The Mysterious Yin Goddess

"Escape... Da Chen?"

An Jing didn't understand what she meant at first. Bai Qinghan lifted her eyes, and deep in those black pupils, fathomless as an abyss, a sheen of dark teal and ink blue shimmered.

Those tranquil eyes, set against skin fairer than snow, made her look all the more like a fairy stepping out of a painting—or a young deer resting in the green grass at dawn, harmless and lovely.

Yet this was the very fairy who spoke words brimming with hatred.

"I hate Da Chen."

Under An Jing's astonished gaze, Bai Qinghan turned her head and looked north.

In the calmest voice, she spoke the words closest to her heart. "My hometown was struck by demonic calamity, and no one came to save us. My parents 'died,' and no one came to save them."

"Da Chen sealed off all three southern prefectures of Hannan. They wouldn't let anyone leave through the passes, and they wouldn't even give me a drop of water... The guards threw stones at me and called me a ridiculous wild monkey."

The girl had never said so much before. She turned back to face An Jing, and, her voice trembling, spoke the thoughts buried deepest within her.

"That evil ghost wanted to boil me alive, but I was born unafraid of boiling water."

"Perhaps he felt a flicker of pity, or perhaps he wanted to see whether I was cooked... He was scalded to death by the boiling water I poured on him, and that was how I lived through that winter."

"The Divine Cult saved me. The Divine Cult gave me new clothes, fed me until I was full, and let me sleep without fear—sleep until I woke, without worrying that I'd be tied beside a bonfire before I'd even opened my eyes."

"Senior Brother, only you and the Divine Cult have ever been good to me."

At that, a full moon seemed to turn within Bai Qinghan's eyes, which brimmed with bewilderment. "Was the Divine Cult not good to you?"

"Why... can't you stay?"

She raised a hand. From the river rushing out of Xuanming Valley, a stream of water rose and flew straight into her palm.

The next instant, with a sharp cry from Bai Qinghan, the stream, now glowing with a hazy blue-white radiance, turned into an arrow and shot toward An Jing!

Clang!

Unable to dodge in time, An Jing raised his sword to block. The wooden sword shattered instantly, but the force that remained struck like a giant bear four or five meters tall, sending him staggering several steps backward before he could disperse its power.

But this wasn't meant to hurt him... It wasn't even an attack on An Jing.

It was meant to keep him from leaving.

"What?!"

He had barely blocked the blow when he noticed an icy chill spreading from the hilt left in his hand. White frost crept over it, like a cold hand reaching to seize him, crawling toward the web of his thumb and his wrist!

An Jing dropped the hilt and looked at Bai Qinghan, his expression complicated. "A Supernatural Ability!"

"Xuan Yin Shape Manipulation, Thought-Driven Art Manifestation!"

On the other side, Manor Master Yao now understood Bai Qinghan's true intentions. Youguang blazed in his eyes as he exclaimed in delight, "This is a [Supernatural Ability]! She's only just awakened her Fate Grid, and she can already wield one!"

"Qinghan, you're the [Mysterious Yin Goddess]!"

Bai Qinghan stood in place, surrounded by wind and frost. Icy mist and drifting shards of ice swirled around her, as if a dark haze might soon veil her figure.

This was a [Supernatural Ability].

Once a Fate Grid awakened within someone, it would gradually give rise to all manner of wondrous abilities, different for each person: manipulating thunder and fire, or wrestling lions and tigers with brute strength.

Fate Grids of Origin Fate rank and above could even give birth to "Supernatural Abilities."

Most people, however, needed time to train and gain control after awakening their Fate Grid before they could use its powers at will.

But if someone could use an ability or Supernatural Ability right away, it meant that their Fate Grid was perfectly in tune with their nature. They were far superior even to ordinary awakened people!

The appearance of a Saintess filled Manor Master Yao with joy. Xuanming Manor was only one of the many outposts the Tianyi Sect maintained in northwestern Da Chen, and not even among the ones they valued most.

This time, the manor had been raided, and a century's worth of reserves was about to go up in flames. Even if Manor Master Yao escaped with his life, he would surely be punished.

But if he could secure a Mysterious Yin Goddess, it wouldn't matter if An Jing escaped. They could burn a hundred or even a thousand Xuanming Manors, and the Tianyi Mountain headquarters wouldn't bat an eye. They would even reward him handsomely!

All An Jing could do was feel helpless.

The people behind Bai Qinghan looked entirely convinced, which showed that her way of thinking wasn't unusual.

But when he thought about it, was it really so strange?

Ha. He, An Jing, had fled all the way from the Northern Frontier, only to be turned away at Mingshan City and Lianghe Pass. He couldn't go south or enter the city. All he could do was wait to die with his gravely wounded mother in a refugee camp.

No help, no soup kitchens, no free clinics—not even the slightest bit of compassion.

The Da Chen authorities hadn't reacted at all. They'd taken no steps to deal with the Frost Calamity; instead, they'd tightened their plunder, letting the horse bandits—the gentry's hired thugs—run rampant.

They collected taxes and were supposed to protect all the people of Da Chen. How was it any different from eating people to let disaster ravage the frontier, while the gentry used the calamity to strip refugees of their homes and seize their land?!

But... did he really have to choose one of them? Why should he pick the one he liked best from a bunch of assholes? Why couldn't he just kill them all?

Couldn't he...

Build something new instead?!

An Jing saw several more water arrows rise from the great river and hover behind the girl. He lowered his head and said softly, "So you chose the Demonic Cult? The Demonic Cult that eats people too?"

"They'll eat you as well..."

"I've already eaten people. Shouldn't I be eaten?"

Bai Qinghan looked toward the Red Armor Guards storming the manor. She seemed puzzled. "The Divine Cult did buy my life, but at least they paid for it. They'll really take care of me."

"Oppression is still oppression. If I have to be oppressed, I'd rather be oppressed by the Divine Cult than by Da Chen."

She turned to An Jing and made her invitation in earnest. "Come with me, Senior Brother."

"Manor Master Yao didn't fight us because he knows Xuanming Manor is already gone. He doesn't want to kill those companions and provoke you, driving you away for good."

"He only wants to take us with him."

"Senior Brother, the ordinary people who aren't like us have already hidden. If you leave with me and we join forces, can't we rise to high positions within the Divine Cult?"

"Then, if you don't want the Divine Cult to oppress people, you can make it change."

Even Manor Master Yao couldn't help joining in. "That's right, An Jing. I held back and let you have your way because I respected your wishes!"

"If you become a Divine General, or even the Cult Leader, you can change things! By then, your worth will exceed that of all those who died combined. Even the Divine Cult will change for you!"

"Da Chen oppresses people too—and more than we do. They don't oppress people one at a time; they oppress entire cities, entire prefectures!"

"To be honest, we're not that bad. We only oppress people when we truly need to. The world outside will only get worse."

"You'll understand. Only by overthrowing Da Chen and overturning the whole world can we build a better age!"