The Real Heiress Just Wants to Be a Lazy Fish - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Fear of Guilt

This was the first time Jiang Zitan had seen her sister in such a foul mood during a meal. It was more than just being upset; she felt as though her sister was currently puffed up like a blowfish. Tongtong was chewing her food with such force it seemed as if she were venting her pent-up rage.

“Who made you so angry?” Jiang Zitan pushed several of Tao Yitong’s favorite dishes toward her, but her usual methods of coaxing, which were typically very effective, yielded little result today.

Tao Yitong ate with her cheeks bulging, muttering vaguely, “I’m not angry.”

That earlier ciphertext full of nothing but blessings made her realize she had been played. Noreen had successfully used that trick to lure her out, and because she truly hadn’t caused any harm to ordinary people, Tao Yitong couldn’t find a reason to trouble her afterward. However, her identity might have been exposed, and she might even have to write a self-reflection report after the mission!

Looking at Tao Yitong’s huffing state, it was clear she wasn’t being truthful. Although her sister was unwilling to speak, she had only become angry after looking at that contract; it must be because of that Miss Noreen.

If it weren’t for the fact that Taotie’s consumption of those things would affect her, Tao Yitong would have loved to let it perish together with the entities inside! It would have been a perfect way to settle two hazards at once.

But the Taotie in her consciousness could no longer listen to reason. Tao Yitong locked eyes with a pair of orbs like blood moons within her mind. The chains connecting her ankles vibrated violently. Taotie didn’t speak, but its soul was “boiling,” devoid of logic, transmitting every thought directly into Tao Yitong’s brain via their conscious link.

It wanted to express only one word.

Eat! It was starving. Those monsters were inviting it to a feast, and it intended to attend!

Eat, eat, eat! Go ahead and eat yourself to death!

“Captain Tao…” The power that suddenly erupted at the center of the ancient battlefield was indeed terrifying, but with Tao Yitong there, the others quickly regained their composure.

However, after that eerie power appeared, Tao Yitong’s condition became somewhat abnormal. She had been standing there in a daze for a long time, and those with a keen sense of smell caught a faint scent of blood.

Human flesh and blood were also favorite foods for Taotie. Although the people behind her didn’t contain as much energy as the entity ahead and were far less “delicious” than Jiang Zitan to a starving creature, even chaff tastes like grain, let alone living humans.

Tao Yitong exerted a massive amount of effort to restrain the monster trying to pounce from her soul. Once finished, cold sweat dripped from her forehead. Influenced by Taotie, she actually felt a desire to tear into fresh flesh, but she maintained a shred of logic, making the urge nauseating to her.

Sizzle… Tao Yitong heard the internal channel communication on her earring. Hiding her hand, which she had bitten herself, she signaled for the others to wait a moment while she took the call. Immediately upon connecting, she heard An Yu’s anxious voice.

As she walked downstairs, she heard a faint sound of weeping. In the pitch-black environment, it sounded like a haunting. Of course, there couldn’t be ghosts here; someone was simply crying.

Tao Yitong followed the sound. This wasn’t a place just anyone could enter, so upon finding the dark silhouette, she walked over and asked who they were. If it were an unidentified person, she might have to take them to the Bureau for “tea.”

The stranger wiped away her tears and identified herself. She was the eldest disciple of Rong Zhen. Rong Zhen had informed her of the situation before arriving. The disciple had come at the time her Master specified, but upon reaching the ground floor, she couldn’t help but squat there and cry for a while.

“So it’s you. Senior Rong already told me. Why don’t you… come up with me?” Tao Yitong withdrew her alertness. She pulled a tissue from her bag and handed it to the woman, signaling her to wipe her eyes.

The eldest disciple barely suppressed her tears and followed Tao Yitong to where her Master was staying. However, the moment she saw her Master, her tears went out of control again. She knelt by the bed, weeping so hard she couldn’t even form a sentence.

Liu Yue sighed. She closed the door, leaving the room to the pair of Master and disciple.

The room’s soundproofing was decent, but it couldn’t completely block out the weeping. Tao Yitong found a corner to squat in, her face full of worry. Rong Zhen had used her final moments to help them deal with external threats. Although the future was still concerning, Tao Yitong didn’t show too much negativity in front of her to avoid causing psychological pressure; in reality, she was quite anxious.

As long as that “thing” wasn’t pulled out by the roots, she couldn’t be completely at ease. Yet, it had gone to the Underworld a place she couldn’t interfere with. Tao Yitong felt as though she could only worry in vain.

In this oppressive environment, Liu Yue thought back to that scene 28 years ago. She leaned against the cold wall, listening to the intermittent crying while watching the two girls. With a grim face, she walked onto the balcony, contemplating her next move in the cold wind.

They absolutely couldn’t stake all their cards on the Underworld. If the worst-case scenario Rong Zhen mentioned occurred if that fellow escaped the Underworld to create a tragedy in the mortal world—how would they respond?

Liu Yue and Tao Yitong were both thinking about this simultaneously. Suddenly, Tao Yitong, still squatting in the living room, was pulled into a warm embrace. A sweet fragrance enveloped her, soothing her tensed nerves.

Tao Yitong instinctively patted her sister’s back, feigning ease. “It’s okay, don’t worry. Senior Rong has paved the road for us. As long as we do as she says, everything will be fine.”

“The Underworld is not like the mortal world. There are the Ten Yama Kings, the Ghost Emperors of the Five Regions, and the Ten Great Underworld Marshals! Their combat power is much stronger than the mortal world. The cannibal going there is just seeking death. Once the Yama King issues a warrant, it won’t be able to escape.”

Being held tightly, Tao Yitong assumed Jiang Zitan was frightened by what Rong Zhen had said. She didn’t know that the only thing that could truly make Jiang Zitan feel fear was the threat to Tao Yitong’s life. Both Rong Zhen and Liu Yue had identified Tao Yitong’s future as an early death. Facing such news, Jiang Zitan’s composure had crumbled for a moment.

She thought of the dream she’d had before, where Tao Yitong had resolutely gone to fill that terrifying hole while she could only watch, unable to do anything. This was different from previous dreams; it wasn’t a fate that could be easily changed.

Rong Zhen had said that one way to change misfortune is to be stronger than the misfortune itself. Jiang Zitan was blessed by the Tianxiang Star; she had a chance to gain such power, but it was extremely dangerous. The power of a “star” follows no logic; with one slip, “Jiang Zitan” as an entity could vanish.

What remained would only be that lonely Tianxiang in the sky.

Of course, Jiang Zitan felt fear, but as long as there was even a tiny chance to change the future, she felt lucky despite the fear. At least they had a chance. Before Tao Yitong returned, she hid her grief. By unspoken agreement, neither mentioned this.

Seeing the worry-filled Tao Yitong, Jiang Zitan realized she had already hugged her before she could think. Only this moment of peace could settle her mind.

Tao Yitong quietly rubbed her stiff face. To keep Jiang Zitan from worrying, she put on a smile and nuzzled into her sister’s embrace. “Don’t be afraid… that thing’s body has been almost entirely destroyed. Its strength is greatly reduced; it can’t beat me”

Jiang Zitan tried to force her lips into a smile, but she found it difficult. She buried her face in Tao Yitong’s shoulder to hide her emotions.

Tao Yitong’s heart melted. If she had known, she would have arranged for her sister to rest next door first. Zitan had stayed up with her and heard such terrifying news; she must be exhausted and scared. It was her own lack of consideration.

The weeping in the room gradually subsided. After a while, Rong Zhen’s disciple emerged with swollen eyes. She said her Master’s physical condition was failing rapidly and they had to return immediately.

Their sect indeed had a tradition: the final divination of every Sect Leader before death must be about the sect’s future trend, and the succession must occur before the portraits of the ancestors. If a Sect Leader died away from the sect, it was considered inauspicious.

Apparently, a previous leader had said as much, so the sect members took it very seriously. If Rong Zhen hadn’t previously looked as though she were nowhere near death, the elders likely wouldn’t have let her down the mountain for anything.

“I’ll apply for a special channel; we can get you back very soon.” Tao Yitong immediately began making calls. Ordinary transport was too slow, and faster methods weren’t suited for Rong Zhen’s current state.

Upon leaving, the eldest disciple thanked her several times. “No need for thanks; it is we who must thank Senior Rong for her help…”

After seeing the Master and disciple off, Tao Yitong’s sigh vanished into the cold wind. Turning back, she saw that Aunt Liu, who had been standing nearby, was gone.

“Aunt Liu has already gone back,” Jiang Zitan said.

“Oh, then let’s go back too. It’s late. You should get some sleep when we return.” Tao Yitong felt for Jiang Zitan staying up all night with her. Fortunately, tomorrow was Saturday, so her sister didn’t have to work and could sleep in.

Tao Yitong didn’t mind staying up a bit longer; she had to wrap up the loose ends since Rong Zhen was leaving.

In the biting cold wind, Jiang Zitan and Tao Yitong walked with fingers interlaced. Zitan gave a soft response, her gaze gentle and profound. She would succeed; she still had to accompany Tongtong to see the snow in the north next year.

The temperature reached its lowest point of the day in the middle of the night. The wind outside stung the face, but the car was warm. After returning, while Jiang Zitan was showering, Tao Yitong started the stove to boil some ginger soup for her sister. After wandering in the cold for so long, she had to protect her sister’s delicate constitution. Just as the soup was nearly ready, her phone vibrated.

Tao Yitong took a look, and her phone nearly fell into the pot to add an “extra ingredient” to the soup.

“Captain Tao, did you see the power erupting in the south of the ancient battlefield?”

“I see it. I’m very close to there right now,” Tao Yitong replied.

After An Yu finished speaking, Tao Yitong’s face turned pale. This was currently only an ancient battlefield from the Warring States period; if they continued to dig deeper… No, she had almost forgotten—that place was connected to the Underworld. What might escape wasn’t just things from this battlefield, but ferocious ghosts imprisoned in the Naraka!

“An Yu, move toward the south. Meet me there.”

“I’ll be there soon… I’ve located you!” An Yu said happily.

In less than a minute, An Yu arrived with her team. Upon landing, she noticed Tao Yitong’s state was off. Being a vampire, she was sensitive to blood. However, she also saw the bandages on Tao Yitong’s arm not covered by her sleeve, so she assumed she had been injured while being drawn into the ancient battlefield.

“Captain Tao, are you alright?”

The Bureau

A Marquis had died to settle this matter. This meant the mastermind behind it held a status higher than a Marquis. Both the vampires and the Bureau knew that Marquis Carter was fiercely loyal to Noreen; Noreen was undoubtedly the most suspicious.

Tao Yitong watched Noreen’s expression shift from blankness to shock. Without being prompted, Noreen arrived at the Bureau even earlier than she did. The doubt in Tao Yitong’s heart grew if this was an act, Noreen’s failure to enter the film industry was a huge loss.

The Marquis’s body had been preserved by his servants using special methods. Because it was well-preserved, both Noreen and Tao Yitong could see there was no residual power from anyone else on the corpse; Carter had indeed committed suicide.

“What… what crime did he commit?” The consecutive incidents left the Prince feeling exhausted. What had happened during her 27-year sleep? Why would the most honest Carter commit suicide out of fear of his crimes?

The Bureau staff handed Noreen copies of the evidence. When evidence of human experimentation and “blood factories” was laid before her, the Prince felt a long-absent dizziness.

Tao Yitong didn’t stay, but as she left, she glanced at Noreen’s back; the Prince appeared somewhat “shattered.” The evidence Noreen received wasn’t everything, so she didn’t know that more and more clues dug up from Carter’s side were pointing to her. Tao Yitong had only heard the general situation, but the cloud of doubt in her mind was growing; there was a strange disharmony between that evidence and the Prince.

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