A few days later, the Head Butler was dismissed from his position.
The order came directly from the King of the Underworld, citing irrefutable evidence of the Head Butler’s abuse of power, nepotism, and mismanagement over the years.
But everyone knew the real reason was that the Head Butler had offended Shu Qing.
“The Head Butler has been managing things for so many years, and there were even more serious incidents before… Back then, His Highness the King of the Underworld was lenient and let him off, so why is he so ruthless this time, directly dismissing him?”
“Well, what do you think? Of course, it’s because the Head Butler offended that little immortal, and His Highness the King of the Underworld is standing up for him!”
“…Huh? Didn’t they say he was going to fall out of favor before?”
“What fall out of favor? He’s in favor now!”
“…Huh?!”
“Yes, it’s said that a few days ago, His Highness the King of the Underworld personally carried him all the way from the main hall to the sleeping quarters! Now he’s living in His Highness’s sleeping palace. What kind of favor is this? Even a future official consort might not receive such treatment!”
“His Highness the King of the Underworld is so infatuated with him that anyone who offends him won’t have a good outcome.”
“I bet even offending the maidservants around him won’t end well. Have you seen Chun Li lately? She’s so arrogant, not to mention her luxurious attire, all gifted by the little immortal!”
“…What?!”
“Yes, she’s been going in and out of the Underworld every day recently. It’s said she’s buying some mortal snacks for the little immortal, and even the guards at the entrance treat her with respect, sometimes not even checking her pass, just letting her through.”
“Sigh, if only I had been the one to serve him back then, I’d be the one enjoying the spring breeze now.”
“Back then, it seemed like a dirty job. Who wanted to serve such a seductive person… Who would have thought, in the end, Chun Li, that little wretch, found a treasure.”
“Indeed, let me tell you quietly, Xia Tao used to bully her often, but now she avoids Chun Li, afraid of running into her.”
“Enough, enough, how long are you going to gossip? If the little immortal finds out you’re talking behind his back, be careful, you might lose your tongues!”
“…”
The servants gathered to gossip immediately dispersed.
This was exactly the reality of Shu Qing’s recent life.
Previously, there were people who dared to mock him to his face, ridicule him, and spread all sorts of rumors behind his back.
Now, all of that had disappeared.
Although he didn’t know what these people thought in their hearts, at least on the surface, there were no more negative voices.
Who would have thought?
Previously, everyone assumed he had used underhanded means to climb into the King of the Underworld’s bed, becoming just a nameless, insignificant character who would eventually be discarded by the King.
During that time, Shu Qing was very arrogant, and if he caught anyone speaking ill of him behind his back, he would beat them up on the spot.
Everyone hated him, just waiting for the King of the Underworld to tire of him.
Then, they really waited for him to offend the King of the Underworld, and it was said he even fought with the King, leading to rumors that he would be abandoned.
Everyone was waiting to see the show, ready to kick him when he was down, hoping to see Shu Qing’s miserable end, being bullied by others.
But they waited and waited, and the expected scene never came. Instead, Shu Qing transformed and became even more glorious than before.
No one knew what methods he used to make the King of the Underworld favor him so much.
Whether they liked or hated him didn’t matter. After seeing even the Head Butler dismissed, everyone began to fear him.
Especially those who had previously offended Shu Qing, they were afraid he would hold a grudge and take their lives one day.
So during this time, Shu Qing lived very comfortably.
It’s no exaggeration to say that it was the most comfortable and carefree period since he arrived in the Underworld.
Moreover, he had been more obedient recently, and due to being poisoned, the King of the Underworld was unprecedentedly gentle with him, at least no longer randomly going crazy.
He was so comfortable that sometimes Shu Qing would feel a bit dazed, thinking that living like this wasn’t so bad.
But every time he thought that, Shu Qing would immediately wake himself up—the influence of the environment on one’s thoughts is the most dangerous.
Fortunately, he had a more determined thought, wanting to leave here and return to the Immortal Lord’s side, so he could resist all the glamorous but empty temptations around him.
On the other hand, his escape plan was going smoothly.
Xiao Cao successfully reached the Immortal Mountain and sent back a letter to him.
Afraid of being discovered by the King of the Underworld, the reply couldn’t be sent back to the Underworld but was sent to Shu Qing’s former cultivation place in the Human World.
Chun Li hadn’t betrayed him and hadn’t told the King of the Underworld about these things. Every time she went to the Human World, she would bring back these letters.
Shu Qing naturally received the Immortal Lord’s reply.
This was also the strongest reassurance for his firm choice.
In the letter, the Immortal Lord stated that he had kept Xiao Cao and would give him a place on the Immortal Mountain, so he wouldn’t have to wander around.
Then he expressed his concern and worry for Shu Qing, advising him to protect himself in the Underworld, where ghosts roamed freely.
Finally, the Immortal Lord even expressed guilt towards him.
When he first heard that Shu Qing maliciously harmed his fellow disciples, he was disappointed and angry, and in a fit of rage, he agreed to such a punishment.
Now, upon careful reflection, Shu Qing wasn’t that kind of person, and there must have been some misunderstanding.
Even if Shu Qing did do such a thing, the punishment was indeed too severe. It was his momentary anger that prevented him from protecting Shu Qing.
Unfortunately, the punishment had already been given and couldn’t be retracted, so Shu Qing had to endure it.
When the punishment period ended, the Immortal Lord would personally take him back to the Immortal Mountain and compensate him, hoping he could forgive his wrong decision.
The letter also included a butterfly-shaped leaf.
“Every time I think of the past decision, regret fills my heart. I hope Xiao Qing can forgive me.
A leaf found under the tree in your small courtyard.
It resembles you.”
Keeping such a letter would only bring disaster. If the King of the Underworld discovered it, he might go crazy again.
But this was the first letter between him and the Immortal Lord, and it was of great significance, so Shu Qing couldn’t bear to throw it away.
When it came to matters related to the Immortal Lord, he would become irrational and just wanted to secretly hide it.
After receiving Xiao Cao’s reply, Shu Qing didn’t rush to respond.
He waited a few days without showing any signs, making sure Chun Li truly had no ulterior motives and wouldn’t tell the King of the Underworld about these things before he picked up the pen to write a reply to Xiao Cao, then had Chun Li take it out.
Shu Qing told Xiao Cao where he hid his money and instructed him on who to find and what to do to arrange a few hidden residences for himself.
Some were near the Immortal Mountain, while others were in the Human World.
But these were all to mislead others; he had already decided on his hiding place.
As long as these arrangements were made smoothly, Shu Qing was confident about the escape.
Because now he knew the Immortal Lord’s attitude, if anything unexpected happened, he could seek the Immortal Lord’s protection.
Shu Qing knew the Immortal Lord well.
Upright and dignified, fair and just. Punishments were punishments, rewards were rewards, and he was the most open and honest.
That’s why Shu Qing was initially worried, afraid the Immortal Lord would be angry and refuse to accept him.
But after reading the Immortal Lord’s reply, Shu Qing gained confidence. If he really had no other options, the Immortal Lord wouldn’t abandon him.
Everything was moving in a positive direction.
Except for Shu Qing’s own body.
Since being poisoned, every bite Shu Qing took was tested for poison first.
Logically, no one would poison him again, and he drank the bitter medicine every day, but Shu Qing’s pulse was still chaotic. He had seen several doctors, but none could diagnose the cause.
Shu Qing’s condition was even stranger.
If you said he was better than before, he was always tired, looking like he couldn’t wake up, and indeed, he couldn’t wake up, preferring to lie down rather than sit.
He finally had the chance to show off, but he rarely went out.
But if you said he was worse than before, his appetite had improved a lot, and he was either eating or sleeping every day. His complexion not only became rosy but also plump, and he gained quite a bit of weight.
Any other problem could be dealt with, but physical discomfort was the most helpless, and Shu Qing had no immediate solution, so he could only let time take its course.
Recently, he had been sleeping in the King of the Underworld’s sleeping palace, and the number of people serving him and the guards at the door had doubled.
But everyone knew the King of the Underworld favored him, so even if Shu Qing slept until noon, the entire palace remained quiet, and no one dared to disturb him.
That day, it was as if he had been drugged, and he slept straight into the afternoon.
The King of the Underworld didn’t know he was still asleep, nor did he know he could sleep so much. He happened to return and found the guards outside the palace lazy, and the inside was eerily quiet, with no sign of Shu Qing.
The overly empty scene, without a sound, and without the fragrance of Shu Qing, made the King of the Underworld inexplicably irritable.
“Where is everyone? Where did they all go?”
No one answered.
Because Shu Qing was still asleep, and there was nothing to do inside, and they were afraid of making noise and waking Shu Qing, everyone except Chun Li, who was serving closely, had left.
The King of the Underworld frowned, used to smelling Shu Qing’s fragrance as soon as he returned, and suddenly having nothing, he found it hard to accept.
His voice grew louder.
It turned into an angry low roar.
“Is this how you serve here? Not a single person around?”
After shouting twice, someone finally rushed over in a panic and knelt down: “…Your Highness, please forgive us.”
“Where did everyone go? How can there be no one here?”
“…In response to Your Highness, the little immortal is still sleeping, and we didn’t dare make a sound, afraid of waking him, so Sister Chun Li let us all leave.”
Hearing that Shu Qing was still asleep, the King of the Underworld strode towards the sleeping quarters.
At a distance, Chun Li hadn’t heard the commotion outside and was dozing on a chair in the outer room.
The King of the Underworld strode past, his cold aura waking her up, and she quickly got up to salute: “…Greetings, Your Highness!”
But the King of the Underworld didn’t spare her a glance, instantly passing by, heading straight for Shu Qing.
Shu Qing, on the other hand, heard the noise outside.
The King of the Underworld’s loud voice woke him up, and as he groggily opened his eyes, he saw the King of the Underworld standing in front of him, frowning and staring at him intently.
Shu Qing was truly startled, his stomach clenched, and he resisted the urge to curse, instantly waking up: “Your Highness…”
Was he going to go crazy again?
He looked like he was in a bad mood.
The King of the Underworld sat by the bed, reached out to touch Shu Qing’s face, and only then seemed to relax, speaking in a calm tone: “You slept very late today.”
The King of the Underworld wouldn’t say that when he saw the empty palace and couldn’t smell Shu Qing’s scent, he thought Shu Qing was gone.
[Author’s Note]
Little Butterfly: Father, it’s me! Father, it’s me! My fragrant signal had some effect! [Sunglasses]