The Mirror World.
Naturally imbued with light and shadow effects, the Mirror Lady, Qing Yuan, shone with a radiant glow. Her jade-like face still bore traces of doubt.
Could anyone resist the temptation of a contract with her daughter?
Even though… he was a transformed, awakened vampire player.
"You… really want to cancel the contract with Xier?"
Qing Yuan asked, her voice forced to remain calm.
She gently pulled her daughter close, signaling that this was not the time for her to speak freely.
"Of course," Yi Bai answered without hesitation, then quickly added, "As long as Xier wishes it, that is."
He smiled gently, meeting Xier's bright expression with warmth.
It was a strategy—retreating to advance, defending to attack.
But, in a certain sense, it wasn't just a strategy.
It was inevitable that Xier wouldn't break the contract. The bond of life and death was not something to be taken lightly.
However, even if Yi Bai did cancel the contract, the only loss would be Xier's unique abilities.
Through the contract, Yi Bai had coveted these abilities, but they weren't something he absolutely needed.
If by doing so, he could increase the goodwill between Xier and Qing Yuan, perhaps even gain both of their trust…
Why not?
Rather than playing a political game of power, where he was at the mercy of Qing Yuan's constant watch, Yi Bai preferred the path of strategy. It might take longer, but it was safer and steadier.
The most important thing was that with Xier as his ally, once he gained Qing Yuan's favor, their relationship would become far more reliable than even Count Rose or Jiang Ling's.
Qing Yuan didn't feed on blood, which was quite comfortable for him…
"Let's hope you mean what you say."
Finally, Qing Yuan spoke, her voice calm and unthreatening.
She was clever, knowing the nature of her daughter well and understanding just how close Xier had become to Yi Bai.
Even she rarely received such affection from Xier—today, however, it had happened twice!
Given the circumstances, forcing Xier to break the contract would only have the opposite effect.
Yi Bai's declaration was already the best possible outcome.
At least, it allowed Qing Yuan to feel somewhat better.
With her insight, Qing Yuan's hostility diminished, reverting to neutral.
That would do for now.
Yi Bai hadn't expected to quickly win Qing Yuan's favor. After all, stealing her precious daughter was far too much to ask.
Unless he broke the contract with Xier now, he knew it would likely raise Qing Yuan's opinion.
But doing so might trigger strange reactions from Xier.
In order to avoid any "accidents," Yi Bai decided to take things slow and find another way to resolve things with Qing Yuan.
"Xier, from now on, you can't stay by Mommy's side all the time. You need to be careful…"
Qing Yuan turned to embrace her daughter, gently admonishing her with a series of soft words, as if preparing for the moment Xier would leave her side.
At that moment, she seemed no different than a mother preparing for her daughter's marriage.
Xier, her amber eyes sparkling with emotion, reluctantly held her mother close.
But the moment didn't last long.
The two of them quickly regained their composure, both adopting a slightly proud stance.
Yi Bai, meanwhile, continued to appreciate the butterfly-filled sea of flowers, purposefully ignoring their exchange.
"Xier, you've grown up. I don't have any proper coming-of-age gift for you, so take this mirror instead. With it, you'll always feel like I'm with you, forever."
Qing Yuan's long, slender fingers pointed, and a beautifully crafted mirror appeared in her hand, adorned with jewels that emitted a strange power.
"No! Xier can't take it!"
To everyone's surprise, Xier flatly refused.
"Be obedient. You've already been selfish once. This time, you must listen to your mother."
"But…"
"No 'but'!"
Xier fell silent. She knew that when her mother made a decision, it was impossible to change it.
Reluctantly, she accepted the mirror, allowing it to merge with her body.
Yi Bai, watching this from the side, cast a quick glance at Qing Yuan, his eyes narrowing.
He saw that her power had shifted. The "Blood-Clad Peak" title had turned into "Blood-Clad Wraith."
"Could it be…"
Yi Bai's thoughts stirred, and he began to understand.
The reason Qing Yuan was so powerful was because she had fully merged with the Soul-Loss Mirror.
His Insight clarified this for him.
Her sudden drop in strength could only mean one thing: she had split her essence, giving part of the Soul-Loss Mirror to her daughter.
Xier and Qing Yuan were one and the same.
If Qing Yuan could control the mirror's power, so could Xier.
It was a selfless and substantial gift, one that, in a sense, was also given to Yi Bai…
...
Once Qing Yuan left, the entire paradise fell into a heavy silence.
Liu Zhen had already left the game and returned to the real world.
Huan Weng, after searching in vain, chose to return as well, quietly plotting his next move.
Inside the Mirror Maze, the ghost children trapped in the mirrors could only hold their breath until Qing Yuan departed.
Only then did they exhale in relief.
The mirror lady's mother was terrifying.
None of them knew what Xier had done to anger her, but they were fortunate to escape her wrath.
One small mistake, and they would have been trapped forever in the Mirror World.
Moments later…
Crash!
The mirrors shattered everywhere, and the ghost children were freed from the Mirror World.
Their gazes all turned to the central mirror.
The gentle big brother who had been dragged into the game by their leader was nowhere to be seen, replaced by Qing Yuan's returning figure.
What surprised the ghost children was the sight before them—
Their usually fierce, unpredictable leader was now clinging to Yi Bai like a koala, her cute, obedient appearance leaving them in disbelief.
Was this really their "ferocious, fearsome" big sister?