The night was as dark as ink, the moonlight hazy and faint. Gradually, the heavy clouds veiled the moonlight, plunging the world into deeper darkness. At the sound of the second watch, the chill of the night crept in silently, wrapping the world in cold stillness.
Xiao Chenyuan haven't returned to the room after stepping out. He sat alone in the courtyard, a solitary lantern in hand, lost in thought.
Suddenly, the prayer beads on his wrist grew scorching hot. His brows furrowed as his sharp gaze pierced the shadows, locking onto a specific spot in the darkness.
At the same time, QingWu opened her eyes in her bed.
The creak of the door broke the silence. The man strode inside, heading straight to her bedside.
"There's something here!" they both said in unison.
Outside, the clash of weapons erupted, mingled with the guttural growls of beasts.
Seeing QingWu about to step out of bed barefoot, Xiao Chenyuan grabbed her and wrapped her in a cloak. "Put on your shoes."
Almost as soon as his warning fell, a dark shadow burst through the window, lunging straight at them.
The gleam of his sword flashed like snow, cutting through the night. Xiao Chenyuan yanked QingWu behind him, his muscles rippling with sudden force as he swung his sword in one fluid motion, slicing the attacker clean in two.
The rancid stench of blood splattered everywhere, drenching Xiao Chenyuan, though a few drops landed on QingWu's hand. Her expression instantly darkened.
On the floor lay the mangled remains of a mountain demon, split neatly in half.
The Judge's Brush snapped, "Another mountain demon? These things must have a death wish to come looking for trouble! Weren't all the mountain demons from Henglu Mountain were already wiped out?"
QingWu frowned, her gaze sharpening. "Sister Ying!"
"Don't worry! Madam Mu's side is protected!" Xiao Chenyuan said, gripping her hand as they headed out. Another mountain demon lunged at them from the corridor, but with a single swing, Xiao Chenyuan beheaded it.
QingWu lowered the hand she had raised to intervene and instead surveyed the courtyard.
There were over twenty mountain demons just in Yuanwei Courtyard alone. These creatures had crept in under the cover of darkness, their agile movements like ghostly shadows. Their occasional humanlike, beastly cries rang out, attempting to bewilder their prey's senses!
The Dread King's Manor's Black Armored Guards were no strangers to dealing with the mountain demons. Thanks to the marks QingWu had previously drawn on their foreheads, the guards were entirely immune to the demons' attempts at enchantment. Dealing with these creatures posed no significant challenge to them now.
Suddenly, QingWu frowned, sensing something amiss. "These mountain demons aren't here for us!"
"There's something else in the Manor?" Xiao Chenyuan asked sharply.
QingWu let out a cold laugh. "Xiao Chenyuan, this is your domain. You handle these demons—I'll deal with the other intruder."
Meanwhile, in the woodshed, the sinister energy had grown so thick it almost condensed into droplets in the air.
Inside, an elderly man and a small fox were bound tightly with red ropes. Both struggled desperately against their bonds, sensing the imminent danger.
This duo was none other than the fraudulent Taoist Bai Mei and the little fox who had been caught deceiving people at the Duke of Dingguo's residence.
The sinister energy coalesced into a humanoid figure within the woodshed. Chains dragged along the ground, accompanied by eerie laughter and the harsh voice of the figure. "You mutts! Did you really think hiding here would stop any emissary from finding you?"
From the dense energy emerged a ghost emissary, grotesque in form, with an oversized head, a small body, and bulbous, fly-like compound eyes.
The moment they saw the ghost, Taoist Bai Mei and the little fox's faces turned ashen.
The fly-like ghost emissary scanned the room, its already pale-green face darkening further. "Where are the group of those little spirits?"
Taoist Bai Mei sneered. "Naturally, they've gone to reincarnate! You should know there's more than one path leading to the underworld besides the Yin-Yang Road."
The ghost emissary let out a sharp laugh. "You're nothing but a pathetic stray dog, a mere mortal! Do you think you can fool I the emissary with such bravado?"
"Ha! If I can't capture those little spirits, taking your old soul and this beast's to present to Lord Qu Huang will serve just as well!"
With that, the ghost's Soul-Reaping Chain shot toward Taoist Bai Mei. The little fox squealed in panic while despair flashed in the old man's eyes.
Suddenly, the chain stopped mid-air, frozen inches from Taoist Bai Mei's face.
The ghost emissary frowned. "Huh ! What's going on?"
He tugged at the chain, but with a whoosh, the chain whipped back toward him. Before he could react, it lashed at his oversized head in a relentless flurry of strikes.
"Aah! Aahhh! Stop! Aaaaaaah!"
The ghost emissary's pitiful screams echoed through the woodshed as he rolled on the ground, his ghostly form tearing apart with each blow.
The abrupt reversal left the elderly man and the fox utterly dumbfounded.
With a loud bang, the woodshed door was kicked open.
QingWu stood at the doorway, holding a green lantern in her hand. The ghostly flame within cast an eerie glow on her face, her cold smile appearing even more chilling.
"So I wondered what was bold enough to cause such a ruckus. Turns out, it's just a stinking bug."
"Who are you?!" the fly ghost emissary shouted in fury and panic. He still hadn't figured out why his Soul-Reaping Chain wasn't obeying him. Desperately, he struggled to regain control of it.
But before his stunned eyes, QingWu casually hooked her finger, and the Soul-Reaping Chain coiled around him like a binding cocoon. The hook at the chain's end pierced through his ghostly body, hooked onto his collarbone, and lifted him into the air right in front of her.
"Ahhh...!" The shrill ghostly scream was abruptly cut short, sealed by an invisible force.
The eerie green flame of the ghostly lantern illuminated his grotesque face.
The fly ghost emissary's bulging eyes widened in terror. Who was this woman? How could she command the Soul-Reaping Chain as if it were hers?
The next moment, the ghostly lantern shifted aside, and a firewood stick, oblivious to the boundary between the living and the dead, struck him back into his original form a fly....
QingWu sneered, "Something as ugly as you could blind me with your looks."
She clicked her tongue in disgust. "Forget it! You're too hideous. If I interrogate you any longer, I might catch your ugliness. Just die !"
The fly ghost emissary panicked, Wait! Give a ghost chance, will you?!
But it was too late. A wisp of blue green flame floated out from the ghostly lantern, engulfing him and burning him into oblivion.
Once the emissary was nothing but ash, QingWu tossed aside the firewood stick she had grabbed on a whim, brushing her fingers as if ridding herself of filth.
The old Taoist Bai Mei and the little fox, who had witnessed everything, stared in utter shock.
That was a ghost emissary wielding a Soul-Reaping Chain! Even if he was just a low-ranked spirit, he still carried the authority of the underworld. How could he be... so effortlessly obliterated?
QingWu glanced at them sideways, her gaze sharp as a blade.
Thud! Thud!
The old man and the fox dropped to their knees in perfect unison, their movements smooth as silk.
"Long live My Queen!"
"My Queen is invincible!"
"Your Majesty, you are so magnanimous—please spare my worthless life!"
QingWu's smile deepened, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Thanking me already?"
"Did I ever say that I wouldn't kill two you?"
Taoist Bai Mei's heart skipped a beat, his face twisting into a pitiful mask of terror.
The little fox whimpered with teary eyes, "Oh! My beautiful Queen! You're the most benevolent! Foxy here was too young and ignorant—I know my mistakes now! Please spare me and Old Wrinkle here. I promise to light three sticks of incense for you every day as an offering!"
"Yes, yes!" Taoist Bai Mei chimed in hastily. "Your Majesty, I truly regret my actions. I'll never deceive anyone again!"
QingWu's cold gaze swept over them. "Besides ugly things, I also hate people putting on an act in front of me!"
The pair, recalling the fate of the fly ghost emissary, immediately shut their mouths and sat silently, trembling like leaves.
Fixing her gaze on Taoist Bai Mei, QingWu asked, "Now tell me, why did that stinking bug Qu Huang send a ghost emissary to hunt you down?"
Taoist Bai Mei's expression remained pitifully fearful, but a flicker of something dark flashed through his eyes. "Your Majesty, you... you know about Qu Huang?"