Chapter 3 — The Demon Queen’s Ten-Lifetime Pact

I laughed with a chilling, hollow sound and replied: "In our third lifetime, you sought to preserve your youthful beauty and secretly descended to the depths of the River of Oblivion to harvest the Void-Sun Herb, which caused you to miscarry. Then, you framed me for your own undoing. In this lifetime, I have merely ensured that your lies transformed into a grim reality. In truth, you should be thanking me. The next time you descend to the River of Oblivion, you shall no longer need to fear the tragedy of a miscarriage."

Before my words had even faded, a heavy, stinging slap landed across my face. Qiyuan was trembling with such fury that his entire frame shook, his rage erupting like molten fire. "Xuan Ning, you are truly wicked! Even if Rannian did once frame you, that is a matter of the past! Must you insist on clinging to those stale, moldy grievances without ever letting go?"

So, it turned out that Qiyuan had always known I was framed. Yet, even knowing the truth, he chose to turn a blind eye. He had still heartlessly carved the living fruit of our union from my womb to forge into ghost-demons. I remember it all too vividly; when my two little ones were extracted, they were already fully formed. They were a healthy pair of twins. Had they been granted but three months more, they would have finally looked upon their mother’s face. Alas, before they could even open their eyes, their lives were extinguished at the hands of their own father. It was as pathetic as it was unforgivable. As these thoughts surfaced, the final, meager shreds of affection I once held for Qiyuan shattered completely.

I spoke with cold, resolute finality: "Indeed. If you have the strength, my Lord, then kill me. Otherwise, I shall ensure that you repay everything you have ever owed me!"

Qiyuan seemed caught off guard by my sudden transformation, as if I had become an entirely different person; his spine stiffened in shock. When he finally regained his composure, his rage flared to its zenith. "Xuan Ning, you truly refuse to mend your ways even in the face of death! You wish to die? I, your Lord, shall make sure that desire goes unfulfilled!"

Hm? Has this man lost his mind? In the past, when I lowered my head in submission, he dealt his cruelties without the slightest hesitation. He had thrown me into the River of Oblivion to drown, thrust me into the Great Burning Hell to be scorched alive, and even cast me into the Prison of Evil Ghosts, where myriad wicked spirits tore my flesh and drank my blood. Now that I stood tall and openly provoked him, now that I had finally harmed Yuran, he would not let me die? My frustration was beyond words. The truth was, my requirements were quite specific, and the first condition for my ultimate plan was that Qiyuan himself had to be the one to end my life. Regrettably, he now only sought to keep me in a state worse than death.

I had intended to provoke him further, but he struck first. His ghostly aura surged, violently tearing my abdomen open. This was merely the third month of my pregnancy with the twins. Because I had forced Yuran to miscarry prematurely, my own children had not yet fully formed. Gazing at the bloody, mangled remains of my flesh and blood upon the floor, my heart turned to ice. Even knowing that Qiyuan would never care, I could not stop myself from asking, "My Lord, in those early years, we dreamt of a future together. You once said your greatest wish was to be by my side and have a child of our own. I know those words have long since lost their value, but as you look upon these two innocent lives, does your heart not ache in the slightest?"

Qiyuan froze momentarily, a flicker of complex emotion crossing his features—whether it was disdain or lingering shame, I could not tell. But the words that left his lips remained cruelly cold. "It was merely the folly of youth, before I understood what love truly was. Only after meeting Rannian did I understand the sensation of wishing to walk hand-in-hand with someone until the end of time. These two are indeed innocent. But for them to go and keep company with Rannian’s child, one might say that is their fate."

With those words, Qiyuan ordered his guards to drag me from the hall. Granny Meng, hearing the commotion, hurried over, her heart heavy with both pity and fury. "Xuan Ning, you say this is not about love or hatred—are you truly content to be tormented in this manner?"

I offered a bitter smile: "Yes, and yet, no. Do you truly wish to know?"

After I finished speaking, Granny Meng turned pale with terror. "Such a monumental secret, and yet the Lord remains completely unaware?"

I shook my head, smiling with hollow irony: "Years ago, the Great Emperor took pity on me and erased Qiyuan’s memories of that past. If I can reach the end of these ten lifetimes with a peaceful departure, the ancient contract shall be voided. The Great Emperor gave me a chance, and in doing so, he gave Qiyuan a path of retreat."

Granny Meng finally let out a long breath, her brow smoothing at last. "If that is the case, then he has brought this retribution upon himself through his own lack of appreciation. Tell me, how can I help you?"