Chapter Seventy-Four: The Aura of Decay

Chao Xu was not a good person.

However, she believed in the cycle of cause and effect.

Since she had inherited Chao Si’s body and accepted her “cause,” she would do her utmost to provide a perfect “effect” for those around her.

Her willingness to help Chi Naiyun stemmed mainly from the fact that the girl seemed to have been close to the original host.

But today, she noticed something unusual.

She could actually see a dusky, withered aura emanating directly from Chi Naiyun.

That strange and dispirited energy was gnawing away at the vibrant purple aura that once surrounded her, causing even the purple to wither and fade.

Something was wrong—very wrong.

Chao Xu bit her lower lip, a small habit she had whenever she grew anxious.

She didn’t know how to begin; after struggling for a while, she finally managed to squeeze out a dry question: “What’s wrong with you?”

Chi Naiyun shook her head, saying nothing, but her expression was clearly troubled.

Chao Xu: …

How infuriating—why couldn’t foolish humans just say what they meant?

With a tone of certainty, she stated, “You’re upset.”

Auras do not lie.

Chi Naiyun started, gazing at the somewhat disgruntled youth before her, uncertain what mistake she might have made. Instinctively, she tried to apologize.

“Chao, I’m sor—”

Before she could finish, Chao Xu’s frown deepened, startling Chi Naiyun into silence. She had no idea what she’d done wrong.

After a long moment, the person opposite her finally spoke, slowly.

“Stop apologizing all the time. Don’t shoulder responsibility before you even understand the situation. It does no good. It only makes your apologies cheap and worthless.”

Chi Naiyun was taken aback. For the first time, she raised her head fully, meeting the other’s gaze.

Never trouble others, never be the one to cause problems; if things could be smoothed over, it was fine to swallow her pride and suffer in silence.

These had always been her guiding principles in life.

Principles that had slowly eroded her sense of self until it was worth nothing at all.

Yet today, someone told her she didn’t have to be so careful, didn’t have to wrong herself for the sake of others.

A strange, bitter emotion welled up in her heart. Chi Naiyun bit her lip, and then, all at once, great tears began to fall, streaming relentlessly down her face. Her body trembled uncontrollably, as if she were finally releasing years of pent-up feelings.

[Host, what did you do to that innocent girl while I was away? How did she end up in tears the moment I woke up?]

The little furball, having just awoken from a nap, looked on helplessly at the scene before it.

Chao Xu was equally bewildered. Nudged by the furball, she hesitantly reached out to wipe Chi Naiyun’s tears.

But just as she was about to touch the girl, her eyes caught something different.

That layer of gray aura floating around Chi Naiyun began to waver and loosen.

Her hand itched with curiosity.

Should she touch it?

Just a touch—surely it would be fine?

But wasn’t it inappropriate to touch someone else’s things without asking?

…

One.

Two.

Three.

After three seconds, Chao Xu’s hand found the gray aura with unerring precision.

The instant her porcelain-white fingers brushed against the grayness, all the dusky energy on Chi Naiyun’s body surged and gathered at her fingertip, then condensed into a small, round, dull sphere that quietly landed in her palm!

Had anyone else seen this, they would have thought it a special effect from a film!

But at this moment, aside from Chao Xu holding the small sphere, it seemed no one else had witnessed anything at all.