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墨書 Inktalez
When I saw the figure of the female ghost that resembled Little Bugs, my heart filled with joy, because Mu Yan had told me that Little Bugs was following Stunning.
I stepped towards the door but hesitated for a moment.
The words of the King of Hell that day did not mention what happened to Stunning, yet Xiao Qing said that Stunning did not exist at all. So where was Stunning?
Moreover, if the female ghost before me truly was Little Bugs, why had she fallen to such a state? Stunning was taken away by the King of Hell; her Maid should not be treated this way unless something had truly happened to Stunning.
As I thought about this, my heart skipped a beat, and I felt a wave of panic. Under the cover of my sleeve, I pinched the back of my hand hard to distract myself from these chaotic thoughts. Whether it was true or not could be determined by simply looking at whether that person was Little Bugs.
I saw an older Maid scolding her. She knelt on the ground, a tray in front of her had fallen, and the Porcelain Bowl inside was shattered, food scattered everywhere in a mess.
"What are you doing? How long have I taught you? You can't even learn this little thing? What use do we have for you?"
"Aunt Song, I was wrong. Please give the Maid another chance."
"Another chance? Hmph! How many chances have I given you? You're always so clumsy. Do you know who lives here? It's our future Queen of the Underworld. If you offend her, you'll be in for it."
"I really didn't mean to; I'll be careful next time. Aunt Song, please, I'm begging you."
She kept knocking her head against the ground until her forehead bled, continuously pleading for mercy. I stood in the corridor, watching her frail figure, and then spoke up, "What is going on here?"
Seeing me come out, they all bowed in greeting. The older Maid surnamed Song was in charge of Dragon Spring Palace; everyone called her Aunt Song. Upon hearing my question, she bent down and replied, "It's just a new servant who doesn't understand things; I've scolded her a bit."
"New servant?" I squinted at the figure lying on the ground and said, "Lift your head so I can see you."
"I-I dare not."
Her voice was choked and hoarse, somewhat different from Little Bugs'. I frowned slightly; could it be that I was mistaken?
“Miss Anxin is just a servant, unworthy of your attention,” Aunt Song explained. “If it weren't for Lord Yanzhen feeling sorry for her and bringing her into the palace to do some work, she would have died long ago.”
Her brows furrowed even tighter. “So Lord Yanzhen found her outside the palace?”
“Yes. It’s said she was on the verge of death. If it weren't for the fragrance on her, which Lord Yanzhen loves, he wouldn’t have recognized it as the exclusive scent ‘Holy Fragrance’ from Fragrant Blossom Pavilion, and he wouldn’t have brought her back to the palace. But unexpectedly, when she woke up, she claimed she couldn’t make incense, so Lord Yanzhen assigned her menial tasks. Today, she was supposed to deliver food to you, but she couldn’t even manage that little task, so I’m currently teaching her a lesson!”
Aunt Song's words made me even more suspicious. How could Little Bugs be injured and near death? With my hands clasped together, I felt increasingly uneasy. What had happened to Stunning and Little Bugs? But I was determined to find out if it really was Little Bugs.
“You, look up and show me your face.” Gritting my teeth, I raised my voice. “This is an order.”
“Yes.”
She slowly lifted her head, trembling as she revealed a small, grayish face that looked exactly like Little Bugs. However, her lively eyes were now filled with panic, resembling a frightened puppy cowering in a corner—so pitiful.
In just over ten days of not seeing her, she had become this way, and my heart ached at the sight.
“Servant pays respects to Miss Anxin. I deserve to die a thousand deaths for failing at such a small task and disturbing you; I am guilty.”
She shook as she bowed repeatedly on the ground, hitting her head hard enough that blood soon appeared on the floor. Yet she continued to bow, regardless of how deep the wound on her forehead became.
“Enough.”
I rushed in front of her without hesitation, squatting down to help her up. Aunt Song and Xiao Qing gasped in shock and called out, “Miss Anxin, don’t!”
“No one is allowed to come near.”
I scolded sharply as Little Bugs cried while continuing to bow. The red blood mixed with the dust on the ground turned a dark crimson color—visually shocking and painful to my heart.
“Get up; you are not allowed to bow anymore, or I will punish you.”
She finally stopped moving, trembling and too afraid to act. Looking at the wound on her forehead made me feel even worse. I reached out to touch it, and as my fingertip made contact with her injury, a surge of heat coursed through my mind. I seemed to see a black room, in the center of which lay a blood-red long sword, surrounded by a swirling crimson mist that radiated waves of heat.
I suddenly recoiled, stepping back unsteadily and falling to the ground.
"Miss!" Xiao Qing was the first to rush over to help me.
"Miss Anxin!" Aunt Song's expression changed as she angrily ordered the servants nearby, "Take this wretched girl away!"
Little Bugs showed no sign of panic or trembling this time. She sat there, looking up at me until someone dragged her away, remaining utterly unmoved.
Her eyes were fixed on me, deep and dark, as blood dripped from her forehead down her nose, exuding a chilling terror.
At the moment she was taken away, I seemed to hear that hoarse voice whispering in my ear, "Have you forgotten the Blood Flame Sword?"
I widened my eyes in shock as I saw Little Bugs spit out blood, then revert to a trembling and terrified state, crying and begging for mercy—completely different from just moments before.
I watched in lingering fear as Little Bugs was led away, my hand pressed against my chest where my heart was pounding violently, as if something was about to burst forth.
"Blood Flame Sword."
I murmured those three words, flashes of memories from the snake demon flickering in my mind. I remembered that sword and recalled how I had used it to harm Jun Chong.
At that time, when Jun Chong was injured, I nearly broke down. I had lost track of the Blood Flame Sword. Later on, when I thought back to it, no one knew where it had gone. According to Tao Wu at that time, she had seen the Blood Flame Sword when surrounded by a horde of ghosts; it was outside that barrier, taken by a mysterious man in black.
"So?"
I pressed my hand against my forehead, hesitant to imagine further. The complexities of these days had made me forget about the mysterious figure's existence. I remembered he had told me that there was a way in the Underworld that could protect both me and the Demon Fetus safely. He also mentioned that I would need to enter the Underworld alone and that ghosts would arrange for me to go to the Underworld Palace.
But at that time, because I ultimately agreed to Jun Chong's request, everything deviated from its original course. Afterward, it seemed like the mysterious figure had vanished without a trace. Since he wanted me to come to the Underworld, he would surely find a way to contact me. Yet nothing happened; reflecting on it now felt quite strange.
If the earlier reminder was from Little Bugs, then it suggests that someone took the Blood Flame Sword, and that person must be the mysterious figure. But the underworld is so vast; how can I possibly know where the Blood Flame Sword is? That narrow image is utterly useless.
"Miss Anxin, are you alright? Please don’t scare me," Xiao Qing pleaded, her voice trembling.
Her cries slowly brought me back to reality. Seeing her in such distress, I reached out and patted her head. "I'm fine, don't worry."
"I'll go find the Ghost Doctor! If anything happens to you, the King will be angry."
I nodded and allowed Xiao Qing to help me inside. As we reached the door, I still felt uneasy. Turning to Aunt Song, I said, "Aunt Song, that child acted without malice, and it's my fault too. Please don’t blame her. It's not easy to secure a position; we shouldn’t hinder others or create trouble for ourselves. A light punishment for Little is enough."
Aunt Song seemed ready to argue but held her tongue, bowing slightly. "I understand."
The commotion had drawn the King of Hell over. When he arrived, I was lost in thought, my mind consumed by that mysterious figure. Resting my chin on my hand, I furrowed my brow and murmured, "Why didn’t I think of this earlier? It doesn’t make sense! Who is that person? Could they also be in the underworld?"
"Who are you thinking about?"
The King of Hell leaned against the window with his hands clasped behind his back. Xiao Qing immediately bowed in respect, but he waved her away, leaving just the two of us.
I never showed him any formalities unless absolutely necessary, so I merely shot him a glance filled with disdain. "Even a child knows it’s wrong to eavesdrop. As the King of Hell, you should understand this basic principle."
Instead of getting angry, he smiled and sat down in the chair opposite me. Pouring himself a cup of tea, he inhaled its fragrant aroma; it was freshly brewed and rich.
He took a moment to enjoy the scent before blowing on it gently. His tone was soft and devoid of any discernible emotion.
"I entered openly; there’s no question of eavesdropping. Besides—"
"Besides what?"
"Besides, I came to see you because I heard you had fallen."
"Come on!" I scoffed lightly, saying, "You wouldn't know if I'm hurt?" He claimed he wouldn't know, but I absolutely didn't believe him. He arrived just in time; the Ghost Doctor sent by Xiao Qing hadn't even arrived yet. I couldn't believe he rushed over just because he heard I fell.
Every time he showed up, it was for a reason, and I had figured that out by now.
"Hey." He chuckled softly, took a sip of tea, and swirled the jade-colored liquid. "We are going on a trip soon and won't be at the Underworld Palace for the next few days. If you need anything, you can ask Lianchi directly or communicate with me. As long as it's your request, I'll agree."
"I only have one request."
"What is it?"
"Tell me where Stunning is? And why did Little Bugs end up like that? What exactly did you do to them?"
The King of Hell smiled but remained silent, his expression warm. The light streaming in intensified the silver strands in his dark hair, making it look like highlights—beautiful yet not overwhelming.
He looked up at me, and I couldn't tell if it was the light playing tricks, but it seemed like his left eye shifted from black to Yin Hong, while the other remained normal; it flickered and vanished in an instant.
In that moment, I felt a familiar chill wash over me, as if that eye had once been watching me from behind without my knowledge.
Suddenly, the King of Hell leaned closer to me. My instinct was to pull away, but I couldn't.
He grabbed a strand of my hair that hung down and tugged at it forcefully. It hurt, but I didn't make a sound; I could only hear his soft voice.
"I understand your desire to see them; after all, Jun Chong is already in the city. You haven't received any news here for days. The sudden appearance of Little Bugs must make you feel uneasy, right? With Stunning missing and Little Bugs injured and reduced to a Maid, Anxin, your heart must be starting to panic."
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