“I cannot draw this curse-worm out,” Bai Ningbing said, his gaze resting intently on Yi Yi for a long moment.
“I can only do my best to sustain his life,” he added, his tone filled with regret.
Though he did not say it outright, both the Empress Dowager and Prince Jing understood his meaning. If all they could do was keep him breathing, then he would be nothing more than a living corpse for the rest of his days.
Was this truly the only way forward?
“Grandma, don’t be sad baby will save Father.” Yi Yi ran over and wrapped her arms around the Empress Dowager, nuzzling against her affectionately.
Comforted by the little girl, the Empress Dowager’s overwhelming grief eased somewhat.
Yi Yi looked completely earnest, determined to prove that she truly could save her father.
The Empress Dowager recalled what had happened that day in the Imperial Ancestral Shrine, when the Divine Beast Ancestral Glutton had appeared and revealed a line of words: In the Jiang household of Huzhou, there lives a two-year-old child named Yi Yi of imperial blood, and she alone can save him.
Ancestral Glutton was the guardian deity worshipped throughout Great Xia, revered as a sacred being by all. Yet if even the healer from the Divine Medicine Valley could not cure Dongfang Mo, what hope could there be for Yi Yi, a mere two-and-a-half-year-old child? More than that, she feared the ferocious curse-worm might turn on Yi Yi instead.
Seeing the Empress Dowager hesitate, Consort Liu stepped forward and spoke with feigned kindness: “The Princess acts out of such deep filial devotion. Why not let her try?”
Outwardly, she appeared open and trusting, but inwardly she scoffed. If even the master healer she had brought from the Divine Medicine Valley could not succeed, what could a little brat possibly do? It was pure fantasy. That so-called Nation-Protecting Divine Beast was nothing more than an animal anyway. If the child wanted to make a fool of herself, let her try and let her end up poisoned by the very curse she sought to remove.
After careful thought, the Empress Dowager nodded. “Yi Yi, you may do your best.” Turning to Bai Ningbing, she added, “Mister Bai, please step in and help immediately if anything goes wrong.”
Yi Yi nodded obediently. “Don’t worry, Grandma. Father will wake up soon, you’ll see.”
The little girl climbed up beside Dongfang Mo and wrapped her small hand around his large one. She picked up the silver needle Bai Ningbing had left nearby, and without blinking, pricked the tip of his middle finger. A bead of blood welled up, followed by thin, wispy strands of dark, foul energy seeping from the wound.
Holding her breath, her small face set in serious concentration, Yi Yi reached out and gripped those strands of darkness, pulling them outward.
Deep within Dongfang Mo’s chest, the mother worm sensed the force tugging at it. It opened its hidden eyes and began to struggle violently.
Too slow.
Yi Yi bit open the skin of her own finger, letting her fresh blood flow and touch the dark threads.
The mother worm’s struggles grew frantic. It seemed to have caught the scent of something irresistibly delicious, and driven almost mad by the aroma, it surged toward the opening in Dongfang Mo’s finger.
In no time, a thick, wriggling creature pushed its way out of the wound.
Yi Yi reached out and plucked it straight from the opening.
A sharp cry escaped Consort Liu. “Ah!” Her face turned deathly pale as she pointed a trembling finger. “She she pulled out a worm!”
All eyes turned to see the utterly astonishing sight: a soft, pink-cheeked little girl clutching a plump, fat worm in her hand. It was easily the size of a small adult’s thumb ten times larger than the tiny worm they had seen before.
Blood trickled from the cut on Yi Yi’s finger, and the creature, drawn by the scent, writhed wildly, desperate to burrow into her flesh. Yet no matter how hard it twisted, it remained firmly trapped in her grip.
The Empress Dowager felt her head spin. “…Yi Yi, put it down quickly! Be careful!”
This was the very thing that had paralyzed Dongfang Mo for months. If it entered Yi Yi’s body, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Everyone present was filled with dread everyone except Bai Ningbing, who stared at the worm in Yi Yi’s hand, stunned into silence.
It was the Devouring Soul Worm!
The most deadly curse-worm from the Southern Tribes. Even within the Divine Medicine Valley, only one person was capable of dealing with it…
The Empress Dowager and Prince Jing took turns urging Yi Yi to let go of the creature.
“Grandma, Uncle, don’t be afraid baby has it under control!”
As long as she was here, this big, bad worm could not hurt anyone. Yi Yi flashed them both a bright, confident smile.
Prince Jing and the Empress Dowager exchanged a look of helplessness.
Even as the adults continued to call out warnings, the little girl’s eyes remained fixed on the squirming creature. It was thick with foul energy, yet to her, it smelled unbelievably sweet like a feast waiting to be eaten.
Her mouth began to water. Without further hesitation, she opened wide and gulp popped the entire worm into her mouth.
The Empress Dowager and Prince Jing nearly fainted on the spot, their scalps tingling with shock.
Consort Liu clapped a hand over her mouth, fighting back the urge to retch, while secretly feeling a surge of satisfaction. She had heard rumors that children from remote villages sometimes ate strange insects so this little beast dared to eat anything! Let her eat it, then she would soon be writhing in agony from the poison.
Prince Jing immediately swept Yi Yi up into his arms, patting her back and trying to make her spit it out. Bai Ningbing stepped forward as well, offering a strong emetic to force the contents of her stomach up.
All the imperial physicians waiting outside were summoned into the chamber at once.
It was in this chaotic scene that Dongfang Mo finally opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was a crowd of people rushing frantically around a tiny, chubby child.
Never before had the quiet stillness of the Purple Abode Hall been so lively.
“What is the meaning of this?”
At the sound of his deep, low voice, the physicians instinctively dropped to their knees, bowing deeply and crying out for mercy.
Consort Liu rushed forward joyfully, only to freeze mid-step when she caught the sharp, cold look he shot her.
As for his mother and younger brother, they did not even glance his way their entire attention was fixed on the small child.
For someone as reserved and unfeeling as Dongfang Mo, this was more than enough to spark his curiosity. Who was this little creature, that they would make such a fuss over her?
Before he could ask, the child broke free from their grasp and launched herself toward him like a tiny cannonball.
“Father! Yi Yi has finally come to see you!”
Father? Dongfang Mo stared in bewilderment. Since when did he have such a child? She was short and round, her hair sticking up in tufts, and her clothes smudged with dirt.
Seeing him frozen in place, Yi Yi’s big eyes twinkled, and a mischievous idea formed in her head.
In the next moment smack!
Dongfang Mo’s eyes went wide with shock.
The entire chamber fell into a silence so deep it felt suffocating.
Emperor Jing was famously fastidious; he never let anyone come too close, let alone touch him. Yet now there was a clear, wet imprint of a child’s lips planted right on his right cheek.
It was over! Surely the Princess, barely back in the palace, was already destined for punishment.
Yet…
Their cold, unyielding Emperor merely frowned slightly and wiped his face with a silk handkerchief in obvious disgust.
Everyone stared, confused. Was that all? Shouldn’t she be dragged away and beaten?
It seemed the only heir to the throne truly held a special place in his heart. From now on, they would all have to treat this little mistress with great care.
Dongfang Mo ignored the thoughts running through everyone’s minds. He was about to “reprimand” the bold little girl before him, when she suddenly went limp and collapsed straight into his arms.
The Empress Dowager’s heart lurched in terror. The worm had not been removed earlier if she had fainted now, it must mean the curse had taken hold!
Heavens, how cruel fate could be! She had only just found her son, and now she was about to lose her precious granddaughter?
Her legs gave way, and she nearly crumpled to the floor, catching herself just in time. Turning to Bai Ningbing, she pleaded urgently, “I beg you do everything in your power to save Yi Yi.”
“Rest assured, Your Majesty. I shall spare no effort.”
Dongfang Mo carefully settled Yi Yi onto the bed and pulled the covers gently over her. It was the first time anyone so small and dirty had ever lain upon his imperial bed she was certainly getting more than she deserved.
Still, she was the one who had saved his life. He saw no reason to hold a grudge against a child.
For months, he had drifted in and out of a foggy darkness, watching as the light of his consciousness slowly faded away. Until today, when the light suddenly returned. He had seen a tiny girl with her hair tied in two little buns, standing with her hands planted firmly on her hips, looking utterly confident and commanding: Eat it! Eat it all!
She had opened her mouth, drawn in a deep breath, and in one soft inhale, the thick, swirling black smoke filling his mind had vanished completely.
And then, he had woken up…