Chapter 54

Jiang Suliu had a refined appearance, outstanding grades, and came from an elite family. His parents adored him, and his family life was blissful. From birth, he possessed wealth and status that many could only dream of attaining.

For Jiang Suliu, the vast world was like a game set to “easy mode.”

Everyone he met longed for a life like his. A friend once half-jokingly remarked that if life were a novel, Jiang Suliu would be the protagonist, holding the script in his hand.

Yet, perhaps due to the sheer perfection of his life or that troubling dream of the deep sea that had haunted him for years, Jiang Suliu always felt a detached numbness toward his near-perfect existence.

It felt as though his life wasn’t meant to be this way—trapped in a classroom, repeating the same life day after day.

Where was he meant to be?

Somewhere in the boundless, eerie depths of the ocean, surrounded by strange, twisted creatures that called out to him, offering their prayers to a greater being.

Then came that rainy night, when a girl with black hair flowing in the wind arrived, bearing a long blade and walking in the moonlight.

The dark night turned bright as day, the sacred moonlight shining equally on everyone. He gazed at the god before him, his eyes filling with tears beyond his control.

From that moment, a new chapter in his life began, he had found the great being he was meant to follow.

The relationship between a deity and a devotee is never equal.

In the most straightforward sense, deities have countless followers and occasionally show mercy to mortals. But followers, on the other hand, devote themselves wholly to a single deity, offering everything and awaiting their god’s descent.

Many followers worship their god fervently, chasing after them, willing to give up all they possess, or even take a blade to a heretic.

The tragedy, however, is that many such believers spend their whole lives without ever glimpsing the one they worship.

Jiang Suliu was fortunate.

He always felt he was blessed. He was born into a life others envied, with loving parents and supportive friends, and most importantly, he had seen his revered god with his own eyes.

This great being had descended from the distant void, saving him from danger.

And now, unable to bear the envious calls of the deep-sea creatures any longer, he came to Surina Island to explore his powers. Here, he saw his revered one again.

The creatures in the deep sea screamed in wild envy, their jealous roars echoing in his mind, desperate to replace him and claim the glory for themselves.

“Foolish, stupid human! Why does he deserve the god’s favor?”

“I told you that brat was manipulative, but you didn’t listen!”

“Kill him, eat his flesh, wear his skin—will the god love me then?”

“Why, why, why him?! He’s only got two legs and two arms, no huge dead fish eyes like mine! The god said my eyes were cute!”

The creatures’ screams reverberated through Jiang Suliu’s mind, making his head throb.

For a month, these creatures haunted him, sometimes whispering secrets to tempt him, forcing him to come to Surina Island.

But now, gazing upon the Yue Yin before him, Jiang had no interest in arguing with those creatures in his head.

They were nothing but pitiful beings.

He sneered, dismissing them as envious, frenzied creatures incapable of gaining his lord’s favor.

The voices paused momentarily, then surged back: “How dare he! Calling us pitiful? You’re the pitiful one! Your whole family is pitiful!”

“Traitor! Deceiving the god’s love! May you die a miserable death!”

“We are the true followers; who are you to mock us? Just wait—you’ll die tonight!”

The insults and curses in his mind continued relentlessly, but Jiang Suliu paid them no mind.

He approached the Yue Yin figure with a gentle smile and softly asked, “Lord Yue Yin, what brings you here?”

The young man’s face softened with a warm smile, and his voice was calm and clear. Dressed in a white shirt, he held the hand of the mayor’s young daughter, exuding an air of warmth and grace to anyone who looked at him.

Only those deep-sea creatures knew that he was simply wearing a human mask, with a heart as rotten and foul as theirs.

But alas, their beloved deity remained blind to this deception!

Or was Yue Yin fully aware yet unconcerned?

After all, as the Thousand-Faced Moon, she herself is regarded as an evil god by outsiders, so how can we expect her believers to be any good?

Yue Yin smiled knowingly, entirely at ease with her own nature.

As Jiang Suliu approached, slightly out of breath from running, his eyes shone with excitement, though he restrained himself to maintain a dignified demeanor.

Yue Yin’s smile curved, and she thought idly, these devoted fanatics really are as zealous as ever.

Jiang Suliu repeated his question, “Lord Yue Yin?”

Yue Yin’s smile faded as she folded her hands behind her back. She looked up at Jiang Suliu, who was much taller than her, and said in a deep voice, “Jiang Suliu, as my future high priest, I am disappointed in you.”

Jiang Suliu’s eyes narrowed, recognizing the tone all too well.

With a sudden flourish, Yue Yin whipped out a test paper and pointed accusingly. “Look at this!”

She clutched her chest, feigning pain. “Do you realize the monthly exams are coming up? Do you know I haven’t studied at all? You took leave and won’t even help me cheat—how am I supposed to pass?!”

Dead last—that’s where she’d end up! After so many years as a evil god, she’d never faced such a painful lesson.

With a wounded tone, Yue Yin said, “Never mind that I don’t listen in class, don’t do homework, nap after school, and never review my vocabulary. How could you not let me copy your answers? Isn’t that just a little bit your fault?”

The mayor overheard this and was utterly stunned. How could someone so shameless as to blame others for her own failing grades even exist?

After a pause, Jiang Suliu replied, “I’m sorry, Lord Yue Yin, but even if I were there, I couldn’t let you copy my answers.”

He continued, “We don’t take exams in the same room.”

Firmly at the top of his class, Jiang Suliu was always seated in the front row of the best testing hall, whereas Yue Yin was far, far away.

Yue Yin fell silent, scratching her head in confusion. “What? Is that even a thing?”

Was she destined to fail again next time?

Yue Yin let out a frustrated sigh, gazing helplessly at the sky. Is she destined to suffer such setbacks on Earth?

Jiang Suliu gazed at Lord Yue Yin, a glint of fervor and excitement flashing in his eyes, he hadn’t expected her to come all this way. Just like that night when she appeared suddenly to save him from disaster.

His devotion was unyielding—a pure, zealous faith.

To Jiang Suliu, the thrill and reverence in his eyes were unmistakable signs of his admiration for his divine figure, wholly unaware that Lord Yue Yin saw him as nothing more than a useful tool.

The mayor and his daughter, observing nearby, remained silent. Maybe this is what being a “hopeless devotee” looks like.

Seeing Yue Yin struggle with her test scores, Jiang Suliu reflected briefly and concluded the situation was easily fixed. He was about to tell her that he had skipped this exam, so they’d likely be in the same room next time. But before he could speak, she sighed, “Forget it.”

Looking dejected, she said, “What’s done is done. Let’s just eat.”

It was getting dark, after all.

While Yue Yin and Jiang Suliu happily settled down to eat, Zhou Zicheng and his team were having a rough time. Their investigation was proving challenging, thanks to the damage previous visitors had caused to the island’s reputation. The locals held a strong distrust of outsiders, especially those from the investigative team, and refused to help.

After several hours of wandering around town without success, the team found themselves unable to secure even a room for the night. Left with no choice, they returned to the mayor’s residence, hoping to stay there temporarily.

Upon their weary return, Yue Yin was sprawled out on the sofa, engrossed in her video game. Barely glancing at them as they entered, she quickly resumed her game, as if she’d expected them to end up back here.

With her gaming console in hand, she turned to Jiang Suliu. “How do you pass this level?”

Jiang Suliu, in the middle of slicing an apple for her, glanced down and gently replied, “Like this—there’s a mushroom there, jump on it to reach the next part.”

“Oh.” She nodded, fully immersed, and continued working her way through the game.

Growing and gathering, collecting everything… Yue Yin guided her character around the virtual farm, picking up truffles rooted out by pigs.

Beaming, she exclaimed, “Jiang Suliu, you’re amazing! You always find the best games!”

In the past, she’d only known the thrill of competitive battles. Now, she’d come to enjoy farming, mining, and fishing.

Zhou Zicheng and his team, now in the room: …Really?

I mean, we’ve been out there working ourselves to exhaustion, and here she is, secretly playing farming games?

Andre, frustrated from dealing with hostile townsfolk, sneered, “Idiot, we’re out there investigating, and you’re here, playing games?”

Completely immersed in her game with her headphones on, Yue Yin didn’t hear him. But Jiang Suliu lifted his head, casting Andre a level stare. His gaze was calm, yet everyone sensed the chilling intent behind it. Had Andre uttered another word, Jiang Suliu looked as if he would slip his fruit knife into Andre’s neck without hesitation.

And he really would.

Somehow, the thought echoed in Andre’s mind, making him swallow his words. With a grunt, he looked away, suppressing his anger.

Damned island, damned people. They’re all crazy.

Zhou Zicheng broke the silence, looking at Jiang Suliu. “And you are?”

Jiang Suliu smiled calmly. “I’m Jiang Suliu. I was vacationing on the island and got stuck here…”

He smoothly sidestepped the truth that he, too, had arrived recently, leading the investigators to believe he was a long-stranded tourist.

Just then, Yue Yin finally paused her game and asked, “You’re back?”

“Find anything useful?”

Their silence spoke volumes, they had no success.

Yue Yin shrugged as the mayor’s wife bustled down the stairs, a warm smile on her face. “Oh, my! It’s been so long since we’ve had such a lively crowd! I’ll go prepare dinner for everyone.”

With nine extra guests plus her family of four, the mayor’s wife was quickly overwhelmed. Jiang Suliu politely offered to help, revealing surprising culinary skill that earned her frequent praises.

An hour later, he emerged from the kitchen. “Dinner is served.”

He placed a dish of greenish, soupy paste and bread before them, and, reaching Andre, he smiled and said, “Enjoy.”

The strange green soup emitted an odd seafood aroma, prompting Andre to scowl. “What is this…?”

Jiang Suliu calmly unfastened his apron and said, “A local delicacy—a soup made with fresh seaweed, crab, and fish paste.”

Andre winced, muttering under his breath, “I hate fish.”

Without missing a beat, Jiang Suliu smirked, “Well then, you’ll be going hungry, there’s no other food on Surina Island.”

Grumbling but defeated, Andre picked up his spoon. Just as he was about to eat, Jiang Suliu’s voice came again. “If I were you, I’d follow the rules as a guest here.”

Andre’s patience snapped, but before he could reply, he noticed the mayor’s wife glaring at him, her gaze fierce and unforgiving.

Quietly, Jiang Suliu explained, “Nearly everyone on Surina worships a certain deity. Before meals, they pray, offering thanks for the food.”

Zhou Zicheng and his team sighed in resignation.

After traveling for hours by boat to reach the island, discovering the grim fate of their colleagues, and investigating for hours without success, they were exhausted.

Staring at the lackluster dinner in front of them, all they wanted was to finish quickly and sleep.

Just then, a cuckoo clock chimed. The mayor and his wife stood up, a look of satisfaction on the mayor’s face. He seemed oblivious to the group’s weariness as he turned to them excitedly, saying, “Guests, it’s time to pray.”

“Before enjoying dinner, please pray to the great Thousand-Faced Moon, thanking her for her protection and for shielding us from malevolent spirits.”

The mayor’s wife held up a candle and began the prayer, intoning, “Thank you, merciful Mother, for protecting our town and giving us peace and abundance…”