Chapter 33: Sisterly Affection

Only one sacrifice is needed.

She could be safe for a while, peacefully endure the remaining time in the Blessed Land, and before the next offering to the Ghost Mother, she could leave the Blessed Land and return to a normal life.

In her view, Wen Chao was already dead.

Because any resistance from Wen Chao would cause him to violate the Ghost Mother’s rules.

But her hand never touched Wen Chao.

A hand with long nails covered her mouth; another arm wrapped around her—though slender, it was as firm as an iron clamp.

Yue Mei struggled with all her strength, yet could not budge the arm even slightly; she could not make a single sound.

Until her consciousness faded, Yue Mei never uttered a single cry of pain.

“I’m truly sorry for making you eat corpses all this time. Now there’s something fresh—you may begin feasting. Be careful not to make too much noise or dirty the room.”

Su Huilan had no idea what was about to happen.

Without Yue Mei’s interference.

The name she wrote was Su Huilan!

The Ghost Mother’s palm was nearly touching Su Huijin’s eyelids, but after the name was written, her movement halted. She turned her head toward Su Huilan, hatred in her eyes ready to burst forth.

After their first near-death escape, they gained the favor of the “God of Unearned Wealth” and received the blessing “Borrow and Return,” which allowed them to lend any talismans, artifacts, or abilities they obtained to others.

Could that be the Ghost Mother’s child?

But wasn’t that released by the Gate-Breaking Curse?

Su Huijin realized things could not be resolved peacefully—today, the Lost Child Ghost Mother would surely kill her.

The Ghost Mother ignored the believer and, following the five consecutive slaps from Su Huilan, slowly left Room 401 and walked toward Room 402.

The only person she could use as a substitute was her sister.

“But I really have no other choice. Since childhood, no matter what I do, you always forgive me. This time… you’ll forgive me too, won’t you?”

The Su sisters waited for the Ghost Mother’s arrival.

“You shouldn’t hate me. I truly meant to help you, but my room still holds something important—I can’t let you see it.”

Wen Chao closed his eyes and whispered to Yue Mei: “Little girl, don’t you have many questions?”

But Su Huijin had no other option. Though the Substitute Straw Doll was powerful, its conditions were strict.

They had encountered such scenes many times, so they were far calmer than the previous four. In this game, the most important thing was to follow the rules.

Riiip!

But she didn’t want to die.

With this blessing, before each entry into the Blessed Land, they deliberately used their beauty to find a Daomeidan like He Qiong, tricking him into entering the Blessed Land with them.

The two sisters had experienced four Blessed Lands.

Her sister had used the Substitute Straw Doll on her!

Wen Chao successfully transferred the identity of the Seeker to the Ghost Mother.

Su Huilan’s thoughts stopped.

At any time.

“I’ve never seen your child, much less killed…”

If they no longer wished to lend, they could instantly reclaim the borrowed items.

Su Huilan’s face turned pale with horror: “Wait, I didn’t—it was her…”

Yue Mei’s eyes widened in shock—she understood her fate, her expression filled with utter terror.

She closed her eyes, weeping, mourning her sister’s fate.

With this scheme, they survived until their fourth Blessed Land—and finally, in this one, Su Huijin abandoned her own sister.

To activate it, one must bury the target’s hair inside the doll, stitch the target’s birth date and time on the back, and write the target’s name while the target is within sight.

The Ghost Mother no longer cared for the game’s rules—her pale hands gripped Su Huijin’s arm, her nails sinking deep into her flesh.

The Ghost Mother tore apart her skull with bare hands, stood there with a blood-dripping hand, her hatred finally released. She closed her eyes and returned to game mode.

Su Huijin had cried many times in the Blessed Land.

Su Huijin froze for a moment.

As long as she didn’t cause chaos, she was likely safe.

Just as she was puzzled.

At this point, Su Huijin fell silent.

Room 404.

How many costs had she paid to survive—betraying her conscience, selling her body, lying through her teeth, betraying those who trusted and loved her?

Wen Chao listened to the sound of Yue Mei being torn apart and smiled gently.

A pair of icy hands seized her skull.

“You killed my child.”

How could such a one die in this mere game?

So she reached into her skirt, pulled out a straw doll, quickly wrote a name on it, then immediately closed her eyes and held her breath.

Substitute Straw Doll: Insert hair strand, imprint birth date and time, write name—once conditions are met, the attack target of a malevolent spirit shifts to someone nearby.

After completing this, once the Ghost Mother left, Su Huijin knelt beside her sister’s corpse and silently wiped away her tears.

So she used a destructive talisman, killing two of the small curses; the rest fled in disarray.

The Ghost Mother caressed Su Huilan’s face, blew a breath into her eyes, completed the transfer, and then Su Huilan passed the Seeker’s status to Su Huijin.

But the Lost Child Ghost Mother’s motion did not pause—her two pale hands plunged fully into Su Huilan’s eye sockets. In the instant her consciousness faded, Su Huilan suddenly remembered the artifact Su Huijin had obtained the day He Qiong died.

They appeared delicate on the surface, but in truth, they were seasoned devotees who had survived multiple Blessed Lands.

…

When danger arose in the Blessed Land, push the unlucky one to the front. When he could no longer hold, abandon him to draw the curse’s attention, then slip away yourself.

“You killed my child!”

Gathering courage, Su Huijin approached the Ghost Mother again, blew a breath into her eye sockets, and completed the transfer of the Seeker’s identity.

“Sis… I’m sorry.”

Then Wen Chao’s tone softened.

Su Huijin easily found the Lost Child Ghost Mother nearby. She was about to blow when suddenly, a cold voice came from the opposite side.

“So… I’m sorry.”

Against the nape of her neck, a mouth lined with sharp teeth opened.

What was this? No one ever said this could happen.

“??? ”

Hearing the Lost Child Ghost Mother’s words, Su Huilan realized her sister would likely die here—but she could not save her, and could only grieve for her in silence.

After all, their items would not vanish when the unlucky one died; thanks to the “Borrow and Return” blessing, they could easily retrieve them.

She suddenly remembered: one night the day before, a group of pale little curses had burst into the sisters’ room, trying to claw at them with their tiny ghostly hands.

“You filthy…”

The Ghost Mother’s words dripped with hatred, sending chills down the Su sisters’ spines. The pain in Su Huijin’s arm made her forget the game—she opened her eyes and faced the Ghost Mother directly.

But strangely, she did not hear her sister’s scream.

“You’ve seen my child!”

But this time, it was real.

From today on, she would never again shed a true tear for anyone’s sacrifice. As long as she survived, everything could be sacrificed.

(End of Chapter)