“The person you’re asking about lives right here in the City Lord’s Manor—”
“Then I can’t stay in the City Lord’s Manor any longer! I can’t run into her!”
Although Wu Ming and Hou Danxue’s cousin had not yet met, just as Hou Danxue had mentioned her cousin to Wu Ming, Hou Danxue must have spoken of Wu Ming’s existence to her cousin as well.
If she happened to bump into this so-called cousin and Hou Danxue found out she was hiding in the City Lord’s Manor, she would be finished!
Furthermore, Hou Danxue might come to the City Lord’s Manor specifically to look for her cousin. Wu Ming did not want to cross paths with Hou Danxue at all! She didn’t want to be caught and locked in that small dark room again!
Escaping once didn’t mean she would be able to escape a second time!
“Perfect! It just so happens I wasn’t planning on staying in the City Lord’s Manor either. We can leave together! Mother! Wherever you go, I will go!”
Staying together is good for nurturing feelings, and then…
Hou Linghua’s cry of “Mother” made Wu Ming’s heart tremble. She still couldn’t quite accept the title.
However, since she had already promised the child, she couldn’t go back on her word. She could only try her best to get used to the address.
Even though they shared no blood relation, the child’s cry of “Mother” placed a burden of responsibility on her, and she instinctively began to care for the child even more.
“Child—”
“Mother, why aren’t you calling me your ‘Good Baby’ anymore? Did I do something to make you angry?”
Wu Ming was forced to change her wording.
“Good Baby, don’t you have a home?”
If she had a home, why would she choose to wander with her?
If she had a home, Wu Ming would definitely send her back, regardless of what the child thought.
By now, Hou Linghua had gradually grasped Wu Ming’s personality. She made herself out to be as pitiful as possible; the more pitiful she was, the more “Mother” would love her.
She needed love. She needed a vast amount of love, and then her endless cravings would be satisfied.
“Mother… I truly have no home. I am an existence that was never expected, an existence born from distortion. I… I only have you… So, please never abandon me, okay…”
Wu Ming wasn’t prepared to be someone’s entire world. She hurriedly asked for clarification: “Are you an orphan too?”
Only an orphan would have no home…
“I… Mother, it’s hard to explain…”
Hou Linghua weighed the pros and cons in her mind. Ultimately, she chose to reveal her secret.
Being an orphan was nothing; that identity wasn’t nearly as pitiable as her actual status.
Although her identity was shocking, Wu Ming looked like… she shouldn’t be too frightened, right?
No! I have to cover up some of the facts! Wu Ming is afraid of bugs. I can’t say I was born from a bug; if I do, no matter how pitiful I am, it won’t matter—Wu Ming will surely throw me far away!
“Mother, I… actually, I am not human.”
“Huh?”
If she wasn’t human, what could she be?
Did spirits and monsters actually exist in this world?
Wu Ming’s worldview was in the process of collapsing.
“I am a special product researched by a madwoman. Because I failed to achieve the results she wanted, she left me to fend for myself.”
Hearing this, Wu Ming couldn’t help but pull Hou Linghua into a tighter embrace.
“Good Baby, you’ve suffered. From now on, I am your mother! I will take good care of you! Whatever other children have, you will have too!”
She never expected such an existence to inhabit this world—that Hou Linghua was actually a twisted experimental subject!
How much effort must she have put in, in places Wu Ming couldn’t see, just to live like a human being!
She only wanted a mother’s love; what was so unreasonable about that! How could she not satisfy her!
“Mother…”
“Good Baby… Oh, right! Why were those people chasing you?”
“Because I am an existence that defies the heavens. Mother… you know, the righteous path cannot tolerate a defiant existence like me. In their eyes, I must die! Only by killing me can they uphold their morality!”
“Absurd! You are clearly the victim! Shouldn’t the one truly paying the price be that woman who created you?”
“That woman’s status and position are too high; no one will seek justice for me.”
“Who is she?”
Wu Ming had already accepted Hou Linghua in her heart. She had never imagined she would have a daughter, but now that she did, she wanted to give her the best of everything. She couldn’t help but want to spoil her daughter without limits.
No matter who it was, if they made her “Good Baby” suffer, she would surely get revenge for her!
“She is the Sect Leader of the Five Venoms Sect. Mother, there are too many venomous insects in the Five Venoms Sect. You are afraid of bugs; let’s just forget it.”
Wu Ming wanted to seek justice for her, which made Hou Linghua very happy, but she still rejected Wu Ming’s kindness.
Hou Linghua had selfish motives. If they went to the Five Venoms Sect, her identity would surely be exposed to Wu Ming.
Whether it was the fact that she had promised Hou Danxue to plant a parasite in Wu Ming, or her identity as a “parasite-born child,” Wu Ming would find both unacceptable. She didn’t want these things to create a rift between them.
Once the “affection” between them perished, even the Lover’s Parasite wouldn’t be able to save her. The only ending left for them would be a total break.
The priority right now wasn’t revenge; that wasn’t important to her at all.
What she cared about most was how to rapidly increase the mother-daughter bond so Wu Ming would fall in love with her sooner. And then… then she could do everything she wanted to do! Get intimately close with Wu Ming!
What can a mother and daughter do to make their feelings grow at lightning speed? Hou Linghua’s mind was a complete blank; she didn’t have a single clue.
“No! We can’t just let this go! It’s just bugs! I can handle it!”
The newly born maternal love overrode Wu Ming’s long-standing fear of insects. She actually found this courage, which surprised even Wu Ming herself.
“Mother, it’s too dangerous! I can’t let you risk yourself for me!”
Hou Linghua’s voice was so sharp it made Wu Ming’s ears ache as she held her, but it only made Wu Ming pity her more.
The psychological shadow cast by that woman must be enormous! That was why Hou Linghua didn’t even have the courage to seek revenge!
How pitiable! Her poor, miserable Good Baby!
Little did she know, what Hou Linghua actually cared about was entirely different from what she imagined.
Hou Linghua didn’t want Wu Ming to take her back to the Five Venoms Sect at all. She had no desire to have her cover blown in front of Wu Ming; she couldn’t bear the risk of her identity being revealed.
“Mother! You struggled even against those people just now! The Five Venoms Sect is full of those kinds of Poison Puppets! You can’t do it! You really can’t!”
“Poison Puppets? Good Baby, didn’t you say they were people from the righteous path coming to kill you? How did they turn into Poison Puppets?”
Crap! I spoke too fast and said the wrong thing!
Wu Ming would suspect her!
Hou Linghua had no choice but to start making things up.
“Because the people in the Five Venoms Sect also dislike me. They’ve teamed up!”
Wu Ming nodded. Outcasts were never welcomed anywhere.
“Is there no exception? The head of the Hou family is also a member of the Five Venoms Sect, and she… she is a good person. Did she never help you?”
At the mention of Hou Danxue, Hou Linghua’s eyes turned red. She now only wanted to viciously blacken Hou Danxue’s image in Wu Ming’s heart, discarding all logic.
“She doesn’t really count as a member of the Five Venoms Sect, and besides, her cousin dislikes me. Naturally, she sides with her cousin! Mother! Why do you trust her so much? Is she more important to you than I am?”
Wu Ming truly couldn’t distinguish who was more important, but she didn’t dare reveal her true thoughts to the child.
The child was already so pitiable; she must value security very much. Wu Ming naturally had to satisfy her demand for reassurance.
“Of course, my Good Baby is the most important.”
Hou Linghua received an answer better than she expected. Her heart felt incredibly sweet. This sweetness made her forget her words, and she failed to continue her fabrications.
“Since the Five Venoms Sect treats you so badly, I have even more reason to make this trip and take back everything for you!”
Wu Ming originally had a good impression of the Five Venoms Sect because of Hou Danxue, but after Hou Linghua’s manipulation, she was filled with loathing for them. Combined with her hatred of bugs, she wished she could wipe out their entire clan.
“No! You can’t!”
Hou Linghua was desperate. Wu Ming loved her too much, and it made her feel hopeless!
This mother-daughter bond was too heavy; she couldn’t take it!
How did it end up like this!
No! Since their mother-daughter affection was already so deep, she was only a tiny bit away from the result she desired! She absolutely could not let Wu Ming discover the truth!
Wu Ming might have been able to accept the facts originally, but now that Hou Linghua was full of lies, there was no way to salvage the situation!
“Good Baby! Don’t you worry! Let me tell you a secret—your mother is the Number One in the world! I will definitely make your wish come true!”
Number One in the world?
That was just a title Hou Danxue had propped up. The real Number One was clearly her and that old thing, Bai Yingqiu.
Wait… Bai Yingqiu…
If she couldn’t stop Wu Ming, that old thing Bai Yingqiu would surely have a way!
Her ability to control puppets was far stronger than hers!
The puppets she controlled were obviously Poison Puppets at a glance, and she had no way to explain why every “righteous person” chasing them was a Poison Puppet. But Bai Yingqiu was different!
Wu Ming wouldn’t be able to see any anomalies in the people Bai Yingqiu controlled! She would only think they were ordinary people from the righteous path.
“Mother… it’s so good to have you.”
Hou Linghua’s fingertips flicked gently, sending a tiny, invisible insect carrying her request flying into the distance.
She and Bai Yingqiu were natural enemies, but also friends. Bai Yingqiu surely wouldn’t mind granting her this request.
It’s just… just as her deal with Hou Danxue carried malice, Bai Yingqiu would surely have her own small bit of malice. She had to be careful.
The problem that had been bothering her was solved. Now… she was going to do the thing that brought her joy.
After her pitiful description, Wu Ming’s maternal love must have been catalyzed to the extreme. She was even willing to go to the bug-infested Five Venoms Sect for her! As long as she activated the Lover’s Parasite, this maternal love would transform into the kind of love she wanted.
Love… the love she had schemed so hard for…
She was already impatient to enjoy this love.
“Mother, since you’ve made up your mind, let’s set off quickly! But… do you want to head back to the City Lord’s Manor first to pack your things?”
Wu Ming would go back, and she would go back too. Then, she would use her original form to meet Wu Ming.
All the maternal love Wu Ming felt for this child-like form would be converted into love for her original form. Wu Ming would fall in love with her uncontrollably!
It was truly a wonderful thought! Hou Linghua derived immense satisfaction just by imagining that scene.
“You’re right! We have to go back to the City Lord’s Manor first.”
At the very least, she had to say goodbye to her foster mother.
Children without a blood relation were also important.
Just as Hou Linghua was important to her, she was equally important to Teng Ruzhi. If she left without saying goodbye, Teng Ruzhi would surely be heartbroken! She couldn’t betray the love Teng Ruzhi had for her.