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  • The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated 500

    Chapter 500: “Go Take a Bath and Sleep.”

    Shien had long since noticed that Carol was monitoring him.

    The perception ability of [Outer Awareness of Heaven’s Decree] was far superior to his past self. Not only could he sense hostility and magic power, but also various malicious intents and life auras. Coupled with his enhanced senses, Shien could see through all falsehoods. If he couldn’t even detect someone watching him in secret, then this powerful skill would be wasted.

    However, Shien didn’t intend to pay attention to Carol.

    He knew that Carol was simply wary of a man like him wandering around the Elven Homeland, not that she had any malicious intentions towards him.

    Therefore, Shien ignored her.

    Now, she had actually come out so openly and even told him about it directly. Was she that fearless, or was she just too rigid and straightforward to hide anything?

    Shien didn’t know, nor was he interested in knowing.

    He only knew that he didn’t get along with this stubborn girl at all.

    Therefore, Shien didn’t bother being polite to Carol.

    “Since you’re here, tell me where the bathroom is.”

    Shien asked Carol directly, too lazy to startle the other elven girls.

    But Carol’s answer was surprisingly straightforward.

    “There isn’t one.”

    Carol replied instantly.

    “What?”

    Shien was stunned.

    “I said there isn’t one.” Carol said with a straight face. “There’s no such thing as a bathroom in the Elven Homeland. Otherwise, why do you think we wouldn’t have one in the tree house?”

    So, it wasn’t that he couldn’t find the bathroom, but that there was no such thing as a bathroom here?

    …Was she kidding?

    “Then how do you bathe?” Shien retorted. “Don’t tell me elves don’t bathe or use the toilet.”

    Hearing the words “use the toilet,” even Carol couldn’t help but glare at Shien.

    Didn’t this man know what was appropriate to say and what wasn’t?

    “We never use bathrooms for bathing.” Carol said stiffly, “As part of nature, we elves always cleanse ourselves in rivers or lakes.”

    Shien understood.

    So, in other words…

    “All elves bathe in open-air rivers or lakes?”

    Shien’s imagination ran wild.

    Could it be that somewhere in the Elven Homeland right now, there was a river or lake full of naked elven girls?

    Shien could almost picture those beautiful elves, bathing and playing in the water.

    …Should he use [Inner Awareness of Heaven’s Decree] to sneak a peek?

    No, not to peek. How could he be that kind of person?

    He just wanted to test the effects of [Inner Awareness of Heaven’s Decree]. He didn’t have such indecent thoughts.

    As a Heaven’s Decree skill he obtained by fusing countless skills, he had to properly confirm its power and effects.

    That’s what he was thinking, pure and innocent, yes.

    Unfortunately…

    “You’d better not do anything you shouldn’t.” Carol said coldly, as if she could read Shien’s mind. “I’m monitoring you precisely to prevent you from doing anything indecent. Even if I didn’t, with the Queen’s Palace, nothing in the Elven Homeland can be hidden from the Queen. I advise you to abandon those thoughts.”

    “Ahem, don’t slander me.” Shien coughed dryly, then said seriously, “Do you think you’re some peeping Tom goddess who can read minds? Why do you say I have indecent thoughts?”

    These words caused confusion.

    “A peeping Tom goddess?”

    Carol was taken aback.

    “Have I… been discovered?”

    A certain Goddess of Nature, who was following Shien closely, was also startled.

    However, this goddess didn’t know that Shien wasn’t referring to her, but to another goddess named Nien.

    Carol, after a moment of surprise, didn’t pay much attention to Shien’s words.

    Perhaps she thought Shien was referring to Lilith.

    Carol said calmly,

    “I can’t read minds, but I know that all you men have this reaction when it comes to this matter. Even Mitra, the Hero, was the same.”

    Carol’s words made Shien sigh.

    Whether they were Heroes or not, men were all pathetic.

    He was like this, and Mitra, the Hero from a thousand years ago, was also like this.

    But Shien still wanted to say,

    “Senior, you’ve completely ruined the Hero’s reputation.”

    It seemed that after coming to the Elven Homeland, the image of that Hero who defeated the Demon King was gradually crumbling.

    Of course, on the surface, Shien still had to retort.

    “Since you can’t read minds, don’t make random accusations. Is our reaction a sign of indecent thoughts? Can’t it be that we’re worried about you elven girls catching a cold in the river or lake?”

    Carol was speechless.

    “Elves are favored by nature and aren’t affected by natural temperatures. Unless it’s due to human actions or magic, elves don’t feel hot or cold.”

    Carol looked at Shien with disdain.

    It was clearly the look of someone who had caught a man trying to do something indecent, making clumsy excuses.

    However, Shien really didn’t know this.

    Elves weren’t affected by natural temperatures?

    Well, as expected of a naturally magical race, favored by nature, they were truly a living testament to the unscientific.

    “So, there really are no bathrooms in the Elven Homeland?”

    Shien was still a bit unwilling to give up.

    “No.” Carol said firmly, “We love and are close to nature. For us, cleansing ourselves in rivers and lakes is both a habit and an instinct. Setting aside those who are traveling, in the village, we all do this, even the Queen. There are no bathrooms in the Elven Homeland.”

    Shien finally understood.

    He understood why Lucy had gone to find Melika alone earlier.

    “Could it be that she already knew about this and didn’t want to bring me along, afraid that I would sneak a peek at the elven girls bathing, which is why she was acting so suspiciously?”

    Shien’s lips twitched.

    This was entirely possible.

    Otherwise, why wouldn’t that lazy princess bring him along?

    If it was just to find Melika, or to play in the Elven Homeland, she definitely wouldn’t have left him behind, but would have dragged him along.

    “That unlucky girl…”

    Shien decided to teach that princess a lesson tonight.

    As for how she knew about this, Shien suspected Lasha was behind it.

    That elusive maid always somehow managed to gather all sorts of tourist information about the places they visited, like the location of inns, restaurants, the ingredients of dishes, and so on, faster than anyone else.

    Therefore, it was highly likely that she had already arranged for the girls to bathe.

    Even if Airi didn’t need it, Lilith couldn’t possibly be coaxed to sleep without taking a bath.

    “That poker-faced maid…”

    Shien gritted his teeth.

    At this moment, Shien felt like the whole world was against him.

    He had no status in this Elven Homeland.

    No, he had to find a way to regain his ground.

    Shien thought about this as he asked Carol,

    “Then what should I do? You can’t just tell me not to bathe, right?”

    If this elf dared to say “Aren’t all men smelly?”, Shien wouldn’t hesitate to punch her in the chest and retort, “Aren’t all women soft?”

    Fortunately, Carol wasn’t that rude.

    “The Queen said that you will receive the highest level of treatment. Since that’s the case, we will naturally make arrangements for you.”

    Carol turned around.

    “Follow me.”

    Saying so, Carol walked forward.

    “Arrangements?”

    Shien muttered, then reluctantly followed.

    Along the way, Shien encountered many elven girls.

    Their reactions were all the same: startled at first, quickly stepping aside, then secretly glancing at Shien with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

    Shien felt like he had come to the wrong place and didn’t want to complain anymore.

    “Just take a bath and go to sleep.”

    This was Shien’s only thought now.

    …

    Led by Carol, Shien arrived at a secluded place.

    It was deep within the forest, some distance away from the Elven Homeland.

    Not far ahead was the edge of the Elven Homeland’s barrier, and it was said that beyond it was a vast mountain range.

    “You can bathe here.”

    The bath Carol prepared for Shien appeared like this.

    Seeing what was before him, Shien’s eyes widened in surprise.

    “A hot spring?”

    Yes.

    What appeared before Shien was a hot spring.

    And it was a very large one.

    Its diameter was about twenty or thirty meters, and its width was also more than ten meters, like a small lake. It was big enough for not just one person, but even a hundred people to bathe in.

    Looking at the steaming hot spring, Shien was surprised.

    “This is the arrangement you mentioned?” Shien blinked. “Did you just dig this?”

    “Of course not.” Carol said calmly, “This hot spring has existed for a long time, even before Her Majesty was born. Her Majesty often used it when she was young, and occasionally uses it now as well. Few people know about this place. It’s just right for you to use now.”

    He took back his previous words.

    His treatment was actually quite good, wasn’t it?

  • Reborn to Stew Soup (GL) 115p1

    Chapter 115: The Age of Yuri p1

    On the day of the premiere, Mi Hongdou left Shudian in the morning and arrived in Jiang City around noon. Without even going home, she was taken directly to Mengguan, given a boxed lunch, and then started preparing for the evening’s event.

    The usually unreliable Yang Lianyi was present throughout the entire process. However, she was already dressed in an elegant evening gown, lounging on the sofa with a restless little girl in a pink princess dress, looking more like a guest of honor than a manager.

    Well, at least she was present. Mi Hongdou, who had been abandoned in Shudian for months after being dropped off by Yang Lianyi, thought that the little girl was still very cute. Here, have a pudding.

    Since learning about the premiere in Jiang City, Mi Hongdou had been planning to make some treats for Ji Junxin. It’s been a while… I’m afraid it will be awkward… I need to bribe her with food.

    Unfortunately, the filming schedule for “Divorce, So Be It 2” was incredibly intense, long hours and no breaks. She knew they were rushing to finish so she could join the upcoming reality show, so despite the exhaustion, Mi Hongdou didn’t complain. Her hardworking and uncomplaining attitude earned her praise from the crew.

    Even with the late nights and the early morning call time for the premiere, Mi Hongdou still managed to make some pudding before leaving.

    During the filming of “Imperial Secrets,” she had borrowed Jiang Lingling’s kitchen to make crème brûlée for Ji Junxin. But the kitchen torch seemed to have scared Ji Junxin, who had explicitly forbidden her from using such a dangerous tool again. Although Mi Hongdou felt it was safe and convenient, she hadn’t used it since.

    The purpose of making food was to bring joy. The torch was just a tool. If it made Ji Junxin worry, then the food wouldn’t bring her happiness. Mi Hongdou wasn’t a chef striving for culinary perfection, but just someone who wanted to make the person she liked happy. So, the puddings she made were the plain kind, without the crispy caramelized sugar crust.

    Despite the limited time, she still made several flavors: the classic egg pudding, mango pudding (mangoes being in season), strawberry pudding (to preserve the last of the season’s sweetness), and banana pudding (Ji Junxin’s favorite).

    She packed the puddings in small glass jars, sealed with brown paper and tied with twine, resembling miniature versions of old-fashioned yogurt bottles.

    It was August, and the weather was hot. The puddings, chilled for an hour, were packed in a cooler with ice packs for the journey back to Jiang City.

    Seeing the adorable Yang Miemie, rolling around on the sofa like a pink ball in her pink dress, Mi Hongdou asked Bai Tang to give her an egg pudding.

    Hearing “egg pudding,” Yang Lianyi, who had been dozing off, sat up abruptly and peered into the cooler Bai Tang had just opened.

    Bai Tang had only taken out one egg pudding, as instructed.

    Just as Bai Tang was about to close the cooler, Yang Lianyi coughed. “Where’s mine?”

    Bai Tang stopped.

    Mi Hongdou, who was having her hair done, looked at Yang Lianyi. “I didn’t make one for you.”

    “There are more than ten in there…” Yang Lianyi was stunned. “And none for me? Who are they for? Do you even remember I’m your boss?”

    “They’re for cute people.” Mi Hongdou pointed at the little girl still rolling on the sofa. “Like her.”

    Yang Lianyi looked at her niece, then at Bai Tang, who was holding the pudding jar and slowly closing the cooler, gritted her teeth, and picked up the little girl, placing her on the floor.

    “Fine! I’ll roll!” She threw herself onto the sofa and rolled around a few times.

    So, when Qiao Rubai entered, she saw Yang Lianyi, in an elegant evening gown, rolling around on the sofa without any semblance of dignity, everyone in the room, including the little girl standing by the sofa, staring at her, dumbfounded.

    “So, am I cute enough now?” Yang Lianyi, after a few rolls, mindful of her carefully styled hair, sat up and, feeling that her rolling wasn’t as dedicated as Yang Miemie’s, gave Mi Hongdou what she thought was an adorable look.

    It was, however, a purely seductive glance… Even Mi Hongdou, who knew about Yang Lianyi’s natural charm, was startled. Actually, she had been startled the moment Yang Lianyi started rolling. That wasn’t what she meant! It was just a polite refusal, couldn’t she understand?

    Qiao Rubai, standing at the door, ignored by everyone, looked at the slightly disheveled Yang Lianyi, who was giving Mi Hongdou a seductive smile, and felt a throbbing in her temples.

    Yang Lianyi! What are you doing!

    “Ahem…” Qiao Rubai, unable to bear Yang Lianyi’s almost exposed shoulder, coughed loudly.

    Everyone’s attention shifted to the door.

    Yang Lianyi quickly adjusted her dress and hair, as if nothing had happened, and gave Qiao Rubai a warm smile. “You’re here.”

    Qiao Rubai’s frustration dissipated instantly.

    “You… come with me.” Your clothes are a mess! Qiao Rubai gestured to Yang Lianyi, suppressing her annoyance.

    Yang Lianyi hesitated, giving Mi Hongdou a meaningful look.

    Mi Hongdou, trapped by the hairstylist, understood and said to Bai Tang, “Give her another one.” Yang Lianyi had gone this far, Mi Hongdou had to surrender.

    So, Yang Lianyi happily took two jars of pudding and left with the little girl.

    Qiao Rubai had come to take Yang Lianyi to the cinema. This premiere was also the official announcement of the partnership between Qiong Yu and Mengguan. It was an important event.

    But perhaps… only Qiao Rubai was taking it seriously.

    As soon as they got in the car, Yang Lianyi started opening the pudding jars, complaining that the bottles reminded her of old-fashioned yogurt, she suddenly craved yogurt.

    Qiao Rubai, holding the little girl, couldn’t help but ask, “You rolled around on the sofa… just for a small jar of pudding?”

    “What else? Did you think I was having a seizure?” Yang Lianyi struggled with the twine. “Don’t you think Mi Hongdou’s definition of ‘cute’ is a bit strange? What’s so cute about rolling on a sofa? But a jar of pudding for a few rolls is a good deal. She’s been stuck in Shudian, filming day and night, no time to cook, I haven’t had her food in ages.”

    “…” Qiao Rubai was speechless. A jar of pudding for a few rolls… do you think you’re a pet? Acting cute for treats! So, my next priority is learning to cook from Mi Hongdou?

    Bai Tang had given Yang Lianyi two jars, egg pudding and mango pudding.

    Yang Lianyi opened the egg pudding first, intending to give it to the little girl. But as soon as she removed the paper lid, the sweet aroma filled the car.

    “It’s too cold, you can’t eat it yet, let me check the temperature.” Yang Lianyi dodged the drooling Yang Miemie and took a spoonful herself.

    The classic egg pudding, the smooth texture from the repeated stirring and straining, it practically melted in her mouth. The aroma of egg and milk filled her senses, it was so delicious! The sweetness was perfect, not too much, not too little, she couldn’t stop eating!

    Yang Lianyi savored the pudding, not wanting to speak, afraid of losing the lingering flavor.

    “Hey, give her some too,” Qiao Rubai said, holding the restless little girl, who seemed about to pounce on Yang Lianyi.

    “It’s still cold, eat slowly.” Yang Lianyi gave the little girl a small spoonful, then held the jar up to Qiao Rubai. “Want some? Mi Hongdou made it.”

    It did smell good… Qiao Rubai glanced at the small jar, now almost empty after two spoonfuls, and shook her head. “I’m fine, save it for the child.”

    Yang Lianyi retracted the jar. “Okay, then let me try some more for her.” She took another spoonful.

    Qiao Rubai turned Yang Miemie away slightly, not wanting her to witness such cruelty.

    “If you had rolled around too, we might have had three jars,” Yang Lianyi said after swallowing the pudding, her tone slightly regretful.

    Although she knew Yang Lianyi was unpredictable, this was… too much! Qiao Rubai looked away, she couldn’t imagine herself rolling around on a sofa.

    So, because the pudding was always “too cold,” Yang Miemie only had a few bites, and Yang Lianyi ate most of it.

    The premiere started at 8 PM, the audience admitted at 7:15 PM, and the actors would enter at 7:30 PM.

    Mi Hongdou’s chauffeured car arrived at the designated parking area a little after 7 PM. Ji Junxin’s car arrived around 7:15 PM.

    Unlike during filming in Shudian, back in Jiang City, as celebrities, their movements were more restricted, especially for events like this premiere, with so many fans. They had to follow the organizers’ arrangements to avoid chaos.

    A small section of the underground parking lot was cordoned off for the celebrities, their cars would be brought up later, after the audience was seated. This area was secured and guarded, offering some privacy.

    Ji Junxin’s car parked near Mi Hongdou’s. Mi Hongdou, seeing only security guards around, thought about going over to say hello. But… it had been a while, perhaps a text message first.

    Ji Junxin’s phone buzzed. The sender was just a number, a familiar number.

    Some people, you could delete their names, but not your memory of them. What was a name when you had the number memorized?

    [I see your car, is it okay for me to come over?]

    Ji Junxin, glancing at her parents sitting beside her, typed a reply, saved Mi Hongdou’s number again, and pressed send. After this break, she felt she had finally detached from the role. And she was happy to find that her feelings for Mi Hongdou… were still as strong!

    So, it was genuine, not just the influence of the drama, Ji Junxin was both happy and worried.

    [My parents are here, not convenient right now.]

    Mi Hongdou, who had been about to get out of the car, stopped, her hand still on the cooler. Although Ji Junxin’s reply made sense, she felt a pang of disappointment.

    Ji Junxin was also feeling conflicted. She didn’t understand why her parents, who had never supported her acting career and rarely showed any interest in her life, suddenly wanted to attend the premiere. She had been happy initially, after all, she was always sensitive about her relationship with her parents, even now, she still craved their approval.

    But now she was in a dilemma. She was afraid that after not seeing Mi Hongdou for so long, she might inadvertently reveal her feelings… if her parents noticed… it would ruin the premiere.

    She needed to be more careful, to better control her emotions, before introducing Mi Hongdou to her parents, Ji Junxin thought.

    She had considered going over herself, but seeing her parents, so out of place and uncomfortable, she couldn’t bring herself to leave them. It wasn’t like they would never see each other again, she could endure this.

    As they waited, more cars arrived, and the time for the premiere drew closer.

    They finally met inside the cinema. The actors were all seated together. Mi Hongdou didn’t see Ji Junxin’s parents, they must have gone to the audience seating area. The seats were arranged according to the actors’ roles, and Mi Hongdou and Ji Junxin were separated by Zhang Zijing, which annoyed Mi Hongdou. Qiao Rubai was so unreliable!

    Qiao Rubai, who was sneezing nearby, felt wronged… she didn’t have time to micromanage the seating arrangements.

    Mi Hongdou had been looking forward to this premiere, but she hadn’t been able to see Ji Junxin beforehand, and now they weren’t even sitting together. Later, when they were called on stage, although they stood together, with so many people watching, and having to answer the host’s questions about filming, they couldn’t chat.

    By the end of the Q&A, as the film started, Mi Hongdou could only console herself with the thought that there would be another opportunity after the screening.

    The film started. Miao Qianye’s life unfolded before Ji Junxin like a painted scroll.

    Watching a film and acting in it were two completely different experiences.

    After the month-long break, facing Miao Qianye again, Ji Junxin felt much calmer, just a faint sense of nostalgia for the character she had poured so much emotion into. However, most of her attention was now on Qin Muxue, played by Mi Hongdou.

    The person I like, she’s amazing! Whether portraying the Empress’s authority or the young bride’s shyness, her acting was so convincing…

    A little too convincing… During the wedding scene, seeing Mi Hongdou in her red dress, smiling shyly at Zhang Zijing, Ji Junxin frowned. Although she knew Mi Hongdou wasn’t interested in Zhang Zijing, seeing them like this on screen still made her unhappy!

    She angrily threw a few popcorn kernels into her mouth, then, remembering that this was the premiere, with so many media present, even munching quietly wasn’t appropriate… she reluctantly let the popcorn melt in her mouth, the sweet, milky flavor slightly soothing her annoyance.

    She had watched Mi Hongdou film that wedding scene, the repeated NGs, but she hadn’t felt this angry then. Love was truly a strange thing.

    On screen, Zhang Zijing and Mi Hongdou, playing the emperor and empress, their early interactions were full of love, which annoyed Ji Junxin, and she had the urge to throw popcorn at Zhang Zijing!

    But as the film progressed, from the palace to the estate, whether because of Ji Junxin’s focus on Mi Hongdou or the editing, although the supposed main characters were Ji Junxin and Zhang Zijing, it seemed that she and Mi Hongdou shared the most screen time. Zhang Zijing’s scenes were also plentiful, but his presence felt… bland, forgettable, just a plot device, lacking any real charm.

    The estate and battlefield scenes were intercut, with more emphasis on the estate. And although the estate scenes were about their struggles for survival, they were more captivating than the grand battle scenes.

    Ji Junxin, watching the young empress caring for the pregnant Miao Qianye, couldn’t take her eyes off the screen.

    Hmph, unlike now, not even a single text message in weeks!

    Ji Junxin’s inner complaints abruptly stopped during the birthing scene.

    On screen… Miao Qianye looked like she was really giving birth. Only Ji Junxin knew what had actually happened! The thought of the entire audience witnessing her reaction, hearing her moans, made her incredibly embarrassed!

    She couldn’t bear to watch, her head lowered during the short birthing scene, but the sounds from the screen still made her blush.

    Mi Hongdou, you’re so annoying!

    Just as Ji Junxin was squirming in her seat, wanting to disappear, her phone vibrated.

    She checked it, her embarrassment instantly replaced by a serious expression.

    The movie continued, but Ji Junxin, who had been looking forward to the premiere, no longer paid attention. She started typing on her phone, bending over to shield the screen from the people around her.

  • Reincarnated as a Holy Nun, I Refuse to Lose! v2c21

    Volume 2: Witch Kingdom Arc

    Chapter 21: The Legion Witch

    Luo Yuxi lounged in a chair, enjoying the sunlight. She felt even more relaxed in the Witch Kingdom than she had in the Church. Lislia, however, glared at Luo Yuxi, who was still wearing her nun’s habit in the Witch Capital.

    “You promised to take Little Yu and Little Yun back to the Church. Now that my identity is exposed, the other witches probably know too…”

    “Don’t worry, we have four Second Order witches here. Even in a direct confrontation, we’re not necessarily at a disadvantage~”

    Luo Yuxi rocked gently in her chair. Yu Keke, dressed in a maid outfit, peeled grapes and fed them to her, while Yun Keke massaged her legs.

    “You were kidnapped by witches! When I helped you escape, the other witches were searching for you! Pride, Lust, and Wrath are all interested in you!”

    Lislia slammed her hand on the table, then pointed at Doris, now dressed in a butler’s uniform, standing silently behind Luo Yuxi. Doris looked nothing like the Wrath Witch, more like an obedient servant. Even Lislia was starting to believe Luo Yuxi’s Witch Domination skill was real.

    “Don’t worry~ There are seven top fighters in the Witch Kingdom, and I control two of them. Even if I walk out of this hotel in my nun’s habit, which witch can do anything to me~?”

    Luo Yuxi’s arrogant words showed no fear. She pulled Yu Keke into her arms, her fingers tracing her waist, like an ancient tyrant. Yu Keke blushed slightly but didn’t resist, snuggling closer.

    “Tsk, what are you doing? Don’t tell me you used your skill on both my daughters?!”

    “Who knows~”

    Luo Yuxi smirked as Yun Keke, as if competing for attention, fed her a cherry. Lislia, seeing this, was furious and vanished into a black mist.

    “Is she gone?”

    “I can’t sense Mother’s presence anymore…”

    “Finally, I can’t keep up this act any longer.”

    Luo Yuxi slumped back in her chair, her arrogance gone. Yun Keke, licking her lips, looked at the blushing Luo Yuxi, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

    “Why stop now, Master?”

    “Ahem, it was just an act…”

    Luo Yuxi blushed and looked away. Yun Keke’s seductive demeanor was too tempting. If she hadn’t been so strong-willed, she might have actually given in.

    “Really? No more? Master~ A master’s orders are absolute. You can make me do other things too~”

    Yun Keke continued her teasing, as if hoping Luo Yuxi would take her right there on the chair. Luo Yuxi, her ears burning, leaned close to Yun Keke’s ear and whispered,

    “Stop it, I’ll compensate you two tonight…”

    “Don’t break your promise, big sister~ Master~”

    Yun Keke, knowing she had achieved her goal, stood up and pulled Yu Keke, who was still peeling grapes, out of the room.

    “Now is not the time to return to the Church. That event is about to happen…”

    Luo Yuxi looked at the mark on her hand, recalling the game’s plot: the final large-scale conflict between the Witch Kingdom and the Church. In the backstory, both sides suffered heavy casualties, the Church’s First Order powerhouse, the Word Spirit Saintess, sacrificing herself to seal the Witch Kingdom’s First Order powerhouse, the Time Witch. The war was so devastating that the balance between the two factions was irrevocably broken.

    “Just reading the backstory shows how devastating the war was. I have to prevent it…”

    Luo Yuxi sipped the drink Doris had handed her, recalling the few details about the pre-war events, trying to come up with a plan. After this event, the game’s main plot would begin, with the protagonist entering the Witch Kingdom as the Saintess.

    “The plot has deviated so much, there’s no need to follow the original storyline. But where is the protagonist…?”

    Luo Yuxi stood up, placing her cup on the table, and looked out at the city from the balcony, feeling like she had forgotten something. She turned to Doris.

    “If the Witch Kingdom goes to war with the Church, who among the Seven Sins will command the witches?”

    Doris opened her eyes, poured herself a glass of wine, and, like a proper butler, said,

    “Little cu— No, Master, you haven’t forgotten our deal, have you~?”

    “Uh… I’ll pay you… just tell me, I need that information…”

    “If nothing unexpected happens, it should be Pride. After all, she’s arrogant and overconfident~”

    “Just her…?”

    Luo Yuxi felt like she had expected this, but Doris, as if to keep her in suspense, added,

    “But if it’s a large-scale war, they’ll probably send her…”

    “Who?”

    “The Legion Witch~”

    “!!!”

    Luo Yuxi dropped her glass, the red wine spilling like blood on the floor. She stared at the broken glass in disbelief.

    “The Legion Witch… isn’t she a raid boss…?”

    Luo Yuxi imagined the twintailed girl in a gothic lolita outfit, wielding a parasol, her wine-red twintails and mismatched eyes, one a spade, one a heart. In the game, she would pull the protagonist into a special realm, requiring the protagonist and her companions, either captured witches or Church recruits, to defeat waves of soldiers, knights, fortresses, bishops, and even a queen, before finally facing the Legion Witch herself.

    “Where is she?!”

    “Well, that will cost you~”

    Doris placed a pink potion on the table. Luo Yuxi understood. Doris waited for her reaction.

    “Master, you haven’t forgotten what you promised me, have you~?”

    “O-Of course I remember… it’s just payment, I’ll give it to you!”

    Luo Yuxi grabbed the potion, opened it, and downed it in one gulp, then smashed the glass bottle on the floor.

    “After this is over, I want to know everything you know…”

    “Understood~”

  • Reincarnated as a Holy Nun, I Refuse to Lose! v2c20

    Volume 2: Witch Kingdom Arc

    Chapter 20: Subduing the Wrath Witch

    As the touching reunion unfolded, Luo Yuxi sat awkwardly to the side, not wanting to interrupt. Yun Keke, no longer her usual arrogant self, was like a child, basking in Lislia’s long-overdue motherly love.

    “Heh, such a touching scene~”

    A voice startled Luo Yuxi. She turned and saw Doris, awake and impaled on the cross, her clothes torn, a gruesome wound on her chest.

    “You’re awake. Didn’t expect our next meeting to be like this, did you…?”

    “Cough, cough, as expected of my little cutie, pushing me to this extent, it really hurts~”

    Doris, despite her injuries, still managed to tease Luo Yuxi. White, golden divine power flowed through her body, Luo Yuxi’s healing barely keeping her alive.

    “I didn’t expect my little cutie to heal me~”

    “Although you wanted to keep me as a pet canary, you didn’t intend to harm me. Even if you did, I wouldn’t let you die so easily…”

    “Sigh, I thought I caught a cute sparrow, but it turned out to be a hawk~”

    Doris coughed up blood. Luo Yuxi, using divine power, was slowly reconstructing the damaged blood vessels and organs in Doris’s chest. Although she could heal her quickly, she wasn’t going to.

    “I’m looking forward to seeing how you’ll deal with me~”

    Doris closed her eyes, conserving her energy. Meanwhile, Lislia, Yun Keke, and Yu Keke were chatting happily, like three sisters, if one didn’t know their true relationship.

    “Now that they’ve found their mother, my deal with Yun Keke and Yu Keke is probably over…”

    Luo Yuxi felt a pang of melancholy. Their relationship had been purely transactional. They had only sought her out to enter the Church and find their mother. Now that their mother was here, their deal was no longer necessary.

    “Big sister~”

    “Hmm?”

    Luo Yuxi, looking up at the sky, wondering how to return to the Church, felt Yun Keke hug her from behind.

    “Little Yun?”

    “Thank you for finding my mother, big sister. And Mom said she doesn’t object to our relationship~”

    “Our relationship? What relationship?”

    Luo Yuxi was confused. Yu Keke also hugged her arm, and Luo Yuxi finally understood. Lislia stood up and brushed her purple hair aside.

    “You’re so enviable, having my two precious daughters love you so much~”

    “Mother-in-law! Aren’t you taking them back to the Witch Kingdom?”

    “I’m a member of the Church. Even though I’m a half-witch now, I haven’t abandoned my original identity~”

    Lislia smiled gently, then turned to Doris, her gaze shifting to Luo Yuxi, a questioning look in her eyes.

    “Now, the only problem is the Wrath Witch. This is the perfect opportunity to eliminate her, but you don’t seem to want to~”

    “I…”

    Lislia’s eyes turned cold, and Luo Yuxi felt nervous, thinking carefully about her answer. A bad answer would lower her standing in her mother-in-law’s eyes, which wouldn’t be good for their future relationship. Although she could use Yun Keke and Yu Keke’s affection to force Lislia’s hand, that was clearly a last resort.

    “You already have my two precious daughters. They’re not inferior to her in terms of looks, are they? Or have you betrayed the Church…?”

    “Mother! Big sister is not like that!”

    “Little Yu, the most beautiful women are the most deceitful. Your mother knows this best…”

    Yu Keke, unable to argue, looked at Yun Keke for help, but Yun Keke just stood there, hands on her hips, watching the drama unfold.

    “Since Mother-in-law insists…”

    “So you’re going to kill her? If you’ve decided, then I’ll—”

    “Of course I won’t listen to you, Mother-in-law~”

    “Hmm?!”

    Lislia raised her hand, aiming at Doris, but Luo Yuxi stepped between them. Lislia looked at her in shock, surprised by her defiance, but she could sense a change in Luo Yuxi’s aura.

    “Do you know what you’re saying? Harboring one of the Seven Deadly Sins…?”

    “Then does Mother-in-law know about the Witch Domination skill~?”

    “Wi… Witch Domination…?”

    “The Church’s Holy Mark grants a unique skill. As a former bishop, Mother-in-law should know about it, right~?”

    Luo Yuxi showed the mark on her hand. Lislia, seeing the complex Holy Mark, was momentarily stunned. Luo Yuxi, sensing her deception had worked, smiled meaningfully.

    “What… what do you want…?”

    “If Mother-in-law doesn’t believe me, how about a demonstration? I don’t know if it works on half-witches~”

    Luo Yuxi approached, like a villain. Lislia instinctively stepped back.

    “So you want to control the Wrath Witch…”

    “Mother-in-law infiltrated the Seven Deadly Sins and barely managed to defeat one with the advantage of time, place, and people. What if there were two undercover witches~?”

    “That…”

    Luo Yuxi’s words made Lislia dizzy. Yun Keke and Yu Keke, watching this, admired Luo Yuxi’s eloquence. Luo Yuxi smiled confidently and walked towards Doris.

    “Actions speak louder than words. I didn’t attract Yun Keke and Yu Keke just with my body~”

    Lislia looked at Luo Yuxi, her pink hair and eyes, her fair skin, her alluring lips, her long, slender legs, and thought, Isn’t it because of your body?

    “This is my inherent skill: Witch Domination!”

    Luo Yuxi leaned close to Doris and whispered something in her ear. Doris’s eyes changed, and she looked at Luo Yuxi with a smile. To Lislia’s shock, Luo Yuxi released Doris from the cross.

    “Behave yourself. From now on, I’m your master~”

    “As you command, Master~”

    Doris, who had been a major threat, now bowed and kissed Luo Yuxi’s hand in submission.

    “What did you say to her…?”

    “It’s a secret~”

  • The Grotesque Miss’s End Story v2c60

    Chapter 60: Blood Rose 

    “Luo Ling, what’s wrong with you today?”

    A pale hand waved in front of Luo Ling, pulling her slightly vacant gaze back. Eve looked at her with concern. “You seem distracted. Is this… Ms. Fiona, really that important to you?”

    The eyes of the entire team rested on Luo Ling’s face. Usually boisterous and playful, they were unusually quiet today.

    For some unknown reason, the existence of “Fiona, Grand Constellation of the Fate Society” had been erased from most people’s minds. The ordinary staff of the Victoria Opera House were no exception, having completely forgotten their manager.

    Even Elsa, closest to Luo Ling, didn’t know what she was worried about, and Luo Ling wouldn’t say anything, leaving the Twintails team puzzled.

    “…It’s alright,” Luo Ling said, recovering slightly.

    “Alright… Seeing you like this, if I hadn’t known you back in Jiangcheng County, I would have thought she was your mother.” Lu Manqing said, twitching the corner of her mouth.

    During the Incubation Barrier battle today, Luo Ling, constantly on edge, had several close calls. Each time, Lu Manqing, positioned at the rear, was forced to intervene and cover for her, sustaining some injuries in the process.

    “…I’m sorry.”

    Luo Ling knew her state today had let her teammates down. She bowed deeply in apology.

    “Miss Luo Ling…”

    Elsa hugged Luo Ling’s arm, her small face full of conflict. She was worried but hesitated to press Luo Ling for details.

    But since Miss Luo Ling refused to talk, she must have her reasons…

    “I’m fine, Elsa. Don’t worry too much.”

    Luo Ling looked down at Elsa, a forced smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She continued walking with the team but remained distracted.

    “Alright, you should say less,” Cen Xiangyun whispered, patting Lu Manqing’s shoulder.

    “I’m not complaining, it’s just—” Lu Manqing said, then seemed to remember something, her brow furrowing deeply. “No, that’s not right…”

    “What’s not right?”

    “…Nothing.”

    Lu Manqing composed her expression, returning to her usual carefree demeanor.

    “Anyway, today’s commission was completed successfully. Since Luo Ling is tired, let’s just go home and rest.” As the team leader and the oldest sister in the group, Eve was still reliable most of the time.

    No one in the Twintails team objected, and they quickly returned to their apartment.

    Luo Ling’s behavior continued to be unusual. She didn’t even sneak into the kitchen to help as she usually did while Elsa was cooking, instead quietly sitting at the dining table, waiting.

    Even when everyone had finished eating and started clearing the table, she just sat in her chair, motionless.

    Everyone tacitly agreed not to disturb her. Only Elsa pulled up a small stool and sat beside her, chin resting on her hand, staring intently at Miss Luo Ling.

    After an unknown amount of time, Luo Ling finally came to her senses, her eyes suddenly sharpening. “Finally… found a trace.”

    “Found what?” Elsa asked beside her.

    “Found… I can’t say yet.” Luo Ling reached out and stroked Elsa’s hair, then asked, “By the way, Elsa, aren’t you cooking today?”

    “…Miss Luo Ling, haven’t we already eaten?”

    “Ah, have we already eaten?”

    Luo Ling paused, then rubbed her stomach, which was indeed slightly distended.

    It seemed they really had eaten…

    “Luo Ling, your absent-mindedness is getting out of hand!”

    Cen Xiangyun, who was reading a newspaper in the living room, couldn’t help but comment upon hearing the conversation in the dining room. It also felt strangely familiar.

    “Is it?”

    Luo Ling smiled, her expression quickly turning serious.

    Of course, she wasn’t as absent-minded as everyone worried, to the point of not knowing whether she had eaten or not, because of excessive grief.

    Even if Aunt Fiona had truly been silently killed, Luo Ling wouldn’t just wallow in sorrow. No matter how heavy the emotions, nothing could be undone. The living still had more important things to do.

    Luo Ling had experienced times of greater grief than this. Moreover… at least Aunt Fiona’s death hadn’t been confirmed, so there was still a chance.

    Therefore, most of Luo Ling’s mind was immersed in searching for this slim chance, overloading her entire intelligence network. Even Alyssa, the final review mechanism, was working at full capacity, shutting herself in the quiet room to avoid disturbance, fully assisting Luo Ling in her search.

    After exhausting several memory transfer processes, Luo Ling finally found a minuscule clue, within the Victoria Opera House.

    Using this clue, Luo Ling deployed a single Spore from Alyssa, then through nearby puppet priests, barely managed to extend it into the Victoria Opera House.

    Due to Fiona’s disappearance, the entire Fate Society was mobilized, and even the Company had dispatched an elite team led by a P8 to guard the opera house.

    Luo Ling didn’t want to alert these guards and had to be wary of the seemingly omniscient surveillance of the directors. Therefore, she could only use the minimum number of Spores, avoiding everyone’s gaze. After many difficulties, she finally reached Fiona’s room.

    This was the reason for Luo Ling’s distraction during today’s commission. Her mental energy was greatly depleted, but she couldn’t leave the team abruptly, as that would only raise more suspicion.

    Fiona’s room hadn’t been disturbed. A burnt-out lamp had been knocked over onto the dressing table in panic, and a small wooden mallet lay on a nearby chair.

    Judging from their auras, both were Sacred Tools, and not low-level ones.

    The Company personnel should have already checked this room, and even the directors’ gazes had likely fallen upon it, but they had found nothing.

    But… Luo Ling was different.

    Not long after her consciousness entered the room, fragmented pieces of information coalesced out of thin air, as if they were specifically left for her.

    “Finally found… a trace.”

    Luo Ling gathered these fragments, carefully piecing them together. A sentence… or rather, half a sentence, surfaced in her mind.

    “The Company deliberately triggered the ‘Taboo’ disaster. They and the Harbingers of Calamity are merely branches of the same root—”

    Luo Ling’s expression darkened slightly.

    It was left for her by Aunt Fiona before her disappearance. She hadn’t had time to leave the complete message before she was gone.

    “As expected, the Company deliberately triggered the disaster, but branches of the same root with the Harbingers…”

    Luo Ling recalled her previous conjecture about the relationship between the Company directors and the Harbinger leaders. She had, of course, told Aunt Fiona about this speculation, but it was ultimately just a hypothesis.

    In the half-sentence left by Fiona, she finally confirmed this point. Even… Luo Ling’s speculation about a “double agent” had been confirmed by Fiona.

    Moreover, the relationship between the two was even deeper than Luo Ling had imagined. “Branches of the same root” meant that the Company directors and the Harbinger leaders were once on the same path but later diverged due to disagreements.

    However, this information alone shouldn’t be the reason for Fiona’s disappearance.

    The fact that Fiona left this message for Luo Ling beforehand meant she knew how dangerous the information she had obtained was and wouldn’t entrust it to Luo Ling lightly.

    Although Fiona only said half a sentence, the information she wanted to convey, the things she wanted to warn Luo Ling about, were already clear.

    “I’m afraid… the Company is going to target me…”

    Luo Ling sighed deeply. During her later meeting with Fiona, she had vaguely understood why the Company directors had been willing to honestly trade with her during their first meeting.

    It was simple: Fiona was backing her.

    Fiona’s combat ability might not be that important, but her skills were, and their influence was profound.

    —She was a top-tier Sacred Tool crafter.

    Top-tier Sacred Tools were extremely valuable, not only because the Sacred Relic materials were difficult to obtain, but also because the crafters who could forge them were even rarer.

    Fiona was currently the strongest Sacred Tool crafter. The other two Grand Constellations of the Fate Society specialized in combat, while Fiona focused on crafting.

    Given sufficient resources, she could attempt to craft Taboo Sacred Tools—of course, not from the core itself, as no Taboo core Sacred Relic had ever appeared.

    Moreover, Fiona’s extremely high success rate was one of the reasons she was considered the strongest crafter. Her fees were higher, but it was better than having a cheaper crafter ruin the materials, as crafters didn’t compensate for losses.

    Now, a critical secret had cost Luo Ling her implicit backing. The Company directors no longer had any scruples and were more willing to use the most direct methods to obtain what they wanted.

    “It seems… I have to let this useful shell die…”

    Luo Ling wasn’t worried. Even if the directors personally took action, they would have to plan and prepare as if they were facing a High-Risk Grotesquery to have a chance of killing her.

    But how could that be possible?

    Even if the Company realized this and intended to make plans, given the current situation in Victoria, the Harbingers wouldn’t give the directors this opportunity.

    However, no matter what, the relatively good identity of “Luo Ling, P5 Company Dispatch Specialist” could no longer be maintained.

    “Next…”

    Just as Luo Ling was pondering her next move, Eve suddenly emerged from her room, waving a parchment scroll in her hand, her face beaming with joy.

    “Sisters, come out! We’ve got a big one! There’s a B-rank commission newly posted by the Company that’s perfect for our team. Come take a look…”

    The parchment scroll was a special item imbued with power. It functioned like the Company’s notice board, allowing one to view and accept posted commissions at any time, enabling them to snatch better commissions faster. It was a small artifact that every team needed.

    “What?”

    Hearing about a big commission, Cen Xiangyun immediately perked up, throwing down her newspaper and rushing to Eve to grab the parchment. Her face broke into a wide smile.

    “Wow, what kind of luck is this? Isn’t this the Incubation Barrier we’ve dealt with before? Completing this commission will put my quarterly performance into surplus, and I won’t have to rush for the year-end bonus! Quick, quick, accept it…”

    Even Lu Manqing became interested, craning her neck to look.

    Elsa also wanted to see, but she felt it was more important to stay with Miss Luo Ling, so she continued to sit on the small stool, stretching her neck as far as it could go.

    A special Incubation Barrier?

    And… one they had dealt with before?

    Hearing this, a chill ran down Luo Ling’s spine for some reason. Looking at her teammates’ joyful expressions, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

    Whose memory was causing this… wait.

    It was… Linna’s.

    Linna’s memory.

    The scene of the Hunt team meticulously preparing for a routine Incubation Barrier mission inexplicably overlapped with the current Twintails team.

    The witness felt a chill in her blood.

    “No…”

    Luo Ling subconsciously voiced.

    Although her voice was soft, everyone present heard it clearly and turned their gazes towards her.

    Facing their gazes, Luo Ling composed herself and said,

    “Let’s… refuse it.”

    “Huh? Luo Ling, why?” Cen Xiangyun asked, puzzled, waving the parchment in her hand with some hesitation. “But I’ve already accepted it.”

    “Because—”

    Luo Ling intended to explain the real reason. Everyone’s eager eyes focused on her, waiting for her answer.

    However, at this moment, Luo Ling couldn’t bring herself to say the second half of the sentence.

    It wasn’t that she wanted to deliberately conceal it, but because of a more important reason.

    “Some knowledge itself is poison. It’s not always better to know more. Ignorance is often a blessing.”

    This was something the “Woman,” one of the Company directors, had told her, and Luo Ling knew it was true.

    Moreover, it was also a threat from the Company director.

    Even Aunt Fiona had “disappeared” because she knew things she shouldn’t have. Luo Ling really couldn’t be sure that if she told her team the whole truth…

    Would they also “disappear”?

    Would they end up like Aunt Fiona, without even a single word left behind?

    Except for Elsa, the others in the team didn’t have her life-saving abilities. Perhaps… just a casual sentence would get them killed.

    So she absolutely couldn’t say it. Saying it might lead to death.

    After a long hesitation, Luo Ling could only manage a dry, “…Let’s not go.”

    A long, terrifying silence followed.

    Just as Luo Ling thought they would choose to continue with the commission since she couldn’t give a reason for refusing, Cen Xiangyun hesitated for a moment, then crossed out the acceptance on the parchment and tossed it back to Eve.

    “Since Luo Ling doesn’t want to go, let’s not go. Damn, we’ve been working overtime like dogs lately, even having to go on missions on New Year’s Day. It’s so annoying.”

    Eve felt a twinge of regret. It was rare to find such a suitable mission.

    But as if remembering something, she tossed the parchment to Lu Manqing and said nonchalantly,

    “That’s right, that’s right. We’ve been slaving away for the Company for so long, without a single day off. Damn this shitty Company, to hell with it!”

    “To hell with it, then. Why are you throwing this at me? I’m not the captain.”

    Lu Manqing stuffed the parchment back into Eve’s hands, grumbling, “Besides, our dear Captain Eve, it was you who forced us to work overtime on New Year’s Day.”

    “Because I worked overtime on Christmas, which is equivalent to your Eastern New Year, so you have to work overtime too. Otherwise, I’d feel very unbalanced!” Eve angrily punched the air, a slight whooshing sound echoing.

    “Oh, you feel unbalanced, do you?”

    Cen Xiangyun sneered, extending her hands, a thin layer of frost covering them. She then suddenly reached behind Eve’s neck, sliding her hands down inside her clothes.

    “Yahh!”

    The usually cool and collected Iron Fist maid let out a cute, surprised yelp, scrambling to remove Cen Xiangyun’s mischievous hands.

    But Lu Manqing didn’t hold back, a sly smile on her face. Her nimble fingers reached Eve’s armpits, making teasing sounds as she relentlessly probed Eve’s weakest points.

    A chaotic commotion ensued, interspersed with the girls’ laughter. After a while, the apartment finally returned to peace.

    Luo Ling still sat in her original spot, while Elsa went to make some warm tea for her rambunctious sisters.

    Eve, on the floor, was practically disheveled, with quite a bit of exposed skin, still bearing traces of frost. Her indignant face was flushed and hot, and while panting, she put Cen Xiangyun in a ground cross-face hold.

    Of course, Lu Manqing wasn’t in much better shape. Before putting Cen Xiangyun in the hold, Eve had already put Lu Manqing in a rear-naked choke for quite a while, and she was still coughing violently.

    Living up to her moniker of Iron Fist, Eve’s fighting skills were indeed strong. She wasn’t just proficient in boxing; her ground game was equally impressive.

    Looking at her teammates, Luo Ling couldn’t help but smile. But after a slight hesitation, she spoke again, “I haven’t even said why I wanted to refuse the commission.”

    “Is that important?” Cen Xiangyun replied while struggling against Eve’s hold. “If you don’t want to go, then don’t go. The reason doesn’t matter. What matters is that you don’t want to go.”

    “Don’t forget, we’re… a team…”

    Eve tightened her hold on Cen Xiangyun, attempting to drag Lu Manqing back into the fray.

    Fortunately, Lu Manqing was quite sensible and stayed far away after escaping the chokehold.

    Even without using her Judgment Path abilities, Eve’s physical prowess and close-combat skills far surpassed those of Cen Xiangyun (Elemental) and Lu Manqing (Myriad).

    “……”

    After a moment of silence, Luo Ling smiled and said,

    “Right.”

    Although they didn’t know much, they knew one word: “trust.”

    Trusting close teammates.

    Even if Luo Ling didn’t explain the specific reason, it was still the same.

    So…

    “This feeling… seems quite nice.”

    Luo Ling stood up and walked towards the girls wrestling on the floor.

    “Hot tea is here, sisters, come… Ahhh!”

    Elsa, carrying a large pot of hot tea, entered the living room and was instantly startled, nearly dropping the pot.

    Luo Ling had forcefully locked Eve’s arms from behind. Even with her superior ground game, Eve couldn’t do anything in this situation.

    Taking advantage of the opportunity, Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing began to take liberties with Eve, and an even more chaotic scene unfolded, frightening young Elsa.

    “You… hahahaha… bastards… hahahahaha…”

    “Bas… hahaha… tards!”

    ………

    The next morning.

    As the first light of dawn touched the horizon, the clock on the wall pointed precisely at six o’clock.

    Elsa, now firmly rooted in Luo Ling’s bed, sleepily stretched but didn’t feel the familiar soft body beside her.

    She instantly woke up, groping around before finally spotting a figure sitting at the desk nearby from the corner of her eye.

    “Oh, Miss Luo Ling, really, why are you sleeping out here again…”

    Elsa mumbled, then rustled the covers.

    “I didn’t sleep out here.”

    As if startled by the sound Elsa made, Luo Ling in the chair turned around, calmly looking at the surprised Elsa.

    “Ah, is that so? But Miss Luo Ling, you’re up so early today? Even if you’re going out, there’s no need to get up this early… The other sisters are definitely still asleep!”

    “I didn’t sleep.”

    Luo Ling turned her gaze back to the clock artifact on the desk, seemingly lost in thought.

    After last night’s commotion, the team had discussed that since they were planning to skip work, they couldn’t stay in the apartment.

    At Eve’s suggestion, they decided to go out for a rare day of fun.

    Come to think of it, since arriving in Victoria from the Boundary where Jiangcheng County was located, they hadn’t properly explored this world-famous city.

    Compared to the later Sunset Empire, Victoria in this era truly deserved to be called the light of human civilization. Even with its ignorance and shortcomings, it was far ahead of its contemporaries.

    However, due to the Company’s strict attendance and evaluation system, coupled with the unfortunate timing of the busiest Incubation Barrier incident period, the Twintails team hadn’t rested in a long time.

    Such a rare opportunity likely wouldn’t come again for a long time—because missing work once was quite detrimental, requiring a long time to make up for the lost year-end bonus.

    “Oh my, Miss Luo Ling is like a little kid, so excited about going out that she didn’t sleep all night.”

    Elsa got out of bed and walked up to Luo Ling, seriously scrutinizing her face. Only after seeing no trace of fatigue did she relax.

    Awakened Ones had different physiques. Some could stay up for several days without issue, while others had to strictly adhere to their biological clocks.

    Elsa clearly belonged to the latter category, while Miss Luo Ling seemed to be the former.

    “I feel like you’ve become like a mother hen recently, Elsa,” Luo Ling said, finding Elsa’s serious little face amusing, and pinched it.

    “Mmm, no I haven’t! I’m still very young!” Elsa pouted. “And it’s all Miss Luo Ling’s fault for being so clumsy, not even able to take care of herself.”

    “I am not.”

    “You are!” Elsa said, hands on her hips.

    However, what Elsa didn’t say was that she could vaguely sense that Miss Luo Ling seemed to enjoy being taken care of, so she was secretly trying her best, even at her young age, to become an adult who could take care of Miss Luo Ling.

    Luo Ling didn’t argue, only increasing the pressure of her fingers pinching Elsa’s face slightly.

    Just a little bit.

    As the rest of the team woke up one after another and had Elsa’s breakfast as usual, they began preparing their plans for the day.

    Eve enthusiastically planned the sights and destinations, even choosing a few restaurants—this time, she specifically chose restaurants run by the neighboring Gauls. As a local, she was well aware of the locals’ culinary skills, as even her family’s chef was from Gaul.

    Cen Xiangyun, on the other hand, set her sights on Luo Ling. She had wanted to put makeup on Luo Ling for a long time, but hadn’t found a good opportunity until today.

    Luo Ling stared intently at herself in the mirror, memorizing Cen Xiangyun’s techniques step by step. After saving this memory, she could replicate it herself later.

    Lu Manqing was fiddling with her camera. She loved taking pictures, to the point of taking group photos even during commissions. She called these “closing shots.”

    “Bingo! Done!”

    Cen Xiangyun clapped off the remaining makeup powder from her hands, proudly patting Luo Ling’s shoulder as if presenting her masterpiece.

    “Did I recognize the wrong person? Is this really… Luo Ling?” Eve feigned an exaggerated expression, her face full of disbelief. “Amazing, Xiangyun, she looks completely different from usual.”

    Lu Manqing nodded in agreement, sighing, “It’s like she’s got a different head… Oh wait, not just a different head, a different person altogether.”

    “It’s mainly because of her good foundation,” Cen Xiangyun said with a reserved smile, but the pride in her eyes couldn’t be concealed.

    “Nonsense, Miss Luo Ling has always been beautiful!” Elsa protested. Cen Xiangyun had only let down Miss Luo Ling’s usually gloomy hairstyle; nothing else had changed, right?

    “It feels… not as good as when Aunt Fiona did it,” Luo Ling said, looking at herself in the mirror and touching her chin.

    In terms of makeup skills, Aunt Fiona was still superior, although she had given her Linna’s makeup.

    However, Cen Xiangyun had deliberately used foundation to cover the faint scales on her temples and used colored contacts to conceal her dark gold eyes.

    These unusual features had previously been hidden by Luo Ling’s hair, which was why she had seemed particularly gloomy, even being described by Lu Manqing as a “wraith-like girl.”

    Now, Luo Ling finally looked like a normal adolescent girl, without the eerie and gloomy aura.

    Then, Lu Manqing produced several small yellow hats from somewhere, wanting everyone in the team to wear them. It was only after Cen Xiangyun’s desperate resistance that they avoided transforming from a group of shopping buddies into elementary school students on a field trip.

    By the time they were ready, the sun was already high in the sky. When the team stepped out of the apartment, the direct sunlight made their shadows almost imperceptible.

    “First stop, Gaulish cuisine!”

    Eve said, wiping a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth as she consulted her travel guide.

    She hadn’t had a decent meal in a long time. The chefs at Wellington Manor had all gone out on commissions, and the replacements hired were locals who made food unfit for even dogs.

    However…

    Just as they had taken a few steps from the apartment, the originally bright sky suddenly darkened, quickly becoming as dim as night.

    “Ah, is it going to rain? The forecast clearly said it would be clear skies!” Cen Xiangyun frowned slightly. “That damn forecaster, Bert, probably slacked off and didn’t use his abilities to check again.”

    “No, this doesn’t look like rain.”

    Lu Manqing pointed her camera at the sky, taking several pictures before examining them.

    At the same time, Luo Ling also noticed the anomaly in the sky, saying gravely,

    “There are… no clouds.”

    Not only were there no dark clouds, there weren’t any clouds at all.

    As if splashed with thick ink, the entire sky was stained with darkness, even the sun was no exception, slowly being swallowed by the eerie gloom.

    “What’s going on?”

    Eve said, her face panicked. For some reason, she felt a deep unease, a sense of being exposed to some unknown, terrifying danger.

    “It’s… an Incubation Barrier.”

    Elsa, with her most sensitive perception, directly confirmed the answer everyone had already suspected.

    The reason Elsa had always fainted in Incubation Barriers before was her overly sensitive perception. After this period of training, she had overcome this, even able to detect Incubation Barriers earlier than Luo Ling.

    “…I didn’t expect it to come so quickly,” Luo Ling sighed softly.

    At that moment, a sword glint flashed from the shadows, striking at the team with lightning speed.

    But… the target wasn’t Luo Ling.

    A sword tip burst from Eve’s chest, twisting and churning, tearing her heart apart.

    Half of a blood-stained travel guide fluttered to the ground, followed by a gush of blood and a thud.

    Eve slowly collapsed in a pool of blood.

    A beautiful, vivid flower of blood bloomed on her chest, like a thorny red rose.

  • Malicious Female Lead’s Guide to Causing Trouble [Quick Transmigration] 58p2

    Chapter Fifty-Eight p2

    Bo Chi was tortured by her own words, and even dreamed of ambiguous scenes when she slept at night. After waking up from the pleasure, she saw that the room was quiet and empty, without the familiar warm body beside her, and the loneliness made her feel a great sense of loss.

    She was silent for a moment, loneliness welling up in her heart, and suddenly sat up from the bed, and found the clothes Yu Zhao had worn in the closet.

    When she was wrapped in the clothes, she felt like she was back in Yu Zhao’s arms. Smelling the faint scent of perfume, her cheeks became redder and redder. Finally, she closed her eyes, imagining her wandering fingers as Yu Zhao’s comfort.

    The loneliness of being alone lingered for a long time, and Bo Chi always felt that something was missing.

    She bit her lip, and a thought arose in her heart – Since Yu Zhao would come back to torment her anyway, why not make a big fuss?

    Thinking of this, she immediately had no more worries, opened her phone, found Yu Zhao, and typed with watery eyes: [You can only listen to the following voice message alone with headphones.]

    After sending it, her eyes were slightly red, her breathing light and rapid as she pressed the voice message button, and in the quiet night, she whispered charmingly: “Mmm… Ah Zhao…“

    It rained at night, and the rain nourished the flowers, making them look even more delicate and charming.

    The assistant came to report to CEO Bo as usual in the morning. But after finishing speaking, she couldn’t help but say worriedly: “CEO Bo, do you have a cold? Your cheeks look so red.“

    Bo Chi was stunned, glanced at the phone beside her, and even the tips of her ears turned pink this time.

    She shook her head, and pretended to be calm: “It’s nothing, you can go down first.”

    The assistant could only leave obediently.

    When only Bo Chi was left in the office, she immediately covered her face and sighed: “I must have been possessed last night, right? Doing it secretly is fine, but why did I have to send it to Yu Zhao!“

    God knows how confused she was when she was woken up by the phone vibrating early in the morning, how ashamed she was when she saw the message from Yu Zhao, and the more she recalled everything last night, the more she wanted to find a hole to hide in.

    It was just being separated from Yu Zhao for a while, how could she be so useless!!

    Bo Chi was frustrated with herself, holding her head and whimpering in the office.

    After a while, the assistant pushed the door open and came in with hurried steps. Seeing her like this, she immediately stopped and her words were stuck in her throat.

    Their eyes met, and the assistant subconsciously closed the door and started knocking again.

    Bo Chi reacted very quickly, sat up straight, and said coldly: “Come in.“

    The assistant walked in without looking sideways, and spoke as if nothing had happened, seriously: “CEO Bo, Tai’an Hospital just called and said that the patient in the bed you paid for suddenly had an accelerated heart rate and high blood pressure, and they need your consent to perform emergency surgery.“

    Tai’an Hospital? Patient?

    Bo Chi slowly remembered that this was Yu Zhao’s director, and she said hurriedly: “I agree, you tell them to perform the surgery quickly, no matter what, they must save her!“

    After the assistant obediently followed her instructions, she noticed something unusual, and frowned: “Yu Zhao said some time ago that the director’s condition was stable, and she only needed to recuperate slowly to be discharged. Why did it suddenly worsen? What did the hospital say?“

    The assistant said seriously: “The hospital said that it was caused by some kind of stimulation. According to my investigation, this matter should be related to Miss Tao Su – before the old lady’s accident, Miss Tao Su somehow found the hospital, entered the ward, and chatted with the old lady for half an hour. Not long after she left, the nurse found that the old lady’s condition was not right, and called urgently.“

    “Tao Su?” Bo Chi’s fingers holding the pen turned white, and her expression was cold: “It’s her again… That’s right, she knows Yu Zhao after all. If she wants revenge, she can easily find Yu Zhao’s weakness.“

    But she shouldn’t have touched the director.

    Yu Zhao was loyal and valued relationships. The director had shown her kindness, so she treated her as a relative, and would rather sell herself to raise money for the old director’s treatment.

    If she knew about this…

    No, no way.

    She couldn’t let Yu Zhao know!

    Bo Chi quickly reacted and said to the assistant: “Keep this matter a secret, don’t let Yu Zhao know until she finishes filming and leaves the crew.“

    While giving instructions, she put down the documents and stood up, and said: “The ten o’clock meeting is canceled, drive to the hospital first.“

    Bo Chi temporarily put aside Tao Su, and came to the operating room to wait.

    This wait lasted for two hours. When the light on the operating room went off, she slowly came back to her senses, hurriedly stepped forward and asked: “Doctor, how is the patient?“

    The doctor was wearing a mask, and his voice was a little muffled: “The old lady was recovering well before, this time it was caused by a drastic change in her mood that triggered the deterioration of other organs. Now that the surgery is over, her condition has stabilized. As long as she recuperates well, there won’t be any problems.“

    Bo Chi breathed a sigh of relief.

    Seeing this, the assistant quickly took out a wet wipe and handed it to her.

    Bo Chi took it and wiped the cold sweat on her forehead, and followed the gurney back to the ward.

    The nurses changed the IV drip, gave them a few instructions, and left.

    Bo Chi smoothed the old lady’s messy hair, and only then did she have the energy to deal with other matters: “Where is Tao Su now?“

    The assistant flipped through the documents: “Ever since Miss Tao stole the orphanage’s money and fabricated evidence that she was born into a wealthy family, her reputation has plummeted, and the nickname ‘Little Jade Girl’ has been shattered. Although she hasn’t been banned, no one is looking for her to cooperate anymore. And her recent whereabouts were that she came to the hospital a few days ago, other than that, she has been staying at home and hasn’t left.“

    Bo Chi suppressed her anger and said: “Find a lawyer, and sue her for stealing – forget it, you keep an eye on her first.“

    Yu Zhao hadn’t come back yet, and Bo Chi was worried that if she finished everything, Yu Zhao would have nowhere to vent her anger. Besides, the director was also Yu Zhao’s relative, so it seemed more appropriate for Yu Zhao to do it herself.

    Thinking of this, Bo Chi reluctantly suppressed her anger, and snorted coldly: “Don’t touch her yet, just keep an eye on her, and send a few people to read the online comments scolding her in front of her house every day, focusing on the words of those who have unfollowed her. I want to make her so angry that she can’t eat!“

    Assistant: “…Isn’t this a bit too much?“

    Bo Chi sneered: “Is it her who pays your salary, or me?“

    The assistant immediately stood up straight, and said seriously: “I’ll arrange for people to scold her! I’ll make sure she breaks down!“

    Bo Chi’s face looked better, and she continued to take care of the director.

    After a while, the anesthesia wore off, and the director opened her eyes in a daze. When she saw Bo Chi, her eyes were unfocused, and she said: “Zhao Zhao, is that Zhao Zhao? Why have you suddenly grown up so much? Ah? Do you want candy? Grandma will take you to buy it, take you to buy it…“

    She was clearly not fully awake yet, holding Bo Chi’s hand and muttering.

    Bo Chi listened quietly, responding from time to time. After a long time, the director’s eyes gradually became clear, and she said uncertainly: “You, you are…“

    Bo Chi thought for a while, and said tactfully: “I’m Yu Zhao’s good friend. I heard that something happened to you, so I came to the hospital to see you.“

    The director stared at her for a while, and said softly: “You don’t need to lie to me, you’re actually Zhao Zhao’s…“

    She probably felt it was difficult to say, and paused for a long time before adding: “Zhao Zhao’s sponsor, right?… Su Su has already told me about you. It’s this old woman who’s dragging Zhao Zhao down. If it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t have lowered herself to such an extent… Sponsor, Miss, I know we took your money, we owe you, but Zhao Zhao is really a good child, can you, can you not make things difficult for her…“

    Bo Chi immediately understood why the old lady was so angry that she fell ill. She rubbed her temples, and mentally added another mark against Tao Su, and then said seriously: “Director, you misunderstand, Yu Zhao and I are in a loving relationship, it’s not about being a sponsor or anything!“

    The director clearly didn’t believe it, and said hesitantly: “But Su Su, Su Su said…“

    Bo Chi curled her lips in her heart, thinking It’s precisely because she said it that it’s not credible.

    However, Bo Chi knew that the director was a kind old lady, and wouldn’t think that the children would do anything bad, so she interrupted: “If you don’t believe me, I’ll call Yu Zhao and let her tell you herself.“

    The director hurriedly waved her hand and refused: “Zhao Zhao is at work, right? How can she answer the phone at work? What if her boss sees it and punishes her?“

    Bo Chi thought so too, and nodded: “Then I’ll call her boss and see if she’s free now.“

    Director: “???”

    Bo Chi really called Director Wei. Director Wei didn’t recognize her at first, but after realizing that she was the girl who came to the audition that day, he immediately broke out in a cold sweat, recalling whether he had said anything wrong, and said decisively: “She’s free, she’s free, we’re filming the second female lead’s scenes now, I’ll call Yu Zhao over for you right away?“

    Bo Chi turned on the speakerphone, smiled at the director, and then lowered her head and said: “No need, I’ll call her directly.”

    While redialing, Bo Chi talked to the director for a while. Halfway through, the call connected. Before Bo Chi could speak, Yu Zhao spoke first, her voice low and hoarse, the end of her words seductive: “Why are you calling me at this time? Could it be… you want it?“

    Bo Chi: “…”

    Director: “…”

    The strange silence made Yu Zhao on the other end of the phone sense something was wrong, and after a while, she asked tentatively: “You’re not calling me from the office? Are there other people around?“

    Bo Chi suppressed a smile: “I came to the hospital to visit Director, she said she missed you a little, so I called you.“

    Yu Zhao was silent for a long time, and coughed lightly: “It’s okay, Director is old, and her ears are not good, she definitely didn’t hear it.“

    What could the director say? She could only smile, shake her head helplessly, and say: “I heard from Xiao Bo that you two are in a relationship now?“

    Although she used a questioning tone, the director had already gotten the answer in her heart after listening to their intimate conversation.

    And Yu Zhao’s unhesitating answer reassured her even more: “Yes, Chi-Chi and I are in a relationship.“

    The director was relieved.

    Between ‘the child I treated as my granddaughter sold her body’ and ‘the two children are in a loving relationship’, the latter was undoubtedly more acceptable to her.

    As for their gender, that was secondary.

  • A Girl Dies Every Day in Her Dream Life 156

    Chapter 156: The Other Side of the Little Princess, Good Sister and Good Little Sister

    Upon hearing these words, the entire hall was in an uproar.

    The young talents didn’t understand what was happening, but the lords and nobles were surprised.

    This Miss Xiao Mian… was so generous?

    Like the Sixth Prince, they subconsciously assumed that Nangong Mian was offering a drop of her blood essence.

    Although the Desolate Extinction Scripture she cultivated wasn’t much different from other body tempering techniques before Core Formation, except for its higher resource consumption, it was still the blood essence of a body cultivator… equivalent to the most valuable treasure at this level.

    However, the Sixth Prince, knowing the truth, could only remain silent. Who would have thought that Nangong Mian was just offering ordinary blood…

    After speaking, Nangong Mian took out a short sword and cut her palm.

    Then, she clenched her fist, and blood dripped down, falling into a small bottle.

    Countless eyes watched, but she continued unfazed, ignoring the increasingly strange gazes around her.

    Finally, after filling the bottle, Nangong Mian handed it to the court attendant.

    Then, she looked at the attendant expectantly, waiting for a return gift.

    “That’s… it?”

    The lords and nobles were shocked again.

    This wasn’t blood essence… This ordinary, dull-colored blood was just… ordinary blood!

    A body cultivator’s powerful regenerative ability meant a strong ability to produce blood. This ordinary blood was practically inexhaustible and therefore didn’t contain much power.

    Let alone its value… even if it was stored, it would probably spoil.

    The court attendant was experienced, but he had never seen such a thing before.

    He stood there dumbfounded, holding the bottle, thinking it wasn’t over yet.

    The Sixth Prince felt incredibly embarrassed and could only sigh, taking out a jade pendant and handing it to the attendant along with the bottle.

    “This is a protective jade pendant, capable of withstanding a single attack from a Soul Transformation cultivator. In a critical moment, it might save the little princess’s life.”

    “Oh…”

    The attendant hurriedly took the jade pendant, thinking inwardly that this was a true treasure.

    Being able to withstand a Soul Transformation cultivator’s attack wasn’t unusual, but if even an ordinary person could use it… that was truly rare.

    In everyone’s eyes, the little princess hadn’t embarked on the path of cultivation, so the gifts given to her couldn’t be something that only cultivators could use.

    As for Nangong Mian’s blood from the Desolate Extinction Scripture, the attendant could only accept it with a wry smile, considering it a small addition.

    However, under Nangong Mian’s expectant gaze, the attendant still took out a return gift and respectfully handed it to her.

    “Yay, how nice!”

    Nangong Mian happily accepted the gift, while the Sixth Prince covered his face.

    This small incident didn’t attract Luo Xue’s attention, as she was currently focused on the food before her.

    These were rare delicacies that could nourish her meridians, something she hadn’t seen much of even in the Peerless Summit Sect. She couldn’t miss this opportunity.

    She ate gracefully and properly, but under the etiquette official’s incredulous gaze, she almost swept the table clean.

    “When did Her Highness develop such an appetite?”

    “Well, a good appetite isn’t a bad thing.”

    However, the etiquette official naturally noticed this small episode at the banquet.

    But like the Sixth Prince, she couldn’t do anything about Nangong Mian and could only sigh.

    But then she remembered that Nangong Mian was the person the little princess liked… and she wanted to sigh even more.

    How could Her Highness like such a person?

    No, she had to change the princess’s impression of Nangong Mian.

    The etiquette official pondered for a moment, then said,

    “Your Highness, the gift Nangong Mian gave you… seems a bit special.”

    “Hmm?” Luo Xue looked up. “How is it special?”

    She remembered Nangong Mian, the one who cultivated the same technique as Nangong Mengxiang, just hadn’t formed her core yet.

    Luo Xue’s interest in Nangong Mian was entirely because of Nangong Mengxiang, not because of the etiquette official’s assumptions.

    “It’s… a bottle of her blood.” The etiquette official said. “Ordinary blood.”

    “Huh?”

    Luo Xue was stunned.

    This gift… felt a bit familiar.

    She seemed to have given someone her blood too… Senior Sister Li. Ahem, also ordinary blood.

    Luo Xue still felt guilty about this. She hadn’t known that the potency of her Calamity Poison Body blood would disappear shortly after leaving her body, yet she had confidently told Senior Sister Li that it could be used for a surprise attack.

    “She just gave it perfunctorily for the sake of the imperial family’s return gift…”

    The etiquette official started to subtly badmouth Nangong Mian, trying to make Luo Xue dislike her and give up on her inappropriate affection.

    “It’s… not entirely perfunctory… it’s a bit thoughtful?”

    Luo Xue, who had done the same thing, stammered, her gaze flickering with guilt.

    If she said Nangong Mian’s action was bad, it would be like criticizing herself…

    Hearing Luo Xue’s words and seeing her expression, the etiquette official thought, oh no, the little princess has truly fallen in love.

    She could even tolerate such behavior…

    Just as the etiquette official was racking her brains, trying to continue badmouthing Nangong Mian and bring the little princess back on track, Luo Xue suddenly said,

    “By the way, Madam, can I… meet her?”

    After the etiquette official’s words, and considering the possible connection with Nangong Mengxiang, Luo Xue was finally a bit interested in Nangong Mian.

    “This…”

    The etiquette official’s face paled, and she looked towards the Empress as if seeking help.

    But there was no response from the purple mist, still silent.

    The etiquette official could only sigh inwardly and say,

    “Since it is Your Highness’s command, this old servant naturally won’t stop you… Of course, you can.”

    She gave a look to the nearby court attendant, who immediately announced in a shrill voice,

    “Summon Nangong Mian, Her Highness Princess Xue requests her presence!”

    This instantly attracted everyone’s attention, and Princess Xue sat dignifiedly, a faint smile in her eyes as she looked at Nangong Mian.

    What… was going on?

    The young talents were in turmoil. They had thought that if the princess took a fancy to any of them, she would summon them for a private conversation.

    They had all been waiting for this lucky opportunity, but they hadn’t expected… it would be Nangong Mian?!

    Although Mian Wudi’s behavior was rough and her personality unpleasant, worse than most male cultivators, completely lacking the gentleness of a woman… she was still a woman!

    Could it be that Princess Xue actually…

    Unlike the others, Nangong Mian didn’t think so.

    She thought, oh no, the little princess must have remembered her giving ordinary blood as a gift. This was… punishment!

    The Sixth Prince frowned slightly and looked towards Luo Xue and the etiquette official.

    Seeing the etiquette official’s mournful expression, he couldn’t understand what was happening.

    “Can I… not go…”

    Nangong Mian whispered.

    “What do you think?”

    The Sixth Prince had a headache, suddenly regretting bringing Nangong Mian here.

    No, if he hadn’t brought her, the Foundation Establishment disciples in the clan would have jointly petitioned.

    “Fine.” Nangong Mian reluctantly stood up and gritted her teeth. “But if they want me to return the gift, I absolutely won’t!”

    Sixth Prince: “…”

    Do you think everyone is like you…

    After some hesitation, Nangong Mian, with a nervous heart, followed the court attendant towards Princess Xue’s curtain.

    “Your Highness, Miss Nangong Mian has arrived.”

    “You may leave now.”

    Luo Xue sat properly, carefully examining Nangong Mian.

    She didn’t look like Nangong Mengxiang at all, but Nangong Mengxiang was just an adopted orphan, so she couldn’t be her sister or anything.

    After entering the curtained area, Nangong Mian also secretly observed Luo Xue.

    This was her first time seeing Luo Xue up close. Although she had called her “Xue Meimei” earlier, it was just to provoke the lords and nobles.

    This naturally silver-white hair was truly beautiful…

    The two looked at each other for a moment, then both averted their gazes slightly, a bit embarrassed.

    This scene, in the eyes of the etiquette official, made her heart sink…

    How could they… be attracted to each other?

    “Madam,” Luo Xue suddenly said, “I would like to talk to Miss Nangong alone, is that alright?”

    Luo Xue wanted to ask about the origin of her cultivation technique, and it wasn’t convenient with outsiders present.

    The etiquette official’s face paled, but after a moment of hesitation, she nodded with difficulty.

    “Please take your time, Your Highness. This old servant will go and prepare other matters.”

    She looked back with unconcealed worry in her eyes.

    “…What’s wrong with Madam?”

    Nangong Mian, seeing the etiquette official’s strange expression, was confused.

    “I don’t know, perhaps she’s not feeling well.” Luo Xue replied casually, then looked at Nangong Mian. “Please sit down. There are some things I want to ask you privately.”

    “What is it?” Nangong Mian sat down, then as if remembering something, immediately stood up and crossed her arms. “You can’t ask for the gift back!”

    “…What are you talking about?”

    Luo Xue raised an eyebrow slightly. This Nangong Mian seemed different from her earlier impression…

    “Oh, you’re not here for the gift?” Nangong Mian breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down. “Ask away, Your Highness. I’ll answer anything.”

    “Is the Introduction to Body Tempering technique very common? Or is it a secret technique of the Nangong clan?” Luo Xue asked.

    Since Nangong Mengxiang had told her that the technique she cultivated was the Introduction to Body Tempering given to her by True Person Fengyin, Luo Xue had always thought it was a basic technique, but she hadn’t seen any other body cultivators using it.

    “Introduction to Body Tempering… I’ve never heard of such a technique. Perhaps it exists, but it should only be cultivated by first or second-rate sects.” Nangong Mian puffed out her chest proudly. “I’m different. I cultivate the Desolate Extinction Scripture, a technique that only appears once every ten thousand years…”

    Before Nangong Mian could finish boasting, Luo Xue interrupted with a strange expression.

    “Aren’t you cultivating the Introduction to Body Tempering?”

    “Huh… how could I…” Nangong Mian was stunned. “I… how could I possibly… I cultivate the Desolate Extinction Scripture, the inherited technique of the Nangong clan, a technique that only one person is qualified to cultivate every ten thousand years! How could it be a beginner’s technique…”

    Nangong Mian’s personality was quite arrogant, and seeing Luo Xue’s doubtful gaze, she added,

    “You can go out and ask, what beginner’s…”

    “Don’t worry, I’m just asking.” Luo Xue said.

    “Oh…”

    Nangong Mian suddenly realized that the person before her was the little princess and quickly restrained herself.

    Although she wasn’t afraid of anything, she was still afraid of the Empress…

    The little princess seemed to be under the Empress’s protection, so she couldn’t act recklessly.

    “It seems my earlier guess was correct…”

    Luo Xue pondered for a moment, her expression thoughtful.

    This world… should be the legendary, sealed Ancient Demon Lands.

    Although not within the nine provinces and four domains, it had a deep connection with that world.

    And it could finally be confirmed that the geniuses of this world were generally much stronger than those of the nine provinces and four domains, and the spiritual energy here was much purer.

    Nangong Mian was only about twenty years old, cultivating the slow-progressing body cultivation technique, yet she had already reached the peak of Foundation Establishment.

    —Of course, if Luo Xue knew that the resources Nangong Mian had consumed so far were enough for more than a hundred cultivators to reach the peak of Foundation Establishment, she wouldn’t think so.

    However, what was strange was that in her previous two lives, she hadn’t had parents, but now she was an imperial princess… how strange.

    Seeing Luo Xue lost in thought, Nangong Mian didn’t disturb her, just sat there, looking around out of boredom.

    But after a while, her gaze returned to the little princess.

    “Strange… why did the little princess seem so cute before, but now, when she’s thinking, she seems so mature…”

    After staring at Luo Xue for a while, Luo Xue finally came back to her senses, blinked, and smiled.

    “Sister Nangong, what’s wrong?”

    The cute feeling was back…

    “No-, nothing… ah, you called me Sister Nangong?” Nangong Mian was surprised. “I… I might not be worthy of such an address…”

    She glanced at the Empress. Within the entire Nangong clan, the person she feared the most was this old… ahem, she didn’t dare to think further.

    “Didn’t you just call me Xue Meimei?” Luo Xue’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “Or… Sister Mian?”

    “Hiss…”

    This soft and sweet “Sister” almost made Nangong Mian swoon.

    No one had ever called her that before. The younger members of her clan were all terrified of her, calling her Mian Wudi, or even Demon King Mian.

    —-

    Wudi (武帝)-meaning “Martial Emperor.” Is a Chinese term that can refer to a posthumous title for a Han dynasty emperor, this nickname is because of his nearly continual wars to extend China’s boundaries

  • As a villain, I just want them to behave 243

    Chapter 243: No Need

    Poor Paul was once again toyed with by Kailun.

    Although he had doubts about the Pope’s identity, he didn’t connect her to Kailun.

    After accepting Kailun’s task, Paul immediately left the hall. Kailun hadn’t given him much time to prepare.

    Taking advantage of the remaining time, Kailun met privately with some easily manipulated Cardinals. After confirming their intentions, he put his new plan into action.

    Now, the Temple not only had a huge power vacuum but also accumulated a great deal of internal conflict.

    Some were eager to fill the vacant positions, some wanted to eliminate their rivals and rise higher, and some had their eyes on Paul, intending to “devour” him.

    The Temple was on the verge of collapse, just a spark away from igniting the bomb Kailun had planted.

    And Kailun had already lit that spark.

    He also received a magic letter from the old Dragon King, Bolton, who informed him that the secret construction of the teleportation magic circle was almost complete.

    Now, the Xiya Kingdom, the Abyss, and Alaye were connected, further expanding Kailun’s advantage.

    Only the White Jade Alliance and the Empire remained outside his control. In a way, he had conquered half the world in just a few months, an astonishing speed.

    Another day passed, and the Temple was like a pot of boiling oil, any disturbance could cause it to boil over.

    Kailun, moving within the Temple, became busy, which gave Pope Meggie Liran an opportunity.

    After more than a day of “guidance,” she believed that Chrissy had shown significant improvement, gradually recognizing Kailun’s “evil” nature.

    This was excellent news for Meggie Liran. At this rate, in a few more days, she would be able to further purify Chrissy’s corrupted heart.

    But time was of the essence. She didn’t have enough time to slowly persuade her.

    Last night, Meggie Liran learned from Chrissy that Kailun would be leaving today, and Afra would most likely accompany him.

    This meant that only Chrissy and Helena would be guarding her.

    Speaking of Helena, Meggie Liran recalled her strange and terrifying power. She couldn’t understand why Helena had become so strong.

    This power definitely didn’t belong to Helena herself. It must be related to Kailun. Now that Kailun was gone, would Helena still possess that power?

    Meggie Liran decided to gamble. This was her last chance.

    If she waited for Kailun to return after completing his tasks, she could only hope that the Empress would eliminate him, and then… she would have to face the Empress’s purge.

    Since she had to gamble anyway, she preferred to take the initiative.

    “Chrissy, let’s escape together. This is our best chance.”

    Meggie Liran’s voice was laced with a hint of pleading.

    Being forceful wouldn’t sway Chrissy. She decided to use a different approach, appealing to her emotions.

    “But… even if I take you out of this room, what then? Kailun’s people are everywhere. He controls everything.”

    Chrissy shook her head, her face filled with worry. “Moreover, Kailun is incredibly cunning. He won’t give us any chance. There might even be other traps waiting for us. I don’t dare, I really don’t dare.”

    Chrissy’s acting skills were on full display, further solidifying her persona.

    Meggie Liran held Chrissy’s shoulders, trying to calm her down. “Don’t be afraid. Even the wisest make mistakes. Kailun isn’t a god. He can’t foresee everything. There’s a secret passage under the Papal Palace, connected to a hidden teleportation magic circle that can take us far away from Alaye. As long as we can get away from Kailun, we’ll have a chance to start over.”

    Every Pope would leave behind several backup plans, and secret passages were a common practice.

    But many of her plans were useless against Kailun. To enter the secret passage, she needed Chrissy’s help.

    Chrissy asked, “Are you planning to make a comeback?”

    Meggie Liran shook her head. “I had that thought, but it’s incredibly difficult. Without the Temple’s power, I can’t overthrow Kailun’s forces. All we can do is watch him and the Empress fight each other to the death. Kailun is strong, but the Empress also has many tricks up her sleeve. It’s still uncertain who will win.”

    Thinking back, she had missed many details. The Empress must know many secrets.

    “Oh, so that’s your plan.” Chrissy’s eyes flickered.

    “So let’s leave now, okay? Please, my Chrissy…”

    Meggie Liran shook Chrissy’s shoulders.

    Chrissy quickly put on a conflicted expression. “I’m sorry, I don’t dare. I don’t dare to defy him. How about this, I’ll take you to the entrance of the passage. You can go on your own. I’ll stay behind and stall Kailun. If he wants to punish someone, he can just punish me.”

    Seeing that Meggie Liran wanted to say something, Chrissy continued, “Don’t try to persuade me anymore. My mind is made up. I won’t change it.”

    “Why? Why? What kind of spell did Kailun cast on you?”

    Meggie Liran let go of Chrissy’s shoulders and turned away, her back facing her. “Since you’ve made up your mind, I won’t force you. Forget it.”

    She sighed softly, pretending to give up.

    In fact, she had already decided to trick Chrissy. They could talk about the rest later. The most important thing was to escape this hellhole. Once they reached the secret passage, they would be much safer.

    “Thank you for your understanding. I’ll go and prepare. Wait for me.” Chrissy smiled at Meggie Liran and left the room.

    “Sigh…”

    After Chrissy left, Meggie Liran sat on the chair and sighed.

    Life was hard and bitter. She was only in her twenties, but she had already experienced the vicissitudes of life.

    In just a few months, she had experienced separation, betrayal, and usurpation… Now, she was just a prisoner.

    Damn Kailun, he deserved to die!

    Ten minutes later, Chrissy returned, carrying a small suitcase.

    “This is the luggage I prepared for you. There’s a thousand gold coins, a few scrolls, and some daily necessities. I hope you can start a new life after you leave. Please don’t come back. There won’t be a second chance like this. As for me… please forget about me.”

    Chrissy handed the heavy suitcase to Meggie Liran and lowered her head.

    Meggie Liran looked at the suitcase in her hand, her heart heavy. She whispered, “I told you not to use honorifics. You can call me by my name, or you can call me ‘Mother.’ Although there’s not much difference in our age, I adopted you to train you as my successor. Perhaps it was for fun at first, but I became genuinely invested later. So it’s not wrong for you to call me ‘Mother.’”

    Hearing these words, Chrissy’s heart skipped a beat. If it weren’t for Kailun’s deep influence, she might have wavered.

    She shook her head firmly. “No, that would be too disrespectful. Let’s leave first. I heard that Kailun might be coming back soon. We won’t have time if we wait any longer.”

    She quickly took out a bunch of keys and handed them to Meggie Liran. “One of these keys can unlock your slave collar. We can try it on the way.”

    After saying that, Chrissy deactivated the magic sealing the room and led Meggie Liran towards the entrance of the so-called secret passage.

    Along the way, Chrissy skillfully avoided all the guards, narrowly dodging Illusion’s search.

    After more than half an hour, they finally reached the secret passage beneath the Papal Palace.

    “I think this is where we say goodbye.”

    Chrissy looked at the narrow passage with a forced smile.

    Her emotions were complex. Now that they were at this point, it was hard to make a decision.

    Knowing that the Pope truly cared about her, even she hesitated.

    Kailun’s position in her heart was undoubtedly above everything else, but Meggie Liran was also very important to her.

    She suddenly understood what Kailun had told her before.

    Before assigning her the task, he had said, “If you can’t choose, then do nothing.”

    Kailun had anticipated the possibility of Chrissy’s change of heart, so he had made preparations for Meggie Liran’s escape.

    The destination of the teleportation magic circle had been altered, and Afra would be waiting there.

    Being a villain was his specialty. He was used to it.

    “No rush. We still have a few minutes. Stay and chat with me.”

    Meggie Liran unlocked her slave collar, her strength returning to normal.

    She was ready to knock Chrissy unconscious.

    “Alright.”

    Chrissy glanced behind her and asked, “By the way, can you tell me about the history of the Temple? Like its origins, and its connection to Fate?”

    Meggie Liran: “I didn’t expect you to be interested in these things. There’s nothing I can’t tell you now. I’ll tell you everything you want to know. According to the Temple’s records, Fate is the origin of the Temple. She created it to collect something. But after the great war ten thousand years ago, she disappeared. No one knows where she went or if she’s still alive…”

    Chrissy listened to Meggie Liran’s narration, gathering information.

    Between Kailun and Meggie Liran, she chose Kailun.

    ‘I’m sorry, Mother.’

    Chrissy apologized silently in her heart.

    “Strange, why is the mana transfer so slow?”

    A few minutes later, they arrived at the teleportation magic circle. Meggie Liran opened the wooden box containing magic crystals and poured them all into the magic circle.

    Strangely, the mana transfer, which usually took only ten seconds, now took a full minute to show any effect. At this rate, it would take at least five more minutes.

    “Is there a problem?” Chrissy asked, feigning ignorance.

    “It’s nothing, just a minor issue. It’ll be fine soon.”

    Meggie Liran inconspicuously moved closer to Chrissy. Just as she was about to knock her unconscious, she suddenly heard a noise.

    “Who’s there?!”

    Meggie Liran looked back and saw a pair of green eyes gleaming in the darkness.

    “Pell? Why are you here?” Meggie Liran’s eyes widened in surprise.

    Helena played with the dagger in her hand. “Is it strange for me to be here, Your Holiness? I patrol every hour. I didn’t expect you to actually escape. So, did you convince Chrissy?”

    Meggie Liran jumped off the magic circle and walked ten meters towards Helena. Without looking back, she instructed Chrissy, “Chrissy, please help me transfer the mana. I’ll deal with Pell.”

    She sensed that Helena was quite strong, almost as strong as herself. She had miscalculated.

    Chrissy replied, “Okay.”

    After receiving Chrissy’s confirmation, Meggie Liran focused all her attention on Helena.

    Helena: “I’m sorry, former Pope. You probably can’t escape without defeating me. Even if I can’t defeat you, I can stall you until Lord Kailun arrives. Do you regret it now?”

    Meggie Liran smiled. “You’re wrong. Even if I can’t escape, I can buy time for Chrissy. I’d rather she escape this hellhole than escape myself.”

    Helena chuckled. “You might be disappointed. The truth is often cruel.”

    She charged towards Meggie Liran, and they quickly engaged in battle.

    Chrissy, standing by the magic circle, watched their fight while playing with a magic crystal.

    As Kailun had instructed, she would betray Meggie Liran in the most profound way.

    But…

    A few more minutes passed, and the teleportation magic circle was ready. This type of single-use circle could only be activated once.

    Meggie Liran, fighting fiercely, spoke up, “Chrissy, you go. I’ll hold Helena back for you. I hope you can have your own life in the future, that you’ll remember me, not that bastard Kailun. I believe you can remove his mark. I believe you…”

    ‘I’m sorry, I can’t.’

    Looking at Meggie Liran, who was protecting her, Chrissy’s eyes filled with sadness.

    She took out the fruit knife she had been hiding and walked towards Meggie Liran.

    According to the plan, she would deliver the crucial blow.

    But for some reason, her heart, which had been dead and numb, capable of reacting only to extreme stimuli, suddenly twitched.

    Just as she gritted her teeth, ready to strike, a figure in a black robe flew from behind Helena and landed between her and Meggie Liran.

    “Too bad, I still arrived too early.”

    Kailun smiled at Meggie Liran and then knocked her unconscious with a simple hand chop. The difference in their strength was evident.

    Chrissy, standing behind Meggie Liran, caught the unconscious Pope. She looked at Kailun with confusion. “Why? Shouldn’t I be the one to do it?”

    Kailun shrugged nonchalantly. “I thought about it and decided there was no need. Take her back. I have other things to do. I’ll be going now.”

    Kailun waved to Chrissy without turning around, leaving behind a tall, imposing figure.

    He could have had Chrissy betray the Pope to maximize her goodwill rating, but there was no need.

    Because Chrissy had hesitated, it proved that she hadn’t completely broken. This was good news.

    Regardless of whether her thoughts were right or wrong, she had at least regained her sense of self.

    Compared to having Chrissy completely break down, he would rather sacrifice some potential attribute points.

    He could easily make up for this loss with Paul. After all, he was the best “leek.”

    However, what he didn’t expect was that Chrissy had brought him an unexpected reward.

    [Chrissy’s Goodwill +1, Total Goodwill 100]

  • The Villainous Older Sister Who Loves Her Younger Sister Aims for the Guillotine 62

    62: [The Inspection Event]

    The next event I would be involved in was, like the [Horse Riding Event], a [Common Event].

    An event that occurred regardless of the choices made in the story.

    The first encounter with me, her older sister, where she was recognized as a member of the ducal family, and the [Ceremony of Recognition] where that was formally acknowledged by the royal family, were also common events.

    However, since [Moonlight Liberium] was a romance simulation game, the highlights were, naturally, the romantic events.

    And the next event, like the horseback riding one, was a [Choice-Based Individual Event] where she would choose one of the three [Capture Targets] to become closer to.

    The events with the unchosen ones would be erased.

    It was an unusual structure, but there were stories with different versions depending on the era or edition, so it was probably similar to that.

    There were three such [Events], and the outcome determined the [Ending].

    I wondered what would happen if she chose each of them once, but the fate of those who tried to please everyone was well-known.

    …However, I wasn’t sure who my sister had chosen in the first event, the horseback riding one.

    There were only so many pitfalls I could prepare. Since I couldn’t be seen at the decisive moment, I had triggered the [Falling Event] early, but I wasn’t sure if that was the right decision.

    However, my sister was unharmed and well.

    As long as she was safe, everything would be alright.

    “――”Tailor”.”

    I summoned “Tailor” to the same drawing-room where I had previously had her take my sister’s measurements.

    She was tall, but, as was the fate of tailors, she was hunched over.

    She wore a white shirt, black vest, and black trousers. She wore no accessories, not even a tie, tie pin, or cufflinks. In her breast pocket, instead of a handkerchief or a pocket watch chain, was a fountain pen for noting measurements. The pockets of her vest and trousers held only a measuring tape and a large notebook.

    Her simple, unadorned attire, sewn by her own hand, was apparently meant to showcase her skill as a tailor while also allowing her to remain in the background.

    Indeed, seeing her tall, slender figure, which wouldn’t fit in ready-to-wear clothing, and her ample bosom, all perfectly accommodated by her clothes, was impressive.

    When I called her name, a glint appeared in her pale blue eyes, half-hidden behind her long, drooping bangs.

    “Lady Adelheid, your orders? I assume there’s a reason I was summoned, right? Right?!”

    She waved her seaweed-like black hair, her long, slender, spider-like hands twitching with anticipation, and I sighed.

    “…Calm down.”

    “How can I be calm?! ――Is it a travel outfit? For you, Lady Adelheid? Or for Lady Leticia? Or perhaps… perhaps… for both?!”

    “It’s for an inspection, not a trip. ――I’ll say it again. ‘Calm down.’”

    “Tailor” knelt before me.

    “—Yes, ma’am. My apologies. Your orders, please.”

    I recalled the day, shortly after I became the head of the family, when I scouted her and made her our exclusive tailor.

    Communication had been… challenging.

    At first, I thought it was simply because she was a foreigner, unfamiliar with the Eustasian language.

    While she could be a bit difficult to handle, she possessed irreplaceable skills, and her loyalty was unquestionable.

    I felt like she was more devoted to some divine being of clothing, but the fact remained that I provided her with a budget and opportunities to showcase her skills, which ultimately benefited our family.

    Knowing how to utilize people effectively was an essential skill for the head of a noble family.

    I wasn’t sure if I was utilizing “Tailor” effectively, though.

    “Um… Elder Sister… an inspection?”

    Leticia, who was also present, spoke hesitantly.

    “The Vanderwaals family conducts an inspection of our northern territories every year around July. It usually takes one or two weeks, including travel time.”

    We also conducted winter inspections, but the transportation was too inconvenient for the head of the family to attend personally.

    Summer was the most pleasant season in Eustasia. With a good carriage and well-maintained trade routes, we could travel relatively quickly.

    Some nobles apparently spent up to two months there as a summer retreat. How elegant.

    “The northern territories… That’s where the Vanderwaals’ exclave is, right?”

    “Yes. It seems you’ve been studying. Make sure you’re prepared before we leave.”

    The Vanderwaals’ territories weren’t limited to the area around the capital.

    Our northern territories, in particular, were the largest.

    The first head of the Vanderwaals family was from that region.

    However, when the founding king chose the location for the capital and established it as our base of operations, the Vanderwaals’ place became the capital.

    While it had been nothing more than a rural village before becoming the capital, it was now a central hub for trade.

    The location was well-chosen: a vast plain in the center of what was then the Kingdom of Eustasia, with snowfall that didn’t accumulate excessively, and rivers essential for transportation converging nearby.

    Even so, the north was better for wool production, while the south was better for grain.

    We couldn’t favor either side.

    The scales had to be constantly balanced.

    That’s what it meant to govern a nation.

    Well, I would leave those matters to His Highness Prince Konrad, the future king.

    My role would be over after the [Guillotine Event].

    “Um, so, will I be…?”

    “—You will accompany me on the inspection. As a member of the Vanderwaals family, as a noble of Eustasia, you should broaden your horizons.”

    “Is that… alright…?”

    “What do you mean?”

    I responded instinctively to Leticia’s hesitant tone.

    “I’m… not a real noble…”

    I sighed.

    Leticia flinched and lowered her gaze.

    She was usually so assertive, yet she was strangely timid at times.

    “Duty and loyalty. —Have you forgotten your oath? Your words before His Majesty made you a noble. And besides…”

    I chuckled.

    “…Besides?”

    “All nobles are… of questionable origin, if you trace their lineage back far enough.”

    “B-Big Sister, you can’t say that!”

    “Call me ‘Elder Sister.’”

    This exchange also felt… nostalgic.

    Lately, Leticia had been more careful with her language.

    “Even so, we have our duties—our roles. We pledge loyalty to this country, share responsibilities, and work for its prosperity. That’s what our noble privileges are for.”

    There were talented individuals who were denied opportunities due to their humble origins.

    And there were foolish individuals who enjoyed privileges simply because they were born into noble families.

    Yes, this world was unequal. I had to acknowledge that.

    However, it was also a noble’s duty to recognize talent, regardless of origin, to remove those unworthy of their position, and to support those who were sincere, even if they weren’t exceptionally talented.

    If there was no perfection in this world, we would bear the burden.

    …At least in exchange for enjoying our privileges.

    Powerful groups had emerged throughout history, and there was a need to oppose them.

    Sometimes forming alliances, betraying each other, shedding blood, fighting, and destroying each other.

    We wouldn’t let anyone disturb the peace we had built at the end of that bloodshed.

    Not even fate.

    But fortunately, fate seemed to be on Eustasia’s side.

    And on Leticia’s.

    “Someday, you too will play a vital role in this country… Leticia von Vanderwaals, repeat after me—duty and loyalty.”

    Fate is on your side.

    So, don’t make the wrong choice.

    Don’t choose the wrong future.

    You can overthrow me. You can send me to the guillotine, and follow fate.

    But please…

    Protect this country, the one the Vanderwaals… the one I, my father, and the heads of the family before us, have pledged our loyalty to and protected.

    “Yes, Elder Sister.”

    My sister nodded firmly.

    “—Duty… and loyalty.”

    The noble’s motto suited her now.

    While it was a shame I wouldn’t see her future, I felt a deep sense of pride in my sister’s growth.

    “Good.”

    I smiled.

    I had thought it would be a long time before I had to raise the next head of the family.

    Did my father, my mother, and even Ciel, feel this way?

    It might be presumptuous of me, since I was only six years older and hadn’t seen her grow up…

    But she was my sister.

    My pride and joy.

  • The Saintess Has A Showdown 163-164

    T/N:

    From now on, I’ll use “Pool of Hidden Secrets” instead of “Penetrating You Pool”

    ——

    Both options are good, and there are even more options, but for now I think the first one fits better—or maybe the second, knowing the author style haha.

    Chapter 163: The Water Emperor

    –Sea Concubine Main Hall

    Within the main hall, filled with dense water spirit energy, nine blue-haired women gathered, a scene resembling a family banquet.

    Seated at the head of the long table was Shui Yingge, the Water Emperor, Palace Master of the Sea Concubine Palace. This was the first time Gong Lianyue had met her.

    Her waist-length blue hair was similar to the Six Concubines’. Her appearance wasn’t particularly stunning, but her aura was cold and aloof, almost inhuman. A small, white fox, its eyes curiously scanning the surroundings, was coiled around her neck.

    Shui Yingge wore a unique, flowing robe, specially made for the Sea Concubine Palace, similar in style to the Saintess’s, but more regal and elegant, clearly a superior version.

    She had left the word “boring” on the Sea Concubine’s Love Tablet, a testament to her aloof personality.

    Another unfamiliar woman, a dignified matron with her hair in a bun, looked to be in her thirties. In reality, Nether Traverse Stage Spirit Masters could maintain their youthful appearance for thousands of years. She was likely a centuries-old monster.

    The warden of the Cold Shark Prison. For years, she had single-handedly suppressed numerous enemy Spirit Masters and spirit beasts, her strength on par with the Water Emperor.

    The Water Emperor, the Warden, the Six Concubines, and the Saintess. At this moment, the highest-ranking members of the Sea Concubine Palace were all gathered here.

    “Saintess, the ransom has been confirmed. Twenty percent will be transferred to you, along with the agreed-upon 5000 contribution points.”

    “Also, the incident with the Four Guardians was an unforeseen circumstance, a failure on our part. If you have any requests, the Sea Concubine Palace will do its best to fulfill them within reason.”

    Shui Yingge nodded, her expression unchanged, and put away the spatial ring.

    Of the one million spirit crystals, 200,000 would go to Gong Lianyue, worth about 100,000 contribution points.

    That was enough to buy 100 Tyrant Blood Pills or 50 stalks of Blazing Soul Grass. However, in the Waterfall Lake Wonderland, Blazing Soul Grass only cost 1 exchange point, practically worthless.

    The Saint-Breaking Pill, on the other hand, cost 10 million exchange points, a thousand times more expensive than Blazing Soul Grass.

    Anything related to Saint-ranks was incredibly valuable.

    No, it was more accurate to say that the Saint-Breaking Pill was beyond the reach of ordinary human Spirit Masters!

    “Requests…?”

    Gong Lianyue pondered. The Sea Concubine Palace had really screwed her over this time.

    Who would have thought the Windchaser Emperor would so brazenly side with the Shadowcandle Temple? If she hadn’t been so ridiculously overpowered, she would have died.

    However, this trip to the Wind Realm had also resulted in incredible gains: breaking through to the Dead Sea Stage, contracting the Frost Snow Woman, contracting the Tyrant Demon Seed, collecting Moonlight Grass, gaining access to the Waterfall Lake Wonderland… a series of fortunate encounters.

    And the Water Emperor… she was surprisingly… gentle, more reliable than the Six Concubines…

    “I want the Cold Court’s Lost Scroll.”

    After a moment of hesitation, Gong Lianyue spoke.

    The Steel Moon Chapter had significantly impacted her spirit energy. Combined with the Cold Court’s Flower Moon Chapter, her power would surely increase dramatically.

    For a chance to study the Flower Moon Chapter, there was no point in hiding her strength any longer.

    She had to become stronger, no matter the cost, to retrieve the Water Element.

    As Gong Lianyue finished speaking, the surrounding water spirit energy stirred.

    “What did you see in the Ice Shield Palace’s Lost Scroll!?”

    The Warden, her beautiful, mature face creased with a frown, asked, her tone incredulous.

    If she remembered correctly, the Sorrowful Saintess had only examined it once. How could she have possibly gleaned anything from it?

    “The true name of the Lost Scroll: The Steel Moon Chapter of the Heavenly Full Cold Moon.”

    Gong Lianyue channeled the silver Steel Moon within her, releasing a heavy, oppressive aura.

    Sensing this powerful spirit energy, the expressions of both the Water Emperor and the Warden turned serious, while the Six Concubines stared in shock.

    Gong Lianyue was only at the Dead Sea Stage, yet her aura far surpassed that of an ordinary Samsara Stage Spirit Master.

    As expected of one who had been favored by a legendary being…

    “Although I regret to say this, the Cold Court likely won’t agree. Our exchange of information with the Ice Shield Palace regarding the Lost Scroll has been exposed. If we ask to borrow theirs now, they will surely guess the reason.”

    “The Cold Court is notoriously selfish. They won’t agree.”

    After a long silence, Shui Yingge said helplessly.

    If possible, she also wanted the Sorrowful Saintess to master the Lost Scroll, strengthening the Sea Concubine Palace’s high-end combat power.

    Unfortunately, the Cold Court was not only selfish but also stubborn.

    Unless the Water Element personally appeared before them, they wouldn’t agree. They had to see it to believe it.

    Gong Lianyue wasn’t discouraged. She hadn’t expected to obtain the Lost Scroll anyway.

    “Then I want a detailed report on all known wild Saint-rank spirit beasts in the Sea Region.”

    “Granted.”

    Shui Yingge immediately agreed, and Shui Qinghou smiled, a look of relief on her face.

    The Sorrowful Saintess, possessing four or five Saint-ranks, a former Lord Attendant, was finally ready to reveal her true power, no longer hiding, no longer running.

    Every faction kept records of wild Saint-rank spirit beast sightings, like the Ice Shield Palace’s Seven-Foot Sword Princess Flower, regularly sending younger members to attempt to contract with them.

    Few wild Saint-rank spirit beasts submitted after being defeated. If their appearance or personality didn’t appeal to them, they would rather die than be controlled.

    Too weak, and they wouldn’t be considered.

    Too strong, and they would feel humiliated.

    This was why Saint-rank spirit beasts were so difficult to contract. Even the Winter Floating Sky, the strongest faction, only had four Saint-rank Spirit Masters.

    But with the Sorrowful Saintess, things were different!

    She would enter a period of rapid growth, like those legendary figures in history, leading the Sea Concubine Palace to a new golden age.

    “By the way, has there been any activity at the former site of the Pool of Hidden Secrets?” Suddenly remembering this, Gong Lianyue asked.

    “That area is currently patrolled by the Winter Floating Sky. Why?” Shui Qinghou asked, puzzled.

    “Nothing. I just felt a strange aura there when I passed by.”

    Gong Lianyue shook her head, offering a vague excuse.

    She had wanted to report the mission from the Waterfall Lake Wonderland, but the situation there was still unclear.

    Bang!

    Suddenly, the main hall doors burst open.

    A senior instructor rushed in, her face pale, her voice trembling as she met the gazes of the high-ranking officials. “Palace Master, there’s been an incident at the former site of the Pool of Hidden Secrets!!!”

    Chapter 164: The Pool of Hidden Secrets Revived

    A thousand years ago, a peerless woman rose within the Sea Region’s Pool of Hidden Secrets.

    Her beauty was breathtaking, her aura cold and alluring, her power unmatched. In just ten years, she rose from the Illumination Stage to the Sun and Moon Realm, leading the then-declining Pool of Hidden Secrets to the pinnacle of the Sea Region. She was known as the Nether Empress.

    Her influence spanned ten realms, her combat power unparalleled, her wives as numerous as the stars.

    The Wind Realm? A bunch of barbarians.

    The Cang Realm? Easily crushed.

    The Fire Metropolis? Boiled in a pot.

    The Sea Region? A marriage agency.

    Even legendary beings had offered themselves to her, only to be rejected without hesitation.

    She would surpass the legendary rank through her own power. She wouldn’t become a Lord Attendant. Only then could she prove her existence was truly special.

    However, when that thing appeared before her, she finally understood.

    Humans could never surpass legendary beings, neither in terms of their life level nor the number of their wives…

    Watching everything she had built crumble, buried beneath the eternal frost and snow, she swore a blood oath.

    Just one. If she survived, she would dedicate her life to slaying a legendary being, to prove the meaning of her existence.

    The Snow Monarch!!!

    Sea Region, Pool of Hidden Secrets

    This area, where the Snow Monarch had once annihilated the Pool of Hidden Secrets, was now a desolate wasteland.

    Ice and snow covered everything, no survivors.

    After a thousand years, the terrifying ice world had sunk to the depths of the ocean, yet it showed no signs of melting.

    But now, the ocean currents began to swirl and churn, a massive abyss opening up.

    A terrifying, chilling aura spread outwards, and the Winter Floating Sky Spirit Masters stationed here felt a sudden, inexplicable dread.

    “What’s happening?”

    A woman muttered, her expression strange. As she looked down, her eyes widened in disbelief.

    From the depths of the abyss, a crystal-encased palace slowly rose, carried upwards by a torrent of water, returning to the surface.

    A massive palace, its surface shimmering with an amber, jade-like luster, a large plaque bearing the characters [Pool of Hidden Secrets] on its front.

    “Snow Monarch!!!!!”

    A furious roar echoed, shaking the surrounding sea, violent waves pushing the water outwards.

    The Winter Floating Sky woman, her body trembling, blood trickling from her orifices, her spirit energy fluctuating uncontrollably, stared in horror.

    What level of Spirit Master was this, a single roar injuring her soul core?!

    Above the Pool of Hidden Secrets palace, a woman in a black robe stood in the air, her chaotic spirit energy almost tearing the sky apart, the force of its outward expansion pushing back the seawater.

    With her aura alone, in the Sea Region, where ninety-nine point nine-nine-nine-nine-nine percent of the world was water, she had created a massive void!

    The woman’s long, dark, almost green hair was styled in an ancient fashion. Her face was beautiful, her eyes deep and world-weary, her expression a strange mix of laughter and tears, the character [Nether] on the back of her robe fluttering in the wind.

    “Hahahahaha, Snow Monarch! My Pool of Hidden Secrets, after a thousand years, hundreds of generations, have finally broken free from your icy prison! How pathetic, how truly pitiful!!!”

    The woman’s laughter was interspersed with sobs, a mixture of joy and sorrow, rage and grief.

    What use was the Sun and Moon Realm?

    What use was being the strongest?

    Before a legendary being, they were all insignificant ants!

    Her laughter subsided, her gaze turning cold and indifferent as she looked towards the distant horizon.

    “What year is it? And who rules the Sea Region now?”

    As the black-haired woman’s voice echoed, the Winter Floating Sky woman felt a chill run down her spine.

    She knew the question was directed at her, yet the woman’s gaze hadn’t even fallen upon her.

    No one was worthy of her attention…

    This woman… must be the Nether Empress of the Pool of Hidden Secrets!

    “Your Highness, it has been 1123 years since the fall of the Pool of Hidden Secrets. The current ruler of the Sea Region is the Winter Floating Sky.”

    “The Winter Floating Sky?”

    Hearing the trembling reply, the black-haired woman frowned.

    The Winter Floating Sky had been the lowest-ranked faction back then. How had they risen to become the ruler of the Sea Region?

    Shui Yuerong of the Sea Concubine Palace, with her beauty and potential, rivaling even her own, should have led her faction to the top.

    Whatever, it didn’t matter who ruled the Sea Region now. It would soon change.

    “The Pool of Hidden Secrets will once again stand at the pinnacle of the Sea Region. Go and tell them that.”

    “This is now the territory of the Pool of Hidden Secrets. Outsiders are forbidden from entering without permission.”

    Swish!

    As the Nether Empress spoke, the world before the Winter Floating Sky woman vanished.

    A dizzying sensation, the world turning upside down, the air itself tearing, making her want to vomit.

    The woman looked around, her face pale. She was no longer in the same area.

    She had been instantly transported more than ten kilometers away, expelled from the Pool of Hidden Secrets’ territory, a feat of almost divine power.

    Was this… the Water Heart Separation, a Saint-rank technique?

    She truly was the Nether Empress. The Pool of Hidden Secrets had returned!

    Terror filled the woman’s heart as she hurried back to the Winter Floating Sky to report.

    And so, news of the Pool of Hidden Secrets’ revival spread throughout the Sea Region.

    Sea Concubine Palace

    “Palace Master, there’s been an incident at the former site of the Pool of Hidden Secrets!!!” a senior instructor rushed into the main hall, her voice filled with panic.

    “The Pool of Hidden Secrets has reappeared, the Nether Empress revived! She claims she will once again rule the Sea Region!!”

    “What!?”

    Shockwaves rippled through the hall. Someone from a thousand years ago… revived?

    This wouldn’t only affect the current power structure of the Sea Region, but it might also involve the Snow Monarch.

    Imprisoned in ice for a thousand years… the Nether Empress’s hatred must be immeasurable…

    “Wait, wasn’t the Pool of Hidden Secrets destroyed by the Snow Monarch? How did they survive?” Gong Lianyue asked, her face puzzled, voicing everyone’s thoughts.

    The Sorrowful Saintess herself was a Lord Attendant. She understood the power of legendary beings and would naturally question this.

    How could the Pool of Hidden Secrets have survived the Snow Monarch’s attack?

    And after a thousand years… This was highly unusual.

    “Um, well, according to the reports, the Nether Empress and the Pool of Hidden Secrets spent a thousand years breaking free from the Snow Monarch’s ice prison. They seem… relatively unharmed,” the senior instructor stammered nervously.

    “…”
    “…”

    “I see.”

    “So it was just… pity~~~”