The servant named Xiao Qi quickly arrived, and the maid came in to report. Without Shu Qing’s permission, no one could enter the King of the Underworld’s sleeping quarters recklessly.
Shu Qing didn’t rush to get up: “Got it, let him kneel outside for now. I’ll see him later.”
“Yes.”
He did intend to torment the other party, but Shu Qing was genuinely uncomfortable. His whole body felt lazy, his limbs were weak, his head was dizzy, and his chest felt a bit stuffy.
Being tormented by the King of the Underworld for two consecutive days was really too much for him.
He originally planned to just take a short nap and then go show the other party a thing or two, but as soon as he closed his eyes, he ended up sleeping for an entire hour.
After waking up, the discomfort subsided a bit. Shu Qing finally got out of bed and had the maid help him wash up and change clothes.
Although the King of the Underworld was rough and cruel, making it hard to enjoy the time in bed, he did have the advantage of being generous, having given Shu Qing many rare treasures and fine silks.
Such fine clothes couldn’t even be worn on the Immortal Mountain.
Shu Qing liked these precious things and was willing to spend time on them every day, dressing himself up beautifully.
He just didn’t have much free time before, nor had he worn such fine clothes.
But these were all things he deserved.
After all, the King of the Underworld never thought of being polite when tormenting him.
After changing clothes and seeing his own splendid and vibrant reflection in the bronze mirror, Shu Qing felt a bit better.
He walked to the outer room, ready to eat something.
“Let him come in and kneel.”
“…Yes.”
Through a screen, the servant named Xiao Qi crawled in from outside, trembling all over as he knelt down.
Shu Qing glanced at him and laughed.
He hadn’t even done anything yet.
He looked towards the outside of the hall, the door was open, and there was no curtain to block it.
But due to the angle, Shu Qing couldn’t see very clearly, only the shadow of one of the guards standing outside the door swayed.
“Little, little, little immortal… I don’t know why the little immortal called me here, is there something you want to instruct?”
Shu Qing said indifferently, “Did I give you permission to speak?”
“……”
The other party’s body immediately trembled even more.
“Are you questioning me? What, if there’s nothing to instruct, I can’t call you over?”
“……I dare not, I dare not!”
Shu Qing stopped talking, planning to eat something first, but he really had no appetite, eating very slowly and not much in the end.
Moreover, after sitting for a while, his head started to feel dizzy again, his body was already sore and uncomfortable, his chest felt even worse, he just wanted to lie down, not wanting to move at all.
Shu Qing moved to the side room and lay down on the chaise longue.
The servant named Xiao Qi knelt on the ground, inching forward on his knees.
His whole body was prostrate on the ground, trembling incessantly, looking pitifully weak and small.
Shu Qing opened his eyes slightly and looked at him: “Look at you, anyone who doesn’t know would think I’ve punished you severely.”
“……”
The other party buried his head even lower, having just been reprimanded, he didn’t dare to speak without Shu Qing’s permission.
“So you’re this timid?” Shu Qing sneered, “You even managed to find a way to complain to the King of the Underworld, I thought you’d at least have some backbone, not be so spineless.”
“…………”
“Tell me, should I cut off your legs, or simply sew your mouth shut?”
The other party couldn’t hold back anymore, kneeling on the ground, kowtowing and crying for mercy: “……I know I was wrong, I won’t dare again, please spare me, little immortal, I really won’t dare again.”
The cries were so miserable that anyone who hadn’t seen the scene inside might think Shu Qing was using private punishment and beating him.
There were guards standing outside the hall, and at this moment, Shu Qing heard footsteps outside the window, a shadow vaguely cast inside, swaying on the wall.
Shu Qing’s gaze returned to the servant: “Stop crying, no matter how loudly you cry, he won’t come in to save you.”
The servant paused, and the crying stopped abruptly.
“I know you’re on good terms with the guy I punished yesterday, but with your position, how could you possibly complain to the King of the Underworld?”
“……”
When Shu Qing was first sent here, he was considered a criminal, with a very low status, only fit to do some dirty and tiring chores.
But even so, he managed to climb to the King of the Underworld’s side within a year, his strength and ambition not to be underestimated.
Mastering the interpersonal relationships here was the most basic and necessary part for him.
Although he had been staying by the King of the Underworld’s side recently, he hadn’t missed a single thing he needed to observe and understand.
The servant in front of him was privately close to the guy he punished yesterday and also had an unclear ambiguous relationship with the guards in the hall.
Otherwise, with just his position, a servant from a side hall, who didn’t often see the King of the Underworld, how could he have the ability to complain to the King of the Underworld?
But the guards were different.
The guards had a higher status, could be close to the King of the Underworld, and were usually mobile.
If Shu Qing guessed correctly, the guard standing outside the window was on duty in the King of the Underworld’s study yesterday.
The servant was upset about his friend being bullied, went to complain to the guard, and the guard, needing a chance to show himself in front of the servant, boldly complained to the King of the Underworld.
How could the King of the Underworld not care about a lowly concubine acting so arrogantly in the hall?
The King of the Underworld did care.
Last night, he tormented Shu Qing severely and ordered him not to use private punishment again.
Unfortunately, they encountered Shu Qing.
If he wasn’t clear about the relationships between these small characters, it would probably take Shu Qing several days to react.
But Shu Qing was too clear.
“He was the one who harmed you.”
“……”
“If he hadn’t complained to the King of the Underworld, I wouldn’t have known, and you wouldn’t have been punished.”
“In the end, he played the hero, and you’re kneeling here, why doesn’t he dare to come in and save you?”
“……”
“When you were kneeling outside, I guess, did he dare to let you get up? Did he have to sneakily talk to you?”
“Now that you’re in my hands, does he have a way?” Shu Qing said coldly, “Actually, there is a way, if he dares to rush in regardless, he could protect you… but if he really did that, he knows very well, I would punish him too.”
Shu Qing couldn’t touch the guards for now, there was no open conflict, and there was no solid evidence of the complaint, only speculation, so he could only make things difficult for the servant for now.
But if the guard dared to rush in, then Shu Qing could use any excuse he wanted.
“……”
“Seems like he doesn’t like you that much, not even willing to be punished with you.”
The servant, who had been trembling on the ground, instantly froze like ice, his face turning pale and defeated after hearing Shu Qing’s words.
Shu Qing felt even better, the discomfort in his body subsided a lot, and there was a smile on his lips.
“Let’s play a game.”
Shu Qing sat up, smiling: “If he dares to come in and save you within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, I won’t hold this against you, and I won’t pursue the matter with the guy from yesterday either.”
“But if he doesn’t come in—”
Shu Qing glanced at the maid beside him, who quickly brought over a prepared bowl of water.
“You’ll drink this bowl of water.”
“……”
Who would dare to drink it?
Who knows what was added to the water, and what would happen after drinking it.
But the servant had no choice but to let the incense stick be lit and let it burn out.
Every minute and second of waiting was tormenting, his heart pounding, desperately hoping for a miracle.
“What a pity, the incense has burned out, you’ve been in here for so long, and he still didn’t dare to come in.”
But in the end, hope was dashed.
The servant knelt on the cold ground, watching Shu Qing wave his hand, and the maid beside him brought the water over.
“Drink it.”
The instinct to survive triggered a certain degree of resistance, the servant tried to get up and run: “……No, I won’t drink, I won’t drink! I don’t want to drink!”
However, his shoulder was pressed down by other servants, one of them pinched his jaw and poured the entire bowl of water into his mouth.
“Mm… mm, mm… no, cough cough cough…”
No matter how hard he resisted, most of it was still swallowed, the cold water merging into his body.
“Does it taste good?”
Shu Qing lay sideways on the chaise longue, his face beautiful, his clothes elegant and fairy-like.
“Sweet, it should taste good, right?”
……
When the King of the Underworld returned to the sleeping quarters, it was already late at night.
Inside, only a single candle was lit, the light dim and heavy, the space empty and silent.
As soon as the King of the Underworld stepped into the hall, the maid quietly greeted him and reported: “Your Highness, the little immortal has already gone to sleep.”
The King of the Underworld chuckled.
This little butterfly was even bolder than he imagined.
Last night, he tormented him severely, the humiliation and punishment were heavy enough, he thought the little butterfly wouldn’t dare to stay here overnight, but unexpectedly, he was boldly lying on his bed at this moment.
Truly, wherever he dared to carry him, he dared to lie down.
The King of the Underworld walked around the screen to take a look at this bold and reckless little thing.
He was sleeping soundly.
Completely unaware of his arrival.
The quilt wasn’t covered properly, the light purple inner garment was askew on his shoulder.
Sleeping without any decorum.
At first, the King of the Underworld didn’t know, thinking it was the little butterfly’s way of seduction.
Later, he realized the little butterfly just loved to look pretty and dress up, so even his inner garments had to be different from others.
He could see through Shu Qing’s character very well.
A little thing that loved to play tricks, even if he cultivated to the status of an immortal, his essence was still a little demon that couldn’t be presentable.
Cold, harsh, vain, strong-willed, with a bit of scheming and means, loved to wield power and show off.
But he knew how to seize opportunities, for the goal in his heart, he could grasp every chance to climb up.
He shouldn’t have given special treatment to such a despicable little demon.
But for some reason, the King of the Underworld suddenly found himself very fond of this.
He just liked this little butterfly, liked his strong-willed nature, liked bullying him, liked him acting arrogantly in front of others, yet being obedient and submissive in front of him.
Then let him be a little pet to be raised and teased, to pass the time.
Give him love, give him dignity, and yet be able to trample on him at will, play with him as he pleased.
See how arrogant he could become with favor.
And in the end, how he would entangle himself in his own web.
He controlled life and death, the little butterfly was just something in his palm, something he could crush and kill with a clap of his hands.
After looking at Shu Qing, the King of the Underworld went outside and had the maid help him change clothes.
“How was today?”
The maid respectfully answered: “The little immortal woke up in the afternoon, looking tired, with little appetite, didn’t eat much, and after being awake for only one or two hours, he went back to sleep.”
The maid reported everything that happened in the hall today.
She spoke nervously.
Afraid she would also be seen as complaining and be punished by Shu Qing, but she didn’t dare not answer since the King of the Underworld had asked.
But the King of the Underworld had already heard, chuckling: “Not in good spirits yet so imposing?”
Last night, he had said not to use private punishment again.
At that time, he seemed so scared and pitiful, tears streaming, as if he had suffered a great grievance.
But after waking up, he forgot and didn’t care.
Even when not in good spirits, he didn’t forget to settle scores, who knows what he would do if he were in good spirits.
“Didn’t call a doctor to check?”
“……Asked, the little immortal refused.” The maid replied, “Asked again, and the little immortal got angry, asking if there was a curse intended for him.”
This time it was a real complaint.
The King of the Underworld laughed, changed his clothes, and waved his hand: “I know, you can go.”
“Yes.”
The maid retreated, and the dim room returned to silence.
The King of the Underworld walked to the bed.
Looking at the still sleeping, not even changing position little butterfly, for some reason, the words “husband” from last night echoed in his ears.
Truly audacious.
He even dared to test his limits.
Last night, the King of the Underworld felt disdain, using brute force and roughness, but at this moment, he inexplicably found it more interesting?
……And a bit, wanting to hear it again?
A person sat down by the bed, the sound and movement still woke Shu Qing.
His body was truly uncomfortable, and he harbored resentment towards the King of the Underworld, at this moment Shu Qing was too lazy to pretend, just turned over, pretending he hadn’t woken up, and continued to sleep.
But the change in his breathing exposed his state, this little movement didn’t escape the King of the Underworld’s ears.
“Still pretending to sleep?”
The King of the Underworld didn’t expect this reaction.
“You’ve got some nerve, I just told you last night, not to use private punishment, and you don’t even listen to me?”
Shu Qing didn’t move, but he responded: “……When did I use private punishment, and what private punishment did I use?”
The King of the Underworld snorted coldly: “Didn’t you punish the informant?”
“Your Highness, don’t wrong me, I punished a servant from the side hall, the other party privately mocked and slandered me, I just made him kneel, does that count as private punishment?”
“……”
The King of the Underworld paused, indeed having no rebuttal.
Shu Qing guessed right, the real informant wasn’t the servant, but the guard.
What kind of private punishment is making someone kneel?
Just that the kneeling time was a bit long.
“Then what did you make him drink?”
“Sugar water.” Shu Qing said, “Kneeling for so long, I gave him some water to replenish… what, does feeding water also count as private punishment?”
“……”
[Author’s Note]
Little Butterfly: As long as I find enough loopholes, you can’t catch me [shrug]