chapter 14
Chapter 14
As she stepped into the Underground Palace, Ye Piaoling was stunned by the scene before her.
In front of her stood rows of thick, towering iron bars, each at least several dozen feet high.
And behind the bars, coiled up in plain sight, was a gigantic Evil Dragon!
The Evil Dragon was pitch black all over, sleeping soundly, its massive body curled into a towering mound.
Ye Piaoling pointed at the Evil Dragon and politely asked, “May I ask, is this the little animal you want me to wake up?”
Di Xiulan nodded.
Ye Piaoling sniffed. “Why do I smell blood?”
Di Xiulan replied, “This little animal once devoured countless living beings. Its killings were too many, so its aura reeks of blood.”
Ye Piaoling: “Oh…”
Staring at the Evil Dragon, as huge as a mountain and having eaten countless people, Ye Piaoling only wanted to say: Sorry for disturbing you.
Di Xiulan said, “Wake it up, and I will grant your wish.”
“Your Highness, I really have no idea how to wake up such a creature from the underworld,” Ye Piaoling confessed honestly. “It’s getting late. If you have nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
Di Xiulan said indifferently, “Only after you wake it up can you leave here in one piece.”
In one piece…
Hearing this phrase, Ye Piaoling felt a chill run through her.
She couldn’t help but ask, “What if I never manage to wake it up? Are you going to chop me into pieces?”
“Not necessarily,” Di Xiulan’s tone was lazy and gentle. “How many pieces would be interesting depends on my mood.”
“Seriously? That’s perverted!” Ye Piaoling grumbled, “Damn you!”
“Hmm?” Di Xiulan turned his gaze toward her.
A cold, wicked glint flashed in his deep eyes.
Ye Piaoling immediately forced a smile and said, “I mean, is your uncle in good health? I could visit him sometime.”
“…”
Di Xiulan let out a snort of laughter, flicked his sleeve, and left.
Ye Piaoling stood alone in the dark, empty Underground Palace, facing the Evil Dragon, and sighed.
After thinking for a while, she walked over to the Shadow Guard stationed at the entrance. “Brother, please report to His Highness that I need some tools to wake the Evil Dragon. Can you provide them?”
The Shadow Guard relayed her request to Di Xiulan.
Di Xiulan said, “Whatever she wants, give it to her.”
The Shadow Guard received the order and left.
Everything Ye Piaoling requested was prepared one by one.
…
Night fell.
Di Xiulan put down an ancient scroll and asked Liang Yun, “What did she ask for?”
Liang Yun replied, “She asked for a bed, a set of pillows and bedding, and a late-night snack.”
“And then?”
“Then she ate the snack, got into bed, covered herself with the quilt, and closed her eyes.”
“…”
Meanwhile, Ye Piaoling had already fallen asleep.
She quickly figured it out-Di Xiulan hadn’t given her a time limit. Since she couldn’t leave in one piece for now, she might as well stay here for the time being.
It wasn’t so bad here. There was food and drink. Though it felt like quarantine and wasn’t very free, at least it was safe-no need to worry about assassins coming for her life.
As for the Evil Dragon not far away, rather than sneaking into the cage to wake it up and risk becoming its snack, it was better to sleep outside the cage with it!
Sleep-anything is possible in dreams…
The next morning.
Liang Yun reported to Di Xiulan again:
“Master, she asked for breakfast.”
At noon.
“Master, she asked for lunch.”
In the evening.
“Master, she asked for dinner.”
“…”
Di Xiulan: “Sounds like she’s living quite comfortably.”
Liang Yun: “Master, she doesn’t seem to be trying to wake the Evil Dragon at all. She’s just consuming food.”
Liang Yun couldn’t help but ask, “Master, why not let her go? Keeping her locked up like this doesn’t seem to serve any purpose.”
We even have to send people to deliver her meals every day. It’s really a hassle…
Di Xiulan said indifferently, “Keep her locked up.”
He wanted to see just how long she could stay at ease, locked in the dark, sunless Underground Palace.
At night, Liang Yun came to report again: “Master.”
Di Xiulan: “She wants another late-night snack?”
Liang Yun: “She asked for two young Shadow Guards, and specifically emphasized that they should be clever, quick-witted, and physically strong.”
“…”
With a “smack,” Di Xiulan threw the ancient scroll in his hand onto the table.
A thin, cold smile crossed his lips.
“She’s getting more and more outrageous.”
Di Xiulan went to the Underground Palace where the Evil Dragon was imprisoned.
From a distance, he saw Ye Piaoling and two Shadow Guards sitting on the ground in a circle, holding some paper cards in their hands.
“Bomb!”
Ye Piaoling shouted, slamming two cards down hard.
The two Shadow Guards immediately showed shocked and pained expressions.
Ye Piaoling said, “You lost again. Hand over the money!”
The two Shadow Guards looked bitter, reluctantly pulling out some silver pieces from their pockets…
Life in isolation was so boring that Ye Piaoling finally persuaded the Silly System to give her a deck of Poker. She taught the two Shadow Guards to play Dou Dizhu.
The two Shadow Guards knew she was carrying out the task assigned by His Highness, so they obeyed her every word and earnestly learned to play cards.
In less than half an hour, they had already lost quite a bit of money…
“After thinking it over, it’s not right to just feed you for nothing,” came the man’s indifferent voice. The two Shadow Guards immediately jumped up in fright: “Greetings, Master.”
Ye Piaoling, busy stuffing all the silver into her pocket, said, “Your Highness, what did you just say?”
Di Xiulan replied unhurriedly, “I’ll give you three more days. If you still can’t complete the task after three days, then there’s no point in keeping you.”
Hearing this, Ye Piaoling fell into deep thought.
Di Xiulan: “Are you thinking about how to complete the task?”
Ye Piaoling: “No, I’m thinking about what I should eat if I only have three days left to live.”
…
As they left the Underground Palace, Liang Yun couldn’t help but say, “Master, I think that Eldest Miss Ye really is only good at eating and sleeping. She enjoys every meal and sleeps soundly…”
With death looming, she still eats and drinks as usual, never letting anything weigh on her mind.
Liang Yun was a bit impressed and sighed, “Master only gave her three days, yet she still insists on doing nothing.”
“Not necessarily.”
Di Xiulan curled his lips, speaking carelessly, “Very soon, she’ll give me a surprise.”