Chapter 227

"Wait! Where are you taking me—"

Herbert was covered by Fu Leimei's hands over his eyes, held tightly from behind as she dragged him deeper into the hot spring.

He struggled briefly, but eventually gave up.

It wasn't that he didn't want to follow her—there was no issue with that.

But fine, you can take me—but at least give me a pair of pants?

Swimming naked, letting the current carry him, he still found it a bit unsettling…

"Fu Leimei, I don't care where you take me, but can you return my clothes?"

"I feel a bit… cold."

Sister, just lend me a pair of pants, please!

But Herbert's humble plea was bluntly rejected by Fu Leimei, who had fully embraced her tyrannical mode.

"No, you don't."

I don't care what you think—I care what I feel.

Fu Leimei fully slipped into overbearing CEO mode and declared firmly: "No more talk—just follow me quietly!"

"Oh, alright."

Seeing his request denied, Herbert simply gave up, stopped resisting, and let the water wash over him like a salted fish clinging to the Young Lady's body.

After all, while his soul hadn't returned, she'd already seen everything she needed to see—now hiding would be meaningless… indeed, there was nothing worth hiding to begin with.

Besides, there were no outsiders here—he might as well treat it as a full return to nature.

People come naked, and they leave naked.

"... Wait, isn't this path a bit too long?"

Although Fu Leimei wasn't swimming fast, the underwater tunnel's depth definitely exceeded Herbert's expectations.

No, that's not right.

He carefully sensed it—he realized Fu Leimei wasn't simply descending; she was following the underwater tunnel's undulating path.

The two seemed to be inside a vast underwater maze.

Where the hell did you bring me?

Seriously, when did you build this massive underground structure?

Before Herbert could ask, the darkness before his eyes vanished, and Fu Leimei released her hold.

"You brought me here… huh? Where the hell is this?!"

Herbert had expected to see some underwater cave, marveling at nature's artistry…

But when he blinked and truly saw what lay before him, he froze.

"Huh? This is…"

The scene before him was nothing like his imagination… no, it was wildly different!

Fu Leimei had brought him to a magical place.

Herbert had assumed underwater spaces were merely monotonous blue or dark, at best adorned with glowing rare treasures.

But what now unfolded before him was a dreamlike, opulent spectacle.

Herbert felt as if he stood within a sunken, lost temple.

Massive Shi Zhu pillars around him were carved with exquisitely detailed patterns.

There were ferocious dragons with flaring claws, graceful mermaids, and countless other beasts he couldn't identify…

These figures told countless stories, silently recounting past glory.

Elegant archways connected the Shi Zhu, their ceilings inlaid with countless gemstones emitting soft light, painting the surrounding waters in dazzling hues.

The floor was carved from a single massive crystal; the walls bore winding patterns like naturally grown vines.

Though filled with warm spring water, the place retained its majesty and beauty untouched.

It felt as if any moment a benevolent priest might emerge to explain its splendor and the greatness of the gods.

Herbert fell silent for a long while, quietly asking in his heart: "Nie Nasha, is this your temple?"

Such a place could not appear out of nowhere—it must have a source.

And since it lay deep within the Misty Mountains, its origin pointed to only one possibility.

A half-dead goddess, desperately cultivating allies, trying to win a resurrection match.

【"Yes, a relatively intact fragment of my divine realm."】

Nie Nasha, too, felt a pang of emotion, gazing at the surroundings and sighing: 【"It was hidden underwater—even I never noticed it. I'm amazed she found it."】

【"This isn't my main temple—just a small shrine on the outer edges of my divine realm, for spirits to pray."】

Within the divine realm, strict hierarchies existed.

Spirits had their own prayer halls, holy spirits theirs, angels theirs too… no one dared defy the order.

Herbert turned his head, then asked in surprise: "By the way, where are your statues?"

Though this was Nie Nasha's temple, it lacked its most essential element.

The statue.

A statue was the physical manifestation of a god in the mortal world—each represented the deity's very existence.

The statue's eyes were the god's eyes, allowing them to perceive the surroundings and observe all mortal affairs.

The statue's posture, expression, and decorations all carried specific meanings, conveying the god's nature to believers.

Some gods, with multiple common incarnations, possessed multiple statue forms.

Like the Ice Goddess—she had at least two: a petite snow sprite form, and the form of an ice lynx.

【"They've all vanished."】

"Oh?"

Nie Nasha explained casually:

【"After the gods fell, the first to be affected were the statues—their faces would shatter first, then their bodies, until they vanished completely."】

【"On this point, even 'I' am no exception; perhaps in more intact fragments of the divine realm, some statues remain slightly preserved."】

【"By the way, why are you curious about my statue?"】

For this question, Herbert spoke frankly: "Of course I want to see what you actually look like."

Hey!

Let me take a look!

What Herbert wanted to see was Nie Nasha's appearance in the past.

We've been pen pals for so long, and then we even shared a soul—can't you at least let me see your true form?

"Even without a statue, how about you just draw it for me? I'm not picky—I'll accept anything."

Herbert added: "Or are you actually ugly, and deliberately hiding it from me?"

I seriously suspect you're just plain ugly—unless I see it for myself!

【"Hmph!"】

But Nie Nasha wasn't fooled by this clumsy provocation; she sneered:

【"Heh, do you even realize what you're saying? You're doubting the beauty of a god?"】

Seeing the bait fail, Herbert rolled his eyes and shook his head: "Tch, fair point."

Herbert wasn't actually worried Nie Nasha's appearance would be horrifying.

That was unlikely.

Gods themselves can alter their appearances, and most aren't unattractive.

Unless they're pitiful beings whose insufficient power caused divine office backlash, leaving them unable to control their forms.

Or special deities whose racial aesthetics clash with common tastes, choosing to retain their original forms.

Nie Nasha's taste was similar to his—she wouldn't make herself look monstrous.

Given her personality, if she didn't craft a breathtakingly gorgeous form that would make mortals explode from excitement, she'd be being modest!

"Fine, don't expect me to suddenly get generous from a stingy thing like you—don't show it, fine, I won't look."

【"What are you talking about? Haven't you already seen it?"】

"Huh?"

Hearing this, Herbert clearly froze.

"I've seen it?"

【"Of course you have! You just can't remember—it's not my fault!"】

Huh?

Herbert thought hard—and faintly recalled fragments.

Had he really seen Nie Nasha's face before?

During several times he asked her to help him fall asleep, he'd glimpsed blurred images in his dreams.

As he strained to recall that face, a strange feeling rose in his heart.

Gentle, kind, beautiful… wait, who?

Listen—those are words to describe Nie Nasha?

That doesn't make sense.

Who implanted false memories in me!

Are you sure it's not cunning, vile, and eerie?

【"Hm?"】

Young Lady Xie, sharply sensing Herbert's emotional shift, asked softly: 【"I feel like you're thinking something extremely rude."】

"No! Absolutely not!"

Herbert immediately stilled his thoughts and said solemnly: "It's all your illusion—I never thought anything improper!"

【"Hmph, fine, let's say it is."】

Nie Nasha gave a cold laugh but didn't press further; instead, she reminded him:

【"By the way, you'd better stop zoning out— that little fish has been hovering beside you for ages."】

"Yeah, I know."

How could Herbert not know?

He appeared distracted, chatting with Nie Nasha, but most of his attention had always been on the mermaid who hesitated to speak.

After impulsively dragging Herbert here, Fu Leimei had calmed down and realized the problem.

"Uh, what do I do?"

No matter what, she had to explain her earlier actions… Herbert was still naked—there was no way to bluff her way out.

But how could she explain?

Should she say the clothes moved on their own and took themselves off?

Or that he accidentally fell in the water and she removed his clothes to prevent him from catching cold?

Or…

Fu Leimei agonized, unable to begin, her tail nearly digging a hole in the ground.

And Herbert, being kind-hearted, decided to give her more time to concoct her excuse… but you've been thinking too long already!?

"Cough."

After waiting for a long time, Herbert could no longer bear it; he cleared his throat softly and asked with a smile, "Fu Leimei, how did you find this place?"

Fu Leimei was startled by Herbert's sudden voice and blurted out, "Ah! Me! Clothes! I took them off… What are you asking?"

Herbert shook his head and repeated the question helplessly.

This child is beyond saving—I've given so many hints and she still can't learn.

Someone who's been isolated too long doesn't even know how to change the subject.

Sigh!

I can't carry her. I really can't carry her.

All my skills at adapting to people—speaking to humans as a human, to ghosts as a ghost—seem useless with her.

"Oh, you mean this place? Hmm, I just discovered it recently."

Fu Leimei finally calmed down, cleared her throat, and said, "After you left, I kept…"

As she spoke, the Young Lady suddenly fell silent, her face flushing with embarrassment; after a pause, she skipped straight over the details.

"After a while, I suddenly felt a summons coming from beneath the water…"

Herbert:?

Wait, don't skip ahead!

I didn't buy a membership… and why are all your membership skips covering the key parts?

Do you have to pay just to skip the paid content?

Are you even a real member?

No, don't pause at all.

Either don't say it—I won't care—or don't leave half of it unsaid.

Pausing like that on purpose only makes me more curious about what happened back then!

Speak!

Are you deliberately teasing me?

Herbert really wanted to ask that right now, but his soft heart could only smile and silently play along with Fu Leimei's act.

"But it wasn't a summons to me—it was a summons to your body, a faint pull."

"I didn't know what it meant, but since you have some connection to this place, it's likely some kind of treasure."

"I feared missing the chance, so I brought your body here to investigate."

To Fu Leimei's mind, since Herbert was connected to this place, such a special summons was almost certainly a good thing.

Opportunity knocks once; miss it, and it's gone forever.

If this summons was missed, who knew when the next one might come?

So she carefully carried Herbert's body beneath the spring, broke through the underground waterway, and followed it all the way here.

After an initial survey, Fu Leimei did not risk going deeper; instead, she brought Herbert back to Elda—just as he was waking up.

After recounting this, Fu Leimei's expression gradually calmed—but her eyes kept darting around Herbert's body.

It's not that I wanted to look!

But since he's already been delivered right to me, wouldn't it be impolite not to look?

So, I might as well take a look, reluctantly!

Herbert felt the sea creature's gaze below and silently grimaced, as if walking down a dark alley being watched by a lecher.

So, another person's gaze is this obvious?

"So that's how it was. I understand. You've worked hard."

After learning the full story, Herbert thanked her and asked, "So here's the question—why am I naked?"

There's no rule saying you have to be naked to answer a summons, is there?

The Young Lady clearly hadn't anticipated Herbert's slow, deliberate blade—she blinked, stunned:

"Um, uh, my clothes fell in the water, and I was afraid they'd run away…"

"Hm?"

"Ah! No, wait—that's not right. You took off your own clothes, and I was afraid they'd catch cold… also wrong!"

Herbert:???

Miss, do you even hear what you're saying?

After a long scramble, Fu Leimei finally snapped back to her senses and lowered her head in embarrassment.

"…Sorry. It wasn't clothes. I did it."

At this point, any excuse was too weak.

She wasn't good at lying anyway—better to just admit it honestly.

"Mm."

Herbert wasn't angry—he was just curious why she'd done it.

"Fu Leimei, why did you sneakily take off my clothes?"

He just found it strange.

Given their current relationship, if Fu Leimei had simply asked, Herbert would never have refused.

What, no handouts? You'd rather do it yourself?

You want a buffet too?

"Mm…"

Fu Leimei thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "Because… I was curious?"

"Curious? What kind of reason is that?"

Herbert blinked, nearly laughing at that reason—no, he was already laughing, and couldn't stop at all.

"Hahaha! You're just too cute, hahaha—"

Are you a middle schooler bursting with hormones, curious about the opposite sex?

"Stop laughing!"

"Alright, alright, I won't laugh— pfft, hahaha!"

"You—!"

Since things had already come to this, Fu Leimei simply abandoned all shame and declared loudly, blushing: "What are you laughing at? What's so funny? I'm just curious!"

Fu Leimei herself had always been very fond of the romantic plots in stories and legends, hoping she could become the protagonist of one.

But then one day, a question suddenly struck her—how exactly did the protagonists live happily ever after at the end?

More specifically, "how" did they do it—what exactly did they need to do?

Fu Leimei went off to find some materials… and then opened a great door to a new world.

Wow!

First this, then that, and finally that… wow!

From that moment on, she buried her interest in such matters deep within her heart.

Before meeting someone she admired, she had no intention of putting it into practice.

But once she truly chose her hero, that thought, dormant for who knew how many years, began to stir again.

With her feelings warming, and added to the fact that Herbert himself held a strange attraction for her,

those thoughts in her mind quickly spiraled out of control.

Behind her calm expression, she was daydreaming all day long.

Yes, she was craving Herbert's body.

At first she could still hold it in, but later, as their relationship deepened, those thoughts became increasingly impossible to suppress.

Especially after being accidentally interrupted last time—it had practically become her inner demon.

Watching Herbert still chuckling, she couldn't help but shout: "Stop laughing! Don't you want to know what I look like?"

Damn it, why am I the only one losing face like this!

"Of course I want to as well."

"Huh?"

Fu Leimei blinked, looking at Herbert in confusion.

"You too?"

Under Fu Leimei's bewildered gaze, Herbert shrugged and said frankly: "When did I ever say I didn't want to?"

"Although I am a Holy Knight who has taken a vow of purity, I still have desires."

"And my desire… is you."

Herbert walked up to Fu Leimei, caught the mermaid Young Lady who instinctively tried to step back, and placed her hand against his chest.

"Do you hear it? This heart is still beating for you."

He pulled the mermaid Young Lady into his embrace, chuckling softly:

"Now, whatever else you want to figure out, I can cooperate with your requests and teach you."

"And in return, you must satisfy my… questions."

"How about it?"

(End of this chapter)