At this moment, Wang Yulan’s heart felt as if it had been struck violently by an invisible hammer.
Why... why did it have to be like this...?
Wang Yulan stared at the lifeless body on the ground, her hands trembling faintly.
Truth be told, she had already come to regard Tao Ying as a friend—after all, it was Tao Ying who had led her into this world of martial artists, granting her the power to seek vengeance against Xiao Lin.
But why... why had Tao Ying died so easily right before her eyes?
Her shaking hands seemed to grasp at something, yet... all they could clutch was the despair slowly creeping in around her. Wang Yulan’s vision blurred with anguish, and self-blame surged like a tidal wave, drowning all reason within her.
[Am I a bearer of misfortune? Why must everyone around me suffer such a fate?]
Her innermost heart trembled, her breaths turning ragged—each inhale felt like it was devouring her sanity.
And yet...
For some inexplicable reason, the image of Gu Yan surfaced in Wang Yulan’s mind.
"Yulan-jie... Yulan-jie..."
His voice seemed to echo in her thoughts.
That’s right. I must take revenge on Xiao Lin!
And then... I’ll see Gu Yan one last time!
So... until then, I must—survive!
With that resolve, Wang Yulan’s will to live surged to the forefront.
Hummm!
A wave of vibrant energy pulsed from her body.
In an instant, the walls and floor of the chamber became coated in verdant strands of qi, coalescing into blossoms of radiant light that bloomed across the newly formed green expanse.
Wang Yulan’s figure was now wreathed in a faint aura—the Flower Deity’s Qi—her final trump card.
Gu Yan observed Wang Yulan’s sudden burst of power, particularly the ethereal Flower Deity’s silhouette behind her, and the corners of his lips curled slightly.
Perfect. Just as I anticipated.
Is this the standard fare for the original heroine’s supporting cast?
A routine power surge?
Gu Yan let out a soft chuckle. "The Flower Deity’s projection? For a mere side character, you’ve done surprisingly well."
"What’s this? Are you angry because I killed your friend?"
"But... hmm. Why do I sense that the hatred in your heart is directed at someone else entirely?"
Wang Yulan’s hair now resembled vines, adorned with emerald petals, while tear stains marked the corners of her eyes. His words only stoked her fury further.
"Shut up!"
"You’re no different from that person!"
With a sweep of her hand, she aimed at Gu Yan.
Hummm—hummm—hummm!!
Emerald vines surged from all directions, their thorny tendrils bristling with venomous spikes.
At the same time—
Thwip! Thwip!
Vines erupted from beneath Gu Yan’s feet, binding him instantly and rendering him immobile.
He glanced down, then smirked at Wang Yulan. "Oh? You’ve mastered the Flower Deity’s Qi already?"
His mocking tone—so dismissive of life—only fueled her rage.
"Enough talk! Die, you monster!"
BOOM!
The vines lunged toward Gu Yan like frenzied spears.
From Wang Yulan’s perspective, since Gu Yan was ensnared, there was no way he could evade her strongest attack.
The vines pierced his body relentlessly.
Squelch! Squelch!!
Blood and gore splattered in all directions.
Seizing the moment, Wang Yulan used the vines to drag Tao Ying’s corpse away, retreating to a safe distance.
She raised an arm to shield herself from the violent gusts stirred by the assault.
Smoke and dust swirled in the air.
Her voice wavered as she stared at the gruesome aftermath. "Did... did I succeed?"
The next instant—
"Amusing."
A voice, cold as death itself, whispered beside her ear.
!!!
"No—!"
Before she could react, an iron grip seized her throat, hoisting her into the air.
Gasping in pain, she forced her eyes open to see the shadowy figure now standing before her, its clawed hand crushing her windpipe.
"Bastard...!"
She clawed at its arm, struggling futilely to break free.
How...? Why?
When did it get here?
Wang Yulan’s gaze darted back to the smoke-filled spot—but there was nothing there.
"Why...?"
She stared in disbelief at the faceless silhouette before her. How did it escape my vines?
Gu Yan tightened his grip, his voice dripping with amusement. "What gave you the delusion that you could kill me?"
"Originally, I intended to simply take the Flower Deity’s Qi from you."
"But in light of your... spirited resistance—"
"I’ll grant you a choice."
Thud!
He tossed Wang Yulan aside like discarded trash.
Cough! Cough!!
Clutching her throat, she glared up at him with venom in her eyes. "What do you want?"
"Simple."
Gu Yan extended a clawed finger and flicked it toward Tao Ying’s body.
The corpse levitated slowly before Wang Yulan’s horrified gaze.
His next words struck her like a bolt of lightning.
"Accept my blessing and join the Netherborn."
"In return, I will resurrect your friend."
The offer lingered in the air.
Wang Yulan wondered if she had misheard.
Resurrection?
This monster... can bring back the dead?
That’s impossible... right?
"You... can bring her back?"
"You have that kind of power?"
She looked up at him, incredulous.
Gu Yan smirked. "To humans, resurrection must seem like a myth."
"But for the Netherborn, communing with souls is second nature."
"Tell me, little human..."
He pressed a claw to her chest, his voice a silken whisper.
"I can hear your heart whispering to me."
"There’s someone else you wish to revive, isn’t there?"
"Someone... precious to you."
"To ensure your loyalty, why don’t I...?"
Withdrawing his finger, he suddenly drove it into Tao Ying’s forehead.
Hummm!
A miracle unfolded.
A surge of otherworldly energy flooded Tao Ying’s lifeless form.
One second. Two. Three...
"Ghk—!!"
Tao Ying’s eyes flew open, her chest heaving violently.
She collapsed onto the ground with a thud, her voice trembling with terror. "Wh-what just happened...?"
Meanwhile—
Wang Yulan had stopped breathing altogether.
Alive...?
She’s alive?!
She stared at Tao Ying, who had clearly died before her eyes but now stood alive once more.
A single thought took root in her mind.
[Mom... could she be brought back like this too?]
Once the idea surfaced, it spread like a virus, consuming her thoughts until nothing else remained.
“Well, have you made your decision?”
The voice, a dissonant blend of countless tones, echoed once more in Wang Yulan’s ears.
With great effort, she raised her head and met the gaze of the spectral creature before her. “If... if I join you, can you bring someone back for me?”
“Of course. Though your friend here has already been revived,” it replied smoothly. “If you wish to resurrect another, then... that depends on your performance after joining us.”
Gu Yan’s lips curled into a faint smile as he extended a clawed hand, one elongated fingertip hovering before her.
Wang Yulan hesitated, her mind racing.
The means to revive her mother was right in front of her.
If she let this chance slip, she might never get another.
But the price... was becoming a monster herself.
Then again...
She fell into silence.
Seconds ticked by.
Finally, the desperate longing to see her mother again overwhelmed her.
She reached out and grasped the claw, pressing her forehead against it with unwavering resolve.
“Deal,” she declared.
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
iving with nine beautiful women. [Ding! Welcome back to the Joyous Sect, Host…] Lin Yu: ??? I’m clearly in a shared rental, but you’re saying I’m in the Joyous Sect? Watering plants is now [Tending to Spiritual Flora]? Cooking becomes [Researching Elixirs]? Making the bed turns into [Setting Up Formations]? A gentle and innocent auntie, twin classmates, a mysterious hacker girl on leave, a severely socially anxious artist, an elementary school Chinese teacher, a community hospital nurse, a pet shop owner, an antique clock restorer… This system… is kinda interesting.
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
