The Defeated Saintess Is On A Journey To Tame The Evil God Book 01 Chapter 08.05.1 - Late September's Whispers

Alice spent quite some time explaining before Xing Mo finally understood that what she meant by “the thing Aurora likes to do” was actually “the brainwashing and indoctrination Evil Gods used on their followers.”

After all, on those ancient stone tablets, Evil Gods were always depicted as instigators—slowly leading believers into the abyss.

Alice couldn’t help but worry that Xing Mo might have unwittingly received a similar imprint, influencing her actions in ways she didn’t realize.

When Alice finished, Aurora shot her a disdainful look, "Senior, if I really wanted to do that kind of imprinting, wouldn’t the first person I use it on be you? Would you even be standing here asking about it right now?"

Alice froze, realizing she had a point.

I can’t believe I let Mo-mo find out I was stressing over this behind her back… A faint blush colored her cheeks.

But it’s not my fault! Who would’ve thought the day would come when Mo-mo would be sleeping curled up with another girl… It’s like my daughter’s all grown up…

Lost in her thoughts, Alice let out a deep sigh. Too much had happened in just a month.

"Cough cough..." At the center of this awkward little drama, Xing Mo cleared her throat, "Senior, did you bring the cooks and ingredients?"

Alice snapped back to herself, "Yes—they should already be setting up the pots. Since we’re making a lot, it won’t be anything fancy, but it’ll definitely be better than what they usually eat."

As she spoke, her gaze flitted between Aurora and Xing Mo, "So, shall we go eat?"

"Sure, I could use a break." Xing Mo agreed without hesitation.

At that moment, Aurora quietly tugged at the corner of Xing Mo’s skirt and whispered, “Are you really not going to cook? I want to eat your food…”

Xing Mo looked down and met Aurora’s pleading gaze.

Hey! What’s with the puppy eyes?!

But in the next instant, she understood Aurora’s true motive—this wasn’t about food. Aurora wanted to show “ownership” in front of Alice.

Suppressing a sigh, Xing Mo glanced at Alice, then shook her head with a helpless smile, "Well, what can I do? If Young Ancestor wants to eat, I guess I’ll have to cook after all."

"..." Alice didn’t say a word, just stared at Xing Mo with a frown.

Senior… don’t look at me like that… If you’d been pinned down and drained by an Evil God for half a month straight, you’d be following her whims too…

"Alright, then I’ll be your assistant." Alice sighed, shaking her head in resignation.

She noticed Aurora standing smugly at Xing Mo’s side, a triumphant little smile playing on her lips, and felt a sense of helplessness settle in her chest.

Not long after, the group arrived outside the shack, setting up a pot beneath the awning by the dock.

From the abandoned dock, the heavy rain blurred the world into a watercolor haze, the waves of the Middle Sea almost lost behind the curtain of falling water.

Now and then, a silver bolt of lightning split the curtain of falling water, its jagged branches illuminating the gray sky in brief flashes.

In weather like this, setting up a steaming pot and eating while listening to the rain—it was hard to imagine anything better.

With that thought, Xing Mo washed and blanched a few ribs, sprinkled them with spices, and lowered them into the pot.

She planned to start with a pot of rib soup as the base, then stew some vegetables—perfect for a big group to share.

Meanwhile, Alice and Aurora pulled over a couple of small stools to sit nearby. Not far off, Aria stood guard, vigilant and steady. Beside her was another girl—likely Bianca, the one they’d rescued from the whale oil factory.

Those two are quite close… how lovely. Xing Mo glanced over and smiled softly at the sight.

Further out, more cooking fires had been set up in the abandoned buildings of the dock. In no time, dozens of thin smoke trails rose into the rainy sky, weaving into the mist and filling the damp air with the faint, comforting scent of woodsmoke.

"Phew… I love this atmosphere." Aurora murmured, narrowing her eyes contentedly as she began to hum a quiet tune.

Then, as if sensing something, she suddenly stood and gazed out to sea.

"Little critter?" Aurora tilted her head.

Without warning, she let out a long, birdlike call—light and ethereal as mist, drifting through the rain curtain toward the open water.

"…?" Xing Mo blinked, watching Aurora wave toward the sea: "What are you doing?"

"The little critter just said hello." Aurora replied, pointing out toward the water, "So I said hello back."

"Little critter? What little critter?" Xing Mo frowned, wondering it the Young Ancestor finally losing it.

Aurora shot her a mischievous wink: "It’s that little whale—its name is Ghost now. It’s a little critter with a name!"

Whale? Oh… she means the one from the whale oil factory…

Xing Mo’s eyes widened: "You’re still in touch with it? I thought you set it free!"

"It couldn’t be helped." Aurora sighed, shrugging with feigned helplessness: "After I used the Tree of Life’s power to heal it, it wanted to become my follower. And it was so cute, how could I say no?"

Good grief… the cult’s expanding. Even magical creatures are signing up now… Xing Mo pursed her lips, at a loss for words.

"Anyway, let’s not talk about that." Aurora grinned, turning to Xing Mo with a playful glint in her eye, "Let’s talk about you. As my very first follower, it’s about time you got a big reward!"

"What kind of reward?" Xing Mo instantly grew wary, "Explain yourself clearly."

Alice’s gaze flicked their way, a hint of unease in her expression.

Aurora simply smiled, spun playfully around, then declared, "Ta-da! I’ve decided to help you advance to six string! Surprise!"

The words made Xing Mo’s heart skip a beat. She forced herself to suppress the flicker of emotion that almost showed on her face.

I was just worrying about not being able to break through to six string, and now she suddenly brings this up?

Could this be what the proprietress meant when she said ‘things will soon fall into place’?

"Why?" Xing Mo asked, keeping her voice calm.

"Well, turns out entering Merlin’s Superstring Magic Formation requires two six string Wizards." Aurora explained, gently poking Xing Mo’s waist, "And if I follow the proper procedure, I can slip through without being noticed. Which means… you need to get stronger."

"What’s the point?" Xing Mo grumbled, "Even if I advance, it’s not like I’ll be able to beat you."

Aurora responded with a teasing smile: "Then just enjoy the perks~ Isn’t that fine~?"

Alice suddenly cut in: "But Headmaster Merlin isn’t in the Citadel. Only he knows the Saint advancement ritual."

"Nope—there’s another person." Aurora spun happily, clearly enjoying herself.

But before she could speak again, a spark of realization lit up in Xing Mo’s mind. Aimer… the library spirit!

According to academy legend, Aimer possessed Demigod-level power.

As the spirit of the library, she naturally knew all the knowledge recorded within it—even the contents of some forbidden books.

There was no way she wouldn’t know the ritual magic.

"You’ve already finished reading her?" Xing Mo suddenly remembered Aimer’s rolled-back eyes.

"Not quite." Aurora replied with a smile, "But she’s being a good girl. She’ll definitely do whatever I need her to."

The tone in her voice was light—like she was talking about a puppy she’d just trained.

Xing Mo shivered. The image of the always dignified, reserved Aimer came to mind…

How terrifying… Is this what an Evil God is really like…?