Chapter 33.2

Feigning innocence only heightened Li Shushu’s curiosity, so she nudged Yue Yin’s shoulder, half-joking, “Oh, come on, Yue Yin, tell me!”

The “birthday party” was specifically arranged to trap Yue Yin. The moment she stepped inside, she would be teleported to an altar, bound and prepared for the ritual.

Of course, Li Shushu would never see that gift.

Pressing further, Li Shushu asked, “Just a small hint?”

Finally, Yue Yin sighed, giving in. “Alright, alright, I can’t say no to you.”

Stopping in front of a food stall, Yue Yin bought a spicy potato skewer. Under Li Shushu’s eager gaze, she casually remarked, “It has wings.”

Li Shushu pondered, guessing aloud, “A snow globe? An angel statue? Or maybe just a shirt with a wing pattern?”

Yue Yin only stared dreamily at the potatoes frying, wondering whether to get them spicy or sweet and sour.

With Yue yin’s promise to attend the party, Li Shushu happily left, eager to return and discuss the ritual with her colleagues and to check if anyone had retrieved B87.

After she left, Jiang Suliu emerged from a nearby corner.

He watched Li Shushu’s retreating figure and raised an eyebrow. “She’s going to be very disappointed.”

He hadn’t overheard their conversation, but based on Li Shushu’s behavior lately, he could guess her intentions.

Yue Yin thought for a moment, shrugging. “I did say it was a surprise.”

Jiang Suliu thought of the “gift” that Li Shushu was eagerly awaiting and couldn’t help but chuckle.

Unable to decide between spicy or sweet potatoes, Yue Yin no longer had to, as Jiang Suliu mentioned his home had recently hired several skilled chefs who could make all kinds of street snacks.

Yue Yin’s eyes immediately lit up.

A whole street of snacks—just for her! Free of charge!

She decided to go to Jiang Suliu’s home for dinner, planning to order both spicy and sweet potatoes, plus some grilled cold noodles.

Along the way, feeling rather pleased, she shared with Jiang Suliu, “I told her I’d bring her a present with wings.”

He paused, seemingly catching on, and asked, “A bird?”

Though he had guessed the answer, he didn’t voice it.

Yue Yin nodded confidently, “Yes, a pigeon.”

Jiang Suliu smiled again.

…

An hour later, at the Shen residence.

In the opulent dining room, a table brimming with desserts and snacks awaited. Through the transparent kitchen walls, several chefs worked in sync. Yue yin was absorbed in a game on her phone, while Jiang Suliu, seated across, calmly completed her homework.

Though he had already finished his, he had agreed to do hers too.

Supervising him as she “checked for slacking off,” Yue Yin was, in fact, just using his phone to play games.

Across the table, he looked at her with an almost admiring gaze.

She was stunningly beautiful, with clear, innocent eyes, delicate features, pale skin, and long black hair cascading like silk over her shoulders.

Jiang Suliu found himself mesmerized, recalling his friends’ question: “Do you like Yue Yin?”

How had he replied?

He hadn’t denied it or admitted it, but merely smiled gently. “I admire her.”

For him, “liking” was too shallow, and “admiring” too impure. His feelings for Yue Yin transcended the ordinary—she was his faith.

Faith was truth; faith was eternal.

Jiang Suliu gazed into Yue Yin’s deep, dark eyes, as though searching for the complex, boundless universe that lay beyond them.

…It was the realm of gods.

In that moment, Jiang Suliu felt an intense, almost fanatical fervor—a devotee worshipping his deity, longing for divine favor.

However, at that very moment, his revered deity, his supreme faith, suddenly started speaking.

She seemed to be arguing with her teammates in the game, her tone earnest: “I know it’s wrong that he stole your jungle monsters, but going AFK over it isn’t exactly the right response.”

“What do you mean I’m the worst player and shouldn’t talk? You’re so rude!”

“Wow, you’re the real trash! Your whole family must be trash!”

Jiang Suliu: …

Listening to Yue Yin’s words, the darkness in Jiang Suliu’s eyes quickly dissipated, replaced by a complex, bewildered silence.

Is this really his worshipped dark deity? Why does she suddenly seem…so undignified?

With an indescribable expression, Jiang Suliu watched as Yue Yin sighed and put down her phone, looking distressed.

Jiang Suliu instantly understood—she must have been out-argued by her game teammates and got reported.

Sure enough, Yue Yin placed the phone down.

Mimicking a character from TV, she spoke in a worldly tone, “Suliu, did anyone agree to join the Moon Cult today?”

Not only did Yue Yin advocate for herself online, but she also pressured her loyal followers to recruit others into the Moon Cult. Consequently, Jiang Suliu, a wealthy young man from a distinguished family, was now publicly advertising for her on the internet.

Unfazed, Jiang Suliu opened his book and replied calmly, “No.”

Yue Yin slammed the table, standing up with a shout, “Outrageous! These foolish humans!”

Recalling her recently banned account and her homeroom teacher’s vocabulary quiz the next day, Yue Yin felt a wave of sadness.

If only she had killed Shen Hao Ping, then she could mourn his passing for seven days and ask for some extra time off.

Yue Yin’s outburst shocked the busy chefs in the kitchen, but Jiang Suliu’s expression remained calm, long accustomed to it.

A few days ago, he might have felt embarrassed, wanting to curl his toes in shame. But now, he was used to it.

Yue Yin wasn’t human, so her eccentric behavior was understandable.

Unaware of how her majestic image as a dark deity was crumbling, Yue Yin felt nothing but despair. How was she ever going to amass a following and attract her true form’s attention? The internet was clearly not her sanctuary.

Pondering her dilemma, she finally turned to the chef delivering the food, saying, “I’ll take another order of fried chicken.”

While Yue Yin grappled with her lack of followers, relying solely on Jiang Suliu to pad her numbers, other deity worshipers were moving full steam ahead with preparations.

Back at the Association, Li Shushu confirmed that Yue Yin  would indeed attend her “birthday party” and wasn’t likely to back out because of the recent Shen family incident. Relieved, everyone relaxed.

“Last time, she managed to evade the sacrifice, but this time we’ll get it right. The Eye of Destruction will surely be pleased!”

“Once we’ve pleased the god, we’ll all receive more blessings.”

Everyone was excited, eagerly preparing for the upcoming ritual.

Hours passed, and Li Shushu glanced around at her fellow cultists, frowning. “Why aren’t Sun Hao and the others back yet? Should it take this long to retrieve the forbidden item B87?”

Li Shushu had speculated that B87 might have been used on Shen Hao Ping, so as soon as she returned to the Association, she reported her theory. Two colleagues had been sent to retrieve it.

“Could something have happened?”

“Bah!”

Meanwhile, at a private hospital, Sun Hao and his team lay battered and bruised, huddled on the floor, cursing Li Shushu.

It had all started a few hours earlier, when they had just reached Shen Hao Ping’s hospital room.

Bai Xiulian, suspecting that Shen Hao Ping’s condition was caused by malevolent spirits, had hired several mid-level exorcists from the Metaphysical Society to cleanse the room.

These exorcists, all fairly skilled, had entered confidently, but they only detected traces of a past encounter with dark forces on Shen Hao Ping, not any lingering presence.

Just as they were scratching their heads, Li Shushu’s colleagues burst in.

The two groups immediately recognized each other as exorcists and fought.

Li Shushu’s colleagues were promptly arrested, transferred to the Paranormal Incident Management Department, and would soon face severe consequences.

The Association learned of this only the following morning.

They had waited all night for Sun Hao’s team, only to receive news of their capture at dawn.

Sleepy and groggy cult members were jolted awake, one turning to Li Shushu with a suspicious glare, “Are you a spy?!”

Li Shushu cried out in her defense, “I’m not! I don’t know what happened either.”

She had thought Shen Hao Ping was an ordinary person, so why were her colleagues arrested? Did she miscalculate, or did the Paranormal Incident Management Department have an informant lying in wait?

Her mind buzzed with conspiracy theories, though there was no time to dwell on them.

Someone pointed an accusing finger at her, furious. “You still say you’re not a spy? You lost B87, and now, just as the A-level Malevolent spirits ‘The Judge’ escapes, this happens!”

Li Shushu, on the verge of tears, shouted back, “What does ‘The Judge’ have to do with me? I’m just a C-level! How could I command an A-level entity?”

Sure, she had messed up with B87, but they couldn’t throw every disaster her way!

“Who knows? You came back saying you found B87 and sent Sun and the others to Shen Hao Ping’s room, only for them to get captured!”

“They say it was an unlucky encounter with the Metaphysical Society, but what are the odds? I think you set them up!” spat a man named Old Sun, his anger inflamed by familial loyalty—Sun Hao was his nephew, practically a son to him.

Old Sun’s life had been rough, he had only a daughter, so he invested everything in his nephew, supporting him financially. When he discovered the Association, he had even introduced Sun Hao, though he kept his own family away for secrecy.

Now his nephew was facing execution. Who would take care of him in his old age?

Seething with fury, Old Sun was nearly ready to fight Li Shushu.

A middle-aged man intervened, frowning. “Enough! Everyone, be quiet!”

He was clearly of higher status, and as he spoke, the two clashing groups immediately quieted.

“The ritual is what’s important. This chaos is disgraceful! Our purpose in conducting this in secret is to earn the mercy of the Dark One, to gain longevity.”

His sharp gaze swept over the group. “If the High Priest hears of this ritual, none of us will escape punishment!”

Everyone hung their heads, stilled by fear.

The man turned to Li Shushu, his voice cold, “Forget about B87. Are you prepared on Yin Yue’s side? Are you sure she’ll attend the gathering?”

Feeling a spike of fear, Li Shushu quickly nodded, “Yes, I’m sure.”

Still, he eyed her with doubt. Remembering Yin Yue’s behavior, Li Shushu timidly added, “She’s not very cunning, so I don’t think she’d lie.”

Yin Yue didn’t bother to hide her disdain for Shen Hao Ping, even saying as much to Li Shushu’s face. Surely she couldn’t be that shrewd.

With this assurance, the others relaxed, trusting in her assessment.

After all, to them, Yin Yue was merely a teenager. If she had sensed anything suspicious, she probably would have distanced herself rather than accepting an invitation so readily.