Chapter 38: Longing, Oh So Longing, I Am Not Going Out Anymore

In the eighteenth level of Hell, the little bun woke from her slumber to find that the two individuals who had been fighting were gone. Sensing the surrounding aura, she realized they were recuperating within her own space, so she decided not to disturb them.

"Little Highness..." Cao Fu approached on tiptoe and whispered, "Immortal Lord Jin Nian has left."

"Left?" The little bun’s mind wandered for a moment. After reflecting on the long explanation Cao Fu had given her earlier, she suddenly snapped back to reality. "In that case... does that mean Father is out of trouble?"

Since that human was a cultivator under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Dao, the matter naturally fell under the authority of His Highness Yuheng. It was no longer a concern for Hell, let alone her father. Therefore, wasn't her father safe and sound?

"Yes," Cao Fu nodded heavily, "that should be the case."

"That is wonderful!" The little bun smiled happily and hurriedly pulled an enormous carrot from her Qiankun bag, handing it to her. "Here, thank you for always bringing me news from the outside."

"No, no, no—" Cao Fu waved her hands in refusal. She was merely a lowly ghost running errands; how could she accept the little bun’s most beloved treasure?

"Just take it!" The little bun forcefully thrust it into her hands, laughing. "It is delicious. If you don't believe me, try it."

"Th-thank you, Little Highness." Cao Fu held the carrot, feeling a mix of excitement and joy. Although she had never eaten human food, seeing how much her little mistress loved it, she guessed it must be truly exquisite.

At that moment, Bai Chang suddenly emerged from her own space and warned, "Someone is coming."

"What?" The little bun paused, wondering who could be visiting. Before she could finish the thought, Cao Fu vanished from in front of the dungeon, taking the giant carrot with her.

A second later, a deep, dark orb of light appeared outside the cell.

"Father?!" The little bun immediately recognized her father’s aura. As soon as she spoke, the dark, heavy mist coalesced into the figure of Yan Yi.

He stepped straight through the locked dungeon door, arriving before the little bun. "What are you doing?" he asked in a low voice.

"Ahem." Bai Chang’s figure vanished instantly, retreating back into her space to avoid interrupting their conversation. As for Bai Yan, resting on another cot, he never once emerged from his space; it was unknown whether he could even hear their voices.

"Your child hasn't done anything, Father. I have been diligently studying my arts," the little bun stood obediently before him, producing a manual on sword techniques and a book on incantations from her bag.

As she spoke, she raised a finger, emitting a red glow that pointed at the two books floating in mid-air, flipping the pages one by one to demonstrate. She had been reading and annotating these during her boredom. In truth, she learned very quickly; what took others hours to master, she could grasp in a mere quarter of an hour. The dozens of pages she had flipped through were merely the result of a few idle moments during her days in the dungeon.

"I did not come to see these," Yan Yi said. His gaze did not even fall upon the books, clearly showing no interest in whether she had been studying. Even if he had checked, he knew she hadn't truly internalized the lessons, so he saw no need to waste the effort.

The little bun packed the books away into her Qiankun bag and asked, crestfallen, "Then what did Father come to see?"

"You." The answer was brief and clear.

"See me?!" The little bun was stunned for a moment, her mind struggling to catch up. When the meaning finally dawned on her, her mouth stretched into a grin that reached her ears. "Father came to see me?" She lowered her head, acting shy and coy. "I knew it! Father missed me. I missed Father too, so very much..."

Bai Chang, in the shadows: "..."
Bai Yan, who could hear everything: "..."

Yan Yi frowned at his daughter’s dramatics. "I wasn't finished. I meant that I came to see how well you have reflected on your mistakes."

"Ah?!" The little bun shot her head up, wishing she could crawl into a hole.
*Oh no! So he didn't miss me at all!* She pouted, her voice filled with pitiful stubbornness. "I have reflected, of course. From now on, I wouldn't dare go out again."

Bai Chang: "..."
Bai Yan: "..."
*The little one has quite a bit of resentment,* he thought, having just finished his meditation.

Yan Yi chuckled softly. "That is for the best. If I ever find out you’ve snuck out of prison with them again, I will break your legs and dislocate your arms."

The little bun huffed unhappily. "Then please, Father, do not act like a deceitful King of Hell! You said you would take me out, but then you went back on your word! You are not a good father!"

"I said I would take you out of prison, but I never said when."

"Yes, yes," the little bun turned her back on him, walking toward her bed with a huff. "In that case, if you never take me out, you haven't broken your promise either. After all, 'forever' is a long time—who knows which 'time' you meant?"

Indeed. 'Forever' was so long, always lingering in the future; who knew when it would actually arrive?

Sensing her deep resentment, Yan Yi walked after her. "Since you are so eager to leave Hell—"

"I don't want to just leave Hell! I want to fight alongside you, Father!" The little bun turned around, her voice sharp. For the first time, she interrupted him with such lack of decorum, acting like a bristling, furious little lion. "I know my cultivation is low and my magic is weak! But I want to go out with you to perform duties, punish the wicked, and protect the Ghost Clan! I want to have my own responsibilities and tasks, just like Granny Meng and Sister Bai Chang! I don't want to stay in the Heartless Palace every day, doing nothing, waiting to rot!"

Bai Chang thought, *Oh no.* Bai Yan, listening from across the way, broke into a cold sweat for the little one.

Yan Yi’s expression darkened. His gaze, as he looked down at her, turned cold and hollow, radiating a powerful, oppressive aura. "Is that how you define yourself?"

If she truly believed she was a good-for-nothing, why did she need others to define her?

"N-no, it's not..." The little bun’s spirit withered under his gaze. She trembled, "That is just what they say about me behind my back." It was her own true belief, but she didn't dare say it out loud in front of her father.

"If someone says that about you, go find them. Do not stay in this dungeon and force an answer out of me."

"I didn't mean to!" The little bun shook her head frantically, terrified she had angered him further. "I just feel that I should have my own responsibilities! Surely Father doesn't want me to just waste away in this Hell forever?"

Yan Yi scoffed, his tone cold and disdainful. "You cannot even refine your own energy yet, and you want to protect the Ghost Clan and leave Hell?"

"Father?"

"Weng Ze has returned. Once he researches a medicinal flower that can help you break through your cultivation bottleneck, I will not care where you go."

The little bun was stunned. "Is that true, Father?"

"Naturally. As long as you do not regret it later."

"I won't regret it!" The little bun beamed at him, looking utterly adorable.

Yan Yi held out his hand. "Give me the Snow Lotus Pearl."

"Father?!" The little bun clutched her Qiankun bag, terrified of what he might do to her treasure.

Yan Yi did not withdraw his hand, merely adding, "Hand it over. It is tainted with the toxins of the Snake Clan. You cannot absorb its spiritual energy while it is in this state."

"O-okay..." Reluctantly, she pulled the well-protected Snow Lotus Pearl from her bag. She handed it to him, the flower still carrying her unique scent and warmth. "Can you purify it properly, Father? It is the first gift I received after leaving prison."

A gift from the Big Snake, at that.

"So much fuss," Yan Yi snatched the pearl from her hands and turned to leave.

Before the little bun could even see how he departed, he vanished in a flash.

"Hmph, Father is just like a bandit." She muttered under her breath, hoping no one heard.

Bai Chang: "..."
Bai Yan: "..."