Lotus-Tongued

The lake's surface suddenly shimmered with golden light, every ripple seeming to flow through the long passage of time.

The lotus at Ye Su's fingertips bloomed with nine layers of radiance, corresponding to the realms of the Nine Heavens recorded in the Book of Enoch.

"Lost lamb." His voice was like the first ray of light when the Morning Star appeared, gentle yet carrying an irresistible majesty. "You seek the path of revenge, yet you do not know that it will only cast your soul into eternal darkness."

Xiao Wu's entire body stiffened. The instincts of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast made her sense the terror of the being before her.

But what shocked her even more was that he had seen through her deepest secret at a glance.

Who exactly was this person? How could he see through my secret at a glance?

She subconsciously took half a step back. "Y-you... who are you? What nonsense are you talking about? I don't understand any of it!"

Ye Su slowly rose to his feet, his white robes fluttering despite the absence of wind.

A gentle Holy Light appeared at his side, making him more dazzling than the sun and more eternal than the earth.

"I am the beginning, and I am the end." He reached out and caught a falling feather. The instant it touched his palm, it transformed into burning thorns. "Your mother, Ah Rou's soul, is currently sleeping beneath the Tree of Life. That is why I came to see you."

The system hidden deep within Ye Su's soul curled its lips in disdain. You really know how to put on an act.

"Mom?!" Xiao Wu's pupils constricted sharply, and tears instantly filled her eyes. How could this human really know what she wanted to do? Wait—she suddenly recalled the anomaly from some time ago, that voice which had echoed through heaven and earth, proclaiming its own birth.

"Y-you are..." Xiao Wu's eyes were filled with disbelief. Looking at the young man before her, a youth no different from herself in age, she had already guessed his identity.

He was a god.

"Do not be afraid." Ye Su's voice carried a strange rhythm. "Long ago, Gabriel brought tidings of joy to Mary. Today, I have come to tell you this: true revenge is not slaughter, but giving both sides a chance to make amends."

He lightly tapped with his fingertip, and Bibi Dong's current transformation appeared in the lake water. "Look. Your mother's murderer from long ago, Bibi Dong, has already transformed into Lucifer. Her sins have been cleansed by the Holy Light. Even your mother's soul has regained its freedom. Perhaps you would be willing to let your mother be conceived once more as a child?"

Xiao Wu stared in shock at the image in the lake, then looked back at Ye Su. A cluster of spiritual light appeared in Ye Su's hand, formed from Xiao Wu's Mother's soul.

"...What do you mean, letting my mother be conceived again as a child? How is that possible?" Xiao Wu stammered. It seemed that understanding this scene was indeed a little too difficult for her intelligence.

Ye Su chuckled softly. "Child, I am the Omniscient and Omnipotent God. I promise you now that your mother will be conceived again as my child. She will be born once more, entering the mortal world in an entirely new form..." As Ye Su spoke, the cluster of spiritual light in his hand changed again, spinning and condensing until it finally became a white egg.

Xiao Wu stared fixedly at that egg. Only now did she finally understand that her mother would likely hatch from it and be reborn.

And the one who could accomplish all this was the god before her!

But why would a god choose Soul Beasts like them?

Weren't gods supposed to favor humans?

Why would he help a Soul Beast like her?

"I..." Xiao Wu's voice was hoarse as she looked at Ye Su, tears sliding down her cheeks.

The system's notification sounded at that moment. Xiao Wu's Favorability had been detected to have soared directly from zero to 50%!

"Come with me to the Promised Land." The image of the Kabbalah Tree of Life appeared beneath Ye Su's feet. "You will obtain true power in New Jerusalem."

Then his tone abruptly shifted, becoming like that of an elder coaxing a child. "Besides, the carrots in the Promised Land are a hundred times sweeter than those in ordinary human villages."

Xiao Wu burst out laughing, then hurriedly covered her mouth. She suddenly realized that since her mother's death, this was the first time she had laughed from the bottom of her heart.

"C-can I really see Mom again?" Xiao Wu asked quietly, clutching the hem of her clothes. At this moment, she finally revealed the childishness fitting her apparent age.

"Of course. God never lies."

I don't know whether God lies or not, but you're full of lies. Not a single thing that comes out of your mouth is true. The system could not help complaining again. It could not understand how a female-oriented Role-playing System like itself had been played into this state by Ye Su. So far, though, the results actually seemed pretty good?

Favorability was rising even faster than it had through simping!

Oh no. Were the old methods of winning people over really outdated?

"I told you, stay out of God's business!" Ye Su retorted directly in his heart.

Holding the pure white Soul Egg in his arms, Ye Su extended his right hand toward Xiao Wu. "Return with me, child."

Xiao Wu glanced at the pure white Soul Egg. Without any hesitation, she reached out and took Ye Su's warm hand.

Before leaving, Ye Su looked back once more toward the center of Star Dou Forest. He sensed that the Silver Dragon King had awakened, and even sensed the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm trapped in the heart of Star Dou Forest.

He lowered his eyes slightly and thought, Take it slow. There's no rush.

Then, holding Xiao Wu's hand, he flashed away and returned to Spirit Hall.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

In Holy Soul Village, Tang San, who was searching everywhere for his father, suddenly shuddered. He felt as if something important had vanished.

He subconsciously looked toward the horizon, where a bright morning star streaked across the sky.

What could I possibly have lost?

Tang San was confused for a moment, unable to figure out what had disappeared.

It couldn't be his father, could it?

But his father had disappeared days ago!

Ever since Tang Hao learned that Tang San had awakened the Blue Silver Grass martial soul and intended to attend Spirit Academy, he had vanished several days earlier.

Before disappearing, he had even taken all the money in the house.

Tang San had searched for several days without finding the slightest trace of him. In his heart, he understood that his father had probably abandoned him completely. Was it really just because he had awakened the Blue Silver Grass martial soul?

But Sister Eliza had said that even if he awakened the Blue Silver Grass martial soul, he could still become an honorable soul master. Sister Eliza had said that even Blue Silver Grass was not some useless martial soul.

And as long as he entered the academy, the teachers would help him obtain a soul ring for free. Then he could even join Spirit Hall... Wasn't such a future brilliant enough?

He could not understand why Tang Hao had disappeared. In the end, he merely sighed and trudged back with weary, heavy steps to that home that had long since become empty.