Chapter 609: Chapter 609: The Plan

At that moment in hell, even King Yan had sensed the anomaly in the Netherworld Fire, prompting a frown, followed immediately by an order to his subordinates to investigate and see what was going on.

The Netherworld Fire had always been contained beneath the Netherworld. Normally, it would not appear. Only when confronted with the most stubborn or heinous of Evil Souls would it be summoned to serve as punishment.

Of course, not everyone was capable of summoning the Netherworld Fire. Within hell, only King Yan and the Ten Hall Yama had such power; even the Judge could not do it.

But now, the sudden disturbance of the Netherworld Fire was no small matter.

It wasn’t long before the Judge returned, his expression somewhat odd.

“What exactly is happening?” King Yan looked at the Judge, his brow furrowed tighter. “Why would the Netherworld Fire suddenly become disturbed?”

“Your Majesty, it’s the young lady.” The Judge spoke, “It was the young lady who suddenly summoned the Netherworld Fire, causing such a disturbance.”

“What?”

Upon hearing the Judge’s words, King Yan was alarmed and promptly inquired, “What about the young lady? Has something happened to her? Why would she suddenly summon the Netherworld Fire?”

“The young lady is fine,” continued the Judge. “The Netherworld Fire was summoned for only a very brief moment before returning beneath the Netherworld. It didn’t seem to have been actually used.”

King Yan let out a sigh of relief, but the deep furrows in his brow did not fade. After some contemplation, he spoke again. “How are things going now with the young lady and our lord?”

“It seems that the young lady’s memory has not yet recovered, but she has regained a substantial amount of strength,” the Judge continued. “Although not yet fully restored, given her strength, she has almost no match in the Human World.”

King Yan sighed resignedly. “And what about our lord? How is he doing now?”

“Our lord…” The Judge’s face showed a hint of difficulty. “He doesn’t seem to remember anything. But every time I see his cold eyes, I can’t help feeling afraid.”

“Ah, even having lost all his memories, our lord is still unconsciously drawn to the young lady,” said King Yan with a sense of resignation. “I just never expected the outcome to be so tragic in the end.”

“All that has passed,” the Judge replied. “What’s important is the here and now.”

King Yan nodded, then gave his instructions. “From now on, regarding matters concerning the young lady, just turn a blind eye. And if they need our help, do what you can to assist.”

The Judge accepted the command.

Meanwhile, at the Baili Family–

Baili Lele looked intently at Zhong Niangyao, not sure what to say for a moment.

In her memory, Zhong Niangyao had always been a delicate and soft little girl. Even though Zhong Niangyao had grown up, she still saw her as a fragile young lady.

But now, having witnessed Zhong Niangyao’s power, she was greatly shocked.

Zhong Niangyao looked at Baili Lele and spoke with a smile, “Now you’ve seen my strength, so you can rest assured and let me go find Dad. I promise you, I will bring him back.”

Baili Lele opened her mouth as if to say something but stopped short, ultimately transforming her many words into a single sentence. “Okay, but when the time comes, I want to go with you.”

“What?” Shocked by Baili Lele’s words, Zhong Niangyao immediately objected, “Mom, you should wait here at the Baili Family for me. We still don’t know the situation with Dad; it would be rash for you to follow. If something happened, I’m afraid we wouldn’t be able to look after you.”

Though her words were polite, the implications were clear: Baili Lele’s presence would only be a hindrance.

Baili Lele clearly understood Zhong Niangyao’s sentiment; she seemed emotionally hurt, opened her mouth to speak, but in the end, said nothing.

Thinking of her own physical condition, indeed, if she went along, she would only be a burden in times of danger.

Noticing that Baili Lele seemed downcast, Zhong Niangyao touched her nose, feeling somewhat guilty, and quickly explained. “I didn’t mean to reject you, it’s just that we’re facing a number of unknowns this trip. You’ve been comatose for so many years and your body hasn’t fully recovered. An accident would be too great a loss.”

After hearing Zhong Niangyao’s words, Baili Lele fell silent. She knew Niangyao was right, but in her heart, she still yearned to accompany her.

In the end, she nodded, “Alright, I’ll stay here at the Baili Family and wait for your return.”

After speaking, she reached out, took Zhong Niangyao’s hand, and couldn’t help but admonish earnestly, “Nianyao, you must promise me that regardless of whether you can find your father or not, your safety comes first. If anything were to happen to you, even if you saved your father, he wouldn’t be happy.”

“Mom, don’t worry,” Zhong Niangyao reassured with a smile. “I value my life very much, and if I really encounter danger, I’ll run faster than anyone else. Besides, you’ve seen my strength. Also, this time Yichen will be going with me. With the two of us looking after each other, nothing will go wrong.”

Baili Lele remained concerned but said no more.

“Mom, what about after we find Dad?” Zhong Niangyao suddenly asked. “What do you plan to do? Will you continue to stay with the Baili Family?”

Hearing Zhong Niangyao’s question, Baili Lele was taken aback, then asked with concern, “Nianyao, did someone tell you something? Or did you hear anything?”

“If anyone dares to mistreat you, tell me, and I’ll immediately inform your grandfather so he can properly punish those who dare to gossip.”

“Nobody has said anything to me, and no one would dare to mistreat me,” Zhong Niangyao shook her head and replied with a smile. “They don’t have the guts.”

And indeed, she wasn’t someone who would allow herself to be wronged. If anyone dared to make her suffer, she would make sure they suffered too. After all, if she was the only one uncomfortable, she absolutely couldn’t tolerate it.

Baili Lele breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s good.”

But then she frowned and asked, “So, Nianyao, why would you suddenly ask such a question?”