Giving Birth But Not Raising, Why Are You Crying Now That I’ve Become an Immortal Emperor? - Chapter 16 - Chapter 16 – Little Ghost Girl Kowtows and Begs for Mercy, The True Mastermind—Duke Wuyou

A few days ago, in Duke Wuyou’s mansion.

Late at night, a mysterious figure draped in a black robe and wide-brimmed hat was quietly escorted into the mansion. In the study, the figure met with Duke Wuyou, Zhao Tianming.

“Your humble servant greets His Royal Highness, Duke Wuyou.”

A low, sharp, and hoarse voice emerged from under the brim of the hat. The mysterious figure casually removed their veil, revealing an elderly woman’s face, full of sinister and twisted features.

Zhao Tianming remained seated as usual, coldly staring at the old woman. After sizing her up for a moment, he spoke in a deep voice.

“Do you know why I summoned you here tonight?”

A ghostly smile crept onto the old woman’s weathered face as she respectfully responded.

“Hehe, I assume it’s because some fool has provoked the duke?”

“Who is it that the duke wants to deal with? I’ll immediately capture their soul and bring it to you for disposal.”

The old woman was a ghost master, with cultivation at the Soul Transformation realm. With the ghosts she had refined, she usually took on tasks of sneak attacks and assassinations. Duke Wuyou had secretly sent for her, and her mission was clear.

Seeing the old woman’s respectful attitude, Zhao Tianming nodded in satisfaction and casually tossed a jade slip toward her.

The old woman caught it and probed it with her spiritual sense. Her brows furrowed after a moment.

The jade slip only contained the image of a child – it was none other than Ye Lingyun, who was currently living and cultivating in the Chu Empire’s Imperial Palace.

Duke Wuyou wanted to deal with a mere child?

“Kill this person in secret. The reward will be the same as before,” Zhao Tianming said coldly.

The old woman stored the jade slip and, with a puzzled look, asked, “Your Highness, who is this person?”

“A little bastard from the Imperial Palace who bothers me,” Zhao Tianming replied, leaning back in his chair and lightly tapping the armrest with his fingers, a cruel look on his face.

The old woman gave a sinister smile and nodded, accepting the task.

She pulled out a cloth bag from her robe, opened the mouth of the bag, and as she muttered a few obscure incantations, a deep red light suddenly shot out from the bag.

As soon as the red light appeared, the room was filled with an overwhelming cold, a deathly stillness that spread throughout the space.

The old woman beckoned, and the red light howled through the air, forming into the illusory figure of a little girl in red.

“Remember the appearance of that child. Kill him.”

The old woman placed her hand on the little girl’s head, and blood light surged from her palm, flowing into the girl’s body.

Phantom wraiths were elusive and nearly impossible to detect. Combined with the strange and sinister methods of a ghost keeper, assassinating a few people without a trace was laughably easy.

However, Ye Lingyun was currently within the heavily guarded Imperial Palace, so it wouldn’t be easy for the ghost to infiltrate.

Fortunately, Zhao Tianming, as the Duke in Great Chu, still had some means.

Over the following days, through careful manipulation, Zhao Tianming successfully sent the little girl ghost into the palace.

That night, the attack was to take place.

In the study, Zhao Tianming stood by the window, looking out toward the Imperial Palace, his brows tightly furrowed, betraying a hint of anxiety.

Behind him, the ghost master spoke quietly.

“Hehe, Your Highness need not worry. Xiao Hong is a phantom wraith of the Nascent Soul realm. She’s more than enough to handle a mere Golden Core child.”

Zhao Tianming turned around, his expression relaxing slightly.

“Are you sure?”

The old woman smiled with confidence.

“Absolutely. That child will not be able to withstand her.”

Seeing her confidence, Zhao Tianming relaxed and murderous intent surged within him.

Ye Lingyun posed too much of a threat to him, and he had to die.

But the next moment, something unexpected happened! The old woman suddenly froze, and a look of shock appeared on her twisted old face.

“Thwack!”

She spat out a mouthful of blood.

“My… my phantom wraith has lost contact?!”

Zhao Tianming’s expression instantly turned pale.

“What did you say?!”

“How is this possible?!”

The old woman explained urgently.

“Your Highness, when Xiao Hong entered that child’s heart lake, something suppressed her. This person has special means that can restrain phantom wraiths. I can’t kill him.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Tianming was shaken to the core.

How could even a Nascent Soul realm phantom wraith be unable to kill that little bastard?!

He was completely stunned.

…

“My past memories have been erased by my grandmother. I only know that after I was captured, I was refined into a phantom wraith and cannot disobey her orders.”

In Ye Lingyun’s heart lake, within the golden cage, the little girl in red timidly looked at Ye Lingyun’s spiritual projection and weakly defended herself.

Feeling the vast, powerful energy surging around her, she was completely numb. At the same time, she also felt a sense of shame.

Even though she was a Nascent Soul realm virtual ghost, she was being suppressed by a mere Golden Core realm child.

Wuwuwu, she would never be able to show her face again.

But the terrifying aura around her made her body tremble uncontrollably, and a deep sense of fear arose in her heart.

Ye Lingyun coldly stared at her and asked, “Who sent you to kill me?”

The little girl furrowed her brow and pondered for a moment before weakly answering, “I… I vaguely heard grandma refer to that person as Duke Wuyou.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Lingyun’s pupils constricted, and a strong sense of danger suddenly surged in his chest.

It was him!

His expression gradually turned serious. Zhao Tianming, Duke Wuyou, had reached the Ascension realm, making him immensely powerful. Ye Lingyun was nowhere near that level right now.

Realizing that such a person had set his sights on him made Ye Lingyun feel quite nervous.

He was still too weak. He had to grow stronger, and fast.

The little girl anxiously watched him and continued, “The immense aura inside you is too powerful, and it severed the link between me and grandma. Now, I no longer have to follow her orders to kill people.”

As she spoke, her voice carried a hint of relief, as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

Then, her eyes subtly shifted, and a pitiful expression appeared on her face as she begged, “Big Brother, since I didn’t hurt you, can you just let me go?”

Ye Lingyun snapped out of his thoughts and gave her a sidelong glance, replying indifferently:

“Even if you kowtow and beg for mercy—”

Thud!

Before he could finish, the little girl scampered up to him and immediately knelt down!

“It’s useless,” Ye Lingyun said flatly, finishing his sentence with a calm tone.

Upon hearing this, the little girl’s face immediately dropped.

“Ah…”

Wuwuwu… I’ve been played!

Despite her cute and pitiable display, Ye Lingyun remained unmoved. After sizing her up a few more times, he spoke indifferently, “You wanted to kill me first, so now stay here quietly.”

Hearing this, the little girl’s lips trembled, and she wanted to cry but had no tears.

Wuwuwu…