Front Hall
A woman dressed in an elegantly simple gradient blue gown, adorned with pearl and floral hair ornaments and wearing deep red lip color, gracefully entered the room while holding a cup of tea.
“Your Highness—”
The man at the desk lifted his eyes, speaking neither warmly nor coldly, “What is it?”
“Su Qin has some questions about cultivation that she does not understand and wishes to seek guidance from King Yama’s Palace.”
As she spoke, she walked into the grand hall, gently placing the tea in her hand on the black wooden table before him. “Your Highness, please have some tea.”
“No need,” Yan Yi replied coldly, raising his head. “If you have questions, speak now. I do not drink tea.”
He had no interest in mortal trifles.
Su Qin’s movements stiffened, and she awkwardly set down the tea. Raising her eyes with a smile, she said, “Your Highness, this tea was specially brewed by Su Qin using collected dew. It is different from those from other realms. Please taste it—I am certain you will like it.”
Yan Yi frowned and refused. “Unnecessary. If you have no questions to ask, leave. I have matters to attend to.”
She hurriedly replied, “Su… Su Qin has… some questions about magical instruments that she does not fully understand and has come specifically to seek Your Highness’s advice.”
“Magical instruments? Which one?”
“The Immortal-Slaying Chime.”
“What did you say?” Yan Yi’s expression changed, his gaze darkening. “Are you certain it is the Immortal-Slaying Chime?!”
She knelt with a thud, bowing her head low. “Su Qin would not dare deceive Your Highness. It is indeed the Immortal-Slaying Chime, capable of harming cultivators.”
Yan Yi’s voice deepened. “Where is it? Have you attempted to cultivate with it?”
“Not yet. Su Qin’s cultivation is insufficient, and I have been unable to harmonize with it. That is why I came to inquire with Your Highness.”
“You should not cultivate with it.”
“Your Highness?” Su Qin looked up, her delicate brows and eyes reflecting confusion and a hint of helplessness.
Yan Yi stood up, emanating an aura of chilling authority. His voice was deep and commanding. “The Immortal-Slaying Chime can slay immortals and harm cultivators. Its power is immense, but its backlash is even greater. I need not remind you of the specifics.”
“Though it is an immortal artifact and treasure encountered once in a million years, it is also one of those magical instruments where fortune and misfortune are intertwined.”
“Those who obtain it either experience a hundredfold increase in cultivation or succumb to demonic backlash, suffering unbearable agony.”
“Your cultivation is not at a level to harmonize with it. I have no desire for Yan Wang Dian to recruit a Ghost Official from Hell.”
Su Qin understood. She quickly knelt and bowed her head. “Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness. Su Qin will never again attempt to cultivate with such a magical instrument without permission. Please calm your anger.”
“Leave now. In the future, do not bring any magical instrument into Hell without my permission.”
“Yes—” Su Qin slowly rose to her feet. Remembering that the Immortal-Slaying Chime was still in her palace bedchamber, she quickly bowed again. “Your Highness, Su Qin will return to the inner palace and bring the Immortal-Slaying Chime to you.”
Without even glancing at her, Yan Yi strode out. “No need. Since you retrieved that magical instrument, it naturally belongs to you. I lack not for such an item.”
Moreover, it was merely an Immortal-Slaying Chime—hardly something he valued.
“…Yes.” Su Qin’s gaze involuntarily followed his departing figure, a faint, sweet smile curling at the corners of her lips.
…
Rear Hall
After waking up, Xiao Miao Yuan drowsily looked around the bedchamber, but there was no sign of any man.
She pouted, got out of bed, rummaged through her spatial spirit ring for a while, and finally pulled out that small brown spherical sound transmission spiritual artifact.
“Drip-drop—”
“Drip-drop—”
“Sister Bai Chang, Sister Bai Chang, are you there?”
“Sister Bai Chang?”
“Little Highness?” A delighted voice came from the other side. “You’re awake?”
Little Dumpling smiled sheepishly, lowering her head while holding the magical instrument in her hands. Her soft, chubby little face was utterly adorable. “How did Sister Bai Chang know I was sleeping? I just woke up.”
“Hahaha…” Bai Chang’s unrestrained laughter echoed in her ears. “How could I not know you, Little Highness?”
“If you weren’t sleeping, would those evil ghosts dare to wander around so freely? I heard from my brother that you got hold of some magical instrument from who knows where and gave those evil ghosts quite a hard time?”
She had heard about this as soon as she returned, and it had kept her awake for quite a while. She had almost dragged those evil ghosts over to ask them how it felt to be sent flying.
“Not at all?” Little Dumpling’s ears flushed red as she spoke, and a faint, almost imperceptible vine of mandrake flowers crept up her delicate, fair neck. “It was given to me by an immortal lord imprisoned in Hell. He said if I used this magical instrument, I could leave Hell.”
“Who would have thought that before I could even use it, Father Lord found out.”
“What happened next?” Bai Chang seemed to catch a strong whiff of gossip.
This kind of gossip was far more intriguing than the stories her brother told her about the human race—after all, it involved the main character herself.
Little Dumpling held the sound transmission bell in one hand and covered her mouth with the other, whispering as she tattled, “After that, Father Lord locked me inside this barrier. I still can’t get out. Can you come help me, Sister Bai Chang?”
Locked up?
Without a second thought, Bai Chang slapped her thigh and nodded eagerly. “Alright, alright! Wait for me. I’ll come rescue you right now.”
“Mhm, mhm, hurry, hurry!” Little Dumpling happily put away the magical instrument, sat on the high bed, swung her little feet, and shook them joyfully.
Great.
She could get out.
…
On the other side
Looking at the suddenly silent sound transmission, Bai Chang suddenly remembered something very important.
She had just promised Madam Meng not to go to the rear hall to find Little Highness, and now she was about to go rescue her?
That… wasn’t very good, was it?
“What are you spacing out for?” Hei Chang strode in, his dark and elegant features hiding an eerie, unfathomable depth that was impossible to decipher.
Bai Chang wore a pained expression and groaned softly, “Oh no, brother! I just promised Little Highness I’d go find her, but Madam Meng just reminded me not to go to the rear hall. What should I do?”
Hei Chang frowned and said in a low voice, “Why can’t you go to the rear hall? What’s wrong with Little Highness?”
He hadn’t heard King Yama say anything about forbidding them from entering the rear hall.
“She’s been locked inside a barrier by King Yama. I was planning to help her.”
“Thump—” Her forehead was slapped hard.
She cried out in pain, “Ow! Brother, why did you hit me?”
Hei Chang’s face darkened as he withdrew his hand. “That is something His Highness did. How can you casually question it?”
“I was just saying, why are you so mean, brother?”
“Do not go to the rear hall. His Highness has been troubled lately by Little Highness’s cultivation matters. Do not disturb him further.”
“But I just promised Little Highness.”
“Then you are not allowed to go either.”
“Brother?” She looked at him discontentedly, snorting, “But Little Highness hasn’t done anything wrong. She just wants to leave Hell and see the outside world…”
“That is her greatest mistake. You stay inside the palace and are not allowed to go anywhere.”
“Brother?!” Bai Chang looked at him in disbelief.
But she saw him turn around briskly, stepping on the empty ground as he left.
She gritted her teeth in anger, roaring, “Brother, you coward!!”
“A coward who’s afraid of His Highness!! I don’t want to be with you!!”
“I’m going to find Little Highness!!”
…
At the Outer Hall
A perfectly transformed figure was sneakily hiding behind a pillar.
She carefully looked around at the guarding Ghost Servants, pondering with a thoughtful expression, “How do I get in?”
“How do I…”
“Get them to leave?”
After a moment, an excellent idea came to her mind.
She reached her slender hand into her spatial spirit bag, pulled out a Treasure Artifact with a small spiked ball, and fiercely threw it toward another part of the hall.
“Boom—!!” An extreme sound of destruction came from the other side.
The evil ghosts were startled, “Quick, quick, go check, what happened?”
“Hurry, hurry, everyone go check, let’s go, let’s go!!”
Seeing them all run off, Bai Chang smiled happily. Great, they finally left. Bai Chang put away the Treasure Artifact in her hand and ran lightly into the hall.
“Little Highness?”
“Miao Yuan Little Highness!”
“I’m here!!”
Inside the hall
Hearing the voice, Xiao Miao Yuan looked over in delight. Sitting on the large bed platform, she happily waved her hand, saying, “I’m here, Sister Bai Chang, come quickly, come quickly.”
Bai Chang walked over, glanced at the Barrier around the side of the bed, and said, “Wait a moment, Little Highness, I’ll break this Barrier right away.”
Xiao Miao Yuan nodded, “Mm-hmm, I’ll wait for Sister Bai Chang.”
She waved her hand, transforming with some force into a concentrated technique, and struck the Barrier in front of her with effort.
“Boom—”
“Crash—”
The Barrier was instantly torn open with a small gap, just enough for Xiao Miao Yuan to crawl out. Xiao Miao Yuan hurriedly ran over and climbed out through the breach. She said joyfully, “Sister Bai Chang, you’re so amazing!”
Even the Barrier left by Father Lord, Sister Bai Chang could break it.
“Of course, King Yama’s Barrier can’t stump me. Come on, come on, I’ll take you to see the Magical Instrument I just brought back. It’s a super fun flying device.”
“Really? Where, where?” Little Dumpling’s eyes lit up.
“Of course it’s in my palace. Would Little Highness like to go down with me?”
“Yes, yes!!”
“Let’s go, let’s go—”
Hand in hand, the big one and the little one happily left the palace.