《The Mask Of A Siren》


 1 Takeover

    An orb of silver blue sparkled excitedly before settling on to the forehead of a dying sixteen-year-old girl. The dying child had pale skin and blackened blood dripping down her chin. She had black hair laced with dirt and sweat, whip marks, and burn marks on her thin legs and arms, and a thin thread of life still remaining. She struggled to breathe and suddenly coughed out more blood. The bed she was on was already soaked in blood.


    Alas, her eyes finally shut and her hand gently fell as she passed on to the Afterlife. The orb pulsed and glowed impatiently and buried itself inside. A sheer blue aura surrounded the body before disappearing. Her eyes suddenly snapped open. A cold smile adorned her face. Her eyes flashed silver-purple.


    Oh, so even the god of death didn''t want her to pass his gates. Did he dislike ''mixed evil'' like her? How rude and here she thought he was the same. She had prepared to meet him. Oh well, she touched her face and hummed, this body is indeed convenient.


    A rush of memories of the former occupant flooded her head. A smirk crawled up her face. The wise always said that life always cycles in an everlasting circle. It wasn''t a surprise that she circled back around another time for another chance in another life. It would harmful for the Sisters of Fate if they were to accept such a willful and unwilling soul. It would be a pity even if they did.


    They must have not much time to play. However, she did. The former soul was ''normal'' thus shamed as useless. She was born in a high-class general manor yet, in the end, was killed by a mere servant sent by her father''s concubine. It is a pity to say that it is always the higher-class females who harbored blacked hearts so a child like her wouldn''t live all that long. The poor child had lived in constant fear and always surrounded by mockery. In a place having wizardry powers were strongly important so a normal being had no chance to survive in a harsh society like this. ''Normals'' would usually be marked as slaves but her high birth title spared her. Still, surrounded by people eagerly waiting for her to die isn''t all that different from being a caged slave. Set up by petty tricks and petty mind would be a challenge to a clueless child but this will be mere child play for a bloodthirsty siren.


    "Your name is quite nice. Red (Hong) as in blood and everchanging like the moon(Yue). I shall take your name as the price for my gift to you. Your gift won''t be just a simple revenge. It''s a pity your time didn''t last long so I''ll take your place, Hongyue."

 2 Poison

    Hongyue gently pushed herself up. Hmph. What a joke. From the memories, she could tell the new scars were indirectly caused by her father''s concubine. Did that mistress have nothing to do? Then she''ll have to prepared to be played with. She limped her way to the bowl of waterly cold porridge and calmly waved her hand.


    "Come."


    The porridge suddenly dries up as the water gets sucked out and hovers in the air. After the remaining liquid left the bowl, Hongyue smirked. The ball of water floated over and covered her wounds. It sank into her skin as it slowly erased any mark of being tortured. With her brand new pale beautiful skin, she wasn''t complete trash.


    Hongyue was a former siren but her body and powers were still different very different from all magical sea beings. Her mother came from an ancient bloodline directly from the God of the Sea. Any liquid form was all hers to control and in addition, she had been able to cultivate a decent amount of control over air itself in her past life. Her father wasn''t all that behind, he had the power of words. A rare ability to use common words instead of long verses. So all the powers combined, a single word from Hongyue could easily override the powers from this measly world.


    Sadly, it''s is a pity her soul was badly injured in the previous battles so there''ll be a limit to her spells but after a period of time of cultivating in this world would be enough to heal her shattered soul. Still, she''ll have to survive on till then in order to know.


    She sighed and spun her finger. The water separated out of her skin and formed a neat ball. The water circled her head and gently settled upon her hair and just as gently left while carrying all the sweat, blood, and dirt. She frowned, it felt like there was a great amount of damage still inside this body.


    She clicked her fingers and the body of water disappeared. Humming, she walked over to the beauty stand. A small container of blush, a neat stack of lip-staining paper, and a small bowl of perfume could be found sitting upon the top. She opened one of the drawers and found a dull hair stick made of silver. Hongyue bit her fingertip and watched the blood dripped and heard slight hissing as the silver hair stick violently reacted. The part her blood touched turned black. A foul smell reached her nose.


    Poison.


    If it was the old Hongyue, then there will be nothing she could do about it.


    Poison such as in these heavy cases is more than just deadly. These type of poisons affect both the mind and the body reducing the appearance and the natural intelligence of a human being. It is too bad she wasn''t a complete human unless cases like this would be game over for her.


    Still, to think such a large amount of poison is quite expensive and quite precious to be continuously used on her body. She''ll have to thank the other person for spending such a considerable amount of time and money in order just to kill her. In a typical general manor, there''s bound to be many wives and many children and so it wouldn''t be unnatural to have deaths as the competition for favor strives. Still, the main wife is always held up on a pedestal so just to think that her only child was tortured as such is quite cruel.


    However, Hongyue still didn''t understand, if she was useless and if she was a ''normal'' there was no need for such a large amount of poison to be spent on her. Was the other person unsure if she was even going to die? It didn''t fit. There is truly more than what meets the eye. Poisons like these first attack the brain reducing the person to a childlike state. This could be said that the other person does not want to directly kill them right away to humiliate her or possibly to force her to lose favor. It''s common sense that a great general from a high-class family will look down upon a child of his that had both no powers nor intelligence. Others around the general will probably pressure him to hate her even more by laughing and mocking. Thus, even as her father, the general would deem her as useless trash. It seems like more than one hand getting itchy and have a little too much free time.


    Just truly strange, Hongyue continued to tap her chin as she thought, her father still cared for her and constantly doted on her. Actually, he doted on her even more as she got iller. One would think this tactic wasn''t working and give up, yet the culprit proceeded. This amount of poison was truly covering something.


    Was it all given all at once or given over time? Or, Hongyue narrowed her eyes, was it both.

 3 King Yama Told Me

    Something felt wrong but still, it also felt normal. It seems like she''ll have to ponder upon this subject another day. In the present, the poison cannot kill her, not when she has her power suppressing it. Hongyue sat down and gently dusted blush on to her cheeks and firmly pressed her lips down upon the red lipstick paper. As she anticipated, footsteps softly headed her way.


    "First Miss... My Lady... Are you all right?" A mocking tone floated inside the room.


    Hongyue didn''t answer as her eyes turn cold. She continued to press her lips against the red paper.


    The servant gleefully smiled as she thought she finished her mission. 10 gold pieces were hard to earn even in a year. That kind of prize was worth killing such a useless trash. She delightfully fingered one of the gold pieces. She happily pushed open the door expecting to see a dead body. To her horror, she gazed up upon the eldest miss slowly fixing her makeup in front of her dresser. The poor servant stumbled back.


    "Ghost! Spirit! Foul spirit!" She cried.


    Hongyue turned slowly around and softly spoke, "Ghost? Where? Tell me where. I wanna know."


    "Please spare me, I''ll burn phantom money, I didn''t want to kill you...Yes! Her lady told me to do this! She paid me to do this!", The servant''s voice got shriller by the minute.


    "Really?" Hongyue tilts her head.


    "Yes!" The servant nodded her head rapidly. She was starting to feel dizzy.


    "Say, do I look pretty?" Hongyue drawled out.


    "Yes! Very pretty! More than the young misses in this manor!"


    "Hmm. Do you know when I met the King Yama, what he said to me?"


    The servant swung her head vigorously.


    "I was too pretty to be taken so he asked if I could find some other girls to sent to him in my place."


    The servant slumped down shaking in fear. "..y.you..can''t..you have no power..yeah..you''re nothing.. what can you do.."


    Hongyue grinned.


    "I can send you to hell."


    Hongyue clenched her right fist. The servant slumped over in pain as her blood boiled inside throughout her veins. Her heart burst apart inside her body from the pressure and she started to bleed bloody tears. A gold piece rolls out of the servant''s uniform. The marking on the side seemed familiar. From her old memories, she confirms that it is from the Imperial Palace. Hongyue''s eyes turn colder, a slight purple flash within. She quickly leaned down and started screaming.


    "Come servants! Come! Hurry! Someone has died!"


    A stampede of footsteps come sounding towards her way.


    "It''s the Eldest Miss! Something must have happened to her! She died!" Shouts rang out.


    Hongyue snorted inside her heart. It seems like they were thoroughly prepared. How else in a proper household would people mistakenly assume that she died first? Someone must have given the orders already. However even so the yelling is a lot louder than it should be even if she died. Something is amiss. Hmph. It seems like they were attracting more than just the family. The goal must be a lot greater.


    "Daughter! My dearest daughter!"


    "Father, I''m still fine, I don''t understand...this maid she came into my room and she suddenly died...I have no idea what''s going on..I''m so afraid."


    Something flashed inside the eyes of the old General but quickly got replaced by concern.


    "My darling, it''s fine now, I''m here to protect you."


    Hongyue sighed inside her heart. It is a pity to even think that maybe perhaps there was a good person inside the family. It seems like no one in this family could be trustworthy enough.


    "Oh my, what happened here." A voice behind her sounded out.


    "Your Highness, I''m sorry to disgrace your presence. It''s merely a servant''s death." Her father quickly got up and bowed.


    "Just a servant''s death? By all the screaming I thought perhaps someone else more important died."


    "Y..yes certainly, I should have my servants better trained. I am sorry to have disgraced your presence." The General frowned but proceeded to nod.


    "Hmph. You are a general of an army. To see your servants so unhinged is distasteful. I recommend you kick some of them out before they ruin your name."


    "Crown Prince is truly wise. I shall take your advice."


    Crown Prince. Hongyue smirked. I found one big fish.

 4 Circles and Circles

    Hongyue lowered her head and slowly retreated away. It appeared like her father has some strange plans for her.


    "It seems like poisoning..these are symptoms of rare poison however I don''t see any poison in her body" The doctor exclaimed.


    The General glanced carefully at his daughter.


    "Poisoning, are you sure?"


    "No, General, it''s symptoms of poisoning yet it also has signs of a forceful attack. Her body is extremely hot more so than if someone had a fever but her skin isn''t burned. I cannot conclude anything, please give me more time."


    "My daughter, did you see anything?"


    Hongyue hung down her head and softly spoke, "No, but that servant dropped this gold piece."


    The General quickly takes the gold, slightly shaken.


    "Are...you su-"


    "Isn''t this gold piece gifted from my father''s treasury?" The Crown Prince intervened, flipping his wrist and flapped his fan open. The sliver edge fan covered a smile that started to curve up. His eyes twinkled. He only came out to chat with the General over matters of warfare, who thought he would see such a show.


    "Thi-"


    "How can it be in a dirty servant'' s hand? Do you not put my father, the Emperor in your eyes anymore?!"


    "It''s a misunderstanding! I don''t know myself. Maybe the servant stol-"


    "Oh, so are you saying your manor filled with 3th-grade soldiers can''t even protect one gold piece?" The Crown Prince sneered.


    Hongyue frowned, for an extra person to watch the show it wasn''t such a big deal but the person in question kept interrupting her play. It is certainly irritating. What the heck did he want out of this?


    Gently testing the water, she tilted her head and carefully spoke, "Father, our treasury is carefully protected by such strong guards. Could it be that the servant was a spy? But if she is, Concubine Mei <The one who killed Hongyue> was the one who brought her in. Should we get her here to explain?"


    The General stood frozen.


    Hongyue smirked. Based on the fact all the servants were so eager to wildly scream the news she was dying is no easy task. Even dogs needed permission in order to bark so wildly, so this, was no doubt, her father''sscheme. In addition, gold pieces the servant had were personally bestowed by the Emperor to those who fought bravely, to see it in the hands of a lowly servant with even lesser power is truly strange. That is, of course, if the gold was willingly handed over by the owner himself. The General.


    Still, it couldn''t tell her exactly what his goal was and the Crown Prince seemed to be pulled into it as well. Since it''s gotten to this point, why not add another person into the chaos. Concubine Mei is a jealous type. Those are the was people who get easily swayed. Hongyue bet the reason the Concubine always angrily thrash out at her was probably because she was stimulated by her husband''s over doting affection towards a motherless daughter. Still, the Concubine couldn''t have been enter Hongyue'' s courtyard so easily everyday without outside help. As a General and as a father, he couldn''t have missed all the injuries on a 10 year old even if the old Hongyue hid them. Unless of course, the General wanted the Concubine to torture his own daughter. However, to suddenly speed things up in order to pronounce her death was odd. That would change the whole story. Hongyue stared at the servant''s corspe. She smiled wickedly. Fufu. It''s starting to get fun.

 5 Play With You

    The General waved his hand and nearby servants ran off to get the concubine. Shifting his right to his left foot, the General nervously proposed the idea of going back into the main hall.


    "Hmph, the view here is unsightly. Don''t think that just because we''re leaving this area means I''ll let you off. You''ll have to give me a proper report!" The Crown Prince flapped his sleeves firmly and headed off first.


    The General nervously wiped his forehead. Hongyue watched coldly at him, "Father, should I go with you."


    The General stared, "Are you sure you didn''t see anything."


    "No father, this daughter was so fearful. "


    The General frowned, just as he was about to dismiss her, Concubine Mei arriving on scene spoke out.


    "My Lord."


    The General''s eyes softened, putting on a warm smile he opened his arm and welcomed his lover. He tilted his head and whispered something in her ears. She appeared shocked but nodded. The General smiled fondly but Hongyue could see something else behind that fondness.


    "My daughter, come with your father. You''re a witness."


    Hongyue looked on coldly but her face appeared harmless and innocent.


    "Yes father, this daughter will do so."


    Following the two, Hongyue noted the servants following her were acting strangely. To her front, Concubine Mei was slowly gathering energy in her right hand by murmuring a spell under her breath. The soft green glow indicated it was an attack spell. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see a servant walking closer than he should have. The servant'' s hand suddenly pushed out and Hongyue stepped quickly to her left and suddenly grabbed on to the General.


    "Father!"


    The servant wasn''t excepting Hongyue to move and fell forward himself. His body clashed on to Concubine Mei''s right hand and collapsed to the ground coughing out blood.


    Hongyue narrowed her eyes, she expected some underhand scheme but it seems like this witch was way too bold. Her father frowned.


    "A spy! Take him away and behead him."


    Hongyue clicked her tongue. Tsk, looks like her father really thought of her being a stupid idiot. He really thought she knew nothing about magic or his dumb farce. He must have planted this with his lover, or else the first person he should suspect is her not a servant. By claiming the servant was a spy erased any flaws towards both evildoers. However, how will he explain this new unexpected death to the Crown Prince? Or will he hide it, Hongyue smirked, she wasn''t going to let him. Hongyue grabbed on to his hands and pretended to shake in terror.


    "Father, I''m scared."


    The General was pissed his plans had failed, but Hongyue, this child was truly lucky. He looked sharply at Concubine Mei before putting on a fatherly smile.


    "It''s alright, let''s move faster. The Crown Prince is waiting for us. We will get in trouble if he waits too long."


    Hongyue sneered. In the past, he always brushed her problems off she complained to him like it was nothing. The Hongyue in the past had thought he was burdened by all his politic work he never had the time to help her. It looks like she only needed to push a few more buttons before this two-faced father of hers will crack.


    Arriving at the main family Hall, her father''s sat on the center seat with the Concubine on his right. The Crown Prince was quietly was waving his fan and tapping his fingers on the table. He crossed his legs and set down his fan. A soft clang from the fan echoed the room.


    "You sure took your time. "


    Concubine Mei blushed and waved over a servant.


    "Go prepare the tea for our guest."


    The General coughed and laughed dryly.


    "It was a spy. Upon being found out by my daughter, she committed suicide by consuming a death pill behind her teeth."


    Hongyue truly wanted to clap. What a sly brain he had. Truly amiable yet truly dumb. The Crown Prince wasn''t an idiot, there were inner family issues and he couldn''t exactly point out it out as it had nothing to do with him. Saying it was a spy meant don''t look any further.


    Seeing no reaction from the Prince, the General clapped his hands.


    "Servants, bring in the tea"


    Two servants brought in tea. Hongyue frowned, each of the servants was using the edge of their outer clothing wrapped over their hands. It was a subtle move, but she caught it.


    "Hongyue, my dear, go serve the tea."


    Hongyue shuffled over, keeping her head down. At the table, she tapped her finger on the wooden surface. Her eyes dilated. Her power told her the water was overly hot and the cup holding it wasn''t porcelain. If she was a ''normal'', it would be no doubt she wouldn''t be able to handle the pain of being burn and drop the tea onto the prince''s lap. That would definitely get a death sentence from the Prince.


    Oh, so is that how you want to play. Then this daughter will play along.


    She reached for the cup.

 6 I Want Her

    Hongyue tapped the side of the cup twice. The temperature of the tea dramatically turned cold. she pretended to ponder and loosened her hold on the cup. She turned her father acting anxious.


    "Father, I can''t serve this."


    Concubine Mei quickly snapped at her.


    "Nonsense, serve the tea."


    Hongyue pretended to look pained as she lifts the cup and handed it over to the Prince. The Prince narrowed his eyes and was about to accept it when the Concubine shrieked out.


    "How can you do that to the Crown Prince?! Do you don''t want your life anymore?"


    Hongyue smirked, she had successfully handed the tea with no errors so this stupid witch dug a hole for herself. Now she was going to observe how this witch was going to explain her little outburst.


    The Crown Prince scowled at her.


    "General, don''t tell me not only are you not able to control your servant, but you also can''t control a measly concubine from wildly screaming?!!"


    Concubine Mei paled. She stared at Hongyue.


    "H..Hongyue..didn''t yo-"


    "Mother is really strange today. Hongyue didn''t want to serve the tea because it was cold, it would hurt the imperial son''s stomach but you insisted that I serve it. Now that I served it, why is mother blaming me?" Hongyue whined.


    The Crown Prince''s eyes flashed over at Hongyue. The girl had nothing particularly special, but he had seen how the servants handled the tea before. It was steaming hot yet how in a few seconds was it ice cold. Interesting. He looked over at the General.


    "Witchcraft!" A desperate scream came from the shaking concubine.


    Hongyue frowned and dropped before her father.


    "Father, I don''t understand. This daughter has no abilities in magic whatsoever. There''s nothing wrong with what this daughter did, why is mother blaming me of witchcraft?"


    The General looked at his daughter for a while. He was about to call her out himself. This child was so difficult to kill, he thought she had some secret powers. However, the useless trash had no power, maybe she was just lucky.


    "Call out the servants! How dare they slack off on their responsibility!"


    The two servants came out and examined the tea themselves. They poured the tea from the pot, the handle of the pot was burning into their skin. The servants instantly dropped to their knees.


    "My Lord, the pot is very hot! We''ve been wronged, this is not our fault!"


    The Concubine rushed towards the pot aching to test it herself. Hongyue struck the ground with her index finger while gazing at the pot. The energy spread out from her finger like sound waves and traveled up the table toward the pot. Once the wave hit the container, the tea inside became ice cold but the outside remained hot.


    The concubine grabbed the pot which the outside was still hot.


    "My husband, it''s still hot."


    "Mother, Hongyue doesn''t understand. So what if the outside is hot, the inside is cold. You were the one who insisted I serve the tea. Are you trying to -"


    "Hongyue, my daughter, don''t be so rude. Concubine Mei might not be your blood-related mother but she is still your elder. Don''t randomly blame her of insignificant tricks." The General motioned for a servant to take Hongyue back.


    "General, don''t you want to hear my opinion. I''m the one who is being plotted against, no?" A sharp voice spoke out.


    The General bowed smoothly towards the Prince and gave a quick yes.


    "Your concubine seems unhinged and your servants are unfaithful. To see this lack of control is a disgrace especially under a general of our country. Your daughter.." The Prince paused, eyeing Hongyue with interest, "..is merely being used a pawn. I normally wouldn''t bother with inner family issues but should I remind you my Grandfather wanted me to marry her?"


    The General froze.


    "The edict had spoken of marriage..you can pick any of my daughters-"


    The Crown Prince stared at Hongyue without breaking eye contact.


    "Her. I chose her when I was younger and my mind is set on it. She is the one. I want her."

 7 Lanser

    Hongyue was dumbfounded. She stood frozen, staring back at the Crown Prince. Oh, no wonder her father wanted to kill her. It''s because of this guy. Sometimes in competitive households like these, the parent will display the most amount of affection towards the child they disliked in order to protect the real child they favor. She already began to suspect that he needed her alive in order to allow her to play the puppet. It seems like the reason he wanted to kill her was entirely to allow the child he truly favored have the prince. She took a better look at the prince. He had smooth long black hair, pale skin, with stormy grey eyes. He wore silver robes flowing elegantly with gold thread racing the edges. His eyes peered at her as they could look right into her heart. She quickly glanced away. Hmph, she wasn''t interested. She seen better-looking men before. The Crown Prince looked on with interest when was the last time, someone didn''t look on him with love: never.


    The General''s face darkened.


    Hongyue spoke out, "Your Highness, please take back your words. This maiden is still young and is not worthy of your love."


    The General quickly added on, "Yes, please reconsider I have plenty more daughters for you to choose from. Hongyue is too weak, she has no power she can''t do much to support you for the throne."


    The Crown Prince narrow his eyes at the General''s quick injection. he turned back and looked at the Hongyue. This family was starting to look more and more questionable. He was about to speak when Hongyue suddenly looked up strangely at her father.


    "Father, tell the Crown Prince more so he can get to know my sisters."


    The General nodded. This child is at least sensible, too bad she''ll have to die soon. He really can''t keep her around. He already tried poisoning her, spent years plotting against her, and directly harming her. This wretch had better protection from the gods, she truly was lucky.


    "Hongyue, go get Lan''er. Tell her to come quickly."


    Hongyue smirked. Ah, at last, she knew the motive of her father''s hatred towards her.


    Lan''er was the daughter of Concubine Mei. This third sister of her was also 16 years of age. She was quiet with rosy cheeks and intelligent mind.


    She listened as her servant recited today''s events to her, frowning as the maid talked.


    She released a sigh. She pitied her elder sister, she had no interested in marriage nor her father''s love yet her mother proceeded to do all those foolish things. Lan''er quite liked her elder sister until everything started to change. Their childhood together was a delightful memory until her father decided that he would do what he thought was the best for her by poisoning Hongyue.


    When they were younger, Hongyue was more outspoken and firmly stood by what she believed to be right while Lan''er was quieter and did what she was told. While different, the two sisters loved each other.


    "Third Miss, Eldest Miss is here to take you to meet the Crown Prince. The Master truly loves you."


    Lan''er frowned. Her father was a heartless man. He didn''t truly love her, he just favored her more since he believes she''s a perfect puppet. He promptly separated her and her elder sister to personally train her. Lan''er became skilled in poetry, dancing, and making tea. She also became a 5th-grade enchantress. She let herself slowly by trained in order to save her sister. Lan''er snipped off a stalk of a rose. The rose dropped lightly against the grass. She hadn''t seen her sister since their father divided the two and poisoned Hongyue. After secretly witnessing her father harming her sister, Lan''er became more self-aware and started building her own foundation inside the manor. She ran her finger against one of the thorns. She watched the blood ooze out.


    However, she didn''t think her father would launch this plan so early. This time she would protect her older sister. Lan''er snipped off another rose from the vine and gently blew at her finger.


    "Prepare my coat. Let us meet with my sister."

 8 Ally

    "Sister!"


    Hongyue turned to see a petite and refined girl moving towards her. She inwardly frowned, seeing such a bright and elegant beauty, how can she hate her. While she inherited the memories, she didn''t inherit the emotions so Hongyue didn''t understand the past all that well. Sirens are natural killers, they had no emotions so she couldn''t relate to it. In her past life, she was isolated and by watching the other party she pretended to feel what emotions in order to please them. Hongyue stared hard, from the memories, the two sisters didn''t interact with each other for 10 years or so. She looked down and continued pretended to be a stupid fool.


    "Yue''er."


    Lan''er could feel her heart dripping in disappointment. Her sister didn''t seem to recognize her.


    "Third Sister Lan."


    Lan''er could feel tears beginning to spill over.


    "No, you used to call me Little Lan."


    Hongyue glazed up and innocently blinked her eyes.


    "Third Miss, she''s an idiot. There''s no point of telling her." A maid by Hongyue''s side answered.


    Lan''er flinched. Yes, it was her fault this sister of her became an idiot. She glared at the maid with ice-cold eyes. She stepped forward and slapped the maid hard.


    "Do you not know your place? How dare you called my sister an idiot!"


    Hongyue watched on slightly complicated. Was this sister truly caring for her or pretending? What the maid said was a common thing all the servants liked to say. For her third sister to hear this should make her happy unless she''s pretending and just wanted to hit her maid right in of her. Hongyue pretended to stumble and fell. Right away, Lan''er looked over and ran towards her. Hongyue looked down, covering her eye with her long lashes. Huh, this third sister of hers was genuine.


    "Yue''er! Are you okay?"


    Hongyue stumbled back to her feet.


    "T-third sister.." She murmured weakly, "You''re hurt."


    Yan''er stared at her bleeding finger that had been stabbed by the thorns before. Her eyes turned cold.


    "I''m fine."


    Yan''er stared at her eldest sister. It had been at least ten years. They really mistreated her. Yan''er felt her heart slowly freezing.


    "Let''s go."


    Inside his hall, The General nervously tended to the Crown Prince, who was making it hard for him.


    "What are you plotting?"


    Both partners in crime froze.


    "Mei, my love, go get more tea."


    "No, have her stay." The Crown Prince took a slow sip of tea, fanning himself. His eyes narrowed. The tea really is cold, more than that, ice cold. He clearly saw steam drifting from the surface and from the pot. He set the cup down and smiled widely at the Concubine.


    "Madam Mei, you were so loud before, tell me exactly what you were trying to do."


    The Concubine seized the arms of her seat tightly. Her knuckles turning white.


    "I was worried your highness would be burn-"


    "But it''s clearly cold."


    Mei couldn''t answer. What was this? She clearly planned it carefully. The inside of the pot was metal and so was the cup. There should be no way that brat could have handled that calmly. A slight touch would have burned her. Did she know beforehand, blah, that wretch was merely an idiot what could she do even if she knew? Her mind was spinning fiercely, the servants, yes, the servants. They betrayed her.


    "First Miss and Third Miss are here."


    The General beamed, "Good, good, let them in."


    "Lan''er greets mother. Lan''er greets father."


    "Good child, come here. This is the Crown Prince."


    The General glazed at Hongyue.


    "Eldest miss is tired. Send her back. Quickly, go clear the table."


    Hongyue pretended to dumbly follow the servants out. In front her the servants walked quickly, eyeing her with disgust. Someone tripped her and Hongyue used the chance to shove the servant in front of her.


    Both of them screamed as the pot of tea flew up in the air. The tea splattered against the brick wall and the servants quickly reorganized leaving her on the ground.


    "Quickly leave the idiot here, who told her to slip. Fool, you better explain to Lady Mei how you dropped her cherished pot on the ground. Hmph."


    The servants laughed gleefully and ridiculed her. Hongyue lowered her eyes. There was no need to act against them yet. As the servants departed, Hongyue lifted her eyes and stared at the wet wall. An evil grin spread on her face.

 9 Preparation

    She smacked the wall. Her power pulsed into the wall.


    "Break."


    The water suddenly sank into the wall and seconds later the wall shattered like glass. The result was similar to what a 7th-grade magic user would do or a possible high-level spy.


    "If you say it''s a spy, then I''ll give you a spy. Let''s see how you will explain this one to the Crown Prince. I wonder how long you can keep your head." Hongyue laughed mockingly. She carefully trampled a section of the grass and left.


    She picked up a rock and threw it outside the manor. The guards stared at her disgusted.


    "My rocky went out the door. Help me get it." She talked mindlessly like a child. The disgust in the guards'' eyes grew.


    "Go get it yourself, you useless trash."


    Hongyue nodded and ran out.


    Once she was out of sight, she chuckled. What was this? Shouldn''t they at least try harder to contain her inside? She was still a miss of the manor. Whatever the case is, she''ll make sure to come back in time to watch the show. For now, she will need to cultivate in order to heal her shattered soul. Her eyes narrowed slyly. Whenever she used her own powers, she could also feel something else, slightly reacting. Maybe, this body wasn''t trash but didn''t show any signs of power due to poison. If that was the case, she''ll have to see what surprises she''ll get when she gets rid of the poison.


    "Herbs! Herbs for sale!"


    Hongyue turned back curiously. In front of her was a middle-aged dressed in grey waving his hands about to get buyers. She studied the herbs in front of her. The seller stared at the young girl in front of him, she wasn''t dressed in anything overly fancy yet her eyes oozed confidence.


    "Does young miss want to buy anything?"


    Hongyue glazed up, "That depends. Do you want to buy anything?"


    The herb seller laughed.


    "What a sharp mouth! Do you have any herbs to sell?"


    "How much are you willing to give?" She said carefully.


    The herb seller suddenly looked sharpened. He stared hard at her, but he couldn''t sense any powers in her at all. Frowning, he asked.


    "Are you trying to buy herbs...or loyalty?"


    "This seller certainly isn''t simple. I want to buy both."


    "What do you have to give?"


    Hongyue studied at the herbs in front of her. A smirk started to crawl up. She reached forward to picked up a single dry stalk of herb that laid on the dirt ground.


    "I want just this. Can you give it to me?"


    The herb seller laughed. "Take it, take it. Free of charge."


    "Thank you. Next time I come what you lack is what I shall give."


    With that said, she left. The herb seller gazed down at his herbs and frowned. He called forward a servant to take his place and he disappeared as well.


    Hongyue ceased walking and focused on locating a source of water. Her body pulsed faintly with energy and she gradually opened her eyes. She continued on her way and ended up in a swampy forest. Nearby, she could sense a large source of running water. She smiled. Trailing slowly, she found a river running toward the south with clean and sparkling water. Hongyue bit her finger and watched the blood ooze out. The drop of blood fell into a water and suddenly a section of water stopped moving seemingly contained by an invisible force. She took out the rock from earlier and drew an ancient design on the surface using her blood to stain the surface. She then dropped both the rock and herb into the division of water.


    She instructed a circle, using both hands, in the air.


    "Bind."


    The rock which once had no power at all suddenly glowed with a blue aura. The ancient design faded into the rock disappearing from sight.


    "Give."


    The rock exploded underwater but the newly given power with aura was contained within the barriers of water.


    "Nurture."


    The water with the scattered aura suddenly rushed into the root of the herb. Nothing seemed to happen until the dry leaves suddenly unfurled and started to grow. In the blink of an eye, a level 0 herb plant become a gravely rare level 10 plant. Somewhat satisfied, Hongyue reached for the plant and tucked it inside her sleeve.


    "Hm. I lost my touch. This will have to do."


    Next, she cupped a handful of water and threw it towards the sky. Quickly, she drew ancient designs on the palm of her hands and swirled in a circle spreading out her influence. A slightly silver power suddenly pulsed out from her body and rushed into the air filling the circle she swirled in. The water that should have been falling down abruptly froze in the air and started to morph. Hongyue tilted her head and thought of a valid design and with a twist of her hand, the water turned into a hair stick made of ice enhanced with flowers.


    "All set, time to go back and watch the show."

 10 Brewing

    Back at the manor, the Crown Prince smashed another cup of tea onto the ground.


    "Do you doubt my judgment? Who are you to play matchmaker?" He roared.


    "I...your highnes-"


    Lan''er stood by coldly, making no attempt to help her parents. The arranged meeting did nothing but angered the Crown Prince even more. She glazed at the door emotionlessly. She always hated her mother for being a puppet but she hated herself even. Just for power, the two scheming ''lovers'' treated their children as pawns. Lan''er stared down at her hands. Hongyue, we are both alike than I thought. Both of us are pawns to this evil and caged inside an iron cage. Luckily, I still have my wings, I''ll get you out. Even if you have zero ability, I''ll still stand by yourself. It was all my fault.


    "Master! MASTER!" A servant suddenly appeared charging in.


    "How dare you be so unruly?! Do you not see the Crown Prince?"


    "Let him speak." The Crown Prince nonchalantly replied.


    "F-forgive me, your highness. General, Madam, there is a large opening in the wall. There might have been an intruder."


    The General paled. The manor was a representation of strength and prestige of the General, himself. Someone breaking a hole in it meant they had no respect for the General at all. Only he, himself and a few other higher grade magic users could do so. He clenched his hands tightly. It certainly was bad timing, why did the Crown Prince have to be here to hear this.


    "Let''s go see it. I''ve only been here for a day yet I''ve already seen the death of a spy, irresponsible tea servants, and this. I want to see exactly what your general estate is like!" The Crown Prince sneered and walked out. The General looked uneasily at his concubine and followed him out. Lan''er helped her mother walk out masking her emotions, gazing at the ground.


    "Lan''er, you don''t blame me, right? I''m doing this for you. Hongyue, that stupid wretch doesn''t deserve such good possessions. Only we do. So try harder and smooth his heart"


    Lan''er winced but said nothing.


    Arriving at the scene, the General instantly felt it was a grave day for him.


    "Your Highness, it''s a spy. I told you that there was a spy in my manor. Your Highness, this subject wasn''t lying." Concubine Mei''s voice rang out shrilly.


    "Oh." The Crown Prince drew out his words.


    Concubine Mei felt a chill down her back.


    "So you''re telling me that someone was trying to break the wall from the inside was a spy. This hole was made by a least a seventh-grade magic user and you''re trying to tell me that he couldn''t get out using magic but he had to break a hole in the wall that''s not even big enough to fit through. Or are you trying to tell me a 7th-grade magic user was trying to break the wall for fun? Or perhaps, every time, something bad happens you blame a spy. You really opened my eyes."


    While he talked, someone sneakily mixed in the crowd.


    "I saw it! Someone in a black hit that wall."


    Everyone turned to look at Hongyue who was wearing a simple-minded smile on her face.


    The Crown Prince furrowed his eyebrows. This little girl''s timing is actually great. The General scowled. What was this little brat doing here?


    "He used some weird words and suddenly the wall had a hole. Then he went that way." Hongyue pointed toward the General''s bedroom.


    "Nonsense! Why would I do that?!" The General was growing more and more upset.


    Hongyue tilted her head and pretended to look clueless and suddenly started to cry.


    "I..I never said it was you. Why are you so mad.."


    The General froze.


    "General, you don''t mind leading the way so this Prince can be assured," The Crown Prince looked at the General, "Right?"

 11 Wanna Play

    Concubine Mei looked frantically at the General. She couldn''t even move her shaking feet. Sweat was starting to form on the forehead. The General carefully led the Crown Prince toward his chamber. He glanced back at his mistress. Sighing, he turned away.


    Lan''er could feel her mother''s hands trembling.Lan''er glazed at Hongyue. Did her eldest sister tell the truth?


    "Mother. Mother. Hongyue wants to play." Hongyue whined deliberately grabbing on to Concubine Mei''s hand.


    Concubine Mei could feel her head throbbing. She glared at the dumb looking girl in front of her. There was no sign of any magic practice yet this stupid girl wasn''t dying. Yes, it was all because of this brat all of this happened. She slapped Hongyue''s hand off.


    "Leave, you stupid brat. I''m not your mother!"


    Hongyue stumbled to the ground. Lan''er ached to help her sister up. Suddenly Hongyue looked up at Concubine Mei dazed.


    "This daughter wants to play a game!"


    Lan''er advanced closer and curiously asked. "What game do you want to play?"


    Hongyue giggled, "Telling Secrets."


    "What secrets can you tell? You''re just a stupid person. Leave." Concubine Mei reported.


    Hongyue stubbornly insisted."Mother, I heard a secret from that dead maid. She said she''s not a spy, she said you sent her to kill me."


    Concubine Mei froze. "What?"


    Lan''er looked pale. She knew that the two were harming her sister but she had no clue it was like this.


    Concubine Mei seized Hongyue by the shoulders. "What did you say?!"


    Hongyue leaned in pretending to be very wary. "That maid said not to tell anyone but I only have this one secret to tell so I''m going to tell you." She whispered into Concubine Mei''s ears. Hongyue watched as the Concubine''s eyes widened.


    "Lan''er go back. A corpse of a dead servant will ruin your eyes. I''m going to see which servant has the guts to lie to your Eldest sister", Concubine Mei examined Hongyue, "And have your sister tell such lies."


    Turning to Hongyue, Concubine Mei clutched Hongyue''s hands tightly and spoke a single word," Where?"


    The pair left Lan''er who was standing there, suddenly she snapped her fingers before chanting a spell. A nearby bird abruptly grew entranced and followed the two as they persisted on their way. Lan''er turned and proceeded in the direction of Hongyue''s residence.


    Hongyue led the way stopping every once in a while to fool about. This allowed Concubine Mei to notice attractive white jade hair stick.


    "Where did you get that hair stick?" Concubine Mei''s voice sounded sweet.


    Hongyue glared and pouted. "I found it. It''s mine."


    "Nonsense, you stole it." With that Concubine Mei quickly grabbed the hair stick and tucked it into her own hair, "It was mine, you stole it from me. How could an idiot like you have it? It belongs to me."


    Hongyue turned around pretending to be offended, but she couldn''t help laughing inwardly. Her plan worked amazingly. They continued on where they located the dead body laying on the ground enveloped with a white mourning cloth. Hongyue went closer to the body and pretended to talk with the body.


    Concubine Mei crinkled her nose in revulsion and retreated away. She questioned why she would follow a stupid child. Even if the information remained true, this was a dead body: what could even happen?


    "Why isn''t she talking?" She asked.


    Hongyue didn''t respond. Using her forefinger, she undrew a circle. Softly murmuring, "Release."


    The ice hair stick glowed and suddenly the body of the dead maid shook. Concubine Mei screeched. The hair stick started to slowly melt and disrupting with the Concubine''s mind. Hongyue shifted her finger and forced the blood inside the dead maid to go up. This prompted the dead body to stand. Concubine Mei wheezed for air desperately. What was happening? Illusions suddenly interfere with her vision. She stumbled about confused but frightened out of her mind.


    "You did it." Hongyue nonchalantly stated.


    "No, no, no...I didn''t" Concubine Mei frantically denied. Suddenly the dead body lunched forward. Concubine Mei''s hand made contact with the dead flesh causing the hair stick glowed even brighter. Concubine Mei wailed in fear. Hongyue lowered her hand. The dead body fell back. But the mind of the Concubine was shattered. Her eyes were rolled back and she was chattering nonstop.


    "..You.. deserved to die, so does your daughter. Who told you to provoke the General. I''ll send your daughter to you too..hahahaHAHAha.."


    Hongyue narrowed her eyes. "Who deserved to die?"


    Concubine Mei looked up mindlessly mumbling, "I hate your face. Why haven''t you die yet?!!! Go follow your mother!"


    The crazed woman lunged for Hongyue who dodged her attack. Concubine Mei''s landing on the dirt ground, her eyes rolled back, fainting next to the dead body. Hongyue clenched her left hand and turned back. The hair stick melted completely only leaving a wet spot on the Concubine''s hair.


    Some things were still unclear but one thing was: Concubine Mei was talking how the General had something to do with her mother''s death.

 12 Interes

    After Hongyue departed, a hidden figure dressed in a silver robe dropped out from a tree nearby. A jade-like profile with a gold mask concealing half of his face. He had ruby red lips and coal black hair with hazel eyes. He arrived along with his sibling but disappeared halfway due to the tiresome chatter about warfare. However, because the two pairs needed to go somewhere together after the talk, he decided he would take a short nap nearby and wait it out. Who knew he''ll get to see such an entertaining show. Didn''t they say the general manor only had a worthless ''normal''?


    He was awakened sometime earlier when the stupid mistress started screeching. He had noticed Hongyue was behind it but he still didn''t understand how she managed to do it. He sprang forward to feel the dead body analyzing to see what magic that little devil used but only came up empty-handed. There was no indication of any magic at all, however, there was some sort of oppression that had been in play inside the body. He smirked widely. His eyes shone. Today''s trip hasn''t been an entire waste after all. He then examined the unconscious concubine and found that she seemed to be free of any magical influences as well. He frowned, that little devil really has a lot of mysteries. He glanced up one last time and he started in the same direction Hongyue went.


    Meanwhile, the bird flew back to Lan''er and directed her to the dead body. Lan''er quickly followed and found her mother crumpled on the ground. She was surprised her sister is nowhere to be detected. She looked about and didn''t see any external forces. She then observed the dead body and realized that some limbs had been forcefully moved after death. She chanted a spell and forced her power into the earth to try to see what else she missed but comes up empty-handed. Lacking answers, she attempted to rouse up her mother.


    -----


    Hongyue was stumbling around, trying to keep herself upright but she really couldn''t see at all at this point. She sagged against a tree, heaving, sweat running down her neck. This body couldn''t handle the large usage of her ancient mythic ability and the poison was beginning to rebel against her control. Hongyue could also feel something else resisting against her along with the poison inside the body. Hongyue wheezed, trying hard recollect herself.


    "This General Manor really isn''t simple, won''t you say so too?" A crisp voice rang out.


    Hongyue narrowed her eyes. She was in a critical condition right now, if it was just the poison she probably could manage it somehow but there was something internally was also against her.She steadied herself and stood up straighter. She couldn''t tell who it was but she figured it had to be an outsider who witnessed most of the play she created. She couldn''t fight but she could still reason for the stranger to leave. She coughed, she could taste a sweet liquid coming up her throat.She forced it down and challenged the speaker.


    "Is it?" She replied.


    The man frowned. "What magic did you use?"


    Hongyue rolled her eyes, lying with ease, "Magic? What can a ''normal'' like me do? I simply used poison given to me. You truly flatter me."


    The man''s frown deepened, was there someone else moving pawns in the manor. He peeped back at Hongyue. "How did that dead body move?"


    Hongyue chuckled. Her laughter startled him. Was this little devil not afraid?


    "What moving dead body? Has anyone heard of it? Can you prove it? You know", She hesitated, to speak softly, "Maybe there really was a ghost."


    Whatever can he say? No one has seen a corpse that moved by itself after death so no one would accept his words. Clever girl. She knew his words held no weight over hers. He stared hard at her, he noted she was shaking and she didn''t seem stable.He noticed her eyes were strangely dull. Was she blind?


    "You''re right but what if I tell others about your little mask? If they knew the eldest miss wasn''t a stupid idiot, what would they say?"


    Hongyue laughed wildly.


    "It doesn''t matter. People always want someone else beneath them. Even if it''s the truth, they''ll play it off until it becomes a lie. The more you say it, it better sounding it becomes to the ears. Even if you have proof, they''ll continue to say I''m the little incompetent ''normal'' eldest miss. They want a fool, I''ll play that fool for them."


    The man couldn''t help but admit she was right. Who would be willing to listen to him say a useless ''normal'' was all powerful all of a sudden? He would be wasting his time.


    Hongyue suddenly staggered forward. Blood sprayed out of her mouth and splattered every direction. She couldn''t restrain her body anymore and collapse. The man stood frozen, startled at the sudden development. He quickly reacted and caught her in his arms. A figure in pale floral robe suddenly appeared and aim for his head. The man quickly avoided it, retreating back while clinging Hongyue.


    "Third Prince! Let my sister go!"

 12 Drawing Interes

    After Hongyue departed, a hidden figure dressed in a silver robe dropped out from a tree nearby. A jade-like profile with a gold mask concealing half of his face. He had ruby red lips and coal black hair with hazel eyes. He arrived along with his sibling but disappeared halfway due to the tiresome chatter about warfare. However, because the two pairs needed to go somewhere together after the talk, he decided he would take a short nap nearby and wait it out. Who knew he''ll get to see such an entertaining show. Didn''t they say the general''s manor only had a worthless ''normal''?


    He was awakened sometime earlier when the stupid mistress started screeching. He had noticed Hongyue was behind it, but he still didn''t understand how she managed to do it. He sprang forward to feel the dead body analyzing to see what magic that little devil used but only came up empty-handed. There was no indication of any magic at all; however, there was some sort of oppression that had been in play inside the body. He smirked widely. His eyes shone. Today''s trip hasn''t been an entire waste after all. He then examined the unconscious concubine and found that she seemed to be free of any magical influences as well.


    He frowned, that little devil really has a lot of mysteries. He glanced up one last time, and he started in the same direction Hongyue went.


    Meanwhile, the bird flew back to Lan''er and directed her to the dead body. Lan''er quickly followed and found her mother crumpled on the ground. She was surprised her sister was nowhere to be detected. She looked about and didn''t see any external forces. She then observed the dead body and realized that some limbs had been forcefully moved after death. She chanted a spell and forced her power into the earth to try to see what else she missed but came up empty-handed. Lacking answers, she attempted to rouse up her mother.


    ------------------------------------------------


    Hongyue was stumbling around, trying to keep herself upright but she really couldn''t see at all at this point. She sagged against a tree, heaving, sweat running down her neck. This body couldn''t handle the extensive usage of her ancient mythic ability, and the poison was beginning to rebel against her control. Hongyue could also feel something else resisting against her along with the poison inside the body. Hongyue wheezed, trying hard recollect herself.


    "This General Manor really isn''t simple, won''t you say so too?" A crisp voice rang out.


    Hongyue narrowed her eyes. She was in a critical condition right now, if it was just the poison she probably could manage it somehow, but there was something internally was also against her.She steadied herself and stood up straighter. She couldn''t tell who it was, but she figured it had to be an outsider who witnessed most of the play she created. She couldn''t fight, but she could still reason for the stranger to leave. She coughed, she could taste a sweet liquid coming up her throat. She forced it down and challenged the speaker.


    "Is it?" She replied, annoyed.


    The man frowned. "What magic did you use?"


    Hongyue rolled her eyes, lying with ease, "Magic? What can a ''normal'' like me do? I merely used poison given to me. You truly flatter me."


    The man''s frown deepened, was there someone else moving pawns in the manor. He peeped back at Hongyue before interrogating. "How did that dead body move?"


    Hongyue chuckled. Her laughter startled him. Was this little devil not afraid?


    "What moving dead body? Has anyone heard of it? Can you prove it? You know", She hesitated, to speak softly, "Maybe there really was a ghost."


    Whatever can he say? No one has seen a corpse that moved by itself after death so no one would accept his words. Clever girl. She knew his words held no weight over hers. He stared hard at her, he noted she was shaking, and she didn''t seem stable.He noticed her eyes were strangely dull. Was she blind?


    "You''re right but what if I tell others about your little mask? If they knew the eldest miss wasn''t a stupid idiot, what would they say?"


    Hongyue laughed wildly.


    "It doesn''t matter. People always want someone else beneath them. Even if it''s the truth, they''ll play it off until it becomes a lie. The more you say it, it better sounding it becomes to the ears. Even if you have proof, they''ll continue to say I''m the little incompetent ''normal'' eldest miss. They want a fool, I''ll play that fool for them."


    The man couldn''t help but admit she was right. Who would be willing to listen to him say a useless ''normal'' was all powerful all of a sudden? He would be wasting his time.


    Hongyue suddenly staggered forward, blood sprayed out of her mouth and splattered every direction. She couldn''t restrain her body anymore and collapsed. The man stood frozen, startled at the sudden development.


    He quickly reacted and caught her in his arms.


    A figure in pale floral robe suddenly appeared and aimed for his head. The man quickly avoided it, retreating back while clinging Hongyue.


    "Third Prince! Let my sister go!"

 13 Shes Not Faking It?!

    Meanwhile, Lan''er was out of breath. She never imagined everything would be extremely chaotic within the manor. She had just assigned a few servants and the manor''s doctor to attend to her mother. She continued on her way to notify her father of her mother''s injury. However, who would have thought she would end up witnessing her sister near death door spewing blood in the arms of the Third Prince. She swiftly aimed for his head. There was no way she could defeat the Third Prince, but she was prepared to fight a losing battle as long as she can take her sister back safely.


    "Third Prince! Let my sister go!" She announced coldly. As anticipated, her attack had no effect on the royal prince as he merely dodged it as nothing had occurred. She reeled back a step, she couldn''t execute another attack without the proper timing. She gazed at her older sister who was lying limp in his arms.


    The Third Prince''s eyes coldly flashed. He caught her line of sight and sneered.


    "Do you think this Prince has nothing better to do to attack a lowly ''normal''?"


    A black aura blasted from his body and struck out at Lan''er.


    "Submit!" The Third Prince commanded.


    Lan''er toppled back unable to handle the attack. She gritted her teeth and dug her nails into her palms. Was her sister''s injury unrelated to the Third Prince? She took a deep breath.


    "Yes, your highness."


    Meanwhile, the Crown Prince and the General had detected the commotion and headed toward the noise. The General was ecstatic but bewildered. In fact, he did have a spy, a high-level spy servant given to him from Concubine Mei''s father. He wasn''t sure if that ignorant wretch of a daughter had seen the spy or not. Either way, he could not allow the Emperor to know of this. If the Emperor were to know, his plans would be unable to proceed, and he might get executed under the potential conspiracy of overthrowing the Emperor. A high-level spy in the hands of a General of a large army would definitely earn the distrust from the emperor. Thankfully, his spy wasn''t in the manor however he couldn''t understand: if the figure Hongyue saw wasn''t his spy, then who was it? As he neared closer to the disturbance, he could see his eldest daughter unconscious in the arms of the Third Prince. Startled, he examined carefully to make sure his eyes weren''t deceiving to him. Didn''t they say the Third Prince despised contact with other people? Why was he here holding his daughter? Seeing his daughter lying almost lifeless provided the General great joy. He dropped his head to conceal his delight. His poison ultimately worked! He attempted to sound depressed as he pretended to be in grief at the Hongyue''s condition.


    The Crown Prince was dumbfounded. Why was his brother here? Why was Hongyue in such critical condition within the brief time they were gone?


    "Get the doctor!" The Crown Prince roared.


    Lan''er was quivering as she answered, "The doctor is tending to my mother. She sustained injuries to the head.."


    A servant ran towards them quickly addressing, "My lord, Madam received severe head injuries. She''s merely unconscious for now."


    The General nodded. His wife was quite clever. By faking an injury, the Crown Prince would have no option but to leave them alone until she ''got better''from her ''madness.''


    "Father, since mother is currently more stable. Let''s have him take a look at elder sister." Lan''er pleaded.


    The General promptly dismissed her pleas. He finally got the wretch to die, why would he try to save her. Watching at the Crown Prince, he knew he couldn''t carelessly act out his desires, but he could attempt to delay Hongyue''s treatment while acting like he''s trying his best to save her.


    "Your Highnesses, I''m regretful you had to witness all that. Servants, go return Eldest Miss to her room." The General turned to the Crown Prince. "I''ll have Hongyue treated as soon as possible. Due to my wife''s injury today, it''s inconvenient to explain myself about the odd occurrences, please allow me to give you a full report tomorrow."


    A display of disgust appeared in the Crown Prince''s eyes. He wasn''t stupid, but he couldn''t do anything except to leave.


    Swinging his sleeves, he turned and left, "You better be ready to explain everything to me tomorrow."


    The General nodded eagerly. The Third Prince took one last final glimpse at Hongyue and left.


    "Call the doctor ''only'' after he ''carefully'' finishes checking on my wife." The General commanded the servant. The servant nodded and left to pass the order to the doctor.


    Lan''er was frightened, this man was heartless. The servant had just announced her mother was fine. Why was he making the doctor recheck her mother? He was delaying time. Blood traveled down her dress as her nails dug deeper into her palms. She couldn''t sense the pain at all as her heartache painfully. What should she do now? She nodded to her father and started for her residence. Walking unsteadily with her eyes fueled with hatred.


    The servant hurried up to the General out of breath.


    "The madam is now throwing a fit! No one can soothe her down!"


    "What about the doctor? Where is he? Is he not performing his responsibility?"


    The servant quaked in fear.


    "No my lord, he''s dead. The madam killed him in her crazed fit. What do we do?"


    "Bring me to her!"


    Appearing on the scene, the General tried to apprehend his mind. There was furniture flung around to bits. Dead bodies of unlucky servants littered the ground. A dead doctor could be spotted propped against the pillar nearby, blood trickled down his mouth. The General frowned.


    "My love, you don''t have to continue pretending now. The Crown Prince hadn''t found about the spy. You have to remind your father to lay low."


    The General scowled, just like her mother even if that trash is useless she still managed to bring trouble. He was beginning to wonder if it there someone manipulating the whole circumstance since his spy servant wouldn''t act rashly yet somehow that eldest ''normal'' saw something. The general frowned, what if there indeed was a spy in his manor? He had used it as an excuse to throw the Crown Prince off, but he didn''t think there would be a real rat in his estate. The General looked back his lover, panic was starting to cloud his eyes.


    "Mei''er, my love, you can stop."


    The concubine abruptly looked up and reacted to the loud voice. She was completely insane. All she could see was red. All she wanted was to kill. She lunged forward to suffocate him.


    With his throat caged in Concubine Mei''s hands, the General fought as he looked into her bloodshot eyes. Ripping off her hands, the General finally realized that she wasn''t playing pretend. He backed up, trying to find his footing. She was truly insane. His voice was caught in his throat as he stumbled back trying to hold on to anything.


    Concubine Mei had a strange, crazed look in her eyes. Seeing her empty hands caused a slight ripple in her heart. No! She needed to kill. No matter who it was, she needed to destroy them. She looked up at the General and suddenly lurched forward and grabbed him.


    "SERVANTS!! THE MADAM IS INSANE!! COME QUICK! HELP!!" The general bellowed.

 14 Recalling Dark Memories Of The Pas

    Dark.


    Ah, so dark.


    Hongyue stretched out her hands and tried to grasp something. Anything would do, she thought. Anything that would enable her to have the ability to leave here, to obtain a source of light. She was sick of this darkness, this emptiness that always surrounded her.


    Eventually, as time passed, Hongyue gave up. She wasn''t surprised. Hongyue loathed the darkness yet she knew nothing else other from it, so in a way, the darkness was her cursed home. A memory of her past life slowly started to replay.


    A six-year-old little siren stumbled along the shore of the rocky island. Her pale, delicate feet had been sliced up by the jagged rocks as she climbed up the cliff in search for food. The path behind her was covered in blood. Her arms and body were also in the very condition, sweat and blood ran endlessly as the sun struck down on her back. He parents had advised her to keep hidden but they also never came back for her. What could she have done? At this point, she needed food. Her stomach ached day and night endlessly, but she couldn''t tolerate it any longer. So she came up on land to locate a source of food. Her dry lips engulfed in the fresh air as she felt the world spin around her.


    She collapsed.


    Hours later, she woke up to a young girl poking her lightly with a stick and offering her food. Taking the food, Hongyue wolfed it down hungrily. She eyed the girl next to her. The girl had dark hair and brown eyes and looked to be about six to seven years of age. Delighted to see someone at the same age as her, the little siren hybrid happily conversed with her new friend as the sky became dark.


    "Why were you so hungry?" The little girl asked.


    "I was hiding. I didn''t have food with me when I was hiding. My parents didn''t come back either." The siren murmured as she played with her fingers.


    "Why were you hiding?"


    Hongyue hesitated for a minute. Her parents always told her never to trust anyone else or give tell anyone of her identity. But, Hongyue glimpsed at the harmless girl in front of her. This young girl saved her life, and they seem to be friends, she thought. So the innocent, naive siren told the little girl her identity.


    "I''m a siren."


    "Siren," the little girl tasted the word. Slowly her eyes widened and turned dark, but the young siren never noticed.


    "Do you have any more food?" The siren asked.


    The little girl nodded.


    Days went by as the two played with each other. The little girl would give the siren a share of food, and the two would chat as the sky turned dark. As time grew, the little girl didn''t respond as often. The siren herself could feel a sense of tension and the friendly atmosphere was no longer there. However one day, the little girl asked the siren if she would help locate something that she lost. The naive siren agreed thinking it would be an opportunity for her to re-mend their relationship, not knowing of the upcoming horrors of that night.


    Hongyue was knocked out unconscious, and when she awoke, she found herself tied up to a wall with spiked nets piercing deep into her skin. She peered up to see that same little girl, her supposed true ''friend'' jabbing a dagger into her leg and carving out her flesh.


    "Why?" She remembered asking.


    "Why?"


    "Why?" The little girl sneered at her mockingly. "Of course it''s because you''re a siren. You don''t think I fed you for so long just because I was kind-hearted, did you? Who would want to save an ill-fated freak like you?"


    The little girl bit down into the bloody flesh that she just cut for herself. The meat was still warm, so the blood flowed out, dyeing the clothing on the young girl blood red. Hongyue felt her heart shaking as her body turned cold.


    The little girl gazed up at Hongyue, her mouth was covered in blood. She chewed and swallowed the flesh.


    "You know, my mom is dying soon, and my father has just left us. My father is a selfish merchant, so there''s no way he''ll be willing to help us. All he thinks about is his profit. My mom at this point would be a lost cause, and there is no reason for my father to save me." The girl paused.


    "Of course," The little girl turned around and stared at the siren, "Of course, if I were to have some sort of powerful magic. If I were to became a genius then wouldn''t my father save me?!"


    Hongyue couldn''t really remember much later. She could merely recall the two open eyes of a crazed maniac who repetitively carved into her flesh and devouring it in hopes of gaining mystical power. The immoral night with no stars in sight. The cave that stank of her blood and the greed that rolled off the very person she trusted.


    Things you hear are not always the truth, especially rumors especially concerning mystical creatures like sirens. Myths like this probably germinated from humans, just like that little girl. In the end, the little girl was left frustrated. She plucked up the dagger and hacked into Hongyue''s body over and over until her anger succumbed. She spat at Hongyue''s unconscious body before shifting to clean her blade.


    Hongyue who was seemingly lifeless suddenly snapped her eyes open. Her power awakened, surged through her body and forced the ropes to crumble. She shifted her hand to the back of the unaware little girl. No, what little girl, Hongyue fought back her tears, that creature in front of her was a monster. What that girl wanted wasn''t wrong but what she did to Hongyue was. Hongyue hadn''t fought back because she was hoping it was a cruel joke, seizing on to the hope she had a friend and that friend was pretending to be evil. Now, she didn''t need to hold back, she understood what her parents meant. With a wave of her hand, the blood that was on the ground obeyed her wishes and surged upwards slicing off the head of her ''friend.''


    Ah, she remembered laughing painfully that night, bathing in the full moon''s gentle light as her wounds healed. Yes, she indeed was a monster but so what? The one who hated her and scorned her was the same one wanted her help. Hongyue''s eyes turned cold.


    Selfish.


    Shameless.


    Hypocrites!

 15 Her Bloody Tears

    Meanwhile, as the manor is thrown into chaos, Hongyue slowly stirred awake. Her eyelashes quivered, and she attempted to move her fingers to no avail. Her arms appeared like solid stone, and her chest continued stinging in pain. She felt weak.


    <No!>


    She hated this same feeling of helplessness, this lack of control, and the awful wait until death. She was unwilling.


    She detested it deeply to the core. She hated herself for not being stronger. As she forced herself to sit up, a chuckle could be heard echoing the room.


    "Interesting. Truly interesting. I really didn''t think this manor had so much to offer." A passive voice drawled out.


    Hongyue snapped her eyes opened.


    "Who?!"


    "No need to get so defensive." The lazy voice continued. "I''m merely here to see if I should make an investment."


    A figure walked to her, invading her line of sight. A hand reached out to touch her neck. Suddenly, that once immovable body smoothly avoided the hand. Her body twisted and landed painfully on the ground. Hongyue looked up to see a familiar handsome youngster in front of her. Wasn''t this the same man who asked stupid questions wasting her time causing her to faint? She added another grievance to the list inside her heart.


    The man''s eyes narrowed. That little thing shouldn''t be able to move at all. How was she able to move about so swiftly even under his spell? He waved his hand and chanted something quietly. He looked on amazement as Hongyue continued to remain sitting upright even after a second spell was set on her.


    Someone like her who didn''t have any power shouldn''t be able to fight back. No, he studied her limbs, she wasn''t fighting back his magic at all. His eyes dilated. Her legs couldn''t fight at all, he could see her arms shackled by his power. This little thing was using some other strange means to force the limbs to move almost like a puppeteer with their puppet. She was capable. Truly formidable.


    "No," He threw head back in laughter. "You''re even crazier than that. I don''t know how you''re doing it, but you''re manipulating your own body by force aren''t you?"


    Hongyue smiled weakly. He was right on the mark. She had been move each part of her body by controlling her own blood to force out each and every movement, but for it to be called crazy? No, this was simply normal to her. Anyone who wanted to live needed to be willing to make certain sacrifices. This was her style, her way of fighting for her own life, she was brutal even to herself.


    The man looked amused and leaned forward.


    "I really pity you. You don''t love yourself at all, do you?"


    Hongyue trembled, but she didn''t reply.


    <Love? What is that? How can you get it? How can it do for her? Can it protect her or feed her?>


    She didn''t understand. No, she never had to understand love. There was no love.


    She just knew she needed to live for the purpose of revenge. Revenge for the previous owner of this body...and for herself.


    Seeing her lost in her thoughts, the man sighed. He tossed a pill to her. A grayish pearl-like ball that gave off a bitter smell.


    "This Prince wants to invest after all. That pill will be my investment. Take it as a gift from me." The man turned to leave.


    Hongyue frowned. "I don''t need your pity." She flicked the pill back at him.


    The man frowned, catching the pill between his fingers. He scowled at the pill as if he was blaming the medicine for being rejected. A smirk crawled up his face, and he suddenly moved in front of her in a flash. Gently tilting her chin upwards, he pokes the pill through her pale lips into her small mouth. Hongyue widened her eyes in surprise. She had let her guard down, so she wasn''t prepared. She tried to spit the pill back out, but the man covered her mouth forcing it back in, his smile getting wider.


    "Don''t fight it. Nothing I''ll give you will be poison, just accept it. After all, I''m investing in you." He murmured, lightly.


    Hongyue narrowed her eyes, swallowing the pill. Almost instantly, she felt relief.


    However, bothered by his close distance with her, she swiftly shoved towards the front only to find him gone. Hongyue sighed. She felt her power slowly draining away. She had been trying her best putting up a strong front. However, she knew it wouldn''t last long. All at once, her body fell limp, and she collapsed on the ground.


    Her body shook in pain from the extra exertion, each nerve in her body felt like on icy fire.


    Bloody tears streamed down her cheeks making her look so sinister, she looked like an evil enchantress. She let herself go as the world around her turn dark once again.

 16 Generals Crisis

    Meanwhile, the General struggled with his concubine''s tight grip on his neck. He broke loose of her iron claws and stumbled back, slumping to the ground. Concubine Mei stumbled down from the force, her head crashing brutally upon the stone floor. Blood gradually pooled out, coloring the floor. The General''s guards ran orderly into the room lining up to the right and the left side of the General. A head guard swiftly came in front of the General. He knelt down, his hands forming a sign of respect.


    "General!"


    The General winched hearing his title, never had he felt so degraded in his life. A mere crazy wretch was nearly able to kill him, a great general. What would be left of his pride? On his neck were purplish bruises showing how serious she was on killing him. His own eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was disordered. He coughed in discomfort as he tried to steady himself in front of his own men.


    He glared at fallen concubine.


    "Take her away!" He hollered hoarsely.


    "Yes, my lord!"


    The head guard approached closer to the General.


    "General, do you need us to.." He asked, indicating a beheading motion.


    "General, do not overstep your boundaries!" A sharp voice called out.


    "Shi Yi." The General weakly cried out.


    "General, do not forget my master''s agreement. You promised to cherish my family''s lady or have you forgotten? Tell me, why is she covered in blood?" A figure quickly entered the room. He was the high-level shadow spy Mei''s father, Minster Rui, had given to him. He eyed the General coldly.


    "It was in my self-defense-"


    Shi Yi snickered coldly.


    "When my master heard the news from the Crown Prince, he couldn''t believe his ears. It''s a good thing he sent me over. Who knows, what this General with accidental deaths and spies in his manor would do, if I have gotten here any later?"


    The General paled and stuttered, " C-c-crown Prince?"


    "To be incompetent is one thing but to harm our lady is another. From this point on, Minster Rui''s agreement with you will be dissolved." Shi Yi turned to leave, reaching for Concubine Mei.


    The General swayed, his mind was in pieces.


    "No, you can''t do this to me! She went insane by herself. What was I supp-"


    Shi Yi scowled.


    "General Wei, I haven''t even asked how she went insane in your manor yet you have the guts to argue with me! Who gave you the right to do so?! Don''t tell me an honorable General can''t win against a weak lady."


    General Wei opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He sank to the floor. His eyes were becoming dull. Who was it? How did it turn out like this? Who was harming him? Clearly, the Concubine was fine before. After she went insane and grabbed him, he wasn''t able to use any of his powers for some reason. He couldn''t put the pieces together. His hand trembled in fear.


    Shi Yi walked out carrying the unconscious Concubine Mei in his arms. He turned his head back once more and spat out his thoughts.


    "Pathetic!"


    -------------------------------------------------


    As soon as morning arrived, an edict came for the General. The General clenched his hands tightly but passively got on his knees and accepted the decree.


    "I thank the Emperor for his grace. This lowly subject accepts this honor."


    As the General arrived at the Palace, he could hear others already tearing down his name.


    "Your Majesty, this lowly servant thinks General Wei should be stripped of his title." A minister stepped out before the Emperor and presented out his thoughts.


    "I agree, how can we call someone who couldn''t even maintain his household properly, a General, of our country."


    Voices of agreement and discontentment rang out without stopping, echoing throughout the room. The Emperor sat high above on his throne listening with contentment. His eyes narrowed like a sly cat. His son, the Crown Prince, had disclosed yesterday''s visit''s details to him already. To be honest, he was wondering when to make the next move to weaken the General''s power. This General''s authority had been growing too rapidly, far too dangerously. The Emperor glanced over at Minster Rui. While the loss of a daughter was dishearting, it gave him a great stepping stone. Now he only needed to wait it out and watch the General voluntarily hand over his own army token.


    "The General has arrived!"


    The ministers of the palace court quickly quieted down. As the General walked in, eyes of contempt watched his every move.


    He quickly got on his knees as he greeted the Emperor.


    "This lowly subject greets the Emperor. May the Emperor live for a thousand years."


    The Emperor waved his hand.


    "You may rise."


    "Many thanks, your Majesty."


    "Do you know what you have done wrong this time?"


    The General snapped his heads upwards. Too quick. Everything was spiraling out of reach, way too quickly. This hateful Minster Rui isn''t holding back, stirring so much trouble in such a small amount of time. General Wei was afraid this Minster Rui had been plotting against him for a while. He gritted his teeth and played dumb.


    "No."


    Minster Rui was enraged. "How dare you say no!"

 17 Generals Crisis 2

    General Wei lowered his head and cupped his hands toward Minster Rui. He wasn''t willing to openly admit his faults without dragging that sly troll down with him. He spoke through his tightly gritted teeth.


    "Minster Rui must be mistaken. What do you mean?"


    Minster Rui heaved in anger. His finger shook as he spoke furiously, "You want to anger me to death, don''t you?"


    "Minster Rui, I''ve always respected you as a high ranking official. Please don''t make it hard for this subject."


    Minster Rui narrowed his eyes. Was the General making a hidden threat? Good. Very good. He underestimated this man. He swiftly turned to the Emperor, his hand cupped in respect.


    "My ruler, please pass your fair judgment for me. This subject''s daughter has suffered from this heartless man."


    The Emperor frowned. It wasn''t his place to interference into family matters, but Minster Rui had made such a massive fuss about it, and he needed to play it down.


    "General Wei, what do you have to say about that?"


    "It''s true that I reacted unreasonably towards my concubine. However, she went insane and tried to kill me."


    "She tried to kill you?"


    The General ripped his coat and shifted his collar. Underneath the fabric, everyone can see the harsh black-purplish fingerprints of attempted murder.


    The Emperor frowned. He had heard from the Crown Prince that the concubine had suffered an injury. However, since it was too timely, he had suspected the concubine faked it to protect the General. However, if the concubine indeed did suffer a head injury and gone mad. Then there would be nothing to tie the General down. He tapped his fingers on the armrest of his throne. His goal was to weaken the General''s troops, but this made it inconvenient.


    Minster Rui quickly got down on his knees.


    "My Ruler, how can you listen to his nonsense. How can a mere lady like my daughter cause anything harm to the General? She is only a level 3-grade nature connector. At most, she can only sprout vines."


    The Emperor rubbed his forehead, all this drama was causing his head to cause. He wasn''t stupid, everything he needed to steal the General''s power came too quickly to him. Someone was pushing this forward behind the scene, but he didn''t know what their motive was.


    ---------------------------------------------------------


    Meanwhile, the ''little schemer'' the Emperor was worried about had just woken up. Hongyue slowly sat up in her bed bewildered at how smoothly her body reacted. There usually should be a backlash, her body shouldn''t be able to move at all for at least a week. She managed her sore neck and her cold feet, trying to collect her thoughts. She frowned.


    First, the poison in her body is still there, but for some reason, it didn''t really affect her body all that much anymore. Even without using her powers, she could feel it suppressed. While it was good news, she didn''t feel all that happy about it. How is she going to act? Her heartless father probably thought she was dead, yet once again she still alive. Hongyue grinned wickedly, while it might stir suspension, it could help anger him to death. If he dies, there will be no need to act


    Hongyue slipped her pale feet into a pair of slippers.


    She could feel the chilly breeze slipping into her footwear. She glanced at the window and waved her arm to the right. The window''s fabric instantly whipped over and covered the open entry.


    She paused.


    Right.


    She nearly forgot.


    She had intended to kill Concubine Mei the day before after all there was no point in keeping someone so useless. After someone is infected by a hex done by a siren, their mind would be so broken to the point, they would kill everything until they died. It was a highly forbidden spell that others could not produce unless they sacrifice a considerable amount of their life. However, Hongyue would only suffer a week of backlash. This was the benefit of being a half-ling. Hongyue drew a half a circle on the table with her finger. She could remember just before she could force her powers to slice off Concubine Mei''s life, something inside of her held her back. Her hand slowly formed a fist, her fingernails digging into her skin. The blood trickled down the sides and dripped onto the table slowly following the outline of a half circle.


    <Connect>


    Slowly but surely a small wisp of vapor seemed to form a figure in front of her. Hongyue''s eyes dilated. The figure in front of her was the previous owner of this body.


    The real Hongyue.


    "Why?" The siren asked. She didn''t understand. Why did this weak human stop her when she was about to kill off the enemy who harmed her?


    "Why?!"


    The blood from the table slowly floated upwards and vaporized. The vapor combined with the wisp and the figure solidified. The figure stared at her but did not speak.


    Why? Why did she look at her like that? Wasn''t she helping this human exact her revenge?


    "I saw your memories."


    The siren flinched.


    "So?"


    The figure smiled sadly and walked toward the cautious siren half-ling. She reached out her hand and pointed to the top of the siren''s forehead.


    "When our souls exchanged spots, I saw your memories. I never saw anyone like you before. It made me admire you so much. So I''ve decided. I won''t fight for this body with you. I''ll give it to you."


    The siren frowned, "Why, do you pity me?"


    A moment went by before the figure murmured a soft yes.


    The siren laughed coldly, "If you have seen my memories, you should have seen my killings, so there''s no need to pity me. Tell me what your conditions for allowing me to use your body are. Revenge? I can kill all of th-"


    A quiet voice interrupted her.


    "No, I just want you to live well."


    The siren slammed her hand down angrily. "What is with all your sweet words? Don''t waste your time! What is your condition, Hongyue?!"


    "You don''t trust me, do you? No, you don''t trust anyone. Then let me be the first one you trust. I have no need for this body, so I truly want you to have it. The name Hongyue is not mine to call anymore. It''s now yours. When you got Concubine Mei to tell the truth about my mother''s death, I''ve already given up on regaining this body. My soul''s already too far gone. I''m leaving this world completely soon, so I wanted to tell something before I leave, Hongyue."


    The siren sat shocked. No, she can''t believe what she said. Humans have always, always betrayed her.


    "You don''t believe me, do you?"


    The figure smiled sadly.


    "It doesn''t matter. It''s the truth. You''ll believe me someday."


    She touched the siren on the forehead and her figure dispersed. Her soul broke down to wisps and entered the siren''s forehead. The was a slight tingling sensation before everything went quiet.

 18 Live Well, What Does That Mean?

    "I''m Hongyue." The siren muttered, uncertainly.


    She didn''t understand.


    No, the truth was she couldn''t understand. She always been a creature in constant pain and without a feeling heart.


    Now, it doesn''t matter anymore. Since that soul was gone completely out of the body, she relaxed.


    Still, She couldn''t help but sneer.


    Shouldn''t the human take revenge? Shouldn''t she be mad that an evil killer like a siren was able to get a second chance with her body while she, a pure human wasn''t able to live long under her own father''s scheming? What I hope you live well? Who could live past a day in this manor?


    Weak! That human''s way of thinking was so weak!


    She shouldn''t have just given up her body to her, a bloodthirsty siren!


    Hongyue slammed her hand on the table. A burst of blue poured out from her palm and surrounded the table which forced it to break into pieces. Her hand was covered in cuts from the shattered wood, a trail of blood slid down her fingers.


    <Live well>


    Why? Why worry about me when you''re already so far gone yourself.


    Hongyue''s eyes widened. She hesitated before placing her hand over her heart. She always felt that spot in the past, exploring the heartbeat. While it beat non-stop, she never felt any other emotions other than distrust and disgust.


    Concern.


    Had she been worried about a mere human? Concerned about the vile creatures that always harmed her? No! These emotions were a sign of weakness. She reached for a chair nearby before smashing it apart, venting out her mind. Hongyue huffed in frustration. She didn''t need all these emotions.


    "I''ll be the only one hurt in the end."


    Hongyue slowly regained her thoughts. She let out a sigh. In the end, that human had dispersed her soul so Hongyue wouldn''t have any more trouble fully controlling the body she left behind. That proved she was telling the truth, a truth even Hongyue couldn''t lie to herself about even if she wanted to.


    "Fine! I''ll live well for you!"


    Hongyue whirled her fingers in a curve and the air around her condensed about her body. She vanished from the room to a tree branch far from her place. She sat quietly and studied the servants around her, eavesdropping on their conversations.


    There seemed to be different grades of power. The highest would be the 15th grade. The higher the grade you became, the more powerful you were. The way they used their power was different from her style. The users were called wizards and witches who cast spells but in truth, what they were doing was merely asking for blessings from the elements around them. For example, Concubine Mei, as a nature connector, it just means she needs to chant a blessing and the plants around her give her the power to use. In short, this means they are borrowing power. This means the power they used needs to be around them, and the element have to consent in order for the spell to form.


    Hongyue smiled. Her power from her world was different. Her ability came directly from an ancient god bloodline and within her. This would give her a great advantage.


    She tilted her head, listening earnestly.


    There were five different users. Nature. Light. Air. Earth. Darkness.


    Water and fire wasn''t an element a magic user could connect to since they seem to have a will of their own and the two components weren''t always around.


    Hongyue smirked.


    That''s where they are wrong. Water is everywhere. In their bodies, blood, and even in the air. However, fire was a different challenge.Even she didn''t know who could control it. As she waited, she heard the events that went on when she was unconscious. She counted her fingers lazily as she recounted the conversations.


    1. The Concubine did go crazy, but she didn''t die. Someone had saved her.


    2. The General thought she died, so there were no servants around her section of the manor. He also didn''t call for a doctor, meaning he was very confident in the poison he gave her.


    3. The General is in a tight spot, and he''s currently pressured by the Emperor for an important token.


    4. Minster Rui and the General are now enemies with each other.


    5. She was currently hungry.


    Hongyue frowned, eyeing a chicken leg that sat on a fancy platter surrounded with chunks of meat a servant carried below her. Her stomach growled aggressively. She really wanted to steal it. Hongyue shook her head. She really couldn''t think clearly with her hunger.


    <Live Well> The words echoed in her head.


    "If I''m hungry, then I''m not living well."


    Hongyue raised her right hand, about to kill the servant when she frowned. Why was she hesitating so much today? She slowly lowered her hand. She leaped down from the tree, kicking the side of the tree propelling her body. As she swirled in the air, her robes floated about beautifully. She landed elegantly in front of him.


    The servant holding the plate widened his eyes in amazement.


    A goddess.


    He stood in shock.


    Hongyue was indeed a natural beauty. Pale skin, ruby lips, and coal black hair. Her eyes narrowed before she snatched the plate away and used a nearby stone garden decoration to jump over the manor wall toward her section.


    The servant was still in shock. What just happened? Did a beauty come out of nothing just to steal food? What kind of goddess was she, taking food like that? He shook when he realized what happened.


    He was doomed, that plate belonged to Third Miss, Lan''er.


    What was he going to say? That beauty came out of the sky, so he thought she was a goddess and allowed her to steal away the food.


    He fainted.

 19 Operation Retrea

    Back at the palace, the General was highly pressured. While the mistreatment of his own concubine wasn''t a big deal concerning the way, others often wronged their wives. The fact that he was a highly regarded general and she was the daughter of a high ranking official minister made the situation worst. In addition, the Emperor had been on his tail trying to cut down his power for years, and his main collaborator seemed to have prepared a way out.


    He was on his own.


    How could have it happen? Why did that dense concubine go insane, wasn''t she supposed to be just pretending? He had thought about this all night long, not getting a wink of sleep.


    He sighed.


    It was of no matter. He only kept her in order to kill his eldest daughter. As long as she was dead, he''ll be fine. He slyly looked up at the Emperor. That old bastard wanted his power didn''t he, well, that was fine too. Just because you can get, my army doesn''t mean you can control it! He smirked with his head lowered and slowly took out his token. He''ll play low for now.


    A eunuch came forward and accepted the token, carefully inspecting the ancient design on the token before presenting it to the Emperor.


    The Emperor stared at the General intensely. Wasn''t this way too easy? He feared there might be a hidden danger. He picked up the token carefully and brushed his finger lightly over the carved dragon on the metal. The <Roaring Dragon Token>. Anyone would have this token would be able to control an army of high-level fighters from a hidden tribe that could withhold any attack even with if the other side had 5 times more men than them, their movements were like dragon claws. The dragon was so realistic he thoughtit was real. He gently set the token back down before falling deep into his thoughts.


    Back then he remembered the previous owner of the token standing so proudly on the battlefield. It felt so strange, he remembered the figure with fluttering blood-red robes and her determined eyes. He sighed lightly. She was the daughter of a valued tribe chief. The tribe had a particular martial art style that could annul certain magic attacks. It was a fiery way of fighting, and even if someone wanted to control it, it wasn''t easy. If you weren''t from the tribe, your blood would boil, and your veins would explode.


    He rubbed his temples, he had arranged a political marriage in order to seal an alliance with the tribe. He thought he had chosen a good candidate but who knew this General would be so out of control within time. He froze. He nearly forgot.He glanced wryly at the General before putting on a gentle smile.


    "General Wei, how is your daughter?"


    "Replying to your majesty, Lan''er is fine."


    The Emperor''s heart trembled. His eyes snapped open. Did something happen to the eldest? No, he can''t let that happen.


    "I''m asking about your first daughter!"


    General Wei gritted his teeth. Why was the emperor so worried about that wretch all of a sudden?! This can''t do, she''s nearly dead or dead by now. What was he supposed to answer?


    "Replying to your majesty, Yue''er is-"


    "Royal father." A rich voice called out. The general froze.


    "I went with my royal crown brother to the General Wei''s manor yesterday. Lady Hongyue doesn''t seem well at all. I worried all night. Would royal father permit this son to visit her?"


    The general''s face fell while Emperor beamed happily.


    "Oh, is that so?" The Emperor glanced swiftly at the General, "General Wei, Third Prince will grace you with his visit, why aren''t you giving your thanks?"


    General Wei tried to maintain a smile on his stiff face.


    "I thank the Third Prince for his grac-"


    The Third Prince waved his hand nonchalantly. "No need. I''m not doing it for you. Lady Hongyue is to marry into the royal family. This is my duty."


    General Wei flinched. "Yes, of course."


    Minster Hui stepped out, wringing his hands as if he been wronged.


    "Your Majesty, my daughter.."


    The Emperor nodded, he waved his left hand, and the eunuch by his side handed the <Roaring Dragon> token to him.


    Minster Hui accepted the token with trembling hands. "T-this..R-roaring Dragon.."


    "Take it as compensation after all you suffered. Dismiss the court!"


    Minster Hui bowed deeply and gave his thanks, "May his majesty reign forever and ever."


    Slowly, all the ministers shuffled out of the room.


    The Third Prince politely gestured with disdain in his eyes, "General Wei, please lead the way."


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------


    "Father! This royal son doesn''t understand! Why did you give away the token? You tried so hard to obtain it!"


    The Emperor turned to the Crown Prince.


    "Do you think I want to give away such a treasure? That Hui family always take a mile when you give them an inch. General Wei handed it over too quickly, something doesn''t seem right."


    The Crown Prince slapped his hand with his fan, suddenly understanding the Emperor''s plan.


    "I see, you are planning to use the Hui family as a test subject. What''s the next move?"

 20 Second Miss, ChunHua

    "Second Miss!"


    A disheveled female servant trailed after a well-dressed youth. The servant carried a basket of fresh steamed buns. Her sweat ran down her neck, and the hems of her skirt were muddied. She panted for air before running in front of her polished master. Her master was ChunHua, the Second Miss of the manor. Although her name implied spring flowers, her current face expression looked nothing resembling the loveliness of her name. ChuaHua wore five gold hair sticks in her hair, and her outfit was light pink speckled with cherry blossoms. She had almond-shaped eyes and a tight frown.


    "Second Miss! Please wait for this servant. The master said you can''-"


    ChunHua turned her head sharply, the gems on the hair sticks sparkled in the sun as she glared at the servant chasing her. She scoffed before shoving the servant to the ground. The basket was knocked to the ground, a single white bun rolled out. ChunHua watched the food roll out before slapping the servant in anger.


    "Hmph! Master this! Master that! I''m your master. Father probably won''t be in power for long anyway! Shut up!"


    The female servant looked appalled, "Please, Second Miss! Don''t say things like that so loudly, what if-"


    "Second Sister, what are you doing being so loud in this morning?" A gentle voice called out softly. Lan''er strolled out gracefully, a servant followed closely behind while carrying a basket full of roses bloomed in ranges of pink and red.


    ChunHua swirled around to see Lan''er. She gritted her teeth, how hateful. She loathed seeing her third sister alive sometimes. Even though her own status should be higher than the person in front of her, her father''s doting favor told everyone how special her third sister was. It was so unfair! She still managed to put a sweet expression on her face and patted her shelves as if she never slapped her servant moments before. She nodded politely to Lan''er before sending a harsh glare towards the trembling servant on the ground.


    "Nothing. My servant was misbehaving before, I had to teach her a lesson."


    Lan''er nodded, but her gaze never moved from the bruising slap mark on the servant as ChunHua spoke. She stretched behind her and drew out a pink rose. She played with it in her hands, twisting all the rose petals with blemishes off. She smiled gently before asking, "Hua''er, where are you heading?"


    ChunHua''s eyes flickered to the rose with discomfort, "I''m going to see Eldest Sister."


    Lan''er froze.


    Her hand clenched, closing around the rose. The thorns dug deeply into her palm. A trickle of blood dripped down her wrist.


    "Is that so?"


    Her eyes were coldly staring at her Second Sister. Lan''er took in the sight of the steamed bun on the ground. She turned the rose around once more before she sighed lightly.


    "Chunhua, that''s no good. She''s very ill, and you have a weak body. I''ll visit her for you."


    ChunHua glared at Lan''er, no longer hiding any of her pretenses.


    "Why are you blocking my way?! Why are you helping her now?! You''re not any better than I am, you want her dead too, don''t you?! Stop playing the good sister. She''ll die off very soon anyway!"


    Above them, Hongyue gnawed on the chicken leg in her hand while she watched the play unfold. She had planned to enjoy the meal quietly in her own section of the manor but who told them to be this loud in the morning. She was in a good mood, so she decided to watch while hidden in a tree. She squinted her eyes as ChunHua hollered at Lan''er. She nodded wordlessly in agreement. Why are you helping me so much? Why now? Hongyue glanced at her greasy hands. It''s too late to act now, your sister already died.


    Hongyue''s eyes roamed back to the steam bun on the ground before she sighed quietly. This ChunHua seemed to be a mere pawn as well. Her eyes narrowed. Just how many rats are after this life of hers? Live well my butt, you probably left this body so I would have to deal with all your problems! She finished the rest of the chicken. Good thing, I do enjoy playing around, or else you would have died 10 times over already. She lazily threw away the chicken bone. Hongyue wiped her dirty hands on her face and into her hair. In an instant, the goddess turned into back into the trashy Eldest Miss image everyone knew.


    Hongyue rubbed the bark of the tree scaping bits of brown remains and smeared that onto her face as well. She pushed herself off the tree carelessly and stumbled down the tree. Cuts quickly formed as branches sliced into her soft flesh.


    A loud thump alerted both ChunHua and Lan''er. ChunHua''s eyes quickly lit up before turning dark. Lan''er felt confused. How did her powers not inform her of her eldest sister''s presence?

 21 Angering Him 1

    Hongyue pretended to struggle to get up. Lan''er hid her seething anger while walking briskly over to her sister and tried to help her up. All the while ChunHua watched from afar, her eyes held contempt. How did this dirty rat even become her older sister? She took in Hongyue''s dirty face and messy hair covered in leaves. A smirk slowly made its way on her face distorting her features, she slowly bent down and picked up the dirty bun and paced over to Hongyue. She put a sickly sugary smile on her face and tilted her head questioningly.


    "Hongyue, are you hungry?"


    Hongyue stared up before putting a dumb smile on her face.


    "Hungry!"


    ChunHua''s smile spread even more comprehensive. She held out the bun and waved in Hongyue''s face. As Hongyue tried to grab the food, Lan''er slapped the bread away hastily. Hongyue pretended to struggle for it, and Lan''er felt panicked, quickly held her sister back. Lan''er raised her head sharply and met ChunHua''s eyes straight on, harshly.


    "How dare you! She is your eldest sister!" Lan''er gripped Hongyue''s arms tightly, blood soaked into Hongyue''s clothing. Hongyue''s eyes dilated watching the blood spread about on her dress. Her mind flashed, and she pretended to be tired, slumping onto Lan''er. Lan''er felt her heart drop and squeezed her.


    ChunHua straightened herself up and snorted.


    "She''s not my sister. She''s trash. We both know she won''t live long anyway." ChunHua leaned in closer and mockingly sang out, "Little trash, you''re not ill like everyone tells you but poisoned. You''re going to die. You should thank me for telling you the truth."


    "Die?" Hongyue asked, pretending to be frightened. Her hands trembled, and she hid closer to Lan''er.


    "Die. Dead. Gone. Just like your pathetic mother." ChunHua laughed happily, amused by Hongyue''s expression.


    Lan''er snapped. She flicked her blood onto the surface of the ground.


    <Mother Earth, this child has great grievances at heart/ Guide my anger and lend me your arms>


    After a short spell, the earth rumbled as if it was greatly angered. Dark vines surged up digging up the soil and sprung straight towards ChunHua. ChunHua''s eyes widened, and she stumbled back.


    "Are you crazy?! You would go that far for that trash?"


    Hongyue peeked out and admired the flowing magic techniques. Not bad, using this sort of power drained the elements around you. She swiftly condensed a small string of air and tried to use it to slice through a stalk of a dark vine. The air faded to mist when it made contact with the dark energy of the vine. Hmm, she glanced back up at Lan''er. It seems the higher grade you are, the stronger the connection you have with your destined element. The stronger the bonds, the more valued you are with the element. She stared at the dark energy. Did Lan''er have two powers?She thought about it before firmly shaking her head, this sort of power has too many drawbacks, she liked her sirenic powers better.


    ChunHua quickly chanted a spell and the earth around her feet floated up and formed a protective shield in front of her. Three dark vines sped towards her and slammed her back a few feet before retreating and attacking again. ChunHua cursed internally as her shield began to fall apart. She braced herself for the next impact before a wisp of black smoke appeared and surrounded her.


    "Father!" ChunHua yelled hoarsely before running towards the General.


    Lan''er stiffened before dismissing her attack with a wave of her hand. Hongyue peeked over and saw the General trying to calm ChunHua down before shooting a shocked gaze at Hongyue.


    How is that wretch still alive after everything?!! Suddenly his mind turned, his gaze shifted to suspicion.


    "Hongyue, why are you out here? Shouldn''t you be resting?"


    Hongyue stumbled out of her sister''s arms and ran over to the General.


    "I was hungry."


    General Wei felt his cheeks redden. He had tried to tell a good story to the Third Prince in the carriage ride home. Didn''t that statement mean he was lying when he said Hongyue was well-taken care of? He looked swiftly at the Third Prince to see no expression on his face. He needed to redirect the topic something where else quickly. He quickly looked back at Hongyue and tried to smooth out her tousled locks.


    "Why are you so dirty? What were you doing?", General Wei questioned gently.


    "Looking for food."


    The General''s hand froze. His face never felt so hot before. He choked before trying to answer Hongyue in a way to belittle her.


    "Silly child. Why didn''t you call on the servants? You need to take care of your body, you''re ill."


    Hongyue squinted up frowning.


    "No."


    "What?"


    "I''m not ill. I''m poisoned. I''m going to die."


    General Wei chuckled hoarsely. His eyes flickered toward ChunHua. Did that stupid daughter tell her?


    "When did you hear this?"


    "When I was looking for food."


    General Wei almost fainted from anger.


    Why did the topic never strayed far from food?!!

 22 Angering Him 2

    Pfttt.


    Hongyue and General Wei turned, to discover the culprit to be the Third Prince. Hongyue dropped her head before clinging on to the General. Startled, the General tried to push her away. Hongyue lost her balance and tumbled back. The Third Prince seized her quickly before she reached the ground. He glared at the General.


    "This is your way of caring the future princess?"


    General Wei felt his scalp prickled in fear.


    "T-this...no...I..."


    The Third Prince scowled at him before stuffing a pill into her mouth. "Get the doctor! What if she''s injured."


    The General promptly roared at nearby servants to get the doctor before polite gesturing for the prince to sit down at a nearby stone table. He grabbed the pot of tea from a tray a servant brought over and quickly poured it for the prince. Hongyue was still in the arms of the Third Prince, she struggled weakly before a dark smirk crept up her dirtied face. She still hasn''t forgotten about the tea incident. It''s about time to pay him back. She stared at the pot of tea and forced her power of influence to spread out. Since the pot was not on any surface, she could only spread her power out into the air to control the liquid. She felt a familiar tugging on the tips of her fingers and quickly swirled her pinky. Instantly, the tea inside the pot heated up, the handle became searing to the touch. General Wei dropped the pot in pain. The pot of tea spilled over, and the boiling tea sped toward the Third Prince.


    The Third Prince''s eyes gleamed sharply before he curled his hands. A wall of fire leaped up from the ground, and before the tea could touch either Hongyue or the prince himself, it evaporated. Hongyue''s eyes widened in surprise, she stared intensely at the prince before she let out a piercing wail.


    The Third Prince smirked, playing along and gently smoothing her dirty hair, "Look at what you did, you frightened her. Iheard from my royal brother about how unique your manor''s teapots was", He glimpsed at General Wei with amusement, "I suppose it was true."


    "Father!" ChunHua ran over. She cupped his burned fingers eagerly, but she pressed too hard causing the General to grunt in pain. He pushed her aside lightly, and the Third Prince took the scene in, his eyes flashing.


    ChunHua pouted. She fancied the Third Prince and was trying to put up an act of gentle, sweet girl. She peeped at him shyly and advanced towards him. Her eyes turned to Hongyue, and she drove down her disgust as she thought up a new plan. ChunHua walked over and stretched her hand out to comfort Hongyue. Hongyue sneered but kept a stupid look on her face. Before ChunHua''s hand even touched Hongyue, her right hand abruptly had a mind of its own. It struck down across Hongyue''s pale cheeks.


    Hongyue shrieked in pain.


    ChunHua stared at her own hand in disbelief.


    "I-I..."


    "Escort Second Miss and Third Miss back to their rooms!" The General ordered. His mind was in a panic, why was this ChunHua ruining his plan.


    ChunHua turned in disbelief, "Father, I want to stay. I didn''t mean to."


    General Wei scowled at her angrily. Two servants quickly supervised Lan''er and ChunHua towards their own rooms. He shifted to Hongyue and planted a light smile on his face.


    "Hongyue, my child, your second sister didn''t mean to hit you."


    Hongyue nearly rolled her eyes. Of course, she didn''t, Hongyue had controlled her hand to injure herself. She wanted to laugh. Feigning to be a sweet white lotus in front of her? Please, she can act even better. She cupped her cheeks, and her eyes instantly swelled with tears. General Wei was lost for words, what was he reckoned to do now?


    "General!" A noisy servant hurried towards him. General Wei felt relieved before giving a nod.


    "Second Miss and Third Miss are battling against each other. The garden is...", the servant looked at the Third Prince quickly before continuing, "..unstately."


    The General ached to bang his head against a wall, why was it so hard to follow out his plan just for a day. He nodded quickly to the prince, "Please excuse me. I''ll be right back." He swiftly ran after the servant.


    The Third Prince watched the crying Hongyue entertained. "Are you done pretending? Are you intending to anger him to death."


    Hongyue looked at him curiously. "Not yet but if he dies in the process, it''ll be even better."


    She couldn''t help feel this character was strange. Why was he so set on supporting her when he knew she was pretending anyway? She left his arms and walked over to the area where the dirtied bun was, she picked it up and sniffed it. Grimacing, she bit into it. The Third Prince raised his eyebrows.


    "It''s poisoned."


    Hongyue proceeded to chomp down on the bun. Once she felt her tongue numbing up from the poison, she returned and smiled coldly at the prince.


    "This type of poison wouldn''t kill me anyway."

 23 Angering Him 3

    "Oh?" His eyes gleamed with interest.


    Hongyue rolled her eyes. If this sort of poison could kill her, would she even dare to eat it in the first place? She felt her toes gradually begin to numb as the poison took effect. Both her leg muscles spasmed violently, forcing her to collapse on the ground. She lamented sadly while she laid paralyzed. While it couldn''t kill her, this body absolutely couldn''t handle the pain.


    Nonetheless, to reach her goals, she was willing to use anything or anyone; even herself. She has underestimated the dosage of the poison. Hongyue knew her second sister must have been prompted by someone to get rid of her quickly. How stupid was this ChunHua? First, she was to be used by someone else and now by Hongyue, herself. Since the mastermind wanted to see her dead, Hongyue will gladly take the bait, only will that pathetic father of this body be willing to let her die in front of a prince? It seemed as he was here to protect her, after all, she was supposed to be marrying into the royal family. It looks like she still had some value. She tsked before she shifted back with a great effort to face the prince. Throughout the entire process, he didn''t even appear to be concerned. That was as if he had witnessed scenes worse than this before. What a cold man, she thought.


    "You saved me once before, whether it was for your own profit or not, I still want to thank you. I never got your name. I''ll compensate you back in the future."


    "If you tell me how you controlled your sister''s hand and the teapot, I''ll gladly tell you."


    Oh~


    So he noticed.


    She smirked coldly.


    "Now that I think about it. A name is just a title used to greet a person. Ah, I know. On the account, you snuck into my room while I was unconscious and dying, I''ll just call you stone-faced pervert."


    The Third Prince''s hazel eyes darkened. Although he did sneak into her room while she was unconscious, it was merely because he was interested in her strange powers. How did he get rewarded with the title of a pervert? He fiddled with a nearby teacup nonchalantly as he slowly inquired.


    "Last time I checked, your mother was from a clan that focused on martial arts that could null other magic users'' attacks. You were ''normal'' trash for 10 years since you lost your powers at age 4 to 6. Your personality change is also strangely alarming..."


    He glanced up to meet her eyes.


    "...so who are you?"


    Hongyue laughed dryly.


    "Who do you think I am?" She eyed him charmingly, "No, rather I should ask who do you want me to be?"


    Seeing that he didn''t answer, she continued.


    "Tsk, you overlooked that I was also poisoned for those 10 years. Seeing how you know so much, you wouldn''t lack this important detail in your reports, would you? I''m just simply a waste who can''t produce magic. I was even rejected by the God of Death. After that, well, poison can do crazy things to the mind. If you don''t believe me, you can try it yourself."


    He didn''t speak for a while. However, his fingers tapped restlessly on the stone table.


    "Jiayi."


    A moment passed before he repeated himself.


    "Jiayi."


    Hongyue peered at him dully.


    "About that, see I like the name I chose better. Stone-faced pervert suits you perfectly."


    Jiayi quickly felt his mood plummet.


    ------------------------------------------------


    The general immediately raced back. He had knocked out both of his daughters to prevent further damage. He couldn''t spare any time to question them, he needed to get back to the prince, so he directed the servant girls to send them back into their rooms. He arrived back just in time to see Hongyue laying limply on the ground as though she was dead. He instantly rushed over and grabbed her to examine her body. Even if he actually wanted her dead, this wasn''t the right time for it.


    His eyes quickly spotted the item she held in her hand. He snatched away the bun and sniffed it. He gaped at the prince in shock.


    "Poison."


    Jiayi frowned at him, then resumed to fiddling with his teacup.


    "She''s poisoned."


    "This prince wanted to say that be you seem to have beaten me to it." Jiayi finally drawled out.


    General Wei stared at the Third Prince in disbelief. "You knew?"


    "I may be a prince, but I''m not stupid. Of course, I knew."


    General Wei stuttered. "W-why d-did-"


    The prince eventually looked up with contempt," Why didn''t I stop her? Tsk, I''m a prince. She''s your daughter. I''m not her babysitter. I''m just here to supervise how you treat the future princess, not help you. She was hungry. Since you didn''t feed her at all; she ate something from the ground; thus she''s poisoned."


    General Wei stood there, frozen in a state of shock.


    "Why aren''t you getting the doctor for her? Why hasn''t the doctor gotten here yet? Are you disobeying my royal father? You fools aren''t caring for Hongyue at all! She''s going to die at this rate. This lack of respect must be reported to my father." Jiayi jeered all while lazily fanning himself.


    General Wei felt a faint taste of blood coming up his throat. He almost threw up blood from hearing this prince speak. Weren''t you the one with her and allowed her to consume the poison? How did it become his fault? What was this change in attitude? He clearly saw the prince acting all protective over Hongyue before but now what was this?!! However, this was the usual cold Third Prince he knew. The general could only dazedly force the doctor to walk faster.

 24 Generals Move

    Amid the night, an exhausted figure stood noiselessly in his room. He wore an anxious expression on his face. The person shuffled restlessly before finally heading over to a wooden bookshelf. From the top shelf, out of a purple velvet box, he took out a pearl necklace and rubbed the pearl between his fingers while he stood by his window wordlessly, pondering at the full moon hanging high in the sky. Another figure covered in dull gray swiftly entered the room.


    "General!", The dark figure announced.


    "Did you check?" General Wei questioned bitterly.


    "This lowly servant didn''t find anything out of place. The Eldest Miss still has no signs of anypowers."


    "Then it must be a coincidence."


    The General sighed, troubled. He hadn''t thought so either, however, he still couldn''t calm down. There was no way she could have any powers at this stage, yet since she woke up from that high fever, he had been suffering much from all sorts of mishaps. At that time, his doctor reported that she was going to be okay. The report showed the poison from the bun was being countered by the poison he had given her. He was reassured that she was still poisoned; however, how was that wretch even able to remain alive after that lethal amount of poison? Her luck was really great! He clenched his hand tightly, crushing the pearl in his hand. He released his hold and patted his hands together, scattering the pearl dust in the fresh air.


    Reaching out his right hand to stroke against the wooden craving on the side of his window, he silently gazed at the tall grass gently swaying.


    "After a person has taken the <Eternal Death>, they only be able to go to the God of Death, nothing will be able to save her, isn''t that right?" He doubtfully asked.


    "Yes."


    "Why hasn''t she died yet?"


    "This...this servant doesn''t know. Should I go get rid of her?"


    General Wei finally turned around.


    "Foolish! We can''t use our own hands to kill her, that clan of hers can still contact the dead. Why do you think I acted so fatherly to her this whole time? It''s to prevent them from targeting us first." He sighed, "It doesn''t matter anymore. She''s useless now, just a mindless puppet. Even if her clan try to save her, they won''t be able to. If they try to question us, it won''t be my problem anymore."


    "This servant was ignorant. General has enlightened me."


    General Wei nodded. He walked to his writing table and sat down.


    "Did you find out what caused Concubine Mei to go crazy?"


    The spy grimaced deeply.


    "Several servants insisted that they saw Concubine Mei strolling along with Eldest Miss before she went insane. However, what happened after...this servant is unsure. It is possible that an enemy penetrated within our men."


    General Wei''s eyes narrowed dangerously. He slammed down his palm on the table angrily.


    "Search all our men and monitor everyone who came in and out of the manor!"


    "As you wish."


    General Wei got up to prodded about the room restlessly. He took out a simple silver hair stick out of his garment. The only thing that seemed very noticeable on the hair ornament was at the end of the tip, there was a silver flower. At the very center of the flower, there was a crystal that seemed to contain a drop of blood. He flipped over the hair stick, he couldn''t bear to look at the flower without feeling guilt climbing up his heart.


    What if the Blood Guards decided to betray him? No, the Blood Guards will only serve the one who had their scarce bloodline, so there was no possibility of them revealing him. This was his only trump card. He clenched the hair stick tightly.


    "Did you get any new from Minster Hui''s manor?"


    The spy dropped his head.


    "Yes, it is said they are unable to control any of the Blood Guards. They refuse to listen even with the <Roaring Dragon> token shown in their face."


    The general chuckled happily. Everything had been going out of his control so quickly, he genuinely feared for the worse, but at least he still had this trump card.


    "Of course. These guards won''t listen to anyone but the heirs of the bloodline. They used to treat me the same way, just like air. As long as I still have this hair stick, I''m fine." The general muttered to himself.


    "Go and ask the doctor if Eldest Miss''s blood is at least contaminated by the two poisons. If it is, I''ll spare her life, since she won''t be worth much. If not..she has to die no matter how the emperor wants her alive. You know what you need to do, right?"


    "Yes!"


    "Also, check to see why Third Miss acted out so rashly today. ChunHua is a mere idiot, but if Lan''er gets too out of control, I''ll have to dispose of her as well. Anything I can''t control must die!"


    A sweatdrop trickled down the back of the spy. This person in front of him is a ruthless man. He nodded.


    "Yes, sir!"

 25 Demonic Beauty: Hongyue

    Up on top of the roof of the general''s headquarters, a figure in red smiled coldly.


    She possessed a blue left eye as well as a purple right eye with thick dark lashes. Black locks with red tips intensified her pale defined cheeks and ample lips. She was clothed in a light red garment which rippled seductively in the night. A red lineage gemstone embellished the core of her forehead. Her blood red lips held curved in a wicked sneer as her eyes narrowed into menacing slits.


    Hongyue had been exceedingly astonished that her half sirenic form could still emerge when the full moon beckoned out to her bloodline. She had miscalculated the effect of the poison her second sister gave her and dropped reasonably unconscious. She really wanted to curse her head off, the lack of control over this body really irritated her, but she had anticipated that her dog shit of a father would still try his best to save her for his appearance. She had awakened to her father''s little spy hunting around her room and discovered that her body brimmed with boundless vitality.


    Once the spy left, she got up to unfasten the window for fresh air. Once the moonlight coincided with her skin, the center of her temples glowed and formed her ruby-like descent gemstone precisely like the one in her previous appearance. While the jewel formed, her eyes dilated and altered colors. From the gem, a red mist diffused throughout her body and enveloped her figure. Out from the fog, a flowy silk red garment materialized and replaced her slightly tattered ones. She beamed and affectionately tapped her gem before heading over to the mirror. It was said that the more life force you consumed, the redder the gem. Her eyes gravitated to the jewel. As expected of a creature rejected by the God of Death, Hongyue thought. Her gemstone was so red it was almost pitch black. She laughed thrilled.


    Upon such a quiet night like this, Hongyue knew her father would fix up various schemes to check on her. After all, she stood out too much today not to mention even she would find it odd that a person who had been fed so many high-grade poisons would keep alive for so long. Hongyue had purposefully cleaned off her tracks just enough so that the general would be suspicious.


    She clicked her fingernails on the sill of the window. She certainly wanted to kill him, but that wouldn''t do. What would be better than having your opponent who believes he''s on top of the world only to be dragged down and cheated? His face contorted in fear and his mind crumbling apart. Hongyue craved to see that very much. It would be so much more enjoyable than just seeing a dead corpse. She giggled demonically.


    She felt too bored alone in her room so she decided she would follow the faithful little dog her father sent to investigate on her.


    How ironic.


    The little incompetent puppet he spoke of was currently sitting on the top of his roof and had already killed some of his best guards on her way here. She chuckled softly and lifted her pale arm to admire her bloodied fingers. She had met a few pests blocking the road tonight. She was going to spare them, but it was too bad she had a desire to kill. It honestly couldn''t be blamed on her. After all, bloodlust was a natural effect from the full moon. She lowered her hand to her face to lick the bittersweet blood. Her purple eye dilated while her birth gem glowed.


    Ah, how she missed this feeling.


    It was too bad she couldn''t enjoy this feeling in peace. She brooded in thought.


    Eternal Death?


    It appears like she really couldn''t let her guard down. There were too many things in this life she didn''t know nor did she understand. While being strong was essential, one cannot solely focus on strength. Lacking knowledge would only bring her downfall even if she had everything planned out. Being ignorant was another lack of control, she recalled, and a lack of control would just mean death. Hongyue grimaced. Looks like it''s time to do a little preparation.


    She descended down from the roof, rotating elegantly in the air. Her robes fluttered outwardly casing an eye-catching shadow. Her hair swirled around her face, hiding her purple eye. Her foot landed softly upon the grass before she traced a pure rune lightly in the air with her finger. The air where she touched shone a silver-gray before it dissipated and circled her body. Hongyue propelled off with her foot and launched herself into the air. The little gray particles buried into her body and she became weightless. With another spin, Hongyue soared gracefully in the air.


    Perhaps, she had craved the feeling of her sirenic abilities and got too immersed, she missed a pair of eyes that observed her from a distance.


    -------------------------------


    Reaching where the physician lived, Hongyue smirked before throwing open her arms. Her shelves spread out as the silver particles flew out from her body and exhausted in the air. She fluttered down safety, gently landing on the soft grass. Gliding through the window, she spotted the doctor sleeping peacefully. Reaching out, she pressed her hand on his head, her fingers forming a claw shape. From her palm, heat slowly started to build up. Her gemstone radiated and a red haze flowed out her palm. It descended down inside the head of the physician. The fuse of power traveled into his nerves, cutting off his senses and rendered his conscious numb. Dazed under her enchantment, he slowly sat up.


    Hongyue rested her fingers on his scalp, deliberating if she would need to kill him after tonight.


    "What is <Eternal Death>?" She questioned.

 26 Eternal Death Isnst Poison?

    Oh my.


    Hongyue''s hand dropped listlessly. Without her magic entrapping him, the physician slumped back and fell over.


    Hongyue touched her chin, musing. If she believed what right, then she would undoubtedly have a troublesome time dealing with this rotten family. Frustrated, she took a seat near the mattress, her gemstone gleaming endlessly. Picking up a teacup, she tipped it and observed the left out cold old tea roll throughout her cup following her moderate hand movements. As the liquid stilled to a pause, the surface of the tea revealed the full moon that illuminated behind her. Staring at the reflection, Hongyue fell immersed in her thoughts.


    If whatever the physician spoke was accurate, then the origin of the poison originated from a legend in this world. It was said that when the God of Death was wounded in battle, he had fled and located a place to self-heal. In the process, he had to self-resurrect himself as his injuries were too deep to heal using merely magic. In order to reform his body, he had coughed up blood that held chaotic toxins from his heart. Only by doing this, he was able to get a purer body for his resurrection by getting rid of all the impurities inside his heart.


    Hongyue tried to think harder, while that was all she got from the doctor, she realized there was something more.


    Since the blood was also a body part of a god, it still contained the essence and power of the god himself. It infused into the ground. As the essence slowly faded, the particles themselves had to latch on to something living in order to persevere. The dark energy burrowed down into the roots of a nearby red rose bush and left its energy in each rosebud. With the sudden appearance of abundance in dark energy, each of the rosebuds blackened and closed up. Eternal Death was truly a well-thought-out name for it. From the doctor, she was able to understand that it came from the mythical flower. The external appearance of the flower was of a blacken rose, and the poison was found within the nectar.


    Nevertheless, it wasn''t all that simple. To mortals like the doctor who only see the external effect of consuming the nectar, it would be easily mistaken as poison. To Hongyue, who was a descendant of a god herself and understood more, it was something else much deadlier.


    It wasn''t a type poison at all, instead, a form of a godly weapon.


    Although she had never encountered something like this before, Hongyue was willing to bet the so-called poison was actually a type of unstable, chaotic power that separated from the soul of the god. If that''s the case, it really wasn''t all that different from her own sirenic powers. Like her gem that needs to feed on lifeforce, this chaotic power probably fed on the essence of the soul to maintain stability. This explained why she, from a such highly regarded clan, would be rendered useless. She couldn''t help feel there was something she still missed.


    Lost in her thoughts, Hongyue failed to remember the little spy her father sent to check on the doctor.


    "Who are you?!!"


    Hongyue looked up at the intruder who interrupted her thoughts before curving her lips up in an enchanting smile. She glided effortlessly toward the spy. The night breeze gently blew across her face, upon seeing her bloody hands and different colored eyes, he trembled in horror.


    "MONSTER!"


    "Monster? Now, now don''t be mean. You''ll hurt my feelings." She spoke charmingly.


    "M-monster! Get away from me!"


    Hongyue''s eyes glowed. A red mist wrapped around her right hand which allowed her fingers to plunged into the chest of the man with ease. Blood sprayed out and spattered across her face, but her expression never changed once. Her tongue slipped out and tasted the blood. She frowned, the taste was quite bitter, honestly not her type.


    "Alas, I ended killing again. Didn''t I tell you not to be too mean? You just had to go and hurt my feelings." She laid her hand delicately over her heart as though she was really bothered. She chuckled mockingly.


    The spy''s eyes rolled back, taking his last breath. Hongyue wiped her hand on the clothing of the dead body and tossed him aside. She stared at her own garments in disgust.


    "My, my skills are lacking." She turned to the dead body. "Do you see this? You ruined my outfit. What are you going to repay me with?"


    Suddenly her head pounded in pain. Hongyue gritted her teeth in pain.


    <Eternal Death!>


    She stumbled back, unbalanced. Wasn''t she fine before? Why was it flaring up again?


    She leaned against the wall, puffing hard. Her mind thinking fast. This won''t do. If it were the original soul, the chaotic energy would feed on the soul peacefully, gradually weakening the body over time until it crumbles as nothing stood in its way.


    However, Hongyue''s soul was similar to a demi-god. Her soul essence was charged with her sirenic powers which held a type of chaotic potential. Since now the full moon awakened it, the two powers needed to compete with each other to gain control over one another. If this got out of control, Hongyue was afraid a simple mortal body like this would not hold on.


    Her eyes snapped to the dead body. She needed to regain control.


    This will have to do, she couldn''t be too picky anyway. She stretched out her arm, her fingertips resting on his forehead. She took a deep breath and drilled her own consciousness into his body. Her hand sank into his head without damaging his flesh almost like an astral projection. Once she felt a burning orb within her fingers, she concentrated on drawing in his life energy. Slowly but surely, the soul of the dead man was absorbed into the gem on her forehead.


    As the pain subsided, Hongyue knew she couldn''t take any more risk, she needed to find a body of water fast. The gem on her forehead pulsed violently before she vanished into the night.


    After she left, someone stepped into the room.


    Their footsteps stopped short before the dead body.

 27 Nearly Got Fooled, Didnst I?

    Glimmering under the dark, illuminated by the moonlight, a lake could be found far from General Wei''s manor. Quiet with a hint of loneliness, the nearby wild grass swayed along with the moving air in the silent night. It was so; still, the reflection of the moon on the lake was so clear it made the water look like the sky itself. Suddenly, a ripple of water washed over the whole lake, breaking apart the reflection. After a minute passed, the surface of the water restored its tranquility look as if nothing happened.


    However, underneath the water''s surface, a red figure could be seen drifting to the bottom of the lake.


    Hongyue''s eyes were closed, slowly enjoying the familiar embrace of home. Her heart was at peace, and she couldn''t help but give a genuine smile for the first time ever since coming into this world. Her eyes fluttered open, staring at the dark emptiness in front of her vision. Her fingers combed through the liquid smoothly, and she gently positioned herself upright. Her garments swirled lazily in the water with her hair scattered about like silk threats free from any worldly attachments.


    In the dark water, Hongyue''s eyes shone brightly, one blue and one purple. She waved her hand casually and watched the water whirled around and slowly formed something similar to a vortex. It''s still here, she thought, smiling. Reaching out her hand, she struck the edge of the growing whirlpool and mercilessly broke it. The remaining surging water was forced apart in different directions before calming back into calm water.


    Hongyue laid her hand above her heart, being in water would forever remind her a piece of home: it was her protector, provider, and her in a sense. She eased her muscles and sharpened her mind. She thought of nothing, permitting the water to adhere to her skin and body. Nonetheless, it wasn''t long before her smile froze in place.


    She panicked.


    Hongyue took a deep breath underwater but before she inhaled anything, an immediate incantation circle formed in front of her. As water moved through the magic design, the air was filtered through and passed into Hongyue''s lungs. The air was thin but dense, Hongyue choked, coughing heavily. In her coughing fit, her eyes met her limbs, her eyes widened in confusion. Why?


    Why hasn''t she transformed yet?


    She reached up and stroked her gem.


    <Transformation>


    The gem reddened and the neighboring water seemed to fluctuate vigorously. Shortly after, small orbs were created: this was the essence of water. The orbs glowed radiantly in the dark water, bringing Hongyue a hint of hope. The spheres surged toward Hongyue. They settled into her body, but nothing happened. The gem''s luminosity was still there just somewhat fainter. Hongyue''s heart shook. Her smile dropped, and her blood surged madly.


    Right.


    She nearly forgot.


    This body wasn''t hers.


    She was too greedy, wanting to be herself for the minute.


    While she was able to transform to her demonic form, that was because it aided by her power that resided in her soul. However, to change a human''s body to a siren''s was impossible unless she turned her flesh. Hongyue narrowed her eyes, that wasn''t all that impossible. If she was able to find a particular plant, she might just be able to...


    In the midst of her thoughts, Hongyue swept her hand in front of her in the shape of an arc. In an instant, all the water around her pulled away from her body. As the water moved away, it formed a circle around Hongyue, keeping her in a large pocket of air. Although unsatisfied, Hongyue tried to recollect all the information she has gotten.


    She considered the problem at hand.


    From what she knew, a godly weapon would always be dormant, waiting for a catalyst to awaken it. Only after, would it take effect and activate. This would mean that the rosebuds were forced awake by someone and gave nectar within withheld the part of the god''s soul to that person. Who did the general get to do that?


    And how?


    The rose held chaotic energy, other than her, there was no one else closest to that sort of power. Unless she thought, the person had two elements which one had to be a dark element. With two elements, the two would have to compete with one other which would cause the powers within them to be unbalanced. This would create a small amount of discord like energy which could be the catalyst.


    In order to communicate with the plant, that person would most definitely have to be a nature nurturer. On the top of her head, there was someone somewhat capable, someone fitted well with the description.


    Hongyue narrowed her eyes.


    "I nearly got fooled, didn''t I?" She whispered coldly.


    Their face popped into her head. That person was --


    ------------------------------------------------


    "--Lan''er."


    "Father." Lan''er greeted the general, respectfully.


    The general gazed at her coldly, "What are you doing here so late?"


    Lan''er took a moment to rethink her answer before continuing, "Father, this daughter had some concerns at heart and could not sleep."

 28 Third Miss, Lanser Makes A Move

    Lan''er could sense the tension hovering dangerously in the air. It stood so high, Lan''er felt as if she died from suffocating from all the pressure. One wrong move and she could slip out of favor.


    Her motive for appearing tonight was simple: to retrieve her father''s trust in her, this little obedient puppet of his. She understood more than anyone else that once something lost its value, this father of hers would not hesitate in destroying them. Take her own mother as an example, the general wasn''t lacking in resources. However, he didn''t even bother to try reviving her. Once her mother was regarded as a threat to him and his pride, she was tossed.


    Lan''er could not fall out of favor just yet. She desperately reminded herself of that. Her own organization was not complete. However, she still required more time.


    She sighed inwardly, so here she was, to buy more time...with this monstrosity.


    Lan''er must admit she really had slipped up today. She was always the withdrawn one, the intelligent one. The one who is still in the shadows thoughtfully observing the plays the manor created and obeying her father to live. Continuously tiptoeing about, cloaked under a roof of lies and blood.


    She had never acted out so recklessly before; however, she also knew that her sister didn''t have much hope this time. Lan''er felt she had no choice.


    Lan''er had seen her sister''s room at that time. It was an unkempt room with squeaking floorboards, infected with mold spreading up the walls. A modest set of furniture that was coming apart and the room itself hardly had anything of value.


    This, she already knew, from a long time ago. Nevertheless, to see it in person was a complex experience. Was it her accountability that her sister endured for so long, she conceived sadly shaking her head at the regretful recollections starting to emerge. She laid her hand on the old bed and ran her finger across the rim of the wood. She could detect a familiar scent within the red bloodstains on the blankets, the bloodstains her sister had so desperately bled.


    Did her sister know? That she was the one who--


    Lan''er shook her head. She actually didn''t want to remember about it. Lan''er attempted to clear her mind.


    Back then, Lan''er couldn''t do much, and the general at least pretended to dote on Hongyue. This would give Hongyue some sort of safety as it appeared she was much in favor which was why Lan''er never stepped in. Those who were not in the plan kept away watching in envy and secretly plotted. However, they never dared come forward to touch a single hair on Hongyue.


    How ironic.


    Safe yet in so much danger.


    Nonetheless, this time it was different. Lan''er could feel it herself.


    All concubines in the manor appeared to know of this as well, huddling in the dark, plotting their next move to kill off the pest in their eyes. Back then, Father had at least pretended to care for her elder sister. This time the news of how the general delayed the critical treatment for her dying sister spread uncontrollably inside the walls.


    Everyone was eagerly anticipating for the perfect opportunity.


    Just like the Second and Fourth concubine.


    Perceiving this, Lan''er had to take action herself. She owed Hongyue too much to stand back this time. Thus she ran in and ended up offending her father''s perfect image. While the situation didn''t look to be too bad at first, her father had sent one of his men to monitor her, this confirmed his discontentment. She frowned, what did the Third Prince say to him that made him so upset?


    While Lan''er was reluctant, she was still under the control of her father. She still needed to be that perfect puppet for him. This was her only leverage. Even if he could replace her, it would be hard to. She had trained so long for his plans, so she bet he wasn''t willing to lose her so quickly. Even so, the general was a ruthless and suspicious person, he would always try to cut all the weeds by the root.


    So Lan''er herself could be...


    No, she cannot let that happen.


    She still needed her father''s trust.


    She knew that tonight he had probably investigated her as well as increased security around her own manor in order to keep a closer eye on her. This was a warning to her. This was indeed a person who cared not for the blood relationships and only for political gains.


    The best way to approach a monster like this was to act loyal and give absolute obedience.


    Lan''er placed a sweet smile on her face acting coyly.


    "Does father no longer trust me, your most faithful daughter?" Lan''er asked, softly. She put a grieved look on her face.


    "Lan''er, you thought too much of it. Father was merely troubled by today''s events." The general conversed dismissively. He eyed her closely.


    "Then, this daughter apologizes to have trouble Father." Lan''er returned his gaze calmly. The general seemed to have believed her words and nodded.


    "Speak. why did you cause such a big commotion today." He asked coolly, watching for any change of expression on her face to find none.


    Lan''er neared closer and kneeled. She blinked her eyes, looking wronged.


    "Lan''er tried to do what was best for father, did I not?"


    Seeing him stay quiet, she proceeded lightly as if she was greatly wronged.


    "Second and Fourth Madam were too hasty together in their moves today. If not for this daughter''s timely intervention, Father would have suffered."

 29 Testing Out Her Limits

    At the ground level of the lake, Hongyue slid her right foot to a sharp turn as her hands exerted the strength to shift her body up. As she flung her body upwards, she bent her hands in sync to provide her a better rotation. Her red garments fluttered about keeping out of her way yet it highlighted her sharp moves. Using the distribution of the weight from the turn, Hongyue lashed out her leg and kicked with all her strength to her front.


    Her eyes glowed eagerly with a murderous light.


    As her leg passed the border of her air bubble between the water surrounding her, the water outside pulled back as if driven backward by something in full force. A small cloud of air bubbles formed rapidly around the area she kicked as if it was confirming her strength. A slight hiss sounded her accomplishments.


    Moments later. A loud boom echoed under water.


    A section of the dirt floor kicked up swirling in disorder as it was hit by her power, turning muddy.


    Hongyue smiled.


    Not bad.


    Not bad at all.


    She pushed her right hand against the floor and bounced herself upright again.


    Hongyue had been practicing relentlessly for hours now. She was slowly testing her limits and pushing through, trying to understand the extent of this body. In any case, she didn''t want to overestimate her strength and give her enemy an advantage in any shape or form. She nodded in approval as she completed another move successfully.


    It was honestly not bad, all of these moves had all been meant to kill. Exercising them out underwater would improve the body''s condition and allow her to build more strength. The most important part of practicing these skills was not to just improve her strength but also her speed. When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, speed could outrank strength if used correctly.


    Hongyue readied herself to fall back. She arched her back until her head was nearly an inch off the ground as her arm lashed out toward her left. Simultaneously, Hongyue smacked the ground with her right palm using the force to cause her body to spin in mid-air. The girl in the red garment spin with her hair flying around her beautifully in the water as if in a dance. Hongyue stuck out her foot and stopped her body''s movement. Using the rebound of the sudden stop, she released another powerful kick. This move would allow her to escape if she was ever caught by her legs.


    Hongyue collapsed lightly to the ground, happy with her accomplishments.


    She smiled wickedly.


    Next time, she thought.


    The next full moon, she will give him a gift he wouldn''t forget even when he was dead.


    Hongyue tilted her head at dim outline of the moon above. The sun would be coming up soon, and this form of hers would leave with the night. She would have to wait another month just for her full sirenic powers to re-emerge again. She twirled her hair around her fingers as she debated her thoughts. Could it be possible to force out her form even when it wasn''t the full moon? She had been able in the past, but she never tried it with this body. Actually, she didn''t even know she could summon her sirenic form in this body in the first place anyway.


    She''ll try it tomorrow then.


    Hongyue got up and lightly patted her dress. She was supposed to be unconscious fighting her infected body on deathbed, she better go back before they check on her again. At this thought, the water around her started to swirl faster, and soon she was well-hidden inside a ball of thundering water. All at once, the water calmed down and spun off in different directions. Once again, silence took over the bottom of the lake. Hongyue''s figure was nowhere to be seen.


    -------------------------------


    Back at her run-down residence, Hongyue re-appeared holding her head in annoyance.


    It wasn''t like she was actually able to teleport from place to place using some type of time warp enchantment.


    In order to move from one place to another, Hongyue had to become the element herself. It was a rare type of magic which used up much of her stamina. It only worked if the person was deeply connected with their abilities.


    To travel through the element of air, she had to condense the air around her. The air would then merge into her flesh, and a magic enchantment would appear on her head. Her body would then break apart and combine into the air particles themselves. In a sense, Hongyue was the air and not the air at the same time. This was the same with water. Once she reached her destination, the particles joined back together to be her again.


    Hongyue cupped her head, slightly dizzy.


    Right. This wasn''t her body. She needed to be more considerate and not so rash.


    She moved towards her window and gazed at the moon once more. The sun was starting to rise and the soon the moon would leave her, alone in this cruel environment. Gently closing the shutters, she leaned her head against the wall across from the mirror, watching as her gem glowed dimly before it vanished. The purple and blue irises in her eyes spun in a clockwise circle fading as her black eye color came back. Her garments dispersed into the air as her appearance turned back to normal. As her sirenic form left, Hongyue was left with an aching body and sore arms. The body of a little miss who''ve been poisoned and stored a harmful godly weapon, the one she had before her transformation.


    Hongyue shook her head in disapproval as she studied her damaged skin.


    Tomorrow then.


    Hongyue forced her tired body to climb up the bed and dropped down her head. Her eyes fluttered shut.


    Tomorrow, she''ll give them hell.

 30 Awaiting Another Play

    A flare of a mix of salmon and red lit up the thick atmosphere in the sky as the birds commenced their morning songs about the new day. Outside an endless chatter drilled its way into Hongyue''s ear. Hongyue''s eyelids trembled as her courtyard became noisier by the minute.


    "Do you think she''s dead yet?" A voice choked out curiously. The speaker was huddled nervously outside the door. Their hands and ears were pressed against the door, trying to listen for any sound of breathing.


    Hongyue opened her eyes in amusement. It was the only morning, and they wanted her to die already. How bad will it get once it gets to noon? She didn''t go find them yet, and here they are, delivered right at her door. Her eyes lit up as she drew up a new plan. How convenient, she was just in the mood to play around. She stretched lazily and rolled over to the edge of the bed. As her body connected with the ground, a loud thump could be heard inside the room. She let out a low moan of pain and eyed the door where two faint shadows could be seen.


    "Should we go in?" The same voice asked, shaken.


    "Hpmh, that vermin is still alive!" Another voice sounded.


    "What should we do now? Must we kill her ourselves? I can''t...I don''t want to.." The first voice sobbed.


    "Do you want to die? If she doesn''t die, then the fourth madam will kill us! It''s her or us. Pick!" The second demanded.


    Fourth Madam.


    Another person in apparent boredom.


    Hongyue''s eyes flashed before she played dead.


    Currently huddled outside her door were two maids of the general''s residence. Both of the maids were lower class servants of the outer court until the fourth madam sought them out and delivered them this assignment. If they accomplish the task, they were to be awarded ten silvers and promoted to the inner court. Who wouldn''t take a deal like this? The first voice belonged to a timid and young servant the age of 14 and the second voice belonged to an older girl of 19.


    Seeing the younger servant too scared to move, the older one gave a snort of contempt. She marched up right up to the door before turning smugly at the younger one.


    "What are you so afraid of? It''s just a simple task of checking if the trash is still alive. If she is, we just got to kill her."


    Shoving open the weak wooden doors, the 19-year-old maid walked her way over to the fallen body and felt under Hongyue''s nose. After she thought no air passed through her fingers, she beckoned towards the younger maid by the door. To show off her prowess, she kicked Hongyue''s body before smiling arrogantly. She looked back up at the 14-year-old maid only to see the other''s eyes widen in horror. She looked back down in time to see a hand reaching out and grabbing her throat.


    The maid stumbled back as she fought desperately for air. Her own eyes widened in shock as she realized the one choking her was Hongyue. Her arms and legs started to thrash wildly, as she fought for air.


    Hongyue let out a blood-thirsty smile at her actions and turned to the younger maid with sparkling her eyes.


    "Ah, sorry if I interrupted you, but I couldn''t help overhear you two chat." She tilted her head as if she was sorry, mockingly.


    Hongyue''s smile grew as she continued to speak, "It''s just that I, too think killing is rather easy as well and I got too excited. You wouldn''t mind if I show off a bit, would you?"


    Hongyue turned to the older maid clawing for breath while choked in her hands.


    "Please continue; what were you going to say before?"


    However, the dying maid could only force out weak whines and sharp gagging in protest. Hongyue wrinkled her nose in disgust.


    "What? Speak louder. I can''t hear you."


    The younger maid''s legs weakened, and she collapsed to the ground in fear. What was this? Did they say the eldest miss was merely a dummy? Who was this monster in front of her?


    Hongyue narrowed her eyes. She tossed away the body in her hands, then turned to face the younger one. However before she even got to where the maid was, the maid starting screaming.


    "Help! Murder!"


    Hongyue smirked. What a hypocrite. She hadn''t even started screaming murder yet so why was this little witch shrieking her head off first. She leaned against the door frame as she watched the maid crawl backward and darted away yelling for help.


    Hongyue yawned before she turned to the dead body.


    "Since you disturbed my sleep so early, you''ll compensate me, right? It''s only fair this way."


    Hongyue turned back into her room as she waited for the next play to take place. She stared at the body.


    "Oh, this is like Deja Vu; let''s see what other stupid pests will come running now."


    Pausing over the head of the body, Hongyue bent down ever so slowly and drew an enchantment circle.


    <Dance>

 31 Making The Fourth Madam Dance

    "What!!" The fourth madam slumped in her chair in shock. She couldn''t believe her ears; her breathing went giddy. Never in her wildest dream did she thought the pest she couldn''t kill for years wasn''t weak at all. It made so much sense, no wonder that brat was still alive after trying her poison.


    She eyed the servant kneeling in front of her with uncertainty. This servant had nothing to lie to her, yet she couldn''t help doubt. She had both servants'' families captured in case something went wrong or if they dared to betray her, this was her insurance. Seeing that the servant was just a stupid pawn, she could guess the girl was telling the truth. Her mind began to spin; she gazed at her worn-out ring on her finger.


    Hongyue still wasn''t dead; instead, she was well alive.


    Hongyue also had hidden abilities, she killed a maid with her bare hand. She must possess some sort of magic, there was no way for an ill girl like her to have so much strength.


    This news was unexpectedly a good thing for her. The general was distrustful of people, if she was able to show that Hongyue had hidden secrets, then..then...she suddenly stopped.


    "Why were you able to come back alive?" She questioned, doubtfully.


    "T-this servant doesn''t know-"


    "It''s pointless to ask you." The fourth madam interrupted her. Yes, why was she so doubtful. That idiot was already poisoned by her ChunHua so of course, she couldn''t kill the maid in front of her. She laughed delightfully.


    "Go! Go get the general!" She ordered, eagerly.


    "Y-yes this servant will go right now." The servant scrambled away like her bottom was on fire.


    Both of them didn''t notice a dark silver mist clinging on to the servant''s clothing had dispersed once she stepped into the room. This mist had come from Hongyue. The more hoarded evil intention someone held, the more this thread of mist would affect their state of mind ¡ª one of Hongyue''s utmost specialties.


    --------------------------


    Hongyue anticipated patiently with the door closed as she twirled a ball of blood in the air. She was laying lazily on her bed with her feet kicking off on the sides as she amused herself with the ball of red. Her eyes flicked to the maid sitting alongside her.


    One.


    Two. Two and a half.


    Three.


    A sound of thundering footsteps rushed toward her courtyard.


    Hongyue smirked. They''re here.


    She waited till they got closer before she let out a bloodcurdling shriek. She waved her hands despairingly as the ball of blood dropped on top of her. The general broke through the doors just as Hongyue collapsed to the ground; her right shoulder was bloody as she laid trembling in fear. She lifted her head and tried to hug the general''s legs as if she needed his support.


    "F-father! Please save me!" She choked out pitifully.


    The general glanced behind her and saw a maid trying to stab Hongyue with a sharp hair stick. The girl''s eyes were distorted and red. Seeing that the general was in front of her, she changed her target to him. She waved the hair stick wildly and thrust it into the general''s arm. The general''s eyes widened in fear, as he felt the pain spread. How did a mere servant attack so fast? He hadn''t even seen her move. His eyes narrowed in suspicion as the maid attacked again. Hongyue suddenly jumped up and blocked the attack. The hair stick dug deep into her arm.


    "Father!" She cried out loud.


    The general felt touched by her action. He lashed out a dark elemental attack, quickly aiming for the head of the attacking female before catching Hongyue who fell limply. The body of the maid sank to the ground with a thud. He turned to the crowd and motioned the fourth madam to step out.


    "What''s going on?!" He roared, his chest heaving up and down.


    The fourth madam was confused as well. Didn''t that servant say that Hongyue killed the other girl? Wasn''t the other girl supposed to be dead? Why was she still alive and lively, even daring to attack the general?


    "This concubine isn''t sure herself."


    "This concubine isn''t sure?" The general returned her words mockingly.


    He pointed at the fallen body of the maid, "Then what is this? You don''t know? What don''t you know? Did you know that she nearly killed me? Her skill level wasn''t low at all!"


    He breathed heavily in anger before he began to feel paranoid.


    "Was this your purpose?! You were aiming to kill me, aren''t you? You used Hongyue as bait for my death! You lied to me so I would come here and get attacked."


    The fourth madam dropped on the ground in fear. No, this wasn''t supposed to happen. The one, the general, was supposed to suspect was Hongyue not her. Now, how was she supposed to protect her head? Why was this happening? Yes, it''s because Hongyue had hidden powers.


    She thought quickly, attempting to throw out anything to save her, "My lord husband, please trust me. You can test Hongyue if you don''t believe me."


    Hongyue looked up pitifully at the general, "Father?"


    The general thought for a minute. General Wei was curious himself, he held out a clear crystal wand with a silver handle. He placed it in front of her.


    "Hongyue, my dear, put your hands on this," He urged.


    "What is that?" Hongyue tilted her head.


    "It''s to test to see if you have any powers. Wouldn''t it be good if you have an elemental connection?" He implored.


    Hongyue wanted to snicker at his words.


    Good?


    If she had any, she bet she would be killed right on the spot.


    She put on a light smile before nodding.


    "Okay."

 32 Luring General Wei Into A Web

    Hongyue reached out her fingers ever so slowly.


    She placed the wand within her hands tightly and waited. She was moderately nervous as well. She wasn''t sure if this crystal wand of his could distinguish her supernatural powers or not, but she needed to play along. She studied the rod and anticipated for the general''s reaction.


    A moment passed before she heard a masked sigh of sadness come from beside her.


    Hongyue dropped her head with a smirk.


    Guess not then.


    Hongyue looked up and beamed brightly, "Father. Do I have powers?"


    General Wei stared at her casually and pretended to comfort her for her loss.


    Good.


    She didn''t have powers.


    His mind was already turning in a circle. He was in doubt himself. In truth, he and Lan''er had previously discussed this in detail last night. After Lan''er told him she was only protecting Hongyue because she feared the emperor would go after him if she died, General Wei was touched. However, his paranoia got the best of him, and he sent her away for more ''training.'' In truth he wanted to see if the perpetrator was Lan''er, he had been worried she would take revenge for her mother.


    After she was sent away, he had thrown what she said about second and fourth madam to the back of his mind. They were merely women and inferior to his intelligence. It never crossed his mind they might have been spies. He brushed it off as jealousy and carelessness. He didn''t mind it as he didn''t care for Hongyue; she could die for all he truly cared.


    However, last night he had discovered that a lot of his men were killed off by a higher power he had never known about. All the killing moves were targeting the heart and nothing like he ever learned. Not to mention that the spy he sent to check up on the doctor had gone missing. Not even his corpse could be found. When the doctor was taken in to be questioned, the man was very muddled-head and gave him a simple answer that he never saw anyone yesterday. With all the strange occurrences, the general was very on edge.


    Now he was entirely sure there was more than just one spy coming after his life.


    He had been making up the stories about spies to cover up his wrongdoings, but who knew there indeed was real rats inside his manor.


    When the servant of the fourth madam called him over and described the news of Hongyue killing someone, he had been very excited. He has never seen Hongyue be violent at all before and if she were able to kill someone with her weak body, that would mean she was behind everything. If she has the power to kill someone while poisoned, then she was a deeply hidden tiger.


    Good, he underestimated her just like her mother.


    If the problem lied in Hongyue, he could very quickly take her out and get the issue over with. So he promptly sped over in time to see it wasn''t at all what he had been told. Instead, the person he trusted seemed to have plotted a murder against him this scheme, and the stupid trash was the one who protected him in the time of danger. The very thought of someone being able to kill him inside his own home scared him to the core. The concubines of his manors were all very carefully picked, so he was shaken to see the fourth madam betray him. But not only her, third madam too.


    Out of all his concubines, it could be said he trusted the fourth madam the most because she bore no children so there would be no point of her scheming for power. She was also the most careful one who never gave him any troubles.


    Unless.


    Unless...she had been faking it the whole time to get him to lower his guard and kill him! Had the third madam been doing the same thing?!! Why?!!


    His eyes turned colder at the thought of it, but he couldn''t refute it. It seemed to stand out like a fact. His heart chilled. There were too many untrustful people in his men, and his concubines were like hidden agents all out for his life. He couldn''t trust anyone. What was the truth?


    What were the lies?


    Who was even on his side?


    Or were they all out to kill him?


    He stumbled back as his mind went crazy from the stress.


    Hongyue''s lip drew up in an evil arc.


    Ah~


    It won''t be long until he breaks.


    "Father?" She softly murmured, reaching out for his hand.


    General Wei broke out of his spell. He looked at her with softened eyes. Yes, this stupid child saved him at the last minute. Not only that, he did disguise a fatherly figure to her for years. She was foolish and easily controllable. It was possible she was loyal to him. His eyes floated to her wound, and he coughed in distress, his eyes held a tinge of guilt.


    Hongyue wanted to laugh.


    She could read his changing emotions like a book.


    Her eyes glowed as he ordered for servants to get the doctor for her.


    More.


    Fall in more.


    That way you''ll destroy yourself and all that is around you. I wouldn''t have even to lift a finger.

 33 Sending Them All Dizzy

    Still, on the ground, the fourth madam was in a state of hysteria. Her eyes were wide apart with her mouth agape like a dying fish. Her mind spun in a circle as her hands weakened from despair. How?


    Hongyue didn''t have any powers.


    She mouthed the sentence in shock repeatedly, her fists quivering.


    Of course, how could she, in the first place? She shook her head, why had she been so careless today, to make a mistake like this? This behavior wasn''t like her at all. She probably got tricked by someone behind the shadows. She whirled her head and stared at the servant.


    That wretch!


    She had been lied to by that wretch!


    "Lord husband! Please listen to me! I got used. I was a pawn. This servant lied to me. I didn''t plan this at all." The fourth madam desperately seized on the rims of General Wei''s robe, throwing herself on him. Her heart was hammering loudly in her ears.


    "That wretch told me that Hongyue had secret powers. I worried about your safety so I-" The general kicked her aside harshly, stopping her pleas. He could still remember the hair ornament stabbing close to his heart, if not for Hongyue stepping in...he glared at the fourth madam coldly.


    But her words still managed to buried itself inside his head.


    Yes, what if she was telling the truth, after all, she wasn''t the type of person to betray him. They had lived for so many years together as husband and wife; he didn''t believe she was able to fool him all that time.


    It should be noted that the first thing the General thought was not all the affections from all those years, but the chance he overlooked her. It appeared like he already held suspicion from long ago and needed something to confirm it, he looked over at the trembling servant girl kneeling behind him. He motioned for her to come forward, his eyes narrowed to slits.


    But how could Hongyue let an almost off-to-death little fourth madam get in her way, she charged forward with her eyes sparkling. She clutched onto the hands of the young female maid and smiled brilliantly, so brightly it was almost poisonous to the young maid.


    "Thank you, little sister! You came back just like you said you would...but why did you bring father here, too?" She asserted while tilting her head as if in question. The maid widened her eyes and tried to pull back her hand. What was the eldest miss talking about? What was happening? The maid was in confusion herself.


    Both the fourth madam and the general stayed frozen upon hearing her words.


    To the ears of the general, it appeared like the fourth madam indeed planned this scheme out. His heart shook. Just like he had thought, she was a spy planted by his side! Now that she was caught, she tried to shift the blame on to a mere servant. His eyes turned cold; he wasn''t going to let her go easy.


    To the ears of the fourth madam, it sounded like she was being played with. This servant has probably worked for someone else already, and she was going to die today as their ploy. She gashed her teeth in hatred; she was unwilling to be killed. She clung on to the general even more, screaming that she was a victim and being scapegoated. She insisted that the maid was a spy and needed to die.


    Hongyue''s eyes glistened with amusement.


    This was precisely the result she wanted. The more the fourth madam beg, the more the general would believe she was the one behind it.


    A constant cycle.


    She grinned.


    She turned to the young maid in front of her.


    Since you saw too much, you''ll have to die.


    This girl wouldn''t live long anyway even if Hongyue didn''t make a move, it would be better to die by her hands than that provoked fourth madam. Hongyue''s eyes glanced over ever so slightly. Well, seeing you''re helping me so much, I''ll give you a way out. Turning back, Hongyue allowed the blood from her arm to trickle slowly down to her fingers. At the tip of her pointer finger, the blood formed a circle similar to a death pill.


    Hongyue smirked ever so slightly.


    Now to the finale.


    Hongyue staggered up from the ground, her arms waving forward allowing a droplet of her blood from the stab wound to fly into the shocked servant''s mouth. Hongyue then inclined her head close to the servant''s lips as if she saw something in the servant''s mouth.


    "What''s that?" She pointed at the servant''s mouth.


    The maid in question fell to the ground. The general froze before he slowly reached down and felt under her nose.


    "Dead," He grunted sharply before turning to the fourth madam.


    "General."


    The doctor greeted the general shortly after arriving on the scene. The general pointed at the dead body and ordered him to check her body.


    As the doctor checked that body, General Wei''s mind shook. He felt there was something he was just not getting yet. However, he calmed himself down and put on a facade of calmness, all while Hongyue watched carefully.


    She sneered.


    Let''s see how long you can keep that up, my~ dear~ father~.

 34 The Death Of Fourth Madam

    After examing the mouth and eyes of the fallen servant, the doctor took a silver needle and proceeded to push it into the flesh of the body. He studied the color and smell before he retracted his hand. Perspiration slowly ran down his neck as his eyebrows crinkled. He cleaned his hands thoroughly before bowing before the general, his eyes filled with indecision.


    "This servant has found the cause, but I don''t know if General wants to hear it." He calmly described.


    The general looked at him briefly before glancing back at the fourth concubine. Seeing her so anxious, he nodded before commanding the doctor to say the cause at loud.


    "She died from poisoning, possibly by consumption."


    "Ohh." The general drawled out while studying the fourth madam''s expression.


    He scowled at her pathetic appearance, "You poisonous woman! What else do you have to say?!"


    The fourth madam stared at him blankly. She had nothing to do with this. How was she supposed to answer that?!


    Hongyue puffed out her cheeks, bending closer to the dead body.


    Her fingertips were lightly brushing past the hair. She looked at the general with tearful eyes and pleaded softly.


    "Fourth Madam is a kind soul. She would never hurt anyone. Father, I don''t believe it! What does this dead servant being poisoned have anything to do with her?"


    The fourth concubine stiffened.


    Yes, what does it have to do with her? Why did she have to assume guilty when she was innocent?


    She looked back at the general with hope. She felt gleeful. So that little brat was useful, maybe keeping her alive wasn''t bad.


    Hongyue noted down the fourth concubine''s hopeful reaction.


    She sneered.


    When was she ever kind enough to help someone who wanted her dead? She merely wanted to give a little false hope before mercilessly shattering it.


    Ah~


    Just how will this fourth madam look when her whole world was crushed. A pampered concubine becoming trash.


    Hongyue couldn''t wait.


    She had purposely said that sentence to ultimately tie the incident with the fourth madam. This way there would be no escape route at all. Using her powers to circulate throughout her blood, she had used the poison from the bun she has eaten before to kill the servant girl.


    Hongyue was only making a rough guess, but she believed the one who sent ChunHua to poison her was the fourth madam. Even though the one who gave her the bun was ChunHua, the first one to check up on whether she died or not was the fourth madam.


    Besides, the second madam wouldn''t send her own daughter to death, Hongyue frowned, or so she believed. If she were right, then this would be more than enough to convince the general to sentence the woman to death.


    Upon hearing Hongyue''s words, the general frowned. He motioned for the doctor to come closer.


    "What type of poison is it?" He questioned roughly.


    "This servant believes it''s a poison from our southern countries...that is all I know. I am unable to give you the exact name." The doctor replied humbly.


    At this point upon hearing the words of the doctor, the fourth madam couldn''t breathe properly. Her pupils shook violently, and she felt hazy.


    She had come from a southern country.


    None of the other concubines came from there, but her.


    After living in an environment like this for so long, so how could she not know what was happening.


    Her body slumped back in defeat. Her fingers loosened their grip on the general''s hems as she came face to face with reality. There was no way out for her, none at all. It didn''t matter if she screamed, cried, or even begged; she would only push herself closer to death. Her heart dropped as she recounted everything that happened.


    She had only brought out her particular poison because she was confident about killing Hongyue. Who knew, it would be used against her in the same matter?


    The whole scheme was so well planned out; the fourth madam couldn''t help but silver in fear. Just who was the enemy?


    How did they get their hands on her poison?


    Her confidence was breaking into tiny pieces as she threw back her head and laughed. It didn''t matter anymore, after all, she knew the type of person the general was all too well.


    She won''t live past today.


    Even so, she wasn''t willing to die so off so quickly. If she was going to leave today, she was going to bring him with her. The fourth madam was starting chanting a spell, her eyes reddening. The air began to swirl violently upon hearing her chant.


    While Hongyue didn''t understand the spell, she at least knew what the fourth madam''s intention was. The general couldn''t die yet; she still hasn''t tortured him enough.


    She hurried forward to shove the madam away from the general. The two bodies collided and rolled to a heap, the summoned air shattered as the user was distracted. The general walked to the fourth madam unsteadily. He stared down at her with beady eyes.


    The general''s heart chilled. So the fourth concubine did want to kill him...while he heard about the origin of the poison, he still held a tiny strand of disbelief. However seeing her summon such a vast amount of power to kill him, he truly believed that she was out to kill him all along now. His brain spun.


    Just how many more were like her, out there waiting for him to die?


    General Wei''s heart was quickly filled with unease; he swiftly grabbed his sword and plunged it into the heart of the fourth madam. The thick red liquid gushed out, coloring the ground dark red.The blood sprayed about and covered Hongyue who had been only inches away. She looked up at the general, indeed a cruel man she thought.


    Seeing the life drained out of the fourth madam''s body, the general calmed down. He leaned forward to pick Hongyue up from the dead body. He would never touch this daughter of his if it were before. However, she saved him twice.


    So he trusted her now.


    He had pretended to be a good father to her for so many years, Hongyue must feel indebted to him.


    After all, she was dumb and innocent, both easy to control and very loyal.


    What can a stupid person do to hurt him anyway?

 35 One Step In

    "Hongyue, are you alright?" The general asked, his voice filled with concern.


    Hongyue peered up at him through her lashes, her lips quivering.


    "F-fourth Madam.." She stuttered, her voice shaking.


    "...is dead. That woman deserved death." He finished her thoughts. The general stared at Hongyue carefully.


    "Are you crying for her?" He questioned, slowly.


    But how could Hongyue say yes, he was at the peak of his paranoia. She wouldn''t doubt it if he killed her if he heard an answer he didn''t like.


    "No, I''m crying for you. Who can father rely on now?"


    Hearing her answer, he was pleased; the general fell right into her trap, "Silly girl, of course, you."


    "Really?" Hongyue pressed on, uncertainly.


    "Yes."


    The general glanced at her still bleeding wound before he yelled at the servants.


    "Do you lot not see Eldest Miss bleeding? Is this how you treat a daughter of mine?"


    The servants immediately ran forward to serve Hongyue. While their hearts were reluctant due to the quick development in treatment and favor, they still needed to keep their head. One of the male servants unintentionally touched his hand too harshly on her injury, and Hongyue cried out in pain. Hongyue twisted herself out of their tending hands and ran to the general.


    "Father! He hurt me. It''s painful! Kill him!" She pleaded.


    Everyone stopped in place.


    Everything that transpired was already so unexpected; it was like an illusion.


    The fourth madam died within an hour. The general personally killed her himself. Now Hongyue suddenly gained the favor of the general by saving him twice, she asked for the death of a servant. Would the general favor her to that extent?


    To be so arrogant in such a small amount of time was fitting for trash like her. All the servant shook in silent laughter waiting for the general''s reaction.


    The general was startled himself. He hadn''t considered Hongyue wouldn''t take human lives seriously. While he trusted her, he wouldn''t indulge in her to that extent.


    Seeing the general not making a move, Hongyue started to cry.


    "Father, why are you not protecting me?! He hurt me. Why did he hurt me? Did I do something wrong?" She cried bitterly.


    Her question seemed to awaken his fear.


    Yes, what wrong did she do to get hurt by a mere servant? Is it because she saved him? Or because she protected him and ruined the fourth madam''s plan and they want to target her now?


    General Wei''s eye gleamed. How bold! How dare they!


    He lunged for his sword and swiftly drove it into the chest of the servant who Hongyue claimed to hurt her. The servant''s body fell back with a loud thump, and his death stated the amount of favor the general had towards Hongyue. Every servant present tried to hold back their horror.


    Everyone there was mostly servants that overlooked Hongyue''s courtyard.


    It was because the general didn''t care about the eldest miss; they dared to bully her behind his back. They had deemed the treatment wouldn''t change that much, but the freshly mangled body on the ground reminded them of reality. The great general was willing to kill a mere servant just because the young miss said so without question.


    This eldest miss must be not provoked at all times.


    Meanwhile, unknown to the servants, the general''s mind was crumbling apart from another reason.


    How many more were like the fourth madam? How many were more out there to kill him? He needed to kill them all!


    The hand gripping the weapon wavered, slowly filling with dark energy.


    Seeing this, Hongyue glowed happily. Just as she thought, the more insecure a person, the more they could be controlled. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the dead servant. It''s not enough. She vowed to take vengeance on them all. How could a single death satisfy her? She wanted all those tormented the previous soul dead.


    "Father," Hongyue clung on to his sleeves, "I''m still scared."


    She leaned over to whisper into his ears.


    "What if there''s more?"


    Like a trigger, her words set him off.


    Right.


    What if there was more?


    His killers could be lurking in his estate pretending to be servants.


    He flung his sword forward and struck another servant across the neck. Their head had flown off and spun across the yard, staining a whole streak of red. Seeing this, the group of servants lost their composure. They took off screeching for help and attempted to escape.


    What they didn''t know was that running away made them all the more suspects in the general''s mind. The more they screamed, the more the general would kill. Observing this chaos, Hongyue struggled hard to maintain her scared expression; her face hurt not to laugh.


    At last, only a few attendants remained.


    Their mind concentrated on one thought.


    As long as the general were alive, they would die, so the only way out of this was to kill the general.


    Having this thought in mind, the remaining servants revealed their killing intents and aimed for the general together, seeing them retaliating triggered General Wei even more. He slashed ferociously right to left not allowing any of the servants go. Bodies one by one fell as the blade fell upon them. His mind was set on killing.


    When the last body fell, the general sighed in contentment. His tired body staggered back; his mental state was highly strained.


    Hongyue couldn''t hide her smile anymore. As she thought, this was much more fun.


    "Father...we''re safe now, right?" She asked doubtfully.


    The general looked back at her, dazed in his thoughts.


    "Yes, we''re safe." He assured.


    Hongyue''s lips curled up in an arc.


    "Then, that''s good."


    However, others at the commotion were more than freaked out. There was still the doctor, his guards, and his servants. They had seen Hongyue had only said a few sentences, but with those few lines of words, the general went crazy and killed all the lower servants at the scene. They didn''t understand what transpired, but this Hongyue was dangerous.


    They stood frozen praying she would no longer speak. However, their wishes were not heard.


    "Father."


    Hongyue looked at the rest of the audience staring at her with startled eyes.


    "What about them?" She pointed, innocently.

 36 You Ought To Thank Me

    Hongyue''s finger paused in front of her victim, and already she formed a new plan for extra performance.


    As soon the head guard saw her finger aimed at him, he couldn''t help but pee himself. W-was he next? The front of his garment began to turn dark, and his knees trembled as he crumpled unsightly on the ground. His pupils quivered in fear as he panted for his breath.


    A pungent scent floated into the air which seemingly roused the general from his bloodlust. He glanced at the culprit in front of him with utter disdain. When had he gotten such a useless head guard? He made such a fool out of himself. How dishonorable! He placed aside his weapon.


    Pfft.


    By his side, Hongyue couldn''t help snickering.


    Wasn''t this the same man who denied her allowance each month and stole away her pieces of jewelry for himself? The same one who trashed her room in rage when he didn''t receive a bribe from her? The one who lashed her to release his anger? What a true incompetent piece of trash! If this is his reaction now, whatever will he display when she revealed her true appearance?


    Hongyue''s eyes glowed in excitement.


    She turned to her father and clasped his sleeves.


    "Please don''t mind my words, I mean after all, how can Father not tell who''s loyal or not in his men. This daughter was rude." She spoke sweetly.


    The general nodded dazedly; his brain already trapped within her words. Hongyue smiled as her words took the influence she wanted it to in his mind.


    General Wei frowned. Yes, how could he know who''s loyal or not in his men? He must go back and check up on his estate. His hand froze.


    The hair stick!


    He needed to see if the hair stick was still there!


    He ran past Hongyue without another word.


    Seeing the general leave, the rest of the servants began to relax. Their stiff arms slackened, and their once fearful eyes that looked at Hongyue shifted back to looks of contempt. Who did she think she was? Just because she had the general on her side didn''t mean she was always going to be invincible. What actual power did she have anyway? Nothing!


    A couple of them spat in revulsion near her feet. They hastily filed out as well, racing to get out of the ghastly courtyard. Who was willing to stay another minute looking at the dead bodies plastered all over the yard?


    Hongyue''s eyes gleamed.


    It looked like it wasn''t enough. Those pests don''t see her as anything at all nor as a threat. She''ll have to be meaner next time; she was too nice to them.


    Now, only the doctor and the head guard remained. One was frozen stiff while the other was on the ground struck with fear. As she approached closer to them, the doctor scrambled back. He shifted his eyes away from her face, stammered something about getting medicine and ran out.


    Momentarily only the head guard and Hongyue remained.


    Noticing how he was alone with Hongyue, he promptly got up and pretended nothing happened. However, seeing that grin on her face pissed him off. His cheeks shone with humiliation. When did he fall so low even to allow a ''normal'' to laugh at him? Enraged, he lunged over and grasped a handful of her hair and flung her to the ground. Hongyue''s body hit the ground with a loud thud. Even as she hit the ground, she kept her smirk which was slowly changing.


    A mockingly cruel grin of death slowly appeared.


    But how could the guard even pay attention to her facial changes? He was already furious that he had embarrassed himself in front of her.


    "Annoying! Annoying! ANNOYING!" He roared breathlessly in anger as he kicked her.


    "You stupid piece of trash! You dare laugh at me! You don''t believe I''ll kill you?!!"


    Hongyue slowly sat herself up, her eyes filled with amusement. It was as she wasn''t being kicked in the first place.


    Minutes ago, he was the one who couldn''t even stand up because of terror. Now he was the one screaming at a weak little girl forced to the ground. What scum! How shameless can he get?


    She stretched out her hand to his leg as if to use it to stand up. The head guard seeing her hand reach closer to him abruptly stopped his yelling. He fearfully retreated before he paused. His face burned red in a fury and rushed forward to stomp on her hand.


    Hongyue cried out in pain, her body trembling.


    Perceiving this, the head guard crooked his lips in a vicious smile.


    Right. It was just his imagination. What was he so afraid of anyway? She was just a piece of trash!


    He dug the heel of his shoe into her hand, rotating about right to left. Satisfied, he let out a snort of haughtiness.


    "You good for nothing! Always will be! Don''t think for a minute; you''ll ever leave this lifestyl-"


    Before he could even complete his sentence, the foot on Hongyue''s hand ruptured open. Blood spurted out as his veins snapped apart. His eyes bulged wide open as he strangled back a scream. His legs exhausted from the pain and he collasped on both knees in front of Hongyue. He watched in horror as Hongyue leisurely pulled herself up and stood before him. She gently massaged her fingers and hummed cheerfully. Her newly modified black and blue eyes floated over to him, and he nearly stopped breathing.


    What good for nothing?!


    The one in front of him was clearly a monster!


    He opened his mouth to yell only to find he couldn''t. Hongyue''s hands were locked tightly around him.


    He heard something snapped, and she eventually let go.


    "I just broke your vocal cords, so there''s no point in screaming." She watched at him intensely before presenting a dangerous smile.


    "You ought to thank me, no? After all, I just began the fun."

 37 Play A Game To Live

    Staring into her indifferent eyes, the man struggled harder to fight for his life. He still wanted to live. Hongyue''s eyes narrowed. Well, it couldn''t be blamed on him; it was human nature. However, she could care less. She wasn''t a human and whoever owed her needed to pay the amount back in her terms; which was death.


    Tears streamed down his face along with snot to his chin, dripping down onto his clothes. His eyes were red, and his gaping mouth made inapprehensible noises as he desperately shook his head at her. He tried to get up only to avail, his muscles felt like stone. He couldn''t even move an inch. He fought harder not knowing his own blood weighted him down.


    Truly pathetic.


    Hongyue tsked softly before she bent over to take a better look at his pitiful state. Is this what it looks like to be dreaded? She smirked in amusement. The guard seeing her smirk shuddered in fear. He turned away. Hongyue tilted his head upwards with the tip of her finger, so he faced her directly. Looking into his eyes and seeing her reflection, she realized why he feared her so much.


    Her robes curled about her body as the breeze tenderly blew around her. Her hair scattered away from her face exposing a beautiful ocean blue pupil eye along with her black one. A bluish silver pearl hair ornament sat on top of her pitch black hair. Dried blood stains that were on her face gave her a menacing appearance. She gazed at her reflection and lightly touched her blue eye.


    Looks like she could transform into this form after all.


    Hongyue frowned.


    She thought she looked quite beautiful, even abit enchanting if she dares say. While this form didn''t have any dramatic changes on her appearance like the one from the full moon, it was still quite powerful. Hongyue glanced at the trembling man in front of her. What was he so scared about? Her eye color? She didn''t get it. Wasn''t he arrogant before? Where did all his courage go? This wasn''t even her full form.


    "You know what I hate?" She studied his shaking pupils.


    The head guard swung his head in despair. He ached to get away from here as soon as possible. He didn''t want to be here at all. He wished he didn''t aggravate her in the first place. If he had left, he wouldn''t have to suffer like this.


    Seeing this response irritated her. Hongyue suddenly grasped a handful of his hair and began dragged him across the yard to an old well, all while speaking calmly as if she was to a child.


    "Calling me a monster just from my appearance when you were more of a monster yourself. Did you not torment a helpless child for years and abused your powers?" Hongyue paused, "Truly a hypocrite."


    "It''s fine, after all, you''re not wrong. I am a complete monster, inside out. I was going to allow you to witness the final show, but things can go out of the plan. I''ll kill you today. What do you think?" She grinned at his stiff body.


    "What am I asking you for? After all, you never used your brain to think much in the past anyway. You always went on impulse, which was to torment people weaker than you like me." She continued.


    Once she reached the well, she touched the edges of the rope.


    "Ah! I remember. You particularly liked to dunk me in water until I fainted to wash away my dirtiness as an idiot because you ''feared'' it might spread. I need to return the favor; after all, it''s only polite. It''ll be exactly like the game you used to play with me; only your legs will be tied."


    She tied the rope tightly around his legs, exerting strength making the cord cut into his flesh.


    "Ah. I forgot to mention that I''m still poisoned. You''re heavy so I might not have the strength to lift you back out. After all, I''m just a weak good for nothing. What can I do?"


    The guard flinched from the pain, but he still looked on with anticipation. His head began to clear from the agony as he thought about his next step. He could swim with his hands, who cares if his legs were tied. He glared at her with hatred. Once he makes it out of the well, she will be the first one dead. Wait till he finds the general and tells him about her hidden powers. The fourth madam was right! This vile spawn is actually a freak.


    Seeing the hatred in his eyes, Hongyue''s lips curled up slowly.


    "I almost forgot! You used to add rocks to my pockets or make me don heavy robes," Hongyue looked around as if she was troubled, "What should I do?... Ah, I''ll be nice and take something away from you...but what should I take?"


    The guard sneered at her words inside his heart. His fear of her had converted back to contempt. It was likely the result of years of belittling and abusing Hongyue. Years of that lifestyle became a habit, and he grew arrogant once again. So what if she had a blue eye? Look at her; she was so stupid. Taking something away from him will only make it easier for him to escape. As expected of a lowly ''normal.''


    Hongyue waved her hand, her blue eye glowing brightly. The blood inside the guard''s hands strived to get out, thumping against the inside of his skin around the wrist area. The guard could only remember seeing atrocious bumps developing on his hands as if something was fighting to get out before his hands suddenly neatly split from his wrist.


    He gaped in hysteria. His eyes fearfully shifted to Hongyue''s face. All his previous thoughts collapsed. What was he fooling himself with? How can he ever escape? It was a stubborn moment of delusions. His bloody severed hands warned him that Hongyue wasn''t the same fool he can mock. She was untouchable and cruel.


    A monstrosity.


    "You don''t have anything of any worth, so I could only choose your hands. Consider it my gift; after all, they are hideous. I would hate to see them attached to my own body." She declared regretfully.


    She squatted down in front of him and pointed the right hand.


    "This is for all the time you stole my money and tormented me." She explained slowly as if she was lecturing a child how to count.


    Then shifting her weight, she held up the left one.


    "That is the price for stomping on my hand."


    Hongyue looked up with an innocent smile.


    "Don''t you like my gift?"

 38 Soul and Lifeforce

    He shook his head at her question and sobbed even louder, and quickly chose to slam his head on the ground begging for his life. His pride was worth nothing now, as long as he can get this demon to spare him, he could care less. Still, he felt awfully wronged, why was he the one who had to suffer?


    Seeing him slamming his head on the ground made Hongyue despise him even more. Why was it in the end, she was made to be seen as the bad guy?


    Her eyes dimmed; she found it annoying even to watch him.


    If he dared to curse at someone, he should have at least the skills to back it up. Arrogance without the talents behind it was just like a fish claiming it could climb a tree.


    So what was it worth?


    Nothing.


    In the spur of a moment, everything could very well be gone in a flash. This, Hongyue knew all so well.


    Ah, how boring.


    How delusional as well.


    She could read everything in his eyes, and it made her seethed in rage*. She knew that emotion all so well. She has seen it many times before.


    Blame.


    However it wasn''t self-blame, it was accused towards her. Like in some way, it was her fault that he was here. Her fault that he had to suffer. It was all her fault.


    None of the blame got placed towards himself. He didn''t even reflect all the times she had struggled to live in pain when whipped or starved without food.


    How easy.


    He took a simple way out. He wouldn''t have to be troubled even till death because he made himself believe she was the root of all his suffering. He could close his eyes peacefully as he dies just by saying it wasn''t his fault; he died like this; it was hers. He was putting all the blame on her.


    Hongyue sneered.


    Like she cared for his opinion.


    "Since you hold so many grievances at heart, why don''t you tell them to the God of Death!"


    She swiftly lifted her leg and slammed her foot against his chest. The man was booted into the hole and plunged into the water. Hongyue watched him as his movements slowed and the water turned red as he bled to death.


    Worthless.


    It was a waste of her time.


    As the loose petals of blossoms floated peacefully in the air, Hongyue stared at the body in the water well blankly. What was she expecting anyway? For him to swim? She sneered. Even if he had all his limbs intact, he wouldn''t be able to escape. She, for one, wouldn''t have let him. She shifted her view to the ground, eyeing all the fallen bodies of the servants the general had killed.


    My~ dear~ father~


    I should thank you for all your help.


    She sighed and started to walk back to her room when she paused. In the water, she sensed something else rushing about inside the dead body in the well. Hongyue turned back and slightly raised her arm. With a quick swirl of her wrist, she directed the water to bring the item to her.


    The water bubbled and plunged into the body before it left carrying an orb. Quickly, the water climbed up the inner wall and dropped the sphere intoHongyue''s outstretched hand.


    His soul?


    Hongyue tilted her head questioningly. For a minute she felt lost. She had consumed a soul from the spy before and yet she didn''t sense this same feeling. She could feel different energy surging within the orb.


    Or was this his lifeforce?


    She clenched her finger tightly around it. The orb slowly dispersed as it flowed into Hongyue''s body. A rush of energy surged into her pearl hair adornment.


    Huh.


    Her eyes sparkled in joy.


    She didn''t think she would get something useful out of scum like him. Her eyes drifted towards all the scattered bodies once again. This time she snapped her fingers ¡ª a familiar tugging appearing within her fingertips. The air enclosed the courtyard; it commenced to turn and swirl, slowly compressing around her. The tension began to force the earth to tremble and break. One by one, each of the dead bodies but one produced a colored floating orb. Hongyue rotated her fingers, and each of the orbs got tugged into her direction.


    Hongyue''s head ornament glowed hungrily and absorbed all the orbs. Hongyue smiled wickedly while licking her red lips.


    Well then, thank you for the meal.


    She turned indifferently to one of the bodies lying on the ground. She secured her arm under the figure and shifted the body into her arms. She lingered for a minute, her eyes flickering uncomfortably but she proceeded to stand up. Hongyue gazed at the face of the slave who was presumed dead.


    The fourteen-year-old female maid who had led the general into her courtyard and served as her scapegoat to kill the madam. She lamented before she turned away with the body in her arms.


    Entering her room, she gently set the body down on top of her bed.


    While she was murderous, she wasn''t senseless. What she owed, she would also pay back in full. Since this girl hadn''t wanted to kill her, she wasn''t going to be so unreasonable as to take her life. She did an excellent favor for Hongyue, and Hongyue was fine with keeping her alive.


    She reached out her hand and tapped her forefinger on the girl''s forehead.


    In truth, this girl had not been poisoned by her at all; she had only made it appeared like it.


    She possessed full control of the poison and solely circulated it throughout the servant''s blood. However, she made sure it would not touch any of the organs. With the poison circulating alongside the blood, she reduced the blood flow and the heart rate. Only by halting her breath and body movement, was she able to make the girl resemble the dead.


    At her touch, something in the body started to stir. Slowly emerging out of the body, the poison wafted out of the mouth and back into Hongyue''s body.


    Her eyes gleamed as she recalled something and stood back.

 39 An Annoying Bra

    Hongyue stared blankly at the awakening figure on her bed.


    She was curious.


    Actually, she was so curious, so much to the point that she didn''t exterminate this child just now.


    When she carried the child up, she had felt something she knew she shouldn''t have on the body of a female. Nevertheless, if that child didn''t have a good excuse to give her, Hongyue was set to kill without another word. She would never leave anything behind that could be deemed a threat.


    Hongyue had guessed something was weird before when the servant had rushed away for help. The awkward movement of running didn''t appear like this child was used to it. But how could a slave be used to running about when they rushed to do their work?


    Nonetheless, not everything could be consistent, so seeing how her own plan wasn''t being hinder, she didn''t take it to heart. Perhaps the child had come from a ruined noble family. With that thought, she threw it to the back of her mind. Now that she had extra free time, she, of course, should look into some things.


    --Such as why this so-called girl was actually a boy.


    She had a slight feeling about it before, and now the returning poison had informed all her doubts. While in the blood, the poison had also passed through a particular male part while circulating throughout the body. This was something she could not ignore.


    Tch, to think that she was almost misled by this little brat before.


    Her eyes narrowed as she observed the figure sitting up. The robe slid off the person''s shoulder only to reveal a pale collar with a dark tattoo running down to his back. A black crescent moon with a sphere in the center along with an eye-catching sharp line through the two objects moving down to the front of his chest. His head was full of soft black hair on a heart-shaped face with a pair of pitch black eyes. Hongyue gazed at his loose robe, seeing his flat chest with a delicate frame, she wasn''t at all surprised he was able to pass as a young female.


    The child glanced about startled, eyeing about the deteriorating room. His black eyes finally landed on the bloodied blankets, and upon the bed. Hongyue followed his eyes, watching his facial expression.


    He was an estimation she hadn''t predicted, and that bothered her to no end, so she was slightly unprepared. She observed the child as his eyes widened in fear when he saw her standing fixed off to the side. Her one blue eye stared at him so icily it could freeze his blood. He immediately scrambled about, pulling his clothes together before he backed away farther away from her.


    "W-who are you?" He stuttered. He had never seen such a startling eye color before, it was lovely but the person with the eye was not. Hongyue glared at him coldly.


    "That''s what I want to ask you," She hissed, her eyes seemed to pierce him in place.


    He nearly gasped in fear before he attempted shielding himself with the sheets near him. He analyzed Hongyue''s figure and face features before his eyes size enlarged as he recognized the person in front of him.


    "You''re the stupid, incompetent good-for-nothing eldest miss that waste about doing nothing and has a perverted habit of killing people in the mornings!" He screeched out in bewilderment.


    Hongyue could feel her eyebrows twitching.


    She could understand the usage of words like ''stupid'' and ''incompetent'' to describe her. However, did he need to use all the insulting words in his vocabulary to describe her right in her face? If he didn''t look so innocent when he said all that, she would have cracked his head apart.


    What was this?


    An unknown child from an unknown origin with unknown intentions insulting her the first thing after she prevented his death.


    How vexing!


    Nonetheless, she put on a sweet smile of bitterness as she neared closer to him.


    "What? I couldn''t hear you," She smiled, yet the smile didn''t quite reach her eyes.


    He shook his head while he clamped his mouth and tried to cover himself even more.


    "Let''s skip all the ''who are you'' questions. You''re much sharper than that, aren''t you? Why don''t we move on to the ''why am I still alive'' questions." She smiled with malice.


    He tilted his head mockingly, this time without all his initial fear, "Will I still be alive if I ask you that question?"


    Hongyue slammed her foot onto the bed, inches away from his left leg. Her body inclined forward with an imposing aura.


    As she thought, this child is a threat.


    "Who knows? Maybe you won''t be if you don''t drop your little act," She exposed.


    Staring at her foot that nearly smashed apart his leg, he turned and narrowed his eyes at her. He had a bright smile on his face, nothing like the frightened little child that she witnessed minutes before. He gently tried to push her foot away all while wearing a sweet expression.


    "You can''t be that ruthless, right? After all, I performed along with your performance; give me a little mercy at the most." He spoke slowly. His eyes were on her facial expression, noting a slight eye twitch from her.


    Her eyes narrowed dangerously at his response.


    So he knew that much already.


    She was too careless.


    She stood upright again as if she was straightening herself when she suddenly lunged forward and caught the hold of his throat. Her eyes were aglow and the pearl was gleaming brilliantly. Her robes billowed as she pulled him by the throat closer to her. The child tried to pry away her hand to no avail.


    "I''m impatient, so if you would talk a little faster, I would appreciate it. This way no one has to get hurt, right? Just how much do you actually know, you little brat?"

 40 Sly Man-Eating Bunny

    He coughed and sputtered, large eyes fixed on her with awe.


    Hongyue freed her hand, releasing him and sneered, "Drop it. Leave your little acting out altogether. In fact, that didn''t hurt you much at all, did it?"


    She was beginning to succumb inside from the minute she touched his neck. However the more Hongyue panicked, the calmer she looked outward. She fixed her gaze intensely on him. She was sure his outer appearance was similar to hers.


    A sly man-eating bunny.


    When she had secured her fingers around his throat, she felt herself in critical danger. It felt as if her blood had rushed backward in her veins.


    She narrowed her eyes at him. His ability shouldn''t be underestimated at all, she could still feel his powers pulsing violently underneath her fingertips. Who was he? Where did he even come from?


    This was extremely alarming. Hongyue was confident that if they fought, it would be a difficult battle for both of them even in this form of hers. Her pearl ornament was a weakened substitute version of her gemstone, and it only provided a limited amount of power. While she had just collected a significant amount of potential energy from the fallen bodies, she wasn''t sure if she would have full control over it. Hongyue chewed her lip, why was he here anyway? She couldn''t afford to overuse her powers.


    Especially in this state.


    Despite that, she was still prepared for the worst, her next assassination move was waiting in position if he executed an immediate advance towards her. However, the child on the bed just bitterly rubbed his neck in hopes of comfort. What the heck was wrong with her head?


    How could it not hurt? It HURT like freaking hell.


    Who the hell said she was some useless waste?


    Did she think choking a child was the same as strangling a piece of stone? Did he look like a doll to her? What was with her grip? Suddenly he sympathized with the guard he observed her killed.


    He groaned in misery.


    He had thought he was going to die, he hadn''t considered she would do something rash like that at all. Didn''t people say that all females pitied younger children? He moaned in pain as his fingers brushed past the recently made bruises.


    "Close your mouth! Stop faking as if it hurts. Hurry up and talk." She snapped. How could someone with his amount of power get hurt with a measly pressure like her chokehold? He was obviously playing with her.


    His heart winced at her voice before it turned to lament.


    See, look at that.


    Clearly, he had been told a lie. This woman was heartless, she even tried to kill him before he had yet replied to her question. Where could you find any tenderness in her? He gazed at her through his lashes.


    Fine, it was expected.


    He''ll admit he already saw all her murders that night. This must be her way of being considerate to him. She would have presumably killed him already if it wasn''t the case he assisted her with removing the fourth madam.


    But seriously, did she have to choke him that tightly.If that was the case, he really can''t afford her consideration.


    He peered at her again, a memory rose in his mind. A single red ruby gemstone sat on her forehead making her different colored eyes shone in the night along with her beautiful red lips. He recalled her elegant figure and bloodthirsty eyes. He shook his head.


    He had been critically weakened by an old injury during his cultivation trial that night, so he had decided to obtain shelter to treat himself. Led by the heavy smell of blood, he spotted Hongyue just as she sailed beautifully passed him in the air. He noticed the piles of dead bodies along with the simple one kill move marked on their bodies before he followed her to the doctor''s residence.


    He liked everything he saw.


    She was like an enchantress of death. So absolute yet so mysterious.


    Because of his previous injury, his appearance had been reverted to the presence of a child. He had used his innocent appearance to get closer to her acting as a weak female. But who knew she loved killing in the morning as well? Good thing he wasn''t the idiot who sauntered right into death. Quickly, piecing together what she planned, he accompanied along with her desires only to find himself poisoned in the end.


    What kind of love story was this?!!


    Didn''t people say it was standard practice to treat people who helped you with compassion? Obviously, that must be a lie as well.


    Once the poison got into his system, he only remembered himself falling to the ground, his muscles stiffened with an ugly old doctor poking into his flesh as the old man claimed he was poisoned.


    So he could only remain there, acting dead and almost killed in her hands.


    He had cursed at her for being so inconsiderate when he realized how quiet it was. He opened his eyes slightly to find the servants, people who once stood in front of his body was gone. A rain of blood had already replaced their spot. He had looked over to her only to see her eyes glowing in delight. With one look, he could tell that she was the mastermind of it all. Without even using her own hands to get dirty, she already killed off her enemies.


    Yet when she did use her hands, she was ruthless.


    His pupils constricted.


    He nearly forgot one problem. He had been there when Hongyue put her hands on the wand. It clearly showed she had no powers. He was confident it was her, that red figure he saw that night.


    But just what was she?

 41 Stupid Pig, Qingyu

    She could kill the head guard from a highly regarded general''s manor, who had a grade level of 5. She could also take down personal guards of the same general, men who all had a least the grade level of 7. She hadn''t had any issues while doing so, only using one move to kill them all. Besides, she had not been using any elemental power from what he had seen.


    So just what was she?


    "I-," He wasn''t even able to produce another sound before she slammed down on his chest with her right leg. Her heel dug into his skin, kicking out all his air. Perhaps he took too long thinking because, by the time he answered, Hongyue reached her limit.


    The child fell back hard against the bed from her kick; his head knocked heavily against the bedpost. He hadn''t even managed to recover from the sudden attack before Hongyue launched another one at his head. He quickly blocked her attack with his hand. Both of the two forces collided and rebound.


    Hongyue stumbled back, clutching her injured hand.


    Her eyes gleamed murderously.


    Using both palms, she drew an arc around her, starting from her waist to above her head. Closing her eyes, she summoned the power of wind to come to her aid from her pearl. Her blue eye glowed almost to an icy white as she drew the arc. Immediately, the door and windows of the chamber rattled violently as the wind surged into the room.


    As the wind rose around her, droplets of water carried in by the air formed sharp needles; all of which aimed at the figure sitting in shock on her bed. She stomped her foot, and her aura spread out rapidly covering a wide radius of the ground. A light blue mist started to surround the entire space. Quickly, wisps of the fog crept up and slipped into the child''s body forcing the blood inside the child to lock him in place.


    <Release>


    As rune designs quickly formed within the space of the arc she drew, a magic circle promptly developed. The enchantment glowed a dull blue alike to her pearl, each rune line outlined in the aura before it roared out with power. An explosion of energy surrounded by electric sparks raced toward the child.


    His eyes widened as the explosion hit him. His body flew back; the entire bed collapsed under the attack.


    Hongyue huffed, a bead of sweat dripped down her jawline.


    She didn''t get off easy herself either.


    Her lack of control over her body and power exhausted her soul. Hongyue glanced up, only to see the child getting back up bloodied and in agony. She didn''t seem surprised. Just like she predicted, they were evenly matched. Both sides suffered greatly.


    "You''re still alive." She stared blankly.


    The child gashed his teeth angrily; he did not think she had so much power in that body of hers. Not to mention, he had no way to defend from her unusual powers at all. Even with his own power enveloping him during the attack, he had still felt the thundering energy coursing within his body and damaging his organs. His body was already injured, now he was suffering even more. He stared tensely at her. It looks like she held back considerably that night, so much, he underestimated her.


    "You better watch yourself! You should pray I don''t recover." He growled.


    Hongyue sneered. She wanted to say the exact same words to him. Once she recovered, he''ll be the first to die, not her.


    Seeing her sneer, the boy grew enraged. If only he had his original form, he''d see if she''ll still be able to laugh at him. However, Hongyue already knew this child-like form of his wasn''t his true appearance which was why she wanted to get rid of him while he was still weak.


    "You heartless woman! You didn''t even give me a chance to speak! Did you forget I helped you kill your father''s concubine?" He fumed.


    Hongyue tilted her head. Who told you to help?


    "So? I never asked you to help me nor did we make an agreement to work together. But since it was done to my benefit, I''ll thank you." She responded loftily.


    "This is your thank you?!!" He hissed.


    "No, I already gave you my thanks when I took the poison out of your body," Hongyue explained calmly.


    His eyes bunged in rage, "YOU were the one who put the poison in my body."


    "Well, who told you to have your mouth opened?" She retorted back.


    He trembled in anger at her response. He was sure if he spoke with her another minute, he was sure to cough out blood. Since they were well-matched with their powers, there would be no point fighting mainly since he was at a disadvantage. They were only tied because her body was weak, but he received her attack full on and hadn''t been able to counterattack at all. In that sense, she was better off than he was because she wasn''t all that injured. It''ll be better for him if they don''t fight.


    "Why don''t we call it a truce? My name is Qingyu." He proposed, holding out his hand.


    Hongyue eyed his hand blankly, "If we have a truce, I won''t be able to kill you in the future."


    Qingyu felt himself getting dizzy.


    This heartless woman still wanted to kill him in the future?!!


    Hongyue tapped her chin, musing. Qing (give all) Yu(world) meant give beyond the world. It was an excellent name, however, unsuiting for a brat like him.


    "This won''t do, I can''t remember names all that well. Why don''t I give you one?"


    He opened his mouth to agree when her voice rang out.


    "Stupid Pig."

 42 Compensation For My Injuries

    His jaws dropped.


    "What?!" Qingyu could sense his heart bleed. Even in this form, he was sure he was a beauty. How is it that in her eyes, he was perceived as a pig? A stupid one on top of that.


    Hongyue frowned, she had quite liked the name, "You don''t like it?"


    Qingyu stared at her in disbelief. Who was so wrong in the head enough to like a name like that?


    Hongyue waved her hand dismissively. Fine. If he didn''t like it, she''d just change it.


    "Dumb pig."


    How was that even better? However, before Qingyu was able to answer her, Hongyue was already crouching in front of him. She had her hand out and stared intensely at him with her different colored eyes.


    Qingyu stared back at her blankly. What did she want this time? As if Hongyue heard his inner thoughts, she vocalized her intention.


    "Compensation."


    He didn''t know if he should laugh or cry. During the whole fight, he remembered it was just him getting one-sidely attacked. He hadn''t even exchanged a single blow.


    "You were the one who attacked me," Qingyu uttered, feeling wronged.


    Hongyue frowned, "I took out your poison, was lenient with you, and also gave you a new name. Since I''m currently injured because of you, you should give me compensation."


    THAT was being lenient?! She was the one who poisoned him in the first place.


    And...and as for the name, who would want such a stupid name.


    Qingyu marked down all the complaints in his heart, one day he''ll make her pay him back in full. Why was she so unreasonable? Can she genuinely bear to bully a beautiful child like this?


    Actually, Hongyue wouldn''t have cared at that much who it was; she just wanted something for her loss.


    "Well?" She pressed.


    "We''re doing this as an exchange for the truce, right?", Qingyu articulated with his teeth clenched tightly.


    He needed to make sure she would promise not to attack or kill him.


    Hongyue had been contemplating the same idea. While they did fight, it was just a simple exchange so it could only be described as her testing his skills. There shouldn''t be any lingering hard feelings; after all, they both weren''t able to take the other one out. He didn''t appear to harbor any killing intention towards her anyway. As she looked at him, Hongyue recalled what the Stone-Faced Pervert had said to her that night.


    "Investment."


    "What?" He grumbled numbly.


    "Investment for our truce," Hongyue repeated.


    Qingyu felt his mind had shattered. When did he have to be the one to give a gift to others? Usually, it would the other way around, not to mention who didn''t want to be in a truce with him? People would die for his protection.


    But!


    This woman cared nothing about it. Nor did she know, so he could only listen to her with bitterness in his heart.


    He slipped his hand inside his robe and brought out a pure jade white flute. Shiny white vines wrapped around the long smooth surface, and it held an alluring charm. But Hongyue only looked at it disdainfully.


    "It''s an instrument that can hypnotize your enemies," Qingyu explained. In reality, there was a lot more history behind the flute, yet Qingyu only gave her a simple answer to test her. It was a high-grade weapon that could be used to turn your enemies into your puppets. It was a much sought for by magic users, and here it was, being given away for an uncertain investment of a truce. He watched her reaction.


    Hongyue merely glimpsed at it with no interest.


    "Don''t want it,"


    Qingyu paused. Did she not know or did she had something better than it? He glanced at her again; it didn''t seem like she knew the genuine value of it. He sighed; she was known as the good-for-nothing miss. Other than her mysterious power, she really didn''t seem to know much. If that''s the case, he''ll be helpful and explain it to her.


    "This is a high-grade weapon of level ten. You can use it to confuse opponents and overpower them to be your puppets. You''ll also be able to make their elemental abilities listen to you as well," He explained carefully, handing the flute over again.


    Hongyue stared at him like he was stupid; she could make something better than that with her own powers. Why would she need an inferior instrument like that?


    "Don''t want."


    "Did you even listen to wh-"


    "Don''t want it."


    Qingyu could only take back the flute at her unyielding front. He reached inside his sleeves and showed off his pale arm with a pitch black bracelet; he pulled his bracelet before he offered it to her.


    "Here."


    This time Hongyue looked on with interest, it was something she liked. The bracelet was made of pitch black metal folds. If you unlatched the end, the folds could be corrugated into something else. She took the ornament and twisted the curves, collapsing them into the shape of a fan. Qingyu observed her movement with surprise. It was his personal weapon so he hadn''t thought she would be able to figure out how it worked. This weapon wasn''t as highly graded as the flute, but it was highly versatile. With an experienced twist of a hand, by forcing the individual pleats in place, you could change it to a fan or a whip. It was convenient and lightweight. Qingyu looked at Hongyue; his interest grew increasingly stronger.


    Hongyue felt his eyes on her; she sneered before she lashed out another attack to his head with the newly formed whip.


    Crack!

 43 Three Steps Ahead

    "Even if we have a truce, I won''t go soft on you. Look at me again in that way, and I''ll dig your eyes out." Hongyue warned. Her voice was cutting through the air like ice.


    Qingyu stared back at the spot where he had been, in shock; luckily he was fast enough. If not, his hand would have been missing, his limbs mangled. There was a crater next to the bed, pieces of debris disbanded around the newly made hole.While he was able to dodge her attack easily, he was still astonished she had such good control over a weapon that was specially made for him by himself under such a small amount of time.


    On the other hand, Hongyue frowned, how was this rascal still so agile while injured?


    She skillfully retracted the whip and ran her finger over the folds, lightly tapping the rims of the curves. Each tap let out a faint click, which played like music to her ears. She dropped her eyes, debating.


    Having weaponry was going to be quite valuable in an unfamiliar world. Hongyue couldn''t always rely on her powers; after all, she couldn''t always take a step back to cover up her abilities. Doing that was a waste of time and effort. Something like this armament was fast to pull out and attack with which was also easy to hide her true capabilities. The fluency of the lashing motion was quite similar to the way she would use her water forms to attack so Hongyue quite fancied this weapon.


    "I like it," She finally stated.


    QingYu nearly wanted to roll his eyes. Of course, she likes it. He bet she''ll love it even more if she had been able to shred his wrist apart. Since she wanted it, the truce would stand so Qingyu nodded his head, acknowledging. However, he was still bitter about her attack at him, so he scowled at her with amnesty.


    Seeing him glare at her, Hongyue spat out the answer, "For fun."


    QingYu was speechless.


    Suddenly, Hongyue snapped her head at the door. She could sense someone coming to her courtyard. Glaring, she turned to QingYu.


    "I don''t have time to play with you. Leave." She commanded.


    Qingyu nearly wanted to spit blood. Was this really how you treated your allies? However, he appeared to have considered something else and smirked at her.


    "Oh, are you in trouble?" He taunted.


    The loud explosion from her attack was not invisible. Who wouldn''t be able to feel the ground-shaking forces? It was possible that the general detected it and came back to check on the matter.


    "Do you need my help?" Qingyu offered.


    Hongyue simply glanced at him with disdain. No need was written all over her face.


    "You should worry about yourself more. Leave." She retorted.


    Qingyu tsked before he swung his injured body out of the back window. As his foot reached the ground, he moaned in pain. It felt as though his bones were fragmented and his blood could not stop boiling inside his veins. While in her room, he only acted indifferently to keep up his font.Now as he stumbled out, his eyes widened.


    Qingyu stretched his hands out in excitement, feeling a misty barrier around the courtyard. Before he touched it, it seemed to fade into the air as if it was being called back to the owner, fading into nothing. However, Qingyu knew that the barrier he just saw was the reason Hongyue was so calm.


    It seemed like she had everything plotted out the whole time. She had never used her full power to attack him. It was a game.


    She was just playing with him.


    No, she was testing him!


    Despicable!


    If he knew, he wouldn''t have given her his bracelet. As he trod on in pain, his once innocent expression turned darker with each step. It was no longer playful; however, his eyes still gleamed with interest. Shortly, his figure faded away into a dark mist as he walked and his person vanished. Nothing was left, as though he never been there.


    ----------------------


    Qingyu had been right.


    Hongyue had held back considerably. She only desired to test him, so she established an air barrier when she stomped her foot to block any of the explosion from leaking out. Not to mention, most of her power came from within her pearl, so even if she used her full strength, outsiders wouldn''t be able to detect anything since it didn''t change any of the outer environment. She had only designed the whole thing to test him.


    Still, she looked at the jewelry in her hands; her eyes shimmered in joy as she flipped the new toy on her wrist.


    It didn''t matter if Qingyu didn''t tell her everything nor did the alliance matter to her.


    In truth, Hongyue didn''t trust Qingyu.


    Not even a little bit.


    However, she was confident in her powers, and she had an ultimate trump card in her hands if anything advanced out of her plans.


    While she did take back the poison, she never took back her own drop of blood. Sending the attack at Qingyu was only a disguise. The real purpose wasn''t to injure him but to activate a hex on him with her blood drop that was inside him. Nonetheless, the injury served well as a distraction.


    Nevertheless, cheating this weapon from him was also just an extra something she didn''t expect to get. As she cleared her mind, she reached out to her left blue eye and calmly drew a rune in front of it. The rune sank into her eye before her appearance reverted back to the little good for nothing miss of the manor.


    Hongyue grimaced at the crater on the ground. She swiftly marched over and booted the corner of the bed. The bed thumped against the wall, and the quilt slipped down, entirely blanketing the crater. It wouldn''t have been a big deal anyway, after all, she was convinced the person arriving was the doctor or an aide.


    By now the general should be deep into her trap. Nevertheless just in case, like what general said that night: she''ll have to produce contaminated blood to be entirely spared from death. With his degree of distrust, she''ll just have to play along.


    Hongyue sneered.


    That was her specialty.

 44 Isnst She Just A Dead Person?

    The sound of footsteps slowly neared outside the courtyard''s entrance. It halted for a brief moment before entering. As the person moved passed the dead bodies, blood caked the edge of an embroidered pair of shoes and the rims of a light blue robe. The figure carried a wooden medicine box and had his nose covered with a veil to block the stench of death. It was the doctor''s adopted son, Ah Luo.


    Hongyue wrinkled her nose. Was the doctor that afraid of coming back? She gazed at the person coming near her; this was only a mere clueless pawn. It looks like a small trick would do. This was fine as well.


    Hongyue ran out to greet him cheerfully, her eyes bright and innocent.


    "An older brother. What are you doing here?" She called happily.


    Ah Luo didn''t answer her, he really didn''t care to. Ah Luo kept his head down the whole time, avoiding her gaze. In truth if his father didn''t want to come to this cursed yard, why would he? It''s just that the general gave a task to his father and it got pushed on to him. Ah Luo wrinkled his nose as the bloodied girl ran towards him. He indifferently pushed her off and grabbed her hand. He then reached into his father''s medicine box and took out a small knife and porcelain bowl. Hongyue widened her eyes when she saw the gleaming blade.


    "No!"


    Ah Luo didn''t expect the eldest miss to react so forcefully, but he needed to finish his job. His eyes flared with annoyance and reached back for her hand. However each time he grabbed her hand, she would push him away.


    He frowned. This miss was just an idiot yet she was kicking up such a big fuss. He didn''t have the time to play with her.


    Frustrated, he finally reached into the medicine box his father lent him and randomly picked out a small blue porcelain jar. He held it in his hand like it was something valuable and spun it. Hongyue eyed it curiously, her nose picking up on a weird odor that came from the jar. Noticing Hongyue being interested in it, he sneered.


    "If you stay still, then I''ll give you this to play with."


    Hongyue looked dumbly at him, then back at the jar. Slowly she nodded her head. Seeing her agree, Ah Luo jeered and grabbed her hand and handed the jar over. Holding her other wrist, he laid the bowl under her hand and poured in a bit of water. The youngster then carefully cut a thin line on her skin and watched as the red blood slowly dripped into the bowl. After he got the amount he wanted, he took out another tiny porcelain bottle and tapped a bit of whitish powder into the bowl. Ah Luo took out a wooden stick to mix it together. His brows furrowed as he watched the mixture clumped up turning to a dirty gray. His eyes swelled in fright. Although he didn''t know much about medicine, he at least knew the powder detected poisoning. But having this much of a reaction meant her body was highly poisoned. Or maybe her body was poisonous itself.


    D-didn''t that mean she was a dead person? What was the difference between her and the dead?


    He heard a faint mumbling and he nearly dropped his bowl in terror. Ah Luo turned his head around and found Hongyue staring at one of the dead bodies intensely.


    "Y-you...what are you looking at?" He questioned, his voice shaking.


    Hongyue frowned at his question but slowly showed a sweet smile.


    "I was just talking to the older sister over there," She answered cheerfully.


    Ah Luo nearly wanted to urinate in his pants. What the hell was she talking about? That was a dead body. People can''t-


    Ah Luo gasped and stared at her in terror, he wanted to leave as soon as possible. He didn''t dare stay for another minute. Ah Luo picked up the bowl with trembling hands, nearly tripped over the medicine box before gathering everything in his arms and darted out. Ah Luo didn''t dare look back, he felt as an omen of death was near him.


    Hongyue watched him run; her lips bent up in a bewitching arc.


    Her fingers tapped restlessly on the surface of the jar in her hands. That fool really took after his father, being such a coward. Just a little scare and he was already flying out. He hadn''t even treated her shoulder wound.


    She clicked her tongue before she opened the jar and gently took a sniff. Her pupils shrunk as she recognized the smell. While it was slightly different from the one in her world, she could realize that small anywhere.


    Bone eroding poison.


    She didn''t think she would find it here, what a surprise. Hongyue took another sniff.


    There was something else mixed in. Hongyue frowned. She didn''t know whatever it was by scent.


    Hongyue pondered for a bit.


    Consuming poison wouldn''t harm her at this point. After the full moon, she recuperated enough to suppress the two stored poisons within her body with her power. Since she didn''t know what it was, she might as well just consume it; maybe her blood could feel out the different elements. If not, it wouldn''t harm her if she didn''t permit the poison to mix.


    With that in mind, she tipped back her head and allowed the dark pill to enter through her lips.

 45 Royal Pervert & The Annoying Ghos

    Hongyue consumed the pill whole, her tongue peeked out sliding over her lips to savor the distinctive flavor. As expected, she still remembered this taste. It has been so long, yet she can still recall the desperation and resentment from that year. She blinked, shifting away from her stuffy emotions. A cough sounded out from above her. An aristocratic figure descended from the tree, his brown eyes filled with amusement.


    Oh, the stone-faced pervert.


    "Why is it every time this prince comes to visit you, there''s always a dead body?" Jiayi gazed around the whole yard filled with corpses.


    Hongyue glanced at the intruder with no interest and turned back to study one of the dead bodies. Right now she wanted to go back to her room and reorganize some details she missed. Hongyue had already sensed Jiayi arriving right when she ate the pill, but she didn''t care. There was no killing intent on his body, and she was able to handle him this time if he ever makes a move to attack.


    This prince sure has a lot of time on his hands, doesn''t he?


    Hongyue turned back to her chamber unbothered. Jiayi raised his eyebrows at her lack of response.


    Did she know about his arrival already? That''s impossible; he concealed all his scent and traces.


    Jiayi stared around the bloody courtyard but before he opened his mouth again, Hongyue beat him to it, "Since Royal Pervert had taken time to visit me, Hongyue cannot let you be disappointed. Why don''t you go and admire the scenery? This lady has some matters to attend upon first."


    Jiayi froze.


    Royal Pervert?


    Admire the scenery?


    His eyebrows rose, she wants him, a royal prince to be entertained by looking at dead corpses? She was sure presumptuous, still playing stupid in front of him.


    "This lady? You certainly don''t act like one," He mocked.


    "You''re right; I''m not. I''m a vengeful ghost. Did you forget?" Hongyue agreed, blankly.


    Jiayi paused, he didn''t forget.


    Was she being serious or playing with him? Jiayi didn''t believe it. Nonetheless, he also couldn''t see past her disguise to who she really was. Fine, if she claimed to be a ghost, then let her be a ghost. He''ll find out sooner or later. Jiayi sighed helplessly, he was speechless.


    This ghost was sure irritating.


    Having ruined the mood, Jiayi''s eyes floated back to the corpses. The bodies were littered with deep stab wounds, markings of anger.


    "How did you kill them?" Jiayi wondered curiously.


    Hongyue''s ears perked up. She was surprised; she thought the prince might ask ''why did you kill them,'' but it turned out to be a ''how did you kill them.''


    No.


    What was there to be surprised about? Either way, he knew it was her doing.


    Her eyes narrowed, the royal family probably already knew about her situation. They have no lack of information or people. Thinking about it more, they presumably didn''t care about her condition. In all honesty, it would be beneficial if she was abused. After all, this way they could swoop in and console her when she was at her lowest. The little weak miss would then run to the royal family with a heart full of dependence, becoming their little pawn. Was this their intention?


    Hongyue''s gaze darkened and oozed out a bit of killing intent. Seems like she''ll have to pay a visit to the imperial palace sometime as well.


    Jiayi froze. He could sense her killing intent. Why did her mood change?


    Hongyue fixed a fake smile on her face screening her murderous aura, "Royal Pervert must be joking. How could this delicate stupid little miss do anything to those servants?"


    She turned and pointed at the corpses, "See the slash marks, this lady''s father did the slaying, not her."


    Jiayi''s gaze became rigid. Was she playing dumb with him? The general was a careful person, even if the general was reckless, he wouldn''t discard corpses openly like this. This could not be the work of General Wei. However, this Hongyue...although Jiayi didn''t know what a ghost was capable of, he had seen this little girl attract death like crazy. Every time they met, someone always seemed to die.


    "With your ghostlike powers, it wouldn''t be hard to cause these marks," Jiayi retorted.


    "Oh?" Hongyue jeered back with impatience. How laughable.


    "If I claimed to be a ghost, you believe I''m a ghost. If I said the general did it, you don''t believe me? I already told you the truth, if your highness doesn''t believe me, that''s fine. However, as for today, this unknown creature has no time to spare chit-chatting with you," After she spoke, she moved right back into her room. The bone eroding poison was just about to break out its effects soon so Hongyue couldn''t afford to miss it by talking to a pervert. The door slammed loudly in place behind her.


    Jiayi stood outside astonished. He could still hear the ridicule dripping off each word she pronounced. He still had no clue what she was, nor what happened in this courtyard. Jiayi felt his face burned, his ears slowly turning red. He only stopped by to see if her body recovered, why is it, in the end, he got mocked.


    You rude little thing, let me dig up your little mask. Jiayi''s eyes narrowed.


    "Black."


    A shadow guard dropped next to him. His limbs were fast and precise as he bowed to the prince.


    What was the truth? Did the general really do this? Jiayi stared keenly at the closed door, "Find out what occurred today!"


    "Yes, your highness."

 46 Bone Eroding Poison

    Inside the room, Hongyue slid to the ground as she felt her body rage in agony. Her arteries felt like ice was scraping down the walls of the veins. The fierce clenching of her muscles caused sweat to drip down her forehead. Hm, it''s precisely this feeling. She wouldn''t be able to forget it so easily, however...


    Bone-eroding Poison including just a hint of something bitter.


    It was unfamiliar to her.


    Hongyue rocked the empty jar around in her hands while contemplating this question, her mind spinning rapidly. Of the memories she had, she perceived that the doctor wasn''t originally the general''s people. The physician had come along with her mother as dowry because of his talented skills.


    In short, the doctor was essentially a pawn assigned by the tribe in hopes to enhance the relationship with the general. Considering that training and combat in the army ended up in numerous accidental injuries, a nearby healer was meaningful.


    Reflecting on it now, the doctor didn''t directly harm her yet nor did he help her. While he didn''t hurt her, it couldn''t be so unthinkingly applied to her mother. When her mother died, the doctor had requested all the expensive medicines and herbs from her mother''s dowry storehouse. The general had not denied him of this request; in fact, he was eager to hand it over.


    General Wei was not a trusting person, or else Hongyue would never have to assemble such an elaborate plan to deceive him. Was the general being extorted by the doctor? No, with his level of scheming, that father of hers could not be exploited so readily. That being said, the general must have owed the doctor a favor. The doctor must have helped the general played a hand in her mother''s death.


    Hongyue grimaced.


    That night, she only practiced a hypnotic hex that overwhelmed him in a reduced state of awareness. After overhearing the general, Hongyue was more concerned about the poison inside her body more than anything else. She hadn''t thought a mere doctor would play a part with the general in the death of her mother. After the <External Death> had the backlash upon her soul, she could only leave to drive the godly weapon back into submission. Because of that, she missed a significant chance to inquire about the past. Hongyue chewed her lip softly.


    Another miscalculation.


    Even so, from that night, she could determine that the doctor didn''t have a lot of elemental powers himself. What would be his profit? The herbs?


    Hongyue doubted it.


    A doctor was a prized profession, and to heal was a cherished talent. He could live leisurely with the amount of money he would earn if he left. Yet the old man didn''t leave.


    Her mother''s tribe had a special status, so living within the tribe would not have caused the doctor to suffer; instead, he would have life beautifully all set out. So it could not be out of revenge. So the question now is just what did the general have to offer for the doctor to have him help?


    Hongyue felt unsettled.


    She knew the general played a part of killing her mother; however, she didn''t know how her mother died. Although the old Hongyue was an empty dummy from years of being poisoned, the memories she collected were clear. Even so, Hongyue was always kept inside her courtyard, so half of the information in the recollections was from gossiping maids and loudmouthed servants. That being said, she had no memories of her so-called mother nor how her mother died, only rumors to rely on. Now almost touching upon the truth of how her mother had died, Hongyue felt dishearted for the first time.


    Revenge for this matter is a must, but even more importantly, Hongyue needed to get more information. Exactly how did her mother die? It couldn''t just be this bone-eroding poison. Hongyue was certain of it. What was the second drug added in this poison? What was exchanged for the murder?


    When Hongyue drove Concubine Mei into madness, the concubine had mentioned her mother''s death. The general would most likely maintain this secret. So how did Concubine Mei know of it? Did she play a part?


    No.


    The general couldn''t have told her. After all, he abandoned her too quickly.


    That indicated Concubine Mei was a mere pawn to General Wei which also said she could not have been told anything regarding the death of her mother. General Wei was a careful man. Nonetheless, that did not imply Concubine Mei couldn''t use her personal ways of finding out. Just where was the concubine from? Her father was Minster Hui. He had immerse power with his high position. With his word, getting concealed information wouldn''t be difficult.


    Should she spy on Lan''er?


    No.


    Hongyue reminisced about her third sister. If anything, Lan''er took sympathy on her, getting questions wouldn''t be hard. Except, Lan''er was probably not told anything by her mother to keep her safe from the general. Lan''er was yet a child. If she allows the secret to slip, General Wei would most likely kill them both.


    Who else knew?


    Hongyue''s eyes gleamed.


    Actually, there was still another person who might know other than the general.


    The person was right outside.


    With that, Hongyue tossed away the bottle in her hand and whipped open her door.

 47 ChunHuas Visit 1

    Stepping out, Hongyue''s eyes were met with an empty courtyard. The third prince was nowhere to be seen. Did he leave? Without her permission? Was he not entertained by the scenery she set? Hongyue frowned slightly, her mood sank. Oh well, it didn''t matter, people had mouths for a reason. Someone was bound to reveal the past.


    However, a slight streak of black coming from a nearby tree swiftly caught Hongyue''s eyes. She smirked, appears like that stone-faced pervert didn''t leave entirely. The third prince must have arranged a little investigation on the general today and discovered it linked to her. His information collection was undoubtedly fast.


    Impressive.


    Hongyue smiled slyly but didn''t bother to expose the shadow guard observing on her. If he wanted to watch, he had to be ready to stomach it first. She paced unwaveringly on the stone pathway, brutally crushing an arm of a corpse in her way with her foot. The sharp cracking of bones penetrated into the air, yet she bore no emotion on her expression, merely putting an indifferent expression as if everything else was beneath her.


    Black, who was on the tree felt chills almost like freezing fingers were rubbing up against his back. The shadow guard could feel his blood hammering in his ears, and his heart chilled. He had survived through the worst scenes imaginable in the palace''s power conflicts, but he never witnessed something like this; a girl crushing apart someone''s else bones to pieces with no emotion in their eyes.


    He gulped. He was ordered to watch over the eldest miss by the third prince and record anything unusual concerning her. Now, he unquestionably ached to swear.


    Unusual?!!


    The whole person was abnormal. What was normal about her at all?


    He exercised in a long breath and attempted to calm his mind. Although he knew General Wei found Hongyue to possess no elemental influence, Black was still somewhat unsettled. After all, all the surviving servants noticed that Hongyue barely said a few words before General Wei''s went crazed with bloodlust, so there was no way this miss could be simple. Not just that, he overheard the conversation where she declared she was a ghost to the third prince. Even if the third prince didn''t care about spirits, Black did. The shadow guard trained his eyes away.


    Hongyue stooped down and concentrated on braiding the hair of a female corpse composedly, seemingly anticipating someone. Bored, she began to count in her mind: One, Tw-


    "Move it! I''m going to see that stupid wretch!" A shrill voice snarled out.


    Oh~ This second sister of hers was quick.


    "But Second Miss, the general said Eldest Miss was wounded and should not be disturbed," Another voice breathlessly followed.


    "Disturb? My very appearance is gracing that good-for-nothing, she should appreciate me for even coming. How am I disturbing her?!" The first voice snapped back.


    ChunHua was extremely upset. She was awakened up high in spirits believing she would hear the pleasant news of Hongyue''s death. Alternatively, she was delivered a serve warning for harming Hongyue from her father along with the devastating news of the fourth concubine''s death. ChunHua couldn''t accept it. She remembered her father portrayed affectionately to Hongyue but he never actually outrightly prevented anyone if they attempted to bully her. Hongyue was just given an empty title, so what changed this time?


    Fourth Madam was similar to her aunt, someone intelligent and untouchable. Considering the mistress didn''t have any children of her own, she always has taken ChunHua as her own. From a young age, the fourth madam created the appearance of a motherly figure for ChunHua. The second miss sensed her heart dropped before anger took over her mind.


    A mere useless ''normal'' was suddenly gaining favor while her beloved aunt was faced with a tragic end. How could she be willing to believe it? So ChunHua had raced over as promptly as possible to witness it for herself.


    ChunHua hurried through the gate door and stopped abruptly, aghast. The blood drained from her face as she took in the horrifying display. Her fingers quivered.


    "Miss plea-" Following her, the servant ultimately caught up and halted in shock. The old abandoned courtyard was eerily tranquil with lifeless bloodied corpses sowed throughout the yard.


    ChunHua''s legs gave out from the fear and she collasped into her servant. Both of them tumbled to the ground. Hearing the noise, Hongyue raised her head and met ChunHua eye to eye.


    "Second sister!" Hongyue greeted out in a sing-song rhyme. She got up and sought to hug ChunHua. But how could a spoiled second miss ever let a bloody tainted useless waste touch her?


    The second miss came back to her senses and elbowed Hongyue away, "Get off!"


    Hongyue fell to the ground, her body pancaking on top of a corpse. A slight crackle could be heard from the fall as the ribs of the carcass broke under Hongyue''s weight, but Hongyue didn''t seem to notice. Nevertheless, ChunHua''s servant felt dizzy hearing the sound before she suddenly fainted.


    Hongyue tipped her head in question, and uncertainty called out, "Sister?"


    ChunHua despised hearing Hongyue''s innocent voice, "Don''t call me sister! I''m not the sibling of a worthless trash like you."

 48 ChunHuas Visit 2

    Hongyue put on a dismayed expression before she attempted to cling on to ChunHua again. ChunHua struck her hard across the face. Hongyue''s eyes flashed. Even if she was willing to play in character, she wasn''t willing to be treated like this. She sneered before she fixed on a distressed look. Her hands clutched her injured cheek and tears whelmed up.


    "T-then why did you come here?" Hongyue stammered.


    ChunHua hmphed loudly, trying to cover up her earlier coward-like display. She leaned in and seized hold of Hongyue''s hair, "You despicable spawn! What did you do to father?! Why would he want to help you when he never did?"


    Hongyue struggled to yank her hair back, "I-I didn''t do anything. Father always adored me. What are you saying?"


    ChunHua let go with a grim smile on her face, "Always? You must be stupid to believe that. Oh, wait you are," She threw back her head and giggled loudly in Hongyue''s face.


    Hongyue stood up unhappily, "Second Sister is the stupid one. If father didn''t love me, would he kill all these servants who bullied me just because I said so?"


    ChunHua stopped, she had overheard about this from gossiping maids, but she hadn''t taken it to heart. All she knew was that her father had killed a lot of people including the fourth concubine. For what reason? ChunHua did not know all that clearly. Her father never said anything, but some of the servants that witnessed the killing claimed it was because Hongyue asked him to. Now glimpsing around, ChunHua knew the general wasn''t the type to randomly murder people so there could be some truth in Hongyue''s words. However, the general also never indulged Hongyue like this before.


    "You..." ChunHua trailed off; she couldn''t repute Hongyue''s words.


    Hongyue rubbed her teary eyes in annoyance. She wasn''t actually crying; instead, she was drawing out the moisture from the air to fall upon her cheeks as if they were tears. Hongyue had never once produced a single teardrop in her time here within the manor. All of it was acting. Even though it was effortless, it was getting tiresome to spend her energy on this lowly idiot.


    This second sister of hers was really wasting her time. Hongyue''s eyes gleamed before she asked quietly, "Are you here to see Fourth Madam?"


    ChunHua slapped Hongyue again in anger, "You are not allowed to speak of her! You were the one who killed her!"


    Ah~ How annoying.


    Hongyue felt her cheeks burn in pain. Initially, she was going to play nicely, but her mood was already poor with the third prince leaving without providing her with the information she needed. Now that she was yelled at along with being slapped twice, Hongyue was irritated.


    "Not true. YOU killed her!" Hongyue retorted.


    ChunHua stood dumbfounded from her words before she gained her voice again, "Nonsense! You were the reason why she died!"


    Hongyue walked past her and paused in front of the body of the fourth madam. Hongyue gently patted the hair of the dead concubine before she turned to ChunHua.


    "Hongyue isn''t speaking nonsense. Father was the one who stabbed her to death, but you were the one who caused her to die," Hongyue spoke calmly.


    ChunHua refused to admit it, "You were...the one..."


    Hongyue straightened her back, her eyes staring sharply at ChunHua.


    "Everyone knows how much father loves me yet Second Sister still tried to poison me. Since the poison came from the fourth madam, father killed her," Hongyue watched ChunHua''s face, "But since I survived, Father let you off because he knows you''re just a simple pawn."


    ChunHua''s brain froze hearing Hongyue speak so cruelly but not only that, it felt uncanny, "Y-you''re lying!"


    Hongyue sighed, "You, you, you. No wonder the fourth madam died. You''re always blaming others. Tell me, are you here to at least apologize to her for killing her?"


    ChunHua seemed to blank out. What was Hongyue saying? Why did Hongyue''s attitude suddenly change? Who was this? She quickly felt scared of Hongyue''s sudden transformation.


    Hongyue turned back to the corpse, her finger tracing the cheek, "Fourth Madam, ChunHua is here to see you. It''s too bad she doesn''t care you died in her place. So unfilial."


    "Y-you! Don''t speak nonsense!" ChunHua choked out, her voice quaking with fear.


    Nearby the shadow guard was more than creeped out. He wouldn''t doubt it if Hongyue could speak with the dead. After all, that girl was a ghost herself, or so he believed.


    Hongyue raised her eyebrow, "If you think it''s nonsense, why don''t you come here and apologize to her."


    "A-apologize? Why should I? She was the one who had the poison and told me to poison you. Now that she died why should I apologize?" ChunHua quickly objected.


    Hongyue hid a sneer. This second sister of her changed sides fast and conveniently ¡ª what a pretentious heart.


    "No? The Fourth Concubine had no children of her own so she wouldn''t have any need to struggle for power. By killing me, you, my second sister would be at an advantage. Now that she died, you want to terminate ties this quickly? You''re quite heartless."


    "My...my fault...It was all..my fault..she died...", ChunHua''s former arrogance cracked as she appeared to break under the pressure of Hongyue''s words. Hongyue observed with delight at ChunHua''s misery. The second miss tried to breathe, but the air was so stifling around her. She didn''t want to see the appearance of her beloved dead aunt, it was unbearable knowing it was her fault, but she managed to take a glance.


    As her eyes met the lifeless ones of her aunt, she shrieked.

 49 ChunHuas Visit 3

    "What are you screaming so loudly for?" Hongyue mocked, her eyes filled with amusement for this wretched sister of hers. Where was that imposing miss who tried to murder her the other day? Where was that prideful villain who wanted her to perish like her mother?


    ChunHua pitched forward and managed to steady herself, her breathing was erratic, and her heart was pounding like crazy. The second miss was convinced that just in that instant she had seen the fourth madam blink, but the dead were the dead. How can they move? With that continuously repeated in her heart, ChunHua tried not to panic.


    Hongyue scoffed at her stepsister''s effort to keep her composure. How could she not know what ChunHua was thinking? Hongyue wasn''t just touching the body for no reason; she had already formed her magic arrays on it and anticipated for this second sister to trigger her hexes. Hongyue advanced closer and waved her palm in front of ChunHua, "Second Sister you don''t look well, are you okay?"


    But how can ChunHua say that she thought a dead person blink at her?


    "Shut up! I''m fine," ChunHua''s heart was agitated that her vulnerable appearance was seen by this no good idiot.


    "Did you scream because you got frightened of her face? That''s cruel. She loved you as a daughter, how can you treat her like that? She''ll be very disappointed if she saw you like this," Hongyue swayed her head as she expressed thoughtfully.


    ChunHua froze, moderately shifting her eyes back to the lifeless ones. The dead madam''s eyes were still open so that it could be reasonable her aunt witnessed her every move. ChunHua felt paranoid as she stood paralyzed due to fear. The longer she stared, the stronger she felt like the deceased madam was watching her. The right eye appeared to twitch, and ChunHua screeched out of terror and clung on to Hongyue. However, Hongyue forced her off. However, ChunHua was so submerged in despair; she didn''t seem to notice her eldest sister''s ominous behavior.


    The second miss stood distant and stressed; her arms clutching around her body. Her breathing became more frantic, and she coughed despairingly for fresh air, but all she could taste was blood and guilt.


    "No. I''m not wrong. Don''t blame me. I didn''t kill anyone," ChunHua''s thoughts became more frantic as she panicked.


    "Hush, you might wake up the dead," Hongyue informed her as she aimlessly glanced back at the tree where the shadow spy was.


    ChunHua felt so terrified at the moment, hearing Hongyue''s words set her off. The second miss forced her dry lips to chant out a spell, and suddenly the whole ground stirred, and the earth around the fourth madam''s body opened up and swallowed it up. The body was carefully buried underneath. ChunHua sighed in relief, but Hongyue only stared at her in disdain. That afraid? It seems like this second sister is guilty of something else being this nervous.


    Feeling more reassured, Chunhua started giggling at herself for being remarkably foolish for believing the deceased was watching her.


    "Don''t laugh. It''ll wake up the dead," Hongyue whispered, her left eye slowly changing color.


    Due to ChunHua''s anxiety, she didn''t even seem to notice Hongyue''s change in appearance. Hongyue reached up and tenderly patted ChunHua''s cheek as she watched ChunHua''s anxiety grow.


    "W-wake...the...dead?" The poor second miss couldn''t even articulate clearly before the spot where the fourth madam was just buried shook. A fist stretched up and waved frantically in the air. A face emerged from the ground; a startling fourth madam appeared calmly as if she was merely taking an afternoon walk. Her face was slightly rosy just like she was when she was still alive, however, the red stab wound was still there on her chest. ChunHua gasped in fright and grabbed on to Hongyue.


    "Looks like you already did," Hongyue murmured before she retreated away, her eyes concentrated on the shadow guard. Black stiffened, his eyes met hers, and he quaked in fear. When did she notice him? What did she want?


    He ached to retreat back to the third prince. This ought to be enough to regard Hongyue as abnormal. Noticing him in terror, Hongyue let out a sweet smile before she shoved the second miss forward. The terrified girl nearly collapsed on the spot and let out another scream.


    Hongyue grimaced, displeased, "Why so frightened? It''s the Fourth Madam. Weren''t you upset when she died? Now she''s alive. Aren''t you happy?"


    The body of the fourth madam stepped forward and reached out for ChunHua. Black hurried forward, wanting to protect the poor girl when he felt his feet stuck in place. His body couldn''t move an inch, and he couldn''t make a sound. Hongyue''s profile appeared in front of him, and Black felt his toes being trodden on, the pressure gradually increasing as Hongyue exerted more strength.


    "Prince Pervert only ordered you to watch me right? Then watch. I''m putting on this play just for you. Nevertheless, if you get antsy and ruin it, I''ll crush your foot. I don''t have to tell you how, right? I''m certain you already witnessed my skills."

 50 ChunHuas Visit 4

    Black felt his blood run cold upon hearing Hongyue''s words. He immediately nodded and watched as Hongyue smiled, her eyes however still flared dangerously. Much too dangerous, Black thought. He didn''t want to stay here any longer; however, he wasn''t able to move his feet at all. He exerted his strength to no avail; it was like his limbs were dead weights. Black stared at Hongyue dismayed. What spell did she use? How was it this powerful?


    Hongyue, however, paid him no attention. Her eyes were concentrated on ChunHua who was running awkwardly on her feet. The corpse of the fourth madam chased closely behind. Hongyue scowled, she wasn''t going to perform a ''chase and catch game.'' It would be a waste of her energy and time. Hongyue twirled her fingers, and the corpse abruptly rushed forth, its speed enhanced dramatically.


    ChunHua, on the other hand, was quite out of breath. Her mind was loaded with questions. Why?! Why wasn''t Fourth Madam dead? Was it a ghost? But how was that possible? ChunHua narrowed her eyes. Could it be someone in disguise deliberately scaring her? Within minutes, ChunHua no longer had the time to think nor the energy to yell out for help. Her elemental power was based on earth: a more defensive ability and because of that, ChunHua wasn''t at all used to scrambling around this much. Finally, approaching her limit, she spun around, standing her ground.


    Quickly chanting out a spell, she manipulated nearby stones to reshape into sharp darts and launched them directly at the corpse. The stones stuck into the flesh of the body, but it did nothing to hinder it. ChunHua paled. It actually was a dead body?!! This was REAL?! How was this possible?! What should she do? ChunHua swayed, her mind slowly breaking. She didn''t want to die.


    "Fourth Aunt, please spare me..please. I-I didn''t intend to kill you..spare me," ChunHua quickly changed to plead, her eyes flowing with tears.


    The body proceeded to move forth.


    "I-it''s me, ChunHua. Mother was the one who told met-," ChunHua stopped short as the body stopped in place. Believing the dead fourth madam stopped because of what she said, ChunHua was fueled with hope and quickly started spilling out the truth for her life. She inched up closer to the dead body and slammed her head down in the dirt in pleading. Fourth Aunt always forgave her as long as she apologized, it wouldn''t be any different even if she died, ChunHua thought.


    "It was Mother....all Mother. I was worried that you might get in trouble, but it''s Mother who insisted that I continued on with the plan. She said it didn''t matter if you died or not because you adore me. Fourth Aunt, you still love me right? You can''t bear to kill me right? If you love me, you should forgive me. Just forgive me this one time, I''ll burn ghost money for you so that you can rest in peace. O-okay?" ChunHua''s voice shook the entire time, her head on the ground in hope,so she missed the flash in Hongyue''s eyes.


    ''If you love me, you should forgive me.'' The words uttered by ChunHua echoed in Hongyue''s heart. Her hands curled up firmly, her nails digging into her skin. Hongyue laughed out bitterly, her voice cutting through the air.


    ChunHua looked around wildly, her eyes finally landing on Hongyue. Hongyue stood there calmly, indifferent. It was almost like Hongyue was above the world, and nothing else mattered. Did that trash do this? No, if she could do this, how could she be trash?


    "Y-you''re not trash?" ChunHua choked out.


    Hongyue didn''t acknowledge her, but it was rather clear it didn''t need to be explained. Instead, Hongyue came closer to ChunHua and for the first time, ChunHua felt fear striking into her soul. She could see the left peculiar dark blue eye that gleamed brightly along with a bloodthirsty black eye watching back at her. This can''t be Hongyue! Who was this?! How did Hongyue get someone to look so much like her? ChunHua backed away in doubt; her appearance looked nothing like the overbearing second miss.


    "W-who are you? What are you going to do?"


    Hongyue paused, seemingly brooding over ChunHua''s question, "What am I going to do?"


    ChunHua tried to lick her dry lips as she spoke, "You won''t gain anything from killing me."


    "Oh, who says I''m not going to gain anything?" Hongyue leaned closer, "Was it fun? Plotting and waiting for me to die? Slapping me whenever you felt like it? Didn''t you have fun? Why can''t I do the same now?"


    ChunHua couldn''t answer at all. Her voice was stuck in her throat. Her mind shook from the shock. It really was Hongyue? Hongyue could control the dead? How?! Could it be that Hongyue was killed already? Was the person in front of her a ghost as well?


    "G-ghost?"


    Hongyue paused before she played along, "Oh~ You figured it out. This eldest sister was so lonely in hell that I wanted a playmate. So I came back to find you."


    "P-playmate? I don''t want to be your playmate! Let me go! I''m sorry! I didn''t mean to kill you. Forgive me!"


    Hongyue sneered, "Forgive? Didn''t mean to? You killed me, and you want me to forgive you? How should I do so? Why don''t I kill you as well and we''ll both be even?"


    ChunHua''s eyes widened in fear, and she pulled off pieces of her jewelry, "No! Please no! I''ll give you anything. T-this hair stick...this earring too. I''ll give it all to you."


    A cruel smile spread on Hongyue''s face, "How about your life then?"


    ChunHua froze, and Hongyue''s feet slammed into ChunHua''s windpipe, "You know, I was wondering what was so amazing about you that gave you the arrogance to treat me however you liked," Hongyue studied ChunHua''s paling face, "But I don''t see anything at all. So why is it? Is it because you have elemental powers? It''s useless when you don''t have your voice to cast spells, right? Why don''t you show me the proud Second Miss again? Where did she go?"

 51 Strings To A Puppet 1

    ChunHua''s eyes jolted in fear, her fingers curled around Hongyue''s foot trying to dispel the pressure on her throat. However, that made Hongyue leaned forward and rammed down even harder. ChunHua, who was out of air seemed to have accepted her fate and stopped fighting. She welcomed her head becoming faint before Hongyue finally let her go skillfully retracting her leg. Hongyue gazed down at the unsteady miss with contempt.


    Want to die? That easily? Hongyue sneered.


    Hongyue stretched out and hauled ChunHua up by her hair, her eyes gleaming.


    "Death seems too easy for you. Why don''t we arrange something else?" Hongyue taunted.


    ChunHua''s mind gradually cleared as she listened to Hongyue''s words, her eyes overflowed with horror. Did Hongyue intend for her to not even die peacefully? Nevertheless, she succeeded to croak her final threat out of her aching throat praying to stop Hongyue''s killing intent.


    "My mother won''t let you go! She''ll never forgive you!"


    Hearing this, Hongyue stomped down on ChunHua''s hand. She deliberately increased the pressure as she spoke, "Oh~ When did this miss ever needed her approval to do what I want? Your mother won''t have the time to worry about you. She''ll be too busy worrying about herself."


    ChunHua''s eyes widened, "W-what do you mean?!! Don''t you be too insolent! The gods will never forgive you!"


    Hongyue paused, her mouth curling up. The gods will never forgive her? How absurd, she hadn''t forgiven them for all her suffering, yet the gods dare interfere with her business?


    "Oh, but do I care?" Hongyue declared cheerfully.


    The sentence seemed to linger in the air, piercing in the ears of both Black and ChunHua. The second miss trembled before she attempted to collect herself together. What else could she say? The sister before her feared nothing.


    As long as she didn''t have to die, then she''ll be willing to do anything. ChunHua bowed her head weakly before she asked shakily, "What do you want to do then?"


    Hongyue''s eyes shone dangerously as her hand reached out for ChunHua''s neck.


    ---------------------------------------


    During the quiet night, footsteps hurriedly entered inside a lavish courtyard; ChunHua sat propped up in her bed weakly. A luxurious red blanket covered her body, and her throat was encased in a bandage. Perspiration dripped down her forehead, and the nearby lamp revealed her haggard state. Attendants rushed back and fro, attempting to care for their injured miss. Footsteps sounded busily through the room, but it did nothing to calm ChunHua''s heart. Curling and uncurling her toes, ChunHua tried to smile at the woman who was quietly wiping her forehead.


    "Mother," ChunHua softly called out.


    The second concubine looked at ChunHua but didn''t respond. Instead, she dipped a piece of damp rag back into a wooden tub of water and twisted the water out. The concubine appeared to be rooted in thought as she moved her hands. The lamp reflected her troubled expression as she thought about the general.


    "Mother," ChunHua called out again.


    Finally, the concubine sighed and carefully wiped ChunHua''s face. She pushed the stray pieces of hair away from her daughter''s face and gently stroked ChunHua''s cheeks. Her loving eyes reflected a worn out ChunHua.


    "How did you get into this state?" The concubine finally asked.


    ChunHua hesitated, her eyes settled on a thin silver thread that dangled in front her eyes. She knew one end of the thread was tied tightly about her neck while the other end led to the person holding her life in their hands. Her voice quivered as she lied, "This daughter messed up during her magic lessons."


    Magic lessons often ended up in injuries so the second madam didn''t think too much of it, however second madam happened to mistake ChunHua''s distress for grief, "Is that so? Are you still upset about your aunt''s death? I told you not to worry about it."


    ChunHua glanced away and did not respond. She stared blankly at the thin thread, her mind complicated. Seeing her daughter like this, the second concubine sighed and put away the tub of water. She sat down close to her daughter.


    "Tell mother what you''re so worried about," The second madam murmured, her hand gently stroking ChunHua''s hair.


    ChunHua turned back to face her mother, but she couldn''t speak out the words she really yearned to. If she even uttered one word out of term, she knew the thread would be drawn, and her head would roll off before she could even scream. ChunHua tilted her head downwards so her mother wouldn''t be able to see her fear.


    "Are you sure the poison will work?" She finally choked out.


    The second madam instantly furrowed her eyebrows in displeasure, "Didn''t I tell you not to worry about it?!"


    ChunHua stared dumbfounded at her mother''s anger, "Fourth Au-"


    A resounding slap cut her short. The second concubine huffed in anger, "Fourth Aunt this, Fourth Aunt that! I''m your real mother! She''s already dead!"


    "B-butMother, Hongy-"


    The concubine sighed, her hand rubbed at her temples in irritation, "Mother has her way to make that brat die, so you needn''t worry about it. Worry about your father more."


    ChunHua looked confused, "Father? But doesn''t father always trust you?"


    The second madam chewed her bottom lip, her eyes flickering unease, "It''s because he''s busy with military affairs recently...never mind that. Go to sleep."


    The concubine gently pushed ChunHua down onto the bed and arranged the blanket over ChunHua''s head. She blew out the candle and stepped out the door. The servants quickly came forward and lightly locked the doors. The room grew peaceful once again, however, ChunHua couldn''t help feeling bitter inside her heart. Her hand reached up and touched her burning cheek, her eyes filled with unwillingness.

 52 Strings To A Puppet 2

    Nearby, Hongyue sat relaxed with her legs swaying off the roof. She breathed in the fresh night air as she monitored the commotion down below.


    She sighed.


    While she had a lot of power, she shouldn''t tread so hastily. Tomorrow that shitty father of hers would surely try to find his missing head guard. While a dead head guard was simple to cover up with, a spoiled second miss was not. However, since the stupid girl delivered herself in her hands, why not make use of her? After all, this second sister could get into places Hongyue herself couldn''t.


    Since everyone deemed this eldest miss was easy to pass around with, shouldn''t she join just as full-heartedly? She was just warming up as well.


    A mocking smile hung on Hongyue''s lips.


    Of course, in order to keep ChunHua under her control, Hongyue placed a special collar on ChunHua. The thread was made carefully with water plus three different types of hexes consolidated. It was a standard tool in her past life used in blood contracts to keep slaves in check. In truth, it didn''t necessarily require blood. In fact, if the target was willing or weak enough, the contract could be completed. Since Hongyue wasn''t certain if all her hexes could work in this body, she purposefully forced ChunHua to breakdown before she initiated the contract. Without the use of blood, Hongyue could control ChunHua and wouldn''t receive any backlash if ChunHua did choose to resist against her orders.


    As for Black, she unfroze him and sent him back with a ''special'' message to report back to the third prince.


    Her eyes narrowed playfully as she waited for the second concubine to leave the residence. However, her body stiffened when she suddenly sensed something outrageously wrong within her bloodstream. Hongyue immediately bit her finger and watched a bead of blood peeking through the wound. With her bleeding fingertip, she drew a bloody rune on her flesh. In the dark, the pale skin contrasted greatly with the dark blood. The blood rune settled into the body before she felt herself calming. She''ll have to check her blood once she got back to her courtyard.


    As for now¡ª


    Hongyue gently lifted her finger to her nose and sniffed it. There was a sharp yet sweet scent that transmitted from the wound. It was the fragrance of the unfamiliar drug that was incorporated in with the Bone Eroding Poison she ate. Hongyue furrowed her brows. She slid off the roof and descended lightly on the soft grass, her robes rustled softly with the breeze. The breeze carried a slight calming scent of grass to Hongyue, who wrinkled her nose being that she caught the smell of something else. Was it the second concubine''s perfume? Strange.


    She sighed before she turned her head and cracked the door to ChunHua''s room. Hongyue calmly walked in, her footsteps reverberated softly, heading closer to the bed where the ChunHua was resting. Hearing the steps, ChunHua immediately sat up, her eyes red with fear as she faced Hongyue''s glowing eyes.


    "Why is Eldest Sister here? This younger sister did everything as you ordered," ChunHua tried to keep her voice calm as she inquired.


    Hongyue smiled but she didn''t respond, her fingers gently wounding a silver thread tightly. On ChunHua''s neck, a faint red line swiftly appeared underneath the bandages as the thread squeezed around her neck. A bead of blood rolled down the pale skin and dyed a single red drop on ChunHua''s blanket. ChunHua looked at the sheet with disbelief. She hadn''t even felt anything yet the thread already cut through a thin layer of skin. What was that thread made of? Didn''t Hongyue say she''ll let her live? ChunHua widened her eyes and looked at Hongyue.


    "Y-you said-" ChunHua started.


    Hongyue gazed up, her eyes emotionless as she cut ChunHua short, "I said a lot of things."


    ChunHua panicked before she quickly adjusted her tone of voice and implored, "I can get the information you want. I can be your spy-"


    Another slight tug of the thread and two new drops of red added to her blanket quickly shut ChunHua up. The second miss stayed quiet; her heart filled with unease as she waited for Hongyue to speak. Hongyue finally spoke, her voice piercing the air like blades.


    "Be a spy? Do you think you''ll be useful? I think you''re mistaken. You''re already my puppet," Hongyue paused before continued, "However, if the puppet is disobedient or too noisy, I''ll send it to be with your fourth aunt."


    Hearing Hongyue''s threat, ChunHua quickly nodded. Seeing ChunHua agree, Hongyue sat down lazily on a chair near the bedside. She waved her hand dismissively as she crossed her legs.


    "Dismiss your servants," She ordered.


    ChunHua swallowed hard before she called for them to leave. There were only two female servants in the back room grinding medicine, so it wasn''t long before the only ones in the place were just Hongyue and ChunHua.


    ChunHua glimpsed up, "W-what are eldest sister''s orders?"


    However, Hongyue ignored ChunHua, she got up and walked over to the bowl of medicine the female servants had made. A faint aroma invaded her nose, provoking her instincts. ChunHua, seeing Hongyue seemingly interested in the medicine quickly introduced it.


    "Eldest sister, this is Chilled Breath. It''s a tonic made from a special herb grown high in the mountains. If the mind or body is overworked, this tonic can calm you down. Mother brought it over," ChunHua explained thoroughly.


    Hongyue stared at the medicine. It had a similar scent to the one she detected on the second concubine''s body. She dipped her finger in the green tonic and rubbed it between her fingers. Suddenly Hongyue''s pupils constricted, her left eye glowed a strange aqua blue.


    ChunHua was startled upon seeing Hongyue''s eye alteration and promptly offered, "Sister, this is a high-level medication. Do you want it?"


    Hongyue inclined her head.


    Ha. Who knew tonight''s trip was worth it. She looked back at the bowl. Inside the bowl, the tonic smelled like bitter; however, once it encountered her fingertip where the wound was, the whole fragrance changed.


    No. Not just the aroma, the entire property as well. The color was slowly turning pitch black.The new scent was accurately like the smell of the Bone-Eroding poison she ate. Within her body, she had allowed the poison to flowed freely to study any strange effects. Since the change transpired because the tonic touched her blood, this meant the tonic reacted with the poison. Hongyue narrowed her eyes; the drug she was looking for was this tonic. Since this drug came from the second concubine¡ª


    This second madam needs to be looked at a little more deeply, doesn''t she?

 53 Uncovering The Pas

    Hongyue turned to ChunHua. How much did this cunning woman''s daughter know? Hongyue raised the bowl and pressed it to her lips while watching ChunHua intensely, slowly testing her, "Such a precious tonic, you''re willing to part?"


    ChunHua seemed unwilling. This tonic was made of a hard-to-get herb, but ChunHua still expressed sweetly hoping to gain Hongyue''s favor, "If elder sister likes it, this younger sister is willing."


    Seeing ChunHua''s unwillingness, Hongyue frowned. She set the bowl back down and dipped the end of her sleeve into the tonic. ChunHua watched on with confusion, but she didn''t dare say a word. Hongyue gazed at her damp shelve with satisfaction before turning to ChunHua. With a slight twist of Hongyue''s fingers, the thread contracted, and ChunHua almost lost her breath.


    Hongyue smiled sweetly, "This elder sister will take her leave, little sister knows what to do right?"


    ChunHua nodded, frantically praying Hongyue would leave quickly. She didn''t want to spend another minute with this demonic ghost.


    Hongyue sneered upon seeing ChunHua''s nod. This second sister of hers still believed that her older sister was a ghost who came from the dead for revenge. Hongyue didn''t bother to explain the truth nor did she care to. But since Hongyue didn''t want to give out her identity, a ghost was not bad to take as a fake identity. She made two large strides in the direction of the night before she disappeared into the blackness. ChunHua slumped into her bed, her hands gripping her blankets as she felt chills on her spine.


    -------------------------------


    In her dilapidated room, Hongyue removed her outer garment and stared at the dark green stain on the fabric. She soaked the end of the fabric into a shallow tub of water. Observing as the tub of water moderately turn green as the tonic left the cloth. Just as she was about to lower her hand into the liquid, Hongyue paused. Hongyue raised her injured finger and gave it a quick squeeze. With the additional pressure, the finger began to bleed again. Hovering her finger over the tub, she watched the poisonous blood dripped into the tub. As the blood entered the murky green water surface, it sizzled lightly before leaving a thick black residue floating about.


    Hongyue frowned.


    She laid her palm on her arm and carefully extracted the poison from her body by driving in her power into her veins. Her body radiated a light azure aura before a black substance oozed out of the injury from her finger into the water. As soon as it touched the water, there was a small hiss before the entire tub of water became pitch black. Hongyue pondered for a bit before she released two more drops of blood into the tub. The room filled with a fierce sizzle and released a faint odor of decay.


    Hongyue paused before she repeated the procedure over. This time, Hongyue seemed to realize what was occurring.


    Within her body, the essence of her soul was constantly circulating through her body and dominating over <Eternal Death>. While it was actively forcing down the godly weapon, it also shielded her from any dangerous substance by keeping her blood in a protective aura. Although faint, it was there.


    Because she was subconsciously protecting herself, Hongyue wasn''t all that affected by the poison. However, now that she intentionally withdrew her aura, it could be perceived that if it had actually merged with her blood, it would have been fatal. Hongyue already had to keep control over <Eternal Death> and the southern poison from the fourth madam inside her body. If this Bone-Eroding poison left her control...


    Hongyue wrinkled her eyebrows. She was too careless. A flash of self-blame reflected in her eyes. This error could have taken her life. She grew too reliant on her powers again. Hongyue bit her lip hard.


    She dipped her forefinger into the water and swirled it around. The thick substance clung on to her finger, and her blood quickly disappeared before being replaced by unusual dark grey residue.


    In short, her blood was being eaten up.


    Hongyue''s eyes contracted before she let out a bitter sigh.


    That mother of her body was likely poisoned by this. After all her mother had a particular type of blood that annulled any incoming magical attack. To a general that was distrustful and cautious, she was a threat to his authority. How would a general win over a woman with the power to cancel out his power?


    ¡ªby clearing her body of the blood.


    The tonic seemed to have changed the properties of the poison, so instead of eating away the bones, it would eat away the blood as it progressed within the vessels. The victim would decline in a slow death, shriveling up from the lack of blood. It was a brutal and pathetic way to die, helplessly attempting to supplement your body only to find it still deteriorated day to day.


    Perfect for taking down a person with a physique whose bloodline could cancel out your spells.

 54 Calling Out Mother

    Just as the first ray of light reached its peak in the sky, a noisy chatter broke out into the hazy atmosphere. The general had assigned over a group of new workers to Hongyue''s courtyard to remove the dead bodies and clean up the residence. Since they were new workers, they had not known what occurred the day before. Most of them came from lower families. Furthermore, most of the workers heard about gossip surrounding the good-for-nothing miss. So naturally, they held no respect nor restraint as they denigrate the eldest miss.


    "Tsk, she''s not only useless. She''s also bad luck. We were supposed to help with the celebration, but because of her, we''re stuck with cleaning up dead bodies!" A servant grumbled.


    "Why does the general even keep her here? He''s too kind to a useless ''normal.'' There''s no point of being a good father for an idiot who doesn''t understand his generosity, " Another servant added.


    An older servant solidified in place in horror and looked over at the closed door. He had overheard rumors about what happened, so he was scared upon hearing the newer servants speak so unrestrainedly.


    He quickly rushed over and stopped in front of them, "Hush, don''t let her hear you!"


    "Why? Are you scared of trash? She doesn''t even have power like us. We can easily kill her," Someone called out mockingly.


    The older one jolted in fear, "You don''t understand. The general was the one killed all these servants all because she said so."


    Hearing this, the younger servants froze and quickly proceeded to move the corpses. No one spoke for a while until one of them brought up the subject of the upcoming celebration the general was preparing for the evening.


    Inside the room, Hongyue lazily folded and unfolded her metal fan as she listened to the loud conversation. From snippets and pieces, she was able to understand that there appeared to be a massive scale celebration happening this evening and she, the good-for-nothing miss was not invited to attend. Hongyue listened with interest, her lips curling up.


    After checking her body thoroughly last night, Hongyue found that the godly weapon appeared to be becoming stronger in terms of resisting her soul essence. She eyed the murky black liquid in the tub sitting across the room. With numerous issues at hand, Hongyue wanted to find a way to subdue <Eternal Death> until her next full moon transformation. She couldn''t tolerate any more possible miscalculations. She''ll have to meet up with that herb seller to do a little more research.


    As for now what to do with the Blood Eroding poison? Hongyue frowned. She couldn''t possibly leave it in her room. Moreover, it would be a waste of such a sophisticated poison. Hongyue snapped the fan shut and compressed it back into a bracelet before sliding it back onto her wrist.


    If her memory served her correctly, there was a piece of jewelry that was hidden by her mother. Although the jewelry served as a prestige token, no one bothered to steal the first madam''s procession after her death.


    Hongyue walked across the room and rapped her fingers on the wall.


    A hollow reverberation sounded.


    Hongyue grinned and pressed her palm on the wooden surface. The wood around her palm reduced in size as it was drained out of any moisture. She removed her hand and patted the dried up surface. The small area of wood gave way and collapsed into brittle slabs. As it fell away, a black onyx hair stick was revealed.


    The hair ornament was smooth without imperfection. At the end of the hair stick, there was a fiery black dragon. Hongyue touched the craved claws of the dragon, her eyes showing a bit of pity for the first time.


    "I don''t know you nor do you know me but since I''ve taken on the name Hongyue, I''ll avenge your death," Hongyue hesitated for a moment, "Mother."


    Hongyue''s heart shook after she spoke.


    Mother was a word she was only able to say once in her past life, and it was never uttered again. Who would have thought she would have the chance in this life in such a messed up situation? She sighed bitterly, her eyes revealed an anguished heartbroken child before it converted back to her usual piercing eyes. Her mind went back to the words the human Hongyue had told her.


    ''Live Well.''


    Hongyue shook her head, "Too naive. If you knew the truth about your mother''s death, would you still be willing to forgive them?"


    The lingering question hung in the air as she took a seat at her dresser. Hongyue tenderly pressed her lips on a tinted red paper and rubbed a bit of scented oil on her skin. With her fingers, she swiftly weaved her hair up into a bun. Hongyue smirked, she was planning to drop by the banquet after her visit to the old herb seller. After all, if the general had time to enjoy himself with a party, he must be happy.


    And if he''s happy, Hongyue was not.


    Returning to the shallow tub of poison, Hongyue fumbled with her fingers casting out a hex. The black substance formed into a shape of a hair stick identical to the first madam''s. Hongyue paused before she planted a magic array on it and slid it in her hair. Seeing there was leftover poison, Hongyue used it to generate a matching bracelet. She slipped on the newly formed poisonous bracelet. It clanged loudly when it settled neatly along with the metal bracelet she got from Qingyu.


    She took one final glimpse around the room before she departed the courtyard, missing a familiar pair of pitch black eyes that observed her in the dark.

 55 Elder Bingwen, Master Of Arts

    Qingyu stood still for a bit before leaving himself, his brows creased while frowning.


    *********


    Meanwhile, Hongyue seated herself at a busy teahouse. Her eyes glanced patiently out the window, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the wooden table. The bustling streets were filled with people and stalls to make business yet not one was the person she was looking for. Hongyue sighed and was about to leave when a voice called out to her.


    "Miss."


    Hearing the familiar voice, Hongyue looked up and stared at the elder in front of her. Just the person she was looking for. A light smile spread on her face.


    "We meet again," She greeted politely.


    The herb seller stared at her relaxed state. Shouldn''t she be more surprised? Or was she waiting for him? If she was...interesting. His wandering eyes settled on her black hair stick, and his eyes widened. Wasn''t this the symbol that belonged to the particular legendary tribe? His eyes narrowed. He knew the daughter from the chief had married to General Wei. If that''s the case, then this miss was...


    "May I ask who this respected miss is...?" The herb seller asked.


    Hongyue smiled. She had observed his facial expression. She tilted her head forward and spoke straightforwardly, "It seems like you already recognized me. Is there a need to ask?"


    The herb seller looked surprised at her response, "This lowly one simply wanted to confirm it."


    Hongyue laughed as if she heard a joke. The person in front of her was not of low status like he portrayed. His power wasn''t weak as well.


    "Lowly? This doesn''t seem to fit you," Hongyue mused.


    The herb seller paused, "Oh?"


    Hongyue tapped her finger restlessly as she spoke, "This miss has to attend a banquet later so let''s both put away any pretense. You''re not some lowly herb seller nor are you weak. Seeing that you''re here, you must have thought about my proposal, am I correct?"


    The seller laughed, "Really not simple. That is correct."


    Hongyue nodded, "This miss is the eldest miss of the Wei family."


    The herb seller looked astonished but quickly replied, "This one is called Bingwen."


    Bingwen, a master of arts. Truly fitting.


    Hongyue paused, "Elder Bingwen, from the last time we met. Not only did I leave with a free herb, but I also left a vague proposal. You didn''t even know my identity. May I ask why elder trusted my word enough to see me today?"


    Bingwen furrowed his brows; he wasn''t so sure himself. However seeing how she carried herself along with her confidence, he thought she could be a hidden gem.


    Seeing Bingwen having difficulty answering her question, Hongyue dismissed it, "Since Elder Bingwen held so much expectation for me, I naturally can''t allow you to be disappointed."


    As she spoke, she pulled out the level 10 plant she cultivated days before. Elder Bingwen''s eyes grew huge. A grade 10?! He stared at her startled. Was this the same herb he so carelessly gave away?


    "This miss has little to no ability in elemental magic. However, I do have this small gift with herbs," Hongyue continued.


    Elder Bingwen''s throat trembled as he tried to speak. Small?! In what way was it small? She indeed was a gem. No wonder he heard stories that general loved to dote on this daughter even though she was useless. No. Not useless, he corrected himself. She was extremely valuable. However, why has he heard anything about this? His eyes looked back at her with suspicion.


    Seeing his changing expressions, Hongyue sighed. At her sigh, Elder Bingwen turned his attention back to her.


    "Don''t let your thoughts drift too far. This collaboration is just between us. It doesn''t include my father," Hongyue put forth.


    Seeing that she was drawing a line so directly, Elder Bingwen felt like something was being shrouded. But she was right; he shouldn''t worry all that much about everything else. He nodded eagerly, his right hand stroking his beard. Hongyue smiled like a sly fox and twirled the herb between her fingers, her eyes clouding as she mused.


    "Then I request this Elder lead the way to somewhere quiet to chat more in detail," Hongyue smiled.


    Elder Bingwen agreed and led her to a pharmacy store further down the market. They entered the back of the store where a stone table and chairs were set up. A jade teapot sat in the center along with two jade teacups. Hongyue hid a sly smirk. Looks like she calculated correctly. This Elder was in control of an information organization.


    Having sufficient wealth, yet acting like he was a lowly merchant; he was probably keeping alert for something. Hongyue took a seat and glanced at the setup tea set. This elder must have been waiting for her.


    "Elder Bingwen must have been waiting for me to have prepared such a welcome exhibit," Hongyue remarked.


    Elder Bingwen coughed dryly at her comment, but soon his eyes turned serious.

 56 White Lotus Second Madam Ruolan

    From afar, the two could be seen conversing endlessly. There was a piercing gaze in Hongyue''s eyes as she spoke while the Elder listened, his eyes widening steadily. After two hours passed, Hongyue suddenly leaned in and muttered something to Elder Bingwen. The Elder''s fingers quivered in excitement, but he looked a bit hesitant. However, he still nodded his head. Hongyue stood up to leave. She placed the level 10 herb down on the table. Elder Bingwen graciously led her to the door and handed her a pendant so that if she ever needed him, he would be there.


    Hongyue smiled, the two hardly reached a relationship of mere business partners, yet he was already exercising careful steps to keep her. She narrowed her eyes; this Elder must be in a tight spot.


    Outside, Hongyue walked to a deserted area before breathing in deeply. The air around her surged wildly as her body began quickly fading into mist. In a flash, she was gone. A single petal from a flower drifted to the spot she once stood.


    Emerging back at her room, Hongyue took a long breath to calm herself as she steadied herself against the wall. The distance between the general''s manor and the pharmacy store was too far but how else will she be in time to ruin her father''s banquet?


    Walking to her dresser, she checked her appearance once more. After fixing the black poisonous hair stick in the right position, Hongyue reapplied red tint to her lips before she left.


    Hongyue''s eyes were already shadowing her next victim.


    Second Madam~


    This miss is going to pay you a visit. You don''t even have to thank me~


    -------------------


    "I say, every time I come to see you, you''re always becoming more beautiful."


    "Isn''t that right? The general certainly dotes on you a lot."


    "Yes, out of us all; you are the most treasured."


    A crowd of women was gathered in the manor''s garden with the second concubine in the center of the group. All of these noblewomen were here with their husbands to attend the banquet. However, seeing that it was such a gorgeous day, the ladies were strolling in the garden to enjoy the view from the beautiful flowers. Each was eager to please the second concubine who was acting like a white lotus. Only a slight sigh from concubine was able to gather a mouthful of reassuring comments from the others around her. They were better than mindless puppets.


    The second concubine beamed at their remarks, but her heart was feeling uneasy. While it was true she was currently the most favored since the first, third, and fourth concubines were out of the picture. The general suddenly didn''t trust her anymore.


    It shouldn''t have been like this! She was supposed to be the only one he could depend on. Why?!


    Something significantly changed, so she felt awfully anxious. Still, she managed to laugh along with the other wives. In a way, she felt prideful. There was no one else here in this manor that could rival her. After all, one was dead, another poisoned, while another went crazy. As for the other concubines...they wouldn''t dare step out of line. After all most of the concubines had the same hatred toward Hongyue. Therefore they wouldn''t dare hinder her schemes.


    Now that all the main opponents were gone. Who was better than she?


    As she giggled, out of the corner of her eyes she saw Hongyue who stopped to smell a flower. Her laughter stopped as her heart dropped. Why was this wretch here?! She really is still alive and even bouncing about lively. Just like her mother, her luck was REALLY good. The second concubine gashed her teeth in irritation.


    "Sister Concubine Ruolan, what''s wrong?" The second madam''s sister tugged at her sleeve. Seeing the second madam so quiet, everyone turned their head to see Hongyue.


    "Oh? Isn''t this the good-for-nothing? Why is she out and wandering about?"


    "She''s probably trying to find her mother."


    "Oh child, you''ll won''t find her."


    Everyone giggled gleefully hearing the comments. They eyed Hongyue with great contempt. Listening to them laugh, Hongyue paused and lifted her head. As she tilted her head, the sunlight showed off the hair stick that was tucked within her bun. It was extremely eye-catching as the black stone reflected the sun. One of the madams stopped laughing, breath was caught short.


    She opened and closed her mouth in shock. At last, she managed to choke her thoughts out, "T-the Dragon''s Glory! I thought...I thought it was buried with her..."


    What?!


    Concubine Ruolan froze.


    Dragon''s Glory was the official name of an onyx hair stick the first madam used to own. It was a symbol of absolute power. It was the only one made in the world, and it was said that whoever owned it, possessed the key to all the forces in the world.


    Although this speculation wasn''t confirmed, it still gave great prestige to the name of whoever had it.


    When the first madam was poisoned, Concubine Roulan had put on the pretense of a tender concubine sister to try to find the hair stick. She had tried treating the first madam sweetly and kindly. Even then, the first madam never took it out. Concubine Roulan clearly remembered searching for that hair stick after the first madam''s death. Yet she found nothing, so she thought it was long gone.


    How did this brat have it? How is it...in her hands?!!


    It didn''t matter. The jealousy that was once buried in her heart along with the first madam''s death was once again unearthed. She marched over to Hongyue with her face twisted in an ugly scowl. Hongyue pretended not to notice her as she smiled at the madam who had called out, "This auntie is wrong. It''s in my hair, is it not?"


    "Y-yes," The madam answered meekly. Her face blushing red.


    Concubine Ruolan stopped in front of Hongyue. Her voice was stern and harsh as she demanded, "Where did you get this?"


    "What does second madam mean? Mother gave it to me," Hongyue seemed confused. However, she was trying hard to suppress her laughter at the second madam''s greed. Are you mad already? That wasn''t long at all. Her eyes narrowed.


    Let''s see how you''re going to steal it!


    Hearing Hongyue''s response ticked the second madam off. Nonsense! If she couldn''t find it that year, no one could. How would the first madam give it to Hongyue? However, seeing that this brat had it, it was good as hers. She snorted. Who told you to deliver it right into my hands after your mother tried so hard hiding it?


    Concubine Ruolan sneered, "You liar! She gave it to me before she died. How could it be in your hands?"


    All the madams at the scene stopped.


    When the first madam was diagnosed with a rare disease that raged inside her body, the second madam was the first one to be there for her. It would be very reasonable for the first madam to give it to the second madam. As for Hongyue....she was just a worthless ''normal.'' Why would anyone give her anything of that importance?


    Hongyue pouted, and stubbornly stomped her feet, "No! Mother gave it to me. You''re the liar!"

 57 Schemes Within Schemes 1

    Concubine Ruolan''s face turned redder by the minute. This brat was just as detestable as her mother! The fading glances of admiration from the other madams seemed to put the second madam in a distressed state. Concubine Ruolan gripped her fists as her blood raged. Today was supposed to be her special day to show off her prowess. Why was it being ruined by this ''normal''?


    "Not only are you a thief, but you''re also a liar! You no-good-brat, who taught you to be like this?!"The second madam exploded at Hongyue, her voice increasing shriller as her face got redder.


    "Hongyue has no mother! Other than father''s concubines like you, who else can teach Hongyue to be like this!" Hongyue retorted back, her words deeply irritating the concubine.


    Concubine Ruolan started heaving in anger as she felt her mind blanking out in fury. Wasn''t this to say it was her fault that Hongyue was so unruly?! You little wench!


    The gazes of admiration from the other wives gradually changed to ridicule at the second concubine.


    Concubine Ruolan angrily reached out and snatched the black hair stick from Hongyue''s hair. Hongyue looked up helplessly and attempted to take it back.


    "Y-you can''t do that-" Hongyue was cut off as her hands were elbowed away.


    "Why can''t I? Do you think just because your mother was the first madam, you can do anything? Why would a good-for-nothing like you be given this anyway?" Concubine Ruolan taunted. Her fingers working quickly, tucking the hair stick inside her robe.


    "Why does second madam keep lying? Is it because Father isn''t giving you enough jewelry that you''re craving for mine now? Hongyue can tell you right now. Mother left this for me. Give it back, "Hongyue jeered.


    Concubine Ruolan''s fingers clutched tightly to the hair stick. How dare Hongyue even speak back to her in this manner?! Who does the little trash think she is? A cherished eldest miss?


    While the general did seemed to cherish her, he also killed off her mother. How much would he truly love the child if he didn''t even like the mother? This rascal was already poisoned, no better off than a dead person yet her mouth was still so lively.


    The second concubine paused as her eyes blinked.


    She almost forgot.


    Of course.


    Hongyue couldn''t live long anyway. The country the fourth madam was from was known for their poison,and the eldest miss was already known for having a weak body so would it make a difference if this ''normal'' happened to die now? If anything happened to Hongyue, Concubine Ruolan could blame it on Hongyue''s ailing body. Her eyes narrowed as she rapidly began to collect a tremendous amount of magic into her right hand with an urgent chant under her breath, her heart set on achieving her plan.


    The second concubine raised her hand acting as if she was merely going to hit Hongyue for being disobedient. However, Concubine Ruolan aiming for the spot slightly higher, near Hongyue''s temple. If done accurately, Hongyue was going to die from one strike.


    Hongyue narrowed her eyes but she didn''t move from her spot.


    *Slap*


    As Concubine Ruolan''s hand made contact, a loud clap sounded and echoed throughout the garden. The eldest miss''s head was whipped to the side from the impact.


    Hongyue tsked.


    Ah.


    That hurt.


    A small trickle of blood emerged from behind Hongyue''s lips and ran down to her chin. However, Hongyue, unwavering, turned her face back, studying the Concubine Ruolan with cold eyes.


    "Don''t tell me you want to kill me already. I hadn''t had enough to play yet," A quiet mocking tone rolled out from Hongyue''s smirking mouth. A surge of blue slowly started to emerge in both of her eyes she eerily focused them on the second madam. A low chuckle rippled out from Hongyue''s throat.


    The stare the eldest miss gave her reminded Concubine Ruolan of the first madam''s unwavering determination from that year and the second madam felt herself finding the air harder to breathe as a hint of guilt swam into her heart.


    No! She did nothing wrong! She was never wrong!


    Concubine Ruolan gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowed at Hongyue. She needed to kill this vermin once and for all.


    She raised her hand to strike Hongyue again when her wrist was tightly clenched in someone''s hand. The concubine nearly wanted to scream. Her wrist felt like it was breaking into tiny pieces. She looked at the person in front of her. A small male servant? Who was this? How dare he stop her!


    Hongyue was also stunned to see someone appearing in front of her blocking the attack. Her eyes swirled back to a pitch black and her pupils contacted as she recognized the physique in front of her.


    Qingyu!


    Why was he here?


    Qingyu''s black eyes turned to Hongyue, his lips tightly pursed with his eyebrows furrowed. His gaze was unfathomably dangerous. For a second, they appeared to have softened imperceptibly as they landed on her. Qingyu finally opened his lips and mouthed something to her while he loosened his grip on the concubine''s wrist.


    ''General''


    Hongyue''s lips curled up in understanding as she began to wail loudly. Her eyes were immediately wet with red rims as she darted towards the garden''s entrance just as the general strolled into the garden.


    The eldest miss crashed into the general''s arms and General Wei looked down in surprise. Why was Hongyue crying? Why was she also bleeding from the mouth? His eyes drifted to the second madam.


    Feeling the situation going too out of hand, Concubine Ruolan knew it was time for her to retreat. She stumbled back while putting on a pitiful look.


    "I-I--I just wanted to teach her a lesson for stealing..."The second madam murmured weakly as she stumbled back, her face lowered as if in regret. Then the concubine quickly broke down in tears.

 58 Schemes Within Schemes 2

    "Just a lesson? This prince doesn''t presume it as so. Don''t neglect the fact she''ll be my future princess consort." A clear voice rang out from behind.


    The Crown Prince!


    The general stiffened. The garden wasn''t far from the banquet, so if the general could hear the commotion, who couldn''t? He appeared because of the sobbing and piercing wails. However, General Wei just didn''t imagine he would see Hongyue here. He had thought someone had simply fallen and needed help. Presently now that the Crown Prince saw an injured Hongyue, how was he going to carry this out?


    This was troublesome.


    The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes at General Wei, "I do hope great general provides me a fair explanation."


    -------------------


    Under a rain of colorful lanterns, a banquet was festively set up. Outside, in the central hall, a seat of honor was established in the center and running down either side of the chair were spacious guest tables ¡ª jars of fine wine and different dishes of food adorned each table.Yet, instead of being interested in the food, all the guests were fascinated by observing the play in front of them.


    General Wei grimaced. There were numerous essential state guests tonight including the Crown Prince himself. The general had proposed this dinner party to curry favors with higher-ups. The recent developments alarmed him enough to look for more assistance from others. Although he was distrusting, he still needed to obtain more help to maintain his power.


    He sighed, if he knew this was going to happen, he wouldn''t have handed over the <Roaring Dragon Token>.


    The general sat down on his seat of honor and gazed at three figures kneeling in front of him. He kneaded his temples and dismissively waved his hand. Concubine Ruolan smiled sweetly and got up from the cold ground. Since his gesture wasn''t intended for the other two, Hongyue and Qingyu remained still, their knees planted on the ground.


    "Thank you lord husband," Concubine Ruolan chirped, her garments stirring in the air.


    General Wei only glimpsed at her before landing his eyes back on Hongyue. Wasn''t she an obedient child a day ago? What happened?


    "Tell this general what happened," He commanded.


    Concubine Ruolan nodded, biting her lips. Her eyes welled up with tears as she began to act like a pure white lotus disheartened by a raging child.


    "It''s like this. First Sister Concubine granted me her hair stick before her death as a parting gift. However, the eldest miss stole it from me. When I requested for it to be returned, the eldest miss brutally talked back to me, so I disciplined her.However, now the eldest miss is unreasonable acting like I bullied her. All these guest madams can be witnesses."


    Hongyue sneered.


    This second madam is quite skilled at spinning lies, isn''t she?


    Hongyue already anticipated this, so she wasn''t surprised. However, she thought as she tilted her head to her left, she didn''t foresee Dumb Pig to come and assist her. What motive did he have? Seeing that Qingyu was still in this child-like form, he must not have been able to heal himself of his recent and previous injuries.


    Why bother helping her then? Did he want to kneel with her for no purpose? From his powers, he couldn''t be a small character. Did he have too much time? Did he want to perform in this play as well? Why help if he was going to be insulted in the end? His brain wasn''t broken!


    Puzzled, she pursed her lips.


    If Qingyu could hear her thoughts, he would most likely curse his head off. Who would want to kneel so submissively in front of a mere general he could quickly kill off if he were in his true form?


    General Wei turned his head to Hongyue, his eyes raging. Didn''t he order that the eldest miss wasn''t to attend tonight''s event? This brat dare ruin his banquet!


    "Good! How bold! Do you have anything to say?"He coldly asked Hongyue.


    Hongyue looked up as if hesitating, "This daughter does. The story the second madam told appears to be backward. She was the one who stole the hair stick from me, not me."


    Underneath the second madam''s tears, a cruel smile emerged. Hmph. Who would believe that her, a highly regarded concubine, would steal from a child? This was her win.


    Hongyue smiled as well. A smile that was even crueler than the second madam as she twisted up a plot.


    "This daughter had a hair stick given from mother. The color seemed to be a match for father''s taste so knowing that tonight''s father''s special night, I brought it for you. How...How would I know the second madam would...would steal it andin return accuse me of stealing it!" As the eldest miss spoke, her voice choked with tears.


    Concubine Ruolan stiffened. What?


    The general frowned, he leaned forward and gestured for Hongyue to calm down.


    "Oh, is that so?"He skeptically asked.


    Hongyue looked up, "Of course, this daughter knew father would be unhappy after fourth madam''s death, so this daughter prepared a gift for you to see you laugh."


    Concubine Ruolan paled as she listened and immediately shrieked, "Husband! This girl is lying!"


    Hongyue skillfully injected, "Second Madam, how am I lying? Why don''t you show the hair stick?"


    Concubine Ruolan panicked. The reason why she was bold enough to carry out her acting was that she knew general hated petty disturbances. If Hongyue indeed did steal a hair stick from her and threw a tantrum, then the general would ultimately be on her side, even if the general knew she was lying mainly because of three points.


    1) The other madams didn''t know that she didn''t own the Dragon''s Glory. However, her lies were within reason, so they believed her. Both the ladies and the general weren''t fully aware of the truth so if he heard the other madams speak out on her behalf, would the general dare drag this on? If he dared, he would offend the other officials. After all, it was their wives the general chose not to listen to. It was like slapping their faces indirectly.


    2) The general wouldn''t risk losing his face for just going out on the limb to believe in Hongyue. In front of all these guests, would he truly dare to punish a favored concubine over a good-for-nothing daughter?


    3) Even if General Wei knew she didn''t own the Dragon''s Glory, Concubine Ruolan was sure if she claims it to be hers, the general would side with her even if he knew it was a lie. After all, why would he keep something so precious in the hands of a ''normal''? However, this was her last card of insurance.


    This whole time, Concubine Ruolan made sure not to mention the hair stick''s name, simply referred to it as a hair stick. If she were to show it, then the general would see the Dragon''s Glory. Although she had believed he would side with her, now it was different since the eldest miss said she was going to give the hair stick to the general.


    This sentence changed everything.


    The general was a greedy person, so the one who was going to be punished tonight was going to be her. Concubine Ruolan refused to take out the hair stick. As long as the general doesn''t see it, he''ll believe it was an ordinary hair stick that had been stolen. She bit her lips and stumbled back and sobbed even louder, "Lord husband, she speaks nonsense."


    Hearing Concubine Ruolan''s increasing sobs, Hongyue also increased her wails. Hmph. You want to get out of this by crying? Then I''ll cry even louder than you. Do you think you''ll win in a crying contest when I''m not even crying real tears?


    Hongyue smirked.

 59 Schemes Within Schemes 3

    As Hongyue''s piercing wails reverberated throughout the hall, even Concubine Ruolan could help but stare in disbelief. The damn girl was crying as if she was dying. Rolls of tears flowed out endlessly like she had an ocean behind her eyes and she didn''t seem to be stopping soon. As the second concubine looked about, not one eye was on her. They were all focused on the wailing eldest miss. The concubine was stuck in a tight situation. On the hand, she could continue to cry, but at this point, she would just be wasting her tears. However, if she wanted to regain the attention she wanted, she would have to sob louder. But if she got to that point: wouldn''t people call her petty for crying louder than a child?


    Concubine Ruolan could only awkwardly dry her tear dainty as her eyes filled with hatred turned to Hongyue. However, Hongyue continued to cry louder, this time pointing her fingers at the second madam.


    Qingyu who was kneeling had a hard time to keep from laughing. This girl was just so crafty dealing with everyone. He felt better that it wasn''t just him that suffered under her hands.


    "General Wei. Don''t tell me, you bullying my fiance is your way of giving justice," The Crown Prince remarked mockingly as he crossed his legs. His fingers tapped on the table, and his eyes were threatening.


    General Wei helplessly denied the Crown Prince''s accusation and gestured for nearby servants to get the eldest miss a chair. Hongyue stubbornly refused their help and remained on the ground.


    "Father! This daughter has been greatly wronged. If you want this daughter to get up, Concubine Ruolan must first admit her faults."


    How bold!


    A collective gasp could be heard, and even the Crown Prince looked surprised. Wasn''t this miss supposed to be timid and afraid?


    The general frowned.


    Hongyue tilted her head to show off the harsh slap mark and pointed to the dried line of blood on her chin, "Second Madam did a lot worse, yet I''m only asking for her to admit her wrongdoing. Is it too much to ask of her?!"


    "Nonsense! What wrong did I do?!" The second concubine screeched.


    Hongyue looked annoyed, "Since Second Madam is so forgetful, it can''t be helped. Hongyue is stupid but her memory isn''t bad so let me remind you. Thief, liar, fraud and attempted murder!"


    Another collective gasp sounded from the guests, and Concubine Ruolan paled. W-when did this brat become such a good talker? She bit her lip and tested her luck.


    "Lord Husband, we''ve been husband and wife for so many years, how can you watch me being slandered like this? Do you really believe her words? She...she...doesn''t even have the average capacity to comprehend. There must be someone who taught her to say these words. After all, she''s too stupid."


    The general nodded. After all, these words were reasonable and very realistic. Perhaps his enemy was using this daughter of his to ruin his chance of climbing into higher powers. He looked gravely at Hongyue. If this eldest miss is a pawn used by the enemy, then he''ll have to get rid of her.


    Hongyue sneered.


    Looks like this second madam is very skillful indeed. With a few tears and a couple of words, she managed to turn around Hongyue''s words to use against her. No wonder her mother was killed off. Who could live with a threat like this stalking you? It''s too bad the person she went against was Hongyue.


    Fine, if you call me stupid, I''ll show you stupid.


    "This stupid miss is indeed too stupid. This stupid miss''s brain can''t remember names, faces, or what others tell the stupid me to do and I''m too stupid to even make up stupid lies! After all, I''m too stupid, what can I stupidly do?" Hongyue retorted.


    A chuckle fell from one of the guests, and the crowd of minsters soon followed, roaring in laughter. The Crown Prince had his eyebrows raised in interest. A tiny smile broke out on Qingyu''s lips. This girl was too good at infuriating others. Her words threw the issue back to Concubine Ruolan, yet she didn''t even have think of a complicated plan. She just used the concubine''s words against her, and she saved herself by speaking nonsense.


    Meanwhile, the second madam who was having a hard time breathing due to anger. Was this trash really stupid or too smart? She had no choice now. She gritted her teeth and pulled out a dark brown hair stick. Since the sky was dark,from afar the other madam wouldn''t have noticed the slight changes in details. Hongyue would probably wouldn''t be able to see it. Concubine Ruolan could at least get the general to punish Hongyue this way. She handed the dark brown hair stick to the general with a slight smile.


    But who knew Hongyue would scream out, "Oh! What is that ugly looking feces colored hair stick?! Where''s my mother''s black hair stick?


    F-feces colored.


    The second concubine paled while the general wrinkled his eyebrows. Since Hongyue pointed it out like that, would the second concubine dare to hand it over? She gashed her teeth and tasted blood in her mouth. This brat was just like her mother, ruining her plans again and again!


    The general suddenly looked more alert.


    Black.


    Mother.


    Hair stick.


    Was Hongyue talking about the Dragon''s Glory?

 60 Return Of First Madam

    The second concubine looked frantically at the general; her right hand was gripping tightly to the hair stick. Even at this point, she was still oh so reluctant to part with such a legendary treasure she spent years pining for. She had spent so many years scheming for this, now that''s it''s in her hands, why should she give it up? With her mind dead set on the stolen hair stick, Concubine Ruolan decided to plead again. Which man wouldn''t feel pity for a crying beauty? The second madam attempted to cry again, her eyes stinging from weeping so much.


    "Lord Husband, this isn''t the truth-" Concubine Ruolan began but the second madam suddenly couldn''t finish her plea as she felt her muscles cramping up in pain. What was happening?! Her brain appeared to stop as her nerves cry out in pain. Her mouth opened and closed soundlessly as she tried to screech out for help. A fiery sensation snaked up her veins, and she soon discovered it especially hard to breathe. Each taken breath was like inhaling through a straw, air burning through her lungs. She lurched forward, her legs buckling and her eyes bungling as she tried to regain control of her body. Distracted by the pain, the second madam didn''t even notice the once tightly clutched hair stick was gone. It was slowly transforming into a black liquid and boring into her flesh.


    She tried to motion for help yet her arms felt like lead and her body turned cold. So helpless. So weak. So little. Still, while it all happened so painfully, not one person seemed to discern Concubine Ruolan''s pain.


    Except for one person.


    Hongyue.


    This perception of helpless, despairing hope was all flawlessly executed by Hongyue.


    Everything my mother suffered, I''ll give it back to you in tenfold. I just don''t know if you can receive all of it.


    The eldest miss merely kept her head down as she proceeded to urge the poison inside the second madam''s body. Once the poison had been entirely absorbed into Concubine Ruolan''s body, Hongyue released her control on the second madam''s body.


    Not long after, blood-turning screams filled the air.


    Hearing the screams, General Wei stared at the second madam in shock. What happened to her? But soon his eyes soon grew in horror as he noticed the second madam''s skin beginning to shrivel up. As her skin was drawn closer to her body, and the bones underneath began to protrude out creating a deathly appearance. The once supple and creamy skin turned yellowish blue as the inside grew emptied of blood. The second madam''s body convulsed violently; her fingers couldn''t help claw at her body in hopes to relieve the pain. Yet not one person rushed over to help. Their eyes filled with fear and revulsion at her unexpected change in appearance.


    The general almost couldn''t bear to watch any longer yet he couldn''t look away, his heart unsettled. This was just like...like...


    "Mother." A calm voice called out, it sounded eerily against the breathless moment and the dusk filled with screams. It cut sharply into General Wei''s thoughts and voiced his worst fear.


    General Wei whirled his head to his eldest daughter, his mind shaking. What did she just say?!!


    "Mother. You''re back! Hongyue is so happy to see you again," Hongyue smiled and clapped her hands. The girl''s bright eyes were staring into the empty behind Concubine Ruolan, and her hands beckoned to the empty air.


    The general felt his legs tremble in horror. The First Madam?! She was here?!! He gripped his chair''s arm tighter, yet he couldn''t calm himself down. What to do? What was happening? Why? Wasn''t she dead? No! She was already dead. Was this a joke for him?


    Hongyue sneered. The general still seemed to be in denial. He truly is talented. Who else could pretend a dying concubine in front of him to be a joke? Truly heartless.


    However, the general wasn''t the only one who heard Hongyue''s excited greeting. A few of the minsters quickly turned pale along with quickly fainting madams. The dead can come back to the living?! However, the second madam''s current appearance greatly resembled the sickly first madam. So what was there not to believe? Maybe the ghost of the first madam came back and latched on to the second madam because Hongyue was telling the truth? If so,all the reason more for everyone not to help the suffering second madam.


    "Is mother protecting Hongyue? Hongyue knew Mother love Hongyue the most. You should punish her more. She stole the hair stick Mother gave me," Hongyue pouted. Her childish and innocent voice sent chills down the backs of all the guests, including the Crown Prince. Qingyu himself couldn''t help but take another look at the girl beside him, his eyes dark.


    The general felt his teeth faintly chattering and he tried to steady his voice as he spoke, "Your mother is here?"


    Hongyue looked at General Wei oddly, "Of course my mother is here. If not her, then who else? Why does father address her so distantly? My mother is your wife, is she not? Is Father not happy to see her?"


    The general braced himself. How can he be happy?! He was the one who killed her. What can he see anyway? Other than the dying second madam, he couldn''t see anything else. He steadied his nerves as he began his self-denial, "Silly girl, your mother wouldn''t do this, she''s sweet-"


    "Father must be muddle-headed. Of course, Mother would do this. Second Madam attempted to kill and bully me. Which mother wouldn''t try to protect their daughter? Since Father didn''t protect this daughter, Mother stepped in," Hongyue continued, "Father should be happy. After all, doesn''t Father love Mother the most?"

 61 Spinning The Web 1

    General Wei froze as Hongyue proceeded to speak.


    "All the guests that are here tonight, please be my eyewitness. While I''m considered a useless miss, the title of the First Miss still belongs to me. The second madam stepped out of her boundaries and harmed me. This caused my mother to be angered even in death. Does anyone object my statement?" Hongyue''s voice rippled distinctly through the air.


    How can anyone object? Second Madam''s current appearance was proof of Hongyue''s words. Who wanted to go up against a supposed ghost? What if they end out like the second madam? No one said a word, hoping the spirit of the First Madam would be satisfied and leave. The general sat dumbfounded; he didn''t recognize this Hongyue. The Crown Prince frowned, gently tipping his teacup around.


    Hongyue beamed at the quiet crowd, "Then it''s settled."


    Hongyue began walking to the second concubine, "Since there are so many eyes today, Second Madam shouldn''t make it hard for this miss anymore.Please deliver over the Dragon''s Glory my mother left for me."


    Dragon''s Glory!


    Upon learning the name, the general responded violently. He stood up, knocking over his cup of wine. The Dragon''s Glory! Where was it?! His eyes shone with desire. He assumed it was his wishful thinking that Hongyue had been talking about the treasure, who knew it was for real? What did that girl say before? She''ll give it to him? Good. Very good. He shifted his eyes to Concubine Ruolan coldly.


    Concubine Ruolan felt disheartened, abandoned in despair. She stayed still on the ground racked with tremendous pain, yet the general was more interested in the treasure than her. She was tossed away without a second thought. She tensed her hands; her gnarly fingers burrowed into the dirt. Concubine Ruolan lamented bitterly. She never believed in any ghosts; after all, if she could kill them once, she could always kill them again.


    So her stable mindset enabled her to think more deeply.


    It couldn''t be a ghost.


    Concubine Ruolan had greater immunity than other people due to her periodic interactions with poisonous concoctions. This allowed her to find something strange with her body. So the second madam speculated she was poisoned not possessed by some ghost. However, even if she understood it was poison, she couldn''t announce the revelation to clear her name. If she did, others might doubt her origin and correlate her to the First Madam''s death. So Concubine Ruolan could only lay there unbearably listening to Hongyue throw mud upon her name.


    Knowing yet not able to do anything.


    Just like the former First Madam.


    The second madam was smart; she survived on this estate for so long. How would she not comprehend what was happening?


    Her eyes studied Hongyue. This eldest miss was dangerous. Perhaps she isn''t even the eldest miss. No wonder the general changed so much after going to Hongyue''s courtyard.


    Making up her mind, the second madam made a sweeping show of gradually snaking her hands into her robes for the Dragon''s Glory. Her eyebrows creased in pain as she panted breathlessly. She skillfully bit her tongue and spat out mouthful blood. General Wei looked on with distress while Hongyue slightly smiled.


    This second madam indeed didn''t disappoint her.


    Seeing the blood from Concubine Ruolan''s lips, the general felt his heart break a little. She had been his confidant for many years and even took parts in his schemes so she naturally obtained a piece of his heart. To treat her like this was too cruel but he didn''t want to be confronted by the wrath of First Madam. He''ll just make sure to pamper Concubine Ruolan more after this.


    Just as Concubine Ruolan''s fingers reached within her robes, she froze. Where?! Where was it? She couldn''t find it! Her hand came back out empty-handed, and the general frowned.


    The second madam felt trapped. If she had it, she could at least feign distressed while handing it over, acting like Hongyue was the one bullying her. But there was no hair stick to give so it seemed like she was unwilling to part with the hair stick due to greed. Did that little brat do this?


    Hongyue turned to the general, "Father, what is the meaning of this?"


    "I don''t have it," Concubine Ruolan spat out in disdain.


    "Why is second madam still lying?" Hongyue questioned.


    "Hongyue, don''t speak to Second Madam like that. She must have misplaced it," The general scolded but his heart felt heavy. Why didn''t she take it out? Did she truly not have it?


    "Father, Hongyue can see it peeking out from her sleeve," Hongyue protested.


    Concubine Ruolan exploded, "You little slutty liar!"


    Hongyue marched forward and reached inside the concubine''s robes, pulling out a black hair stick. The clear design was burned into everyone''s memories. The Dragon''s Glory! Startled, the general looked at the second concubine with unreadable eyes. Didn''t she say she didn''t have it? He almost believed her! This wretch was just like the fourth madam. His heart hardened.


    Hongyue whispered softly, "Why didn''t father believe me? Did father say he trusted me the most? See, you can see just who was the liar."


    "Do you think I''m stupid?!! This must be one of your tricks like the ghost," The concubine couldn''t hold it in anymore due to anger. She turned to General Wei, "Lord Husband, I''m poisoned-"


    As she spoke, Concubine Ruolan froze. Her drained skin seemed to avert back to her former appearance, turning milky white and soft. Her complexion became better as blood flushed to her cheeks and her once gnarly fingers filled out appearing fleshy. WHAT?! Wasn''t she poisoned? How can this still happen?!! Her eyes darted to Hongyue who gave her a strange look.


    "What did you say? Poisoned?" Hongyue taunted. She patiently tapped the rim of her black bracelet. Series of metallic clicks sounded out, catching Qingyu''s attention. She looked up with an innocent expression, but Concubine Ruolan felt her heart chilled.


    Hongyue smiled.


    You won''t be able to get out, Second Madam.


    Now, now, now, Father, don''t disappoint me.


    Just how will you deal with this?

 62 Spinning The Web 2

    "Oh my god, did you see her transform back?! Her appearance was so similar to First Madam and then she...must be possessed! If I didn''t witness it, I wouldn''t have known she was that kind of greedy person. What else did she steal?!"


    "Poison? What is she saying?"


    "I don''t know. Wasn''t she possessed by the ghost of First Madam? What poison is she talking about?"


    "Don''t tell me there''s actually poison like that."


    "Nonsense. How can her appearance revert back to normal if it''s poison? It was obviously the ghost of the First Madam leaving her body in the end."


    "If she claims to be poisoned, wouldn''t First Madam also be considered poisoned?" Someone said jokingly.


    Chatter quickly permeated the air, but the last remark caused General Wei''s expression to change instantly.


    "Poisoned?" General Wei''s asked while Concubine Ruolan attempted to justify herself.


    "I was...I am... it''s that hair stick! It''s poisoned! H-Hongyue was seeking to harm you, but because I seized it before she gave it to you, I got poisoned in your place!" Concubine Ruolan sputtered, trying to piece together a new scheme.


    "Hongyue doesn''t understand. Is Second Madam saying that you weren''t possessed by the spirit of my mother?" Hongyue articulated slowly, "Then..such a dangerous poison. Why would it be on the Dragon''s Glory?"


    "You brat! You put it on-"


    "Second Madam sure loves to joke. Hongyue is but a mere miss of a general''s manor, who is easily harassed by a mere second madam and even needs the help of her dead mother to protect her. Tell me, where would I have the money and needs to get poison?" Hongyue stroked the hair stick as she spoke, "I''ve never seen such poison before, it must be quite costly."


    "It was on the hair stick! There wasn''t some ghost of First Madam. I was poisoned," Concubine Ruolan cried out exasperatedly wishing for someone to believe her. The ministers, the Crown Prince, everyone...they''re all being lied to by this Hongyue. Her eyes filled with hatred as she started to form a plan.


    General Wei''s face was beginning to heat up. Never had he seen such a mess. Where was the clever Concubine Ruolan he adored so much? This second madam in front of him must be someone else! Repeating the word ''poison'' with ''First Madam'' right and left, she might as well tell everyone about the past at this point!


    Although he was confused himself, General Wei didn''t believe the concubine was poisoned at all. Tell him just where can you find a poison that can come and leave like that! Since the effects were the exactly like First Madam''s, it wouldn''t be reasonable since there was only one poison he knew would take that influence and it wasn''t curable in the least.


    T-then it must be the ghost who was trying to speak through her to reveal the truth about the past!


    Did the ghost not leave?! There will be bound to be someone who might inspect her words. The general''s eyes darted towards the Crown Prince. He needed to end this!


    "Poisoned? This general thinks you look fine. What is beloved concubine saying? How can there be poison on the Dragon''s Glory? I indulged enough in all your selfishness. Even if you want the Dragon''s Glory, don''t you think you''re going too overboard? You must be delirious from being possessed," He commented coldly before turning his head to his guests, "Second Madam is ill and bad spirited. Taking items that rightfully belonged to the First Madam with no respect. She caused First Madam to be angered enough to possess her body and is now currently insane. Servants! Take her to her room!"


    Hongyue frowned. The general was quite experienced, quickly disposing of anything that might be used against him.


    "No-no...You''re mistaken. That wasn''t my intention at all. I''m being set up..." Concubine Ruolan''s eyes spun wildly before landing on Hongyue. You horrible wretch! Just who are you? I''ll rip off your mask!


    "It''s you! You did this! You''re the one who harmed me," Concubine Ruolan hollered loudly.


    Hongyue blinked, "What is second madam saying? Hongyue only took back what was hers."


    To outsiders, it sounded like Hongyue was talking about the Dragon''s Glory. However, to the ears of Concubine Ruolan, it seemed like Hongyue admitted her accusation. I don''t believe I won''t be able to expose you! The concubine thought as she cursed Hongyue.


    "Jinjing, you have a great daughter! She''s taking revenge for you!" Concubine Ruolan suddenly broke down, howling into the night. General Wei tensed up while the ministers began to whisper among themselves again. However, the second madam didn''t feel like it was enough.


    "Jinjing, you''re here right?!!" Concubine Ruolan began to howl louder, "I killed you once, I''ll kill you again!"


    The Crown Prince looked over to Hongyue, who was standing still without an expression. She merely stared at the second madam as if she was watching a play.


    "I killed your mother! What are you going to do now? Kill me? Just what can you do?!!" Concubine Ruolan taunted Hongyue. Hurry up and lose your temper! Show the General what you''re really like!


    However, Hongyue listened as her lips curled up in a mocking sneer. This Concubine Ruolan was likely acting crazy in order to freely expose the past to provoke her into action. It was a risk the concubine was taking with her life to reveal what she thought was Hongyue''s real face for the general to see. Nonetheless, Hongyue could see the whole ploy with a single glance.


    What a dangerous woman!


    While the ploy was exceedingly useful, Hongyue had more masks than the concubine could afford to peel.


    The eldest miss merely bent over and smiled, "Okay!"


    What?!


    The second madam was shaken. What okay? Why didn''t Hongyue seem to care?


    "I said I killed-"


    "I heard," Hongyue''s answer was clear and cold.


    "Why haven''t you kill me yet?"


    The eldest miss came closer to the concubine and leaned down, so they were face to face.


    "My mother''s peacefully resting. Why should I send a horrible useless pest to bother her? That''s no good. I don''t want to let you die yet," Hongyue leaned in as she whispered while she cradled Concubine Ruolan''s face in her hands, "After all, second sister would miss her mother, wouldn''t she?"

 63 The Unexpected Move

    ChunHua?


    What happened to ChunHua?


    Concubine Ruolan''s eyes sharpened at the mention of her daughter but soon dulled as she caught the look of disgust displayed in Hongyue''s eyes. Taken aback, the second concubine looked about her. Her head rotated around the hall slowly as her heart increased in dread. All the eyes the second madam met reflected a disgruntled woman lying pitifully on the ground back at her. The woman had an expression of angst and disbelief with her eyes streaked with tears yet no one spared her a speck of pity.


    Instead, there were looks of fear and disdain.


    ''I killed you once, I''ll kill you again!''


    Recalling her words, her face paled. If Hongyue had lashed out, then the focus would be on Hongyue however the eldest miss hadn''t. So instead, the plan backfired and made the madam herself appeared as a crazed second madam who killed the first madam while coveting for the dead lady''s possessions.


    The second madam started to sway. This wasn''t at all what she calculated. Why didn''t Hongyue attack her? Why was Hongyue so calm? Her heart thumped harshly against her chest and she turned her head to General Wei only to be met with cold eyes. Not an ounce of love could be found, just a figure of a fallen outcasted second madam.


    Realizing she felt into a trap, Concubine Ruolan''s pupils shook.


    Who was this?


    Was this her?


    Had she, the proud second madam, drop down to this level already? All those years that took to build the status to this high, only took half an evening to break alone? Then what was all of this for?


    This time, a true heart-wrenching sob ripped out of Concubine Ruolan, breaking clearly into the air.


    What did she do so much for? Wasn''t it for status? Admiration? Power?


    The general was no longer on her side, and her risk of faking insane broke every last trust he had for her instead of exposing Hongyue.


    Now she had nothing in the end. No matter how she honestly cried this time, even the general might not believe her. Concubine Ruolan suddenly looked up, her eyes unfocused. This time her mind truly went a bit insane. How could she not? Such an impressive figure diminished to nothing within seconds all within calculations of a ''normal.'' Who could stand a chance?


    Hongyue watched, her own emotions oddly relaxed. One of her two gifts to Concubine Ruolan had been now received, yet an odd bitterness flashed in her eyes.


    To scheme was easy; however, it was also a double edge sword. Who was without a brain? Who didn''t know how to harm others? In the world of scheming, how could one be sure their next move wasn''t already calculated by the other side? In this world, the master of the scheme could very easily be turned into a pawn and a pawn into a master.


    Nothing is ever guaranteed.


    The outcome was never certain. It wasn''t about who was right or truthful. In the end, it was what it was played out to appear and what others were led to believe.


    This was a scheme.


    Hongyue''s eyes wistfully floated over the hall before landing back on Concubine Ruolan. The exact reason why the second madam declined was that she knew too much. Hongyue clicked her tongue. Knowing too much was like a death sentence. However, if you knew how to use it, you could slide the death sentence to someone else. Hongyue gave a sly smile. Only one gift and you can''t take it anymore. What would happen if you find the other one I prepared for you?


    The concubine''s pupils began to focus on Qingyu strangely.


    Suddenly, the air seemed to rumble as the ground shook slightly. Two sharp shards of rock quickly formed from the earth and took aim into the air. Hongyue''s smile froze when she realized the aim was slightly off. She whirled her head to see the pieces aiming for Qingyu. A conflicting emotion erupted into her heart.


    Qingyu.


    They only met twice.


    They could still be considered strangers.


    While this attack was likely because of the second madam''s hatred for her, Qingyu was the one who willingly jumped into her business. It was expected to have unseeable dangers.


    It would be better for her if he died yet before Hongyue knew it, Concubine Ruolan''s wrist laid broken in her hand. With the unexpected shock in her wrist, Concubine Ruolan lost control of her power as she wailed in pain. The shards of rock shuddered before landing loudly on the ground.


    A flash of surprise appeared in Qingyu''s eyes while Hongyue stared at her hand blankly.


    Why?


    She didn''t trust him.


    Her first move should have been to kill him. Why did she save him? He probably wouldn''t have died anyway. As she questioned herself, a feeling of unease filled Hongyue''s heart, and her eyes stared at Concubine Ruolan coldly.


    "Let me go! Let me kill him! If he didn''t stop me, I would have killed Hongyue already! It''s all his fault," Concubine Ruolan uttered as her eyelids twitched. She struggled to get out of Hongyue''s vise-like grip wildly, her arms waving loosely. The second madam didn''t even seem to have the slightest idea of reality as her mind sunk deeper into chaotic hatred and she fainted.


    The entire exchange happened within seconds. A mere ''normal'' couldn''t have reacted in such precise accuracy. The general was bound to lose his trust in her.


    Hongyue blinked her eyes.


    Why did she do something like that when she knew the risk already?


    Nevermind that.


    She swung herself around to meet the general''s peering eyes. While he had tried to cover it up, he seemed to have difficulty entirely concealing his distrust.


    "My dear daugther...you gained your powers?" He asked carefully, probing for answers. Even the guests were interested in knowing.


    Just how could a ''normal'' act so quickly?

 64 Taking Over The Banque

    "Father is mistaken," Hongyue spoke clearly. Thinking fast, she lifted her wrist and her sleeve slid down revealing two black bracelets. Skillfully sliding the poisonous bracelet off as she played with it, Hongyue smiled, "Father may not know but this daughter was left two rare treasures."


    "This?" The general focused his eyes on the black onyx-like bracelet. It looked oddly similar to the Dragon''s Glory. Was the Dragon''s Glory a set? Why was he not told?


    "This Hongyue''s second gift to Father," Hongyue declared. She held up the bracelet with both her hands, a simple sign of respect. However, the general didn''t budge.


    "Oh?" He uttered.


    Hongyue merely continued on, "Although the Dragon''s Glory has a wide-spread name, this second treasure was hidden away. Hongyue found it greatly enhances physical movements, would Father like to examine it?"


    General Wei frowned, his brows furrowed deeply, "I''ve never heard of such a thing from your mother."


    Of course not, if you heard about it, wouldn''t it be already taken away?


    Hongyue nodded, "Then this daughter will demonstrate it on a servant for you."


    Hongyue whirled around to face Qingyu. This time her eyes were both cold and fierce.


    Her heart was always complicated. To her, it only beat to live and for nothing else. People were the same. She favored no one, not even herself. In her world, it was always pawns and masters. People who were used and people who used them. Where would you find any lingering sentiment?


    However, it didn''t mean she didn''t have a heart. She just never had the chance to understand it. Even now, the only person she trusted was herself.


    However, she thought as she narrowed her eyes, YOU!


    Just what are you worth?


    Is it because I can''t bear to hurt you?!


    I don''t believe I won''t bear to hurt you!


    With eyes of malice, she didn''t hesitate before taking an aim at Qingyu. Her palm struck out toward his chest yet Qingyu didn''t budge, his eyes never leaving hers. With a huge clash, her palm made contact with his body and Qingyu lurched back before tumbling to the ground. He sprayed out a mouthful of blood before he seemingly fainted.


    Hongyue''s outstretched arm stilled. Why? WHY?! Why didn''t he move? Why didn''t he cover himself in his power? Was he pitying her?! Did he worry that if he moved, her fake performance would cause the general''s distrust?! Her eyes glowed a faint blue as her heart slightly throbbed.


    I don''t need your help!


    Concealing a taste of bitterness, Hongyue turned back to the general. She slid the bracelet off her wrist and presented it to him.


    "Father, my gift."


    In truth, there really wasn''t any second treasure. Hongyue had made the whole thing up. Along with the poisonous hair stick, Hongyue merely placed a few enchantments on the bracelet. Originally, she had wanted to keep it by her side as an extra weapon. However, this was fine as well.


    The general waved his hand and a servant came forward to collect the Eldest Miss''s present. The servant turned to leave, however, Hongyue stopped him.


    "The Dragon''s Glory," She mentioned as she started to set it on the tray. However, the general widened his eyes and shook his head.


    "No need," He croaked, his voice slightly raspy. He had seen how the ghost of First Madam seemingly left the second concubine after Hongyue took the hair ornament back. A cold shiver ran down his back. Didn''t that mean that the hair stick was cursed? Why would he still want something so ominous?


    Hongyue tilted her head in question and the general waved his hand dismissively, "Your kind thoughts are received. This hair stick...suits you better."


    Hongyue hid a smirk.


    As she thought, he was a coward.


    "Then this daughter thanks Father," She chirped. General Wei nodded before turning to the unconscious Concubine Ruolan.


    "This daughter was so shocked the second madam would lash out so violently. In fear of her possibly injuring others, Hongyue stopped her. However, this daughter forgot about the bracelet she had on," Hongyue explained carefully. The general nodded. He had nothing to say. In fact, it was good the concubine couldn''t speak. His eyes narrowed. He needed to dispose of this second wife of his.


    General Wei was no longer in the mood to continue hosting. His heart was unsettled, and he just ached to leave the banquet. His eyes floated over to his eldest daughter and paused.


    "Hongyue, I''m touched by your gift. I''ll allow you to host the rest of this banquet."


    Hongyue looked up, a smile slowly etched into her face.


    "Yes, Father."


    Everything was going back to plan.


    General Wei motioned for someone to bring Hongyue''s gift to his room and he ordered for servants to take the unconscious madam away to hers. He paused before he headed to his study, his face was dark and weary.


    After he left, Hongyue flashed a brilliant smile to the guests. A skillful twist landed the Dragon''s Glory into her hair. The hair stick glistened alluringly in the night as Hongyue lightly dipped her head.


    "Father feels unwell. However, you need not worry. This eldest miss will entertain you well."

 65 Concubine Ruolans Demise Told

    Well into the night, the Wei Family''s door was crowded with leaving guests. While there were plenty of mouths, the night was unusually quiet. As everyone exited out of the manor, the Crown Prince turned around once more, and his grey eyes lingered on Hongyue''s Dragon Glory. His eyes were slightly dark before he finally made his way to his royal carriage. His thoughts were unknown.


    Hongyue clicked her tongue.


    How surprising.


    Crown Prince, you were the last one I had in mind.


    The eldest miss turned back to face the banquet hall. The patterned lanterns and tables of full jars of wine along with untouched food filled her eyes. To her side, all the servants were oddly quiet, awaiting her orders. Hongyue smirked and ordered them to clean up the hall. The servants shuffled about without a word of complaint.


    Hongyue turned her eyes to Qingyu. As her feet reached the spot where Qingyu still laid unconscious, Hongyue sighed.


    Her eyes were deep and indecipherable. Hongyue lifted his small body up, hoisting him into her arms. Without another sound, the eldest miss disappeared into the night, unnoticed. The servants continued to rush about to clear up the banquet, their thoughts conflicting yet not realizing the target of their thoughts were long gone.


    Back in her room, Hongyue laid Qingyu down on her bed and stepped slightly away. Her shoes scraping the surface of rotting wood.


    During the whole banquet, Hongyue had kept an eye on him and noticed the boy not reacting to the world at all. Hongyue frowned. Could she really have injured him that deeply? A slight flash of regret echoed in her eyes before the eldest miss turned away.


    Hongyue hovered her left palm in front of her left eye and deeply breathed in. As her hand moved away, it revealed the pupil underneath had become faint violet. She planted her hand on top of Qingyu''s chest. From the center of her palm spreading outward, was a peculiar burst of purple aura. The aura encircled the body of the boy before sinking into his body.


    Hongyue frowned.


    His body was in horribly bad shape. However, half the damage could be determined not to be from her. Hongyue hesitated for a minute before she slid the Dragon''s Glory out of her hair and dropped a drop of her blood onto the sleek surface. While it was pretty, Hongyue had no use for the hair stick now. Her eyes drifted to Qingyu''s pale face.


    "Heal."


    Her command echoed through the room, and the droplet of blood glowed bluish silver before it disappeared inside the hair stick. Unnoticed by Hongyue, a faint purple crescent moon branding also started to form on Qingyu''s pale neck slowly turning darker as each minute passed. Stroking the smooth hair stick one last time, Hongyue took Qingyu''s hand and wrapped his fingers around the hair ornament.


    "I''ve already received your gift," She paused quietly, "At that time I had nothing to give...this will be my token of truce."


    Her heart wavered after she spoke. Giving him a gift meant Hongyue trusted him enough in her heart. However, just how much could she trust?


    If it were before, she wouldn''t have done this.


    What changed this time?


    The reason why she blocked Concubine Ruolan''s attack for him remained unknown. Hongyue blamed it on herself being impulsive.


    However, to allow her to attack him even though he knew her intentions were malicious. It was so bare and open.


    Vulnerable.


    How did he do it? Why did he indulge her to that extent? Did he trust her?


    Trust. The word resounded inside her heart.


    ''I''ll be the first you can trust.''


    That was the last thing that weak human told her. Hongyue had never taken it into consideration but perhaps.


    Just perhaps.


    -------------


    Meanwhile, at the second madam''s residence, a series of shrill screams broke into the night. Articles of clothing along with pieces of porcelain were wildly thrown about the second madam''s room yet not a servant came forward to stop the wild second madam.


    "Mother! Mother, please calm down. What happened?" ChunHua''s voice shook frantically as she raced to stop her mother.


    Concubine Ruolan''s eyes stilled and suddenly froze, her hand loosened and the flower jar slipped out of her hand onto the ground. The shards of china exploded onto the stone ground.


    "I''ve lost."


    Her mother''s voice was so hollow, ChunHua felt cold.


    The second miss tried to wrap her arms around her mother hoping to calm her down. However, Concubine Ruolan ripped ChunHua''s hands off her body. The madam''s eyes were increasingly red while she panted frantically waving her hands about.


    "I lost! I never had the chance! It really was poison!" The second madam sounded madder by the second.


    "No blood...No blood...I''ve really underestimated her! I lost," Concubine Ruolan''s last words of sanity fell on deaf ears as no one truly understood her words. ChunHua scrunched up her nose unhappily, her heart ignorant of the truth of her mother''s suffering. The second madam sunk to the floor, her mind was finally broken. Her head, a matted mess, and her face lacked color. The once elegant and prideful Concubine Ruolan was no longer to be found. On the hands of the concubine, there were deep cuts from the broken porcelain.


    Yet, strangely not one cut had a drop of blood.

 66 Was He The Same As Her?

    Inside her room, Hongyue paused. Hearing the erratic screeches reverberating throughout the manor, disrupting the harmony of the estate along with the growing sound of feet heading toward Concubine Ruolan''s residence, Hongyue let out a rare smile that was oddly eased.


    Mother¡ª


    I paid back half the revenge already.


    Having another opportunity to call out the word mother twice in a day brought a rare emotion to Hongyue''s eyes. Hongyue softly slid herself down to the ground, her head evaluating all the disturbance she had created during the banquet.


    In truth, the current appearance of Concubine Ruolan was an illusion just the appearance the concubine had when she was ''possessed.''


    Concubine Ruolan had been correct. She had been poisoned. Nevertheless, to create the illusion of the ghost leaving Concubine Ruolan''s body, Hongyue unlocked the third enchantment she had placed on the poisonous hair stick. The first enchantment she placed was to allow the poison to remain in a solid form. The second was to intensify the effects of the poisoning, so the results were immediate. And the third¡ªwas to preserve the second madam''s organs from the poison as well as a small quantity of blood inside the heart.


    Hongyue chuckled coldly.


    Just like how the concubine had plotted against the mother of this body, Hongyue merely did the same. It was no different. One by one, each of her scheme played a part to a bigger goal. By creating the illusion of a ghost, she pulverized the madam''s growing reputation to nothing, reducing it to trash. After all, everyone concluded that the ghost was only there because of Concubine Ruolan''s selfish heart. By purposefully letting Concubine Ruolan know she was poisoned, the madam flew into a panic and executed all the incorrect decisions that demolished the general''s trust in her all by herself.


    Hongyue narrowed her eyes.


    And lastly, while the concubine appeared like she was healthy and well, the poor woman no longer had a drop of blood running inside her veins except a small amount within her heart to barely keep her alive.


    In short, the second madam was simply a living corpse at this point. Dying, yet unable to stop it. With the general''s distrust in her, the madam''s servants wouldn''t bother to help her. As for the general...he was a coward. Hongyue believed her father wouldn''t go near a concubine possessed by a ghost.


    Day by day, the second madam would deteriorate until death came for her himself. By that time, the second madam would have probably lost her soul. All the while, everyone around her wouldn''t know about her suffering after all, who would dare to come close to a crazy second madam.


    Who told you to cross with the wrong person?


    As for her father¡ª he wasn''t going free either. There would bound to be talk and growing speculation about the first madam''s death. Even if the general tried, he wouldn''t be able to stop a spreading fire. With the Crown Prince as the witness, the Emperor would most likely make a move soon. Furthermore, to be free from trouble, the general would place all the blame on the second madam and step aside.


    But how could Hongyue ever let him be comfortable? Her next move would be to visit the palace.


    As for her own performance tonight¡ª it was a display of her power even as a useless miss. It gave a warning to all that the eldest miss was protected by her dead mother. It was a simple tactic to stall for more time as she commences her task of gathering power as well as dragging out the rats¡ª like the Crown Prince. They could only watch but not touch.


    The eldest miss''s eyes gleamed darkly.


    Suddenly a raspy cough sounded from above her and cut into her thoughts. Hongyue instantly shifted her head toward the source. Standing by the bed, she watched as Qingyu coughed out a mouthful of blood onto her bed. Her blankets stained red.


    Hongyue frowned.


    It shouldn''t be like that.


    With attentive movements, she stripped away his outer layer to find his inner garments steeped with blood. Hongyue froze. Did she do that? As she peeled away the inner layer, her pupils contracted. The air quickly filled with a rancid scent of an old wound being uncovered. Hongyue''s hands quivered as she took in a sharp breath of air.


    There, on his pale chest, there was a deep hole just below the neck under the collarbone area. The hole was about the size of a coin, and the skin was slightly shriveled up. Nevertheless, now the injury was oozing profoundly, coated with blood. Hongyue quietly lowered her fingers to the wound.


    Was it possible that Qingyu was similar to her?


    Did he have a lineage gemstone as well?


    Startled by her sudden conclusion, Hongyue stumbled back. Her breathing increasingly rushed, and her eyes were completely blue with a purplish hue. Her hands despairingly clutching her head as a dark memory surfaced.


    "No. Please don''t."

 67 Betrayed By Her Own Kin

    Chained with rusty iron locks, a tattered covered girl laid weakly near a corner of a dark room. The ground of the room was littered with withered grass and bits of hay. The walls were built of pure cement and granite bricks coated with a light layer of red mud. There was no opening to this room except a large door to the front of the child. Even so, the door was locked tightly with chains. A stench of death hung gravely in the air as sudden roaring laughter increasingly soared into her room.


    The girl raised her head. Her tangled red hair covered her heart-broken eyes. Lines of blood bled considerably from a wound in her forehead. A line of blood could also be seen running from her lips to her neck as well as dark purple bruises lining up her legs. Hearing the laughter, the girl raced to the locked entrance and struck it with great energy. Her hands were soon bloodied, and the flesh was torn yet not one person in the separate room looked over at her.


    In grief, the girl lifted her eyes, and deep purple irises could be seen, furiously piercing at the source of laughter. How dare you. How DARE you even laugh! Yet not a noise came out from her mouth, only more blood rushed out her lips and her teeth gritted tightly.


    Finally, from the center of the laughing group, a girl stepped out. She had flowing golden hair that sparkled along with penetrating green eyes ¡ª a cruel smile light up her face.


    "Tsk, don''t tell me you''re actually mad about it. Who told you to be so stupid?" The girl exclaimed out. Her red lips moved slowly as her companions laughed.


    The blonde girl beamed wider, "Now, now don''t laugh at her. She''s so pitiful, isn''t she? Look at her eyes, oh, I think I actually feel bad."


    Despite her words, her tone was condescendingly ridiculing. She leaned closer to the purple-eyed girl, "Do you want to say something? Oh, I forgot. You can''t. We already cut off your tongue," The girl paused, "What can a siren do without her tongue? Without your voice, you''re only good as nothing at this point. You don''t even have your gemstone so you don''t even have powers. Oh? Why the angry eyes?"


    The green-eyed girl strode forward and planted a loud slap on the other girl''s cheek, "Did you really think I was your friend? I''ll tell you the truth, I just needed your birthstone."


    The siren looked down, tears threatening to spill over the rims of her eyes. Why? Aren''t you a mermaid? I gave you so much of my blood because you said you wanted legs. Aren''t we kins? Why would you dig out my birthstone? I helped you so much. So many questions repeated in her heart.


    The blonde girl smirked at the siren''s silence. She ran her finger through her own hair, the golden locks spilling over her shoulders revealing a slightly bloodied translucent gemstone amid her brows. Her green eyes sparkled haughtily as she affectionately stroked the stolen gemstone. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the siren gazing coldly at her.


    She sighed.


    "Since I''m kind, I''ll allow you to kill yourself. I don''t want to see your face by the time I come back, " She paused, catching the sight of Hongyue''s eyes filled with hatred, "Did you trust me because I''m a mermaid? You''re really foolish. I''ll tell you the truth; no one likes your kind. Neither humans or sea creatures. Actually, since there isn''t any more of your kind left, no one likes you. Everyone detests you. You simply a monster. Don''t compare yourself to me. You''re just a freak!"


    The siren glanced down. Is it... is that so? Is that why everyone always used her. Dragged her fragile and delicate heart in the dirt for their own use yet condemning her anyway.


    Why?


    Why was it so unfair?


    Wasn''t it because they blamed her, she lowered her head to this extent?


    Yet when she did, they laughed at her for being weak.


    If nothing she did was right, then she''ll force the law of the world to accept them as right!


    The mermaid didn''t even take another step away before the heads of her comrades exploded. The girl backed away in fear, her eyes wavering.


    "Y-you...you''re not supposed to have any powers without your birthstone...how?"


    The muted siren didn''t move, but a lazy smile made its way up her lips. Her cold eyes observed the other girl coldly.


    While it was true a siren had no powers without her gemstone, she was also a halfling. Not to mention, her mother was a direct descendant of the God of Sea. How could a daughter of hers be limited by a single birthstone?


    To have a birthstone, one had to be born with it, or it could be stolen. However, there was also another method, and that was to form it from the blood essence.


    Linage birthstones and gemstones were quite different in one thing.Although both did store a lot of power of the wearer, linage birthstones were created by the baby themselves in the womb to maintain control of their abundance of power that roared within their body. The babies born with it would usually be the ones with exceptional amounts of potential. The gem would help the flow of energy and usually helped store magic so the user''s body wouldn''t be constantly wearied.


    The gems were usually formed by the baby''s first pure and clean blood drop so it would also make sense that using blood essence would be the same equivalent.


    The hole of the siren''s forehead released a drop of dark red blood and the air around her surged uncontrollably. Her eyes turned bright purple and the blood hardened as it filled the vacant place of her stolen gemstone.


    Seeing the mermaid in front of her shocked, Hongyue''s eyes flashed.


    If you didn''t even know that much, why be so arrogant? Don''t blame me for not telling.


    She lifted her hand and the clear gemstone on the mermaid''s forehead shattered to pieces. The mermaid screamed in pain, the screams echoing in the dark room. However, just as quickly the cries started, it ended. Not a sound could be heard in the deathly quiet room.


    Moments later, the door smashed open, and the siren calmly exited out.


    However soon, the siren staggered as her head throbbed. Purifying a drop of blood essence was no a simple task. She had held back because she believed perhaps, just perhaps the mermaid was joking with her. Maybe it was all a cruel joke. Once the joke was over, someone would hug her and tell her everything was fine ¡ªbut no. The world was too cruel.


    She crushed the legs of the dead mermaid with her heel.


    These legs aren''t yours. You''re not suited.


    The siren gently rubbed her new gemstone. The new dark red appearance indicated she already blackened, but that was fine with her. If she lived only to die, she might as bring them all down with her.

 68 Keep As A Pe

    Hongyue opened her eyes and gradually set down her hands. Her eyelashes were batting softy as she attempted to settle her frantic mindset.


    She died already.


    She was now Hongyue.


    ¡ªand she was no longer that powerless.


    Her fingers lightly trembled, but she swiftly collected herself. Hongyue released a breath she never knew she held. How many years has it been now? The memory was still as vivid in her mind. Her eyes lowered, and she examined Qingyu. She reached her fingers out to take the Dragon''s Glory but soon paused.


    Did he suffer as well?


    Was he also betrayed?


    Was he...like her?


    Hongyue only knew what it was like to be different.


    No, called and identified as different. Marked as something sinister and evil even when she committed nothing wrong at all. It was strange how she was labeled as a monster when all she ever did was give and never asked anything for return.


    How ridiculous it was that side by side, she resembled exactly like the humans and mermaids, yet no one would accept her with open arms. Instead, they flung curses and targeted her.


    Hypocritical, that even though they pursued her with knives in hand, they still wanted her blood and powers. They proclaimed themselves righteous when they hunted her down yet when she retaliated, they cried out ''foul demon!''


    Why does it matter?


    She was a demon.


    However, she was never this cruel in the first place. They made her this way. Hongyue''s gleaming eyes dimmed, and she withdrew her hand. She turned to leave but slowly paused, and she tilted her head lightly.


    In her last life, she didn''t have anyone. No one stood by her side. No one cared. Yet here, in this world, a mere stranger of two days was willing to play with his life for her. He could have moved. He could have blocked. He could have hurt her. In the end, he didn''t.


    Nothing.


    He accepted everything she gave him.


    Although she never said it out loud, her heart was awfully tired.


    Weary.


    Maybe it wouldn''t be bad to have someone by her. What did they call it? A pet? Wouldn''t she be the master?


    How fitting. She had a drop of her blood inside his body anyway. Her eyes blinked. Even if he misbehaves, she''d still possessed influence over him.


    "Protect."


    As soon as the words transmitted from her lips, the air began to consolidate, and water drops were gradually pulled out of the air. Each water drop was drawn out to be long strands, scattering themselves all over the room. Hongyue extended her finger and touched one of the strands. Blood was immediately drawn out as the strand sliced into her finger. Hongyue licked the wound and observed the light injury heal, the skin pulling and melting together smooth as before.


    Turning away from Qingyu, Hongyue left the room.


    Your master will be back.


    Dumb pig.


    --------------------


    Amid the night, a figure gracefully spun herself on to a branch of a wide tree. Her eyes reflecting sharply in the dark, Hongyue frowned. Was he still not here? With a sharp twist, the black bracelet slid off her wrist and flipped into position. A long whip appeared and lashed into a different branch that belonged to another tree. With a deafening crack, the whip seemed to slice right through the bark of the tree. The entire tree swayed before topping over.


    "Say, Royal Pervert, you have awful manners; arriving yet not saying anything. Don''t tell me you became mute," Although Hongyue called out pleasantly, her words sounded cold.


    Jiayi scowled, but he couldn''t bring out any words to retort back at her. With his mouth shut tightly, he glared at her. Hongyue chuckled, her voice echoing cheerfully.


    "Was it because of my message?"


    Jiayi refused to talk. At that time, he was never so confused. What monster is coming to kill him? What blood wouldn''t be enough, she wanted his bones as well? Black had thrown out all his words with fear, his teeth chattering. Jiayi almost believed he sent Black to watch the wrong person. In the end, he could only wave Black away in confusion, not understanding at all what Hongyue wanted of him other than to come here tonight.


    Hongyue smiled.


    "Looks like you don''t get it. Let this miss demonstrate," As the words flowed out of Hongyue''s lips, her hand slid over her whip, and the end of the weapon lashed out for Jiayi''s head.


    The end coiled tightly around Jiayi''s neck and pulled the prince towards her. Jiayi quickly tried to stop her with a counterattack. With his palms out, a circle of fire headed straight for her. Nevertheless, the whip held tight while Hongyue simply tsked. Not that she recovered 25% of her original power, he was no match for her.


    She clicked her tongue.


    Hongyue couldn''t help think of Qingyu. This prince was nothing at all like that dumb pig. That guy didn''t even fight back when she poisoned him.


    Hongyue''s eyes turned dark, and the whip tightened. With a wave of her hand, the fire died out within the air.


    Jiayi''s eyes also deepened, and he gritted his teeth as he spoke, "What is the meaning of this?"


    "What is the meaning of this? Don''t you already know?" Hongyue smiled. Nevertheless, her smile didn''t quite meet her eyes.


    "What is your royal father planning?"

 69 We Stand, We Fall, We Die Together

    Jiayi''s eyes narrowed as he observed his fire attack disappearing within the air in matters of seconds.


    "Is this how you treat someone who helped you?"


    His voice was raspy and accusing, but Hongyue accepted his words without any guilt in her heart. Instead, his accusation made Hongyue smile, "Third Prince, the exact words I believe you said was ''investment.'' Since you don''t seem to know, I''ll be understanding and remind you of something. Some investments don''t benefit the investor. How unfortunate."


    Jiayi seemed taken back by her answer, his body instantly tensed.


    "Is this a threat?"


    With a shake of her wrist, Hongyue retracted the whip back to her side. She seemed to have lost interest in teasing him, "That was merely a reminder not to get to close to me. Next time I find one of your people shadowing me, not even their soul will leave my hands. Clear?"


    Hongyue snapped the whip back into a bracelet and slid it back on to her wrist. Her eyes focused on Jiayi, "Being an important character in the royal court, I assume you''re well-informed. What are your father''s next steps?"


    Jiayi narrowed his eyes at her bracelet. Where has he seen that before?


    "You set the show for my brother."


    His words were bland but straight to the point.


    Hongyue smirked. She had been contemplating for a while. If the royal family were so keen on keeping her alive yet not intervene a hand when she was suffering, they must know exactly how she suffered day by day. Her eyes sharpened.


    Who was to say that the royal family didn''t have a hand in her poisoning? Seeing their abilities and power, nothing was impossible. After all, their words could be masking their secret intentions.


    Although Jiayi didn''t get an answer from Hongyue, he seemed to know what she meant already. Jiayi shook his head, "My father doesn''t have any hand in this."


    An understanding smirk spread played on Hongyue''s lips," Oh?"


    Jiayi frowned at her unexpected tone of voice, "You have to be more careful of my royal brother."


    Hongyue''s smirk grew wider, "Are you being nice to me? If you''re worried for me, then send out an edict for me by tomorrow morning. Give me the first move."


    Jiayi pursed his lips but he didn''t refuse.


    *************


    Arriving back in her room, Hongyue looked over at Qingyu who was still unconscious. She frowned and strode over to the bloody bedside. As she stepped closer to him, the strands of silvery strands that guarded him started to melt apart, leaving a safe path for her. In her hand, she held a glittering gray pill. She had gained it by stealing it from the third prince without his notice. Now Hongyue stared at Qingyu blankly as she stood above him.


    How was she supposed to feed it to him?


    "Wake up!" Her voice cut through the air, but the boy gave no response to her sharp command. Hongyue''s frown deepened. She had never cared for a person like this before nor had anyone care for her like this. What was she supposed to do? Grabbing him by the collar, she pulled him closer to her. Cupping his cheeks, she forced his mouth agape and tossed the pill inside his mouth. Then she roughly smacked his chin upwards and watched as the pill slid down his throat.


    Good.


    He''ll be fine.


    She released her hold on him, and Qingyu fell back on to the bed. Stepping lightly, she left the room. With a light exertion on the windowsill, she propelled herself into the air and descended gently on the branch of a tree near her room. Her fingers casually braced the truck of the tree, balancing her weight upon the tree branch. Her eyes peered up at the sky. There was only an empty spot where the moon should be but a web of stars could be seen. The gentle breeze of the night that passed her figure seemed to sing her loneliness into the void.


    The loose strands of her hair appeared to flutter gracefully in the air as she mused deep in thought with her legs swinging about.


    Finally, her ruby lips opened and a melody seeped out:


    "We fall, we stand, we die together


    All we have and all for the better


    Dancing flames of the sinful desires


    Grasping for victims, grasping higher


    Take a sip of poisoned honey


    Take a handful of glittering money


    Carry the chains of the past


    Take the blame that''ll come to last...."


    As she sang, the siren''s eyes seemed to burn. The grass sighed as the wind began to pick up its pace and the eerie resonance drifted around her residence. Singing the last words to her song, Hongyue''s eyes began to flutter shut, and a strange smile hung on her lips as she drifted to sleep.


    Inside her room, the unconscious figure began to stir, the dark purple crescent moon on his neck strangely glowing.

 70 The Royal Decree Scheme

    As the early morning sun came to grace the general''s manor, so did the sudden news of the eldest miss being invited to the palace. The estate was still awfully quiet since many of its occupants had not yet awakened. The general was nowhere to be seen, and many of the servants were greatly surprised, but they kept their head down, biting their tongue. Who didn''t hear of Hongyue''s sudden rise in favor from last night? Who didn''t know of the second madam go went crazy after stealing something from the eldest miss?


    Who still dared to look down at her?


    Meanwhile, Hongyue''s own heart had already apprehended something was wrong in this situation. How could the third prince get something so essential within such a short amount of time? Why so early? Although she did ask for the edict, there was no way it could all be done within a night just for a simple eldest miss like her. With so many questions, Hongyue could tell this wasn''t normal. However, Hongyue didn''t allow it to show on her face. With a radiant smile locked in place, she strode from the courtyard to the front of the manor like a foolishly happy eldest miss.


    Upon reaching the entrance, Hongyue let out a small smile and accepted the proclamation from the head eunuch, her eyes studying the servant holding the edict. Bowing, she placed both hands outward above her head. The royal decree was carefully placed in her hands. However, a small prickling feeling could also be felt from the side of her left hand. A slightly numbing sensation spread throughout her arm, and Hongyue''s eyes darkened at the pain, but she didn''t let out a sound.


    The eunuch stepped back, and his face was frowning. Nevertheless, he waved for the eldest miss to get on to the carriage. He looked back to his right and nodded for the transport to start its way to the palace. The carriage was lifted up by well-dressed servants, and the palace servants moved away from the manor uniformly, their movement slightly odd. As quickly as the palace servants arrived, they left, leaving nothing but an empty spot that felt like nothing happened at all.


    After a little bit, from inside the carriage, Hongyue gently lifted the slightly faded curtain and looked out to the scenery. Her eyes seemed to darken when it caught sight of the rocky trail she was heading on, and she flipped the curtain down into place. Hongyue tilted her face to the front. Her fingers were lightly stroking a sleek black snake that laid nestled sleeping in her lap, and her eyes held not a drop of emotion as a wicked smile slowly crawled up her lips. Hongyue gently rubbed the top of the forehead of the snake as she clicked her tongue.


    Thinking of the sharp pain from before, she lifted her left hand into her sight. Her entire arm was already felt numb even though there weren''t visible changes to be seen by the eye.


    Poisoned.


    Hongyue had already found it strange that the third prince himself wasn''t here, the edict must not be sent by the prince himself. Now she was poisoned once again.


    How amusing.


    Although, there was an edict sent for her. It didn''t seem to be written by the Emperor either, and it was way too early to commence a simple meet. Her eyes narrowed. There appeared to foul play involved however just who made this move? They really didn''t want her to make it into the palace alive.


    Although the hand played was new, Hongyue wasn''t surprised. She had anticipated this much from the moment she was awakened by the servants.


    With a quick spin of her finger, a growing drop of purplish-green liquid flowed out from the tiny wound on her hand. Hongyue stared at the droplet with great interest and opened her lips.


    "Hey," Her cold voice broke through the silence and seemed to hang in the air. The carriage continued. However, Hongyue could feel a slight tension beginning to appear.


    "What is bothering this miss? Would you like to turn back?" The head eunuch''s voice flowed into the carriage.


    Hongyue''s smile grew wider hearing his words. It was an imperial edict; how could a simple eldest miss like her refuse?


    So many tricks, so many tricks, Hongyue shook her head mockingly.


    "Is head eunuch trying to tell me to disobey the imperial edict?" She asked, her eyes gleaming. There a slight movement outside and all of a sudden the carriage stopped. The carriage collapsed on the rough dirt road, and the termor could be felt throughout the entire wooden compartment. The sudden jolt seemed to wake the snake, and Hongyue''s eyes flashed.


    Already?


    Hongyue calmy sat in place, but it wasn''t long before the front fabric opening was ripped open. A dark bloodthirsty pair of eyes stared back at her. Hongyue''s lips arched in a mocking sneer.


    "Oh? I don''t seem to recall inviting the head eunuch into the carriage. Is something wrong?"

 71 A Breath Of Fresh Air

    As soon as the words left her lips, Hongyue could feel her neck being tightly gripped with rough ironlike fingers. Hongyue merely smiled and peered up at the head eunuch, her eyes gleaming. Her hands remained still while stroking the black snake and her gaze contained not one drop of fear. The attacker seemed disturbed by her lack of response but soon drew out a dagger. The blade of the knife was short but remarkably sharp with unfamiliar writing on the side of the edge, catching Hongyue''s attention.


    Pressing the blade against her pale neck, the head eunuch cautioned her, "Do as I say, or die!"


    Sighing, Hongyue lifted her right hand from the snake and with a snap of her wrist, the dagger was within the tips of her fingers.


    "Do as you say? This miss is stupid. Whatever do you mean?" Hongyue gazed at the dagger in her hands and with a quick swing of the weapon, the hands that held her neck went limp. A spray of blood spattered her face while the head eunuch roared out from the excruciating pain. Hongyue let out a cruel smile and kicked the man squarely in the chest. From the unexpected force, the head eunuch was driven out of the carriage and flung into a tree.


    The dust on the ground blew out around his body and a powerful snapping sounds could be heard from the impact. The head eunuch''s head went limp and two dark trails of blood could be seen flowing the cut veins from his hands.


    With a cold voice, Hongyue calmly called out within the carriage, "Is that all? Then this miss will take her leave."


    A subtle vibration of an incoming airborne arrow could be heard heading toward the eldest miss. Hongyue narrowed her eyes and tilted back while she swung the dagger. The blade of the knife speedily diverted the arrow, and the weapon rerouted itself to the front of the carriage. The arrow stuck deeply into the curtain and a loud thump could be heard as a body dropped dead outside behind the curtain. A splash of red could be seen from the outside of the fabric staining it red.


    Hongyue''s left eyes gradually started to shift into a purple as her sneer widened. With an agile twist of her wrist, the black metal bracelet on her arm collapsed into a whip. With a powerful lash to the right, the metal whip turned fiercely around her body before it slammed vigorously against the inner surfaces of the carriage.


    The wooden walls shattered from the intense might and with another whip from Hongyue''s skilled hand, the entire top half of the carriage was blown apart entirely.


    Tilting her head, Hongyue was met with a crowd of bloodthirsty eyes fixated on her. The girl didn''t seem to be surprised with her body firmly planted on the leftover carriage seat. Her legs were crossed and in her lap, a sleek black snake was just waking. It''s dull white eyes stared unblinkingly at the hand that rested on its body. In her own hand, there was a black whip slightly covered in blood. A familiar dagger could be seen with its blade buried within the wooden seat of the carriage next to her side.


    "Oh? What''s this? This miss merely wanted some fresh air but it seems like today wasn''t the day to do so was it," Hongyue''s voice emerged powerfully throughout the air, her eyes shone brightly.


    A stampede of agile feet heading her direction immediately acknowledged her question. With a sharp kick to the wooden seat of the carriage, Hongyue propelled herself into the air. In the air, Hongyue glanced downward at her attackers, noting a tiny marking just behind each of their left ears.


    Detecting another flying arrow at her, she twisted her body mid-air. With the spin of her body, the whip came back to its source, snaking around her body. The arrow scraped against the moving metal defense and veered back to the archer. With another twist to the opposite direction, the coiled whip slackened and whirled outwards and lashed out toward her assassins.


    The spiraling force from her weaponry caused the whole front line of assassins to be shoved behind. With a flip of her finger, Hongyue rapped the whip, and the interior creases of the whip flipped exposed revealing a row of razor-sharp jagged alloy. Thrusting her hand forward, the whip was driven into their bodies. Hongyue wielded the handle to the right and the whip sliced across the wall of human flesh. The grass was immediately drenched in the blood of the fallen.


    However, despite the bloody show, none of the surviving attackers appeared the want to retreat.


    Strange.


    Landing safely on the ground, Hongyue stood still and her actions oddly calm. To her attackers, it resembled like the eldest miss was exhausted and they took the opportunity to advance forward.


    Nonetheless, as soon as their feet touched the blood of their fallen comrades, all the assailants found they could not move forward an inch. To their horror, the thick red liquid began to snake up their legs and shouts of agony instantly permeated the air.

 72 The Writer Of The Edic

    Hongyue stood noiselessly, her eyes fixated on the bodies of the fallen. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she hastily stepped forward to the carriage where it stood in the middle of the mess. With one hand, she forcefully snapped the weaponry in her hand back into a bracelet and stopped at the mangled carriage. Her eyes settled on the tiny black snake which was still quietly curled up on the wooden seat, its tail flickering about restlessly.


    Sensing her nearby, the snake lifted its little head up and flicked its tongue out at her in greeting. Hongyue didn''t say a word and studied its dull white eyes. With her right hand, she gingerly reached out her fingers and stroked the top of its forehead. Sliding her left hand under the body of the snake, she scooped it up and pressed it close to her chest. With a sigh, Hongyue turned back to face the corpses of her assassins and her eyebrows wrinkled in thought.


    Not one of the attackers used magic.


    They were ''normals''.


    Making her way toward the tree where the head eunuch laid dead, Hongyue paused for a moment before she bent down. Carefully inspecting the body, she patted the dark blue robes only to find nothing concealed within his garments. Sighing, the eldest miss stood back up, her eyes dark.


    The royal edict she had was not a fake.


    The proclamation was inscribed clearly on a thick blend of both parchment and fabric. The edges were embroidered with gold threads, and the red stamp on the end of the decree was the correct marking of the emperor, which was the same as she saw on the gold piece the general had given away to the servant who was assigned to kill her. However, other than the dagger the head eunuch had to kill her, there was nothing else on his body, not even the needle used to transfer poison into her body. Hongyue frowned, her eyes rotating around the disordered scene of corpses. In fact, not one assailant had anything on their body to indicate who they were or where they came from other than conventional weapons used to attack her.


    The assailants were the same servants that carried her carriage. All attendants appeared to be sent from the palace after all their clothes were not out of place. If there was something wrong, the guards at the front entrance would have tried to stop the intruders in order to protect the general.


    Jiayi?


    No, it didn''t seem like it.


    However, after fighting with them, Hongyue could conclude they were far too skilled to be mere servants. Turning her attention back to the head eunuch, Hongyue flipped over his hands. Running along the edges the web of his thumbs and forefingers were thick calluses, the color was slightly yellowish due to the growth of dead skin.


    She frowned and looked down at her hand where the tiny wound remained on her skin. The needle attack he executed on her was far too skilled. If not for her being on guard, she might not have noticed the small pain from the puncture. The speed of handing over the proclamation and injuring her was well-planned which could only mean someone was being extra careful to hide all their tracks.


    ¡ªbut it wasn''t the emperor.


    This was clear.


    Hongyue slid the written edict out of her sleeves and smoothly moved her hands over the printed words. As the ruler, the emperor must write new proclamations daily and evaluate further adjustments sent by the ministers of his court. Having numerous years to practice his penmanship, the strokes would be short and rough due to the volume of work.


    The emperor would have to work the brush to the ink and back on the fabric, and it was likely that he would print many characters on a single dip of ink due to the lack of time. This would result in small empty patches and slightly fading strokes.


    However, on the edict, the words were clearly calligraphed, and the ink was very opaque as if someone took the time to write the characters. The strokes appeared thin at some points; this meant that the hand holding the brush was both steady and light. It was similar to a hand belonged to someone who had the extravagance of time to relax and slowly letter out their thoughts.


    Hongyue frowned and rolled up the scroll. Holding it close to her nose, she gave a sniff ¡ªthere was a light fragrance, but it was still faintly there.


    ¡ª a female.


    Turning her head back to the carriage seat where the half-buried dagger stood, Hongyue clicked her tongue. Making her way back to where the weapon was embedded in the wooden board of the carriage, Hongyue adjusted her arm and wrapped the body of the little snake around her left arm. The snake didn''t protest as it curled around her warm limb tightly with its head awfully still.


    Stretching out her hand in a swift, smooth movement, Hongyue uprooted out the weapon and gazed at the strange markings on the side of the blade.


    Suddenly, vibrations of rushing footsteps hurried in her direction and Hongyue glanced up.


    Her eyes met with the eyes of a middle-aged man dressed in yellow and gold.


    The emperor.

 73 Follow The Trap

    The snake around her arm tightened, and Hongyue gently patted her sleeve and felt a soft tongue flicking out against her skin in response.


    What a timing, Hongyue thought as she gently clicked her tongue. Why was the emperor here? Her mind began to spin as she formed possible theories.


    She received an edict that forced her to go to the palace. Nonetheless, that was only in name since she was led into an empty road to be killed. While in the carriage, Hongyue had noted the ground was substantially covered in patches of grass. Since the palace had men returning and traveling back and fro on the trail, there meant there was to be little to no grass due to the heavy stomping of horses and foot travel.


    But...the emperor was someone busy so why would he be here? Could it be someone informed him of something? Or did he know something already?


    However, what would he had to be informed about in to order to be so stirred up like this?


    Too messy.


    She needed more information.


    Ah~


    The royal family really can''t be trusted, can they?


    There were only two things she could deduct from this situation. One, this indicated that it was a trap arranged for her, and everything else had been a cover-up for the trap or two, she was overthinking it.


    But, she thought as she looked down, overthinking would be better than underestimating.


    Hongyue extended her fingers and flipped over the blade in her hands ever so slightly, purposely letting it fall to the ground before she reached down and picked it up.


    However, if it was the first option....whoever it was, they were sitting prettily playing puppets. It was someone who wanted the emperor to find her as a threat he couldn''t control and that same someone who seemed to know that the eldest miss wasn''t all she appeared. So this was merely a case of a borrowed hand.


    Jiayi?


    Seeing that he was more careful of her, it wasn''t likely, but it was not impossible he could have acted out of character. The third prince seemed to hold different ambition in which he seemed to want to borrow her strength so he wouldn''t dare rid of her yet. Hongyue was willing to bet this much.


    Then...


    A slight gleam came into her eyes, and Hongyue covered up a smirk that was starting to appear. With a quick change to her blood-thirsty eyes and expression, she acted to have a great interest in the dagger in her hands.


    She''ll have to play their little game...only in the opposite direction.


    "Hongyue?" The emperor''s voice was filled with uncertainty, and his eyes were fixed intensely on her before taking in the scene. Why did she have a dagger? Who were these people? How did they die? His eyes suddenly flickered back up at her. Did she kill them? However, didn''t his reports say she showed no sign of magic?


    The emperor frowned deeply before he turned to the ruined carriage. He had heard his third son mention it was a good time to bring the eldest miss to the palace and he had agreed. After all, receiving numerous ominous reports that General Wei hoarded a spirit of the dead, the emperor felt uneasy and wanted to pull Hongyue to his side just in case there was something not right with the general. He had wanted to see the eldest miss several times, but due to the general''s refusal, he was never able to. Now that there was an opportunity for him, the emperor was delighted and rushed over as soon as the sun rose into the sky. However arriving at the outer doors, he was met with confused guards who claimed the eldest miss had already departed with the edict in the carriage sent.


    Hearing this news, the emperor felt much alarmed. He hadn''t written any proclamation due to the fact he wanted to secure the eldest miss with his own hands. Quickly spreading out his men, he ordered that the eldest miss must be found. Even so, the emperor was restless. Who? Who sent an edict without his permission. Hearing reports of combat on an abandoned trail just near the main route to the palace, the emperor decided to go examine the area. Who knew that the first thing he would be met with was Hongyue standing in a mess of corpses.


    "You, what are you holding?" His eyes focused on the weird knife she held in her hands. Hongyue looked back at the dagger and beamed.


    "I don''t know! It looks pretty!" Hongyue answered, her voice childish. Gesturing around the scenery, Hongyue looked confused as she spoke.


    "I was told that I was to follow the orders of an edict, so I rode in a carriage. Then this happened. Why do you ask?" Her voice held the innocence of a foolish child as she waved her hands about, and it seemed to have calmed the emperor''s worrying heart.


    "What does ''this happened'' mean? Did you not see what happened?" An aide near the emperor questioned.


    Hongyue pouted, her eyes filled with confusion, "This miss was asleep. How could I know what happened?"


    Asleep?!! Who could sleep through something like this? The whole half of the carriage was ripped apart, could anyone sleep soundly like that?!!


    Flipping over the dagger, Hongyue smiled and held it close, "When I woke up, I remember there was someone who saved me. Look, he must have left this for me."


    With the sudden change in topic, the emperor also took a look at the dagger. His eyebrows contorted in confusion and he handed it aside to an aide. His eyes quickly settled on the eldest miss who stood oblivious to the severity of the issue.


    If it were someone else who told him this, he wouldn''t have believed them. However, the eldest miss was stupid, and from the rumors, she really wasn''t capable rather...she was a complete idiot. Remembering back to the reports, it was said that the ghost of the first madam who protected Hongyue. Could it be that the eldest miss was protected? By just one person?!


    Stretching out his hands, he made out his mind, "Come; I''ll take you back to the palace. We''ll talk more there; it''s not safe here."


    Hongyue frowned at his hands and tilted her head, "Who are you?"


    The emperor looked surprised at her question, and an aide quickly snapped at her, "Foolish girl, he''s the Emperor.


    Hongyue looked lost, and the emperor quickly ushered his aides to help the eldest miss back to the palace. The emperor took a final look at the ground where the piles of bodies laid.


    Just who did this?


    The level of this individual must be brought back into his kingdom!

 74 Isll Follow You

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 75 Arriving At The Palace

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 76 Salty Duck Mea

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 77 Want To Tell A Story

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 78 The Golden Bird

    "Reward?"


    The Empress narrowed her eyes, veiling a sharp glint. Her restless fingers started tapping slower on her armrest. This eldest miss actually wants a reward from her? Was giving her face not enough? She dared to even ask for a reward?! Was the eldest miss too brave or too stupid?


    "Okay," The Empress finally agreed, her red lips curved up in a peculiar smile after she gave out her answer. Her right hand gracefully moved to hide the rest of her smile behind the flowery screen of her fan. However, the fan could not conceal the creeping sense of danger. Sensing the darkening energy, Hongyue hid a sneer and clapped her hands.


    With a loud, clear voice, the eldest miss began her story, "Once upon a time, there was a female bird who had gorgeous golden feathers. The bird''s feathers glistened richer than all the gold and jewels in the land. All the other birds in the land aspired to be like the golden bird.


    Such golden feathers were like a gift, who wouldn''t treasure it?


    The other birds would spoil the golden bird with any findings they discovered and compliment her daily. This slowly fed into the bird''s ego, and it grew to want more. It was a pity that the bird soon became to never be satisfied with its gold feathers.


    Soon, it desired to be the sole leader over all the birds. After all, she possessed golden feathers, so she believed she was meant to rule over them all.


    Over some time, she became friends with a poor crow because she assumed that the crow was humble and obedient."


    Hongyue continued talking, but her fingers were inadvertently twirling with her silver spoon. From the corner of the spoon''s curve, she could see the aide behind her, staring at her figure. Playing with it slightly, she tilted it so she could see his eyes. Causally moving her hand, she hovered it just over her mouth as she continued with her story.


    "They made a simple oath to always be together. Soon, the crow told the golden bird of how the golden bird could gain power over all the other birds.


    ''It was simple,'' The crow said.


    The golden bird just needed to eat the heart of a particular fish, and she would be able to gain authority over all the birds. So the golden bird listened and traveled to the pond where the fish lived. Dipping her beak under the water, the golden bird was suddenly terrified to find that her feathers couldn''t fly within the water. She had been so concerned about her main purpose, she forgot about the real world around her. The golden bird then tried to work her way back to the land.


    But how would she know that the once little fish would suddenly jump out of the water and eat her? Soon after the golden bird was eaten, the crow came out from behind the reeds. All that was left on the ground was the leftover golden feathers, and the crow took the feathers. The crow tucked it carefully within her own wings. The next day, she became the new golden bird."


    Hongyue finished talking, and she glanced around the room. Her eyes were glistening at the sight of slightly alarmed faces of others.


    The story had started out so innocently, it sounded like a common folktale. Now that it was over, there was no way to pretend the story was at all ordinary. The emperor studied Hongyue thoughtfully.


    With the abrupt ending to the story, the emperor couldn''t help but frowned before he questioned Hongyue, "Is that the end?"


    Hongyue shook her head lightly, "No, the strange thing was not even one of the other birds seemed to realize that the crow was an imposter even though it was obviously a crow. Do you know why?"


    Her tone of voice sounded like she knew the answer, and the emperor felt curious to know.


    "Why?" The emperor probed.


    Hongyue paused, a silly smile started to cross over her face, "Hongyue doesn''t know either. It''s just a simple story. Hm, do you know why?"


    Everyone in the room seemed to be baffled by Hongyue''s question, all but the third prince and the Empress. Jiayi''s face grew grave, and he fiddled with his teacup, not looking up. Meanwhile, the Empress''s fist was stiffening into a ball. Her eyebrows were creased, and her eyes were narrowed. Her hand had long abandoned her fan, and there was no denying the menacing expression on her delicate face.


    Why?


    There was no need to ask why.


    The other birds only cared for the golden feathers and nothing more than that. That was why the other birds didn''t know the real bird died.


    The Empress''s gaze intensified as she felt her blood boiling. She had kept telling herself not to be pulled in and overthink. Nevertheless, this could be no overthinking. It was plain and simple. Wasn''t the golden bird her? This little wench was talking about her, wasn''t she? This eldest miss acted so foolishly, but there was no coincidence so apparent in the world.


    The eldest miss''s story was mocking her.


    She was the golden bird.


    And that crow...the Empress''s eyes widened before an elegant expression came across her face, hiding her true intentions.


    "This story is indeed interesting. Why don''t I reward you?"

 79 Simply Just Watch

    Hongyue gasped in delight at the Empress''s generous offer. The eldest miss''s face was slightly flushed, and her eyes sparkled. She looked like a child receiving her present, completely elated. She set the spoon in her hand down with a loud clank, and she stood up at once. Meanwhile, many of the ministers and court ladies were baffled by the sudden change in treatment. The girl they were once laughing at suddenly shot up in favor, this left a bitter taste in their mouths. Nevertheless, some of the more senior court ladies merely kept their heads down as if they knew of what would happen.


    The eldest miss''s feet made its way quickly toward the direction of the Empress. As Hongyue walked, she passed where the third prince was sitting. Just as the sleeve of her robe happened to brush by Jiayi''s chair, her right wrist was suddenly gripped tightly by iron-like fingers.


    Hongyue''s feet stopped.


    Jiayi''s right hand had long abandoned fiddling with his teacup and was now on her wrist. His left hand was tightly clutching the armrest of his wooden chair. His hair had somewhat covered his eyes, and no one could read what he was thinking about.


    Finally, he looked up, and Jiayi gave a forced smile to the Empress. The Empress narrowed her eyes. Why did he interfere? When did he become so bold?


    "This prince thinks it''s unfair for Hongyue to receive a gift. After all, it''s probably a reused story she was probably told. It is unworthy to be praised," Jiayi voiced dryly.


    Hongyue clicked her tongue.


    Nonsense.


    She made the story by herself. What reused story? She purposely took the time to create it. Her eyes studied his face. Was this his way of trying to shield her? This wasn''t the time.


    Hongyue gave a short giggle, "Third Prince, you''re mistaken. This miss is too stupid to memorize stories told to me by others. This story is from a dream I had last night. Although I couldn''t remember the full details, I made it up as I went."


    After her words left her lips, she could feel his fingers tightening painfully around her wrist. Hongyue''s eyes turned dark. Was he this afraid of her going up against the Empress? She wouldn''t have known if not for his increasing strength on her wrist. She flipped her hand with her sleeve and pinched his arm, leaving the pale surface with a dark bruise. Just because Jiayi couldn''t go against the Empress, doesn''t mean she, Hongyue, was backing down!


    Jiayi''s fingers didn''t loosen. Instead, they squeezed harder and Jiayi''s eyes darkened. Out of the times she chose to be playful, she chose this time.


    She really couldn''t afford to upset the Empress.


    From her seat, the Empress cupped the side of her face with her left hand, her fingers set against her jaw gracefully, "Since the eldest miss said she was the one who made out the story, then it''s only right she gets a reward for her hard work. Why are you blocking her? Do you, perhaps, not like the eldest miss? That''s no good. Be more accepting of normals."


    Jiayi''s eyes darkened. This calculating woman!


    With the Empress''s words, the emperor looked at Jiayi with disapproval. The third prince could only let go of her hand. Nonetheless, he stared stiffly at the carefree Hongyue who walked past him. Hongyue tilted her head up and gave the Empress a bright smile, one so pure the Empress couldn''t seem to find the strength in herself to muster one back.


    This eldest miss was genuinely irritating.


    The Empress gently removed one of her earrings, her fingers moving carefully and delicately.


    The string of green was captivating to the eyes but cold to the soul.


    Hongyue reached out her hand to receive it when the earring seemed to slip past her fingers, dropping to the ground. Although it shouldn''t have been a problem for Hongyue to catch the falling jewelry, Hongyue made no effort to move. Her eyes merely lazily followed the falling jewel and watched the string of green shatter into pieces. The Empress looked shocked, she didn''t think Hongyue was going to ignore the falling jewel like that. Jiayi stood still. He was just as surprised at how easy it was for Hongyue to dodge the first trap like that. It was so simple, it slipped his mind.


    "Well," Hongyue pushed out her hands again, "Where''s my prize?"


    Where was her prize?


    Where was her prize?!


    Did the eldest miss not see the shattered jade on the floor?


    Such an ability to be so bold! Truly admirable!


    However, the Empress looked lost. Her eyes were focused on the broken earring. Hongyue waited patiently, her hands still outstretched. However, she couldn''t help holding back a laugh.


    There was the thin sheen of grease of the earring but it wasn''t invisible. While it may be hard for someone else keeping hold of it after catching it, Hongyue wouldn''t have any issues. It was just, how to say it¡ªshe simply didn''t want to try.


    So why not just watch it fall.


    The jade shattering could not be too different from the Empress''s heart right now.

 80 So Many Masters

    However, the dazed appearance on the Empress''s perfectly painted face didn''t last too long. Her dark eyebrows could be seen creased while her lips tightened in a straight line. Her eyes flared in rage as she raised her fan, "You-"


    Hongyue faltered back at the Empress''s sudden shout with confusion written all over her face. Her big eyes looked over to the emperor for help before she looked back to the Empress. Staring at the green string of jade shattered on the ground, an understanding look suddenly settled on her face. Her eye narrowed as her lips moved fast.


    "Could...could it be, that was for me?"


    The Empress almost wanted to puke blood. What was this annoyance in front of her made of? If she wasn''t handing over the earring, what would she be doing? Randomly breaking jewelry?


    Holding back her anger, the Empress mustered out a slight smile, "Could it be eldest miss didn''t know?"


    "Well, Hongyue has never set foot into the palace before. Other than playing all day, this stupid miss doesn''t know anything else," Hongyue answered sourly.


    This skill at degrading one''s self! How irritating. Hongyue''s words left no room for the Empress''s planned next wave of criticism since the eldest miss admitted all her fault herself. What was the Empress left to say? She could only nod, trying to hide her anger in her heart.


    Hongyue tilted her head. Her hands hugging her porcelain-like cheeks, "Ah! How about this? I''ll tell you another story!"


    Was she pretending to be stupid?! At this point, the Empress wasn''t even sure of the possibility anymore. Could there really be someone so stupid? She gritted her teeth and tried not to break the fan in her hand.


    "No need," The Empress''s reply was short and sharp.


    Downcasted, Hongyue put an unhappy pout on her face, "Then..then what about my reward?"


    What reward? The reward was already gone. This brat! The Empress stood up angrily, her eyes narrowed at the girl in front of her. Even if the earring was going to be broken, it should have played the purpose of dragging the eldest miss with it. However, it didn''t even do that much! How could she not be angry?!!


    "Eldest miss, please don''t be unreasonable," A calm voice echoed behind her and Hongyue turned her head.


    Oh~


    What a timing.


    The Crown Prince gracefully flipped over his robes as he stepped into the room. One hand rested behind his back while the other hand clutched to his fan. His usual playful expression seemed awfully forced on his face; nonetheless, his smile was blinding. His presence seemed to have calmed the Empress down. The woman sat back down, her eyes shining. Her red lips curved in a smile, and she waved for her son to take a seat.


    Jiayi pursed his lips at the Crown Prince''s sudden appearance but said nothing. Sitting down himself, he lowered his gaze and rested his hand on the curve of his teacup. His eyes focused blankly on the ground before him. Hongyue suddenly felt her arm being tighten by Qingyu, and she slowly lowered her hand. Her smile turned rigid, and she took one step back.


    Meanwhile, the crown prince stepped up and gave his greetings to the emperor before nodding to his mother. Giving a short glance at Jiayi, he looked over at Hongyue.


    "What would the eldest miss want? This prince will get it for you," His voice was soft and gentle, but there was no denying that his eyes were dark.


    Hongyue smiled. Her heart was already unsettled by his strange timing.She was just about to force the Empress, but now the timing was off. I want you to leave. Can you do that much?


    She looked around, and her eyes settled on the tray where the dagger laid untouched, "Then I want that pretty dagger!"


    At once, the Empress narrowed her eyes. What was this? A game? Who gave and took back the things they gave like that? However, before she even opened her mouth, the Crown Prince smiled.


    "Sure."


    His eye met his mother, and he gave her a reassuring smile.


    "As long as you don''t kill anybody with it, you can have it," He said as he passed over the knife.


    Hongyue nodded, "Okay."


    Oh.


    That was done so smoothly even Hongyue didn''t feel safe. In truth, she merely did that to see the balance of powers.


    The Crown Prince seemed to hold a lot more influence over his mother, which was strangely unexpected.


    Receiving the blade in her hands, she gave a satisfied expression. She walked her way to her seat. Sitting down clumsy, she took a look at her food and continued to eat.


    Someone must have informed the Crown Prince to come, but she didn''t see anyone leave.


    The Emperor didn''t mention a word during the whole verbal exchange, she couldn''t tell what he was thinking.


    Jiayi held her in a higher stage than she expected.


    Hongyue shook her head slightly.


    So many masters of the game.


    Her eyes glowed slightly.


    Looks like she''ll have to knock them down one by one.

 81 Let The Game Begin

    Nonetheless, at the moment, there was nothing Hongyue could do other than to wait. In a place Hongyue couldn''t claim as her own, there was no doubt there was hidden danger lurking about within every wall. Who was to say that the high court ladies weren''t pawns who might be keeping notes on her possible weaknesses and capability? Perhaps, even the movement of her drinking soup was noted down as something that could to be used against her.


    Ah, how tiresome¡ªyet so exciting.


    At this time, the Crown Prince was engaged in a conversation with the emperor. His fingers tapped on the wooden tabletop as he spoke confidently. Nevertheless, Hongyue could see his eyes indicating something to his mother. A chuckle slipped out from his lips, and there was a slow eye movement to the right before coming back to the left. A laugh sounded ¡ª another quick eye movement to the right.


    Now, now, was that for her to catch or not for her to catch?


    Hongyue dulled her eyes as she ''carelessly'' dropped her spoon the floor. The silver utensil clanged on the ground for the fourth time, and the Crown Prince paused to look over. Hongyue huffed in exasperation as she reached over to pick up the spoon. Just as the eldest miss seemed to grab hold of it, it seemed to slip back out of her hands. The eldest miss''s face became red as she fumbled for her spoon, and the Crown Prince turned back his head to his father''s next words. Hongyue finally got the spoon within her fingers, and she quietly got back into her seat.


    She already got what she needed.


    Something was staring at her¡ªnot from the right or above but at the bottom corner of the Empress''s chair. Just slightly tucked under the robe of the Empress, there was a pair of beady red eyes. She had just spotted it on the curve of her spoon.


    Oh my~


    Hongyue made a few more ''accidents'' with her chopsticks before she seemed to be done with her meal.


    When had the eyes appeared? Was it at the second time Qingyu warned her? Then did they arrive with the Crown Prince?


    Tilting back her head, she swallowed a sip of diluted wine. Should she continue to wait? Her dark eyes roamed the surface of the light copper-colored liquid. However, it didn''t seem like she would have wait too long. As her hand passed over a linen cloth to wipe her mouth, she could see the Empress''s eyes narrowing.


    "Seeing that this is the first time the eldest miss has come to the palace, why don''t you go escort her around the garden?" The Empress spoke directly toward Jiayi. Her face no longer held the anger she once had, and she smiled dazzlingly.


    The emperor nodded at her suggestion. He looked towards the aide behind the eldest miss and gave a small nod. Hongyue lowered her head and stood up. As she moved to get up, her robes rustled loudly, and her right hand casually abandoned the spoon. At the sudden collision of the metal utensil to the tabletop, the eyes of the aide behind her abruptly dulled. It was just a slight movement, and no one seemed to have noticed it. As she moved, her robes excluded a faint silver fog that quickly faded into the air.


    On the other side, Jiayi lifted his head and stood up as well. His footstep paused slightly before picking up the pace, leading the way out of the entrance of the palace hall. Hongyue nodded at the Emperor and Empress. Turning her head, Hongyue''s eyes happened to meet the gray eyes of the Crown Prince. She let out a radiant smile before she continued on her way out of the door.


    Now, let the game begin.


    *******


    In the royal garden under the warm sunlight, Hongyue rested on the stone pathway every once in while as she gazed at the attractive flowers before her. If Jiayi didn''t know her any better, he would have genuinely mistaken her as someone innocent with the harmless expression on her face. His eyes floated to her fingers. While Hongyue seemed to be randomly placing them, she was touching everything rhythmically.


    Eventually, Hongyue''s finger hesitated on a dark purple blossom before her. Her eyes seemed to be concentrated on a dewdrop on the arch of the petal.


    "Well? Don''t you have anything to say?" Her voice was firm, nothing like the cheerful little miss in the hall. Jiayi was slightly surprised at the sound of her voice.


    How dangerous.


    Even though he knew about her other side, he could still be fooled by her act.


    Jiayi''s eyes focused on the girl in front of him, "What are you playing at now?"


    A moment passed without a sound.


    Finally, a snapping of a stem could be heard. Jiayi frowned as Hongyue gave a slight smile, "Play? Does this miss look like she''s playing?"

 82 Just Too Eye-catching

    Hongyue raised the flower into her view with a slow twist of her wrist, and her dark eyes followed the movement of the flower knowingly. Such brilliant violet was impressive, was it not? Holding to her nose, she took a light sniff. Pinching the flower by the stem, she drew the flower down the side of her jaw. Her teasing gesture was quite provoking to the eyes, "Play? Don''t speak so carelessly. I''m fighting for my life, can''t you see?"


    This statement wasn''t a lie.


    From her first step off of the carriage, Hongyue was already fighting for her life.


    What the distance between each step needed to be. What face she should have on at each moment. What tone of voice she needed to use to talk. All those mannerisms were to portrayed her role as the stupid eldest miss and were all prepared for that purpose.


    Not one was real.


    Calculated.


    Prepared.


    In a dangerous battlefield, there were uncertainties everywhere and to make the game flow, Hongyue needed to play the pawn. Nonetheless, it didn''t mean she was invincible.


    It was all about calculating steps.


    Even now, although she looked like she was revealing her true face with her hidden intentions, it was merely another act. One that looked genuine to the third prince but merely a trap for the rats planted within the grounds of the garden.


    Playing the role of a fox pretending to be a sheep that was actually a demon, Hongyue smiled, just the fitting role for her.


    "If you''re so worried, why not leave?" Hongyue asked, her question piercing into Jiayi''s heart.


    Yes.


    Why not leave?


    To have him be the one to lead her into the garden, it was already the first move from the Empress. There was no doubt there would be something planned for her here. Seeing him not answer, Hongyue chuckled. Her body shook from laughter, but her eyes revealed a hidden intention.


    Just how much hope was he betting on her?


    He should already know of the danger he was put in. If he were smart, he would make the first move to leave.


    From their interaction, Hongyue knew he wanted something from her, but just what was still unknown. Does he want her help, her alliance, or...her blood?


    Why is it that everyone desired for her blood? In her past life, and as well as in this life.


    Fine.


    If they wanted a drop, they''d have to come and get a taste of her as well.


    "Royal Pervert, if you aren''t going to leave, please don''t blame this miss when you get in trouble."


    ******


    Crash.


    Elsewhere in the palace, in a messy golden room, a nearby servant shook in fear as the most exquisite wine in the kingdom was splashed onto her face. The wine cup scraped her forehead and left a bleeding gash. Plates of fruit, silk fabric, and jewelry were sowed all over the place. In front of the servant, a fuming Empress paced angrily in her room. Around her feet were broken pieces of porcelain, scattered food, and torn fabrics. Her eyes were burning in anger with her red lips set in a scowl.


    "Leave!"


    "Mother, there''s no need for this," A voice sounded out from behind the servant. The rustling robes of the Crown Prince came into sight. With a dismissal wave of his hand, the remaining servants left the room. As the room became quieter, the Crown Prince smiled loftily as he walked toward the Empress. Stopping, he swooped down and picked up the wine cup she had thrown.


    "Why be so angered over this?"


    His words were not unreasonable. The Empress raised her head. Her chest was heaving, and she sighed, "It''s just that if-"


    "There''s no need to worry," The Crown Prince gently patted her arm but his gray eyes were stormy, "Therefore, there''s no need to get so angry. Once royal father sees her uselessness, he''ll abandon her."


    "Useless?! She''s not useless! That girl is smarter than you think, don''t underestimate her," The Empress took the wine cup from her son''s hands. How could someone useless survive within her hands? She didn''t believe it!


    Standing up, the Empress suddenly swiped all her sparkling pieces of jewelry off of her dresser as another thought crossed her mind. What would have pleased her greatly a few days ago irritated her considerably now. Just the sight of them made her heart boiled in fury. Her breathing was awfully rushed, and her eyes held great malice as she opened her mouth.


    "Someone! Go get Concubine Yun for me!"


    Nearby, the Crown Prince stood in place with no intention of stopping his mother. His dark eyes were focused on one spot on the ground¡ª a single drop of blood.


    From the first day, he met the eldest miss in the general''s manor, she had caught his interest. While it seemed like she had a hidden side to her, he didn''t mind. After all, she held a great treasure within her body, and he could overlook her antics. However, to be able to take down the second madam in the eyes of so many along with bringing out the Dragon''s Glory¡ª she was too uncontrollable.


    She was smart.


    Too smart.


    Hongyue, Hongyue.


    Being too clever isn''t good.


    If you were still the useless miss, I might have spared you. But you just had to be so eye-catching. If I can''t control you, I might as well kill you.

 83 Want To Dance?

    "You-," Jiayi found himself speechless. Why was it that he was never able to return her witty comments? Unable to resume speaking, he lowered his head. She wasn''t wrong. Who wasn''t fighting for their lives here? The intense turmoil in his eyes was discreetly concealed by his long eyelashes.


    "If you know that much, why provoke her?" He was curious about her answer. Within minutes of stepping into the palace, this little girl already wanted to fight head-on with the Empress herself. Did she already have some kind of plan set out?


    Hongyue''s lips curled up in amusement.


    "My hands were itchy."


    Simple and straight to the point.


    With that, Jiayi fell silent. What more was he to say to that?


    On the other hand, Hongyue didn''t plan to add anything else to her comment. So what if she did have things planned? She didn''t trust him. Other than the little snake on her left arm, she trusted no one else.


    However, even in Qingyu, she held distrust. It was just enough to fight by his side but not enough to fight back to back.


    As if Qingyu knew she was thinking of him, he gently tucked his head into her hand. With her sleeves hanging down, the little troublemaker was kept out of view.


    Hongyue froze.


    At least she wasn''t alone.


    "Since the Empress took the opportunity to send me into the garden, I might as well give something back to her in return. It''s only polite if I do so, don''t you think?" Hongyue noted lazily.


    Jiayi found himself frowning. As expected, he could never follow her train of thoughts, "What are you going to do?"


    Hongyue turned her head, providing no answer. However, she suddenly gave him the flower in her hand. Jiayi could only receive the item without the option of refusing. Walking forward, the eldest miss moved to another section of flowers as if she held no worries in the heart.


    Hm, where is it?


    Suddenly she beamed. Reaching out her fingers, she attempted to grab another flower that was the color of blood-red. However, as her finger brushed against the bud, the eldest miss screamed out in pain. She held her fingers to her lips, her hand covered in spots of blood. Hongyue''s face turned red, and she abruptly reached out and furiously ripped out the petals.


    All that was left was a swirl of red petals that floated listlessly in the air as the breeze carried them away. Hongyue stood in the middle of the mess, fuming.


    Everything had occurred so fast, Jiayi was bewildered at the sudden change. However, he quickly realized something wrong. He hadn''t discerned it before, but there were other people other than just the two of them. His eyes clouded.


    She must have already known.


    Then, this must be her acting.


    Truly admirable speed, but what was she doing?


    Hongyue proceeded to destroy the section of the royal garden, her eyes focused on the flowers before her. Her fingers moved quickly as she continued to act in anger. Every petal she touched was imprinted with a drop of her blood¡ª a blood hex.


    When she was ''admiring'' the purple flower in her hand, she was actually keeping her eyes on the dewdrop on the curve of the petals. Whatever the water was able to reflect within the surface was like information fed into Hongyue''s mind. From that, she was able to spot two shadowy figures in the trees, one behind the lower wall of the entrance, and three behind 2 different sections of the garden around her.


    In the beginning, they started off quite far away. Each was keeping their eyes on her, and their stances were quite lax. It didn''t appear like their motives were to kill, their goal was probably to keep their eye on her possible weakness. It would be possible these rats were following their first set of given instructions.


    However, as she talked with Jiayi, she could see something wrong at once. Near the bushes of flowers, one of the dark figures moved extremely close to the other one. With a quick movement, the second one was overwhelmed and fell out of perception.


    Danger.


    As she continued talking, it seemed to be happening to all of the figures in their hiding spots. As she continued to keep her eyes concentrated on the commotion, her breath stopped. On the back on the newly arrived attackers'' left ears, there was a black dot. She almost didn''t see it.


    Her eyes narrowed at once.


    They were getting replaced.


    Her heart jumped.


    Oh, it appears like there was a crow in this palace after all. Her story was not told in vain. Most likely, the crow who wanted to get rid of her.


    This quickly? She must be a larger threat than she originally thought.


    Since everything was shifting so fast before her eyes, just how can she play quietly in an event like this?


    Hongyue sighed inwardly.


    Looks like she needed to make a different move than planned just in case. Feigning anger, she was working to set up another entanglement trap for her safety.


    As Hongyue released another handful of petals in her hand, she concentrated on the air around her. Breathing in, she cleared her mind. Pulling the movement of the air toward her, her lips moved.


    <Target>


    The flow of the wind was instantly changed. Just like the first batch of petals, these petals floated about as if at random. However, the ones with the markings of her blood hovered closely to the hidden figures in the garden.


    Turning her head to Jiayi, Hongyue suddenly grinned, "Want to dance?"

 84 Dance Of Death 1

    Jiayi looked perplexed, his face scrunched up in dismay as his eyes darted around the colorful garden. Was this a hidden message about the Empress? What was the right answer? What did she want to hear?


    Questions seemed to pour inside his mind, but one thought stood out clearly.


    Something was wrong.


    Perhaps it was just a survival instinct, but he tried to steady his mind. No matter what happens, he still needed her help for his own gain. She couldn''t die here. They need to leave as soon as possible. He quickly tensed his hand and a small red orb formed in his palm before dispersing. Fading red flashes floated away along with the swirling petals.


    As he opened his mouth to give an answer, Hongyue quickly cut him off with a wave of her hand.


    "So slow. I changed my mind."


    Jiayi''s face darkened. What slow? It had only been a few seconds. He glared at her, what was she doing? They needed to leave. What was the point of even asking him? He reached out to grab her hand only to be met with empty air. Turning behind her, Hongyue turned to one of the trees and called out loudly with a childish grin splattered across her face.


    "Then what about you? Do you want to dance?"


    Immediately the hidden shadow tensed, his eyes swelled before he steadied his breath. It was a mistake! It had to be a mistake! Not even people with magic can sense him, so how could a mere ''normal'' like her even detect him?!! Impossible!


    Nevertheless, his grip on his weapon tightened. Could it be that the first batch of men had died in her hand? He immediately looked over to the other hidden guards. He shook his head ever so slightly to one of the hidden men. If the eldest miss really had the capability, then someone needs to go back to give a warning! His eyes shifted to the third prince, their orders were strictly set to kill the eldest miss and leave the third prince in a complicated spot with her death. At this rate, they might really need to change the plans.


    But how could Hongyue let them?


    With the lingering silence, Hongyue could only frown before her arms lowered in disappointment. Turning her head to the rest of the hiding spots, Hongyue called out loudly.


    "No one wants to dance? All five of you? How mean! Is it because I''m too stupid?"


    Jiayi''s heart dropped. His blood almost ran cold. There were five? How could that be? He wasn''t even able to sense them so precisely, but soon his eyes widened. Could it be that they were ''normals''? ''Normals'' with no magical energy or magic trails were almost impossible to detect.


    No wonder why!


    His eyes darted back to Hongyue, who looked out straight ahead. What was she doing? Was she not afraid of death, calling them out like this?! Why provoke a sleeping tiger?!


    But Hongyue''s eyes were concentrated on the floating petals swirling in front of her.


    Yes. It was risky at this point of time, but since it seemed like the shadows'' goals were to kill, Hongyue had to make a move first. If she stayed passive, it would only grow into a disadvantage for her. Her eyes gazed toward the entrance of the garden. It would be unfortunate if more were to arrive. If that was the case, the best way to deal with this was to wipe them all out before they could make another move.


    She''ll have to force their hands.


    Timing was more important than anything else.


    Everything else after...Hongyue could deal with it later.


    "Oh. Did I forget to mention that it''s a dance of death? Does it sound more enticing now?"


    There was the rustling of leaves before two dark shadows jumped out to suddenly attack. Their speed appeared to be inhuman as they closed closer toward the eldest miss. There was nothing to be seen other than the after-image of their figures. Hongyue stood in place without the intention of moving, but a smile made its way up her face.


    "Oh, how nice of you to join me."


    *****


    Meanwhile back at General Wei''s manor, the general paced back and fro in his room. What was this?! Why was it becoming such a mess now? First, a ghost shows up at his banquet. Then the second madam went crazy, and now Hongyue was taken away by the emperor. What was he to do now?! So infuriating!


    His fingers curled tightly within his fist. His plans! His plans! He laughed hollowly. So many sacrifices, even if it couldn''t bore fruit¡ªhe''ll force it to give fruit!


    Didn''t Hongyue seem to trust Lan''er? He turned his head toward the door.


    "Men! Get the third miss. Have her come back home!"

 85 Dance of Death 2

    Back at the imperial garden, Hongyue still didn''t move but Jiayi couldn''t proceed to watch as doubt edged up into his heart. If she really had a plan, it was far too risky. As the two shadows locked in closer to the eldest miss, Jiayi made up his mind.


    He couldn''t let her die yet.


    Not when his goal was so close to his fingers.


    He quickly executed his first move as he thrust out his arm in front of her. A wall of fire appeared to jump out before Hongyue''s eyes as Jiayi attempted to shift her behind him.


    Pushed aside, Hongyue clicked her tongue.


    She wasn''t in the least surprised by Jiayi''s actions. After all, this was a test set up for him. It should be said that the main target was her not Jiayi. At the end of the day, she was the one who they were going to kill. While Jiayi seemed to want her help, he could also abandon her to save his own skin. Just how much was she worth in his eyes? How much did he need her?


    So in the end, this was a bargain.


    Would he make a move?


    To be so calculating on so many levels, Hongyue could be the only one.


    Now knowing her value, she felt satisfied.


    Hongyue propelled off the ground with a hard kick and swung her body to the left. However, just as she relocated, a shadow came out from behind to block her. A barbed spike aimed for her head and a leg swung sharply aiming for her side. Hongyue evaded the spike while she rushed forward, bringing ahead her palm. As her hand made a connection with his chest, the attacker staggered two steps before he slumped back. A spray of blood leaked out from his mouth, and Hongyue simply turned her head to the other side.


    Jiayi happened to catch sight of it as he released another fire attack and his heart thumped loudly inside his chest.


    Dangerous.


    One move was made, and one move to kill.


    Hongyue didn''t intend on sparing his life at all. While she did want answers, it wasn''t in her favor to allow them to live. Their advances alone told her that they were far too well-trained. There was no point in her wasting any time to collect information. Her eyes narrowed as another shadow closed in on her.


    Far too fast.


    Was he really a ''normal''?


    While she didn''t know much about this world, at the most, it would be common sense that since ''normals'' were looked down upon, there would be a social rift between the ''normals'' and the ones who held magic. To be a ''normal'' with such talents, Hongyue almost found it hard to believe the other was a ''normal.'' Would someone with talents be willing to lower their heads down to the same people who mocked them?


    Just who was behind this?


    Hongyue flipped backward, shifting her weight to her upper body. Her legs kicked up and slammed onto the attacker''s chin. The kick was sturdy enough to daze the other person but not enough to completely injure him. As the other tried to steady his mind, Hongyue paused. She hid a small frown as she watched for his following move.


    At a time like this, with their mind muddled at the moment, people would usually act on instinct to preserve their lives. So his next move would have to be raw and strained with all his force. Hongyue wanted to see if within this attack if there was any sign of magic.


    His hand ripped into her direction and Hongyue enabled herself to fall to the left to avoid him before slamming the ground with her palm. Using the momentum and force, she spun her entire body sideways in midair. As she turned, her eyes easily caught one of the shadows attempting to leave.


    However, before she could make the next move, a flash of silver landed harshly near her head. Hongyue felt her freshly exhaled breath springing back onto her face from the blade.


    This speed!


    As she forced herself back into balance, she shifted her weight to her left foot and looked up only to be met what seemed to be bottomless orbs.


    "Eldest miss is truly formidable."


    Hongyue''s eyes drifted to the opposite side to see Jiayi with a peculiar bitter expression on his face. He was held down with a knife was squeezed against his neck, and he looked at her with suspicion.


    Oh?


    There was this kind of turn in events?


    What a surprise.


    Nonetheless, her face held no change in expression. Hongyue merely produced a small smile, "Does this mean the dance is already over?"


    The shadow in front of her laughed, "You really were hidden quite deeply. If not for seeing you in action, I wouldn''t have known. Today has really reopened my eyes."

 86 A Game Of Tag

    "This miss has always fancied playing games. This is just like hide and seek." Hongyue replied, her eyes trained on something in the far distance. She didn''t appear to care, but there was something about her that shot a chill up the shadow in front of her. Perhaps it was the way she talked or the way her eyes looked past him, but it was like she was taking him for a dead man.


    Crazy.


    He must be insane to think that.


    He attempted to catch a grip on his nerves. No matter how hidden she was, he already dug her out, and she couldn''t have any other moves. A menacing smirk crept up into his face, and his heart was overflowed with malicious satisfaction.


    No.


    He was confident that she had no other moves.


    Neither the third prince nor this eldest miss was going to leave here alive because he had a trump card¡ª he sealed their magic with a cancellation spell. Even if she really was a tiger, she''ll have to meow like a harmless cat. As he reassured himself, his heart grew with delight.


    "Games, is it? Then we''ll have to play one for your death," He remarked sharply.


    Hongyue peered up at the person in front of her. From the beginning, she had never been looking at him, she was calculating down the time. Nonetheless, hearing him say such words grabbed her interest. For the first time, her eyes gazed into his eyes with a hint of anticipation.


    Oh~


    Such confidence.


    She really wanted to break it down into pieces.


    Yet she couldn''t help but think of a missing point. For him to take such unnecessary actions just to kill her, did his resentment run deep into his bones? Running through her memories, she couldn''t seem to recognize him at all, but it appeared like he held great contempt for her even to the point where he couldn''t contain it and wanted to torture her before her death.


    Seeing her doubtful eyes, the shadow mistakenly deemed that she was in shock.


    "Oh? Did you finally figure it out? You can''t practice your magic?"The grinning man leaned in closer to her face, "I already sealed both of your powers. There''s no need to struggle. How about it? Feeling helpless? Why don''t you beg me to spare you?"


    This new input of information was genuinely unexpected. Even Hongyue didn''t think of this possibility. There was a flash of complexity in her eyes before she turned to Jiayi. No wonder. But just this, gave them the guts to think she couldn''t do anything? She thought he had something more impressive hidden in his hands. But that? It wouldn''t even affect her. Her magic was of a totally separate bloodline.


    Hongyue dropped her head, and her body shook. Thinking she was in fear, the shadow edged forward. However, he was met with laughter bubbling out from her lips.


    "For sure, I thought it was something else more impressive, but that? I could care less. Which one of your eyes saw that I used magic? I''m starting to question if you mistook me for someone else. Do I even know you?"


    The shadow''s eyes bulged, confusion along with a tinge of panic reflected in his eyes. Other than watching her go crazy at the flowers in the garden, he had not seen anything else. She didn''t use magic? But how? It didn''t make any sense. If not for magic, then how could she evade all their previous attacks? What about his brothers that were sent in the first batch in the morning? They never returned.


    What he much believed to be her trump card¡ª he could only to watch with his own eyes that it didn''t matter to her. His confidence was instantly overwhelmed as he looked to be in a state of hysteria. He wasn''t the only one. One of the shadows holding Jiayi made a slight move back a step.


    Hongyue lifted her head up, and a murderous intent coated her eyes.


    "Hey, since I played your game already why don''t we play another one of my games," Hongyue raised her arm up and pointed up in the distance. She smiled before she opened her mouth again, "Tag."


    As soon as the words left her mouth, a loud blast could be heard. From afar, a vibrant red filled the sky. The sweet iron smell drifted in the air.


    Blood!


    Terror-filled eyes stared back at her. The shadow that had once been so arrogant felt his bones quiver. What was that? Was that the shadow that left to give a warning? H-how could she have magic? No. He had never seen anything like it in his life. He wasn''t even sure if it was magic. The power! The cruelty. No wonder she wasn''t at the least shaken. It was all a game for her! They were no match.


    "Demon!"


    Hongyue simply pretended to hear nothing as she turned her head back to the men in front of her. Spreading out her arms, she pointed at another person, "We''re all playing, right?" Hongyue tilted her head as she asked loudly.


    No one dared to give her an answer, but she didn''t need one.


    "Then tag, you''re it."

 87 Luckily It Was Me, Not Her

    A splatter of blood could be seen on the ground, and Jiayi felt the crushing grip on his neck lessen. He stared in astonishment as Hongyue quietly lifted another hand and pointed to another shadow.


    "Tag."


    Another explosion.


    As she proceeded to trigger each of the blood hex on the shadows, Hongyue''s heart was left with conflicting feelings. Under the smile she had smoothed on her face, her thoughts were complex. The more she smiled on the outside, the colder her heart grew on the inside. There was a sense of pity in her heart, almost to the point of anger. It was a raw turmoil in her soul, and for the first time, she could feel a strange heat behind her eyes.


    While she called herself as Hongyue, the siren couldn''t help think of the cruelness of reality. If it was not her, but that human in this situation, would this ending be the same? Both of them had an ill-fated destiny that latched on to them without the consideration of letting go. However, the only difference between them was Hongyue was given a chance to fight back.


    She had the ability to do so. Thinking upon this, her eyes hardened.


    In a cruel, twisted fate like this, even if the human Hongyue had everything, that girl would never be able to fend for herself.


    Because if that girl had the will to live, she would be poisoned.


    If that girl had the magic to defend herself, it would be annulled.


    If that girl had anything to her name...it would probably be ripped away from her hands.


    Step after step, she would be blocked. She probably wouldn''t have lasted this long in a twisted place filled with webs.


    Luckily¡ª"Luckily, it was me not her."


    The words slipped out of Hongyue''s mouth before she was able to stop her thoughts. She was startled for a moment. When...when did she ever start to think like this? Humans, they always, always betrayed her. Her eyes turned dull for a moment, but so did her own kind. She always thought it was her. Her, the unfortunate offspring of the undesired was obliged to suffer in order to redeem herself.


    But seeing this today, Hongyue felt something she never felt before.


    It was a closeness beyond the levels of comparison.


    Without anything continuing to hold him down, Jiayi managed to get to his feet. He looked at Hongyue with a complicated glance. During the fight, he abruptly lost the use of his magic. Taken by surprise, he was left to fend with his close combat skills. However, at that time, Jiayi had a sense of doubt running within his heart. After all, the people with the capability to annul magic were not many. His eyes turned dark as he focused on the dead body before him. The first one he had suspected was Hongyue. With this doubt lodged in his mind, his fighting stance faltered, and he quickly got overtaken by the shadows.


    He looked up, and his eyes studied the girl in front of him. Hongyue didn''t even spare him a glance as she stooped down to examine the small dot on the back of their ears. Stripping away their sleeves, she found herself staring at a strange marking on the arms of the attacker. However, just before she was able to get a closer look, the markings faded into the skin, leaving her nothing to see.


    Releasing a sigh, Hongyue stood up.


    From the beginning, Hongyue found the whole situation quite treacherous. From the start of the morning, she was led into an empty road with a forged edict to be killed by a trained group of assailants. While it was solved with ease, there were two critical things to be noted. One were that they were all ''normals'' and two, they had a tiny dot marking on the back of their left ears. She was poisoned, but of course, that did little to harm her. After seeing the poison did not affect her, the assailants went all out to dispose of her.


    After arriving at the palace, she was served with food that had a coating of a strange concoction that was not poison. While it did nothing to harm her body, Hongyue didn''t want to forget such a small detail. Then there was the strange jade earring that shattered against the stone floor and gained the Empress''s ire. Along with aide that kept his eyes on her every move, there were also the red ones that studied her from afar by the side of the Empress.


    Now in the garden, she was attacked by more assailants. The first set of five shadows merely hid in place, lurking. Because of their lax and mild attitude, Hongyue could assume that they were only sent to spy on her every move. However, this first set was quietly overwhelmed by the second set of shadows. These new shadows were once again ''normals'' and had a dot on the back of their left ears. Furthermore, they had a secret marking on their arms that seemed to have aided them in a way.


    Her eyes turned to one of the bodies, her lips twisted into a bittersweet smile.


    Whether it be the red eyes or rampaging shadows, it was clear to her about one thing.


    The blood clan was only one, where these magic cancelers came from was not a big secret.


    There were many in the palace that simply wanted her dead.

 88 Cross The Bridge And Burn

    The more she thought about it, the more she felt distressed.


    Distressed?


    For what?


    The human?


    Why should she worry so much about that human? What was this overwhelming emotion? It was a troublesome feeling, the kind that seemed to weigh her down.


    Hongyue blinked.


    It was foreign and untouchable.


    She didn''t like it, but she didn''t hate it. It was a change from what she usually felt, and she was surprised by herself.


    Pulling out the dagger she had gotten back from the Empress, she stared over the alien designs running down the side of the blade. She pursed her lips as she tried to compare it with the symbols she saw on the shadows'' arms from memory.


    They were not the same symbols.


    Holding it blankly in her hands for a couple more minutes, she finally tucked the dagger back into the inner pocket of her garment, facing it in such a way it wouldn''t create any harm for her. Her thoughts were chaotic.


    Either way, it didn''t matter.


    Hongyue had a feeling they were related in one way or another. As she straightened up, her eyes met the scrutinizing eyes of Jiayi on her. His eyes moved from the dead shadow to her face as he tried to speak, but his words were caught in his throat.


    "What? Do you pity this miss?" Hongyue sneered, "I don''t need your pity."


    She turned and tore off a few fresh petals that were attached to a flower nearby. Whatever the emotion was, it couldn''t stay. So fragile, she thought, it wasn''t suited for a dark soul like hers. She refused to house such emotions inside her. Watching the lost petals flutter from her fingers and into the wind, she came to terms with herself for her next steps.


    "How did you do that?" Jiayi had a hard time pushing out his words. He really wanted to know more, but at the same time, he realized how dangerous it would be if she did answer him.


    How?


    Why should she tell him?


    Hongyue clicked her tongue.


    It was something she designed in her past life to aid herself. While it was called a hex, it wasn''t necessarily something harmful. In fact, it was to stimulate the body and give it an extra boost of energy in case she was worn out. But since the article she used to start the hex was blood, the affected article would only be blood. And of course, Hongyue added something extra to it so that instead of just being excited, the affected article would grow out of control due to escalating pressure. So in short, the moment the petals touched the shadows'' bodies, the hex was activated and remained dormant until her trigger word ''tag.'' Once the word was spoken, the blood of the victims would propel around the body so wanton, and passionately, pressure inside the body would build up.


    From that, well, the ending was not a mystery.


    "Just a game of tag," Hongyue responded.


    A game of tag?! He wanted to ask more, but he made a silent reminder to not ever play any games of hers. Focusing on the issue at hand, Jiayi looked around.


    "What are you planning to do now?"


    Hongyue gave a dark chuckle in response, "In a palace garden, must we do something other than look at flowers?"


    Jiayi frowned. He looked off in the far distance where the first explosion had occurred. Wasn''t this the perfect time for her to find out the perpetrator? Why hasn''t Hongyue made a move to find out yet?


    Hongyue followed his gaze.


    Smart.


    However, he was just a step short.


    While the explosion of the blood would be able to tell her where the shadow had been going, actually going there herself was too risky. One, the eldest miss was supposed to be at the garden: anywhere else would leave her with too much to cover up and too many loose ends. Two, the explosions were not invisible, the emperor was bound to come to find them for answers and in turn, look for her. Three, Hongyue''s eyes darkened, she wanted to see exactly how the other party was going to cover this up. Both the blood and sound would be too hard to clean and hide, which would let Hongyue see another good show.


    Now, there was nothing to do other than wait for the emperor and give him a friendly welcoming.


    "Burn it," There was a peculiar gleam in Hongyue''s eyes, and she didn''t appear to be joking. With her sights set on the scenery around her, Hongyue waved her hand nonchalantly before repeating herself, "Burn it down."


    Jiayi stood in shock, his mind was in great conflict.


    Hongyue sighed before strolling to the far side of the garden. Picking up a rose with fresh dark blood coating the petals, she spun it around in her hand as she spoke, "Royal pervert, do you really not know what will happen if your royal father sees this?"


    Her tone was mocking and held a hint of ridicule. Dropping the rose onto one of the dead shadows, her next words came out quite harshly.


    "Cross a bridge and burn all the loose ends, don''t tell me you never heard of this?"

 89 Into The Fire

    Jiayi couldn''t help feeling further conflicted in his heart. While her words held the truth, there was an even bigger gamble in setting the entire royal garden on fire. When that time comes, would she be able to deal with it?


    He sighed.


    He wanted to prevent it, but at the same time, he also wanted to see it with his own eyes. There was a toxic temptation in witnessing the change of events created by this eldest miss''s two hands.


    "Why should I do as you say?" Jiayi responded calmly, "The only one in this entire palace with power over fire is me. The first they will suspect would be me. Am I not just harming myself?"


    Hongyue sneered, "Oh? I guess candles don''t exist then. Do I have to lay out my entire plan for you to see? Royal Pervert, you''ll need my cooperation in the future. Think of this as another early investment."


    "It''s not common fire," Not being able to rebut her, he sighed, "The consequences are uncontrollable."


    All the better.


    Hongyue wanted it that way.


    Seeing her firm stance without changing her mind, Jiayi could only carry out her wish. Shifting out his hand, a trail of fire immediately rushed out from his fingers and onto the bed of flowers. The flames spread quickly and wildly as they devoured everything in their path.


    It wasn''t long before the entire garden was filled with the vivid red color and the scorching heat it brought with it.


    Hongyue stood still as she watched the whole thing burst up in flames. She observed the frantic curling of the petals as they closed up and the scent of the smoke that was released as they burned, the blazing balls of what used to be called flowers, and the once colorful scenery being embraced by the fiery wall of destruction. She listened to the raspy crackle of the dying flowers around her.


    The destruction, death, and beauty.


    The once majestic scenery melting in the roar of red.


    How beautiful.


    Now to the next step, Hongyue turned to Jiayi with a strange smile adorned on her face, "To what extent does your father know about your magic abilities?"


    Jiayi thought for a moment before answering directly, "He knows."


    It was a short answer, but it provided everything she needed to know. It was a warning that the emperor wasn''t a fool. The first one he would turn to in this fire situation would be Jiayi. Hongyue nodded as she thought it through, "Then it looks like you need to come with me to erase your tracks."


    Jiayi frowned at her answer, "Go with you, where?"


    Hongyue gave him a cheerful smile.


    "Into the fire."


    *****


    "Fire! Please help! Fire!"


    Loud calls for help seemed to echo throughout the palace and the within courtyards. The calls were from frantic palace maids were hurrying to put out the fire.


    "Hurry! Put out the fire!"


    Efforts of collecting water and dampening quilts could be seen along with the heavy sound of racing feet as the palace servants desperately tried to put out the fire.


    "Hurry up! Before it spreads!"


    The excessive clinking of armor indicated that even the palace guards were on site in order put out the fire. Suddenly a palace maid screamed out loudly. With her trembling finger, she quickly cried out, "There are people inside the fire!"


    One of the guards was stunned to hear her scream, "What?! How could there be people inside?! Hurry up! Save them!"


    As he turned around to grab a bucket of water, he bumped into the emperor. Shaking in fear at his imprudent actions, he quickly gave his greetings. "Y-your majesty."


    Suddenly a loud outcry came from behind him, "It''s the third prince! And it looks like the eldest miss of the Wei family is here as well!"


    Quickly, the emperor elbowed the guard away from his view. His eyes landed on the two figures with tattered and charred clothes. His eyes trembled as he took in their injuries. Hurrying over to Jiayi, he found that his son was in some sort of trance and couldn''t be awakened. Hearing a raspy cough from beside him, he turned in time to see Hongyue''s round fearful eyes staring at him but at the same time not at him.


    Her pale face was covered in soot, and the ends of her hair were scorched. Her cracked lips opened and closed, releasing a coughing fit.


    "T-there were black figures. They were hiding in the garden-," A cough, "W-wanted us dead-," Without any warning, Hongyue''s eyes rolled back, and her head fell limp. Distressed by this sudden change in events, the emperor ordered the guards to get a physician. He appeared to have thought of something, and he turned to one of his aides abruptly.


    "Where is the Empress?"


    The aide kneeled, "Answering your majesty, she''s currently in the Phoenix Courtyard."


    Phoenix Courtyard.


    That was the farthest courtyard from the fire. Did she scheme this up? She dared to kill his son and not only that, the eldest miss too. Didn''t he make it clear no one was to touch her?!!


    "Would you like this servant to go get her?"


    With raging eyes, he shook his head, "No need."


    If she did it, she''d come naturally.


    All while the chaos was occurring, no one seemed to notice a little black snake on the ground slithering away approaching the direction of the first explosion Hongyue created.

 90 The Mind Of The Emperor

    Inside one of the palace chamber rooms, a girl laid lifelessly on soft bedding, her body embraced in silk sheets. The room was covered in luxurious curtains, and the furniture was polished and gleaming of value. The floor was colorfully carpeted, but it couldn''t cover up the odd vibe in the room.


    Two figures could be seen leaning over the sleeping girl, one dressed in gold and the other dressed in a white physician''s garment. From afar, both her hands and legs could be seen burned by fire, leaving her skin bright red. Her breathing was shallow, and her forehead was covered in beads of sweat. The Emperor stood by her bedside, and his eyes were complicated as they concentrated on her face.


    He turned to the physician gradually as though he didn''t hear the first time, and he drew out his words deliberately, "Repeat what you just said."


    The royal physician felt significantly pressured as he stumbled over his words. It was just the eldest miss of the Wei''s family, but now it seemed like he was nursing the princess herself, "The eldest miss''s lungs and body seemed to have been exhausted by the smoke from the fire. Other than some small surface injuries, she appears to be fine. She simply requires more time to recuperate. Would you like this servant to use his light magic to speed up the process?"


    "No need. Leave it at that."


    The physician was left horribly confused. At first, he was forced to make sure the eldest miss becomes better or else he was going to lose his head. Now he was told not to help her get better. What was this old man to do? Nodding his head, he withdrew his powers and left the Hongyue alone.


    "And what about medicine?"


    "This servant thinks that medicine must be served every 2-4 hours to assist her in breathing more efficiently."


    "Then what if it''s delayed to every 8-12 hours?"


    Although disturbed by the question, the physician continued to respond smoothly, "It would reduce down the healing process quite a bit. In addition, it might cripple the body. The patient may need to depend on long term uses of herbs in order to recover her health."


    The Emperor went silent for a moment. He turned to the doctor, "You are dismissed. You can collect 45 gold pieces from my head eunuch later."


    Pleased, the royal doctor nodded and appropriately exited the room, leaving Hongyue who laid on the bed without a movement other than shallow breathing with the Emperor.


    "Come out," Hearing the Emperor''s call, an aide dropped down from the darkness. He had been positioned in the top beam of the ceiling close to a corner, hidden behind the luxurious curtains.


    "Did I not tell you to follow her?"


    The aide lowered his head. In truth, he didn''t understand what happened in general. Other than being in the palace and observing the eldest miss eat, he couldn''t remember anything else. All he retrieved from his memories was the vibration of a dropping spoon. He couldn''t recall anything else. It was like a blur. His head hammered in distress; however, he maintained a look of sturdiness.


    "This servant was distracted."


    Sighing, the Emperor didn''t criticize him. There were too many strange things that were happening, he was occupied himself. There was a report of a disturbance detailed in one of his concubine''s manor. It had been so intense, it jolted the earth. There were descriptions of the blood being seen scattering into the air. No one knew how it happened, but there were mentions of it reoccurring in the garden before the fire.


    There were many reports of the miss being protected by her mother. Could it be that the ghost of the first madam did this? Fascinating. In truth, the emperor coveted the power of the blood clan to be in his hands. However, the first madam had rejected to assist him numerous times. Met with her refusal, he centered on the next best thing¡ªher daughter. With a girl simple and naive, others may not desire her at all. But to him, she was the best puppet of all.


    So he anticipated.


    He knew that the general had been tormenting the young girl, but he didn''t intervene to protect her. After all, it would only help him. When she was broken down, he would guide her carefully into his hands¡ªinto a snug cage for his control.


    His eyes shone.


    Not only that, it appeared that she had a hidden backing from her mother. If he could get it all¡ª he would be the supreme ruler, would he not?


    Perfect.


    It was perfect.


    He had been apprehensive she had magical abilities. After all, a puppet that could fight back was more dangerous than direct rivals. However, if she couldn''t even fight against the Empress''s men, then she was the perfect little doll. In reality, he knew about the shadows the Empress established in the garden to watch Hongyue. It was a petty trick, but it aligned with his intentions, so he allowed her to carry it out.


    It''s just that, he never thought that woman would be so bold!


    Nevertheless, it got him the information he wanted to see.


    "Your majesty, this servant thinks the third prince had a hand in this."

 91 Sleeping With One Eye Open

    The Emperor waved his hand dismissively thinking of the unconscious Jiayi he found, "That son of mine is not bold enough to do so. Eight years ago, his mother''s courtyard was torched down in a massive fire with him along with his mother trapped inside, and it''s what granted him that power. He''s too powerless to even step out of his line."


    Even though he was discussing his own son and the traumatic past, the emperor held no emotion of affection in his eyes.


    The aide nodded and waited for his next orders. The Emperor tilted his head and asked with a dull tone of voice, "How is the third prince?"


    The aide had a troubled expression on his face as though he didn''t know how to answer, "The third prince...there seemed to be something awfully wrong with his body. He''s not waking up."


    He sighed and turned his head to one of the guards, he commanded a quick order, "Increase the palace watch to protect him."


    "What is to be done with the eldest miss?" The aide asked.


    The Emperor gave a thoughtful look before quickly answering, "Give her the medicine every 8-12 hours. Keep your eyes on her and make sure she doesn''t try to leave. Do not get distracted this time."


    "As you wish."


    After taking one last glance, the Emperor left the room. The door closed behind him, and everything went quiet. Stalking closer to the eldest miss in order to observe her, the aide abruptly felt his head bulge in pain. Uncontrollably, his temple was pounded by massive pulses, and it felt as though his blood was moving backward. Falling to the ground, he felt his eyes rolled back as he melted into the pain. As his body thumped noisily against the ground, the figure on the bed sat up.


    Hongyue opened her glowing blue eyes, revealing someone who seemed perfectly fine. Her eyes focused blankly on the figure on the ground before she turned her eyes slightly to the door.


    Finally.


    She thought he would never leave.


    Sitting up slowly, she restrained herself from coughing.


    Her eyes looked at the silk quilts on her body, and her lips arched in a mocking sneer. If not being awake the whole time, Hongyue would have thought the emperor really cared. She pressed her throbbing chest and moved her aching arms. To make the whole thing look real, of course, she had to endure the pain a little bit.


    In the end, it was worth it.


    Look at all the information she got~


    As she thought, the emperor was more than just a little two-faced. 8-12 hours? He just wanted to keep her useless and reliant on him.


    That part about Jiayi was a surprise.


    No wonder his powers were so raw and oppressive. Hongyue had to combine an additional layer of strength to her barrier in order to avoid getting burned to a crisp. She saw his face at that time. He held no sign of fear or trauma. In fact, he seemed to thrive in the fire and loved the scorching flames.


    Oh~


    Did she just figure something out?


    As for Jiayi now...Hongyue sighed.


    She might have pulled a trick or two to keep it as realistic as possible. That pervert might not be able to wake up until after 2-3 days later.


    Good.


    She didn''t want to keep seeing his face anyway. It would be a nice break.


    Her eyes returned to their standard color as she reconsidered her plan.


    Starting the fire was critical. One: it provided a cover for both her and Jiayi. Two: it destroyed the dead bodies along with the bloody evidence and three: the fire was to steer the finger at the Empress.


    Numerous unknown players targeted her as the primary target, and since their goals overlapped, it would be reasonable they might operate together to harm her. The only thing that is restraining them from assisting each other was the Emperor.


    Because of the Emperor''s protection, no one dared to carelessly harm her and could only resort to underhand schemes and pulled in the others to cover it up.


    This time, the Empress seemed to be devised as a coverup.


    But what about next time?


    Since they wanted to play dirty, she might as well play dirty with them. The risk was her life, and she still wanted to live longer than them. So why not just pit the schemers together? In any case, the Empress was not a fool. With Hongyue''s story, along with the possible title of a grave crime of killing not only the stupid eldest miss but a royal prince held over her head, there was no doubt the Empress would know who to take action agianst.


    At that time, Hongyue would just have to watch and observe.


    Turning to the aide that was lying on the ground, Hongyue smiled and clapped her hands twice.


    <Wake up, my servant>

 92 Your Servant Awaits

    As she articulated her spell, a small smile crept up to her face. From the moment Hongyue started telling the story to the Empress, she was commencing her first move¡ªcasting an enchantment over the aide behind her. Within the story, Hongyue made sure to mention several single word enchantments that would seem to be simple but served a different purpose. Using the influence within the power of words, Hongyue used the reflection of the spoon to bewitch the aide behind her while she narrated her story.


    Oath.


    Authority.


    New.


    Although the words were simple, under the power of her influence over them, Hongyue was able to use them to enforce a binding contract onto the aide similar to the one she forced on ChunHua. It was just that she never got the chance to give an order. Now it was the perfect move. If there were unseen dangers in the territory of others, she''ll just take sections of the territory for herself and hide her men within.


    The aide slowly staggered to his knees. He opened his eyes, which showed a dull reflection. He placed his hand over the right of his chest and stiffly bowed toward the eldest miss. His voice came out monotony and numb, but for that reason, it was pleasing to hear.


    "Your servant awaits."


    *****


    In a golden chamber room, the emperor could be seen with his back to the door. His hands were idly resting against his lower back, and his eyes were admiring the wall before him with a focused stare. As if he was captivated by the scene, he gently put out his arm to give the wall a light touch. On the wall, a dragon could be seen before him. The body was carved out of stone, and it was fierce yet slim as it crawled its way to the heavens. However, there were holes where the eyes should have been. Nevertheless, the emperor seemed to hold exceptional affection for it. He rubbed the hollowed eye holes and smiled.


    It was a tranquil scene.


    However, the quietness of the room was suddenly shattered into pieces as a loud shout came soaring in from outside the room, "Why would my husband not want to see me?! Go report back to him the Empress herself is here."


    Outside the room, the Empress could be seen held back by two guards. She tried to push past the men only to be held back even more. Although angered, she could only give them a harsh glare as she dared not cause a more significant scene lest she looked petty.


    The emperor looked up, his fingers froze in place, and his smile turned into a deep frown. The happy glance vanished within his eyes. The peaceful air was no longer present, and he seemed to hold a hint of irritation in his heart. Waving his hand, he beckoned at another servant without looking at the door.


    "Let her in."


    With his established order, the guards released her and stepped back into their places. With her head held high, the Empress advanced into the room. Her eyes were narrowed as she took another step closer to the man before her. Her hand slightly shook, but she didn''t allow her anxiety to show on her face. Why was he so hard to truly grasp?


    That morning, her entire courtyard was suddenly surrounded by guards along with a decree saying that she wasn''t to take a step past the door. With an unsettled heart, she could only stay within the courtyard. However, feeling unsure and unwilling, she charged her way into the palace. Wanting a clear answer from his mouth, she took this risk.


    "Your majesty, this empress greets you a good evening," She acknowledged. Her voice was firm, but her eyes were not. Instead, they seemed to hold a trace of fear.


    The Emperor merely gave her an inadequate glance. Looking at her pale hands, he shifted his eyes away, "Speak. Coming in with such a rushed manner, it''s unlike you, my love."


    My love? It was like he was mocking her. Blinking her eyes, she steadied her voice, "Why have you placed your guards around my palace? What did this wife do so wrong? I don''t understand."


    He turned back and examined her face as his next words rolled off his tongue softly, "You don''t understand?"


    Lies.


    Even if she didn''t understand, it did not mean she was stupid.


    As the Empress, how could she not know someone else was scheming against her?


    Even if she wasn''t the one who directly harmed Hongyue, she was still pulled into someone''s scheme. That meant the other party was bold enough to hurt Hongyue only because of the Empress''s petty actions. The Emperor sighed. To be the Empress yet to be played like this ¡ª either way, she needed to be punished.


    "Did I not tell you to leave that eldest miss alone?"


    The Empress''s face turned ugly as she spoke, "I did not touch her."


    "Then tell me, only your men were in the garden before the fire. Who else was there? Who else can I blame?"


    The Empress was surprised.He knew about her men?


    "None of my men returned. I only placed them to spy on her. It was for your best interest. I wanted to make sure she wasn''t danger to you."


    "Then tell me, why was she still harmed in the end?"


    The Empress wasn''t able to produce another answer. She wasn''t an idiot, she knew she was set up. However, she could not admit that to the Emperor. It was the same as telling him she didn''t have control over her position as an empress.


    Left with defeat, the Empress quietly accepted the punishment and left the room. Her eyes were raging in anger, but she seemed to have gotten the answer she came for.

 93 This Sister Will Protect You

    From the shadows of the room, a eunuch stepped forward and helped pour out a cup of wine for the Emperor.


    "Your majesty indeed favors the Empress. Having such a light punishment is a blessing from you to her, "He commented, trying to please the Emperor.


    The Emperor looked over, "Oh? How so?"


    "While it looks like you are trapping her within her palace as punishment, you are secretly protecting her by stationing the guards. Furthermore, if any other uncalled activity is uncovered, fingers can no longer be pointed at the Empress as she is already arrested in her room. Is this servant right with his guess?"


    The Emperor laughed, "Not bad, not bad. However, you missed one more point. It''s not out of affection. It''s simply a reward for her since she helped me along with my goals."


    The eunuch looked mildly confused and couldn''t help asking, "She did?"


    The Emperor tapped his fingers on the wooden table, "How can someone know the meaning of safety when they haven''t met danger?"


    With this bad experience in mind, Hongyue was bound to be dependent on the palace for health needs as well as protection. Since the Empress indirectly helped him chase the bunny into the cage. Of course, he should reward her.


    "Carry out the order, give the medicine to the eldest miss every 8-12 hours. The later, the better."


    The more you depend on me, the better.


    *****


    As the week slipped by, General Wei grew to be more impatient. How was Hongyue not back? He was declined many times at the door by the guards stating that it was best to let the eldest miss stay at the palace to heal. However, the general didn''t want that. The more Hongyue stayed at the palace, the higher the chance he was going to be suppressed by the emperor. Shouldn''t Hongyue be found to be useless by now? How was the emperor still allowing her to remain?


    At the Wei Manor''s entrance, a delicate girl dressed in light blue stepped out from her carriage. Two simple hair stick adorned her black hair, and a simple cloak embraced her shoulders. A gentle smile was placed on her lips, but her eyes were freezing cold. A nearby maid quickly rushed forward to steady the girl as her foot touched the ground.


    The maid greeted the girl, respectfully, "Third miss."


    Lan''er acknowledged her with a soft nod, but she didn''t seem to hold an interest. Balancing herself, she glanced out to the manor''s title board, and she moved her hand away from the maid.


    "Why has father suddenly called me back?" Her voice was soft, but it held a significant amount of anger. The maid was surprised by the third miss''s tone, but she quickly waved the other servants over to assist the third miss, while not answering the question. The other servants carefully scurried forward and helped guide the third into the manor with tiny steps. Their hands only touched the outside of the third miss''s sleeve and not once did they speak to her. While moving about, their heads were lowered and didn''t dare look up at the third miss.


    Seeing this, Lan''er blinked and looked away. She didn''t want to see these servants, they irritated her eyes. She looked out over to Hongyue''s manor.


    Her eyes contained a hint of longing.


    A longing for honesty.


    For sincerity.


    While everyone treated her kindly and gave her everything on their knees, they didn''t really treat her like a person. Only like a doll. Her heart grew cold. They fed her with the most delicate pearls, the kindest words, and the best of all gifts. However, they only did so in order to trade for her life. In return for those useless beautiful things, she would have to give up her own dreams, her wishes, and all her desires. But what if she couldn''t give it? No, she wouldn''t give it. Why should she?


    Her head felt dizzy as her heart squeezed tightly in her chest.


    I stole this happy life from you.


    I''m sorry.


    I''ll pay you back, my dear sister.


    It was a weird feeling. The kind where it was filled with guilt and wretched with disgust. The ugly yet angry feelings for herself. If only if she didn''t listen to her father that year. She pushed one of the maids further away from her. Her heart was slowly growing with anger.


    These people!


    Why treat me so well when you all just want to use me? It was like a trace of bitterness in her heart. A memory of her playful elder sister seemed to emerge into her memories.


    "Little Lan, if Father doesn''t protect you. If your mother doesn''t protect you. This sister will protect you."


    Reviving those memories were like a trigger for Lan''er.


    Sister, you can''t even protect yourself. How will you even protect me?

 94 Its For Your Sake

    Such melancholy thoughts pulled her roaring emotions to a halt as Lan''er started to recollect her thoughts. Her father felt insecure with her, so there would be no chance he would suddenly allow her to come back so quickly unless he wanted something from her. She lived with him for so many years. How could she not know his heart? Did something happen on his side that forced him to use her as a resort?


    Her eyes widened.


    Hongyue.


    Did something¡ª No. What happened to her sister?


    "Leave. You''re dismissed. I don''t need your help," Lan''er commanded.


    However, the servants didn''t move even after hearing her. One of the maids mildly swayed her head, "Master said he wanted to see you later. Third Miss, it''ll be unsightly for you to go see him with just this."


    Third Miss.


    Since they knew to call her Third Miss, why didn''t they even regard her orders?


    Nevertheless, Lan''er knew, her title of the Third Miss was oddly equivalent to Hongyue''s title of the Eldest Miss. It was nothing. If General Wei wanted to rid of her, he could, because in reality, her words held no actual weight.


    The two sisters were oddly similar.


    Lan''er dropped her head and allowed the maids to change her dress and her hairpins. Her eyes returned to their untroubled state, and she lowered her head slightly.


    She looked like the docile third miss of the Wei Manor.


    After they made Lan''er more presentable, they ushered her to be seated in the garden. As she idled, she took a sip of tea. The flavor was without the presence of sugar, but it carried a tangible sweetness. The fresh aroma seemed to wake up her mind, and she prepared herself for the appearance of her father. Looking toward the entrance, she detected the general entering the garden. Quickly getting up, she produced her greeting in a soft voice, "Father."


    General Wei nodded and motioned for her to sit. He also took a seat. His eyes descended on her face, and he opened his mouth, "Lan''er, have you self-reflected within the time you were transferred away?"


    Lan''er gave a tender smile in response, "This daughter has considered her choices. Thank you father, for the chance to better this daughter."


    The general nodded, his eyes shifted to the cup of tea within his hand. Taking a leisurely sip, he pushed out his true intentions, "Then you will be taking the spot of the Crown Prince''s consort."


    Lan''er felt her smile stiffing in place; her heart was unwilling. She didn''t want to steal anything else from her sister. With another sweet smile on her face, Lan''er played helpless, "Father, this daughter needs more time."


    At her words, the general looked up. His eyes were deep, and his mouth tightened as he started to talk, "There isn''t any more time. Hongyue has been called into the palace for a week now. Don''t you understand what this means?" The general''s eyes turned grim, "Lan''er, I''ve already had the doctor check Hongyue''s blood. It''s already contaminated with poison. It''s no longer pure and the Emperor wouldn''t be able to use her. You can take the spot."


    He waited for her answer, but Lan''er was stuck in her own little world. What? Contaminated? Wouldn''t she be dead....but wasn''t Hongyue still alive?


    Unable to keep her posture, Lan''er asked, "Father, how could a living person have contaminated blood with poison?"


    The general looked thoughtful as he began to recall the words of the doctor, "I thought it was ominous as well, but the doctor said it was possible. After all, Hongyue contains two types of poison in her body currently. As long as they continue battling each other out in her body, she will stay alive."


    Lan''er felt her heart stand still. Her father''s words were like a curse. Hongyue must already be in so much pain.


    However, the truth was far from it.


    Hongyue already had three types of poison in her blood, and her powers were currently enough to suppress them. Not only that, she was able to control the movement of the poison in her blood so although the blood she gave was contaminated, it was not the same inside her body. Unlike how Lan''er feared for her sister, Hongyue was perfectly fine.


    Clutching tightly to the fabric of her dress, Lan''er gave a weak smile. Since her father was moving along with his plans so quickly, she could only oblige, "Can this daughter request one thing from father?"


    The general frowned. Didn''t he always give Lan''er whatever she wanted? What else could she want now?


    "What request do you have in mind?"


    Lan''er paused, her thoughts echoing inside her mind, "If this daughter completes this task, will you allow Hongyue to live with me in the future?"


    Seeing her father furrow his eyebrows, Lan''er hurried with her words, "Hongyue already doesn''t have a mother. She''s too simple, and she can''t fend for herself. Lan''er wants a toy to play with."


    If Lan''er were able to complete this task, Hongyue would no longer be any threat to him, and the Emperor wouldn''t be able to use Hongyue. Thinking back to how Hongyue was of no value and couldn''t do any harm, the general acknowledged Lan''er with a soft tap of his knuckles, "If you complete this task usefully."


    Lan''er lowered her head.


    This was her only chance at keeping her sister by her side and protecting her. Of course, she would have to take it.


    Hongyue, please forgive me.


    Your sister isn''t doing this on purpose.


    I''ll find a better husband for you in the future, but for now, it''s for your sake.

 95 ChunHuas Desire To Live

    Stepping out of the garden, Lan''er started her way to her carriage. She intended on going to the palace to retrieve her sister under the guise of seducing the Crown Prince. As she made her way around the corner, her eyes met the ones of the second miss.


    ChunHua.


    However, ChunHua appeared to be changed. Her eyes were meek and quiet, unlike her usual prideful ones.


    Seeing Lan''er in front of her, ChunHua gave a nod to greet her, "Third sister."


    Lan''er paused. Her eyes were examining into the eyes of the other. How unusual. If ChunHua was not at the jewelry store, she was at the fabric store. Never was she seen so quiet at home. Her second sister always despised being caged up at home. Had something happened?


    "It''s a surprise to see you here, ChunHua."


    ChunHua merely lowered her head, giving a small acknowledgment to her third sister''s statement. She carefully stepped to the side and allowed Lan''er to move forward. Lan''er couldn''t help but let a slight frown to appear on her face. As she shifted her sights back to the front of the manor, her eyes happened to catch the sight of a thin silver thread seemingly tied to the neck of ChunHua. However, as she blinked, the thread disappeared.


    Although she felt it was odd, Lan''er didn''t drawl on it too much. Moving her feet quickly, she shifted her attention back to Hongyue, who was still stuck in the palace.


    *****


    "Second Miss, are you okay?" A maid hurried over to help ChunHua into the room from the doorway. ChunHua didn''t answer. Her eyes landed on her mother, who was staring at the doorway dimly. ChunHua suddenly moved closer, and she ran her fingers through the second madam''s hair.


    "Mother?"


    The maid who was standing nearby flinched. It was a strange sight to take in. The voice ChunHua used wasn''t in the least sad or of grief. Instead, it was filled with a hostile resentment.


    Thinking that ChunHua was upset about her mother, the maid tried to reassure her, "Second Miss, please calm down. I''m sure the general will carry out revenge for your mother."


    ChunHua turned over, her eyes revealing a hint of interest, "Father? Father can?"


    However, a string of laughter flowed out of her mouth, "My father can?"


    Turning her eyes to the maid, she tilted her head. The maid froze. It was strange. It had been a week but the second miss changed so much.


    The maid mustered up her courage, "I''m sure-"


    "No one can," ChunHua stopped her with a sharp glare, "Tell me, who can fight against the capabilities of a ghost?"


    As if she was reminded of her slavery to Hongyue, ChunHua angrily clutched her neck. However, her hand wasn''t able to touch the thread; only the creator could. ChunHua turned to her mother and suddenly lashed out a slap. The maid was terrified at the sight of how ChunHua didn''t seem to care.


    "If it wasn''t because of your greed, how could I end up like this?! Tell me! Answer me!"


    The maid rushed forward and tried to stop ChunHua only to be shoved aside.


    "Tell me, mother. If you really cared for me, would I end up like this?"


    "Second Miss, she is your mother!" The maid shouted.


    ChunHua frowned, "She''s my mother...my mother."


    She laughed bitterly, "If she''s my mother, would she raise her daughter in such scheming ways? Now that karma comes back to visit, it is I who suffers because of her sins, not her."


    ChunHua loosened her grip, and she stepped out of the room. She was always a sheltered second miss who knew nothing other than to follow her mother''s words and her selfish ambitions. She always thought Hongyue was the one who wronged her. Hongyue took the place of the most favored daughter. Why should Hongyue when she had no powers? However, she slowly found out the truth. Wanting to find her father to help her mother, she overheard the general speaking to a shadow guard about his plans. It was like her mother meant and was nothing. Only then did she understand the meaning of being born into high status. Now to overhear her third sister and her father''s conversation, did she realized her own danger.


    There was little to no love.


    It was only about power.


    What if she lost her value? What would happen to her?


    Her eyes turned dull. Her mother''s craziness...she knew Hongyue must have something to do with it. However, she couldn''t feel the hate she should be feeling.


    No, wrong.


    She didn''t dare to hate because she had no right to. She was in the wrong. Nevertheless, she wanted to live. Without her mother, would she be able to survive? She pressed her neck and suddenly turned to the maid.


    "Go tell third sister I''m going with her."


    ChunHua lowered her head. She desired to live. She wanted to make a bargain with Hongyue. Clutching her sleeves, she felt uneasy, but she pushed herself to stand firmly.


    There was something she hadn''t noticed before, but she trusted Hongyue more than her own father.

 96 A Growing Headache

    Back at the palace, there was a different scene. Hongyue was propped up against a pillow. Her weak hands cupped a bowl of bitter medicine and she crinkled her nose. Setting aside the medicine, she made a show of not wanting to drink it due to the bitterness. Hongyue pouted and peered up. Her eyes caught the studying eyes of the Emperor and she lifted the medicine to her lips again.


    "Is it too bitter?"


    Hongyue nearly wanted to sneer. He really appeared like a good person if she hadn''t known his true heart. Looking up with doe-like eyes, she nodded.


    "I don''t like it. It''s much too bitter. Must I drink it?" She whined.


    Giving a hearty laugh, the Emperor reached out to seize the medicine and arranged it aside.


    "If you don''t wish to, I won''t force you," He assured. Hongyue wanted to laugh. Of course, he wouldn''t. Why would he?


    "Okay," She cheerfully responded and delivered a sweet smile.


    The Emperor paused, "You are already 16, is that correct?"


    Hongyue looked up and nodded, "10 plus 5, hm, yes, 16."


    The Emperor''s brow furrowed but he didn''t bother to correct her, "Shouldn''t you be in the magic academy?"


    Hongyue paused. There was a memory about this magic academy but since she had no drop of power, the idea of assigning her to the academy was pointless. Other than understanding it was a training school for people with magic, it had never been something Hongyue thought was important. However, now that he mentioned it, Hongyue was interested. If she took some time to understand the concept of this world''s magic, breaking it down and fighting against it would be more than useful for her.


    However, it seemed like the Emperor wanted to send her there for a separate reason. As someone who knows that she was useless in magic, asking the question was presumably meant to entice her. Nonetheless, she didn''t understand the reason why.


    Pouting, Hongyue swayed her head, "Hongyue stays home all day. Father doesn''t let me out."


    The Emperor responded, "Do you want to go?"


    Hongyue''s eyes gleamed happily but quickly she became disheartened, "But this miss has no magic and I''m too stupid. They probably won''t let me in."


    Patting her back and giving her a gentle smile, the Emperor assured her, "I can get you in."


    Hongyue looked shocked, "You can?!! How nice! I want to go...but I''m useless. What will I do there?"


    The patting paused before his voice started to explain, "We don''t know who tried to hurt you last time so it''s still not safe. However, the magic academy has a special barrier. Wouldn''t you feel protected there? You can also meet many more people."


    Hongyue tilted her head, "But what about here? Can''t I just stay here?"


    The Emperor gave her a small smile, "Do you want to?"


    Hongyue frowned, "Well, it isn''t exactly exciting to be here."


    Ignoring her comment, the Emperor agreed, "Why don''t you go then? It''ll be a good experience. You''ll have to come back here every 2 weeks to check up your health anyway. Only the palace has the herbs you need to nurse your body back to health."


    Hongyue lowered her eyes as if she was deciding on the choices. She wasn''t sure before but now she was certain.


    To send someone with not an ounce of magic into the magic academy, wasn''t he just sending a sheep into a pack of wolves? She was bound to be bullied and shoved around. The daily torment was likely to give her a trauma of going into the outside world. He was forcing her to be the one to choose the palace instead of directly locking her up. After all, with her own father trapping her within his walls, and the growing idea that everyone loathed her, the rational choice was to run into the arms of the Emperor.


    The sensible choice, of course.


    But when did she ever play the game by the rules?


    "Okay. I''ll go then. I might not have magic but I can communicate with spirits so I''ll be able to make a lot of friends."


    The emperor gave her a strange look, "You can?"


    Hongyue beamed proudly, "Yes, I can. I''ll tell you a secret. See that guy over there?"


    The Emperor glanced over to the servant she pointed at and nodded. His heart awaited for something ground-breaking when he heard a simple ''He''s fat.''


    "What?" Did he hear something wrong?


    "He''s fat."


    The Emperor didn''t know if he was to laugh or be angry. How could the servant not be fat? With rolls of flesh pushing against the walls of his blue garments, who couldn''t tell that the servant was fat with their own two eyes? Who needed a spirit to tell them?


    "That''s it?"


    Hongyue shook her head. She appeared to be solemn as she uttered her next words, "It means he eats a lot."


    The Emperor could feel a headache coming on while the servant in the blue garments paled. The servant tried to tuck in his stomach but simply couldn''t. He really wanted to cry for being targeted by the eldest miss.


    Finally, the Emperor spoke, "He''s the food tester."


    "Ohhhh. So I''m right. See, I can talk to ghosts."


    The Emperor held his head, it was a mistake to even think she was capable of anything.


    Did she not notice the food tester always eating a portion of her food to test it?!!

 97 My Sudden Disappearance

    I know there might be a lot of questions on how why I suddenly disappeared for so long. I really really am sorry. During the month of June, my father got Lyme disease. He had fevers, headaches, and he felt really weak. The doctor misdiagnosed it as a bad flu since the bite mark wasn''t the typic bull mark and he mistook it as a rash and an allergic breakout. With that, my father was given the wrong medicine as well as healthcare. As the month went on, his condition improved at times and turned for the worst at times.


    Just a week ago, he collapsed and rushed into the hospital. It was found that his heart was unstable as well as not working so he needed to get a pacemaker. Being that he couldn''t speak English, I had to be the one to always translate. It took a strain on my mental health as it began harder and harder to tell him his health was deteriorating. So from this time, I began really unstable emotionally and mentally. I just graduated from high school so I was already feeling a bit lost. Adding this, it became a strain.


    Maybe because it''s that I''m still young and not experienced, I couldn''t cope with it well. I wrote a lot of chapters just to delete everything. This was a cycle I couldn''t get out of. I wrote, I deleted it.


    My father''s a lot better now although he depending on the pacemaker 100%.


    I''m more stable now.


    There was a reader who reached out since I was quiet for so long and I realized how wrong it was of me to not give a warning. Maybe I really haven''t matured enough. I should have said something so you, as my readers, wouldn''t have to come back constantly to find no new chapters.


    Also, I should be clear. I won''t drop this novel. I just won''t.


    It''s a personal promise and a promise I made because of another reader.


    I hate breaking promises because I know how it feels on the other end.


    With that note, I really hope you guys forgive me. I can''t ask for more. I''m still learning and I''m trying to grow. The good news from this experience is that I went through such a chaotic time and I''ll recreate it within my writing.


    Please enjoy the next chapter.

 98 Third Miss Enters The Palace

    With that, the emperor was left with no more words left to say. With his lips tightened into a thin line, he acknowledged the girl with a stiff nod along with an uncomfortable smile on his face. Seeing him nod, Hongyue smiled even brightly and clapped her hands in glee.


    "Then...then since I got that right, do I get a reward?" Hongyue''s voice was so naive, it was almost harmful to the heart. The emperor felt like he wanted to bash his head against the wall in frustration. He couldn''t reprimand her, nor could he say anything else to scold her. How could someone teach a stupid person?


    She...she wanted a reward for that?


    The wise who developed an advanced usage of magic could be rewarded. The strong who saved a nation''s people from hardship could be rewarded. She, who thought she could speak to spirits and called another servant fat, wanted a reward?!


    Tell him, what reward would be fitting?!


    A slap across the face?


    His mouth opened and closed with no sound escaping his mouth. In the end, he still didn''t have anything to say. It would be better for him if he didn''t, lest she says something else that would anger him to death. He kept quiet and said nothing else. Next time, he wouldn''t even bother to ask her anything.


    ******


    Outside the royal palace doors, beneath the fiery glare of the sun; a cream-colored carriage appeared at the gates. Seeing the new arrival, the guards at the doors frowned. From each side of the palace gate, a guard came forward to inspect the passengers inside the transportation.


    "Who is it?"


    From the carriage, the small window curtain was raised up to reveal the face of a carefree Lan''er. The guards seemed surprised at the sight of the third miss. Their eyes opened wide, and their mouths were agape. Even without Lan''er introducing herself, the guards already appeared to know who she was. A warm smile crossed the face of one of the guard.


    "Ah, it''s the third miss of the Wei''s Manor," The guards greeted politely.


    Lan''er greeted back with a small nod, keeping an ordinary fan over her face as she moved her head. This little sign of elegance was enough to draw even more respect from the nearby guards. Behaving modest, the third miss tossed out some simple words to please them, "To be known by these gentlemen, this miss is honored."


    One of the guards quickly shook his head at her words, "There''s no need for such words. The third daughter of General Wei is well-known throughout the country for being the brilliant and the genius of the Wei Family. Who wouldn''t have known? This servant is pleased to meet you."


    Lan''er kept the smile on her face. However, each praise they added to please her only nourished the coldness in her heart. Each of the words they spoke was nearly a reminder of how she was a thief, how none of this respect should belong to her. The fingers on her left hand began to tremble, and she slid her hand under her sleeves on her lap to hide it.


    The guard smiled warmly and carefully asked, "What brings the third miss of the Wei Family to the Palace?"


    Lan''er gave a slight smile to the question and waved her hand lightly, "There has been no news from my sister for many days..." She paused, her mind racing. If the general wasn''t able to bring Hongyue back, there was even less of a chance for her to do so. The best move for her was to act despaired. She tilted her head as in deep concern before continuing, "...I''m simply left worried for her."


    The guard closest to the carriage couldn''t help but frown. Being a lower servant to the palace, he wasn''t given a lot of information due to his standing. Of course, that didn''t mean there weren''t rumors and gossip that floated about. Although he wasn''t sure why the eldest miss of Wei''s family was forbidden to see anyone, it was believed this was a power move to block the general. No matter how he respected the third miss, his orders were orders.


    He couldn''t disobey them.


    He opened his mouth to give a refusal when he hesitated.


    Although the orders were to be followed, the orders were also from a week prior. He had not received any new orders from his superior for this week. Was it possible the ban lifted by now?


    He only knew the central objective was to keep anyone from taking the eldest miss away. Since this third miss was merely here for a visit because she was anxious, was it necessary to refuse her? He was doubtful of what to do.


    "This guard is uncertain. Please, wait. I''ll ask," With that, he stepped away and headed toward the inner court to get a messenger.


    Lan''er nodded and turned her attention back inside the carriage. Staring at the figure in the seat across her.


    "Second sister, following me here, what is your intention?"

 99 No Need To Fear

    Near the quarters where the eldest miss was currently confined in, a slight disturbance could be heard from the outside the room. Hongyue''s curiosity was instantly piqued as her eyes flashed with a hint of enthusiasm.


    She leaned forward.


    A few strands of her dark hair fell forward, gently covering half her face, which gave her a slightly unusual vibe. She pulled at the right sleeve of the Emperor with a child-like playfulness.


    "What was that sound?" She tilted her head and echoed out a whisper of eagerness, "Are we going to play another game?"


    Another game?


    Did she mean the game when she pretended to talk to spirits and called people fat whenever she pleased?


    The Emperor glanced down at where her hands were in contact with his clothing, and he attempted to remove her hands. With a forced smile, he addressed her question with a quick "perhaps."


    The doors to the room were abruptly shoved open roughly.


    "Your majesty," A short messenger, dressed in dark navy, swiftly entered the room. His feet thudded lightly on the carpeted ground, and he rushed forward toward the bed where the Emperor was. Coming closer to the bed, he leaned down and in a hushed voice, he whispered into the Emperor''s ear.


    The Emperor''s expression didn''t change, but his eyes became more sinister.


    Oh?


    The third miss of the Wei Family came?


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    Was General Wei already using his third daughter to get back the eldest one? He studied at the foolish girl in front of him. Hongyue was staring back with a clueless smile splattered on her face. Her eyes were filled with a type of happiness he could only call ''idiocy.''


    Nodding his head and waving away the servant, he announced the happy news to Hongyue with a gentle voice, "Your third sister would like to see you, do you want to let her in?"


    Hongyue wanted to scoff.


    He was treating her like her words actually held some weight. Her eyes tilted down in a bewildered manner, and her voice was doubtful.


    "Third sister?"


    Noticing that the eldest miss didn''t seem all that close to her sister, the Emperor couldn''t hide a smile of relief that was starting to appear. Even if the general were going to do everything to get this useless daughter of his, he wouldn''t be able to make a dent. With a brain this dense, the Emperor couldn''t help but laugh. It was too easy to control her mind.


    "Do you want to see her?"


    His question echoed loudly for a second time, and he gazed over to her for an answer. Hongyue pouted. Seeing her about to refuse, the emperor cut in before she could make up her mind.


    "It won''t do any harm to see her, right? She''s your sister, after all."


    Hongyue nodded as she fiddled with the silk covers before her. Her big eyes flickered to one pattern to another. Seeing her uneasy expression, the Emperor left with a comfortable state of mind.


    As soon as he left, the door of the room was swung shut, and two shadowy figures of the guards at the door moved back into their post.The smile that was on Hongyue''s face melted away as her eyes turned cold.


    Third sister?


    This was not with her predictions.


    Her eyes showed a trace of doubt, and her fingers tapped on the pattern with an even pace. Was this sister still going to be a friend or a new foe? She couldn''t let down her guard. People could always change their stance in a blink of an eye. Did the general have anything to do with this?


    Whatever it was, she would have to find out soon as she could in order to manipulate the situation into her favor. Her eyes flickered to the door. Although the Emperor appeared to be put off by the childish stupidly of her actions, the guards by the door were enough to tell her he wasn''t going to put down his guard entirely.


    Even though the Emperor had allowed her to see her sister. It should be clear that he only allowed her to because he was convinced she felt uneasy. As long as Hongyue displayed a sense of fear or doubt toward her own family, it would play in favor of the Emperor.


    But more than anything else, Hongyue was fearful of something else. If this so-call sister was on her side, what would she do? She never had a sister figure nor had a sister. What was the bond of a sibling like? What was the touch of a sister like? Would they worry for you like you would for them?


    It was a step lesser than a mother but more than mere friendship. All of which she never had, yet it was everything she both desired and feared.


    How would she handle this?


    Adjusting the expression on her face, she didn''t bother to brush back her hair. She locked her sight onto the wooden door with a hint of anticipation as well as with an intense tingle of coldness. Under the sheets, her fingers balled up into a fist as she drew in a thin strand of air.


    She could handle this.


    If anything, she could always close up her heart.


    There was no need to be afraid of anything.

 97 Third Miss Enters The Palace

    With that, the emperor was left with no more words left to say. With his lips tightened into a thin line, he acknowledged the girl with a stiff nod along with an uncomfortable smile on his face. Seeing him nod, Hongyue smiled even brightly and clapped her hands in glee.


    "Then...then since I got that right, do I get a reward?" Hongyue''s voice was so naive, it was almost harmful to the heart. The emperor felt like he wanted to bash his head against the wall in frustration. He couldn''t reprimand her, nor could he say anything else to scold her. How could someone teach a stupid person?


    She...she wanted a reward for that?


    The wise who developed an advanced usage of magic could be rewarded. The strong who saved a nation''s people from hardship could be rewarded. She, who thought she could speak to spirits and called another servant fat, wanted a reward?!


    Tell him, what reward would be fitting?!


    A slap across the face?


    His mouth opened and closed with no sound escaping his mouth. In the end, he still didn''t have anything to say. It would be better for him if he didn''t, lest she says something else that would anger him to death. He kept quiet and said nothing else. Next time, he wouldn''t even bother to ask her anything.


    ******


    Outside the royal palace doors, beneath the fiery glare of the sun, a cream-colored carriage appeared at the gates. Seeing the new arrival, the guards at the doors frowned. From each side of the palace gate, a guard came forward to inspect the passengers inside the transportation.


    "Who is it?"


    From the carriage, the small window curtain was raised up to reveal the face of a carefree Lan''er. The guards seemed surprised at the sight of the third miss. Their eyes opened wide, and their mouths were agape. Even without Lan''er introducing herself, the guards already appeared to know who she was. A warm smile crossed the face of one of the guards.


    "Ah, it''s the third miss of the Wei''s Manor," The guards greeted politely.


    Lan''er greeted back with a small nod, keeping an ordinary fan over her face as she moved her head. This little sign of elegance was enough to draw even more respect from the nearby guards. Behaving modest, the third miss tossed out some simple words to please them, "To be known by these gentlemen, this miss is honored."


    One of the guards quickly shook his head at her words, "There''s no need for such words. The third daughter of General Wei is well-known throughout the country for being the brilliant and the genius of the Wei Family. Who wouldn''t have known? This servant is pleased to meet you."


    Lan''er kept the smile on her face. However, each praise they added to please her only nourished the coldness in her heart. Each of the words they spoke was nearly a reminder of how she was a thief, how none of this respect should belong to her. The fingers on her left hand began to tremble, and she slid her hand under her sleeves on her lap to hide it.


    The guard smiled warmly and carefully asked, "What brings the third miss of the Wei Family to the Palace?"


    Lan''er gave a slight smile to the question and waved her hand lightly, "There has been no news from my sister for many days..." She paused, her mind racing. If the general wasn''t able to bring Hongyue back, there was even less of a chance for her to do so. The best move for her was to act despaired. She tilted her head as in deep concern before continuing, "...I''m simply left worried for her."


    The guard closest to the carriage couldn''t help but frown. Being a lower servant to the palace, he wasn''t given a lot of information due to his standing. Of course, that didn''t mean there weren''t rumors and gossip that floated about. Although he wasn''t sure why the eldest miss of Wei''s family was forbidden to see anyone, it was believed this was a power move to block the general. No matter how he respected the third miss, his orders were orders.


    He couldn''t disobey them.


    He opened his mouth to give a refusal when he hesitated.


    Although the orders were to be followed, the orders were also from a week prior. He had not received any new orders from his superior for this week. Was it possible the ban lifted by now?


    He only knew the central objective was to keep anyone from taking the eldest miss away. Since this third miss was merely here for a visit because she was anxious, was it necessary to refuse her? He was doubtful of what to do.


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    "This guard is uncertain. Please, wait. I''ll ask," With that, he stepped away and headed toward the inner court to get a messenger.


    Lan''er nodded and turned her attention back inside the carriage. Staring at the figure in the seat across her, she opened her mind, "Second sister, following me here, what is your intention?"

 98 No Need To Fear

    Near the quarters where the eldest miss was currently confined in, a slight disturbance could be heard from the outside the room. Hongyue''s curiosity was instantly piqued as her eyes flashed with a hint of enthusiasm.


    She leaned forward.


    A few strands of her dark hair fell forward, gently covering half her face, which gave her a slightly unusual vibe. She pulled at the right sleeve of the Emperor with a child-like playfulness.


    "What was that sound?" She tilted her head and echoed out a whisper of eagerness, "Are we going to play another game?"


    Another game?


    Did she mean the game when she pretended to talk to spirits and called people fat whenever she pleased?


    The Emperor glanced down at where her hands were in contact with his clothing, and he attempted to remove her hands. With a forced smile, he addressed her question with a quick "perhaps."


    The doors to the room were abruptly shoved open roughly.


    "Your majesty," A short messenger, dressed in dark navy, swiftly entered the room. His feet thudded lightly on the carpeted ground, and he rushed forward toward the bed where the Emperor was. Coming closer to the bed, he leaned down, and in a hushed voice, he whispered into the Emperor''s ear.


    The Emperor''s expression didn''t change, but his eyes became more sinister.


    Oh?


    The third miss of the Wei Family came?


    Was General Wei already using his third daughter to get back the eldest one? He studied at the foolish girl in front of him. Hongyue was staring back with a clueless smile splattered on her face. Her eyes were filled with a type of happiness he could only call ''idiocy.''


    Nodding his head and waving away the servant, he announced the happy news to Hongyue with a gentle voice, "Your third sister would like to see you, do you want to let her in?"


    Hongyue wanted to scoff.


    He was treating her like her words actually held some weight. Her eyes tilted down in a bewildered manner, and her voice was doubtful.


    "Third sister?"


    Noticing that the eldest miss didn''t seem all that close to her sister, the Emperor couldn''t hide a smile of relief that was starting to appear. Even if the general were going to do everything to get this useless daughter of his, he wouldn''t be able to make a dent. With a brain this dense, the Emperor couldn''t help but laugh. It was too easy to control her mind.


    "Do you want to see her?"


    His question echoed loudly for a second time, and he gazed over to her for an answer. Hongyue pouted. Seeing her about to refuse, the emperor cut in before she could make up her mind.


    "It won''t do any harm to see her, right? She''s your sister, after all."


    Hongyue nodded as she fiddled with the silk covers before her. Her big eyes flickered to one pattern to another. Seeing her uneasy expression, the Emperor left with a comfortable state of mind.


    As soon as he left, the door of the room was swung shut, and two shadowy figures of the guards at the door moved back into their post. The smile that was on Hongyue''s face melted away as her eyes turned cold.


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    Third sister?


    This was not with her predictions.


    Her eyes showed a trace of doubt, and her fingers tapped on the pattern at an even pace. Was this sister still going to be a friend or a new foe? She couldn''t let down her guard. People could always change their stance in a blink of an eye. Did the general have anything to do with this?


    Whatever it was, she would have to find out soon as she could in order to manipulate the situation into her favor. Her eyes flickered to the door. Although the Emperor appeared to be put off by the childish stupidly of her actions, the guards by the door were enough to tell her he wasn''t going to put down his guard entirely.


    Even though the Emperor had allowed her to see her sister. It should be clear that he only allowed her to because he was convinced she felt uneasy. As long as Hongyue displayed a sense of fear or doubt toward her own family, it would play in favor of the Emperor.


    But more than anything else, Hongyue was fearful of something else. If this so-call sister was on her side, what would she do? She never had a sister figure nor had a sister. What was the bond of a sibling like? What was the touch of a sister like? Would they worry for you like you would for them?


    It was a step lesser than a mother but more than mere friendship. All of which she never had, yet it was everything she both desired and feared.


    How would she handle this?


    Adjusting the expression on her face, she didn''t bother to brush back her hair. She locked her sight onto the wooden door with a hint of anticipation as well as with an intense tingle of coldness. Under the sheets, her fingers balled up into a fist as she drew in a thin strand of air.


    She could handle this.


    If anything, she could always close up her heart.


    There was no need to be afraid of anything.

 99 Note To Readers~

    So to all my dear readers: How should I start?


    Long story short, you can say that I ran away.


    Thinking back, I was really childish to do such an act. Perhaps, I was overwhelmed. Running through all the events that had occurred in my head, I feel ashamed.


    However!


    This fluff had a reason and an excellent one at that.


    I was fluffed out.


    Let me explain, bit by bit.


    So at the beginning of last summer, my dad got Lymes disease. [I did send out a post in all my MOS novels, but oh my god, after I recently checked my other work VBH, I realized I didn''t post it there. My fault. So sorry QAQ! Please forgive me~]. The doctor he consulted with misdiagnosed it like a fever, rash, etc. Due to this mistake, my dad was on the wrong meds, and his heart stopped. We got him treated, then he was discharged. A few days after, he had a high fever and fainted. So he was back at the hospital. After spending more weeks there, he was then discharged again.


    Then!


    At about the same time, we discover that his business partner was doing shady things behind his back, and they ended up shutting down the business. His partner had planned to stop the business a year earlier but never informed my dad, so my dad continued to invest in it. It came to the point where we started to wonder where all the money had gone to.


    After talking it out, they settled the issue. However, my dad was left with cleaning up the mess, but since he can''t speak English, I took over.


    Currently, I''m helping with the process of a lawsuit against the first doctor who misdiagnosed my dad.


    And I understand most of this doesn''t hold a lot of importance as it doesn''t entirely concern the readers; instead, it''s just me.


    However, around the time that everything occurred, I was 18. A really childish 18. I was the only one who spoke English in my household, and suddenly I was thrown into situations I almost couldn''t handle. I was breaking down with the translations, trying not to cry since I was so overwhelmed. I had to be the one who talked to the doctors, complete the paperwork, trying to end a contract early, etc. I really couldn''t write due to how stressed I was.


    After 3-4 months, everything started to calm down, I could have picked up writing around that time. However, my doubts began to stir up again. I had changed so much from the time I started writing this novel, could I even continue it? And even if I could, will I be welcomed?


    And this fluff couldn''t help but procrastinated; however, it wasn''t for long.


    But at some point, I stumbled back, and I felt inspired to continue.


    I went back.


    For MOS, starting from the first chapter, I edited and corrected all the mistakes I made when I was younger, as well as looking over the plot.


    I have to say.


    For MOS, my first 20+ chapters were riddled with so many mistakes.


    I am so darn grateful for everyone who made it past all of that. There were just so many grammar mistakes, wrong use of terms, and weird wordings. Gosh, how did you guys made it through all that?!


    As for VBH, I feel so guilty for not checking and realizing that I never posted a notice. I''m surprised at the number of readers I gained. I lacked so much detail within the plot since I wanted to focus on the emotional part. It must have bothered a lot of readers since it could have been confusing. I''ll go back and correct that.


    And somehow I''m back here again.


    Thank you for reading and taking the time to understand.


    I''m going to try my best and hopefully continue to improve so you can be proud of from waiting all that time.


    I will try my best to get both novels up and running again starting Sunday. It might be every two days rather than the everyday system I had when I was in high school due to the fact I''m in college now.


    Whew, I finished my main points, but I still feel like I lack a lot with my words. Even now, I''m scared of the reaction I''m going to receive. Either way, I made a promise to a reader that I was going to finish MOS, so I''m going to keep it.


    Even if it''s a long journey, please be patient with me. I''ll also try to do the same with VBH.


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    Thank you~

 100 Step By Step

    Hongyue''s eyes lowered as she began to sink into her thoughts. Even if she longed for such a position, her heart would never allow it easily.


    The balance of trust was already skewed.


    Although this third sister of hers seemed to genuinely care for her, the fact that she was still the general''s daughter would remain all the same.


    General Wei was not a trusting man.


    If he was able to kill off his own fourth concubine without pity, why wouldn''t he do the same to any other of his confidants? Or even better, why not any of his children?


    Not to mention, after Concubine Mei went crazy and her father, Minister Hui, went against the general, the first person, General Wei, should have retaliated against should have been this third daughter of his.


    But the third miss was left unharmed, unbothered. As if the general knew this daughter of his could do no wrong.


    What gave him that confidence?


    Hongyue frowned.


    If she were to compare, the amount of trust was not just merely unsettling. If Hongyue had to create more than one elaborate scheme to gain only a fragment of General Wei''s faith in her, this Lan''er...


    How dangerous.


    She clicked her tongue.


    After all, the roses that contained the weren''t something that would give away its nectar to just anyone.


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    Hongyue paused, her right hand gently touching a spot on her left arm. After the fire incident, rumors were circulating around from inner servants that the empress was punished and lost favor from the emperor.


    While the exact reasons weren''t known for her punishment, Hongyue knew it was related to the spies in the garden.


    It seemed like the emperor wasn''t a clueless man; instead, he was a talented player of the game.


    How could inner servants of a royal palace be allowed to run their mouths however they pleased?


    One wrong word could be heard by the emperor, and they could all be beheaded. That is unless the emperor himself wanted the rumors to run wildly as such.


    But for the emperor to allow such a thing... could it be that he was trying to protect the empress?


    Rumors were merely rumors, but sometimes they gave hope to a specific determined audience. That false hope gave more possibility for a wrongful action being made.


    Hongyue''s hand paused.


    More questions that she simply couldn''t get the answers to yet.


    Just who wanted her dead, and who wanted her alive?


    Where did those trained normals come from?


    Why could they cancel power?


    Who was this crow?


    Most importantly, just how many?


    Nevertheless, even if she was confused, her position seemed to have been secured. The emperor didn''t want the eldest miss to die. Therefore the eldest miss will not die.


    At least not yet.


    Hongyue shifted her weight to allow her legs to move to the side of the bed.


    There was another dilemma.


    Two nights after the incident of the fire, her little pet pig returned to her in a strange matter. With dull white eyes, Qingyu seemed to be entirely unresponsive and only liked to sleep, whether it be day or night. Curled up around her left arm, Qingyu had been motionless like a stone for the entire week.


    Seeing this, Hongyue was alarmed.


    However, despite so, she could only wait.


    "Yu''er."


    A light voice entered the spacious room, along with its happy owner. The wooden door opened with a soundless welcoming as the outside breeze pushed its way into the room, wiping clean of the bitter medicine smell that was in the place.


    Lan''er smiled brightly as she gently stepped over the doorsteps. Her sleeves wafted slightly with the breeze, and her eyes immediately landed on her eldest sister.


    Hongyue was resting on a glorious gold plated bed. However, the blankets and pillows were disorderly, unlike the aristocratic atmosphere the room gave off.


    The girl''s legs were on the edge of the bed and were kicking sulkily when she suddenly looked up in response to her name. Her eyes were somewhat dull as if she was unfamiliar with the arrival with the third miss.


    "Third Sister?"


    Lan''er faltered for a second before she smiled kindly and walked over.


    "Yu''er, it can''t be that only after some time from not seeing me, you forgot about me? You don''t seem to welcome me."


    Her words were thrown out jokingly, and she took a seat near Hongyue. Lan''er reached out to touch Hongyue''s hair. However, Hongyue didn''t seem to hold any interest in talking to Lan''er as she brushed aside her third sister''s hand.


    "Why is third sister here?"


    Lan''er frowned.


    Why did Hongyue ask such an answer?


    It had only been a week, or so, yet Hongyue didn''t seem to trust her anymore. Could it be that the emperor said something? Was this what her father was afraid of?


    Hongyue frowned, "Why is third sister here today?"

 101 Bitter Medicine

    Lan''er was stuck for answers.


    Her elder sister''s question seemed to be asking for something, but she wasn''t sure exactly what.


    Lan''er was here on her father''s order as well as on her own will. Could it be that Hongyue wanted to hear news about the general? It could be possible, after all, Hongyue only knew the kind side of General Wei, and the general did play the role of a doting father.


    Perhaps, staying a whole week in a place that was unfamiliar from home caused Hongyue to be homesick. However, Lan''er was a bit unwilling to say any kind words about her father to her sister. Her father asked her to pick up her sister, not out of kindness. Rather, it was for his own reassurance. But if Hongyue wanted to hear them...


    "Father was worried sick for you. He sent me to check up on your health."


    Hongyue didn''t show any excitement upon hearing those words. Her eyes just bore intensely on Lan''er as if she was trying to read this sister of hers. A moment after, there was a quiet ''oh'' that came from Hongyue.


    Lan''er was flustered.


    Perhaps those weren''t the right words Hongyue wanted to hear. Maybe...


    "I was worried as well."


    To this, Hongyue tilted her head as if in question, "You? Worried?"


    Lan''er felt confused. Her thoughts were jumbled as she tried to come up for an answer. But how was she supposed to answer? Because I am your sister? Because I was?


    Hongyue lowered her head and didn''t seem to pay any more attention to her third sister. After all, she got the answer she was looking for. While Lan''er couldn''t vocally produce the response, her eyes already gave it away. Anyone who couldn''t see it would be a fool.


    Guilt.


    It was deep bitter guilt and a hint of remorse.


    The kind where it was slowly built on bit by bit and left in an endless wish to be resolved but never did.


    So it was left to grow and eat away in its vacant home of a heart.


    Hongyue didn''t want to see it.


    After all, when Lan''er looked at her, it wasn''t directed at her. Instead, it was through her. As though, Lan''er saw something else within the reflection of herself in Hongyue''s eyes.


    If that was the case, then Hongyue didn''t want any of it.


    It wasn''t for her... it was for the one that already left.


    Hongyue lowered her head and directed her attention at her feet.


    The palace had all the medical resources to give care for her health from the fire that had taken place, ones that even the general''s manor couldn''t provide. She was invited there as a guest on a golden carriage and gentle care from the emperor. There was food to eat, clothes to wear, and a bed to sleep in. In truth, if that was how it played out, then there wouldn''t be any need to worry.


    Yet, the general worried.


    Hongyue sneered.


    Worried that his dear little puppet might get snatched.


    Hongyue took a deep breath and lifted her head with a bright smile. Her eyes twinkled in excitement.


    "Why? There''s yummy food to eat. There are toys to play. Hongyue is treated well. Why worry?"


    Lan''er cringed at Hongyue''s simple childish answer.


    Yes.


    The palace had everything. However, it included hidden dangers.


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    To someone who didn''t know better, Lan''er had nothing to say. Hongyue wouldn''t understand and she would be wasting her words.


    Lan''er took a careful look at Hongyue.


    She had always wanted to visit her eldest sister for so long, but her father had forbidden it continuously. Yet, now that she was here, she couldn''t say anything other than simple words that didn''t mean much.


    "Hongyue... how are you?"


    The third miss could only muster out a question to an answer she already knew. Hongyue was just in front of her. How could she not see how Hongyue was?


    Nevertheless, Hongyue smiled boldly.


    "Hm. You know everything is great, but I don''t like drinking the medicine. It''s so bitter."


    Lan''er couldn''t help but sneak a tiny smile. Of course, it was bitter. How could it not be?


    However, Hongyue''s next words caused her sister''s growing smile to freeze in place.


    "Good thing I don''t have to take it often."


    "What?"


    "I don''t have to take it often."


    Hongyue repeated her words as if the subject held no importance to her, but it greatly alarmed Lan''er.


    "You, when did you last taken it?"


    "Oh, just before you came."


    "How often?"


    "Eh, I don''t keep count. Why does Sister Lan want to know?"


    "Yu''er, please tell me. It''s essential."


    Hongyue paused as if in thought, "Then the day before yesterday, and maybe another time before that. What''s wrong?"


    "Does the emperor treat you well?"


    "Of course, I can have everything I want."


    Everything but the control of her life.

 102 A Rose Of White

    "Everything? Anything you want?"


    Hongyue clapped her hands happily in response, "Why everything!"


    A giggle of delight accompanied her cheerful statement.


    There was a tingling taste of defeat that made its way into the heart of the third miss. How innocent¡ª almost to the point where it was irritating to both the eyes and ears.


    Lan''er couldn''t help but smile weakly, "Then, what if you said you wanted to go home. Do you think you would be allowed to?"


    There was a short pause.


    Hongyue pouted as she played with her fingers, "I never thought about it."


    Never thought about it?


    She never thought about it?


    But how could someone never think about going home after such a traumatic event? Why would anyone stay at a place where they almost got injured once already?


    "There''s no need to. I can have all the fun I want here. I don''t need to leave," Hongyue continued.


    Lan''er was appalled.


    Hongyue was brainwashed.


    No wonder.


    She glanced around the room, scanning for signs that a possible audience was peeking into their conversation. Biting her lips in worry, she suddenly changed the topic.


    "Yue''er, it''s such a pleasant day today. Why don''t we go out for a walk?"


    Hongyue tilted her head, "Mhm, okay! I haven''t been outside yet."


    Jumping off of the bed, she carelessly rushed to the doorway. Her garments were loose and messy as she peeked out from the entrance. Hongyue pouted as the sunlight shined right into her eyes. Lan''er couldn''t help keep a smile from building on her face as she watched the small antics from her elder sister.


    Getting up from her seat, Lan''er made her way to Hongyue. The two exited the room and stepped onto the stone pathway in the courtyard.


    Hongyue smiled at the view before her.


    The emperor put in a lot of effort into keeping her in a little cage. Around the courtyard were flowers in every shape and size, all in the color red. How would she dare to step outside when she was traumatized by a burning garden just a week before?


    Her eyes fell to the walkway. There was an abundance of fresh red roses.


    Since he put in so much effort, Hongyue might as well acknowledge it.


    A sob suddenly came whimpering from her throat.


    "Hongyue! What happened?"


    "R-red... fire-"


    Hongyue stumbled back. Her eyes widened with fear. Lan''er frowned and hurriedly moved to cover Hongyue''s eyes, "There''s nothing. The fire isn''t here. We''re safe."


    "B-but everything is burning up. I can even feel it."


    Lan''er could feel her emotions turning at this answer; a burning sensation crept into her eyes. Keeping back her feelings, she chewed her lip in frustration. With a gentle hand still on Hongyue''s eyes, she inaudibly murmured a spell while waving the other.


    Slowly but surely, the flowers around seemed to lose their striking red color. Soon, the petals were only left with a pale white appearance.


    Lan''er withdrew her hand from Hongyue''s eyes, and Hongyue was stunned by the lifeless scenery.


    "White... it''s all white..."


    Lan''er smiled tiredly, "It''s not as scary anymore, right?"


    "Not scary...," Hongyue seemed distracted, "If... if Sister Lan was here with me on that day, would you have saved me?"


    That day?


    Hongyue turned around, with a strange expression.


    "Would you have jumped into the fire to save me?"


    Lan''er stared at Hongyue. There was something odd about her sister. However, Lan''er couldn''t put her finger on it, "I would."


    "How strange. I''m useless. Why would you?"


    "Because you are my sister."


    "Just because of that?"


    Lan''er paused, "Yes."


    "Will you always?"


    "Always."


    Hongyue stared, "Then... is that a promise?"


    "Yes, I promise."


    Swooping down, Hongyue gently reached her hand and stroked a pure white rose within her sight. Picking the flower, she gently swirled the stem of the rose around with her fingers. Lifting it to her nose, she seemed to be admiring the smell. However, Hongyue''s eyes were intensely focused on the whiteness of the rose.


    Such a pure color was untainted by any influences.


    It was blank.


    Since Lan''er was prepared to be so loyal, Hongyue didn''t want to judge her by the circumstances of the past. Perhaps it was out of Hongyue''s own selfish desire to have a sister or maybe it was a slight sympathy she had to the guilt in her third sister''s heart for the one that left.


    The one that left... would she be happy to know of this?


    Hongyue shook her head.


    Since they were working to the same goal, for now, Hongyue was willing to draw out some lines.


    Pausing, she looked up at Lan''er.


    "Third Sister, for you!"


    Hongyue reached out and gently arranged the white rose neatly into her third sister''s hair. Lan''er was surprised but also charmed by the small gesture. As she arranged the decoration, from the corner of her eye, Hongyue happened to spot a figure behind Lan''er.


    ChunHua.


    Of course, Hongyue already noticed there was another presence with them, but to see ChunHua was something out of her predictions.


    "Oh, Second Sister is here as well?"


    Lan''er wanted to stop Hongyue, but soon she paused.


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    While they were both in the carriage, when ChunHua was asked about the reason for her coming to see Hongyue, Lan''er was not given an answer. ChunHua was unusually quiet and simply stated that she wanted to see Hongyue.


    Lan''er had heard something had happened at home. However, since her father had rushed her with this mission of bringing Hongyue home, she hadn''t had the time to investigate. Every servant seemed to be tightlipped about the second madam.


    Seeing that ChunHua changed so much, it might have been due to the suffocating atmosphere at home. With that, Lan''er let her be with an indirect threat if she even tried to harm Hongyue. To her surprise, ChunHua merely nodded as if she was distracted.


    Hongyue withdrew her hand from the rose as she took a step toward ChunHua like she detected something so extraordinary she wasn''t going to let it go. Her eyes were intensely focused, and there was no change in expression on her face.


    Each step caused the pounding of ChunHua''s heart to echo more resonant.


    Stay still.


    Stay still. There''s nothing this eldest sister of hers could do with her third sister present.


    There''s nothing to fear.


    However, contrary to her inner thoughts, she panicked, and she couldn''t help but take half a step back. Her eyes dart nervously to Hongyue''s fingers.


    Hongyue smiled brilliantly as she tugged the end of ChunHua''s sleeve, "Did you come because you were worried about me?"


    ChunHua felt like she couldn''t move. Hongyue''s eyes were dark and dangerous, unlike her curious smile.


    "I-"


    Hongyue dropped her smile, and her eyes seemed to glow dangerously as she tilted her head.


    "But that''s weird. You never cared for me before, what changed?"

 103 A Request For Help 1

    Hongyue carefully examined her second sister, who was standing tensely in front of her.


    Slowly dropping her hand from ChunHua''s sleeve, she slid her finger along the seemingly empty air.


    It was a simple action that didn''t appear to add up to much. Nevertheless, ChunHua stiffened on the spot, and her eyes swelled in fear.


    ChunHua opened her mouth and closed it soundlessly. There was a stinging sensation radiating up from her throat to scream out for her life.


    Dreadfully stuck in place, ChunHua was terrified. She could feel a slight tightness on her neck.


    For a whole week, she was safe from this feeling, and yet now it was back again. While she knew the current Hongyue was ruthless, she didn''t think Hongyue would do anything in front of her third sister. Lan''er was always so protective when it came to Hongyue; ChunHua had thought it was due to the fact Lan''er didn''t know of Hongyue''s prowess. Furthermore, Hongyue appeared like she was hiding it on purpose. Whatever the reason was, ChunHua had underestimated Hongyue.


    No.


    She really didn''t want to die. Not in this manner, not when she wasn''t even given a chance. Perhaps, Hongyue was just trying to scare her. Taking a shaking breath, she decided to muster out her courage the best she could.


    "I... I came to see you."


    Hongyue didn''t answer.


    Clearly, this pathetic second sister of hers was full of desperation. The constant darting eyes that flickered from Lan''er back to Hongyue''s face along with the unsteady breathing that did nothing to help.


    But there was something else¡ª something far more interesting.


    Hongyue studied ChunHua''s facial expression for another short moment before she casually took a step back. Something must have occurred at home to prompt this new change. ChunHua''s life and death were controlled by a single thread. After seeing what already happened to her own mother, ChunHua should know that with just a little twist of a careless hand, she could fall lifelessly to the ground. Despite so, ChunHua would risk her life running to her potential killer?


    The only reason Hongyue could think of¡ª was that there was something back at the manor even frightening than her.


    Naturally, Hongyue would need to look deeper into it. However, this wasn''t the most suitable time.


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    She glanced to the side.


    Especially with Lan''er, who stood a few feet behind, oblivious of the strange tension between the two sisters.


    "Oh~ Then I''m so happy that you came~."


    With a lively thanks, Hongyue smiled brightly as ChunHua let out a shaky breath.


    She was still breathing.


    Thank god Hongyue didn''t sense the need to kill her.


    She must have worked up all the luck in her life for this moment.


    However, unknown to ChunHua, it wasn''t luck. Rather it was because Hongyue had detected someone heading toward the direction of her courtyard.


    There were always little to no visitors to her residency as the emperor kept such a close grasp on her.


    Since there were no visitors all this time, this new person must be coming for one of her sisters as it was the only difference that occurred in her courtyard.


    Hongyue frowned, this development had nothing to do with her.


    Hongyue pretended to be ignorant of the incoming intruder as she decided to pluck another white rose and toyed with it in her hands. Humming loudly, she waved the flower around. Lan''er opened her mouth to warn Hongyue of the thorns when she was suddenly cut off.


    "Third Miss Lady Lan''er."


    A charmingly dressed maid strutted into the courtyard with both quick and careful steps. A soft clicking of her shoes could be heard reverberating through the yard with each step on the stone walkway. The maid wore delicate pink garments, and on her hair, there were a few silver hairpins.


    "Third miss, Noble Concubine Chang has requested your presence for a cup of tea-," Entering from around the corner, the maid abruptly paused her next words as she caught sight of ChunHua. The recent report only mentioned the arrival of General Wei''s third daughter but not the second. She was only sent here by her lady to invite the third miss to a cup of tea. After all, who didn''t know the third miss was proficient in magic. Her lady wanted to judge this third miss with her own eyes. However, the second miss was distinguished to be quite haughty but not as relevant. What to do? To not invite ChunHua wouldn''t look good on her lady, but there was also no need to invite ChunHua.


    Meanwhile, Lan''er bit her lip.


    Noble Concubine Chang?


    It wasn''t a surprise as she had always done well to increase ties with the aristocratic class. Having a cup of tea was probably an excuse for this Noble Concubine Chang to chat and test her out. Many of the upper-class women loved to do so to see if she was someone they desire to pull to their side.


    Lan''er couldn''t refuse this offer, but she didn''t like the timing. If she left, only ChunHua would be left behind with Hongyue. What if ChunHua tried to do something? Nevertheless, she gave a simple nod.


    While she was immersed in thought with herself, the maid turned to address ChunHua, "Oh my, Lady ChunHua is here as well. My lady, Noble Concubine Chang, was not informed of your arrival."


    ChunHua gave a weak smile, "It is alright."


    "Please excuse my rudeness, I will go back and inform my lady-"


    ChunHua blinked. Wasn''t this the perfect timing to talk to Hongyue alone?


    "No! I mean, there is no need. I came to accompany my sister."


    "Your sister? Oh," There was a silent pause from the female attendant as she wasn''t able to hide her disdain for the wild girl running around and swinging a rose about like a monkey. Having the second miss not join wasn''t an issue at all. Satisfied, she turned to Lan''er.


    "Then, would Lady Lan''er please follow me?"


    As Lan''er followed the maid out, she gave the most penetrating yet menacing glare to ChunHua, "Second sister, behave yourself. If there is any problem that I have to report anything to Father, I might as well use my own fists."


    After the two left, ChunHua lowered her head.


    "Elder sister."


    Her voice was soft and honeyed.


    Hongyue chuckled coldly as her eyes gleamed with a frigid light, "Elder sister? Please don''t. I''m not used to receiving such generous words from you. You never called me that before, so there''s no need to start now."


    ChunHua''s fingers curled into a tight ball as she started again with a persuasive tongue, "Elder sister, this younger sister has been..." She paused, "I''ve been genuinely wrong."


    Wrong?


    She knew she was wrong?


    Hongyue couldn''t help but take another glimpse at her second sister. Now she was convinced that something had happened back at home within the general''s manor. Was ChunHua this afraid because of what Hongyue did to her mother or perhaps¡ª something that scheming father of hers did to push ChunHua to this extent?


    Even when Hongyue had nearly killed ChunHua, she never heard this contemptuous second sister of hers admit to anything. Yet now, the girl was so wantonly throwing away her pride.


    Oh my, what a change.


    How interesting.


    "Hongyue, I know that I''m probably the last person you will reach your hand out to help, but please, I''m begging you. I need you to help me. I admit I was wrong in the past. I shouldn''t have worked to harm you. But-"


    "Help you? Second sister must be telling a joke."


    "Hongyue, I''m not," ChunHua felt herself submerged in a growing cloud of frustration. This was her only chance to save herself if she wanted to continue to survive. Her mother held no value for the general now. Compared to her talented third sister, she was only going to be a burden on the general. Being a burden would only lead to a short life. However, Hongyue was capable. This person could change it all.


    "Hongyue... you want to find liberation from this body, don''t you? I can assist you. You won''t have to be a revengeful spirit anymore."


    Hongyue smiled coldly, "Oh?"

 104 A Request For Help 2

    That simple ''oh'' seemed to contain an unimaginable amount of hostile tension. ChunHua lost her next string of thoughts as her confidence withered.


    This response... ChunHua''s heart jumped. She couldn''t even tell if the person in front of her was pleased or upset. Hongyue had such a gentle smile on her lips, it almost created an illusion of safety. ChunHua began to speak out her following proposition only to halt in place with a shudder as her eyes met Hongyue''s.


    Even if the smile was sugary sweet... those eyes were anything but kind. Such malicious sharp eyes... ChunHua felt like she was drenched in cold water. She wished she could swallow her words back.


    W-what? What went wrong?


    It wasn''t like she hadn''t prepared a compromise. It was only that even if she wanted to, ChunHua didn''t have anything Hongyue desired.


    Hongyue was strong.


    More powerful than ChunHua would ever be. Even her mother, who was once a grand second concubine respected by the nobles, was now a disgraced woman who spent her days and nights screaming out in frenzies.


    To someone who could play an influential noble lady like a pawn, what would they want?


    Surrounded every day by her mother''s insanely mannerism, ChunHua could only come to one conclusion. Her mother really was gone at this point. For a weak ''normal'' to be able to curse her mother to this state, the only explanation that could be provided was that this eldest sister was currently a vengeful spirit.


    But what would a vengeful spirit want?


    Revenge?


    Her life?


    ChunHua had gasped in shock of the idea as she tried to calm herself down. She was wrong. No! She wasn''t wrong! She was wrong... No! It was because of her mother. Yes. It wasn''t all her fault. There could still be a way out. Hongyue could spare her. In her desperation, she thought of something.


    What if she offered to help Hongyue''s spirit find peace? Then wouldn''t her sister find liberation? At that time, she thought it was her biggest bargain card.


    But now... into those eyes, ChunHua was suddenly hit with a terrifying revelation.


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    But, what if Hongyue wasn''t looking for release at all? Then... then... she would have nothing left to bargain with. What could she offer then?


    Suddenly ChunHua was shaken out of her jumbled thoughts by a burst of low laughter. Startled, ChunHua gawked at Hongyue with uneasiness. In the empty courtyard, Hongyue''s light laughter reverberated in the air bringing forth a dark tone, "You want to help me find liberation?"


    Shaken to her core by this abrupt change in Hongyue''s attitude, ChunHua almost lost her breath. The once fresh air became harder to breathe, and with it, she lost the ability to speak.


    "I-i.."


    Hongyue''s cloudy, cold eyes were penetrating as if they could see right into her soul. Almost like she could perceive every little thought the second miss was considering about. It was truly fearsome.


    Even so, this was her only chance and since she has already reached this far... ChunHua gritted her teeth and mustered her courage.


    "Hongyue, does Lan''er know that you are a ghost?"


    Hongyue smiled lazily as she rested the white rose near her lips, "Could it be that you would want her to know of this?"


    Without another word, she stepped forward. With each slight movement she made, the smile on her face dropped a degree. Her eyes gleamed with a cold light, "Are you resorting to threatening me now?"


    "T-this sister doesn''t dare."


    "Ha. You don''t dare? I think you do. Such outrageous words can pass your lips without any caution, and yet you tell me you don''t dare?"


    "I r-really d-don''t."


    Why?


    Even now, she couldn''t do anything right. ChunHua tightened her grip on her dress as her thoughts turned more desperate. If only she was more talented like Lan''er! If only she was more powerful like Hongyue! If only she didn''t listen to her mother! If only she didn''t do anything regretful in the past!


    If only!


    If only!


    Her eyes reddened with sour frustration. Was it too late? Why is it that now that she wanted to change for the better, she wasn''t given such a chance? There was a raw prickling in her eyes before she couldn''t help letting go of her emotions.


    "Why?! You clearly have the power to... but me, I don''t have anything," ChunHua cried bitterly as her tears rolled down her cheeks, "I admit, I was wrong in the worst ways, but I was fed with the wrong ideas. It wasn''t my choice. I was a puppet!"


    ChunHua reached for her neck as her voice grew louder, "Even now! I''m still a puppet. Why can''t I fight for myself?!"


    Hongyue didn''t reply as she took in the unsightly second miss in front of her. Out of all the possible scenarios that could have played out, Hongyue never thought this was the one she would see. Even when Hongyue threatened death, ChunHua had never dared to look into her eyes so determinedly.


    Those eyes... she really liked those eyes but...


    "Oh my, what''s with these tears?"


    Hongyue reached over, her fingers stretched out as if to comfort ChunHua. Her hand movement was slow and mesmerizing as she gently wiped away some of the falling tears. ChunHua looked up, her confused eyes blurred with tears. Hongyue merely continued wiping the tears before she rested her fingers on ChunHua''s chin. With a small smile, her grip tightened, and ChunHua couldn''t help but yelp out in pain.


    "Perhaps you were a wretched puppet, but didn''t you eat well? Sleep well? Lived a life a servant could simply wish for but never touch?"


    Hongyue sneered, "Why complain so much now? How is it that where you are in the real world, you no longer want to be the puppet? You might as well say you don''t want to pay your debts anymore. Using poison to kill your own sister so you could live a better life, don''t tell me that you didn''t know it was wrong. You should at least knew that in order to get your own happiness, you stole the life of another, didn''t you?


    She released her hold.


    Nonchalantly wiping her fingers against ChunHua''s garments before drawing back her hand, Hongyue gave a cold stare, "So what''s with these worthless tears of yours?"


    "What more are you going to say? That just because you didn''t know you were wrong; therefore, you can no longer be at fault? Don''t waste my time with useless tears. We all are puppets of this world one way or another."


    "Get to the point, what are you saying all these words for?"