"What do you think?" Tear Princess retorted provocatively.
I guess not.
Why?
"Yan Ming sent you here, will you come?"
Lei Ji chuckled, "You seem to recognize me?"
"Rumor has it that there are two peerless beauties in the Desert Wilderness. One seduced Liu Sishu of the Lingyu Sect and disappeared without a trace, while the other married the Lord of the Underworld. The name of the Tears Consort is renowned far and wide." Xue Qing added a half-flattery to her words.
"Such kind words, how could I bear to fight you again? I was just saying hello. I only have one question for you this time," said Lei Ji.
"Please speak."
"Do you want to go to the Underworld?"
Xue Qing thought for a moment and said, "I want to get in, but I don't know where to start."
Lei Ji took something out of her bosom and placed it on the stove next to her. Xue Qing looked closely and realized that it was actually the skin of two women. Lei Ji said, "These are two human skin masks. My human skin disguise skills are unparalleled in the world. As for the voice, I think Physician Bai would be happy to help you prepare some interesting medicines."
“If we enter the Underworld, we can be easily captured in one fell swoop,” Liu Ying said, looking at the human skin on the stove.
"No, I believe in them. With Lei Ji's help, they will surely succeed," Xue Qing said.
Liu Ying looked at Xue Qing with suspicion. Given their terrible relationship with the Underworld, how could anyone accept a plan proposed by someone from the Underworld? Yet Xue Qing smiled confidently at him. Lei Ji was a woman who thrived on chaos. She had absolutely no loyalty to Yan Ming and even enjoyed deliberately causing trouble. It wasn't that Yan Ming had offended her; she was simply a pervert. Xue Qing had reason to believe that she had really racked her brains to come up with such a brilliant plan, just to see Yan Ming's brows furrowed. Yan Ming, this is retribution. You think you're a sadist, but actually, you've always had a super sadist by your side.
“These people…” Xue Qing said, looking at Lingling’s family on the ground.
"I merely bewitched their minds; they will naturally awaken in two or three hours," Lei Ji said.
After carrying Lingling and her family of three into the house, Lei Ji began to disguise Xue Qing and Liu Ying. She had come well-prepared this time, with a whole box full of her tools in the backyard. In addition to the ointment needed for the disguise, she had also brought her own clothes, accessories, and cosmetics. The thought of having real human skin pasted onto her face made Xue Qing a little apprehensive, but thinking of her goal, she gritted her teeth and persevered.
Having prepared her appearance, Xue Qing went inside to change. Looking at herself in the bronze mirror, she now had the face of another woman. Though not stunningly beautiful, she was still quite pretty. Lei Ji had given her clothes commonly worn by maids in the Underworld; though not extravagant, they were pleasing to the eye. When she came out after changing, Liu Ying was already dressed. If it weren't for the bell he had bought at the market around his neck, Xue Qing would hardly have recognized him. He was a spitting image of beauty! He wasn't originally the muscular type, and with a little modification in women's clothing, he was a natural-born woman.
"Whose little beauty is this?" Xue Qing teasingly touched Liu Ying's chin.
Liu Ying's resigned expression, as if a woman abducted by a tyrant had resigned herself to her fate, only fueled Xue Qing's desire to force herself on her. Lei Ji looked at her two masterpieces with satisfaction: "Qing Shan, you see, as long as you pay attention to your words, even Yan Ming wouldn't be able to recognize you."
Mo Qingshan had always disagreed with Lei Ji's constant meddlesome behavior, but Lei Ji was a capricious and domineering person, so he could only reluctantly agree and nod helplessly: "Of course."
Xue Qing hadn't expected to infiltrate the Underworld so easily. It was Yan Ming's most trusted subordinate from the Six Paths who led her in. There's a saying: "Those who follow the Way receive much help, while those who stray from the Way receive little help; those who lose the hearts of the people will surely lose their most powerful comrades." Xue Qing was eager to see his expression when she, whom he thought was merely clinging to life, took away the Spirit Pivot Sword Manual. Of course, Xue Qing's ambition wasn't just to steal the sword manual; what she truly wanted to steal was his last refuge. After usurping his place, she wanted to see him equally destitute. He hadn't cherished what he possessed, so she would take it all away.
"Do you know why I want to enter the Underworld?" Xue Qing asked Lei Ji. Perhaps Lei Ji knew about the Ling Shu Sword Manual, but she could never have imagined her deeper purpose, because that purpose seemed almost insane to others.
"I am not interested in your purpose. I only know that you can help me achieve my goal," Lei Ji replied.
"You're not interested because you don't care. Even if the Underworld were gone, you wouldn't be moved."
"You're mistaken. The Underworld is my residence. If you threaten the Underworld, I will no longer tolerate you. However, I don't care who sits on the throne of the Underworld." Lei Ji smiled charmingly.
A single conversation had made the bottom line clear, and Xue Qing smiled at her, indicating that she accepted this bottom line.
Author's Note: The following is still the main text. **Sometimes I skip the main text. I promised a girl I'd repost the main text in the author's notes section, but I always forget. I just suddenly remembered—my memory is terrible!**
Lingling's mother said there was a market in the nearby Oasis Sand City today. Xue Qing was visiting the desert for the first time and wanted to join in the fun, so she borrowed two camels from Lingling's family, changed into Lingling's old clothes, and went to the market with Liuying.
The market sold everything imaginable, especially cow and sheep hides, which were incredibly cheap, displayed in bundles outside. Some Central Plains silks and porcelains, acquired through various means, could be easily exchanged for a bundle of sheep hides. There were also people selling horses; those tall, spirited steeds reminded Xue Qing of her own past: "I miss my white horse. I wonder if Xiao Guiying will treat it well… won't eat it!"
"...No, Pavilion Master Xiao was born in the Year of the Horse and doesn't eat horse meat," Liu Ying comforted him.
"Hey! Young ladies and gentlemen, come and take a look! These are homemade bells. Hang them around the necks of your cattle and sheep and they'll never run away again!" A woman hawked her wares to Xue Qing and Liu Ying, swinging a large string of bells.
Xue Qing took a closer look. It was made of solid iron and was much better than those hollow ornaments made with inferior materials in the Central Plains. She asked, "Will it really stay in place if I wear it?"
"Hey! The bell my husband makes won't rust even if it's soaked in water. If it tries to run away, the bell will ring right away, and it won't be able to escape."
"Can I exchange this for a coat?" Xue Qing said, taking out an outer garment. The woman saw that the garment was well-made and that she had made a profit, so she agreed.
"We don't have any sheep, so why are we selling this?" Liu Ying asked Xue Qing, puzzled.
Xue Qing tiptoed, tied the bell around Liu Ying's neck, and tugged at it, making a tinkling sound: "To prevent her from getting lost."
In the desolate desert, along the ten-mile-long sandy beach, Xue Qing and Liu Ying rode camels across the sand. The camels moved steadily and slowly, and the two held hands. The sound of the wind accompanied the tinkling of the bells around Liu Ying's neck, and Xue Qing chuckled.
"What are you laughing at?" Liu Ying had a bad feeling.
"Tell me, how did I end up meeting you? You're delicate and easily pushed over. What am I going to do now that I've decided on you?" Xue Qing said, pinching Liu Ying's cheek.
"I'll be there whenever you call, and you can use me as you please," said Firefly.
The image involuntarily flashed in Xue Qing's mind: "Vulgar! Who taught you that!" Xue Qing's cheeks flushed slightly, and she turned and walked away, driving the camel.
Liu Ying thought for a moment and realized that she must have seen this sentence in a book in the Shaolin Temple's Sutra Repository.
The two returned to Lingling's house, tied the camel to the door, and went inside to find no one there. Xue Qing called out, "We're back! Is anyone home?"
No one came out, but the sound of a pipa rose from inside. The pipa played only a single note, a few notes mingling with the silence, yet they stirred a deep unease within. Liu Ying pulled Xue Qing to her side. The Suwen sword was already drawn, its blade trembling slightly, seemingly hissing softly in sync with the pipa's melody. Xue Qing's Ling Shu at her waist was unusable, merely decorative. She quietly slid the hidden sword from her sleeve and clasped it in her hand.
Suddenly, a figure appeared at the doorway. The two women immediately became alert, and upon closer inspection, they saw Lingling staring at Xue Qing and Liu Ying with wide eyes. Liu Ying pulled Xue Qing away from Lingling, and Xue Qing also sensed something was wrong with Lingling's aura. They knew that simply staring at Lingling like this wasn't a solution, so Liu Ying patted Xue Qing's hand, signaling her to wait where she was. He walked to Lingling's side and asked, "Where are your father and mother?"
Lingling looked up at Liuying, her eyes dark and lifeless. She didn't answer, but suddenly stretched out her hand, which had been behind her back, and swung it at Liuying with a meat-cutting knife. Liuying was prepared and dodged by simply shifting his foot back. He had initially intended to use acupressure on Lingling, but then changed his mind. Facing Lingling's chaotic slashing, he calmly dodged, his ears constantly listening to the sound of the pipa. Whenever the pipa played, Lingling would move; the faster the pipa played, the more frequently she would move.
Knowing that Liu Ying had her own methods, Xue Qing wasn't in a hurry. She simply watched from the spot. An ominous shadow appeared in the corner of her vision. Xue Qing's eyes darted to the side and behind her. Lingling's father and mother came into view, their eyes vacant, like zombies from a movie. Xue Qing sheathed her hidden sword. After all, they weren't real zombies. Even if these civilians were being controlled, they could only use their meager brute strength. Xue Qing could easily handle them with her bare hands. Since she didn't know the physical condition of those being controlled, Xue Qing didn't want to hurt them.
The pipa music flowed smoothly like silk strings in a banquet, pleasant to the ear. Who would have thought that such a wicked thing was being done under the guise of heavenly music? Liu Ying grabbed Lingling's hand that was holding the kitchen knife, and Su Wen stabbed the wall beside her with the sword. Such a gentle sword pierced through the wall and disappeared into it. The pipa music stopped abruptly, and the three people who were being manipulated collapsed on the spot like puppets with their strings cut.
As Liu Ying drew her sword, a stunningly beautiful woman dressed entirely in crimson robes emerged from the house, carrying a pipa. The red beauty mark at the corner of her eye made her appear alluring, almost ghostly.