The Grotesque Miss’s End Story v3c21

Chapter 21: Meeting the Parents

The soft sunlight filtered through the sparse clouds, illuminating the elegant, ancient courtyard, the blooming flowers seeming even more vibrant, their fragrance filling the air.

This small yet not insignificant courtyard exuded a sense of tranquility and serenity, likely the private residence of Xuanyuan Mu Xue’s elder.

It was surprising to see such a refined and meticulous side to the war-obsessed Xuanyuan clan, the carefully tended flowers a testament to their owner’s patience. Deeper within the courtyard stood a delicate, three-story pavilion.

Xuanyuan Mu Xue, with brisk steps, quickly crossed the courtyard and arrived at the pavilion.

But then, a mechanical female voice echoed, breaking the classical atmosphere.

“Facial recognition confirmed. Welcome home, Miss Mu Xue.”

The pavilion door opened automatically, and Xuanyuan Mu Xue entered.

Luo Ling: “……”

Damn technology, ruining the classical aesthetic, the atmosphere completely gone.

The four Origin Points all originated from the same world destroyed by Doomsday, separated by the deceased Transcendence, their differences arising from various changes, yet they still shared some commonalities.

For example, technological development, even Columbia, the futuristic sci-fi world, was based on the same template.

However, each Origin Point had its own unique adaptations, including Victoria’s steampunk technology, all quite remarkable.

Coupled with the influence of the Paths’ abilities, they became even more diverse and bizarre.

The world Luo Ling longed for, a world of pure, classical elegance, seemed to not exist, at least not in the Great Xia Imperial City.

Luo Ling perched on Xuanyuan Mu Xue’s shoulder, mainly because her hair wasn’t as fluffy and nest-like as Iris’s, and it seemed disrespectful to burrow into the hair of someone she wasn’t close to.

Xuanyuan Mu Xue wouldn’t let Luo Ling fly around freely either. Although she suspected this Miss Crow might be from a friendly clan, her identity wasn’t confirmed yet. Keeping her close was the safest option.

Upon entering the pavilion, before Luo Ling could properly examine its interior, Xuanyuan Mu Xue quickly ascended to the second floor.

As she approached a room, her steps slowed, becoming lighter and more cautious.

Knock, knock, knock…

Xuanyuan Mu Xue knocked on the door, and a gentle, clear voice responded from within,

“Enter.”

“Yes, Mother,” Xuanyuan Mu Xue replied respectfully, opening the door.

“…So she’s taking me to meet her mother…”

Luo Ling blinked. She had expected a formal meeting, but it seemed it wasn’t.

However, thinking about it, Xuanyuan Mu Xue’s actions since taking the crow’s body had been private, as if she was still considering her options.

Entering the room, Luo Ling noticed that Xuanyuan Mu Xue’s mother’s room was almost identical to her daughter’s, practically a mirror image.

She looked around, her gaze turning strange.

No, not almost…

…completely identical.

Even the placement of the furniture and decorations was the same.

The only difference was… the occupant.

Luo Ling had initially thought the swordswoman had a meticulous and refined side, but now it seemed… she was simply imitating her mother.

Xuanyuan Mu Xue’s image in Luo Ling’s mind suddenly… crumbled slightly.

Xuanyuan Mu Xue, of course, was unaware of the little crow’s thoughts. She bowed to the figure sitting before the vanity mirror, her back turned towards them.

“Mother, I have something to discuss with you.”

“…It’s about the little one on your shoulder, isn’t it?”

A gentle, warm voice echoed, and the figure turned around, surprising Luo Ling.

Despite being addressed as “Mother” by Xuanyuan Mu Xue, her appearance was surprisingly young, like a girl in her late teens.

But this wasn’t what surprised Luo Ling. After all, she had already met Moonflower and Camellia, those two old geezers. This wasn’t surprising.

However, a terrifying scar marred the young mother’s face, extending from the right side of her forehead to the bridge of her nose, still faintly radiating heat, as if it hadn’t healed.

Even her right eye had been destroyed by the scar, leaving only her gentle left eye.

Moreover, the mother’s injuries weren’t limited to her face. Her left arm and both legs below the knees were missing, the healed wounds indicating they were old injuries.

“Just some minor injuries, from past battles,” the mother said, smiling at Luo Ling, seemingly having sensed her surprise.

Could these even be considered minor…?

Luo Ling could sense the severity of the injuries, undoubtedly caused by an Authority.

Her missing limbs were tainted by a conceptual power. Even using Myriad abilities to heal them would only result in the injuries returning, even worsening, affecting other parts of her body, so amputation had been the only option.

As for the facial injury, the lingering Calamity power was still active, constantly eroding her face, only temporarily suppressed.

These injuries hinted at the brutal battles Mu Xue’s mother had endured.

Of course, for the notoriously war-obsessed Xuanyuan clan, such battles were perhaps… commonplace.

“Little one?”

Xuanyuan Mu Xue paused, glancing at the black crow. Wasn’t this a senior?

However… it wasn’t strange.

Her mother’s attitude seemed positive, indicating no hostility.

Xuanyuan Mu Xue knew her mother’s true nature. Despite her current gentle demeanor, she wasn’t some weak and delicate woman.

Back in the days of fighting the Doomsday demons, she had single-handedly stormed into the enemy’s Kingdom, leaving a trail of carnage.

Her current injuries weren’t from a single battle, but accumulated over countless battles.

Every time she had to fight, she would use her abilities to temporarily regrow her missing limbs and eye, fighting until the injuries worsened, then severing them again.

This was common practice for the previous generations of the Xuanyuan clan. It was their elders’ sacrifices that had earned the clan its formidable reputation, allowing them to completely control Kunlun’s Ruins, even Moonflower, the ruler of Qing Qiu, was wary of them.

It wasn’t that they couldn’t be defeated, but that they were simply too troublesome to deal with…

By Xuanyuan Mu Xue’s generation, they had experienced fewer wars, their reputation deterring most factions from provoking them.

The reason Mu Xue’s mother was so gentle and calm now was simply because she was cultivating her mind and spirit, the arrangement of her courtyard and room reflecting this, a way to gradually dispel her bloodlust.

Of course, this wasn’t about becoming soft, but more reserved.

A sheathed sword wasn’t dull, only more dangerous.

“Hello.”

Luo Ling flew from Xuanyuan Mu Xue’s shoulder and landed on her mother’s, the woman’s gentleness reminding her of her own sister. She wanted a closer look at this surprisingly young mother.

Of course, she could act so boldly because she wasn’t afraid of death. This crow body was expendable.

Xuanyuan Mu Xue’s heart skipped a beat. She had expected her usually fastidious mother to be angered by a resurrected corpse’s touch, but her mother simply chuckled, showing no disgust.

“So cute, what’s your name, little one?” the mother asked, her eyes narrowed, a finger gently stroking Luo Ling’s chin, as if enjoying the soft feathers.

“Just call me Black Crow,” Luo Ling said, turning her head slightly, uncomfortable. She was supposed to be the bold one, but Mu Xue’s mother seemed even more so.

“But you’re… red,” the mother said, a surprised look on her face.

“Then… Red Crow is also fine,” Luo Ling replied after a moment of hesitation.

She was called Black Crow because of Xuanyuan Mu Xue… but it was just a name, it didn’t matter.

“M-Mother?”

Xuanyuan Mu Xue hadn’t expected her mother to be so friendly towards Miss Crow, unsure how to continue the conversation.

“Just speak your mind, Xue’er, no need for formalities, this child seems quite well-behaved, not a villain.”

The mother continued to smile at Luo Ling, her injured right eye opening slightly, revealing a terrifying, dark pupil.

Luo Ling felt a familiar chill, a bone-deep dread.

“…It’s Doomsday!”

Within the mother’s ruined right eye, Luo Ling sensed the aura of Doomsday!

Perhaps due to her injuries, the mother could wield a small portion of Doomsday’s power.

This was the fourth being Luo Ling had encountered who could wield Doomsday’s power, the others being herself, her sister, and the Woman, the Harbinger of Doomsday.

It seemed…

…long before Victoria, the Great Xia Imperial City had already encountered the Doomsday Path, even fought against its wielder.

Her missing limbs were likely corrupted by Doomsday. If so, amputation had been the only option, lest her entire being be consumed by it. Luo Ling knew this firsthand.

“Yes,” Xuanyuan Mu Xue said, her expression relaxing slightly after hearing her mother’s assessment.

Her mother’s words eased her anxiety about bringing this informant back.

According to the Xuanyuan clan’s usual practice, such an ambiguous individual would be strictly monitored, and harsher elders might even resort to more extreme methods.

Perhaps due to the Great Xia Imperial City’s long history of harsh conditions, the Xuanyuan clan only believed in the evil of human nature, seeing this act of providing information as a scheme, not genuine help.

This might lead to some unpleasant actions, even soul searching, to obtain more information.

—In other words, the methods the unrestrained Old Man would have used in Victoria, simple, crude, but effective.

Of course, Xuanyuan Mu Xue’s actions might also allow those with malicious intent to escape detection, hence her anxiety.

But now, hearing her mother’s assessment, she knew her worries were unfounded.

Her mother’s corrupted right eye could directly perceive souls and consciousness, easily discerning good and evil.

Of course, the definitions of “good” and “evil” were often ambiguous, but pure good and pure evil were easily distinguishable. At least, being treated with such gentleness by her mother meant this being, even if not purely good, wasn’t particularly bad.

After exchanging glances with Luo Ling, Xuanyuan Mu Xue recounted everything, including her conversation with Luo Ling.

Her mother listened attentively, her right hand absently stroking Luo Ling’s feathers.

Although her touch was gentle, Luo Ling felt an undeniable, albeit subtle, sense of dominance.

This mother… didn’t seem so “gentle.”

“What am I thinking, this is the war-obsessed clan…”

Luo Ling wanted to leave, but she couldn’t.

…It was just a temporary body anyway, it didn’t matter.

This thought calmed Luo Ling slightly.

However, did Mu Xue’s mother often stroke birds like this? It felt quite comfortable, and Luo Ling straightened her back slightly.

After patiently listening to her daughter’s report, the mother chuckled softly and nodded.

“I understand. You did the right thing. Mu Wu is always too reckless, and there are many restless members in the clan recently. If he acted rashly, it might cause trouble.”

“This matter is quite complex. These ‘thieves’ are likely not ordinary individuals, hence their concealed identities.”

The mother glanced at Luo Ling on her shoulder, a subtle smile appearing on her lips.

“Our ancestor said he’ll make a decision after returning from the Buzhou Ruins in three days,” Xuanyuan Mu Xue said, her expression still worried. This was why she had hesitated to reveal the existence of Miss Crow.

Their ancestor had been furious upon hearing the news, declaring he wouldn’t bother with the ancestral rites and would return immediately to destroy the thieves’ ancestral graves, but he had quickly calmed down, instructing Xuanyuan Mu Xue to keep the matter quiet for now.

But Xuanyuan Mu Xue was worried that the thieves might succeed within these few days.

If Miss Crow could provide more information, perhaps their ancestor would make a different decision.

“Our ancestor is always like this, I know him well,” her mother said, not surprised. “He might be impulsive at first, but he always makes rational decisions in the end. As members of the clan, we must trust his judgment.

“As for this cute little one…”

The mother gently cupped Luo Ling in her hand, her melodious laughter echoing as the feathers tickled her palm.

After a moment, she closed her eyes slightly, a nostalgic expression on her face, her smile widening.

“She can stay with me for now.”

Xuanyuan Mu Xue hesitated. Her mother seemed unusually interested in the crow, seemingly more interested in the bird itself than the information it possessed.

…Why?

Xuanyuan Mu Xue couldn’t understand. After all, this Miss Crow was just a resurrected corpse brought back by some necromantic technique.

Actually, the ability Luo Ling used was different from what Xuanyuan Mu Xue imagined.

Luo Ling had used the fungal threads she left behind to completely devour the crow’s body, then used its energy to reconstruct it.

It wasn’t a resurrected corpse, but a newly created body, which was why Mu Xue’s mother, usually so fastidious, didn’t mind Luo Ling’s presence… there were few beings cleaner than this Miss Crow.

“Yes, Mother.”

Xuanyuan Mu Xue nodded slightly, also unable to resist looking at Luo Ling, wondering what had captivated her mother.

But soon, Xuanyuan Mu Xue left, not because her mother dismissed her, but because, as the Second Elder of the Enforcement Hall, she had many duties, unlike her retired mother, who spent her time tending to her flowers.

Only Mu Xue’s mother and Luo Ling remained in the room, staring at each other. After a moment, the mother spoke,

“The Princess of Xi He Kingdom, the ruler of Qing Qiu Kingdom, the Thunder Lord of Lei Ze, the fairy of Penglai Island…”

She listed these names, then smiled at Luo Ling, her right eye opening slightly, revealing its terrifying darkness, and she asked calmly, “Which one are you?”

“…….”

The crow’s face remained expressionless, its gaze vacant.

The moment Mu Xue’s mother spoke the first name, Luo Ling realized her intentions.

She wasn’t asking a question, but seeking an answer.

She didn’t need Luo Ling to reply; simply hearing the question was enough.

But Luo Ling immediately severed the connection with this body, not giving her a chance.

Mu Xue’s mother, realizing this, looked slightly disappointed.

“What a pity.”

She stroked Luo Ling’s feathers and said,

“Nice to meet you, my name is Xuanyuan Linglong, you can call me Sister Linglong.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, little bird who resembles Jingwei.”