Chapter 25: Immortality Is Death, My Radish

"Hiss—"

The Dragon clan materialized outside the Snake clan's underground palace.

"Pfft—" Without warning, Long Kong suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the ground a vivid crimson.

"Your Highness?!" The others were shocked and looked at him with great concern. "Are you alright?"

"It is nothing," Long Kong said, steadying his mind. His lowered eyes glinted with a fierce, wrathful light. "It was merely an injury from the sword aura of the Moon-Heart Sword. It cannot finish me off."

"Your Highness!" Someone hurried out from the palace, joyfully offering up the supreme treasure in their hands. "My subordinate has brought back the Longevity Pearl Flower."

"The Longevity Pearl Flower?!"

Ignoring his injuries, Long Kong rushed forward, snatched the pearl flower from the man’s hand, and examined it closely.

The blood-red pearl flower was translucent, its stem a jade green. It had only five petals, each a vibrant, blood-red hue as if saturated with fresh blood. Even from a distance, one could see the light of spiritual power radiating from the flower, carrying with it a powerful aura of regeneration.

It was said that the Longevity Pearl Flower could grant humans eternal life and the path to immortality. However, the price to be paid was far more than a single medicinal flower could bear. Those who succeeded would possess a physical body as powerful as a cultivator's; those who failed would rapidly enter the final stage of life—withering and dying, unable to enter the cycle of reincarnation, vanishing from this world forever.

It was a high-stakes gamble between life and death, eternity and instant demise.

Long Kong smiled slowly, clutching the Longevity Pearl Flower tightly. He commanded in a heavy voice, "Retreat. I have noted this debt. One day, I will make Han Mo pay for this in blood."

"Yes!"

...

Inside the Snake clan’s palace:

"My King?" Han Ling rushed to support their monarch, fearful that he might suffer further backlash from the Moon-Heart Sword.

"Cough, it is fine..." Han Mo coughed softly and raised a hand to stop him. He had not yet reached the point of being unable to stand.

Han Ling nodded and stepped back, but upon seeing the cold, blue-glowing sword in his King’s hand, he asked worriedly, "My King, how were you able to wield this Moon-Heart Sword?"

It was an artifact of the High Gods, an object that had remained untouched for millions of years. It had not recognized a master in over ten millennia; how could it suddenly appear in their King’s hand? And how had their King managed to control it?

"It fed on my blood," Han Mo replied, sheathing the Moon-Heart Sword with a faint explanation.

His words were met with sheer disbelief.

"Fed?!" Han Ling jumped in surprise. "How could it feed on your blood? How is your body? Have you suffered any harm?"

"No. When I entered the Black River, I was wounded by the river demon. My blood spilled and fell onto the Moon-Heart Sword in the ice grotto, staining it with a few drops, that is all."

"So that was it? And... the river demon?"

Han Mo turned away coldly. "It snatched my precious pearl flower. It is dead."

"Dead...?" Han Ling was stunned. When he looked up, the figure before him had already vanished.

...

"Your Highness!"

Han Ling hurried to catch up. Looking at the corpses strewn across the ground, he said with a heavy heart, "What should be done with these people?"

"Bury them. Count the casualties and record them one by one. I will make Long Kong pay for this debt of blood."

"Yes, my lord. I understand."

...

The Nineteenth Level of Hell, inside the dungeon:

After a nap, the little dumpling felt refreshed and full of spirit upon waking. She was so happy she could have hugged a carrot and started munching.

"What are you eating?" The little dumpling kicked her legs as she hopped off the bed, looking at the fallen immortal who had turned to evil, sitting alone at a green-wood table, nibbling on something held between his long, slender fingers. She was extremely curious.

Bai Yan turned around, still holding the half-eaten rose petal cake, and looked at her with a resentful expression. "The little Highness is awake? Did you sleep well?"

"Very well!" The little dumpling nodded repeatedly, smiling happily. She had even had a sweet dream.

In the dream, her father had taken her up to the Nine Heavens, soaring across the Four Seas and Eight Wildernesses. It was wonderful. He had even planted a field of carrots for her in the mortal realm; she would eat one, and another would grow, eat one, and another would grow—endless, an infinite supply.

She loved it so much.

Hearing her joyful tone, Bai Yan felt even more stifled. He threw the small cake down with a "snap," stood up, and loomed over her with his height advantage.

"You, you, you—what are you doing?" The little dumpling was startled by his sudden movement, her small hands instinctively shielding her chest, fearing he might hit her.

He stared at her through gritted teeth, enunciating each word: "I, did, not, sleep, well."

Very poorly. Extremely poorly.

He had slept miserably. The cold, hard floor—even with layers of carpets and thin quilts—could not block out the discomfort of sleeping on the ground.

It was a pity the dungeon was empty. He couldn't exactly turn his dining table into a bed, could he? If he did, would he even be able to sleep? Wouldn't he be covered in food, with greasy items in his embrace, making it impossible to drift off?

"Hehehe," the little dumpling laughed awkwardly. Oh, right, she had forgotten he was sleeping on the floor. It must have been very uncomfortable.

The little dumpling reached out her fair, chubby hand and poked his chest, pushing him back. She gestured for him to step back; being so close was too oppressive, and she was afraid he would hit her.

Then, she tilted her noble and adorable little face upward, smiling cutely. "Don't worry, when Big Sister Meng Hui returns, I will have her bring you a proper bed. I guarantee you will have a comfortable night's sleep tonight, how about that?"

"I hope you are sensible." Bai Yan stepped back and pushed the green plate of small cakes toward her. "Here, try it. It’s a mortal flower cake."

"A flower cake?" The little dumpling’s attention was instantly captured. She had never heard of such a thing. "Is it delicious? What is it made of?"

"Naturally, it is delicious," Bai Yan said, picking up the reddest, most vibrant cake and handing it to her. "Look at the petals on top; it is made from flowers."

"Flowers?" The little dumpling reached out to take it, examining it up and down before looking up in surprise. "Is it made from medicinal flowers? Can it increase one's cultivation and magic power after eating it?"

"You think too much," Bai Yan rolled his eyes at her without hiding his disdain. "It is just food made by mortals to satisfy their hunger, just like the carrots you usually eat."

The little dumpling immediately shielded the pouch at her waist, exclaiming, "How do you know about my carrots?"

Inside her pouch, she had plenty of delicious red carrots, white carrots, and green carrots.

He chuckled and glanced at the pouch on her small waist. "Don't worry, I have no interest in eating your carrots."

She pursed her lips and bit into the flower cake to vent her frustration. Hmph, so what if she liked eating carrots?

These were treasures that Lady Meng Po had brought back for her the first time she visited the mortal realm. Since then, every time Lady Meng Po went, she would ask her to bring back some carrots to store in her pouch, without letting anyone else know.

Bai Yan crossed his arms and looked down at her. "You were muttering the word 'carrot' even in your sleep. Is it really that delicious?"

"Of course it is!" She chewed on the cake, and suddenly, a sweet, soft, and glutinous flavor exploded in her mouth. She was astonished. "Wow, this is really delicious too!"

Bai Yan smiled. "See? Is it good? Compared to your carrots, is it even better?"

"Mm-hmm, it's delicious." The little dumpling stuffed the rest of the cake into her mouth, ran to the table to grab a few more, and moved to shove them into her pouch.

As she stuffed them away, she said, "I want to save these for Father, Lady Meng Po, and Big Sister Bai Chang to taste."

"Oh, my little Highness!" Bai Yan quickly reached out to stop her. "What good things have they not eaten? Do you really need to hide these for them?"

Did she really think they were all like her, a little ghost who had never left Hell or been to the mortal realm?

Never mind a plate of flower cakes—even if a grand Manchu-Han Imperial Feast were laid out before them, they might not even be interested.

The little dumpling stopped and looked up at him. "Have Father and the others eaten these before?"

"Naturally. What mountain delicacies has Lord Yama not tasted?"

"Oh, I see..." The little dumpling's mood dampened. She put the flower cake she had picked up back onto the plate. "Then why doesn't Father take me to eat them?"

She had never eaten these things and had no idea that food could taste this good. Even that carrot had been brought back by Lady Meng Po when she went out; her father had never brought her anything like that.

Every time she stayed in the Hall of Heartlessness, she waited from day to night, and from night to day, hoping for her father's return. But whenever he returned, he was either busy with the trivial matters of Hell or reorganizing the entire underworld. He had never taken her out to eat or to go sightseeing.

"What is wrong with you?" Bai Yan noticed the change in her mood and quickly lowered his head to look at her.

The little dumpling hung her head, eyes fixed on her small embroidered shoes, and whispered, "Father said before that he would take me out of Hell."