The Snake stepped out, her face still distorted by a manipulation of light.
It seemed she intended to continue "playing with" Cangxuan.
She was genuinely a little unhappy.
Although she knew Ye Feng was no saint, falling for every girl he saw was the kind of behavior that could get one eaten by a snake, you know?
Besides, Ye Feng definitely knew I was watching!
Mebius glanced at Cangxuan, who was sitting slumped on the floor like a flower battered by wind and rain.
A blush graced her fair cheeks, and her vermilion lips, glistening with moisture, looked exceptionally vibrant and red.
Cangxuan was dressed in a flowing feather robe. The lower half of the garment was designed like a qipao, with a high slit that reached the very top of her thigh.
A pair of long, beautiful legs, like white jade, were faintly visible.
At this moment, her legs were clad in black stockings that perfectly outlined her plump, smooth curves. The tight, sleek black fabric created a stark contrast with the white feather robe.
Against the backdrop of her classical elegance, the black stockings took on an air of mystery and grace, giving Cangxuan a unique and captivating charm.
I never noticed it before, but Cangxuan is actually quite feminine, isn't she?
Mebius couldn't help but mutter inwardly.
She had previously only paid attention to Cangxuan's knowledge and intellect, completely overlooking her allure as a woman.
Now, under Ye Feng's "development," Mebius was finally becoming aware of this aspect.
But only just.
While Mebius had her issues with Cangxuan, Cangxuan's own feelings at that moment were indescribable.
"Miss Ye Mei..."
Cangxuan spoke with difficulty. "Thank you for helping me so many times, but this is my own karma to bear. You shouldn't have to take this on for me."
Mebius raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Could it be that you've fallen for his massive cock?"
"?"
Cangxuan, who had been feeling a surge of gratitude, was sent reeling by Mebius's words.
Wh-what?
Moreover, her tone seemed to carry... a hint of resentment?
"I was just thinking of my... mother, and it stirred some feelings. Pay it no mind."
How can I pay it no mind!
When Mebius said the word "mother," Ye Feng saw her vertical pupils flash dangerously in his direction and couldn't help but smile.
"Since the Snake has volunteered herself, I must naturally satisfy her. Cangxuan, isn't this great? You won't have to get bent over today."
Ye Feng walked straight to Mebius and pinned her directly against a bookshelf in the attic.
Mebius's fair cheek was pressed against the spines of a row of books, a flicker of astonishment in her eyes.
"?"
She hadn't expected this bastard Ye Feng to start his work right here in the attic.
Beneath her skirt, her two pale, beautiful legs dangled in the air, kicking and struggling.
Her delicate little toe slammed into the wooden frame, and the pain caused the Snake to suck in a sharp breath.
"Damn you, damn you, bastard, let me down!"
Mebius had always considered herself the one in control; never had she been in such a pathetic state.
Pain makes one irritable and angry, especially when it's your little toe.
Mebius began to thrash wildly, truly like a snake.
Cangxuan stared blankly at Mebius, who looked like a fish on a chopping block, but her daze lasted only an instant.
Cangxuan's eyes hardened. She gathered her strength and struck out at Ye Feng.
Ever since arriving here, her environment had been subtly and unsubtly reminding her: do not attack Ye Feng.
It was a suggestion like a mental command, deeply engraved in her mind.
But at this moment, Cangxuan still fought back.
She couldn't bear to see anyone else sacrifice themselves for her again!
"—Stay back!!"
However, what she received was a sharp rebuke from the victim herself.
The power Cangxuan had gathered instantly dissipated. She stared, bewildered, at the green-haired girl whose face was warped by light.
Ye Feng, his back to Cangxuan, paid her no mind at all.
Old Ye simply pressed down on the Snake, pinning her firmly against the bookshelf.
The shelf shook, and books kept tumbling down, piling up at their feet.
Ye Feng chuckled, transforming Mebius's pain into pleasure.
"Feel better now?"
"~~Mmph."
Mebius's delicate body went limp. She bit her lip and let out a heavy sound through her nose.
Mebius turned her head, her eyes moist and glistening. She panted softly, "...It's average."
"Snake, the optical camouflage covering your face has disappeared."
"—!!"
Mebius was startled and quickly reapplied it.
She didn't possess such an ability herself, though of course, she could develop it if she put her research into it.
But Ye Feng had "delegated" a portion of his authority to Mebius, allowing her to, to a certain extent, "make her thoughts reality."
Therefore, for trivial matters, she could just use that authority directly.
Like distorting the light now.
However, Mebius's use of the world's authority was not as natural as breathing, like it was for Ye Feng. She needed to maintain constant focus. If her concentration wavered, the rule she had overwritten would vanish.
In this regard, she was far inferior to Ye Feng.
To be precise, they weren't even on the same level.
Mebius grit her teeth, her eyes sharp. "I'll say it again, let me down."
"The Snake is throwing a tantrum again. For a disobedient snake, I will have to provide a proper education. Besides, you didn't really think you could help Cangxuan out of her predicament without paying a price, did you?"
"...Help her? What a childish joke. Why would I do that?"
"Mm, it doesn't matter. I just love it when you're so stubborn."
Ye Feng raised his palm high and brought it down heavily on Mebius's perky rear.
SMACK—
The very air seemed to shudder.
The quiet attic was filled with the voluptuous, vibrating sound.
Cangxuan, who was still watching in a daze, felt her heart tremble along with it.
"Nngh~~~"
Mebius bit her lip, desperately craning her neck towards the ceiling until her pale chin and throat almost formed a straight line.
Her upward gaze met Ye Feng's condescending one, and Mebius couldn't help but glare daggers at him.
"Oh? Why is the Snake looking at me like that? Ah, I understand. The Snake hates unequal treatment. Yes, I really shouldn't show favoritism. I slapped the left side, so the right side also needs—"
Ye Feng once again raised his palm high.
A clear panic flashed in Mebius's eyes. Don't...
Before she could get the word out, Ye Feng's hand had already fallen.
The impact sent a ripple through her skirt, like a wave surging from top to hem.
Mebius clenched her jaw, unable to utter another word.
She still had to maintain the distortion of light.
After all, if Cangxuan found out her identity now, it wouldn't be fun anymore.
Ye Feng leaned close to Mebius's ear and whispered in a voice only they could hear, "Snake, even now, you're still thinking about Cangxuan. You two must be very close."
"..."
"Snake, are you ready? I'm coming in."
Mebius didn't reply. Her hands gripped the wooden shelf tightly. She lowered her head, letting her green hair fall over her face, obscuring it from view.
She knew that this bastard Ye Feng's wicked personality was acting up again.
He knew she didn't want Cangxuan to find out, so he was deliberately making things difficult.
Meanwhile, Cangxuan's pupils had contracted to pinpricks.
He's going in, he's really going in!
Right here, he's directly, directly...
Cangxuan stumbled back two steps, her body suddenly going weak, and collapsed onto the floor.
She stared, utterly lost, at the violently shaking bookshelf.
Books continued to rustle and fall from its shelves.
Sigh.
Ye Feng sighed.
It was a pity that Elysian Realm's Klein was an armed doll. Otherwise, with her adding to the fun, things would be much more lively right now.
He looked down. Droplets of sweat splattered onto Danzhu's pale, tender cheek.
Ye Feng smiled. He had said he would let Cangxuan go, but he had made no such promise about Danzhu.
Twins, younger sister or older sister, it's all the same.
The Snake, naturally, had no idea that this scoundrel Ye Feng was already thinking about the next dish while still eating the one in front of him.
In truth, under Ye Feng's continuous, heavy assault, she no longer had the capacity for complex thought.
On top of the raw sensations, there were also the converted feelings. With this dual buff, she was being pounded into a daze.
Cangxuan sat collapsed on the floor, her eyes wide.
Suddenly, a pair of hands emerged from the darkness behind her, embracing her like a holy mother.
One hand covered Cangxuan's eyes, while the other rested on her lower abdomen.
The embrace was gentle, accompanied by a sacred golden light, as reassuring as a cradle.
"If you don't want to look, then don't."
The voice was serene and loving, like a choir singing a holy hymn.
But the hair on Cangxuan's body immediately stood on end.
Another person had appeared out of thin air in the attic!
"[Please], be at ease."
It was as if a gentle hand were smoothing her furrowed brow. Cangxuan's tense nerves immediately relaxed.
She turned her head slightly. The hand covering her vision slowly moved away, and a nun wearing a wimple came into view.
"...Aponia?"
Impossible!
Cangxuan was in disbelief.
"It is I, Cangxuan."
Cangxuan craned her neck, staring at the nun who had suddenly appeared.
A tall, full figure, eyes filled with worldly compassion, and a magnificent bosom that the entire Taixuan Mountain would envy, large enough to bury one's head in... ah, not counting Li Sushang.
She wasn't from Cangxuan's era. And strictly speaking, Li Sushang couldn't be considered a Taixuan disciple. She was the head disciple of the Wushang Zizai sect, which was formed after the seven disciples rebelled and started their own school.
Cangxuan's eyes widened, still unable to believe it.
"Aponia, you... why are you here? Weren't you already..."
"Did you not also 'die' once, Cangxuan?"
Aponia released Cangxuan and looked at her gently.
"Now is not the time to discuss this. You seem to be in trouble. Do you require my assistance?"
Ah, right!
The relentless banging sound from the bookshelf nearby was impossible to ignore.
Cangxuan wanted to act but had been stopped.
She guessed that Miss Ye Mei didn't want her to make a pointless sacrifice.
Though she was unwilling, there was nothing Cangxuan could do.
She could only watch helplessly as her benefactor was ass-blasted against a bookshelf by the Evil God.
These were the "rules of the game."
Get caught, and you get eaten.
She just hadn't realized that substitutions were allowed.
But something felt off...
Was it her imagination? She felt that Miss Ye Mei's cries weren't painful at all, but rather... somewhat sweet.
"Aponia, do you have a way to deal with him?"
Cangxuan couldn't bear to look over there anymore.
Miss Ye Mei's back was against the bookshelf, her knees folded up to her shoulders, her small hands hanging limply like a zombie's.
"Deal with him..."
Aponia's eyes rippled like water, and her holy face seemed to be tinged with a layer of crimson.
Cangxuan had a bad feeling about this.
In truth, Cangxuan did not trust Aponia.
It wasn't that she thought Aponia had ulterior motives or a malicious personality.
Cangxuan understood that Aponia possessed a Madonna-like compassion.
It was just that too many past examples had taught Cangxuan a harsh lesson: Aponia's attempts to guide things toward a good outcome often ended in tragedy.
Asking her for help today was an act of desperation.
When one is drowning, they will grasp at any straw, even if it is on fire.
Aponia said softly, "I am not certain, but I can try."
Hearing this, Cangxuan's eyes lit up.
This was an Evil God!
An Evil God who could overwrite the rules of the world.
Ever since coming here, the most common piece of advice she'd received was that if she encountered him, her only option was to run.
But Aponia said, "I can try."
"Can you really? Please don't force yourself," Cangxuan pressed.
"I do not know. But I cannot sit idly by, even if all my efforts are in vain."
"...Aponia."
The nun stood up. "You all have shown me that I still have not done enough. I... must continue. I do not know if my actions are right or wrong, nor if they will lead to success or failure."
Not done enough of what?
She didn't quite understand.
But Cangxuan understood that Aponia was also giving her all!
Ah, that's right.
She hadn't noticed before, but the attic was completely sealed, yet Aponia had entered with ease.
Had she already grasped the "rules" of this world?
Perhaps, Aponia really could do it?
Hope reignited in Cangxuan's heart.
"I'm counting on you, Aponia..."
Aponia nodded. "[Please], leave it to me."
The nun turned around, and Cangxuan stared blankly at her back. In that moment, in Cangxuan's eyes, Aponia was a figure of utmost holiness and solemnity.
She stood on the high ground of light, illuminating the darkness of the mortal world.
To banish all demons and monsters.
Cangxuan watched as the Third of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers,「Discipline」, walked away.
In this unfamiliar darkness, she still held fast to her former convictions, using herself as a candle in the hope of bringing forth a sliver of light.
Cangxuan felt she was beginning to understand what it meant to be one of the "Thirteen Flame-Chasers."
No matter when, no matter where, these thirteen shouldered the hope for their civilization's survival.
They possessed such conviction, and they had the strength to match it.
Cangxuan seemed to see it: the candle once ignored, now relit.
Cangxuan seemed to hear it: the song once unsung, now begins anew.
For the story sealed by history, a new chapter is written.
A noble and pure soul steps forward.
Cangxuan scrambled to her feet, stumbling but with bright eyes.
She watched as Aponia walked with soft, yet even and determined steps toward the bookshelf, without a shred of hesitation.
And she was not hindered in the slightest.
「Discipline」 arrived behind the Evil God. She stood gracefully, her eyes downcast, like a Holy Mother about to purify filth.
Then, the nun raised her hands, wrapped them around the Evil God's neck, leaned her head forward, and主动 offered her pure, cherry-like lips to the preoccupied Evil God.
Cangxuan: "?? "