The Grotesque Miss’s End Story v3c38

T/N: I corrected the use of the name Wu Yuan in the recent chapters. I had previously translated it into its English meaning, “Black Kite”, and then started using Wu Yuan (which means the same thing) later on. I’ve already edited the previous chapters.

Chapter 38: When Apologizing, One Should…

Needless to say, when Moonflower uttered those words, the first to show surprise wasn’t Luo Ling, but Camellia, who was supposed to receive the “Hour of Death.”

“…You Su Ling, what do you mean?” Camellia said in a deep voice, so angry she directly used Moonflower’s real name.

Camellia had her own grievances. Hadn’t she been busy all this time just to obtain the “Hour of Death”?

Even if she didn’t deserve all the credit, she had certainly put in the effort. Why had Moonflower suddenly changed her mind and decided to give the “Hour of Death” to this… well, should she call her Iris, Amethyst, or Black Kite?

“But we failed, didn’t we? I said… if we failed, the ‘Hour of Death’ would still be mine.” Moonflower said softly, her eyes flickering. “Since it’s mine, what’s wrong with me deciding what to do with it?

Besides, from the very beginning, this plan had no chance of success.”

After experiencing her life flash before her eyes, Moonflower finally calmed down and realized the oddities of this operation.

Whether it was the beginning, the process, or the result…

An unseen hand had led her down this path, while another unseen hand had created obstacles for her. In the end, even the Daughter of the Emperor from Xi He Palace appeared, and the Fairy revealed her true colors.

From the start, she had been chosen by the Fairy as a sacrifice, a sacrifice to summon the Heavenly Woman Ba.

Even without other steps, the Fairy would have ensured she arrived at this “past,” at this location, to perform this spell.

Even at the very end, the Fairy couldn’t resist secretly correcting the mistake in her spell, because the one who could summon the revived Heavenly Woman Ba wasn’t the Emperor, but another mysterious girl.

At this moment, Moonflower finally understood the bitterness of toiling only to have someone else reap the benefits, the very consequence she had once inflicted on the people of Victoria.

Furthermore, Moonflower realized that she, walking the Nightmare path, couldn’t fully utilize the “Hour of Death.” If it were used by someone from the Speakers, they could directly negate the Heavenly Woman Ba’s influence, not struggling to even last a minute.

Even so, Moonflower’s decision to give the “Hour of Death” to Luo Ling as medical payment was quite absurd. The real reason was precisely this: she had just said it casually, without much thought.

She could give the “Hour of Death” to anyone, as long as she could give it away. This was Moonflower’s only thought now.

“…My medical fees aren’t that expensive.”

The corner of Luo Ling’s mouth twitched, and she couldn’t help but look away.

Xuanyuan Mu Yan, having undergone two surgeries, felt awkward upon hearing this. She mentally calculated the value, wondering how many treasures she would have to offer if Luo Ling really asked for medical expenses.

In other words, how great was the favor of these two surgeries…

Actually, it wasn’t that big of a deal.

The first time was a transaction with Sister Linglong, the second time was to repay the favor of saving Miss Iris. If one were to carefully calculate, they were even. It was just that Luo Ling didn’t bother to keep such close accounts with good friends.

As for Moonflower…

Even with proper accounting, it wasn’t worth a Taboo Authority ability. Luo Ling hadn’t performed any surgery on her, just reached into her memories and pulled back her lost consciousness.

Luo Ling had used this method long ago, back when she treated Elsa.

“If you don’t want it, giving it to Miss Camellia would also be excellent.” Moonflower said with a light smile, regaining some of her usual charm and allure.

The corner of Camellia’s mouth twitched. Why did it feel like she was being dismissed?

However, at this moment, Camellia sensed Xuanyuan Mu Yan’s suspicious gaze and couldn’t help but avoid it, her expression becoming more serious, remaining silent.

Clearly, she didn’t want to be recognized by Xuanyuan Mu Yan at this time.

Even if Xuanyuan Mu Yan asked, Camellia would deny everything.

—It’s not me, I didn’t, don’t spout nonsense.

“Hehe, speaking of Authorities on the ‘This Life’ path of ‘Other Shore,’ we can’t forget about us Speakers.”

At this moment, the Gypsy Girl interjected, stepping forward with a giggle, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Coincidentally, I have the ‘Hour of Birth.’ It’s the older brother of the ‘Hour of Death.’ Wouldn’t it be wonderful to reunite them?

Miss You Su Ling, name your price.”

Hearing this, Moonflower gave a polite smile, but Luo Ling’s cold voice sounded from beside her, “Gypsy Girl, Manqing, are you trying to compete with me?”

“How could we…”

The Gypsy Girl was about to speak when Lu Manqing suddenly hugged her from behind, covering her mouth, and said, “How could we, Miss… Black Kite? That’s your medical payment. How could we possibly snatch it away from you?”

At the same time, Lu Manqing gave the Gypsy Girl a warning look. Don’t provoke Luo Ling. This girl held grudges, and she didn’t voice them, her revenge always coming unexpectedly.

Small grudges, small revenge; big grudges, big revenge. Wasn’t Moonflower’s series of misfortunes orchestrated by Luo Ling?

Lu Manqing didn’t want to be tripped up by the shadowy Miss Luo Ling one day during an operation.

The Gypsy Girl quickly understood, not even struggling, letting Lu Manqing drag her away.

She only spoke up because she sensed Moonflower’s genuine desire to give away the “Hour of Death.”

Just the “Hour of Birth” alone had significantly boosted her power. If she could add another…

Unfortunately, Miss Luo Ling was here.

The Gypsy Girl was well aware of Luo Ling’s actions in Victoria. Trying to compete with her with just one Taboo Authority ability was no different from seeking death.

“…”

Everyone present witnessed the two Speakers’ reactions. Almost all eyes were on the teal-haired girl, scaring Iris into hiding behind Luo Ling.

Even Xuanyuan Mu Yan, who knew part of the story, couldn’t help but feel surprised.

She knew about Luo Ling’s identity as the White Witch, but she didn’t know the details of what happened in Victoria, so it was hard for her to understand why these two Harbingers were so… terrified of Luo Ling.

Not to mention the completely clueless Daughter of the Emperor from Xi He Palace. She mentally assessed the strength of this little sister who called herself Black Kite, concluding: don’t provoke her for now.

Moonflower and Camellia’s understanding of Luo Ling, or rather, Amethyst, was limited to her being Naraku’s Godchosen. But that alone couldn’t explain the two Harbingers’ reactions.

Naraku’s Godchosen were notorious for being incredibly difficult to deal with, not for their overwhelming power. No one dared to compete with them for anything they wanted, especially the Speakers, who were arguably the least afraid of Naraku’s Godchosen.

These old diviners were best at dealing with those neurotic Naraku Godchosen. Revealing a few facts could easily manipulate them.

The true answer was still unknown, but one thing was certain…

Amethyst, or this little girl who called herself Black Kite, was definitely not simple.

“There’s… no need for such a reaction, right?”

Luo Ling didn’t expect Lu Manqing and the Gypsy Girl to be so cowardly. She had just asked a simple question.

Perhaps it was her usual calm and indifferent tone that caused the misunderstanding.

To others, a Taboo Authority was incredibly precious, but not to Luo Ling. She didn’t care whether she obtained it or not. As long as she could take a bite, it was enough.

If the Gypsy Girl really wanted it, it wasn’t impossible to negotiate…

Just offer Moonflower a higher price, allowing Luo Ling to earn more medical expenses.

“Don’t worry, we can discuss this later.” Luo Ling looked at Moonflower and said softly.

If she hadn’t intervened, Moonflower’s consciousness would have been completely lost. Although she wouldn’t have fallen into “Silent Demise” because the Heavenly Woman Ba had left, she would have become a living corpse.

Even Luo Ling would have found it difficult to save her then. Anything related to consciousness was extremely tricky.

At that time, Camellia and the others hadn’t yet escaped the Heavenly Woman Ba’s influence, so forget about relying on them for help.

“…Understood.” Hearing this, Moonflower and Camellia understood Luo Ling’s intentions.

Needless to say, this transaction would likely be postponed to the Tea Party.

Camellia saw that Luo Ling wasn’t particularly interested in the “Hour of Death,” and she glimpsed an opportunity.

Even if it meant paying a higher price, it was crucial to obtain this Taboo Authority ability.

Besides this, the most pressing issue at hand… was how to resolve this messy situation.

At the same time, this “past” separated by the “Past Medicine” completely collapsed. The surrounding scenery shifted, returning to the gloomy and ghostly Zhuolu’s Battlefield at the Final Hour.

In other words, the Xuanyuan clan’s ancestral graveyard.

“I just remembered I have something to do. I’ll take my leave now.”

Camellia suddenly spoke and got up to leave.

What followed was a matter for the various factions of Great Xia Imperial City. As an outsider from Valhalla, she had no place here.

However, Camellia’s sudden departure seemed rather abrupt.

“Wait…”

Xuanyuan Mu Yan took a step forward, wanting to call Camellia back.

But unexpectedly, Camellia used some kind of trump card, her figure slowly dissipating, directly leaving this Divine Kingdom.

Luo Ling stared at the slightly flustered Grandma Camellia and the complex expression on Xuanyuan Mu Yan’s face, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

She felt that something interesting had happened between these two that she didn’t know about.

She would like to learn more if given the chance.

Gossip was in every girl’s nature, and Luo Ling was no exception. Although she was usually indifferent, she didn’t mind some good tea.

“…”

A look of disappointment flashed across Xuanyuan Mu Yan’s face, but she quickly recovered and continued to stand beside Luo Ling with a serious expression.

Then, Snowdrop nodded slightly to Moonflower, indicating that Her task was complete, and her figure also vanished from Zhuolu’s Battlefield at the Final Hour.

Now, only the various factions of Great Xia Imperial City and Luo Ling remained.

“I sincerely apologize for this matter. I will give the Xuanyuan clan an explanation later.” Moonflower spoke first, bowing deeply to Xuanyuan Mu Yan. “Please don’t make things difficult for my people. They knew nothing about this. I… will take full responsibility.”

Her slightly loose clothing vaguely revealed a glimpse of her fair skin, her charming and alluring face filled with a fragile expression. Truly a fox spirit, a few simple movements made her appear pitiful, even moving Xuanyuan Mu Yan with her sincerity. But she still said coldly, “That’s not up to me. Talk to my mother.”

Xuanyuan Linglong, although forcibly retired by the clan elders, still held considerable influence within the Xuanyuan clan.

Because she had spent her entire life demonstrating the origin of the Xuanyuan clan’s prestige, she was their sharpest sword.

Often, when people in Great Xia Imperial City mentioned the Xuanyuan clan, the first thing that came to mind was this blood-soaked name.

In this operation, Clan Leader Xuanyuan Gong was in the shadows, while Xuanyuan Linglong was in charge on the surface.

If Moonflower could persuade her, the Kingdom of Qing Qiu’s ancestral graveyard might escape this disaster.

However, upon hearing Xuanyuan Mu Yan’s words, Moonflower’s face turned deathly pale. Xuanyuan Linglong’s fierce reputation was well-known in Great Xia Imperial City. If she said she would kill ten thousand and one, she would never kill just ten thousand. Her methods were so cruel and brutal that if she were ranked second, no one would dare to take first place.

Although her strength wasn’t absolutely the strongest, the top contenders in Great Xia Imperial City couldn’t do anything to her.

Moreover…

Xuanyuan Linglong never cared about her opponent’s strength when killing. She had no so-called strong person’s dignity. Men, women, old, or young, she would strike without hesitation.

How could one persuade such a terrifying killing god?

“Ahem…”

Luo Ling coughed lightly, sensing a business opportunity.

“I have… some connection with Sister Linglong.” Luo Ling extended her hand, a small gap between her thumb and index finger. “Although it’s just a little, I can still put in a good word.”

Xuanyuan Mu Yan fell silent upon hearing this.

Just a little? It seemed like her mother wanted to adopt Luo Ling as her daughter…

She had rarely seen her mother so happy, perhaps because her temper had improved after retirement. But even so, not many could please her, and this Miss Black Kite was one of them.

“I… understand.”

How could Moonflower not understand? Xuanyuan Mu Yan didn’t refute, and the odd expression on her face was enough to prove the truth of Luo Ling’s words, perhaps even more so.

She was adept at reading people and quickly realized that Black Kite’s words might carry more weight than Xuanyuan Mu Yan’s. With a pitiful expression that tugged at one’s heartstrings, she leaned even lower, “I’ll leave everything to you, Miss Black Kite. I… I can do anything for you.”

“…”

Luo Ling looked at Moonflower’s increasingly exposed cleavage, a flash of white, but she only felt it was dazzling.

Tsk, showing off, huh?

“Damn it, you seductive fox spirit, stop flaunting yourself in broad daylight. Nobody wants to see your pathetic assets. Can we get serious?” At this moment, Xi Hua waved her hand dismissively, crossing her arms. “Like Heavenly Woman Ba. Where did you hear about her?”

“You dark-skinned woman, I think you’re just jealous. Not everyone is as flat as you.” Moonflower sneered, looking at Xi Hua’s slightly flat chest, even after she tried to puff it out.

As soon as she finished speaking, Moonflower felt a strong resentment.

Turning her head, she saw the two beside her with faces so dark they could drip ink.

Looking down slightly…

Well, these two were even more exaggerated, belonging to the type that couldn’t squeeze anything out.

This indiscriminate attack had accidentally hit them as well.

“Ahem, of course, Miss Black Kite, I didn’t mean that… Let’s get back to business.” Moonflower quickly adjusted her clothes.

If she continued, forget about asking them for help, she would be finished here today.

Luo Ling had already overheard most of the story about the Heavenly Woman Ba on the way, so Moonflower just repeated it.

“…Harbinger of Disaster, why did you say that the Heavenly Woman Ba, as a Taboo, is a fallacy?” After finishing, Moonflower turned to the Gypsy Girl and asked seriously.

She was now certain that the reason she had embarked on the path of seeking the Heavenly Woman Ba was entirely due to the Fairy’s arrangements.

In fact, even before obtaining the “Hour of Death,” Moonflower had several opportunities to infiltrate Zhuolu’s Battlefield at the Final Hour and knew how to try and seize a Taboo’s Authority, even having some similar practical experience.

Of course, this practice was only aimed at High-Risk Grotesqueries, but it was successful.

Moreover, obtaining the “Hour of Death” from Victoria finally gave Moonflower enough confidence to seek the power of the Heavenly Woman Ba.

Unfortunately…

The power of a Taboo far exceeded Moonflower’s imagination. Forget about seizing its power, even surviving the encounter was already a significant feat, let alone using any other methods.

The Gypsy Girl pondered for a moment and said, “I don’t know how to describe it. In short… it’s up to you, Your Highness, the Daughter of the Emperor from Xi He Palace.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Xi Hua, the long-reigning Daughter of the Emperor, who wasn’t young but whose character could hardly be called mature.

Xuanyuan Mu Yan was also curious as to why she had personally come to her family’s ancestral graveyard. Was it because the ancestral graveyard of Xi He Palace needed excavating?

“Just now, the fox spirit said that the fifth Taboo in the Sequence is the ‘Heavenly Woman Ba’ of ‘Nightmare,’ but my records are completely different.” Xi Hua said slowly. “The fifth Taboo in the Sequence is the ‘War God’ of ‘Sin and Thorn.’

That’s right, the Emperor’s enemy in the legendary ‘Battle of Zhuolu,’ Chi You, the War God.”