The little girl’s hair was exceptionally well-nourished—a thick, glossy black mane that shimmered with a bluish tint under the sunlight. In the past, many young ladies would have envied such hair.
But now…
Piercing screams echoed endlessly through the grand hall. Most of the palace attendants and servants fled in panic, while a few barely maintained their dignity, collapsing to the ground in terror.
The ministers and noblewomen were no better, scrambling desperately to escape.
Everyone could see it: the young girl standing in the hall, her hair growing longer by the second, her eyes suddenly turning pitch-black, and two streams of crimson blood-tears streaking down her snow-white skin!
If this wasn’t a ghost, then what was it?
“Ahhhhhh, a ghost!”
“Protect His Majesty! Your Majesty, run!” A radiant concubine rushed forward from the front, her lovely face tear-streaked as she hurried to protect her emperor.
The next moment, slippery yet resilient strands of hair coiled around her calf, yanking her down hard and sending her crashing face-first to the floor.
Witnessing this, Empress Wen, amid her terror and concern, felt a flicker of satisfaction and hesitated for a brief moment.
The concubine wasn’t the only one trying to rescue the emperor. For the sake of their futures and fortunes, ministers, imperial relatives, eunuchs, and palace maids all surged toward the emperor’s location.
But before anyone could reach him, Ling Xiao snorted coldly. Her hair wove into a net, forming a massive dome that enveloped the two of them, sealing off the inside from the outside.
“Go save His Majesty! If anything happens to him, you’ll all die! You—go break open this ghostly thing!”
The emperor’s elder sister, the Princess of Chu, arrived first, her beautiful face pale with fear, a large pearl hairpin dangling askew by her temple. She ordered a guard to hack at the hair dome.
The guard, trembling like a ghostly reaper, was utterly terrified. He swung his blade, but the hair didn’t break; instead, it swiftly coiled around the hilt.
In an instant, the hair pierced his arm. The guard screamed in agony, releasing the blade, but the ravenous strands tightened their grip.
Those who witnessed the scene felt sick. The hair, after piercing the flesh, seemed to be sucking blood, writhing and turning red like a living creature…
“Host, I’m impressed. With just the ‘Cascade of Black Hair’ skill, you’ve managed to create the vibe of a Cthulhu-esque monster invasion…”
It was clear this Host was no ordinary person. Otherwise, a mere “Cascade of Black Hair” skill would have, at most, made her hair look beautiful—certainly not like a resurrected Sadako.
18888’s expression was complicated as it asked again, “What exactly are you trying to do? What good does scaring them to death do for the mission?”
Hearing the System’s words, Ling Xiao remained noncommittal.
She had never learned how to be a favored concubine. Relying on beauty to please a man—how long could that last? Especially with an emperor as fickle and affectionate as this one, surrounded by countless favored concubines, old flames, and new infatuations. How could Ling Xiao possibly stand out among them all?
By being young and enduring longer?
Since she wasn’t skilled at it, perhaps it was better to change her identity.
She thought being the emperor’s spectral elder suited her just fine.
…………………………
The young girl in the hall seemed to be playing a game. Not only did she prevent anyone from rescuing the emperor, but she also allowed her hair to feast on the flesh and blood of those trying to flee the hall.
Chaos reigned as everyone panicked, scrambling in all directions. Ling Xiao watched the emperor before her with keen interest.
With a casual command, thick clumps of hair stuffed into the mouths of those still screaming and running.
Prime Minister Wang Yi, ever cunning and sly, had been running quite fast initially. But upon seeing a certain shrieking county princess ahead get her mouth stuffed with hair, he quickly changed tactics.
In a flash of inspiration, he dropped to the ground, dragging down the passing Minister of State Xu Yan as he fell.
Xu Yan was about to curse, wondering which old scoundrel had tripped him, when he looked up and saw that all those who screamed had their mouths stuffed with hair. Trembling, he dared not move a muscle.
He gave a disdainful cupped-hand salute to Wang Yi’s old face, which was smiling like a chrysanthemum.
At this moment, the smartest people of the imperial court were gathered here. Upon realizing they could not speak, the hall quickly fell silent.
Li Yue truly lived up to being a powerful emperor who ascended the throne in his youth. While initial shock and fear were unavoidable, he calmed down at the fastest possible speed.
He could feel the gazes falling upon him growing increasingly malicious.
Think quickly—how to break the deadlock! This unprecedented crisis unleashed Li Yue’s potential.
Finally, a flash of inspiration struck his mind.
Without hesitation, he knelt down decisively, the imperial robes he wore gathering dust.
Their owner lowered his head and said, “Your descendant pays respects to the ancestor. For failing to offer greetings at the first moment, I beg forgiveness for this junior’s discourtesy.”
Ling Xiao laughed heartily, laughing so hard that bloody tears streamed down, forming a puddle on the ground. With a frenzied expression, she leaned close to Li Yue.
“Clever, truly clever. No wonder Meng Po said our imperial dynasty would produce a wise ruler for the ages!”
A wise ruler for the ages!
In the annals of history, few emperors could be called wise rulers, let alone one for the ages. This was the highest praise an emperor could receive!
The people outside now also realized that this being, whether god or ghost, shared some blood ties with the imperial family; otherwise, the Emperor would not have referred to himself as a junior.
Members of the imperial clan looked excited, but as soon as their eyes met the little girl’s face, they were frightened into looking away.
Heavens, Ling Xiao now looked exactly like a classic ghost doll—her pretty little face with delicate features was marred by bloody tears and an aura of death, making her appearance indescribable!
Li Yue’s eyes flickered. Instead of avoiding her gaze, he remained confident and composed, speaking loudly as if a junior proudly boasting of achievements:
“Thank you, ancestor, for informing this junior of future events. This time, I captured the Khan of the Southern Barbarians to offer as a sacrifice to the ancestors. Perhaps this junior was discourteous in failing to offer sacrifices to you…”
At this point, a trace of embarrassment appeared on Li Yue’s handsome face, as if he were feeling ashamed. He looked directly into Ling Xiao’s blood-streaked face and asked, “May I ask which ancestor you are?”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, this guy is no pushover,”
18888 commented. Li Yue appeared to be drawing close to the Host, but in reality, he was only probing for information.
After all, Ling Xiao was clearly not human. Whether god or ghost, no mortal could contend with her. Who knew if she might go berserk and kill him?
However, “Didn’t he consider that you might just be a paper tiger? You look formidable, but a few strikes could finish you off. He still lacks courage.”
If Li Yue knew, he would surely shout, “If you’re so capable, you do it.”
Ling Xiao smiled faintly. She was indeed an empty shell now; those few attacks had drained all her strength.
Like a wrung-out rag, a bit of water could still be squeezed out with force, but it couldn’t last.
“My goal has already been achieved, hasn’t it?”
In the quiet hall, everyone waited for Ling Xiao’s reply. Li Yue’s expectant gaze, hidden beneath the surface, appeared entirely harmless.
The ghost doll curled her lips into a playful, adorable smile and said, “I suppose I could be considered your aunt. I am the daughter of the Great Jin’s Taizu.”
They were truly relatives!
Half of Li Yue’s anxiously suspended heart settled. At least with this connection, there was room for negotiation.
Everyone else in the hall thought the same. Ling Xin, in particular, resolved her doubts: no wonder Sixth Sister could enter the palace—this was practically her home.
The next moment, “But I didn’t live long. When that scumbag father gave birth to me, he was fleeing for his life. How could he afford to carry a burden?”
Another twist in the tale. Li Yue’s smile instantly froze on his face, and he didn’t even register Ling Xiao’s disrespectful reference to Taizu.
For the Li imperial dynasty to be established, it naturally had to defeat the previous dynasty with its fists and kick aside the feudal lords in the chaotic times to achieve victory.
Great Jin’s Taizu fought so many battles, and naturally suffered defeats. A fragile infant should not exist for a fleeing army.
He had no doubt about its authenticity.
Grandfather, you have wronged your grandson!
Li Yue felt a surge of blood stuck in his throat, wishing he could immediately let his aunt feel the warmth of family and spare her pitiful nephew.
Before he could respond, the ghostly doll tilted its head and added cutely.
“I think it lived for two or three days, I don’t quite remember. After all, it was too long ago.”
As soon as Ling Xiao finished speaking, a sudden eerie wind rose in the hall, causing everyone inside to shiver, especially those who knew a ghost was present—what could they do but be even more terrified?