A few days had passed in Yelan City.
At dawn, Ye Mengdie stirred awake. Her complexion was deathly pale, her lips cracked and bloodless, and her body frail with weakness.
A servant soon entered the room. Unlike the others, who wore yellow, this one was dressed in striking red. She was a young woman of twenty—the same age as Mengdie—with vivid red hair and sharp yellow eyes that made her beauty stand out.
Her name was Chen Xi. Her father had once been fiercely loyal to Ye Haolong, Mengdie's father. Because of this, he had assigned his daughter to be Mengdie's guard.
She was a servant fiercely loyal to Ye Mengdie. In fact, in her previous life, they could almost be called best friends—or even blood-related sisters.
Although their relationship had not yet reached that level in this timeline, Chen Xi was the only one who had successfully escaped with Ye Mengdie in their past life, remaining loyal to her until death.
Chen Xi kneeled down as soon as she saw Ye Mengdie, her red hair fluttering as she bowed.
"Young Miss, I have prepared the materials you asked for," she said.
"And I must remind Young Miss to eat well and take some medicine, as this is the last day of penitence duty."
Throughout the conversation, she did not lift her eyes to see Ye Mengdie's face. Although their relationship had not yet developed into friendship, her loyalty ran deep—so much so that she could not bear to look at Mengdie's weak and pale appearance.
Ye Mengdie's father had been labeled a traitor and killed through the schemes of the current clan head. Naturally, the children of a traitor were also supposed to be executed.
However, she was spared because of her brother's marriage proposal. Even so, mercy came with chains. Every month, for seven days without fail, she was forced to farm Vital Roses—rank two Mingji materials—alongside common mortal slaves.
These "common mortals" were those who had failed to awaken their Ring Aperture.
She nodded and ate some food and medicine given to her by Chen Xi.
Soon, there was a knock on the door. Hearing this, Chen Xi's expression filled with agitation and anger, and above all, a hint of helplessness.
Mengdie ordered, "Open the door."
Chen Xi controlled her emotions as she opened it. Two guards in light blue Mingji wielder uniforms stood outside, they had come to escort Mengdie to the Vital Rose Garden.
The Vital Rose Garden was not too far from the Eastern Palace where she was staying—it was just around three kilometers away. But this short distance felt like she had already walked hundreds of miles. Her body was extremely weak, and her mind was dizzy. She could barely walk and nearly fell to the ground several times.
As she arrived at the Vital Rose Garden, a vast field of white and red roses stretched before her.
Near the farm, many common mortal slaves were gathered, and three figures stood to the side. Among them was a little girl, around sixteen years old. Her hair was messy, and her delicate cute face was as pale as white.
As soon as she saw Mengdie approaching, she began to cry, though her voice was too weak to wail loudly.
"Elder sister, it hurts. My whole body has gone numb from the pain."
Seeing her dear younger sister cry in pain broke Mengdie's heart. Although she herself was in bad shape, but she quickly ran toward her sister, hugged her, and began comforting her. After a while, the girl became silent, feeling Ye Mengdie's gentle pat on her head and warm embrace.
Soon, a guard spoke, "It is time for the duty, traitor's children."
Ye Mengdie was furious but couldn't speak. As soon as the guard spoke, her sister Ye Ye began crying, "Sister, it hurts… I am afraid to go."
Ye Mengdie patted her sister's head and said, "Do not be afraid. Being fearful can't solve anything. Remember the tales Father used to tell."
Ye Ye started recalling the story of the Tales of God. Her father had been a very caring man toward his daughters. Even though he had the responsibilities of the clan, he would personally come and tell his daughters bedtime stories. This was one of them.
Tale of God and Devil — God's Chapter One
The first God, Hao Tian, though the first among humans to ascend by obtaining a fragment of the Great Miracle at birth, faced misfortune.
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw the Fear Mingji. This Mingji, like him, had been born from the Miracle of Life.
As soon as Hao Tian laid eyes on it, the Fear Mingji cursed him.
The era of gods and devils was harsh and cruel. Humans did not dominate the world as they do now; fierce beasts roamed freely, ruling the land.
Humans were forced to live in caves, surviving in hiding. The god was not alone—he and other humans had formed a group.
At this time, the god did not yet understand his powers, and he was cursed by fear. He was afraid of everything: pain, clouds, darkness, beasts, small ants, and even humans.
The group of humans treated him like a slave, exploiting his fear and forcing him to work.
One day, as the group rested in a cave under the full moon, they began hearing ghostly cries.
The humans soon realized it was the Fearful Pale Ghost, a type of fierce beast, approaching. Panic spread through the group, and they immediately began to run.
Hao Tian, however, was paralyzed with fear, standing dazed and unable to move.
Suddenly, he heard a voice:
"Oh, human."
At once, his fear eased slightly, and he began to run. The voice spoke again:
"Oh, human. You were cursed by the Fear Mingji. I have lifted the curse. You are less fearful now—and you can run."
"But what's the use of me lifting the curse if you just run to your death? You think you can outrun the Fearful Pale Ghost? How foolish."
The god asked, "What should I do then?"
The mysterious voice replied, "My name is Courage Mingji. Only those who face their fears can claim me. If you wish to survive, you must earn my acknowledgment."
"Stand right there and face this Pale Fearful Ghosts, and I'll help you."
Hearing this, the god felt hopeless. He had just been freed from the curse, and now the Courage Mingji was telling him to stand there and face the Fearful Pale Ghost. What kind of joke was this? How could he confront it?
The lingering fear from the curse gripped him tightly. His heart raced, and his mind teetered on the edge of panic. He looked back and saw the ghost only a hundred steps away; his fear intensified.
But soon, realizing he could not escape, he stopped running. Summoning every ounce of courage, he charged toward the ghost and struck it in the face. Suddenly, a light of courage erupted from his fist in a grand, radiant display. The Fearful Pale Ghosts all vanished.
Morning came, and seeing his triumph, the group of humans declared him God—and he became their leader.
Ye Ye only took a moment to recall the Tale of God. Soon, her face showed a glimpse of courage instead of fear.
Seeing her sister calm down, Mengdie smiled and began walking toward the Vital Rose field.
She approached a cluster of white roses, densely packed. The thorns scratched her, drawing blood. As soon as the thorns sensed her blood, they became more aggressive, piercing her further. She groaned in pain.
Why was it called the Vital Rose? Why were mortal slaves forced to cultivate it? Why was tending to these roses considered a punishment? And why were both sisters so weak and pale?
The answer lay in the very nature of the plant: Vital Roses needed blood to reach their full potency.
Soon, Ye Ye and the other mortal laborers stepped into the sprawling fields, ready—or as ready as they could be—to begin the arduous task.
Although her sister courageously stepped into the fields, soon she became so weak that she could barely even groan from the pain. She was on the verge of fainting.
She saw thunder flashing. Blood spattered on her pale white face and nearby roses.
Ye Mengdie had pierced a hole in the chest of a laborer near Ye Ye.
Soon, the thorns of the roses calmed as the blood from the laborer fed them.
Ye Ye stared at her sister in horror, watching her crush the laborer's heart in her hands. Ye Mengdie's face was icy cold. Yeye didn't expect her sister to kill an innocent slave—someone who was just like them, suffering under the same cruel fate.
These slaves were mortals, mostly from other cities and towns, who were physically incapable of performing hard labor. Their fate was to die working in the Vital Rose Garden, nurturing the roses. In this Mingji world, common mortals were treated like ants—stepped on, ignored, and pitied by none.
But Ye Mengdie had always been kind-hearted since she was young. Ye Ye didn't expect her sister to be so cruel. A chill ran through her heart as she stared at Mengdie blankly, but she soon realized it was necessary.
The guards were just as shocked; they hadn't expected this naive girl to act so coldly and kill a laborer. The laborers themselves wore expressions of fear and disbelief. Having tended the roses together for the past six days, they never imagined she could be so ruthless. Even Chen Xi stared at her in stunned silence.
Ye Mengdie coldly glanced at the guards, and killing intent surged in her heart as she began eliminating people to feed the roses. She cared little for the lives of these innocents. Her priority was protecting her sister.
In her previous life, this very field had caused her sister's death—how could she allow it to happen again?
Ye Mengdie was like a wolf-king, determined to protect her pack. She would kill an entire forest if necessary to safeguard them. She would rather see these people die than see her sister harmed.
In fact, she had been determined from the very first day, but to avoid suspicion, she acted on the last day, when they could no longer hold on.
How could a girl who had grown under the shade of her father—someone who had never experienced killing anyone—act on the first day? It would only arouse suspicion.
Many fell to the ground by her hands, struck by thunder, as the roses were dyed red with blood.
Ironically, the scene held a grim beauty. Amidst the lush roses, stained red with blood, Ye Mengdie resembled a goddess of death—her cold form illuminated by the cruelly serene splendor of the garden.