The Grotesque Miss’s End Story v3c20

Chapter 20: Back in the Coffin

Within “Zhuolu’s Battlefield at the Final Hour.”

The dry, withered air was thick with a faint, bloody mist, the pungent stench of bloodlust pervasive, the dark sky above dim and lifeless. This was the final moment before Doomsday’s arrival in Zhuolu’s Battlefield.

Moonflower and the others found a dilapidated temple as their temporary shelter, its crumbling walls and worn, faceless statues hinting at a long-forgotten past, the environment harsh and unforgiving.

Moonflower knew that the Xuanyuan clan would eventually send people to investigate, simply needing time to mobilize.

Therefore, she didn’t rush her plan, instead meditating and conserving her strength for the upcoming challenges.

Camellia busied herself around the temple, setting up something likely related to her abilities.

Iris, despite Luo Ling’s encouragement… or rather, manipulation… although she had mustered the courage to stay, was still terrified, especially sensing the resentful spirits wandering the ancient battlefield.

Since entering the temple, she had cowered in a corner, not even daring to approach the faceless statue.

“Similar to ‘Victoria at the Final Hour’…”

Meanwhile, Luo Ling was also exploring “Zhuolu’s Battlefield at the Final Hour” in her own way.

However, perhaps because she wasn’t using her full Puppet Ballad power, only the abilities stored within her fungal threads, her dispatched Spores were quickly corrupted by the bloodlust and lost contact.

This ancient battlefield was filled with Doomsday’s aura, the power of other Paths practically nonexistent. Any being without a Kingdom, using their abilities here, would be quickly assimilated by Doomsday, falling into an irreversible abyss.

Since entering “Zhuolu’s Battlefield at the Final Hour,” Luo Ling had felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if she had been here before.

…And an unsettling feeling of dread, lingering persistently.

“Could it be… I’m being influenced by Miss Iris, becoming afraid of ghosts…?”

Luo Ling had a terrifying thought. She had, after all, partially merged with Iris. It was a possibility.

However, this Kingdom, chosen as the Xuanyuan clan’s ancestral graveyard, “Zhuolu’s Battlefield at the Final Hour,” was truly a forbidden zone.

Even the lingering aura was unbearable for ordinary beings.

Without an Authority, even moving here was difficult; one needed a Kingdom to possess any combat power.

Grave robbing the Xuanyuan clan was a high-level skill…

If not for the Taboo Authority, even with treasures everywhere, Luo Ling doubted Moonflower would have come.

“I’m curious now, how did Moonflower even learn about this…?”

Luo Ling opened her small, beady eyes, looking at the seductive fox woman meditating on a worn cushion.

It was hard to imagine this beautiful woman, her eyes closed, as the ill-tempered, loli-loving granny she truly was.

In terms of appearance alone, Moonflower was stunning, especially when she wasn’t speaking. Even the legendary Su Daji, said to have caused the downfall of a nation with her beauty, couldn’t compare.

Speaking of which, this possibly fictional Su Daji was supposedly Moonflower’s ancestor…

“Hmm?”

Moonflower, sensing something, opened her eyes slightly.

Although seemingly meditating, she was constantly monitoring her surroundings, this was, after all, the infamous “Zhuolu’s Battlefield at the Final Hour,” no time for carelessness.

However, after locating the source of the gaze as Iris, Moonflower’s tense expression relaxed slightly, a smile appearing on her lips.

She didn’t dislike Iris, who would dislike a cute, simple-minded girl?

Even though she was using Iris in this operation, Moonflower wasn’t ungrateful.

As long as the operation succeeded, she would fulfill Iris’s requests within reason—of course, “Hour of Death” was impossible, as it had already been promised to Camellia.

As for Camellia’s “Uncertain Fate”…

If Camellia could obtain it herself, why would she bother coming to “Zhuolu’s Battlefield at the Final Hour” with Moonflower?

Besides Iris’s path to godhood, which Moonflower couldn’t help with, other requests were negotiable.

Moonflower closed her eyes again, conserving her strength until the Xuanyuan clan’s search ended and the operation truly began.

“…So perceptive.”

Luo Ling muttered inwardly. She had only glanced at Moonflower a few times and had already been noticed. This woman wasn’t to be trifled with.

“Better check on the Xuanyuan clan’s situation…”

Luo Ling tried to contact her Spores outside.

As expected, the connection was severed. “Zhuolu’s Battlefield at the Final Hour” was unique, seemingly preventing any ordinary communication with the outside world.

However…

Luo Ling had completely dominated a crow before leaving.

Although this crow had been brutally slain by Xuanyuan Mu Xue, for a Silent Demise ability, death was just a state of being.

This domination wasn’t like the Spores, an extension of her abilities, but a connection between a Grotesquery and its Apostle.

The connection had been unstable within the fluctuating Realm of Nothingness, like a bad signal, but after entering “Zhuolu’s Battlefield at the Final Hour,” it had finally stabilized.

“Let’s go check on the situation.”

Luo Ling glanced at the trembling Iris below and informed her of her temporary departure.

Iris’s eyes immediately filled with tears, almost begging Luo Ling not to leave.

In this place filled with ghosts, Luo Ling and Jingwei were Iris’s only sources of comfort.

Luo Ling, after much effort, explaining the situation and, as always, invoking Jingwei, finally convinced Iris.

“Since meeting Miss Iris, I’ve become much more eloquent…”

Luo Ling realized this sadly, sighing inwardly.

After all, Iris was now her loyal teammate.

After explaining everything, Luo Ling nestled in Iris’s hair, her consciousness withdrawing from the small bird’s body, only a small part remaining for vigilance, allowing her to instantly return in case of emergency.

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her beady eyes had lost their intelligence, only reacting instinctively, like a real bird.

“Huh…”

Iris poked the bird, its wings twitching slightly, thinking Luo Ling hadn’t left yet, but after calling out mentally several times, she received no response.

An inexplicable sadness washed over Iris.

Why couldn’t Miss Black Kite stay with her…

“No, no, why am I thinking this? How… did I become like this…?”

Iris touched her slightly flushed cheeks, stopping her wandering thoughts.

She realized her recent changes were all because of Black Kite, or rather, Luo Ling.

But… it wasn’t a bad thing.

Iris glanced at Moonflower and Camellia, who was busy near the temple.

She knew that if not for Miss Black Kite, she would have been tricked by these two old foxes…

“Okay, just… think about Miss Black Kite a little…”

Iris remained in the corner, but her initial fear and panic gradually subsided.

…….

Luo Ling heard Iris’s call, but since it wasn’t urgent, she didn’t respond.

Her consciousness was now within the dominated crow, just like she often did.

However…

“Why is it so dark?”

Luo Ling frowned—well, she didn’t have a brow now, being a mangled crow’s corpse.

“This shouldn’t be happening, did she bury my crow in a coffin? Does the Xuanyuan clan even care about proper burials…?”

This strange thought crossed Luo Ling’s mind, but she didn’t think it was likely.

…But then again, considering it was her, it was… possible.

For some reason, Luo Ling felt a strange connection to coffins.

Fortunately, although mangled, the crow’s body was still intact, enough for her fungal threads to repair it.

Like a skilled weaver, Luo Ling used her fungal threads to consume and reconstruct the crow’s flesh and blood.

Since the previous crow had been completely mangled, and Luo Ling hadn’t bothered memorizing its appearance—it was ugly anyway—she simply changed Jingwei’s appearance, adding a few personal touches based on her aesthetics.

Jingwei’s feathers were teal-black; Luo Ling changed them to red, similar to Elsa’s hair color.

Having reconstructed the crow’s body, Luo Ling could finally investigate the situation.

She flapped her wings, quickly familiarizing herself with her surroundings.

…A box.

“She really put me in a coffin?”

Luo Ling’s… bird face… held a look of disbelief.

But soon, Luo Ling realized it wasn’t a coffin.

“Don’t move,” a cold, sharp voice echoed, its tone like a blade, hinting at a swordswoman.

“…The Xuanyuan clan’s ‘little sister’.”

Luo Ling immediately thought of the white-haired swordswoman who had slain the crow, the tall woman called “little sister” by the massive man.

Luo Ling had chosen her because she seemed relatively rational and calm.

Now, it seemed she was a bit too rational, even bringing back the crow’s corpse…

After those two words, the swordswoman remained silent. Luo Ling faintly heard footsteps and the sound of a door opening and closing.

The box seemed to block outside sounds; the crow’s power wasn’t enough to breach it. Luo Ling couldn’t see what was happening.

Only after they reached a quiet place did the cold voice speak again,

“Can you speak now? Like before?”

“Yes,” Luo Ling replied directly.

The crow didn’t have vocal cords, but Luo Ling’s reconstructed body did.

In fact, this body was essentially a human in a crow’s form.

Luo Ling was most familiar with human bodies, after all, practice makes perfect, and as the founder of the Kingdom hotel, she had plenty of practice.

Luo Ling’s direct response surprised the swordswoman, who, after a moment of silence, said,

“I don’t know who you are or what you’re planning, but if you try anything, I can annihilate you instantly.”

Then, with a creak, light entered Luo Ling’s vision.

She narrowed her eyes, seeing the cold, white-haired swordswoman outside the box, her sword resting on a nearby table, her gaze fixed on the box’s interior.

Seeing Luo Ling’s current appearance, a look of surprise appeared on her face.

“What did you…?”

“Just a little… trick.”

Luo Ling looked at the dressing table behind the swordswoman, pleased with her new appearance.

Her crafting skills hadn’t deteriorated, it seemed.

“Who are you? And how do you know about these things?” the swordswoman asked, her expression turning serious.

She was referring to Heavenly Woman Ba, her Taboo Authority, and the grave robbers’ actions.

Xuanyuan Mu Xue knew that if not for this suspicious crow, even if their ancestral graves were completely robbed, they wouldn’t have known.

“I…” Luo Ling hesitated, then replied, “Who I am isn’t important. You can consider me… well-informed.”

This answer wasn’t unexpected. Since the being had appeared in this form, their reluctance to reveal their identity was understandable.

However…

Didn’t this bird look… different from the previous crow?

And its new appearance seemed familiar… had she seen it before?

“…Regardless, thank you for the warning, Miss Crow. The Xuanyuan clan will remember this favor,” Xuanyuan Mu Xue said calmly.

But that was all.

She knew this strange Miss Crow had ulterior motives, not simply acting out of kindness.

If her true purpose was to harm the Xuanyuan clan, then this “favor” would be cancelled out.

Otherwise, the Xuanyuan clan’s reputation for repaying both kindness and grudges was well-known; they wouldn’t be ungrateful.

“It was nothing, don’t mention it,” Luo Ling said, flapping her wings and emerging from the box, using her beak to preen her slightly ruffled feathers. “If possible, I’d like to know the current situation.”

Xuanyuan Mu Xue’s first instinct was to refuse. This was an internal matter of the Xuanyuan clan, not something to be shared with outsiders.

But then she recalled the bird’s familiar appearance, she must have seen it somewhere before…

And its Silent Demise-Myriad Path…

“Could this… truly be a powerful being from Wa Huang Palace…?”

Xuanyuan Mu Xue hesitated, watching the crow’s skillful movements, not simply a bird controlled by consciousness.

Its movements were so fluid and natural, as if… it was truly a bird.

There were many famous birds in the Great Xia Imperial City, difficult to identify…

“I can’t make this decision alone, I need to consult with the clan leader,” Xuanyuan Mu Xue said, taking a deep breath. “If you’re unwilling to reveal your True Name, do you mind… if I call you ‘Miss Crow’?”

“As you wish,” Luo Ling nodded slightly.

She had many names already, one more didn’t matter.

“My name is Xuanyuan Mu Xue, you can call me Mu Xue.”

Thinking the being might be from Wa Huang Palace, a friendly clan, Xuanyuan Mu Xue’s attitude softened. If it truly was someone from Wa Huang Palace, and she acted rudely, it would be awkward when they met in person, whether a senior or a junior.

Wa Huang Palace had many of her aunts and such…

“Alright, Mu Xue,” Luo Ling nodded, curiously observing her surroundings.

It was an antique-decorated room, a beautifully carved redwood bed nearby, several swords of different styles hanging on the wall, a faint fragrance burning in the corner, the other furnishings hinting at the owner’s cold and aloof personality. This must be Xuanyuan Mu Xue’s room.

This swordswoman, with her white hair, fit Luo Ling’s image of a wandering swordsman perfectly. In fact, she had always admired such heroic figures.

Luo Ling couldn’t help but stare, her interest evident. As a bird, staring wasn’t embarrassing.

“It seems… my guess was correct…”

However, to Xuanyuan Mu Xue, Luo Ling’s blatant staring seemed like an elder looking at a junior.

This further fueled her suspicions.

Xuanyuan Mu Xue’s attitude became even more respectful.

“Miss Crow, if you don’t mind, I can take you to meet our clan elders.”