The first to react was the little girl.
She stared blankly at her hands.
The cuts from the branches were healing, then scabbing over and falling off, revealing fresh pink skin beneath.
The woman beside her was also stunned.
The wound on her forehead from kowtowing just now had healed, the bruises on her knees had faded, and even the old injury on her waist from being struck by a carrying pole no longer hurt.
An old man with a crippled leg stood up; a child who had been burning with fever for three days opened his eyes and called out “Mother”; a man who had lost his hearing found he could hear again...
【Wang Chuntao Shock Value +100】
【Cui San Ya Shock Value +100】
【Shen Yu Shock Value +100】
【...】
【Current Shock Value: 2,350】
The golden light continued to drift down.
Like a silent rain, it fell steadily upon everyone, washing away their physical ailments and pain.
Some knelt, some stood, some collapsed on the ground wailing in grief, and others stared blankly at their own limbs, as if unable to believe they still belonged to them.
Yun Shu watched everything unfold with a faint expression—neither joyful nor sad, but cold and detached.
When she felt it was enough, she retracted the newly acquired Orchid of the Blue Void into the system space.
The orchid in her hand slowly dissipated.
The golden light faded along with it.
The crowd of refugees began to kowtow incessantly.
This was not the terrified, pleading kowtowing from before.
It was a pious, almost fanatical worship, their foreheads pressed against the muddy ground, refusing to look up for a long time.
“The deity has manifested!”
“Divine Lady, have mercy... Have mercy, Great Lady...”
“Thank you, Divine Lady...”
“Great Lady... your humble servant is willing to offer you devotion for a lifetime...”
Various voices rose and fell, high and low, some crying and some laughing, blending into a blurred cacophony of sound.
Yun Shu looked down at the refugees kneeling at her feet.
The faces looking up were filled with devotion, their clouded eyes reflecting the color of her robes, much like a drowning person clutching at a final piece of driftwood.
She parted her lips, her voice clear and cold. “I am not your god, and I have no need for your offerings.”
These words fell into the ears of the refugees like a massive boulder crashing into a deep pond.
She was not their god?
Despair spread rapidly like a plague, devouring the previous joy completely.
Everyone’s hearts gradually sank to the bottom.
What did it matter if their bodies were healed? Without the protection of the Divine Lady, they still wouldn't be able to survive.
But they were merely mortals, no different from fish or shrimp in the eyes of a deity. What did they have that was worth Her staying?
After dropping this bombshell, Yun Shu turned around. Her plain white skirts brushed against the filthy mud, yet not a single speck of dust clung to them.
A product of the system was bound to be a masterpiece.
She lowered her phoenix eyes, her lashes lightly concealing her gaze. Her entire aura was cold and otherworldly, as if she were a goddess from the nine heavens looking down upon the mortal world.
Moving with lotus steps, her skirts fluttered even without a breeze.
Every step she took seemed to land right on the hearts of the crowd. Her posture was so elegant and inviolable that it would be remembered for a lifetime.
When she reached the bank of the stream, she did not stop. With her toes lightly tapping the shimmering surface of the water, she actually rose into the air.
One step, two steps, climbing higher with every stride, she walked through the void, her sleeves fluttering with an air of immortal grace.
Everyone looked up and held their breath, their eyes filled with shock.
【Shen Yu Shock Value +100】
【Zhang San Shock Value +100】
【...】
【Current Shock Value: 3,150】
“Respectfully seeing off the Divine Lady...”
“Great Lady...”
The Divine Lady herself, currently the focus of everyone’s gaze, was actually expressionless as she searched for her next foothold.
The coordination between her and the system was practically zero.
It flew sometimes far, sometimes near, sometimes high, and sometimes low, causing her to almost misstep several times. She had nearly fallen into the stream and become a soaked mess.
Fortunately, she was a veteran actress and didn't blow her cover.
Yes, that was right.
The reason she could leave the scene with such immortal grace was entirely thanks to using the system as a stepping stone, allowing her to pull off one last grand performance.
Back in the system space, Yun Shu sprawled out on the ground without any regard for her image, entering a state of sage time.
Acting from morning until night was truly exhausting.
The system watched the Shock Value drop from 3,150 to 3,050 with a heart-wrenching pain, quickly urging Yun Shu.
“Host, staying in the system space consumes Shock Value. It costs 100 Shock Value per minute. Let's quickly find a place with no one around and go out.”
“One hundred Shock Value a minute? That’s highway robbery!”
Yun Shu’s waist no longer ached, and her legs were no longer sore. She scrambled up from the ground and immediately selected a location to leave.
Shock Value could not be wasted!
A flash of white light appeared.
Yun Shu returned to the previous valley, though the spot she chose was very hidden, so no one noticed her presence.
“Host, those refugees haven't left yet.” The system was constantly monitoring the situation on the opposite bank.
It floated in mid-air, acting as a camera and projecting the scene from the opposite bank onto a light screen in front of Yun Shu.
The image was high-definition.
Even every blade of grass and every tree could be seen clearly.
The system was watching intently when it suddenly noticed something shimmering in the shallow water by the bank.
It said flusteredly, “Oh no, Host! You forgot to take the treasures that the fish gave you!”
“Oh.”
Yun Shu raised her hand and let out a yawn. “I left those there on purpose. Think of it as a trial.”
“If they can pass my trial, then they will become my first batch of most loyal followers.”
Her gaze pierced through the gurgling stream, landing on the dejected refugees on the opposite bank.
They were still gathered in the same spot; no one had stood up to leave.
After the golden light had dissipated, although their physical pain was gone, their hearts felt empty.
That feeling.
It was like being fished out of an abyss to finally see a glimpse of light, only to fall back into the depths soon after.
“I am not your god, and I have no need for your offerings.” Those words were still echoing in everyone’s ears.
Someone pounded the ground with their hands, their eyes full of despair. “The Divine Lady said She isn't our god. Is there any hope left for us to survive in this cruel world?”
No one could answer that question.
“There are so many people in the world. Even if the Divine Lady has heaven-defying powers, She can't look after everyone.”
An old man sighed and squatted on the ground, his skeletal fingers digging into the mud. “The Divine Lady must already have enough followers, which is why She said She doesn't need our offerings. It is already a great kindness that She didn't take offense at our intrusion and even healed us. We cannot be greedy.”
“Why isn't the Great Lady our god...” a woman holding a child said softly, her voice carrying a hint of a sob. “If only the Great Lady were our god, how wonderful that would be!”
“I really envy those who can serve the Divine Lady,” someone muttered gloomily. “They are truly lucky...”
Silence spread through the group.
After a moment.
Someone stood up, preparing to leave.
Staying here wouldn't bring the Divine Lady back.
Besides, it was getting dark, and wild beasts would be roaming the woods. They needed to find a place that could provide some shelter for the night.
Just then.
Something in the shallow water suddenly shimmered.
“Look, everyone!”
“There’s something glowing in the water!”
These words immediately startled everyone nearby.
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