw a fortune slip too—to become white, white, white!
They all left, leaving Wang Jiu alone.
She stood there for a long time, lost in thought, her eyes somewhat dazed.
She had been here many times, each time with the Old Lady.
If memories lingered, were they in the flowers that bloomed naturally with the wind and light in the courtyard, or in the green moss that crept into the cracks of the mottled walls? It all depended on whether one's heart cared more about what was gained or what was lost.
Wang Jiu finally lowered her head, pressed her palms together, and closed her eyes.
This was the only heartfelt prayer of her life.
May the gods protect me and grant me mercy.
I am willing... to pay any price.
When Wang Jiu lowered her hands, she saw a vaguely familiar figure. She glanced at it but didn't move, waiting for the person to approach.
Yan Yanting walked out from the shadow of the trees and stood in the sunlight, saying calmly, "Long time no see."
This person had changed quite a bit.
But Wang Jiu wasn't particularly concerned, even though she knew he must have been waiting in the mountains for a while.
This person was one of the closest to her and the Old Lady.
At least, during those years.
"Mm, it has been a long time."
Yan Yanting didn't say much more, just took out something and handed it to Wang Jiu.
"Although you probably don't care for it, this is my gift to the Old Lady... She has always been the person I respect most in my life."
Wang Jiu glanced at him, took it, and said, "Thank you."
Then she turned and left.
Yan Yanting watched her back until she was out of sight. Only then did he let out a breath, turned to look at the wrathful Vajra, and lowered his head with a smile.
It was a bitter yet relieved smile.
There was no resentment, so there was no need to be entangled. Because in the end... deep down, he was especially fortunate and never regretted it.
At least, the best years of Wang Jiu's life were spent with him. Even if her persona was false, who could claim to be completely real?
He was lucky.
Walking on the path, Wang Jiu's fingers brushed over the back of the peace talisman. She saw that there were clearly two names carved on the back as blessings.
She looked at it for a while, then put the talisman away. But a few minutes later, she had three more peace talismans.
Mm, the ones Wang Shu, the panda demon, and the fox spirit had knelt before the Buddha statue to pray for.
Wang Shu was still grumbling about it. "Master, you have no idea. The way those monks looked at us was like they were watching Journey to the West. Damn it, what era is this? Even cockroaches have become spirits. These little baldies have seen nothing of the world."
Wang Jiu was amused and reached out to pat Wang Shu's head.
"Let's go."
That night, when Qing He and Xie Lu returned, they intended to talk to Wang Jiu about something, but when they looked, she was gone.
Upon asking around...
That damn thing had gone back to Gobi by herself without a word.
Even someone as good-tempered and unconcerned as Qing He had a wooden expression.
A perfectly good king, had she really become a temp worker?
Gobi. After returning, Wang Jiu contacted the Goblin Trader.
Goblin Trader: "Boss, what can I do for you?"
The System's NPCs truly embodied what it meant to be realistic. Compared to the previous humiliating titles like "weakling," "country bumpkin," and "mountain turtle," it had now become the profit-laden "Boss."
There was no other reason. This Goblin Trader, by being the first to open a shop with Wang Jiu, had seen his business soar, and he had even been promoted.
There was no end to promotions, so there was no end to flattering the boss.
"I'm buying things." Wang Jiu sought out the Goblin Trader to understand and reorder some soul-summoning and soul-gathering props.
Actually, there was no selection process, just one standard: the best and the most expensive!
Holy crap, what a huge expenditure!
The Goblin Trader was thrilled and gave her special privileges, selling her many top-tier resources that weren't usually sold in the Goblin Trader's shop.
After the sale was complete, he calculated it. Holy crap, thirty million points.
"Actually, if you want to summon a soul to save someone, three million points would have been enough. You've seriously gone overboard."
He only said this after the sale was complete. The Goblin Trader was a bit disingenuous, but there was still a bit of sincerity.
After all, he did mention it in the end.
Wang Jiu: "I know."
She then ordered an identical set.
Goblin Trader: "???"
Wang Jiu: "Better safe than sorry."
She would not allow any accidents.
The Goblin Trader couldn't help but feel that latching onto this thigh was relatively easy, but the one this boss held in her heart was the truly lucky one.
After preparing the props, Wang Jiu released the Bloodthirsty Beast in her manor.
The Bloodthirsty Beast had been enslaved. The moment it came out and expressed its loyalty, Wang Jiu knocked it unconscious.
She prepared to separate the soul, but after trying, she found it tricky.
System: "It has devoured too many souls, and it has already begun to digest the Old Lady's soul. Most importantly, it has evolved. Although it ultimately failed to evolve to the ancient level, it is still half-step ancient. Its spiritual body is linked to the rules, so it's not easy to break down now."
Wang Jiu: "Even with these top-tier props, it won't work?"
System: "It will, but you need to prepare a suitable location, a place with strong life force and abundant spirit veins. Most importantly—it must enhance soul activity, so that the separated soul won't be harmed by the mortal world's aura upon direct contact. Then, you must contain the soul as quickly as possible, create a new body for it, insert the soul, and then..."
In any case, it was a very complicated process. This time, the System's explanation was very detailed, its service attitude a world apart from before.
Wang Jiu listened very carefully and even recorded it.
After it finished, she began to consider a location. The System helped her choose, quickly listing some candidates, but in the end, only one place fit the criteria.
Seeing this place, Wang Jiu paused and frowned.
She had been to this place before.
"She's back?"
"She actually came back."
"It's good that she's back. It means our plan didn't fail. Let the Holy Son go... This is the final battle."
"This time, she has an absolute weakness. Success or failure hinges on this."
Within the Black Witch Organization, old, hoarse voices flickered in and out of existence.
In the darkness, three figures were also faintly visible.
They acknowledged the command, then departed.
And far away in another district, the Second District.
On an island, castles stood in abundance, but all were in ruins, as if destroyed by a terrifyingly destructive explosion.
An elegant and old-fashioned butler, like a ghost, walked down a long corridor and entered a cold basement.
Despite the cold, the basement was exquisitely decorated, with taste evident everywhere. Classical music emanated from an unknown source, lingering in the spacious area. A family crest was carved on a stone pillar.
If Roy were here, she would have discovered that this crest was identical to the one recorded in the small notebook she had traded to Wang Jiu.
It housed an ice coffin.
A person lay inside the coffin, along with a cat.
The old butler approached, knelt, and reported something in a low, hoarse voice.
If Wang Shu were here, he would probably be scared to tears, because a voice came from inside the coffin.
"She will come for me, and then let me complete the final ritual."
As the view pulled back, a picture could be seen hanging on the wall next to the ice coffin.
It was a photo of a ceremony.
Western-style, a monastery, guests gathered, a festive atmosphere.
But in the end, it became what the surviving butler referred to over the long years as the "Scarlet Monastery."
Faintly, the weak meow of a cat could be heard from the basement, mysterious and eerie.
Song Yuanqiao sent a private message just as Wang Jiu decided to set off for the other location.
"What do you need?"
He didn't ask what Wang Jiu was going to do next or how she would do it, because he knew he couldn't stop her, but he was also afraid that the information might leak and affect her.
In any case, just giving her resources was enough.
Wang Jiu: "I've already prepared everything. No need."
Song Yuanqiao fell silent, then sent a huge pile of resources to Wang Jiu's mailbox, which even included an evolution potion.
This was probably his own portion.
His only one.
Wang Jiu accepted it all. In the future, she would just toss it all to the Old Lady to deal with as she pleased.
Quite a few people sent things to Wang Jiu. Her mailbox was full, and she couldn't even hold all the packages she received. Wang Jiu could only move them to the territory warehouse. As she moved them, she chatted idly with the System: "Do you think these bastards want to sleep with me?"
The System, with its dog-head face: "Maybe they want you to sleep with them? Do you know how important it is to latch onto a powerful thigh these days?"
Wang Jiu deeply agreed.
The world had gone to ruin.
Sighing with emotion, Wang Jiu selected her teleportation destination.
Second District, Asabia Devil Islands sea area.
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