The Ghost King’s Scheme and Su Xiaoxiao’s Fear

Xiyue scoffed, “If I weren’t using her as a pawn to sow discord between the Merfolk and Immortal Clans, what purpose would I have in keeping her?”

The Ghost King gazed ahead, a flicker of an unreadable thought in her eyes, before she merely uttered, “Is that so?”

She then returned to the main topic. “Speaking of which, the last time the Merfolk Clan extended an invitation to you through my words, I uncovered a certain piece of news.”

“What might that be?” Xiyue inquired.

The Ghost King’s smile was laced with a chilling ruthlessness. “It seems the Merfolk Clan has long been reluctant to ally with the Immortal Clan. Their interactions are entirely a courtesy shown to Empress Yunjie.”

“The Demon King sent a message, proposing a scheme: eliminate Empress Yunjie, frame the Immortal Clan, and then the Merfolk Clan would…”

The Ghost King’s tone grew heavier as she spoke with a serious demeanor. “I have already refused him. You know my relationship with the Merfolk Clan; such a sinister and cruel method involving them is something I would never partake in. But what about you? What are your thoughts? Did the Demon King not send you a similar message?”

Xiyue remained silent, a thoughtful quietness settling over him. Just then, Su Xiaoxiao’s voice, calling out to him, drifted from behind.

The Ghost King also heard it. Amidst the salutes of the Ghost Clan members lining both sides, the small merperson in the sedan chair merely called out with a soft, ethereal voice. Xiyue immediately turned, not a trace of hesitation in his movements, and simply told the Ghost King, “Wait.”

He then turned and flew toward the sedan chair. A moment later, Xiyue pushed aside the red curtain and asked the Ghost King if there was a suitable place nearby to rest.

The Ghost King offered a faint smile and nodded.

‘Xiyue’s reaction,’ she mused inwardly, ‘hardly aligns with his claim of merely “using her as a pawn to sow discord between the Merfolk and Immortal Clans.”‘

The Ghost King harbored no desire to antagonize the Merfolk Clan. She owed a profound debt to a certain merperson, having pledged in this lifetime never to harm any living being of the Southern Sea Merfolk Clan.

The words that had been on her tongue remained unspoken. If Xiyue were to agree to the Demon King’s plan, then the Ghost Clan would be forced to stand idly by during this impending war between Immortals and Demons.

Now, witnessing Xiyue’s obvious concern for the little merperson, the Ghost King suddenly felt there was no longer a need to ask. Xiyue might show no emotion and speak stubbornly, but his heart…

The Ghost King offered a knowing smile and asked the subordinate beside her, “Is there such a place?”

“Reporting, Ghost King,” the subordinate replied. “There is an inn just ahead. I shall go on ahead to make arrangements.”

The Ghost King nodded, and her subordinate instantly took flight.

The sedan chair began to move slowly once more, yet this time Xiyue did not depart. Instead, he settled beside Su Xiaoxiao, offering his presence.

Su Xiaoxiao’s complexion was exceptionally poor, stirring a flicker of anxiety in Xiyue, who assumed the little demon within her belly had begun to act up again.

Xiyue drew her into his embrace, intending to transfer some cultivation to alleviate her discomfort. Yet, precisely as he anticipated, the moment Su Xiaoxiao touched him, she began to struggle, disregarding her weakened state.

“Move again, I dare you!” Xiyue admonished in a low voice.

Su Xiaoxiao dared not move a muscle. In truth, she was lightheaded and dizzy, having endured to her absolute limit. While Xiyue’s embrace was unwelcome, having a point of support in her current state genuinely brought her significant relief.

Unable to struggle further, she whispered faintly, “I don’t feel well…”

“The smell of the Ghost Market… it’s awful…”

“And those things… I’m a little scared…”

Her display of vulnerability brought a subtle surge of pleasure to Xiyue. He feigned casualness as he asked Su Xiaoxiao, “Is that so? Do you perhaps feel that the Demon Realm is superior now?”

Su Xiaoxiao didn’t hesitate in the slightest, simply humming in affirmation.

Xiyue felt a profound sense of satisfaction, truly delighted. Yet, he maintained a poker face, feigning indifference as he stated, “Mhm, it’s good that you understand.”

Su Xiaoxiao, however, didn’t register Xiyue’s words, as she was on the verge of fainting from discomfort.

The Ghost King’s subordinate was remarkably efficient, completing the arrangements in mere moments before standing respectfully at the entrance to welcome them.

When Su Xiaoxiao tried to rise, her legs felt weak. Without a second thought, Xiyue scooped her up. “Are you frightened?” he asked her.

Su Xiaoxiao did not lie to him. The mere thought of what she had just witnessed sent a fresh wave of nausea rising within her, and she nodded faintly.

Xiyue then used his fox fur cloak to cover her, nestled securely in his arms. “Then don’t look,” he murmured softly.

“You… what are you doing?”

Su Xiaoxiao was somewhat surprised, but muffled by the fox fur cloak, her words came out indistinctly.

Despite her being over four months pregnant, Xiyue still found her remarkably light and almost weightless in his arms.

Meanwhile, the Ghost King, observing Xiyue’s actions with the little merperson, felt a sudden pang of wistfulness.

The inn’s layout and atmosphere were, to Su Xiaoxiao, even more terrifying than the most horrific tales she had ever read or heard.

It was still dominated by an eerie, somber palette of red and darkness. Those who had originally been resting there were all cleared out. A few defiant individuals, who dared to voice a few extra complaints or lingered too long, were summarily executed by the Ghost King’s subordinates, who then calmly ordered the lifeless bodies to be dragged away.

Su Xiaoxiao had been carried in by Xiyue. Highly sensitive to smells in her current state, the thick, bloody stench caused her stomach to churn even more violently.

She burrowed deeper into Xiyue’s embrace, shrinking her body. Xiyue, disinclined to waste words, simply asked, “Where is the room for rest?”

Immediately, the shopkeeper appeared, personally guiding Xiyue upstairs with a servile, cowering demeanor, clearly terrified of accidentally incurring the wrath of the notoriously volatile Xiyue.

Once they reached the upper floor, he discreetly retreated.

Still holding the fox fur cloak around her, Xiyue gently placed Su Xiaoxiao onto a stool.

Su Xiaoxiao’s face was deathly pale, her brows perpetually furrowed. Her hand rested on her chest, her head drooped, and she appeared utterly devoid of energy.

“Still feeling awful?” Xiyue asked, standing beside her. His voice, for once, held a rare tenderness.

Su Xiaoxiao nodded honestly, a slight tremor in her voice. “It’s so uncomfortable. I don’t like it here at all.”

She was profoundly afraid; everything about the Ghost Market sent shivers down her spine.

Even this guest room, dim and uncanny, permeated with an eerie chill, filled Su Xiaoxiao with dread. From the red cabinet doors to the bronze dressing mirror, every detail amplified her fear.

This pervasive, insidious fear, seeping into her from every corner, was utterly unlike anything she felt towards Xiyue. Su Xiaoxiao found herself entirely forgetting the grievances between them.

She even found herself instinctively relying on him.

To Xiyue’s surprise, Su Xiaoxiao actually reached out and took his hand. Her eyes were pitiful as she whispered softly, “The little fish cub doesn’t like it either; it’s been bothering me ever since we arrived.”

Her rare display of dependence, combined with her soft, delicate voice, struck a deep chord within Xiyue.

He stepped closer, bending slightly. His other hand rested gently on Su Xiaoxiao’s slender shoulder, and as he felt her faint trembling, an unprecedented tenderness softened his demeanor.

He channeled spiritual energy into his palm, a gentle warmth seeping into Su Xiaoxiao’s body. It flowed through her depleted spiritual meridians, nourishing them and easing the dull ache in her abdomen.

“You little fish,” Xiyue murmured softly, “causing so much trouble before you’re even born. You’ll have quite a time once you’re out.”

Even Xiyue himself failed to notice the shift. In the past, he had consistently referred to the fetus in Su Xiaoxiao’s belly as “little bastard” or “little devil.”

He had never before displayed any hint of anticipation or joy, having instead repeatedly urged Su Xiaoxiao to abandon the fetus.

His choice of address this time, though seemingly unintentional, went entirely unnoticed by Xiyue himself.

Su Xiaoxiao, however, noticed it. She paused, a complex mix of emotions swirling within her, too profound to articulate.