The Grotesque Miss’s End Story v3c35

Chapter 35: Gathering of All Parties

“This is your ancestral graveyard, for crying out loud… Besides, isn’t ‘past’ supposed to be the Fairy’s ability? Why does it feel like anyone can sneak in and take a look?” Luo Ling finally couldn’t resist complaining.

“How would I know?!” Xuanyuan Mu Yan’s expression looked equally helpless. Who would expect to encounter so many people with malicious intentions in their ancestral graveyard?

However, she apparently knew the Daughter of the Emperor from Xi He Palace. Frowning slightly, she said, puzzled, “But… why is even Xi Hua here?”

“Miss Mu Xue, it seems you have quite a few old acquaintances, huh?” Luo Ling casually remarked upon hearing this.

“Don’t talk about me, Miss Black Kite. You seem to have quite a few old acquaintances yourself.” Xuanyuan Mu Yan twitched the corner of her mouth, glancing at the two clowns huddled together in the spore vision. Then, composing herself, she continued, “It’s just that we’ve cooperated a few times before. Be careful. Her strength is no less than mine. She can not only summon the true form of the Three-Legged Golden Crow but also utilize the power of an unknown Taboo to a certain extent.

More importantly, her Sacred Tools are much better than mine, as Xi He Palace is renowned for its smelting techniques. Also, do you see the Dao patterns on her body? That’s Xi Hua’s unique method, smelting Sacred Relics into her own body, transforming herself into a Sacred Tool. In short… this woman has numerous methods and endless trump cards. She’s not easy to deal with.”

Luo Ling looked closely and saw intricate patterns like tattoos covering Xi Hua’s exposed wheat-colored skin, faintly sensing the powerful energy contained within.

The most terrifying aura emanated from the eye-like pattern on her forehead. However, this “heavenly eye” was currently closed, looking like an ordinary tattoo.

However, with Xi Hua’s somewhat wild appearance and features, coupled with these tattoos and the warhammer on her shoulder, it was hard to imagine her bearing such a noble title as “Daughter of the Emperor.”

“Of course, although she looks strong on the surface, her body is actually quite frail, all thanks to those Dao patterns supporting her,” Xuanyuan Mu Yan’s tone inexplicably took on a gossipy air. “After her battle with the previous Lord of Qing Qiu, she suffered many hidden injuries that haven’t healed to this day.”

“…There are indeed some signs.” To avoid being discovered, Luo Ling’s spores only lingered around the periphery, not performing a “Read,” so she could only sense vaguely.

Even so, she could feel that Xi Hua’s body was somewhat weak, possibly due to consciousness damage.

If it was consciousness damage, it would be difficult to treat. Currently, the only path that could directly affect consciousness was Transcendence; other paths lacked the corresponding power.

This was mainly because other paths “borrowed” power, while Transcendence and Doomsday were the only paths truly existing in this world.

Of course, even if she was weak, in the past, this Xi Hua, the Daughter of the Emperor of Xi He Palace, had defeated the Kingdom of Qing Qiu head-on and brought about the irreversible disaster of the “Ten Suns in the Sky.” She was definitely not someone to be underestimated.

To Xi Hua, Moonflower was the daughter of her mother’s killer. To Moonflower, Xi Hua represented not only national enmity but also a personal vendetta.

Enemies meeting were exceptionally fierce. In an instant, the atmosphere became tense.

Although Snowdrop and Camellia didn’t know the past between this woman and Moonflower, the woman’s attitude was clear: she was here to stop their operation.

In that case, she was an enemy.

Snowdrop took a step forward, a faint phantom of a deer’s head circling her. The surrounding temperature plummeted by dozens of degrees, and even the weeds on the ground were slightly frosted.

Camellia took out Gungnir, aiming directly at Xi Hua. If Xi Hua made any careless moves, she would be locked onto by this divine weapon.

“Yo, the dead fox is quite good at flaunting her charms, bringing so many helpers. Using others’ power to intimidate is indeed your racial talent.” Seeing this display of force, Xi Hua wasn’t afraid at all, even adding a mocking tone, “Just like your useless father. But… is it useful?”

“Shut up!” Hearing these words, Moonflower almost exploded, her emotions rarely showing signs of losing control. “Don’t you mention him!”

At the same time, the mystical barrier constructed by her Authority, “Charming Demon,” showed signs of collapsing. Since the target of the spell was herself, her mental state and emotions were crucial.

However, under Xi Hua’s few words of provocation, Moonflower, who should have been best at controlling her emotions, was the first to lose control of her anger. Thus, the spell, with her as its core, began to crumble.

Seeing this, Camellia, witnessing the scene she least wanted to see, immediately said in a low voice, “Moonflower, maintain your focus. Keep the mystical barrier going. We’ll handle the rest…”

“…Yes, I know.” Moonflower took a deep breath and nodded slightly.

She also knew the priorities. Even if Xi Hua kept provoking her, she should complete the spell first, until the Heavenly Woman Ba arrived.

But… the things Xi Hua mentioned were Moonflower’s only sore spot, her former nightmare. One’s inner demons were ultimately the hardest obstacle to overcome.

Moonflower slowly closed her eyes, shutting off her perception, adjusting her emotions to maintain the mystical barrier.

Out of sight, out of mind. She left everything else to Camellia and Snowdrop.

Not just because they were fellow Tea Party members, but also because they were now in the same boat. The trust brought by shared interests, before being replaced by greater interests, was the most reliable.

Camellia directly raised Gungnir, charging forward amidst the roar of stampeding horses, locking onto Xi Hua.

Snowdrop stood in place, a terrifying blizzard brewing above. The extremely low temperature caused ice crystals to form on Xi Hua’s skin.

But in the next moment, Xi Hua neutralized all their attacks.

The heavenly eye Dao pattern on her forehead suddenly opened, causing the impending lock-on of Gungnir to lose its target.

At this moment, Xi Hua seemed to no longer exist in this world. Although she could still be seen, no method of perception could grasp her presence. A target that couldn’t be pinpointed naturally couldn’t be bound by established cause and effect.

Moreover, the Dao patterns all over her body lit up, emitting a scorching light, even her eyes ignited with inextinguishable flames.

The phantom of the Three-Legged Golden Crow appeared behind Xi Hua. She used her incarnation to wield its authority, dispelling all the cold.

But… even so, Xi Hua’s strength wasn’t enough to surpass these two.

After her sudden attack was neutralized, Camellia quickly changed tactics.

She keenly perceived Xi Hua’s weakness and immediately summoned some of the Knight’s aura, aggressively approaching Xi Hua, forcing her into close combat.

Whether it was her attire or her weapon, Xi Hua looked like a close-combat maniac, but she wasn’t.

If one were to carefully analyze her, she was actually a fragile mage, her warhammer acting as a staff.

Therefore, when forced into close combat by Camellia, Xi Hua immediately became somewhat disheveled.

Not to mention Snowdrop watching from the side. Snowdrop wasn’t in a hurry to attack. She simply and casually cast some frost, restricting Xi Hua’s movements.

The blizzard above continued to brew, its pressure and aura gradually exceeding a certain limit, even dyeing the sky with a frosty hue.

Perhaps realizing that she would gradually lose if this continued, the flames around Xi Hua suddenly surged, the phantom of the Three-Legged Golden Crow solidified, emitting a sharp, piercing cry, pushing Camellia back several steps.

Xi Hua seized this opportunity to retreat repeatedly, finally steadying herself after shaking off some unmeltable frost fragments. The corner of her mouth curled up slightly.

“Tsk, you two are quite strong. It seems I have no choice but to…”

Before she finished speaking, she immediately looked up at the sky and shouted loudly, “Damn it, if you two don’t get out here, I’m going to lose!”

“……”

Luo Ling, who was watching with great interest, thought Xi Hua was about to use some powerful trump card, but she didn’t expect her to just shout.

Hearing this, Xuanyuan Mu Yan got up to help, but Luo Ling pulled her back, speechless, and said, “Don’t move. She’s not calling for us.”

“Huh? Isn’t she?” Xuanyuan Mu Yan was stunned.

“Nonsense. She hasn’t discovered us. Don’t tell me you think anyone can detect the White Witch’s spores?” Luo Ling rolled her eyes. “It’s just those two, because they know my abilities. Once their intuition is alerted and they can’t find the source, they directly think of me.”

“……”

Xuanyuan Mu Yan remained silent for a moment, then Luo Ling continued, “Besides, it’s not two of us, it’s three.”

Luo Ling pointed to Miss Iris on her head.

“Chirp?”

Miss Iris, also enjoying this drama filled with love and hate, was stunned by Luo Ling’s gesture.

So, she could be counted as well?

Not to mention Xuanyuan Mu Yan, even Iris herself hadn’t considered herself a member of this anti-grave robbing team.

“So…” Xuanyuan Mu Yan’s gaze shifted to the spiderweb duo in the spore vision.

Lu Manqing and the Gypsy Girl were currently entangled, carefully untangling the spiderweb woven with Naraku’s power, not daring to damage this precious Sacred Tool. The scene became even more comical.

Even Luo Ling, who knew them, couldn’t help but cover her face, wanting to say that she didn’t know these two clowns at all…

Admittedly, to deceive Camellia’s surveillance and the perception of other beings, using this Sacred Tool was indeed the best choice.

The problem was, this thing was designed for one person, but now two people were crammed inside… It was fortunate that both Lu Manqing and the Gypsy Girl had good figures. Otherwise, this Sacred Tool would have been destroyed.

After Xi Hua shouted, Snowdrop and Camellia immediately became vigilant.

Or rather, Snowdrop had been vigilant from the beginning. The blizzard she was brewing was in preparation for any potential unknown enemies.

But after being vigilant for a while, nothing happened.

Camellia couldn’t help but become suspicious. Did the opponent really have reinforcements? Or were they stalling for time?

That didn’t seem right either. It was they who needed to stall for time…

Even Xi Hua herself was embarrassed. She scratched the back of her head and said strangely, “That’s not right. Didn’t they say they would help at the critical moment?”

She had even lent out a Sacred Tool with a Taboo Authority for this.

Just as the situation became unclear, a clear and melodious giggle rang out, followed by the tinkling of bells. A woman in a red gauze dress and veil, with bare feet silently stepping on the grass, finally arrived late.

Beside her, a Republican-era female student with braided pigtails stood with her hands in her pockets, some untangled spiderweb still wrapped around her, looking rather disheveled.

To quickly break free from the spiderweb, Lu Manqing had to be the sacrificial lamb, only untangling the Gypsy Girl’s portion before rushing in — after all, the Gypsy Girl, who frequently appeared in public, needed to maintain her image, while Lu Manqing could look however she wanted.

“What happened?” Xi Hua frowned and asked in a low voice.

“You have the nerve to ask?” The Gypsy Girl maintained a calm smile on her face, but her teeth were almost gritted. “There are two of us, and you gave us a Sacred Tool for only one person.”

“……”

Hearing this, Xi Hua fell silent for a moment, then glanced at Lu Manqing, who was hanging her head, and immediately understood.

Clearly, Xi Hua hadn’t realized this before.

Now, seeing Lu Manqing like this… one could almost imagine the scene of them entangled with each other. Xi Hua almost burst out laughing.

“The Speakers, Harbinger of Disaster.” Seeing the appearance of the Gypsy Girl and Lu Manqing, Camellia’s pupils constricted slightly. She whispered, “Could it be… this is your plan?”

The Gypsy Girl was quite well-known, after all, one of the few Speakers’ Harbingers who frequently appeared in public. Her reputation for bringing disaster wherever she went wasn’t quite as notorious as Naraku’s Godchosen, but it was only slightly less so.

At least most of the time, disasters weren’t caused by her. She was just there to watch the excitement, incidentally practicing her path through disasters, similar to the omen-bearing black crow.

And now, this Harbinger of Disaster had actually appeared here…

Camellia turned to look at Moonflower, who was immersed in casting her spell, her frown deepening.

Could there be another variable?

The unease that had been lingering in Camellia’s heart amplified.

“Hehe, I wish I had such methods, unfortunately, I don’t.” The Gypsy Girl shook her head. She snapped her fingers, forcibly waking Moonflower, and continued, “Stop, Miss You Su Ling. What you’ve summoned… is just a distorted mistake.”

Moonflower’s expression flashed with annoyance at being interrupted, but she quickly regained her composure.

She looked directly at Xi Hua and said coldly, “Daughter of the Emperor, you’re just afraid.”

“Afraid of you? Laughable.” Hearing this, Xi Hua rolled up her sleeves. “Come and fight me one-on-one if you dare. I guarantee I’ll beat you until you run back to your nest with your tail between your legs, just like your father.”

“It was you who was beaten to tears by my father,” Moonflower said disdainfully. “If you hadn’t used underhanded tricks and threatened the Kingdom of Qing Qiu, the outcome of that war would have been uncertain.”

“Oh, my temper!”

Xi Hua was about to lose her temper, but Lu Manqing hugged her from behind. The Gypsy Girl said helplessly, “Your Highness, please say less. You can’t beat her now.”

With Snowdrop and Camellia present, Xi Hua alone was no match for them.

Xi Hua knew this as well, so after being stopped by Lu Manqing, she didn’t struggle, just turned her head away.

The Gypsy Girl glanced at the sky and sighed, “Sigh, it’s already come to this. Has the Fairy not appeared yet?”

Even that Miss White Witch, who seemed more like a Harbinger of Disaster than herself, had arrived. As the mastermind behind everything, the Penglai Fairy was still nowhere to be seen.

The reason the Gypsy Girl had been hiding in the shadows was to wait for the Fairy’s appearance.

“…Harbinger of Disaster, what do you mean?”

Hearing this, Moonflower immediately became agitated. She had always been wary of the Fairy, so she deliberately avoided her in these operations. Yet, at this moment, she heard the Harbinger of Disaster mention that dangerous name.

“Haven’t you figured it out yet? You’re such a silly little thing.” The Gypsy Girl smiled faintly. “Miss You Su Ling, everything you’re pursuing is just a game set up by the Fairy.”

“The Fifth Taboo, ‘Heavenly Woman Ba’ of ‘Nightmare.’ This is an absolute fallacy.”

Hearing these words, Moonflower’s expression finally changed drastically. This was her deepest secret, known only to the operation team.

But why…

“This… do you mean the Fairy was lying to me? The Heavenly Woman Ba isn’t the Fifth Taboo at all…”

Moonflower swallowed, her mind racing. She was clever and quickly connected everything. Her face paled slightly, and she murmured, “Everything… was within the Fairy’s calculations?”

“No, I said this fact is a fallacy, but I didn’t say it was a lie, because it’s simple.” The Gypsy Girl shook her head and said, “As long as it’s a fallacy, it can be corrected. As for how it’s corrected… that’s the interesting part.”

As she spoke, the Gypsy Girl casually looked in a certain direction. At this moment, with great effort, she finally locked onto a confirmed spore.

“What are you looking at me for again?” Luo Ling, who was peeking, looked quite helpless. “It has nothing to do with me.”

Just as Moonflower steadied her mind and began to ponder these things, her spell suddenly continued, the mystical barrier resuming its operation.

“What’s going on?”

Everyone was startled, even Moonflower.

At this moment, Moonflower began to change in everyone’s eyes. Her aura inexplicably became somewhat gloomy, and a phantom appeared faintly on her body. At a glance, it looked like a young woman around eighteen years old.

“…Damn it!”

At this moment, Luo Ling finally couldn’t help but curse.

She stared intently at this scene in the spore vision, finally confirming it.

Others might find it hard to detect, but Luo Ling saw it clearly.

The phantom appearing on Moonflower was her!

At this moment, the target Moonflower transformed into using the “Shapeshifting” ability of “Charming Demon” was Luo Ling!

Every time, it was Luo Ling impersonating others, but this time, someone finally impersonated her.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew, even the blizzard that Snowdrop had been brewing for who knows how long completely dispersed. Everyone’s aura was suppressed by an indescribable pressure.

Under the dark clouds covering the sky, the green vegetation across the mountains and plains gradually withered and yellowed.

Life faded, and desolation descended.

The phenomenon that Moonflower had spent so long casting and maintaining with the mystical barrier was not as intense as this instant.

Amidst this phenomenon, a touch of teal slowly emerged. A mournful, desolate, and resentful voice echoed in everyone’s ears, “Too late, too late… You’re too late…”