Girl, There's Something Wrong With You - Chapter 23

Early Morning.

Cheng Jinyang opened his eyes and slowly got out of bed to wash up in the bathroom.

His mind was still occupied with what Ye Ru had told him before the dream ended yesterday.

“…So the White Lotus Sect actually originated in the northern Qingzhou region, within the human forces controlled by demons,” Ye Ru said as she sat back down, her strange smile completely disappearing. “From the beginning, it was established with the purpose of aiding demon reproduction, since demons as a race cannot reproduce on their own.”

“There are two sources for the birth of high-level demons: a small portion are transformed from human females. By having them drink demon blood, if they survive the mutation, they can achieve demonization; otherwise, they will become low-level puppets. Demons born in this way retain their self-awareness from before their transformation—they maintain habits similar to humans within demon society and are indistinguishable in appearance and behavior.”

“However, most demons are not so fortunate. They are born from mindless puppets, gaining self-awareness through the consumption of a large number of human individuals. A puppet’s body is a prison for souls; if it encounters a suitable human female, it will choose to assimilate rather than digest her, using her brain tissue to fill its own cranial cavity and imprisoning her consciousness within itself.”

“As more individuals are consumed, these consciousnesses will continually struggle within, eventually resulting in one dominant consciousness. From this moment, the puppet can be considered to have evolved into a demon.”

“However, this struggle is eternal. Even a demon with self-awareness, as long as it continues to consume and assimilate more humans, will face new captive consciousnesses challenging the dominant one. But the chances of a new consciousness taking over are very low, as the latter has risen through layers of battles among countless consciousnesses, whereas the former was likely just an ordinary person in life.”

“The reason I’m telling you all this is not to force you to understand Xiao Qi. I just want you to know how extraordinary it is that she became Su Lili. She clawed her way up from hell, driven by her obsession with you…”

Her words still echoed in his mind. Cheng Jinyang washed his face and looked at the mirror hanging on the wall.

If what Ye Ru said is true, doesn’t that make me a heartless and fickle man?

Then, through the mirror, he saw Wang Wanrou standing at the bathroom door.

“Shall we talk?”

………..

If there was anyone in the household with whom Cheng Jinyang could speak freely, it was probably Miss Wang.

Since Ah Zhi had a marriage contract with him, it was obviously impossible to tell her about Xiao Li. Yang Wangshu was a total simp; if she knew, it would be as good as Ah Zhi knowing.

Miss Qingqing might seem carefree and straightforward on the surface, but in reality, she was also meticulous and deep-thinking, making it hard to trust her completely.

Only Miss Wang was different. On one hand, she was indeed very intelligent, and on the other, she held herself in high esteem.

Reporting him was something she would certainly disdain to do… Otherwise, he could mock her about it for a whole year.

After listening to Cheng Jinyang’s story, Wang Wanrou nodded:
“I see.”

“But you are mistaken. The reason that great demon dares not harm you is likely still because of Su Lili; the reason it gave you this test was also to probe and manipulate you.”

“I know.” Cheng Jinyang sat on the sofa, feeling a bit annoyed, “What happened after I was gone?”

“Chu Qingqing completed her demonization but retained her consciousness.” Wang Wanrou replied, “Those women who joined the White Lotus Sect drank the talisman water and, like Chu Qingqing, completed their demonization and attacked us.”

“So Songjiang fell because of the demons that emerged from within?” Cheng Jinyang asked, puzzled.

“Perhaps.” Wang Wanrou said indifferently, “Whether it was or wasn’t, it doesn’t matter anymore. Let me ask you, what do you plan to do about Su Lili?”

“Nothing.” Cheng Jinyang said, “After all, I don’t even know where she is now.”

“Didn’t Ye Ru give you any contact information?” Wang Wanrou asked calmly, “For example, an address?”

“No.” Cheng Jinyang said with certainty.

“Liar.” Wang Wanrou said coldly, “No matter what, she will come looking for you one day.”

“Your choice will determine the direction of your life. Different choices will lead to completely different outcomes.”

“Think it over carefully.”

Miss Wang had left, and Cheng Jinyang washed his face again, only to remember that he had already done so once before their conversation.

Alas.

He was feeling restless when his phone, placed on the sink, rang again.

The headquarters of Tianluo had issued another summons. This time, there were no regional restrictions; all registered Tianluo members had to return to the Luo Hall immediately.

So he left the bathroom, and once the remaining girls had woken up, he informed everyone of the situation.

As his partner, Xing Yuanzhi had to go. Miss Wang decided not to go out this time and stayed home to provide intellectual support; Yang Wangshu, however, was somewhat interested in Tianluo and volunteered to go as an external support; as for Miss Qingqing…

“I’m feeling a bit tired today,” Chu Qingqing said wearily. “Maybe next time.”

Tired? The super-energetic Miss Qingqing, who used to participate in military operations during the day and fight demons in the nightmares at night, full of energy, actually felt tired?

Cheng Jinyang was about to speak when Xing Yuanzhi quickly shot him a look.

He suddenly realized that Miss Qingqing’s demonization yesterday might not have left her completely unscathed.

So he left with Xing Yuanzhi and Yang Wangshu, taking a taxi from Wujiang Town towards Pukou Town.

“The driver doesn’t seem afraid of us,” Yang Wangshu texted Xing Yuanzhi from the back seat.

“That’s normal,” Xing Yuanzhi replied.

Cheng Jinyang sat in the front seat, watching the scenery speed by, and suddenly remembered that it had been a long time since he had seen his princess sister.

To deal with the Longxiang Army’s offensive, she must have been quite busy lately.

Meanwhile, Chu Qingqing also took a car to a hospital in Jiangning District.

Behind the reinforced glass of the isolation ward, she saw Chu Debiao’s sister again.

The unconscious girl, bound tightly by a restraining suit, looked pale, with demon factor suppressant fluid continuously being injected into her body and then filtered out through dialysis.

The dialysis machine showed that the concentration of factors in her blood over the past 24 hours was 42 micrograms per milliliter, which had increased significantly from last month. The doctor said that once it reached 50, the purification procedure had to be initiated, or she would rapidly transform into a mindless, man-eating puppet.

However, being infected did not necessarily mean becoming a puppet; there was a small chance of evolving into a high-level demon retaining self-awareness, right?

Recalling the feeling of anxiety in her dreams, Miss Qingqing felt a chill, a terrifying sense of losing humanity and self, as if her consciousness was falling into an abyss.

So, are you enduring such torment every moment as well?

She placed her hand on the reinforced glass, looking at the girl in the isolation ward.

Suddenly, the girl’s eyes shot open, her iron-grey pupils radiating outward like a new star, staring straight at her.

Chu Qingqing was startled, retreating in panic until her back hit the wall. Only then did she realize that the girl behind the glass still had her eyes closed, as if they had never opened.

Was that… just my imagination?