Upon hearing Nuonuo’s words, Lian Qianqian retreated repeatedly. No, this was absolutely impossible. The Taoist priest had said that if the Spirit Child could not be successfully born from her womb, she would die too!
"No, Third Master Li, I beg you! Without this child, I will die!"
Lian Qianqian crawled on her knees toward Li Lingxiao. Before Li Lingxiao could even move, Li Xiran kicked her away.
"You wretched woman, when you beat Nuonuo, did you ever stop to think that she was just a child and that being buried underground would kill her? And now you expect us to care whether you live or die? Don't make me laugh!" Li Xiran sneered coldly.
Lian Qianqian knew she was finished; it was too late for regrets now.
Li Lingxiao asked Nuonuo gently, "What would you like to do next, Nuonuo?"
In truth, Nuonuo did not know either. She had been waiting for Brother Chuyi to tell her, but he had not appeared until now. Just as Nuonuo was growing anxious, Brother Chuyi finally shimmered into view directly above her head. "Nuonuo, go and touch that woman’s stomach now."
Nuonuo nodded at the empty air. Li Lingxiao found it strange that his daughter was nodding at nothing. Before he could figure out what was happening, Nuonuo looked up at him and whispered, "Daddy, Nuonuo wants to go touch that bad lady’s stomach."
Li Lingxiao did not refuse. He gave his subordinates a look, signaling them to restrain Lian Qianqian.
Lian Qianqian struggled desperately, but it was useless. Eventually, she could only curse under her breath. Li Xiran, finding her too noisy, snatched Li Lingxiao’s handkerchief from his pocket and stuffed it into Lian Qianqian’s mouth. It was much quieter now.
Li Lingxiao: ...No, why did you have to take *his* handkerchief!
Unaware of her father’s frustration, Nuonuo climbed down from Li Lingxiao’s arms and walked step by step toward Lian Qianqian on her short little legs. Held by the bodyguards, Lian Qianqian could only glare at Nuonuo with eyes full of rage and terror.
Ignoring Lian Qianqian’s gaze, Nuonuo placed her small hand, adorned with the Bronze Bell, gently onto Lian Qianqian’s stomach.
"Ghost Baby, Nuonuo knows you are in there. Don’t be afraid. Shall Nuonuo take you to find your mommy?" Nuonuo said in her milky, childish voice to the slightly protruding abdomen. Everyone fell silent; they had never witnessed such a bizarre scene.
What followed was something they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
Lian Qianqian’s stomach began to writhe violently, as if something were trying to claw its way out. Lian Qianqian screamed in agony, her face turning deathly pale. Her strength suddenly surged as she struggled wildly. The bodyguards barely managed to hold her—how had this woman suddenly become so strong?
Nuonuo ignored the struggle, her bright eyes fixed intently on Lian Qianqian’s skin. Brother Chuyi drifted to Nuonuo’s side, his hand lightly supporting Nuonuo’s small hand on the skin as he whispered an incantation.
Suddenly, a cyan light erupted from beneath Nuonuo’s touch, turning even Lian Qianqian’s clothes a shade of blue. Li Lingxiao watched this scene in disbelief. Could his little cub really talk to ghosts?
Before he could process this, he saw Lian Qianqian’s clothes tightening as her stomach grew larger and larger, until it finally burst through the fabric. Where there should have been flesh, the skin was now a dark, bruised cyan, and beneath it, a small face seemed to be trying to push its way out.
Nuonuo’s small hand gently stroked the Spirit Child’s face. In that instant, she saw the scene of the Spirit Child and its mother’s final moments: a blood-soaked mother kneeling on the ground in agony, cradling the body of her premature child before both faded into a wisp of shadow.
Looking at those two shadows, Nuonuo’s heart ached. If this little brother had been able to enter the world, he surely would have had a mommy who loved him very much.
"Alright, little thing, now watch what I do." Brother Chuyi’s voice pulled Nuonuo back to reality.
Seeing the Spirit Child trying to break free, Brother Chuyi sneered. He let go of Nuonuo’s hand, his slender fingers weaving a rapid seal. A bolt of golden light descended from the sky, enveloping Lian Qianqian’s stomach and illuminating the entire Cheng Family front courtyard.
After the golden light flashed, Lian Qianqian’s stomach gradually flattened, and her skin returned to its normal color. Lian Qianqian went quiet, her heart turned to ash. The Taoist priest had said that if the Spirit Child failed to be born successfully, she would die within seven days.
A few seconds later, everyone saw a ghostly shadow emerge from Lian Qianqian’s stomach. Brother Chuyi grabbed Nuonuo’s hand, and with lightning speed, they caught the shadow. In truth, he could have caught it alone, but then the others wouldn't have been able to see the Spirit Child. By having Nuonuo catch it, Li Lingxiao and the others could witness it for themselves.
Cheng Nan had beaten Nuonuo half to death because he didn't believe her about this Spirit Child; well, he would make Cheng Nan open his eyes wide and see the truth!
The infant’s silhouette was held tightly in Nuonuo’s hands. Its face looked deeply pained, and it let out a shrill, mournful cry, as if recounting its grievances and unwillingness to leave.
Nuonuo looked at the struggling Spirit Child in her hands, no fear on her face, only deep pity. She said softly, "Ghost Baby, don’t be afraid. Nuonuo will help you. You are not alone; there are many people who love you waiting for you."
Nuonuo’s voice was filled with warmth and strength, as if it could soothe any pain. The infant’s silhouette gradually calmed down, looking at Nuonuo with eyes full of gratitude. Li Lingxiao and the others watched with their own eyes as the baby that had flown out of Lian Qianqian’s stomach shifted from a bruised cyan to a pure white.
Seeing Nuonuo resolve the Spirit Child’s resentment with just a few words, Brother Chuyi curled his lips into a triumphant smile.
Under Nuonuo’s guidance, the Spirit Child turned into a wisp of white shadow. Li Lingxiao and the others could no longer see it. They could only hear Nuonuo ask the empty air, "Brother Chuyi, can we send the Ghost Baby to be reincarnated now?"
Brother Chuyi nodded faintly and waved his hand. The Spirit Child drifted slowly into the ground. He had already made arrangements with the Black and White Impermanence, telling them to wait underground to receive the Spirit Child; that was why he had arrived late.