“Greetings, Young Highness.”
Ox-Head and Horse-Face hurriedly bowed. The newcomer was none other than the Mount Tai Goddess they had just been gossiping about—the Great Jin’s Princess of Qin and Grand Princess!
Wang Fu stifled a laugh, noticing that the talkative Horse-Face had turned pale, clearly afraid that his words had been overheard by the person before them.
“How about the Nine-Phoenix Carriage my master gave me? Isn’t it impressive?”
The little girl struck a proud pose, hands on her hips. The two deities nodded vigorously, and Horse-Face feigned astonishment, circling the carriage a few times:
“Phoenix tree wood that’s ten thousand years old is already rare enough, and to have nine phoenixes pulling the carriage—this carriage must have quite the origin. Even in the underworld, only His Majesty the Prefectural Lord could procure something like this.”
“Of course!”
Li Yue covered her mouth with her hand, suppressing a smile, feeling as if she had seen this scene before.
It reminded her of the Crown Prince at age ten, showing off a reward she had given him to his study companions.
After showing off, the Goddess waved a hand, pulling Li Yue and the others onto the carriage. Without looking back, she soared into the clouds, leaving only these words behind:
“This Highness is returning…”
………………
Exiting the Ghost Gate and stepping once more onto mortal soil, there were no wails or grotesque creatures in sight.
Looking around, everyone felt as if they had returned from another world.
“Are we back?” The nameless burly man wept with joy, nearly jumping up and down on the ground to vent his happiness.
Li Yue paid no attention, immediately turning to look at the Ghost Gate. There, she saw her aunt clinging to the slowly closing gate, her expression seeming somewhat desolate.
“Auntie, no…” The next moment, she heard the little girl muttering to herself, “Close faster, close!”
Once the gate was fully shut, the little girl, shedding all semblance of a Goddess, slumped to the ground in relief, patting her chest:
“Thank goodness! Even if Master finds out I beat up the little dragon in his pond, he won’t be able to catch up to me now.”
So mischievous, is she?
Li Yue’s lips twitched, looking at Ling Xiao—who should have been in her fifties or sixties—with an indescribable expression.
Catching her gaze, the little girl sprang to her feet, putting on a fierce front:
“Master is only allowed to raise me! What does it matter if the dragon clan from the West Sea sends their princes and princesses here? I’ll beat every single one I see.”
Li Yue nodded in agreement, though inwardly amused. In her view, the Mount Tai Prefectural Lord, whose temperament was unknown, truly cared only for the girl before her.
Otherwise, how could he have spoiled such a little troublemaker into existence?
As for those so-called dragon princes and princesses, creatures raised in a pond—at best, they were like pampered cats or dogs. How could they compare to a child raised by one’s own hands?
The little girl brightened again, her eyes sparkling with joy. She wrinkled her small nose as if making a firm decision.
The System stood ready, data commands prepared for action.
“Master prepared quite a few things for me. Since you all accompanied me, those present shall share in the rewards.”
Treasures from the underworld!
Everyone could hardly believe their ears. They had thought that merely touring the underworld and broadening their horizons was already a stroke of incredible luck.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the little girl pulled a bag out of The Void and beckoned them forward one by one:
“Each person can only take one thing. Let’s see who has the best luck. This Highness is not stingy—inside, there’s an immortal herb that can extend a mortal’s lifespan by five hundred years…”
Seeing that Li Yue and the others were not excited but instead somewhat wary, the little girl crossed her arms and pouted:
“There are no side effects.”
At that, the atmosphere heated up. Li Yue, unquestionably, went first and drew out a perfectly round pill.
The System withdrew its cheating hand…
Not rushing to explain the pill’s effects, over a dozen people eagerly stepped forward to draw lots, each one brimming with excitement, engaging in a grand superstitious activity.
Wang Fu drew a jade hairpin, while others received handkerchiefs, jade beads, and more jade beads—still more jade beads.
18888 couldn’t bear to watch. The Host’s prize distribution rate was truly something else.
Out of fifteen people, a whole bag of jade beads mixed with a few trinkets.
“I want them to know that gambling carries risks, and indulgence requires caution,” Ling Xiao explained seriously to the System in her mind.
Li Yue held the pill, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. In his view, his luck was the best.
Other items like the jade hairpin were fine, but those jade beads were nothing more than the things his aunt used to scare him with—eyeballs.
Sure enough, the little girl openly mocked those who had drawn the jade beads.
“This handkerchief can barely be considered a magical tool. It can calm the mind, soothe the spirit, and strengthen the soul.”
The person who received it was so overjoyed they could hardly speak.
In reality, it was just an ice silk handkerchief sprinkled with a bit of calming potion, costing no more than fifteen System Points.
Upon learning that the jade hairpin was a magical tool that could protect its owner and foresee danger, Wang Fu bowed deeply, her eyes sparkling.
A surge of ambition welled up in her heart.
A must-have for palace intrigue—a jade hairpin that foresees danger, worth three hundred System Points! A mission reward.
Finally, it was her dear eldest nephew’s turn. The Mount Tai Goddess placed her hands on her hips and laughed heartily.
“This pill was given to me by the Jade Rabbit as a joke when I went to the Guanghan Palace to play with Sister Chang’e. Guess what it is?”
She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her large eyes filled with a gleeful, almost mischievous emotion. Li Yue had a bad feeling about this.
Sure enough, the little Goddess deliberately built suspense, speaking slowly, “This is… a Child-Bearing Pill, hahahahaha!”
Li Yue clenched his fist tightly. Damn, he really wanted to hit someone.
And here was the Jade Rabbit, pounding medicine in the heavens—not making elixirs of immortality, but Child-Bearing Pills instead!
Ling Xiao laughed even more heartily, especially when she saw the Emperor’s expression of suppressed anger, which only added to her delight.
“Don’t be upset, dear nephew. This pill is very effective. Once a woman takes it, no matter if the man is paralyzed or seventy or eighty years old, she will definitely bear a child!”
“Think about it, our Li family has an imperial throne to inherit. If, by some misfortune, we ever become unable to produce an heir, wouldn’t this pill come in handy?
Keep it safe, as a family heirloom!”
Surprisingly, Li Yue nodded thoughtfully, then glanced casually at the others who were trying to hold back their laughter.
Just then, commotion gradually arose from outside…
A large procession of palace attendants and guards appeared. At the forefront was Empress Wen, her gentle and elegant face etched with anxiety. Upon seeing the Emperor safe and sound, she visibly relaxed.
Li Yue gave a meaningful look to Prime Minister Wang and the others who had fallen behind, first inviting Ling Xiao into the carriage before boarding the imperial palanquin himself.
“Your Majesty, are you all right?”
The Emperor regained his usual composure, exchanged a few words with the Empress, and then brought up the journey to the underworld.
“Zitong, did you know that Aunt’s revered title is the Mount Tai Goddess, and her master is the Mount Tai Prefectural Lord!”
Wen Shi, who loved history and was well-read, naturally knew of Mount Tai’s significance and that the Mount Tai Prefectural Lord was an ancient and mighty deity.
After congratulating the Emperor, she listened attentively to the tales of his journey, offering just the right amount of praise. Li Yue grew more and more enthusiastic as he spoke.
As he talked, he pulled out various items from all over his person—horsehair, strange plants, mud, water from the Yellow Springs, and a red spider lily. Yes, he had still managed to hide one!
“Although it lost its spiritual nature upon reaching the mortal realm, it is still an object from the underworld after all,” the Emperor remarked with emotion as he caressed the now ordinary item.
The items were carefully collected one by one and taken away for study, while the husband and wife stood side by side, whispering softly to each other…
Meanwhile, Wang Fu had also returned to the Duke’s residence.