After Transmigrating into a Book as a Cannon Fodder Character, The System Turned out to be Completely Unreliable! - Chapter 62

Chapter 62: Torture

By the time the others found out about what had happened, no one knew where Ji Fuyu had taken her. No matter how hard they searched, they couldn’t find her.

“Ugh—it hurts so much!” At this moment, Ye Lingxi only felt unbearable pain throughout her body. When she barely opened her eyes with some awareness, she saw Ji Fuyu—back in her original appearance—on top of her.

“What’s going on? Why is she on top of me?” As soon as she moved, her body felt even more wrong.

“Get off me! Don’t touch me!” Ye Lingxi tried to push her away, but Ji Fuyu pressed her down firmly. Her hands were gripped so tightly they hurt—she couldn’t move at all.

Panting heavily, Ji Fuyu grabbed her hair. The hairpin that held it up had already been ripped off and lay on the ground. Her voice was cold and hard: “Behave yourself. Otherwise, the one who suffers will be you.”

“What?” Ye Lingxi didn’t understand what she meant. A violent collision slammed her into unconsciousness. Her awareness faded.

Ding—

[System re-binding in progress… Binding… Congratulations, binding successful]

When she regained consciousness again, her body throbbed with sharp pain. She felt light-headed, and every slight movement felt like countless needles stabbing her.

Her clothes were in tatters. She quickly pulled them over herself and tried to straighten them up.

The system spirit cat was the first to appear beside her: “Host!”

“You?” Ye Lingxi jolted in fear, clutching her head in disbelief. “You… you’re back?” She leaned in, trying to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

Her “you’re back” didn’t even sound particularly happy.

The system cat sobbed: “Sorry, host. I came back too late. There was a kind of power surrounding you that blocked me from returning. I couldn’t do anything. But now I’m finally back at your side. Why are you here? What happened?”

Ye Lingxi was confused too. “You’re asking me? I have no idea. I don’t even know why my clothes are like this—why I feel so uncomfortable and in pain…”

She tried to get up, but her waist and back ached. The sensation was too familiar.

Clutching her waist with a pained expression: “Did I get… done again?”

No way? Why does this always happen to me? My waist…

“Host, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” Ye Lingxi felt deeply ashamed. Why did the system have to come back right when she had just been… that.

So embarrassing.

“Anyway, forget that—how did your investigation go?”

The spirit cat replied: “I’ve already figured it out. You triggered a hidden storyline. That’s why the plot and characters here have all diverged from the original.”

Ye Lingxi didn’t seem too surprised.

“Host?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I already suspected as much. You came back way too late.” She staggered to her feet, intending to use her spiritual power to leave. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t summon it. She tried again—same result.

The spirit cat looked sad: “I’m sorry… host.”

“What’s going on? Where’s my spiritual power?” Ye Lingxi stared at her hands.

The spirit cat flew up in front of her excitedly: “Host, that’s what I was trying to tell you just now. Your spiritual power has been sealed.”

“My spiritual power’s been sealed? What do you mean?”

The spirit cat hesitated: “Actually, when I came back, I saw the two of you… and after she left, she sealed your spiritual power.” It seemed embarrassed to say this.

Ye Lingxi: “…”

Damn it. So it really was her last night. If that’s the case, then she’s the one who sealed my powers.

It was only now that she noticed her surroundings resembled a prison. When she touched the walls, they were fine—but the space ahead, where there weren’t any walls, was blocked by what felt like a barrier. A light touch delivered an electric shock.

“What the hell?”

The spirit cat said: “Host, I’ve figured out the real reason I couldn’t return until now.”

“What reason?”

“Your spiritual power doesn’t belong to you.”

Ye Lingxi: “…”

Crossing her arms: “Not bad. Looks like the system’s gotten smart. It’s true—I am the reincarnation of the deity Mingyue.”

The spirit cat replied: “Yes, but there’s one thing wrong—she’s parasitically residing in your body.”

“Parasitic?” Ye Lingxi vaguely recalled hearing something like that before—maybe from Fu Guang.

“What’s the difference between that and reincarnation?” Ye Lingxi started to worry.

“They’re completely different. Reincarnation means you are her. Parasitic possession means only one of you can survive.”

Ye Lingxi froze: “Then doesn’t that mean I could die?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that’s fine. When we reach the final chapter, I’ll probably return anyway.”

The spirit cat said: “Host, this time you don’t know. Because of the changes you caused to the storyline, we’re punishing you.”

“What punishment?” A chill ran through Ye Lingxi’s heart.

“You’ve lost your chance to restart.”

Thunderstruck: “So if I die, I can’t go back?”

“Yes.”

“What about the Baicao Elixir?”

“You can still use it.”

Ye Lingxi let out a sigh of relief: “Okay, that’s good. As long as I can still use it.”

Wait. I only have two petals left. Will that even be enough to make it to the end?

As she was lost in thought, a shadow appeared behind her.

“Ye Lingxi!”

She heard someone calling her name. As she turned slowly, Ji Fuyu was already grabbing her throat and slamming her against the wall, lifting her off the ground.

She struggled, gasping for air. She clawed at Ji Fuyu’s arms, even kicking frantically.

Ji Fuyu had returned to her original form. Her demonic aura was stronger than ever, and her eyes were icy cold.

She sneered: “Or should I call you Mingyue?!”

Ye Lingxi was stunned. The system tried to rush to her aid, but Ji Fuyu didn’t even see it as a threat. She grabbed it with her other hand and began to squeeze.

The system distorted under the pressure of her magic.

Ye Lingxi gasped out, “Let it go!”

Ji Fuyu smirked. Her mocking laughter echoed through the barrier. Her expression turned even more indifferent: “Why should I listen to you?!”

With a flick, she flung Ye Lingxi across the space. Her bones felt like they were shattering.

Ji Fuyu still clutched the system tightly, warping its shape.

Ye Lingxi crawled over, trying to pry open her fingers: “Let it go!”

“Let it go?” Ji Fuyu’s terrifying voice rose. She used her magic to suspend Ye Lingxi in midair, making her face her directly: “Fine. I’ll trade it—for you.”

“What?” Ye Lingxi, stunned, was locked in her magic. Ji Fuyu sealed the system into a sphere that it couldn’t escape.

Ye Lingxi panicked. “What are you going to do?”

“What am I going to do?” Ji Fuyu threw her to the ground, forced her to kneel, and tilted her chin up: “Obviously, I’m going to torment you properly.” Her tone turned vicious, and she choked her again.

This time was different—Ye Lingxi was kneeling. She tried to wrench Ji Fuyu’s hand away to ease the pain: “Are you trying to kill me?” She barely got the words out before they were cut off.

“Kill you? Why would I kill you? I care too much.” Her words were sweet, but her grip only tightened.

Ye Lingxi’s neck throbbed. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her face flushed red. Her lips turned pale. Her eyes rolled back.

Ji Fuyu grew more excited the closer she came to passing out—then released her, only to repeat it all again.

Finally, Ye Lingxi couldn’t take it anymore and shouted: “Why are you doing this to me?!”

Ji Fuyu saw that she was angry: “So you can get angry but still won’t come out, Mingyue. Should I try a different way to torment you?”

No! The repeated suffocation had made her head feel like it would explode. Her temples throbbed. “I’m not her!”

You mistook me once—fine. But I haven’t even turned into Mingyue yet, and you already want me dead?

“No! You are her!” Ji Fuyu was adamant. She gently stroked her face, which had turned a horrible color. “I’ll never forget those eyes of yours. I’ll never forget how you deceived me.”

Ye Lingxi slapped her hand away. “Get lost!”

Ji Fuyu’s fury boiled over again. “You want me to leave? I won’t. I’ll make sure you’re always underneath me.” She reached for her clothes.

Ye Lingxi realized what she meant to do. She fought desperately, clutching her torn garments: “I already told you—I’m not her!” She closed her eyes and struggled against her.

Right now, she had no spiritual power. She was a useless wreck. What could she do to resist? All she could do was struggle helplessly.

Rip— her clothes gave way. Ye Lingxi was completely defenseless.

She looked like someone whose soul had been taken, broken beyond hope.

The sealed system kept crying: “Host! Host!”

Ye Lingxi heard it calling her name. Tears welled up in her eyes and trickled into her ears. Her entire body was numb. The physical pain was nothing compared to the spiritual torment.

She turned her head toward the system and smiled—the kind of smile that signaled utter despair. She wanted to say something, but all she could produce was a helpless moan.

“Host…” the spirit cat sobbed.

Do you regret it now?

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She had no idea how long the torture lasted. When Ji Fuyu finally left, she said, “If you really don’t want to die—if you want the torment to stop—then you’d better show yourself soon.”

With that, she walked away.

But Ye Lingxi could do nothing to force the other soul inside her to emerge.