Versatile Mage

Chapter 3165 Night Prayer

….
When Mo Fan flew out of the Divine Wood Well, the sun was shining brightly above him.

The desert reappeared, and the strange oasis was gone.

Mo Fan landed on the soft sand. He had exchanged the Sacred Spring for a unique spore. He felt both happy and sad about this.

“Whatever. There’s no point in overthinking. The world is huge. I can’t make sense of everything. I might as well pass through the Mediterranean Sea and spend time with Xinxia. She must really miss me.”

Mo Fan was not the type to obsess over answers. The amount of thinking he had done in the Divine Wood Well did not matter. Once he left, nothing compared to Ye Xinxia’s soft lips. He fantasized about her feeding him the local sun-dried wine that was cool, silky, sweet, and fragrant.

Excitement quickly replaced all his confusion.

Monsters, demons, the unknown, and fear were nothing compared to resting in her loving arms.

…

After Mo Fan crossed the Mediterranean Sea, he arrived at the golden coast.

Golden palaces were reflected on the calm sea, and flickering candlelight shone like stars. They illuminated the palaces and the bright moon, while the moonlight added a silvery glow to the temples. It made them look dignified and solemn, like a holy woman standing by the sea.

Mo Fan slipped into one of the palaces. He always enjoyed provoking temple authorities, so he never entered through the front door.

He used his powerful Shadow Element Forbidden Curse to sneak past the watchful golden knights and avoid the strict servants.

In the Hall of the Goddess, Mo Fan saw Ye Xinxia studying an ancient text. It looked like she was preparing for a grand ritual.

The new Hall Mother and many old servants, as well as officials, surrounded her. They were arguing about the proper way to conduct the ceremony. Over in the main seat, Ye Xinxia believed that they should modernize things and not always stick to tradition.

“It’s time for the night prayer,” said the new Hall Mother, who was young and charming.

Mo Fan glanced at her a few more times before he continued to hide in the shadows.

He watched Ye Xinxia and admired how focused and serious she appeared. She radiated elegance and authority, a stark contrast to the Ye Xinxia Mo Fan knew. Even if this was not her true nature, she had to maintain this image to fulfill her responsibilities as the Goddess.

Ye Xinxia’s aura made Mo Fan feel that she was untouchable and sacred.

There was a prayer session at night, so the servants started to get Ye Xinxia ready for her bath.

The officials and the Hall Mother left the hall and instructed the Hall of Knights to form a ceremonial guard. Meanwhile, hooded female believers scattered olive branches dipped in holy water along the cobblestone path.

Mo Fan was surprised by the grandeur of the night prayer.

It did not look like it would end anytime soon.

He was getting a bit impatient.

It was already so late, and she still had to work.

Ye Xinxia was really working hard.

“Huh? There’s a silver partition. People outside can’t see her, not even her shadow?” Suddenly, Mo Fan had a mischievous thought. While she was bathing and getting dressed, there was a protective barrier that even someone as powerful as Mo Fan could not get through. It frustrated him.

When Ye Xinxia finally appeared in her silver robe, her barely visible silhouette nearly drove him wild.

He could not wait any longer.

If this ritual continued until dawn, his mischievous plans might never come to fruition. It would be really upsetting, like seedlings in the desert dying because they could not get any rain.

The silver partition opened up.

Then, countless believers gathered on the platform and along the winding paths.

Ye Xinxia stood tall behind the partition. Her devoted believers could only hear her voice and see a faint outline.

“As the moon rises, years shine…”

Her voice was elegant and gentle, like a soft lullaby.

Ye Xinxia soon began to dance gracefully with the moon and pray.

“Close your eyes, clear your mind, cleanse your heart…”

As she spoke, all her believers obediently closed their eyes. They followed her guidance to clear their minds and cleanse their hearts.

The gentle night breeze blew through Ye Xinxia’s hair. The scent of sea flowers drifted out and filled the entire temple.

All of a sudden, a sneaky figure darted behind the partition.

He forcefully pulled the dancing Ye Xinxia and pressed her slender body against his warm chest.

“Ah!” Ye Xinxia let out a cry of surprise. She quickly changed her tone and turned her little cry into the ending note of the melody.

The Hall Mother and officials were nearby, so they noticed the change in her tone.

It was indeed different from the classical melodies. Perhaps this was what Ye Xinxia meant by modernization. After all, modern theaters were fond of high-pitched singing.

Behind the partition, Ye Xinxia was startled and embarrassed. But once she recognized the audacious intruder, there was a flicker of joy in her eyes.

However, she was still doing the prayer for the public.

She could not stop.

“Do your thing. Don’t worry about me,” Mo Fan whispered in her ear.

Ye Xinxia was embarrassed, and she refused to tolerate Mo Fan’s behavior.

“Clear your mind, cleanse your heart…”

The officials and servants started singing the gentle melody together. To match Ye Xinxia’s “modern change,” they also included the high note that she had accidentally sung.

Her devoted believers instinctively opened their eyes. The tone puzzled them. But as the high note transitioned back to the sacred and dignified sound, many believers started to feel a wave of shame.

Oh God, what were they thinking earlier?

They had yet to clear their minds. How could they cleanse their impure hearts?

The believers composed themselves and resumed their prayers.

“There’s a faint shadow. They can see you.” Finally, with a flushed face, Ye Xinxia pointed at the partition before her, which blocked everyone’s view.

“It’s okay. My Shadow Element has reached the Forbidden Curse level. They can’t see my shadow.” Mo Fan smiled confidently.

Ye Xinxia looked around skeptically. She noticed that the Hall Mother, Lord of the Hall of Knights, servants, and officials showed no reaction. Even though they were watching her, they did not notice an intruder behind the partition.

“Mo Fan, this-this isn’t right…” Ye Xinxia hesitated to speak harshly to Mo Fan. Eventually, she uttered a few ambiguous words with a stutter.

Unfortunately, her little rejections only excited an evil man like Mo Fan even more.

So, he began his mischievous plan. He longed for Ye Xinxia’s delicate lips, he cherished her firm bosom, and he wanted to caress her skin.

Under the moonlight, Ye Xinxia’s skin glowed with a red hue. Even though the things that happened behind the partition were hidden from the outside, she could see the devout scene beyond it.

Was it really okay to be this intimate in front of so many people?

Mo Fan had been a bit flirtatious during their previous trips to the movies, but their current situation was nothing like the dark and quiet cinema.

He was growing increasingly bold and reckless.

He was not supposed to use the Shadow Element Forbidden Curse like this.

Although Ye Xinxia was standing tall, her legs were weak. Kissing was one thing, but Mo Fan wanted to kiss her neck too. His behavior was becoming more and more outrageous!

“W-Where have you been?” she quickly asked him something to distract him.

“Divine Wood Well. It was a weird place. I almost lost my mind there. I still need you to comfort my almost distorted soul.” As Mo Fan spoke, his actions started to get wilder.

Ye Xinxia was about to cover her mouth. She looked outside with a flushed face and saw that the rituals for the officials and servants were ending. Soon, it would be her turn to recite an ancient phrase.

The ancient phrase had to be recited perfectly, without any mistakes in pronunciation or changes in tone. But how could she concentrate with Mo Fan constantly bothering her?

“Could you… Could you please stop for a moment?” Ye Xinxia begged. She was extremely embarrassed.

“Sure. I haven’t done anything. I’m just holding you,” Mo Fan replied.

Ye Xinxia was at a loss for words. If this was just “holding,” then she could quit being the Goddess. Despite the country’s more liberal views, which allowed Goddesses to have their own relationships and families, this situation felt disrespectful.

Yet, she could not resist his advances.

Seeing Ye Xinxia’s troubled, helpless, and flushed face, Mo Fan felt no guilt. He was even starting to enjoy this risky behavior.

Despite his distractions, Ye Xinxia’s professionalism shone through. She recited the elegant ancient phrase flawlessly. Her tone and pronunciation were perfect.

Throughout the process, Mo Fan could not look away. Her dignified presence captivated him, so he intensified his efforts to play the rogue.

…

Finally, the long torture came to an end.

After several close calls, Ye Xinxia finished her night prayer.

She then hurried back to her chamber. She panted, and her cheeks were still flushed.

“Mo Fan!”

Ye Xinxia was clearly angry.

Mo Fan was too reckless!

“Hehe. I can’t control myself when I see you. You know I never wanted you to take on this role. I just wanted to come home and hug and kiss you like before. Wouldn’t that be better?” Mo Fan showed no remorse.

“Hmph! I think you prefer me like this!” Ye Xinxia was not the naive girl from years ago. She understood men’s darker desires.

Mo Fan could not argue. Honestly, what just happened was indeed exciting. It brought to life those naughty thoughts he had only fantasized about before.

“It’s not dawn yet. Should we continue?” Mo Fan said suggestively.

“We have to do the morning prayer when the sun rises.”

“Oh. That leaves us three hours to be together. We have to make the most of our time.” Mo Fan approached her eagerly.

Ye Xinxia’s eyes widened, and her body trembled lightly. Was Mo Fan not going to give her even ten minutes to rest?