291: Realm Spirit Crane

The malevolence in Zhu Yan's heterochromatic eyes surged. "Where did this little brat come from?"

His withered claws, wrapped in dark gold filth, swiped toward the stone tablet, intending to crush both the person and the tablet into dust.

"Tsk, old man, you have no martial ethics." The little girl curled her lip. With a light tap of her bare feet on the stone tablet, she moved so fast that even his heterochromatic eyes couldn't keep up.

*Bang~*

A seemingly tender little fist slammed solidly into the palm of Zhu Yan's withered claw.

*Crack!*

The sound of bone shattering was crisp and loud.

The dark gold filth accelerated its collapse as Zhu Yan's entire arm twisted grotesquely like a fried dough twist.

The intense pain caused the old face under the hood to instantly contort.

"Ah..." Just as the miserable howl left his mouth, the little girl's other fist had already slammed into his chin.

Zhu Yan's head snapped back, and his hood flew off. His withered old face was momentarily exposed, and several yellowish teeth were spat out along with blood.

"You..."

He was horrified beyond measure.

This strength, this speed—this was definitely no little brat. She felt more like an old acquaintance.

The little girl flipped in mid-air and landed steadily back on the stone tablet. She shook her little fist, her face full of disdain.

"The old turtle's shell is quite hard; it made my hand hurt." She shook her hand and pulled a new utility knife out of her red bellyband. The blade popped out with a *snap*, gleaming with a cold light.

"Maybe I should try a different tool."

Clutching his broken arm, Zhu Yan was filled with shock and rage. "Who exactly are you?" Filth energy surged frantically toward his wound, attempting to repair it.

"Why do you care who I am?"

With a tap of her toes, the little girl disappeared again.

Her voice came from behind Zhu Yan: "You smashed my front door; have you paid the property management fee?"

Zhu Yan's hair stood on end as he hastily condensed a shield of filth energy behind his back.

*Screech~*

The utility knife sliced across the shield, sending sparks flying. Several cracks appeared in the shield, and the tip of the blade narrowly grazed the back of his neck, drawing a trail of blood beads.

"Quite quick reflexes, old turtle." The little girl's voice was tinged with excitement as her offensive grew more rapid.

Her small figure turned into a series of afterimages, her utility knife specifically targeting Zhu Yan's joints, eyes, and the location of his demon core.

The blade's light was so fast it formed a silver net.

Zhu Yan was beaten into a pathetic state.

The filth energy was completely countered by the utility knife; the repair speed couldn't keep up with the destruction.

His arm hadn't healed, and several more bloody holes appeared on his legs.

A dignified peak Eighth-Rank Great Demon was being chased and stabbed by a little girl in a bellyband.

"Enough!" Zhu Yan roared, his heterochromatic eyes suddenly flashing brilliantly. The candle flame in his right eye burned wildly, locking onto the little girl's true body.

The star in his other eye spun frantically, forcefully churning the surrounding space, intending to banish her into a turbulent flow.

"Freeze~"

The little girl spat out a single word in her milky voice.

The space Zhu Yan was churning instantly solidified like frozen jelly.

For the first time, fear appeared in Zhu Yan's heterochromatic eyes. "Manifesting Law with Words? You are Min—"

"Min your head!"

The little girl grew impatient. Her body slammed into Zhu Yan's chest like a cannonball, and her tender forehead slammed hard against the bridge of his nose.

*Crack!*

Zhu Yan's nose bridge collapsed, and demon blood sprayed wildly. Amidst the stars in his eyes, the cute little qilin pattern embroidered on her bellyband seemed to come to life in his blurred vision, baring its teeth at him.

The little girl took the opportunity to plunge the entire utility knife into the location of his demon core, even twisting it half a turn with force.

"Argh——"

Zhu Yan let out a miserable howl. His demon core shook violently, and the filth energy went completely out of control. He sensed his life force being frantically drained away by the 'utility knife'.

"Die!" The little girl's gaze gradually turned cold as she prepared to crush Zhu Yan's demon core.

"Please, show mercy."

Several passages were torn through the void, and Shang Wan Ning stepped out. Her black phoenix robe still carried the lingering aura of wind and thunder.

Sister Meng and the others followed closely behind.

???

Shang Wan Ning looked in astonishment at the "toddler" on the stone tablet committing the assault with a knife.

Meng Jiang's gaze swept over the little girl's face, and her delicate body shook violently. That face... though tender, vaguely held the contours of the former supreme ruler of the Underworld, Empress Nether Crane.

Especially that disdainful gaze—it was practically identical. They were both so condescending!!!

"Nether Crane?" Meng Jiang cried out in shock.

"Hmm?"

The little girl's movements paused, and she subconsciously looked back. Her innocent big eyes met Meng Jiang's shocked and ecstatic gaze.

With just that one look, Meng Jiang's ecstasy quickly froze, and rage burned through the top of her head.

It wasn't a reincarnation; it was her original aura.

This deadbeat boss hadn't died completely at all; she was hiding here as a world spirit, pretending to be young.

"Good, very good." Meng Jiang laughed out of extreme anger, stepping up to the stone tablet. Her jade-like finger almost poked the little girl's nose.

"Former Majesty, are you having fun faking your death?"

"Where is your Subordinate's salary? Twenty thousand years, including interest—pay me back now!!!" Her roar was so loud that the Yin energy in the core area flickered several times.

The little girl—no, the World Spirit Nether Crane—shuddered at this sudden debt collection. She even forgot to pull out the utility knife stuck in Zhu Yan's belly.

She shrunk her neck, her little feet scuffing backward. Her eyes darted around as she muttered with a lack of confidence.

"For former debt disputes, please follow legal procedures. Go find the current Empress to support you." Her little finger pointed at the bewildered Shang Wan Ning nearby.

Shang Wan Ning looked at the chaotic scene and helplessly massaged her forehead.

She looked at the World Spirit Nether Crane. "System, how many more shocks are there that I don't know about?"

Before she could finish speaking.

*Zzt~*

Xiao Si popped out of the void with a *whoosh*. She didn't dare use her previous skins, fearing she would be beaten by the enraged Sister Meng.

The two large eyes made of pixels on the sphere were now filled with visible guilt.

She spun around, looking for a crack to crawl back into. "Ah-la-la~ Congratulations, great host, for discovering a hidden Easter egg of the Underworld."

"World Spirit Nether Crane—you deserve to have her!"

Shang Wan Ning said sarcastically, "Please speak human language."

Xiao Si's pixel eyes turned into two wavy lines, and the sphere shrank. "Alright, alright, I'll come clean."

"During the God War of the past, the Underworld was besieged by both the East and West and was nearly destroyed. I pulled all the Yin Gods who still had a breath left into the system."

The sphere flashed, simulating a serious expression. "The condition was that they must offer their loyalty to the next successor of the Underworld."

The light ball floated above Nether Crane's head. "Ahem~ This former Empress Nether Crane—is naturally included in the package."

Xiao Si continued, "But, Empress Nether Crane didn't want to be a perpetual second-in-command. Even less did she want to cry over documents every day as a high-level wage slave."

Her pixel eyes glanced at Nether Crane with a 'you know' hint. "She... ahem, gave me a tiny bribe of Law power."

Nether Crane snapped her head up, her little pigtails almost slapping her own face, as she hurriedly defended herself.

"It was only about the size of a fingernail, really."

Xiao Si ignored her. "The reason was to stuff her into the core area as a World Spirit. Firstly, to guard the Underworld's origin, and secondly, so she could openly slack off and loaf around."

The sphere turned toward Shang Wan Ning, and a red light flashed in its pixel eyes.

"And by the way, to leave a small back door."

"Just in case the next successor turned out to be a beast in human clothing who didn't care about the Underworld or mistreated the Yin Gods and Ghost Messengers..."

Nether Crane jumped up and covered Xiao Si's glowing area. "Shut up, you broken system! This seat didn't plan on offing anyone, absolutely not!"

Shang Wan Ning silently raised her hand and touched the back of her neck.

[Well, it's still there. It just feels inexplicably a bit chilly.]