Chapter Forty-Three: Saint Akali

Let’s make this clear first: however much emotion you extract from me, you must provide me with a corresponding amount of convenience. You can’t drain me dry and then, when I need you, start making excuses.

Although Ning Xianyu was a bit of a slacker, she was still good at keeping accounts.

The people of Huaxia, after all, are masters of calculation.

The system replied, “What do you take me for? I’m a proper system, I’d never take advantage of you. The first rule in my code is not to cheat the user.”

Ning Xianyu burst into mocking laughter: “Touch your own chip and see if your conscience doesn’t ache saying that.”

Not to cheat? She was practically being bled dry. For this dog system to claim such virtue was shameless.

The system defended itself, “That was just a mistake. You didn’t make your requests clear.”

“How about this: each time I extract emotion from you, I’ll give you the value calculated. And every time you ask me for something, I’ll tell you how much emotion it’ll cost. How does that sound?”

Ning Xianyu found this fair and asked, “Can I run a tab?”

The system agreed, “But it can’t exceed fifty emotional points.”

With the terms settled, Ning Xianyu gave her assent and urged the system to help. She needed a skill to eavesdrop on others.

The system said, “Check your storage pouch. The item’s already inside.”

Ning Xianyu rummaged for a while and finally pulled out…

“Glasses?”

What she held was a pair of glasses—adorned with two bunny ears.

The glasses were pink and delicate, the ears white with pink spirals, the frames and arms fluffy, as if made for cosplay, and clearly for children.

“Are you joking? If I put this on my head, the Demon Lord will strangle me on the spot!”

Holding this ridiculous item, she saw Xuan Yuan Tunhan already looking at her with disgust, clearly about to come over and throttle her.

The system protested, “You really don’t appreciate kindness. This is the top-tier model, permanent, not consumable. You could use it for tens of thousands of years.”

Ning Xianyu was even more repulsed. The thought of using this for tens of thousands of years felt like having garbage at home that could never be thrown away.

“I want to return it.”

“No returns. Once sold, items are not eligible for return or exchange.”

Page (1/3)

“You’re enforcing an unfair contract.”

“We never discussed returns or exchanges. We don’t have an after-sales service. Once it’s sold, it’s yours.”

Ning Xianyu was fuming—she was being tricked again.

The system hurried her, “Are you going to listen or not? If you stall any longer, the male lead and the saintess will finish their conversation.”

Too despicable.

Her curiosity got the better of her. Ning Xianyu steeled herself, gritted her teeth, and put on the glasses.

Xuan Yuan Tunhan looked on speechlessly, clenched his fist, and swung it hard.

Those who’d crawled over to see what Ning Xianyu was up to, including Saba, were sent flying by the blow.

No one dared complain; they were simply curious what the mighty figure was wearing on her head.

Ning Xianyu could already hear what Yi Tianling and the saintess were saying, and she could see it all clearly.

It was as if the wall before her had vanished; she felt as though she stood right before the pair, seeing every detail, hearing every word.

Inside was a bed of distinctly Western style, at least three meters in length and width. On the bed sat two people: Yi Tianling, with a voluptuous, sultry beauty in his arms.

The beauty was crying, “They’re forcing me to bear a child for them, to become the next saintess. Brother Yi, you must take me away.”

Yi Tianling gently stroked her hair with affection, “Akali, don’t worry. I’ll definitely take you away. We’ll leave together with the Blood Source Stone.”

Saintess Akali spoke sorrowfully, “But if we take the Blood Source Stone, they’ll hunt us down.”

Yi Tianling replied, “Even if we don’t take the Blood Source Stone, they’ll still hunt us down. We might as well strip them of everything.”

“There’s only you in this world who can control the Blood Source Stone. Even if you leave it behind, they’ll still come after you. Besides, we must rescue the villagers; I promised the residents of Xu Town to help them.”

Akali hesitated, thought for a moment, then said fiercely, “Fine, we’ll take the Blood Source Stone and leave them empty-handed.”

“But the Blood Source Stone is locked away. It only appears during the ceremony. We’ll have to wait until then.”

Yi Tianling assured her it was all right, since the ceremony was tomorrow, and he could prepare.

Akali said, “Brother Yi, if we can’t escape then, you should go alone. Don’t worry about me. Staying here won’t endanger my life.”

Though she said so, she clung tightly to Yi Tianling.

Page (2/3)

“Akali, don’t say such foolish things. If you won’t go, neither will I. If I must die, I’ll die at the front. As long as I live, I’ll never let anyone touch you.”

Akali was deeply moved, embracing him, “Brother Yi, there’s something else I want to tell you, actually I…”

Before she could finish, a demon attendant appeared at the door, “Sir, he’s here.”

Akali quickly rose, wiped her tears, and urged Yi Tianling to leave.

“Brother Yi, go quickly, don’t let them find you.”

Yi Tianling was reluctant, “Akali, they won’t do anything to you, will they?”

Akali replied, “It’s not time yet, they won’t harm me. Don’t worry.”

Yi Tianling promised again to rescue her, then finally departed, though he didn’t leave entirely—he hid nearby, peeking inside.

A tall, imposing man dressed in black, with a pair of curved bull horns, entered. He strode straight up to Akali and demanded loudly, “I hear you brought a man in?”

Akali turned coldly, “So what if I did? Are you going to control even this?”

The man snarled, “Play if you must, but if you ruin your sacred body before the ceremony, the entire demon realm won’t forgive you.”

Akali sneered, “Won’t forgive me? Will you grind my bones to dust?”

The man stared at her coolly, “You know the consequences.”

Akali laughed derisively, “Whatever consequences you threaten, could they be worse than living without freedom, slaughtered like cattle, forced to bear your next generation?”

She shouted angrily, “Outsiders see me as a saintess, all glory and honor. But who knows—I’m just like a mortal, with only a hundred years to live. At eighty, I’m forced to give birth, so my child can be the next plaything you enslave.”

Ning Xianyu calculated quickly.

Wow, she’s already eighty! And looks so young. How old is the male lead?

The system answered, “The male lead had a lucky encounter—he formed his Golden Core at thirty, so he’s fifty years younger than Akali, not even half her age.”

Truly, in a fantasy novel, age, gender, and race are never obstacles.

Page (3/3)