National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: I Never Thought I Would Be Reduced to a Vessel for an Evil Spirit

In a dim corner of the tent,

Gao Yimin was curled up, her hands clasped tightly around her knees, her face etched with worry and fear.

On the bed, Dai Ju’s hands frantically tore at the Yellow Paper, but it seemed to have a life of its own, clinging tightly to her head.

Beneath the Yellow Paper, her head was being twisted by an unseen force into a grotesque, terrifying shape.

Bloody fluid seeped from the cracks in the paper, dripping slowly, as if Dai Ju’s life was being devoured bit by bit.

Gao Yimin knew that even a King-level Martial Artist would find it difficult to withstand such oppressive power.

Her heart was a maelstrom of emotions. She was worried for Dai Ju’s safety, but also terrified that the commotion in the tent would attract attention.

She bit her lip, struggling to control her breathing, afraid of making even the slightest sound.

After a final, brief contortion, the Yellow Paper seemed to melt, turning into a yellow liquid that slowly seeped into Dai Ju’s body.

Her skin began to turn a waxy yellow, like an ancient stone statue eroded by time.

Innumerable cracks split across Dai Ju’s head, and her eyeballs had shattered.

If she tilted her head just slightly,

the fragmented pieces of her eyes would spill from their sockets. The sight was horrifying.

Gao Yimin gasped, clamping a hand over her mouth, terrified she would make a noise.

If this got out, her reputation would be ruined, and her family might even be implicated.

The people of the nation and Her Majesty the Queen would never tolerate such a crime.

Just then, Dai Ju’s head began to slowly squirm.

The head, which had been as broken as mud, miraculously began to heal.

A moment later, she blinked twice and sat up in bed.

Her once-vibrant eyes were now cold and emotionless, staring intently at Gao Yimin.

”You actually conspired with an Evil Spirit to kill me!”

Dai Ju’s voice was cold, furious, and filled with disbelief.

She knew, of course, what had happened to her.

The Evil Spirit had fused with her. Unless she killed herself, she would never be free of this Demon for the rest of her life.

Faced with Dai Ju’s accusation,

Gao Yimin scrambled up from the floor, rushed over, and gripped Dai Ju’s hands, explaining through her tears, ”I really didn’t mean to. The Evil Spirit found me and forced me to do it.

Otherwise, I would have been killed.

Dai Ju, you have to believe me! We have to keep this a secret, or we’ll both end up dead.”

Dai Ju shot up from the bed,

her eyes burning with rage. An indescribable malice roiled beneath her waxy yellow skin.

She glared at Gao Yimin and raged, ”So what if they execute us? In the Great Jing Empire, on this very land, how many people, how many innocent lives, have been brutally killed by Evil Spirits?

How many resources and lives have we sacrificed to suppress those Evil Spirits in the Demon Cave?

I once dreamed that one day I could defeat the Evil Spirits and restore an era of peace and prosperity.

I even imagined dying heroically in battle against them.

But I never thought I would be reduced to a vessel for an Evil Spirit, and that this would all be brought upon me by the comrade I trusted most!”

Seeing Dai Ju’s agitated state, Gao Yimin slowly calmed herself down.

She knew Dai Ju was being consumed by rage and despair, but they had to stay calm, or the consequences would be unimaginable. ”Dai Ju, calm down.

Think about your family. We’re in the same boat now.

I’m sure we can find a solution in the future.

Besides, I can feel that the power in my body is much stronger than before.

Even if a King-level Martial Artist stood before me, I’m confident I could kill them. This might actually be a good thing.

You can’t just let your family be buried with you, can you?

Think about your father, your mother, and all your other relatives.”

The fire of fury still burned in Dai Ju’s eyes, but Gao Yimin’s words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the flames in her heart.

Seeing Dai Ju fall silent, Gao Yimin knew her words had hit their mark. She continued, ”I just want to live. Everyone has that desire.

Even the former National Guardian War God, Chu He, ended up disgraced and with his reputation in tatters.

You and I both saw what happened to him with our own eyes.

But to be honest, I don’t think Chu He did anything wrong.

The endless boredom, fear, and danger in the Demon Cave... we only truly understood it after we arrived.

Fishing, reading, and other pastimes are just ways to find some mental solace and relieve the pressure.

Chu He’s tragic fate was the work of Her Majesty the Queen.

Although I work for Her Majesty the Queen, I am not blindly loyal.

To secure her own position, Her Majesty the Queen doesn’t hesitate to persecute the innocent.

If what we’ve done is exposed, what kind of predicament will our families face?

They might be ostracized by society, even pushed to the brink of desperation.

And Her Majesty the Queen will certainly not spare any of us!”

Dai Ju fell silent. She looked at Gao Yimin, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes.

Gao Yimin’s words were blunt, but every sentence made sense.

Dai Ju collapsed back onto the bed, defeated.

Her eyes were vacant, as if they had swallowed all light.

Her voice was low and hoarse, filled with endless hatred. ”I will hate you forever.”

It was all irreversible. Hatred and the urge to kill burned within her, but she couldn’t change what was already done.

Gao Yimin sat quietly to the side and nodded gently, her voice full of guilt. ”I’m sorry.”

’The Evil Spirit inside her is no simple thing; its purpose is far greater than this.’

She sighed, wishing she could exhale all her helplessness and the heavy weight on her heart.

But that was impossible.

...

At Starlight Entertainment, Chu He sat on a luxurious sofa, bored out of his mind.

He opened his system panel. ”DING! [Return Home, Return to the Original Good Times] mission complete. Congratulations, Host, you have been rewarded with the Five Thunders Righteous Method!”

A flood of information about the Five Thunders Array surged into his mind.

He closed his eyes, sensing this formidable power.

No new mission prompt had appeared, and Chu He fell into thought.

Just then, the headlights of several luxury cars in the distance cut through the night sky like shooting stars, drawing closer.

Seeing this, Young Master Liu quickly said, his voice holding a barely concealed excitement and anticipation, ”Mr. Luo is here.”

Liu Yuzhu immediately looked toward the slowly approaching cars with alarm. She fell back to Chu He’s side and asked in a low voice, ”Are you sure we don’t need to evacuate all these ordinary people? What if there’s an accident...”

Chu He shook his head faintly. ”No need.”

Young Master Liu stood there, his eyes darting back and forth as he plotted inwardly.

He didn’t know how the confrontation between Chu He and Mr. Luo would unfold,

but he knew that even though he had tricked Mr. Luo into coming here, everything he had told him was the truth.

If Chu He were killed, it would naturally be good news for him.

And Mr. Luo would have no reason to blame him.

Therefore, he was secretly hoping Mr. Luo would display his immense power and finish Chu He off in one fell swoop.

However, what Young Master Liu didn’t expect was that

just as the doors of the luxury cars opened and several people got out,

Chu He had already made the first move.