Don't mess with that Miao boy, he's sickly and perverted.

"My mother once said that when she was pregnant with my older sister, she would hum nursery rhymes to her belly every day, hoping that the child would come into the world safely and healthily."

"It had truly felt its mother's warmth and expectations, so it couldn't understand why its mother would so heartlessly abandon it. It kept waiting and waiting, stubbornly believing that its mother would come to find it and take it home, and would never let it die alone in the freezing cold. This obsession, accumulated over the years, eventually turned into resentment and hatred."

"When I found my sister's remains, she had become a dying, vengeful spirit. Over the years, she had struggled to escape from demons and evil spirits time and time again, just to stay here and continue waiting, enduring hardship. Perhaps even she herself had forgotten what she was waiting for. So, I built an inn here to guard her, and I also kept her inside the inn, just to protect her."

"Are you really just doing this to protect it?" Jiang Zhiyu suddenly asked.

"What was your intention in sharing the rice wine made from corpses with everyone before?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yu, who had just been immersed in grief, suddenly looked away, her eyes darting around as a mix of emotions—shame, helplessness, and guilt—surging within her.

She took a deep breath and had no choice but to reveal the whole plan:

"Before my mother passed away, the only thing she couldn't let go of was my older sister. She always said that my sister must have been reincarnated and gone to a good family... If she knew that my sister had become a vengeful spirit and was wandering the world, I don't know how heartbroken she would be."

"Later, I overheard from a wandering Taoist priest that if you use the bones of a corpse as a medium, dissolve them in water and drink it, it can become a medium to attract ghost infants. If the ghost infant finds a suitable woman among them and recognizes her as its mother, it will enter her womb and be reborn through her womb."

Chai Xiaomi's pupils dilated.

So it really does burrow into your stomach!

She looked down at her lower abdomen, then looked up at the gazes that were unanimously directed at her.

"So that's how it is!" Yan Xingxiao slammed his fist into his palm. "That brat had his eye on Miss Chai from the start, but for some reason it didn't work out, so he got angry and went to our room to vent his frustration on Yue Niang!"

Zhu Yu did not deny his conjecture, but explained, "It has never harmed anyone before. Could you tell me, Chief Escort Yan, why you believe it has taken a liking to Miss Chai?"

Chai Xiaomi answered herself: "Because it came looking for me last night, and it has come again tonight."

"No wonder..." Zhu Yu suddenly realized, "No wonder the first person it looked for after it was summoned back was you."

"But why did it..." Zhu Yu hesitated before speaking, feeling that asking such a question was a bit presumptuous.

"Why didn't it work, right?" Chai Xiaomi continued her question.

To be honest, she was quite curious herself. Even though there were commotions in the room, the little devil didn't come near her in the end.

At that time, she always heard a rustling sound on the beam, like many feet crawling.

I recall that before Wu Li left, he seemed to have said, "You will guard this place tonight."

Although it's unclear what he was referring to, it's possible that it was his doing.

"Perhaps..." Chai Xiaomi poked the Qiankun bag at her waist, "I have a magic weapon given to me by Brother Yu. Perhaps the little ghost is wary of magic weapons from the immortal sect, so it didn't approach rashly when it first tried to probe me."

Jiang Zhiyu nodded: "Indeed, the magical artifacts of the Jingming Platform all carry purifying energy, which can deter some low-level ghosts and spirits."

Chai Xiaomi smiled gratefully, "Oh, it's all thanks to Brother Yu's gift!"

She just made up a random excuse to brush it off.

After all, if she revealed that it was Wu Li who set up the protection, he would know that there was a soul-locking array and little ghosts in the inn, yet he did not tell Jiang Zhiyu and Song Yueyao who were traveling with him.

They will definitely have some suspicions about him.

Thinking of this, Chai Xiaomi suddenly looked at Wu Li.

It's no wonder I was shocked when I looked.

She suddenly met the boy's dark and unfathomable eyes, which held a hint of resentment. His thin lips were slightly pursed, and his aura was gloomy and terrifying.

It was as if a dark, malevolent aura was burning fiercely behind him.

The rising resentment emanating from him was probably even stronger than that of a vengeful spirit.

I don't know how long I've been staring at her like that.

Her alarm went off instantly!

Ahhhhh!

So engrossed in the story, she almost forgot about her promise to wait until the incense stick burned!

From afar, she saw the boy's lips move.

A strange smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

His beautiful lips curved into a slight smile, and silently, he uttered four words to her:

You're dead!

Chai Xiaomi sprinted to him, flashing what she thought was a flawlessly sweet smile, and then blatantly lied:

"Perfect timing, just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Come, hand the child over to me."

He doesn't have a watch or any electronic devices, so it's impossible for him to keep accurate time.

She said one incense stick, and that is one incense stick.

Watching Chai Xiaomi dash away like a gust of wind, Zhu Yu paused, then suddenly understood—

Why did her older sister like her and choose her as her mother?

Even she herself was deeply attracted by such a vibrant and bright appearance.

That's what they've been searching for their whole lives.

Flowers that grow up in pampering and care are radiant and beautiful. They may seem delicate, but they possess an all-encompassing strength. They are not easily self-conscious, never timid, and always carry the confidence of having been loved with peace of mind.

That love isn't enough from just the mother; the father also needs it.

Zhu Yu looked at the boy again.

Throughout her speech, she kept an eye on her older sister, and her gaze kept drifting towards the boy.

Zhu Yu noticed that his gaze was always fixed intently on the girl.

There was not the slightest deviation.

It seems that she not only has the favor of her parents, but also the ardent focus of this young man.

That's truly enviable.

She sadly withdrew her gaze. After her mother's passing, she feared she would never receive any favor from anyone in her life.

Zhu Yu hung his head, his whole being enveloped in an aura of dejection, which made everyone's hearts clench.

However, it almost led to a fatal accident, ultimately due to her scheme.

Jiang Zhiyu remained silent for a moment before finally speaking: "Rebirth through borrowing a womb is against the natural order. Even if it is obtained by force, the child will not live long and will die young. The sins accumulated will not be accepted by the underworld, and in the end, the child will still be just a lonely ghost."

"Your plan will harm others, but it will also harm yourself."

Jiang Zhiyu's tone grew serious: "This ghost infant has now developed murderous intent. If we let it go any further, the consequences will be unimaginable. The only way now is—"

He suddenly stopped speaking at this point.

Even Song Yueyao was touched by this brief silence, a soft spot in her heart. She suddenly asked in a low voice, "Is there really no other way? Must we dispel the soul?"