Upon learning that the maid had a pass token, Shu Qing immediately began formulating a preliminary plan to escape the Underworld. Although he had unfortunately missed a perfect opportunity to leave, he knew his chance had come. His previous worries and concerns dissipated automatically. Who cares where to go after getting out? The priority was to get out first. Even if things didn’t end well after leaving, staying here would definitely not end well. He didn’t know how long the pass token would remain with the maid, so as soon as the King of the Underworld left the Underworld next time, he would set off immediately, without hesitation.
The challenge was that time was quite tight. The pass token of the Underworld wasn’t just a dead object that anyone could use. It had to be registered and was imbued with spells cast by the King of the Underworld, which could automatically recognize the holder. It couldn’t be claimed or impersonated by others. In other words, the pass token given to the maid could only be used by her. Even if Shu Qing could steal it and disguise himself as the maid, the formation at the entrance would see through it, and not only would he fail to escape, but he would also be caught on the spot. Unless he smeared the maid’s blood on himself. Blood could temporarily disable the spell, but only for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. After all, it was a spell cast by the King of the Underworld himself, and it would quickly detect the difference between blood and the real body.
Thus, the escape plan began to take shape. When the King of the Underworld left the Underworld next time, Shu Qing would disguise himself as the maid, smear some of her blood on himself, and pass through the entrance within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, leaving the Underworld. It was tense and dangerous. If the King of the Underworld found out, Shu Qing estimated he would really be torn to pieces. But he thought it was feasible and worth the risk. It just meant he would have to send the maid to the Human World to buy things every day. As long as the maid frequently went in and out, the guards at the entrance would become familiar with her, making it easier for him to leave.
With the escape plan set, the attitude he should adopt towards the King of the Underworld was also clear. For now, he would maintain the same demeanor. He would act a bit more obedient, avoid angering the King of the Underworld, and ensure he didn’t take back the pass token given to the maid. But he couldn’t suddenly become too obedient either. That wouldn’t match his character, and being too obedient might arouse the King of the Underworld’s suspicion. He was truly fed up with staying in the Underworld and being by the King of the Underworld’s side. The King of the Underworld was unpredictable, with moods that changed like the weather. Being scared once was enough, and he was genuinely afraid. He knew very well that he was no match for the King of the Underworld, and resistance would definitely not end well. Escape was the best choice.
After being gloomy for a long time, his mood finally rekindled with anticipation and joy. Thinking about having a way to escape the Underworld, Shu Qing couldn’t help but feel excited. He had to leave this place. He would definitely leave this place.
…
Fratricide is no small matter. Even though it was the Mountain God who was killed, the King of the Underworld was severely punished by the Heavenly Emperor. However, the flow of time in the Heavenly Realm and the Underworld was different. Although only two days had passed in the Underworld, ten days had actually passed in the Heavenly Realm. The King of the Underworld felt like he hadn’t seen Shu Qing for a long, long time. After dealing with the accumulated affairs of the past two days during the day, he went to the side hall where Shu Qing was in the evening.
As soon as he stepped into Shu Qing’s sleeping quarters, he was hit by a strange fragrance. At first, it was as strong and rich as the scent of flowers, but after a while, it mellowed, turning into a sweet, warm, and soft fruity aroma that was not only pleasant but also calming. Shu Qing was half-lying on the couch, eating pastries while reading a storybook, his eyes focused and a smile on his lips. The King of the Underworld tugged at the corners of his mouth. It seemed that during the days he was punished in the Heavenly Realm, this little butterfly had been doing quite well. His complexion was visibly rosier.
No one announced his arrival, and the King of the Underworld entered quietly. But his cold and imposing aura, like a majestic cold mountain, couldn’t be concealed, and his tall figure was hard to miss. As soon as he entered, Shu Qing noticed him. The maid was the first to greet him, “Greetings, Your Highness.” Shu Qing put away his smile, still holding a pastry, and sat up straight, looking as if he was about to stand but didn’t. The King of the Underworld spoke first, “No need to stand, you can stay seated.” Shu Qing responded quickly, “…Yes.” The King of the Underworld chuckled. This little butterfly was really not polite.
Xiao Cao, who was kneeling beside Shu Qing, had been responsible for holding the storybook and turning the pages. Now, he quickly put it away, sneaking a glance at the King of the Underworld and hurriedly retreating, his voice trembling, “…Greetings, Your Highness, King of the Underworld.” The King of the Underworld glanced at him, noticing he was a new face, but didn’t pay much attention and ignored him. He went straight to sit beside Shu Qing, “What are you reading?” As he got closer, the fragrance on Shu Qing’s body changed again. The sweetness intensified, and even the King of the Underworld couldn’t identify what it was, only finding it inexplicably familiar and pleasant. Naturally, he leaned closer to Shu Qing, pressing against his neck and affectionately sniffing.
Shu Qing’s body stiffened, instinctively wanting to move away. But the King of the Underworld was faster, wrapping an arm around Shu Qing’s waist and pulling him into his embrace. The difference in their sizes was obvious. The King of the Underworld was like a mountain enveloping Shu Qing, and as he was forced to sit on the King of the Underworld’s lap, Shu Qing felt his entire body go numb. Chun Li kept her eyes down, pretending not to be there. Xiao Cao, witnessing such a scene for the first time, was visibly shocked, sneaking several glances with a dumbfounded expression. It wasn’t until Chun Li kicked him that he lowered his gaze and quickly bowed his head.
The King of the Underworld rested his head on Shu Qing’s shoulder, his strong arm wrapped around him, playing with Shu Qing’s hair, sniffing the fragrance on him as if he were toying with a beautiful doll. The King of the Underworld asked again, “What are you reading?” After the initial stiffness, Shu Qing gradually relaxed. Although the King of the Underworld appeared calm, Shu Qing’s intuition told him that his mood wasn’t great at the moment. When the King of the Underworld was in a good mood, saying a few willful words didn’t matter. But when he was in a bad mood… Shu Qing had already witnessed it. He would suddenly go and kill the Mountain God, even throwing the Mountain God’s head on his bed.
Shu Qing closed his eyes, recalling that scene still sent chills down his spine, his fingertips trembling slightly. “…A storybook, brought by Chun Li from the Human World.” “Is it good?” “…Yes.” “What’s it about?” Shu Qing couldn’t help but say, “A man who doesn’t strive for improvement, beats and scolds his wife every day, and in the end, gets pushed into a well and drowns by his wife.” “…” The King of the Underworld raised an eyebrow, “Do you like such stories?” Shu Qing couldn’t help but say, “It’s satisfying. A guy who bullies his wife deserves a bad end.” “…” Xiao Cao hadn’t reacted yet, but Chun Li had already closed her eyes in despair, wishing she could stop breathing altogether.
Fortunately, the King of the Underworld didn’t pursue it, laughing a few times, seemingly in a better mood. “Have you been eating better these past two days?” the King of the Underworld asked, “Do you like these pastries lately?” Shu Qing was still holding the unfinished pastry, and even though he was already held tightly by the King of the Underworld, he was reluctant to put down the food. The King of the Underworld glanced at the small table beside him, where there were osmanthus honey and mung bean cakes. There were also red bean buns and sesame buns with the outer skin peeled off, leaving only the filling eaten. Shu Qing blinked. Since the King of the Underworld asked, he certainly wouldn’t miss the opportunity. “Much better,” he said, “I want to eat these every day.”
But actually, when Shu Qing was obedient, the King of the Underworld was quite willing to indulge him. For instance, at this moment, although there might be some verbal tricks, at least he didn’t dare to show his claws anymore. “If you like them, ask Chun Li to buy them every day.” “…Okay.” Shu Qing was waiting for this sentence. It seemed insignificant, and indeed it was nothing to the King of the Underworld at the moment, but getting this assurance at least ensured that in the short term, the King of the Underworld wouldn’t take back the pass token from Chun Li.
“What did you use on yourself to smell so good?” “…” As they spoke, the King of the Underworld’s embrace tightened, as if he wanted to merge the little butterfly into his own body. No matter how long he smelled it, the fragrance never became cloying, and it was gradually addictive. The King of the Underworld leaned forward, pressing Shu Qing onto the couch, sniffing all the way down, finally pressing against Shu Qing’s soft belly, pulling open the inner garment’s tie, and placing his nose on the cool skin. The King of the Underworld took a deep breath, “It seems like this is the most fragrant part?”
Shu Qing felt a shiver run through him, his body trembling lightly, almost unable to hold onto the pastry in his hand. “…Nothing, I didn’t use anything.” The King of the Underworld chuckled, “You think I can’t see through your little tricks?” “…” Shu Qing suddenly felt a sense of helplessness, being accused but unable to explain. What little trick of his? How come he didn’t know? Was it really his trick? “I like this scent. You can use it every day from now on.” “…” But judging by the King of the Underworld’s demeanor and tone, it didn’t seem like he was pretending. Shu Qing was puzzled. Did he really have a scent on him? He sniffed his own sleeve but didn’t smell anything.
Shu Qing shrank back a bit. The warm breath of the King of the Underworld on his belly spread a subtle tingling sensation throughout his body, making him feel like his stomach was cramping. “Is it the scent of the pastry?” Shu Qing held his hand over, “This is peach blossom flavored, it smells really good.” The King of the Underworld laughed, “When did you learn this trick?” “…” “It seems like in the two days I was away, you reflected quite a bit.” “…” Shu Qing really didn’t understand what the King of the Underworld was talking about. In fact, besides the King of the Underworld, no one else could smell this scent.
After pressing Shu Qing onto the couch, all conversations became a kind of intimate whisper within the tent. Chun Li and Xiao Cao sensibly retreated quietly, extinguishing the candles in the outer room and tightly closing the door. The King of the Underworld stood up, his gaze on Shu Qing was blatant, “Help me undress.” “…” Shu Qing knew there was no escaping tonight. He had no choice but to stand up, put down the pastry he was holding, and walk over to the King of the Underworld to help him undress. The only form of revenge was to smear the pastry’s oil stains on the King of the Underworld’s clothes.
As the luxurious robe fell, the King of the Underworld’s strong and muscular body was covered with countless twisted and hideous blood marks. Shu Qing was startled, looking up at the King of the Underworld, “…What is this?” He had never seen these on the King of the Underworld before. But the King of the Underworld seemed unconcerned, “The Heavenly Emperor’s punishment. I killed the Mountain God, and they whipped me three thousand times.” “…” Three thousand whips? Wouldn’t that be enough to whip the King of the Underworld to death? Shu Qing pursed his lips, afraid that his true thoughts would slip out again, and asked against his will, “…Does it hurt?” “Of course it hurts, but it was worth it,” the King of the Underworld said, “These wounds will heal soon, but the Mountain God is dead, his bones crushed and scattered, and he will never bother me again.”
“…” Using the most ordinary tone to calmly say such dark and chilling words sent goosebumps all over Shu Qing. At that moment, he felt as if he were being constricted by a giant black snake, its cold scales pressed against him, its tongue flicking across his face, making it difficult for him to move even a step. “Not to mention, I haven’t asked you yet, now that the Mountain God is dead, are you happy?” “…” “There won’t be anyone like him to harass and bully you anymore.” “…” The King of the Underworld pinched Shu Qing’s chin, his thumb gently tapping the soft and tender skin. “If you behave a little, listen a bit more, I can give you a very good life.” “Anyone who dares to upset you, I can kill them.”
[Author’s Note]
Little Butterfly: Ahhh, brother, stop talking, I’m really scared, ahhh!