Chapter 520: Ghostly Maiden

Zu An: "..."

He finally couldn't help but say, "Empress Sister, you can't target her just because you're jealous of her large chest, can you?" All along the way, she seemed to have a bad temper towards Pei Mianman, instigating him several times, and now even wanting to kill her.

Mi Li sneered repeatedly, "Nonsense, would I be jealous of her?"

"Aren't you?" Zu An rolled his eyes.

"Of course not! Although..." Mi Li's tone suddenly softened. "Although her chest is a bit... a bit larger than mine, how could I be the kind of person who is jealous of the capable?"

Zu An chuckled in response.

Mi Li snorted, apparently having sorted out her emotions by then. "You just tried it yourself; only by smashing these skeleton puppets possessed by the Kuman Thong can you make them leave. Now that this big-chested girl is possessed, she can only be dealt with in the same way."

Zu An didn't answer. Instead, he constantly tried to maneuver his sword behind Pei Mianman, aiming for the Kuman Thong on her neck. Unfortunately, Pei Mianman's movements were also very agile, giving him no chance to get behind her. Even if she occasionally couldn't avoid it, the Kuman Thong's body was impervious to blades, stones, water, and fire, so enduring a few blows from the Tai'a Sword was no big deal. On the contrary, Zu An was constantly holding back, worried about hurting Pei Mianman, and nearly got injured himself several times by the opponent.

Mi Li's displeased voice came again: "Although this big-chested girl's black flames don't harm you much, she is, after all, a sixth-rank cultivator. Her martial arts and combat experience naturally surpass yours, coming in halfway. Originally, with your hodgepodge of skills, you could barely manage, but now you're reluctant to hurt her, while she can attack without restraint. With this shift in power, you'll undoubtedly meet your demise soon."

"Of course I know all that, but how could I possibly hurt her!" Zu An retorted angrily. "If you don't have any constructive advice, then just stop babbling."

Mi Li: "..."

After a moment, Zu An noticed no rage points were credited, and he couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you angry?"

"Why should I be angry?" Mi Li's voice was quite calm now.

"Weren't you just shouting about killing Big Manman?" Zu An asked.

Mi Li said coldly, "I was just trying to test if you had the potential to be a king and overlord. Unfortunately, you don't. You can't sever all emotions and desires, nor can you sacrifice others to achieve your own goals."

Zu An: "Even with immense power and high status, what's the point if you have to cut off all emotions and sacrifice your loved ones?"

Mi Li sighed, as if some past memory had been stirred within her. "I don't know whether to call you naive or wise. Many beings with far greater cultivation and status than you fail to see this point."

Zu An mumbled, "'Wise' can also be an insult." He then asked, "Why do you not seem disappointed, even knowing I don't have the aura of a king or overlord?"

Mi Li's expression was a half-smile. "I don't need to rely on you to conquer the world, so why would I be disappointed? On the contrary, in our current situation, I hope you can always maintain a kind and simple heart. Now that your life is hanging by a thread and you're still reluctant to harm this big-chested girl, I assume you won't betray me in the future."

Zu An said dejectedly, "You must have paranoid delusions. I remember you tested me before."

"There's no harm in trying more. Besides, I'm bored all day," Mi Li's lips curved slightly upward, clearly in a good mood.

"I don't think you're very clever either," Zu An couldn't help but complain. "Such tests might not reveal my true feelings. What if I was just putting on an act for you? You've already been deceived once, and I can't believe that after all these years, you still trust people so easily."

Mi Li was startled. She had never considered this problem. Hearing him say it, she indeed seemed a bit foolish.

At this point, Zu An's voice finally grew anxious. "You've tested me, so now can you tell me how to save Big Manman?"

By now, Pei Mianman's attacks had become even more ferocious. Combined with the siege by other Kuman Thong-controlled skeleton warriors, Zu An had suffered several injuries despite his Sunflower Phantom movement technique.

Mi Li shook her head. "Although I was testing you just now, I wasn't lying. Besides killing her, I honestly don't know any other way."

Zu An immediately felt a bucket of cold water poured over him. He touched the pendant hanging around his neck, thought of Pei Mianman's lovely smiles and laughter throughout their journey, and clenched his jaw tightly. "There must be a way. I must save her."

Just then, a long, clear, melodious song suddenly echoed from afar. The voice was like a yellow oriole emerging from a valley, crisp, tender, and enchanting, clearly belonging to a young maiden. However, in this eerie and sinister environment, it was hard to imagine a normal young girl existing. Moreover, the song seemed to contain a strange feeling. To Zu An, it sounded much like the sirens' songs in some games from his previous life – beautiful yet dangerous.

The skeleton warriors who had been attacking Zu An, and even Pei Mianman herself, all stopped their movements. The Kuman Thong on their backs tilted their heads, listening carefully to the pleasant song. Their originally fierce expressions gradually became peaceful, and finally, their mouths curved upward, transforming into the innocent smiles of ordinary infants.

"Giggle, giggle~"

A group of Kuman Thong giggled as they hopped off their hosts, then used both hands and feet to crawl towards the direction from which the singing emanated. The headless skeleton warriors instantly lost their strength, scattering and collapsing to the ground, once again turning into lifeless white bones.

Pei Mianman's body also went limp, and she fell directly to the side.

Zu An quickly went over and supported her. "Manman, how do you feel?"

Pei Mianman slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Zu An, she became a little agitated. "Ah Zu, are you alright?"

"How could anything be wrong with me?" Zu An smiled faintly and gently wiped away the tear stains from the corner of her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't control my body just now, and I could only watch helplessly as it kept attacking you." Pei Mianman apologized repeatedly, her expression filled with guilt.

"That's not your fault; the Kuman Thong controlled you," Zu An said, looking at the departing Kuman Thong, his doubts growing stronger.

"Why did they suddenly leave?" Pei Mianman asked, still feeling lingering fear.

"It must have been because of that song just now." Zu An's expression was grave. If someone could control the Kuman Thong, did it mean a boss was about to appear?

At this moment, the Kuman Thong's giggling sounds became clear again, evidently approaching their location. The two involuntarily took a step back, watching ahead with wary expressions.

They saw the Kuman Thong clustered around a petite figure, either hugging her legs or crawling around her. The two finally got a clear look at the figure: a beautiful girl, about ten years old, wearing a woven grass skirt that only covered the essential parts, revealing much of her skin.

"This girl is dressed so daringly," Pei Mianman's face flushed slightly. Even though she was always bold, seeing such revealing clothes still made her click her tongue in surprise. Even women from brothels rarely wore so little. But the strangest thing was that there wasn't a hint of lewdness about her. It was unclear how she managed that.

Zu An frowned slightly. "This should be the attire of ancient primitive tribes. At that time, the textile industry wasn't as developed as in later generations, so clothes usually just needed to cover the body."

"Primitive tribe? Then wouldn't she be..." Pei Mianman was startled.

"That's right, I've been dead for many, many years." The girl pursed her lips and smiled, but her words were chilling.

Zu An secretly said to Mi Li, "Empress Sister, you might even have to call this little girl 'Grandma.'"

"Pah!" Mi Li spat.

Rage points from Mi Li +111!

"If I'm not mistaken," Zu An continued, "she's from the Yin-Shang period. She's much older than you, so calling her 'Grandma' would actually be getting off easy."

"..."

Zu An then stepped forward and cupped his hands to the girl. "Thank you, young lady, for your assistance just now."