Chapter 95: Chapter 95: Let’s Leave Together

“The Priest is here!”

Lilia froze. Hou Xiaobei had told her the Priest wouldn’t be back for five hours, but it had only been two!

’Hou Xiaobei isn’t back yet. If the Priest finds me here, he’ll never let Hou Xiaobei go!’

The Priest’s voice drifted in faintly.

Lilia nervously ran to the opening and tried to push it open. But after a shove, she froze.

Something was blocking the opening; she couldn’t get it open no matter how hard she tried!

“I-It’s over! The opening is blocked!”

The Priest’s voice grew clearer.

Steeling herself, she dove under the rank-smelling blanket.

Before long, the door was pushed open, and the Priest walked in, reeking of alcohol.

Lilia trembled with fear, hiding under the blanket and not daring to breathe.

She heard the Priest sit down beside her. He reached out, laughing lewdly, and patted the blanket. “Xiao Bei! Come on out! I happened to have a few drinks today and I’m in a good mood, so I won’t beat you!”

“I told you to come out! Do you hear me?! Don’t make me do this the hard way! Get the hell out here!”

Lilia clutched the blanket, sobbing quietly.

’She didn’t understand why the Priest, who had always been so kind and dignified, had turned into this.’

“I told you to come out! Do you hear me?! Don’t make me hit you!”

The Priest ripped the blanket away, and Lilia cautiously poked her head out.

“P-Priest…” Lilia looked at the Priest, her face tear-streaked and aggrieved.

’Fuck! I really drank too much today, to mistake a stinking bitch like you for Lilia…’

Lilia felt a disgusting hand reach under the blanket.

She tried to scream for help, but the Priest slapped her across the head.

She was dazed, her consciousness slowly slipping away…

’Oh God… save me…’

「Meanwhile, on the other side.」

Hou Xiaobei rushed into the forest, her heart still pounding.

“Ya Lun… Ya Lun! How long have you been waiting for me?”

The river water glimmered silvery-white under the moonlight.

A tall, long-haired youth stood by the river, a thin layer of muscle covering his exposed forearms.

His features were exceptionally refined, and his long, golden hair cascaded down his cheeks. He looked just like a living angel.

Hou Xiaobei stared at him, mesmerized, and stopped in her tracks. “Y-Ya Lun, I’ve come to go with you… Please, take me away…”

Under the moonlight, the youth sat quietly on a rock.

Ya Lun gave Hou Xiaobei a cold glance. “You have a choice to make now. You can abandon the Goddess and come with me. What is your decision?”

Hou Xiaobei closed her eyes, her brow furrowed in a fierce internal struggle.

She opened them and spoke with determination. “I’ve decided! I’ll go with you and forget about her! She’s the Goddess; nothing will happen to her! Besides, she’s the one who let me escape, so she has to take responsibility! Right?”

Ya Lun’s hand gently caressed her cheek. “Is that what you really think?”

Hou Xiaobei lunged toward Ya Lun, gripping his hands tightly. “Let’s go now! Just let Lilia die there!”

“But darling, I’m not willing to do that.”

Hou Xiaobei froze for a moment, then nervously clutched Ya Lun’s hands.

But the youth just smiled faintly. “Darling, you have to do something for me first.”

Ya Lun’s lips brushed against Hou Xiaobei’s ear as he told her the plan.

“This…” Hou Xiaobei was stunned when she heard the vicious plan. “That’s too cruel. I don’t think that’s right.”

Ya Lun stroked her face, then planted a reverent kiss on her forehead.

Ya Lun coaxed her in a soft voice, “Xiao Bei, my plan is flawless. Nothing will happen to you, trust me! I can only leave after Lilia is dead. Don’t you want to come with me?”

Hou Xiaobei didn’t speak. She remembered how Lilia had trusted her with all her heart, how pure and flawless her eyes were.

’It was just too difficult for Hou Xiaobei to kill Lilia in such a cruel way.’

Ya Lun continued to entice Hou Xiaobei. “As long as she’s dead, I’ll take you far away from here…”

“Really?” Hou Xiaobei’s hands trembled as she gripped his clothes tightly.

“Really.”

Hou Xiaobei was utterly convinced by his words and nodded forcefully. “Okay, I’ll make her die…”

She suddenly turned around, her eyes filled with tears of rebirth. “Ya Lun, thank you for being willing to take me away…”

Hou Xiaobei waved vigorously and ran back the way she came.

She was a nervous wreck the entire way.

「Ten minutes later, she was standing in front of the iron-barred window.」

“Lilia… Lilia…”

The moment she saw the scene inside the room, Hou Xiaobei clapped her hands tightly over her mouth.

The light was dim, and the room was a complete mess.

The Priest was getting ready to leave, while Lilia…

The Priest snorted coldly. “I drank too much and mistook you for someone else. Lilia, you are no longer worthy of being the Goddess. We happen to be short one person here, so you can just stay.”

Lilia’s lips trembled.

The Priest walked out with a cold expression.

He opened the door and stepped one foot out. “Lilia, I watched you grow up. I’m just locking you in here to reflect for a while. It won’t be for too long!”

As soon as the door closed, Hou Xiaobei bit her lip and called out cautiously, “Lilia…”

Lilia lifted her swollen, red eyes. “Didn’t you say the Priest wouldn’t be back for five hours? Why was he back in two?! Why did you block the opening? Why didn’t you let me leave?!”

Hou Xiaobei gripped the bars. ’My heart turned to ice. But I have no choice but to use Lilia as a stepping stone!’

She feigned guilt and said, “I’m sorry… I didn’t do it on purpose!”

The moment she finished speaking, Lilia hugged herself and burst into tears. “You have your dreams, but I have my dreams too! I just wanted to be by the Saint Heir’s side! Because of you, I’ve lost him forever!”

“I’m sorry… I’m so, so sorry!”

Lilia’s body trembled uncontrollably. “You should be the one to stay here instead!”

“N-No!”

Lilia suddenly broke down crying. “I’m so cold. Come in and hold me!”

Hou Xiaobei hesitated, but seeing her sobbing uncontrollably, she climbed in through the opening anyway.

She held Lilia and apologized over and over. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

The girl’s shoulders shook nonstop, as if she were trying to cry out every last tear.

Hou Xiaobei was overwhelmed with guilt. She stroked Lilia’s hair repeatedly.

But the next moment, Lilia suddenly grabbed her wrist.

Lilia looked up, her face a mask of malice. “Priest! Come back! I’ve caught her!”

Hou Xiaobei’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Lilia’s palm was ice-cold, devoid of its earlier warmth. “Priest! I’ve caught her, look! I’ve caught her!”

Hou Xiaobei didn’t have time to think. She clamped a hand over Lilia’s mouth. “Stop shouting, I really didn’t mean to… I came back to save you. Let’s leave this place together, okay?”

Lilia didn’t speak, but her trembling subsided slightly.

Hou Xiaobei breathed a sigh of relief and slowly let go. “I’m going to let go now. Don’t scream, okay? Lilia, trust me. If I get captured, you’ll be the one who’s locked up here forever, just like I was.”

“Let’s get out of here… I know someone named Ya Lun. He said he’d take us away. Trust me…”

’Ya Lun grew up with her; he would never betray her.’

Lilia nodded, deciding to trust Hou Xiaobei one more time.

The two of them climbed out of the opening. The village was silent, save for the sound of their hurried footsteps.

As they walked, Hou Xiaobei explained to Lilia:

“We need to hurry and leave. They’ll discover the room is empty soon. Since Ya Lun promised to get me out, he definitely won’t abandon us! Trust me!”

“Lilia, why have you stopped? We don’t have much time, hurry up!”

Lilia’s expression was grim. “If we just leave like this, what about the other girls? I… what the Priest and I…”

It was as if she’d recalled a memory that nearly made her drop to her knees and vomit.

She spoke in anguish, “I know the pain those girls are going through, so I can’t just abandon them…”

The night was deathly quiet.

No one had discovered their escape.

Hou Xiaobei grabbed her hand and promised, “Then let’s hurry, let out anyone else who wants to leave, and we’ll all escape this place together!”

“Okay…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep