Aromatic Flesh
Chapter 122: Demon Sect Leader’s Holy Maiden Concubine (14)

The baptism finally ended as the first rays of dawn peeked over the horizon.

Gu MingYue’s memories of the end of the baptism were practically blank.

She only remembered feeling like a helpless duckweed, drifting helplessly with the currents, until she finally couldn’t withstand the relentless downpour and sank into an abyss of darkness.

She felt like she had fainted, or perhaps she was dreaming, but it also felt unlike either. Her surroundings were deathly dark, pitch-black, without a single glimmer of light.

Suddenly, flames ignited all around her, roaring to life and sweeping up her skin, enveloping her in a raging inferno of searing heat.

It hurt! Everything hurts! Her head felt like it was going to explode from the intense heat. She wanted to speak, but her throat felt constricted, as if she’d swallowed coarse sand; any movement made her wish to rip open her throat and pour water inside to douse the burning sensation. She wanted to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt like they weighed a thousand kilograms each, immovable with a stinging pain.

Gu MingYue didn’t understand. Why was this happening? Hadn’t Jia Ling sworn that she was indispensable before the baptism began? Hadn’t she already completed her physical interactions with the Sect Protector and the Hall Masters? She should have touched all the key points necessary to complete her mission – why hadn’t she been able to exit this world successfully?

Why was she in darkness, burning from an unknown flame?

System, where is the System?

The notification for completing her quest never came. She wanted to wait patiently, but her body’s relentless pain tortured her, making her scream in pain.

“Ahhh…!” Unable to withstand the agony, Gu MingYue finally howled. She felt as if she was yelling with all her might, but the sound she heard was barely audible.

Suddenly, the darkness faded, along with the burning sensation.

She was fed a mouthful of a bitter, viscous liquid. She had no time to care about her taste buds, which were currently being overwhelmed by the bitterness of the liquid. She felt nauseated by the taste, but still, she greedily swallowed the bitter liquid, hoping that it would ease the burning pain in her throat.

Gu MingYue didn’t know how many more bitter mouthfuls were fed into her lips, but the discomfort in her throat finally eased after some time. As the burning sensation on her body gradually receded, she attempted to open her eyes again, exerting great effort before finally managing to open them halfway.

“Are you awake?”

Her half-lidded eyes reflected Jia Ling’s silhouette.

His clothes were wrinkled, and his hair was unkempt with a few loose strands brushed against his tired yet delighted face. The dark smudges beneath his eyes, the messy stubble, and the pale lips made Gu MingYue slightly aghast.

She coughed heavily, her chest throbbing painfully with each exhale.

Jia Ling hastily helped her up from the bed, letting her lean against his chest, then gently patted her back, soothing her.

“Does that feel better?” Jia Ling’s voice brimmed with tenderness.

Gu MingYue nodded. Her body felt weak, she assumed due to an illness following her baptism. After all, her frail body couldn’t withstand the vigorous demands of several grown men, each blessed with extraordinary talents.

This was an opportunity. The first thing Gu MingYue thought upon recognizing her condition was the flame in her dream, which must have been a reflection of her feverish past. Wasn’t this current state the perfect excuse to “regain her senses”?

“Big Brother, I’m hungry…” Gu MingYue called out weakly, her voice delicate. But before she even finished speaking, she felt the man’s chest rumble uncontrollably.

“LiuGuang? LiuGuang, say that again?” Jia Ling held Gu MingYue, his voice trembling, filled with disbelief.

“Big Brother, where are Daddy and Big Sis? LiuGuang is hungry. Dinner time~” Gu MingYue nuzzled against his chest, looking pure and innocent, like a little puppy.

“All right, lie still for now. Big Brother will get someone to prepare food for you.” Jia Ling carefully helped her lie back down on the bed, pausing slightly when he said ‘Big Brother’, as a hint of fluster sounded in his voice.

Gu MingYue guessed that Jia Ling was too shocked by the current situation, unable to immediately adjust to her newfound lucidity.

The man left in haste, his footsteps a little unsteady. While Jia Ling was away, she quietly pondered why she hadn’t met the criteria to complete her mission and thus hadn’t been able to leave this world.

Perhaps the explanation lay in the fact that Jia Ling wasn’t simply a split personality, but rather had two distinct personalities. One personality adored her, while the other cared nothing for her. Perhaps the actual mission objective was to make both personalities fall in love with her.

Gu MingYue frowned; winning over the other personality would be quite challenging, especially since it was evidently partial to Gu QingHui. Fortunately, she was slowly recovering her mind, and this matter could be left to time.

The only other reason Gu MingYue could think of was that the storyline had not yet reached the point where the various Sects of the martial world invaded Taisu Island to besiege the ShenDai Sect.

If this is the case, until that plot arc had concluded, it might not be possible to alter the course of events.

Once she safely navigated past the calamity that was to befall her, perhaps her mission would come to a close.

Jia Ling returned swiftly. This was not the familiar painted boat Gu MingYue had stayed most of her time here; rather, it appeared to be somewhere within LingZhao Palace.

He held a porcelain bowl, and behind him followed a woman whom Gu MingYue did not recognize.

The woman took Gu MingYue’s pulse and examined her, then turned to Jia Ling, who sat beside the bed, “My lord, the Madam is in good health, though perhaps she has suffered a grave illness…” The physician carefully weighed her words; she was nervous around Jia Ling, as she truly could not explain what exactly had transpired.

For someone who had been mentally infirm for more than a decade to suddenly awaken, as if from a dream, and regain her faculties was indeed miraculous. The Madam’s body was indeed in good health; she was merely weak and in need of rest – nothing more.

Jia Ling saw from the physician’s evasive expression that she had discovered nothing amiss, so he dismissed her swiftly. He was relieved that Gu MingYue’s body was sound; furthermore, any recovery of her mind would be an unexpected delight.

“Good girl, drink slowly.” Jia Ling’s smile was radiant as she fed Gu MingYue porridge with her own hands. She sweetly called him ‘Big Brother’ and showed no reluctance to be intimate with him, which filled him with immense joy.

Gu MingYue dared not push her newfound affection too far or too fast, so instead, she made herself appear more amiable and less suspicious slowly as the days passed.

She was only slowly recovering her mind, not suffering from amnesia after a grave illness, so naturally, she still remembered everything that had happened before. Fortunately, she had been playing the role of someone with a child’s mind, so as long as someone treated her well, it was easy for her to forget those unpleasant memories of the past.

Because she needed time to recover, the impregnation activities that had taken place every other day before her baptism ceased. Gu MingYue was quite pleased about this; she did not wish to have intercourse with Jia Ling or the other Protectors again. This unexpected illness had saved her from quite a few headaches, at least.

Gu MingYue once again led a quiet life. She often stayed in her room with Jia Ling, who diligently taught her how to read.

With great enthusiasm, he taught Gu MingYue how to read words and phrases, then patiently led her in reciting short and interesting stories, ensuring that the lessons were never dull.

Gu MingYue had only recently recovered from a grave illness, and thus she and Jia Ling could not yet engage in intercourse. Jia Ling, however, showed no resentment, doting on her like a precious pearl, treating her with utmost care, as if she were a delicate treasure.

Yet Gu MingYue knew that Jia Ling would be unable to engage in sexual activities for a while. Three savage, bone-deep wounds had appeared on each of his thighs. If not for the time Gu MingYue playfully sat on his lap, they may have gone unnoticed, as they were merely wrapped in a thin layer of bandages.

When she found out about this, understanding dawned on Gu MingYue that he was majorly injured, turning her face pale with fright and close to tears. Jia Ling coaxed her gently, reassuring her with a faint smile that these wounds hurt no more than half as much as the pain in his heart. Though these words sounded sweet, they weighed heavily on her mind upon reflecting on his words.

She stared at the man, eyes wide with confusion, until Jia Ling sighed softly.

One of Jia Ling’s personalities harboured a deep affection for Gu MingYue, but she remained unsure when these feelings had developed. The other personality, however, rarely appeared, and thus she struggled to find an opportunity to understand him better.

She remained in LingZhao Palace for over a month, until her sickly appearance had completely disappeared, and never once did she come into contact with Jia Ling’s other personality.

Autumn arrived, announcing the peace before the upcoming storm.

Enjoy~

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