Jiu Jiu planted her hands on her hips, tilted her chin up, and snorted coldly:
"Every cause has its effect, and I am your retribution!"
"Little mousies, bite her to death!"
At Jiu Jiu's command, countless rats swarmed in from all directions.
A dark, dense mass covered the ground everywhere.
These rats all avoided Jiu Jiu and surged toward the plump woman on the ground, who was crying and begging for mercy.
Qing Wu, perched on the courtyard wall, was stunned by the scene before him.
This… was too shocking!
He had followed the Crown Prince onto the battlefield to kill enemies and had witnessed many grand scenes.
But he had never seen anyone capable of commanding rats.
The Little County Princess was truly a divine being!
"You there, come down."
Jiu Jiu turned and beckoned to Qing Wu on the courtyard wall with a hooked finger.
Qing Wu immediately used his Qinggong to leap down. "Little County Princess, your subordinate is here."
"She bullied me. What do you think should be done?"
Jiu Jiu pointed at the woman being besieged and bitten by rats on the ground and asked Qing Wu.
The woman, suffering immensely from the rat attacks, spat out a mouthful of blood.
Just who was bullying whom?
"I didn't… ah, save me… save me…"
The woman cried out to Qing Wu for help.
Qing Wu didn't even glance at her and answered Jiu Jiu's question, "For those who offend their superiors and show disrespect to the Little County Princess, beat them to death with rods!"
"Very good, then I leave it to you to handle! Track down everyone who has ever bullied me and beat them to death with random sticks."
Jiu Jiu nodded in satisfaction. Since she had taken over the original owner's body, she had to seek revenge for her.
These vile creatures had taken advantage of the original owner's young age and slight foolishness to abuse and humiliate her.
They all deserved to die!
"Yes, your subordinate obeys the command!" Qing Wu immediately accepted the order.
"You're good." Jiu Jiu patted Qing Wu's shoulder approvingly.
Then, she waved her small hand. "Little mousies, that's enough. You may go home now!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the dense mass of rats in the courtyard swiftly departed, just as they had arrived.
In the blink of an eye, they vanished without a trace.
Only the woman, bitten to a bloody pulp by the rats and left with half a life, remained.
"Save… save me…"
The woman's limbs twitched, her eyes glazed over, and she still cried for help from her mouth.
Jiu Jiu ignored her and, following the original owner's memories, walked into a dark, damp little room. From a crack in the wall, she dug out a small, dusty cloth bundle.
"Little County Princess, what is this?" Qing Wu asked curiously.
A flicker of cunning flashed in Jiu Jiu's eyes as she smiled innocently. "This is the gift I prepared for Daddy."
Qing Wu was deeply moved.
Despite living in such miserable conditions, the Little County Princess still thought of preparing a gift for the Crown Prince.
What a profoundly moving father-daughter bond this was!
Meanwhile.
Donggong, the study.
Xiao Jiuyuan learned from his Hidden Guards that the child who had been struck by lightning with him the previous night was actually his daughter.
He recalled the incident five years ago when he had been plotted against.
Originally, he had intended to grant the woman the status of a Concubine.
Unexpectedly, the border suddenly reported an emergency. He was ordered to lead an expedition, was ambushed, poisoned with a deadly toxin, and left with disabled legs.
Unwilling to burden others, he had someone give the woman a sum of money and sent her away from Donggong.
He never imagined that she hadn't left.
And had even borne him a daughter.
A slight tremor stirred within Xiao Jiuyuan's icy heart.
But it lasted only a moment.
In an instant, he reverted to that dark, cruel, unfeeling, and cold-blooded Crown Prince.
"After she wakes, send her to the Eldest Princess's residence."
Xiao Jiuyuan issued the order coldly.
"Your Highness, should we ask the Little County Princess if she is willing to leave Donggong?" a subordinate tentatively inquired.
"Unnecessary! Just send her away directly." Xiao Jiuyuan waved his hand, his tone brooking no argument.
A short while later, Xiao Jiuyuan frowned and asked, "Why hasn't Qing Wu returned yet?"
"This subordinate will go immediately—"
"Your Highness, this subordinate has urgent news to report!" A voice came from outside the door.
Xiao Jiuyuan said coldly, "Enter."
"Reporting to Your Highness, just now there was a rodent uprising in Donggong. Upon investigation, this subordinate discovered that these rats were commanded by the Little County Princess…"
"Are you certain it was her?" Xiao Jiuyuan narrowed his eyes.
"Absolutely certain. At the time of the incident, Qing Wu was accompanying the Little County Princess. Should we summon Qing Wu to inquire about the specific details?"
Xiao Jiuyuan nodded. "Yes."
"Your Highness, if the Little County Princess truly can command ten thousand rats, could she be the person Master Wangyou spoke of?" The guard Zhui Ying asked with some excitement.
Xiao Jiuyuan remained silent.
Master Wangyou was the foremost expert in the world, who had once read his fate: "A sign of violent death, beyond the salvation of gods or Buddhas."
But Master Wangyou had also said that his only chance of survival did not lie with a person.
Not with a person?
Could it be with birds and beasts?
"Bring Qing Wu to see me." Xiao Jiuyuan's hand beneath his sleeve tightened slightly.
"This subordinate will go at once."
The door was forcefully kicked open.
A small figure darted into the room in a flash, leaping onto Xiao Jiuyuan's neck.
"Wow, my servant, you didn't get struck by lightning and die. That's great!"
"From now on, you follow me. I'll take you to overthrow the Old Emperor and unite the world."
Qing Wu was so frightened that cold sweat broke out, quickly stepping forward to pull Jiu Jiu down.
"Little County Princess, watch your words!"
"This is the Crown Prince, and also your father."
Father?
Jiu Jiu widened her eyes, her face full of disbelief:
"You're my early-dead, short-lived biological father?"
Jiu Jiu plopped onto the ground, pounding the floor with her small fists as she wailed:
"My life is so bitter!"
"How did I end up with such a useless father? What sins did I commit in my past life?"
She had finally found a servant who caught her eye.
Who would have thought he was actually her useless, short-lived biological father.
Thinking of his miserable end, Jiu Jiu's gaze toward him held a bit more sympathy.
"Poor child, from now on you don't have to force yourself to be strong. Your strength… has arrived!"
"Get lost!"
As soon as Xiao Jiuyuan's words fell.
Jiu Jiu jumped onto his neck, pinched his nose, and while he instinctively opened his mouth, she stuffed something inside.
"How dare you! What did you feed me… Ouch—"
Xiao Jiuyuan's questioning words were cut short by a sharp pain coming from his calf.
"Bad things, how dare you bully my person! See how I deal with you!"
Jiu Jiu held a silver needle, randomly stabbing it into Xiao Jiuyuan's calf.
After the intense pain, Xiao Jiuyuan's pupils suddenly dilated.
His legs… actually had sensation?
"Bad things, get out!"
As Jiu Jiu jumped up, she gave Xiao Jiuyuan's knee a hard knock with her small fist.
"Pfft—"
Xiao Jiuyuan opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of black blood.
"Your Highness—"
"Quickly, go fetch Old Lion!"
Half an hour later.
Old Lion, with white hair and beard, dressed in tattered clothes as if he had just been bombarded, took Xiao Jiuyuan's pulse and was greatly shocked.
"This… how is this possible?"
Old Lion, unwilling to believe it, switched to the other hand.
The result still left him dumbfounded.
Old Lion asked excitedly, "Before His Highness fainted, did he eat something?"
"He didn't eat… Wait, His Highness did consume something."
The Little County Princess had fed something to Xiao Jiuyuan.
Old Lion hurriedly asked, "What was it?"
Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, Qing Wu lifted Xiao Jiuyuan’s robe and rolled up his trouser legs, saying to Old Lion, “Old Lion, could you please examine His Highness’s legs and see if there are any differences compared to before?”
Old Lion extended two fingers, channeled his Neili, and began to probe Xiao Jiuyuan’s legs.
A moment later, Old Lion’s face was filled with astonishment.
“Indeed, indeed it is so!”
“Old Lion, what exactly is His Highness’s condition now? Please tell us,” everyone asked in unison.
Old Lion seemed not to hear their words. He struck his palm with his fist and exclaimed:
“Marvelous! Truly marvelous! The skill of this physician far surpasses my own.”
“Where did you find such a master? To so easily resolve a poison that has troubled me for three years without a solution.”
“Who exactly is this master? Quickly take me to meet them!”
…