“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely! The girl who just moved in yesterday she’s blind, and way too pretty to be real. No one’s more suited to be a priestess… Hurry up! If Wu Ma gets back, we’re screwed!”
Before Wu Yi could react,
She suddenly felt her arms tighten—two female cultists grabbed her from either side, locking her arms in place to prevent her from struggling or escaping.
She immediately tried to shout for help.
“Help—mmph?!”
But her mouth was muffled as she fell into the arms of a taller person—the third cultist.
In the darkness, Wu Yi could imagine her reaching from behind, clamping a hand firmly over her mouth to silence her.
A fourth cultist quickly pulled out some leather rope.
Her legs were bound.
Then came a tingling itch as the rope wrapped in a crisscross around her thighs, tightly binding her entire body.
“Mm—mm!”
Panic kicked in instinctively, but with her mouth covered and her eyes blind, it felt like the whole world had been stripped away.
All she could do was endure the helpless sensation of being restrained.
“Move!”
She seemed to be shoved into some kind of vehicle.
The kidnappers had come well-prepared; the vehicle was thoroughly soundproofed.
Once the door shut, the outside world vanished into silence.
Even her last remaining sense hearing was taken from her.
Stay calm.
The vehicle started moving—she could feel a faint pressure pushing her backward.
No idea where they were taking her… but judging by what they said, maybe this wasn’t entirely bad?
They mentioned taking her to be a priestess.
Perfect. She’d originally planned to infiltrate the Dagon cult as a priestess anyway, but had no idea how to apply—now they were coming to her?
“Whew—”
Taking a deep breath, Wu Yi stopped struggling.
The more she fought, the tighter the ropes got anyway.
No idea where they ended up.
When the vehicle’s doors opened, a rush of damp air hit her face.
Everything swayed slightly around her in a rhythmic rise and fall, accompanied by the soft sound of waves against wood.
Crap. This was a ship.
They brought her onto a boat.
“Is the Vice High Priest here? Vice High Priest! Lady Vice High Priest!”
Amid relieved calls, light-footed steps approached.
The person stood upwind.
A sea breeze carried the faint, elegant scent from her body.
“Lady Vice High Priest!”
The kidnapper sounded like a surprisingly naive young girl.
“Take a look at her! She’s so pretty, and she’s blind. She’ll make a perfect priestess—she’d never embarrass our Dagon cult!”
Wu Yi’s chin was grabbed, her head forced upward.
Judging by the warm breath on her face, the other woman was examining her from very close range.
She seemed to be scrutinizing every pore on Wu Yi’s face, seeing right into her soul.
“She’s very suitable, except…”
The woman reached out a finger and pressed it to Wu Yi’s neck, as if checking her carotid pulse.
Suddenly a small electric current surged through her skin, numbing her so much she let out a quiet groan.
The jolt briefly disrupted her bioelectric signals, making her body collapse helplessly into the woman’s shoulder.
“…She’s a bit frail. Her pulse is so light, it feels like it could stop any moment. Are you ill?”
She couldn’t answer.
The shock had paralyzed her mouth—she couldn’t open it.
“Seems like you’re not just a little weak. What a shame, such a cute girl.”
The woman sounded regretful.
“Thankfully, being a priestess doesn’t require physical strength. As long as you can communicate with the gods, that’s enough.”
Wu Yi finally regained control of her body and quickly spoke, tongue heavy.
“Why… Did you kidnap me?”
“Apologies. We had no other choice,” the woman replied with a tone of guilt.
“Release the ropes. Let the priestess breathe.”
The ropes were untied, and at last, she could breathe freely again.
“Priestess?”
“One who listens to divine will and conveys the gods’ words to believers,” the woman explained.
“We ask that you serve as our priestess and pass on divine revelations. We can negotiate the benefits.”
“Why do you need me to deliver the message?”
Wu Yi asked.
“Is your god some indescribable being living in another dimension, who needs prayers just to have her words heard?”
“Of course not,” the woman laughed.
“That kind of cryptic god has already been wiped out by Lady Wu Yi. Even if any slipped through the cracks, none would dare to control their followers from above like that anymore.”
“Then…”
“Calling her a god might not be quite right—Lady Kefulu, the new master of R’lyeh, is also our current cult leader.”
The woman bowed respectfully.
“Her psychic power is overwhelming, and she has a flawless appearance. Mortals cannot gaze directly upon her. Doing so would drive them mad with infatuation.”
“Oh… so you need a blind person as the intermediary?”
“Yes, since you’ve lost your sight, you don’t have to worry about losing your sanity when facing Lady Kefulu.”
Ha.
“Now I’m really curious—what does she even look like to make someone go mad just by seeing her?”
“When it comes to such powerful beings, we ordinary people are better off curbing our curiosity. Don’t try to peek into that world,” the woman warned seriously.
She even untied the blindfold over Wu Yi’s eyes to confirm her vision.
“Such beautiful eyes—it’s a shame to keep them covered.”
Her pale pink irises were extremely rare, like the soft color at the tips of a girl’s hair—natural and untainted.
The only flaw was how they stared blankly into the air, pupils dull and lifeless.
It gave off a kind of weary numbness, like someone who had already given up on the world.
The woman—no, the Vice High Priest—suddenly raised her hand, stopping her fingers just in front of Wu Yi’s eyes.
No reaction.
Her pupils didn’t contract or dilate—she didn’t even blink.
Clearly blind.
Wu Yi took back the blindfold and wrapped it over her eyes again, the ribbon behind her head falling gently along with her hair.
“Come,” the Vice High Priest took her wrist, “I’ll take you to meet Lady Kefulu.”
“Wait… I haven’t agreed yet.”
“We can discuss compensation. If Lady Kefulu is willing to accept you, your monthly salary will match that of the Vice High Priest.”
“How much is that?”
“Ten thousand Dongzhou coins.”
That’s… a lot.
Xiao Qi’s a foodie.
On the way back to shore, she’d already eaten through all the emergency rations and needs three fish a day on top of that.
Once they were on land, she’d also have to think about formula, school fees, housing, and all the other miscellaneous expenses.
Even living on land temporarily wasn’t cheap.
Not to mention the fifty thousand she owed Wu Ma in burnt offerings… well, maybe she didn’t actually have to pay that back.
Raising one daughter was already exhausting.
If she had to raise seven… ouch.
If she didn’t find a job soon, she’d have to sell a kidney.
“Alright… I’ll give it a shot.”
It started as an undercover mission, but if she could get double the benefits, then why not?
“Lady Kefulu is on the Temple Isle, summoning the capital of R’lyeh. We’re almost there.”
Wu Yi could feel the ground’s swaying gradually calming, and the clatter of chains sounded nearby—the ship had dropped anchor.
“Please, come ashore.”
(1/1)
Chapter end PS: I post an update, nobody comments. I posted a “delay” notice, got 23 comments instantly, all of them stuff like “My youth has returned,” “I’m crying, she’s finally delayed,” “Peak content,” and so on…
Just what kind of impression have I left on you guys?!
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
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