No matter how much Xiao Xiaoxiao fawned over him, Mingdi remained completely unmoved, only continuously casting spells to send her back.
Seeing that things weren’t going well, Xiao Xiaoxiao grabbed Yun Qingxue and tried to flee. Mingdi seemed to have anticipated her reaction.
Out of nowhere, dozens of phantom chains appeared in the void, layer upon layer, encircling Xiao Xiaoxiao and Yun Qingxue.
Soon after, a black tunnel slowly materialized above them.
“Mingdi, fine, I’ll go back to the Underworld! But I have one condition!” Seeing that Mingdi was resorting to force and there was no way out, Xiao Xiaoxiao abandoned her stubbornness and quickly tried negotiating with the Underworld King in a different tone.
“I’ll go back with you—just heal my friend’s injuries, and I’ll obediently return with you right away. Deal?”
“Others’ affairs are none of your concern. I told you she won’t die easily, so stop worrying!” Mingdi finished his spell and replied coldly.
As his words fell, Xiao Xiaoxiao felt an immense force pulling her upward, dragging her toward the black tunnel. She clung desperately to Yun Qingxue’s arm.
She couldn’t abandon her friend in such a critical state! Fueled by sheer will, Xiao Xiaoxiao resisted the force trying to pull her away.
“If you keep clinging to her like this, even if her injuries don’t kill her, you’ll tear her apart!”
Mingdi’s emotionless voice echoed through the void, striking Xiao Xiaoxiao’s weak spot.
Distracted by his words, Xiao Xiaoxiao lost her grip, and in the next moment, she was sucked into the black tunnel leading back to the Underworld.
Mingdi, you—bastard—!!! Rage and resentment surged in Xiao Xiaoxiao’s heart, but no matter how much she struggled, the void twisted and shifted until the scenery before her changed—her feet landed squarely on the soil of the Underworld.
Along the way back, Xiao Xiaoxiao had very “kindly” and “sincerely” greeted every single ancestor in the Underworld King’s lineage.
Now that she was back, her first thought was to confront that heartless bastard Mingdi. If possible, she’d love to beat him up and then force him to send her back to the Xuanling Continent…
But before she could act on any of these plans, one of the Underworld’s soul-capturing envoys, Brother Horse-Face, suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Seeing Xiao Xiaoxiao—who had just been banished by the Underworld King for misconduct the day before—back in the Underworld so soon, Horse-Face was stunned for a moment before grabbing her hand without explanation.
“What are you doing?!” Xiao Xiaoxiao glared. Men and women shouldn’t touch unnecessarily—what’s the big idea? And I need to go settle things with Mingdi!
Ignoring her struggles, Horse-Face dragged her toward the Eighteenth Level of Hell—where those who committed grave sins in life were imprisoned—while chattering, “Ah, Xiaoxiao, you know, usually your work performance here is just so-so. Honestly, whether you’re around or not doesn’t make much difference. But this time, I’ve got to praise you!”
“You came back just in time! You wouldn’t believe it—just now, our Underworld King suddenly summoned a bunch of heavenly thunder and true fire from who-knows-where and blasted them straight into the Eighteenth Level of Hell without a word!”
“Man, you should’ve seen it—the wailing and howling down there was insane. Tsk tsk tsk… It’s been ages since things got this lively!”
“What’s that got to do with me? I’m not in the mood for sightseeing!”
Xiao Xiaoxiao snapped back irritably, yanking her hand free. She knew exactly where that thunder and fire had come from! Normally, she might’ve been curious enough to check out the commotion, but right now, her mind was entirely preoccupied with Yun Qingxue’s condition. She couldn’t care less if the Underworld was in chaos!
“Who said anything about sightseeing? We’re short-handed—I’m dragging you over to help!” Horse-Face frowned and grumbled. Kids these days had no work ethic!
“No!” Xiao Xiaoxiao refused flatly. “Whether it’s sightseeing or helping, I don’t have time!”
She turned to leave, but Horse-Face suddenly smacked his forehead. “Oh right, the Underworld King told me to pass you a message if I saw you.”
Xiao Xiaoxiao immediately spun back, eyes gleaming sharply. “What did he say?”
Horse-Face took a step back. The usually cute Xiao Xiaoxiao now gave off the vibe of a man-eating fury…
“His Majesty said: Now that you’re back, focus on your duties. Stop meddling in things that aren’t your concern. Everyone has their own fate—no need for you to worry about it!”
“MINGDI!!!” Xiao Xiaoxiao’s shriek was so piercing that Horse-Face clapped his hands over his ears.
Fuming, she turned on her heel, determined to confront that despicable bastard.
As Xiao Xiaoxiao stormed off, Yun Qingxue was left alone, bloodied and unconscious. Her eyelids fluttered weakly, opening just a sliver.
The desolate wilderness was silent except for the occasional calls of birds and insects, devoid of human presence. The pain from Xiao Xiaoxiao’s desperate grip had briefly roused her, and in her dazed state, she had vaguely witnessed her being taken away…
The sky above was a clear blue, the sunlight harsh, with occasional white clouds drifting past. Every cell and joint in her body screamed in agony—in both her lifetimes, this was the most excruciating pain Yun Qingxue had ever endured.
It hurt so much she wished for death.
In her delirium, she thought she saw a figure standing atop the clouds. Clad in a silver robe that reflected the sunlight, his features were indistinct, but his jet-black hair danced wildly in the wind.
Was this a hallucination? The pain was unbearable—was she dying? Her thoughts grew muddled as consciousness slipped away, plunging her into darkness once more.
High above, atop the clouds, the silver-robed youth with flowing black hair had also witnessed Xiao Xiaoxiao’s forced departure. The gray-clad man behind him couldn’t help but scoff, “That Underworld King has no compassion. The Flower King is gravely injured, yet he couldn’t wait to drag his own subordinate away. Hmph!”
“Yuejian, scout the surroundings. I’ll go down and help her,” the silver-robed youth commanded.
“As you wish, Young Master.” With a flicker, Yuejian vanished.
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