National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Take This Yellow Paper and Place It on Your Companion’s Face

In the profound darkness,

the Evil Spirit silently intertwined with Gao Yimin.

This was no simple fusion, but a cruel and painful process of invasion.

Gao Yimin’s body had become a battlefield for the Evil Spirit to ravage at will.

Beneath her skin,

endless tentacles grew and expanded with frenzied madness,

like countless foul-smelling vipers, greedily devouring every inch of space within her.

Her skin was stretched to the brink of bursting, and a pain like searing fire burned her nerves, almost unbearable.

Even more terrifying, the tentacles, as if alive, spread madly along her blood vessels toward her throat.

They pushed through her windpipe and crowded her esophagus, causing Gao Yimin to feel an unprecedented sense of suffocation.

Her lungs felt as if they were being tightly squeezed by an invisible force, making every breath agonizingly difficult.

Her face turned crimson from the lack of oxygen, then a terrifying shade of purple.

Her once-bright eyes were now filled with despair and terror.

She could feel her own life being devoured, bit by bit, by these tentacles.

At any moment, she felt she could be stretched until she exploded into a shower of flesh and gore.

Just as she thought she was on the verge of death, the intense pain and suffocation suddenly vanished without a trace.

Gao Yimin’s eyes flew open. She shot up in bed, gasping for air.

Her chest heaved violently, as if trying to expel all the terror and despair from her body.

Her face was still flushed a bloody red, a remnant of her struggle for air.

She looked around. The tent was still pitch-black, with only the sound of her own ragged breathing echoing in the dark.

Gao Yimin was one hundred percent certain

that the horrifying sensation she had just experienced was no illusion or dream. It had been real.

Just then, a thought was transmitted into her mind, as clear as written text: ”You are me now, and I am you. There is no difference between us.

If I die, you will die too.

But if you die, I can simply find another body.

You should feel fortunate, because the cataclysm of the Evil Spirits is about to engulf this planet.

Now that you have become my vessel in the Mortal World, you have earned the right to survive the coming disaster.”

The thought was cold and merciless, yet it carried a strange, seductive allure.

Gao Yimin knew very well that the thought came from the Evil Spirit dwelling inside her.

Endless regret flooded her heart, but reality was what it was. Her remorse could not change a thing.

She didn’t want to die. She wanted to live.

”Beside your hand is a piece of Yellow Paper. I’m giving you one day. Take this Yellow Paper and place it over your companion’s face.”

The Evil Spirit’s thought echoed in her mind.

Gao Yimin’s gaze fell on the seemingly ordinary piece of Yellow Paper by her pillow. Its edges were slightly yellowed, showing the marks of age, no different from the kind of paper used in sacrificial rituals.

But this ordinary-looking paper emanated a strange aura, concealing some unknown power.

Doubt washed over her. ’This Yellow Paper is another Evil Spirit, isn’t it? Are you trying to make me drag my companion into this endless darkness too?’

She couldn’t bear to see her companions suffer the same fate.

The Evil Spirit did not answer her question, as if disdaining her struggle and resistance.

Gao Yimin’s heart was a tempest of conflict and indecision.

If she actually did as the Evil Spirit demanded, her companions would inevitably become its slaves, suffering the same torment she did.

But if she refused, she would face the threat of death.

The choice left her feeling utterly pained and helpless.

”What happens if I refuse?”

Gao Yimin finally mustered the courage to ask the Evil Spirit inside her.

”You will die.”

The Evil Spirit’s reply was simple and cold, devoid of any emotion. ”I have already found information about your family in your consciousness.

If you refuse my demand, not only will you die, but your family will suffer the same fate.

This is a transaction. Your reward is the chance for you and your family to survive.”

Gao Yimin’s body shuddered violently, a chill rising from the depths of her heart.

She didn’t want to die, and she certainly didn’t want her family to be dragged into this.

’I have no way out!’

Just then, her body jolted.

A black tentacle shot out of her mouth, whipping through the air.

The tentacle was covered in a viscous fluid that dripped continuously onto her bedding.

Her throat was blocked again, and the feeling of suffocation washed over her like a tidal wave, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

She struggled to scream, but the sound was swallowed by the suffocating agony.

This time, the torture did not last long.

The tentacle quickly retracted back into her body. It was just a warning.

She lay on the simple cot, panting heavily, her heart filled with terror and despair.

’I’ve become a complete slave to the Evil Spirit. There’s no escaping this terrible fate now.’

With trembling hands, Gao Yimin picked up the piece of Yellow Paper, which radiated an icy chill.

The Yellow Paper in her hand was shockingly cold, nearly freezing her fingers stiff.

A bone-deep ache spread from her fingers.

Gao Yimin stood inside her tent, clutching the Yellow Paper tightly, holding her breath as she listened for any sound from outside.

In the silent night, there was only the occasional chirping of insects and the rustle of leaves in a distant wind.

After confirming it was safe, she crept out of her tent and approached Dai Ju’s tent next to hers.

Dai Ju was the companion who patrolled with Gao Yimin; at this moment, she was lost in a sweet slumber.

Gao Yimin gently lifted the tent flap and slipped inside.

The light inside the tent was dim, with only a faint moonlight filtering through the cracks.

Dai Ju was lying flat on her cot, her breathing even and steady.

Gao Yimin looked at the familiar face, her heart filled with guilt and conflict.

Suddenly, Dai Ju’s eyes opened. Seeing it was Gao Yimin, a flicker of confusion crossed her face, but she quickly relaxed.

”What are you doing here?”

Dai Ju’s voice was lazy with surprise.

Gao Yimin jumped, but to survive, she had to make a choice!

Her gaze shifted, not daring to meet Dai Ju’s eyes.

Fearing her guilt and inner turmoil would be seen, she stammered, ”Um... I couldn’t sleep tonight. I was feeling a little restless alone. Did I wake you...? I just feel safer with someone else around.”

The dim light in the tent and Gao Yimin’s anxiety intertwined, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

Dai Ju didn’t think much of it and lay back down.

Understanding her words, Dai Ju suggested, ”Why don’t you bring your cot over? We can sleep together.”

Dai Ju’s thoughtfulness only deepened Gao Yimin’s guilt.

She knew Dai Ju had her guard completely down, seeing her as a comrade-in-arms who was like a sister.

It was this trust and closeness that made the choice even more difficult for Gao Yimin.

After a brief internal struggle, she finally made her decision.

The Yellow Paper in her hand glinted with an eerie light in the darkness as she swiftly and decisively slapped it onto Dai Ju’s face.

Dai Ju’s eyes shot open as an unprecedented chill instantly invaded her mind.

Her brain was instantly frozen by a powerful force, her thoughts becoming sluggish and difficult.

She wanted to struggle, but her body was frozen in place, unable to move.

Dai Ju subconsciously reached up to grab the Yellow Paper, but it was stuck fast to the skin of her face.

She clawed, scratched, and pulled with all her might, but the Yellow Paper didn’t budge.

Then, the Yellow Paper began to compress her skull with astonishing force.

She heard the creaking and cracking of her own bones—a pain and terror Dai Ju had never experienced before.

Gao Yimin stood to the side, witnessing it all.

Her heart ached with agony and conflict. She covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch or listen.

She didn’t want to see Dai Ju suffer, but even more, she didn’t want to endanger herself and her family.

Gao Yimin silently prayed for it to be over quickly.