Chapter 32: Hellfire, and Bai Chang Deserves Punishment

"You, please don't be sad."

The little one whispered, trying to comfort him. After all, they were both trapped in this dungeon with no way out, and even news from the outside had to be relayed by others; worrying wouldn't change anything.

"When, when Sister Menghui returns, I will ask her for you about the situation with the great serpent, alright?"

Bai Yan slowly raised his head. His ink-black, disheveled bangs hung over his forehead and brows, obscuring the obscure depths in his eyes. He asked, "Do you have any way to help me get to the Demon Realm?"

"What?!" The little one was stunned.

"I want to see with my own eyes how that boy's injuries really are."

"I, I can't—" The little one shook her head rapidly. She was well aware of her own limitations; if she couldn't even get herself out, how could she help this criminal, this fallen "white radish," escape?

"Then what should I do?" The only light in Bai Yan's eyes gradually faded and collapsed.

Could it be that there was truly no one left who could help him?

Mo'er had fought that great battle against Long Kong. Even if he had won, he must have suffered grave, untreatable wounds. Moreover, those hateful dragons had ransacked all the medicinal herbs in the Snake Clan's underground palace!

How was Mo'er supposed to cultivate and recover his strength now?

"Even though we can't get out, I will have someone inquire about the great serpent for you. Don't worry." The little one put on an expression that said "leave it to me," as if she were actually capable of doing it, regardless of her current status.

She was a prisoner herself, after all.

Yet, besides her, there was no one else who could help him.

The little one unfastened the universe bag from her waist, took out the sound-transmitting bell from inside, and carefully called out, "Sister Baichang—"

"Sister Baichang, can you hear me?"

"Sister Baichang—"

"Can you hear me?—"

***

In Hell, within the Tenth Heaven.

Baichang glanced at the strange noise coming from the spiritual ring on her hand, then looked up at the crowd poised for action. Covering the glowing ring on her hand, she slipped away from the crowd without a sound.

Walking into a corner where no one would notice, she took the sound-transmitting artifact from the space within her ring and whispered, "Little Highness?"

"Sister Baichang!" The little one gripped the bell tightly, smiling happily.

***

Baichang cast a cautious glance in the direction of the crowd, then lowered her head and spoke into the artifact: "Does the Little Highness have any urgent matters to attend to?"

"No, no," the little one waved her hands quickly, signaling that she was an obedient and well-behaved Little Highness, not the troublemaker she used to be.

"Is that so?" Baichang chuckled, pretending to cut off their connection. "Since the Little Highness has nothing to command, I will go back to my duties. Goodbye, Little Highness."

"No, no, no—" The little one shook her head frantically. "Don't say goodbye, Sister Baichang! I have something! I really do!"

She no longer dared to pretend to be a well-behaved girl with nothing to do; it was better to actually have something to say.

Baichang burst into a laugh, becoming even more amused. "Alright, alright. Tell me, what is the urgent matter?"

"Sister Baichang, where are you right now? The matter is quite complicated; I need to speak with you in person to explain it clearly."

"In person?" Baichang paused. She looked up at the crowd and saw that they had already begun casting spells to send the human princess off to be punished in the Ghost Fire.

Oh no!

She was a crucial part of the formation!

She hurriedly stowed the bell and rushed toward the crowd, casting a spell to move faster. But no matter how fast she was, she couldn't outpace the quick-witted person who stepped in to replace her.

Su Qin lunged into the formation, facing upward, and rotated her hands in a circle. She absorbed the energy channeled by the others, condensed it before her, and after adding her own barrier technique, pushed it heavily toward the entrance of the Ghost Fire.

"Boom—" With a massive sound, it was as if a giant boulder had fallen, sealing the entrance to the Ghost Fire. It reinforced the hellish flames with a new layer of formation and barrier, ensuring that no matter how outsiders tried to destroy or sabotage it, it would not affect the one inside suffering and enduring every step of the torment.

It was said that, to this day, no human had ever managed to survive the trial of the Ghost Fire and walk out alive.

"Baichang, you have some nerve!" The first thing Su Qin said after finishing her spell was a loud reprimand.

"If I hadn't noticed you were missing just now, this sealing formation would have been ruined. Do you know what you were doing? Do you realize what would have happened to the Ghost Fire if this formation had failed?!"

If the formation were destroyed, the Ghost Fire would be extinguished.

If the formation were abandoned, the Ghost Fire would perish.

Without someone to maintain the formation, the Ghost Fire would be snuffed out by the slightest attack. The Ghost Fire, which the Lord of Hell had painstakingly planned and preserved for millions of years, would vanish into nothingness.

If that happened, what else in this world would be powerful enough to suppress those humans who rebelled against the Heavenly Dao and defied nature?

"I..." Baichang stood frozen, momentarily unable to retort.

It was true. If Su Qin hadn't appeared in time to help, how could she ever atone for ruining the formation?

"Enough. Since the human is already inside suffering her punishment, that is enough." Yan Yi, who had remained silent until now, spoke calmly, breaking the standoff between the two.

***

"Your Highness?!" Su Qin turned around, dissatisfied, and retorted with logic, "Su Qin is not wrong! If Baichang hadn't been absent just now, and if there had been no one to cast the formation, wouldn't all our efforts have been in vain?"

"You went to such great lengths to bring this human back. Are we all to lose our lives just because of Baichang's momentary negligence?"

"Does Your Highness not know that the Third Prince of the Dragon Clan could bloodbath the Snake Clan's palace just for a single Everlasting Pearl Flower? How could he not come to ambush our Ghost Clan again for the sake of this woman?!"

Seeing that Yan Yi's expression remained unchanged, Su Qin turned to the others and added, "Tell me, am I right or not?!"

The crowd thought for a moment, nodded in succession, and voiced their agreement: "Indeed, Your Highness. Lady Su Qin is right. This matter was handled poorly by General Baichang."

"That's right. If not for Lady Su Qin, wouldn't the formation we worked on today have been wasted?"

"Exactly, Your Highness! Lady Su Qin is correct!"

"Your Highness! Lady Su Qin speaks the truth!"

"Lady Su Qin is right!"

Heichang, standing nearby, darkened his face as he watched everyone join in calling for his sister's punishment. He knew clearly that Baichang would not be able to escape this.

"Your Highness," Baichang stepped forward, bowing slightly, and said softly, "Baichang knows she was wrong. I deserve to be punished."

She was indeed in the wrong, and she would not make things difficult for His Highness.

It was just a bit of physical pain; she would endure it.

"Then I shall punish you with—" Yan Yi's gaze swept over the crowd, passed over the flicker of triumph in Su Qin's eyes, and landed on Baichang. "Confinement for half a month."

"Your Highness?!" Heichang couldn't help but step forward, wanting to plead for his sister. Was half a month not too harsh?

But before he could say another word, Yan Yi spoke before him: "Confine her to the Eighteenth Level, and let Menghui teach you the rules properly."

Baichang: "?!"

Heichang: "?"

The Eighteenth Level?!

The Little Highness's dungeon?!