Chapter 82: The Fiancée of the Third Nether King

Wangchuan’s explanation was straightforward: the Underworld and our Rift had gone to war.

But it wasn’t an open declaration of war; it was a clandestine battle in the shadows.

Just like last time, a mob of ravenous ghosts had infiltrated a corner of the Rift, slaughtering the kittens within with reckless abandon!

Of course there must have been an informant, but no one suspected me—the one who had supposedly washed my hands of all guilt long ago and had been locked away in a room, unable to step outside.

Clearly, this matter had nothing to do with me.

But Wangchuan said these fiends had an obvious goal: to throw the Rift into chaos, and then find a certain kitten!

Their intentions couldn’t be clearer—it was as if they had come specifically for one cat!

The realization sent a shudder through me.

Since these fiends were searching for a particular cat, wasn’t it obvious? The only one locked up was me!

Could it be that they were looking for me?

I cast an imploring glance at Wangchuan, hoping he would tell me whether I was indeed their target.

But he had no intention of answering. He dodged my questions with a thousand excuses.

I couldn’t out-argue him, and in the end, he simply silenced me! He even threatened that if I asked again, he’d silence all of my mouths!

“Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing now?” I looked at him, my mind a little muddled.

He only grinned and gave me a hard poke. “You know exactly how many little mouths you have.”

A scream burst out of me as my heart shattered into pieces!

No wonder he’d earned the nickname ‘the Great Pervert’! I wasn’t even his submissive, so why was he so fixated on my behind!

After that, I dared not press further—I had to protect myself!

Still, if Wangchuan wouldn’t say, who was to stop me from asking Xiaoyun and Fishball?

When Wangchuan wasn’t home, he locked me up, but when he was, I was free as a bird! I could go anywhere I pleased, unchecked!

Of course, Wangchuan expected me to stay quietly indoors, but I was never one to sit still.

Peering outside, everything seemed unchanged, so clearly nothing was amiss. I decided to sneak out!

Given the current situation, venturing out in human form would have drawn too much attention. After much deliberation, I waited until Wangchuan left before quietly transforming into a kitten and slipping away.

But the moment I stepped outside, I realized the world beyond was ablaze with war!

So many grasses had been scorched clean—a scene reminiscent of the last time fiends invaded the Rift.

The difference was that now, all the kittens had been resurrected, so it didn’t seem as desolate.

“Xiaoyun!” I rushed over and saw Xiaoyun busying herself with a small kitten’s belongings.

The kitten looked odd—tiny, filthy, just as I had been when I first arrived in the Rift.

“Qianqian, you’re here?” Xiaoyun turned around, and the kitten shrank behind her, frightened.

“Who is this?” I eyed the little one. Why was she in the Guardian’s courtyard?

“This is a new kitten I brought back from the human world. Her name is Xuanxuan—just like you, a pitiful child.”

Hearing Xiaoyun’s explanation, I had no interest in prying into Xuanxuan’s origins. Instead, I quickly pulled Xiaoyun aside. “What’s been happening in the Rift lately? Tell me everything.”

“Huh? Aren’t you with Master every day? How could you not know?” Xiaoyun looked perplexed. How could someone at the very top know nothing of the turmoil below?

“That guy won’t tell me!” I gritted my teeth, but dared not complain too much. His restrictions were far too severe!

“If Master won’t say, then we wouldn’t dare either…” My lack of explanation made Xiaoyun timid as well.

“Speak! Are you going to tell me or not?” I slapped a paw down, mimicking Wangchuan’s usual lecturing stance.

“Alright…” Xiaoyun leaned in, whispering, “It seems those fiends are looking for you…”

“For me?!” I was startled, though deep down, I had already suspected as much. I pressed on, “Do you know why?”

“Well… um…” Xiaoyun glanced around, avoiding my eyes.

I gave her another swat. “Drop the ‘um’s and ‘uh’s at a time like this!”

“Fine, they’re looking for someone the King of Three Shadows wants. I heard… I heard it’s his betrothed. All the kittens have been checked, only… only you remain…”

Just as she spoke, a sudden crack echoed outside, like thunder. Xiaoyun immediately grew alert and shoved Xuanxuan under the bed.

“Qianqian, can you protect yourself now?”

Indeed, time had changed the once frail, timid Xiaoyun—now she stood before me like a warrior, claws raised, ready for battle.

“Of course!” Seeing Xiaoyun like this, I couldn’t let her down.

But when we stepped outside, I was utterly dumbfounded!

So many fiends! Far more than we’d ever seen before!

The sky had turned a murky green, filled with the shrieks and howls of countless fiends.

A hole had torn open in the heavens, and through it poured all manner of large and small ghosts—black, stinking, swarming through the air!

The moment I appeared, they all sniffed the air, and in a flash, swarmed toward me like bees!

Xiaoyun was equally stunned. She hadn’t expected hundreds, even thousands of fiends to surge toward me, and was frozen on the spot.

So was I.

Perhaps I’d grown too used to the tranquility with Wangchuan; I’d become complacent, unprepared. Faced with this, I was at a complete loss.

In the blink of an eye, I was surrounded like prey by vultures, with nowhere to run.

With a sudden roar, they engulfed me. In that split second, darkness closed in.

The next moment, a sharp pain shot through my ear—I screamed!

That earring began to glow deep blue, waves surging like the ocean.

The light dazzled me, forcing my eyes shut. When I opened them again, the fiends had all retreated!

All around, black smoke billowed, and within it stood a furious figure.

At the same time, my ear was yanked upward, my paws flailing helplessly in the air.

“Master! Master! Ah, don’t pull my ear! It hurts!”

Seeing who it was, I bared my teeth and wailed, but as always, I dared not lash out.

Xiaoyun stood by, petrified, one paw half-raised, unable to move.

“What are you doing here?” Wangchuan’s voice was icy, each word ground out between clenched teeth.

I pursed my lips, not daring to speak, my ear nearly torn off.

Wangchuan hadn’t treated me like this in so long… Suddenly, I felt so aggrieved, tears began to fall, pattering on the floor.

Seeing my pitiful expression, he unexpectedly relented, releasing my ear and instead lifting me by my collar.

Well, it was a bit tight, but at least it didn’t hurt.

Still at a disadvantage, I dared not complain, not until Wangchuan waved a hand, turning into a swirl of black smoke.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the room, tossed onto the carpet.

Ouch! It hurt!

Much like the first time Wangchuan had dropped me from a height—thank goodness for the carpet, or I’d have been in much worse shape!

But as I scrambled up, there he was, advancing step by step.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay inside and behave?”

“I…”

“I said not to go out. Why didn’t you listen?” He drew closer.

I shrank back, longing to crawl under the bed.

“Stay there.” He looked down at me.

But I was truly scared; with a swish, I darted under the bed!

A sudden pain shot through my tail!

“Miaow!” I howled, scrambling out from under the bed.

That scoundrel Wangchuan had stepped on my tail!

The moment I crawled out, I hurried to change back into human form, tucking my tail away.

But Wangchuan grabbed me at once—unlike usual, when he might have been stern but never this angry.

I knew I must have pushed him too far—disobeying, nearly being captured. No wonder he was so furious.

So I dared not make a sound, not even a whimper, as he fastened the iron collar around my neck once more.

I wailed inwardly—wasn’t this just bringing trouble upon myself?

After he’d tethered me, Wangchuan sat on the bed, eyes narrowed, watching me.

“Are you satisfied now?”