Can I Become Emperor by Being This Lazy? - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

After one incense stick’s time had passed, the physician shook his head. This lady’s pulse is weak, but it doesn’t resemble any illness. Based on what you’ve described, she became like this after blowing breath into Granny Zhang’s mouth. The issue likely lies there.
The crowd suddenly understood, murmuring in amazement. So Madam Xu fell unconscious because she violated some restriction to save a life, forcibly using her immortal power!
Indeed, the heavenly maiden’s manifestation wasn’t false! We all witnessed it together – Granny Zhang had clearly stopped breathing, yet Madam Xu actually brought her back!
Fully convinced yet curious, everyone asked Granny Zhang, who had just returned from death’s door, what she had experienced.

Granny Zhang said, I felt my body become very light, in a very bright place… Someone was leading me toward the light. For some reason, that light suddenly disappeared, and then I heard many voices. When I opened my eyes, I saw all of you.
That was the Road to the Underworld! I’ve heard people say that once you enter, your consciousness completely vanishes, and you’re taken to the netherworld by ghost soldiers.
The heavenly maiden has come to save the world! That means we’re saved – we won’t have to suffer hunger and cold anymore!
Granny Zhang asked strangely, What heavenly maiden?
You don’t know yet? Madam Xu is an immortal reborn, specifically here to relieve suffering and rescue people from distress…
Piece by piece, through everyone’s accounts, Xu Mao’s extraordinary experience was pieced together.

Granny Zhang stared wide-eyed, kneeling on the ground, her lips trembling as tears streamed down her face.

When the authorities had forcibly requisitioned grain, they had swept through like locusts, taking all their seed grain and ransacking their homes of every possession.

Suffering hunger and cold, they had to divide a single bowl of water among several people and take turns sharing one straw mat. Whether they could survive this winter was already uncertain.

She had already given up hope – she had lived long enough and couldn’t bear to burden her family any longer. With one less mouth to feed, the family’s burden would lighten. Who would have thought she would be saved by a heavenly maiden, suddenly giving her hope for the days to come.

Granny Zhang wept and wept, then began laughing hysterically as if possessed.

No one found Granny Zhang’s state strange – when they had first learned the truth, their reactions hadn’t been much better.

Everyone was overjoyed by the heavenly maiden’s appearance in the world. But after the initial happiness, thinking of Xu Mao lying unconscious inside the house, their joy turned to worry as they prayed for her quick recovery.

The news spread from ten to a hundred people, and the story of the heavenly maiden saving someone quickly circulated. Yet Xu Mao remained unconscious – a full night passed without any signs of improvement, worrying everyone sick.

With various rumors about Xu Mao flying everywhere, Xu Heng angrily found Zhang Guishang and demanded, How do so many people know about my elder sister’s identity?
Zhang Guishang burst into anxious tears, quickly waving her hands. It wasn’t me who told! I only told my sisters. I don’t know why either. Sister Heng, I was wrong – I shouldn’t have revealed it to anyone. I’ve betrayed your trust. Is there any way to save Sister Mao now?
Seeing her remorseful appearance, Xu Heng’s anger subsided somewhat. There is a way, but…
Full of guilt, Zhang Guishang hurriedly asked, But what? Does it require money? You can sell me! Our neighbor’s Sister Chun was sold – they got a handful of millet and five copper coins for her. When she left, she even got a big pancake to eat. I don’t need the pancake – it can be kept to exchange for money.
It’s not money. It requires everyone’s sincere hearts – genuine hope for my elder sister to awaken. As long as people care about her, she will eventually return.
Zhang Guishang looked up in surprise. Whether it was her imagination or not, Xu Heng’s complexion seemed to have turned somewhat pale, and her demeanor had become slightly strange.

In the blink of an eye, everything returned to normal.

Perhaps she had been too worried about Sister Mao.

Zhang Guishang didn’t dwell on it further and hurried off to deliver the message.

Heavenly maiden saving the world? Gou Guan snorted coldly. This woman deceives foolish commoners with demonic ways. I wasn’t mistaken about her at all. It’s ridiculous how those idiots defy me for her sake!
Unfortunately, having just released the people, public resentment hadn’t yet dissipated, making it difficult to arrest her again. Otherwise, Xu Mao would have deserved death a hundred times over.

A minor official wiped his sweat and cautiously said, I heard someone had hanged themselves, stopped breathing entirely, yet that woman revived them just by blowing a few breaths. Perhaps she truly possesses divine powers…
Gou Guan’s gaze turned sharp, and the official immediately fell silent.

Whether she’s a mountain demon or a celestial deity, in my territory, she won’t be allowed to run wild. Isn’t she said to have a younger sister? Keep a close watch on her and find an opportunity to bring her in!
After dismissing the official, Gou Guan claimed not to believe the rumors, but inwardly he felt somewhat uncertain.

Returning home, he inexplicably recalled the method rumored to have revived Xu Mao. Restless and anxious, he paced back and forth under the eaves.

What if Xu Mao truly possessed extraordinary arts? If he let her be, wouldn’t he regret it deeply in the future?

Unable to rest easy, Gou Guan gathered Mei Shuyan, his wife, daughters, and all the household servants to burn incense and pray to the gods, beseeching their aid in eradicating the demonic evil. He exhausted everyone around him with the rituals.

After the prayers concluded and the crowd dispersed, Mei Shuyan produced a small doll from his sleeve, covered in needles and inscribed with bloody red characters.

He extended the doll toward Gou Guan, his voice eerie as a ghost’s: Brother-in-law, this is more effective.
The terrifying voodoo doll came into view. Gou Guan’s pupils constricted sharply. He hastily pressed the doll down, staring wide-eyed at the nearly deranged Mei Shuyan, and urgently exclaimed, Have you gone mad? How dare you practice witchcraft! If this gets out, you’ll bring ruin upon our entire clan!
Mei Shuyan smiled, his eyes filled with venom. Why care about that? What matters is that it works. Besides, we’ve avoided others. Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know. How could it possibly get out?
Gou Guan, weak-willed, hesitated upon hearing this.

Seeing his opportunity, Mei Shuyan pressed his advantage aggressively.

He understood Gou Guan well—if pushed to desperation, he would resort to any vile method without hesitation. There was even a chance he might succeed by sheer luck.

After repeated persuasion from Mei Shuyan, Gou Guan changed his mind.

The two secretly cursed Xu Mao, their malice accumulating steadily.

Mei Shuyan’s face twisted grotesquely as he viciously stabbed the doll with needles, as if each thrust inflicted more pain upon Xu Mao.

Die, die, die! Mei Shuyan reveled in ecstasy.

[Enemy faction has used a voodoo doll. Cumulative usage exceeds 10,000 points. Conversion activated. Hatred points +1, Hatred points +1… Total hatred points have reached 50,000. Doubling effect activated. Current hatred points increased by 8834 points (67668/99990). Player, keep up the good work!]

What was that noise?

Xu Mao was utterly baffled. If someone hated her, why not frame her, poison her, or assassinate her? Who had so much free time to curse her with a voodoo doll? She had never encountered this in her previous ten playthroughs!

A sense of foreboding suddenly washed over her.

Trembling, she opened her attributes panel. Her intuition was accurate—her hatred points were skyrocketing rapidly.

A moment later, Xu Mao’s suspended heart finally sank into despair.

【Congratulations, Player. Hatred points have broken through the first tier. Aggro Master medal obtained. Scourge Lives for a Thousand Years attribute activated. Health restored by 35,500 points. Maximum health increased. Currently exiting unconscious state.】

Xu Mao opened her eyes, gritting her teeth.

Sister!
Turning her head, she saw none other than Xu Heng keeping vigil by her bedside. The girl’s face was drained of color, appearing exceptionally haggard.

What’s wrong with you?
Alarmed, Xu Mao immediately focused all her attention on Xu Heng, urgently grasping her hand to check the status panel.

The health bar showed green – the value had dropped slightly but remained within normal fluctuation range. Nothing unusual.

While Xu Mao was examining the health bar, Xu Heng turned her face away. I’m fine. What matters is that you’ve awakened. After all, your eyes and heart are always set on grand ambitions, repeatedly putting yourself in dangerous situations. Compared to you, my exhaustion means nothing.
Though Xu Heng’s tone was light, Xu Mao detected the underlying meaning. Rubbing her nose, Xu Mao said, Having chosen this thorny path, injuries and bloodshed are inevitable. More dangers await us ahead – a single misstep could mean utter destruction… I’ll try my best not to be so reckless in the future, and will always think twice before acting!
She promised herself she would never change plans on the fly again, and would lock all those blood-draining items away in permanent storage.

Compared to that, a clean death by blade seemed much more reliable.

Reassured by this promise, Xu Heng’s anxiety eased slightly before her concerns resurfaced. She asked the crucial question: Sister, why did you faint? Could it be some hidden ailment from your time in prison?
Xu Mao’s mind raced. With the primitive medical conditions here, any fabricated explanation would be impossible for ordinary doctors to verify.

Exactly. I’ve been feeling constantly fatigued lately, completely drained. Probably from the prison’s damp cold seeping into my body, combined with lack of proper rest. Xu Mao unhesitatingly shifted the blame elsewhere.

As Xu Heng lowered her eyelashes, Xu Mao worried she might overthink it and quickly changed the subject: When I returned, I heard multiple people calling me ‘heavenly maiden.’ What’s that about?
If sister intends to pursue great righteousness, merely distributing food might not be enough to succeed. We need to create momentum through proper orchestration. I used the same methods that spread Father’s reputation to circulate stories about you… Xu Heng explained the entire sequence of events. Noticing Xu Mao’s strange expression, her heart tightened, worried her impulsive actions might have disrupted the original plans. She hurriedly asked, Is something inappropriate?
After listening, Xu Mao stared wide-eyed at Xu Heng, studying her for a long time.

So it was you, dear sister!

After a long pause, Xu Mao took a deep breath and forced a smile that looked more painful than crying. Waving her hand, she said, No, you did perfectly. Your sister is proud of you.
Xu Heng’s cheeks flushed slightly, but as if remembering something, her smiling lips straightened again. She declared solemnly, I’ve grown up now. I can protect you. If you want this vast kingdom, no matter what, I’ll strive to help you obtain it. I hope you’ll stop treating me like a child!
Though she should be in middle school age, Xu Heng was seriously planning strategies, eager to prove her maturity. Amused, Xu Mao pinched her cheek. Alright, my little strategist. Seeing how exhausted you look, shouldn’t you lie down and sleep? Rest well so you can devise more plans for me later?
Seeing Xu Mao like this, clearly not taking her words to heart, Xu Heng sighed helplessly. She released the hand that had been mischievously playing with her face and simply said, I want to sleep with elder sister.
Come on up.
Xu Mao shared half the bed with Xu Heng. While keeping an eye on her, she sorted through her chaotic thoughts, adjusted her mindset, and prepared to face reality head-on.

Her coma had delayed things for several days, and the current situation was even worse than she had imagined.

The common people had witnessed her exhale immortal breath to revive the dead, and the tale of the heavenly maiden saving the world was spreading far and wide. If she were to openly gather the masses to start an uprising at this time, she would likely get overwhelming support.

The urgent task was to clarify the rumors and destroy the people’s trust in her.

Xu Mao pondered deeply and decided to distribute food according to the original plan, testing the waters for now.

The next day, the common people received the news and arrived at the designated location.

Before long, the crowd noticed something unusual—the person bustling about everywhere was Xu Mao, while Old Zhang was nowhere to be seen. Logically, given Old Zhang’s temperament, he would never miss such an occasion.

People grew suspicious and privately speculated that perhaps Old Zhang was unwell and had asked Xu Mao to help.

Soon, they became even more bewildered.

As they queued up to receive their grain rations, those who received their portions found the weight slightly heavy in their hands—some got more, others less.

Those who received more stood frozen in place, unable to believe it wasn’t a mistake, and hurried over to Xu Mao’s side to remind her: Heavenly Maiden, my grain portion is too much.
No need to be so formal, just call me Maoniang, Xu Mao smiled slightly. There’s no mistake—yours is exactly this much.
Xu Mao took in everyone’s expressions and heard the hushed discussions, seemingly about the weight discrepancies. She smiled more deeply with satisfaction.

It’s not scarcity but inequality that causes trouble. Those who received more didn’t mind, but those who received less felt unbalanced in their hearts and naturally had complaints. When expectations were dashed, resentment would grow—then who would care what connection she had to the heavenly maiden?

Disrupt their livelihoods, and even a true immortal would have to pay a price.

As expected, a thin man grew indignant. Pointing at someone else’s bulging bag, he demanded: Why did she get so much, while I got so little?