Li Jia had been going to work with Hera for over half a month, and, all told, they had been "living together" for nearly a month and a bit.
Life was so comfortable that Li Jia had almost forgotten she still had a mission. When she carefully counted the grains in the hourglass, there were only ten.
At this rate, how many years would she have to spend pursuing Hera to max out her affection?
Even Tang Sanzang had only spent fourteen years fetching the scriptures. Li Jia felt she might not fill the entire hourglass in a hundred and forty years.
So she started exploring other directions. Would filling it a third of the way work?
After all, as long as she stopped Hera from marrying Zeus, then successfully got Demeter to marry Zeus and give birth to the Goddess of Spring, wouldn't the mission be complete?
With that, Li Jia's thinking suddenly cleared, and she began grinning foolishly.
"Pack your things. We're going on a long trip."
Hera's divine message drifted into her ears.
"Roger that!" Li Jia replied.
A long trip = going out to have fun.
At least, that was how Li Jia understood it. Hera's divine power went without saying-she was among the book's strongest fighters, and her ability to get things done was outstanding too.
All Li Jia had to do was tag along as an accessory and enjoy herself.
The next second, a familiar electronic voice sounded in Li Jia's mind:
"Master, the book's plot module is now on track. At this point, you must accompany your conquest target to the Polar Night Fortress. Your support system's hint is that the key plot point here is courage."
Courage?
Seriously, how was that any different from saying nothing?
It sensed Li Jia's speechlessness.
The system coughed awkwardly.
"I can't help it, Master. My level is just too low. I don't have clearance to see that much, so we can only take things one step at a time. That's all the hint the book gives: courage. There ain't anything I can do either. ⊙...⊙"
What else could she do? Make do.
Right now, only she and the system were a modern person and modern technology. Two fellow townsfolk meeting far from home, their eyes brimming with tears.
Then look up the climate of the place I'm going for me.
She needed to see whether to bring summer clothes or winter wear. Li Jia didn't want to get sick. Being sick was miserable.
The system could still handle this little task easily. Within two seconds, information on the Polar Night Fortress was uploaded into her mind.
"The Polar Night Fortress is located in the Shrine Ruins. It is dark throughout all four seasons, sparsely populated, and terrifyingly silent. There, time seems frozen, with cold and darkness reigning eternally."
Li Jia picked out the key words: cold and dark.
That meant it was cold and had no light. She needed to bring some thick clothes and candles.
Li Jia dragged a twenty-eight-inch pink My Melody suitcase out of her wardrobe and began packing.
Li Jia preferred winter to summer, because in winter she could wear thick padded coats to keep out the cold. Summer was different.
In summer, she could only cool down with air-conditioning, but electricity was far too expensive. Li Jia only dared work part-time in a shop during the day, then stay at KFC until midnight before returning to her rented room and running the air conditioner for a few hours, before repeating the next day's work.
There were countless people like Li Jia in modern society. There was no helping it. That was life.
There were too many people. If you wouldn't do the work, plenty of others would.
Li Jia had later changed this not-exactly-bad habit because she had personally witnessed a construction worker silently collapse one blazing hot day.
He had suffered heatstroke. All his internal organs had cooked through.
By the time he reached the hospital, his body was already cold. Even the doctor couldn't help sighing. Was it really worth losing your life to save a little money?
But Li Jia could empathize with the man. People lived for a few scraps of silver, shouldering their burdens for their families.
After that, Li Jia began following her own slacker rules. She only had one life, and she had no family or friends, so she had to treat herself better.
Li Jia dragged her huge suitcase out of the inner palace. Winslow and Doreen had been waiting outside for some time. Seeing her panting as she pulled it along, Winslow pointed at what Li Jia was holding, and Doreen took the suitcase from her, understanding immediately.
Winslow linked arms with Li Jia, and the two walked ahead chatting while Doreen dragged the luggage behind them.
Who knew where Li Jia got all these strange things? Still, Doreen thought this thing called a suitcase was quite convenient. With wheels to help, it could use the ground to move along.
It was just... why were there so many things to bring?
Whenever Doreen went out with Hera, she brought nothing but herself. She really couldn't understand it.
Why was it so heavy?
Fortunately, she was a saber fighter who had trained for years. An ordinary person would have struggled to drag it, but she managed fine.
Then, aboard the chariot, Doreen watched Li Jia open the suitcase and take out two bronze kettles full of water, some illustrated books, and toys to pass the time.
She glanced at her divine sovereign, who opened her mouth and took a bite of the osmanthus cake Li Jia had brought.
This was a new product Li Jia had asked Winslow to develop.
After eating it, Hera resumed resting with her eyes closed, ignoring Doreen's speechlessness.
Doreen: "..."
Life was so hard.
Throughout the journey, Hera either rested or handled official business. Aside from occasionally checking the chariot's course and keeping watch over their surroundings, Doreen spent the rest of her time watching what Winslow and Li Jia were doing.
They got bored with the illustrated books.
Li Jia took out a deck of playing cards and invited Doreen to play Fight the Landlord.
Neither of them had ever seen this kind of card game. Li Jia grew excited and taught them how to play "Golden Flower" and "Tractor."
They didn't gamble for money, of course. Wouldn't gambling be illegal?
Li Jia was someone who had received twelve years of compulsory education.
Say no to porn, gambling, and drugs.
Porn was the root of all evil.
Gambling ruined families.
Drugs left corpses everywhere.
May the world be at peace.
Amen.
Li Jia also couldn't bear to part with her hard-earned gold coins.
A miser could never give up her money.
So they simply used paper strips instead. Whoever lost had to stick a strip of paper on her face.
Half an hour later, Hera opened her eyes.
The three of them were sitting on the chariot's sideboard. Winslow's and Li Jia's heads were covered in paper strips. When Doreen noticed Hera glance at her, she gave her a helpless look.
Hera: "..."
It really wasn't her fault. What could she do if those two "peasants" couldn't beat her, the landlord?
The closer they came to their destination, the murkier the sky became. The surrounding scenery was also affected by the fortress's environment. Everything near this place was dead.
The instant they entered the Polar Night Fortress, an icy chill rushed toward them, like an invisible hand burrowing through their pores straight into their marrow.
Looking out, they saw the fortress rising from the dark abyss, built of layer upon layer of enormous black rocks with rough, uneven surfaces. The rocks fitted tightly together, eerie glimmers flowing through their cracks like demonic eyes peering from the darkness.
As soon as the chariot arrived smoothly at its destination, Li Jia opened her suitcase and put on a pale yellow padded jacket embroidered with chicks. It had been specially made with a hood, and once zipped up, it looked like a thick sleeping bag.
"Aren't you cold?" Li Jia asked curiously when she saw Doreen looking as though she wanted to say something.
"Our bodies have been granted the power of immortality by Her Majesty Hera, so we can't feel the temperature changes between the seasons. But Li Jia, you look so cute!"
Winslow had long since stopped being surprised by anything Li Jia did.
She reached straight over and stroked Li Jia's fluffy hood. It was so cute, so adorable. Winslow immediately got Li Jia to agree to draw up a design and make a pattern for her too when they returned.
No wonder Li Jia had started shivering the moment she entered this place, while the other three looked completely unaffected.
"So what did we come to the Polar Night Fortress for?" Li Jia asked curiously, gathering her little hood closer.
"How did you know we were coming to the Polar Night Fortress?" Hera suddenly asked.
Fuck, how had she forgotten? Hera hadn't told her where they were going. How had she let that slip?
Hera wasn't as easy to handle as Winslow. She had to think of something.
In the end, she decided to sacrifice her best friend.
Li Jia casually patted the shoulder of the person beside her and smiled. "Winslow told me, of course. Why else would I bring so many thick coats?"
Before Winslow could react, she pulled her along and ran ahead.
Winslow was bewildered. When had she ever told Li Jia that? She hadn't even known where they were going this time. Before she could explain, Li Jia had already dragged her far away.
With a little distraction from Li Jia, Winslow forgot all about it, leaving only that pair of thoughtful red eyes behind them, flickering in the night.
At the fortress gates, two enormous statues stood silently. Their bodies were twisted, human yet not human, and mysterious runes wound around them, flashing with dazzling spots of purple light.
Inside the fortress, the streets were narrow and winding. Most of the buildings on either side tilted at distorted angles, and an oppressive atmosphere hung everywhere.
Most of the buildings' doors and windows were small and dim. Occasionally, a trace of wax-yellow lamplight seeped out, but it could not dispel even the slightest bit of the surrounding darkness. Instead, it only made the darkness seem thicker.
The air was thick with the stench of decay and blood, the scent of death spreading unchecked into every corner.
The few pedestrians on the streets hurried along, their figures fading in and out of the darkness like a band of lost ghosts. Each was wrapped in a black cloak, revealing only watchful, indifferent eyes of various colors.
Occasionally, a low growl or a pained moan came from some dark corner, making one's hair stand on end and sending a chill down the spine.
At the center of the fortress stood a towering spire. Its entire structure was pitch-black, its surface studded with countless gems giving off an eerie glow. These gems were arranged into strange formations, radiating powerful, mysterious fluctuations of energy.
At the top of the tower, a mass of black flame blazed. In its light, the entire fortress seemed shrouded in an evil shadow.
This flame was the symbol of the Power of Polar Night. It never went out, guarding the fortress while also imprisoning countless unknown secrets.
Li Jia thought this place was a lot like a modern haunted house, just bigger and more realistic.
Without her noticing, Hera and Doreen had moved ahead of her and Winslow. Their tall figures shielded the two little ones from gazes of unclear meaning.
The pressure Hera casually released made people keep their distance, clearing a path for them through the darkness.
Li Jia ventured to ask, "Your Majesty, what are we here for?"
"To dissolve a bond contract," Hera said mildly.
Li Jia nodded to show she understood.
The civil affairs bureau + the courts + the police, providing door-to-door service.
Then this setting was only natural. Working at the grassroots, going up into the mountains and down to the countryside. No building the new without breaking the old.
That made Li Jia half a public servant too. That was how she understood it.
"Whose bond contract are we dissolving this time, then?"
"The evil dragon Mofeiliya's and the bride he abducted, Luoleila's."