For ghosts, obsession was the very foundation of their existence.
Every ghost's obsession was the most untouchable part of their soul's depths.
And most ghosts' obsessions stemmed from their deaths.
Right now, this kingdom was prosperous, with talking pumpkin carriages on the streets, flower-selling rabbits, piles of bread, and magnificent decorations for full moon feasts.
There was no reason to devour one's wife due to hunger.
That left only the Witch's lost rainbow flower.
The rainbow flower had the power to extend life, preserve youth, and cure all injuries and illnesses.
But the rainbow flower had been eaten by the gravely ill Queen.
The remaining medicinal efficacy was then passed down to the Little Princess.
If the King coveted the effects of the rainbow flower, why didn't he swallow it himself in the first place?
Why go through the extra trouble of making the Queen drink that bowl of soup?
And then there was the Little Princess.
Once the Queen was completely eaten, would the Little Princess be next?
Cen Yao's brow furrowed slightly.
She glanced at the unconscious King on the floor.
There were likely other secrets hidden within this man.
But now was not the time to continue questioning him.
The tolling bells and the baby's crying outside were still echoing.
The stench of blood here was too strong. Although the paper talismans in the secret chamber were poorly drawn, they were numerous.
If she stayed any longer, she might attract something else.
Cen Yao took a sealed container from her witch's robe pocket.
It was originally a glass bottle used to preserve the vitality of medicinal ingredients, with simple stabilizing magic runes carved on its surface.
She swiped her hand, and the magic runes lit up.
“Bear with this for now.”
The blonde ghost looked up at her.
Thick resentment still lingered in her eyes, but a shred of recovered clarity remained.
“Who are you?”
Cen Yao thought for a moment.
“A Witch who has come to collect a debt.”
The blonde ghost seemed to daze for a second.
In the next second, her soul body was wrapped in a gentle silver-white light and pulled into the glass bottle.
Cen Yao sealed the mouth of the bottle and cast an extra isolating and suppressing Protection Spell on the outside.
Only after ensuring that she wouldn't be affected by anything in the secret chamber did she tuck the bottle into the inner lining of her witch's robe.
Afterward, she began to restore the scene.
The bones were piled back into the corner.
The bloodstains were left as they were.
The protective barrier dissipated.
The paper talismans continued to hang limply on the wall.
The bells on the peach wood swords fell silent again.
Even the thing the King had been gnawing on halfway, which had rolled onto the floor, was tossed back beside him by Cen Yao using magic.
Having done all this, Cen Yao glanced at the unconscious King on the floor.
As for him?
Ha.
Who cared?
She ignored him and left the secret chamber without looking back.
The secret passage remained dark, cold, and damp.
Outside, the bells continued to toll one by one, a dull sound that felt like it was pounding against one's chest.
The baby's crying hadn't stopped either.
In fact, it was even closer than before.
“Waaah...”
“Wah...”
The crying drifted and hovered, as if seeping out from every single wall of the palace.
Sometimes it sounded like it was ahead.
Other times, it felt like it was pressed right against her back.
Cen Yao cast another Heart-Calming Spell on herself and retraced her steps back to the old garden.
When she emerged from the secret passage's entrance, the moonlight was shining upon the headless angel statue.
The statue had no head, but its hands were clasped in front of its chest, as if in prayer.
Cen Yao glanced at it but didn't linger, spreading her wings to fly back into the night sky.
The patrols in the palace were even more chaotic than before.
The greenhouse had been robbed, the armory had been "borrowed," the bread in the kitchen was shouting profanities, and the King's study was haunted.
The entire palace seemed to have been turned upside down, with soldiers and attendants rushing about everywhere.
Leveraging her Concealment Spell and Shielding Spell, Cen Yao glided over their heads.
No one saw her.
The moonlight fell upon the edges of her wings, refracting a faint, deep blue and silver light.
Like a shadow that didn't belong to this world, she flew silently toward the side palace.
The baby's crying drew closer and closer.
It was so close that Cen Yao could already feel a cold, sticky breath slowly creeping up the back of her neck along with the night breeze.
She didn't look back.
The rules stated that when hearing a baby's cry, one must close their eyes and not respond.
Since the true danger was very likely "seeing," she wouldn't rashly turn around before confirming her target.
As she passed by a flower gallery, she heard a lowered male voice coming from a certain room.
“Don't move.”
“Close your eyes, quick!”
The voice sounded somewhat familiar.
Senel.
Cen Yao's wingbeats paused slightly.
There had been a faint rustling inside the room.
But the moment Senel spoke, it vanished instantly.
It was as if everyone inside had stopped moving at the exact same moment.
Cen Yao hovered in the shadows outside the window, her eyes shifting slightly.
Senel knew this rule.
That wasn't surprising.
It was written clear as day on the city gates; anyone who wasn't blind could see it.
But his current reaction was far too practiced.
It didn't seem like the first time he had encountered the baby's crying.
It was more like he already knew in advance what the crying would bring.
Cen Yao peeked through the gap in the window.
No lights were lit inside.
Heavy curtains hung down, leaving only a very narrow slit.
It was excessively quiet inside.
Yet, the baby's crying was drawing nearer and nearer.
“Waaah...”
“Waaah...”
Cen Yao fell silent for a second and immediately decided to turn herself completely invisible.
Transparent ripples spread from the tip of her wand, enveloping her body, her witch's robe, her wand, and the pair of shimmering wings behind her.
In the next instant, the shadows of the tower were completely empty.
As if she had never paused there.
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