"Go, go, go—"
He waved his hand, tone absurdly light.
"Everything's fine here. I'll have Mimi take you to a room to rest."
He paused mid-motion, gaze going slightly unfocused, a faint blue glow flickering in his eyes—sending a message through the internal network.
Less than three seconds later, the door banged open. The cat-Yao girl.
Tears still clung to her round, upturned eyes, red and swollen. Her nose was red too—clearly she'd been crying hard. But now those big eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Boss!"
She rushed to Dax's side, voice hoarse and still trembling.
"Is Brother Zhong really okay?!"
Dax wore a rare expression of genuine relief, his tongue loosening as he began to ramble.
"Wynn is blessed with great fortune. Not only is he fine—"
He paused, voice tinged with emotion.
"He's gained a tremendous opportunity. He'll wake up soon… all thanks to her."
He gently pushed Ling forward a step.
"This is Ling. From now on, she's one of us."
Ling scoffed internally: Tch. Just a minute ago he was so eager to draw a line, and now it's all "one of us." Truly a man of many loyalties—whoever has the milk is Mother, and whoever has the meridians is kin.
The girl froze, gaze landing on Ling, expression complicated. Dax didn't give her much time to process.
"Take her to Old Zhang's old room to rest for now."
Then he turned to Ling: "This is Mimi. The fiercest fighter in our temple." He winked meaningfully. "Watch yourself around her."
Mimi: "…Boss!"
Dax laughed heartily, fishing out the hot-water-bottle-shaped charger from earlier, and handed it to Ling.
"This'll hold you over. I'll have Mimi bring your dedicated lotus throne from storage later."
Ling took the charger and nodded. Then she turned to Mimi, extending her hand first. A standard, friendly, harmless smile on her face.
"Hello, Mimi."
Voice soft, manner warm. The very picture of a gentle big sister.
Dax's jaw dropped.
Wait.
This monster… can be polite??
She can actually smile?? And so gently??
Why is it all bared fangs and threats or dismissive sneers with me?? Is it… just me specifically???
He felt inexplicably hurt.
Mimi didn't notice her boss experiencing a minor spiritual crisis. She pressed her lips together, instinctively twitching her nose in Ling's direction from a safe distance.
Smelled… strange. She hesitated, but still extended her own hand.
"Hello, Big...Sister."
The words had barely left her lips when Ling's smile shifted. A mischievous glint flashed in those pretty eyes. She whipped her hand back, then vigorously ruffled the girl's head.
"Let's go, Mimi." She grinned. "Take big sis to her room."
"Hey—!" The girl clutched her head, fuming. Her sleek black hair had been mussed into chaos, like an angry puffball cat. She huffed loudly and turned to leave. But eventually stopped at the doorway, side-eyeing Ling, indicating she should follow.
The moment they stepped out, they nearly collided with a tall figure stumbling down from upstairs. His eyes were still red, still reeking of alcohol.
"Mimi! Is Brother Zhong—"
The girl didn't turn around, still refusing to acknowledge him. The big man stood there awkwardly, looking as pitiful as an abandoned large-breed dog.
Mimi led Ling up to the second floor. The stairway was narrow, barely wide enough for two people to pass.
The second-floor hallway was even narrower. On the right was a balcony converted into a bathroom, door half-open, an old-fashioned showerhead visible inside. Directly facing the stairway were two rooms, both doors closed.
On the left was a single room. The girl pushed open that door.
"Nobody's lived here for a while." Her tone was flat. "It used to be Uncle Zhang's… our accountant."
Ling surveyed the room. Bad orientation. Dim and gloomy, curtains drawn, only a sliver of light leaking through the gap. The air held a faint musty smell, as if the windows hadn't been opened for ages.
But somehow she found it comforting. A bit like… her little tavern.
The furnishings were simple to the point of spartan. A plain wooden bed with no headboard, just a white mattress—not even a pillow. A desk by the window, surface completely bare except for a single fountain pen lying there in solitude. That was everything in the room.
Ling was examining the pen when she suddenly sensed a presence behind her. She turned—
The girl had somehow gone out and returned with a quilt, all without a sound.
"Um… Ling…" The girl stood in the doorway, arms wrapped around the quilt, expression conflicted. "sis…"
That "sis" came out with obvious difficulty. Clearly the girl was at an awkward age. Looking at this impossibly beautiful stranger, she couldn't bring herself to be too familiar—besides, the woman didn't look much older than her. Calling her "big sis" like before felt affected.
She hated being thought of as "cute." But not calling her anything… that wasn't polite either. The girl suddenly felt annoyed with herself.
Why do I even care about this stuff?
She dropped her voice three notches, trying to sound cool:
"I grabbed this from that jackass—the big moron you saw earlier."
"It's kind of smelly. Just make do and get some rest."
Ling of course had no idea what internal drama this pubescent girl was going through. She just smiled.
"Thanks, Mimi. Go have fun. Big sis will play with you later."
The girl instantly bristled.
What do you mean "go have fun"? What do you mean "play with you"? I'm not a kid anymore!
She opened her mouth to argue. But for some reason—
This woman looked friendly enough, smile gentle enough. But there was some kind of invisible pressure about her. And that smile… never quite reached her eyes. The girl shivered.
Forget it. Not staying around her any longer.
"…Hmph!"
She tossed the quilt onto the bed, turned on her heel without another word, and left. The door slammed shut.
Finally, Ling was alone. She didn't bother making the bed—just face-planted straight into the pile of quilts. Face buried in the doughy fabric, she let out a muffled, drawn-out sigh.
"Ahhhh—"
How has it not even been a day in the mortal realm… yet it feels like I haven't rested in eight hundred years…
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
The quilt was indeed smelly. A wave of mixed sweat, body oil, and cheap laundry detergent hit her face. She rolled over and stared at the ceiling.
Humans. Is this really how humans are supposed to live?
After a few minutes of rest, she raised her hand and tapped the "sunglasses".
"Hey. Wake up or I'm going blind."
Ghost-Eye slowly stirred awake. First came a jolt of panic—it had been so terrified when Dax exploded demanding the "evil spirit be handed over" that it had fainted dead away.
Now, waking to find itself still safely tucked in its "shell," it was overwhelmed with emotion.
"Sister Ling!!" Its voice shook with raw emotion. "I knew it! I knew you wouldn't toss me to the wolves! Sis! You're my Boss—my one and only Boss forever!!!"
Ling curled her lip.
"Tch. Don't flatter yourself. It wasn't for you." Her tone carried a hint of drowsiness, and a hint of menace. "That asshole actually tried to take the bread out of my mouth. Does he think he's worthy?"
Little Ear was silent for a second. Then, in a tone of "I already knew":
"…Don't worry… Ling is… very food-aggressive."
"…"
Ling wrinkled her nose, hugging the charger, feeling wisps of warmth slowly seeping along her meridians. She closed her eyes and let her consciousness sink into the spirit platform.
Finally, time to properly assess this celestial body. Judging from the right eye's improvement, as long as she stayed diligent—killed more demons, gathered more materials—the body could be gradually upgraded.
But… these annoying built-in spells and forced commands were genuinely troublesome. Ling's consciousness wandered through the platform, examining those densely packed sigil structures.
Nested, stacked, sometimes mutually incompatible—a complete mess. That this garbage could even maintain basic physiological functions was practically a miracle.
She vaguely recalled a heavy resentment she'd once consumed that took three months to digest:
"As long as the code still runs, never touch it."
Ling wholeheartedly agreed. Her current situation was like trying to demolish and rebuild a house from the foundation—while people were still living inside. One wrong move and the house collapses, taking the residents with it.
Fine.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Take it slow.
Just as she was staring blankly at those chaotic, mismatched variable names—
"Ding—"
A system alert forced its way up, plastering itself across her eyes.
?? After-Sales Dept.VFS
【Routine Spot Security Inspection Notice】
cc: Chief Qian. Heavenly Court Asset Management Bureau
cc: Director Li.Tech Dept. Myriad Immortals Union
cc: Longjiang Tudi · Jiang Dax
cc: …
(Folded 28 lines)
Dear Cultivator:
To continuously improve your user experience, this department will conduct a routine safety inspection on newly registered units.
Please:
① Immediately locate secure shelter
② Cease all activities
③ Assume standard posture for remote scanning
?? Note: During inspection, do not disconnect, use spells, or perform other active operations without authorization. This Sect assumes no responsibility for damage caused by unauthorized operations.
Inspection Approval No.: TT-R5-202512120854
Countdown: 30 seconds
Shit!
Ling nearly bounced off the bed.
The countdown had already forced itself open before her eyes.
"30… 29…"
Another countdown??
Ling's consciousness shot back into the depths of her spirit platform, frantically invoking commands.
Wei Xu is definitely up to something.
No matter what, I can't let him discover I've jailbroken.
"Restart Infinity Shell Array!"
However—
?? Damage detected in Infinity Shell Array's core node
Current status:Enable administrator mode for manual repair? Y/N
Estimated repair time:
"27… 26…"
Ling: "…"
Do I look like I have that kind of time??!
Calm down.
Calm down.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay cool.
"Judging by the notice's tone, it's just a routine checkup."
"A checkup… should be able to bullshit my way through. The key is—can't let them scan and find the Infinity Shell is broken… need a stand-in."
She rapidly scrolled through the system's feature list.
"Is there something similar as a substitute…"
Suddenly, her gaze stopped on a subdirectory. In a corner under the same parent menu as "Infinity Shell Array" sat a cute pink icon:
"Divine Maiden's Prayer · Dream Chamber.exe"
Function Description: Allows devotees to directly commune with the divine. Draws their primordial spirit into the Goddess's sacred Jade Pool spirit sanctuary. Within this realm, all phenomena bend to will. Bestow mysteries, resolve calamities—a glimpse of the Great Dao's merciful grace.
Ling's eyes lit up.
"Perfect. That's the one."
"15… 14…"
"Activate 'Dream Chamber'!"
Immediately, a layer of pink luminescence slowly descended, enveloping the entire spirit platform. Then a skin selection panel popped up:
?? Scene Selection
Based on user habits, current default scene:
?? 【Divine Maiden's River of Love】
Scene Description:
An atmosphere beyond words…
A scenario beyond description…
An immersive experience crafted for devoted believers…
?? New season limited edition
【River of Love: Jade Pool Surging】
now available—come draw cards!
[ Confirm ] [ Change Scene ]
Ling: "…"
"What the actual fuck? You're pulling this crap NOW??"
She nearly coughed up blood from rage.
"10… 9…"
"Rename and create symbolic link! Bait and switch!"
// [Command Confirmed]: Initializing asset masking...
$ mv /apps/dream_chamber.exe /apps/shell_array.exe
// Rename source binary to target filename
$ ln -s /apps/shell_array.exe /sys/arrays/shell_array.exe
// Create symbolic link from internal app to system interface
// Checking link integrity...
Status: Link established successfully ?
// [Logic Effect Verification]:
[EXT_INTERFACE]: /sys/arrays/shell_array.exe
└─ "Infinity Shell Array" (Alias)
[REAL_EXECUTION]: /apps/shell_array.exe
└─ "Dream Chamber" (Source)
"5… 4…"
Just in case—
"Change the skin to 【Sacred Golden Mountain】! Max out the filter!"
The pink luminescence instantly transformed into radiant golden Buddha-light. Lotus flowers, auspicious clouds, rainbow-colored heavenly glow—the full combo slapped on. Tacky enough to dazzle. But at least… it looked close enough to the Infinity Shell.
"3… 2… 1…"
"0."
?? Beginning Inspection
Conducting spirit platform shield check…
Reading "Infinity Shell Array" status…
Detection result: Operating normally ?
Ling exhaled with relief.
"Close call. This bastard really did come charging straight for this. Good thing I reacted fast."
But before she could celebrate, the next command was already bearing down—
"Beginning spiritual pressure test…100 psi…200 psi…500 psi…"
The Dream Chamber's golden light screen began flickering violently.
Not good.
This thing was just a flimsy gimmick for fooling devotees—how could it withstand this kind of pressure test? If this kept up, her cover would be blown any second. But—
For Ling, this was actually the simplest problem.
"It's just pressure resistance? I've been feeling too floaty since I got here anyway; my soul is starting to ache."
She immediately pressed her entire spiritual form upward, bracing that tottering golden barrier from the inside. Like a bear scratching its back against a tree trunk.
Ahh… a little to the left…
Harder on the right…
Yes yes yes yes, right there…
Haaah…
Nice.
"1000 psi…2000 psi…3000 psi…5000 psi…"
"Spiritual pressure test complete, Shield health index: 100%."
Ling exhaled with satisfaction, almost disappointed it ended so quickly.
Next came various body function tests. Having passed the spirit platform shield check, the rest was child's play.
Exactly matching this body's specs—besides the seemingly rigorous core, everything else was just going through the motions. They didn't even detect the ghost-meridian she'd swapped in. After all, this was just a baseline inspection. Tap here, look there, check if anything had holes. As for sudden upgrades? Their bargain-bin checkup couldn't possibly catch that.
Flip a switch, bulb lights up, pass. Who cares what the wiring looks like inside.
Finally, the endless formalities concluded. Ling was ready to call it a night.
Then she saw the final report—
?? Inspection Result: 【FAILED】
Thank you for your cooperation.
Please await subsequent resolution.
Ling: "???"
Failed??
FAILED???
What the hell went wrong???
Just then, hurried footsteps thundered up from downstairs.
Knock knock— Rapid knocking at Ling's door, two perfunctory taps before it was shoved open with a bang.
It was Dax. Wheezing and panting, forehead drenched in sweat, face gone pale.
"Ling! Did they catch you swapping the celestial meridian?!"
"It's over it's over it's over…"
He began pacing frantically in the cramped room.
"I knew I shouldn't have been greedy… now we're done for… this is going to be big trouble…"
Ling shot him a look.
"You seemed pretty happy when you took it earlier."
"So you knew this was breaking celestial law, huh."
Dax guiltily looked away.
"I… it wasn't for personal gain…"
"That meridian… wasn't it going to be used for employees, for serving the public…?"
Ling couldn't be bothered to argue.
"Relax. I don't know what's going on either, but it's definitely not because of the meridian. Those inspections are just for show—they can't detect that."
"Then… then what is it?" Dax still wasn't reassured.
"Guess we wait and see—" Ling shrugged. Before she could finish.
"Ding—"
A new notification popped up on both of their irises simultaneously.
[??A Message from the Temple’s Resident… Cat?]
screamed—that I come over here and clarify things, just in case anyone tries to falsely report his temple for harboring evil spirits.
Yao (妖): Beings or animals that have gained spiritual intelligence and powers through cultivation. We’re not from some hellish realm; we’re just practitioners with paws (or tails, or roots).
— Mimi ??