The Otherworldly God I Serve Is Actually a Demon - Chapter 5

The closer she got to the temple ruins, the more fear appeared on the peeping ghost’s face in her phone. The mountain wasn’t high, but by the time she climbed to the spot, panting heavily, the peeping ghost’s face had completely lost its smile. It looked ferocious, its eyes filled with terror.

But for some reason, despite being so scared, it still didn’t choose to leave Ruan Jiao.

If the peeping ghost could speak, it would surely shout that it wasn’t that it didn’t want to leave Ruan Jiao, but because Ruan Jiao kept staring at it, it couldn’t move.

Seeing the peeping ghost’s terrified expression, Ruan Jiao felt a sense of satisfaction.

“Serves you right for scaring me. Hmph, now it’s your turn to be afraid,” she said triumphantly.

The peeping ghost stared blankly at Ruan Jiao, its expression seeming to say, “What are you so proud of? Do you really think you can survive?”

Ruan Jiao thought she must have been scared out of her wits, she actually saw a hint of exasperation on the ghost’s face.

A sharp bird cry suddenly pierced the quiet hillside, startling Ruan Jiao into a shiver. She fumbled around and found the spot where she remembered a small pagoda stood.

The small pagoda looked even more eerie under the night sky, but instead of fearing it as she usually did when she saw it from home, Ruan Jiao leaned against it affectionately.

Her phone battery was down to 3%, and the fear on the peeping ghost’s face in the screen was almost palpable. Especially when Ruan Jiao leaned against the small pagoda with it, the peeping ghost even let out an unpleasant scream.

Ruan Jiao laughed more and more happily. It seemed that this temple ruin must have once enshrined a very powerful deity. No wonder people still occasionally came up to worship.

She bent her knees and knelt directly in front of the small pagoda. Mainly because there was nothing else around, and she didn’t know where the deity statue was placed, so she could only bow to this sole structure.

“I don’t know if you are a Bodhisattva, a Buddha, or an unknown deity,” Ruan Jiao murmured devoutly.

“I am willing to offer you everything I have. Please save me.”

In her heart, she made a wish to be rescued and promised to believe in the deity for the rest of her life.

The mountain was cold and gloomy. Ruan Jiao anxiously watched her phone screen, hoping the peeping ghost would disappear the next second.

But nothing happened. The peeping ghost remained in her phone screen, frozen in its gesture of reaching out to her, filled with extreme fear.

Ruan Jiao grew anxious. Had she done something wrong, so the deity here hadn’t heard her plea?

Although kneeling with her back to the deity while holding her phone was indeed improper, she had no other choice.

Frantically, Ruan Jiao prayed again. As long as someone would come out to save her, she was even willing to stay here for the rest of her life to serve the deity.

Still, no divine miracle appeared.

A pop-up window on her phone screen indicated the battery was below 1%. Desperate, Ruan Jiao frantically tapped the screen, but it still went dark after a spinning circle.

Her vision plunged into darkness.

Ruan Jiao’s nose stung, and she finally couldn’t hold back her sobs. She was just an ordinary girl, facing supernatural events alone. It was truly remarkable that she had held back her tears until now.

She had tried everything she could, but the result was still so hopeless.

Was she going to die without even being able to leave a last word?

Ruan Jiao threw her phone to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. She closed her eyes, unwilling to look at that terrifying dead face.

She felt that the peeping ghost must have already walked up behind her, pressed against her back, just like in the story written by the first person. It was too terrifying; she was really, really scared. She didn’t want to die.

Ruan Jiao sniffled, crying for a long time. Through her tear-blurred vision, she seemed to hear a scream.

When her emotions had calmed down a bit, she realized she wasn’t dead, and there was no ghost clinging to her.

[So fragrant.]

Countless snow-white arms stretched out from the darkness toward the girl, but just as they were about to touch her, they stopped, twisted, and retracted in a strange posture.

They all withdrew into the body of a snow-white figure.

[No, it would scare her. She’s already crying.]

Ruan Jiao rubbed her eyes and saw a white figure standing before her. The figure was transparent, like the ghosts on TV.

She didn’t sense any malice from the other.

The peeping ghost hadn’t appeared. She was saved. Had the ghost before her saved her?

Ruan Jiao slowly raised her head. After clearly seeing the white figure, her breath caught in her throat.

Under the moonlight, a woman dressed in white robes, beautiful as a celestial being, stood before her.

Her attire was that of ancient times, with a white jade belt cinched around her waist, accentuating her slender, delicate figure. Her ink-black waist-length hair cascaded down on either side of her. Her face was cold, yet it exuded a certain divinity. Beneath a pair of dark, emotionless peach blossom eyes was a high, straight nose bridge.

Her entire body was snow-white, so transparent under the moonlight that she seemed as if she might vanish at any moment. Only her delicate lips held a hint of red. She radiated an aloof, ethereal aura, like a deity untouched by worldly affairs.

Ruan Jiao stared, mesmerized.

She had never seen such a beautiful and elegant woman in her life, more stunning than any celebrity on TV.

Could this person be a deity?

Absolutely. Only a deity could possess such celestial grace.

There really were deities, and one had heard her plea and saved her.

Ruan Jiao gazed at her, dumbstruck. Perhaps she looked too foolish, for she actually saw the deity smile.

If the expressionless deity seemed untouched by the mortal world, then her smiling self was like a fairy who had descended to earth, her smile stirring a ticklish feeling in one’s heart.

She wanted to get closer to her.

Ruan Jiao felt she must have been frightened out of her wits tonight to have such irreverent thoughts toward a deity.

She quickly composed herself, knelt devoutly on the ground, and kowtowed in gratitude.

She had heard from the elders that when you make a wish to a deity and it comes true, you must repay the favor.

What would the deity ask of her? A deity likely lacked nothing, so the only thing she could offer was worship.

Thinking this, Ruan Jiao spoke with devout sincerity, “Deity, thank you for saving me. I will prepare the finest offerings and bring them to you once I return. I don’t have much money right now, but in the future, I will rebuild a temple for you and ensure your incense never ceases.”

After saying all this, Ruan Jiao buried her face in the ground, feeling deeply inadequate. Compared to the deity saving her life, what she could offer in return was far too little.

Would the deity think she was useless?

The “deity” stood still for a long time, as if carefully observing her or perhaps adjusting to the title.

A cold breeze swept over Ruan Jiao’s body, and then she found herself standing up uncontrollably.

How magical, is this divine power? Ruan Jiao marveled.

She was forced to rise from the ground and now had to face the deity directly. But the deity was taller than her, so she had to look up.

[So fragrant.]

Distinct, jade-like fingers with clearly defined knuckles caressed Ruan Jiao’s cheek. This intimate gesture instantly made her face flush bright red.

Ruan Jiao’s mind was nearly overwhelmed, the deity was touching her face. The other’s hand was icy cold, yet it ignited the blood throughout her entire body.

Such a gentle deity.

[I really want to devour her.]

The ethereally beautiful woman, like a banished immortal, leaned down, bringing her mesmerizing face close to Ruan Jiao’s. She stopped only when they were a finger’s breadth apart, and Ruan Jiao could even smell the deity’s scent.

It was a very pleasant fragrance, one she couldn’t quite describe, but it made her dizzy and unable to think clearly.

She liked this deity; being near her felt comfortable.

[I really want to devour her, I will devour her. I must have her…]

“Human, serve me, and I shall protect you.”

The “deity” spoke, her voice clear and cool, like a mountain stream flowing. The deity’s voice is so beautiful too, Ruan Jiao thought, her heart racing wildly.

She had already made a promise that if she were saved, she would willingly serve the deity for a lifetime.

Moreover, the first person in the forum post had written that this was an era of supernatural resurgence, meaning ghosts would only become more numerous in the future.

If she gained the deity’s protection, she wouldn’t have to fear encountering supernatural events again. She was more than willing, a hundred, a thousand times over.

Ruan Jiao was too excited to speak, only able to nod eagerly in agreement, almost suggesting the idea of inviting the deity home to worship.

But she didn’t want to overstep, so she held back.

Unexpectedly, the deity seemed to understand her thoughts.

“Take me home.” she said calmly.

Ruan Jiao’s mouth fell open in surprise, unable to believe it.

As if thinking she was unwilling, the “deity” paused slightly, then coaxed like one would a child:

“I will reward you.”

Ruan Jiao certainly wasn’t doing it for the reward, she was more than eager to bring the deity home, but she couldn’t help asking curiously, “What reward will you give me, Divine One?”

“Do you seek wealth, power, or fame?” She tilted her head slightly, looking at Ruan Jiao.

The gesture seemed inexplicably adorable to Ruan Jiao, melting her heart. Bringing a deity home, gaining her protection, and even receiving a reward, all the good fortune in the world seemed to have come her way.

Too excited to follow the deity’s lead and ask for a reward, Ruan Jiao instead said earnestly, “Divine One, I don’t need any extra reward. Having your protection is more than enough for me. What do I need to do to take you home? Can you just follow me?”

The “deity’s” gaze shifted slightly, and she turned toward the small pagoda-like structure nearby.

“My body is buried beneath this pagoda. Dig me out and enshrine me in a room shielded from sunlight.”

Hearing this, Ruan Jiao felt a bit strange. How could a deity be buried under such a small pagoda, and why enshrine her in a place without sunlight?

But she didn’t dwell on her doubts. The elders had said that there were countless manifestations of gods and buddhas in the world, each with their own way of worship.

Perhaps the deity’s statue was buried beneath the pagoda. This temple had collapsed long ago, so it wouldn’t be strange for the statue to be deeply buried underground.

But although the pagoda was small, barely taller than her, it was made of stone. How was she supposed to dig it out?

Ruan Jiao stared at the pagoda, feeling troubled. She stepped forward and tried pushing it, unexpectedly finding that it wobbled slightly.

It seemed years of neglect had left it unstable.

She felt a bit more confident now, but without any tools, she couldn’t start digging today. She would have to come back tomorrow.

“Deity, I came in such a hurry today that I didn’t bring any proper tools. May I come back tomorrow to take you home?”

The transparent white figure stirred slightly and nodded.

“Very well.”

Ruan Jiao thought the deity was a bit too sparing with words. With such a beautiful voice, it would be better if she spoke a little more.

Scolding herself inwardly for such disrespectful thoughts toward a deity, she picked up her phone from the ground, preparing to bid farewell. If her parents returned home and found her missing with her phone unreachable, they would worry.

“Deity, I must go home now. My name is Ruan Jiao. Before I leave, could you tell me your name as well?”

The “deity” looked down at the girl before her, her gaze shifting slightly.

Her name was a taboo. Once known, it would be like a curse, binding them together for eternity.

This human before her actually wanted to form a bond with her.

Initially, the “deity” had only intended to play with her on a whim, but now she found herself contemplating the request.

“…”

Ruan Jiao saw the deity’s lips move. She seemed to hear something, but she couldn’t understand it, nor could she remember it. The syllables were strange.

Had the peeping ghost frightened her ears deaf as well?

“I’m sorry, Deity, I didn’t hear clearly. Could you say it again?” Ruan Jiao said, feeling ashamed.

“Jun Gongyu.”

This time, Ruan Jiao heard it clearly. She engraved the three characters firmly in her heart. Jun Gongyu, such a beautiful name. This was the name of the deity she would serve for the rest of her life.

Seeing that she had understood, Jun Gongyu, worried that she might not know the taboo of forming a bond, added uneasily:

“Do not call my name casually unless necessary.”

Ruan Jiao certainly didn’t have the audacity to shout a deity’s name recklessly. She nodded repeatedly. When she blinked and looked up again, the other had already vanished without a trace.