As Luo Wei pushed open the door, he was met with the sight of a burly huntress butchering an animal in the courtyard. He couldn’t help but pause in surprise.
“Oh, young man, you’re awake!” The huntress wiped the blood from her face and flashed a friendly smile. “How are you feeling? Any discomfort?”
“I’m much better now,” Luo Wei replied, glancing around the yard. It was hung with freshly skinned animal pelts—clearly, this was indeed a hunter’s household.
“That’s good…” The huntress sighed in relief. “Glad you’ve recovered, or your wife would’ve been worried sick.”
“My wife?” Luo Wei hesitated.
“Yeah?” The huntress looked at him curiously. “Isn’t that pretty girl your wife?”
“Uh… you could say that,” Luo Wei answered vaguely. “How did I end up here?”
The huntress explained, “Three evenings ago, just as my husband and I were about to eat, we heard frantic knocking at the door. When we opened it, your wife was carrying you, covered in wounds. She said you’d been attacked by beasts in the river valley…”
As she spoke, she muttered under her breath, “Strange times lately… more and more beasts roaming the roads. Where are they all coming from…?”
“I see… Thank you, ma’am.” After expressing his gratitude, Luo Wei scanned the courtyard again but saw no sign of Eleya.
“Where is she now?”
“She’s sitting by the river to the north,” the huntress pointed in that direction before adding curiously, “Is your wife troubled by something? These past few days, she’s been sitting by the river whenever she’s free, sometimes for hours on end…”
“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll go find her.” Luo Wei thanked her again.
“Huh? Young man, you’re going the wrong way! That’s south!”
“I know.”
Watching the young man stride off without looking back, the huntress wore a puzzled expression.
…
In the quiet river valley, Eleya silently gazed at her reflection in the water.
As the wind stirred, ripples distorted her image, twisting it into something unfamiliar.
Though it was undeniably her, at this moment, it felt strangely foreign.
“You’ve been tricked. The original purpose of the capital trip wasn’t like this, yet for Luo Wei, you destroyed years of groundwork with your own hands.”
Eleya spoke to her reflection, her eyes cold and detached.
But soon, she shook her head, her expression conflicted.
“No… Emperor Wegener is dead. The greatest obstacle in my path has been removed. Even if the original plan failed, it wasn’t a complete loss…”
“Hah, still lying to yourself.” Her gaze turned icy again.
“The Church was never a match for Wegener. What difference does a peaceful emperor make now? Your spies in the Wegener Church have been rooted out. Infiltrating them again will be next to impossible.”
“There’s still a chance… The spread of the new divine arts can’t be wiped out so easily. We still have time…”
Her emotions shifted once more, and Eleya suddenly smirked mockingly. “As long as Luo Wei exists, you’ll never achieve your goal. He’ll always stand in your way.”
Her eyes flickered as she fell into silence.
“What are you hesitating for? He’s the enemy! The greatest obstacle to your ascension!”
“No, he’s not the enemy. I’ll make him understand. He’ll help me. Just give me time…”
“Foolish! There is no more time. Can’t you feel the call of that unseen will? If you can’t do it, then I will!”
“No!” Eleya struck the water in frustration.
The once-calm surface shattered, scattering her reflection.
But the voice persisted, haunting her.
“You already know the answer in your heart. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have brought him here, would you?”
“No, no…” Eleya clutched her forehead, desperately trying to force the thought away.
“That’s not it. I didn’t bring him here to kill him. I just…”
“Just…”
Suddenly, her expression froze as if she sensed something.
Her eyes snapped toward the southern end of the valley.
“Luo Wei? Where are you going?”
In the sparse woods, Luo Wei turned to see Eleya smiling faintly at him.
“You scared me…” Luo Wei patted his chest.
“Were you trying to run away from me?” Eleya asked.
“No.” Luo Wei shook his head before reaching for his waistband. “Just needed to relieve myself.”
“Oh.” Eleya stared at him without moving.
“Don’t look at me like that…” Luo Wei sighed. “I can’t go with you watching…”
Eleya turned her head away but still didn’t leave.
Resigned, Luo Wei stepped deeper into the woods and forced himself to proceed.
“So, what were you doing by the river?” he asked curiously. “Contemplating life?”
Thinking back to her earlier turmoil, Eleya fell silent for a moment.
“No.”
When Luo Wei emerged from the woods, he noticed something off about Eleya’s mood.
“Are you… okay?” He frowned, realizing her corruption level had spiked significantly.
[Eleya]
[Affection: 100]
[Corruption: 72↑]
The last time she’d been like this was in the square when she transformed into a Throne Angel—her divine side had taken control.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” Eleya avoided the question, her gaze shifting to the hunter’s cottage in the distance, where smoke now rose from the chimney.
“Come on, let’s go eat.”
As dusk fell, the barren western lands were bathed in a rosy glow. The master of the house returned before nightfall, and the huntress brought out steaming pots of stewed game meat.
Having gone three days without food, Luo Wei was ravenous. He eagerly dug into a rib, tearing into the hot meat.
“Slow down, slow down, child…” The huntress chuckled helplessly. “You’ve just recovered—don’t eat so fast! It’s not good for you.”
Eleya watched Luo Wei devour his meal, a soft smile playing on her lips. “You’re acting like Helena now. There’s plenty of food—no one’s fighting you for it.”
Luo Wei scoffed. “Easy for you to say! You’re not the one starving!”
Eleya giggled. Seeing that he was only eating meat, she gently handed him a wooden spoon.
“Don’t choke. Have some soup.”
Luo Wei leaned over and drained the spoon of fish broth.
Eleya’s smile grew warmer.
The huntress watched their tender exchange with a grin. “Ah, youth… One moment you’re bickering, the next you’re all lovey-dovey…”
Luo Wei shot her a glance, but the woman rambled on.
“The key to a happy marriage is mutual understanding—and affection!”
"After all, you're not like us. You still have so much time ahead..."
The smile on Eleya's face slowly faded.
She silently lowered her head and continued eating, avoiding Luo Wei's gaze.
Noticing her shift in mood, Luo Wei nudged her gently under the table.
"What's wrong?" His light golden eyes held a trace of confusion as he looked at her.
"Are you taking me to Blackwater Town?" Luo Wei asked in a hushed voice.
"Yes," Eleya nodded softly.
"What's the purpose?" Luo Wei frowned. "I remember you wanted to meet me there back in the Northern Territories. Why are you so fixated on that place?"
"You'll understand when we get there."
Seeing Eleya still speaking in riddles, Luo Wei scoffed. "What if I refuse?"
That wretched place was where his first life had met its ruin—it carried nothing but ill fortune.
Eleya shook her head. "Then I'm afraid you won't have a choice."
"I hate being forced," Luo Wei said flatly. "Tell me the reason, and I'll go with you willingly."
Eleya studied Luo Wei's stern expression and finally let out a resigned sigh.
"The will of the gods calls to me. A secret lies hidden there—one about the fall of a deity..."
"Going to Blackwater Town is for the story's end."
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
