Chapter 58: Ando Wilderness

  My doubts remained unanswered, I got up and walked slowly until I left the palace gate. It wasn't until then that I realized I had actually left the palace! The waist card given to me by Xuan Yuan Mu was still hanging from my waist, and those guards didn't stop me.

  I turned back to look at the vast imperial palace, only then realizing that I wanted to leave this place. I let out a deep sigh, seeing that it was still early, and Xuan Yuan should be in the Imperial Study at this time, and wouldn't come looking for me, so I headed towards the main street.

  Wandering aimlessly on the street, watching people come and go, I suddenly don't know where to go. Just walking slowly.

  The children at the street corner smile happily, the mother under the willow tree holds her baby, and the cry of that baby is so pleasant to hear. There are also girls with double braids singing nursery rhymes, everything looks so harmonious.

  I watched them, the scenery slowly changing, they started watching me, slowly revealing strange smiles, those children surrounded me, like looking at delicious food, drooling from the corners of their mouths, their eyes turned into greedy blackness, without any whites.

  Everyone surrounded me, those children laughing and crying and singing, like a ghostly cry, the hunger in their eyes made me have an illusion that I should dedicate myself, I wanted to be their mother, to give everything for them.

  Suddenly, my arm was pulled and I curiously turned back, just in time to see Ando.

  "What are you doing?" He looked at me with equal curiosity.

  At this time, I looked around again, and everyone was staring at me in horror. Only then did I realize that I was standing in the middle of the street, tearing my face with my hands, as if someone was gnawing on my face.

  I quickly loosened my hands on my face, lowered my head, and my face was burning hot. So many people were staring at me, as if I were a monster.

  I shook off Ando's restraint and turned to leave, but he grabbed me again.

  I turned back to look at him, his eyes were filled with pain, and he looked at me as if I was that Blue Snow again.

  "I'm fine!" I tried to struggle free, but he held me tight, even a bit painfully.

  "Your Highness?" I reminded him, mindful of his status.

  Andou furrowed his brow, then his eyes sank, and the expression on his face suddenly became heavy. Then he furrowed his brow again, reached out and chopped me on the back of my neck. I only felt a blackness in front of my eyes, and instantly lost consciousness.

  As I closed my eyes, a thought flashed through my mind - how could he, regardless of his status, kidnap me on the street?

  When I woke up again, the person in front of me was Xuan Yuan Qi. He saw that I had woken up and let out a sigh of relief.

  I quickly sat up and looked around, it was Xuan Yuan Qi's new mansion.

  "Woke up pretty quickly, but how careless can you be? That guy followed you for an entire morning and you didn't even notice?" Xuan Yuan Qi came over and gave my head a flick.

  I lowered my head, feeling a bit embarrassed, and reached out to touch the painful spot on the back of my neck. Suddenly, I thought of Xuan Yuan Mu: "You won't tell Xuan Yuan Mu about this, will you?"

  With his temper, if he knew about this matter, he would definitely have a falling out with Ando, both being princes, it would be bad for the friendly relations between the two countries.

  "It's not yet, if you don't wake up now, I'll have to take you back to the palace to find him! You said it yourself, what's the point of sneaking out of the palace if nothing's wrong? Why did that guy kidnap you and almost got away with it out of the capital? If I hadn't had business in the palace today and seen him following you, you would have disappeared from this world..."

  I forced a smile and said helplessly, "What can I say? It's no use explaining. I let out a deep sigh and whispered, 'Thank you!'"

  "No need, take good care of yourself, let's go, back to the palace. I think at this time my imperial brother should also return to the East Palace." Xuan Yuan Qi stretched out his hand and helped me up.

  "Really thank you!" Thinking of parting with Xuan Yuan Mu, I feel a pang in my heart. From now on, I must be careful and avoid that An Dou Ye.

  Back in the East Palace, Xuan Yuan Mu had not returned yet, and this matter was considered to be covered up. But what about the ghost baby?

  Xuanyuan Qi sent me back to the East Palace and left, by dusk Xuanyuan Mu still hadn't returned, I had someone go ask around and only then did I find out that he had actually gone out of the palace.

  My heart tightened, what happened? Why did he come out of the palace?

  Xuanyuan is not here, so how should I spend the night? Will those three ghost babies come to find me? Based on my experience last night, I feel that they won't let me off.

  I took out the Bagua mirror given to me by Xue Qiufeng and tied it around my chest, then found the Peach Wood Sword and hung it above my bed. Before this, I didn't dare use these things, fearing they would harm Xuan Yuan Mu. Tonight he's not here, so I must protect myself.

  Go to the small kitchen to find garlic, stuff it under the pillow, hang it on the 'bed' curtain...

  As the night color gradually turned black, my sleepiness also came up, I kept twisting my own thigh, afraid that I would fall asleep, I persisted...

  The child's wailing grew louder, "Waa... Waa..." The baby's cry was flat and monotonous, with no ups and downs, only constant repetition.

  The door was opened, and I sat on the bed to see three little ghosts appearing in the room, covered with blood. One of them had a child's intestines exposed outside their belly, they were crying with their mouths open, but smiling on their faces, their mouths were wide open, revealing sharp teeth inside, as if they could tear apart all kinds of flesh.

  "Mom... mom..." They cried out "mom", stretching out their hands wanting me to hug them.

  They may be ugly, but they are lovely, with such a small body, tender and in need of protection.

  I stretched out my hand and I wanted to hug those three children.

  "Mother, mother..." A child suddenly stretched out his long fingernails and floated towards me, but as he approached me, he was shocked by the Bagua mirror on my chest and let out a sharp cry.

  The other two children, pointing at me and crying sadly, wanting to get close to me but not daring to because of the Bagua mirror on my chest. Their eyes were gloomy, that kind of need for care and need for a mother's love made my heart ache.

  My eyes stared straight ahead, looking at them, slowly reaching out and taking down the Bagua mirror from my chest.

  "Wow..." The three kids suddenly became excited, their crying turning into joyful wails as they rushed towards me, all hiding in my arms, happily calling out and laughing.

  I felt a pain in my arm, and then my thigh also hurt. Those children were sucking blood from the wound, looking at me and smiling at me as they lifted their heads.

  Innocent and evil-free appearance, with blood at the corner of her mouth, she snuggles in my arms with that soft body.

  "Open the door! Open the door!" Suddenly came a frantic knocking sound from outside.

  I sat on the 'bed' unmoving, even urging these children to hurry up and eat, eat a bit more...

  "Open...the door..." An Mingzhu rushed in "Mei Lingshu, what's wrong with you? Wake up!" After that, she came over and gave me a punch.

  The impact of the pain woke me up with a punch, the ghost baby beside me disappeared, and there were bloodstains all over the fabric that covered my arms and legs. The Ba Gua mirror was placed on the bed in front of my chest.