Chapter 5 — The Demon Queen’s Ten-Lifetime Pact

The Great Emperor of the Underworld offered a reluctant, weary smile. "Your energy has barely recovered, yet you are already consumed by thoughts of vengeance?"

The parents of my beloved and me had both been legendary generals of the Underworld. When we were mere infants, all four of our guardians perished in the line of duty, one after another. It was the Great Emperor himself who raised us, nurturing us into the beings we are today. To us, he is far more than a sovereign; he is the father we lost. Because of this bond, I never felt the weight of intimidation or formality when standing before him.

"It is a matter of great urgency," I replied, my voice steady despite the turmoil within. "I have waited ten lifetimes for this day."

A flicker of hesitation crossed the Emperor’s eyes. Yet, he was a man who stood by his word, and slowly, he placed the heavy bronze box into my trembling hands. Before letting go, however, he cast a lingering look at me and made a solemn request. "Ning, your parents and the parents of Yuan were the greatest heroes this realm has ever known. To me, both of you are my own flesh and blood. Promise me that, no matter the depth of your resentment, you will spare his life. Can you do that?"

I understood his plight. Our parents had been his right and left hands, loyal to the very end, always the first to charge into the maw of danger. During that final battle against the Ghost General, they had sacrificed their own lives to seal the beast, dying a tragic, agonizing death upon the battlefield. The Emperor had carried the crushing burden of that guilt ever since, leading him to treasure the legacy of their bloodlines above all else. Though a sliver of regret pricked my heart, I could not bear to put the old man in an impossible position. I dipped my head in a soft nod. "Very well. I give you my word."

After leaving the capital, Meng Po and I returned to the Palace of the Ghost Emperor. As we approached the grand gates, we encountered the court physician stepping out of the main hall. Driven by curiosity, Meng Po caught his sleeve. "How is Ran? Can she still be saved?"

The physician shook his head, letting out a long, hollow sigh. "It is beyond repair. The bone-shattering vine has seeped into her marrow. Even if the Great Emperor himself were to intervene, his hands would be tied." The physician turned his gaze toward me, bowing deeply until his forehead nearly brushed the floor. "My Lady, I beg you to punish me as you see fit for this failure."

I flicked my finger, and a small, ornate box appeared in my palm. "Punish you? On the contrary, I owe you a reward. This is the ten-thousand-year-old Moon-Catcher herb. I know you have been searching for it for ages; it is yours."

The physician was struck with a mix of terror and profound gratitude. He accepted the herb with trembling hands and fell to his knees with a heavy thud. "My Lady, if you ever have need of me in the future, I would be willing to face total destruction for your sake!"

As we sent the physician on his way, Meng Po giggled. "Ning, it really isn't difficult to provoke Yuan, is it? You tortured Ran—that was simply to sate your own malice, wasn't it?"

"Of course," I replied, smoothing out my robes and gripping the bronze box tightly. "Do not speak only of these ten lifetimes; in the times before, she was ten times more ruthless toward me." I turned toward the grand entrance. "Let us go inside. I simply cannot wait to see the look on Yuan’s face when he discovers the truth."

The moment we stepped toward the inner chamber, we heard the faint, wheezing sobs of Ran, followed by Yuan’s voice, thick with both remorse and agony. "Ran, I have finally taken vengeance for you. Xuan-Ning must be dead by now. Wait just a moment more; I shall drag her carcass here, and we will lash her until our hearts are content. Would that ease your suffering?"

Ran could not reply, only nodding feebly. Yuan raised his hand, gesturing sharply in the air to summon the body, but to his confusion, nothing appeared. He tried again, his brow furrowing as the silence stretched thin. "What is the meaning of this? Has her soul truly been scattered to the winds?"

I pushed the doors open and walked in, a cold smile playing on my lips. "Yuan, I am afraid you are destined for disappointment. I am alive, and I am quite perfectly whole."

Yuan staggered back, his face turning deathly pale. It was only natural—the ghostly aura of a Ghost Emperor was not something a mortal could withstand, especially given the full force he had directed at me earlier. He rushed toward me, his eyes scanning me from head to toe before he barked, "Why are you not wounded? How can your legs even be healed?"

Before I could answer, a realization dawned on him. "I see it now. You once spoke of a contract with the Great Emperor—you asked him to save your life, did you not?"

I offered a nonchalant shrug. "The Emperor did indeed save my life, but our pact was not for such trivial matters. If you truly wish to know the nature of it, I could tell you."

Yuan offered a cold, derisive snort. "I have no interest in your games." He turned his back on me, gathering Ran’s limp, mud-like form into his arms. "Ran, if the Great Emperor could save Xuan-Ning, he can certainly save you. He treats me as his own son; if we go to him and beg, he will surely not turn us away."