Dread King's Bride

The entrance to the Ministry of Revenue's mansion was draped in white silk, exuding a solemn air. Unlike the chaos of the previous night, the mansion was eerily quiet, as if setting a trap for its guests. The one to greet them was the same steward who had accompanied the wedding procession days before.

"P-pay respects to the King... and the Queen..."

"The master and madam are overwhelmed with grief and unable to host properly, so they sent this old servant to welcome you. I beg for your forgiveness."

QingWu abruptly covered her mouth and nose, taking a large step back, her words shocking as always. "You—did you soak yourself in a dung bucket? You reek… oh, the stench… ugh…"

Backing straight into Xiao Chenyuan, she quickly turned, pressing closer to him. Breathing in his cold, killing aura seemed to be the only thing that could quell her nausea. Her reaction wasn't exaggerated—it was genuine.

Even the Judge's Brush Spirit retched beside her. "The stench! It's unbearable! Just how much evil has this steward done for his soul to reek like rotting corpses?"

At first, Xiao Chenyuan assumed QingWu was deliberately stirring trouble. However, as he lowered his gaze, he noticed her clutching her chest, her reddened eyes damp with unshed tears, and her fluttering lashes betraying genuine discomfort. Her fragile appearance unexpectedly evoked a hint of sympathy.

The sharpness in his phoenix-like eyes turned toward the steward, his casual glance carrying an oppressive force. "You were the one who accompanied the wedding procession that day?"

"I've returned with the Queen to her family home, yet Minister Yun sends only you to greet us. Who exactly is this spectacle intended for?"

Behind him, the black-armored guards subtly moved their hands to their sword hilts. The steward collapsed to his knees in terror, barely daring to breathe. The Dread King, this harbinger of death, wasn't here for a mere family visit—he'd clearly come to pick a fight!

As for the lady of the house… Wasn't she just a corpse demon? And now, clinging to the Dread King, she thought she could flaunt her authority? Surely someone could put her in her place! The steward's fear was tinged with resentment, a reflection of the disdain and cruelty he had once shown Yun QingWu when she lived as an unwanted daughter of the Yun family.

QingWu's gaze lowered, catching the vile intentions emanating from the steward. Her laugh was cold and sharp. "Dogs take after their masters—how could a cesspit raise anything less than filth?"

The steward dared not protest, his only recourse to beg pitifully for mercy. QingWu turned to the servants behind her. "Bring in everything I've prepared for my father and dear sister. Be careful not to damage it—we wouldn't want my sister's final journey to be too lonely!"

Under the bright, clear sky, a chilling wind seemed to blow through the air. Crates of gold ingots and incense were carried in one after another, but the most unnerving sight was the lifelike paper effigies of attendants, luxurious carriages, and horses. The painted smiles on the effigies' faces exuded an eerie aura, unsettling everyone in the Ministry of Revenue's mansion. It was as if those paper figures might suddenly spring to life.

The steward took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain composed, all the while recalling the orders given by Madam Luo.

"The madam is waiting for the young lady in the back courtyard."

The inner residence was a space reserved for women, making it inappropriate for Xiao Chenyuan to enter. He glanced at QingWu, then unexpectedly spoke to Lü Qiao and Hong Rui, his tone firm. "Protect the Queen."

The two maids promptly replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

QingWu raised an eyebrow in amusement. Well, well, was Xiao Chenyuan having a change of heart today?

The steward, standing to the side with an outward display of deference, concealed malicious intent in his downcast eyes.

The Judge's Brush Spirit commented, "This steward reeks more with each passing moment. It's clear they've been preparing for your visit today."

QingWu wasn't surprised. Yun Houxing had been able to summon those two rogue sorcerers, Wu Shuang and Wu Ji, proving he had connections in such circles. When she caught a glimpse of Madam Luo yesterday, she had already noticed something unusual.

Yun Houxing's karma was heavy with debt, but Madam Luo, a woman of the inner residence, bore an even greater weight of sins, likely drenched in blood. QingWu watched the steward's retreating figure with a sinister smile. This Ministry of Revenue's mansion truly was a den of filth and corruption—a most intriguing place.

The steward led them into the courtyard. Once inside, he quickened his pace, and the moment QingWu and her two maids stepped through the gate, the command was given.

"Quick! Shut the gates!"

Outside, guards who had been lying in wait sprang into action, slamming the courtyard doors shut and locking them with heavy bolts. Within seconds, the courtyard was sealed, and armed guards emerged from the shadows, brandishing swords and axes as they charged toward the women.

Lü Qiao and Hong Rui shouted furiously, "How dare the Ministry of Revenue's mansion show such audacity!"

Both women were former secret guards with exceptional combat skills. Seven or eight attackers were no match for them, and even if the number were doubled, they would still be unafraid.

The steward hadn't anticipated that mere maids would possess such remarkable combat skills. Watching as the guards were swiftly overpowered and incapacitated, he panicked and shouted toward the inner quarters, "Madam!"

"Why panic!" Madam Luo strode out, adorned in glittering jewels, her demeanor showing not the slightest hint of grief for her deceased daughter or exhaustion from a night of ghostly disturbances. Clutching a bronze mirror in her hand, she glared venomously at QingWu. "Just a bastard and two lowly maids, yet you let them cause such chaos? Ring the bells immediately!"

The steward hastily pulled the red cord tied to a nearby pillar. A cacophony of chimes rang out, revealing the courtyard's eerie setup. The red threads crisscrossed above like a spider's web, each string adorned with bells. At eight distinct positions, bronze mirrors were suspended, all precisely angled to face the entrance.

Lü Qiao and Hong Rui felt something was off. The ringing of the bells churned their inner fire, as if an axe were splitting their skulls. A searing pain erupted inside their heads. Suddenly, the spots where they carried the red talismans turned scalding hot, as though a cooling force was driving out the invasive energy. The unbearable ringing diminished to a faint hum. Overjoyed and astonished, the two maids looked at QingWu. The talismans the Queen had given them worked!

Yet, they saw QingWu clutching her ears in agony, wincing as she cried out, "It's so noisy... so noisy it's killing me... My head is going to split open..."

The two were dumbfounded. Seeing this, the steward burst into laughter, and Madam Luo smirked with satisfaction. Her venomous gaze bore into QingWu as she sneered coldly, "You bastard really have a tough life. Even after being forged into a living curse, you didn't die. I don't know how you stumbled upon your luck and gained some mystical tricks, but did you think summoning a little ghost could wreak havoc in the Ministry of Revenue's Mansion?"

"Feeling like your head is about to burst? Ha! Ha! Ha! These bells need only burn for half an incense stick's time before you turn into a raving lunatic. When that happens, I'll have you chopped up to feed the dogs, and then I'll scatter your soul to the wind! That way, you can keep my dear Yu Jiao company in the afterlife!" Madam Luo laughed heartily, already envisioning QingWu's gruesome demise.

QingWu: "Oh no, that sounds so terrifying~" She let her hands drop, her enchanting face full of disdain as she lazily stopped pretending. "Is this the best you can do with all that time to prepare?"

She squinted at the bronze mirror in Madam Luo's hand. Within the mirror, a female ghost thrashed against its surface—it was Yun QingWu. The ghost had been causing chaos in the mansion the night before, only to be trapped inside the mirror.

Madam Luo, like a goose being strangled, stared in disbelief, her eyes wide. "You're fine? That's impossible!"

QingWu sneered. "What else? Do you think a few broken bells or that cracked mirror in your hand can harm me? Or are you just deluding yourself? At least those two shamans you hired had some skill. You're just an ordinary person; where does your confidence come from?"

"This... No! It's not possible!" Madam Luo shrieked, her mind refusing to reconcile with the sight before her. Last night, the ghost had been rendered powerless at the sound of the bells. In desperation, she bit her finger and smeared a bloody character for "Death" onto the mirror's surface. At that moment, the copper mirrors hanging in the courtyard began to shudder violently as if something was trying to break free. The red cords vibrated, and the bells attached to them jangled fiercely.

Lü Qiao and Hong Rui felt the red talismans around their waists grow searing hot.

"Yun QingWu! Die already!" Madam Luo's ferocious yell morphed into a terrified scream. The steward, too, let out a wail as he fell back onto his rear in fear.

Lü Qiao and Hong Rui widened their eyes, unable to comprehend how QingWu had moved. In the blink of an eye, she was already before Madam Luo, her hand wrapped around the woman's throat. QingWu swung her arm, delivering a resounding slap.

Madam Luo: "Ahhh—"

QingWu clicked her tongue, muttering, "Nothing beats the satisfaction of slapping someone yourself."

"Ah~ Refreshing!" she exclaimed gleefully, landing slap after slap.

The steward, trembling and desperate to escape, tried to run. With just a glance from QingWu, the red cords tied to the pillars coiled around his neck like living snakes, dragging him upward like a hanging dog. Screams erupted as the guards who still had consciousness backed away in terror. Some banged on the gates, trying to flee, while others attempted to scale the walls.

Thunk, thunk, thunk—

One by one, the red cords snapped free, slithering through the air like vengeful spirits. They looped around the guards' necks and ankles, hoisting them into the air like flies caught in a spider's web. Every struggle was futile.

Madam Luo, trembling in QingWu's grasp, was consumed by terror. She couldn't understand. Yun QingWu was supposed to be a useless wretch, even if transformed into a living curse or reanimated. How could she possibly wield such power?

"You... You're not Yun... Wu..." Madam Luo croaked, her throat constricted, barely able to form words.

QingWu chuckled darkly, leaning close to whisper, "Just now realizing I'm not her? Fool. Too late!"